Exclusive Q & A and Audiobook Sneak Peek of Forever!

Please join us on BookTube for another exclusive interview between me and Tristan Hunt about The Fateful Series characters.



The audiobook of Forever is finished and now available for purchase. Here is an exclusive preview:

An Interview of a Vampire

 

An interview of a vampire from The Fateful Trilogy by Cheri Schmidt. Oh wait, I mean an interview of a werewolf. Oh wait, I mean an interview of a villain...

 

ENJOY!

 

(Told from Max's point of view.)

 

“Welcome, lovely ladies and dashing gents, whatever the case may be...” Max winks as he sketches a bow, his waves of brown hair tumbling down over his forehead. The knight shoves fingers through his hair to push it back into place as he settles into his chair. “Today, I have Lucas from The Fateful Trilogy here for an interview.” Max twists in his seat to face Lucas who is sitting in a comfortable chair in Beon’s drawing room at Order headquarters. “Welcome, villain.”

Lucas stares, or rather, scowls at Max before he says with a heavy note of annoyance in his tone, “Were you expecting me to cackle evilly, because it’s just not going to happen.”

Max shrugs his big shoulders and props one booted foot on his opposite knee, the picture of ease. Clearly not intimidated by the murdering rogue. “Shall we begin?” Max drops his gaze quickly to his notes.

“If you would get on with it, I’d appreciate it. I do have better things to do than sit here with you answering ridiculous questions.”

“Like what, exactly?” asks Max.

Muscles jump along Lucas’ jaw. His dark eyes narrow on the knight. His nostrils flare. “Are you talking about stupid questions you’d like to ask me, or what I’d rather be doing?”

“The latter, obviously,” responds Max.

“Proper mischief and mayhem...obviously,” answers Lucas smugly.

“What sort of mischief and mayhem? Be specific. Our audience is curious to know,” Max asks with an annoyed lift of one eyebrow.

Smirking evilly, Lucas locks his dark gaze onto Max’s in a threatening way. “I could be seeking time alone with Nadia so that I may get to know her better. She and I haven’t...chatted much.” The smirk turns to a leer as it seems Lucas imagines what harm he’d like to be inflicting upon Nadia.

Max comes back with a threat of his own. His lips thin, his fingers slip into his boot, and in the blink of any eye, he sends a knife at Lucas. The six-inch blade sinks into the back cushion of the chair Lucas is seated in, right next to his ear, barely missing the draw of blood by a thread.

The villain doesn’t even flinch. “Not bad for an old rusty knight,” Lucas says in a silky voice.

“I’ve spent most of my life dispatching miscreants like you.”

“We've digressed,” says Lucas dryly.

Max draws a measured breath and releases it slowly, apparently in agreement. “Do you have any hobbies the readers might not know about? Something uncommon, please, so don’t say rowing or shooting or steeplechase.”

Lucas pauses for a long time while scratching at his knee a bit nervously.

“Well?” Max presses. “You promised to be honest for the readers.”

“Fine. Crossword puzzles,” Lucas finally mutters angrily.

A mocking laugh escapes Max. “Do you also knit?”

Lucas frowns. “You insult me.”

“Every chance I can get.”

“You’re digressing again,” Lucas says. “Did you have any other questions for me? Perhaps something more relevant than what I do with my spare time, like what I do with my victims instead? I can promise you, the readers would be much more interested in what I could be, or rather, will be doing to Nadia.”

“Threaten my wife again, and next time I won’t intentionally miss.” Lucas doesn’t seem to have an answer to that, so Max goes on, “What made you like this, Lucas? What event in your life darkened your soul so much?”

“I think I was always like this, to be honest. ’Tis one of my best attributes.” Lucas says with a note of pride.

“Always evil, you say? Surely as a child—”

“I don’t remember much from my childhood. But what I do recall, it wasn't exactly pleasant.”

“Your father—?”

“Was not the nicest chap there ever was.”

“So you’re blaming your evilness on him, then?”

Lucas shrugs his shoulders. “I wouldn't be the first.”

“Now you’ve made me curious. Tell me more about your father, would you? What was it about him that turned you to a life of disruptive and violent behavior?”

“This is a massively insipid line of questioning. Next please,” Lucas says with an air of superiority.

Max rolls his jaw in an apparent effort to keep his anger tamped down. “Fine. Let’s just cut to the chase, hmm? First a vampire, and now a werewolf... What is it about being a monster that appeals to you so much?”

“It’s a bit cliché, but there is a great deal of power in fear.”

“So this is all about power?”

Lucas sighs. “Actually, no. It’s all about revenge.”

“Against Ethan,” says Max.

“Precisely.”

“Did I just hear my name?” Ethan asks as he enters with service for tea.

Max draws in a breath of air and his eyes land on the hot scones on a plate next to the teapot. Despite the fact that he was hungry, he eyes Ethan with unmasked curiosity. “What are you doing?”

“Helping you.”

“I don’t need help.”

“Then I’m simply here to offer refreshment.” Ethan’s gaze touches on Lucas and it was easy for Max to mark the lie.

“Really?” Max asks doubtfully.

“Of course.” Ethan starts pouring out. “I’ll be mother,” he said with a bright smile and a twinkle of mischief in his blue eyes. Intrigued, Max leans back into the cushion and watches to see how this is going to play out. “Fancy a cuppa?” Ethan asks Lucas pleasantly.

Lucas eyes the cup wearily. “Is it poisoned?”

