Q: So, Calder.

A: Yep.

Q: Book three, PROMISE BOUND, is out January 7th, and I hear you’re back narrating it.

A: Half. Lily and I take turns because we aren’t exactly on the same wave length all the time.

Q: Wave length. Ha.

A: It’s not funny.

Q: Right. Okay. So last we left off, the future for you two is a bit unclear.

A: Not to me. I have a plan. I know exactly where I want my future to be. It’s Lily who’s the problem. She’s obsessed with the past.

Q: Like the stuff with Jack?

A: No. Like the past, past. As in the 1960s. She’s obsessed with what happened in Bayfield back then, and she’s convinced she’s being visited or possessed or something by Nadia.

Q: Your mother.

A: Who’s dead. Right. So it’s ridiculous. And the sooner I convince Lily that she’s imagining the whole thing, the quicker we can make a future for ourselves.

Q: How’s that going for you?

A: Not as well as I’d hoped.


The hurt in his eyes slashed at my heart. I wanted to kiss it away, but I couldn’t move. All of my muscles had clamped down. “I don’t need my past,” he said. “I want you. You are my future. It’s you who makes me happy.”
“But that’s just it,” I said. “Don’t you see? Your happiness should not be completely dependent on me. You’re not whole. Not yet.”
“Who fed you that line? Pavati?” He grabbed my wrists, hard, and I twisted them to get free. “Don’t trust them, Lily. She just thinks she’ll have better luck with you if I’m out of the picture. They’re queens of manipulation.”
“Maybe you’re right, but it doesn’t make it less true. You need to find your parents.”
“And what if I find them?” he demanded.
“What do you mean?”
“If I find them, then what? Do I say, ‘Hey, glad I found you, now goodbye’?”
“Well . . . .” Admittedly, I hadn’t thought about that. I assumed it would be hard for Calder to leave his family once he found them. I’d never considered that his parents would be the problem--that they would be the ones to not let him go again.
“That’s it, isn’t it!” Calder exclaimed. “You know I wouldn’t be able to do that. Is this just some elaborate plan for getting me out of the way forever?”
“Calder—” I knew he’d react badly, but he was starting to scare me.
“Well, excuse my confusion, Lily, but what the hell was this all about?” He gestured angrily at the blanket and the imprint of our bodies still lingering in its fibers.
“I don’t want you out of the way.” I didn’t. But I needed him to go. For him. For me. For Nadia. And for his birth mother, too. “You’re lying. I can see the lie all over you. Tell me the truth. You owe me at least that much.”

Calder and Lily never imagined falling in love would mean breaking apart. But ever since Lily started wearing a glass pendant that once belonged to Nadia, Calder's adoptive mother, she's been having vivid dreams of what life was like for the mermaid matriarch. In fact, she's been dreaming as if she were Nadia! And Nadia, it seems, made a promise before her death. A promise to reunite Calder's biological mother with her son. Lily knows merfolk are bound to keep their promises. Calder's not buying into it, though. He chalks up the dreams to stress. He wants Lily to focus on the future—their future, not the past. Which forces Lily to send Calder away. Calder goes, feeling rejected and more than a little tempted to revert to his hunting ways.

What both of them overlook is the present: Calder's sisters, Maris and Pavati, are fighting for control of the mermaid clan, and now that Lily and her dad have transformed into mer-creatures, both mermaids vie for daughter and father as allies. Which of the two mermaids can be trusted? Will Lily make costly mistakes, forcing her to descend to the depths of Lake Superior? And if Calder returns, will he be the same merman Lily grew to love? The stakes are high, with many lives at risk, but Calder and Lily must confront the past as well as their darkest impulses if they want a chance at being together.


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I am a Minnesota author, writing about mermaid assassins on Lake Superior. My debut YA series begins with LIES BENEATH, coming June 12, 2012 from Random House/Delacorte. The sequel (DEEP BETRAYAL) is anticipated for March 2013. Besides writing and reading YA literature, I love all things Irish, romantic movies, beef stroganoff, and Nutella. If I'm listening to music it's Violent Femmes, The Coronas (awesome band out of Dublin), and Great Big Sea (out of Newfoundland).

~this is not a ya title~
Seven years ago, my world ended.
Seven years later, my new life began.

It's been seven years since Lexi Knight lost her brother in a tragic accident. On the anniversary of his death, her brother's best friend shows up unexpectedly - a man she hasn't seen since the funeral. He is no longer the boy Lexi once knew, but a dangerous-looking man with tattoos and dark secrets. He broke her trust and abandoned her family, yet what he reveals makes it impossible to stay angry. Lexi has been secretly infatuated with Austin since childhood, so finding out he's a Shifter just makes him sexier. Dammit.

Austin Cole has returned to the city where he grew up, and just in time. He's lived a hard life these past seven years, and the shadows of his past are threatening to destroy Lexi's family. It's time that she learned the truth about her brother, but there is a shocking twist that Austin never saw coming. Now he must protect her family when her mother and sister wind up in mortal danger. Will Lexi learn to accept the truth about who he is, and can Austin salvage a relationship from the ruins of their past?

For people who have not heard of your (awesome) Mageri series, how would you explain it to them, and why should they pick it up?

