Wednesday, July 3, 2013

"Blood Kiss (The Nephilim Warrior Series)" by K. A. Young

WARNING: This book is suitable for adults only.

INTERVIEW and GIVEAWAY
NEW RELEASE
Blood Kiss
(The Nephilim Warrior Series)
by K. A. Young


K. A. Young has just released Blood Kiss, the third installment in the Nephilim Warrior Series. You can join in the fun at the official Facebook event. Be sure to download the first book in the series, Prophecy of the Female Warrior, which is currently FREE. You can read more about the first book in my previous blog post.
Kate joins me today for an interview. She has also kindly donated some fantastic prizes for our giveaway, so make sure you show her your appreciation by entering below.

Description
Julie manages her life the best way she knows how, by waking up every day and putting one foot in front of the other, along with a little help from modern medicine. Most days she holds things together pretty well; as the mother of twin toddlers and a wife to a husband she can barely stand she still manages to keep up appearances and paste a smile onto her face. Until dreams of a sexy vampire plague her nights leaving her panting when she wakes.
Julie begins to struggle with her own urges though she dare not admit aloud that she now has a taste for blood. She longs to indulge her desire by taking the vein of the vampire that makes her quake with need. How much longer can she keep the creature inside of her at bay? Only time will tell if Julie is strong enough to resist her darkest desire or if she even wants to try

Book Trailer


Excerpt
“I’m dreaming again, aren’t I? This isn’t real. You aren’t real, I made you up.” I began backing my way through the parking lot, glancing back to find my car. He kept coming toward me, slowly, as not to frighten me further. I stopped when my back hit against a car and I turned to insure that it was indeed my car, relieved to find that it was. When I looked back, he was inches from me.
“You are not dreaming, Julie, and I am real. You know who I am; focus on my eyes and remember.” He caressed my cheek with one finger and I shivered as all my senses came alive. His scent surrounded me as glimpses of the past filled his eyes.
We were smiling, happily walking hand in hand through a field at night. The scene changed and we were in his bed, I could feel the satin sheets against my bare skin as I rolled on top of him, mounting him, digging my nails into his chest, his head falling back, lips parting in ecstasy. His arm snaked up around my neck, pulling me down to him, taking my mouth in a passionate kiss. Our tongues intertwining wildly as I licked his left fang, then his right, filling his mouth with my blood. A blood kiss always drove him insane with lust. He flipped me over and thrust into me in an animalistic way. I was just as wild as he was. I barely recognized myself. The scene changed, I was sitting in a recliner and he was kneeling at my feet, kissing the swell of my pregnant belly.
Upon that final memory, I fainted.

Review
I was pleasantly surprised. Sometimes when book series continue on past the second book they get kind of predictable or they try to keep it interesting by adding too much craziness. That is not the case with the Nephilim Warrior series. There were some twists and turns that I was not expecting so it kept the story fresh and new while expanding on the previous characters. And can I just say - Holy cliffhanger Batman! I can't wait for the next book!!!

Interview With the Author
Hi Kate, thanks for joining me today to discuss your new book Blood Kiss.

Which writers have influenced you the most? I would say, Karen Marie Moning, Kresley Cole, and Darynda Jones.

What age group do you recommend your book for? The entire series in written for adults only, lots of steamy stuff in these books.

What sparked the idea for this book? The character Julie, I couldn’t leave her behind not knowing what was going on in the world she lives in. Her character is so beautiful and complex that her story needed to be told.

Which comes first? The character's story or the idea for the novel? The character's story came first in this series and the case is the same for this installment.  With one of my current WIP the idea comes first and I'm eager to introduce them to you and look forward to doing so later this year.

What was the hardest part to write in this book? I suppose it was describing Julie's pain and struggles without weakening her character. There is a fine line there.

How to you hope this book affects its readers? I hope it provides a short-term escape from reality. Reading is an adventure within itself and that is what I strive to give my readers, an adventure they can't find any other place except between the pages of a book.

