The Qwillery

Please welcome Virginia Kantra to The Qwillery.

Summer Loving




“Summer lovin’ had me a blast. Summer lovin’, happened so fast...Summer heat, boy and girl meet, but uh-oh, those summer nights.”

Okay, my new release Forgotten Sea isn’t really based on the musical Grease.

But there’s something about summer at the beach—the crash of the waves, the caress of the sun, the tang of salt and the lure of a hot romance—that definitely provided inspiration for the Children of the Sea series. Who hasn't necked on a blanket on the sand or dreamed of strolling hand in hand along the water's edge?

There are folk tales up and down the British coast about the selkie, shape-shifters who take the form of seals in the ocean and cast off their pelts—get naked—to come ashore as beautiful men and women who have sex with humans. Which is a fabulous fantasy if you are a lonely sailor and a pretty unarguable explanation if you are an unmarried village maiden who can’t possibly name, say, the married butcher as the father of your baby.

It was that juxtaposition, that tension between land and sea, between the contemporary, pragmatic, mortal world we know and the timeless, sensual, magical world of the merfolk, that provided the inspiration for the Children of the Sea. Set off the coast of Maine, these books were inspired by the mystery and magic, the power and passion of the ocean. They’re based on the Celtic legends of the selkie and the finfolk,
immortal creatures of the sea living apart from humankind but able to shape-shift into seductive human form.

The tension is even higher in Forgotten Sea because for the first time the children of air are players in the story. Fallen angel Lara Rho is a Seeker—one called to rescue other lost children of air before they’re hunted down by the demonic children of fire. She thinks she’s found her latest charge in sailor Justin Miller. But Justin is no angel. He’s no ordinary mortal, either. He remembers nothing of his life before the day he was plucked from a shipwreck seven years ago. Lara’s fierce attraction to Justin and her determination to do the right thing pits her against her own kind and puts them one step ahead of the pursuing demons.

As Lara and Justin flee up the coast, they must work together to discover his true identity...before what they don't know kills them both. Their romance is fast and yes, it’s hot. I hope you’ll enjoy it!

Of course, the other wonderful thing about the books is that I not only get to read at the beach. I get to “research” there! What settings—real or imagined—work for you? Where are you going this summer? The sea? The mountains? What books are you taking along?

Looking forward to your comments! I’ll be giving away a copy of Forgotten Sea to somebody.


About the Children of the Sea Series

Children of the Sea 1
(Berkley, July 1, 2008)
First in the new The Children of the Sea series— from the USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR.

Margred is a Selkie—a legendary being of the sea, able to shapeshift into seductive human form. And she has found a human she desires...

Burned out from the big city, Caleb Hunter becomes police chief on the peaceful Maine island of World’s End. Then he meets a woman who’s everything he’s ever dreamed of…

Their passion is undeniable, irresistible—and it may change the fate of humankind.


Amazon : B&N : Book Depository : Borders




Children of the Sea 2
(Berkley, August 5, 2008)
When the last available bachelor on World’s End island marries someone else, working mom Regina Barrone realizes that the love she yearns for isn’t just going to appear by magic... Dylan Hunter has returned to land for his brother’s wedding, but he is troubled. Years ago, he chose his life as a selkie—an immortal being of the sea—over the fragile and treacherous emotions of humanity... But Neither Regina nor Dylan foresee the future, where only love can save them—and the world.


Amazon : B&N : Book Depository : Borders








Sea Lord
Children of the Sea 3
(Berkley, May 5, 2009)
He was born of the sea...

Selkie prince Conn ap Llyr denies his deeply sensual nature to rule over the immortal Children of the Sea. But when the Children of Fire threaten the Selkies' Sanctuary, Conn must obey his haunting visions-and seek a woman thousands of miles away...

She was born on land...

