You would think as people we would learn, but apparently we don't.  I am amazed that Fifty Shades of Grey is causing the controversy that it is and that people are actually debating if it is true literature or not.  I mean seriously, haven't we figured it out by now that literature is art and all art is subjective?

I will admit that while the book is on my list of books to read this summer, I haven't gotten to it yet, but that's not the point.  I just don't understand how we can still be arguing this.

I look through the reviews and it seems that most people either love or hate this book, there doesn't seem to be an in between.  People on the street are no different, complaining that this novel glorifies the abuse of women.  Just because you read that a certain character acts a certain way, doesn't mean that you agree.  Have you ever read a book about a crime?  What about a western?  Since people aren't riding around on horses through down town Manhattan, I'm assuming that people can separate fiction from reality.  So this really just comes down to a moral question.

When I was in high school, I got caught reading Lolita and was sent to the principal's office.  The principal berated me for reading "smut" and polluting my mind.  I argued that Lolita was a great work of literature and that most people in the literary world agreed even if they didn't like the circumstances in the book.  I also mentioned that it was a prize winning novel.

This educated man informed me that trash like that should never be considered literature and that I should be ashamed of myself for read pornography.  He threatened to call my parents (who were the ones that bought me the book) and inform them of what a disgrace I was.

Now, back in the day, I was a little bit of a smartass (can you believe that?).  I told him that I wanted him to call my parents, make them leave work, and come down to his office so that he could tell them how I got caught reading a (gasp) book.

He decided against it and sent me on to my next class, but not before warning me that I best change my ways if I wanted to amount to anything.  Oh, and he also kept my book.

Now that was twenty years ago.  It's sad to think that so many people still hold the same opinion as that public high school principal.  What separates smut from literature and who decides?  Me personally, I'm looking forward to reading the book, but if I did find it offensive, I would take the strongest stand possible for one person by not buying it.

What are your thoughts?  Are we intelligent enough to make our own choices?  Do erotica novels such as Fifty Shades or Grey and Lolita deserve a place in literary history?  And my own personal question

We all have places that we have always dreamed of visiting.  For me, it has always been New Orleans.  I came so close one year, but fate stepped in and the trip was canceled.  (Good thing as we were scheduled to have been there when Katrina hit.)  I have always wanted to visit New Orleans and stay at the Hotel Monteleone.

Why the Hotel Monteleone?  Well, first off it has a carousel bar.  How many places can boast of that?  Not to mention that many famous authors including William Faulkner, Tennessee Williams, and Truman Capote have all had drinks there.  Also, the location is rumored to be haunted and numerous investigations have taken place there.  For a writer, that is an irresistible lure.

When I began writing the second book in my Spiritus series, Haunted, I knew that I wanted part of it to take place in New Orleans.  I needed not only the Bayou St. John and the connection to St. John's Eve in the story, but I had to indulge myself and include the beautiful Hotel Monteleone.  And yes, my characters did have to have drinks at the famous carousel bar.

Is there a certain destination that you long to visit and if you're a writer, have your characters already been there?

I was feeling a little reminiscent this weekend while working on some of the voodoo and paranormal practices for book three in my Spiritus series and I got to thinking about that game that we used to play at slumber parties called Light As A Feather, Stiff As A Board. 

I guess all teenage girls are fascinated by the idea of magic and the unknown.  Some of us outgrow it, but then the rest of us must become writers or something.  I can't remember a single slumber party where we didn't play that game and I do remember a few parents that were terrified that we were dabbling in black magic and the like.  Looking back, how crazy is that?

The night would usually begin with harmless stuff like manicures and maybe popcorn.  I'll show my age and say that we all stayed up watching Friday Night Videos and taped episodes of Dance Party USA (Kelly Rippa anyone?).  Normally these parties were held in the basement and as soon as all was quiet upstairs, we'd start playing Light As A Feather, Stiff As A Board.

One person would lay down and cross their arms "dead guy" style.  Everyone else would sit around them in a circle with one girl at the person's head.  That girl was responsible for rubbing the person's temples as we told a scary story, then just the opposite, we told the person to relax and imagine floating down a gentle stream.  In unison we would all start chanting "Light As A Feather, Stiff As A Board" as we easily lifted the person using only two fingers each.

Now maybe it's the passage of time, but I seem to remember lifting some people pretty high.  It could be that I am remembering it with the naivety of my teenage self, but that's how I remember it.  Anyone else remember playing this and how did you do it?

