Giveaway and Interview with Leia Shaw and her Shadows of Destiny Series

Welcome to this stop on Leia Shaw's tour!!  I was lucky enough to be able to score an interview with this lovely lady.  Stay tuned to find out of the series, how to win a copy of the book, and to learn a little bit about the author herself.  Let's dive right in:

How old were you when you first realized you wanted to write?

I was writing sonnets in the womb.

Most authors have an unusual story or way that they come up with their ideas for books…Do you have one?

Yes, a very basic plot for my first book came in a dream. I often have dreams that translate into good stories but I don’t usually write them. There would be too many. But the one for Destiny Divided fit the genre I wanted to write and I loved the heroine too much to ignore her.

What was your biggest influence that steered you towards writing?

My grandmother always encouraged me. She used to say, “You have such a way with words.” I guess it just stuck.

I have to ask, what are the hardest scenes for you to write?

Sex. Definitely. If you don’t believe me, sit down and try it. How many ways can you describe an orgasm?

Do you see yourself writing in another genre?

I wrote one contemporary BDSM novel with erotic author Cari Silverwood. It’s currently being published by Loose ID. We have a plan for another spin off of that one. So, yeah, I guess I write contemporary erotic too. I never thought I would because, honestly, real life holds no interest for me as a writer. I read to get away from the daily grind. But I love writing humor and there’s a lot more I can do with a funny contemporary than with a paranormal – thought there’s a lot of humor in my PNR series too.

Has your family been supportive?

Mostly. I told my grandma I write Vampires for Jesus books. I don’t think she believed me but she did smile and nod. My mother wishes I wrote something else but she’s still proud of me.  My brother brags to his friends and my husband, well, once I started making money, he’s been pushing me to write more.

Are any of your characters reflective of you?

Of course. All of them are in some way. Sage is my sarcastic, smart-ass side. Erin my sweet, playful side. Natalia my dark and twisted side. 

What do you like to do when you're not writing?

Play with my kids. Be outside. Laugh a lot.

Who is your favorite book heroine?

Easy. Kate Daniels by Ilona Andrews.

Do you have any unusual habits that revolve around writing?

Nope. As long as I have a door that locks, I’m happy.

What is you favorite mystical creature?

Hmm…that’s a hard one.

What were some of your biggest challenges at the beginning of your career? Getting my name out there. It’s still a challenge. There’s so many fabulous authors, especially in this genre, it’s hard to stand out.

How do you feel about reader comments?

I love them! I love hearing from fans and even critics. It tells me where I might be able to improve. The only thing I don’t like is when readers trash a book in a mean-spirited way. I understand everyone has the right to their opinion but there’s no reason to be rude when you’re reviewing a book. It’s hurtful to the author who, no matter how bad a book is, still worked hard on it. What I wish readers would understand is that our blood, sweat, and tears go into these books. These are our babies.

Do you have any advice for new authors?

Join a critique group. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can go it alone or that you don’t have anything to learn. Even the NYT bestsellers have critique partners and are constantly learning and growing.

Where are your books available?

On all e-readers and online retailers and in print on Createspace and Amazon

What can we expect from you in the future?

At least four more books in my Shadows of Destiny series! Destiny Bewitched is a high-fantasy, funny, romantic novel coming out in June. After that I’m switching gears a bit with a darker, more emotional book in the winter.

Where can we reach you and become informed of updates?

You can join my mailing list on my website. I don’t spam. I only send out newsletters near a release date, usually with exclusive excerpts.



Thanks so much for stopping by Leia!!  That was an awesome interview!  Now lets take a look at the books!

After fleeing her native city — and nightmares of    a traumatic childhood — Sage Peterson meets the overbearing, pretentious, yet haunted Professor Elias. He’s the only one who knows about her mysterious powers, which seem to be spiraling out of control. When he convinces her to train with him, she finds herself thrust into a five hundred year war and on the run from vampires,    werewolves, and even worse — her budding feelings for James Elias.

