Happy Monday readers! Time to cozy in and enjoy some 'you time' because there’s a “Must read!” new adult
paranormal romance to be shared. Give a warm welcome to Michele N. Zugnoni,
author of Starfire, Book One in the Chronicles of Shadow Mist. Not only is there a
super interview ahead but Michele has a to-die-for pile of loot up for
grabs!
Publisher: Forbidden Press
Date of Publication: July 30
ISBN
978-0-9895690-0-2
ASIN: Not assigned yet
Number of pages: 400
Word Count: 110,000
Cover Artist: Michele N. Zugnoni
Book Description
From an ancient battle comes a forbidden love … and the
chance to hope again.
Destined to destroy vampires, or refuse and be executed,
seventeen-year-old Julia Kirkwood finds herself drawn to two things: a life of
partying and rebelling against the law, and Clay Blackwell. The trouble is,
Clay happens to be the son of the Lumince high priestess, the leader of a race
of peace-loving vampires, and Julia’s father’s unspoken enemy. For Julia isn’t
just a Reaver, she’s the daughter of the Reaver Chief. And Julia’s father is
furious to discover she’s secretly dating and falling in love with a Lumince,
particularly after an attempt at peace crumbles in bloodshed.
When her father intensifies his attack against the Luminces,
endangering the lives of Clay’s people, Julia’s forced to take a stand. She
must choose to accept her destiny as a Reaver, or claim her heart and find the
inward strength to declare war against her own flesh and blood. Interwoven with
her fate are the ramifications of a love story as forbidden and passionate as
her own: the ancient romance that sparked the creation of Reavers and Luminces,
igniting this centuries-old feud. Will Julia’s feelings for Clay be enough to
transcend centuries of love-turned-hate? Or will their final hope for peace be
incinerated in a fiery war?
Book Trailer
Interview Time!
SKY: What inspired
you to write this book?
MICHELE: You know,
it’s interesting. I had no idea I was going to write STARFIRE. I was happily
typing away at an entirely different story, enjoying getting to know my
characters and their world, when BAM! I experienced a bout of writers’ block.
And when I say writers block, I mean that with a capital WB. It came on all of
the sudden, it was especially severe, and it led to several conversations
between myself and my computer in which I threatened to throw that blasted
machine out of the window if it couldn’t help me figure out what I wanted to
say.
And then I walked away. And I went swimming. And I drank a bottle
of Corona. And I went to sleep. And when I woke up, I had this characters’
voice in my head. It was so clear, I swear I could see her flipping her wild
mane of crimson hair when she spoke my name. I knew right away that her name
was Julia, and that she had a story she wanted me to tell.
Well, that day I sat down at my computer and I started
typing. And typing. And typing. When I was done, I knew not only Julia, but
also Clay, her forbidden lover. And I knew I had to know more. I couldn’t wait
to get inside these characters’ heads, to slip inside their world, to discover
their story, their romance, their love.
That was the day I started writing STARFIRE. From that
moment on, I was up at night, dying to find out
more. The other story is still on my hard drive, but STARFIRE? It’s come
to life in more ways than I ever anticipated and I cannot wait to share.
SKY: Tell us a little
bit about the conflict in your story.
MICHELE: From an
ancient battle comes a forbidden love … and the chance to hope again.
Julia and Clay live in the hidden realm of Shadow Mist,
where their kind has been at war for centuries. Marked by the gods as a Reaver,
Julia is destined to hunt and destroy vampires, even if she believes some are
good people who do not deserve the bad rap of their kind. And when she meets
Clay, son of the vampire high priestess, she finds herself rebelling against
everything she is and everything she knows simply for the sake of love. The
problem? Julia’s father is the Chief Reaver, and he’ll do anything to destroy the
vampires even if it means going head-to-head with his daughter in a war more
brutal and vicious than any Shadow Mist has ever before witnessed.
SKY: If you had to
sell your book based on one run of dialogue (start quote to end quote), which
would it be?
