Magic, Mages, and Rogues with C.A. Szarek

She’s on the run, but doesn’t know it…


Raised in the security of the king’s castle, Lady Elissa Durroc remembers nothing of the death of her family or how she survived it. As an elemental mage with control over all four elements, her powers are rare. And coveted by dark magic. None darker than the mage who killed her parents.


When the king learns the mage knows Elissa is alive, he orders her to Greenwald under the guise of choosing a husband. Her protection falls to Sir Alasdair Kearney, a knight whose prowess on the battlefield is rivaled only by his appetite for women.


Alasdair’s not sure what to make of being a glorified nursemaid, despite Elissa’s beauty and intriguing magic. The rogue has rules. Rules that don’t involve being tempted by his noble charge.


Elissa is drawn to the knight, even though he’s not on her list of suitors. Can she guard her heart and her magic? And when the dark mage comes after her, will it be too late to matter?

C.A.'s Facebook            Buy link            


Rogue's Call is the 3rd book in the wildly popular King's Riders series. It just came out yesterday! As C.A.'s friend I got to hear all about these books as they were being written and I couldn't be happier for their success and I'm thrilled to let you get to know C.A. better. And if you want to chat with her in person, er, over the web...she's really active and friendly on facebook. Bet she's there now.

She's a bestselling, award winning author of romantic suspense and epic fantasy romance, C.A. loves to dabble in different genres. If it's a good story, she'll write it, no matter where it seems to fit!

She's a hopeless romantic and always will be. Risking it all for Happily Ever After is what she lives by!

She's originally from Ohio, but got to Texas as soon as she could. She's happily married and has a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice. 

She works with kids when she's not writing.

Get Lost in a FANTASY with C.A. Szarek

For generations, the Ryhans, ruling family of the Province of Greenwald have been keepers of a sword rumored to possess enough magic to defeat kings. Lord Varthan, a former archduke and betrayer of the king, covets the sword and invades Greenwald.

Lady Ceralda Ryhan, daughter of the murdered duke, gains the sword and flees, trusting only her white wolf, Trikser—magically bonded to her. Cera needs nothing more to aid in her fight. 

Jorrin Aldern, half elfin and half human, left his home in the mountains of Aramour to find his human father who disappeared twenty turns before, but finds Cera with Varthan and his shades on her tail instead. His dual heritage and empathic magic will tempt Cera in ways she never thought she’d desire. But can he convince her trust and love can pave the path to redemption or will the epic battle end in tragedy and evil conquer them all?

EXCERPT

Heart pounding and fists clenched, Cera sat in the Dragon's Lair's darkest corner. By choice the candle on the table was unlit. The bowl of stew half eaten, food the last thing on her mind. 

The door to the tavern swung open. Her white wolf growled low and deep beside her. Cera glanced up, squinting in the sudden flood of sunlight. As the door slammed shut and her eyes adjusted to the renewed murkiness, she took in the newest arrival.

Then she focused on Trikser. She couldn't have him going for anyone's throat. 

"Shhh, Trik, it's okay." She ran a hand through his fur, smoothing his hackles along the length of his spine. The big wolf looked up at her and licked her hand. One corner of her mouth lifted and she bit back a sigh.

The only reason the owner of the tavern, Marshek even let him in was because no one else was allowed to enter the Dragon's Lair if she was inside without him. No one according to Trikser, that is. He'd almost taken the hand off the last guy who'd tried.

"What'll ya have?" Marshek barked, revealing his instant dislike of the newcomer.

She fixed her eyes on the bartender. Then she took a closer look at the man sitting in front of him. His pointed ears betrayed his heritage, but his height suggested he was not of pure blood. 

Marshek was known to be tolerant of elves but he hated what he called half-breeds. Cera could imagine what the grumpy, middled-aged tavern owner was thinking, and it wasn't friendly. 

She rose, Trikser also immediately rising, awaiting her move. The white wolf was her bondmate and had been since he was young.

Relax, she thought-sent.

Trik sat, but his body was tight, tense. He didn't respond to her mental order.

Moving to the bar, her wolf followed, slinking close to the floor, moving in a slight crawl. His belly probably touched the filthy planked flooring of the tavern.

Cera made a face but forced a breath. Detached control. Sliding onto the stool next to the half-elfin man, she was just in time to hear his order. His voice was clear and deep. Marshek filled a mug with ale and started to put the jug in its place on the shelf.

"Wait, Mar," she said with a wave of her hand, "I'll have some of that, too."

With a curt nod, the older man poured her a mug. She brought it to her lips, glancing nonchalantly at the stranger. His coal black hair brushed the collar of his hooded gray cape, giving him a rather unkempt look, but rugged rather than messy.