A chuckle rumbles out of Ethan. “Would I poison you?”

“Yes. I believe you would.”

“What reason exactly would I have to poison you?” When Lucas doesn’t answer right away, Ethan asks, “One lump or two?”

Lucas folds his arms. The corners of his mouth slide downward. “Where’s Danielle? Isn’t she going to join our quaint little tea party?”

“No,” Ethan practically growls, straightening, the food forgotten...apparently. Ethan removes his glasses and sets them carefully on the table next to the tea tray.

The action was clearly not lost on Lucas as he also rises to his feet and pushes up his sleeves while muttering something that sounds quite a bit like, “Bloody twit is dead from the neck up...” but not loud enough for Max to be completely sure about it.

“Ethan, what are you doing now?” Max asks.

“Nothing,” Ethan shoves up his sleeves as well.

“Why did you take off your glasses then?”

“No particular reason worth mentioning, Max.”

Max rolls his eyes when Ethan throws the first punch and the two men brawl, spilling the tea, smashing the teacups, and breaking the table.

Max hadn’t noticed at first, but Ethan had ropes and a gag hanging out of his back pocket. As a bruise develops around Ethan’s left eye, and a trickle of blood oozes from his bottom lip, Ethan tightens the knot on the ropes now securing Lucas to the floral-patterned wingback chair.

Clearing his throat, Max folds his arms over his chest and shoots a curious gaze at Ethan. “Exactly how am I supposed to interview the villain with him bound and gagged like that?”

Ethan shrugs his shoulders. “Scone?”

Casting his gaze to the ruined food on the floor, he lifts an eyebrow.

Ethan’s face splits into a smile. “I’ve got fresh ones in the kitchen; this was poisoned, of course.”

“And you need a new pair of spectacles,” Max points out, trying not to laugh.

“Hmm,” mutters Ethan a bit sheepishly while spying his crunched eyewear in the mess littering the decorative rug. “Unfortunate indeed, since that was my spare.”

Want to hear what these characters sound like? Get the audiobooks  for only $1.99 from Audible after you download the Kindle copies thanks to Whispersync! Fateful (book 1) is FREE! And Fractured (book 2) is only 3.99!

Hampton Court Castle and Gardens in Herefordshire

I write fiction/fantasy, in case you hadn't noticed. And I'll be the first to tell you that vampires and fairies are not real. Disappointing, I know...I mean hugely disappointing! Seriously!!! Why can't fairies be real? Why?

Anyway, those "fictional" stories in my head are inspired by real places. That's surprising too, I know, but there you have it...

In Chapter 4 of Fateful I describe one of the these "real" places called Van Kampen Gardens  at Hampton Court Castle. (NOT TO BE CONFUSED with Hampton Court Palace, though!) There are two Hampton Courts, but there is a big difference between the two. The one mentioned in Fateful is in Herefordshire and is easily far enough away from Chertsey to give Ethan plenty of time to talk to Danielle without exposing her to his magical vampire gaze too much. Such a romantic gentleman he is! Sorry, he isn't real either, just in case you were hoping. I know that's rather disappointing too. Oh well...

For my 20th Anniversary, my husband took me to England and to Van Kampen Gardens. Twice. Yes, I loved it so much I had to go see it twice.

These are just some of the pictures we took while there. Unfortunately for us, spring had not yet sprung so while the garden was beautiful, it had not fully bloomed.


Just as there is in the book, there is a huge wisteria arch. However, as you can see below, there were no blooms or leaves on it yet. :(




And of course there was a maze. This is the archway and door that led to the start of the maze.





And of course there is a tower in the middle of the maze.






The area of the gardens is very flat. And from the tower you can see the entire garden and of course the entire maze.





The tower has a secret exit that runs under the maze and deposits you into a garden that is hidden and secluded.



We wished we could have seen the garden at it's peak. I'm sure we'll try to get back here someday...




We took over 400 pictures.

Here's the strange coincidence about this garden: I didn't know I had so many ancestors who lived near here when I chose the location for my book. My ancestors on both sides of my family, my mother's and my father's, are from Herefordshire. So close to this garden in fact, that they probably visited it. I only discovered the connection after I wrote the book. Weird, huh?

My Great Grandfather was born near here in 1824. For over 180 years prior to that, my ancestors called the surrounding area just west of this garden home. In fact, my 2nd Great Grandfather is buried only about 4 miles from this garden.

And the release date for The Order of Curse-Bound Knights is nearing!!! Check back soon to see a preview of the first three chapters! Here is a preview of the cover.

Midwinter’s Eve Giveaway Hop December 21st to 31st

Midwinter’s Eve Giveaway Hop Hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer & Bookhounds

December 21st to 31st

 

 

A special Holiday message from Cheri to you...

This may seem unconventional, but this time of year can be emotionally difficult for so many, especially if you’ve suffered any sort of tragedy in your life. I’ll admit I’m one who struggles with finding peace this time of year... Sometimes we all just need a mental escape from the things that drag down our spirits. So just for a short time, take a break from reality with me. Let me take you to a world of fantasy so you can forget your cares momentarily. And then when you get back to the realities of life, I hope you might feel like your broken heart has had a chance to heal even partially, or even in some small way. At least that is my heartfelt wish.

