Lovers and the Fiend by C.R. Moss

K.S.  Hello and welcome to the blog. I am very excited to have you here. Why don’t we start off with a small introduction? Tell us a little about yourself. 

Hi! Thanks for having me here today. :) My name is Chris, and I write under the names C.R. Moss for erotic and mainstream romance and Casey Moss for mainstream dark fiction (horror, suspense, urban fantasy). My professional bio for C.R.: “An eccentric and eclectic writer, C.R. Moss pens stories for the mainstream and erotic romance markets, giving readers Worlds of Possibilities when it comes to love.” Basically I write stories from the light and sweet to the dark and deadly with varying degrees of sexual heat. The bio for my other persona: Casey Moss delves into the darker aspects of life in her writing, sometimes basing the stories on reality, sometimes on myth. No matter the path, her stories will take you on a journey from the light-hearted paranormal to dark things unspeakable. What waits around the corner? Come explore…

K.S.  Any interesting writing quirks or stories you would like to share with my readers?

Writing story/background: Upon my ‘calling.’ I had written a story for a magazine. It’d been rejected, but that was my start. After that, I began studying the craft of writing. It started with working on the school newspaper in middle school to creative writing classes and Teens Art Festivals in high school. I received a BA in Communications, Information and Library Studies from Rutgers College with a strong concentration in English Lit/Writing and Interpersonal Communications/PR. Studying under the mentorship of Terri Valentine (author of ‘Sands of Time,’ a Zebra Historical Romance), I honed my novel writing skills. In the mid to late 2000s, I finally put my foot down, got over my nerves and took the plunge into submitting stories to publishers. I’ve been published since 2008, and as for the craft, I’m still learning things by taking the occasional online class, attending industry conferences, and devouring all the writing how-to books I can get my hands on.

K.S.  When did you realize you wanted to be a writer? What sparked the desire to pen your first novel?

For a very brief period of time, I had ideas of becoming a teacher or an astronaut. Both occurred before the age of ten. But for the most part, I knew I wanted to write at a young age, as early as I learned to read. I was always cooking up stories to entertain myself in the rural area I lived in. Had to since there were no other kids around to play with. My defining moment came when I received an A in English in grade school. I was just shy of being a teenager when I had my ‘calling.’ Ever since then, most of my choices in life have revolved around my goal of becoming a full-time fiction writer and being published. In answer to the other question, see the reply in the next spot.

K.S.  What would you say has inspired you most in your writing career? Or, who is your favorite author and why?

The early works of Stephen King, like The Shining, Pet Sematary, Carrie and Christine, turned me on to writing and started me on writing horror and then in the early 90’s I read Jude Deveraux’s A Knight in Shining Armor which started me on romances and romance writing.

K.S.  What genre do you write?

I like to explore different genres. Keeps me open to whatever my characters want.

K.S.  What does your family think of your writing?

Depends upon which family member you talk to. My mom doesn’t quite like my erotic stuff. My one sister won’t read my erotic stuff. My other sister reads anything of mine. Hubby’s read my stuff, likes that I’m writing cause it makes me happy, but he does sometimes wonder where my mind goes with the stuff I come up with.

K.S.  What was one of the most surprising things you learned while creating your book/s?

I don’t think I’ve come across anything too surprising yet. ;)

K.S.  What inspires you?

I get ideas from everywhere…conversations, news headlines, television, songs. On occasion I’ve been known to pull from my old careers and the people I’ve known, drawing out tidbits of personalities for characters, places for settings and information to assist with subject matter—for example, using the basis and background knowledge of energy work that I learned in the massage field for paranormal stories I’ve worked on. I love using the places I’ve lived in and visited as the settings. There was one story I wrote (it’s not available at the moment) where I used a situation I’d been in one night on a beach. Granted, I elaborated on the situation and made it much more intense than it had been, but the foundation was there.

K.S.  Can you tell us a little about any of your novels?

Today I’m here to tout my latest C.R. Moss release, Lovers and the Fiend, which is a story in Evernight Publishing’s Naughty Fairy Tale line. The characters, Jack and Kristina, appeared in my short story – Chasing Miss Kringle – that’s in an Evernight Publishing anthology – Stockings and Suspenders. This is the first of a handful of stories I have planned for the NFT line that revolve around the world started in CMK and Lovers. You don’t have to read the anthology story to read Lovers, but it’d be nice if you did. ;)

Blurb/Back jacket copy:
Ex-cop turned private investigator, Jack Vorst, learns his elf girlfriend Kristina has been missing for a few days after being invited to an underground vampire club. He, too, is summoned to visit club Hexenringe and is taken captive. Jack finds Kristina bound and gagged in a human sized bird cage. They’re both thrust into a kinky world at the hands of Kol, the club owner. Kol, a vampiric beast, shifts into human form to be with Jack and Kristina and needs them to remember their pasts and to love him so he can return to what he used to be. Can Kol make the pair fall in love with him despite his current situation and the fact he’s keeping them captive or will they leave, making it too late for him to change all their fates?

