Ok I needa tell you something amazing before we start the goodies... I am thrilled to show you this book not only because it's a great book but because I just found out that the author is LITERALLY my neighbor :) HEHEHE So, when we became friends on goodreads yesterday, she caught my city name and told me where she is, it's like 15 miles. Dude I got a famous neighbor who writes AWESOME books!! Just for that alone, you should check out her books. :) Ok, now that I got my fan girl moment out of me, I can show you the real goodies! LOL Enjoy!
Soulfire
The
Nightwing Series
Book
One
Juliette
Cross
Genre: Urban Fantasy Romance
Publisher: Kensington
Publishing/Lyrical Press
Date of Publication: October 20, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-61650-561-5
ASIN:
Number of pages: 109
Word Count: 32K
Cover Artist: Renee Rocco
Book Description:
In a world divided by prejudice
and hatred, only love can bridge the chasm.
Tensions are rising in the
Gladium Province. The boundary between humans and Morgons has begun to blur.
While the human aristocracy strives to maintain distance between their
daughters and the dragon-hybrid race, fate has other plans.
As the daughter of the corporate
king, Jessen Cade is duty-bound to honor her arranged marriage to a man she
detests. Feeling trapped by family duty and a loveless future, she longs for
more, straying to the Morgon side of the city.
Lucius Nightwing is the eldest
son of the powerful Morgon clan, and the greatest enemy of Jessen’s father.
When a bar-room brawl thrusts Jessen into his arms, his dragon roars to the
surface, craving to sate his carnal hunger in the brown-eyed beauty. The beast
in Lucius recognizes her as his own, even if the man refuses to admit the
truth.
Available at Kensington
Excerpt-
Prologue
Thousands of
years ago, Radomis, the dragon king of the North, took flight on the last full
moon of winter. Beating great, black wings, he soared away from his mountainous
kingdom, lured by some unknown force to the sultry lands in the west where
humans dwelled. Dragons and humans had always lived apart.
On this same
night, Princess Morga honored the fertility rite of bathing under the full moon
the night before her wedding. As she stepped from the natural steaming pool,
rivulets of water glistened over milk-pale skin, ebony hair slicked over her
breasts and down her back. The dragon king saw her. Instant desire ensnared his
beastly heart. He descended.
Shifting into
human form, a man of might and beauty, he murdered her guards and handmaidens.
Horrified, Morga could do nothing when the dragon king took her in his arms,
hard lust in cold eyes. The moment his tongue licked into her mouth, she felt
the burning of soulfire—the dragon elixir meant for his one and only mate. Golden
heat melted through blood and bone, filling her with euphoric pleasure, bonding
her to him forever.
Radomis took her
on the ground among bloody bodies and moon-shadows, intent to sate his hunger.
One night would never be enough. Shifting into dragon form, he carried her in
his claws back to his kingdom. She would be his queen, trapped in a gilded cage
of opulence as the object of his endless desire.
From their
union, a child was born—an abomination. A human body with dragon wings and
dragon strength. The boy, Larkos, was outcast among dragonkind, including his
father. Only Morga showed him any love.
When Larkos
reached manhood, he wielded his rage with an avenging sword, tracking and
killing all of dragonkind. Even in beast form, his father could not match him,
finally falling to the forgotten son’s sword. What Larkos did not know was that
soulfire bonded his loving mother to the beast in such a way that when his
dragon-heart stopped beating, so did hers.
This is the tale
I’d been told when my body began changing from child to woman, a warning for
young girls to beware of Morgon men.
“Never stray
from your own kind, Jessen,” my mother would say, “or you could end up like
Princess Morga, a slave and outcast to be abhorred.”
The problem was,
I’d never been a very obedient daughter. Never the one to do exactly as I was
told. And fairy tales have no meaning when the stars align and Fortune spins
her wheel, weaving her own story for your heart.
My Review
Oh how I love dragons :) Giggle. So, this world is fantastic to be in. It's modern day, but half the town is separated into human side and dragon side. It's soooo cool how it's done :) And humans don't really like the dragons and the dragons are a little on the fence with humans. And plus, there's a great inner message about not being prejudiced. :) But, let's just say I wanna live her with all these HAWT dragon hybrids around!!
So, Jessen is the daughter of a very prejudice, not nice, tycoon of money. Ugh, I don't like her dad, or her mom, but I loved her little sister. But anyways, she has a mind o f her own, and she won't be forced into a crappy life. She sneaks out one night and her circumstances change when she meets a very important dragon shifter, Lucius. Holy HAWTness. LOL But then, she's forced to choose her family or her destined mate. I loved her outlook on life and how she would stand up for herself. She's a very cool girl.
