Daily Dose of Decadence: Spotlight Saturday with...Wendy Burke...and

Daily Dose of Decadence: Spotlight Saturday with...Wendy Burke...and: "...the waiting is the hardest part.... Well, Respite has been on the sale shelf for a bit more than a month. (If you haven't purchased a..."

Daily Dose of Decadence: Wild Wednesday Turns "Wizardy"

Daily Dose of Decadence: Wild Wednesday Turns "Wizardy": " by Shayne Leighton Harry Potter has graduated Hogwarts and Bella and Edward have their white picket..."

GUEST AUTHOR VIVI DUMAS

Interview with Angel Dias

A big thank you to Kathleen for providing us a place to talk to one of my favorite ladies from Soul Catcher, my debut novel. I’m Vivi Dumas and I’ll be your host today. We’ll be chatting and getting the skinny about what’s going on in the supernatural world of New Orleans.

Please help me welcome my guest, Angelique Dias, better known as Angel to those of us who love her.

Vivi: Hi Angel. Thank for stopping to chat with us.

Angel: Aw, anything for you. I wouldn’t be where I am if it wasn’t for you. * winks *

Vivi: So…tell us how the heck you got mixed up with the Devil. Girl, you had to have been desperate.

Angel: * shrugs * A girls gotta do what a girls gotta do. I was a supermodel. Never know anything else but how to use my beauty. I would’ve done anything to get it back. *leans in and whispers * Actually, I was a dumbass, but it taught me a lot of things that I needed to know. Like, WTF, there’s demons, vampires, ghosts, and all kinds of other things that go bump in the night. It was a bit scary in the beginning. Hell, still scary.

Vivi: It might be scary and I know you lost someone you loved, but I think you got a great prize out of the deal. Tell us about this steamy hot demon you caught.

Angel: I’m not sure if I caught him or he caught me. Jacque’s special though. He put up with a whole crap load of my stubbornness to be with me. But mind you, he came with a boatload of issues of his own, especially that trashy demon ex-girlfriend of his.

Vivi: I heard Bell was a handful, but her brother’s a hottie. Is he seeing someone?

Angel: You know darn well that boy haven’t settled down. Isabella is a crazy beooootch! Next time I see her pushing up on my man, I’ma call some of my peeps and go all gangster on her. * whispers * I’m not exactly sure what that means but it sounds good.

Vivi: * chuckles * Yeah, I can see you all gangster in your four inches Jimmy Choos and your Michael Kors dress. Just a side note, those are fabulous shoes.

Angel: * sticks leg out and points toe * Thanks. They’re a couple of seasons old, but classic. I made sure to save most of my shoes when we had to run from the house Lucifer gave me. God, I loved that house. * sigh * But the house Jacque and I found is cool too.

Vivi: So what’s next for you?

Angel: Well, we continue on our plan to take down Lucifer. Gotta find that crazy ass, Bell too. We need to keep a close eye on those who might take the Devil’s side in this battle.

Vivi: Sounds like your plate is full. I know you and Jacque have some more things coming up soon too. I wish you luck.

Angel: Thanks babe!

Vivi: Well, if you want to find out more about Angel and Jacque, please check out Soul Catcher. A small excerpt is included. One lucky commenter will get a free e-copy of the novel.

Where to find Vivi:

Blog – www.vividumas.wordpress.com

Website – www.vividumas.com/wordpress/

FaceBook - http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000789746445#!/profile.php?id=100001071377027

FB Fan Page - http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000789746445#!/pages/Dueling-with-the-Devil-Series/140766029299050

Twitter - http://twitter.com/#!/vivi_dumas

Soul Catcher Except

The growls and snarls inched closer. Angel’s feet pounded the dirt, kicking up red dust all around her. The barren trees provided little sanctuary. Her heart and mind raced as she tried to think of her next move. The skies darkened above and thunder rumbled through the thick air. The air smelled of dampness.

How long had she been running? It seemed hours. Other than Noel, the other cadets were long gone ahead of her. Being human sucked when it came to supernatural warfare, but she refused to give up. Every day the class waited, watched, wondering when she was going to quit. Two of the others had already dropped out, and they were demons.

