The Qwillery

Please welcome Elisabeth Staab to The Qwillery. Prince of Power, the 2nd novel in the terrific Chronicles of Yavn, was published on January 8, 2013.






TQ:  Welcome back to The Qwillery!

Elisabeth:  Thank you so much for having me!


TQ:  Describe Prince of Power (Chronicles of Yavn 2) in 140 characters or less.

Elisabeth:  Vampire enemy, Anton, falls in love with the vampire king’s sister, Tyra. He saves her life; they go on a suicide mission to save her race.


TQ:  Please tell us something about Prince of Power that is not in the book description.

Elisabeth:  One of the really fun parts of Prince of Power is the hero/heroine role-reversal. Anton is not your standard alpha. He was raised by an evil father who among other things hated women, but Anton digs a strong, passionate female. Tyra is the I-can-kick-ass-and-take-care-of-myself-just-fine-kthanksbuhbye kind of heroine. Her weakness is being emotionally unavailable, something that is typically seen in the hero role. Opening up to the man she loves without say, setting him on fire first? That’s her weakness.


TQ:  Without giving anything away, what is/are your favorite scene(s) in Prince of Power?

Elisabeth:  One of my very favorites is the first time Anton and Tyra make love. There’s also a scene where Tyra and Anton still distrust each other, but they are forced to pretend in public that they are a human married couple going hunting. It’s a little bit silly. In the middle of so much tension they open up completely a different side of themselves. So much fun.


TQ:  Which character has surprised you the most in the series so far?

Elisabeth:  Siddoh, one of the lead vampire soldiers, comes off as something of a devil-may-care playboy but I get the feeling he’s actually very misunderstood. Lonely. He tosses off snarky comments at inappropriate times as a form of misdirection. The more I get to know him, the more I see to love. There’s a lot of depth and vulnerability in that fanged alpha.


TQ:  Barring paranormality, which character in the series is most like you?

Elisabeth:  I think all of them or none of them, depending on how you look at it. I think there’s a little shard of myself in each of my characters. Siddoh has my inappropriate sense of humor, and so on.


TQ:  What do you wish you'd known when the 1st book (King of Darkness) came out that you know now?

Elisabeth:  I had no idea how tough it would be to balance family and deadlines. When I wrote King of Darkness, it was during kiddo naptimes and whatnot, and the whole thing took me almost a year and a half, maybe longer. I can’t take that long anymore, and my kids don’t nap anymore!


TQ:  Are there any other genres in which you would like to write in addition to Paranormal Romance?

Elisabeth:  There are SO many genres I’d love to dip my toes into. I’d love to do something with more of a mystery/thriller/horror focus. I used to read Nancy Drew, Agatha Christie, R.L. Stein, and Christopher Pike growing up. I’d huddle under the covers with my book, and then not be able to go to sleep because I was too scared! I’d also love to do something dystopian, or a different paranormal subgenre. So many ideas, so little time.


TQ:  What's next?

Elisabeth:  I’m very psyched about the Olde City New Blood paranormal con coming up next month! Tons of amazing paranormal/fantasy/scifi authors and readers on the beach in Florida all weekend, and if I’m not mistaken reader registration ends tomorrow! And Liberty States in March and RT coming up in May. Con prep is fun but challenging! Also, I’m currently working on book three of the Yavn series, Hunter by Night, and the featured couple will be Lee and Alexia. While I was writing Prince of Power, Lee made it very clear that their story needed to be next! When Lee talks, folks tend to listen. Even me. Alexia, not so much, but that’s probably why she’s a good mate for him. ;)


TQ:  Thank you for joining us at The Qwillery.

Elisabeth:  Thank you so, much! You have a fantastic blog and it’s always a pleasure!




The Chronicles of Yavn

Prince of Power
Chronicles of Yavn 2
Sourcebooks Casablanca, January 8, 2013
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 352 pages

This Fight Is Personal...

Wizards and vampires have been mortal enemies since the beginning. Now Anton, son of the Wizard Master, has one last chance to steal the unique powers of the vampire king's beautiful sister, Tyra...and then kill her. But when he meets Tyra face-to-face, everything changes...

