Thank you for joining us today Irina Argo. Irina is promoting her Vampire Elite Series. She provided us with an interview. So, be sure to continue reading to learn about her.
GIVEAWAY!
Irina is giving away one $50 BN or Amazon Gift Card.
To enter, complete the rafflecopter at the end of this post.
BLURB:
Can
the ultimate choice be made if saving your race means destroying the one you
love?
At
the beginning of the twenty-first century of our era a millennia long war
between two immortal races was coming to an end. The Vampire Elite, the
strongest among vampires, forced the race of immortal beings, the Amiti to
become their blood suppliers, called bloodstock, locking them in their
underground cells and treating them like livestock. The surviving free Amiti
make a final attempt to strike back. The Queen of Amiti is proclaimed a traitor
and is executed. Her death signifies the rise of a new Queen, her young
daughter Arianna who becomes the last hope of her dying race. Arianna totally
embraces her mission and is ready to fight for her people to the last drop of
her blood but encounters an unexpected challenge—the vampire King Tor. They
both are captured into a trap of love where they had to make an ultimate
choice; to kill the loved one or to let their races die.
Vampire
Elite is the epic story of a bitter conflict between two peoples, and the
effect of that conflict on everyone living in its grip. The characters are
driven to love and betrayal, vengeance and sacrifice in a world without easy
black-and-white answers.
Based
on an ancient Egyptian legend, packed with action and intrigue, Vampire Elite
will pull you into the entrancing world of immortals and open new portals into
their hidden universe.
What do you think
you’re really bad at?
Housekeeping …I detest it..Jo-An
Well, not realllly bad.Still trying to understand English
Metaphors, I still take a lot of things literally, spelling is not one of my
best suits and verb conjugation is still a challenge. I was born and raised in
Russia. The influence of the Russian language is strong. If it were not for
Jo-An and Laura, our editor, this book would never have gone farther than being
a dream to becoming a reality .. Irina
Is your life anything like it was two years
ago?
Not even close – two years ago I had a costume shop and 8000
square feet of merchandise, plus designed and created original costumes. I had
no employees, but some of my customers helped out when they could. I was
working 15 to 18 hours a day, 7 days a week, taking some week-ends off to go
water-skiing- I put on theater productions for GLBT Charity Groups handling all
of the costumes, recruiting, script and production.
Now I spend a lot of time working on these books and
traveling in our RV. Reading, going to movies, spending time with my husband
and taking cruises…Jo-An
It is changing now with the book completion but it was
really dark. To witness someone you love paralyzed and helpless on a daily
basis is really a challenge. In addition to that, there was all of the physical
work required after working a 10 hour day with challenging youths..Irina
Have you ever had an imaginary friend?
Yes, as a child I had a bendable dinosaur; I set him on the
back of a milk truck bumper at a store across the street from our house …you
see, there were ‘no pets allowed’ .. when I came back out, the truck was gone
and so was my dinosaur…60 years later, I still miss that little guy. Jo-An
Yes I did. It was a black panther. She was protecting me on
the streets following me around and she could talk. That is why I adore cats.
They are small panthers..Irina
Do you have any
phobias?
No, but I don’t like
speed or high places with ledges. Jo-An
Oh yes—spiders. I’m trying to convince myself that the
majority of them are harmless but it’s not working. How can anything with 8
legs not be scary?..Irina
Ever broken any
bones?
Just my foot, in a cast for 8 weeks..Jo-An
No. I was lucky even when I did what I considered, some
dangerous sports like horseback riding and water-skiing. .Irina
AUTHOR INFORMATION:
Irina Argo is a combined pen name for two authors, Irina Kardos and Jo-An Torres.
Irina
Irina's world is dark. She works as a clinical psychologist in a Juvenile Correctional Facility dealing with the extremes of human behavior on a regular basis and takes care of her paralyzed husband who suffered a stroke several years ago. To bring light into her life she writes. Writing has always been her passion. She is originally from Russia where she was employed as a TV journalist.
Jo-An
Jo-An is a Leo, a lioness who has emerged to follow her dream, to someday write a book of her own. She owned a costume shop for 15 years and was able to satisfy and excel in her creative nature. She is an over-achiever and believes that anything is possible if you believe in yourself and ignore the nay-sayers. Her philosophy is based on Shakespeare "it is not in the stars to hold our destiny, but in ourselves." She currently resides in California with her 5 cats and 1 husband.
I've read Rook (Allie's War #1) and really enjoyed the book. I look forward to reading Shield (Allie's War #2). I strongly encourage all you readers to start this series. You won't be disappointed!