 

Winner will be able to choose any one of these prizes:

~A Kindle eBook copy of The Fateful Series box set, valued at 8.99, which will include: Fateful, Fractured, Forever, Sophia's  Cookbook for Mortals, and The Order of Curse-Bound Knights (Soon to be released! If this prize is chosen, it will be awarded on the release date. USA only.)

 OR

 

~Danielle's Fairy Necklace as described in Forever. It will magically keep wicked pixies away...and werewolves...perhaps. Valued at $34.99. (This is handmade and will be shipped after it is made. USA only.)

OR

 

~An audiobook copy of either Fateful or Fractured as produced by Tristan Hunt from Audible, valued at $19.95-$24.95. (Listen to the samples right now. ;) This prize is available to USA and UK customers.)

 

 And check back later when I'll be posting a preview of

The Order of Curse-Bound Knights.

 

Use the Rafflecopter form below to enter. Only one option is required to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

Holiday Giveaways

Even more Free stuff for my mailing list subscribers during the Holidays...

Even win an eBook copy of The Order of Curse-Bound Knights
...my newest novel, soon to be released!

I'm choosing two winners a week!

Sign up here.

New on audio. Fractured book 2 in the Fateful Series.

Actor Tristan Hunt (AKA Jason Downs) is currently producing all of Cheri's books into audio.

Fateful is the first title to be released in this format, and Fractured is available NOW!

Audio of Cheri's books are available from Amazon, Audible, or iTunes.

And if you're new to Audible, you can get it for FREE! Then if you become an AudibleListener® member on Audible, you can get all of the other books for a discount. Once you've listened to how Tristan portrays these characters, I think you'll be hooked, and then you'll want to listen to everything else he does... (At least that is what everyone is telling me so far. I've actually had readers come up to me in a panic checking to make he really is doing the other books after they've listened to Fateful.)

Praise for Tristan's performance:

First, I am usually wary about listening to the audible version of books especially because I love to leave the character’s personalities to my own imagination. Schmidt (author) and Tristan (narrator) definitely changed my opinion for this book as I both read and listened to the story. I can’t express enough my unexpected surprise at how well the audio version portrayed the story SO closely to what I envisioned. ~The BookStalker Reviewed

Tristan Hunt is, in my opinion, THE Jim Dale of Fantasy Romance. ~Cassandra

The writing was thrilling and engaging all the way through! The narrator did an outstanding job with presenting to emotions and mood of each character. Oh la la for sure! ~A. C.

It's so romantic, and the narrator does a great job! Tristan brings emotion to the story. I love reading the book, but having a real person narrate the story really brings it to life. It makes it a lot more exciting. ~Heather

The narrator was great! I love when he switched to his “American Girly” voice! Great plot, Great characters, Great Narrator. What else can I say but GREAT! ~KSWilde

*fans self* If Tristan Hunt decides to read the phone book, I'm in! Fabulous reader. Loved his accents--he did American really well. Loved the way he handled the various scenes and gave a slight though fun twist to the voices of some of the more common characters. I hate when male readers take the female voices too high and make them almost a mockery. Tristan does the females voices very well. ~D. R. Weaver

Which character – as performed by Tristan Hunt – was your favourite? Danielle's uncle Nick, there was a part were he was telling a story and Tristan spoke in such a perfect tone that even I felt shivers. If you could sum up Fateful in three words, what would they be? Emotional, beautiful and soulful. If you prefer audio books then get the first book right now, narrated perfectly by Tristan Hunt. Definitely a 5 star rating from me. ~Beks in the UK

And if you'd like to read my interview over on The Book Stalker, go here.

Thanks for dropping by!

And while you're here:
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Meet My Character Blog Tour

Thanks for thinking of me, Joyce, and for including me in this hop! Here’s a little more about my friend Joyce:

Joyce DiPastena dreamed of green medieval forests while growing up in the dusty copper mining town of Kearny, Arizona. She filled her medieval hunger by reading the books of Thomas B. Costain (where she fell in love with King Henry II of England), and later by attending the University of Arizona where she graduated with a degree in history, specializing in the Middle Ages. The university was also where she completed her first full-length novel…set, of course, in medieval England. Later, her fascination with Henry II led her to expand her research horizons to the far reaches of his “Angevin Empire” in France, which became the setting of her first published novel, Loyalty’s Web (a 2007 Whitney Award Finalist). Joyce is a multi-published, multi-award winning author who specializes in sweet medieval romances heavily spiced with mystery and adventure. She lives with her two cats, Clio and Glinka Rimsky-Korsokov, in Mesa, Arizona.

Her newest title, Loving Lucianna, will be available in October 2014.

Visit her blog for current updates on her next book release:

http://jdp-news.blogspot.com/2014/08/meet-my-character-blog-tour-lucianna.html#.VAR8Gul0yUl

 

And now about my character, Nadia from The Order of Curse-Bound Knights:

1) What is the name of your character? Is he/she fictional or a historic person?

Her name is Nadia, and she is fictional. I picture her as looking like Phoebe Tonkin from The Vampire Diaries/The Originals.

(Check out my boards on Pinterst to see pics of what I think Nadia looks like.)

 

2) When and where is the story set?

This story travels through the eras staring in medieval times and moving all the way up to modern times. I’m not sure of many books that do that. If you know of other books that travel through different eras like that, post them in the comments for me, because I’m curious!

3) What should we know about him/her?

Nadia was a side character in the Fateful Trilogy. This book is her and Max’s (the knight) story: how they met, fell in love, and became vampires.

4) What is the main conflict? What messes up his/her life?