Tyra will stop at nothing to defeat the wizards, until Anton saves her life and she suddenly sees an opportunity she never could have imagined...

As the sparks ignite between them, together they could bring an end to the war that's decimating their people, but only if they can find a way to trust each other...

Chronicles of Yavn 1
Sourcebooks Casablanca, February 7, 2012
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 352 pages

ETERNAL COMMITMENT IS NOT ON HER AGENDA...
Scorned by the vampire community for her lack of power, Isabel Anthony lives a carefree existence masquerading as human—although drifting through the debauched human nightlife, she prefers the patrons' blood to other indulgences. But when she meets the sexy, arrogant king of the vampires, this party-girl's life turns dark and dangerous.

BUT TIME'S RUNNING OUT FOR THE KING OF THE VAMPIRES...
Dead-set on finding the prophesied mate who will unlock his fiery powers, Thad Morgan must find his queen before their race is destroyed. Their enemies are gaining ground, and Thad needs his powers to unite his subjects. But when his search leads him to the defiant Isabel, he wonders if fate had gotten it seriously wrong...

About Elisabeth

Elisabeth Staab still lives with her nose in a book and at least one foot in an imaginary world. She believes that all kinds of safe and sane love should be celebrated but she adores the fantasy-filled realm of paranormal romance the best. She lives in Northern Virginia with her family and one big scaredy cat, where she loves to spend time with good friends, go dancing, and sing off-key in her kitchen (when she isn't making characters fall in love, that is).

Website : Newsletter : Facebook : Twitter : Myspace : Goodreads : G+






The Giveaway

THE RULES

What:  One commenter will win a copy of Prince of Power (Chronicles of Yavn 2) from Sourcebooks. US/CANADA ONLY

How:   Answer The Qwillery's Question:  


Please remember - if you don't answer the questions 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 or Twitter mentions. You MUST leave a way to contact you.

Who and When:  The contest is open to all humans on the planet earth with a US or Canadian mailing address. Contest ends at 11:59pm US Eastern Time on Friday, January 18, 2013. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 years old or older to enter.

Please welcome Tes Hilaire and Elisabeth Staab to The Qwillery at part of The Darkness Tour. Today Tes and Elisabeth are interviewing the vampires from their novels. Let's listen in....






Today Elisabeth and I have four very intriguing... peeps... with us. After much arm twisting and withholding of HEA’s our heroes and heroines from Deliver Me from Darkness and King of Darkness agreed to sit down with us and answer a few questions (would you believe they made us wait until after we delivered their HEA’s? Some vampires *shakes head*) Anyway... I got to start off the round of questions and let me just say... I’m very *rubs hands* excited.

Tes:  Okay, then. To start off, I’d like to ask our heroes some basic questions to dispel some of the myths, both correct and incorrect, about vampires... and of course to get to know you both a little better. *bats eyelashes*

Thad and Roland, do you eat or drink anything besides, uh... well, you know?

Thad:  Well prior to becoming king I fought against the wizards for my kind, so I stuck with a high calorie, high protein diet so I could keep in good shape. You know, complex carbs, mini meals, all that. I have to be honest though, Isabel’s gotten me turned on to the occasional Krispy Kreme, and I rather enjoy them.

Roland:  Doritos. Scotch. Coffee.

Sounds like you’re a man of few words, Roland. Maybe you’re better at expressing yourself in other ways? *I laugh at his raised eyebrow* So... if you were to smile for us now, would we see those pretty canines?

Roland:  That’s a very big if. But yes, if you knew to look, you’d see them. Most people figure it’s some sort of cosmetic dentistry… Unless I’m really angry. Then they know. *His lip curls up on one side, exposing the tip of a sharp canine.*

*I give a jittery laugh* Wow! Okay. Those are... impressive. Are you sure you’re not mad? *Roland shrugs. I gnaw my lip. Turning to Thad.* How about you, Thad? Are your canines always elongated?