JC created a guest video blog for today's post. I think you all will enjoy the video below!
GIVEAWAY!!
Two prize packs consisting of a print book, mug, notebook, magnet, and t-shirt.
3 Paperbacks
10 ebooks
(Physical prize packs open to US shipping)
To enter please complete the rafflecopter at the end of this post.
Title: Shield
Allie’s War, Book Two Author: JC Andrijeski
Genre: New
Adult / Urban Fantasy/ Romance
Publisher: White
Sun Press
Cover Artist: White
Sun Press
Book Description:
“And they say Death
will live among them in the guise of a child....”
Grappling with her
new identity as “Bridge,” a being meant to herald the end for all of humanity,
isn’t even Allie’s biggest problem. She’s also coping with a whole new set of
rules around her seer marriage, as well as the power-hungry Rook she helped put
in the White House, who is currently doing his best to start a war with China.
Then the boy
appears. A sociopath with all of the energetic markings of Syrimne, a highly
dangerous telekinetic seer who killed thousands during World War I, he doesn’t
appear to have aged in one hundred years.
Worse, he thinks
Allie belongs to him.
Excerpt:
The lock made a squealing sound as if it hadn’t been turned
in months.
When the door swung wide, Terian had to fight to keep from
gagging at the smell that flooded the hallway from the light-less hole. Bile
rushed to his throat; he covered his mouth and nose with the hand holding the
gun. He swore profusely, fighting the impulse to shoot the two people close
enough to blame for this abomination.
“Not so pleasant is it?” the old man sneered. “Hiding the
sins of the past? Not so neat and clean...”
Terian raised the gun, pointing it at him, then thought
better of it and stepped around him instead, snatching one of the torches from
an iron bracket and entering the small chamber, the sleeve of his forearm
firmly over his nose and mouth. He swung the torch in a wide arc, taking in the
small stone space. The ceiling rose higher than he would have expected, at
least twice the height of the corridor outside, but the floor space stood only
at about eight by eight feet.
Terian turned around twice in the small cell, then stopped,
startled when he saw a gleam of eyes reflect light back from his torch. He’d
missed the creature in his first turn around the room. Even now, it stood as
still as a posed corpse.
Four lowered the torch, blinking as his eyes adjusted.
The boy stood with every muscle in his small frame relaxed.
Yet his demeanor wasn’t one of subjugation or defeat, like the boys
aboveground. On the contrary, his expression was calm, even politely
interested. His shoulders sloped down below his neck, his arms below them, all
the way to his hands, open at his sides, with delicate fingers. In appearance
he was adolescent, perhaps fourteen or fifteen years old for a human, twenty to
twenty-five for a seer.
He stood so motionless and his skin shone with such a dull
gray sheen he appeared to be made of wax. His eyes followed Terian’s every
movement as if gliding on smooth rails, not once jerking or showing a reaction.
After a few seconds, Terian realized he himself had tensed.
He felt as though he were being hunted, watched the way a giant cat might watch
the motions of an antlered buck.
Behind the boy, a palate of rags and what might have been an
ancient mattress stood near one wall of the cell, all the same dark gray with
black streaks. The smell concentrated from there, and moreso from a bucket that
stood near enough to the “bed” that Terian wanted to shove it further away with
the toe of his boot, if only to get the image of this creature sleeping next to
its own excrement forever out of his mind.
“What is your name, boy?” Terian said. He found himself
fascinated by the black eyes, the utter lack of expression. “Can you speak?”
The boy’s expression changed.
Terian saw a dense hatred concentrate in those pupils, so
fathomless it actually caused him to flinch back. Hearing noise behind him, he
turned. The woman stood in the doorway, as did the old man. The boy’s look of
murder aimed precisely at the man with the hole shot through his hand.
“You did that?” The boy turned to Terian.
He spoke Prexci of such an ancient dialect that Terian had to
concentrate to make out the words. He slid into the Barrier, tried to look at
the boy from there. Once he had, he focused and refocused his sight, not
believing what he saw.
Above the filthy creature’s head spiraled a collection of structures
that nearly gave Terian an erection. A kind of fascinated awe fell over him as
he stared at those spiraling shapes.
The boy said again. “You did that? You shot him?”
“Yes,” Terian told him, clicking out. “I did.”
For a long moment, the boy only looked at the wasted human.
Finally, he turned to Four.
“Yes. I will go with you.”
Without fully turning his head, Terian spoke to the other
two. “What the fuck is this precious
bundle of joy?” He glanced over his shoulder.
The woman turned sheet white. “You said you knew. You said he
entrusted you...”
The old man gave another of those sick, grating chuckles. “I
told you. He likely killed your precious Teacher with his own hands...”
