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Friday, May 25, 2012

Hell's Phoenix Deleted scene



A deleted scene from the morning after Mads and Nix's exit from Hell. As you can see, Vela is still in the picture and with Hell's Phoenix already so long, none of this was practical to keep. 

Disclaimer: This scene is unedited and was removed from the book prior to submitting Hell's Phoenix to my publisher, Decadent Publishing.

♥♥♥♥♥




After dragging Mads out of the meeting with Kur and Zen, Nix took her back to their bedroom. He made love to her until she grew hoarse from crying her orgasms, feeding her messian the entire time.
He’d thought for sure she’d sleep after their last round. But less than two hours later, he awoke to find her missing from their bed. Again!
This time, he followed his nose straight to the kitchen. Frying bacon, steaming grits, scrambled eggs and baking biscuits enveloped him. His belly grumbled, reminding him he hadn’t eaten since lunch the prior day. Mads’s southern home cooking could make his mouth water even when he wasn’t hungry.
The sight that greeted him halted his steps and he held no desire to interrupt. Georgie sat at the table, steam rising from a coffee cup in front of her, a smile on her face. Mads’s octane music wafted from an unidentifiable source. She wore a pair of black running shorts that molded to every curve she possessed and a red running top that didn’t meet the hip-hugging shorts. Flat abs attested to the athlete in her, hard hours of sparring with Zen, and who knew what else.
“Come on, angel, give it a try. Follow my movements.” She demonstrated some hip rolling action that hit the fast beat of the music without fail.
“Momma, it ain't normal for you to move like that.”
“Not true. Everyone can dance if they let the music guide them.” She flipped bacon and moved some out of the frying pan onto a paper-towel lined plate.
What she did wasn’t dancing, but were heavy reminders of the epic sex marathon they’d had not too long ago.
“Okay, how about this?” Amos demonstrated his best moves. They were more akin to a seizure rather than any dance move Nix had ever seen. Mads pealed with laughter, as did Georgie, and Nix couldn’t hold back his chuckle either.
Three pairs of eyes turned to him simultaneously.
“Good morning, Nix.” Georgie sent him a knowing smile and sipped on her coffee.
“Very good morning, Aunt Georgie.” He winked at her and moved in the direction of Mads and Amos. “I didn’t want to interrupt the dance lesson.” He swiped a piece of bacon off the plate.
“There’s coffee in the coffee pot.” Mads refused eye contact. “Amos, set the table, please.”
Amos dug out a stack of plates, but not without complaint. “No one expects a gourmet meal, Momma. They could just serve themselves straight from the stove.”
Nix poured coffee in a mug and watched Vela enter the kitchen and beeline for the refrigerator.
“It’s a morning for celebration, Amos. Nix is out of Hell and everyone survived.” Mads quirked her lips. “Sort of.”
No doubt she thought of Alessa with that ‘sort of’ comment.
Nix sipped on the scalding coffee and studied Mads over the rim of the mug. She hadn’t met his gaze yet and he knew she tried to play their relationship cool for their audience.
“Amos, I think Mads has mad dance skills and we all would benefit from taking a lesson or two from her.” She had other mad skills too, but he wouldn’t comment on them. Mads peeked at him beneath her lashes as she stirred the grits.
“She could be a stripper.” Vela popped open a Red Bull and guzzled it.
“Um…no thanks.” Mads grimaced and shook her head. “I don’t get naked in front of my mirror, so a definite no-go on the stripper occupation.”
Nix sidled closer to her as Amos began to place the plates on the table louder than necessary, a clear sign of disgruntlement over the mundane chore. “You get naked for me, though.” Wide-blue eyes jerked to meet his gaze. “Think maybe you can do a naked dance for me?”
A rosy flush hit her cheeks and Mads swallowed hard. Her breathing hitched and her gaze dropped to his mouth.
“Where’s my good morning kiss?” He shot a rapid glance in Amos’s direction and said, “He knows, by the way.”
“How could Amos possibly know anything, Nix?” she whispered furiously.
Nix tugged her away from the stove and into his arms. No protest. That was a good sign. But her stiffness indicated her hesitation of the open display of affection. “He wanted me to be his Daddy five years ago and insisted it would happen even if I wouldn’t agree then.”
Startled by that admission, Mads looked over her shoulder at Amos for confirmation. As an answer, Amos smiled and shrugged.
“I told ya he was important. I just couldn’t say why.” Amos shrugged again and plopped into a chair beside Georgie who sipped on her coffee and watched them with a twinkle in her eyes.
Vela slurped loudly on her Red Bull and sighed, “Ah!” She cleared her throat and slammed the metal can on the table. “So Alessa and Zen were right when they said Madison loved Nix?” From the corner of his eye he saw Georgie nod her head. “Huh…” was Vela’s only comment.