Thad:  They get longer when I have to feed. Or if I’m pissed off, or...you know... *shifts and nuzzles Isabel’s neck a little before she bats him away* Ahem. To answer your question, yes, they’re always longer than human incisors. Most vampires have them that way. Part of the genetic difference between the species. Mine is an old bloodline, so they’re particularly long and sharp.

Hmmm... I wonder, Thad, what exactly that “or” is? *I smile* If you were to take me to your bed (Oh, please do...) would it be six feet under and lined with silk?

Thad:  Jesus, that sounds morbid. First of all, Tes, you’re a lovely lady but I’m a newly mated king and I’ve been down that road thank you very much. No more one-night rolls in the hay for me. Second, Izzy and I have a four-poster king-sized with a pillowtop mattress. She tosses and turns alot. *he puts his arms around his mate and snuggles her close* Who the f**k sleeps in a coffin? That’s messed up.

Ah. My loss...but I understand. Isabel is a lovely and lucky lady. And you Roland? Coffin? Silk sheets? or... *I bite my lip, wiggle my brow*

Roland:  Regular bed. Cotton sheets. King Size so I can stretch my mate out upon it and show her the world.

Oh wow. You men make normal sound like my hottest fantasy. I think I need some time to recover though so I’ll leave you boys alone for a bit. But in the meantime... *I rub my hands together, shifting my focus to the two females who sit before their mates.* ...I do have some questions for the ladies...

Karissa and Isabel, are you a sun worshipper or do you avoid it like the plague?

*All I receive is a couple of thinly veiled glares.*

Okay.... How about this. *I glance over their shoulders to the two males behind them. The room is vast but their muscular bodies seem to eat away at the space, the air itself dripping with their...appeal. I lean forward, licking my lips as I lower my voice into a conspiratorial whisper.* Is it true that vampires, especially male vampires, have powerful... or shall we say... consuming appetites?

Karissa:  You mean, our men? *She gives me a saccharine smile. I can’t help but notice that her fangs seem longer than when we’d first made our hellos. I sit back in my chair. Sweat beads out across my upper lip as I realize how close I’m sitting to these two very powerful and obviously angry women. What possessed me to ask about their men’s sexual prowess. No, what possessed me to make that stupid coffin comment earlier. Crap, crud, and...oh please don’t kill me!*

Okay, then... So, no more questions about your men. Let’s change the topic to something much more interesting to our readers (and safer for me, yikes!) If I were to come across one of your kind, and they weren’t as... uh... friendly or nice as you all are, how might I defend myself, or better, how would I, um, make sure they never bothered me again?

Isabel:  Oh, I don’t think you’d need to worry about that. So long as you don’t attack us, we don’t attack humans, right Thad? *Thad nods* And we have the ability to alter human memories, for our safety as well as yours. You’d never know you saw us, if the vampire you met is following the code properly.

Well, that is encouraging. And good to know. What about you Karissa? Any words of advice if I were to find myself in your neck of the world? I hear there are some vampires who don’t follow Isabel and Thad’s code there.

Karissa:  You’re right. Many of the vampires from where we come from don’t. Honestly though? The smartest thing to do is stay in at night and not tempt fate. Killing a vampire is not an easy thing to do, especially for a human.

Hmmm. I think I’ll be visiting Isabel and Thad then. Sounds safer! Just in case though, I think I’ll bring my stake ;-). Speaking of which, I’ve been told that a vampire’s heart doesn’t beat. Myth or Fact?

Karissa:  Myth. Or at least both mine and Roland’s do. I haven’t exactly been hanging around with other vampires much recently. *She shudders.* Not after the mines.

Isabel:  *a deep crease appears in the middle of her forehead* Doesn’t beat? What a crazy idea. Of course our hearts beat. We’re not dead, we’re just another species. Like the humans, like the wizards. There aren’t many of us, so we’ve learned to live under the radar. Humans tend to fear what they don’t understand. We’re stronger than they are, and we already have one fight on our hands, with the wizards. We don’t need another.

