Showing posts with label Interview With The Villain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Interview With The Villain. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 10, 2018

October Frights: Interview With the Villain

Welcome to the first day of #OctoberFrights! Be sure to check out the group giveaway and the giveaway at the end of this post.


Synopsis -

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR

Satori, an adept Chaos Magician, casts a spell to try and win back his lost love, Star. Lilith, mother of demons, has other ideas. Summoned by Satori's magic, she makes it her mission to manipulate and separate the doomed lovers.

Satori knows he and Star are meant to be together. He battles demons, travels worlds and even transcends death for her but, however much she begs, he can't grant her the freedom she craves.

The Starblood Trilogy is a tale of sorcery, demonology, murder, sexual obsession and Gothic subculture. In the words of Jef Rouner (Houston Press) “You don't read [Carmilla Voiez's] books. You survive them.” and Starblood may be the most brutal female-centred horror of them all. Winner of numerous indie awards, The Starblood Trilogy is being adapted into a series of graphic novels with art by Anna Dmitrieva.

"Carmilla Voiez is more of a singer than a writer. She tells her compelling story in a hypnotic, distinctive voice that brings her eerie world vividly to life." Graham Masterton.

About the villain -

Lilith, my female antagonist, is definitely a villain, although some have claimed she’s a feminist hero. She is a survivor of assault, but her extreme strength and power have warped her perspective of fairness and cruelty. While her end goal is not evil, her acts certainly are. Lilith frequently inverts the sexual stereotypes, and can do so because she is a supernatural creature.

An interview with Lilith -

Carmilla – Thank you for joining me today, Lilith. I hope your journey from Binah was pleasant. My first question, if you’ll forgive my impertinence goddess, is why, when you are all powerful you chose to meddle in the affairs of the two humans – Star and Satori?

Lilith – I’m delighted to be here, and thank you for the delicious cup of coffee. It will be a shame when the Earth’s reserves of coffee beans run out. If you want to know about Star and Satori the first thing you need to understand is that eternity can bore a person after a while. Distractions keep us young. It’s unlikely I would have met the couple had it not been for the lonely soul, Freya, who was determined to engage my services. That said Fate has a way of bringing people together and even without the young sorceress’s summoning perhaps I would have arrived by some other route. Satori annoyed me. I must be honest and admit most human males do. I have not had positive experiences with many of them. But something stayed my hand and instead of crushing the vermin I watched him instead. In retrospect, I believe a greater power was at work. Satori had a role in events to come, but at the time I didn’t understand my decision, and wondered whether I was simply being fickle. In many ways Star and Satori reminded me of the first humans I met – Adam and Eve. Satori was just as determined to assert his dominance and will over his mate as Adam had been. Part of me wanted to free Star from the start, but another part wanted to punish her for being weak.

Carmilla – Do you still believe Star is weak?

Lilith – Her metal is strengthened at times of extreme pressure, as it was when I tortured her, but she wasn’t strong enough to survive, was she?

Carmilla – You mentioned Freya. Can you tell me more about your relationship with her?

Lilith – Freya is a classic case of the imprisoned maiden gone bad. She fascinates me. Her obsession with her brother rivaled Samael’s obsession with me. All these humans seem to think about is sex, don’t you agree? Look at them all – Star, Satori, Freya, Paul and Raven – the were all driven by their desire to get off with each other. I barely had to manipulate them at all. They would have been perfectly capable of destroying themselves without my intervention.

Carmilla – The boys you killed in the woods, did you suspect their motives when they offered you a lift, and if so why did you go with them?

Lilith – Really, Carmilla, victim-blaming? That’s beneath you, don’t you think? If I hadn’t gone with them they would have found someone else, someone less able to defend themselves. I am a survivor, and yes my trauma has no doubt increased my rage. Who wouldn’t be angry after having their agency taken from them? I suspected the boys’ motives. I knew I had the strength to survive their intentions and I took the opportunity to teach them a lesson; just like I did with that sleaze-bag who pursued me through the abandoned industrial estate. I hope the lesson is heard far and wide – Men beware. If you are looking for a victim you may well get more than you bargained for. Women’s rage is a powerful force.

Carmilla – That’s very relevant to what’s happening today – with the Kavanaugh protests. Have you been following the news?

Lilith – It has been relevant from day one. Yes, I’ve watched those pathetic men with their hair pieces, smiles as fake as their tans, and hands forever down their pants or grabbing some poor woman’s, what do they call it, pussy. It’s because they are afraid of women. They are so desperate to keep their power that they will crush, in any way they can, all resistance. Fear of sexual assault, and the shame it inspires, is an effective weapon for them. But if the women shed their shame and overcome their fear, they can change the world. I’d like to say that’s what’s happening now, but waves like this rise and fall. Time will tell whether women are ready to say “no more” and overthrow their oppressors.