Warning: ménage a trios, M/M, bondage, anal sex, sex toys, public exhibition

A peek into the beginning of the story…
Chapter One

I have your woman. A nice piece of ass she is, too. She tells me you’re not bad yourself. I would love for you to join us later. A car will be waiting for you outside your office at noon today where my assistant will fill you in on some details. If you know what’s good for you and your gal, you’ll take advantage of this invitation. See you soon. ~ Kol Ainmire

Jack Vorst’s temper went full tilt within a second. His blood pounded hard through his head and body. He’d told Kristina to be careful when she went out on her cases, but it seemed she still had gotten herself in trouble. Not good.

“Vic! Get in here!” Trying to check and rein in his anger before he popped a vessel, Jack grabbed the letter he’d found on his desk while going through a stack of mail and a couple of case files. The paper crinkled within his one clenched hand, and the envelope it’d come in bunched up in his other.

He kept his gaze downcast, ground his teeth. No sense in looking at the tan colored walls that were littered with stenciling in his office and be more irritated than he already was. The design and colors reminded him of the Native American beaded belts people sold at roadside stands.

Vic’s wife, Malory, who worked in the adjoining office suites, loved her southwestern motifs. All the rooms for both divisions of the business were decorated to represent Arizona and New Mexico. The decorating style with too many colors and crazy patterns made his head swim, gave him a headache. He hated headaches.

Staring at the crumpled papers in his hands, he sighed. Truth be told, Kristina’s whereabouts and her lack of checking in for several days only concerned him a little. She was able to take care of herself, and he trusted her. He loved her, wanted her to be safe, so of course he worried some. But being an elf gave her an advantage that mere humans didn’t have­—the ability to escape situations by simply disappearing and reappearing elsewhere.

Except this time.

K.S.  Where can we buy your novel?

Evernight Publishing: http://www.evernightpublishing.com/lovers-and-the-fiend-by-c-r-moss/

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Lovers-Fiend-Naughty-Fairy-ebook/dp/B00B5OAMPI

All Romance eBooks: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-loversandthefiend-1048240-140.html

Bookstrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/lovers-and-the-fiend

K.S.  Do you have a website, fan site, or Blog that we can visit?

Find C.R. Moss here ~

Email: contact@crmoss.net
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CRMoss
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CRMoss.author
Website: http://www.crmoss.net 
Blog: http://crmoss.blogspot.com/

Double D Ranch Tales: http://doubledranchtales.blogspot.com/

Evernight Publishing – C.R. Moss: http://tinyurl.com/CRMoss-EvernightPublishing
Decadent Publishing: http://tinyurl.com/CRMoss-DecadentPublishing
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/C.R.-Moss/e/B002DBE49W
All Romance Ebooks: http://tinyurl.com/CRMoss-ARe
Bookstrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/cr-moss
Link for Casey Moss ~ http://caseymossbooks.com/

K.S.  Do you have any closing advice to aspiring writers?

After learning the craft, as in grammar and story structure, start promoting yourself before the first story is picked up/published. And if you’re going the e-book route through e-book publishers, get two or three places under your belt right away. If you’re doing the independent route (or e-publisher even), perhaps finishing two or three books first before you send book one out to the world would be a good idea. This way you don’t have to rush to build a back list and can space out the publications of the ones you already have done while you work on more. But on top of knowing about writing mechanics, learning about marketing and promotion and getting that going is just as important.

NEW Release - In The Dark by Salidas & Rowe

In The Dark

With finals completed Cory, Hana and Maddy plan to hit the clubs. But when a blackout kicks Cory’s achluophobia into overdrive, the girls decide to ease his fear...in any way they can.

WARNING

This title contains graphic language, sexual situations, multi-racial nookie, girl-on-girl lovin’ and frankly unsupportable fear treatment methods

BLURB:

Cory Matthews is a handsome undergrad...with an embarrassing phobia. One that gets his heart pounding every single night. Achluophobia. Fear of the dark.

With finals all done and dusted, Cory swings by to pick up his girlfriend Hana, and her sexy roommate Maddy, for a big night of hitting the clubs and blowing off steam.

But before their night of fun can get started a summer monsoon knocks out the power for a whole city block, plunging Hana’s house into pitch blackness...kicking Cory’s fear into overdrive.

Though Hana sometimes teases Cory about his phobia, she knows it’s no laughing matter. And she’ll use whatever comes to hand – including Maddy – to take his mind off his troubles.

Together, these temptresses will show him that sometimes darkness can be far more revealing than light.

EXCERPT:

Working only by feel, she had my rigid cock out in seconds, leaving it sitting there in the cool night air. She bit my bottom lip, something she’d never done before, and then disappeared. Her hand throttled my cock, every rough tug seeming to pull another deep breath into my lungs. A moment later, the air turned warm, and I felt her tongue curling up along the underside until she reached the fat tip of it.