“You wouldn’t be far off with that, old man,” Terian said,
raising the gun. “But you still haven’t answered my question...”
The woman raised her hands to Terian in a kind of pleading
supplication, her eyes darting nervously between him and the boy on the cot.
“You must understand. It was for his own protection...for all of our protection.
We feed him well...”
Terian gave a harsh laugh. “Yes. This is practically the
Ritz. But I’m not here to spank you for your housekeeping skills, Fraulein...” Even so, he realized in
some surprise that he was angry. Beyond angry...he was furious. His hand shook
as he pointed it at the two “monks.” That they would keep any seer in such a
place, much less a seer like this, with structures like he had...it was
inconceivable. That Galaith could have been part of such a travesty...
“Unchain him,” Terian said, motioning towards the boy with
the gun. “Now.”
The woman’s face drained further of blood. “Sir?”
“You heard him. He’s coming with me. Now unchain him.”
“Sir! You don’t understand! His collar...the restraint wire
on his sight is attached to his chain! It was a safeguard, so no one could ever
leave with him...”
She trailed when Terian raised the gun to point at her face.
Terian cocked his head, staring at her. The woman stared at the boy, then back
at Terian.
“You can’t possibly understand what you are doing!” she
cried. “He cannot be allowed to leave this place!”
“The boy won’t hurt me. Will you, lad?”
“No. I won’t hurt.” He paused. “...You.”
Terian smiled. “See? We’re going to be pals, me and this
handsome devil...”
The old man with the bleeding hand laughed, stopping only
when he broke into a paroxysm of thick coughs. He spat a gob of phlegm in the
direction of the boy. Wiping his mouth on his dirt-encrusted robe, he spoke up.
“I’ll unchain him.” His voice had a note of finality to it.
“I’ll do it...I’ll let the little bastard go. It’s mine to do...”
“Merenje, no!” the woman cried, but Terian swung the gun back
on her, stopping her from going after him.
“Stay,” he said, smiling when she pulled up short. “That’s a
good girl...”
The old man stumbled across the room, still holding his hand
to his robes.
The boy stood perfectly still as Merenje reached him. He
didn’t move as the old man fumbled with the metal collar around his neck.
Terian hadn’t seen it until then, as it blended so perfectly with the color of
the grimy neck.
Now that he saw it, however, Terian realized the thing was an
antique. Instead of the light, thin organic hybrid metals used on the seers in
the pens upstairs, the boy’s collar weighted his neck with several inches of
what appeared to be iron. The organic skin on the outside looked like it came
from some kind of reptile. The back end, instead of having a thumbnail release
valve triggered with retinal or other scanner, consisted of an iron ring that
connected to a thick chain bolted into the wall above the palate of rags where
the boy slept. The chain didn’t even give him the range of the small cell. No
wonder the bucket remained by the bed.
Feeling his anger return, Terian watched the old man grasp
the chain, which was also coated in organic skin.
“Use the key,” the old man said. His pitted eyes stared at
the boy’s. “Use the key now...I’ve triggered the lock!”
“No!” the woman screamed.
But Terian already understood. Chuckling, he entered the
Barrier space, and found himself facing an elaborate structure that had
Dehgoies’ and Galaith’s aleimic fingerprints all over it. A golden weaving of
light, it configured in a kind of delicate beauty around the boy, strangling
his aleimi through the organic components of the collar.
Recalling the symbol he’d found in Dehgoies Revik’s journal,
the same one he’d used to fool the woman into thinking Galaith had sent him,
Terian imprinted it on the Barrier structure. It fit perfectly into the missing
piece woven into the restraint collar around the boy’s neck and its organic
tissue.
As he withdrew from the Barrier space, Four heard an audible
click.
His vision cleared, leaving him back in the pitch-black
dungeon.
The boy met his gaze, and smiled.
About the Allie’s War Series:
An urban fantasy
paranormal romance set in a unique, gritty version of Earth, populated by a
second race of beings called seers, the Allie’s War series centers on the
relationship of a strong female protagonist, Allie Taylor, and her antihero
guide, Dehgoies Revik. Falling into the new adult genre of books, the Allie’s
War series takes place in a modern version of Earth you’ve never seen, that
spans centuries along with the lives of its main characters, the seers, and the
wars they fight with themselves and their human allies and enemies, (steamy sex
scenes in parts!).