Lucius is in trouble. His dragon picked a human to mate with. And his worst enemy's daughter at that. It's complicated. But he can't help himself. He has a lot to give up if things don't work out well. He's quiet but full of heart and I love that he paints. When he saves her in his bar from a fight, he can't help himself with her.
This is a sweet, short story, but it has so much passion and inspiration. I seriously loved the world building and I am so in love. I WANT MORE MORE MORE!!! :) It's a great read and a wonderful story. 5 DRAGON PAWS!!
Author Interview
Interview: Juliette Cross
First, tell me a
little about your book :)….
Thank you so much for having me today. Well, SOULFIRE is a
loose retelling of Romeo and Juliet in a world where a hybrid dragon race,
called Morgons, lives alongside humans. My heroine is the daughter of the
wealthiest family in the Gladium Province and strays to the Morgon side of town
and meets her fated true love.
Do you recall how
your interest in writing originated or did you always just know?
Actually, there was this new progressive teacher in my
sophomore year of high school. Up till Ms. Anderson was hired, our English
classes had a strict, regimented curriculum. She was different than any teacher
I’d ever known. I remember I sat in a desk near the window in her class. I
don’t know why some things stick to memory, because it’s been quite a few years
since I sat in that classroom. (No, I won’t confess how many.) One day she
asked us to write short story. I don’t remember the story, but the feeling of
complete and utter joy at pouring my emotions and imagination onto the page
stayed with me. I ended up majoring in Creative Writing in college because of
it.
What inspired you to
write your first book and what was it?
It was about ten years ago, actually. And it was a YA novel
about these fairies, called dreamkeepers, who delivered the good dreams to
humans. But there were bad fairies/creatures called reapers who delivered
nightmares. Anyway, it was crazy, full of fantasy, and fairly terrible
storytelling. Lol. My plot was all over the place, but I was just dipping my
toe into the novel-writing world, with still much yet to learn. And I’m still
learning. Honestly, I don’t think writers ever stop.
Are experiences
based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
Some are and some are completely fabricated. There are two
characters in the Nightwing series whose internal conflicts are somewhat
autobiographical. And there are definitely characters, good and bad, who are
drawn from life. I had a creative writing professor in college who would always
say, “Write what you know.” So I use that now in creating believable
characters. Unfortunately, I don’t know any half-dragon men, so there’s a lot
that comes completely from imagination. :)
Are there any new authors
that have grasped your interest?
Well, she’s new to me. Lara Adrian has a cool vampire series
out there. I’ve enjoyed quite a few in her Breed series so far.
Who do you look up
to as a writer?
Without a doubt, Nalini Singh. Her style of romance is my
absolute favorite. She manages to weave the paranormal/fantasy aspects so well
into the love story. And her characters feel true to life. I also was fortunate
enough to meet her at the last RT Convention in New Orleans, and she was
genuinely one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. I admire her not only for the
writer she is, but also the person she is with her fans and readers. Such a
generous spirit.
If you had to do it
all over again, would you change anything in your book?
No, I don’t think so. Some readers have felt it should’ve
been longer. But I intended for SOULFIRE and the other two novellas in the
Nightwing series to be preludes to the full-length novel series, Vale of Stars.
The Nightwing novellas set the stage of the Morgon world for a much grander,
more complex plot that will take place over many books in the Vale of Stars.
WAKING THE DRAGON is book one, due out with Kensington next June.
Is there anything
you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Editing. Editing is the hardest part, because you sometimes
must work and rework the same scene or paragraph or even sentence over and over
until it’s right. I love and adore my editor, Corinne Demaagd, for making me
edit till it’s the best I can do. The hard work pays off in the end, because I produce
something I’m proud of, even if it’s never perfect.
What book are you
reading now? Or what genre?
I’m in limbo at the moment, because I’ve only had time for
editing my books in production lately. But I’m about to hop back into some
historical romance. Julia Quinn and Eloisa James never disappoint in this
genre. I don’t know why, but my favorite genres are urban fantasy or paranormal
and historical romance. They don’t seem to match up, but then again, they do.
There’s always a devilish alpha or Regency rake as the lead hero, and I’m
always swept away to another world.
Who designed the cover? And do you help with them?
Who designed the cover? And do you help with them?