This is a combination of reality meets fantasy. I’ve read so many Urban Fantasy books where the protagonist is a tough woman in leather pants with daggers. But I always wanted to know what it would be like if a regular human were suddenly pushed into this life and what these women were like in the early years. That really launched the idea.

My character is a young woman is forced to become a Mage against her will, never having realized that immortals and paranormals existed. In my world, a Mage is not a magician or sorcerer. They are immortals who have a core light of energy. They can use it to heal others or even electrocute those who are not a Mage. Another Mage named Justus takes her under his wing and acts as her Ghuardian. The story is about her identity crisis and struggle to acclimate within this unfamiliar life with bizarre laws and restrictions. The series is about relationships. It’s about those who come into our lives and how they change us, shape us into who we will one day become. It’s about love, loss, and finding courage. There are plenty of hot guys to claim as your next book boyfriend, but I think the Mageri series will offer readers something different from the usual Urban Fantasy books out there, where our protagonist is relatable, makes mistakes, and is searching for the one thing we all want in our life: purpose.

Silver is such a caring, but strong character, did yourself or anyone you know inspire her personality?

There’s no one specifically. Silver embodies the characteristics of many women who are floating through life and are suddenly faced with making tough decisions. It was important to keep her character real—someone who doesn’t always know how to cope with the drastic changes in her life. I think we’ve all been there. But eventually, we rise to the challenge and handle things the best way we can.

For those who have not met Logan Cross, how would you introduce him?

Dark, predatory, six and a half feet tall, powerful, and willing to fight to the death for what he wants. Logan Cross is a Chitah, a paranormal with golden eyes and light hair. If provoked – four deadly canines appear that can kill a Mage with a single bite. If he loses control, his inner “flip is switched.” He goes primal, and that doesn’t mean changing into an animal. His eyes will roll black and his mind will operate on pure instinct.

Fury is one thing he keeps caged, passion is the other.

You have a new series starting soon, what can your current fans and future readers expect from your new (upcoming) Seven series?

A whole lot of mayhem and romance. The Seven Series is “Mageri World based” (Same Breeds and rules), but these are new characters and this is a new town. This series focuses primarily on Shifters and is categorized as a Paranormal Romance, but readers will also find something fresh about these books that don’t necessarily follow what they may be used to with other Shifter books. I think it will even appeal to those who don’t read paranormal books. The swoon factor is there and I never write cliffhangers.

My paranormals struggle through the same problems we humans do. Each book focuses on a new couple, and while some may be darker than others, I’ve inserted a good dose of humor throughout. I’m always excited about taking a concept or a genre and doing something different with it, so I’m looking forward to delving into this series even further.

What are you currently working on, can you tell us a bit about it?

I’m currently working on edits for the last planned novel in the Mageri Series. It may not be the last time we hear from these characters, but I’m excited to begin working on new projects. This will be the fifth book in the series (yet unnamed) and will bring the series to a conclusive ending.

I’m also just finished up writing the first draft of the third book in the Seven Series and plan to begin book four pretty soon., all while working on edits for the second book. I’m fairly good with multi-tasking and definitely want to keep publishing different genres and stories. I’m sure I could drag the Mageri series on and on, but I’m a firm believer of ending a series when it feels right, because it also allows me to introduce my readers to new characters!

I turned the bolt, set my coffee on an end table, and collapsed on the sofa. All I could think about was Austin. Did I really see him at the cemetery? Maybe I dreamed it. I never could hold my liquor and it didn’t take much to get me drunk, not to mention I was one of those people who blacked out if I drank too much. Not passed out, but conscious and sometimes belting out old rock songs. At least, that’s what Naya told me, as did a girl I used to party with when I was younger. That’s why I avoided binge drinking.
No one needed to hear my rendition of “Feel Like Makin’ Love.”
Still, the conversation had seemed so real.
I was angry and kept hitting the stupid rewind button in my brain, causing me to replay the scene at Dairy Queen. Except in episode two, I got up and cussed him out. By episode three, I told my mom to take Maizy outside and I tore him a new one for walking out of our lives. By four, I managed to get information on where he’d been all this time before slapping him. Somewhere around episode twelve, I started making out with him, and by eighteen, we were having sex all over the hood of his Dodge Challenger.
That’s when I got up and took another shower.


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Welcome Sherry and Tyler! Thank you both so much for joining me today on my blog!

How is it writing as an author duo, compared to writing on your own? Would you say it's easier, harder?

Sherry: In a lot of ways, it’s much easier. Sort of like having a built in critique group you never have to explain anything to. The really tricky thing for us is just scheduling. We do a lot of lunches and emailing.

Tyler: I have really enjoyed writing together. Writing on your own you always have questions if something is good enough, but with Sherry I can just send her an email of the work we are doing and I get a critique phone call that day. Challenges are trying to balance family life and meeting for brainstorming sessions.

What can readers expect from your upcoming novel Extracted?

Sherry: Adventure, fun, a little romance. My favorite thing about it is, you basically give this group of rowdy, unpredictable kids this god-like power and then set them loose. It’s wonderful and terrible at the same time.
Tyler: Hang on to your hats and glasses folks you are getting ready to ride the wildest Steampunk train rides this side of the Mississippi.

Do you each have a favorite quote from Extracted? If so what is it?