Noel passed Angel on the left, ducking through the low branches of the charred trees, cackling as he passed. Angel picked up her speed, her calves cramping and an ache developing in her side. She wanted to stop. Stopping meant quitting. Quitting was not an option. The hellish howls closed in on her.

Angel glanced over her shoulder and caught sight of one of the ugly beasts. It’s long, rounded snout protruded from an enlarged head. Red eyes peered through the charred trees, scanning the landscape. A ridge of ivory spikes ran down the monster’s back extending from each vertebra. The dog-like fiend pounded through the forest on powerful, muscular legs, which carried its compact body. Out running them wasn’t going to work. She had to come up with another plan. Scanning the terrain in front of her, the only place to go was up. The trees disappeared into the grey clouds. If she could climb high enough, maybe she could wait them out. Or maybe they would go find another victim.

She lunged for the closest branch, leveraged her foot on the tree trunk, and boosted herself off the ground. It took all her strength to hoist her weight into the tree. As she reached for the second branch, three hounds pounced on the trunk, clawing at her dangling foot. The dark-haired one’s razor sharp teeth nipped Angel’s ankle. Stretching for the next limb, she stared down just in time to see the dagger like claws of the reddish colored beast rip into her calf.

Scurrying up the tree, she climbed higher until she was out of reach of the animals. Angel perched on one of the higher limbs, praying it could hold her weight. She clung to the trunk and observed the creatures clawing the burnt bark off the tree. Slowly, deliberately, a hound dug its sharp claws into the tree, using them like spikes, and began to maneuver its way to her.

Tremors quivered through Angel’s body, almost causing her to lose her grip and fall. Thunder clapped and lightning flashed. Ominous clouds gathered overhead, growing darker as the hound drew nearer. The animal swiped at Angel’s bleeding leg, barely missing as she jerked it onto the branch she sat on. Electricity hummed in the air. Angel felt the energy gathering about her, a strange, eerie sensation floating on top of her skin.

The hound’s red eyes glowed as it stretched towards Angel, drooling from its mouth and snarling. Angel stood on the limb, grabbing for the one above her. As she pulled on the branch, it snapped in her hand. She wrapped her arms around the trunk to keep from falling. The beast snagged her ankle, jerking its head, trying to yank her from her perch. Lightning flashed through the sky, hitting its target—Angel.

Angel closed her eyes as the bolt of electricity hit. The pain she expected never came. Her body absorbed the energy and channeled it to the beast attached to her ankle. The smell of burning fur wafted to Angel’s nostrils. The hound fell to the ground with a thud. The two other monsters sniffed its cohort and growled up at her. Angel redirected the remaining energy to the creatures below with deadly accuracy.

Soul Catcher Buy Links:

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Decadent Publishing
All Romance Ebooks

Thank you Vivi for a great interview and wonderful post. All the best.

The Sweater Curse: Please welcome Author Kathleen Gallagher

The Sweater Curse: Please welcome Author Kathleen Gallagher: "How/why did you start to write? I've been wiring since I was a young girl. I wrote poetry first, and then I advanced to short stories. I h..."

INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR PATRICIA KIRBY

       

Today on my front porch party my special guest is author Patricia Kirby.

 Let’s welcome her, and join me in a bash to jump start the summer. I’ve decided to serve lemonade coolers, some with alcohol, and virgins for those who may prefer non-alcoholic beverages. There’s a patch of raspberry cheesecake squares in the oven, and I’ve got refreshing lemon sorbet, too.

 So sit back, and relax, and enjoy the beginning of a wonderful season.  Here’s a toast to our guest, Patricia Kirby.  {Raises glass}

                                             

                                                 AVAILABLE AT DECADENT PUBLISHING

When did you decide to become a writer?


 I started my writing "career" in high school, writing term papers for other students.  Later, I moved to more ethical writing pursuits, writing scientific papers, computer documentation and other technical documents. My head was always filled with stories, but it wasn't until my thirties that I got the nerve to start writing them down.  I still find writing fiction very ... exposing!

What genre do you write, and why?

Fantasy of some kind--always. A few weeks ago, I started outlining a contemporary romance.  Wouldn't ya know it, magic crept into the storyline and it became a paranormal?  I just can't write a story without some fantastical element.  I love my escapism!

