Blood's Price, fantasy romance from @ColleenLove4 @EvoPublishing #New #RomFantasy

Today it is my distinct pleasure to welcome back a truly beautiful and talented storyteller named Colleen Love. Blood's Price was released years back, but this new version has been extensively revised and returns for readers who love their passion and romance touched by magic. So, let's talk to Colleen about her writing, her love of words, and her new release, of course!!

Has writing been something you always did, or was it a discovered talent that came to you at a later point?

I started writing when I was first taught how to put words together. I have always loved reading and so I think that was just the next step, creating my own stories. I've always had a very active imagination, so I've never had the challenge of trying to think of things to write about. Matter of a fact, it's quite the contrary. I have so many story ideas crowding my brain, I have to keep a notebook of them. Usually it's just a sentence or two, but all I have to do is look at that sentence again and it just picks up again. There are so many historical unknowns out there, that my imagination just loves to fill in the blanks.

Do you remember how it felt when you were offered that first contract? What emotions stand out in your memory?

I certainly do remember how it felt! I was thrilled and so surprised! I had submitted to a couple places, and then was accepted. It's that feeling of not really believing what I was reading. I don't think I ever get tired of that kind of thing, ever!

Is this a first book, part of a series, or the latest in a long line of many?

Blood's Price is a stand-alone book. I decided to tame down the sex scenes and make them actual love scenes. I think I like the story so much better this way and it can be enjoyed by more people.

What is the oddest thing that’s happened to you since you chose to become a professional writer? Will it ever make it into a book, or is that a secret?

That's a funny question. I am such a boring person, with such a mundane life. But I think that's okay. Keeping life simple allows my muse to run rampant and create the worlds I really love being in. I also think everything is subject to ending up in my books.

Do you have your next book underway, or other titles in the planning stages?

I have books that are in every stage of the writing process. I have stories that are finished and just need that final go over, all the way to those just written in my idea notebook. Once the rough draft is written, I keep the door pretty firmly shut until I have it ready for submission. Then I start hitting up the Beta readers. :)

Do you have a favourite genre and why? Is it one you write in, read in, or both?

I have always loved the Fantasy Genre. I have also always loved time travel and inter-dimensional travel possibilities. I love to mix all kinds of genres together, but there is usually a fantasy or paranormal overtone to them. I love to take a legend and mix it with science or factual things to create a world or maybe an explanation of what may have happened. My favourite being the Faery legends of the ancient Celts.

What, to you, is the most exciting part of the writing process? Does it change from book to book or remain the same?

So far, all of it. I just love the writing process in general. Just going from an idea scribbled on a piece of paper, to thinking it through from beginning to end, then researching to connect the dots is such an exciting process for me. I also learn so much and that is what life is about, it's all about a never ending learning process. I think my writing processes are all pretty much the same. I have that brilliant idea, then I do mundane chores to let it brew and spin. I constantly ask the question, why. Any time I think I have it nailed down, I look at the direction and ask why is this important, who's really going to care? I think you have to make the reader care. Then I do something very odd to most people, I get out paper and pen. I know a lot of writers do this, but I get funny looks when I say this some times. I find electronic media very distracting and kind of sacrilegious to my writing process. I type it out when I'm ready for that first draft and the subsequent edits and drafts, but the virgin draft is on paper, with the sacred pen.

If you could co-author a book with anyone, who would you choose and why? What kind of book do you think would come from the collaboration?

I have co-authored a book with one of my favorite authors, Denyse Bridger. She is such a great story teller, writer and friend. She may not know it, but she actually saved me from stopping writing in the very beginning. I was just a freshly hatched author and had a pretty thin skin still. So when other authors and a certain reviewer came in and trashed my book less than 24 hours after its release, I was pretty discouraged. I didn't realize it was just kind of a hazing thing. Of course I know that now, and I try to help other writers who have gone through this, too. It's hard, but at the end of it all, I just realize that the most important thing about writing is to write for yourself, write what you love and be true to yourself. (NOTE: I didn’t know that, but I am very happy you decided not to allow other people to steal your joy and your dreams, and your beautiful words, Colleen.)

