Read 'Em & Reap Blog Hop: The Reaper's Rite series

I've been invited to join the Read 'Em & Reap Blog Hop by author Lisa Medley. The blog hop takes a look at tons of cool reaper stories, just in time for Halloween. Take a look through the links and meet your next favorite scary book!

For my part of the hop, I'll be answering Lisa's questions about my books. I've also included an excerpt from MY SISTER'S REAPER to pique your interest, in case you haven't had a chance to give my books a look. Leave a comment telling me who your favorite supernatural creature is for your chance to win paperback copies of My Sister's Reaper and My Tethered Soul! There's also a rafflecopter you just can't miss out on!

Lisa: What first piqued your interest in writing about reapers?

Dorothy: All books need a bad guy, right? When I developed the concept of my protagonist, I had to make sure I picked a worthy antagonist. Zadie, in the Reaper's Rite series, is a Vila—half witch/half faery. She can make things happen, like magical willpower. I needed a creature or being that would match her power and challenge her. I figured a grim reaper would be a pretty challenging being.

Lisa: What makes your reaper different?

Dorothy: What sets my reapers apart from others lies within the Reaper's Rite—a contract made between a witch and a Reaper Lord centuries ago. Not only do the reapers in my books take the souls of deceased humans, but they also crave the souls of Vila. Vila have something special in their blood that makes them more appealing to my reapers.

Lisa: Are your reapers Heroes or Villains?

Dorothy: Big time villains, and creepy as heck!

Excerpt from MY SISTER'S REAPER, Book One in the Reaper's Rite series

I almost didn’t see her. The room was still, and I’d turned to head up the stairs. But something by the kitchen island caught my eye. Something that shouldn’t have been there. A shoe. Mara’s leg, sticking out from behind the counter. I circled the island to find out why she was sitting on the floor and came face to face with a large knife.

Mara was in a tank top, running the serrated blade in a slow line near her shoulder. The cut ran just along the surface of her skin, blood oozing from the broken skin and staining her top. I gasped, and Mara looked up at me with a tear-streaked face.

I dropped to my knees and grabbed her hand. “Mara!”

“I have to.” She pulled away, stronger than I thought. “He wants the pain.”

“Stop it! You don’t have to do this!”

She twisted away from me, her eyes wild as she dug the knife into her shoulder. This time deeper. Lines of red ran down her arm. I grabbed her wrist and used all my might to separate the knife from her skin. She screamed, her teeth bared like some kind of untamed animal. My eyes darted around the room, searching for unusually dark shadows.

I felt desperate, my voice pleading when I said, “Mara, I’m trying to help you.”

“I need more time!”

“Just let go of the knife!”

“You don’t know what he wants from me! You have no idea!”

My Sister's Reaper

My Tethered Soul

a Rafflecopter giveaway

An InLinkz Link-up

4 for Friday Blitz!

Welcome to the 4 for Friday Blitz for Predator by Janice Gable Bashman, Into the Fire by Ashelyn Drake, Boneseeker by Brynn Chapman, and The Emissary by Kristal Shaff, presented by Month9Books!

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post.

“Predator is a fast-paced, creepy page-turner! Bashman had me at the opening sentence and she’s still got me. I want more!”

Nancy Holder, New York Times Bestselling Author, The Rules

The hunt is on!

Sixteen-year-old Bree Sunderland must inject herself with an untested version of her father’s gene therapy to become a werewolf in order to stop a corrupt group of mercenaries from creating a team of unstoppable lycanthrope soldiers.

When Bree went with her scientist father to Ireland, she thought it would be a vacation to study bog bodies. She never expected to fall in love with a mysterious young Irishman and certainly never expected to become the kind of monster her father said only existed in nightmares. Dr. Sunderland discovers that lycanthropy was not a supernatural curse but rather a genetic mutation. When they return home, her dad continues his research, but the military wants to turn that research into a bio weapons program and rogue soldiers want to steal the research to turn themselves into unstoppable killing machines.

Bree’s boyfriend Liam surprises her with a visit to the United States, but there are darker surprises in store for both of them. As evil forces hunt those she loves, Bree must become an even more dangerous hunter to save them all.

Predator gives the werewolf legend a couple of new spins by introducing the Benandanti (an actual folkloric belief that certain families of Italy and Livonia were werewolves who fought against evil), as well as a modern scientific approach to mutation and the science of transgenics.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Chapters Indigo! | TBD | iBooks

Janice Gable Bashman is the Bram Stoker nominated author of Wanted Undead or Alive and Predator. She is managing editor of the The Big Thrill (International Thriller Writers’ ezine). Janice lives with her family in the Philadelphia area, where she at work on her next novel. Visit her at janicegablebashman.com.

Author Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Seventeen-year-old Cara Tillman’s life is a perfectly normal one until Logan Schmidt moves to Ashlan Falls. Cara is inexplicably drawn to him, but she’s not exactly complaining. Logan’s like no boy she’s ever met, and he brings out a side of Cara that she isn’t used to. As the two get closer, everything is nearly perfect, and Cara looks forward to the future.