“Dayum, girl.” If the power came back on now, Maddy would get a full view of us. And that turned me on like nothing ever had. The threat of being caught fucking. Especially after all that teasing, from both ladies.

Hana slipped her hot mouth down over me, pulling up my shirt and scratching my belly with her nails, adding some sharp spice to the amazing pleasure. Another little twist she’d never done before. I slipped my fingers into her hair again, brushing it back from her ear as she licked and sucked on me.

The rain sounded like it was easing up a little. It was still loud, but now at least it didn’t sound like someone was driving a steam train on the roof.

A moan escaped my throat as Hana cupped my heavy balls. I hadn’t meant to make any noise, especially now there was more chance of Maddy hearing us. But what my girl was doing just felt so damn good. I pulled lightly on her hair and traced her cute little ear with my fingers. Her heavy pendant earring brushed against my wrist and I jumped.

’Cause I suddenly had a thought.

What if this wasn’t Hana? What if it was Maddy? 

FREE VAMPIRES! #Kindle #ebooks

Finally,  FREE on Kindle! 

Get your copy of Book 1 in the Immortalis series, Immortalis Carpe Noctem!!!

Becoming a vampire is easy. Living with the condition...that's the hard part.

Newbie vampire Alyssa never asked for this life, but now it's all she has. Rescued from death by Lysander, the aloof and sexy leader of the Peregrinus vampire clan, she's barely cut her teeth before she becomes a target.

Kallisto, an ancient and vindictive vampire queen – and Lysander's old mate - wants nothing less than final death for her former lover and his new toy. She's not above letting the Acta Sanctorum, and its greatest vampire hunter, Santino, know exactly where the clan can be found.

With no time to mourn her old life, Alyssa's survival depends on her new family. She will have to stand alongside Lysander and fight against two enemies who will stop at nothing to destroy them.

Co-Authoring?

For me, writing is a powerful thing. I am the creator of a world and people that until that point had never existed. I rule over this world with a mighty pen and control the fate of the creations within the pages. But, along with great power comes great responsibility. It’s not enough to play god. I have to develop a story that is not only worthy of being read, but also able to be read (published). That often feels like a daunting task. Roadblocks of writer’s block and time constraints often have me feeling frantic that a story will never see itself to completion.

Even with the stress involved, the power of being “the creator” is nice little perk. I often find myself falling in love with the world I’ve created and using it as my escape from the everyday stresses in real life.
That escape element makes writing an intensely personal endeavor. The world I create is my world. It belongs to no one else. I spend a lot of time and energy into develop that vision as I work my world into a readable and enjoyable story. In that world, I grow my characters from seeds of inspiration, and watch them develop into actual entities. Their thoughts and feelings, their lives, their interactions, they all become real within the confines of that world.

Because of this intensely personal nature, Writing is not a craft that often lends itself to collaboration. Collaboration means giving up control, it means letting someone into my world and trusting that they will not abuse their power while in it.

In that respect, choosing to work with a partner is a lesson in Submission.

It’s not always an easy lesson. This world I’ve created is personal. It’s an extension of myself. Letting someone in is a deeply intimate act.  Once inside, they will have the ability to manage and manipulate my characters. They can do so much damage.

Just as the Dom/Sub relationship relies on trust and faith, so too does the co-authoring partnership. You have to trust that the partner you are working with has a vision and goals that match your own. That both of you, no matter how you might differ on opinions, are working toward the best story possible.

It’s never easy. If it was, everyone would be doing it.

I’ve never been one to relinquish control of anything. I’m more than OCD in my writing. I don’t like having to listen to others opinions. I don’t like people telling me what I should and shouldn’t do with my characters.
Much like our character, Natasha, I like to control it all. And much like Natasha, I find myself feeling heartburn and stressed out over stories that I can’t seem to see to fruition.

 But, as I have learned, there are some benefits to letting go of some control.

Writer’s block, being one of the biggest road blocks becomes much smaller an obstacle when there are two writers battling against it. When stalled on a story and I simply cannot find the solution, I’ve learned that if I let go of that control, that need to make this story 100% mine, and to trust in my writing partner, the answers become clear. Sometimes he might have the answer and next step in the vision, and sometimes, just through chatting about the story, the solution presents itself.

Does it always work smoothly, no, but having a partner I can trust, and letting go and trusting him has proven itself to be very beneficial. Why not have a look yourself.