It’s been a crazy few weeks!  I’m still without my internet which makes everything so difficult to do, but the good news is that my daughter is now officially on summer vacation!  Now that I don’t have to deal with things like homework and bedtimes, I’m able to sneak in even more writing than before.

So, as Spiritus is set to go free again next month as part of Kindle Select and Haunted is gearing up for its blog tour, I’m working on the third and final book in the series.  For this last book, I really had to open my mind up to things like Voodoo and magic. 

One of the things that have shocked me during my research and just talking to people in general is that while people will dismiss magic right away, they aren’t so quick to judge voodoo.

I was delighted to see that there actually are voodoo shops in New Orleans and that St. John’s Eve is really very much like what I described in Haunted.  The idea that something so fantastic and exceptional is just part of the norm around New Orleans is just amazing to me.

Voodoo plays a key role in the third and final book of the Spiritus series and it has been both educational and a little terrifying to learn about it.  So tell me, to you believe in voodoo or not?

I like highlighting new and exciting books on this site and working with Sizzling PR, I get to find out about some talented authors out there with some great stories to tell.  Today I'm focusing on Xandra James.

Nash was bound to Sienna completely – by a blood connection and a deep desire. An Enforcer for the Supranormal community, he was obligated to protect his sexy assignment, despite her family devastating his world.

After being betrayed, Sienna falls into the arms of her surly protector; a demon with a secret of his own. But can she face her destiny knowing she's more dangerous than those Nash was protecting her from?

Amazon US / Amazon UK / Bookstrand


Excerpt

"I don't believe you."

"You don't believe what?" He made himself comfortable in the ratty looking seat and turned to her, his eyes already dismissive of anything she had to say.

"About the hunter thing. Why would you tell me that?"

"I don't lie, Sienna. Your family has been doing this for many years." He turned to look out of the windscreen. "Too many years. And they've hunted a lot of creatures." Nash turned to face her once more. "And even a human or two. Not that your family seems to have many qualms about that." His face had hardened, she noticed, lines appearing around his eyes as he glared at her.

Sienna looked at him hard before actually making herself jump when a gurgle of laughter erupted from her mouth. He frowned at her which made her laugh harder.

"I'm sorry, I really am. But I think you might have inhaled too much gun smoke." She wiped her right eye where a tear had started to form. "I appreciate the save earlier on and obviously we need to get to the bottom of why I was chased, but I really don't think it was ghosts that were behind it all."

Nash looked like he wanted to throttle her. It sobered her slightly but the mirth still hovered. This sexy man was seriously cuckoo. Why were all the pretty ones gay or nuts?

"Ghosts weren't behind it. I believe Strix were."

"And what are Strix, may I ask?"

He hesitated for only a moment before speaking again.

"Vampires who eat flesh with animal ferocity."

Now, that was what she needed to snap her out of her sense of humour. He was talking blood suckers now. Did the police force know he should be suspended on medical grounds? She thought about her dilemma. Here she was, stuck in the middle of nowhere with a cop who thought vampires were real. Although she was pretty sure he wouldn't hurt her – hell, he'd saved her from certain death earlier on – he was still a tad unpredictable. Maybe she could talk to him about it all? Make him think she believed him until he dropped her off at the nearest police station? Mind made up, Sienna smiled sweetly.

"Tell me about these vampires then. Are they like the ones in the movies?"

"They are much, much worse. Believe me." He smiled at her and if she didn't know better, he had figured out she was just humouring him.

"So... can I see one?"

"That wouldn't be your smartest idea, Princess." Sienna nodded, pretending to be deep in thought and ignored the Princess quip.

"Are you one?"

"Nope."

"But you are human though, right?" Nash chuckled again, looking back towards the front windscreen.

"Do I look human, Sienna?" Nash turned towards her and whatever she was about to say went out the window. Her breath caught in her throat and she stumbled away from the car door.

Eyes that were once green now shined in a golden hue, his pupils dilated into slits, reminiscent of a cat. But that wasn't what had caught her attention and made her hair stand on end. As she watched, the once tanned face that she'd admired minutes before was changing. No more was his skin clear but intricate markings had appeared in a line along the side of his face and disappeared down under the collar of his t-shirt. The hand that held the steering wheel caught her attention then and she watched in horror as the nails grew into small points and turned a deep black. 

Nash was a... he was a...

She didn't know what he was.