Sherry: There’s this great scene with Lex and Stein where they are sparring and he tells her “I like it when you win”. The girly girl in me loves that line.
Tyler: “OH YES…THE LEG…tick, tick, tick…LET’S TALK ABOUT THE LEG. HOW DID YOUR LEG BECOME…tick, tick, tick, DETATCHED FROM YOUR BODY. -Claymore

How would you each describe your main characters, Lex and Ember?

Sherry: Ember is very vulnerable. She’s searching for who she was, kind of always looking back. And though she has this amazing gift and she’s really strong, I think she always feels like the cost for it was just too high. At her core, I think she just wants to be normal.
Tyler: Ember is sensitive but very tough. Lex is a rowdy, cocky, teen boy who has a hard time taking NO for an answer. Failure doesn’t exist in his vocabulary. There is always a solution in his world.

You can each have dinner with ONE of your characters, who do you choose and why?

Sherry: That’s really hard. I’m going to say Ethan. I have a major girl crush on Ethan.
Tyler: I think it would be Stewart Stills. He is an all knowing, mysterious man. I have a lot of questions for him about the Time Stream.

As it gets closer to the release date of Extracted what are you most looking forward to?

Sherry: I just can’t wait to be able to talk about it with people. I’ll crack a joke on the Facebook page and…crickets, because no one gets it yet. I’m like, this joke is going to be a lot funnier after you read the book!

Tyler: It is always interesting how people read into your writing. I like to have discussions about how readers interpret a certain scene when I really didn’t even mean to write it that way.

Welcome to the war.

The Tesla Institute is a premier academy that trains young time travelers called Rifters. Created by Nicola Tesla, the Institute seeks special individuals who can help preserve the time stream against those who try to alter it.

The Hollows is a rogue band of Rifters who tear through time with little care for the consequences. Armed with their own group of lost teens--their only desire to find Tesla and put an end to his corruption of the time stream.

Torn between them are Lex and Ember, two Rifters with no memories of their life before joining the time war.

When Lex’s girlfriend dies during a mission, the only way he can save her is to retrieve the Dox, a piece of tech which allows Rifters to re-enter their own timeline without collapsing the time stream. But the Dox is hidden deep within the Telsa Institute, which means Lex must go into the enemy camp. It’s there he meets Ember, and the past that was stolen from them both comes flooding back.

Now armed with the truth of who they are, Lex and Ember must work together to save the future before the battle for time destroys them both…again.

I'm the author of the YA novel HEXED, slated for publication with Delacorte Press/Random House Children's Books Spring 2014. I'm repped by Adriann Ranta of Wolf Literary Services.

Other random, possibly fun facts about me: I'm a mom to a 3-year-old son, an NICU nurse, an addict of salsa, and an abuser of exclamation marks!!!
Welcome Michelle! Thank you so much for joining us today!

Your debut novel Hexed (which sounds awesome by the way!) comes out in June 2014, what are you looking forward to most as it gets closer to the release date?

I’m really looking forward to getting feedback from readers who aren’t related to me or otherwise inclined to tell me they like the book just so they won’t hurt my feelings. I’m very curious to hear honest, objective thoughts! (Future me reserves the right to slap me for saying that).

I’m also really excited about doing promotion leading up to the release. I’ve never been to a book convention before, but I’m going to RT in May (New Orleans, baby!), and probably BEA later that month. I’ll be the one with the big goofy grin and camera strapped around my neck.

For people who have not heard of your upcoming novel Hexed, can you tell them a bit about it, and why they should read it when it comes out?

HEXED is about a snarky sixteen-year-old cheerleader who is forced into a centuries-old battle between witches and sorcerers only to uncover the first of many dark truths about her life (Dun dun dunnnnnn.) It’s The Craft meets Bring it On, but with more kissing. It comes out June 10th, 2014 from Delacorte Press/Random House Children’s Books. I hope you like it!

If Hexed was not witches and magic, what other paranormal would you have written about? Do you have any other paranormal you would like to someday write a story with?

Chupacabras (I’m thinking a sexy romantic love triangle).

If Hexed was not a Young Adult novel, do you think it would change the story alot? Or would the story play out the same?

It would definitely change the story. I mean, if it were a picture book I’d have to edit out quite a bit of the sexy scenes, at the very least. I’d probably have to reconsider the Jagermeister shots too ;)

Of course if it were an adult novel Indie wouldn’t have to worry nearly so much about her homework, and upsetting her mom would be much less of an earth-shattering issue. But on the other hand the sexy scenes might be a whole lot steamier. *considers life choices*

So I am dying to know, tell us more about this 'sexy stranger' Bishop?!

Bishop’s a bad boy with all the answers and lots of attitude (and tattoos too!). He shows up in Indie’s life when everything is going great and drops a shocking revelation that pretty much ruins her life. Which would be even more annoying if he weren’t so sexy.

I think that’s about all I can give away without spoiling all the fun.

What are you currently working, can you tell us a bit about it?

I’m all over the place lately. I’ve been working on a YA Sci-Fi set in the east coast of Canada that I’m super excited about. I’ve also been working on a spin-off series of HEXED even though I’m not supposed to because it’s way too early in the game to think about that. And then I’ve got 5 chapters on a YA contemporary romance drafted. Basically I haven’t really decided which book I want to fully commit to just yet so I’m getting my feet wet with a few different ideas. I hope I get to share one of them with readers one day!

