Hello and Welcome Everyone,
I would like to introduce Valerie Twombly author of the Guardians & Demon Heat series. Join us as we learn a little more about Valerie, her Guardians, up coming book & more.
Welcome Valerie and thank you for taking the time to answer a few questions, so lets get down to it shall we?
What do you do when you are not writing?
I love to read and I do miss it terribly. With a full-time job and deadlines I don’t get to do it as much. Sometimes I just have to take a few days off from my own writing to read others. It helps to invigorate me.
Do you have a day job as well?
I do. I work full-time in an office as an admin.
When did you first start writing and when did you finish your first book?
I dabbled with Eternal Flame in March of 2012 and finished it in April of 2013. I spent a lot of that time in the beginning taking classes and working on short stories for contests to help improve my skills. In reality I probably didn’t really get down to business with Eternal Flame until late summer 2012.
How did you choose the genre you write in?
That was easy. I love paranormal romance and have a huge love for vampires.
Do you ever experience writer’s block?
Oh yes. I try to work on something else and not think too hard about the project I need to get done. It’s like trying to remember where you put your car keys. If you try too hard it never comes to you.
Do you work with an outline, or just write?
Not really. I mostly start with an idea and begin writing. I do jot down notes of things I think should happen, but I don’t plot. I write by the seat of my pants. It can be rather scary.
Can you tell us about your challenges in getting your first book published?
I feel very fortunate in this respect. The worst was submission and making sure you followed each publishers rules. One mistake could result in your manuscript being tossed into the slush pile. I feel very lucky to have received two offers on my first submission.
How do you market your work? What avenues have you found to work best for your genre?
I do blog tours when a new book releases, but for the most part I have found that Facebook is the place to be. Doing both ads there and chatting with the fans has been a big help.
How did you come up with the title?
Titles are hard, but this one just came to me. In book 1 Eternal Flame, I do describe how the Kothar demons are poisonous to dragons. Since book 2 is about a dragon and demon I got to thinking how their desires would be fatal to each other. Hence Fatal Desire. If only they could all be so easy, lol.
What project are you working on now?
I’m actually working on a second book in the Demon Heat series. This is more in the paranormal erotic genre and these books are novella in length. The book is titled Emerald Fire and for those who read Amazon Heat, this is Brock’s story.
Will you have a new book coming out soon?
Actually, Emerald Fire has a tentative release date of July 2, 2014.
Are there certain characters you would like to go back to, or is there a theme or idea you’d love to work with?
I’m so glad you asked. I’m actually going to work next on a book containing a Jinn. The only thing I’m not sure of yet is how spicy it will get.
What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?
I can’t think of any criticism that has been tough. I really have received wonderful advice from so many people. The romance industry is full of caring individuals who are willing to help.
The best compliments by far are the wonderful reviews from fans. To actually have people email me asking when the next book is coming out because they can’t wait blows me away. I am humbled.
Is there anything that you would like to say to your readers and fans?
Thank you for giving me the chance to share my stories with you. You are all the best and I would not be where I am today without you. I am truly blessed.
Guardians Series
A woman he cannot have, a man who is only a dream…
When guardian Marcus Dagotto, discovers the gods have gifted him with a mate, he is pissed. He has no room for love and even less for a human who has no idea he exists.
Cassandra Jensen, has a shattered heart and has given up on men. Only one man can set her body on fire, but he is a fantasy that haunts her sleep.
Two worlds, one desire. When the two collide, fate will rip them apart and test their resolve. Will darkness and evil prevail? Or, will love conquer all?
** Check out my Review on Eternal Flame HERE!
Drayos swung his sword. Everything moved in slow motion as Marcus waited for the blade to connect with Aidyn’s neck.