Well you don’t have one from me. Or, I bet, our readers. Our readers love vampires... or so I’ve been told. And speaking of our readers. I know they’re still curious about that first question. Not the appetite thing but the sun. Are you ladies morning birds or night owls?

Isabel:  Oh, I’ve always been an up all night sleep all day kind of girl. I mean, it’s in the genes, right? Before I met Thad I lived on my own in the human world, hiding out in the party scene. An endless supply of young blood to help me survive and nothing got going until after 10:00. It was perfect. *she pauses to snuzzle noses with Thad* Not as perfect as what I have now, though.

Karissa:  Ah... I’m still a morning girl. Unfortunately Roland isn’t, so I instead of waking up early, well... *she smiles as Roland leans in closer, whispering something that has color rising to her cheeks*...let’s just say that Roland and I find ways of entertaining ourselves so that I can stay up until sunrise.

And now my mind has found the gutter again. I think I better turn this over to Elisabeth.... Elisabeth? *No answer. I glance over at her chair... which is empty. I raise my voice, thinking maybe she stepped out to the kitchen for some coffee or something (she is a bit of a coffee addict)* Hey, Elisabeth, you have any questions for our vampires? Elisabeth? *I crane my head, trying to see down the hallway. Elisabeth has most definitely disappeared. I frown, glance back at her chair. There is a note tacked to it which I pick up and read*

Tes, you seem to have this all under control. Tell our guests thanks for me and that I wish them the best. Roland looked really angry...if you manage to get out of there alive and with your memory intact... email me. We still have a couple more blog posts to finish! ~Elisabeth





Elisabeth Staab still lives with her nose in a book and at least one foot in a fantasy world. Her bestselling paranormal romance novel, King of Darkness, is available now. Her second book, Prince of Power, releases in January. Find out more at ElisabethStaab.com







Tes Hilaire’s idea of a perfect vacation would include her porch on a sultry summer night, a good glass of rich, red wine, and a book about darkness, passion, torture and love. Her first novel in the Paladin warriors series Deliver Me from Darkness is available now. The next, Deliver Me from Temptation, releases in December. For more, visit TesHilaire.com.

A stranger in the night…
He had once been a warrior of the Light, one of the revered Paladin. A protector. But now he lives in sin darkness, and the shadows are his sanctuary. Every day is a struggle to overcome the bloodlust. Especially the day Karissa shows up on his doorstep.

Comes knocking on the door…
She is light and bright and everything beautiful—despite her scratches and torn clothes. Every creature of the night is after her. So is every male Paladin. Because Karissa is the last female of their kind. But she is his. He may not have a soul, but he can’t deny his heart.

ETERNAL COMMITMENT IS NOT ON HER AGENDA...
Scorned by the vampire community for her lack of power, Isabel Anthony lives a carefree existence masquerading as human—although drifting through the debauched human nightlife, she prefers the patrons' blood to other indulgences. But when she meets the sexy, arrogant king of the vampires, this party-girl's life turns dark and dangerous.

BUT TIME'S RUNNING OUT FOR THE KING OF THE VAMPIRES...
Dead-set on finding the prophesied mate who will unlock his fiery powers, Thad Morgan must find his queen before their race is destroyed. Their enemies are gaining ground, and Thad needs his powers to unite his subjects. But when his search leads him to the defiant Isabel, he wonders if fate had gotten it seriously wrong...

Thank you for joining us today!



The Giveaway

THE RULES

What:  One lucky commenter will win a signed copy of Tes Hilaire’s Deliver Me from Darkness and another commenter will win Elisabeth Staab’s King of Darkness.  So... two winners and one book for each winner.

How:  Leave a comment answering the Tes' and Elisabeth's question:


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.

3)   Mentioning the giveaway on your on blog or website. It must be your own blog or website; not a website that belongs to someone else or a site where giveaways, contests, etc. are posted.

There are a total of 4 entries you may receive: Comment (1 entry), Follower (+1 entry), Facebook and/or Twitter (+ 1 entry), and personal blog/website mention (+1 entry). This is subject to change again in the future for future giveaways.

Please leave links for Facebook, Twitter, or blog/website mentions. You MUST 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 Monday, June 18, 2012. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 years old or older to enter.