Where can readers find you on the web?

Website  •  Facebook  •  Blog  •  Twitter

Thanks so much for being my guest.

Thank you for having me! :)

Blood's Price returns...

Smashwords

Amazon

ARe Romance

Two cultures, two lives, one path.

Elizabeth Smythe is taken away from her privileged life and everything she knows. Her rescuer, Spirit Walker, treats her with gentle compassion, winning her trust and love. Elizabeth discovers Spirit Walker is so much more then just a strong man devoted to his tribe.

Spirit Walker is a multi-faceted man who carries the honour of his people with deep pride. Despite the wrongs committed against him, he knows crucial timing will reward his patience and soon enough fate plays it's hand fulfilling the blood price he so longs for.

Excerpt:

The warrior stopped and Elizabeth bumped into him. His piercing eyes drilled into her and she shrank back from him. When he turned again, she peered around him. It was a small, deep river and Elizabeth felt her spirit lift. She forgot all about the loose grip around her arm and started to move forward, but a quick tug from him reminded her she was not free to do so. Looking up into those sharp obsidian eyes, she stepped back. She reminded herself, yes, the man spoke English, but it didn’t make them friends, she was still his hostage. Stiffening her spine and raising her chin, she followed when he guided her down to a small alcove covered in fine, grey sand. A short distance from the water’s edge, he released her arm and held her with a pointed gaze.

The warrior untied the belt holding his breechcloth. He removed, folded and placed it on a large rock on the beach and toed off his moccasins.

He turned to Elizabeth. “Take off the dress.”

“What?” Her voice raised several octaves and her eyes grew large and round.

“You heard me,” he stated in a flat voice. “Take it off.”

She stared at him with a blank expression as self-conscious anxiety rose in her throat and terror re-blossomed within her heart.

“It’s not like I haven’t already seen you without your clothes. Come on.” He held out his hand. “The dress, if it gets wet, it will be ruined and then you will be without clothes at all.”

Looking from his hand to his expression and back to his hand again, she drew in a deep breath, ready to protest. Instead, her eyes widened as they slid down his lean, muscular body. The sun had deepened his earthen skin, drawn tight over flexed, defined muscle tone.

She resigned herself to logic and grasped the hem of her tunic, pulling it over her head. Elizabeth saw his breath hitch and a wince started to crease around his painted eyes before he caught it. Elizabeth handed him the dress and looked down to see large dark bruises on her ribs, thighs and arms. She assumed her back looked the same as well, by the way it felt. His jaw clenched visibly when he grasped her arm again and forced her into the water in front of him.

“Please don’t,” she pleaded, “I can’t swim!” She slipped and slid on the slimy rocks, clutching his arm between her breasts for dear life.

“I’m not trying to drown you, settle down.” He stilled his prompting, standing still in the shin deep water. “I’m trying to let you bathe. The cold water will help the bruising and soreness.”

Elizabeth calmed herself, but still clutched his arm in a death grip as her feet tried to grip the bottom of the river. He guided her to a shallow, slow running area where there were none of the large slippery rocks. Instead, coarse sand and small pebbles tickled at the bottoms of her feet and she relaxed. Feeling safe enough to stand on her own, she released his arm.

“Stay here.” His tone was gruff.

Elizabeth stood still in the cool water; too petrified to go any further then where she stood. He paced away a couple of steps, and carried over a large, flat rock from the beach and placed it down in the water for her to sit on. Elizabeth sat carefully in the cold river.

“Thank you,” she spoke softly, avoiding his gaze, trying not to stare at his naked body while he was watching her.

When the warrior walked away, Elizabeth watched after him. Raw power flexed his muscles with each step. He strode with long, confidant steps against the current and into the middle of the little river.

Smashwords  *  Amazon  *  ARe Romance