Carmilla – Thank you, Lilith. Is there anything else you want to say before you head home? I know you have lots of new souls to make bodies for.

Lilith – I’ll repeat what I told Star, when I thought the truth might save her. Every day I make flesh for new spirits, some are male and some are female. The spirits within both are infinite until I make that arbitrary choice as to how to shape their flesh. Each is limited by their new shell. Their bodies separate them from each other, organising the spirits into logical patterns which conform, with varying success, to the rules which cage them. Rules such as you can no longer fly; you can no longer expand into your environment; you can no longer merge completely and seamlessly with another; one day you will die and your spirit will return to the source. These are the rules of being bound into flesh and they are the same for male and female forms. Everything you have been taught since you were pushed from your screaming mother, other than these rules, is bullshit. These new limits humans have imposed upon themselves, and each other, are not real. They hold no profound truth about yourself or the human condition. You are neither inferior nor superior to the billions of other spirits caged in flesh that roam the earth. 



Author bio -

Carmilla Voiez is a proudly bisexual and mildly autistic introvert who finds writing much easier than verbal communication. A life long Goth, living with two kids, two cats and a poet by the sea. She is passionate about horror, the alt scene, intersectional feminism, art, nature and animals. When not writing, she gets paid to hang out in a stately home and entertain tourists.
Carmilla grew up on a varied diet of horror. Her earliest influences as a teenage reader were Graham Masterton, Brian Lumley and Clive Barker mixed with the romance of Hammer Horror and the visceral violence of the first wave of video nasties. Fascinated by the Goth aesthetic and enchanted by threnodies of eighties Goth and post-punk music she evolved into the creature of darkness we find today.
Her books are both extraordinarily personal and universally challenging. As Jef Withonef of Houston Press once said - "You do not read her books, you survive them."
Carmilla has self published "The Starblood Trilogy", "Starblood the graphic novel", “Psychonaut the graphic novel”, "The Ballerina and the Revolutionary", a short story collection "Broken Mirror and Other Morbid Tales" and "The Erotic Tales of Carmilla Voiez". Stitched Smile released the FSG anthology "Slice Girls" late 2016, “Zombie Punks Fuck Off”, is being released by Clash Books and Weird Punk Books this month (October 2018) and includes Carmilla’s short story set in London, “Eat the Rich”, and “Another Beautiful Nightmare” is out February 2019 and includes her short story “Demons are a Girl’s Best Friend.”
She is currently writing the fourth book in the Starblood series, “Ribbons”. In exciting news,
Vamptasy Publishing have picked up the entire series, so each of the stories will be released individually for Kindle. The final date for buying the trilogy as one volume for Kindle will be November 1st. Starblood will be released in December. The trilogy will still be available in one volume as a paperback after this date.
Carmilla also edits for self-publishing authors and is releasing a series of articles entitled “A Step-by-Step Guide to Writing a Novel” on her blog at www.carmillavoiez.com


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Monday, October 16, 2017

Guest Post on Villains by Joe M. Solomon





The Darkness: Giger, Texas
Joe M. Solomon

Genre: Horror/Supernatural

Publisher: NES Publishing, LLC

Date of Publication: October 3, 2017

ISBN: 978-0-9990024-0-7
ASIN: B07435H5YR

Number of pages: 372
Word Count: 106,029

Cover Artist: Syneca Featherstone



Book Description:

When night falls in Giger, Texas, shadows gather as they always do in dim corners and other areas bereft of light.  But this time they consolidate and attack any who tread too close. Michael Warren, a twenty-four-year-old resident of Giger, finds himself at the epicenter of this horror and is stunned by the losses suffered overnight.  Then the sun sets and the shadows again coalesce, growing more aggressive, the darkness eviscerating anyone it touches.

His only weapon light, Michael struggles to survive and searches frantically for his girlfriend, aiding friends along the way.  When Hurricane Daniel roars ashore, wind gusts shred trees and tear down power lines, plunging all of Southeastern Texas into blackness that only feeds and strengthens the encroaching darkness.  Rising floodwater provides easy thoroughfares from which the darkness can strike as Michael and his friends contend with the elements, clash with criminals, and battle their way to his residence where they will stand against the darkness and fight to survive.

Amazon     Kobo     BN     iTunes


Excerpt:
Startled, Eddie blinked and wiped at his own eyes. “What was…? Hello?”

No answer.
      
His pulse picked up. “C-Curt, you in here… you a-a-a-asshole?”

A box fell behind him.

Eddie spun around, body tight as a knot, eyes wide as their sockets would allow. “Wh-h-h-h-who the hell’s that?” he demanded with as much sternness as he could inject into his quivering voice.