Where Does The Inspiration Come From? (Moonlight & Excerpt)

After finishing up the last release in the Immortalis series, Soulstone, readers began to ask questions. “Was that it? What would happen to the other characters? What about Fallon?” Readers were particularly interested in her fate. Since the very first book, Immortalis Carpe Noctem, she’s played a part, being the only human to know about the vampire’s existence. She’d even been given the opportunity to become one herself, which she adamantly refused. So what was to be her fate?
That’s where Moonlight came from. Fallon had fallen in love in Pandora’s box. And throughout Soulstone, her and her werewolf lover, Aiden became quite the hot couple, but would she commit to a werewolf when she was already turned off by other immortal creatures?
So, that was the setup. The question. What was Fallon going to do? It sounds simple enough, but to keep her sexy wolfman, she has to turn wolf herself. And that is no easy thing. Not to mention, risky. The survival rate for humans who try to turn wolf is only about 50%. That is quite a gamble for love, don’t you think?
Beyond being a hot and sexy wolf, Aiden is also the Alpha of his pack, and every available woman wants to be mated to him. So Fallon’s decision is further complicated by that fact. She’s not only going to have to make up her mind, but also put a few bitches in their place.

I won’t give away all, suffice to say, this was a fun story to write. Fallon and Aiden really spoke to me and it was almost effortless to chronicle their relationship. I really hope it comes through in the pages. But, you’ll have to be the judge of that.

Good girls don’t wear fur, or fight over men, and they certainly don’t run around naked, howling at the moon.

But then, no-one ever called Fallon a good girl.

As a human unofficially mated to an Alpha werewolf, Fallon is being pressured to “become”...or be gone.

Her mate Aiden, the interim leader of the Olde Town Pack, is in a position that demands he either choose a wolf mate...or leave the pack forever. No matter how hot the sex with Fallon is, he can’t ignore centuries of tradition.

Become a wolf or not. If only the choice were that simple. Fallon’s options are further clouded by the overt presence of other females desperate to be the Alpha’s mate. And when these bitches get serious, it’s not just claws that come out. If Fallon wants to keep her man and take the title she’ll have to exert a little dominance of her own.

Kindle USA

Copyright © 2012 by Katie Salidas

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book. “So, we need to talk—” I tried to say, but he captured my mouth before I could finish the sentence. Aiden’s kisses had all the intensity of a man who’d finally found what he’d been sorely deprived of. His lips begged for more contact as he backed me up against the bookshelves.

“Go ahead, talk. I’m listening.” He left my lips only to taste new delights as he worked his mouth down to the crook of my neck. His hands came up and cupped my breasts through my t-shirt.

Aiden was all heat and need and pent up aggression. He nipped possessively at the hollow of my neck, making me squirm with delight. That man knew exactly how to get my motor running! My body throbbed with need for him and warmth pooled between my thighs.

“You’re not saying anything,” he teased as he pulled back. Fire blazed in his eyes and he burned a trail all the way down my body. “Didn’t you want to talk?”

“Talking is overrated, just fuck me,” I panted and gripped his pants, pawing at his belt buckle. Suddenly, it felt like there were too many layers of clothes between us, but it only took me a moment to rectify that.

“That’s my girl.” Aiden seized my hips and lifted me up in a smooth motion. His strength added to my desire. He carried my weight easily while his large hot hands gripped my ass under my skirt. 

I wrapped my legs around his torso and gripped his head, weaving my fingers into his dark thick hair, and ground myself into him.

Aiden growled his appreciation; the vibrations of his chest rumbled through my body. He twirled around toward his desk, swept a hand across it and sent his pencil cup, notebooks, and stapler crashing to the floor.

Though he was furious with need, he laid me out gently across the now-empty desk. Desire smoldered in his pitch-black eyes. He slipped his hands under my skirt, hooked my underwear with his fingers, and dragged them down. I kicked off my fur-lined boots and flung my panties off with them. Aiden smirked and grabbed my ankles. He lifted them to his shoulders and smoothed his hands down my bare legs.

Both rough and gentle, soft and hard, he was a sexy conundrum that had my body aching for his next move.

#SALE! Print editions at Ebook prices! #urbanfantasy #vampires

We've still got a few books left, so we're extending the sale!! Get you Immortalis Series Print edition books for rock bottom prices. Get Immortalis, Hunters & Prey, and Pandora's Box,  for $5 each. Pick up the Omnibus for only $15. (Shipping not included in sale price.) You can't beat these prices! We'll even gift autograph them for you. Just let us know at checkout. INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING AVAILABLE!  Books Hunters & Prey $5.00 USD Immortalis Carpe Noctem $5.00 USD Pandora's Box $5.00 USD Omnibus edition $15.00 USD Autographed Yes No

Disarming (Reign of Blood #2) By Alexia Purdy!!

Blurb:

The world has changed. One must adapt to survive or hold on to the crumbling shards of humanity.
April continues to hold her fragile world together, but the ties that hold her family together are quickly unraveling. Rumors of a massive human underground settlement draw her to the shadows of the city once more in search of other survivors more like her, even with the hybrid vampires opposing her every move.
The darkness hides secrets along with the continued threat the Feral Vampires create, but a greater evil hides within the city. Something tells April that the humans will be less than welcoming of her, and that's if she can find them before the Vampires do. Joining sides with the enemy might be the only choice she has left.

