SIREN SNOW by Victoria Barrow.
Book #1 on the Redhaven Saga.
Synopsis:
Winter is not exactly the 'season of the witch'. It's cold in Washington, and everything is covered in snow. But it doesn't bother Lucilla Sinclair, the fiery Witch-Warden for Washington state. She's perfectly happy performing minor enchantments at her little arcane shop in Redhaven, an old fishing town turned tourist attraction. Besides, her tall, dark-skinned elemental guardian Mishal keeps her warm at night. Her raven familiar, Irwin, helps her to pass the time in the otherwise sleepy town.Magickal mischief in the cold, quiet state is slow for the most part, but when a freak winter storm lands a half-transformed Siren on her front porch, Lucy’s life becomes increasingly strange. Her dreams are suddenly assaulted with visions of a beautiful demon man, and her waking hours are spent warding off a cadre of mysterious shadow creatures.
With the life of the Siren in her hands, Lucy must trek through the snows of Canada in a race against time. Her mission: to find the one person with enough knowledge of forbidden black magick to fix the broken Siren Melusine before her seven days on land are up.
This is gonna be a rough week.
Buy Link(s):
Excerpt from Chapter 25
In an instant, his skin blossomed with thick fur and his bones rearranged themselves into his much taller, crème and ruddy red body. It was startling how fast he shifted; but he was an alpha, and that trait was common among alphas. He discarded the sheet to the floor and stepped to me on enormous, shaggy paws.
I stopped mid brush and looked up at him as he towered over me. He backed me up against the dresser and I shrunk a bit as he pinned me with his arms on either side of me, long claws digging into the dark cherry wood. That enormous face came down and he snuffled at me, pressing his fur and his nose to my neck. Goosebumps rose on my skin.
“Ya smell real good, boo. I dunno why, but you smell really yummy...” His voice was husky and gravelly coming from his wolfish throat, and I shivered at its closeness. Perhaps I'd been wrong about the not-interested thing. Soft fur brushed up against my front and I had a moment to enjoy the sensation of it before I came to my senses and promptly smacked him on the nose with the back of my brush.
He yelped loudly and took a step back, rubbing at the spot where I'd whacked him.
“It's enough that I have to deal with the demon, I don't need to deal with a horn-dog, too,” I said, shaking the brush at him.
INTERVIEW:
1. For people who haven’t heard of
'Siren Snow (Book #1 of the Redhaven Saga) here's a brief description:
The Redhaven Saga centers around a young witch named Lucilla Sinclair, who serves as the Witch Warden for Washington State. She's responsible for policing the things that go bump in the night, and protecting a bunch of humans that don't like her from things that don't like them. Long story short, she ends up with a Siren on her porch one night, and all hell breaks lose (kind of literally... there's a pretty demon man involved.)
2.
When did you decided to become a writer?
I've been a
writer since I learned my alphabet, but I've only just recently decided to
pursue publishing. I saw a story about a guy who decided to self publish after
getting a bajillion rejection letters from the big guys, and he ended up making
$100k in 6 months, and his book wound up on several best seller lists. I
figured if he can do that all on his own, I can at least write my own book.
3.
Do you have specific habits when you write?
I sit in a
particular place in the living room, and listen to a particular play list on
Spotify. For whatever reason, that spot on the couch is 'the zone' for my and
my laptop. I also usually have a bottle of green tea somewhere near by.
4.
Are you an early bird or night owl?
It depends.
I'd really like to be one of those people who get up at the buttcrack of dawn
and do a whole bunch of stuff, but I hit snooze way too many times. It's easier
for me to stay up super late than it is for me to get up really early.
5.
Where do you get your inspiration?
Music,
t.v., and movies. Little snippets of ideas crop up here and there from stuff I
hear or see. Sometimes I'll listen to a song's lyrics and wonder who's singing
to who and what kind of situation it'd be. My inspiration more or less fires at
random.
6.
Which of your characters is your favorite and why?