Soft whispers trickled out of a minuscule pocket of emptiness near the back door on the farthest wall. There, amid the gloom, something progressed toward him. At first, its movements appeared mechanical, inelastic. Then it evolved into a smooth flow. A soft ripple. A consolidated wave of darkness.



Review - The Darkness Giger, Texas - 5 Stars

A total scarefest! Definitely not for the squeamish. This takes place right before a hurricane is about to hit. Those of us who have dealt with a hurricane or are afraid of the dark, will experience real terror among these pages. Michael Warren and his friends have no idea why there are mass murders taking place at night, not just in Giger, Texas, but all over the world. You won't believe what they encounter. Many of you may want to sleep with the lights on after this.

We have a very plausible scenario here that switches to the viewpoint of thecharacters throughout. If you live in the Houston area, you can really visualize this taking place which makes it all the more terrifying. I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this, but it was worth the ride. Seasoned horror fans will be glued to their seats as a new terror takes shape. - Reviewed by Janet



GUEST POST: VILLAINS


Let’s explore a little about what scares you.  I’ve read books and watched movies that reflect things that scare us.  Sometimes it is waking up and suddenly realizing that you are the last person on earth, i.e. Loneliness.  According to psychiatrists, we need people for everything from simple companionship to feeling good about ourselves.  This notion was examined time and again on the TV series The Twilight Zone. In Where is Everybody?, our main character basically wakes up in a town alone.  He tries a pay phone.  Nothing.  He rushes from a restaurant to the sheriff’’s office, finding no one.  He has a moment of hope when he sees a woman sitting in a car.  Further investigating, however, reveals that it is a mannequin.  When he can find no hope, ultimately our protagonist starts to crack up.  



We also see it in Time Enough when the main character survives a nuclear war.  Upon surfacing, the man finds everything has been destroyed.  He is a ferocious reader who wears thick eyeglasses. However, after discovering piles and piles of books he now has all the time in the world to read, he sees another on the ground, bends to retrieve it, and his glasses slide off of his nose and break.  Now he is alone, unable to read, with no one to talk to and nothing to do but wait to die.

In a more recent film, Passengers, the main character is on a spaceship, heading to a new world with thousands of other passengers.  By accident, the main character accidentally awakens.  All of the others still sleep.  Doing almost everything he wants to, from dancing in a virtual club to space walking outside of the ship, he finds it isn’t enough.  He needs a companion and soon finds it paramount.

So we need other people and fear total solitude. What else scares us?  Let’s consider some childhood that sometimes follow us into adulthood.  The three I’ve heard mentioned the most often are the monsters under the bed, the boogeyman in the closet and what lurks in the darkness.  As adults, the darkness continues to frighten us because we are aware now of terrors—like serial killers—that may lay in waiting for us as we walk to our cars late at night. Sick individuals who aren’t out steal our money or carjack us, but just want to see us suffer and die.  Or the lone gunman who unexpectedly sprays crowds with bullets or the man who waits in the shadows, engine running, carefully timing a hit and run.  All for the sake of violence.  But what happens when the menace in the darkness waiting to kill you isn’t a person, but the darkness itself is? 
“So what?” some might respond.  “The darkness is intangible.”  But what if it became tangible, not just her or there, but everywhere shadows formed.  And the one thing we knew for certain was that the sun must set. 
Again, so might shrug and say, “So what?  I’ll simply turn on the lights.”  What if a hurricane then plowed ashore and took away your light source?  What if the darkness grew so thick that is blocked out the starts from the sky… and the light in your house?  How would you protect yourself if a candle or flashlight simply wasn’t enough light to stave off the darkness?  Would submersing yourself in such a tale take you back to an earlier time in your life when the monster under the bed and the boogeyman in the closet seemed terrifyingly real? 

Well, this is what I present to you, dear reader:  A villain you cannot speak with, interview, reason with or evade… ever!

About the Author:

Joe M. Solomon earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of St. Thomas, followed by both master’s and doctoral degrees from Rice University. Joe’s supernatural thriller The Darkness: Giger, Texas released in 2017. A second novel—The Light: Houston, Texas—and a collection of short stories that arise from the macabre will soon follow.  




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Saturday, September 9, 2017

Interview With The Villain: Aliya Dalrae


Character Interview with Helmut Fuhrmann,
Antagonist from the Jessica Sweet Novels
As conducted by the Literature Lemur during his radio show, The Character Hour

Literature Lemur:  Hello, and welcome to The Character Hour! I’m the Literature Lemur, and boy do we have a show for you! Today we will be talking with none other than Helmut Fuhrmann, Sorcerer extraordinaire. You may remember him from The Jessica Sweet Novels, “Sweet Vengeance” and “Sweet Discovery,” but I’m here to tell you, there’s a lot more to this fictional felon than meets the eye. So let’s give a warm welcome to today’s vicious villain, Helmut Fuhrmann! Welcome Helmut, thank you for joining us!

