Character Interview: Kyrie (Blood of Requiem by Daniel Arenson)

Please welcome today's special guest Kyrie of Blood of Requiem by Daniel Arenson!  Daniel is author of Firefly Island, Flaming Dove, The Gods of Dream, Eye of the Wizard, and Blood of Requiem.

Daniel:  What is your favorite word?

Kyrie:  "Requiem." It's the home of my forefathers. The place I'm from, where people can shape shift into dragons.  A mythical land now in ruin. Someday I'll kill the man who destroyed our home.  Someday I'll rededicate Requiem's temples and rebuild her courts.

Daniel:  What is your least favorite word?

Kyrie:  "Irae."  It's the name of the man who burned Requiem, who killed my family, who drove me into exile.  I hate everything about him; his name, his beak nose, and his freakish metal arm.  I've fought him before.  Next time we meet, I won't let him get away.

Daniel:  What turns you on?

Kyrie:  Don't tell her I said this, but... Agnus Dei.  She's another survivor from Requiem.  She's eighteen—two years older than me—and she thinks I'm just a little boy.  But I can't help loving her.  She's so strong, beautiful, fiery.  She annoys me a lot, and she's endless trouble, but there's something about her I can't resist.

Daniel:  What turns you off?

Kyrie:  Her twin sister, Gloriae.  Now there's a girl I could do without.  If Agnus Dei is fire, Gloriae is ice.  If Agnus Dei is passion, Gloriae is hatred.   The girl is like a statue, so cold and hard and unyielding.  I hate everything about her.  I hate those green eyes of hers, which she thinks are so pretty. I hate her golden locks, which she's so vain of.  I hate those perfect lips of hers, which never seem to smile.  In short, Gloriae is horrible.

Daniel:  What sound or noise do you love?

Kyrie:  The waves outside Fort  Sanctus by the sea.  I spent ten years there. After Requiem fell, and we were hunted across the world, I hid in Fort Sanctus.  It's only a mossy tower rising over the sea, old and crumbly, but it was a home to me.

Daniel:  What sound or noise do you hate?

Kyrie:  Griffin shrieks.  The griffins toppled Requiem's courts, killed so many dragons, killed my family and friends.  They make horrible sounds, like eagles but louder, crueler.  I hope I never hear them again.

Daniel:  What is your favorite curse word?

Kyrie:  So many to choose from....  If pressed to choose, I'd have to say: griffinballs.  Can I say that here?

Daniel:  What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?

Kyrie:  I'm not sure I currently have a profession.  I run a lot, and fight, and get hurt.  I suppose that makes me a warrior.  But that's not something I want.  I never wanted to fight. I've never harmed Irae and his griffins.  I'd love to just live simply, maybe be a farmer.  Maybe that sounds dumb.  Farming isn't very glamorous.  But I'd be happy living simply on a farm with Agnus Dei, raising some animals, raising some crops....  At nights, we'd sit by the fireplace, or watch the stars, and just talk for hours.  We wouldn't have to hide from griffins, or be ashamed that we can turn into dragons.

Daniel:  What profession would you not like to do?

Kyrie:  Anything indoors.  I wouldn't want to be a scribe, or priest, or cook, or clerk.  I like nature.  I like the sky.  I like shape shifting into a dragon and flying.  That's when I'm happiest; when I'm flapping my wings, tasting the clouds, and gliding high over the world.  Indoors too long, I wither.

Daniel:  If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?

Kyrie:  We in Requiem believe that when we die, we travel to the constellation Draco, and dine there in starlight halls with our ancestors.  The Draco stars are our gods.  The souls of our forefathers, who joined those stars, guide and comfort us. When I die, my soul will go there too; I'll turn into starlight, and forever dine and drink among Requiem's fallen.  If the stars could talk, I'd like them to tell me:  Requiem will not be forgotten.  Her light will forever shine here, and it will shine again someday over the world below.

Blood of Requiem (Requiem Fire, #1) by Daniel Arenson

A new epic fantasy series begins. Requiem Fire tells a story of blood, steel, and dragonfire.

