It's a lovely day here in the U.P. The sun is shining through the leaves and the waves are washing gently against the shore. However, it is a little chilly so we've moved this chat inside. I've got a fire in the fireplace, candles are lit, and loads of comfortable chairs and floor pillows. Coffee is brewing and cider is mulling on the stove. Come on in and sit down as we spend the day with Amber Kallyn.
Welcome, Amber!
Hi all. Thanks to Gemma for having me over.
My name is Amber Kallyn, and I’m addicted to writing. It’s fun and interesting, because life is already busy, with four kids and going to school full time (one more year, woot). But writing is the passion that just won’t let go.
Luckily, I don’t want it to. I love living in my imagination, learning about all these people and their lives. I’ve been blessed to be able to write it and have people actually enjoy : )
And even though my family might not ‘get it’, they totally understand mom’s ‘glazed look’.
How on earth do you find time to write? Four kids AND school? I have 5 dogs and I have a hard time writing. The only quiet I get is between classes:)
Blurb-
When duty forces a shaman to stop a vampire from her revenge, love doesn’t just burn... it bites.
For two hundred years, Niki DeVeraux has been tracking the monster who murdered her family and made her a vampire. She finally catches up to him only to face more than she bargained for in a too-sexy sheriff who makes her remember she’s still a woman. With duties as Keeper of the peace and Sheriff, Shane Spencer must protect humanity and stop the friction between the local Arcaine races before it turns into an all out blood war.
When wolves start turning up dead, the tension between the races grows and suspicion falls on Niki. Shane knows she’s not to blame, and it has nothing to do with the primal urges she stirs within him. Working together, they must stop the hostilities from going over the edge. Trouble is, the desires raging between them might prove more dangerous than the surrounding threats.
Excerpt-
Niki kept to the shadows of the forest as she skirted the parking lot. The only light came from a blue neon sign on the building’s roof, claiming someone called Henry owned the Spitfire bar.
She stopped near a clump of three trees opposite the bar. The center one was marked with a red X. How original. Yet this was where her contact wanted to meet, so who was she to complain?
It was nearly a half-hour later than their appointed time and she wasn’t quite sure why she was still here. Her stomach grumbled lightly. She needed to eat, the blood she’d consumed earlier hadn’t been enough. Without both food and blood her strength would wane. She couldn’t afford that, not now when she was so close to her prey.
She’d give this snitch five more minutes.
Only three passed before the air whispered through the forest at her back. Niki turned, knife in hand, holding it hidden down by her thigh.
“Looking for me?” a husky whisper drifted out of the darkness.
“You Baal?” She tried not to snort. Sometimes vampires tried on grandioseness, as if eternal life made them superman. Which, she guessed, in some ways it did.
“Maybe. Depends. You got the money?”
“Sure. If you have the information you promised.”
“Lemme see the cash first, lady.”
Niki reached slowly into her front pocket and pulled out two one-hundred dollar bills. The snitch tried to grab it, but she held tight. “Information first.”
He stepped into a bit of moonlight and grinned, eyes flushed with red. His thin lips drew back, revealing long fangs as he chuckled. “I got something else for you.”
She sighed. “Let me guess. You’re not going to give me the information, assuming a creep like you even knows anything.”
“Got that right.” Confusion twisted his pale features, as if he didn’t quite follow. Then he grinned again. “But you sure gonna give me something. Ain’t just money.”
Never trust a snitch. “Let’s get on with it then.” She tucked the bills back in her pocket.
His grin twitched, eyes flickered, following the money. He shook himself, confidence coming back.
She tightened her grip on the dagger. He lunged.
Niki used his momentum to fling him against the trunk of the tree. His head slammed in to the painted red X.
“Damn it,” he yelled, quickly recovering and charging her again.
She waited until he was close, then rammed her knee into his groin. Not even vampires were immune to that pain.
The snitch dropped, screaming obscenities on the way down.
Slamming her boot onto his shoulder, she pushed him onto the leaf-strewn ground only a bit harder than necessary. Bending over, she let the dagger wink in the moonlight.
“You know, it puts me in a bad mood when someone tries to screw with me. Now, here are your choices. You want to live, or die?” She smiled. “Permanently.”
This sounds like such a great read. I love vampires, I just haven't tackled that particular supernatural character yet.
Now for some fun:
Ten Tantalizing Teasers-
Plotter or Pantser? Plotter, but a bit of both. I need a mini-guide to get me through, even if the finished book doesn’t look anything like the road map at the end.
Which Goddess best defines you? Athena, goddess and protector of the people, and of heroes. She has a strong, warrior spirit that I try to live by -- don’t take crap from anyone, and if you want something, go get it.
Favorite Dessert? Pumpkin cheesecake, all year round
Chocolate or Vanilla? Chocolate anything!
Favorite scent? Cinnamon apple
Coffee, tea, soda, or water? Coffee. I drink it all day long, and beg for more.
Do you have to set the mood to write? If so, how? Nope. Easy or hard, whether I’m in the mood or not, I have to write. I try for every day of the week.
Do you have a favorite character? Why? The one I’m currently writing ;)
Morning, afternoon, evening, or late night writer? I write in the morning after the kids are at school by necessity, but I’m really a night owl.
If you weren’t writing, what would be your occupation? Well, when I was in high school I wanted to be a BioChemist. I love science. Now, I’d try to be a video game tester. It just sounds so fun : )
Thank you, Amber, for stopping in to spend the day with my readers! It has been a delight having you here. Amber will be back in December to celebrate her birthday, so be sure to keep an eye on the website calendar.
Here are Amber's contact links:
Bio:
One of those rare breeds, Amber Kallyn is an Arizona native who can trace her family's history through six generations in the state. She lives with her husband, and their four very active children. Included in the menagerie are four cats (though there's always room for more), one snake, and two dogs. We won't count all the fish.
Amber loves the paranormal, from dragons to werewolves to vampires. She's currently at work on her next book, probably running around the house acting out a fight scene with her collection of swords and daggers. Or maybe, wishing she had claws to practice the other fight scenes.
