Today it’s my pleasure to welcome over Constance Sharper, author of Burning in a Memory, Adelaide’s Series, Book 1, a Young Adult, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance
Date of Publication: July 1st, 2014
ISBN-13: 978-1499258738
ISBN-10: 1499258739
Number of pages: Approx. 315
Word Count: 87,000
Cover Artist: Judyta (Feainne) K.
GIVEAWAY!! Be sure to enter the Rafflecopter after this post for a chance to win one of four paperback copies of Burning In A Memory.
Book Description
Curiosity killed the cat, and nineteen-year-old Adelaide was next. She could barely remember the moments during her childhood when she knew magic existed, but she never stopped searching for it since. On the flipside, monsters from the magical world never stopped searching for her either.
Their paths finally cross in time for Adelaide to realize she should have stayed on the human side of the east coast. Unlike college, she can’t get out of trouble with a cute smile and a cuter wardrobe.
These monsters are out for blood, her blood, but she’s in luck. They will spare her life in exchange for one favor, and that favor is named Leon Colton.
Interview Time!
Tell us a little bit about the conflict in your story.
The story follows nineteen-year-old Adelaide. Adelaide has faint memories of a unique childhood and people who could conjure magic-- other people just like her. When growing up in Kansas City, Missouri, she doesn’t encounter anything close to magic. By the time she reaches college, she can take the curiosity no longer and goes searching.
Instead of finding mages, she finds the monsters of the supernatural world. These monsters are called shades and are seconds away from ending her life when she cuts a deal. She agrees to find a mage named Leon Colton in exchange for her own life.
She figures it cannot be very hard. Leon Colton does not know who she is or whom she works with. She’s an unrecognizable woman with an ability to talk her way out of anything. Or at least she thinks.
How did you come up with the title?
The title is very unique and probably not the best suited for a book name, but the storyline actually begged for it. I am a real advocate for allowing the storyline to names itself. Burning in a Memory refers to the deepest aspect of the book. It’s that something Adelaide remembers and can’t let go. It burns in her mind and is destroyed over time until nothing remains of the reality but ash.
If you could spend an hour in real life with one of your characters, who would it be and why?
Probably Leon Colton. The mage is legend but there is definitely a real man behind the legend. He’s the type of person to always keep you guessing and possibly the most intriguing of the characters. It’s impossible to capture him completely without reading the background of the book. I love twists and Leon is the center of a mass of them.
What sort of personality does your heroine have?
Adelaide develops her personality from the unique circumstances she’s set in throughout life. She starts off as curious, like anyone would be, when they have unanswered questions about their own identity. She finds out quickly though that one wrong step could be her last and that many have died where she has survived. Despite the morbid knowledge, this leaves her absolutely determined to live on. Her urge for self-preservation is really defining—a trait she supposedly would never give up for a guy.
Tell us about your book cover and how it relates to your story.
On the cover is Adelaide, the protagonist of the storyline. The model on the cover had the perfect look of someone caught between good and bad. She’s a knowing woman set atop the cliff where the beginning of the book takes place.
How long have you been writing? How long have you been published?
My first book came out in 2011 but I’ve been writing forever. I wish I could churn out more books, but unfortunately work and schooling always gets in the way.
Do you write books in series? If so, share a bit about the series you currently have published or are coming soon.
The first book series I published was The Airborne Saga. That series was made up of three books.
The most recent series I’m publishing is Burning in a Memory. The new series, Burning, is quite a departure from the old books. I’m always looking for reinvention and am always evolving as a writer. I’m hoping Burning will capture a wider audience than Airborne as it transcends more of the genres. It is an urban fantasy (set in reality, modern day, with the one supernatural aspect). It also has a strong romantic aspect to it also driving the story.
Excerpt
Adelaide screamed as she fell. Her hands flailed but she never caught the banister in time. She plummeted down the short flight of stairs and nailed the bottom step. Her vision flashed black and pain reverberated up her spine. She found her feet after a moment, but by the time she looked up, the basement door was shut. A halo of light outlined the doorframe and provided the only illumination in the dark basement.
A cold fear suddenly seized her in the next second. The shade was in here. Disorientation from the fall lingered but she still felt its presence. She heard the wheezing breath and smelt the bitter smoke that clung to its being. She could only see the hint of its figure in the dark, but refused to stay long enough to see more.
“Adelaide,” it cooed. The sound of its catlike voice made her misstep and stumble. She winced but forced herself to stay calm and find the stairs. The monstrous shade was tied and bound, she told herself. It could not get free.
Wood creaked. The wheezing grew louder. The smell of smoke thickened in the air.
She carefully hurried to the top of the staircase and reached the door. She raced her hand along the wood until she found the knob and twisted, but the lock wouldn’t give. Twisting with all of her might, her muscles burned before she let go. The door was still pressurized in its exact position and that barred her only escape route. Leon’s aura filled the hall outside and the pressure wouldn’t let up until he did.
“Adam! Adam!” she called. Adelaide beat on the door with her fists, ready to splinter the wood if necessary.
“Come down here, Adelaide. I’ve been waiting so long to talk to you,” it hissed.
She stopped her futile assault and her fists hovered in the air. The sound of its voice unnerved her and it refused to shut up.
“Why won’t you look at me? What are you afraid of seeing?” it asked.
Adelaide would have scoffed at the question if fear didn’t keep her so quiet. After a second of collecting her nerves, she turned to face it. Its figure was barely visible, but she saw it tug against its bindings. The wooden chair it was bound to creaked again.
“I am not afraid of you. You can’t hurt me,” she blurted upon finding her voice.
“That boy is not going to protect you…”
“You don’t know anything. Leave me alone,” she spit. It was just taunting her now, but it also affected her more than she’d like to admit. She turned and pressed her ear against the door. If Adam was on the other side, he stayed silent. Her skin crawled when she couldn’t hear anything at all from the hallway.
“You cannot even protect yourself,” the shade said.
“Then you’ve never met me.”
The door suddenly groaned. It shifted in its frame and she grabbed the knob again. She yanked the door open and the sweet fresh air of freedom beckoned her out of the dank basement. But then the shade called out to her again and this time it stopped her dead in her tracks.
“Regardless, you will come see me soon if you want to survive,” it said. “Because I know your secret. I know what you’re doing here.”
About the Author
Born and raised in Florida, Constance Sharper juggles following her writing passion with completing her doctorate degree. She's been a lover of urban fantasy and young adult books, and published The Airborne Saga as her first series. She continues to write multiple books in the same and similar genres. She currently lives with her beagle and wishes a Starbucks would open up nearby.
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