Links to buy:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Disarming-Reign-Blood-2-ebook/dp/B00ATNB3UO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1356840887&sr=8-1&keywords=disarming+alexia

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/disarming-alexia-purdy/1114036960?ean=2940016162492

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/268874

Bio:

Alexia currently lives in Las Vegas, Nevada–Sin City! She loves to spend every free moment writing or playing with her four rambunctious kids. Writing has always been her dream and she has been writing ever since she can remember. She loves writing paranormal fantasy and poetry and devours books daily. Alexia also enjoys watching movies, dancing, singing loudly in the car and Italian food.

Connect with Alexia Purdy

Alexia Purdy’s Blog

Alexia Purdy’s Website

Twitter @AlexiaPurdy

Goodreads Author page

Alexia Purdy’s Facebook Fan Page

Ever Shade (A Dark Faerie Tale) Facebook Fan page

Reign of Blood Series Facebook Fan Page

Excerpt

Disarming (Reign of Blood #2)

Prologue
Resonating
THE DAY WAS fading and I stood staring out the car window. My backpack was strapped to my back, even though it was extremely uncomfortable sitting with it on. The window was cracked just a touch, and I could hear screams echoing over from nearby streets. It made the hair on my neck stand on end and sent a snake of terror through me. Who was letting out those blood curdling screeches? What was happening? I had hitched a ride with my best friend Sarah after a study session for a huge math final the next day. I was as ready as I was going to be, even though I hated math with a passion.
Another screech resonated across the houses, bouncing off the stucco and windows, making it seem as though the entire world was screaming. My eyes widened as I scanned the streets before averting my eyes to my cell phone, flipping through some websites I had wanted to check out to distract myself from the craziness. People were running chaotically, not a lot but a few. It just occurred to me that there had been quite a few people clogging up the streets on the way home.
“What the heck is going on? Some stupid rave we didn’t get invited to?” Sarah groaned as she maneuvered around another crowd of people who kept jumping in front of the car and jaywalking across the street. Some had bags of groceries, some with bottles stacked in wheeled wire carts, tugging their load along as they flitted across the street. I glanced up from my phone and shrugged, trying not to think much of it.
“Probably, or some flash flood warning again. It’s been storming for a week. The power probably went down again,” I muttered.
“Oh, I hope not! I don’t want to miss my show tonight! If it goes out again, I can’t DVR it for tomorrow! Ugh!” Sarah cursed as another straggler popped in front of the car, making her slam the brakes. “Out of the road, moron!” she hollered out the window. I cringed at the glare from the man who gave the car a tap with his palm as he continued on across the way. Road rage was not uncommon here in Vegas, and Sarah was a poster child for it.
“I’ll stick it on my DVR in case your power goes out. One of us is bound to have electricity,” I offered.
“Thanks, that’d be great. I’ll die if I miss another episode. I already don’t know what’s going on.”
“You and your vampire addiction.”
“Oh shut up, you know you like the show, too.” Sarah swatted at me as best she could without tearing her eyes away from the street, making it easy for me to block her hand.
“Hey! I do, but I’m not dependent on them like someone I know. Can you say addicted? The first step to recovery is to admit it!” I swatted her hand out of my way as I laughed at her. She gave me an icy glare before weaving out of the crowd, gaining speed down toward my neighborhood. A thump on my window made me jump, and I frowned at the person. A woman with crazed eyes stared eerily at me as we passed. Was that blood dripping from her mouth?
In a flash she was gone, lost in the chaotic crowd. I shook my head. Studying had fried my brain, because now I was seeing things.
“I’d want to be a vampire if I could. They’re all hot, and immortality has benefits,” Sarah sighed, thinking of the life she could have in her head.
“Careful what you wish for, you might not like the fanged dental job or the bloody messes you have to get into.” Arriving at my house just then, I jumped out of the car before she could swat me again. I slammed the door behind me and waved at her as she stuck her tongue out, rolling her eyes at me as I continued to laugh.
As her semi-new Honda rolled away, the screams caught my attention once more. The sun had just set under the west Summerlin Mountains, casting long, stretching shadows across the valley and streets. The chill it gave along with the elevated humidity coupled with the now cool September breezes made me rub my arms. I wasn’t sure if it was so much the wind as the bone-chilling screams in the distance.
“April! Get inside!” My mother’s voice brought my focus onto her. Hurrying through the gate that cut off our property from the street, I helped her shut and lock it. She looked as spooked as I was, and I waited until we were inside to ask her what the matter was.
“Something’s wrong.” Her wild eyes darted about the street before she twirled around and made a beeline for the door.
“You think?” I bit my lip as her icy glare pierced into me. I needed to shut my smart mouth. “Sorry, Mom.”
“What’s going on?” Jeremy’s voice made me turn toward the living room where he sat in front of his Xbox, his game on hold in the middle of an all-out gun battle.