She loves unconditionally, but her best friend, Celeste, whom she remains loyal to despite Celeste’s evil tendencies, gets her into dangerous situations where she is exposed to the Black Plague, and is then turned into a vampire to save her life.

5) What is the personal goal of the character?

Nadia wants to find true love. She is intrigued by Max when her father assigns him to guard her, but she is tempted by other men who turn out to be rogues, and Max ends up having to save her from them.

6) Is there a working title for this novel, and can we read more about it?

This book is titled The Order of Curse-Bound Knights, and it is with my editor currently. Sign up for my mailing list to be the first to know of its release.

7) When can we expect the book to be published?

I hope to release it very soon, though I don’t have a release date just yet.

 

PS: I was supposed to tag a few more authors, but none of the ones I contacted have gotten back to me.  I will update this as soon as they do. :)

 

Fiction Fashion

What Danielle Darcey would wear...and it's on sale at Free People!

I loved it so much I picked it up in both colors. ;)

Link to buy:
http://www.freepeople.com/sale-sale-dresses/sun-goddess-maxi/

NEW book release of ReAwakened by Ada Adams!

Check it out! Just in time for Christmas, my friend Ada Adams released the sequel to ReVamped. (I love the cover, don't you?) I can't wait to read this!!!

Synopsis:
Becoming a vampire guardian was Dawn Fairchild’s ticket out of the Scarlet House. Fresh off a successful mission, life in Angel Creek should have been great. But when her sort-of-maybe-boyfriend, Sebastian, disappears on a quest to help a beautiful vampire from his past, Dawn finds herself amidst a web of danger, lies, and deceit.

Joining forces with Razor, an enigmatic rebel lacking both a verbal and a physical filter, and her band of Misfits—Brooke, Sophie, Hunter, and Seth—Dawn is thrust into a race against the clock to solve the mystery surrounding brutal Born kidnappings and come to terms with the sudden discovery of her own unique powers. With time ticking away and Born vampires’ lives in jeopardy, it quickly becomes evident that someone—or something—desperately wants Dawn and is willing to shed any amount of blood to get her.

Dawn has only one chance to face her demons and overcome all obstacles standing in her way as she embarks on the biggest mission of her life—one that threatens a deadly outcome for all involved.


About, my writer friend Ada:

“Many people sing in the shower. I write scenes in my head and act them out.”

At the age of five, Ada read her first chapter book—Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren. Ever since that moment, she developed an intense passion for stories and characters found within the pages of literature.

In her career as an actress and a writer, Ada currently spends most of her days immersed in imaginary worlds. Much like the characters she enjoys playing and writing about, Ada is a martial artist with a Black Belt in Shotokan Karate. She is also a big proponent of lifelong learning, and has attained a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (it aids in creating characters with unique quirks!) as well as a Master’s of Science in Education.

Ada strives to bring a fresh voice and perspective to fiction. She has been writing creatively for many years, and is an editor of a global fashion/literary magazine called VEUX. ReVamped is her debut novel.

She lives in Toronto, Canada, and enjoys adventurous nature hikes with her adorable puppies Cara and Oreo. 

(I love the part about her writing scenes in the shower, maybe because I do the same thing! But then I have to rush to my notepad to write it down, usually dripping, before I forget. LOL That part is annoying...)

Click on the link blow to get your copy!

Fangs, Fur & Fey Giveaway Hop

Welcome to the second annual Fangs, Fur, & Fey giveaway hop hosted by the rocking I Am A Reader, Not A Writer & Reading Lark!!!

The Prize:
Win Fateful, Fractured, or Forever in either Nook, Kobo, or Kindle eBook formats. (You must have an account with either Barnes & Noble, Kobo, or Amazon to accept this prize. USA only. Except Kobo is also available to my Canadian readers as well! However, if you have an account with the US site but live outside of the US, you may also enter! ;)

To Enter:
(This giveaway just closed. Thank you to everyone who entered and took the time to post a comment! I'll contact the winner very soon!)

The Fateful Trilogy is full of  furry werewolves, fluttering fey, and fanged vampires. Here's an excerpt from Forever that covers two of them, and mentions the other.

Before you start reading!!! Please know this does contain spoilers if you haven't read the books!

Forever (Chapter 2)

The Things of Nightmares

“What do they eat?” Danielle asked tucking her feet beneath her and setting her untouched plate of cake on the nightstand next to the bed. She couldn’t stomach even chocolate right now. Werewolves were creepy enough and now Lucas was one of them? If they were like wolves it might not be so bad, but these things were nightmarishly frightening with distorted human faces semi-cloaked beneath a wicked-looking mask of a beast. A shudder rolled up her spine and she looked at Ethan to see if he’d noticed.

Apparently he hadn’t. He seemed really distracted, like he had the weight of dark and wicked things on his shoulders. A little sigh blew past her lips, because he probably did. Staring straight ahead like he was, she could see his profile perfectly. His golden eyebrows were drawn low over his straight nose. Wire-rimmed glasses were perched there and Danielle’s mouth wanted to smile at how handsomely adorable he was with them on. She preferred him this way, slightly blind, and completely normal.... But her smile never made it to her lips because his mouth was pursed with deep thoughts—thoughts that were likely tormenting his peace of mind. His usually calm, blue-eyed gaze reflected the distress within. Again she wondered if he regretted the return to weak-mortal-ness, even though he’d been the one to first partake of the candy before prompting her to follow. He dragged a hand through his blond hair which needed a trim and hung into his eyes until he pushed it back. After a long pause, Ethan finally answered her question. “During a full moon? Flesh ... probably.”