© Gracen Miller 2010-2012 ~ No part of this site (written or artwork) may be reproduced in anyway whatsoever without express written consent by Gracen Miller.


Sunday, May 20, 2012

Guest Interview with Author Donya Lynne



The Road to Hell series welcomes author Donya Lynne



Please welcome Author Donya Lynne onto the Road to Hell. Donya is the author of Rise of the Fallen, which is the first book in the All the King’s Men series. I have read this fabulous book and I will post my review below the interview. Other books written by Donya are Heart of the Warrior (releasing May 25) and The Arms of Winter (Silver Publishing to release in June).

Now, it’s time to create a little hell and get to the good stuff by revealing all of Donya’s wicked secrets while on the Road to Hell. LOL  Yeah, you wish! ;-D 

Grab your favorite drink, sink your teeth into something decadent, sit back, relax and enjoy getting to know Donya Lynne…
©©©©

GRACEN:  Tell me three things about yourself that we cannot find on the internet or in your bio?  

DONYA: I used to body build; I was studying to be an engineer before deciding that wasn't the career path for me; I can play the clarinet and saxophone and excelled at music in school.


GRACEN: Wow! That’s an eclectic group of info! Psst…Hellhounds, a body builder…she could probably kick some goody-two-shoe ass! ;-) What hobbies and interests do you participate in when you’re not writing?

DONYA: You mean, there's more to life than writing? LOL. My two favorite hobbies are going to the movies (I love going alone) and listening to music. I also collect CDs and music. I have enormous collections of both music and books.


GRACEN: Do you have any writing quirks or certain things you MUST have or do before beginning the writing process?

DONYA: I just need to be awake, and I'm ready to write. J


GRACEN: If you were plotting to take over the world, how would you do it?

DONYA: I would never take over the world. I'm not that ambitious or organized. LOL. So, I guess I would hire a staff to do it for me.


GRACEN: LOL Get some Hellhounds, they’re loyal and will eagerly create as much mischief as you want. That’d be the only I’d manage world domination. If you could make one statement that the entire planet would hear and remember, what would it be?

DONYA: This planet doesn't belong to us. We are only borrowing it in the short blip of time we're here. When we're gone, we'll have to give it back to its rightful owner, so let's treat it well. I have a feeling this planet will kick us out before we can completely destroy it, though, and then it will return to its former glory. We humans think we're the top of the food chain, but we're just worm food. Mother Nature is the real head of the totem pole.  


GRACEN:  Totally agree with you! What genre do you write and why that genre?

DONYA: Generally speaking, I write romance. All types of romance. I don't care if it's M/F, M/M, F/F, erotic, contemporary, paranormal, or a mix of all the above, I'm a romantic at heart and seek to find the romanticism in every story. I remember as a little girl lying in bed and making up all sorts of romantic scenarios in my mind. And even back then I loved the tragic and unique. As I got older, my fantasies became more elaborate and I started writing them down.
 

GRACEN: I still make-up romantic stories in my head, even if I never plan to use them! =D For those who are not yet familiar with Rise of the Fallen, can you please give us some details about the book and/or books slated for the All the King’s Men series?  

DONYA: Rise of the Fallen (ROTF) is the story of Micah Black and follows him as he works through the loss of his second mate. He's extremely volatile and tortured, but he meets Samantha Garrett and suddenly his world begins to piece itself back together. If he can keep Sam alive, he might have a chance at salvation.

      Inspiration for Micah!                                Inspiration for Sam!



Book two of the series is Heart of the Warrior (HOTW), and it comes out on May 25, so right around the corner. HOTW expands on a relationship we saw beginning to develop in ROTF, and I just love this story. Severin and Arion are two extremely conflicted characters who have deeply embedded secrets that could destroy their lives if they got out. Put the two of them together and watch out! Sparks will fly and emotions will roll violently between ecstatic highs and desolate lows. HOTW was one hell of an emotional roller coaster to write, and I cried more than once.