“Nothing squirt, keep playing. You might beat my score one day.” I winked at him as he smiled, turning back to his game, newly eager to beat it.
“The news said there have been incidents… attacks.”
“What kind of attacks?” I grabbed an apple off the pile in the fruit basket and bit down on the sweet, bitter fruit. Crunching on my snack, I finally noticed the stacks of canned food and water bottles littering the kitchen. My curiosity was getting the better of me when I realized the windows had boards nailed onto them and the sliding glass door had huge planks of plywood fixed across it.
“Um… Mom?”
“I don’t know, they’re saying people are turning into some sort of zombie-like vampires, pouncing on others, biting and sucking blood out of them.” Her voice cracked as she shoved some more food into a cabinet, making a pathway to the hall where our bedrooms were.
“Why didn’t you call me? I could have come home to help.”
“Randy helped us.” She looked up at me, knowing this statement would make me fume. “Besides, the cell phones are cutting in and out.”
“Randy? The plumber? Come on, Mom, you know he only wants you for one thing. That’s all he wants, he’s a no good convicted criminal, how could you…?”
“That’s enough of that,” she snapped, giving me a stern look. “He has done plenty for us. He’s coming back with more wood to bar the rest of the windows and bring more water.” She sighed. Her eyes looked tired as the worry made her wrinkles deepen.
“Water? Why? We have the filter, we have water.”
“No!” She shoved the cup I had grabbed from the drying rack before I could fill it with the water. I looked at her, shocked and unmoving. The water was running, clear and cool. The smell of chlorine permeated the air, reminding me to turn it off and wait for answers.
“Mom?”
“Don’t drink it.”
“Why?” her silence made my temper seep into my chest. “Mom, what’s going on?”
She stopped shoving paper plates and cups into another area of the open pantry and sighed. The look she gave me showed me oceans of fear. This was bad, really, really bad.
“It could be a virus, or the water could be contaminated. No one knows, April. People are dying from it, too. The hospitals are full of bodies. People are keeling over out of nowhere. Or turning rabid….” She ran her hand through her messy hair, exasperated and looking extremely worn out. Her hands shook as she reached for more supplies. “We have to stay here, inside, for a while. Be safe.”
I nodded slowly, letting her words sink in as I glanced back toward Jeremy.  I knew she was right. She always was. Mom was as streetwise as a person got. She knew how to survive. She had made the few dollars we’d had during hard times stretch to feed us. She had turned her side internet business into a profitable one, bringing loads of extra income to supplement her puny teacher’s salary. We had been able to buy a house with it. She had been self-sufficient ever since Dad had died three years ago.
Still, he had left an empty abyss in his place, nothing could fill it. Nothing ever would. Not even this Randy, who had endearing aspirations of filling the spot. Nothing could ever hope to replace him.
“I’m going to pull the SUV into the garage, get it stocked with supplies in case we have to leave suddenly.” She disappeared down the hall, leaving me suspended in disbelief.
I solemnly grabbed a bottle of water to drink, cracking the seal open and gulping down the fresh fluid. The screams I had heard earlier crept back into my mind, making the gooseflesh spring on my skin anew as the comprehension spilled over me. What did this mean? A sudden surge of panic filled me as I remembered that Sarah was heading back to her place. I had to warn her, had to let her know what was going on and to load up her car and come back to my place. It was much safer here, with high walls and wrought iron. My mom had bought it because of the fortress-like feel to it, always so paranoid of intruders. Funny, I thought she had been nuts, but maybe she’d had some sort of sixth sense about it. Her uncanny intuition was scary at times.
Pulling my cell phone out of my jeans pocket, I noticed the “no signal” symbol and moved about the house until I found one or two bars staring back at me. Dialing her number in desperation, I waited as the phone rang and rang.
Come on Sarah, answer me, please….
The familiar beeping sound of her voicemail announcement commenced, and I cursed under my breath, hitting the redial as fast as it let me. I kept calling until the signal died once more, leaving me to wonder about and worry for my friend. I prayed she had made it home safely. I prayed the chaos of the world had not swallowed her up.

The Fallen King by T.A. Grey

Title: The Fallen King

Author: T. A. Grey

Genre: paranormal erotic romance

Format: (print, ebook, or both) ebook

Links to buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords

K.S.  Hello and welcome to the blog. I am very excited to have you here. Why don’t we start off with a small introduction? Tell us a little about yourself.

Well, I’m an erotic romance author who likes to write stories with a lot of action, a lot of tension, and with a good dose of humor. I have three cats. I love horror movies and documentaries, and I over-decorate at Halloween.

K.S.  Any interesting writing quirks or stories you would like to share with my readers?

I can’t sit still for long, yet I need to write for at least four hours every day. I try to combat my need to be active with my need to be sitting still writing by switching the location where I write at often.