What a wonderful way of putting it, Kate! How long did it take you to write this book? The book took a total of eight months between rewriting and the editing phase.

What is your writing routine? My routine changes depending on inspiration and my mood. Sometimes I begin early in the morning watching the sunrise as I type. Then other times if it's a beautiful night, I write out on my solarium feeling the cool breeze and enjoying the solitude of the dark night. The only thing that never changes is there is always music playing in the background.

That sounds amazing. How did you get your book published?  Like many Indie Authors, through trial and error... I started out exclusively publishing through Amazon's KDP (a big mistake), then expanded to Smashwords who handle distributing to Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iTunes, Sony, and others.

What advice do you have for someone who would like to become a published writer? Find a good editor before publishing. The number one mistake I made when first publishing was attempting to edit my own work. Once you've found an editor, then go for it and enjoy the ride!

What do you like to do when you're not writing? Reading, of course. And my family is a family of beach lover's, so I adore spending time with my hubby and kiddos doing what we all love, being in the water and reading on a beach. I also like to cook and bake. Creating new dishes in the kitchen is a stress reliever for me.

What does your family think of your writing? My family is a bunch of characters; my grandfather was Latin, Puerto Rican to be precise, and my grandmother is a combination of Scottish/Irish descent, both proud and headstrong heritages that created a brood of combustible and spicy personalities. I could fill encyclopedia-thick books with material from them. Actually, one of my favorite characters in this book is the Aliene character, who is the namesake of my grandmother. There's a mental picture for you. LOL. Like the character, she is a fiery red head who doesn't take sh-- (well, you know) from anyone. She would love to see the book turn into a movie so she could see who would play "her" on-screen. LOL. In all seriousness, they are incredible supportive family and I'm blessed to have them.

That's great! Did you enjoy school? I did enjoy school. I went to a private academy with a close-knit group and I still communicate with many of them to this day.

Did you like reading when you were a child? I adored reading; I read everything I could get my hands on.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer? I can't remember a time when I wanted to do much of anything else.

Did your childhood experiences influence your writing? Not with my current projects.

What was your favorite book as a child? The first book I remember loving was Morris Goes To School by B. Wiseman. I would check it out frequently from the school library. I recall racing ahead of the other kindergarteners to get to the book before anyone else got to it. A copy of the book is part of my children's home library today.

Who were your favorite authors as a child? Some of my favorite childhood authors were Beverly Cleary, Lucy Maud Montgomery, C. S. Lewis, and like all other girls I went through a Harlequin romance phase as a teenager.

Yes, I was one of those girls. Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say? I do receive occasional emails and form comments from readers. The one I most recently received that thrilled me was, "It's great when a story can rage you out of your own head for a while. Your books do that for people. Thank you." Her comments made my day.

That's fantastic! What can we look forward to from you in the future? I'm working on a spin off series from the Nephilim Warrior Series based on the sorceress Elise; it should be out before October. Another WIP is a Valkyrie Series that I'm having a ball with and of course I'll be continuing the Nephilim Warrior Series.

Thanks so much for taking the time to talk to me today. Thanks also for the wonderful prizes you've donated for our giveaway. I wish you every success in your future endeavors.

About the Author
K. A. Young is a freelance writer and paranormal romance ebook author, who lives with her family in Southern United States. She began writing because her mind was swimming with incredible stories that were begging to be told. Her love for reading began as a small child when she realized that a good book was an instant escape to a mystical land that could be reached anytime and from anyplace.
Kate is author of the Nephilim Warrior Series, comprised of Prophecy of the Female Warrior, Destiny of the Female Warrior, and the newly-released Blood Kiss.

Giveaway
Kate has generously donated one $25 Amazon gift card and two $5 Amazon gift cards for our giveaway. Each winner will also receive a Blood Kiss bookmark. The giveaway is open internationally. Be sure to enter and show Kate your gratitude for this wonderful opportunity!
Links