What made you decide to be
an author? I’ve always
loved writing. There are stories written in crayon from when I was a little
girl. So it wasn’t a choice really. It’s just always been a part of me. I have
to put words on paper.
What do you like best
about being a writer? What do you like the least? I
love being able to have fun with my imagination, and bring to life stories that
would otherwise never get told. What I like the least is my own fault. I’m a
procrastinator who is very easily distracted, so it can take me a loooooong
time to finish one book!
How do you think your life
experiences have prepared you for writing? Being an introvert helps. I’m always thinking, analyzing
things around me, and planning. That sort of thoughtfulness translates well
when posted in front of a computer screen for hours at a time.
Have you ever felt as if
you were being dictated to while you wrote a book--as if the words came of
their own accord? If yes, which book did that happen with? No, the words don’t come on their own. I
see the story in my head—usually they play out like a movie--and I have to find
the words to paint the scenes so readers can see what I see.
Are you a plotter or a
pantser, i.e., do you outline your books ahead of time or are you an “organic”
writer? I am a complete pantser!
If you had one take away piece of advice for authors,
what would it be? Just
keep writing.
Did music help you find
your muse with this book? If yes, which song did you find yourself going back
to over and over again as you wrote? “Roads”
by Portishead really helped set exactly the mood I needed to finish this story.
To survive, their bond must be unbreakable.
When the mysterious and passionate Rhane rescues Kali from an attacker in the theater parking lot, they form an immediate, smoldering connection. But Kali doesn't remember Rhane or anything from their past. As far as Kali knows, she's just a seventeen-year-old kid coping with an insatiable hunger for the “spark” or energy of others, feeding on classmates to survive.
When the mysterious and passionate Rhane rescues Kali from an attacker in the theater parking lot, they form an immediate, smoldering connection. But Kali doesn't remember Rhane or anything from their past. As far as Kali knows, she's just a seventeen-year-old kid coping with an insatiable hunger for the “spark” or energy of others, feeding on classmates to survive.
A unique artifact—one that may hold the key to
returning Kali’s memories—is uncovered by the archaeology firm where she works
part-time, sending Kali and Rhane on a dangerous journey that leads them to the
Forbidden City, into the unforgiving Gobi, and into the ruins of Rhane’s
ancient homeland. As they fight for survival, Kali begins to discover who she
really is and the true power she possesses. But Rhane still harbors a secret
that could destroy Kali…unless old enemies kill her first.
Excerpt:
The sound of her screams reached him as he neared the dorm. Pausing at the threshold, the man stepped inside. Death and the wind were at his back. Dozens of hollow-eyed students turned to observe his presence. Fear had twisted their youthful faces into horrific masks. A few of them wept. Others clung together as another scream echoed into the night. The man flinched. Then he steeled himself against all emotion. His kind was supposed to feel nothing.He made his way through the crowd, students eagerly shuffling aside to let him pass. It was as if somehow they sensed in him the power to end her suffering. When a young man dressed only in boxers and a lettered shirt stepped forward from a cluster of solemn dorm mates, the man stopped. He recognized the boy.“You are William. You are the one who called.”“Yes, sir,” the young man said while nodding. His eyes were wide and frightened as he pointed ahead to a closed door painted prison grey. “She’s in there, sir.”The man looked at the door, and then back at the boy. “Is she alone?”William’s shoulders slumped with embarrassment. “I tried to stay with her but…” his voice trailed, dropping to a hoarse whisper. “She looks bad, sir. She wouldn’t stop screaming for me to get out. I got scared. I’m sorry.”“It’s alright, son. You have done well.” The man laid a hand on the boy’s shoulder with an encouraging smile that reflected none of the sadness he felt. “She’s going to be okay.”But her cries were becoming more tormented by the second. He quickly continued down the hall to the grey door. Behind it, he found her all alone. Her thin, pale body was curled on a beaten sofa in the center of the room. She was drenched in sweat. Dark hair plastered against her face, framing a beautiful canvas contorted with anguish. He placed a hand gently on her forehead.Her eyes fluttered open. “Daddy?”“I’m here, sweetheart. Everything is fine now.”Sobbing in relief even as another surge of agony ransacked her strength, she gritted her teeth. “It hurts.”Squeezing her hand, he spoke in a voice thick with regret. “I know. I’m sorry. Letting you come here was a mistake. I’ve waited too long.”She was lost in the pain and didn’t seem to hear him. “I see horrible things. I did horrible things. There was so much blood.”It hurt him terribly to see her in such distress. No matter what the others said, this girl had truly been his daughter. But right now, his love for her could not matter. He had a job to do. There were things he needed to know. There were questions he had to ask.“What do you see?”“Bodies, hundreds of bodies littering the ground…” The words broke off as she rolled with another wave of misery. “They’re burned…old and young, women and children.” She sobbed again. “I think I burned them.”“I’m going to give you something to stop the pain. It will help you sleep.”“Please hurry, Daddy. Make it stop.” Her body shuddered. “I can’t take any more of this.” She lifted her head, giving him a good look at her face. Surging veins had crept like black spiders from the corners of her eyes, transforming the surrounding skin into dark pools. She was deteriorating rapidly. If the process wasn’t slowed, the human form would soon be lost.
Realist, cynic, and hopeless romantic all
rolled into one, Eden Ashley lives in a small, sunny town in SC where thunderstorms
inspire her best ideas. When not daydreaming about her next novel, Eden can be
found curled up with a musty old paperback and a cup of coffee...or mired
deeply in her next plot to take over the world. She enjoys reading or watching
anything with supernatural elements, so writing paranormal and fantasy romance
is a natural fit.
Twitter: @Eden_byNite
Tour giveaway
2 $10 Starbucks Gift Cards
Thanks for hosting today, Sharon :)
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