K.S.  When did you realize you wanted to be a writer? What sparked the desire to pen your first novel?

My desire to start writing my own stories came from two different things. First, I read a story that was supremely disappointing. I remember thinking that if only “this” or “that” were different then this story would be so much better. And being a romance junkie I flew through romance novels of different kinds. It got to the point where I felt many of them were too much alike. There were always little things I thought should be changed in one way or another in order to make a better story. So, I started studying the craft and writing my own stories. After I started I couldn’t stop because I had finally found a way to write stories in the way I thought they ought to be written.

K.S.  What genre do you write?

Erotic romance and romance.

K.S.  What would you say has inspired you most in your writing career? Or, who is your favorite author and why?
Having a growing fan base has inspired me to continue writing. They mean so much to me and many are so supportive. I just love them to death! My favorite author is Kresley Cole because she writes addicting stories that are filled with things I love in a romance: lots of tension, a great magical story, tons of humor, and larger-than-life characters.

K.S.  What does your family think of your writing?

My family’s insanely proud. None of them read romance so most are waiting until the day I dive out into horror or suspense so that they can read it. Haha! One day I’ll get into that genre too. They support me unconditionally, which couldn’t make me happier. It was rather embarrassing trying to explain what erotic romance is my family. They all grinned and laughed. 

K.S.  What was one of the most surprising things you learned while creating your book/s?
That I can do it. That I can write a novel (that actually sells). That I can write an entire series of books that people want to read and re-read and share with their friends. I can actually do it. That’s a pretty damn good feeling.

K.S.  What inspires you?

In terms of story, I get inspiration from everything especially in documentaries, movies, and in people watching. I’m a big creeper—always watching others to see what makes them tick.

K.S.  Where can we buy your novel?

My novels are all available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, Kobo, and iTunes. Basically anywhere you can buy ebooks!

K.S.  Do you have a website, fan site, or Blog that we can visit?
You can visit my website at: www.tagrey.com.
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/T-A-Grey/122074687903394
Visit my blog: http://tagrey.wordpress.com/


K.S.  Do you have any closing advice to aspiring writers?

Write as often as possible and read whenever you can.

K.S. Tell us the story behind the story. What inspired you to write this novel?

The inspiration for The Fallen King came from the previous books. The Bellum Sister series came to me because I wanted to write something big and epic feeling. I wanted devastatingly sexy and unique men with succubus sisters who had no choice but to be with them.

The Fallen King takes off with the story of a cursed demon, Alrik Demuzi, who’s on a quest to kill the one who cursed him—his mother. The beginning of Alrik’s tale started in Ties That Bind, book 3 in the series, however anyone can pick up this book and follow the story. Alrik has lost the love of his life in a vicious battle. He also lost his kingdom deep beneath the rift that separates the human realm from the demonic. So, banished from his demonic kingdom, he’s set off to find and kill his mother, but for two long years she has outmaneuvered him.

Frustrated, Alrik has sought out a powerful seer for help. The seer tells him that a human witch by the name Abbigail Krenshaw is the only person who is powerful enough to kill his mother. A human, a witch, can help him? The idea is almost too ridiculous for Alrik to grasp.

Abbigail pushes Alrik to find tenderness inside him that he didn’t know he had. The more they are together the more she worms her way under his skin. She’s so different from his former love and he discovers he likes those differences—a lot. ;)

K.S. Tell us about the book cover. How does it represent your book? How did you choose the artwork?

The wonderful cover was done by Char Adlesberger from Wicked Cover Designs. She did an incredible job, and I simply love the cover! I think it gives you the perfect “paranormal” feel. Plus its sexy as all get out. 

Book Blurb/Synopsis:

 Life couldn't have possibly gotten worse for the demon king Alrik. But it did. He lost the love of his life. Days spent clouded in black and gray were brightened only with the lovely Arianna near. Her light kept the darkness at bay if only for a few moments.

And now she's gone leaving him alone. Now he has nobody. But he has purpose. A purpose—steely determination—for revenge against the one who cursed him. His mother. She's out there in the rift, gathering forces, for what, he's unsure.
A mere human witch by the name Abbigail Krenshaw is the key to saving himself and killing his mother--or so a little old seer tells him under sword point. Small, fragile, and breakable Abbigail almost reminds him of his lost love, yet she's different. Strong, charming, always pushing him in ways that Arianna wouldn’t dare. He can feel her worming her way into his battered, blackened heart and can't decide whether he wants to close her inside forever, or lock her out.

He needs Abbigail. He needs the human witch to sacrifice herself in order to save his tortured soul. He's more than willing to sacrifice her for his purpose, but the more he's around her the more difficult it becomes to uphold the decision. Can he really use her to save himself and let her die? His heart screams no but his mind says yes.