It seems
cliché to pick my main character, but I really do love Lucy. She's snarky in a
way I wish I could be in real life. She has this kind of 'come-at-me-bro' sort
of attitude I wish I'd had in highschool.
7.
Name a book you wish you had written.
Harry
Potter. Not just because it became a household name, but because it's probably
the single best book series ever. It wasn't just the story and the characters
that were amazing, it's the people that fell in love with the series too. I
grew up with Harry; I can only hope somewhere out there someone eventually
feels even a fraction of that for Lucy.
8.
Would you like your book turned into a movie? Do you have any actors in
mind?
I've
actually fantasized about turning Redhaven into a movie series. Of course, the book
series isn't finished yet, but maybe some day! I'd have fun in casting, but I
don't have any particular names in mind.
9.
What do you do, besides writing?
Work and
school, mostly. I'm going to school to become an ASL interpreter.
10.
Do you have any hobbies?
I play a
lot of MMO and PC games. Minecraft, Tera, World of Warcraft, Guild Wars 2....
Sims.
11.
Guilty pleasures?
Wedding
shows. I got engaged in December, so now I'm suddenly interested in everyone
else's wedding. That, and Glee. I love Glee more than I'll probably ever admit
to anyone. (Finchel 4evar)
12.
What are you reading right now?
Celine: The
Night Touched Chronicles Book 1. My friend wrote it, and it's a delicious twist
on modern vampire novels. I love my some vampires.
13.
Tell us about something crazy you’ve done.
I went
swimming in the ocean with my sister in February. There's still sand in my
bathtub.
14.
Best reward as a writer?
Finally
holding that printed proof. Aaaah. Beyond that, I like getting feedback, good
or bad. Either one helps me be a better writer, and that's invaluable. (Plus,
it's cool to hear someone be as excited about my book as I am!)
15.
Biggest trouble you faced as a writer?
Procrastination
and focus. I really do love writing, but I had a hard time knuckling down and
shouldering through it.
16.
Do you like singing or dancing? Does music inspire you?
I love
singing, but usually only the shower or the car. My singing voice is terrible,
and I'm not afraid to admit it. I sound like a dying cow-bird, but I love
jamming out.
17.
What are your favorite TV shows?
I
absolutely ADORE Walking Dead, and I've recently gotten really stuck on The
Following. Creeeeeepy. (Before that it was Dexter... you sexy murderer, you.)
18.
Favorite movies?
Dawn of the
Dead. I'm extremely fond of horror, and zombie movies especially.
19.
Favorite food? Do you cook?
My favorite
food is orange chicken. And I do like cooking, when I get the opportunity.
Mostly baking... everyone loves cake, no?
20.
Do you have a nice relationship with your fans?
My book
came out a little less than a month ago, so I don't have many fans beyond
friends and family. (And I do love them!) If I ever get any sort of following,
I would love to hang out with them on the interwebs. That'd be a pretty neat
feeling.
About the Author (Bio):
A Texas native, Victoria currently lives in San Diego, California with her fiance and their two kitties (read: furry children.) She has a moderately unhealthy obsession with MMORPGS, and when she's not writing, spends a lot of time shooting bad guys. (Stupid Horde.)
Her bookshelf includes everything from Tolkien to plumbing (just one though... pipes are boring but necessary). She's very fond of anything urban/paranormal fantasy, and has an entire shelf dedicated to zombies. (Never hurts to be prepared.)
Siren Snow is her debut novel, and book #1 of a 7 part series. Book #2 (Ghost Wolf) is due out May 2013.
Contact Links:
Twitter: @toribarrow
5 digital copies of the book in either pub/mobi/pdf
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BTW! Remember to check this Spring Giveaway Hop and win a KINDLE FIRE and any book of your choice up to $10. Where? HERE.
Great interview! I also love the tv show The Following!
ReplyDeleteThat's great that your taking ASL! I took it in high school. I wish I would have kept practicing because I have forgotten so much over the years. Great interview!
ReplyDeleteI wish I had a particular place to write, but I go wherever others are not. lol
ReplyDelete