Fuhrmann:  Thank you for having me.

Literature Lemur:  Before we go to the phones, why don’t you give us a little background on yourself? I’m sure the audience would love to know a bit about who you are and how you came to be such horrible person.

Fuhrmann:  M’yes. I was born in Germany, many, many years ago. Honestly, I’ve stopped keeping track. I am, as you say, of a breed of Sorcerers, and we are, for the most part, a peaceful people. However, when that butcher, Raven, destroyed my life, I had no choice but to exact my revenge.

Literature Lemur:  By going after him and those he loves, right?

Fuhrmann:  But of course.

Literature Lemur: I see. You say you are a peaceful people. But isn’t it true you are trying to wipe out the lycanthropes?

Fuhrmann:  The war with the wolves is as ancient as we are a people. Besides, they started it.

Literature Lemur: *laughs nervously* Alrighty then! Let’s go to the phones!  Lyra from Florida, You’re on the air! What is your question for Helmut Fuhrmann?

Lyra:  Hey LL! Mr. Fuhrmann, I want to know when you decided to take your revenge. What was the breaking point?

Fuhrmann: Thank you Lyra. The breaking point was when I discovered my wife, eviscerated by that Vampire. The decision was instantaneous. The moment I saw my beloved Sylva’s battered and bloodied body, I knew that someday I would have my revenge on the animal who destroyed her. There was never a choice.

Lyra: But do you really not feel any guilt when you hurt other people? Do you think that only your people are worthy of respect and pity?

Fuhrmann:  No one is worthy of my pity. I will destroy anyone who gets in the way of my vengeance, regardless of their blood. I would as easily eliminate one of my own as a Vampire or Werewolf. I have one purpose in this life, and that is to avenge my wife. Stand in my way, and you will surely die.

Literature Lemur: *clears throat* Thank you, Lyra!

Lyra: But I had…

Literature Lemur: Next caller! Susan from Wisconsin, welcome to The Character Hour. You’re on the air with Helmut Fuhrmann from the Jessica Sweet Novels.

Susan:  Oh, Sweet! Mr. Fuhrmann, I just had to comment on your amazing hair. It’s so long and floaty – I was just wondering, what is your hair care regimen? Are there any products you could recommend?

Fuhrmann: Why thank you Susan, so kind of you to ask. Our hair is a point of pride for my kind. While I would love to let it fly freely, it is necessary to keep it in check while out amongst the humans. As far as care, I have a special potion that I use for cleansing purposes, one derived by my mother centuries ago, specifically crafted for the delicate nature of our follicles. However, in a pinch, I have been known to use John Frieda’s Frizz Ease.

Literature Lemur: How fascinating! And thank you Susan, for that perfectly safe question! Our next caller is Eva from Rhode Island. Welcome Eva, you’re on the air.

Eva: Ok, Fuhrmann, not finding you likeable in the least, share “one” redeeming feature about yourself besides devotion to your wife, which is an aberration at best.

Literature Lemur:  Oh boy…

Fuhrmann: *taps fingers on the table*…*looks at the ceiling*…

Literature Lemur: Mr. Fuhrmann?

Fuhrmann: I’m sorry. I’m drawing a blank. My love for my Sylva is everything good about me. Without that? I’m afraid we’ll have to move on…

Literature Lemur: So right! Our next caller is Jessica from Oregon. Hello, Jessica, you’re on the air!

Jessica: Hey, Hi Literature Lemur. Uh, Mr. Fuhrmann, I was just wondering, do you have any role models of evil? You know, torture masters or dark wizards who you admire or emulate?

Fuhrmann: Excellent question, young lady. As a matter of fact, I do! The Marquis de Sade has always been a personal favorite, although I have found myself greatly admiring the work of a dark wizard by the name of Voldemort. That man really knows how to stir the pot, don’t you think? But by far, the greatest torture master of all times would have to be George R.R. Martin. He’s new to the game, by my standards, but he does have a way with making people scream. *smiles wickedly*

Jessica: Uh…nice…So, quick follow up? What is your favorite recipe, passed down by Gramma Fuhrmann?

Fuhrmann: Hmm…That would have to be her Konigsberger Klops. It’s a lovely dumpling filled with minced meat & salt herring, served in a creamy sauce with capers and lemon juice.

Literature Lemur: That sounds delicious!

Fuhrmann:  In fact, it is.

Literature Lemur: And, moving on. Our next caller is Maple from Australia. Maple, go ahead with your question.