The third installment for the series will be a supplemental novella called Micah's Calling and is not a numbered book in the series. This book is already drafted and relays events that come immediately after ROTF, but which just didn't fit with the story of ROTF. Micah's Calling isn't essential to understanding the rest of the books in the series, but it does provide a unique look at what is a very tumultuous time in a male vampire's life, and gives us more insights into Traceon and his relationship to Sam and Micah.

Book three of the series is also drafted with the working title of Rebel Obsession, but I'm thinking of changing the title to Royal Obsession. This one is the playboy Io's story. We see him push forward in HOTW, and in Royal Obsession we see some significant surprises which I think will please a certain faction of my fans who've read ROTF, as well as a couple of character introductions which will figure heavily in later books.

Books 4, 5, and 6 are in planning, and things will get VERY interesting in book 4 as a new character is introduced, but I won't say who at this time. I have to have some secrets. Let me just say, swoon! I have a feeling heartbeats will accelerate when he and his father are introduced. Book 4 is titled Return of the Assassin, while book 5 is called Bound Guardian Angel and is the much-anticipated story of Traceon. That's the first time I've publicly announced that, by the way, do only your readers are privy to that bit of info. Book 6 remains untitled, but it will NOT stop speaking to me. This character wants his book written so badly that I can think of little else right now.

Lastly, there will be a prequel to this series at some point, once a few more books are released to set it up. I have a feeling fans will want to know what came before as they read more of this series, so I plan on telling that story.


GRACEN:  I’m excited just reading all the upcoming books in this series!! Do you have any new stories in the works and can you tell us a bit about it/them?

DONYA: I have eight stories in the hopper right now, plus several projects hovering and ready to go. Other than the AKM books previously mentioned, I have two short stories I'm working on for anthologies, a Christmas paranormal called The Christmas Pendant I'm hoping will be ready by the holidays, and a contemporary romance set to come out early next year. My novella, The Arms of Winter, published by Silver Publishing, will go on sale on June 30, but it's available now for pre-order on their website.

So, lots cookin'.


GRACEN: I’m sitting here trying to figure out how you find the time to do all this writing. *shakes head* Sooo envious! If you could describe your writing with one word or brief phrase, what would it be? Please delve into the core of your writing to tell us what word or phrase you want readers to take with them when they’ve finished reading your story.

DONYA: Conflict and adversity rule supreme.

I am a conflict junkie. I love tragic, damaged characters who have to overcome adversity to find their pot of gold.


GRACEN: I love writing and reading them, too! What, in your opinion, makes your story unique and what makes it stand out from other stories in your genre? Think of this as a pitch to convince readers to pick up your books.



DONYA: Rise of the Fallen, and the whole AKM series, is what I call a vampire story with a twist. My bad guys aren't werewolves or demons or supernatural forces of evil. They are a sister race to the vampires known as drecks. They are blue-tinted shifters who bite, have venom, are immortal, etc., but they are inferior to vampires, despite being racially similar in many ways. Drecks are like chameleons who can blend in to their surroundings. Their nature is to hide within a human form, and most have been raised to hold a powerful bias and resentment against vampires for being the more dominant of the two races. The vampires and drecks have been at war repeatedly throughout history, but even though they are now settled into a truce, it's an uneasy one. Readers love my evil mastermind in ROTF, the dreck John Apostle. He's not seen much, but when he is, he makes an impression.

Additionally, my vampires aren't your normal vampires, either. Most are night walkers, but mixed bloods (human/vampire or dreck/vampire) can dwell in sunlight. And those with mixed blood inherited strange powers through their genetic melting pot. Traceon, for example, can destroy with just a thought. He is extremely powerful and readers have fallen in love with him because of one very specific scene toward the end of Rise of the Fallen, where the full force of his power is demonstrated. Ah, but Trace has to be careful. Mixed bloods can be consumed by their powers and converted into what are known as mutants. Mutants are the deadliest of all the paranormal creatures in the AKM world. We don't see one in ROTF, but we will in a later book.  


GRACEN: What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever done in the name of research?

DONYA: You don't want to know. LOL. Okay, fine. I tried a nipple clamp. Let me just say, OUCH! How do people tolerate those for more than a half-second?


GRACEN: Haha! I have no idea! Of all your books, which character did you have the most fun creating and why? 
 

