WELCOME BACK TO THE BLOG, ERICA! :)
Erica Hayes was a law student, an air force officer, an editorial assistant and a musician, before finally landing her dream job: fantasy and romance writer.
She writes dark paranormal and urban fantasy romance, and her books feature tough, smart heroines and colourful heroes with dark secrets.
She hails from Australia, where she drifts from city to city, leaving a trail of chaos behind her. Currently, she's terrorizing the wilds of Northumberland.
Where to Find Erica:
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Let's Talk Magic
Thanks for hosting me on TBQs Book Palace today! Seeing as we're in the mood for some hot paranormal romance – and aren't we always? – let's talk about magic.
Spells, enchantments, hexes, curses. In ye olden days, you could wave your sparkly wand and say 'abracadabra', and you'd turn your mother into a frog. That's the kind of thing you don’t find much in paranormals these days. We like things to be more realistic. Power always has a flip side, and magic comes at a cost.
The fallen angels in my Seven Signs series have magical powers. Sure, their magic is a tad unreliable now. It only works if they believe in it, which is a tough break when you've been cursed to walk the earth for your sins.
For instance, in Redemption, my hero, Japheth, can flash, or teleport, from place to place. His weapon – a sword, of course, what self-respecting angel of vengeance doesn't wield a sword? – is imbued with holy fire, and materializes at his whim. He can curse his demon enemies and set them on fire, if he's quick enough. And he can track the scent of evil.
Mostly. Unless the evil is really tricky about it. At the beginning of Redemption, Japheth gets tricked by Rose, his heroine, into believing she's a harmless human. In truth, Rose is an angel-slayer, a cursed vampire assassin out for his blood. And guess what? She's got magical powers, too. She can see in the dark, seduce you with a breath, make herself invisible. So sorry.
If the price of Japheth's power is obedience and humility, then the price of Rose's power is damnation. She's bound to a horrid demon master by a terrible mistake that caused the death of someone she loved. If she doesn't please her demon prince, he'll cast her down to hell.
Two assassins, pitted to the death. The cursed vs. the fallen. Both must pay a dark price to be what they are. But that's the cruel, inescapable nature of magic.
And that's why I love paranormals! Even if you're ultra-powerful, you're still in many ways a slave. To blood, magic, passion, revenge, rage, some black and hungry addiction you can't resist. It's very cool. And it's totally hot.
Anyway. I hope you enjoy watching Japheth and Rose fight it out in Redemption. They each must make sacrifices, for love and honor and each other. Oh, and there's the little matter of saving the world from certain doom. No one said this job was easy!
~Erica Hayes
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Redemption by Erica Hayes
Publisher: Berkley (March 5, 2013)
Series: The Seven Signs, 1
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Japheth the Tainted is on the hunt for a mysterious demon vampire. But meeting her face-to-face might disarm his warrior spirit—and spark an unquenchable passion with apocalyptic consequences.
As a fallen angel, Japheth is determined to make his way back to heaven by staying pure and slaying hellspawn. With a new scourge of vampires unleashed by a blood-drinking demon, the Prince of Thirst, there’s plenty to be done. But Japheth is after one vampire in particular—the one they call the Angel Slayer.
Rose Harley never wanted to be a vampire, but the Prince of Thirst can turn even the kindest soul into a soldier of hell. Feeling abandoned by God, she stalks the West Village taking revenge on his angels—until she meets her match.
When Japheth and Rose encounter each other, the battle is fierce and charged with desire. But when they discover a common enemy—the Prince of Thirst himself—they form a dangerous alliance that could either cost them their eternal lives, or spark a love more powerful than heaven or hell.
As a fallen angel, Japheth is determined to make his way back to heaven by staying pure and slaying hellspawn. With a new scourge of vampires unleashed by a blood-drinking demon, the Prince of Thirst, there’s plenty to be done. But Japheth is after one vampire in particular—the one they call the Angel Slayer.
