Boreal and John Grey by the fabulous Chrystalla Thoma!!!

Today I've got the awesome Chrystalla Thoma here to talk about her latest Urban Fantasy.... Take it away, Chrys!


Hi Katie, thanks for hosting me today to talk about my urban fantasy series “Boreal and John Grey”.



I love elves – have done ever since I read Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit as a teenager. Beautiful and wise, in tune with nature and its energy, ancient and timeless.
And I admit a certain fascination with those “leaf-shaped” ears as described by Tolkien.

However, when I went back to Tolkien’s sources, such as the old Norse (old Icelandic) Edda – epic poems and tales – I realized he’d changed the aelfar (the elves”) to fit his world. Sure, the elves were said to have magic, and sometimes they were mentioned in the same breath as the aesir (the gods), but they were wicked tricksters who brought misfortune and illness, and exchanged healthy children with sickly changelings.
Tall and pale – their name means ‘white’ – these beings were not peaceful and distant but meddlesome and wanted something from us humans.

But what?

Well, the Edda say that the elves lived in another world – called Aelfheim (Elfhame = Elf home), one of the nine worlds hanging on the world tree Ygdrasil. So what the heck were they doing in our world all the way to the Middle Ages when the stories were written down?

Tada, inspiration flash. The elves had come here, had traveled through a Gate to our world, intent on conquering it. No tree-hugging, peace-loving elves, but tech-savvy, ambitious and not-so-nice elves, who wanted this world for their own.

But how did they fail?
The Edda tells us that apart from the Light Elves, living on the surface of their world, Dark Elves living underground. So what if the Dark elves were the wise, peaceful ones, and what if they had managed to stop their Light brethren and locked the Gates?
And what if now, today, the Light elves had finally found a way to cross once more and take over our world?
Enter Ella Benson, Paranormal Bureau agent, who fights all that crosses between worlds – shades and shadows. But something has changed: increasingly dangerous creatures are slipping into her city, her work partner has just gone missing, and a mysterious – and, frankly, quite hot — guy saves her life. His name is Finn and, as it turns out, he’s a natural when it comes to fighting the Shades.

With the Gates opening and her partner gone, Ella needs a new ally. Enlisting the mysterious Finn is her first thought and seems to work quite well, until she realizes Finn has some dangerous secrets of his own.

Together with Finn, and the fate of the world on her shoulders, what’s Ella to do but grab her weapons and figure it all out, one way or another.
Read the complete First Season of the series Boreal and John Grey, books 1-5 (The Encounter, The Gate, The Dragon, The Dream and The Truth) at a special price with an Author’s Note at the end.
The first episode in the series is free so you can sample it – here:
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Encounter-Boreal-John-Grey-ebook/dp/B00AVVDFGO
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Encounter-Boreal-John-Grey-ebook/dp/B00AVVDFGO

Where to find the complete season 1 boxset:
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Boreal-John-Grey-Season-ebook/dp/B00DC7R39O
Amazon UK:  http://www.amazon.co.uk/Boreal-John-Grey-Season-ebook/dp/B00DC7R39O
 
