Thursday, July 3, 2014

Interview: Kirsten S. Blacketer

UFI welcomes Author Kirsten S. Blacketer. Thanks for Joining us!!

What can you tell my readers about yourself that they might not know from looking on your bio or reading in another interview?
 
I'm horse crazy. Been in love with horses since I was a kid, still am. J I'm also interested in photography and art. I LOVE the theatre. Live productions are amazing and inspiring. I love my husband, but Tom Hiddleston...*le sigh*.

What do you enjoy doing on your down time?
 
I like watching movies with my husband. We (my husband, kids, and I) spend a lot of time outside in the summertime and fall. So we're always taking bike rides or going camping.

What is your Favorite part of writing? 
 
When the characters take over. I love when they take control of the story and lead me deeper into their tale. The surprises never fail to amaze me.

Do you have any certain routines you must follow as you write?
 
Nope. I just write. I normally write in chronological order though. Start at the beginning and write all the way to the end. If I need to add a scene or two, then I do. But I like starting at the beginning and working through the whole book first.

What are some of your Favorite books or Authors in the Urban Fantasy/ Paranormal Genres?
 
I'm a huge fan of Kresley Cole and Karen Marie Moning. Both of them have some fantastic characters and intense stories. I love them. Kiss of the Highlander is my favorite though.

How would you pitch the Shadow Guardian Series to someone who has not heard of it before?
 
Join me on an adventure into the secret knight's order of Shadow Guardians. Follow them as they perform their duty and find the other half of their hearts while protecting those who live on the Scottish/English border.

Can you tell us a little bit about the world that the Shadow Guardian Series is set in? 
 
Well the Shadow Guardian Series is set in 1329 on the Scottish/English border. It's a medieval romance, so I keep it as historically accurate as I can. Except for the Shadow Guardians themselves...they are pure Kirsten imagination. They're a mix of Knights Templar and the Assassins from the Assassin's Creed video game series with my own unique twists.

Do you have a favorite scene in A Shadow's Kiss?
 
I love the scene where Alexander and Madeline are stranded in the cave when they take shelter from a storm. It could have gone so many different ways, but Alexander is so honorable he refused to do anything I asked of him. He fought me the whole time I wrote it. Temperamental characters. *harrumph*

Which character was your favorite to write about? What about the hardest to write about?
 
Angus, Madeline's brother, and Alexander interacting were my favorite scenes. Angus teases Alexander frequently and I always laugh because Alexander is so stoic and serious most of the time. I swear Angus did it on purpose to just to get a rise out of him.

It was hard to write about Alexander's family, because he doesn't tell me much about them. His mother, Bonnie, came easier than his sisters. They even refused to tell me their names for the longest time. Stubborn girls.

What Other Projects can we look forward to reading from you?
 
Well I'll be working on the third book in the Shadow Guardian Series this year. That will be Angus' story. He begged me.

I'm also working on a prohibition story set on the Mississippi River, just finalizing some details before I start to write it. That one should have a very different tone from my medieval series.
My favorite project is the stage play I'm testing myself by writing. It's called Confessions of a Fangirl and explores the wonders and pitfalls of being a fangirl. It should be a riot but also make some strong observations about pop culture.


This or That

Angels or Demons
Vampires or Shifters
Left or Right
Up or Down
Pizza or Pasta
Coffee or Tea
Coke or Pepsi
YA or Adult
Knives or Guns
Reading or Writing
Facebook or Twitter
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Stick her in the middle of a chaotic home with two children, a hyperactive dog, and a camouflage wearing husband, and she can cook and clean with the best of them. But when the sun goes down and the children are nestled in bed fast asleep, she tucks away her pots and broom and like Cinderella she transforms.

Her characters creep forth from the dark recesses of her mind taking their places in the castles and forests built from her words. No simpering heroines linger there with forlorn gazes turned to the horizon, waiting for their Prince Charming. They straighten their spine, arming themselves with blade and bow, prepared to do their part in defense of their honor and destiny. She breathes life into the women she believes our ancestors to be, showing how they lived and loved with passion and grace.

Never bored by the tales still left to tell, she battles the ever sarcastic muse in her quest for romance.