Renee Rocco, Managing Director of Lyrical Press, imprint of
Kensington, created the cover. Authors fill out a cover art form for Kensington
and their ideas are considered. Renee did use some of my ideas, but she shocked
the hell out of me with the dragon wings on Lucius. I truly love this cover.
If you could be one
of your characters, who would you chose?
Probably Moira Cade. In SOULFIRE, you only see her as
Jessen’s little sister, but she’s the heroine of WAKING THE DRAGON, which takes
place five years after the Nightwing series. I love her independence at such a
young age and that she goes for what she wants, consequences be damned.
Do you have anything
specific that you want to say to your readers?
Thank you. Thank you for reading, not just my book, but all
books. I met two wonderful ladies at the RT Convention last May at the dinner
ball. And when we introduced ourselves, one of them, Lisa, said, “I’m just a
reader.” I told her she wasn’t “just” a reader. Without readers, we’d be
twiddling away, spending hours and hours creating these stories for nothing.
Writers might be the creators of novels, but readers actually bring them to
life.
Well first, I am thrilled there will be MORE goodies!!! And I loved Moira even in the little glimpse we got. I really hope I can have you over many more times in the future. I am a fan! Thank you for hanging out with us today!
About
the Author:
Juliette calls lush, moss-laden
Louisiana home where the landscape curls into her imagination, creating
mystical settings for her stories.
She has a B.A. in creative
writing from Louisiana State University, a M.Ed. in gifted education, and was
privileged to study under the award-winning author Ernest J. Gaines in grad
school.
Her love of mythology, legends,
and art serve as constant inspiration for her works. From the moment she read
JANE EYRE as a teenager, she fell in love with the Gothic romance--brooding
characters, mysterious settings, persevering heroines, and dark, sexy heroes.
Even then, she not only longed to
read more novels set in Gothic worlds, she wanted to create her own.
Website: https://www.juliettecross.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Juliette__Cross
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/crossjuliette/
Tour giveaway
5 ebook copies of Soulfire
I seriously hope you check this one out. I can't wait to see what's gunna come next. And good luck with the giveaway :) Enter, you'll wanna win this one! Happy reading and later gators!!
Other works
Other works
Forged in Fire (The Vessel Trilogy #1)
She never knew this demon world existed. Now she just wants to survive it.
Genevieve Drake never needed a man to come to her rescue. Not until the night of her twentieth birthday, when some dude nearly chokes her to death in an alley behind a New Orleans Goth club. And a hot stranger splits the guy in half, rips a monster from inside, and incinerates it into ash.
The hunky rescuer? Jude Delacroix—Dominus Daemonum, Master of Demons, now her guardian, whether she likes it or not. But she’s seriously beginning to like it.
Her would-be murderer turns out to be only the first of many minions of the demon prince, Danté, who has all kinds of lascivious and sadistic plans. Which means when the formidably beautiful Jude offers his protection, Genevieve has no problem accepting it.
For Jude and his fellow demon hunters tell her she is a Vessel, one who is born to serve the Light, but can be corrupted into a weapon of darkness. And to survive, she must trust a man whose unearthly eyes promise heaven…but whose powers unleash hell.
Warning: Contains a dark and brooding demon hunter who harbors even darker secrets, a snarky heroine who’s being hunted by every demon in the underworld, and a sadistic demon prince with a fancy for violent sexual encounters.
Genevieve Drake never needed a man to come to her rescue. Not until the night of her twentieth birthday, when some dude nearly chokes her to death in an alley behind a New Orleans Goth club. And a hot stranger splits the guy in half, rips a monster from inside, and incinerates it into ash.
The hunky rescuer? Jude Delacroix—Dominus Daemonum, Master of Demons, now her guardian, whether she likes it or not. But she’s seriously beginning to like it.
Her would-be murderer turns out to be only the first of many minions of the demon prince, Danté, who has all kinds of lascivious and sadistic plans. Which means when the formidably beautiful Jude offers his protection, Genevieve has no problem accepting it.
For Jude and his fellow demon hunters tell her she is a Vessel, one who is born to serve the Light, but can be corrupted into a weapon of darkness. And to survive, she must trust a man whose unearthly eyes promise heaven…but whose powers unleash hell.
Warning: Contains a dark and brooding demon hunter who harbors even darker secrets, a snarky heroine who’s being hunted by every demon in the underworld, and a sadistic demon prince with a fancy for violent sexual encounters.
Thank you so much for having me on today, neighbor! Lol! I still can't get over how close we live. What a small world. I'm mentioning you in my next newsletter. :)
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