Excerpt:
The goblin crouched down and drew its huge fist back. Time slowed. She saw it coming at her like a dark wave, about to smash her face.
The fist stopped an inch from her face. The goblin groaned. Its yellow eyes widened, the lumbering body shuddered and pitched sideways.
Ella blinked up at the scaffolds and beams, then sat up slowly, her head spinning. Her knife lay a few feet away. She reached for it, her other hand going to her gun, still in its hip holster.
The kobolds advanced over the half-built wall, clawed hands extended, and she cocked the gun, taking aim.
Something pale streaked her vision and she blinked. Hallucinations? She must have hit her head harder than she thought. Because a man was there, blades flashing in the moonlight. He fell on the kobolds, twirling and delivering heavy blows, his blond hair flying under a green bandana. Like a hurricane, he pivoted and kicked, then cut and stabbed, until the Shades fell back, raising spindly hands to cover their faces.
Okay, what the hell?
The man didn’t stop. He spun closer to the kobolds, hacking at them with his blades — bowie knives, long and wicked, covered in symbols — marking one on the arm. The kobold shrieked and flickered in and out of existence. The other one cowered and whimpered. Ella narrowed her eyes. Why did they fear his knives but not hers? The blades were dark. Iron?
A bellow from the left reminded her the goblin was still present. Crap. Her hand felt too heavy, her head too light, filled with sharp pebbles that bounced inside her skull. The goblin pushed itself upright and turned to her.
“Oh no, you don’t,” she whispered and took aim. She fired one, two, three bullets into its chest. The goblin staggered back but didn’t fall. Cursing, she reversed her grip on the knife and threw it at the creature’s head. It hit it smack in the forehead.
The goblin fell and fizzled, its limbs melting away, its torso and head going last, a grizzly Cheshire cat grin on its face — finally returning to the place behind the Veil.
Ella blinked at the empty spot the goblin had occupied, then turned to see the man dispatch the last kobold. Suddenly there was ringing quiet, punctuated by the guy’s hissing breaths. He looked up.
“Are you okay?” he asked. He had a strange accent, a way of drawing out the vowels. Russian, perhaps. He was handsome in a lean and austere sort of way — thin face, high cheekbones, a small mouth, and hooded ice-blue eyes. His chest rose and fell, stretching the black material of his dirty white t-shirt. He wore a green bandana under which his ash-blond hair fluttered down to his shoulders. “Hey, can you hear me?”
“Yeah, sorry. I’m fine.” To prove it, she clicked the safety of her gun on and stood, wobbling only a little. “Thank you. You’re...?”
“You should get out of here. More Vaettir may arrive.”
Vaettir? You mean Shades?” That had sounded Nordic. Maybe not Russian then.
He nodded, eyes darting around the place, knives held loosely at his sides, ichor dripping steadily to the floor. Silvery designs flashed on his bare forearms — tattoos? Or paint?
“Yes, Shades.” He walked to the half-finished wall and checked behind it, every movement graceful like a panther’s.
Ella shook her head dazedly. What was wrong with her? “I’m Ella, working for the Investigations Bureau.” She didn’t normally recruit people, but he saw Shades, and the way he fought ... “Finding someone with your abilities is rare and we could really use another... Wait!” He was backing away and she didn’t even know his name. She took a step toward him as the police sirens sounded in the distance. “Don’t go!”

About the author:

Greek Cypriot with a penchant for dark myths, good food, and a tendency to settle down anywhere but at home, Chrystalla likes to write about fantastical creatures, crazy adventures, and family bonds. She lives in Cyprus with her husband and her vast herds of books. She writes mainly fantasy and science fiction. Her dystopian YA science fiction series “Elei’s Chronicles” (Rex Rising, Rex Cresting, Rex Equilibrium) is available on Kindle and in print. Shorter stories set in that world are also available, and a Companion to the series is also in the plans.

You Need To Read This Book!!! Legacy of Blood by J.L. McCoy


Title: Legacy of Blood
Author: J.L. McCoy
Series: Skye Morrison Vampire Series (#4)
Genre: Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: Feb 16 2013
Edition/Formats Available In: E~Book & Print

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. 
My name is Jennifer and I live in the suburbs just outside of Austin, Texas with my opinionated Pekiweenie Isabel and handsome husband Kenny.  I’m a total music and book nerd and I can always be found in my office crunching on ice, jamming to a wide variety of 70s, 80s, and 90s music, and working my tail off on my next book.  When I’m not working, I like to travel, watch movies, sing karaoke, go to concerts, and read (of course).

K.S.  Any interesting writing quirks or stories you would like to share with my readers?
I have a serious addiction to ice and have to have a cup full of it by me when I write.   Sonic ice is the best!

K.S.  When did you realize you wanted to be a writer? What sparked the desire to pen your first novel?
I didn’t have one of those ‘Aha’ moments that a lot of authors have.  To be honest, my mother had been bugging me for about a year prior to write a book. She knew I was a serious reader and thought I’d make a good writer. So, I tried it out and found that I absolutely loved it. I haven’t looked back since.

K.S.  What genre do you write?
Adult Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance

K.S.  What would you say has inspired you most in your writing career? Or, who is your favorite author and why?
Music is my inspiration when I write.  I can’t tell you how many scenes I’ve written as a direct result of a song.  I love how music makes the muses dance.

