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.
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:
Other places where you can stalk—ahem, I mean follow—Donya:
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-hell—my 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