Schoolteacher Lucy Hunter knows nothing about her Selkie heritage or the prophecy that drives Conn to find her. She is content with her life on the quiet Maine island of World's End. That is, until a proud, compelling stranger appears to challenge her assumptions and awaken her desires...

Their love will tear them between two worlds...

To combat Fire, Conn needs Lucy's magic-even if this means stealing her away to Sanctuary. As the demon threat grows, so does their passion, overcoming Lucy's fears and Conn's guarded heart. But soon they face a devastating choice. Will their love be enough to save them? Or will their destinies tear them apart?

Amazon : B&N : Book Depository : Borders


Immortal Sea
Children of the Sea 4
(Berkley, September 7, 2010)
The New York Times bestselling author of Sea Lord takes to the waves again.

The island of World's End sets the stage for a dramatic reunion between Morgan of the finfolk and a woman he met years ago-a woman with a startling secret.



Amazon : B&N : Book Depository : Borders












Children of the Sea 5
(Berkley, June 7, 2011)
Fallen angel Lara Rho is desperate to prove herself a seeker by rescuing the restless sailor Justin Miller. He's no angel, but she is irresistibly drawn to him-and is soon drawn into an adventure of danger and discovery.



Amazon : B&N : Book Depository : Borders















The Children of the Sea Prequels

"Sea Crossing"
(Berkley, March 4, 2008)
WHEN IT COMES TO SHAPESHIFTING PARANORMAL ROMANCE, WHO CAN RESIST...

New York Times bestselling author Angela Knight, USA Today bestselling author Lora Leigh, and national bestselling authors Alyssa Day and Virginia Kantra?

Whether transforming under a blue moon or prowling the streets, the shifters come alive to fulfill the wildest of fantasies in this seductive anthology by four masters of paranormal romance.


Amazon : B&N : Book Depository : Borders




"Shifting Sea"
(Berkley, August 3, 2010)
Bring these four authors together and it's sure to ignite a spark...

Angela Knight pairs a vampire warrior and his seductive captor in a battle against demonic predators.

Nalini Singh returns to the world of her Psy-Changeling series as a woman in lethal danger finds an unlikely protector-and lover.

Virginia Kantra continues the haunting tales of the Children of the Sea in her story of a wounded soldier rescued by an enigmatic young woman.

Meljean Brook launches a bold new steampunk series about a woman who strikes a provocative-and terrifying-bargain for freedom.


Amazon : B&N : Book Depository : Borders


About Virginia


New York Times bestselling author Virginia Kantra is the author of more than twenty books and  winner of two National Readers' Choice Awards.  This year, she is a double nominee for Romance Writers of America RITA award in Paranormal Romance (Immortal Sea) and Novella (“Shifting Sea” in the anthology Burning Up).

For excerpts and more, visit her website.

Virginia's Links

Website
Facebook





The Giveaway

THE RULES

What:  One commenter will win a copy of Forgotten Sea (Children of the Sea 5) from Virginia and, in honor of Virginia's RITA nominations, a copy of Immortal Sea (Children of the Sea 4) and a copy of Burning Up from The Qwillery. So the winning commenter will get 3 books!

How:  Leave a comment answering any or all of Virginia's questions:

What settings—real or imagined—work for you? Where are you going this summer? The sea? The mountains? What books are you taking along?

Please remember - if you don't answer the question your entry will not be counted.

You may receive additional entries by:

1) Being a Follower of The Qwillery.

2) Mentioning the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter. Even if you mention the giveaway on both, you will get only one additional entry. You get only one additional entry even if you mention the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter multiple times.

There are a total of 3 entries you may receive: Comment (1 entry), Follower (+1 entry), and Facebook and/or Twitter (+ 1 entry). This is subject to change again in the future for future giveaways.

Please leave links for Facebook and Twitter mentions. In addition please leave a way to contact you.

Who and When: The contest is open to all humans on the planet earth with a mailing address. Contest ends at 11:59pm US Eastern Time on Friday, June 17, 2011. Void where prohibited by law.