BOOK ONE: BLOOD OF REQUIEM

Long ago stood the kingdom of Requiem, a land of men who could grow wings and scales, breathe fire, and take flight as dragons. Requiem ruled the sky.

But Dies Irae, a tyrant leading an army of griffins, hunted Requiem's people, burned their forests, and shattered their temples. Requiem fell. This ancient land now lies in ruin, its halls crumbled, its cries silenced, its skeletons littering the burned earth.

In the wilderness, a scattering of survivors lives in hiding. The griffins still hunt them, and every day promises death. Will Requiem's last children perish in exile... or once more become dragons and fly to war?


Thank you Daniel and Kyrie for joining us here today at From the Shadows!

Don't miss our past interviews with Daniel and his amazing characters:

Author interview with Daniel Arenson.
Character interview with Eliven (The Gods of Dream).
Character interview with Neev and Romy (Eye of the Wizard).
E.J.'s review of Flaming Dove.

To learn more about Daniel Arenson and his books, please visit his website.

Guest Author Interview: Suzy Turner

Please welcome today's paranormal guest author Suzy Turner!  Suzy is the author of Raven.

EJ:  When did you begin writing?

Suzy:  I've been a writer since I started working aged 18, first as a journalist, then assistant editor, features editor and finally magazine editor.

I wrote my first book in the late 90s... although I got some good feedback, I decided it wasn't good enough so I put it away and pretty much forgot about it.  A few years later I began writing a couple of other books, one a children's fantasy adventure and the other a romantic drama. Life kind of got in the way though and so I put them on the backburner. It wasn't until 2010 when I was made redundant that I sat down and actually wrote my favourite book so far, Raven.

EJ:  What brought you to the paranormal genre?

Suzy:  I've always been a fan of all things spooky, the unexplained. I used to love watching really old re-runs (black and white!) of the Twilight Zone when I was growing up, followed by the X-Files later on. But when it comes to writing, I guess its through reading the likes of Harry Potter and Twilight. JK Rowling is a genius!

EJ:  If you could be any paranormal or have any one supernatural talent, what would it be? Why?

Suzy:  That's a difficult one! Hmmm...I love animals (I have two dogs and four cats!) and it often bugs me when I can't understand what they want, so I guess I would love to have the supernatural ability of communicating with them. That reminds me of another show I used to watch, Manimal. It was about a guy who could turn into animals. Some people think I have a weird taste in TV shows!

EJ:  Tell us why readers will enjoy your new release.

Suzy:   Its eerie and mysterious... the kind of thing I love to read! The main character, Lilly, lives in England with her parents. But when they mysteriously disappear, she has to move to Canada to family she didn't even know existed. There she discovers some unusual and frightening family secrets. She also finds out that she has a very special, and terrifying, ability.

EJ:  If your book(s) were being made into a movie, who would you cast for the leading roles? Why?

Suzy:  Oh great question!

Lilly Taylor - Georgie Henley. Lilly needs to be played by an English actress and I think Georgie is perfect. Have you seen her in the Narnia films? Awesome!

December Moon - Chloë Moretz. She was so fantastic in the vampire film, Let Me In. Just amazing. December Moon is also the title of the sequel to Raven so you can imagine why I need someone so gorgeously spookily talented!

Jo - Alexandra Daddario. Jo has to be played by someone captivating, someone electric. Google Alexandra and you'll get it!

Oliver - Colby Paul, because he'd look perfect with Georgie and he looks like your cute guy next door.

Ben - Charlie Cox. He was amazing in Stardust and he just looks so damn adorable, which is what Ben is.

Gabriel - Gabriel Byrne... just because I've always had a crush on him!

Rose - Sally Field. Not only is she very beautiful (which is very important for Rose's character), but she could easily pass as a relative to a certain other character! She's an amazing actress too.

Raven by Suzy Turner.

After the inexplicable disappearance of Lilly Taylor's parents, she has no choice but to move to Canada where she unravels some frightening yet intriguing family secrets...


Thank you Suzy for joining us here today at From the Shadows!

To learn more about Suzy Turner and her books, please visit her website.

Guest Author Interview: Paige Harbison

Please welcome today's paranormal guest author Pagie Harbison.  Paige is author of the new young adult novel Here Lies Bridget.