Maple:  Hello! Mr. Fuhrmann, I have another hair related question, but this one is more of a technical nature. Does the static electricity that makes your hair fly around interfere with your magic, or is it a part of it?

Fuhrmann: Ah, yes. Excellent question! It is actually a part of the magic. Or the magic is a part of it. As our people are fond of saying, the more magic in the man, the more life in his mane. I mentioned before that our hair is a point of pride, and this is precisely the reason why. Were I to “let my hair down,” so to speak, you would see just how powerful I am! *laughs maniacally*

Literature Lemur: That’s so very interesting, there, Mr. Fuhrmann, but let’s say you keep that braid in for now, right?
*Fuhrmann scowls*

Literature Lemur: Our next caller is Jeannie from New Hampshire. Jeannie, do you have a question for Helmut Fuhrmann?

Jeannie: Indeed I do! Mr. Fuhrmann, if you weren’t so busy doing all of this evil Sorcerer stuff, what would you see yourself doing, you know, for a living?

Fuhrmann: Interesting questions, Jeannie. I believe if I weren’t so focused on avenging my wife, I would probably be working for the government in some capacity. Technically, that’s what I’m supposed to be doing now, but you know how it is. Priorities and such.

Literature Lemur: Yes, I suppose we do! *clears throat again* So, I think we have just enough time for one more question. Maude from Miami? You’re on the air!

Lyra: Hey, I got cut off earlier, and I had more questions.

Literature Lemur: Wait, is this Lyra from Florida again?

Lyra: Yeah, Mr. Furhmann. Can I call you Helmut? I have to know: Do you think you will ever love again? How did you learn your powers? Do you like human food? What’s your favorite movie? Are you secretly attracted to Jessica? Come on, all the guys are! And how does it feel to have…

Fuhrmann: *growls and removes the band from his braid, releasing his hair. Static flies from his fingertips and an earsplitting screech bursts from the speakers.*

Literature Lemur: Okay folks! I think that’s about all the time we have today. Thank you Mr. Fuhrmann, for your candid interview and for your extreme patience with all of our callers!
*Wind blows around the studio, sending papers and equipment flying*

Literature Lemur: *yelling over the din* Join us tomorrow for another amazing show! This is the Literature Lemur, with the Character Hour, signing off!

*Radios the world over experience unexplained dead air*


Synopsis:
Jessica Sweet is an orphan –Again…
At 26, the term may not truly apply, but having been abandoned by her birth parents at an early age, the death of her adoptive parents is like déjà vu all over again. Now she finds herself alone, facing a future that should be unsure; however, the visions she’s been plagued with since childhood are about to descend upon her, pulling her into a supernatural world where her deepest fantasies and most harrowing nightmares will soon come true.

A monster, even by Vampire Standards...
…Raven has spent the better part of his five hundred seventy plus years fighting the evil within. His capture by an ancient breed of Sorcerers, just surfacing in the Legion’s base town of Fallen Cross, Ohio, leaves him beaten and starving. Escape leads him to an old farmhouse, the single heartbeat within promising life. What he couldn’t know is that the blood he now seeks will sustain him in ways he could never imagine…
  (Goodreads)

Synopsis:
Jessica Sweet
Women are dying in Fallen Cross, people I know, people close to me.
However, it’s the way they die that has me worried. 
There hasn’t been a murder like this in a very long time. 
In fact, the last one on Legion record was about the time Raven stopped killing…

Raven
Vampire by birth, monster by choice. 
For centuries he was out of control, a murderer and so much worse. 
Jessica’s love broke the curse that controlled him, restoring his free will, 
but his savage ways remain in the past. 
Or do they?
His Jessica has visions. Fate and her visions brought them together. 
Now, they are threatening to tear them apart…(Goodreads)


About the Author:
Aliya DalRae is the author of the Jessica Sweet Trilogy. Her debut novel, Sweet Vengeance, was published in February 2016, with the sequel, Sweet Discovery, becoming available in April 2017. The third and final book in the trilogy, Sweet Destiny, is well underway.

Born and raised in a farming community in rural Southwest Ohio, Aliya grew up a middle child, with an older and younger brother. Surrounded by corn and cows, it was not unusual for Aliya to immerse herself in books, her way of escaping the humdrum small-town life to visit fantastic lands full of mystery, myth and legend. And of course, romance.

Aliya’s first love was musical theater, and as a teenager dreamed of one day performing on Broadway. Her early writing consisted mostly of poetry and songs. Those dreams were put on hold, as life intervened (as life often does), and she moved on with other pursuits.

After graduation, and a brief time living in England, Aliya returned to her home town, where she worked mainly in administrative positions, but her love for books never waned.

