Today it’s my pleasure to interview Nancy Gideon, author of Unleashed
by Shadows, By Moonlight, Book 10.
Genre: dark paranormal
Date of Publication: 10-26-15
ISBN: 9781517777852
ISBN: 157777852
ASIN: B016FUGSRM
Number of pages: 326
Word Count: 105,000
Cover Artist:
Patricia Lazarus
Book Description
He feared no man, no foe, no obstacle or challenge . . .
Burdened by the weight of his secrets and his father’s sins,
the need for redemption pulls Cale Terriot from his duty to his clan and the
arms of his new mate into deadly intrigues in a rival territory. His dangerous masquerade in a high-stakes
Shifter fight club is about to be exposed to those who would show no mercy – if
he can survive in the ring.
How to protect a prince turned king made pawn?
Fearing she’ll lose her soulmate to the darkness he carries
inside, Kendra Terriot, newly made queen in the Shape-shifter House of Terriot,
must provide him with an heir in order to save his life . . . and his
soul. But first she must risk all to
coax him back from the edge of violence inherited with his crown.
Can her love tear him from an unbreakable vow that can only
end in death?
Giveaway! Be sure to enter the Rafflecopter after this post for a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card.
Book Trailer
“Every delicious word Nancy Gideon puts on the page
exhilarates with a sensuous ferocity.
Hopelessly addicted.”
—Darynda Jones, NY Times Bestselling Author
“Complex characters, vivid writing and intriguing plot
twists keep readers coming back to Gideon’s magical NOLA.”
–Publishers Weekly
Let’s Interview!
What inspired you to write this book?
I was intrigued by the short, fierce, and uncompromising
Terriot prince who appeared in name only in an earlier book in my “By
Moonlight” series to threaten that book’s hero’s gentle cousin Kendra with a
forced mating in order for to save her family and him to claim his clan’s crown. The Terriots, unlike the disorganized clan of
shape-shifter in New Orleans, were brutal warriors who took what they wanted
and wanted whatever they saw. And Cale wanted Kendra. Then I got wondering what
kind of past would draw two such unlikely opposites together. That was explored in PRINCE OF SHADOWS. When
they had their happily-ever-after, I felt things were still unresolved. There
was too much bad blood between their family and too much guilt over deeds done
for them to settle down comfortably to rule their clan. And then Cale gets a
call from Kendra’s cousin asking for his help . . .
How did you come up with the title?
Thinking up unique yet similar words to go into a series
title gets complicated. UNLEASHED seemed perfect for this story because it’s
about letting go of the past as well as regrets and restraints. And, when he’s
fighting there’s that control collar on my dog of war.
If you had to sell your book based on one run of
dialogue (start quote to end quote), which would it be?
"Don't make the mistake of thinking I'm not in
control. Those who have in the past regret that error. Those few
still alive. I am a Terriot king. I am never weak when strength is
demanded. You'd be a fool to believe otherwise." - Cale Terriot,
House of Terriot
Tell us about your book cover and how it relates to your
story.
UNLEASHED BY SHADOWS is my second self-published book out of
58 (!) so developing the cover was as important to me as writing the
story. It had to be just right. I was looking for something that would blend
with the other covers in the series but standout at the same time. After
spending hours and hours looking at “sexy male torso” graphics, I finally found
one that represented both the driven and the softer side of my hero. But my
graphic artist, Patricia Lazarus, who has done tons of great stuff for me,
wasn’t sure the dimensions would work for the cover. So, back to torsos . . .
We both kept coming back to the mysterious figure in the hoodie, but I still
wasn’t sold until she worked up both graphics and I knew that was the one. I
got her to compromise by using the other as the back cover and in my promo and
book trailer. Best of both worlds!
Are you currently working on another story? If so, we’d love
some details.
I’m putting together a novella series called “The House of
Terriot Foursome.” Once you meet Cale’s
hot stuff brothers, you’ll understand why. Their conflicts are set up in
UNLEASHED and it was hard for me to concentrate on doing edits with their
individual storylines distracting me. I
can’t wait to get to them.
Tell us about your favorite writing environment. Is it
indoors, outdoors, a special room, etc.
I have a loft office in my apartment dedicated to my craft
(and my reading/writing clutter). I hit the computer every morning at 5:00 a.m.,
armed with my Keurig coffee, and tackle my work-in-progress until I have to
leave for my 9-to-5.
I’d lost steam writing UNLEASHED BY SHADOWS and took a break
to visit one of my critique partners who lives in Arizona. Borrowing her desk for a week, looking out
over desert creatures at sunrise as they came to get water and food right
outside the window was just what I needed to revitalize. Talk about
inspiration! I think I wrote five chapters while I was there. Environment is
everything when it comes to creativity!
