Guest Author Feature: Alexandra Anthony and The Vampire Destiny series

Today I welcome a friend from the Hump Day Hook author group, Alexandra Anthony, to talk about her new book in the Vampire Destiny series. Take it away, Alexandra!

"I’d like to thank Catherine Green for having me on her blog today.  I’m here to discuss the launch of my newest book in The Vampire Destiny Series, Ascend.  It’s the fourth book in the series…and I’m excited to answer a few questions and reveal a small excerpt from the book."

Tell us a little about yourself.

I’m rather boring outside of my little writing world.  I’m a mother to a wonderful nine-year-old that keeps me on my toes.  I’m also a vampire fan girl (along with having tiny obsessions with Alexander Skarsgard and Norman Reedus).  Ok, maybe tiny is an understatement.

What book are you reading now?

You’ll laugh.  The Encyclopedia of Conspiracies and Conspiracy Theories.   It’s research for a stand-alone novel I’m working on.  I also happen to love conspiracy theories, so it’s a win-win.

What motivates you to write?

I suppose it’s just the enjoyment of writing.  It’s the freedom to create your own world and be in total control of fates, lives and love.  It’s almost a power trip!

What was your inspiration for your latest book?

Ascend is the fourth book in The Vampire Destiny Series.  My inspiration is Stefan (my hero of the series).  I enjoy “seeing” him in action!

What are your favorite type of scenes to write?

I’d like to say dialogue, but I’d be lying.  My favorite scenes to write are the sexy, smutty scenes.  I enjoy writing reactions and drawing the reader into the story.

Who is your most popular character? Why do your readers like or dislike this character?

I’d have to say Stefan is probably a favorite.  I also think a few fans would be partial to Nick Hart from my other series, The Dark Hart Chronicles.

What are your current projects?

I have a lot on my plate.  I’m working on a novella from Stefan’s POV (due out late summer), Book 2 of The Dark Hart Chronicles, Book 5 of The Vampire Destiny Series, and I’m working on a non-paranormal, erotic thriller.  It will be a stand-alone book with a kick-ass female!

Excerpt from Ascend (The Vampire Destiny Series Book 4)


Did he regret that I'd no longer be so fragile?  Would he miss the small remaining human part of me…my blood, my heart beat?

"Never."  He vowed, reading my unspoken worries.  He tilted my head back to gaze into my eyes.  His face was streaked with pink tears, standing boldly out against the paleness of his handsome face.  "I was terrified that you would not wake. I could only sense your pain in the bond until you touched me.  You were a complete void to me."

I felt my lips tug up at the corners.  "As if you could get rid of me so easily.  You're stuck with me, Stefan.  Forever."

His face relaxed and the soft smile he reserved for me relaxed the
tenseness of his lips.  "There us nothing I want more than that.  Jag alskar dig."

His large hands smoothed my hair away from my face as his bright blue eyes searched my face.  "I did not think it would be possible for you to be more beautiful.  Yet you are."

His soft words made me smile, and if I could have blushed, I would have.  Looking up at him through my eyelashes, my vampiric eyes took him in.  I saw details I couldn't have seen before with my much weaker human vision.  He was more beautiful than my human eyes and mind could ever comprehend.  The flawless skin of his face glowed, the intense blue of his eyes sparkled.  The prominent arch of his high cheekbones tapered to the sharp square of his jaw.  My fingers traced the contours of his face, relishing the satin of his skin under my fingertips.  My thumb dragged across his lower lip, aching to feel the powerful sensation of his mouth against my own.

"I love you too," I whispered.  He was always perfect to me, but he'd never looked this stunningly gorgeous. Studying his face even closer, I could see more than the light blue of his eyes; there were tiny flecks of green that I'd never seen before.  I noticed the feathery laugh lines that seemed more prominent.  His flesh was smooth, his once hard body pliable under my hands.  I placed my fingers against his cheek and smiled as he leaned into my touch.

"You are back with me.  The way it should be." He touched his lips to mine, slowly, tentatively.  I melted against his powerful body, my lips working in tandem with his.  Wrapping my legs around him, I squeezed him closer and heard him grunt softly in pain. “You are stronger now.  Unbreakable.”

“Unbreakable?”  I echoed, loosening the grip my legs had around him.  My mind whirled into overdrive as I thought of all the things I no longer had to fear.  No illness could touch me and I’d walk away from a car crash literally unscathed.  No human death could take me away from him.

“Yes.  You are unbreakable.”  His mouth began a slow descent down my neck.  His tongue circled over the now silent pulse point.  “And you are perfection.”

A moan slipped from my lips at his words.  As his mouth continued to nip at my throat, his hands roamed over my clothes, lingering over the heaviness of my breasts.