Sienna's brain finally gave her two choices. Faint, which she longed for to put her into a state of unconsciousness. Or, run.

Her feet made the decision for her.

Luka was a bounty hunter who just wanted to do his job and get paid. Being a banished Shadow, he'd learnt the bitter lesson long ago that he was alone, after he was expelled from his home world by his own blood. Now, he needed to understand why he was wanted dead whilst his desire for the fiery haired witch erupted, out of control.   

As a rare moon-witch, all she'd ever known was a life of misery under the oppressive Fae-Guard. Nine years ago Cerys escaped the Meta-World after regretting the forced banishment of a Shadow. Now, she leads a normal life without her abilities and all she wants is to blend in. When a bounty hunter wants to take her back for a crime she didn't commit, she's willing to take a chance on her future by trusting the man who had no idea she'd wronged him years before.

Amazon US / Amazon UK / Bookstrand


Excerpt

He watched as she looked incredulously at him and spun on her heel to march down the road in the direction they’d just come from. Her ass—the same ass he’d fantasised about when he hadn’t known it belonged to Cerys Bailey earlier—taunted him. So did that wavy red hair of hers. Luka had a thing for redheads. Who knew?

Cerys turned back to him, a fiery glint to her eye and stalked back toward him, standing toe to toe, “I was happy. For the first time in my life, I was happy. I wasn’t Cerys Bailey, moon-witch. I was Julie Travis, Ms Normal. And then you came along—”

“Technically, you’d already been busted. I was doing my job.” Luka tried not to grin, he really did, but she just looked so cute, all small and angry.

She spluttered for a few moments, the moonlight making her look wild as her hair fell in waves around her face and anger fisted her hands at her sides.

“I could tear you apart, inch by stupid inch if I wanted to.” She stood on tiptoes to face him almost eye to mouth, and Luka was temporarily distracted by the flowery smell that emanated from her hair. “I’m dangerous. Didn’t anybody warn you of that?”

Luka chuckled then laughed as steam practically erupted from her ears. “Sweetheart, if you could do more than heal yourself and look pretty, you’d have done it. I know that. Right now? You’re stuck with me until  we get out of the situation that you’ve got me into.”

“That I’ve got you into? Weren’t you listening? It’s you they want. I’m just a happy little bonus for them.” Luka scratched the stubble on his chin and shook his head.

“Either way, you’re still my bounty until I can figure out exactly where I stand.” Luka watched as Cerys’s mind ticked over and waited for the inevitable reaction, whatever that might be. She wasn’t a natural redhead, but she sure had their passionate temper, and that thought excited the hell out of him.

What he wasn’t expecting from her was a kick to his groin and for Cerys to hightail it back along the track through a cloud of his pain and a mass of her hair. Any blood that had amassed down there retreated to his face and ears.

Luka staggered and he sucked in his breath, pain shooting into his stomach. Moments passed, and he couldn’t move.

“Bitch!” The word was wrenched from the depths of his soul.

As soon as his eyes began to clear from the tears that threatened to fall, he began to run like a drunk chasing a ten pound note in the wind with little focus at first, but slowly he gained on her. She glanced around in panic and stumbled, allowing him to gain precious distance.

And then he switched.

Luka knew the moment it dawned on Cerys that he was no longer playing fair. The look of horror spread across her face as the inky blackness in front of her enveloped her and brought her down to the ground.

Although Luka preferred his human form, his Shadow made him feel alive—allowed him to become one with nature. He couldn’t touch her in his Shadow form but he could manipulate the air around her. It also wouldn’t stop his nuts from throbbing for the next few hours.

Appearing back to her in his human form, his mouth was inches away from hers. Cerys opened it to scream, but Luka took advantage and kissed her hard and fast. The woman was a menace. To herself and to him. The quicker he got to the bottom of all of this, the better.

She moaned beneath him, and any thoughts of resisting her charms, drifted away.

Luka didn’t want to feel anything from the kiss. He was scratching an itch that had been there since the moment he’d met her as far as he was concerned. Yet the more he tasted of her, the more he wanted. And that just wasn’t good.

Her skin was flawless, and he was momentarily taken aback by its perfection as he looked down at her. Luka swallowed as her tongue darted out to moisten her already damp lips. There was no way he should be doing this.

Pushing her away from him, he looked deep into her gorgeous green eyes and saw exactly what he was feeling—a deep longing desire.

Shit.

Xandra James has always wanted to write romance books. Even when she was sneaking peaks at the hot bits, too young to fully appreciate them, she dreamt of writing her own.

