Interview: Tmonique Stephens (EVERMORE Descendants of Ra Book Tour) ~ #Excerpt

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Hello and Welcome All!

Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing Tmonique Stephens author of Evermore.

Hi Tmonique, thank you for agreeing to this interview. For those readers not familiar with you, would you please tell us a bit about yourself? 

Certainly, I wrote my first novel about a reporter and a hockey player after the U.S. hockey team won gold in the 1980 Olympics. I love writing flawed characters who reflect the emotional baggage we all carry. I write complicated stories for complicated people. Paranormal romances and fantasy novels are my favorite genre.

Eternity, Everlasting, Evermore are the first three novels in my Descendants of Ra series. I’ll read anything about fairies, demons, or angels, but I also enjoys Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and Preston and Child. 

Born in St. Thomas USVI, I grew up in The Bronx, New York one mile from Yankee Stadium. I am a diehard NY Yankees fan. Cut me and I bleed pinstripes. Please don’t hold it against me. I  love the SyFy channel and the History channels, and also Asian cuisine. But her heart and stomach longs for anything from the Caribbean.

What do you do when you are not writing?

Ronda-Rousey-Says-Cyborg-Is-not-a-Woman-MMA-SpotlightI love going to comedy shows with friends and having a good laugh. I also love watching MMA fights. Rhonda Roussey is my favorite! That girl is seriously bad. 

Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in any way wither growing up or as an adult? 

The first book I absolutely fell in love with was The Black Stallion by Walter Farley. I The Back Stallionwas in middle school and checked out all of The Black Stallion series from the library. The first romance I fell in love with was Skye O’Malley by Beatrice Small. I still love that novel. It’s a classic!

Can you tell us about your challenges in getting your first book published?

I started writing Eternity Descendants of Ra Book 1 just as my marriage imploded. I have to say, writing is cathartic. Writing that first book saved my sanity. The first draft wasn’t very good. I spent four years rewriting it, until it was just right. I believed in my characters and the story that much.

What are your ambitions for your writing career?

Of course I want to take over the world. LOL. I have big plans for my writing career. I have at least five more books planned for the Descendants of Ra series. Next on my agenda is an Angel Warrior series. Then I plan on tackling an epic paranormal fantasy set in a parallel world. I have one other series in the plotting stage, but I’m not ready to share information on that just yet. 

Do you ever get writer’s block?

Rarely do I get writer’s block. Many of my ideas come to me right before I fall asleep. I jot them down and then review what I’ve written in the morning. Whenever I have an idea, not matter how small or crazy, I write them down to incorporate later in a story.

What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?

red edits on a manuscriptOpening up a manuscript after it has been returned from a critique partner is always hard because of the blood on the page. Red ink or red highlights always remind of blood. Early in my career, there would be so much edits and critiques on the page I imagine my manuscript was a wounded soldier shot on the battlefield. Dramatic, I know, but that’s how much red was on the page. 

Anytime I get a good review, I do a happy dance. That will always be the best compliment. 

Can you tell us about your upcoming book?

Evermore is the story of Avery and Emeline. For various reasons, they have been Evermore‘stalking’ each other. Emeline did it at the behest of The Order, a secret society she is a part of. Avery stumbled upon Emeline in a park and fell in love with her at first sight. Against his better judgment, he followed her for nearly two week, until guilt and his conscience caused him to stop. I really enjoyed writing this book. It was a lot of fun. 

What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?

I love the first kiss. So much rides on the first time their lips touch. I love the build up to that moment and sharing the intimacy with the characters. 

If you could have given your characters one piece of advice before the opening pages of the book, what would it be and why?Don’t-be-afraid-of-change

Don’t be afraid to live. Don’t be afraid of love.

Which of your prior characters would you most/least likely invite to dinner and why? 

I would love to have Roman and Reign Nicolis for dinner. They are the heroes of Eternity and Everlasting. They’re also six foot seven, blue eyed, raven haired Egyptian Demi-God twins. Yeah, drool over that ladies!

10 Quick Things About Tmonique Stephens

Favorite Food? I will eat anything once, but I never tire of sushi.

Favorite Drink? Moscato D’Asti! It’s dessert in a glass.

Moscato D’Asti

Favorite Color? Black, it’s slimming.

Favorite Book? Dark Lover by JR Ward.

Favorite Season? I’m a fall baby so I love the cooler weather and the changing leaves. Autumn is my time of year. 

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Favorite Online Hangout? Pinterest. I find the best inspiration on Pinterest. And hot guys!

Favorite Animal? I’m a dog person, but I like big dog, Labradors, and German shepherds.

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Favorite Band or Musician? Linkin Park and Jay Z.

Favorite Vacation Destination? I love taking cruises to the Caribbean, but I want to visit Japan before I die.  