Caleb is dark, hot, and commanding in human form. As a dragon, he’s a force to be reckoned with. When he witnesses the slave Lileta being beaten by his Overlord Odage, he nearly comes unglued. Without understanding why, he asks to take the slave as his own, but soon realizes his longing is more than an attraction to a beautiful woman. In a sick twist of fate, the gods have given him a demon as his mate—one he can never touch unless he wishes his own death. His only choice is to grant her freedom.
Lileta wanted to kill Caleb, but when she is freed by this tempting male, her anger turns to a desire that can only prove fatal. Even if she could claim him as her own, her dark past makes her unworthy of his love.
When their paths continue to intertwine, spiraling them to the brink of passion, can they resist the yearnings burning within them, or will they submit to their fatal desire?
** Check out my Review on Fatal Desire HERE!
Odage stood under the full moon; the desert wind blew through his hair and grains of sand danced past his boots. Finally, he’d found the other half of the amulet of Tobor.
“I am extremely pleased, Odage. You have done well and will be rewarded. However, you know this journey has only begun,” a sinister voice echoed through the night air.
“Yes, My Lord. I’m aware of what is to come next.” Odage sneered. He knew the dark demon wanted the amulet. The harmless stone tucked in his curled fingers would somehow open Hell’s Gate when combined with the blood of a guardian’s mate. His master would then be set free to rain terror on the earth’s occupants.
“Good. Then you will start preparations. I am most anxious to leave this realm.”
“Of course, My Lord.” Odage shoved the amulet in his pocket and headed toward Caleb’s tent. He wondered how the slave Lileta fared with his second-in-command. He’d been surprised when Caleb had asked for the slave himself. Odage planned to kill her for her betrayal but decided Caleb deserved a gift so had agreed. He grinned, knowing the other Draki could be as brutal as he was. She might die yet.
When he reached the tent, he flung open the door and entered. Caleb sat at the table gnawing on a chicken bone. Odage’s gaze moved across the room where Lileta was handcuffed to the bed. Her tight pink T-shirt showed every curve, causing his desire to stir. She pinned him with a death glare. It really was a shame their species were incompatible. She was a beautiful female, with flowing raven hair, golden eyes, and hips that would fit nicely in his grip. Fortunately for her, the gods saw fit to make her species, the Kothar Demon, poisonous to a dragon.
Caleb rose. “My liege, how may I assist you?”
“Sit; finish your meal.”
Caleb took his seat. “May I offer you something? Wine?”
“Yes, a glass of wine is in order.” Odage waited while Caleb got up and procured another glass, filled it halfway with the red liquid then handed it to him. He raised it. “A toast.” Caleb extended his glass. “To finding the amulet.” Odage pulled the red stone from his pocket and placed it on the table.
“My liege, this is wonderful news. I know how long you’ve been searching for it.” He leaned in closer. “What happens next? Do you sell it to the highest bidder?”
Odage smirked. “Perhaps.” He would keep his master’s plans close to his chest, not even Caleb would be entrusted with the information. “But first, we must rid ourselves of the vampires. Prepare to burn down Vandeldor if you must.”
Caleb tipped his head. “Wouldn’t it be wise to find their queen’s murderer? I’d be honored to clear your name.”
Odage narrowed his gaze. “Fuck them. They dare accuse me, Queen Daria’s closest ally, of killing her? You know as well as I that they will never stop hunting me. Even if they were successful in catching me, they wouldn’t stop there. They will massacre our race.”
“Perhaps, but we are stronger than they are.”
“Yes, but I fear they have the gods on their side.”
Caleb furrowed his brows then nodded. “As you wish then. I will devise a plan to take them out.”
“Good, I knew I could count on you.” He raised his glass again. “To the death of our enemies.”
* * * *
Lileta had listened to the conversation between Caleb and Odage until she thought she would vomit. She despised them both and, if given a chance, would rid the world of their stench. When Odage had finally exited their domicile, her body relaxed slightly. She recalled Caleb’s earlier actions and was dumbfounded by them.
Why had he rescued her from the sure death Odage would have meted out?