DONYA: Probably Micah. He and I helped each other through hard times in both of our lives. And he's devilishly sexy, witty, highly intelligent, and never has trouble saying just what's on his mind.


GRACEN: If you had the opportunity to meet just one of your characters in real life, who would it be and why?

DONYA: Micah. For all the above reasons. *smile* He's my kindred spirit.


GRACEN: Which of your characters would you never want to meet under any circumstance and why? 
 

DONYA: Steve Garrett. If I met him I'd have to make him laugh. You'd have to read ROTF to understand what I mean by that, but making him laugh in public would be priceless. He's just one of those characters you love to hate.


GRACEN:  If you were interviewing yourself, what is the one question you would ask yourself and please give us the answer to that question? 
 

DONYA: Why do you write? First, because I have to. Some people were born to sell. Others were born to be surgeons. I was born to write. I've always written stories and poetry since before I was in grade school. I'm compelled to write by a force I have no control over, and I have so many stories to tell. Secondly, I want to provide readers with an experience that will let them escape reality and move them emotionally. A lot of writers say they write for themselves. I'm not one of those. I write for others, not me. Every sentence I write in a book is written with the reader in mind. I can't explain it, but the questions I'm always asking myself as I write and edit are, "How will readers receive this book? Will they enjoy it? Is there anything in this story that could interfere with their experience as they read this book? My goal is to provide an experience, and to eliminate any blunders or plot malfunctions that could impede that experience.


GRACEN:  Thanks so much for joining us, Donya!  It’s been a treat getting to know you better!   

DONYA: Thank you for hosting me. It's been my pleasure to share Micah's world to you and your readers.


Website: www.donyalynne.blogspot.com or www.donyalynne.com

If you would like to buy Rise of the Fallen or take a closer look, here are the links where you can find the ebook:


Barnes & Noble: B&N - Rise of the Fallen


All Romance ebooks: ARe: Rise of the Fallen

Other places where you can stalk—ahem, I mean follow—Donya:

And I'd love to meet you on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorDonyaLynne

Please follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/DonyaLynne




Rise of the Fallen BLURB:

In the streets of Chicago exists an uneasy, centuries-old truce between vampires and their distant cousins, a race of shifters called drecks.  Vampire enforcement agency, All the King’s Men (AKM), is charged with maintaining the truce, but when volatile enforcer Micah Black loses his mate and falls into the biological agony that results from the broken bond, he tests the boundaries of the truce by seeking out Apostle, a leader in the dreck community.  Micah wants Apostle to kill him, a request Apostle is more than happy to fulfill. 

When ex-Army medic Samantha Garrett inadvertently disrupts the plot and saves Micah’s life, a chain reaction sets Micah’s heart on a collision course with Sam’s, but he will have to protect her from Apostle and her obsessive ex-husband, Steve, if they will have a chance at forever.  Can Micah hold his emotions together to keep Sam alive?


Rise of the Fallen EXCERPT:

This is the first time I've used this excerpt, so your blog gets to unveil it. This scene is obviously between Micah and Sam, is explicit and for adults only, shows a hint of what's to come in the future for this couple, and they have just concluded a brief discussion about Sam's profession and Micah has, um, persuaded her to take some time off. Can you tell that Micah is used to getting his way?



"Your body calls to mine," he said breathlessly as he pounded into her once more.

She only moaned and arched her back so that her head lay against his shoulder and her tight, perfect breasts jutted out alluringly.

"Mmm." He ran one hand up her stomach and his palm layered over the perfect handful of firm flesh, topped by her tight nipple. The hard nub pressed against his palm and he couldn't resist swirling his hand in a circle to feel it tease his skin.

"Micah…" Sam pressed her hips back, her ass forming a perfect seal against him.

Oh God, she was too much. He couldn't hold himself back. In a swift flourish of movement, he threw his pillow over so it was in line with her hips then rolled her to her stomach. The pillow angled her hips perfectly so that when he rose up behind her, his hard length drove into her right to the hilt.

"Yes!" She cried out, burying her face into the mattress as her long fingers groped the sheet on either side of her head.

"Yes, what?" His inner dom worked to the forefront as he sank inside her and lowered himself over her body. With his stomach and chest pressed against her back, he thrust again and whispered harshly. "Yes, what, Sam?"

For a moment, she seemed not to know how to respond.