K.S.  What does your family think of your writing?
My family has been really supportive.  My mother and father are my biggest cheerleaders.  Just this morning, my mother sent me a text message saying how proud of me she was and that she had been bragging about me at her work.  It’s really sweet and I feel incredibly blessed to have the support I do.

K.S.  What was one of the most surprising things you learned while creating your book/s?
The most surprising was that I could even write a book.  I didn’t really know that I had it in me.  Finishing Blood of the Son (SMVS, #1) was the best feeling in the world.

K.S.  What inspires you?
Music, life, love, anger, happiness, art…   I find inspiration at the weirdest times/places.

K.S.  Can you tell us a little about any of your novels?
My latest novel is Legacy of Blood (Skye Morrison Vampire Series, #4) and it follows Skye’s adventure as she adjusts to her new ‘condition’.
Synopsis:
Skye Morrison begged for death. Fortunately, someone didn't listen.

Skye awakens to discover she has been irrevocably changed and the unprecedented circumstances of her rebirth have now created a new threat to her very existence. Sired by both the monster Amun and the vampire Archer Rhys, Skye must prove to the army of An Dilis (The Faithful) whose essence is most dominant within her and that she is not a danger to them or society. The Faithful soon discover that she is unlike any vampire ever created before as she struggles to adjust to her new life and the changes that come with it.

Her recent brush with death has made Skye realize that life is precious and she wastes no time telling the one she loves how she feels about him.

But, Amun finds out that someone interfered with Skye's transformation and the intrusion makes him livid. He gives Skye 7 days to come to him or he threatens to begin killing the ones she loves most. Will Skye be able to survive long enough to enjoy her new life now that Amun is hunting her and everyone she loves?

K.S.  Where can we buy your novel?
Right now, the eBooks are available exclusively through Amazon.com.  If you are an Amazon Prime member, you may borrow my books for free.  You can also buy the paperbacks there as well as autographed copies through me at my website www.jlmccoy.com/store.html

K.S.  Do you have a website, fan site, or Blog that we can visit?
Website: www.jlmccoy.com


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

Don't give up. Keep writing. Some people are going to hate your work, but for every 1 person out there who hates it, there will be at least 2 who like it. Don't take criticism of your work to heart.  It's 1 person’s opinion of your work, and does not reflect who you are as a person. Anything worth doing in life will be hard, but it makes the rewards that much sweeter.

Synopsis:
"Skye Morrison begged for death.  Fortunately, someone didn't listen.
Skye awakens to discover she has been irrevocably changed and the unprecedented circumstances of her rebirth have now created a new threat to her very existence. Sired by both the monster Amun and the vampire Archer Rhys, Skye must prove to the army of An Dilis (The Faithful) whose essence is most dominant within her and that she is not a danger to them or society.  The Faithful soon discover that she is unlike any vampire ever created before as she struggles to adjust to her new life and the changes that come with it.
Her recent brush with death has made Skye realize that life is precious and she wastes no time telling the one she loves how she feels about him.
But, Amun finds out that someone interfered with Skye's transformation and the intrusion makes him livid.  He gives Skye 7 days to come to him or he threatens to begin killing the ones she loves most. 

Will Skye be able to survive long enough to enjoy her new life now that Amun is hunting her and everyone she loves?


Book Links



Author Information



J. L. McCoy resides in the beautifully weird city of Austin, Texas with her opinionated Pekiweenie Isabel and handsome husband Kenny.  She has always been a passionate reader and enjoys watching movies, traveling, listening to heavy metal/classic rock/80s music, getting mani/pedis with her girls, and singing karaoke.  She loves body art and is hopelessly addicted to Sonic’s ice and Route 44 un-sweet raspberry iced tea. 