Cera couldn't see the hue of his eyes from her seat but his high cheekbones made his profile appealing, his sleek tapered ears adding to the attraction. His powerful jaw line was clean shaven, an oddity in these parts. She could tell he was aware of her perusal. He was young, not much older than her, and had the stunning beauty of the elves.

His chest heaved as if he'd taken a breath, and he finally glanced at her. Blue. His eyes were a deep, sapphire blue. Her heart skipped a beat but she ignored it. The man said nothing, not that she'd expected him to. 

I'M SO HAPPY TO INTRODUCE MY FRIEND...

C.A. is originally from Ohio (and makes some rich Buckeye Treats), but got to Texas as soon as she could. She is married and has a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice.
She works with kids when she’s not writing.
She’s always wanted to be a writer and is overjoyed to share her stories with the world.

Clover: You’re a hard working person, holding down two jobs while writing. One of your jobs is at an emergency shelter for teens. Do any of your experiences at the shelter find its way into your writing?

C.A.: Thank you. I work too much! Not as often as it would if I was consistently writing, let’s say, YA. But I suppose I got the idea for my romantic suspense series, a theme of human trafficking from some of the unfortunate real-life vics of it I have met at the shelter from time to time.

Clover: What’s your favorite kid joke?

C.A.: Where does the General keep his armies? Up his sleevies. Cheesy, but it makes me giggle.

Clover: How often to you get lost in a story?

C.A.: I get lost in a story as often as I can. I tend to binge read or write though. Where I will do nothing but write heavily (like when I’m on deadline) for a few months at a time and not read anything, then other times when I will eat up like 4 books a week. Usually when I read really heavily like that I don’t write much.

Clover: Do you write while listening to music? If so what kind?

C.A.: Yes, I do. I think I need the background noise. I listen to rock.

Clover: What’s the first thing you do when you finish writing a book?

C.A.: Jump up and down and scream. Then I usually obsess if it’s really “done” or not.

Clover’s GOTTA ASK:  What three things are, at this moment, in your heroine’s satchel?

C.A.’S GOTTA ANSWER:  A dagger, a piece of dried meat and magically infused kindling.

Contact: ca@caszarek.com

Website: http://www.caszarek.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/caszarek

Twitter: @caszarek

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5815085.C_A_Szarek

Blogs: http://caszarekwriter.blogspot.com/

WHAT'S UP NEXT FOR YOU?

Collision Force (Crossing Force Book 1) from Total-E-Bound Publishing:

Pre-Order May 20, 2013
Pre-Release June 3, 2013
General Release July 1,2013

Ebook and Print!

Badboy, married to his job FBI agent Cole Lucas always gets his man. So when the unthinkable happens and one gets away, Cole grits his teeth and hunts human trafficker Carlo Maldonado all the way to Antioch, Texas, where he collides with Detective Andi MacLaren.

Cole doesn’t do small towns and he doesn’t get involved with women he works with, but Andi tempts him in ways he doesn’t want to acknowledge.

Two murders, her partner shot and leading the investigation on her own, the last thing Andi needs is a cocky FBI agent that sees her as no more than a tagalong.

Widow and single mother Andi is used to being on her own. When Cole gets stuck without a place to stay, crashing on her couch puts them in dangerous territory.

Attraction and passion bring Andi to a place she left behind when her husband died.

Her three-year-old son quickly wiggles his way into Cole’s heart, and he starts contemplating things—family, love—that he’d never planned for himself.

Can being forced to work together make them stronger or will their differences jeopardize their case and their hearts?

DON'T FORGET to FOLLOW us on Twitter #GetLostStories or LIKE us on Facebook to keep up with all our guest authors and their prizes.  ~ Clover 

Lena Coakley

LENA COAKLEY'S WITCHLANDERS

Today I'm hosting another YA author. This time a fellow Torontonian. I'm very excited about her debut fantasy novel, Witchlanders, which earned a starred reviews in both Publishers' Weekly and Kirkus . (For those of you who don't know what that means... let's just say it's a very big deal and so well deserved.) I love when great covers and great reviews and great publisher support happen to deserving people. (Not that all authors aren't deserving--I just love when it happens to a friend.) :) If you think the photo of this cover is beautiful, you should see the real thing. It's a book that begs to be held and opened and read.

ABOUT LENA COAKLEY

Lena was born in Milford, Connecticut and grew up on Long Island. In high school, creative writing was the only class she ever failed (nothing was ever good enough to hand in!), but, undeterred, she went on to study writing at Sarah Lawrence College. She got interested in young adult literature when she moved to Toronto, Canada, and began working for CANSCAIP, the Canadian Society of Children’s Authors, Illustrators and Performers, where she eventually became the Administrative Director. She is now a full-time writer living in Toronto. Witchlanders, her debut novel, is both a Junior Library Guild selection and an ABC New Voices selection.