Find Kirsten and her books
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A Shadow's Kiss
Shadow Guardians #2
July 4, 2014
Buy Link
 Torn between duty and desire, a knight and his lady must decide if their love is worth the price of treason.

Madeline Campbell has been whisked away from her uncle's barony to be reunited with her family in the Scottish Highlands. Her happy reunion quickly sours when she realizes her father intends to present her as a bride to the winner of the Highland Tournament. With no one to turn to for comfort or guidance, Madeline chooses to do her duty to her clan as well as her father and marry the winner.

An English knight has no place on Scottish soil, but Alexander must complete the mission with which he was tasked. Find Madeline and ensure her safety. When he finds her, he must decide between his honorable duty and his love for Madeline.

No one can deny their attraction and their desire for one another, but when it sparks jealousy in the other clansmen, they have no alternative but to run. Secrets emerge from the shadows of the past and threaten to tear their happiness apart. How can one choose between their duty and their heart?
 
A Cowboy Sunrise
July 11, 2014
Buy Link
Katie never expected her impromptu vacation at her best friend's dude ranch to have such glorious scenery...or tight wrangler clad cowboys.

Frustrated over losing her job, Katie accepts her best friend's invitation to spend a few weeks at their dude ranch in Wyoming. She never expected the stampede of desire when she caught a glimpse of her first authentic cowboy. Her mind immediately wondered what the handsome cowboy hid beneath his dusty wranglers. Katie never expected to find a man, let alone one whose kisses turned her limbs into jello. Can she return to her life in the city and leave the charming cowboy behind?
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Promo & Giveaway: Awakened by Virna DePaul


New York Times Bestseller Virna DePaul is excited for the release of the second book in her Belladonna Agency series, AWAKENED!


“Some Flowers Thrive Better in the Dark.”
“A captivating start to a fascinating new series with a hero who’s to die for!”
—-Nationally bestselling author Rhyannon Byrd





AWAKENED BY VIRNA DEPAUL
Belladonna Agency Book 2
July 1, 2014


Perfect for fans of J. R. Ward, Nalini Singh, and Lara Adrian, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Virna DePaul’s thrilling series of paranormal romances invites readers into a seductive and dangerous world where vampires secretly exist among the general population, while the FBI tries to keep the Rogues among them from preying on humans—for killing, for turning, for pleasure.

Ex-soldier Barrett Miles had no idea that vampires were real—until Belladonna recruits her to serve as a covert agent and infiltrate a murderous sex ring run by the most depraved of immortals, those who feed on the purity and blood of innocents. Their latest victim: a young girl whom Barrett promised to protect. She will be sold—unless Barrett can find her first. Forced to team up with her former lover, Nick Maltese, an undercover sniper, Barrett is caught between fulfilling her personal mission and shielding her heart from the man who betrayed her.

Nick’s hunting a new breed of vampires and harboring a terrible secret when Barrett finds him. Soon a seething underworld of strange desires threatens to engulf them all. Can he save the girl and reclaim Barrett’s heart? Nick knows he has only one chance to prove himself to her as the hunt begins—and their love forces them to embrace the darkest places in their souls.

Buy Links: Amazon, Kindle , Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, iTunes

AwakenedTeaser1
Excerpt


There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you.”

A huge rush made her heart hammer because she knew he was speaking the truth. It hit her then. This was a man she could trust. She’d known she could trust him with Jane. Hell, with her life. Why couldn’t she trust him with her heart? With everything he’d just told her, including the fact that her friends might be—that they might be—

She closed her eyes, refusing to think that way.

The point was, life was crazy. To survive it, she had to grasp on to whatever she could regardless of the risk. That meant when she found a man who made her body sing when he touched her and her heart jump with joy just at the sound of his voice, she should grab him and hold tight rather than letting fear drive her away. “Now, I want you—” he started.

She threw herself at him, causing him to stumble slightly before he caught her. Wrapping her arms around him, she kissed him with a loud smack and hugged him firmly. “Thank you, Nick. Thank you for always being there for me.” The strong hands that encompassed her upper arms held her fast for an unbearable moment. Then his fin¬gers stroked her skin. Barrett wanted to melt. His head bent to hers, his gaze serious and intense.