JC Andrijeski has
published novels, novellas, serials, graphic novels and short stories, as well
as nonfiction essays and articles, including the Allie’s War series, The Slave
Girl Chronicles and bestselling novella, The Alien Club. Her short fiction runs
from humorous to apocalyptic, and her nonfiction articles cover subjects from
graffiti art, meditation, psychology, journalism, politics and history. JC has
traveled extensively and lived abroad, but currently lives and works on the
Oregon Coast.
Giveaway Details
1 winner will receive their choice of a Kindle Fire 7" HD (US Only), $199 Amazon Gift Card or $199 in Paypal Cash (International).
Ends 5/31/13
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the participating authors & bloggers. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Being hailed by critics as an intelligent new voice in young adult fiction, Roers' debut novel tells the anything but ordinary, coming of age story of a small town, teen aged, misfit named Travis Hunter.
Disfigured at birth and ostracized at school, Travis dreams of acceptance and secretly yearns for the affection of a beautiful young woman named Corrine. When a mysterious doctor promises to help Travis through something called lucid dreaming, Travis suddenly finds himself ushered into a secret society called "The Lucid", a collection of social outcasts like himself, who have created their own world inside of dreams.
When Travis discovers he is able to bring Corrine into these dreams, he gets more than he ever bargained for and soon finds himself learning the secrets of love and life in a fantastic unconscious world.
An instant classic, Lucid is a timeless story of self-acceptance with a fresh paranormal twist.
EXCERPT from Lucid
Corrine’s breathing quickened and she pushed
against my chest to break the hold.
Not wanting to let go, I grabbed at her waist
again, but she stopped me.
“What did you do that for?” I asked, my voice low
and raspy. Even I couldn’t tell if I was
asking why she kissed me or why she
had stopped.
Corrine stepped back even further and looked down
at her legs. That’s when I saw it. The
shin of her left leg was starting to fade.
“Travis, I don’t know you,” she said softly. “If
this is real, though? If it’s really real, like you say it is? I want to meet
you. Do you understand me? I want you to come and find me as soon as you wake
up.”
The light around us changed. It was sunset.
Amazing reds, golds, and purples, streaked across the sky.
Reviews & Sound Bytes
"Roers' debut novel heralds the arrival of an intelligent, heartfelt voice in the world of young adult fiction. The rich characters, emotional complexity, and confident prose are matched only by the landscape of dreams that Roers sets them against... a landscape brought vividly to life by the author's seemingly boundless imagination. This is a novel that respects its readers as much as its characters, and that's a beautiful rarity."
~ Mike Flanagan, Filmmaker, Absentia and Oculus
"Natalie Roers' debut novel is both riveting and relevant. More than a paranormal/fantasy/thriller, this is a complex tale that cuts to the very of heart of issues facing young adults today. Well sculptured characters and powerful imagery propel Roers' fascinating narrative."
~ Jason Tinney (Award-winning freelance journalist, musician, actor and the author of the story collection Bluebird.)
"Lucid is an interesting story and a fun read."
~ Amy Carol Reeves, author of Ripper and Renegade
"Natalie Roers' voice is amazingly confident for a first novelist. Her journalist's eye for human detail draws you in, and makes you care about the people who populate the LUCID world. The more I got to know them, both awake and asleep in the world of lucid dreaming, the more time I wanted to spend in their world."
~ Jeff Howard, writer for Film District and Focus Features.
AUTHOR INFORMATION
Natalie Roers is a veteran writer, voice artist, and on-air personality. A journalist by trade, Lucid is her first work of fiction. She is busy at work on her second novel and hopes to raise money and social awareness for worthy causes with each book she writes. Natalie plans to donate a portion of every sale of this book to her favorite anti-bullying organizations. She lives with her husband Cory, and son Austin, in Columbia, South Carolina.
GIVEAWAY: One ebook copy of Werewolves Be Damned will be awarded to a randomly drawn commenter on this blog. Be sure to leave your email address in the comments section.
Title: Werewolves
Be Damned Magic and Mayhem, Book One
Author: Stacey
Kennedy
Genre: Urban Fantasy Romance
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Date of Publication: April 15,
2013
Number of pages: 267
Book Description
Nexi Jones—part witch, part guardian, and wannabe kick-ass warrior—can’t throw a punch or conjure the simplest magic. But that doesn’t stop her from hunting the werewolves who slaughtered her human family. She’ll have her revenge, but only if Kyden, the elite guardian, would get the hell out of her way.
Kyden can’t decide if Nexi wants to get herself killed or if she just has no clue what she’s doing. But her father made it clear: keep Nexi safe…or else. Of course, the more Nexi runs toward revenge, the more she needs Kyden’s aid, and as she grows into her power and confidence, so does his desire to protect her. The only problem? She’d rather he dropped dead.
