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Albert Camus

Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend.

Sunday, September 24, 2017

If it lives, it can die … Dracones by Sheri-Lynn Marean

"This new series is so suspenseful, that I could not put it down. I read it all the way to the end and this was not a short story by any means. I so look forward to reading the next book in this wonderful series. [...] And the passion although not much, is so hot, you will really need a water hose. And I love the vivid description of the Dracones, I can almost see them, it is that vivid....Bravo to this new author, great first book!"- Ana, Goodreads

Description:

Awakening

If it lives, it can die … even immortal dragon shifters. Unfairly cursed and then mercilessly hunted for a thousand years by a powerful group of druid witches, the Dracones fight for their very survival.

After their village was massacred, Tierney and her friends fled the realm of Tartaria for Earth, keeping their identity secret. Only you can’t run from the past—a point made crystal clear when twenty-one-year-old Tierney gazes into the tormented eyes of the man she loves. 

His failure to protect his brother long ago left Jax broken and full of rage. Now as his Awakening approaches, his powers grow unpredictable. If he survives the emergence of his dragon, he fears he will endanger the one he loves above all others—Tierney. 

Their past catches up when Tierney has a brutal vision. The Ilyium have found them, triggering ancient instincts in the Dracones and now Tierney and Jax must overcome their legacy and learn to trust in themselves in order to avoid the Ilyium’s sinister plans.

This is the first book in the Dracones series for readers age 18+.
If you are a fan of dark, steamy, paranormal romance, get Tierney and Jax's story and be swept up into a magical world of betrayal filled with immortal dragons, shapeshifters, werewolves, wereleopards, vampires, witches and angst ridden sensual heat.

Revelations

Forged in the nightmare of his upbringing, twenty-one-year-old Samarias harbors a dark secret, one that as his dragon awakens, threatens to destroy not only him but those he loves as well.

After killing his Fallen father and watching his soul mate die, Sami is thrown another curve ball and ends up in a downward spiral of depression--until he’s sent on a rescue mission to Calgary. 

Faced with the opportunity for a different future, Sami is conflicted. But when he’s suddenly confronted by a new enemy, a vampire that can walk in the day, along with the demons of a past he thought dead, Sami has some harsh choices to make. Choices that could make or break old and newly budding relationships.

Betrayed

A newly awakened immortal Dracones with tenuous control of his dragon powers, Samarias barely survived her the first time. Now she’s back.

Coldly rejected by Hellfire, A Phoenix shifter and his soul mate, Sami struggles with a reason to live. He finds that reason after rescuing one of the very special and rare Genesis Dracones. With an unexpected second chance at happiness, he’s determined to make it work. 

An unforgivable betrayal has pushed Hellfire to stand alone against the world. She vows never to allow a man into her heart again. Not even one who makes her knees weak, and her heart pound like thunder. 

Only now, her sister faces danger trying to free a pack of magical wolves in another realm, and Hellfire is frantic to rescue her. With no other choice, she seeks assistance from the only male who can help them. The same one she heartlessly tossed away. Sami. Knowing she may lose her sister is heartbreaking enough, but it is possible she’ll lose more than that to the man who wants to claim her heart.

Thaniel

Abandoned. Abused. Trust doesn’t come easy to twenty-year-old Thaniel. So when he picks up a stalker, his instincts scream run! Yet living on the streets is lonely, and she appears harmless …He should have run. 

Betrayed—turned into a monster and thrust into the dark world of leopard, wolf and dragon shifters, Thaniel quickly lands in the clutches of sadistic Werewolves. Imprisoned and with no hope of escape, he finally welcomes death. Until three very strange beings enter his life. Like a beacon, they offer Thaniel an impossible dream—the promise of a home, safety, love. 

Scared to believe that anyone could want him and more confused than ever, Thaniel seeks answers, only the truth may be more than his bruised heart can survive. 

For readers 17+ Can be read in sequence or standalone. Get your tissues ready and dive into Thaniel’s heart breaking, magical world to find out what happens next. *Warning* There is a sweet Polyamorous/Ménage relationship with Bisexual elements. 

Rogue

Soroyan was meant to be king of the wolf pack. Raven was an avenging angel sent to patrol the Fallen—until evil warrior witches attacked and sank them both into darkness with no room for anything or anyone but vengeance. 