"Say my name, Sam," he said, cluing her in. "I want to hear you speak my name."

Sam shivered beneath him and whimpered needfully. "Yes, Micah. More, please."

He grinned, eager to give her what she begged him for while his need to control the scene stirred his own desire. Micah hadn't felt the urge to dom anyone in years. Even when Jack had wanted to experiment with submission, Micah hadn't been very interested. But now, here he was itching to spank Sam and more.

His hand slapped down on her ass as he rose up and rammed his erection into her. Sam trembled and her hands curled into fists as she gritted her teeth through the sting.

"You like when I spank you, don't you?" He swatted her ass again then again on the other side. Rosy hand prints blossomed on her pristine flesh.

"Yes."

He spanked her harder. "Yes, what?"

"Oh God!" She cried out and arched her back before undulating beneath him. She looked like a slender, elegant reed bending in the breeze. She was so flexible and graceful. "Yes, Micah!"

Her tender, inner walls tightened around him. She was going to come, and he wanted to taste her when she did.

Crashing down over her body, he fucked her hard, opening her legs by pushing the front of his thighs against the back of hers. The new position gave him leverage to hit her deep and rough, and each forceful drive forward provoked a tight, feminine gasp of pleasure to burst from her throat.

"Tell me you're mine," he said, his voice a growl as his mouth pressed against her ear. "Tell me you belong to me."

She quivered and groaned, lost in ecstasy. "I'm yours. I belong to you, Micah."

"Your body is mine." He punctuated the command with a demanding thrust of his hips.

"My body – Oh, God yes – my body is yours. Please…"

"Please what?"

She took a ragged breath and groaned as her body tightened beneath his. "Please, Micah."

"Good girl." He gave her everything he had then, thrusting hard and fast, working her G-spot into a quivering rage of delirium. And just before she tumbled into full-on orgasm, he bit her. He licked her shoulder and sank his fangs in deep.

As the euphoria of his venom took hold, she screamed. Her body spasmed and her muscles blew apart as she erupted in a series of violent tremors.

"Yes, yes, yes, YES, God YES!" She collapsed against the mattress as her body quaked ceaselessly.

Only then did Micah allow himself to release his own pleasure. The taste of her blood, the feel of her body jerking under his, the feel of her feminine canal vibrating and gulping like a throat against his cock, and the knowledge that he alone had given her such tremendous pleasure sent him over.

"UNGH!" Never had such a harsh release claimed him, and his fangs sank in even deeper as he slammed his hips against the curves of her ass. And once more he unloaded his offering and filled her, layering his scent over and inside her body as her scent wafted around and sank into his.

He didn't take much of her blood, and soon released her shoulder before collapsing in a sweaty, well-spent heap over her back. Neither could speak for some time, but he slid his arms up and over hers until their hands met and their fingers wound together in two tightly bundled death grips.

When he could finally speak again, he nuzzled the back of her neck and said softly, "I've never met anyone as amazing as you."

"Mmm, right back at you." She turned her head and looked over her shoulder at him. "Promise me you'll do that again later."

He smiled, all fangs and mischievous lust. "Oh, you can count on it. I promise."


~My Review~

I loved this book! The All the King’s Men series is about a group of vampire warriors that fight the bad guys. Although it’s a little more complicated than that, there are varying degrees of vampires in the group. Vampires, along with half-vamps-half-humans who have unpredictable powers, but tend to go rogue without a support system.

Micah is the vampire hero of Rise of the Fallen and man does he have some dark issues he’s working through. But they’re relatable issues and I could sympathize with him. He’s also the guy no one wants to cross in All the King’s Men, the one everyone gives a wide berth because he’s just that volatile. Personally I enjoyed his hard-edge, friendless demeanor. His problems aren’t a manifestation of his current dilemma. They go way back. That helps build a complicated hero, which I love because that makes him more real.

Sam is the heroine and she is one tough, kick-ass, former military, chick that is a fantastic compliment to Micah’s alpha-ness. She’s packing heat in every situation, which is just damn cool! Yet, she is vulnerable and running from her ex-husband. Just goes to show that the toughest person has weaknesses and self-doubts.

The chemistry between Micah and Sam is explosive and the sex scene is something I won’t forget for a while. Hot and fantastically written…unlike my review! Ha! Has a great cast of characters and I’m eager to learn more about many of them. Traceon in particular. The final scene with him…holy-Micah-hellmy Road to Hell Micah, not Donya’s—I wanted more! I wouldn’t want to piss off Traceon!