MICHELE: “I’m the
only person in the world standing between you and certain punishment. You think
just ‘cause your daddy’s Chief Reaver, it’s gonna spare you the pain of
rebellion? You think you can go against everything you are and emerge
unscathed? Think again, little girl. It doesn’t work that way.” – Josh Woodley,
a Reaver who just happens to have a crush on Julia and a yen for becoming her
father’s right-hand man
SKY: Tell us about
your book cover and how it relates to your story.
MICHELE: Do you like
it? I actually designed the cover myself. There’s a very special scene during
the second part of STARFIRE in which Julia and Clay run away to the forest,
where magic starts to happen. It’s the first time they venture outside of
Shadow Mist, the first time they begin to get close, and in the midst of their
very first … Well, I wouldn’t want to give too much away. But let’s just say
that in the middle of a very romantic scene, the most magical incident of all
takes place. The cover depicts that journey.
SKY: Are you
currently working on another story? If so, we’d love some details.
MICHELE: Of course
I’m working on another story! As if I could stay away. I’m getting ready to
release GODDESS KISSED, the STARFIRE short-story prequel that centers around
Clay’s mother before she became High Priestess of the vampires. It tells of her
rise to power, and all the struggles she must overcome before taking the
throne. One of the biggest problems? The Reavers have learned of her immense
power (she’s been granted more power than any high priestess thus far), and
they’ll do about anything to stop her from ascending to vampire leadership,
even if it means all-out war.
SKY: What sort of
personality does your hero have?
MICHELE: Clay is a very sweet, poetic guy who will do
anything for the people he loves, including standing up against the Chief
Reaver himself. That said, he sometimes suffers from a lack of bravery. His
journey centers around finding the courage to do the right thing, even if it
means placing himself in mortal danger to keep his loved ones safe.
SKY: What sort of
personality does your heroine have?
MICHELE: Julia is a
rebel and a party girl of the strongest sort. She knows what she believes, and
no one’s going to change her mind. And Julia believes that not all vampires are
evil, and not all Reavers are good. She does, of course, suffer from the
problem of being the daughter of the Reaver Chief. Julia’s journey centers
around finding the strength within herself to stand up against her own flesh
and blood, even if it means going against everything she is to protect those
she loves most.
SKY: Tell us about
your favorite writing environment. Is it indoors, outdoors, a special room,
etc.
MICHELE: Do you wanna
know a secret? My favorite writing environment isn’t indoors or even outdoors.
Not really. It’s actually in the middle of Disneyland park, and on any and all
Disney rides, surrounded by the rich, sweet smells of Disneyland and the sound
of laughter and excited screams. In fact, the first part of STARFIRE was
actually composed in Disneyland, while I waited in line for rides like Pirates
and Star Tours, and at tables inside Blue Bayou and Ariel’s Grotto. At one
point, I started jotting down a scene as the car for Space Mountain raced into the
dark tower, jetting me into the stars. And if you really pay attention, you’ll
find certain traces of Disney echoed within STARFIRE. There’s a reason one of
my characters looks like Abe Lincoln; I created him while watching the show on
Main Street. I also think there’s a reason why Julia has red hair; she really
came to life on The Little Mermaid ride. So as you read through STARFIRE, you
might try to pick out some of these influences. Go on. I dare you.
SKY: How long have
you been writing? How long have you been published?
MICHELE: I’ve been
writing ever since I was old enough to discover that crayons make excellent
pencils if the paper is just the right thickness. My very first story was about
a troll who looked an awful lot like my father (the poor guy had just punished
me for something I probably shouldn’t have been doing; sorry, Dad!). Aside from
an anthology in which my story, “Whisper,” was honored with third place, this
is the first novel I’ve ever published. And I really cannot wait to share. So
what are you waiting for? Go on! Buy your copy of STARFIRE. You know you want
to. ;-)
An excerpt from chapter 2, Clay’s POV…
“D’you ever wonder,” Julia’s fingers glided along her cat’s
back, blazing a path into its fur, “if there’s a place so far away, it just has
to be perfect? That –” she sighed, “that maybe if we traveled far enough, we
could – I don’t know, we could maybe cut around the bull shit and the lies and
just live the life we’re supposed to live? Free of everything but the truth and
ourselves?”