EJ:  When did you begin writing?

Paige:  I began writing 6 months before I got signed at Harlequin. I wrote the book on a random inspiration, and went with it.

When I was younger, I wrote lots of short little stories and went through that ugly and embarrassing phase with dramatic poetry when I was 13. But I never thought I wanted to write—it never even occurred to me! It was just the thing my mom did, and that was it.

EJ:  What brought you to the paranormal genre?

Paige:  I’m not sure. I think it’s the fact that I always loved the idea of my ordinary day being changed by something I’d never expect. When I was a kid, I wanted to be swept off to Hogwarts, Narnia, Oz—anywhere. I was never unhappy at all, but I just wanted something like that to happen.

EJ:  If you could be any paranormal or have any one supernatural talent, what would it be? Why?

Paige:  That’s a tough one. Not mindreading. I would never want to know every passing, unexpressed thought that someone has. Not invisibility, that would barely be worth it. Not flying, because I can hardly handle the cold, and I’m pretty sure soaring through the clouds would be freezing. Not x-ray vision, because I’m not a pervert. Not super-strength. I have boys for that…
Teleportation. It would be awesome to not have to pay for airfare.

EJ:  Tell us why readers will enjoy your new release.

Paige:   I think it’s interesting. The main character is intended to be somewhat of an antagonist, and then the supporting characters are the protagonists. I think everyone can find someone to relate to in the book, if not find themselves relating to all of them.

EJ:  If your book(s) were being made into a movie, who would you cast for the leading roles? Why?

Paige:   Well, the film rights have been bought by Galgos Entertainment, so we have talked about who would be perfect. So far we all think the dream casting for Bridget would be Sarah Hyland (Haley on Modern Family). I think for Anna, Chloe Moretz from Kick-Ass. For Liam, maybe Alexander Ludwig. But these are just dreams—let’s hope they cast anyone at all!

Here Lies Bridget by Paige Harbison.

Bridget Duke is the uncontested ruler of her school. The meanest girl with the biggest secret insecurities. And when new girl Anna Judge arrives, things start to fall apart for Bridget: friends don't worship as attentively, teachers don't fall for her wide-eyed "who me?" look, expulsion looms ahead and the one boy she's always loved—Liam Ward—can barely even look at her anymore.  When a desperate Bridget drives too fast and crashes her car, she ends up in limbo, facing everyone she's wronged and walking a few uncomfortable miles in their shoes. Now she has only one chance to make a last impression. Though she might end up dead, she has one last shot at redemption and the chance to right the wrongs she's inflicted on the people who mean the most to her.  And Bridget's about to learn that, sometimes, saying you're sorry just isn't enough….


Thank you Paige for joining us here today at From the Shadows!

To learn more about Paige Harbison and her books, please visit her website.

YA Paranormal Book Giveaway

Summer is just around the corner and we are celebrating here at From the Shadows with a fun YA Paranormal Book Giveaway!

One lucky winner will receive Spirit Storm (Spirit Guide #2) by E.J. Stevens, The Iron Queen (The Iron Fey #3) by Julie Kagawa, and Demonglass (Hex Hall #2) by Rachel Hawkins!

To enter, please leave a comment on this blog post including your email address (so we may contact you if you win).  This giveaway is open to US mailing addresses only (sorry!).  Giveaway ends June 21st midnight EST.

Bonus entries:
+1 follow From the Shadows on GFC
+1 follow E.J. on Twitter
+1 follow or friend E.J. on Goodreads

Ordained: The Immortal Archives Giveaway Winner!

Congratulations Ricki of Reading Challenged winner of our Ordained: The Immortal Archives Giveaway at From the Shadows!  Ricki will receive a paperback copy of Ordained: The Immortal Archives by Devon Ashley.

Thank you to all who entered!

**All From the Shadows giveaway winners selected using Random.org**

Book Review: The Iron Queen (The Iron Fey #3)

The Iron Queen (The Iron Fey, #3) by Julie Kagawa.

My name is Meghan Chase.