But Cara isn’t a normal girl. She’s a member of a small group of people descended from the mythical phoenix bird, and her time is running out. Rebirth is nearing, which means she’ll forget her life up to this point—she’ll forget Logan and everything they mean to one another.. But that may be the least of Cara’s problems.

A phoenix hunter is on the loose, and he’s determined to put an end to the lives of people like Cara and her family, once and for all.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Chapters Indigo! | TBD | iBooks

Ashelyn Drake is a New Adult and Young Adult romance author. While it’s rare for her

not to have either a book in hand or her fingers flying across a laptop, she also enjoys spending time with her family. She believes you are never too old to enjoy a good swing set and there’s never a bad time for some dark chocolate. She is represented by Sarah Negovetich of Corvisiero Literary Agency.

Author Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Arabella Holmes was born different and raised different. After it became apparent she wouldn’t fit the role of a proper 1900′s lady, her father, Sherlock, called in some lingering favors, and landed her a position at the Mutter Museum. The museum was Arabella’s dream; she was to become a purveyor of abnormal science. What her father called a BoneSeeker.

Henry Watson arrives at the Mutter Museum with a double assignment–to become a finder of abnormal antiquities and to watch over and keep Arabella Holmes. An easy task, if he could only get her to speak to him instead of throwing knives in his general direction.

But this is no time for child’s play. The two teens are assigned to a most secret exploration, when the hand of a Nephilim is unearthed in upstate New York. Soon, Arabella and Henry are caught in a fight for their lives as scientific debate swirls around them. Are the bones from a Neanderthal … or are they living proof of fallen angels, who supposedly mated with humans according to ancient scrolls?

Sent to recover the skeleton, they discover they are the second team to have been deployed and the entire first team is dead. And now they must trust their instincts and rely on one another in order to survive and uncover the truth.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Chapters Indigo!

Born and raised in western Pennsylvania, Brynn Chapman is the daughter of two teachers. Her writing reflects her passions: science, history and love—not necessarily in that order. In real life, the geek gene runs strong in her family, as does the Asperger’s syndrome. Her writing reflects her experience as a pediatric therapist and her interactions with society’s downtrodden. In fiction, she’s a strong believer in underdogs and happily-ever-afters. She also writes non-fiction and lectures on the subjects of autism and sensory integration and is a medical contributor to online journal The Age of Autism.

Author Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

For hundreds of years, dark clouds covered the skies of Adamah, and an ageless king ruled. Those who emerged with one of six extraordinary Shay powers were forced into the king’s army, an unmatched force with inhuman Strength, Speed, Accuracy, Perception, Empathy, and Healing. With the army behind him, the king—a man who wields all six abilities—was invincible and unquestioned in his rule. To most, serving the king was an honor. But for others, it was a fate worse than death.

When seventeen-year-old Nolan Trividar witnesses the transformation of his brother from kind to cruel after entering the king’s army, he vows never to follow the same path.

So when his own power—the Shay of Accuracy—comes upon him at the Tournament of Awakening, Nolan conceals his emergence instead of joining the king’s ranks. For years, he traitorously hides his power, pretending to be only a gifted scribe. But when Nolan comes face -to-face with a deserter, the man discovers his secret.

To evade detection and a death sentence, Nolan escapes with the deserter and flees into a night filled with dark creatures who steal both powers and souls. He joins a resistance, a village hidden deep in the forest, filled with others who secretly wield a Shay. But his peace is short-lived when they discover that the dark clouds, undead creatures, their own decreasing powers, and even the king, are all connected.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Chapters Indigo! | TBD | IndieBound

Kristal Shaff grew up with books (and used to drive her mom crazy when she wouldn’t leave the library); her first job was even shelving books at the library. She loves anything creative, and you can often find her exploring strange and fantastical worlds in her choices of movies and fantasy fiction. Kristal resides in Iowa with her farmer husband, numerous pets, and 3 awesome kids (plus one more on the way though the journey of adoption). When she isn’t writing, she is a professional face painter who enjoys making children smile.

Author Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Complete the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Interview With Author Kelly Hashway

Today we are so happy to welcome pub sister and all around awesome person, Kelly Hashway! Kelly's newest book, a Middle Grade Adventure entitled CURSE OF THE GRANVILLE FORTUNE, just released and she is here to answer a few questions.

Kelly Hashway grew up reading R.L. Stein’s Fear Street novels and writing stories of her own, so it was no surprise to her family when she majored in English and later obtained a masters degree in English Secondary Education from East Stroudsburg University. After teaching middle school language arts for seven years, Hashway went back to school and focused specifically on writing. She is now the author of three young adult series, one middle grade series, and several picture books. She also writes contemporary romance under the pen name Ashelyn Drake. When she isn’t writing, Hashway works as a freelance editor for small presses as well as for her own list of clients. In her spare time, she enjoys running, traveling, and volunteering with the PTO. Hashway currently resides in Pennsylvania with her husband, daughter, and two pets.