Now, older and wiser, she's got the opportunity to project her slightly dark and wacky, British sense of humor onto others, whilst still writing the hot bits - bonus!

When not writing, Xandra is thinking of excuses as to why she shouldn't be doing the housework, looking after a husband and cats that refuse to pick up after themselves and climbing the mountain in her house that's affectionately called her tbr pile.

She currently holds the crown for Queen Procrastinator – something she's very proud of – so you can usually find her online, somewhere, when she really should be writing.

Website /Twitter / Facebook / Romance Blog / Goodreads

This is a bit different than most posts that I make, but with my internet still out (#StupidTree), I've had a lot of time to watch television.  As a writer though, I don't just watch television.  I try to learn something from everything that I watch and in the past week I've learned that the moments that really move me are not the ones that are obvious.  The moments that catch my attention and really stick with me are the ones that were probably never meant to be that memorable, but they are done with a subtle grace that as writers we should strive to bring to our emotional scenes.

I'll start with one that takes my breath away no matter how many times I watch it.  No, it is not the death of Denny on Grey's Anatomy.  That was obviously meant to be an emotional scene.  What do I remember from it?  Just that Denny died.

The scene that gets me is in the episode where Meredith drowned.  It's very brief, but it's Denny and Izzie passing each other in the hall.  Both stop and even though they can't see each other, between the expressions of the actors and great camera work, you instantly feel that connection and the loss of a great love.  I sit through that episode again and again, just for that moment.

Another great is a film from Helena Bonham Carter's early career about Lady Jane the doomed nine day queen of England.  Although she is amazing in her role, it's Cary Elwes that really steels the show.  As the guards are about to take him away to be executed, he is struggling against them.  Lady Jane begs him to stop and says something that is meant to be moving (See how memorable that is).  He stops fighting the guards and a single tear falls down his cheek and he allows himself to be taken away with his head held high.  Wow!

Of course no list would be complete without mentioning Gone With The Wind.  Now again, it isn't the obvious.  When Rhett leaves Scarlett, my only thought is that she would be hard pressed to find a replacement husband as hot as that.  When Atlanta burns, I find myself trying to catch a glimpse of the stunt person's face or to try and guess what parts were added as special effects.

No, the part that gets to me has nothing to do with the fall of the south or Rhett leaving Scarlett.  Instead, I turn on the water works during the scene on the road to Tara.  Rhett has just left Scarlett so that he can go join the army.  Scarlett has Melonie, Prissy, and Melonie's baby in a wagon.  So here is this once beautiful southern belle pulling this sick horse along this road and she says simply, "Come on you, I'm going home."

Here an entire war has raged all around her and like a child all she can think of is going home.  How many of us have felt like that?

I'm going to finish off the list with Titanic and again, it won't be what you think.  When Jack dies, it's supposed to be sad, but I'm just thinking that she better pry her hand away from a dead guy and swim like hell before she joins him.

The part that gets me is before the ship even sinks.  As many of you know from my previous blog posts, I'm a big fan of the actual Titanic ship and grew up watching stories about the survivors (blog post about The Real Magic of Titanic).  One thing that the survivors often mentions was the sight of the flares and how real it all suddenly seemed.  Perhaps because of this, the part in the movie that gets me is the sight of the flares lighting the sky over Jack's head as Rose is lowered in a life boat (just before she jumps back onto the ship).


So this is my list of television and movie moments that are amazing because of how very subtle the emotion is.  To me, those scenes are more emotional and moving than the scenes that were really meant to move me.  As writers, I think it's important that we remember these examples.  When writing, as long as we stay in the moment and show what's going on in our story, the emotion will take care of itself so much better than if we're "trying" to make people react a certain way.

What are some of you favorite movie and television moments and what have you learned from them that has carried over to your writing?

As a writer of paranormal romance, I'm often asked if I believe in "happily ever after".  It seems a perfectly normal question, but my answer doesn't seem to fit into the whole "romance" image of who I should be.

There are times that yes, I believe in happily ever after without a doubt, but then there are other times that I think Prince Charming was running around behind Snow White's back with Cinderella.

So tell me, do you believe in happily ever after?

I was about eight years old (I think), and there I was, wrapped in a blanket and kneeling inches from the television.

Why this strange pose?  Because for once, I was breaking all the rules.  I was out of bed past midnight on a school night so that I could watch Something Wicked This Way Comes yet again on cable.  If I got caught, I'd be grounded for the rest of my life, but the risk was so worth it.