A promise to his dead mate and hatred kept Soroyan, an immortal wolf shifter alive. But four hundred years is too long. With his volatile power under tight rein, he’s done his duty to protect his pack. Only now, a purple-eyed female he tried to hate, has shattered the ice around his heart. 

For twenty years Raven has hunted the enemy—closed off and alone. Until the big bad wolf awakens her. He sets her blood on fire, except she also senses a dark void eating away at him. Afraid to feel again, Raven must decide how much she will give up to save the male who just may be her second chance at love. 

Book five for readers 17+ If you enjoy dark, sexy wolf shifters, dragons, angels and other magical beings, get Dracones Rogue and fall in love with Soroyan and Raven.

AUTHOR's Q&A

Q:When did you first realize you wanted to become a Writer/author? 
A: I often thought of writing a story of some things that happened in my life for my oldest son, but in 2008, I read a fiction book that really pissed me off, so I decided to write my own stories. I never thought I’d be a writer, never mind a published author, but I’ve always made stories up, from characters in books, or movies or TV shows, I’d just continue on, with what if this or that happened to them. The next thing I knew, I was writing. 

Q: Where do you get your ideas for your book? 
A: Everywhere! TV, Movies, books, while driving, showering, eating, lol. Sometimes from something someone says, or even feelings another book made me feel, then it’s like, hm…what can I do with that, what if…. 

Q: What kind of things do you enjoy when not writing? 
A: Reading of course. Horseback Riding, Kayaking, Drawing (Which I haven’t done a lot of in the last 2 yrs, but I still sell my art on ETSY) Photography, and of course watching my TV shows. 

Q: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite? 
A: I’ve written 6, (Books 1-5 plus the Prequel in the Dracones series & Saberthorn, the first in my Dracones spinoff: Dragonkind – 52 Realms series. It releases at the end of Oct 2017) 

It’s hard to pick just one as my favorite, but I think up to this point, Dracones Thaniel has touched my heart the most, though Soroyan, the big bad wolf is coming in a close second, but there is just something about the sweet broken Were-leopard of bk4… 

Q: Do you have any suggestions to help others who have a passion for writing? 
A: Don’t listen to anyone who says you can’t do it. Just do it. 

Even if you hate plotting or don’t do much, I highly recommend Debra Dixon’s GMC, (Goal, Motivation, Conflict) to make your characters & structure stronger. It is easy to make up a chart and use it. Also, KM Weiland’s Structuring your novel. I don’t do much structure myself, just a GMC chart & a very basic arc, along with a timeline, but KM Weiland’s book has a ton of extra little tips, (hooking your reader, etc) 

Make sure you have a hook in your first sentence, paragraph, and all the way through the first chapter to keep your readers reading, wanting to know more. 

I spent months in a group called agentqueryconnect.com, and the learning experience was invaluable. So often, I see blurbs that give away too much of the story so that you don’t need to read it, or it just doesn’t hook you. Learn to do your blurb right, there are many resources out there on how. 

Make sure you have a handful of decent beta readers, even give them a questionnaire, if possible. You don’t know how to find any? Join some author/writing groups on FB, even ask other authors whose books are in the same genre as yours to help. My friend and a favorite indie author of mine, Donya Lynne helped me get my first bunch of Beta’s from her own beta’s/readers. 

Build a street team, they are invaluable! 

Hire a good, editor! Be careful, try & get a referral to a few good editors, as some have just slapped the title to their name and sound like they know what they are doing. Get some referrals, get a SAMPLE edit to make sure you can work together. I now have a question I ask any editor I am considering. I ask them to explain Passive/active writing, and some understand the basic, but not what passive/active writing really is. 

Q: What do you think makes a great story? 
A: I like deep characters, not perfect and shiny, but often flawed or broken, or with issues, etc. A good strong storyline, with twists is nice, action and a book that hooks me and won’t let go. 

Q: Which Writer/Authors inspire you? 
A: Sherrilyn Kenyon is my biggest inspiration, you can’t help but fall in love with her characters and want your own! In fact, a year before I put out my first book, I had a beta reader who hated my male M/C, and while I knew not everyone was going to love my characters, or my books, it still made me take a closer look to see if I could make them any better. I then went back and re-read Sherrilyn’s books again for the 3rd time. I studied what it was that I loved about her characters, then I went to work on mine. I am so grateful to that beta reader for her honesty since I now have readers falling in love with mine as well. 

When I first thought about writing, I read Seanan MGuire’s October Day books and that was when I first realized that anything can go. If you think it, you can write it. (Like talking rocks, even if they are slow, lol) So I try to think outside the box as much as possible. 