Tell us about your latest release.

 The Music of Chaos is an urban fantasy (UF) set in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Like many UFs, it has a strong female protagonist and some yummy male love interests. It is, however, a much lighter take on vampires, demons and other beasties that go bump in the night. It features characters like Breas Montrose, a sports-obsessed vampire who loves beer almost as much as blood, and Talis, a dark elf who's kind to a fault. The protagonist, Regan O'Connell, is a half-vampire who is trying--unsuccessfully--to keep the mundane and magical parts of her life separate.  If you like stories that turn archetypes on their head, it's for you.

What inspired The Music of Chaos?

A big part of my inspiration was the fact that the UF genre takes itself too seriously. In particular, the female protagonists tend to be embittered, loners, estranged from their families. I wanted to write a character who had the necessary fighting "skilz," but who was much more relatable.     

Regan O'Connell has great relationship with her family and plenty of good friends (including female friends). Along with the paranormal stuff, she's dealing with the same things as the rest of us: coworkers, traffic, bills, etc.  Instead of going for dark and gothic, the plot explores the funnier aspects of supernatural creatures in our modern world. Not that the story is without angst (Regan is falling in love with the enemy who is    also her number one murder suspect).  The stakes are pretty high: there's a murderer on the loose and he/she is using magic that can destroy the Universe.  But overall, The Music of Chaos is a lighter approach to urban fantasy.

Which character is The Music of Chaos do you feel was the easiest to write?

Without a doubt, Breas Montrose, the vampire.  Breas is magically bound to Regan and none-too-happy about the matter.  He expresses his distain by moving into her house, refusing to pay rent and ordering expensive sporting events on pay-per-view TV. He's a delight to write because he's unapologetically vampire.  He says whatever is on his mind and is hilariously obnoxious. (He may be my male alter-ego.)
 
          What was the hardest part of creating the dark and sexy character, Jason Lake?

1. 
   
   Jason Lake is a Holder of the True Light, a member of an all-human organization that polices the activities of vampires, demons and other non-humans on Earth. He's a tall drink of water with an English accent. (Although Regan, being Irish, is impressed with his other attributes, not his accent.) The early version of Jason was rather straight-laced and devoted to his cause. Honestly, I found him boring.
   
   
   And then Jason started talking to me in that crazy way that characters do.  He told me that the only reason he joined the Holders was because it was his sister's dying wish.  Even though his family has been involved with the Holders for hundreds of years, Jason attended Cambridge where he earned an engineering degree.  Once I understood his conflicted approach to his job, he got much easier to write.
   
   
   What do you admire most about your character, secret operative for the Brethren, Regan O’ Connell?
   
   
    Regan O'Connell has a terrific work ethic.  Besides being a paranormal secret agent, she has a day job as a project manager for consulting company.  Me, I can barely drag my ass into a part-time job. Regan's got two jobs and loves them both.  She's also quite kind and much more patient than I could ever be.
   
   
   If you could change places with one of your characters who would it be, and why?
   
   
    Definitely not Regan. She works too much. It would be fun to be Lex the fairy. She's confident, never worries about much of anything, and has a very active sex life with loads of hot guys.  Of course, if we literally changed places, Lex would be horrified by my life.  "Happy married to one man?  Just--one--man? Oh, the horror."
   
   
   If The Music of Chaos was made into a movie, who would you cast, and why?
   
   
    Breas Montrose would have to be sexy Latin star Carlos Ponce. A perfect fit because Breas has an odd fascination with Spanish soaps (novelas) and speaks Spanish fluently.  Jason would be Battlestar Galactica's Jamie Bamber (Apollo). Recently, while watching Inception, I realized that Ellen Page has the perfect combination of cute tomboy and grownup confidence to be Regan O'Connell.  Talis, Regan's dark elf best friend, is hard to cast because he's really doesn't look human. Adrien Brody, with his perpetually sad eyes is close, but several shades too light-skinned.
   
   
   Can you tell us about what you’re working on next?
   