And the winners are....


Control Point (Shadow Ops 1) by Myke Cole and SOC Challenge Coin - Ended February 6, 2012 - Read the interview here.


Question:  What's your magical power?

booklover0226 who said:

My powers would be to "tele-port" from point A to point B in a blink of an eye.




Giant Thief (Tales of Easie Damasco 1) by David Tallerman - Ended February 7, 2012 - Read the interview here.


Question:  Who is (are) your favorite bad guy (or guys)?

Tore who said:

My favorite bad guy. I liked Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I always thought he was funny.




King of Darkness (Chronicles of Yavn 1) by Elisabeth Staab - Ended February 8, 2012 -Read the interview here.


Question:  What is/are your favorite vampire movie(s)?

Proserpine who said:

Hi!
I love the classic: Dracula : the one with Anthony Hopkins and Keanu Reeves! I really like the Underworld movies and the Queen of the Damn too but my fav interview with a vampire: the ultimate vampire movie!




Deliver Me from Darkness (Paladin Warriors 1) by Tes Hilaire - Ends February 11, 2012 -  Read the interview here.  US/CANADA ONLY



Question: What is/are your favorite HEA(s) (Happily Ever After) from 2011?

StacieD who said:

My favorite HEA was Adrian Brown's in Never Enough by Lauren Dane. Through the entire series he had to watch as his siblings and friends found their HEA. Adrian finding the woman he loves and the son he never knew was lovely.




The winners have been notified and have until 11:59PM US Eastern Time on Monday, February 20, 2012 to respond or The Qwillery will very randomly pick a new winner or winners.

Thank you to everyone who participated!

Please welcome Elisabeth Staab to The Qwillery as part of the 2012 Debut Author Challenge Guest Blogs. Elisabeth's debut novel, King of Darkness, will be published by Sourcebooks Casablanca on February 7, 2012.



What comes to mind when you think of vampires? The castle-dwelling, human-drugging, polygamist, wide-eyed Bella Lugosi from 1931's Dracula? Suave, sparkly, eternally young Edward, from Twilight? Something in between? We've come a long way as a culture of readers and movie-watchers from seeing vampires as horror-movie monsters and villains to heroes and lovers

Somewhere along the way we realized that it was actually wicked-hot, to be desired and claimed by a hot-blooded, fanged, preturnaturally strong being who could--ahem--maybe also make love like there was no tomorrow. Or even being able to be that kind of character.

Meet Thad—the king, in King of Darkness. On the outside, he's everything you'd want in a sexy alpha-male: tall, stacked, and weapon-wielding. No undead coffin-creeping for this blood-sucker. But on the inside? Thad's having an identity crisis, and panic attacks. He’s caught—at first, anyway—somewhere between what’s expected of him and who he believes himself to be. That's right, super-human alphas can be afraid too.

You see, his father was the leader of the last remaining vampires on earth, and that duty has fallen to Thad earlier than expected. He's not really sure he has it in him to follow in dad’s footsteps. He also bears an unusual scar on his arm in the shape of a cross. According to a fortune told by an Oracle at his birth, he won't be able to lead properly or unlock the supernatural power he is supposed to possess until he finds the right mate to help him. That scar is his only key to finding her. Meanwhile, a competing—and of course eeevil supernatural race is trying to kill off his kind, and so the vampires must remain strong and united under their leader, or else it's deadsville for all of them. But no pressure, or anything.

So what's a panicked newly-ascended vampire king with a suppressed magical power and dating troubles to do?

Buckle up and head out in search of that prophesied mate, of course.

He's scrambling to make heads or tails of his new place in the world. To put the pieces of the puzzle together. To find a needle in a haystack…

And then he finds Isabel—another vampire, albeit one who has been living apart from the vampire culture, in the human world. At first, Isabel is another piece of the puzzle. But she doesn't wanna be. Hard to have a mate, fated or not, who's unwilling. Even the hottest of alpha males cannot get away with clubbing a vampire female over the head and dragging her back to his cave.