“You know what I want, Stefan.  I want you to take your time with me…I want you to show me what you’ve been holding back from me.”  I laced my fingers through his and squeezed his fingers around mine, tightening his hands around my breasts.  My head rolled back and hot desire clawed at me, sharp and begging to break free.

[END]

Ascend (The Vampire Destiny Series Book 4) is available from:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Smashwords

Other ways to find Alexandra Anthony

E-mail: alexandraanthony80@gmail.com

Website

Facebook Author Page

Facebook Book Page

Twitter:  @AlexAnthony80

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LinkedIn

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Alexandra Anthony YouTube Page

Amazon Author Page

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Guest Author Feature and Book Giveaway

I am happy to announce another guest author feature on Romancing the Book, along with a competition to win a copy of my latest book, Love Redeems (A Redcliffe Novel). Go and check it out now!

http://romancing-the-book.com/2013/06/guest-contest-catherine-green.html

Join Me in Nantwich for Rendezvous Business Networking!

I am jumping onto the business networking wagon again, and this time I am heading over to Nantwich, Cheshire, just up the road from where I live. I will be attending the Rendezvous Business Networking event on Friday 28th June from 4:00pm - 6:00pm. The event is organized by Mhari Oakes in association with Business Update Magazine, and there will be plenty of exciting and interesting people to meet.

My special announcement is that I will use the event to formally showcase all three of my Redcliffe novels now that I have published the trilogy. This is by no means the end of the Redcliffe story, far from it! These novels simply introduced us to Jessica Stone and the Mason brothers, but now their lives have taken on whole new meanings, and they have lots more adventures and experiences to share. I just have to find time to write the books around being a mother with infants!

Anyway, if you would like to come and see me, see my books, and talk about all things writing related, being an author, or even get some advice on publishing and networking, then come along to the event. Or if you are a small business owner in the local area, and you want to reach out to people, we would love to see you there. Aside from the presence of your favourite local author, there will be a jewellery demonstration from the prestigious Stella and Dot brand as showcased by Mhari Oakes.

So don’t forget, Rendezvous Business Networking, on Friday 28th June 2013, from 4:00p - 6:00pm. See you there!

A Vampire Kiss in 'The Darkness of Love' #HDH

Hello and welcome to the Hump Day Hook. I am preparing for publication of my fourth novel later this year, and so here is an excerpt from The Darkness of Love. This story is set in Victorian England, and is a tale of vampire tricks, power games and lusty encounters…

Amelia smiled and gestured to Gregory as she spoke.

            “My good friend, Lord Stockton,” she said, “requires sustenance, Martha.”

            The maid nodded and turned towards Gregory awaiting her instructions.  She kept her head down, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible.  Gregory sat up straight in a smooth, fluid motion, and he fixed his intense gaze on the young maid.

            “Come closer, child,” he said, “let me see your face.”

            Martha moved slowly closer to the sofa, clearly nervous but too frightened to object.  She stood still, trembling slightly, as Gregory cupped a finger under her chin and raised her face to his.  She stood transfixed by his hypnotic gaze, her arms falling loosely to her sides.  Amelia moved to stand beside the maid, watching Gregory.

            He gently tilted Martha’s head to one side, revealing the unblemished, delicate line of her youthful neck, and the beating veins beneath her skin.  He opened his mouth, revealing fangs, and slowly moved in to bite the maid.  She cried out, her body stiffened, and then she fell limp in his arms, swooning with shock as he drank her blood.  Amelia raised the girl’s arm, revealed her wrist, and broke her skin, licking the blood sensuously, fixing her eyes on Gregory as she fed.  The two vampires watched each other as they sucked the rich, warm blood of the helpless servant.

If you enjoyed this one, why not pop over to our dedicated Hump Day Hook blog and peruse some new and exciting authors. We write about romance, love, science fiction, fantasy, erotica and everything in-between, so you are sure to find something that delights the senses. You can also find us on Facebook. Happy Humping! 

*Vampire image courtesy of The Black Hat Society 

*Free Novel* - Review Request for Love Redeems (A Redcliffe Novel)

I have decided it is time for another book giveaway, but this time I do have an ulterior motive. I am offering a free PDF copy of my third novel Love Redeems (A Redcliffe Novel) in return for honest reviews on websites including Goodreads, Shelfari and Amazon. If you are interested, please contact me directly and I will supply you with the book. I am also happy to do return reviews for other authors on request.

Guest Author Feature: Diaries of a Dwarven Rifleman

Today I open up my blog and introduce guest authors Michael and Linda Pearce, with their new novel Diaries of a Dwarven Rifleman. Take it away Michael! 