Thanks for having me on your blog! xo --Michelle

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Release Date: June 10th 2014

If high school is all about social status, Indigo Blackwood has it made. Sure, her quirky mom owns an occult shop, and a nerd just won’t stop trying to be her friend, but Indie is a popular cheerleader with a football-star boyfriend and a social circle powerful enough to ruin everyone at school. Who wouldn’t want to be her?

Then a guy dies right before her eyes. And the dusty old family Bible her mom is freakishly possessive of is stolen. But it’s when a frustratingly sexy stranger named Bishop enters Indie’s world that she learns her destiny involves a lot more than pom-poms and parties. If she doesn’t get the Bible back, every witch on the planet will die. And that’s seriously bad news for Indie, because according to Bishop, she’s a witch too.

Suddenly forced into a centuries-old war between witches and sorcerers, Indie’s about to uncover the many dark truths about her life—and a future unlike any she ever imagined on top of the cheer pyramid.

Helen Keeble is not, and never has been, a vampire. She has however been a teenager. She grew up partly in America and partly in England, which has left her with an unidentifiable accent and a fondness for peanut butter crackers washed down with a nice cup of tea. She now lives in West Sussex, England, with her husband, daughter, two cats, and a variable number of fish. To the best of her knowledge, none of the fish are undead.
What three words would you use to describe your just released novel No Angel?

LOLtastic, irreverent, and fun!
(as you may be able to guess, it is not exactly your typical dramatic, angst-ridden angel romance)

What was the hardest part while writing No Angel?

Working out “the rules” for the angels and demons. There were so many fascinating yet conflicting Christian traditions to mine for ideas! I spent a long time reading some quite hilarious medieval texts about angels, picking out the weirdest bits to use in NO ANGEL.

And when I say weird… well, I think this image speaks for itself:

Ladies, wouldn’t you just LOVE to have a sexy angelic flaming-wheel-with-eyes for a boyfriend?

…No, me neither.

For people who have not met him, how would you introduce Rafael?

He’s just your typical straight teenage guy – easy going, good at heart but kind of lazy, and absolutely desperate to appear cool to girls. Of course, while he’s trying to come across as Mr. Suave, he’s inwardly freaking out that they can all tell he’s really a complete dork.

Oh, and he’s also has a small, embarrassing problem with an inconvenient halo. Like I said, just your typical guy.

If Jane Greene from your novel Fang Girl, was to meet Rafael from your newest novel No Angel, how do you think they would react to each other?

Jane would take one look at Rafael, and think he was a complete tool. If pressed, she might grudgingly concede that he is at least decorative.

I’m sad to say that Rafael, for his part, would probably not even notice Jane. He’d be too busy trying (and failing) to chat up the nearest hot blonde.

What are you currently working on, can you tell us a bit about it?

Having now done comedic twists on vampire drama and angel romances, I’m now working on a comedic dystopian. No, really. It’s called ESCAPING UTOPIA, and it’s a send-up of all those grim and gritty books where The Government controls X! And Y is banned! But one super-special teenager accidentally escapes the system…

In the far-future, post-apocalyptic-and-rebuilt world of ESCAPING UTOPIA, inter-human relationships aren’t exactly banned, but they’re regarded as barbaric and just plain icky. Instead, everyone lives hedonistic lives of utter bliss with their government-assigned android Soulmate, a robot perfectly designed to meet your every need. Naturally, one super-special teenager escapes this hideous fate - much to his dismay! But when Adam’s assigned Soulmate turns out to be more interested in killing him than making him happy, there’s got to be something seriously wrong with either her, or him… or possibly the entire world.

Also, there’s a bubblegum-pink battle robot named Candi, who just wants to be friends with everyone. I’m having a lot of fun writing this book!

Thanks for attending the Paranormal Ball today Helen!

