The Reaper’s Kiss
A Deathmark Novel
Abigail Baker
Release Date: August 24, 2015
Genre: Paranormal
Publisher: Entangled
Book Description:
Ollie Dormier's tattoos are deadly. She is a Scrivener—an employee for Death—and her skull tattoos mark her clients for their demise. She does her job, and she stays out of trouble. But when her hands start to burn hot and fierce, and her control goes leaping out the window, all hell breaks loose. Ollie is showing the early signs of being a Master...demonstrating power that is forbidden.
That power is exactly what Reaper Brent Hume is counting on. A hot, scruffy rebel, who does marvelous and terrifying things to Ollie's insides. Now he needs Ollie's help—and her skills—to overthrow the evil and corrupt Head Reaper. That is, if he can figure out a way to keep this hot-handed girl cool...and keep his hands off.
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I'll never look at a tattooist the same- ever. Because in here, but the the tattoo is what calls a reaper for your death. Ollie is a scrivener and her scull tattoo has an extra powerful punch. It's a deathmark and you won't be around for long. And the head reaper Marin will make sure you keep up with quotas on a threat worse than death. This is a cool story and has quite a lot of very unique lore surrounding reapers.
Ollie keeps her head down and follows rules. She knows things aren't exactly right but she isn't gunna stick her nose in that. She has her own issue with her hands heating up when she works. She's heard rumors about masters who had this problem and they were all slaughtered for it. So she is extra vigilant to keep this to herself. Until reaper Brent walked into her life. And then chaos ensues.
With Brent, who's both sweet and scary, his southern drawl, his lists of rebel contacts who want to overthrow Marin and her awesome dog Dudley, Ollie finds herself at a cross roads and a beautiful journey. The bad guys are even scarier and it's no longer just her life at stake. And along the way she and Brent find more than just companionship but a world worth living for.
This is a fascinating world the author built. There's a lot more than just reapers with so many levels of things and powers. The suspense was great. The romance was sweet. The bad guys were extra scary. And the loss was heart wrenching. I bought is was a fun read and it was very unique in terms of reaper lore. I loved that. The writing is well done and there's a great little twist with some self sacrifices that blew my mind. And just when I thought it was over, the ending had me begging for more. I really hope there's another book to follow. Seriously! So with that, a very exciting 4.5 PAWS!!
Author Interview
Welcome!!
Thank you so much for welcoming me to your blog! You rock. :)
First, tell me a little about your book :)….
How far would you go to save someone you love? Ollie Dormier is a Scrivener from the world of Styx. She tattoos death into people, but her job becomes an ethical burden when she has to tattoo death onto her best friend, Eve Cassidy. Desperate to save her friend and other loved ones, particularly one sexy, lumbersexual Grim Reaper named Brent Hume, Ollie becomes an unlikely and rather unwilling darling of a revolution against the Head of Death.
Do you recall how your interest in writing originated or did you always just know?
I was an artistic kid—drawing, dancing, acting, singing, and, of course, writing. Over the years I realized that out of all of the arts, writing is my topmost passion. I love telling stories, so in some ways I like to think of myself as a storyteller first and then a writer.
What inspired you to write your first book and what was it?
I love vampires and I also love satire (I got my undergraduate degree in ancient Greek and Roman literature and Aristophanes was my favorite playwright!). My first book was a satire on vampires and it was called THE BLOODSUCKER. It won first place in the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writer’s 2010 Colorado Gold Writing Contest for Romance. I never would’ve thought that book would win a contest, but it did. It remains hidden away on my computer…for now.
Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
I have one very close friend who has done a majority of my tattoos. Over the years and the long tattoo sessions with her, I began to formulate my main character, Ollie. So, there are some qualities of my friend in Ollie (some of the best qualities).
How do you choose when/which characters die in your books?
Oh, this is tough. At some point someone has to go. It is a book about Grim Reapers and Death, so it would be odd not to take someone out, right? It was heartbreaking for me to kill a particular character in THE REAPER’S KISS, but I knew this character had to go to tell the story. I still feel bad to be honest.
Who do you look up to as a writer?
I admire writers who put out long series like Jeaniene Frost and Darynda Jones. Their ability to tell unique stories within one world book after book is impressive.
If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your book?
I wouldn’t. I am happy with the direction of the story. I have an amazing editor who made me a better writer through her edits. Maybe I would change the name of the villain, Chad, just because it doesn’t seem menacing enough. Then again, I kinda like it. :)
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Getting started on a WIP or new project is like trying to roll a ten-ton boulder uphill. It takes a lot of work and patience for me to get knee-deep in a project, so I tend to stare at the blank computer screen for too long. But once the project gets going, I’m in and you can’t pull me away from it.
What book are you reading now? Or what genre?
Right now I’m doing research for a new project not at all connected to the Deathmark Series. So, I’m reading Irritable Hearts: A PTSD Love Story by Mac McClelland and The From-Aways by C.J. Hauser.
Who designed the cover? And do you help with them?
I don’t know who designed it, but I thank them immensely. Upon signing my publishing contract, I was given a nifty Word doc with questions about my characters, the book, and non-Entangled book covers that I love. I am really happy that Entangled put out a cover that fits Ollie perfectly. Isn’t she pretty?
Did you learn anything from writing your books and what was it?
Oh, boy, yes! Patience. My boyfriend might argue otherwise, though. J The process takes a lot of patience and a lot of determination. It’s so easy to give up, but just a little patience gets you through the moments of self-doubt and uncertainty.
If you could be one of your characters, who would you chose?
Dudley, please! He’s Ollie’s thirty-pound black-and-white mutt. He gets pancakes for breakfast and goes on road trips with her. He really does have it good compared to all the other characters in the story.
Are there any books you think some of us should read, just because?
Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh. Simple dog, cake, depression, and the goose…it is my life and a suspect from her huge following many others too.
Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
Thank you. Seriously. I consider myself lucky that people want to read Ollie and Brent’s story. And I hope my readers love the pair as much as I do. Of course, I’m just a little biased. :)
About the Author:
Abigail Baker shares her home with a Siamese cat endearingly named “The Other Cat” and two rescued mutts with mundane human names that people think are cute. In addition to writing about rebellious heroines, she enjoys hiking, discovering craft beers, baking the perfect vanilla bean cupcake, and rock climbing (going as far as scaling 800 vertical feet to the summit of Devil’s Tower National Monument in 2013).
Abigail won first place in the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writer’s 2010 Colorado Gold Writing Contest for Romance for THE BLOODSUCKER and first place in RWA’s Golden Network’s 2011 Golden Pen in Paranormal Romance for TATTOO OF YOUR NAME ACROSS MY SOUL (now THE REAPER’S KISS, Deathmark Book One). She regularly blogs about life observances, lives at the base of the Rocky Mountains, and can be easily found hiking any of Colorado’s best trails.
Website: www.abigailbakerbooks.com
Twitter: @abigailbaker79
Newsletter: http://abigailbakerbooks.com/contact-2/
Giveaway Details:
A prize pack containing a coffee mug, a collection of signed books (titles TBA), and a $15 Amazon or B&N gift card (winner’s choice). Open to US Shipping.
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