UFI welcomes Author Angela Dennis. 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?
That I’m a total goof-ball. I love to play cards. Prefer bourbon to beer. And can’t live without coffee.
What do you enjoy doing on your down time?
What down time? In all seriousness. I love spending time with my family, going to the park with my son, playing games, or just hanging out at home and relaxing. I also love video games. I’m on my second run at Dragon’s Age Inquisition. I use playing as a reward for making my word count for the day. And, of course, I love to read. Anything and everything. My bookshelf runs the gambit from Epic Fantasy to Walt Whitman.
What is your Favorite part of writing?
There are so many thing I love about writing. My favorite part is probably creating new characters. I’ve heard numerous writers talk about the voices in their head. But it really is true. Sometimes a character is so loud in your mind, you have to write their story. For example, there is a secondary character in Dance with the Devil named Quinn. He practically jumps off the page. I had to really dial down his role in Dance because I didn’t want him competing with Jillian and Carrick. That being said, I’m working on Quinn’s book now and have loads of fun with it.
Do you have any certain routines you must follow as you write?
I always make a fresh pot of coffee. I’m convinced coffee is the key to good writing. I’ve recently started writing outside, which works really well for me since I’m easily distractible. Honestly, I really don’t have a set routine except, well, coffee. Did I mention coffee?
What are some of your Favorite books or Authors in the Urban Fantasy/ Paranormal Genres?
Geez. I could fill up pages with this question. I’ll try to distill it down to a few. I probably mentioned it before, but I’m a huge Kim Harrison fan. I haven’t met a book by her that I don’t love. I also love Kelley Armstrong. I’ve been revisiting her books, starting with Bitten. They’re fantastic.
How would you pitch DANCE WITH THE DEVIL to someone who has not heard of it before?
DANCE is a suspenseful and sexy paranormal romance with enough twists and turns to keep you on the edge or your seat. It focuses on Jillian, a half-blood lion shifter, who is forced to accept herself and own her own power in order to save the lives of those she loves. It doesn’t hurt that she has a super sexy lion shifter in her back pocket.
Can you tell us a little bit about the world that DANCE WITH THE DEVIL is set in?
DANCE takes place in a world where humans and shifters intermix. The shifters struggle daily to maintain their anonymity. All of the Prides are governed by a ruling body called the Conclave who assigns Regulators to each territory. Because of the risk of human detection, the Regulators and their handles have absolute power. They serve as judge, jury, and executioner. Most of the Prides live together in seclusion with rogue shifters wandering between the various Prides. The Soul’s Harbor Pride owns a private island off the coast of South Carolina. They have built a commune of sorts, but they still work on the mainland with humans.
Do you have a favorite scene in DANCE WITH THE DEVIL?
I love the ending of DANCE. I won’t say too much because…spoilers. All I’ll say is that Jillian finally comes into her own and it’s a beautiful thing.
Which one character out of all your books was your favorite to write about? What about the hardest to write about?
As for favorite, it’s a toss-up between Jillian from DANCE WITH THE DEVIL and Brenna from the SHADOW BORN SERIES, but ultimately I’d have to go with Jillian. She’s such a mix between fearlessness and insecurity. Her struggle to accept herself is heart-wrenching to watch. You can’t help but root for her. As for as the hardest, in this book that award goes to Lucas. As Carrick’s brother, he had to be both strong yet pliable enough to want what was best both for Carrick and the Prides. Stay tuned because I have Lucas’ story waiting in the wings, and it’s going to very…surprising.
What Other Projects can we look forward to reading from you?
I’m currently working on the second book of the Soul’s Harbor Pride Series, which is Quinn’s story. At this point, I have three more books planned for this series. I’m also hoping to have something new in the Shadow Born world soon.
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Find Angela and her books
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Release Date: September 22, 2015
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Soul Harbor Pride Book #1
ISBN:
1619228599
ISBN13: 9781619228597
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Review Copy Source: Publisher
Born to be enemies. Destined to be lovers.
After killing one of her father’s enforcers, half-blood lion shifter Jillian Winters ran for her life, landing in an upscale bar halfway across the country. Her boss, Carrick—a pure-blood shifter—has no idea his barmaid is a fugitive.
When her father’s recklessness puts the Pride at risk, Jillian must return home and assume his place as Alpha. But not before she indulges in a taste of the attraction that’s been building for years between her and Carrick.
Carrick Granger has had a soft spot for Jillian from the moment she stepped into his bar, soaking wet and afraid of her own shadow. He knows she has secrets. So does he. He’s also the outcast son of an Alpha—and now that his father is dead, he, too, has been summoned home.
Thinking they’ll never see each other again, the simmering heat between them ignites like a match to gunpowder. But then the bullets start flying, forcing them to choose—duty to their Prides, or the one person they can’t live without.
Shifters, a reluctant alpha, mystery, danger and forbidden love all wrapped up in a new series from Angela Dennis.
Jillian left her pack long ago and had no intentions of going back, but when she's called home she finds herself back and in the middle of pack politics. As a half-breed she has always been an outsider and now that she finds herself in the position of needing to take over the Pride she looks at everything with a new sense of purpose. Carrick left his pack to make things easier for his brother who would be the next alpha (and because he has a secret that no one can find out). When he finds himself called back home he would rather do anything but go, but he has no choice and wants to be there for his brother. When he gets there he finds out that the woman he just found to be his mate is expected to marry his brother.
Jillian and Carrick's romance starts off with a bang before either even truly knows who the other is. When Jillian finds out who Carrick truly is she flees and heads home. Carrick had no clue who Jillian was until he goes home and sees her on the neighboring packs land. He wants her and Jillian wants him, but Jillian wants to do what is best for her pack so she is conflicted. Carrick refuses to give up and when they are finally on the same page, things move pretty nicely in the romance department.
I really enjoyed the storyline in DANCE WITH THE DEVIL, but I did have a few minor issues. There are multiple POVs throughout the book and there was a bit of a flow issue that made it so that I had to re-read a few paragraphs to catch up multiple times to figure out who's head I was in. And finally I was really sad when DANCE WITH THE DEVIL ended, it didn't feel long enough and there are still so many things that need to take place. I will be picking up a copy of book two when it's available.
I gave it 3.5/5 stars
* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