Excerpt

So I was, for want of a better word, an angel, possibly with a holy mission to protect the world from the forces of evil. Obviously there was one thing I had to do as soon as possible.
The next morning I got up at the crack of dawn, liberated a helmet from the communal bike shed, and set off to learn how to fly. A half-hour hike found me a nice wide clearing in the woods, well away from the school buildings. With a last glance around to check for onlookers, I shrugged my wings out. Early morning mist scurried along the ground as I lofted them to full vertical extension, the glowing pinions reaching for the sky like outstretched hands. I crouched, looked up, and took a deep breath. “Okay,” I said softly, and swept my wings down.
It was a good thing I’d worn a helmet.
“Right,” I muttered to myself, spitting out dirt. “Less sideways, more up.”
After another ten minutes of running, leaping, and rather unangelic swearing, I was still resolutely earthbound. I brushed the mud off my knees, scowling. Maybe what I needed was motivation. I’d certainly had plenty last night. Unfortunately, I didn’t think Faith would appreciate her own guardian angel pushing her out a window, not even in the interests of science. And I wasn’t quite confident enough in my wings to want to throw myself out of a window, either.
I crouched down in a sprinter’s stance and squeezed my eyes. Just think of all the things I’d be able to do once I mastered flight. I’d be able to confirm my suspicions about the true threat to the school. I’d be able to save Faith if she fell again. I’d be able to sneak out in the evening and find the nearest pub-
“Oh my God,” said a voice behind me.
I leapt into the air in alarm — literally. A short mid-teens girl in a baggy cardigan and unflattering glasses stood frozen in the bracken, staring at up me with her mouth hanging open. “You’re… you’re an angel,” she said.
As I was hovering six feet above her on glowing, slowly-beating wings, this did not seem like something I could deny. The rising sun highlighted the girl’s tear-tracked face and red eyes. She took a hesitant step forward, holding up a hand to shield herself from my light. “Who are you?” she breathed.
With my head backlit by my incandescent feathers, she must not have been able to make out my features. If only I could get away quickly, she need never know my identity. “Yes, I am an angel,” I said in the deepest voice I could manage, while frantically trying to work out how to go up. I wobbled dangerously in the air. “Sent from Heaven to, uh…” “Smite the wicked?” the girl suggested hopefully. She sniffed, swiping her sleeve across her nose. “Because I can totally give you a list. Starting with that bitch Joanne.”
“Er, no.” What the hell did angels talk about? Half-remembered bits of the few Christmas services my dad had forced me to attend drifted up out of my memory. “I come bearing Good News! For unto you a child shall be born!”
The girl stared at me. She did not look like she considered this to be Glad Tidings.
No Angel by Helen Keeble is now out in stores or online
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Rafael Angelos just got handed the greatest gift any teenage boy could ever dream of. Upon arriving at his new boarding school for senior year, he discovered that he is the ONLY male student. But what should have been a godsend isn't exactly heaven on Earth.

Raffi's about to learn that St. Mary's is actually a hub for demons-and that he was summoned to the school by someone expecting him to save the day. Raffi knows he's no angel-but it's pretty hard to deny that there's some higher plan at work when he wakes up one morning to discover a glowing circle around his head.

Helen Keeble's debut novel, Fang Girl, has been praised for its pitch-perfect teen voice, and VOYA called it "refreshing and reminiscent of Louise Rennison's Confessions of Georgia Nicolson series." No Angel brings you angels and demons like you've never seen them-complete with the wry humor of Vladimir Tod, sinfully irreverent romance, and some hilariously demonic teenage dilemmas.

Jessica Shirvington is the author of THE VIOLET EDEN CHAPTERS also known as THE EMBRACE SERIES, and stand alone novel, BETWEEN THE LIVES. An entrepreneur, author, and mother living in Sydney, Australia, Jessica is also a 2011 finalist for Cosmopolitan’s annual Fun, Fearless Female Award. She’s also one of the lucky few who met the love of her life at age seventeen: Matt Shirvington, a former Olympian and current sports broadcaster for FOXTEL and Sky News. Married for twleve years with two beautiful daughters, Sienna and Winter, Jessica knows her early age romance and its longevity has definitely contributed to how she tackles relationships in her YA novels.

Welcome Jessica! Thank you so much for being apart of the Paranormal Ball, I am so happy to have you here today!

Thanks Haley!

Now, I have yet to meet Lincoln or Phoenix (although I plan on meeting them VERY soon), for those of us who have yet to meet them, how would you describe them?

Focused would be a word I would use for both of them but that is about where it stops. Lincoln is committed and often selfless and self sacrificing. His priorities are his duties and protecting his partner, Violet, to the point that he will often deny himself and Violet the very thing they both want the most. For Phoenix, who is a dark exiled angel, his priorities are often more self centred. He can be downright selfish at times, but underneath that is a heart that is do desperate to find and give love that it is heartbreaking.

What would you say you love most about your main character Violet?

She grows. She makes mistakes and some of them are pretty major, but she actually learns from the and moves ahead. She takes responsibility for her actions and is able to reflect and see where she has gone wrong. She becomes a warrior in the books, she does not begin as one.

If Sabine from your novel Between the Lives, were to meet Violet, how do you think they would react to each other?

Not too well I would guess. Their lives are so polar opposite. In some ways I think they would be sympathetic to each others problems but at the same time I think they would likely collide in the personality department.

Empower, the final book in your Violet Eden series release date is coming up, How do you hope your readers will feel with the ending of the series, and is their any lessons you hope they will take from the series?

I just have my fingers crossed that readers will feel it is the right place to end. It was really important to me not to drag the series out for the wrong reasons. I wanted to finish it when I felt Violet's story had come to the right end. As for lessons, I'm not teaching any. I just want people to enjoy the journey and felt satisfied that their time has been well spent when they reach the final page.

Last question, What are you currently working on, and can you tell us a bit about it?

I've been doing the final proofreads for EMPOWER and am in the early stages of an edit of a new two book series which is coming out early 2014 called DISRUPTION (which is a very different story again!). I'm really excited about that and once I have the edit completed on that, I will be working on its sequel.

On her 17th birthday, everything will change for Violet Eden. The boy she loves will betray her. Her enemy will save her. She will have to decide just how much she's willing to sacrifice.