Another inspiration was JR Ward, her characters, their close family even though they aren’t all related, and her multi POV’s are huge in how I write my books. (I love the huge cast and sneak peek into what the next book is going to be about. The same with Donya Lynne and her books, they both inspired me as well. 

Q: What are you working on at the moment? 
A: A lot!! 
-I’ve started a new book that has nothing to do with my other 2 series and is about The Ferryman of the underworld. 
-I’m working on a few of the Dracones books that fall along the timeline at the same time; Zander, Elianna and Toren. I’m not yet sure if they will be full length, or novellas. 
-I am working on book 2 in my Dragonkind – 52 Realms series 
-I’ve started another Dracones spin off, a Y/A book, not sure if it will be one book or a series. 
-I have another book spinning around in my head, wanting to be written. 
-My young daughter wanted to read my Dracones but wasn’t old enough, so I released bk 1 & 2 in a CLEAN version for teens/Y/A or any age and am working to get bk3 and then 4 out. 
-I also have a Photoshop course I need to work on along with an Author course. 😊

Q: What genre are your books?
A: DARK, steamy, Paranormal/Fantasy Romance 

Q: What drew you to the genre you write?
A: I love the magical elements, the idea of having powers or abilities, yet other than whatever war they are fighting their personal problems are so human, everyday problems.

Q: Which Actor/Actress would you like to see portraying the lead character from your most recent book? (any book you like)
A: I’d love Jensen Ackles to play Jax, though he might now be a bit to old for my 21 yr old character, so possibly Tyler Hoechlin. I think Poppy Drayton with long wavy back hair as Tierney. Kit Harrington with dark, shaggy blond hair as Sami. Chris Hemsworth would be Zander with shoulder length black hair. Josh Holloway with long silver/blue & blond hair as Kyrian. And Steven Amel with dark brows, dark whiskers, and shoulder length black hair as Soroyan. Dylan Sprayberry with long pale blond hair as Thaniel. (Yes, I love Supernatural, Teen Wolf, Arrow, GOT and so many more of these wonderful fun shows. lol)

Q: Do you write full-time or part-time?
A: Full time as much as possible. My 2 youngest are still at home.

Q: What is the hardest thing about writing?
A: Settling in and writing and not worrying about all the other stuff that I need to do, ie: the formatting, links in the back of the book, updating website, writing NL content, Character Interviews, setting up Promos and Newsletter swaps, FB Parties, Social Media, the next cover, etc. I often find it hard to focus on turning it all off and just writing.

Q: Do you read much, and if so who are your favorite Authors or genres?
A: I don’t read as much as I’d like. I used to read 5-6 books a week, but now I find it hard to make the time, so I only read my absolute favorite authors when their next books come out. (Even then it’s a challenge, as once I start reading, I don’t like to stop and get nothing done, so I have to make sure I have the most pressing stuff done before I start reading those I love.) I presently have 4 books ready to go that I am eager to get too. 😊

I read anything Paranormal Romance/Fantasy, but I prefer Dark. 

Again, that would be Sherrilyn Kenyon, JR Ward, Donya Lynne, Gena Showalter, Nalini Singh, Patricia Briggs, Faith Hunter, Laurell K. Hamilton, Keri Lake, JF Lewis along with many others.
Book #1 is FREE on all platforms!
Book #5 is .99 Sept 22- Oct 9th!
About the author:
Born in Scarborough Ontario, Canada, Sheri-Lynn has lived in many different places. The main ones being Toronto, Montreal, London Ontario, Alabama, Texas, & Alberta. Sheri-Lynn now resides in British Columbia, Canada with her husband, three kids, one dog, three cat’s & numerous chickens. Sheri-Lynn never imagined she'd one day be an author. Instead, she grew up riding and working with racehorses, drawing and selling animal artwork, and of course reading. Sheri-Lynn fell in love with reading at age twelve when she read The Black Stallion series by Walter Farley. She has not stopped reading. With a wide variety of reading interests, Sheri-Lynn’s passion presently is the paranormal romance genre. One day, after reading an unsatisfying book, she decided to write her own book, with her own characters, doing what she wanted them to do. She began to type and the characters came to life in her head. She has never looked back. 

Author's Giveaway
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1 comment:

Stephanie LaPlante said...

They all sound amazing. I really like the idea of reading Awakening first.