I have no hesitation in recommending Rise of the Fallen to other readers! Great break-out book, Donya Lynne, and I look forward to reading more of your work.

~Contest~

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday, May 18, 2012

Hell's Phoenix Deleted Scene



This deleted scene came about right after Madison came out of Hell. In the original storyline, Cael was half-dragon and half-vampire and he saved Alessa by turning her into a vampire rather than Nix saving her when they returned from Hell. Here's the scene after she's been turned and Madison's reaction. 

Disclaimer: This scene is unedited and was removed from the book prior to submitting Hell's Phoenix to my publisher, Decadent Publishing.

♥♥♥♥♥


Madison knocked on the bedroom door and Alessa bid her to enter. Thick drapes were drawn tight. Not an ounce of sunlight filtered through the windows. A single lamp burned beside the bed.
Alessa met Madison in the center of the room, her expression overflowing with anxiety. In the darkness, Madison detected red rimmed eyes, bloody lips and a faint red stain to the outer edges of her aura.
“Oh, God,” Madison whispered, horrified by the extent of Alessa’s altercation. “He turned you into a vampire?”
“Let me explain,” Alessa said, but Madison didn’t care to listen. 
Whipping around, she found the vampire-dragon and marched to him. Cael held his ground, watching her approach with a guarded gaze. She grabbed him, pressed her thumb into the pressure point on his wrist and he dropped to his knees.
“Unfurl those wings and I’ll whack them off,” she promised. “Blow fire or smoke in my direction and I will drop you.”
“You already dropped me,” Cael said mildly, peering up at her without fear.
At his snarky bravado, Madison whipped out the only weapon remaining in her possession, the dragon blade. She placed the tip against the pulsing vein in his neck.
The bedroom door opened and closed quietly. Madison didn’t look to see who entered. In the murky shadows of the room, it was unlikely she could discern the visitor anyway.
“Mads!” Alessa clutched her arm. “I wanted this. He gave me a choice and I’d have died without him.”
“You’re dead now, Alessa.” Madison held Cael in her glare. “You don’t breathe, your heart doesn’t beat and your pulse is nonexistent. That makes you dead. Dead!” She yelled the final word. “I told you to return her to me unharmed.”
Nix placed his hand on Madison’s wrist, the one trapping Cael. She shuddered at the touch, her succubus recognizing him on a physical level without having to look at him. She didn’t lift her glower off the vampire-dragon.
“Stop bullying him. She asked for this, Mads.”
Tearing her gaze off the shifter, she faced Nix. “You accept this?”
How could he? This was the woman he loved, the woman Georgie spoke about.
“I don’t like it. The Sherlock in me is spitting-mad, but it’s what she wanted. For that reason, I accept it.”
Madison looked between the two men. Releasing Cael with a shove, she shook her head and closed her eyes. She felt him move away from her.
Madison ran her hands down her face. She’d gotten Alessa into this mess. This was her fault. She’d killed hundreds of thousands of people in an earthquake and ultimately her friend too, a woman she thought of as her sister. All of them dead because of her. She deserved to die. She deserved the torment of Hell.
She thought about half of her soul shoved into her pocket, the one she’d snatched off Micah as she killed him. If she crushed it, would she die? Or would she need both halves?
“Please don’t hate me, Mads,” Alessa spoke into the darkness.
Madison blinked and turned to face her. “I could never hate you.” She hugged the other woman. “You’re the sister I never had. I didn’t wish this for you.” Pulling back, she captured Alessa’s hands in both of hers. “I should be asking you for forgiveness. I dragged you into this mess.”
“You’re not to blame.” Nothing Alessa said would negate the guilt Madison endured. “I didn’t have to agree. I could have walked away and you wouldn’t have blamed me, but saving Nix is worth this new life.”
Madison glanced at Alessa’s soul shining on her wrist. “You should take this back now.”
“No,” Alessa shook her head and patted her soul on Madison’s wrist. “I don’t have this vampire urge under control. Blood is like an elixir. Strangely I don’t crave yours, but Nix smells pretty damn good right now.” Alessa dragged in a rough breath as Madison deliberated over the fact that Nix always smelled pretty damn good to her. “I need to know someone has control of my life if I can’t get control of my urges.”
“You’re shaking,” Madison said to change the subject because she didn’t like the idea of what Alessa implied.
“I’m starving.”
“I need to feed her.” Cael draped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her against his side. Alessa looked tiny and fragile up against Cael.