"This is our first full-length novel. I spent a year playing with the concept and developing the world of the story in my head before we seriously began writing. My wife and I refined our writing process over the course of writing the Foreworld Saga Novella The Shield Maiden and that experience stood us in good stead writing this novel. We come up with ideas and plot-lines together, I do the 'gruntwork' of writing, then we go back over it together and Linda rewrites my tortured verbiage into something that a person might like to read. Works a treat. Funny thing is, we set out to write one kind of book and the characters, the world and the logic of the story took the book away from us and launched it in a whole different and better direction. Diaries of a Dwarven Rifleman was written as a stand-alone book (and it is,) but as we tossed around ideas and brainstormed it became obvious that it is actually part of a series. You can look for the next book some time around late summer- it's already well underway!"

Book Description Diaries of a Dwarven Rifleman:

"It may seem a fine thing in song or story to be ankle-deep in the blood of your enemies but in reality it's slippery, smells bad and is nearly impossible to get out of your socks afterwards." From the diaries of Engvyr Gunnarson

In Diaries of a Dwarven Rifleman magic, science and technology work hand-in-hand to create a new kind of fantasy world with an underlying logic that makes it as real as a handshake from an old friend. Told with humor and humanity, it is a story of sweeping events seen from a 'ground-level' perspective by real people living and helping to shape the unique history of their world.

Engvyr's father gave up on the miner's life to move the family back to their ancestral home in the far north. But the journey is fraught with perils the young dwarf has never imagined, and when tragedy casts him in the role of hero, well, what's a dwarf to do? The events of that fateful journey have shaped and ruled his life, but now Engvyr wants nothing more than to make a place for himself, perhaps settle down and raise a family. But when a new enemy rises in the North he finds himself at the center of the conflict, with not merely the freedom of his people but the fate of all of humanity hanging in the balance... and the habit of heroism is a hard one to break.

Available from Amazon and Smashwords

About the Authors

Michael Tinker Pearce is a veteran of the US Army, an ex-police officer and has been a professional knife and sword-maker since 1992. He has written extensively about his profession, including a book, ‘The Medieval Sword in the Modern World.’ He lives in Seattle with his wife and co-author, Linda Pearce.

Linda S. Pearce has worked extensively with at-risk youth and in the field of dog, cat and horse rescue. She has been employed as a project coordinator and in the field of IT for nearly thirty years. She has trained as a theatrical sword fighter with the Seattle Knights. Her interests include reading, particularly fantasy and detective fiction, horseback riding, target shooting and her pets.

You can follow them on Facebook and on their webpage.

Excerpt from Diaries of a Dwarven Rifleman

“We dwarves do not know the nature of our creator. Whether The Maker was a man with the powers of a god, a god in truth or some other thing no living person can say. For all the long centuries of his dominion over our people we can say only one thing for sure: He was not bullet-proof.”

- From the diaries of Engvyr Gunnarson


“Well, this is fun,” said Taarven as two crossbow bolts stuck in the log he was lying behind and a third ricocheted off.

Engvyr was lying flat on his back next to him looking up through the forest canopy with his long-rifle across his chest.

“I've had fun before,” he said mildly, “And I don't recall it feeling just exactly like this.”

Spotting movement from the corner of his eye he looked to his left and saw a goblin moving down the hill to flank them. He estimated the range and adjusted the big rifle's vernier sight. He took a deep breath, letting it half out as he rolled onto his side, quickly drew a bead and stroked the trigger. Whack! A split second later he heard a dull metallic 'ponk' as the heavy slug hammered through the target's breastplate. The goblin threw up his hands with a cry and fell out of sight.

Engvyr rolled flat again as another crossbow bolt slammed into a tree next to the toe of his boot. He looked at it sourly.

“I'll allow as I have had better times my own self,” Taarven admitted, “But at least the company is good.”

“That's three, by the way,” Engvyr told him.

“Oh are we keeping score now?” Taarven rose up and snapped off a quick shot with his carbine. As he fired a bolt skipped off his breastplate and tore the sleeve of his shirt. He rolled aside and flattened behind the log again. Glancing at the tear he said, “Damn, I liked this shirt.”

Engvyr had reloaded the rifle- a singularly awkward process while lying on his back. He took another deep breath and rolled to one knee and fired. Taarven heard a scream from up the hill and swore as Engvyr dropped flat on his belly.

“Don't you ever miss with that damned thing?”

Engvyr looked at him and grinned. “That's four.”

“Oh shut up.”

Book Review: Urban Shaman by Serge Kahili King

Here is my review of the non-fiction book Urban Shaman by Serge Kahili King:

An inspiring book for those seeking or travelling the shaman path

A friend bought me this book as a birthday gift, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. At the time I was concerned that my shaman activities were not progressing as they should, but now I feel calm, confident and filled with renewed enthusiasm about my life journey. If you are curious about what it is to be a shaman, then this is a good book to start with. It is easy to read, does not dictate a strict regime or spiritual practise, and gives you plenty to think about and explore in your own time. If you are already a practising shaman, this book serves as a useful resource for reference and alternative cultural practices.