I was obsessed with that movie.  The grindingly eerie music of the circus parade still sends chills up my spine and I never pass a carousel that I don't think of those cursed horses from the film.

So, there I am, crouched in the dark next to the old console television.  I have the volume down so low that i have to press my ear against the speaker to hear it.  I jump at every little noise, but still I stay til the very end, knowing I'll be too freaked out when I finally do go to bed to actually sleep.

Now that's the power of a good movie!

While I was writing the first book in my Spiritus series, I kept going over my favorite scary stories and, even all these years later, Something Wicked This Way Comes came to mind.  I'm now in the process of tracking down a copy so that I can share it with my daughter, but I can't help but think of what an awesome remake it would be!

What are some of your favorite movies?  And do you think that a remake can ever capture the magic of the original?

It's rare that I'm lucky enough to have to have the chance to interview two authors that I admire in the same week.  Yesterday it was Jennifer Malone Wright and now today it's Kay Dee Royal here for an interview and to talk about her book Staring Into The Eyes Of Chance.

First off, welcome to the blog.  Can you tell us a little about yourself? Thank you for having me here today, Dana. I’ve been looking forward to our visitJ Okay, a little about me; I’m Kay Dee Royal, an author who loves to read and to write paranormal, fantasy, and contemporary erotica romance. My muse enjoys being taken away by confident, intelligent heroines and rescued by wild, rugged, beastly heroes, both of which harbor shadowy secrets of intrigue. I believe my muse lives for the escape *LOL* You can find more about me and my work here: Kay Dee Royal ~ Paranormal & Erotica Romance Musings; Ravencraft’s Romance Realm; FB; Twitter; Muse It Up Publishing; Amazon Page

How old were you when you decided that you wanted to be a writer? Like most writers, I started very young…writing episodes of Lost in Space (I know…that really dates me, but I was only in fourth grade:), began writing my life in a journal in my early teens, along with more stories, always writing letters to everyone (would have been nice to have the internet back then), and then got married, had children, got a job, and even though I wrote stories, never sent anything in. So, I actually didn’t begin my writing career until about twelve years ago, when I finally left my corporate job to take some writing courses.

For those readers that haven’t had the pleasure of reading your work, can you tell us a little about it? I’m working on a Lycan International Investigation Agency series – Book 1, Staring Into the Eyes of Chance, a paranormal erotica romance. It introduces Chance, an alpha Lycan, three hundred years old and Olivia, a fifty-five year old human widow. Talk about turning back the hands of timeJ Let’s just say, Lycan have a lot going for them in the aging process.  Here’s the tagline: Olivia swears off men until she meets Chance, a Lycan alpha. He ignites an undeniable hunger they can only sate together. The tagline gives the grit on Olivia and Chance, but doesn’t really give all that’s going on in the Lycan agency…nor the fact they track a dangerous rogue Lycan, Smoke, who somehow ends up on Olivia’s wildlife preserveJ

Do you see yourself in any of these characters? I resonate with Olivia on different levels. I guess it’s more like a deep respect or admiration…we could be friends, easily.

Do you have any odd writing habits or rituals? Not odd, but rituals. First every morning deciding where I want to station myself in the house, what room, what window, run down a quick to do list and a longer list of things I’ll need to accomplish, light up my scented candle (Citrus & Sage a favorite), and depending on the focus/concentration level of my first project, I’ll play some ambient music in the background.  Usually after those decisions, I begin by promoting  a guest author on my blogJ

All writers have them, but what was that a-ha moment that inspired you? When my publisher, Lea Schizas, Muse It Up Publishing, who I’ve admired for years, sent me an email accepting my submission, followed by the contract. I realized in that moment, yeah, I really am an author.

What are your most difficult scenes to write? I don’t really have any, but if I had to pick something I work on longer and harder to perfect, it’s the opening…finding the right place to start the story.

Describe your ideal writing place. My most perfect place is in my three-season room…nice breeze, just the right amount of shade trees, and the sounds of the outdoors without the bugsJ

When you first started out as a writer, what were some of your biggest challenges? Keeping my butt in the chair…giving this new career the same respect as any job, adhering to work hours. That took a couple of years and a comment from an important someone saying I’m treating my writing more like a hobby. Grrrr. I might be flexible with my hours, but I still put them in every day, at least 6-8 hours, with many days being more like 10-12. I’m attempting to take time off weekends…not working very wellL

Any advice for other writers that are just starting out? Never, never give up.  If you have a deep abiding passion for writing, and know you’d definitely miss it two-fold to give it up, keep writing. You’ll find success.