“You don’t know for sure?” she asked, trying not to let what he just said totally freak her out.

His eyes shifted to hers. “No. Their kind is even more reclusive than fairies are.”

Danielle turned away from the upsetting things she could see within his expression, and nudged the plate of cake out of the way as she reached for her tea. Maybe that would help settle her stomach, because it was churning at the idea of Lucas with a whole mouthful of pointy teeth instead of just a pair of fangs. He’d been scary enough as a vampire, and now he was something she knew very little about. A sip of creamy peach liquid filled her mouth and then slid down her throat as she swallowed. “Then how can we fight them?” she asked. Danielle decided the tea was helping a little and took another sip, watching the little rosebud painted inside it disappear as she rocked the cup level again.

“It doesn’t seem like they can do anything to vampires. We’ve fought them before, as you know, and none of us were affected adversely. I suppose it could be due to the fact that the curses were placed by different sorceresses.”

“Hmm,” she murmured as she drank, again watching for the pink rosebud with green leaves inside her cup.

“I love watching you do that.”

Startled by the sudden change in topic she looked at Ethan, who was smiling. “Do what?”

“Watch for the flower.” When she wrinkled her brow at him, confused, he added, “The one inside your teacup.”

While rounding, her eyes swung back as the flower in question disappeared halfway below the liquid line. “You noticed I do that?” Had she even noticed she did that?

He popped a few pieces of popcorn in his mouth and said around it, “I noticed that, and the fact that you’re not really paying any attention to the picture.”

With eyes returning to the television, she figured it had been playing for a while and she had no idea what was going on. Is that what he’d been so focused on earlier? Somehow she doubted it. On a sigh she said, “I need to know more about them, more about what to expect from Lucas now.”

...Note: This series is not suitable for anyone who doesn't like glittering fairies, vicious pixies, hot vampires with British accents, creepy werewolves, the dashing Mr. Darcy, or large amounts of snogging...

(I LOVE comments, by the way...did you like the excerpt? Thanks for visiting, and staying for a bit!)

I LOVE guests as much as comments. ;)

And for more chances to  win go here  I Am A Reader, Not A Writer or here  Reading Lark!!!

Where to find books by Cheri Schmidt:

Amazon around the world:

USA
http://www.amazon.com/Fateful-ebook/dp/B004VT0RJK/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_1

UK
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fateful/dp/B004VT0RJK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=digital-text&qid=1303005553&sr=8-1

Germany
http://www.amazon.de/Fateful-Book-Series-ebook/dp/B004VT0RJK

Italy
http://www.amazon.it/Fateful-Book-Series-ebook/dp/B004VT0RJK/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1337779900&sr=8-1

Spain
http://www.amazon.es/Fateful-Book-Series-ebook/dp/B004VT0RJK/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1337779955&sr=1-2

France
http://www.amazon.fr/Fateful-Book-Series-ebook/dp/B004VT0RJK

If you'd rather have print, discounted copies are available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and for free international shipping, get your books from The Book Depository. And don't forget about the signed copies of my books available via my website.

YA Indie Carnival ~ Friday the 13th ~ Or Not...

Actually, I forgot it was Friday the 13th! It’s not something I think about much, mainly because I’m not a fan of horror. At all... So if you came here for horror, then you came to the wrong place! :D

I write YA Paranormal Romance without much in way of horror... Of course my villains are scary, but my stories are not the kind of stuff that will disturb your dreams. At least I don’t think so. Well, I suppose many people did find the spiders in Forever a bit horrifying...what did you expect from witches?

Anyway! Besides the spiders, probably the scariest I get is in my villains. So maybe you’ll enjoy this interview of Lucas that Max did for me. (Note: If you want an excerpt of Max’s story, which I’m working on at the moment, simply scroll down.)

Here is an interview of a vampire, oh wait, I mean an interview of a villain, oh wait, I mean an interview of a werewolf... ENJOY! (told from max's point of view)

“Welcome to Cheri’s blog, my lovely ladies...and dashing gents, whatever the case may be.” Max winks as he sketches a bow, his waves of brown hair tumbling down over his forehead. The knight shoves fingers through his hair to push it back into place as he settles into his chair. “Today, I have Lucas from the Fateful Trilogy here for an interview.” Max twists in his seat to face Lucas who is sitting in a comfortable chair in Beon’s drawing room at Order headquarters. “Welcome, villain.”

Lucas stares, or rather, scowls at Max before he says with a heavy note of annoyance in his tone, “Were you expecting me to cackle evilly, or something? Because it’s just not going to happen.”

Max shrugs his big shoulders and props one booted foot on his opposite knee, the picture of ease. Apparently the knight isn’t intimidated by murdering rogues. Although, it might have something to with the burly vampire body guards posted at the doors during this interview, but only a little bit.  Max is dangerous in his own right. “Shall we begin?” Max drops his gaze for a moment to peek at his notes.

“If you would get on with it, I’d appreciate it. I do have better things to do than sit here with you answering stupid questions.”

“Like what, exactly?” asks Max.

Muscles jump along Lucas’ jaw. His dark eyes narrow on the knight. His nostrils flare. “Are you talking about stupid questions you’d like to ask me, or what I’d rather be doing?”

“The latter, obviously,” mentions Max.