The Draki leader had tied her to a post and whipped her. It was her punishment for freeing the guardian Marcus, who he’d held prisoner. When she thought he would end her life, Caleb had stepped forward. It wasn’t until later she learned he had requested her for himself. So here she was, in his tent, cuffed to his bed.
She gazed at the Draki while he finished sucking the meat off a drumstick. If circumstances were different, she would find the man downright sexy. His tousled dark blond hair and eyes that went from brown to green, depending on his mood, lent a sense of mystery to the dragon. Even his scent made her skin tight. Leather with a tinge of spice tossed in for good measure. When the goddess Qadira created the dragons, she had really outdone herself.
There had been a time when the Draki were allies with the guardians. Something happened in the years that she’d been gone to change that. The animosity between the species sickened her. Bile sat at the back of her throat, but she forced it down. It didn’t matter how attractive this man was. They could never be. She was a Kothar Demon and he a dragon. Everything about her was poison to his species.
Her chin lifted. “What do you intend to do with me?”
He looked up from the chunk of meat still left on his plate. His gaze studied her and filled with lust. She was accustomed to the reaction. Men found her species irresistible. It was why she’d been taken as a teen so many years ago and sold into slavery. She despised all those who’d used her.
“Whatever I fucking wish.” He went back to his meal.
“You know Odage lies to you.”
His lip curled into a snarl, and he tossed the bone to the floor. “I could kill you for that comment.”
Her nostrils flared. “Do it. You don’t frighten me, I welcome death,” she lied.
She would give anything to see her family one last time and tell them all how much she loved them. She would die with honor, but if ever the chance presented itself, she would fight.
Her body was tired, the only thing that kept her going were the other women. The humans Odage used to birth his spawn. She’d already lost Veronica, the first slave brought to her to care for. The woman had died in childbirth. She needed to find a way to save the others and prayed to the gods every day that Baal and Marcus would come.
“I think I’d rather watch you suffer than take the easy way out.”
She curled her lip. “Odage killed Daria. He so much as admitted it and has no intention of selling that amulet.
He bargains with the spawn of Hell, and only the gods know what they’re planning.”
Before she could exhale, he was in front of her, his fingers wrapped around her throat.
“Why did you save me, dragon?” she whispered, watching his eyes swirl. The green flecks came together and made the most beautiful emerald. He released his grip and grabbed a lock of her hair. Letting it slide through his fingers, he brought it to his nose. She held her breath and tried to steady her heartbeat.
Why does he affect me like this? I despise him.
She wanted to touch him in the most intimate way.
“I must protect you,” he whispered.
“What?” He must be deranged. Why in the hell would he want to protect me? There had to be an ulterior motive.
He let go of her hair, his eyes transformed back to brown, he reached for the handcuff and unlocked it. “We will be leaving here at dawn. Get some rest. Take the bed and don’t even think of trying to escape.” He stood and walked toward the exit. “I’ll sleep outside,” he announced before he disappeared out the door.
She rubbed her wrist, her brow creased in confusion. She had no intention of escaping, knowing as long as she wore the silver bands he’d find her. No, her only way out was to be rescued, or for Caleb to set her free. She laughed; he wasn’t likely to let her go. She pulled the covers back and crawled into bed, exhausted from trying to heal the wounds Odage had inflicted.
Sonia Forbus
May 6, 2014 at 10:36 pm
books sound really good am checking them out now
Angel's Guilty Pleasures
May 6, 2014 at 11:47 pm
Sonia thank you for stopping bye and checking out Valerie Twombly Guardian series.
Crazy Little Me
May 6, 2014 at 4:47 pm
Love the Guardian series. Looking forward to many to come
Angel's Guilty Pleasures
May 6, 2014 at 6:37 pm
I’m with you Crazy Little Me I cant wait for more Guardian’s. Also I’m very excited to check out her new Jinn series she is working on.