               

Howdy, Kelly! Welcome back to We Do Write! Tell us about CURSE OF THE GRANVILLE FORTUNE.

Find the fortune, break the curse!

The hunt is on for an ancient treasure tied to nine-year-old J.B.'s family history. He's been having visions that make him sweaty, lightheaded, and certain he’s turning into some kind of freak—or worse, going insane. But things are worse than he imagined. The visions stem from a family curse. An ancient ancestor was accused of stealing the massive Granville fortune, and now J.B.’s entire family will suffer.

To break the curse, J.B. must find and return the Granville’s stolen property. But he's not the only one searching for the treasure. As he sets out on his journey through a dark and foreboding forest, he'll battle his worst fears and fight terrifying creatures along the way. And when he meets two others who share the missing pieces of his visions and suffer from the same curse, the three soon realize they need to work together to break the curse before it's too late.

          

               

So fun! In CURSE OF THE GRANVILLE FORTUNE, your main character is a middle-school aged boy. Did you have any trouble identifying with him?

Oddly enough, no. Even though J.B. is a boy, I really identified with him. Like a lot of kids his age, he worries that he’s different, a freak even. I think we all have felt that way at some time or another. J.B. struggles to find himself and protect the people he cares about, and the fact that he has mind-numbing visions makes everything that much more difficult. While I’ve never had visions, I do believe in ESP and think kids are more in tune with it than adults.

What challenges did you face writing this story?

This was the first book I didn’t write linearly. I wrote the final chapter first, and then went back to the climax, and then to the beginning. I was all over the place because there were key scenes I needed to get down in order to tie all the pieces of the puzzle together. Once I had them drafted, the rest of the story came much more easily, but it was definitely a challenge to break free from my usual pattern of starting from chapter one and writing to the end.

I also write linearly and would probably feel the same way, if I had to break that mold. Who would you say your biggest influences have been?

I feel like I talk about Rick Riordan a lot, but he was a huge inspiration for this book. The Percy Jackson series was by my side while I wrote Curse of the Granville Fortune. I was constantly rereading my favorite parts of those books to make sure I had the voice and pacing right for middle grade readers. I owe Riordan a big thanks for mentoring me through his novels, so to speak.

Tell us something most people don’t know about you? Any unusual hobbies, interests, talents?

I’m such an open book I’m not sure what I haven’t shared online. I can recite the alphabet backwards, I can run a 5K race in 18 minutes, my fingernails grow insanely fast, and I was 34 before I ever dyed my hair. How’s that?

I know you have quite a few published books under your belt, but think back to the beginning and tell us a bit about your journey to publication. What was your experience?

Curse of the Granville Fortune was actually the book I queried agents with. It wasn’t the first book picked up by a publisher though because I ended up going out on submission with my YA novels first. But CotGF did land me my first agent after years of rewriting the book. It went from an adventure story to a fantasy and saw a tense and POV change. Basically, I rewrote EVERYTHING. But it was worth it in the end.

Plotter, or pantser?

Plotter, but the extent to which I plot depends on the book. I have to know the beginning and the end at the very least. Sometimes I’m good with just that. Other times I need pages and pages of notes before I start drafting.

E-books, or hard copies?

Both. I’m always reading two books, one on my Kindle and one paperback or hard cover. I love both formats.

White chocolate, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, or no chocolate?

Dark chocolate! LOVE it.

I'm with you on that one! Is there anyone you would like to thank for supporting you in you journey?

Oh wow, so many people. My family, critique partners, friends, agent, publishing team, my street team, the bloggers who are helping to spread the word about my books, and of course my readers.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy Book Birthday, Talon by Julie Kagawa!

Tomorrow marks the much anticipated release of Talon by Julie Kagawa! Happy (early) book birthday! So excited for this book!

Long ago, dragons were hunted to near extinction by the Order of St. George, a legendary society of dragon slayers. Hiding in human form and growing their numbers in secret, the dragons of Talon have become strong and cunning, and they're positioned to take over the world with humans none the wiser.

Ember and Dante Hill are the only sister and brother known to dragonkind. Trained to infiltrate society, Ember wants to live the teen experience and enjoy a summer of freedom before taking her destined place in Talon. But destiny is a matter of perspective, and a rogue dragon will soon challenge everything Ember has been taught. As Ember struggles to accept her future, she and her brother are hunted by the Order of St. George.

Soldier Garret Xavier Sebastian has a mission to seek and destroy all dragons, and Talon's newest recruits in particular. But he cannot kill unless he is certain he has found his prey: and nothing is certain about Ember Hill. Faced with Ember's bravery, confidence and all-too-human desires, Garret begins to question everything that the Order has ingrained in him: and what he might be willing to give up to find the truth about dragons.