Social Media Links


Other Books in the Skye Morrison Series




Praise


"[Legacy of Blood] left me breathless and wanting more."  -NarlyNut's Book Lovers and Reviews
"J.L. McCoy takes us on a continued ride of intense, enthralling, page turning fascination."(praise for The Original Sin) -NarlyNut's Book Lovers and Reviews
"And I can't wait to sink my fangs into the next book, to see what the hell is going on with Skye. Once again I give this book Five GOTHIC stars!!!" (praise for The Original Sin) -CYNTHIA SHEPP BOOK REVIEWS & EDITING
"This series floored me! I was sucked in (pun intended) from the very beginning." -Bex 'N' Books

Excerpt

As soon as my head hit my pillow, and I fully relaxed, my eyes began to grow heavy.   All of the excitement I had been through today had taken its toll on me mentally.  I desperately needed to sleep and recharge.  Before I knew it, I was out cold.
Images flashed behind my eyes, interrupting hours of deep, sound sleep as I softly heard someone whispering my name.  Something was pulling at my psyche, demanding entrance, and I finally gave in to the request. 
Amun was standing by large body of water with his back to me.  As soon as I took a step toward him, he whirled around looking surprised but relieved.
“What took you so long?” he demanded, his black eyes taking on anger.  “I’ve been reaching out to you all day.  I could feel you but I didn’t have access to you…I couldn’t access your mind.  Something is interfering.  HOW are you keeping me out?”
“Ha!” I laughed and sneered at the small victory.  “You mean to tell me you can’t just come into my dreams whenever you want to?”
He flashed to me and grabbed me by my throat.  “You drank their blood?!” he raged in my face as he glared back and forth between my now colorless eyes.  “But you are mine!”
“I am no one’s!” I yelled back as I ripped his hand from my neck and pushed him away from me; the action utterly shocking Amun.  “No one owns me!  No one will EVER own me!”
“A piece of my very soul is inside of you,” he growled, quickly recovering.  “You are mine and you will do as I say.  You will come to me this night!  I DEMAND IT!”
I put my hands on my hips and smirked at him.  “Demand away, Amun.  I don’t know what you’re expecting, but I’m not going to just come crawling to whatever hole you’re off hiding in.  You have no control over me.  Get used to it!”
“Oh, I have plenty of control over you,” he sneered evilly as he took another step toward me.  “All those disgusting feelings of love and desire you felt for that Day Walker…Archer?  I put them there.  I made you dream of him, want him, make love to him…  I made you want to stay with him when you were so set on leaving.  I couldn’t very well allow you to leave and ruin all my plans!  But in the end, you betrayed me, Damu.  There will be a heavy price to pay for that.  You were supposed to stay, complete your change and then kill him and all his children.  Instead you drink his blood and pollute yourself?!  You could have been something great, something beautifully fierce and exquisitely savage, but now you are just another common, pathetic Day Walker!”
I felt my eyes flicker black as anger consumed me.  “I’m not your fucking toy, Amun!  If you think you can force me to feel things and do things for you, you have another thing coming.  I’m going to kill you for what you’ve done to me!  As God is my witness, you will DIE by MY hand!”
Amun chuckled as he looked me up and down and then tsked.  “Oh, my sweet Nisiqtu…you are still so headstrong.  I believe I was wrong about you.  You carry my mark in your eyes.  We are not so different after all, you and I.  You may be a Day Walker now, but the potential for greatness is still there.  The possibilities are endless now.  There is so much we can do to them now that you are one of them.  They will never suspect-”
“Fuck you!” I spat as I turned and walked away.  I didn’t have to listen to his bullshit.  He may have pulled me into this dream but, come hell or high water, I was going to walk out of it.
“You have one week to come to me, Skye,” Amun yelled at my back.  “If you do not obey me, I will start killing your friends and family one by one and I’ll start with that fiery girl who shares your home.  I believe I’ll sew her colorful skin into a new hat.”
I whirled around, my eyes wide and fearful.  “You lay one finger on her and I’ll-”

“Silence!” Amun roared angrily, his voice echoing loudly all around me.  “Seven days, Skye.  And you had better be wearing the presents I left for you when you come to me.”


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be Tempted!



Title:  Sunset Temptations
Author :  C.R. Moss
Genre:  Contemporary, Erotic, Chick Lit, Romance, Menage
Format: (print, ebook, or both)  eBook

Tell us the story behind the story. What inspired you to write this novel?
A couple of years ago I went to a convention and met the lovely ladies of Decadent Publishing. While a group of us were sitting around and talking, information about Decadent’s 1NightStand line of books came up. The concept sounded interesting, and I told them I’d send in a story. I had already started on a book that I thought I’d target to a different publisher and their line, but I re-purposed it for the 1NS series. Thankfully, the first story, ‘Sunset Desires’ was accepted and from there followed ‘Sunset Seduction,’ the release I’m touting today: ‘Sunset Temptations’ (Day 7 ‘special words: to hear) and the fourth book ‘Sunset Heat’ is in the editing queue. The ‘Sunset’ series follows four female relatives on their dating adventures.

