Welcome to DAY TWO of
A Week of Wands, Fangs and Wings - A Paranormal Book Blog Tour!
From August 15-22, we will feature books by EIGHT different authors who write paranormal. What do we mean by paranormal? Well, just as the title implies: wands, fangs, wings and everything in between. Pretty much, if it isn’t real, it might be here. If you enjoy reading all things paranormal, we are about to hand you heaven on a gilded plate. Or, at least, on your e-reader.
What do we have in store for you? Excerpts from cool books. A fun Q&A session with the even-cooler authors who wrote them. A rafflecopter contest in which you could win a total of ELEVEN e-books. Wait, let’s note that again, just for clarification.
Eleven. Books. Free.
Score! The contest closes Thursday at midnight eastern and the winner will be announced Friday evening, so don’t forget to enter. As if you would. In the meantime, let’s learn about Rachel Medhurst and Misti Murphy, and their featured books, The Deadliners and Raven Falling!
Let’s talk to Misti Murphy first. She has lived in a fantasy world most of her life, so it’s no surprise she’s ended up writing paranormal books. We asked Misti a few get-to-know-you questions, and this is what she had to say:
Favorite book genre? Romance, as long as it has some romance to it I’m happy.
Sweet or Spicy? Definitely Spicy, no wait, definitely sweet. I’ll take both please.
Ebook or print? Both have their good points. Ebooks are easier to store. With the amount I read I would be on an episode of Hoarders if it weren’t for ebooks. However, as an author it’s always nice to flip through carefully bound pages.
Hmm… What sort of book do you think Misti writes? Here’s a taste below of Raven Falling:
He handed her two more blades. “I want you to try and hit a moving target.”
“How am I going to do that?” There was nothing here to hit beside the damn trees.
“Aim at me.” Ash was in her face, his big gray eyes solemn as he pressed the blades into her hands.
Raven frowned. “You can’t be serious.”
“Of course I am. I’m going to run and you are going to try and hit me.”
“But what if you get hurt?” she asked, scared she would have to see him bloody, or even dead by the time they were finished. She couldn’t hurt him. He was the only person who knew what she was going through, and she needed him.
“Rae, I’m an Angel remember? I promise you won’t hurt me.” His hands had moved to her shoulders, and he gave them a light squeeze as he tried to assure her everything would be fine.
“I don’t want to.” She shook her head. How could he ask her to do this?
“I know but you have to practice.” He let go of her, running across the clearing, in a zigzagging move, which made it more difficult for her to hit him. He didn’t need to. It was already the hardest thing she had ever had to do.
Raven watched him, as she felt the tears prick her eyes. He looked back at her, encouraging, no demanding she do what he needed her to do. She fought her own body as she slowly raised her arm and aimed at him, following him across the clearing with her eyes. Balancing the blade in her hand she concentrated on her target. It was only two blades. She could do this. She let the first one go, flinging it hard, hearing the almost silent whistle as it hurtled toward him. Shutting her eyes, she didn’t see if the blade had reached its intended target. Taking a deep breath she prepared to throw the next.
He was still running across the clearing, she hadn’t managed to hit him. She pulled herself up, straightening her spine and gripped the handle of her final blade tightly. She slowly brought her arm up, visualizing her target, several feet away from where he had been. Pulling her hand back to her ear she pushed all the strength she could muster into her shoulder and hurled the blade, watching as it spun through the air.
She collapsed to the ground her eyes never leaving the blade as it reached its destination at the exact same time he did. She was sure the blade had hit its mark, when she saw him fall to the ground. She sprinted toward him as he pulled himself up onto his knees. The blade lay in the grass next to him, its tip bent flat. She felt the tears gather and she struggled to hold them back, her relief palpable. She sank down into the grass beside him and pressed her palms to her eyes to keep the tears from escaping.
****
Now let’s talk to Rachel Medhurst. Rachel grew up in Surrey, England. She writes to prove that no matter where you come from, you can be anything you want to be.
Find Rachel at , on facebook at and on twitter @HYPERLINK “https://twitter.com/rachelmedhurst”rachelmedhurst, and check out her interview below:
1. Fave paranormal author? That would have to be Kim Harrison, I love the Rachel Morgan Series.
2. If you weren’t a writer, what would you be? A dancer. I love to dance along to most music.
3. Do you already have an actor in mind to play the hero when your book becomes a movie? Who? – Yes, Gerrard Butler would be Danny… and I would love to help him on set.
4. Writing inspiration? Enid Blyton – Her books made me want to write to give hope and happiness to people.
5. Fave Vampire series? Blackdagger brotherhood. I love this series a lot!
Interesting – and amusing – answers! Let’s check out the excerpt of The Deadliners:
‘Last time we were here, you bargained with me for an extension of six months.’
Nodding, she ignored the burning muscles in her throat. Her feet were firmly planted and her hands were at her side.
‘And the time before that…?’
‘I got the deadline extended for two years.’ She lowered her slender frame onto the grass and leant her back against the cold wall. His shoulders dropped but he stayed standing as he looked down at her.
‘Two years and six months later, here we are again. Are you satisfied that everything’s been done?’
Her head bent back, her bobbed brown hair brushed her shoulders and her eyes landed on the top floor window directly above her. Shaking her head, she let air rush out of her lungs.
‘I’m sorry, Anna, I can’t give you any more time. I’ll give you this though…the rest of today, to spend here, before you come back.’
Her neck snapped forward, her gaze landing on the red cigarette end.
‘Give Mia six months and I’ll give you a whole day.’
The lit end of the cigarette glowed as he sucked the life from the dying tube. She nodded at him and smiled. The corners of his lips lifted as she stood and turned towards the house.
Making her way inside, Anna glanced into the rooms that she passed. The décor was stuck in the eighties. White walls with peach carpets. Glass cabinets and shiny brass handles.
She could hear the television, but she didn’t follow its sound. Her feet carried her up the stairs and into a bedroom. The walls were black with big white circles on them. A bed in the corner had an Aztec patterned throw over it. Bon Jovi posters littered the ceiling, their yellowing edges curling in on themselves. A collection of paperweights sat on a dressing table, trapped in a time that no longer existed. Anna concentrated her energy as she thrust out her arm, swinging it in an arc. The paperweights leapt into the air and thudded onto the wooden floor.
She heard her coming up the stairs, her light footsteps attacking the carpet. Rushing into the room, the grey-haired woman came to a stop. Her eyes landed on the scattered mess on the floor. She ran her hands over her face and knelt on the wood. There was a carrier bag sitting next to the weights. Looking around the room, the woman let tears roll down her cheeks. Picking up the bag, she slowly lowered each weight into it. When she’d finished packing up the room, the lady lay down on the bed and let the breath escape her lungs. The dust danced in the sunlight that shone in through the window. Anna started to cry as she sat next to the sleeping woman. She smiled and sighed in relief as the lines on the woman’s face relaxed for the first time in twenty years.
‘I’m sorry, Mum, but it’s your deadline and I’ve come to collect you.’
Are you as intrigued as we are? Be sure to enter the rafflecopter contest for a chance to win both books plus nine more, or, if you can’t wait, the links to purchase these books are below:
The Deadliners: Available in the US: http://www.amazon.com/The-Deadliners-Rachel-Medhurst-ebook/dp/B00K5OKIYE/ref=cm_rdp_product
Available in the UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Deadliners-Rachel-Medhurst-ebook/dp/B00K5OKIYE/ref=cm_rdp_product
Raven Falling: Available here: http://www.amazon.com/Raven-Falling-Shadows-Light-Novel-ebook/dp/B00LRHKUGE/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-textHYPERLINK “
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/f6defd8610/