But when a vampire paints a bull’s-eye on Nexi’s back, she’s hard-pressed to deny Kyden and the help he’s offering. Even if it means getting her revenge will be a little bit harder. At least it will still be as sweet.
Excerpt
I’ve found you, fur ball.
Nexi peered from behind the large oak tree
and spotted the small log cabin nestled in the thick forest. The porch light
cast a warm glow into the night. Fog settled over the lush grass, and the night
was dark, eerie.
Stepping away from her hiding place behind
the tree, she strode forward and gripped the dagger tightly in her hand.
Keeping the silver blade pointed outward, she climbed the cabin’s porch steps,
taking each one slowly to avoid detection.
Once she arrived at the front door, she
wrapped her hand around the door handle. Rich hunger for revenge burned in her
veins and made her intent on one thing: to slaughter the werewolf who escaped
the night of her parents’ murder. Not caring what awaited her, she stormed
inside, dagger pointed, ready to kill.
The simple cabin had two large brown couches
near a wood-burning stove, a kitchenette behind the living room, and a
quilt-covered bed resting in the back. And that was it; there were no other
rooms to investigate. No secret hiding places she could see.
No damned werewolf.
She cursed, shut the front door behind her,
then trotted down the steps to return to her hiding spot. On her way across the
yard, she glanced at the space to the right of the tree, which looked much like
a heat wave, indicating that the portal to the Otherworld remained.
In some places around the world—or the
Earthworld, as supernaturals had called it—there were permanent portals to the
supernatural realm. This portal had only appeared because Nexi had travelled to
this cabin from the Otherworld. Once she passed through the portal again, the
gateway would vanish.
Magic had its perks. Quick travel was one of
them.
Nexi shook her head at how normal all this
magical stuff seemed now. Just over a month ago she’d never believed in
anything that went bump in the night. Now she knew all those things existed,
and in fact, she was one of them.
To her horror, she had learned that her birth
mother, Tillie, had been murdered by a power-hungry vampire, Lazarus. All
those years ago, her birth father, Drake, had protectively decided to block
Nexi’s supernatural abilities. He had planned for her to live and die as a
mortal. Now with her return to the Otherworld and the removal of the block on
her true identity, there was no going back.
She was no longer plain, human, Nexi Jones.
She was Nexi Jones, part guardian, part
witch.
Looking away from the portal and to her
hiding spot until the werewolf returned, she hurried her steps. She wasn’t
ready to return to the Otherworld yet. Not until she had the werewolf’s head as
her wall ornament would she dare go home.
Just as she neared the tree, a woodsy scent
that had nothing to do with the forest mixed with the citrusy aroma of
aftershave. A blink of an eye later, the dagger she held was now at her throat,
a hard body closed in on her back.
“You smelled lovely when you arrived.” The
low voice by her ear held a faint English accent. “But I never imagined you’d
be so pretty.”
The blade pressed into her skin, not drawing
blood, but implying that if the werewolf chose, she’d be destined for the
grave. “I’m…”
“Going to explain yourself.” He lowered the
dagger, took hold of her arm, and jerked her forward.
In a few short strides, the werewolf tossed
her through the threshold of the cabin, and slammed the door behind them. He
sauntered to the couch, sat down, and regarded her. “Now then, darlin’.” His olive
skin was stunningly flawless, and his chocolate-colored hair was spiked tall.
“Why would a pretty lass like yourself plan to attack me?”
“Don’t move.” That charm wouldn’t fool her.
“Stay right where you are.”
“My mouth is the only thing moving.” His
slanted amber eyes raked over her. “Would you like me to stop talking?”
“No.” She hesitated then added, “Only your
mouth can move. Nothing else. Tell me what you know.” He gave her a long look. “I’d be glad to tell
you anything you’d like, love.”
His kind face and soft voice wouldn’t trick
her. He was a werewolf. She was certain, which was another oddity.
After the block on her supernatural abilities
had been lifted, she could identify a supernatural creature as if knowing the
difference between a brunette and a redhead. “Tell me why you killed my
family.”
“That’s an interesting accusation.” He cocked
his head, studying her with a frown. “But I think the more important question
is who are you?”
She lifted her chin. “The lass who’s
going to cut off your furry wolf balls.”
Stacey Kennedy is an urban
fantasy lover at heart, but she also enjoys losing herself in dark and sensual
worlds. She lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, who gave her a
happily-ever-after. Together, they have two small children who can always make
her smile, and who will never be allowed to read Mommy’s books. If she’s not
plugging away at a new story, you’ll find her camping, curling up with the
latest flick, or obsessing over Sons of Anarchy and Game of Thrones.