Are your family and friends supportive of you? Yes, every one of them…most especially my husband. He’s been my grandest cheering section.

What writers have inspired you? I have many for different reasons. A couple of them are, first, Kate Douglas and her Wolf Tales series. Kate has built an exceptional world of Chanku, she labels as an exotic race of shape-shifters…and believe me when I say—they are. This world is so innovative it has lasted through twelve books and Kate’s still going strong with off-shoots of it. (Plus all of her other series). To learn more about Kate and her work: http://www.katedouglas.com/.  My second is paranormal YA author, Maggie Stiefvater. Her story-stars in Shiver are so compelling, as is her style and voice. The first person point of view drew me right in, but Maggie’s creativity with her werewolf’s abilities and limitations kept me engrossed completely. So real. *smile* You can find more about Maggie and her work here: http://maggiestiefvater.com/

Who is your favorite character from another author’s work? Chief Medical Examiner Kay Scarpetta *smile*…I loved Patricia Cornwell’s series. A strong, confident woman, who had purpose and a mission, plus a few vulnerabilities unseen by most. I admired Kay and years after I’ve read those books, I still think of her. What author doesn’t want a story-star that impacts a reader like thisJ.

What do you do when you are not writing? Mostly spending time with hubby or grandchildrenJ   We fish, golf, hike with our dogs, and I read whenever I can fit it in.

What can we expect from you in the future? I’m almost finished with the 2nd book in the LIIA series, Savage Smoke. I also have a shorty coming out in December 2012, How to Net A Prince, part of the Lacey Lamp fantasy erotica anthology published by Muse It Hot Publishing.

Staring Into the Eyes of Chance

by Kay Dee Royal

Muse It Hot Publishing

Releasing March 2012

Book one in the LIIA Series (Lycan International Investigation Agency)

Featuring Werewolves, Paranormal Abilities, Explicit Love Scenes 

Tagline:
Olivia swears off men until she meets Chance, a Lycan alpha. He ignites an undeniable hunger they can only sate together.

BLURB:

Olivia endures a thirty-four year passionless marriage, discovering her dead husband’s philandering history at his funeral. She devotes her energy and life-long sensitivity with animals to her wildlife refuge and preserve.

Chance, a Lycan alpha and leader of the Lycan International Investigation Agency (LIIA) throws himself into his investigations. He chooses to neglect his duty of finding a primal-mate after watching his father become an empty shell over the loss of his.

A murderous rogue pack draws Chance onto Olivia’s wildlife preserve, sending Olivia’s animal sensitivities into overdrive. Chance and Olivia discover a sizzling force driving them together.

Will they succumb to its enticing tether, or fight to resume their loveless lives apart?

Muse It Up Publishing: http://tinyurl.com/6rubdud

 

Amazon link: http://tinyurl.com/7lhhx2z

Excerpt:

Olivia closed her eyes, calling up her animal sensitivity ability, while shoving down her own panic. After years of psychically working with animals, she knew they sensed panic and fear. Her breathing needed regulating.

Olivia relaxed as best she could and opened her mind. She sensed the wolf; masculine. He came across with an urgent need to protect, more like helping her feel safe. Another howl, with a deep and sinister timbre, shattered her concentration. A stab of electricity zipped through her, pumping adrenaline and tightening every muscle. This howl came from farther inside the forest than the first one. She sensed aggression in the wolves within the forest, ready for battle. Her heart drummed against her ribs in anticipation of an answering call, and she couldn’t stop the tremors running rampant in her belly.

Instead she saw the lights go out through her closed eyelids. She opened her eyes and saw nothing but blackness.

Nine o’clock on a September evening, what did she expect? Damn power company! Hopefully Lacey sat in the Jacuzzi and wouldn’t come running out.

She lay listening for any sound. Her own breath, the loudest panting she’d ever heard, came in at a close second to her heart banging against the walls of her chest. Slowly, she sat up. The back of her head throbbed, her spine hurt, and the front of her body ached, especially her breasts. She bent her legs to stand and in that same moment a jet of hot mist coated her face.

Wolf breath.