 

Erin Bolton knows her former foster sister is a  sorceress and a witch, but she wants nothing to do with that world. The day before her twenty first birthday, a tall, dark, and terrifying vampire, Marcelo, turns Erin's world upside down. He convinces her that he was sent to escort her to the safety of the Underworld, where her sister is waiting. But she wonders, who will keep her safe from him?

They call her The Huntress. A vampire with lethal  focus, Natalia hunts rogue werewolves and kills them without mercy.  She buried her heart centuries ago.  Now she lives only for revenge.    But when she’s forced to team up with the alpha of the northwest werewolf pack to catch a werewolf serial killer, her carefully controlled world is shattered by the passionate Cristian. Will Natalia accept Cristian’s claim on her heart even if it means sacrificing a part of who she is?

 

Excerpt:

Her captor rose gracefully from the log. If she had any doubt he was a werewolf before, she had none now. He was huge, as all werewolves were, at least six and a half feet tall with broad shoulders and thick muscles that made the standard ranger uniform a little snug. But it was his eyes that caught her attention. One was brown, the other baby blue. The effect was unnerving. She tried not to stare.

“What are you doing in Yellowstone, vampire?”

She arched a brow. “Feeling territorial?”

“Answer the question.”

“Do you really think it will be that easy?”

“So you will make me torture you?”

Her eyes narrowed into her best threatening glare. “Fair warning. I really don’t like being tortured. It puts me in a foul mood.”

“Let me guess.” His mouth curled up in mocking amusement. “Bad things happen when you’re in a foul mood?”

“Let me put it this way, the last time someone tried to torture me, I fed his balls to a pack of wild dogs.” The werewolf had deserved it. He hadn’t been her intended revenge but he had sufficed until she could catch up with the man she really wanted to castrate. Her mate.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” was his only response to her gruesome threat. “So, Natalie, huh? A very nice American name.” He stood in front of her, his arms folded over his massive chest. “But you’re not American, are you?”

“Perceptive,” she said, “for a dog.”

He shook his head slowly, disapproval written all over his face. “You’ve got a lot of nerve. Here you are, tied up with my rope, in my territory, and you’re mouthing off?”

“Nerve, I have an abundance of. What I don’t have is my weapons.”

“Nor will you get them. Did you forget you tried to kill me?”

“You started it.”

Impatience flared in his eyes. “You were about to take out that lone wolf!” The amused arrogance was gone when he took another step towards her. “How did you hear about the wolves’ blood? Who sent you?”

I guess fun time is over. “What wolves’ blood? I have no idea what you’re talking about. And that wasn’t a lone wolf. It was a dangerous rogue werewolf. Can’t you tell the difference?”

“Answer the question.”

“You answer the question.”

Two blonde brows darted up. “Who has who tied up?”

She looked at her binds. “Irrelevant.”

He laughed.

She stared at him. When his chuckles faded she asked, “What’s the name of my temporary captor and soon to be dead man?”

He hesitated only a moment. “Cristian.”

She couldn’t hold back a mocking smile. “Cristian? Cristian the werewolf? That’s rich.”

He smiled, his teeth white against his lush lips. “My mother was human, just like yours.” He paused to look in her wallet. “Natalie from Wisconsin.” He snorted.

About the Author:

I began my writing journey while I was stranded at the airport waiting for my delayed flight. I browsed the Border’s kiosk and grew frustrated that I couldn’t find the “it factor” — the perfect combination of alpha male-ness, ass-kickery, strong females, magic, and sex. So I spent the next four hours on an airplane      writing my first book on scraps of paper and an airsick bag (which thankfully I didn't need to use).   

Now I spend too much time in my head, plotting evil villains and the hot men (and women) who ruthlessly kill them. I think far too much about fae politics, dragon power games, and how fast werewolves can change forms. But writing my paranormal romance series has given me a productive place to express those dark places in my mind.

I live in New England with my husband and two kids. Though I will go to my grave denying it, my husband insists I would be thrilled if he suddenly sprouted fangs.

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