Rose Harley never wanted to be a vampire, but the Prince of Thirst can turn even the kindest soul into a soldier of hell. Feeling abandoned by God, she stalks the West Village taking revenge on his angels—until she meets her match.
When Japheth and Rose encounter each other, the battle is fierce and charged with desire. But when they discover a common enemy—the Prince of Thirst himself—they form a dangerous alliance that could either cost them their eternal lives, or spark a love more powerful than heaven or hell.
Where to Buy*:
More Info:
Redemption by Erica Hayes
Excerpt
“Looking for someone, angel?”
That honey-blood voice quivered Japheth’s feathers taut.
She grinned, mocking. Leaning against the redbrick wall beneath a rusted fire escape, steeped in magical shadow and hot vampire stink.
He stared, dumb. Tall for a girl, only a head shorter than he. Long legs, encased in blue jeans and black army boots. Her short black t-shirt stretched over full breasts, flashing that tempting skin above a silver belt buckle. Her bare arms shone, muscular but womanly. Sexy dimples in her cheeks, perfectly shaped for cupping in his palms.
The bloody feathers of slain angels, gold and white and red, stuck through the thick dark braid she tossed over her shoulder. A few wisps escaped to play around her face in the summer-night breeze. He wanted to trace their path with his fingertips, cheekbone to chin to cherry-ripe lips . . .
“Matter of fact, I am,” he said tightly. “Your sniveling master. Fluvium, is it? Prince of Thirst? Tell me where he is and I might kill you quickly.”
She laughed, fangs glinting. Sharp, lethal like a tigress’s. “You’ve come to kill Fluvium? Good luck with that.” She lolled on one foot, eyeing him speculatively, sizing up her prey. “Japheth, right? Of the Tainted Host? Cute name, for a hamster.”
Sweet lord, his name in her mouth sounded . . . dirty. He swallowed, rough. “How’d you know that?”
“I know my enemy.” She licked ripe lips.
“Yeah?” he said coldly. “Well, I don’t want to know you, whore. I don’t care what your name is—”
“Rose Harley,” she cut in swiftly, with a wicked grin. “Whoops. Too late. Sorry about that. You like it anonymous, don’t you? So you can pretend they’re not people when you damn them to eternal torment?”
His grip spasmed around his sword. Sweet heaven, he wanted to stab her. Fill her with burning steel. Twist it, thrust it deeper, make her moan . . . “You don’t need me to damn you. You made your choice. Tell me where Fluvium’s hiding, and I’ll put you out of your misery.”
She laughed again, and strolled towards him, hands in pockets. “You sure could learn a thing or two from demons about making deals. Like, I dunno. Offering me something I actually want?”
Her knife still lay sheathed, in her thigh holster. Unafraid, was she? Grudging admiration tingled under his skin, and he crackled it off. Nothing admirable about a demon minion’s attitude. “So you do know where he’s hiding, then.”
“And what if I do?” She draped her sultry gaze over his silver-clad chest, his bare arms, his glowing blue sword . . . Her scrutiny flushed treacherous heat right to the top of his head. He could smell her, blood and corruption, yes, but underneath, the hot salty musk of female flesh . . .
Surely, she was his nemesis. Sent to tempt him into falling. Well, he wouldn’t give in. Not when he was so close to redemption.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Tour Wide:
Kindle Fire or if the winner lives outside the US they will receive an equivalent value Amazon gift card
a Rafflecopter giveaway
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Thanks so much for stopping by today, Erica! :) I cannot wait to start this series---I really should have before now for the tour, but, well, you know life, that pesky thing we all have? Yeah, it hasn't been listening to me lately. Ah well. I'll definitely be picking up book one this week though!
Tell us--what draws you to paranormal romance? Do you prefer to see the kind of magic and power that Erica mentions, or do you still love the old-school swish of a magic wand?
Enjoy!
Until Next Time,
*TBQ's Book Palace is a member of both the Amazon and Barnes and Nobles affiliates program. By using the links provided to buy products from either website, I receive a very small percentage of the order. To read my full disclosure on the matter, please see this post!