It’s time to promo. What is your favorite marketing tool?
I actually LOVE doing promo.
I’m OCD so organizing and list making is my thing. I enjoy wading into
the planning process, setting up blog visits, creating content for playlists
and book trailers, doing the back cover copy, hunting for those elusive graphics—the
whole enchilada. Example: my Haunted
Open House Book Party that’s going on this week. That’s a lot to put together along with a
self-pubbed book! Thank goodness for my virtual assistant, the Novel Difference,
for taking my ideas to fruition. I’m an
idea person, so I guess my favorite tool is the mighty list to follow.
Do you write books in series? If so, share a bit about the
series you currently have published or are coming soon.
My “By Moonlight” dark paranormal shape-shifter series
started with the book of my heart and a fabulous hero in the dark, dangerous
and yet still vulnerable Max Savoie. Once I started, I was in the middle of
book four before I came up for breath. Those books were unique in that they contain
the same hero and heroine—Max, bodyguard to a mobster and possible Prophesied
One to an outcast Shifter clan in New Orleans and NOPD detective Charlotte
Caissie who is determined to bring down his boss/mentor. The series branched
off from there into the “Shadows” books developing secondary characters and the
same underlying story arc while exploring new plotlines. Readers hounded me to bring Max back in his
own book, which I did with REMEMBERED BY MOONLIGHT and when Cale, my hero in
PRINCE OF SHADOWS, appeared in it, he started to run off with the book so I had
to promise him more of his story in UNLEASHED BY SHADOWS. Though the books are all intertwined, each
can stand alone.
If you could make changes to a story you’ve already written,
which would it be and why?
I’ve gotten the unique opportunity to revisit the books in
my “Touched by Midnight” vampire romance series. The first three of the nine book series are
finally back in print after being buried in the ‘90s. ImaJinn Books, who picked
up the original series with books 4-9, is repackaging all the books with new covers
(which I’ve gotten to help design!) and a chance for me to spruce up my
prose. The first three were hardly
edited at all and there were a lot of glaring errors as well as passive “was”s
and bouncing point of view. It was the ‘90s, after all, and we didn’t know any
better! It gave me a chance to fall in
love with the series all over again. Book
4, MIDNIGHT ENCHANTMENT is a late October rerelease.
I was able to do the same when Bell Bridge, another imprint
of BelleBooks, reissued my four Dana Ransom contemporary romances, providing
them to a whole new audience.
I’m hoping to self-publish my old Dana Ransom western
historical series next year, so that gives me lots of books (and torsos) to
play with!
Excerpt from UNLEASHED BY SHADOWS . . .Cale
He feared no man, no foe, no obstacle or challenge. He’d
learned to stand his ground and take it without a wince while growing up with
the most to prove in the House of Terriot. He’d been schooled beneath the heavy
heel and meaty fists of Bram Terriot, bearing the marks of those lessons scored
into his skin and once tender psyche. He understood intimidation better than he
did compassion. Had once indulged in every savagery Lee now expected from him.
Would have become a brutal, heartless monster walking the same path his father
followed had it not been for the two things that called to his latent decency:
The brothers who’d fearlessly stood beside him and the female brave enough to
believe his claims.
He owed
them. He owed his family prosperous lives without fear and subjugation, where
pride wasn’t measured in cruelties. He owed the woman he loved the fulfillment
of promises made by a starry-eyed boy. He owed them a future in which they
bowed to no one and had no reason to expect the worse from one another. And to
achieve those things, all he had to do was right the wrongs of the man who’d
desecrated the crown he now represented.
All . .
.
With a
weary laugh, Cale closed his eyes.
His
debt. His burden. His to carry and complete alone. No whining about the costs
to body, heart or soul. No crying over what couldn’t be changed, repaid or
repaired. No shirking from sacrifices sure to cost more than he’d ever thought
to wager. The blood on his hands would never come clean. There was no
forgiveness for his sins—the sins of the father now those of the son. He was
lost but he wouldn’t drag those he loved and respected down with him. Not while
he still had strength and breath and opportunity.
He
couldn’t save his people hiding on their mountain top. He couldn’t purge his
guilt without a willingness to surrender his life.
And he
couldn’t protect his mate if he couldn’t provide her with his heir.
About the Author
Nancy Gideon is the award winning author of over 58 romances
ranging from historical, regency and series contemporary suspense to dark
paranormal, with a couple of horror screenplays tossed into the mix, and is
currently testing the “Hybrid author” waters.
She works full time as a legal assistant in Southwestern Michigan, and
when not at the keyboard, feeds a Netflix addiction along with all things fur,
fin and fowl. She’s also written under the pen names Dana Ransom, Rosalyn West
and Lauren Giddings, and is a member of the Mid-Michigan, PAN and FF&P
Chapters of RWA.
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