There were no other words. Just a sensation of near¬ness that blew her mind. She swayed in his gentle grip, taking a half step forward to balance herself. The move brought her close to his thighs. Nick drew her even closer. His belt buckle—army issue, flat metal, pressed against her middle, bare under the loose top. Everything that rounded out his worn zipper said hello and got hard as she leaned into him.

The denim held the heat. She kicked off her slippers and stood on tiptoe to make the most of that fine erec¬tion. Nick pulled her against his chest, looking into her eyes one more time, sweeping her hair back over her shoulders, sliding a hand around the curve of her waist. Shamelessly, Barrett rubbed her breasts against him, her nipples instantly taut with the sensual friction.

Then he kissed her.


99 Cents until 7/4


TURNED BY VIRNA DEPAUL


Belladonna Agency Book 1


Welcome to a mesmerizing world where vampires hide among humans. This centuries-old species has its own rules, code of conduct, and taboos. Only the FBI knows that vampires exist—and although the Bureau agrees to keep their secret, it also plots to give humans the upper hand.
Turning mortals into vampires is forbidden. But there are creatures who refuse to play by the rules.

Ever since he was turned, FBI special agent Ty Duncan has had one mission: bring rogue vampires to justice. As a recruiter for Belladonna, a shadow agency formed to keep vampires in check, Ty must tap Ana Martin, a troubled ex–gang member and one of the few mortals who can infiltrate places that his kind and the law cannot. From their first encounter, Ty fights a hunger to make Ana his own.

When Ty claims to have information about Ana’s missing sister, Ana has no choice but to trust this captivating stranger who awakens her deepest desires. But as she and Ty climb the heights of pleasure and passion, an enemy is conspiring to destroy them both.

Can Ana help Ty find his humanity in a love that could heal them both, or will their passion lead them into a darkness impossible to escape?

Wordpress Buy Links: Amazon, Amazon Kindle, Amazon Audio, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, iTunes

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About Virna
Virna DePaul is a USA Today and New York Times bestselling author of steamy, suspenseful fiction.  Whether it’s vampires, a Para-Ops team, hot cops or swoon-worthy identical twin brothers, her stories center around complex individuals willing to overcome incredible odds for love.

Bedding The Wrong Brother is a #1 Bestselling Contemporary Romance, and is followed by Bedding The Bad Boy. Her PNR series with Random House launched on April 1, 2014 with Turned. She loves to hear from readers at  www.virnadepaul.com
 
Find Virna Online


Ms. DePaul will be giving away two audio copies of Bedding the Wrong Brother and three copies of Bedding the Bad Boy. These are books one and two in the BEDDING THE BACHELOR series.



BEDDING THE WRONG BROTHER by Virna DePaul

Bedding the Bachelors, Book 1


Melina Parker prides herself on being a lady in public, but after she’s dumped yet again for being a lady in the bedroom, she’s ready to go back to school.

Determined to find her inner sex drive, she enlists her childhood friend Max Dalton, to tutor her after hours.

Instead, she ends up in the wrong bed and gets a message in passion from Max’s twin brother, Rhys Dalton, a man Melina’s always secretly wanted by never thought she could have.

FREE on digital until 7/16




BEDDING THE BAD BOY by Virna DePaul

Bedding the Bachelors, Book 2

This bad boy is ready to work some magic…


Identical twin and Las Vegas performer Max Dalton has always been the number one bad boy in his family, and he’s appreciated the women and fame that comes along with his reputation.

Grace Sinclair is on a mission when she comes to Vegas, one that involves asking Max, her best friend’s brother-in-law, to give her the pleasure no man’s ever been able to. She suspects Max has more layers than he lets people see, but she’s determined to keep her heart safe even as she offers him her body.

What neither of them plan on is love—or the triangle the media stirs up with Max’s blonde bombshell actress friend.

Will Grace see beyond Max’s bad boy façade long enough to trust him with her heart? And will Max figure out what he really wants before he loses the one woman who makes him believe in love again?


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