Favorite Movie or TV Show of all Time? I have a list of favorite movies. Jaws, for horror. The Notebook for romance. Battlestar Galactica for sci-fi. But right now, I am hooked on The Walking Dead. It’s literally the best show ever I’ve ever seen. 

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Is there anything that you would like to say to your readers and fans?

If you like my novels, please leave a review and thank you so much for your support. 

Thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to take part in this interview. We loved having you on Angel’s Guilty Pleasures.

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About the Book (1)

EVERMORE

Descendants of Ra Book 3

By Tmonique Stephens

EvermoreGenres: Paranormal Fantasy

Series: Descendants of Ra

Book Length: 358

Publisher: Tmonique Stephens

 

Book Description:

There is no such thing as a chance meeting.

There’s no room in Avery Nicolis’s life for an obsession, yet why else does he stalk Emeline Gamble. Lurking in the shadows, he hungers for a woman he can’t have. Between the secrets he guards and anarchy roiling in his soul, his only solace are his glimpses of Emeline. He will resist her, protect her from himself, and deny his desire to claim her heart.

Emeline Gamble was a Watcher for the Order—a secret society of women charged with monitoring the offspring of the gods. For months, she observed Avery Nicolis, an elite mercenary, Descendant of Ra, and enemy of the Order. Never knowing he had her in his crosshairs.

Trapped in a lie, Emeline is forced to accept Avery as her bodyguard. Compelled to spend time with him, she learns to care for his tortured soul and see the hero lurking beneath the assassin’s façade.

But every word out of her mouth is a lie. Every action a betrayal. Because to save her family she is forced to accept a new assignment, deliver Avery Nicolis to the Goddess of Chaos, alive…

And do not fall in love with him.

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Buy Links: Amazon 

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excerpt

A shift in the air alerted him that he was no longer alone. The hesitant whisper of feet gliding across the carpet revealed his intruder. And her scent. She smelled of him—of sandalwood and the night—mixed with her womanly aura that spiked his blood. A growl rumbled in his throat. Could he not have a moment alone? Maybe if he didn’t move she’d go away and leave him to finish meditating.

Silence stretched painfully until curiosity made him open one eye. She sat in front of him, so close he could count the treasure of gold flecks sparkling in her hazel eyes. Her gaze skimmed his face, leaving a trail of hunger he no longer wanted to deny. Her eyes widened when they dropped to his scars. Pity welled. 

“Leave. Now.” 

Her gaze shot to his. Questions danced in her eyes. Questions he refused to answer. It would serve no purpose to spill his guts to a woman who considered him damaged, less than any other man. Her hand stretched forward. Avery almost leaned into the touch, he craved her that much. But not while pity surfed in her hazel eyes. He’d have none of it.

“Don’t,” he snarled and grabbed her hand. 

“It’s…” Her voice wavered.

He held his breath, waiting for her to finish her sentence with any of the words on his personal list: ugly, grotesque, monstrous.

“Beautiful.”

Huh? He hadn’t heard right. Didn’t she see the scars, ravaged skin, and muscles beneath the ink?

“It’s changed. It didn’t look like this before.”  

Shit! Sometimes his Ink did change from one indiscriminate mass to a slightly different indiscriminate mass. 

“Now it’s intricate with swoops and swirls. Curlicues.”

Curlicues? Not possible. Her hand kept coming. He’d never let anyone touch it, not even during sex. Yet…he wanted her to touch him—all of him—but that was not going to happen. “I did it to hide the scars. Make it pretty. Didn’t work.” He lied. 

Again, her hazel eyes filled with skepticism and her hand kept coming, as if he hadn’t ordered her not to. He was about to push her away when her fingers veered to his face. His breath caught, stilled by the possibilities of the moment. 

She traced his face with soothing, lazy fingers. Her eyes, fringed with long, sooty lashes, were focused, intent on the torture she inflicted on his flesh. A gleam of interest sparked in their depths and a sultry smile tugged at the corners of her full lips. He’d dreamed this fantasy, never expected it come true. It was wrong to want more, yet her gaze caressed his skin.

Her hand dropped and she swept her thumb over the slight scar on his forearm, a reminder from the fight with her intruders. A jolt raced through him and he sucked in a startled breath.

She studied the slight demarcation. “Your wound? It’s gone. Want to explain?”

Kiss her, part her soft pouty lips and taste her. He shrugged. “Genetic anomaly. I heal fast.” He waited for more questions, but she surprised him when she cupped his face, and rubbed her palm over his day-old stubble. Desire flooded his system, turning the darkness within him into a sea of need. 

Take her. Take what you want. Spread her. Fuck her. Take. Take. Whispered, taunted, and finally screamed. Avery balled his hands and kept them at his sides, anything to keep from humiliating himself. If only he could lock away his unending need, treat her as a client and not the only woman who’d ever made his blood simmer.

If he could do that, then he could walk away, but a little bit of Emeline wouldn’t be enough. And if he couldn’t have all of her, he’d rather have none. 