ABOUT WITCHLANDERS

* Exquisite storytelling plus atmospheric worldbuilding equals one stunning teen debut. Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

* Plot twists unfold at a riveting pace, the boys’ characters are compellingly sketched, and Coakley explores her subject matter masterfully without falling prey to safe plot choices. Publishers Weekly (starred review)

High in their mountain covens, red witches pray to the Goddess, protecting the Witchlands by throwing the bones and foretelling the future.

It’s all a fake.

At least, that’s what Ryder thinks. He doubts the witches really deserve their tithes—one quarter of all the crops his village can produce. And even if they can predict the future, what danger is there to foretell, now that his people’s old enemy, the Baen, has been defeated?

But when a terrifying new magic threatens both his village and the coven, Ryder must confront the beautiful and silent witch who holds all the secrets. Everything he’s ever believed about witches, the Baen, magic and about himself will change, when he discovers that the prophecies he’s always scorned—

Are about him.

GET TO KNOW LENA COAKLEY

MAUREEN: What’s your favorite movie of all time?

LENA: I used to think my three favorite movies—The Wizard of Oz, Casablanca, and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon—had nothing in common, but I’ve recently realized that they mark me as a worldbuilding addict. I like to be taken to exotic places I’ve never been before, whether they be Oz, Morocco, or ancient China.

MAUREEN: That's a great insight! What’s the first book you remember reading?

LENA: I vividly remember Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are and the effect that it had on me. The image of Max’s room gradually turning into a forest was probably my first experience of finding the surreal in the everyday—something I still love in the literature I read now.

MAUREEN: What’s next for you as an author?

LENA: My agent was very surprised—and pleased, I hope—to get a peek at my next project, because he was expecting another high fantasy in the same vein as Witchlanders. Instead I’m working on my first historical fantasy—with no swords, bones or witches in sight. I can’t spill too much about it yet, but I can tell you that it does take place in 1834 and…I’ve taken two vacations in a row to the north of England.

MAUREEN: Cats or dogs?

LENA: People who’ve read Witchlanders might be surprised that I’m picking cats.
I do love Bodread the Slayer, the dog in my book, but since I’ve never actually owned a dog, I’ve never had that strong bond with one that you get from sharing your life with an animal. I’ve definitely had that with cats. When I was growing up we had a cat named Oscar that I loved as much as any person.

MAUREEN: What was the first story you remember writing?

LENA: I remember writing a play in Junior High School called Phaeton’s Chariot of the Sun. It was about how the mythical island of Atlantis was destroyed by a nuclear power plant. I would pay good money to read it now, but, sadly, I didn’t keep it. I suspect that I bludgeoned the reader over the head with the message, but at the time I thought it was utterly brilliant.

MAUREEN: Do you remember your grade one teacher’s name? If you remember her/him, why does he/she stand out?

LENA: Mrs. Yearsley. I’m pretty sure they gave her the first graders so that they would love school right off the bat. I have no idea if I learned anything—I probably did—but her great skill was to make every, single one of her students feel like they were her favorite. We adored her, and it wasn’t just her students. I distinctly remember other teachers just dropping by the classroom for no reason and gazing at her. She was some sort of siren of the first grade.

MAUREEN: Love that! What’s your favorite kid joke?

LENA: Knock knock.
Who’s there?
The interrupting cow.
The interrupting cow…
Moo!

MAUREEN: A classic. ☺ Which era would you most like to live in and why? Least?

LENA: My problem with questions like this is that if I could go back in time I would feel this great need to save my heroes. “Mr. Van Gogh! Don’t shoot yourself! You’ve probably just got lead poisoning! Mr. Wilde! That Bosie character is bad news. Find a boyfriend with no parents!” I’d just be running around from place to place trying to alter history. But perhaps it would be cool to go WAY back about forty thousand years to the time when mammoths and saber toothed cats roamed the earth and humans were still coexisting with Neanderthals. There is so much we don’t know about that time because it was before written history. But I’d only go if I could bring my glasses, a handful of antibiotics and maybe a shotgun.

GOTTA ASK -- GOTTA ANSWER ☺

MAUREEN: Why do you think fantasy is so popular with young people in particular?

LENA: Hmm. I can tell you why I loved fantasy when I was young—and why I still do. Many people assume I read fantasy for escape, but I really don’t think a fantasy is any more escapist than a contemporary novel. I think fantasy often talks about weighty issues in metaphor, and maybe there is something I enjoy about that—it’s a way of seeing an issue from a completely new point of view.

I also just love the surprise of being introduced to new worlds. Perhaps this appeals particularly to the young because youth is a time for exploration. It’s a time when people want to break out of the confines of their own world and discover something totally different.

LENA ASKS READERS:

I loved the question about the first book I remember, so I’d like to throw it back to those reading this blog: What’s the first book you remember reading?

KEEP IN TOUCH WITH LENA

Website: http://www.lenacoakley.com%20/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lenacoakley
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lena.coakley