In 1992, Aliya met her immortal beloved, and they have been inseparable ever since. When not weaving romantic tales, she can be found working side by side with her husband in their furniture restoration business, where she weaves caned chairs instead.



Friday, September 1, 2017

Interview With The Villain & Review: Torment





Torment
The Damned Series
Book Four
By LM Pruitt

Release Date August 8, 2017

Genre: PNR

Book Description:

Enemies are so stimulating.--Katherine Hepburn

If you can look past the part where they're trying to kill you.

The Damned want my head on a platter. The Winged have similar plans.

As for Morning Star and the Power... well, only They know.

One false step... and everything is lost.

CONTAINS SCENES OF GRAPHIC LANGUAGE AND SEXUAL ACTIVITY. READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.

Amazon


Interview with a Villain

(I’ll admit, when I was given this particular interview topic, I was stumped—mostly because the true villain for the Damned series has yet to be revealed. So instead, I decided to sit down a fan favorite who may or may not have villainous intent—Lilith, the current reigning leader of the succubae.)

--So, I think we’d all like to know—why make the jump from being Adam’s first wife to being, for all intents and purposes, a demon?

I’ll be honest, I’m surprised anyone in this day and age even remembers I was married to Adam before Eve—who was, I’m not ashamed to say, a much better wife than me, even taking in to account the whole eating the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge thing. I’m not surprised by the fact people just assume I went straight for the so-called dark side. It’s never really a fall from grace—it’s more a gradual slide and tumble down the hill.

--So what caused your slide down the hill?
A man, of course (light laughter). The man, at least for me. And not a man so much as one of the Watchers, although they weren’t called that in the beginning. In the beginning, he was just Samael. And then, when the other Watchers Fell and Heaven was closed, he became the Angel of Death—fitting, since it was the career change which killed our marriage.

--And it was after this… career change that you had a change of your own?

People do desperate and stupid things when they’ve had their heart broken. I don’t apologize for any of the things I did or the choices I made. I rebuilt myself and then I gave other women the chance to do the same.

--Now, I understand in theory what a succubae is and what they do but I’d like to hear from the original succubus on those topics.

We tempt people—mostly men, although some of the girls specialize in women and some are indiscriminate—with the sex of their wildest dreams and then harvest their energy. We rarely kill anyone, simply because it’s messy and time-consuming and causes so many complications with the other side. The energy is pooled, some of it being sent to Morning Star and the rest being redistributed back to the girls. It’s a nice, tidy little system.

--But not everybody is happy with the system.

If I spent my time trying to make everybody happy I would never get anything else done.

--Which isn’t really an answer to the question.

Well, you didn’t really ask a question, did you? (long pause) The situation is being handled. Not as quickly and efficiently as I would prefer but it’s being handled. I fully believe it will be resolved in the next few months.

--My sources tell me you’re looking at abdicating your position to one of the leaders of the so-called rebellion, Julie Watson, who also happens to be one of your newest girls. Why would you willing step down from the position you created after all this time?


What can I say? We all make sacrifices for love.


4 DEMONIC STAR REVIEW:

Starting a series in the middle is always a risk. It must be hard for authors to balance continuing the story for devoted fans while also creating a book that could attack new readers. I think the author of this book did a good job of both. This is book four of the Damned series. I will admit, there were times when I was a little confused as to what was going one, but Pruitt did a good job of filling in the gaps of the story line. I like the fast speed of the plot kept me entertained and I pretty much ignored everyone until I made it to the end. I just wanted to see what would happen next. I like the idea behind this story and I do not know of another story that creates demon characters as anti-heroes. I believe, if I had started this book from the beginning I would have a closer connection to the characters and the premise of the story. 

Reviewed by Terri


Excerpt:

“You’ll catch cold if you stay out here much longer.”
I didn’t turn around, continuing to study the skyline. “I’m fine.”
“It’s three in the morning. You should be asleep.” He didn’t sound angry about the fact I wasn’t or the fact I was standing outside in late September in sleep pants and a thin cotton tank. If anything, his scolding sounded as if it was for form and nothing else. “It’s been a long day for all of us.”
“Yes.” Now I did turn around, studying Barry with the same intensity I’d shown the various buildings of Prague. “Why are you mad at me?”
“I’m not mad.” He pulled a cigar from the pocket of his sleep pants but didn’t light it, staring at the tip for a moment before sliding it back in his pocket. “I’m tired, Julie. As I said, it’s been a long day. The next few days—weeks, rather—promise to be equally long. We all need to sleep, to keep our strength up for what lies ahead.”
“You haven’t touched me since we got back.” Since he stood in front of my sister and ripped her heart out and then walked away without a backward glance. “You’ve barely said anything all night long.”
“As I said, I’m tired.” He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out a long sigh. “There’s been quite a bit of upheaval in the last thirty-six hours or so. Quite a bit. Forgive me if I’m not my usual charming self. You have more than enough people here to pay you attention if you’re feeling uncared for.”
“That’s not what I meant.” I turned back to the city view, widening my eyes and blinking rapidly in an effort to keep the tears at bay. I didn’t have a problem with using tears as a weapon when they were called for but I wouldn’t use them with him, ever. “You’re right. It’s late. Go to sleep. I’m fine.”
“We both know I’m not going to sleep until you do.” I heard the sound of metal scraping over concrete and glanced over my shoulder to find he’d pulled one of the patio chairs free of the table. Sitting down and stretching out his legs, he said, “As long as you’re here, I’m here.”
“Barry—.”
“Arguing will only frustrate us both, Julie Elizabeth, and we’ve had enough frustration for the day.” He slid further down in the seat, almost slouching, and crossed his arms. “As long as you’re here, I’m here.”
“But do you want to be here?” The question tumbled out before I even realized it was in my mind and I bit my tongue, already regretting it. “Never mind. You don’t have to answer that.”
“Come here.” When I didn’t move, he uncrossed his arms and held out one hand. “Please.”
Crossing the balcony, I took his hand, curling up in his lap and resting my head on his shoulder. We sat in silence for a few minutes before he cleared his throat. “I don’t know any other way to say it. I can simply say as long as you’re here, I’m here. When you want to leave, we’ll leave.”
“And where would we go?” Joanne’s face in the instant after Barry verbally sucker punched her, Asmodeus’s face the second after I shot him, flashed through my mind and I hunched my shoulders as if the memory carried a physical blow. “There’s no place left. We burned all those bridges today.”
“The thing about bridges is they can always be rebuilt and when they are, they’re stronger than before they burned.” He brushed my hair away from my face, stroking one hand down my back and pulling me tighter against him. “But since you don’t want to leave, the discussion is moot.”
“We’re doing the right thing.”
“The right thing done the wrong way is no longer the right thing.”
“If there was a way to do this differently, we would have taken it.” We’d tried to take it. We’d tried to meet the others halfway. Nobody—Lilith, Asmodeus, the Power, Morning Star—wanted to bend.
So we would have to break them.
“After the raids begin today, there is no turning back. You and your supporters will be branded traitors. There will be bounties on your heads.” He pressed his lips to my hair, breathing deep. “On all our heads. You’ve never lived through a war.”
It wasn’t a question but I answered anyway. “No, I haven’t.”
“I’ve been through more than my fair share, even considering my age. When it’s impossible to die from manmade weapons, you tend to fight in wars simply to alleviate the boredom.” He turned, pressing his face in to my hair. “And they’re nothing compared to supernatural wars. So far you’ve only seen the pretty side of Hell. There are things which will be unleashed which should never exist out of nightmares.”
“On us or by us?”
“Both.” His hand shook as he stroked my back and I wasn’t sure if he was trying to comfort me or himself. “Some things can’t be unseen or unfelt. You’ll carry it with you until the day you die.”
“Are you trying to scare me?”
“I’m trying to warn you. Up until now, everything about this war has been theoretical. Until today, no true shots were fired.” He drew back, his face unnaturally somber, even for him. “I know you did what you had to do and I don’t fault you for that decision.”
“But I officially started the war.” I nodded. “I know. I’ll live with it.”
“Things will get worse.” He pressed a kiss to my forehead. “They always do.”
“And then they get better.” I had to believe that. If I didn’t, then there was a good chance I was wrecking and ruining lives for no reason at all. I pressed my lips to his, lightly, for comfort more than anything else. “Things will be better. We’re going to make them better.”
We didn’t have any other choice.


About the Author:

L.M. Pruitt has been reading and writing for as long as she can remember. A native of Florida with a love of New Orleans, she has the uncanny ability to find humor in most things and would probably kill a plastic plant. She knows this because she's killed bamboo. Twice.  She is the author of the Winged series, the Plaisir Coupable series, Jude Magdalyn series, the Moon Rising series, and Taken: A Frankie Post Novel.






Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Interview With The Villain: Trial By Charm


Title: Trial By Charm
Author: Jolene Buchheit
Genre: Young Adult Greek-Inspired Urban Fantasy
Hosted by: Lady Amber’s PR
Blurb: 

Seventeen-year-old Julia Wright doesn’t understand her friends’ obsession with boys. She proudly maintains her composure no matter who is in her presence – though some annoying and rude boys still manage to grate her last nerve. Then she is blackmailed into being the manager of the men’s swim team, and finds herself face to face with the worst of them all. Team Captain Vander Thelxinoe is the typical self-assured jock. He has the ability to change people’s minds at will, only his charms don’t work on Julia. Now he’s anxious to figure out why, and the closer he tries to get, the more desperate she is to stay away – especially when he somehow awakens a side of her she never knew existed. Their unexpected friendship puts Julia in the middle of a quest she doesn’t quite understand. As her familiar world begins to unravel around her, Julia must partner with the one person who knows how to push her buttons – and, in doing so, discovers the unbelievable truth about who she really is. Can Julia and Vander survive the trial set before them, or will they face the extreme consequences of failure?