Dangerously exciting and darkly romantic, EMBRACE is a compelling novel of good and evil, seductive desires and impossible choices. A centuries old war between fallen angels and the protectors of humanity chooses a new fighter. It's a battle Violet doesn't want, but she lives her life by two rules: don't run and don't quit. If angels seek vengeance and humans are the warriors, you could do a lot worse than betting on Violet Eden.

LINCOLN: He's been Violet's one anchor, her running partner and kickboxing trainer. Only he never told her he's Grigori--part human, part angel--and that he was training her for an ancient battle between Angels and Exiles.

PHOENIX: No one knows where his loyalties lie, yet he's the only one there to pick up the pieces and protect her after Lincoln's lies. In a world of dark and light, he is all shades of gray.

Two sides: Angel or Exile.
Two guys: Lincoln or Phoenix.
The wrong choice could cost not only her life, but her eternity...

S.J. Harper is the pen name for the writing team of Samantha Sommersby and Jeanne C. Stein, two friends who met at Comic-Con in San Diego and quickly bonded over a mutual love of good wine, edgy urban fantasy, and everything Joss Whedon.

How is it writing as an author duo, compared to writing on your own? Would you say it's easier, harder?

Samantha: Easier? Harder? A bit of both. Harder in that we have to do more up-front preparation. It’s very important that Jeanne and I are on the same page. Easier in that I have a partner to brainstorm with and bounce ideas off of. Once the prep work is done, the writing goes very fast. I’ll let Jeanne talk more about our process.

Jeanne: As Sam said, we have to plot pretty extensively before we start writing. We know our characters, down to gathering pictures of how we think they look, where they live, their backgrounds, their tribulations. Then we start talking plot, A to Z, so that the next step is actually breaking those ideas down scene-by-scene. Once there, we divide the scenes up, write them, exchange and tweak them, and go on to the next. We work our way through the manuscript that way. We actually only get together two or three times a year to work in person.

What can readers expect from your recently released novel Cursed?

Samantha: Vengeful Greek Gods, a Siren turned FBI agent, a hunky Alpha Were, a smoking hot 2000-year-old, a mystery to solve, and some sizzling sex scenes.

Jeanne: Here’s the pitch we used to sell the series:

Without a Trace meets Angel, only this Angel is an age-old Siren turned FBI Agent who is cursed by a vindictive goddess and partnered with a hunky alpha werewolf. In search of redemption for past sins, they use the powers of seduction and strength, along with their knowledge of the supernatural and good old-fashioned detective work to rescue victims, bring Big Bads to justice, and capture one another’s hearts.

At the core, it’s urban fantasy—there’s a mystery to solve, plenty of action and suspense, and a romance arc, which will play out over the course of the series.

Do you each have a favorite excerpt from Cursed? If so what is it?

Samantha:
Today is the last day of Dragon*Con, an amazing convention that happens every year in Atlanta over Labor Day weekend. As I ducked into the ladies room between panels, I hear someone in there speaking to someone on their cell phone—huge pet peeve of mine. Really? You can’t wait two minutes to call your friend, boss, husband…whoever? I immediately flashed on this scene from CURSED:

“Is that running water I hear? You’re not calling me from the ladies’ room, are you? Just because you can take a cell phone everywhere doesn’t mean you should.”
“I’m running late.” I turn off the water, step into the tub, and settle back against the bath pillow. “That was the bath running.”
The water is so hot that steam is rising. I close my eyes and for a second everything melts away. I can’t help myself—a contented sigh escapes my lips.
“Emma?”
“Hmm?”
“Are you telling me you’re in the bath?”
“Focus on the question, Zack.”
“I’m trying,” he says. Then after a beat, “I could have focused just fine if you’d told me you were in the kitchen, doing dishes.”
“Okay, I’m in the kitchen doing dishes.”
“Too late. What was the question?”
“Guess what happened to Barakov’s first wife?”
“The charm of being married to one of the Keebler elves wore off and she went in search of a real boy?”
“You’re making fun of him because he’s short? I thought you told Barakov flaws were interesting.”
“Unless you’re an asshole. Then they’re fair game.”
“She disappeared, Zack. Went missing seven years ago without a trace.”
“Ho-ly shit!”
I smile.


Jeanne: I thought I might share a little of what Emma faces as a cursed siren. Love is forbidden to her and when she finds herself being attracted to Zack, Demeter quickly intervenes.

Demeter comes to me in a dream. She’s standing in my garden, dressed in a long gown that sparkles, its fabric sheer and woven from ice crystals. Everything about her is ice—from her translucent alabaster skin to her piercing cobalt eyes to her stark white hair, flowing past her waist and tinged with frost. She holds a sword in one hand, a severed head in the other. Blood from it drips onto the pristine pile of snow that has formed at her feet, staining it.
“Do you know who this is, Ligea?” she asks, turning the head so I can see the face.
No matter what name I currently use, Demeter always calls me by the first.
My stomach knots. “Yes,” I whisper, head bowed.
“His fate was in your hands. You had a choice. You made the wrong one. You betrayed him with your lust.”
“Not lust,” I cry, tears streaming from my eyes. “Love. He was my husband. I loved him.”
“Silence! You haven’t earned the right to love.” Demeter’s voice thunders into the night, her sparking anger splits the darkness like lightening. “You and your sisters lost that right when you lost my daughter.”
“But you got Persephone back.” Even as the words fall from my lips, I know I’ve made a mistake. We’ve been here before; she and I. You’d think I would have learned by now. I should never challenge Demeter.
The Goddess grows still. “You’d be wise to remember who you are talking to, Ligea,” she says, the soft tone of her voice more frightening than if she’d been yelling. “Or I may add another head to my trophy shelf.” A cold smile turns her features into stone as a thin layer of ice and frost forms outward from the edges of her gown, covering her skin.
She holds the head up once again. She turns it so I can see the face. A scream rips out of my throat.
This time, the head she holds is Zack’s.