   
    I'm almost done with the sequel to The Music of Chaos, which promises to be angsty-er and much sexier. My big project is a futuristic steampunk novel with a strong romantic subplot.  This is first time I've taken on this much world building.  The Music of Chaos required some world building, but the main story is set in contemporary Albuquerque, New Mexico. With Star-Crossed Wasteland (working title), I'm having to build a world from the ground up, putting together ecosystems, cultures and political systems.
   
   
   Please share a blurb and excerpt of The Music of Chaos.
   
   
   
   
   Blurb
   
   
   "Blind dates are always a train wreck."
   
   By day, Regan O'Connell is a highly respected project manager.  By night, she's a Wolfe, a paranormal agent working for a vampire syndicate.
   
   
   Her two worlds collide when a co-worker sets her up with tall, dark and sexy Jason Lake.  Jason is a Holder, a member of an ancient, all-human organization dedicated to policing the activities of things that go bump in the night. Things like half-vampire Regan.
   
   
   Falling for the wrong guy is the least of Regan's problems. There's a murderer on the loose, and his favorite weapon is chaotic magic, an erratic force with the power to rip holes in the fabric of the universe. And the best way to catch the killer is to get close to Jason, the man who is not only her enemy, but her prime suspect.
   
   
   Excerpt
   
   
   After dinner, we ended up in the kitchen, leaning on opposite counters, facing each other like backwards bookends. As far as I could tell, Jason wore a real watch, as opposed to a vampire detector. Reasonable enough since vampires can't drop by without an invite. I smiled at the irony. My human bloodlines exempt me from the invite clause.
   
   
   "What?" he asked, referring to the smile.
   
   
   "Nothing." I set my empty wine glass down and fiddled with the long sleeves on my top.
   With great effort, I met his eyes. His were mostly green, with just enough golden brown to keep them in the hazel range. He took a step in my direction, reached past me to set his empty beer bottle next to the wine glass.
   
   
   "You have beautiful eyes," he said, and I realized how close he stood. At this distance, his innate magic hummed, sending little vibrations that generated sympathetic oscillations in my own magic.
   
   
   "Th-thanks."
   
   
   Jason put an end to further conversation by covering my mouth with his. Guilty fear erupted in my stomach; a war broke out between my conscience and key parts of my body. This is wrong, my brain warned. A quick kiss won't trigger the Thrall charm, argued parts of me that hadn't been used in decades.
   
   
   He tasted like beer, which reminded me of Breas, and he also kissed a lot like Breas. It's like kissing a living breathing Breas. His hand felt warm where it encircled my upper arm, and my knees started feeling less than solid.
   
   
   I have to stop this, I thought. Except, I couldn't. His heat surrounded me, while the sound of his heart drummed just off beat from my own, the pace of both our heartbeats quickening.
   
   
   Jason worked a hand under my shirt and rubbed my back. I shivered, aware of the strong possibility that I might have sex with this human. The notion of naked skin on skin time with Jason was delightful. Except, Jason struck me as a "sex with the lights on" kind of guy. One look at the tattoo on my left hip, the mark of my Wolfe rank, and my cover would be blown. 
         
   
   
    Thank you for joining us on my front porch party, Pat. It has been a fun and interesting day.  I hope you enjoyed your visit, and we wish you all the best.
   
   
   
   
   You can find Patricia Kirby here.
   
   http://www.patriciakirby.com/blog/
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
     

DO YOU BELIEVE IN GHOSTS CONTEST WINNERS!!!

If you appear in the night, we won't be frightened.
You may continue your journey to find solace
Sometimes it takes a visit to deliver a clue
To all the places you once knew
We'll try to remember you were once among us
Darkness will follow when it must

 

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FIRST PRIZE WINNER OF THE DO YOU BELIEVE IN GHOST CONTEST!  DRUM ROLL PLEASE!!   SELESTE DELANEY

Seleste will receive the larger blue pendant by Rae Bradbury-Enslin.

SECOND PLACE WINNER is JM MADDEN

JM will receive the smaller golden pendant by Rae Bradbury-Enslin.

I want to thank everyone who shared their ghost story, and everyone who made a comment. I had a wonderful response to my first contest. The ghost stories were fantastic. It was so much fun!

I hope you all enjoyed the stories, and didn't find it hard to sleep after reading them. I'd love for all of you to come back to visit often. I'll keep you informed of my upcoming contest.

Have a great summer!

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