Tell us about the book cover. How does it represent your book? How did you choose the artwork?
It’s a hawt cover, isn’t it? The cover artist from Tibbs Designs chose the threesome and did the sunset coloring as per my request. Then we were able to work in a nice mountain scene at the bottom which is a landscape shot from Mount Charleston where the story takes place.

Synopsis:
Book Blurb & Short Excerpt for Sunset Temptations
Can wishes come true in just one night?
* Roommates, Ivy Tramonto and Kiran Emerson, are heading out for their blind dates set up through a prestigious matchmaking service. Neither know anything about the men they’re to meet at a charity event being held in a mountain resort, but they’re looking forward to the adventure and forgetting about all their problems for an evening.
* Resort owner, Robert Bourbon, doesn’t have time to play the field, especially when he wants a polyamorous relationship. After requesting the services of Madame Eve, he’s matched with the perfect pair and believes life can’t get any better.
* Everything seems to be going great, until a mistake one of them made comes back to haunt them.
* Will they make it through the dilemma or will they miss out on having their true desires granted?
Content / Warnings: Contemporary, Erotic, Chick Lit, Romance, Contemporary Romance, Erotic Romance, Menage, Alternative / Oral, anal, GLBT, MM, MMF, MFM
~ Excerpt ~
   Boy am I glad to have a night out, especially away from the city, where I don’t have to be concerned about anything except making a good impression.
   He opened the mini-bar, retrieved an airplane-sized bottle of rum, then shot down the contents in an effort to calm his nerves. The liquor burned the back of his mouth, but did take his mind off his jitters. For so long, he’d wanted to find someone kind, generous in other ways than monetary, funny and intelligent but not cocky. Good-looking would be a plus. He’d been around too many male and female narcissists during his stints in show business lately and couldn’t stomach them anymore.
   Madame Eve had emailed that the man wanted to meet him at the event. Kiran would have to wear a rose in his lapel. Since her other client wanted an element of surprise to their escapade, she provided no other information. Though he liked the idea, he had some concerns. For one, Ivy’s date was a mystery, too. Second, blind dates scared him.
   Please don’t let the guy Madame Evangeline set me up with be a dud.

Where can readers find out more about you and your work?
~ Now for the fun stuff! ~
Remember the Day 7 ‘special words?’ They’re part of the ‘Scavenger Hunt!’ Details: Leave a comment about this post along with your first name & email addy. Then email the ‘special words’ along with your name to crmoss@cox.net. ~~ Please DO NOT leave the 'special word(s)' in the comment section of this blog. ~~ Each day you participate on this tour will count as one entry into the first drawing. Yes, there’s a second drawing as well! For more details and lists of the dates, locations & prizes of this tour and hunt, visit: http://crmoss.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_26.html  Thanks, Katie, for having me on your blog today, and thank you, readers, for stopping by!

More on ‘Sunset Temptations’ and links for where you can buy the book can be found at: http://crmoss.com/books/sunset-series/sunset-temptations/

Find C.R. Moss & links to her other social media outlets at:
Website: http://crmoss.com/

Come out to the hottest readers’ conference in the west, Hot Mojave Knights, and meet C.R. & other great authors ~ Las Vegas, NV - October 2013 ~ http://www.hotmojaveknights.com/

About The Author

Katie Salidas is a USA Today bestselling author and RONE award winner known for her unique genre-blending style.

Since 2010 she's penned five bestselling book series: the Immortalis, Olde Town Pack, Little Werewolf, Chronicles of the Uprising, and the all-new Agents of A.S.S.E.T. series. As her not-so-secret alter ego, Rozlyn Sparks, she is a USA Today bestselling author of romance with a naughty side.

In her spare time Katie also produces and hosts a YouTube talk show; Spilling Ink. She also has a regular column on First Comics News where she explores writing from a nerdy perspective.