Interview with Demeter
1.    What is your greatest fear? When my daughter was taken from me and married off to that loser Hades who sits on the throne in the Underworld, my life ceased to have any meaning. Cold, dead winter was born as babe of my affair with grief. My greatest fear is losing her again, who knows what my second bout with sadness would create.


2.    What is the trait you most deplore in others? Uselessness. When someone has only one task to tend to and they fail to achieve their goal, it makes me want to tear my own hair out. What good is anyone who can't find what they have been assigned to find. That's why those waste of skin hoodlums who used to call Persephone their friend, find themselves cursed to live on an island. They will never know the happiness or joy of having their own children because no man can stand to be near them. Useless!

3.    On what occasion do you lie? *shrugs* Whenever it serves me.

4.    Which living person do you most despise? Obviously, I abhor Hades. He stole my daughter and her innocence and now I have to share her with him for half of every year. It's a torture no mother should have to endure giving up my daughter to her husband over and over again as time rages on.

5.    What do you most value in your friends? My associates or what you would call friends are faithful to fulfill their obligations and commitments. My life is a series of scratching backs and having my back scratched in return. Nothing I do is done without return payment.

6.    What is it that you most dislike? Winter. Creating Spring and enjoying the bounty of blessings in the Summer brings me so much joy, especially with Persephone at my side.

7.    What is your greatest wish? *sigh* I don't waste my time on wishes and dreams. I either do what I want or cash in my favors and make things happen.

8.    What is your motto? The darkness of Winter only lasts for a season, how long that season lasts is up to me. *evil laugh*




As a substitute teacher, Jolene spends her days in high school classrooms harvesting material for her Young Adult novels. She also uses it as an outlet for fangirling by showing upcoming book-to-movie trailers at the end of class, or discussing vital issues like whether Katniss should have picked Gale or Peeta. She is committed to helping Special Education teenagers become independent adults and helping them find a way to focus on the positive especially when life gets hard. At home, Jolene loves to cuddle with her husband, two kids, and three cats—sometimes all at once—while reading Young Adult books or repeatedly watching movies based on them.

Author Links:

Buy Links: Amazon US http://amzn.to/2346KdK

I study his profile. His chiseled jaw and dark, floppy hair are like something out of a magazine advertisement. His eyes, too—they aren’t dark to match his hair, like mine—they are parts of green and blue, much like the painting of the sea in the other room. “Who painted that piece above the couch in there?” He shrugs, not answering me in any concrete way. Then he shifts his weight from one foot to the other and his awkwardness makes it clear to me. “You did it, didn’t you? You’re a painter.” He shrugs again. I hop down from my stool to go take another look at the painting. The artist must have signed it, and I will get my answer that way. I go down the hall, past the bathroom, the stairs, and the front door until I’m standing in the parlor, looking at Vander, who is blocking the painting from my view. He must have gone through the dining room next to the kitchen to end up in here before me. He’s staring at me and chewing on his lip while flexing and balling his hands. He’s more nervous than I have ever seen him—not before a swim meet, not in class when he didn’t know an answer, not when he told me how he felt in the bathroom a little bit ago. This is where his heart lies, in this painting of this island. I try to look around him, and he leans over. “Don’t.” He is stern, but gentle. He clears his throat. “Please don’t touch it. You will want to, but don’t.” He’s right. I do want to touch it; I want to climb inside of it. I’m seeing it, and somehow it’s seeing me, and it’s making me feel pulled apart. I want to dive into the waters, to swim to that far-off land, and I also want to turn the boat around and sail as far and as quickly as I can in the opposite direction. Meanwhile, the light from the sun is dimming, laughing at me for thinking I can have any control here. I want in! Vander grabs both of my arms, which are currently outstretched toward the painting. My knees are on the seat of the couch, and I don’t even remember moving forward. His voice startles me. “You can’t.” I blink hard and turn to look him fully in the face. “I can’t what?” “You can’t go there, and you can’t go away from there. It’s just a painting.” Was I talking out loud, or can he read my mind? How does he know what I was thinking? I let him lead me through the dining room, back into the kitchen, where the timer is going off. I shake my head to let loose the feelings that painting stirred in me. “It’s more than that, and you know it. How?” I don’t even have to finish the sentence. He knows exactly what I’m asking.



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