Clay tilted his face toward the stars. “Maybe. If there’s a
place far enough away.”
“Sometimes I feel like there has to be.” She pulled her gown
around her legs, letting the material drift against her skin. “Otherwise, what
the hell else is there?”
“Mrow,” agreed the cat, nuzzling its cheek against Clay’s
hand.
“Nice cat.” Falling onto the deck, Clay scratched behind the
creature’s ears. “What’s its name?”
“Pandora.” Julia pushed herself to her elbows, causing the
feline to fall onto her lap with a startled mrow. She smoothed her apologies
against its fur. “Named her after a story my mom told me once. When I was a
little girl.”
His heart sprinted as he stared into her eyes: stained with
starlight and sparking with secrets, they grabbed hold and wouldn’t let go. “A
story?”
“Hmm.” She nodded. “About a girl who just couldn’t take no
for an answer. She opened this box she wasn’t even supposed to touch, and let
out all the dark, evil things of the world. Anger. Jealousy. Spite.
Malevolence. Everything bad. Until she got smart and slammed the lid shut,
trapping just one thing inside. You know what that was?”
“Tell me.”
Julia tilted her face to the heavens. “Hope,” she murmured,
her answer mingling with Clay’s whispered: “Hope.”
A crease formed between her brows, and she lowered her gaze
to skewer Clay with her fiery stare. “Thought you hadn’t heard the story,
Lumince?”
Clay shrugged. “I’ve heard it. I just wanted to hear you
tell it.”
The starlight faded from Julia’s eyes and she reached for
her bottle of champagne. “Aren’t you breaking the rules? Coming out here to
talk to me?”
Clay smothered a grimace. “Rules?”
“Yeah, you know.” Curling her hand around the bottle’s neck,
she lifted it to her mouth in a fluid yank. Her throat spasmed around the rush
of alcohol; plunking the bottle onto the deck, she moistened her lips and
leveled him with her stare. “Should any vampire be caught keeping company with
a human,” she air-quoted the law with her fingertips, “that creature will
suffer no less than two years in a Reaver-run penitentiary and –”
“And no less than thirty lashes of a pinewood whip.” Clay
tugged his fingers through his curls, swallowing a sigh as Pandora curled onto
his lap. “I know the law.”
“Then why are you out here talking to me?”
There was a dare in her eyes, in the way she pushed her
fingertips against his hand; capturing one between his fingers, he held it in
his grasp. “Last I checked, Reavers didn’t exactly qualify as human. Or have
the laws changed again?”
Julia arched a brow. “Nice,” she drawled, twisting her
fingertip from his hand. It fell against his arm, where it burned her touch
into his skin. “Do you talk like this to all the girls, or am I just special?”
Clay met her gaze and took a breath. “I’m still trying to
figure that one out.”
She blinked. “Well, let me know when you do. ‘Cause I’m just
dyin’ to find out.”
She tilted her head for another drink, and Clay watched as
the neckline of her dress fell open, revealing the Reaver mark etched into the
skin below her collarbone. Unbidden, his fingers drifted to the design: a
jagged “R” seared within a circle, smooth against his touch. “Did that hurt?”
He thought he heard her breath catch; he knew he saw her
eyes widen as her gaze drifted to his hand. “Enjoying the feel?”
“Sorry.” Clay yanked his hand away, his cheeks burning
against the warm September breeze. “I just…I’ve never seen one this close
before.”
“You mean my cattle brand?” She skimmed the mark with her
hand. Her forehead creased and her mouth puckered as she stared at the fingers
he’d touched her with seconds before. “It’s okay, I guess. It’s just – I’ve
never had anyone touch it before. It’s . . . kinda weird.” Her hand brushed
against his arm, causing his breath to catch. “But it didn’t hurt. Or, it did
for a minute, when I first got the flash.”
“The flash?”
“Yeah.” She nodded. “It’s like…a moment, when you know you
were chosen. A searing pain, and then you get the mark. It happened when I was
thirteen. A full year before any of my other friends were chosen, which really
kinda sucked.” A sip from the bottle, washed down with a tuck of her mouth. She
smacked her lips together. “But it’s okay. I’ve gotten over it.”