© Gracen Miller 2010-2012 ~ No part of this site (written or artwork) may be reproduced in anyway whatsoever without express written consent by Gracen Miller.


Monday, May 14, 2012

Kitty Thomas Dark Mind Blog Tours

The Road to Hell series welcomes author Kitty Thomas


Please welcome Author Kitty Thomas onto the Road to Hell. Kitty is the author of The Last Girl, which I read and I will post my review below the interview. Other books written by Kitty are Comfort Food, Guilty Pleasures, Tender Mercies, Awakening, The Auction, and The King’s Pleasure.

Now, it’s time to create a little hell and get to the good stuff by revealing all of Kitty’s wicked secrets while on the Road to Hell. LOL  Yeah, you wish! ;-D 

Grab your favorite drink, sink your teeth into something decadent, sit back, relax and enjoy getting to know Kitty Thomas…


~ ~ ~
GRACEN: Do you have any writing quirks or certain things you MUST have or do before beginning the writing process?

KITTY: I don't, but I've started a new thing where I'm writing first thing in the morning before the rest of my day and/or internet drama creeps in LOL. (The Internet is simultaneously the best and worst invention for writers.) There is nothing I “must” do before I start, but I've started listening to soundtracks on Pandora (I can't write with lyrics unless they are in a foreign language. English singing is distracting, but instrumental or non-English is fine. I listened to almost nothing but Pavarotti during The Last Girl.)



GRACEN: If you were plotting to take over the world, how would you do it?

KITTY: If I told you that, I'd have to kill you.


GRACEN: If you could make one statement that the entire planet would hear and remember, what would it be?

KITTY: If this were all a dream, would everyone still be so petty? If you wake up and none of it matters... it was just a good dream or a bad dream... how would your perspective shift?


GRACEN:  What genre do you write and why that genre?

KITTY: Oh, this is a can of worms, LOL. I call it “dark literary erotica” for lack of a better way to describe it. If I just say “erotica”, then people either interpret that to mean “erotic romance” (and none of my work follows genre romance conventions. It may sometimes involve “love” of some stripe, but then so did Gone With The Wind, Romeo and Juliet, and that movie, Original Sin.) Or... people think erotica means “porn”. And the writing style isn't very porn-y, though in places it can be very explicit.

I say literary to clear that issue up. LOL. But then I can't “just” say literary or people get thrown by all the sexual content. And dark “should” be a big flashing neon sign that hey, this isn't garden variety sex writing, it's going to challenge you in some way. But a lot of people think they like dark stories but don't really know what dark means. i.e. they are still looking for something fluffy.


GRACEN: For those who are not yet familiar with The Last Girl, can you please give us some details about the book?

KITTY: It's about a vampire's struggle not to kill his pet. He's not sorry for what he is... He is a predator. He's a sadist, and has no real problem with the things he does to his  human pets, he simply doesn't want them to have to die as a result of his sadism, because then his fun ends. And he grows attached to them. Though most of the book is through Juliette's eyes because I want people to sympathize with the devil—but vicariously through Juliette's experience because I think that's more powerful than staying in Christian's head.


GRACEN:  Do you have any new stories in the works and can you tell us a bit about it/them?

KITTY: I do have new stories, but right now I'm working on a few books for my other pen name. I can't write erotica and paranormal romance at the same time. There would be too much style creep. Probably nothing new from Kitty until Christmas. And unfortunately I can't talk about projects this early in the game.


GRACEN: If you could describe your writing with one word or brief phrase, what would it be? Please delve into the core of your writing to tell us what word or phrase you want readers to take with them when they’ve finished reading your story.

KITTY: Submission isn't weakness.


GRACEN: What, in your opinion, makes your story unique and what makes it stand out from other stories in your genre? Think of this as a pitch to convince readers to pick up your books.
KITTY: Haha I don't want to convince readers to pick up my books. Sure, I want to be read, but if you need to be convinced, my work probably isn't for you. It is what it is and if the covers, descriptions, and book trailers aren't enough... if you have any doubt, it's probably not for you. I'm writing for a very specific audience and I learned a long time ago that courting the wrong readers only leads to frustration—both for me and for them, so I'd rather just not go there.