What are you currently working on, can you tell us a bit about it?

Samantha: Jeanne and I are just finishing up Book 2 of the Fallen Siren Series – not yet titled. The deadline is September 15th and we’ll definitely be finished before that, which is a blessing. We’re planning to move right into plotting Book 3 and hope to have that proposal ready to pitch to our editor before the holidays.

Jeanne: In Book Two, Emma and Zack find themselves embroiled in another case with supernatural overtones. This time it’s missing high school girls from different areas in Southern California who seem to have nothing in common—until it’s discovered they all have big bank accounts. In the midst of trying to unravel the mystery, Zack and Emma become entangled with political tensions in the vampire and Were worlds. Not to mention the struggles they face in their relationship with one another. With so much uncertainty, Zack and Emma come to realize the only thing they can REALLY count on is one another…or can they?

Thank you so much for attending the Paranormal Ball today Samantha and Jeanne!
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Meet FBI Agents Emma Monroe and Zack Armstrong. She's cursed. He's damned. Together, they make one hell of a team.

Emma Monroe is a Siren, cursed by the gods and bound to earth to atone for an ancient failure. She’s had many names and many lives, but only one mission: redemption. Now that she works missing persons cases for the FBI, it could be just a rescue away. Unless her new partner leads her astray.

Special Agent Zack Armstrong just transferred into the San Diego Field Office. He’s a werewolf, doing his best to beat back the demons from his dark and dangerous past. As a former Black Ops sniper, he’s taken enough lives. Now he’s doing penance by saving them.

Emma and Zack’s very first case draws them deep into the realm of the paranormal, and forces them to use their own supernatural abilities. But that leaves each of them vulnerable, and there are lines partners should not cross. As secrets are revealed and more women go missing, one thing becomes clear: as they race to save the victims, Emma and Zack risk losing themselves.

Victoria Scott is a teen fiction writer represented by Sara Crowe. She's the author of THE COLLECTOR trilogy (Entangled Teen) and the FIRE & FLOOD series (Scholastic). Victoria lives in Dallas with her husband and hearts cotton candy something fierce.
Welcome Victoria! Thank you so much for joining us today, can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I'll tell you three things: I love onions on my hot dog, yellow ballet flats, and the first cool day in fall.

How does your Dante Walker series differ to other angel/demon novels?

It differs in that the demon is the one telling the story, and that the hero (as opposed to the heroin) is the main character.

For those who have not yet met Dante, how would you describe him?

Cocky, sexy, bad.

Can you tell us about your upcoming novel Fire & Flood set to release in Febuary of 2014?

Yes! It's a modern day thriller (not a dystopian), and features Contenders racing for something called the Cure. Each Contender gets a animal companion called a Pandora to help them in the race.

If Dante from your Dante Walker series met Tella from your upcoming novel Fire & Flood, how do you think they would react to each other?

Dante would try to seal Tella's soul, but he'd have a hard time because she's a sweetie. Tella would totally want to make out with Dante, though.

Thanks for joining us at the paranormal ball today Victoria!
He makes good girls...bad.
Dante Walker is flippin’ awesome, and he knows it. His good looks, killer charm, and stellar confidence have made him one of hell’s best—a soul collector. His job is simple: weed through humanity and label those round rears with a big red good or bad stamp. Old Saint Nick gets the good guys, and he gets the fun ones. Bag-and-tag.

Sealing souls is nothing personal. Dante’s an equal-opportunity collector and doesn't want it any other way. But he’ll have to adjust, because Boss Man has given him a new assignment: Collect Charlie Cooper’s soul within ten days.

Dante doesn't know why Boss Man wants Charlie, nor does he care. This assignment means only one thing to him, and that’s a permanent ticket out of hell. But after Dante meets the quirky Nerd Alert chick he’s come to collect, he realizes this assignment will test his abilities as a collector…and uncover emotions deeply buried.

Tella Holloway is losing it. Her brother is sick, and when a dozen doctors can't determine what's wrong, her parents decide to move to Montana for the fresh air. She's lost her friends, her parents are driving her crazy, her brother is dying—and she's helpless to change anything.

Until she receives mysterious instructions on how to become a Contender in the Brimstone Bleed. It's an epic race across jungle, desert, ocean, and mountain that could win her the prize she desperately desires: the Cure for her brother's illness. But all the Contenders are after the Cure for people they love, and there's no guarantee that Tella (or any of them) will survive the race.

The jungle is terrifying, the clock is ticking, and Tella knows she can't trust the allies she makes. And one big question emerges: Why have so many fallen sick in the first place?