Except...there's the whole prophecy business.

Even to a vampire, that's pretty wonky, and neither of them are exactly buying into it. That's the part that probably keeps this story firmly rooted in the paranormal. That would make it impossible to swap their species and suddenly have it be a "normal" contemporary story. The thing about prophecies, and destined pairings, is they make for a really cool fantasy. I love—and I think a lot of us do—the idea of a special someone out there for us somewhere in the universe. Destined for us.

But sometimes it blows our perceptions of who we are out of the water. Isabel’s a feisty club girl with a strong sense of independence. She doesn’t want to be anyone’s anything, thank you. Of all the challenges on Thad’s already very full plate, Isabel was one he definitely hadn’t bargained for. Part of figuring out who he’s supposed to be, turns out to be figuring out who he’s supposed to be to Isabel.

King of Darkness is a title with more than one meaning. The darkness is literal of course—Thad is a vampire, after all. But the darkness is more symbolic also, because when Thad finds Isabel he is in a very dark place that he doesn’t see a way out of. Isabel turns out to be his light, in more ways than one.

They just don’t know it at first.


About King of Darkness

Chronicles of Yavn 1
Sourcebooks Casablanca, February 7, 2012
Mass Market Paperback, 352 pages

ETERNAL COMMITMENT IS NOT ON HER AGENDA…

Scorned by the vampire community for her lack of power, Isabel Anthony lives a carefree existence masquerading as human—although, drifting among the debauched human nightlife, she prefers the patrons’ blood to other indulgences. But when she meets the king of vampires this party girl’s life turns dark and dangerous.

BUT TIME’S RUNNING OUT FOR THE KING OF VAMPIRES…

Dead-set on finding the prophesied mate who will unlock his fiery powers, Thad Morgan must find his queen before their race is destroyed. Their enemies are gaining ground, and Thad needs his powers to unite his subjects. But when his search leads him to the defiant Isabel, he wonders if fate has gotten it seriously wrong…

Excerpt:

They were lying to each other. The nervous dart of her eyes, the sudden flush of her neck… she had no intention of calling. Was she hoping he’d simply forget that the safety of their race was on the line? That a well- placed meteor would strike earth and wipe out all of their wizard enemies in one fell swoop?

For his part, Thad had assured her that she could take all the time she needed to think things over, but that wasn’t true, either. Time was running short. His earlier conversation with Tyra had revealed that a conservative member of the Elders’ Council was pushing for the society to be run by committee only, effectively rendering Thad’s position obsolete. Having that gang of old bastards at the helm would send their society back into the Dark Ages.

And all of the political stuff aside, there was a pull between Isabel and himself that he could not ignore. She didn’t seem able to ignore it either, but she was really fighting hard. He suspected that she had not opened up to many about the gruesome death of her parents. Subsequent questions had led to her hesitant admission that she had drifted for some time, feeding from humans and hiding from the sun in abandoned buildings and the like before stumbling onto the rave scene.

It was heart-wrenching to know that she had been on her own from such a young age. He wasn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer when it came to the emotions of females, but he would wager that opening up had left her feeling quite vulnerable.

So yeah, he’d give her a little space. Enough to regroup and to come up with a plan for convincing her to be by his side. And if he couldn’t convince her? Well, he was the king, for crying out loud. He’d make it happen one way or another. After all, he knew where she lived now. Even if she went elsewhere to hide, he could find her as he had before. She had to know that.

This was only the beginning.

About Elisabeth

Elisabeth Staab lives in Northern Virginia with her hero and soul mate, Tom. She has been a telemarketer, a web page editor, a software developer, a reader for the blind, a technical trainer, a coffee shop barista, a teacher, a tutor, a homemaker, a government project manager, a graphic designer, and a professional ebayer. Finally, she's landed on being a writer - which is what her high school guidance counselor originally suggested anyway.

She believes that all kinds of safe, sane, and consensual love should be celebrated--but she loves the fantasy-filled realm of paranormal romance the best.

Keep in touch: Find Elisabeth at ElisabethStaab.com, on Facebook, or Twitter!