Olivia froze, tamping down the run-for-your-life urge. Her mind reached toward the beast beside her, searching his energy markers, his emotions, urges. She read him as curious, stimulated. Maybe a misread of…sexually stimulated? She sat back on her haunches, figuring if she stretched at least four feet of her five-foot ten frame, maybe she’d appear larger. His breath assailed her from above, she remained squatted.

Damn, this thing is huge!

He sniffed the top of her head, down by her ear, licked the length of her neck and up the side of her face. Another howl close by, echoing near the tree-line, got the wolf’s attention. He raised his head from her and shoved her body back with his own. She went down on her butt, folding her legs sideways. Fur from his backside pressed into the front of her, including her face. Olivia turned her head away and took a breath. A shiver began in her belly and inched through her arms, legs, and up her neck. She sensed his urgency, he must move and his need…again, to keep her safe and again something else, another misread?

He moved back, his head next to hers. A growl vibrated, harsh and deep, beside her ear. Olivia jumped when he yipped instead of howled. He circled her, stopping behind her. A sudden scratch of claws and pebbles from rain washout near the barn pelted her. Air swirled around her as the wolf leaped over her head in the direction of the woods.

Olivia’s breath whooshed out like a balloon being released. Tears welled and trickled down her face. The wolf’s size was about as abnormal as it got. She’d never heard of any wolf being that large. She’d done plenty of research on the species, brushing up for the wolf pup she rehabilitated and released back into the wild years ago when Ray and she first opened the refuge, before they owned the preserve property.

Olivia pushed herself up onto wobbly legs, her stomach lurched, and before she could blink, vomit spewed. She retched hard, falling onto her hands and knees, weak and crying, something she hadn’t done since Ray’s funeral. As if on cue, all the lights popped on, illuminating her shadow against the barn wall.

Oh, that’s lovely. Damn power company.

A howl, and then another and another, echoed from different locations in the forest. Her forest, her wildlife preserve, not a place for a beast like her visitor, and most definitely not a place for the aggressive lot in the forest. She swiped her face with the bottom of her shirt and looked toward the woods.

About thirty yards away in the mowed meadow, her wolf circled with another, close-in-size, milky-eyed wolf with a deformed face, both spot-lighted in the yard light. They flashed razor sharp teeth and glowing eyes, with the exception of the one’s coated eye. Their vicious growls and snapping jaws filled the air. Olivia found her tranq gun on the ground and grabbed it. By the time she turned for a shot, she saw the tail end of both wolves leaping into the woods, her wolf chasing the other.

Olivia leaned against the barn, adjusting her position in accordance with her pain. She thought of the curious readings she sensed from her wolf, not sure of their meaning. She never questioned first impressions from readings anymore. Years of experiences proved first intuitive readings rang as authentic truth in almost every case.

She closed her eyes and pictured her wolf looking at her for the first time, the way his head snapped in her direction and how their gazes met and connected. She touched her neck, sliding fingertips up her cheek where his tongue touched her skin.

Her breath caught, heart raced, and her eyes opened wide. She laughed out loud, maybe in relief, maybe in a small fit of hysteria, or maybe because she consider that wolf as “her” wolf. Her “stimulation” readings from him threw her off, knowing it wasn’t a possibility.  

Author Bio:

Kay Dee Royal writes paranormal and fantasy erotic romance—maybe because it's also her favorite genre to read! She pens tales with wild, rugged heroes and strong, intelligent heroines. She'll give them both a few shadowy secrets, making her stories intriguing and fun. She resides in Southern Michigan with her family (her dogs, her cats, her caged husband... you get the idea) You can reach her at her blog and find the latest on her titles from her publisher, MuseItHot.

In the middle of all the craziness with my internet (down a week and a half and counting), I've been lucky enough to snag an awesome interview with the author of The Vampire Hunter's Daughter Series Jennifer Malone Wright.

 First off, welcome to the blog.  Can you tell us a little about yourself?
MY name is Jennifer Malone Wright. I am the author of The Vampire Hunter’s Daughter series and The Birth of Jaiden, my full length vampire/paranormal novel. I am a mother of five crazy children, wife of an awesome man, and lover of all things books. I have moved around a lot because my husband has been in the military for the last 11 years, but now we live in the mountains of northern Idaho. It’s very beautiful here, but winters suck.