“Mischief and mayhem...obviously,” answers Lucas smugly.

“What sort of mischief and mayhem? Be specific. Our audience is curious to know,” Max queries with an annoyed lift of one eyebrow.

Smirking evilly, Lucas locks his dark gaze onto Max’s in a threatening way. “I could be seeking time alone with Nadia so that I may get to know her better. She and I haven’t...chatted much.” The smirk turns to a leer as it seems Lucas imagines what he’d like to be doing to Nadia.

Max comes back with a threat of his own. His lips thin, his fingers slip into his boot, and in the blink of any eye, he sends a knife at Lucas. The six-inch blade sinks into the back cushion of the chair Lucas is seated in.

The villain didn't even flinch. “No bad for an old rusty knight,” Lucas says in a silky voice.

“I’ve spent most of my life dispatching miscreants like you.”

“We've digressed,” comments Lucas.

Max draws a measured breath and releases it slowly, apparently in agreement. “Do you have any hobbies the readers might not know about?”

“Crossword puzzles,” says Lucas.

A mocking laugh blasts from Max. “Do you also knit?”

Lucas frowns. “You insult me.”

“Every chance I can get.”

“You’re digressing again,” Lucas says. “Did you have any other questions for me? Perhaps something more relevant than what I do with my spare time, like what I do with my victims instead? I can promise you, the readers would be much more interested in what I could be, or rather, will be doing to Nadia.”

“Threaten my wife again, and next time I won’t intentionally miss.” Lucas didn’t seem to have an answer to that, so Max went on, “What made you like this, Lucas? What event in your life darkened your soul so much?”

“I think I was always like this, to be honest,” Lucas says with a note of pride.

“Always evil? Surely as a child—”

“I don’t remember much from my childhood. But what I do recall, it wasn't exactly pleasant.”

“Your father—”

“Wasn't the nicest chap there ever was.”

“So you’re blaming your evilness on him, then?”

Lucas shrugs his shoulders. “I wouldn't be the first.”

“Now you’ve made me curious. Tell me more about your father, would you? What was it about him that turned you to a life of disruptive and violent behavior?”

“This is an insipid line of questioning. Next please,” Lucas says with an air of superiority.

Max rolls his jaw in an apparent effort to keep his anger tamped down. “Fine. Let’s just cut to the chase, hmm? What is it about being a monster that appeals to you so much?”

“It’s a bit cliché, but there is power in fear.”

“So this is all about power?”

Lucas sighs. “Actually, no. It’s all about revenge.”

“Against Ethan,” says Max.

“Precisely.”

“Did I just hear my name?” Ethan asks as he enters with service for tea.

Max draws in a breath of air, and his eyes land on the hot scones on a plate next to the teapot. Despite the fact that he was hungry, he eyes Ethan with unmasked curiosity. “What are you doing?”

“Helping you.”

“I don’t need help.”

“Then I’m simply here to offer refreshment.” Ethan’s gaze touches on Lucas and it was easy for Max to mark the lie.

“Really?” Max asks doubtfully.

“Of course.” Ethan starts pouring out. He has three teacups so Max knows he intends to serve Lucas as well. Intrigued, Max leans back into the cushion and watches to see how this is going to play out. “Would you like a spot of tea?” Ethan asks Lucas.

Lucas eyes the cup wearily. “Is it poisoned?”

A chuckle rumbles out of Ethan. “Would I poison you?”

“Yes. I believe you would.”

“What reason exactly would I have to poison you?” When Lucas doesn’t answer right away, Ethan asks, “One lump or two?”

Lucas folds his arms. The corners of his mouth slid downward. “Where’s Danielle? Isn’t she going to join our quaint little tea party too?”

“No,” Ethan practically growls, straightening, the food forgotten...apparently. Ethan removes his glasses and sets them carefully on the coffee table next to the tea tray.

The action was clearly not lost on Lucas as he also rises to his feet and pushes up his sleeves.

“Ethan, what are you doing now?” Max asks.

“Nothing,” Ethan shoves up his sleeves as well.

“Why did you take off your glasses then?”

“No reason.”

Max rolls his eyes when Ethan throws the first punch, and the two men brawl, spilling the tea, smashing the teacups, and breaking the table.

Max hadn’t noticed at first, but Ethan had ropes and a gag in his back pocket.  As a bruise develops around Ethan’s left eye, and a trickle of blood oozes from his bottom lip, Ethan tightens the knot on the ropes now securing Lucas to the floral-patterned wingback chair.

Clearing his throat, Max folds his arms over his chest and shoots a curious gaze at Ethan. “Exactly how am I supposed to interview the villain with him bound and gagged like that?”

Ethan shrugs his shoulders. “Scone?”

Casting his gaze to the ruined food on the floor he lifts an eyebrow.

Ethan’s face splits into a smile. “I’ve got fresh ones in the kitchen, this was poisoned.”

“And you need a new pair of spectacles,” Max points out.

“Oops,” says Ethan spying his crunched eyewear in the mess littering the decorative rug.

PS: For perhaps some good Friday the 13th reading, check out the Vampire Diaries. A series my daughter loves! It was written long before Twilight was out, and, even though we love the show at our house, the books are nothing like it. They're better, in a different sort of way...

~0R~

Some of my fellow carnis can better take care of you in terms of horror than me, so please take a minute to check out their blogs too. (But before you leave, view the post before this one, leave a comment about what recipes you’d like to see in Sophia’s cookbook, and be entered into a giveaway for a signed book!)