He had to leave.

Her hands slid down his neck to his shoulder, and brushed his burn. Avery jerked away. The skin sizzled, as if freshly torched, but it wasn’t pain that seared his body. 

“W-what? What did I do?” Her lovely eyes filled with concern.

Her stuttering mimicked his fluttering heart. When she touched his scar, all his nerve endings were zapped. He felt her soft hand stroking him, when his damaged skin hadn’t sensed anything in more than two decades.

“How did this happen?”  

Though he never wanted her begging for anything, ever, Avery shook his head. Those dark memories didn’t belong here, tainting this moment. He took her hand, caressed the smooth back, and brushed her knuckles. 

“Tell me,” she whispered and squeezed his fingers.

He brought her fingers to his tortured skin. “Touch me again.” The unspoken ‘please’ hung in the air between them.

Emeline hesitated, and for long seconds he suffered in anticipation. Then she slid her hand from his elbow to his shoulder over the burned skin. Bliss roared through him, leaving his restraints in tatters. 

His head dropped back. Lust, potent and violent, clawed through him as never before. Did he moan or did she? The blood storming through his body and pounding in his ears muffled everything except her hand on his flesh. No one had ever come close to making him feel this way. No one, but Emeline with her luscious lips and arresting eyes. With her coy scent and fat curls bouncing on her shoulders, making her eyes do a peek-a-boo dance. Beneath the towel, his cock turned to stone.

She moved away and he nearly screamed at the loss. He grabbed her, couldn’t stop himself from hooking her around the waist and sliding her body under his. 

Her hand braced against his chest. “I-I’m not having s-s-sex with you.” 

Sex? Is that all she thought this was? He wished the feelings she evoked in him were so simple. Sex he could get anywhere, with anyone. With Emeline, he wanted all that she would give…and more. More he could never have. 

She’d said no, though her half-mast eyes were dreamy, waiting for his next move while her tongue flicked out and stroked her bottom lip. Damn, burying himself inside her and never coming out sounded like an epic plan, but her breathy words shackled him.

“Just touch me,” he said. He was ready to demand that she place her hands on his skin.

Her bottom lip trembled and a sliver of fear entered her gaze. “I don’t want to hurt you,” she rasped.  

Her words already had. They doused his desire and delivered an unwanted dose of reality. This was wrong on every level and at least one of them had the balls to admit it. 

“Same here.” He didn’t want to hurt her either, and that’s exactly where this would lead. Nothing about him had changed. He was still a mercenary, dealt in death. Family obligations came before all of his longings and always would. Let her go, whispered through him. 

I will…in a minute.

Slowly, her hands went from fists, ready to push him away, to warm palms and splayed fingers on his pecs. “Why did you agree to be my bodyguard? The truth.”

Heat traveled from her to him, straight to his cock. He leaned into the touch, seeking more. “Because I couldn’t take my eyes off you. Still can’t.”

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giveaway

 Blog Giveaway

One Winner – E-book copy of Eternity (Descendants of Ra #1) 

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Tour Giveaway

 $25 Amazon gift card 

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MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tmonique StephensTmonique Stephens wrote her first novel about a reporter and a hockey player after the U.S. hockey team won gold in the 1980 Olympics. She loves writing flawed characters who reflect the emotional baggage we all carry. She writes complicated stories for complicated people. Paranormal romances and fantasy novels are her favorite genre.

Eternity, Everlasting, and Evermore are the first three novels in her Descendants of Ra series. Currently, she is working a contemporary revenge series and Encore, the fourth novel in the Descendants of Ra series. She will read anything about fairies, demons, or angels.  She also enjoys Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and Preston and Child. 

Born in St. Thomas USVI, Tmonique Stephens grew up in The Bronx, New York one mile from Yankee Stadium. She loves SyFy, the History channels, and also Asian cuisine. But her heart and stomach longs for anything from the Caribbean.

social-media

Website – Facebook – Twitter/@Tmoniquebooks – Goodreads – Amazon 

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I'm an outdoor sun loving reader living near San Fransisco. I’m a mother, wife, animal & book lover. I'm the owner, reviewer & mind behind Angel’s Guilty Pleasures. My favorite animals are horses & dogs. As for reading I love all things paranormal & urban fantasy & my favorite shifters are dragons.

2 comments on “Interview: Tmonique Stephens (EVERMORE Descendants of Ra Book Tour) ~ #Excerpt

  1. Love the excerpt! I learned so many interesting things about Tmonique in the interview. Dean Koontz is also one of my favorite authors and I love big dogs. We have 3 Danes. It was good to hear that she has 5 more books planned in the Descendants of Ra series.

  2. I really enjoyed the interview and the excerpt, I would not have found this book without them. I can’t wait to read it. Lol, now if only I could make my TBR pile shrink instead of adding to it!