I thought it was over. That my time with the fey, the impossible choices I had to make, the sacrifices of those I loved, was behind me. But a storm is approaching, an army of Iron fey that will drag me back, kicking and screaming. Drag me away from the banished prince who's sworn to stand by my side. Drag me into the core of conflict so powerful, I'm not sure anyone can survive it.

This time, there will be no turning back.


Review:

Filled with loveable characters that step off the page and into your heart.  The Iron Queen is the third book in the amazingly fabulous Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa.  Yes, I am an Iron Fey fan-girl (LOL!).  Kagawa continues to demonstrate her adeptness for world building and character development.  Her faerie realms are filled with fabulous flora, fauna, and mythic creatures.  Meghan, Puck, and Ash, the stars of this series, continue to grow and mature.  With The Iron Queen Julie Kagawa also proves that she can pull the reader's heart strings as expertly as any of Leanansidhe's musicians play their instruments.  I found myself crying, laughing, and gasping in awe along with these characters.  This was a book that I could not put down until the very last page.  I also adore the supporting characters; Grimalkin and Razor have become personal favorites.  This is a fantasy adventure with cross-genre appeal that I believe readers of epic fantasy, paranormal romance, and young adult fiction will all enjoy.  I can't wait for the release of The Iron Knight!

I highly recommend The Iron Queen (The Iron Fey, #3) to readers of fantasy, paranormal romance, young adult, and especially to fans of faerie filled adventure.  Fans of the Gathering of Faerie series (Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception and Ballad: A Gathering of Faerie) by Maggie Stiefvater, the Woundrous Strange series (Woundrous Strange) by Lesley Livingston, and the Wicked Lovely series (Wicked Lovely, Ink Exchange, Darkest Mercy, Fragile Eternity) by Melissa Marr may enjoy this series.

Source: This book was purchased by E.J. for review.

Read E.J.'s review of The Iron Daughter (The Iron Fey #2) by Julie Kagawa here.


The Iron Queen on Amazon.
The Iron Queen on Goodreads.

Guest Author Interview: Ella Vines

Please welcome today's paranormal guest author Ella Vines!  Ella is the author of Phantom Desires, Her Dark Fairy, and Seduced by a Satyr.

EJ:  When did you begin writing?

Ella:  I have been writing for many years-- poems, essays, etc. and have publications of different types. I didn't turn to fiction writing, though, until August of 2010.

EJ:  What brought you to the paranormal genre?

Ella:  I have always enjoyed mythology and have taught it at the college level as well. It's fun and fascinating. I also love ghost stories and anything that can't be easily explained.

EJ:  If you could be any paranormal or have any one supernatural talent, what would it be? Why?

Ella:  I would be a shape shifter if I could have any talent. It would be so convenient to become different people or objects when needed.

EJ:  Tell us why readers will enjoy your new release.

Ella:  Readers will enjoy my new release because it's a little offbeat. Her Dark Fairy is about a fairy and the woman he chooses. It's set in Mississippi in 1858. Seduced by a Satyr features a satyr in the South. I think both works are just a little different than so many of the action thrillers featuring vampires and demons that are popular in the genre right now.

EJ:  If your book(s) were being made into a movie, who would you cast for the leading roles? Why?

Ella:  For Her Dark Fairy, I would cast Amanda Seyfried as the heroine, Lucia Marks. I saw her in the movie 'Chloe' earlier this year, and her eyes and face are so expressive. For Berrigan Ash, the fairy hero, I would cast Pål Sverre Valheim Hagen, the actor from the Norwegian movie, Troubled Water.

Her Dark Fairy by Ella Vines.

In October of 1858, a walk through the Mississippi woods behind her home changes Lucia Marks’ life forever. When she twists her ankle and blacks out, a gorgeous winged creature comes to her rescue, an alluring being of legend that haunts her days and nights. But what does he want from her, and who is he? More importantly, will he be part of her future?


Thank you Ella for joining us here today at From the Shadows!

To learn more about Ella Vines and her books, please visit her website.

Guest Author Interview: Josephine Angelini

Please welcome today's paranormal guest author Josephine Angelini!  Josephine is the author of Starcrossed.

EJ:  When did you begin writing?