YA Indie Carnival:
New!!! Liz Long, Just another writer on the loose.
1.Laura A. H. Elliott author of Winnemucca & 13 on Halloween
2.Bryna Butler, author Midnight Guardian series
3.Heather Self
4.T. R. Graves, Author of The Warrior Series
5.Suzy Turner, author of The Raven Saga
6.Cheri Schmidt, author of the Fateful Trilogy
7.Rachel Coles, author of Into The Ruins, geek mom blog
8.K. C. Blake, author of Vampires Rule and Crushed
9.Patti Larsen, The Hunted series and The Hayle Coven series
10.Amy Maurer Jones, Author of The Soul Quest Trilogy
11.Dani Snell's Refracted Light Reviews
12. Fisher Amelie, author of The Understorey
13.M. Leighton, Blood Like Poison Series, Madly, The Reaping
14.Kimberly Kinrade, Bits of You & Pieces of Me, Forbidden Mind
15.Madeline Smoot, Missing, Summer Shorts, and The Girls
16.Cidney Swanson, author of Rippler
17.Gwenn Wright, author of Filter
18.TG Ayer
19.Melissa Pearl, Author of The Time Spirit Trilogy
20.Heather M. White, author of The Destiny Saga
21.Roots in Myth, PJ Hoover
22.Courtney Cole Writes

YA Indie Carnival ~ Max and Nadia ~ Becoming Cursed

Our theme this week is Spring Break, but instead of giving you an excerpt about Spring Break, I'm going to suggest some good reading for the time off! And give you an excerpt on my work in progress...

Here are some books I've read, and my teens have read, recently and quite enjoyed...

ReVamped by Ada Adams
If you're looking for something with a new take on vampires, then I think you'll like this one. In terms of the myth, her vampires are fairly classic with born and made vampires, but she covers a new angle I like... Imagine what the reaction would be if people knew vampires existed. Would they be scared? Or, after all the hype as of late, would they more likely be celebrities? That's the angle Ada uses, and I like how unique it is. It's a nice blend of action and humor, with a sweet dash of romance. It held my attention, and I had to finish it before I could finish the other two books in my currently-reading pile. (The Hunger Games and Entwined.) Only 2.99 for the Kindle version from Amazon.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
I just barely finished this. Just in time to watch the movie with my girlfriends. I really liked it and think it was very well done, even though the whole concept of the story is rather distressing. If you haven't read this yet, I recommend you snatch up the Kindle version while it's on sale for 5 bucks from Amazon!







The Secret circle by L. J. Smith
My 18 year old has reading through these very fast. Mrs Smith is one of her favorite authors, and this series is really awesome. Don't think it's anything like the show, because it's not. Sadly they don't let this author have any control over the shows based on her books. :(



A World Without Heroes (Beyonders) by Brandon Mull
My 14 year old has been devouring these as fast as they've come out, and she LOVES them. Also by Brandon is the amazing Fablehaven Series. Great Spring Break reading to keep the kids entertained while they're home from school.




I wish I had new stuff ready for a Spring Break release. But, alas, I'm not quite done yet. Sophia's Cookbook For Mortals is next and I'm doing the finishing touches now. I'm also working very hard on Max and Nadia's story. Here are the first 1000 words of their story. ENJOY!!!

Chapter One

Becoming Cursed

“Why can’t you just let me die in peace?” rasped Max using up a large measure of his waning strength, resenting the men standing beside his bed for making him force out the words at all. Drawing a breath that wheezed into his failing lungs, and rattled on its way back out, Max closed his eyes again.

The rancid flesh around his wound had stopped throbbing at least, and was now a dull tingle. But the poison had leeched into his bloodstream. He could feel the toxic infection work its way to his heart, slowing it. From the inside out it sapped the life from his body.

Max was more than ready and more than willing to die from such a battle wound. He just wished his death had been instant instead of drawn own like this. A wave of new pain lanced through his insides and the surge caused him to cough violently. The contraction of his abdomen forced his head up and away from his pillow. Cool air swept across his sweaty hair and scalp. A hand caught his head, cradling it. Max resented that too. He didn’t want to be bothered even with kindness right now.

“Sir Maximilion, will you please join our order of knights?” The strongly spoken query drew his attention from his pain-filled jumble of barely coherent thought.

Max forced open his eyes and aimed a scowl at the man intruding on his efforts to welcome death so he could finally be released from this torture. The action took a lot more energy than he’d anticipated. His vision blurred instead of focused on the man who’d said his name was Beon. Another called Seth stood by his side. They looked like a pair of wavering blobs, one dressed in green, the other in blue. Max had met them, but only briefly a while back on his most recent visit to London. “Leave me be,” he managed in a raspy voice.
Fingers grasped the sleeves of his sweat-soaked shirt and gave him a shake. The laces at his neck loosened and cool air snapped at his feverish skin. “Listen to me, Max. You don’t have to die!”

Max wanted to growl, “Have you lost your bloody mind?” And emphasize his frustration with a creative string of vile curses. Instead he wrinkled his brow in anger again because that’s all he had the strength for. How could the fool possibly say he didn’t have to die? The idea was pure lunacy; he knew how he was feeling. He was dying, and there was no doubt about it, no escaping it, and no cure for the poison pumping through him.

“Hmm... Is he scowling at us?”

Seth nodded. “Indeed, I believe he is.”