Book Excerpt:

The human mumbled to herself, her head lolling left and right. Something tightened in his gut as he looked at her. He didn’t like it. Gazing upon her stirred something deep inside of him.
Alrik cursed.
Who was she to try to compete with his Arianna? She was no Arianna. Arianna was a goddess. Beautiful, shining, dark black hair fell down to her slender waist and a graceful figure and demeanor that could only be obtained with the best of haute, aristocratic blood in her veins. This human looked nothing like his Arianna. She had hair the color of wet dirt. It looked thin and not heavy like Arianna’s hair. She had wide hips and more curves than Arianna, but Arianna didn’t need blatant curves. Her graceful figure brought about attention alone.
Simply put, she wasn’t his Arianna.
Then why did his gut clench just looking at her?
Too long without a woman, maybe. His gaze trailed over her form once more taking in the slight span of her waist and the flare of her hips. The sight stirred something hot buried deep inside him. He wondered how she’d feel pressed tight against him…bare skin to bare skin.
His cock hardened like steel.
Enough!
Alrik charged into the dark cave. He didn’t need his sight in his place; he knew it like the edge of his sword. He went far back into the cave, sidestepping the fire pit he’d made before he’d left to find the human. Then he dropped the human to the ground. He wasn’t gentle about it and she gave him the response he’d been looking for. Her eyes shot open, mouth forming a big circle as pain pinched her features. She let out a low, husky groan that did nothing to alleviate the pressure in his groin.
“What the hell,” she groaned, turning on her side to rub her back.
“We will talk now.”
She hadn’t been aware of him, he realized. Now she was. Slowly her head fell back, her eyes turned up to meet his. Recognition dawned slowly. Her eyes darted wildly around the cave filling with panic and fear. She stood in a rush then wobbled on her feet. Panic had her in its grip. She swung her arms out, found the wet cave wall with a hand, and then leaned towards it to steady herself, pressing both hands against it.
“What the hell’s going on? Oh my god, where am I?”
“Be quiet. I will talk and you will listen. Do you understand?” He hadn’t met a human in years. In his previous experience, some were smart and others not so much. He hoped his salvation didn’t lie in a daft girl who looked entirely too young to have the amount of power the seer spoke of.
She turned and glared at him. The spark of anger was good, and the cleverness he spotted in her eyes even better. Good, she wouldn’t be daft.
“Excuse me? How about you tell me who you are, demon, where I am, why I’m here, and what you want with me?” She crossed her arms and set her light green eyes on him.
Alrik had the distinct urge to stalk over to her and tower over her just to see her quiver in fear. She will learn her place soon enough. Her attitude would go even quicker. He was a king, and some lowly human would not treat him like a servant.

Purchase Links

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/T.-A.-Grey/e/B0055EVG5Y/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_2
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/t.-a.-grey
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/tagrey

Praise for the Other Books in the Series

Chains of Frost (book #1) 
"Having never read a novel by this author before, I was delighted to pick up this novel. It is extremely fast paced and never slows down. The story flows beautifully together, and will lead perfectly into the second novel. This is a truly enchanting novel that will grab the interest of readers everywhere and will not let go." – Night Owl Romance

Bonds of Fire (book #2)
"Bonds of Fire is, as I previously mentioned, the second book in the trilogy of the Bellum sisters. It is a wonderful story, moving fast and never stopping for anything. It ties in beautifully to the previous book, with the stories blending with each other, and working together to build the third novel, which is forthcoming. Romance lovers everywhere will adore this book (and the series) as much as I have." 4.5/5 stars! Night Owl Romance Top Pick!

Ties That Bind (book #3)
"Ties That Bind is a hair-raising, nail biting, heartwarming adventure of the grandest scale. Of all three of the Bellum sisters, Lily would have to be my personal favorite, as she is charming, quirky, and not a little bit spunky and outrageous. She is also still a delicate and unsure young lady. This is a perfect conclusion to the Bellum sisters trilogy, and I absolutely loved it." 5/5 stars! Night Owl Romance Top Pick!

Author Social Links

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/T-A-Grey/122074687903394
Website: http://tagrey.com/index.html
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorTaGrey
Blog: http://tagrey.wordpress.com/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16124518-the-fallen-king

Author Bio

I love to write the kind of stories that will keep you up late at night and make your heart pound. It’s my goal in writing to make each new book better, more exciting, more action-packed, not only to test myself as a writer but to keep thrilling you. I’m always trying to push the boundaries with my imagination, and yours, to create something new and different.
If you’re a fan of paranormal romance novels then you’ll love my Bellum Sisters Trilogy. This isn’t your typical romance story, so be prepared for a kick of heat and tons of action. The Bellum Sisters Trilogy has received excellent reviews from paranormal bloggers and two of the three books are Top Picks from Night Owl Reviews.
Now, if you like shorter books with quite a bit of heat, humor, and action then I’d recommend the Kategan Alphas series. This erotic series features the sexy Kategan family and all the lucky men and women who get to meet them and complete their lives.
Visit my website to learn more about me and my books at www.tagrey.com.

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