Ryan Graudin has been a case study for wanderlust ever since her first trip to London. She lives with her husband in Charleston, South Carolina, and is always searching for the next adventure.
For people who have not heard of your upcoming novel All That Glows, can you tell them a bit about it, and why they should read it when it comes out?

ALL THAT GLOWS is a paranormal novel set in present-day Britain. The main character, Emrys, is a Fae who has been guarding the royal family against soul feeders (dark spirits who sustain their existence off of human lives.) Her newest charge, the notoriously partying bad-boy Prince Richard is her biggest challenge yet. Every night he unwittingly exposes himself to the dangers of the Green Women and the Banshees who prowl London's pubs and nightclubs. But the stakes climb higher than this, when a palace murder unveils a much larger plot to bring down the monarchy altogether. Emrys must hunt through London's magical underworld to uncover the one who threatens Prince Richard's life, all while fighting her own growing emotions for him. In this chaos of assassins and paparazzi, Emrys finds herself facing an impossible choice. For despite all her powers, she has discovered a force that burns brighter than magic: love.

Although it's officially a paranormal romance, ALL THAT GLOWS skews a bit more on the side of hard fantasy than most. I think it will appeal to fans of traditional fantasy and British lore. Also to those who love their romance! If you fall into any of those categories, I'd recommend ALL THAT GLOWS for you.

What made you want to write a story with Fae, compared to other paranormal beings? (vampires, werewolves, etc

At the time I started writing it, there weren't too many huge Fae books. The ones that were out focused more on the Seelie courts and the land of Fae as a place. The Fae of ALL THAT GLOWS are a bit different. They've always inhabited our world, and this causes a big source of tension between them and the mortals (despite the fact that the mortals don't know they exist). I loved the idea of writing about powerful women and playing with the concept of immortality. I was also fascinated with the idea of how Fae would cope in our very modern world of technology (in the novel, the Fae are made sick by the presence of machinery and electricity). If you were immortal and all-powerful, how would you face a world that was no longer yours? A decaying world that made you ill?

I also really wanted to play around with the conceit of the "Fairy Godmother," which is how the royal side of things came in to play!

If you were to have dinner with one of your characters who would you choose, and why?

Well, I would choose Emrys, but she doesn't really eat much on accounts of being immortal. It would probably be a bit awkward to be the only one chowing down (though she would make for some fascinating historical table talk). I'd have to go with Prince Richard. We'd probably meet in a pub, have some baskets of fish and chips. I would make him do most of the talking so I could listen to that accent!

As it gets closer to the release date of All That Glows what are you most looking forward to?

It's been a dream of mine for a long time to see a book of mine on a bookstore shelf. I think what I'm most looking forward to is walking into a Barnes and Noble and seeing my story on the shelves. I also think it would be really cool if I got to see someone reading it "in the wild."

What can your future readers expect from All That Glows?

Expect a story with strong women and night clubs and a prince who doesn't know his place. Expect a story about huntresses who only wear green, Earl Grey tea and Eton boys. Expect a story about prophetic ravens, paparazzi and polo matches. Expect a story about love and sacrifice.

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Emrys—a fiery, red-headed Fae—always embraced her life in the Highlands, far from the city’s draining technology, until she’s sent to London to rejoin the Faery Guard. But this isn’t any normal assignment—she’s sent to guard Prince Richard: Britain’s notorious, partying bad boy and soon-to-be King. The prince’s careless ways and royal blood make him the irresistible for the dark spirits that feed on mortals. Sweet, disheveled, and alive with adventure—Richard is one charge who will put Emrys’s magic and heart to the test.

When an ancient force begins preying on the monarchy, Emrys must hunt through the London’s magical underworld, facing down Banshees, Black Dogs and Green Women to find the one who threatens Richard’s life. In this chaos of dark magic, palace murders and paparazzi, Emrys finds herself facing an impossible choice. For despite all her powers, Emrys has discovered a force that burns brighter than magic: love.

The restroom is empty, with one obvious exception. A pair of forest-green stilettos peeks out from the bottom of the final stall. My heart flutters at the sight. I practically fly the distance and wrench the door open.
The prince leans against the side of the stall, head wreathed in obscene graffiti and eyes half closed with the weight of his evening drinks. The second Green Woman lurks close; her pale hair spills across his chest as she leans in. Her head jerks around when the door opens, eyes lit dark with rage. When she sees me, all the beauty of her flesh melts away. Her pink skin withers to a sickly greenish gray, like some corpse frozen in the depths of a peat bog. The teeth beneath her mottled lips grow ragged, meant for tearing tendon from bone. She hisses and grips her prey with long, ratty fingernails.
Although I’ve fought Green Women before, this one’s ghoulish grin is unnerving. I have to look at Richard and see the smooth, unblemished skin of his throat to remember why I’m here.
I launch myself between her and the prince. At the same moment she lunges, grungy teeth aimed for Richard’s throat. I catch the bite with my shoulder, gasping with shock as the pain lances my bone. The force of my body throws the prince onto the toilet, far from the Green Woman’s reach. He blinks slowly; his jaw grows slack at what he sees.
The Green Woman shrieks with frustration as she pulls away from me. Dark blood coats her teeth and stains her lips. Her feral eyes wheel to where the prince is slouched over the toilet. There’s intense, desperate hunger behind her gaze. She’d do anything to have him.