“Wow.” Clay raised his brows.
“Yeah. I guess.” Shivering, Julia swigged another long
drink. He took the opportunity to caress her hand with his thumb, sliding it
beneath his palm.
She shifted until she was sitting, her gaze drifting to his
mouth. “I wonder…”
“What do you wonder, Jewels?”
Her eyelids fluttered at the endearment, a spark of surprise
sizzling through her gaze. “I – I wonder if …” Julia’s free hand glided into
the air, and she skimmed her fingertips against his lips. “Do you mind?”
Clay swallowed and leaned forward as her touch seared itself
into his skin. “D-do I – Oh.” He blinked. “Oh, yeah. Um, okay. Sure.” He slid
open his mouth to reveal a pair of gleaming white fangs.
She smoothed her fingers over their tips, wincing as they
pricked her skin. “They’re sharp.”
“It’s okay.” Flipping his hand, he captured her fingers
between his own. “I don’t bite, and I never hurt.”
He was caught within her stare, pulled within the molten
fire flashing through her eyes. His heart dipped as she yanked her hand from
his touch, a guarded mask slipping over her features. A second later, and the
bottle was at her lips, the rush of liquid flooding her throat. He caught the
bottom with his hand, causing her to lower it until it hovered between them
both. “Why do you drink so much?”
“Why do you care?”
“Actually,” he lowered his hand and she plunked the bottle
onto the deck, “I guess I’m trying to figure out why you pretend so hard like
you don’t.”
“Maybe it’s easier that way.”
“Yeah, maybe.” Clay scratched behind Pandora’s ears, making
the creature purr. “Or maybe you’re just too scared to try it any other.” Her
eyes flashed fire, but he caught her hand before she could flail him with her
words, flipping it to run his fingertips along the lines of her palm. “I told
you. You don’t have to be afraid of me. I don’t hurt, and I never bite.”
“No.” She ripped her hand away. “You only touch.”
SKY: Loved the interview, Michele! Thanks for joining me today.
About the Author
Michele is a recovering demon (AKA attorney) who left the
legal field to follow her dreams of writing and teaching college-level English.
In her spare time, she enjoys traveling as far as her credit card will take
her, reading an assortment of fantasy and paranormal, and playing with her
frisky animals (two black cats and two loud-mouthed cockatiels).
She’s loved vampires since she was four, when her BFF
confided that her older sister was a vamp who enjoyed drinking blood. Like any
four-year old, Michele thought this was the most awesome thing ever. Michele
currently lives in Modesto, California, but will move to Santa Barbara to begin
a Ph.D. program in education and literacy this fall.
Party Time!
Starfire came out July 30'th, and to celebrate, we're
lookin' to give away some loot. To enter this rockin' contest, simply follow the actions below, and you'll receive the
corresponding number of entries!!!
1 ENTRY
*Comment on any tour or Facebook post (see www.starfireseries.com for
tour dates and info)
*Like Michele's Facebook page (www.facebook.com/MicheleNZugnoni)
*Share Michele's Facebook page on your own Facebook or blog
*Like Michele's Twitter account (www.twitter.com/Michele_ZZZ)
3 ENTRIES
*Purchase Starfire and comment on Michele's Facebook page "I just
purchased this fiery new
paranormal romance! Can't wait to read."
5 ENTRIES
*Review Starfire at Goodreads, Amazon, on your blog, or anywhere else on the
web (but be
sure to let us know on Michele's facebook page).
*Host Michele on any virtual tour stop (interview, review, spotlight, etc.)
*1 Starfire shot glass
* 3 Starfire mugs (2 Julia/Clay, 1 Mia/Brennan)
*5 autographed copies of Goddess Kissed, the Starfire short-story prequel
coming out Sept. 1
*10 red or black velvet bookmarks (with assorted charms)
*2 $25 gift cards to Amazon.com
AND THE GRAND PRIZE...
*1 $50 gift card to Amazon.com!!!
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2 comments:
This is fantastic! Thanks so much for hosting me, Sky. I had a great time answering your questions. :-)
My pleasure, Michele! Wishing you much success. :)
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