“I’ll admit I’m impressed he can do it so fiercely on his deathbed. He is going to make a wonderful knight for The Order,” Beon said, pride and admiration in his tone.

“Indeed, he will,” the one named Seth murmured in agreement. “Young lad, say you will join our order, and you will not die.”

The ridiculous idea didn’t deserve a response, so he again let his eyelids slide shut, attempting to tune out these two morons. At this point, every inch of his body was one big ache and he prayed death would bloody get on with it! As a knight he’d dealt with his share of pain, plenty of it. This was worse than all of it. He’d been stabbed more times than he cared to number, but generally he hadn’t actually noticed the injury until he saw the blood. He’d been struck with arrows, grazed by lances, and slashed with blades. Having those wounds stitched up was a nasty experience as well, but again, he’d tolerated the discomfort well without the aid of ale. Of course he’d fought fearlessly in the hopes that whatever death he might eventually face, it would be a swift and glorious one. Alas, that had not been the case.

“We’ll return as the sun sets to show you,” said Beon.

Again, Max lacked the strength and motivation to respond, so he didn’t. After muttering something about the low position of the sun in the sky, the men finally left, and Max was able to slip into an un-restful and aching slumber.

 ***

Some fool who needed to die a violent death was poking at his shoulder. Max wanted nothing more than to reach for his sword and slice the idiot in two. Unfortunately, he couldn’t find the ability to even lift his arm. Feeling his fingers twitch, he attempted to lower his eyebrows to look as fierce and deadly as possible.
Next the person tapped at his cheek in the most obnoxious way possible. “Max, look at us,” whispered a voice that seemed vaguely familiar even though he couldn’t place it in his toxic-weakened state of mind.
Wishing to swat away the unwanted contact, Max tried to lift his arm but only succeeded in another twitch of his fingers.

“We need to get him out of here,” said another man softly.

What the...?

“He looks like hell. I don’t think we have much time.”

One of the men cleared his throat and hissed next to his ear, “Max. If you had a choice whether you lived or died, what would you choose?”

Max made a weak scoffing noise. “I don’t have that choice—” Those five words had scraped their way out and he didn’t know if he could speak any more.

“But what if you did?” The man gave him a shake. “There isn’t much time. Give me your answer.”
Ignoring them wasn’t getting him what he wanted, but answering might. Hoping they’d leave him alone after this, Max pushed out through his dry lips, “Life.” This wasn’t the kind of death he’d fantasized about. He was supposed to die in a gruesome battle having saved the king through his valiant heroics, not from some bloody infection....

“What did he say?” one of the men asked. To Max it felt like he’d leaned closer.

“He said life.”

“Are you certain?”

“Yes, life does not rhyme with death.”

“I think we should bite him before we try moving him.”

What? Max felt his insides cringe at the strange twist to their conversation. He must be hallucinating. Please, God, take me now! he prayed in his head.

“I concur.”

His eyes swung open and Max tried to focus on the faces hovering above him in the darkened chamber.

“He’s looking! Hurry, show him your fangs.”

Max blinked and stared at what he assumed was the man’s mouth. He had to be hallucinating this entire exchange, it was just too odd.

“Are you showing him?”

“Yes, of course I am!”

A moment of silence.

“I don’t think he can see them.”

“Eye contact, then?”

“Look at him, Seth! He’s completely addled!”

“Breath then.” First the shadow of one of the men’s head fell over his face, then cool air rasped against his skin and he felt himself sink farther into the mattress as even more coherent thought was snatched from his brain. If he hadn’t been completely addled before, he was now.

Max felt the men lift his limp arms from the mattress and then the coolness of breath, or what he thought was breath, as it touched his wrists, just before a slight pinching sensation caused him to attempt pulling back. He was too weak to even budge....

To my wonderful UK readers...I have not forgotten you!

Amazon does seem to be slow about updating my author page on Amazon UK, but all of my books are available to you now! Only problem is that you have to search for them specifically to get them to come up. Clearly some of you have found Forever already, because I have seen sales in the UK. But to make things easier for you, here are the links for the my newest books in the Amazon UK store!

Forever, book 3 in the Fateful Trilogy.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Forever-Book-3-Fateful-ebook/dp/B006XMM0AM/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1327502448&sr=1-1

Fateful, the complete trilogy. This is all three books in one file!
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fateful-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B006ZICOWS/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1327502824&sr=1-1

Happy reading, and thank you so much for reading my books!

Thank You!

Thank you to everyone who took a chance on me and downloaded Fateful during my free promotion ... and there were a lot of you! So many that you pushed Fateful into Amazon's top 50 list on only the second day! The book also made #1 in Teen Love and Romance in the USA, the UK, Germany, any maybe even Spain, though I'm not sure because I couldn't read it. LOL

Of course I hope you love it enough to pick up Fractured and Forever next!

And I'll tell you a little secret. If you're willing to take a risk, and pick up the complete trilogy of the Fateful Series, it's just like getting Fateful for free. Note: The series is not suitable for anyone who doesn't like glittering fairies, vicious pixies, hot vampires, the dashing Mr. Darcy, arachnids, or large amounts of snogging.


Come back to my blog on Friday for YA Indie Carnival where we'll be interviewing villains. I think I'll have Ethan or Max interview Lucas for you.

Then visit me again on the 27th for another giveaway hop from I'm A Reader, Not A Writer.

Until next time! Thanks for visiting my blog.