Josephine:  I’ve always written. My sister Mary Francis gave me a “Writer’s Journal” for my tenth birthday and I started writing in it pretty much every day after that. But I didn’t get serious about writing as a career until about 7 or 8 years ago. Before then it never occurred to me that I could go from journal writing (which is intensely private) to writing for (gulp!) an audience.

Again, it was a gift that egged me on. My then-boyfriend-now-husband gave me my first laptop and told me what I could never see for myself—that I was a writer. I guess my sister Mary Francis was on to something.

EJ:  What brought you to the paranormal genre?

Josephine:  I’ve always been a massive sci-fi and fantasy geek. It started with E.T. and Star Wars when I was a little kid, and grew from there. I read the Darkover series by Marion Zimmer Bradley and the Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne McCaffery when I was a ‘tween and got addicted to world building. Someday, I hope to build one of my own, but for now, paranormal is the perfect place for me—one foot in this world, one foot in another.

EJ:  If you could be any paranormal or have any one supernatural talent, what would it be? Why?

Josephine:  I usually say “flying”, but today I think I’m going to go with “teleportation”. See, it’s cold out, so I don’t actually want to fly to the grocery store. I want to teleport there.

EJ:  Tell us why readers will enjoy your new release.

Josephine:  Starcrossed is filled with action and drama. There are plot twists and betrayals that will keep you guessing until the end. But at the very heart, this is a love story-- and not just any kind of love. The love that Helen and Lucas share is truly epic. Who doesn’t want that?

EJ:  If your book(s) were being made into a movie, who would you cast for the leading roles? Why?

Josephine:  I get asked this question a lot and I honestly have no answer for it! I think this has to be because Helen and Lucas are so clear in my head that I can’t imagine anyone but them playing them!

Starcrossed (Starcrossed, #1) by Josephine Angelini.

How do you defy destiny?

Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it's getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she's haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they're destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.  As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart.


Thank you Josephine for joining us here today at From the Shadows!

To learn more about Josephine Angelini and her books, please visit her website.

Book Review: Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side

Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side (Jessica, #1) by Beth Fantaskey.

The undead can really screw up your senior year ...

Marrying a vampire definitely doesn’t fit into Jessica Packwood’s senior year “get-a-life” plan. But then a bizarre (and incredibly hot) new exchange student named Lucius Vladescu shows up, claiming that Jessica is a Romanian vampire princess by birth—and he’s her long-lost fiancé. Armed with newfound confidence and a copy of Growing Up Undead: A Teen Vampire’s Guide to Dating, Health, and Emotions, Jessica makes a dramatic transition from average American teenager to glam European vampire princess. But when a devious cheerleader sets her sights on Lucius, Jess finds herself fighting to win back her wayward prince, stop a global vampire war—and save Lucius’s soul from eternal destruction.


Review:

Temperamental vampire romance series with potential.  Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side is the first novel in the Jessica series by Beth Fantaskey.  Before purchasing this book I had read very mixed reviews, but when I found a bargain copy on Amazon I couldn't help my curiosity.  After completing JGtDotDS, I can now understand the mixed reviews.  This was a book that had me rolling my eyes in some parts and addictively reading late into the night in others.  I had a difficult time deciding if I loved or hated the characters.  Jessica and Lucious change so drastically that, by the time I reached the final page, it almost seemed as though I were reading about entirely different characters.  Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side begins with a fun, often humorous, high school vampire story, but becomes a dark, dramatic tale of paranormal romance.  This shift from light to dark, young to more mature, makes reviews and recommendations difficult.  I am curious to see what direction this series will take with book two and, though I did sigh at times, I have every intention of reading Jessica Rules on the Dark Side.  I really do have to find out what happens next!

I recommend Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side (Jessica, #1) to readers of paranormal romance, young adult, urban fantasy, and especially to fans of romantic vampire fiction.  Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side may appeal to fans of Laney: The Brookehaven Vampires by Joann Martin Sowles, Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, Jekel Loves Hyde by Beth Fantaskey, and The Hollow by Jessica Verday.

Sensitive reader warning: some violence toward animals, sexual situations

Source: This book was purchased by E.J. for review.


Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side on Amazon.
Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side on Goodreads.