How old were you when you decided that you wanted to be a writer?
I don’t ever remember not wanting to write. I think I was in grade school when I decided I wanted to be a writer. That was after I got over wanting to be a princess though. Lol

For those readers that haven’t had the pleasure of reading your work, can you tell us a little about it?
The Vampire Hunter’s Daughter is my most popular work. It is a series of short stories that make up one novel. People are calling this a serial novel.  The easiest way to explain it is to let you read the blurb…

Fourteen-year-old Chloe witnesses her mother’s murder at the hands of a vampire. Before the vampire can kidnap her, there is an unexpected rescue by a group of vampire hunters. Overwhelmed by the feeling of safety, Chloe passes out and they whisk her away to their small community.

When Chloe wakes, she comes face to face with the only other living relative, besides her mother, whom she has ever met: her grandfather. Chloe’s mother kept her hidden from the family; now, Chloe tries to unveil the family secrets.

Through her grandfather, she learns her mother was a vampire hunter. In fact, her entire family is descended from the powerful bloodlines of vampire hunters. Chloe agrees to join the family she has never known for one reason only: Chloe vows to kill the vampire responsible for her mother’s murder.

With vengeance in her soul, Chloe is even more determined to follow through on her vow when she discovers the true identity of her enemy and how he is connected to her

Do you see yourself in any of these characters?
I do, a little bit, see myself in Chloe, but more than that I see my kids in her. She’s like a combo of all of them. Lol, I am a 33 year old writing from the perspective of a teenager, so it can be hard to relate sometimes.

Do you have any odd writing habits or rituals?
Not really odd, but I like to have my hair up, I like to have my ear buds in even if there is no music playing. I am also able to concentrate better if the area I’m working in is clean.  But…I have five kids, the odds of that happening are pretty rare. With all these kids I’ve learned I have to work anywhere, anytime, under any circumstances.

All writers have them, but what was that a-ha moment that inspired you?
Lol, for this work, it was when I created the breed of vampire hunters. They are descended from angels and demi-gods…the blood of both the warrior angel and the warrior woman created the new race of human, called the vampire hunter. That was my a-ha moment.

What are your most difficult scenes to write?
Long drawn out dialog. I like action and write the action scenes way better than people sitting around talking.

Describe your ideal writing place.
Oh, my recliner. In the quiet, with no kids running around and music for a soundtrack to whatever I’m writing. Its my best place to write.

When you first started out as a writer, what were some of your biggest challenges?
The technical aspect is always the hardest part for me. It was when I started and is still. I tell a good story, but I suck at the other stuff. I’m learning, but it helps to have great editors.

Any advice for other writers that are just starting out?
I always tell people who are just starting out that research is your best friend. Research your genre, research the craft of writing, research the publishing industry, and research everything that has anything to do with writing.  If you research, you can make well informed decisions about your work and your career.

  Are your family and friends supportive of you?
Yes, my husband has been the most supportive. But, my friends and family are really some of the most supportive people. I feel very lucky to have everyone I do in my life.

 What writers have inspired you?
I have always been a fan of Stephen King, Anne Rice, V.C Andrews, Christopher Pike, and many others. But the ones I mentioned are really the authors who inspired me to write.

Who is your favorite character from another author’s work?
Hmmm, well… it’s so hard to choose. I think, right now, my favorite character from another authors work is Rion, from Pulse of Heroes by A. Jacob Sweeny. If you haven’t read that book, you should really go check it out.

What do you do when you are not writing?
Oh man, when I’m not writing I’m chasing kids, cleaning, cooking, changing diapers, and all that fun stuff that comes along with the kiddos. I also enjoy reading, watching my TV shows , and doing stuff outside.

What can we expect from you in the future?
You can expect a lot more of The Vampire Hunter’s Daughter. I am finishing up part 6 and then compiling that one into print. After that there will be more from Chloe, but I will also be doing other characters stories from the series. Also in the future you can expect a sequel to The Birth of Jaiden.

Jennifer Malone Wright resides in the beautiful mountains of northern Idaho with her husband and five children. Between the craziness of taking care of her children, whose ages range from fifteen all the way down to one year, and being a homemaker, Jennifer has little time left for herself. The time she does have left, usually leading far into the night, is spent working on freelance work or her beloved fiction.

When she grew up, Jennifer always had her nose in a book. She has been writing stories and poems since grade school. This love of the written word and her strong interest in the paranormal is what has led to her first novel “The Birth of Jaiden.”

In addition to being a mother and homemaker, Jennifer is also a very proud military wife. Moving around the country for the last eleven years has made her a bit of a nomad and she finds it difficult to be in one place for too long.



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