GRACEN: What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever done in the name of research?

KITTY: I don't really do much research for my Kitty books.


GRACEN: Of all your books, which character did you have the most fun creating and why?

KITTY: I'm not sure I would use the word “fun” to describe it. Maybe if we were talking about my other pen name, but I just don't think that way with the Kitty work. Kitty is very serious and dark and intense and when I'm in that frame of mind, I'm not thinking “oooh fun”. It's a different vibe.


GRACEN: If you had the opportunity to meet just one of your characters in real life, who would it be and why?

KITTY: Well, I DID meet Christian—in a dream. He was scary as hell. I wouldn't recommend it. He didn't even do anything scary. He actually helped me get out of a hallway I was stuck in, but he was so terrifying I had to sleep with the lights on the rest of the night, and had trouble sleeping for a couple of nights afterward.


GRACEN: Which of your characters would you never want to meet under any circumstance and why?

KITTY: Lucas. He's a monster with no redeeming qualities, which was why I got Grace away from him as soon as possible.


GRACEN:  Thanks so much for joining us, Kitty!  It’s been a treat getting to know you better! 

KITTY: Thanks for having me!

Kitty's Website: http://kittythomas.com/


The Last Girl Blurb:

Six years ago strangers broke into Juliette’s house; she was home alone and only thirteen. She kept her eyes closed, praying that if she didn’t see anything, she wouldn’t be killed. No one harmed her. In fact, one of the thieves protected her. Now Juliette’s dreams are haunted by him.

Christian has waited to take her, resisting the urge each night. It always ends badly with human pets. They’re too fragile. The longer he can wait, the better, because the moment he takes her, the clock on her life starts ticking down.

Then she’ll be gone forever.

AUTHOR NOTE:
This is a work of fiction, and the author does not endorse or condone any behavior done to another human being without their consent.

Warning: This book is meant for a mature audience and contains master/slave, group sexual activity, sadomasochism, girl-on-girl, oral and anal play, exhibitionism, blood play, edge play, as well as one other thing I’m not warning you about because it would be a spoiler... but it’s not a big taboo.



REVIEW

WARNING! If the Author’s warnings above weren’t enough, please read this book with caution. The Last Girl is meant for a very mature audience—that means parents pay attention to what your kids are reading. For you adults, if you don’t like erotica, anal play, bondage, girl-on-girl action, exhibitionism, blood play, edge play, or anything else I cannot think of, do not pick up this book, as it is not for the faint of heart! Don’t blame the author if you don’t like the book if this is not your sort of reading escapism. I’ve seen a few reviews on this book where the reviewer states that this is not the type of book they read and then proceeded to give The Last Girl a poor rating. This always irritates me. That’s unfair to the author and not a fair representation of the book’s merits. So, please take our warnings seriously and only proceed with reading this book if you can handle the things mentioned above. On to my review…

I agreed to read this as part of the Dark Minds Blog Tour and—Holy Hell, Micah!—I’m so glad I did! Anyone that knows me knows I love my bad boys. Wow what a bad boy Christian is in The Last Girl. He’s not just a little wicked, he’s immoral, but also enigmatic, alluring and compelling! Bravo, Kitty Thomas, for making an anti-hero that I could love regardless of his evil ways.

The things Christian does to Juliette, the heroine, and has done to her, are wicked, cruel and perverted, while remaining hauntingly erotic. As much as I loved him, I hated him equally as much. This man leapt off the page for me and I fell for him…hard. Even knowing the monster he is I’d go willingly into his arms.

The opening scene is in Christian’s POV. The brief peek into his head is extremely powerful and sets the tone for the book. Yet, this is also my only complaint that we didn’t get more POV’s from him. But The Last Girl is written in first person from Juliette’s mindset. It works for the story, but there was a scene at a club—I won’t mention specifics so as not to spoil you—that I would’ve loved to have known what Christian was thinking.

I highly recommend The Last Girl. Yes, the story is going to push boundaries and you may be uncomfortable with some scenes, but I think you’ll even find those scenes erotically enthralling and downright freakin’ smokin’ hawt! Or as us Hellhounds like to say, they’re RAWR worthy. The entire story is RAWR worthy. Absolutely loved it!!!



The Last Girl Trailer
The Last Girl Buy Link