Interview & Giveaway with Thea Harrison

Hello Book Monsters and Literal Addicts! Book Monster Reviews and LITERAL ADDICTION are very pleased to welcome author Thea Harrison to our sites today.

Thea is the proud creator of the incredible Elder Races series which currently has five full length novels and four novellas (you can read her full bio on her website here). 

In case you are not yet familiar with this incredible series, we have included most of the synopses below for you to check out.

DRAGON BOUND

Elder Races, Book 1

A Fiery Temper is Not Easily Extinguished

Half-human and half-wyr, Pia Giovanni spent her life keeping a low profile among the wyrkind and avoiding the continuing conflict between them and their Dark Fae enemies. But after being blackmailed into stealing a coin from the hoard of a dragon, Pia finds herself targeted by one of the most powerful–and passionate—of the Elder Races.

As the most feared and respected of the wyrkind, Dragos Cuelebre cannot believe someone had the audacity to steal from him, much less succeed. And when he catches the thief, Dragos spares her life, claiming her as his own to further explore the desire they’ve ignited in one another.

STORM'S HEART

Elder Races, Book 2

He’s a wyr warrior, a god of storms. She’s the heir to the Dark Fae throne. But desire will bring both to their knees in this all-new Novel of the Elder Races.

During the rule of her murderous Dark Fae uncle, Thistle “Tricks” Periwinkle found sanctuary among the wyr in New York. Her ethereal beauty and sparkling personality won the hearts of the public, but after her uncle’s death, there are those who don’t want to see her ascend to the throne…

Able to wield thunder and lightning, wyr sentinel Tiago Black Eagle has ruled the skies for centuries. His massive build and thunderous power make him one of the wyr’s best weapons. And he’s sent to protect Tricks when she’s almost assassinated in Chicago.

Soon, both Tiago and Tricks will fall prey to the stormy hunger that engulfs them—a passion that will shake the very foundation of all the worlds…

SERPENT'S KISS

Elder Races, Book 3

A Queen on the brink of sanity has no one to rely on except the Wyr warrior whose conviction is every bit as strong as his passion…

In order to save his friend’s life, Wyr sentinel Rune Ainissesthai made a bargain with Vampyre Queen Carling—without knowing what she would ask from him in return. But when Rune attempts to make good on his debt, he finds a woman on the edge.

Recently, Carling’s Power has become erratic, forcing her followers to flee in fear. Despite the danger, Rune is drawn to the ailing Queen and decides to help her find a cure for the serpent’s kiss—the vampyric disease that’s killing her.

With their desire for each other escalating just as quickly as Carling’s instability spirals out of control, the sentinel and the Queen will have to rely on each other if they have any hope of surviving the serpent’s kiss…

ORACLE’S MOON

Elder Races, Book 5

An untested young woman must claim her place as the Oracle—and contend with a powerful Djinn who has decided to become a part of her life...

As a second daughter, Grace Andreas never had to worry about the intrigues of the Elder Races. But when her sister, Petra, and Petra's husband are both killed, Grace inherits the Power and responsibilities of the Oracle of Louisville, as well as her sister's two young children—neither of which she is prepared for.

Yet, she is not alone. Khalil, Demonkind and Djinn prince of House Marid—driven by his genuine caring for the children—has decided to make himself a part of the household both as their guardian and as an exasperating counterpoint to Grace's impudence toward the Elder Races.

But when an attempt is made on Grace's life, she realizes that Khalil is the only one who can protect her—and offer her more than a mortal man...

LORD'S FALL

Elder Races, Book 5

Just Released on November 6, 2012

In the latest Novel of the Elder Races, two mates find themselves on different paths, torn between their duty to the Wyr and the passion that binds them…

Before she met Dragos, half-human half-wyr Pia Giovanni was alone and on the run. Now, she’s mated, pregnant and heading south to repair the Wyr’s frayed relationship with the Elves. Being separated from Dragos is painful, but for the good of the Wyr demesne they need to figure out how to be partners, in more places than just the bedroom.

In New York to preside over the Sentinel Games, Dragos is worried about his mate, but knows that finding two replacement sentinels is essential to show the rest of the Elder Races just how strong and brutal the Wyr demesne can be. But as the games heat up, Pia’s negotiations with the Elves take a turn for the dangerous, straining her bond with Dragos and threatening everything they hold dear…

Don't they sound great?!  Trust us, they totally are!  This is one phenomenal series that you definitely need to check out if you haven't already!  Now, let's get to learn more about the incredible author behind the books…

Book Monster Reviews/LITERAL ADDICTION:  Hi Thea!  Welcome to Book Monster and Literal Addiction!  We’re very excited to help you celebrate and promote the release of LORDS FALL, the newest edition to your Eder Races series and to have you with us today!

Thea {opening comments}:  Hi, thank you for having me on your blog today!  I’m excited about LORD’S FALL, and I’m thrilled you are too!

Book Monster Reviews/LITERAL ADDICTION:  We always like to start out by getting to know our guest authors a little bit better.

Q1):   Can you tell us 3 things about yourself that we can't find out on the internet, in your bio, etc?

Thea:  I… kind of like cleaning house (except for the bathroom), I prefer a gas stove rather than an electric, and I don’t like peas.

2)  What are some of your hobbies, or things that you enjoy when you’re not writing or taking care of other author business?

Thea:  Well, reading is a big pleasure of mine!  I also enjoy walking my dogs when the weather permits, going to movies, visiting with family, and talking to other writers.  That means we inevitably end up talking about books and writing, but that’s okay.  I love my job!

3)  Do you have any interesting writing quirks, or things that you must have with you to begin the writing process?

Thea:  Hmm, great question!  I don’t think I’m actually all that quirky about writing.  I’m pretty business-like about it.  I can write with music or without it.  I definitely prefer (need) to be sitting in a proper position at a desk, especially if I’m going to put in several long hours of work, otherwise I end up feeling the strain.

Is it quirky that I can’t handwrite anything?  When I was working on my first novel, at age nineteen, I forced myself to transcribe the rough draft directly into a typewriter, and I never looked back.  Now, if I try to write things out longhand, I get too impatient with it, because it’s so slow and my mind works much faster.

4)  What are the best parts of writing for you?  What are the hardest parts?

Thea:  I love to interact with readers!  A nice letter from a reader can make my day, and I love how signings at big conferences, like the Romance Writers of America, can give readers and writers a chance to meet.  I also love breakthroughs in the writing process—that point when the story has all come together, and I reach a creative high.

For me, the hardest part, without question, is the waiting.  I can be all excited about a draft and have worked until midnight for several days in a row, and I hit SEND to my beta readers, agent or editor, and…. I have to wait, sometimes for weeks and weeks.  The best way to power through this is to start the next project of course!

5)  What are 3 things that never fail to make you smile and 3 things that never fail to piss you off?

Thea:  Three things that never fail to make me smile:  my new granddaughter, my dogs and Modern Family.

Three things that always make me angry:  hypocrisy, cruelty and rude drivers.

6)  What type of scenes (dialogue, action, sex, etc) do you enjoy writing the most and why?

Thea:  Great question!  And this is NOT a cop-out, I promise J because it’s the truth!  I actually enjoy writing all of it.  Okay, okay—I admit, I especially enjoy writing the dialogue when the characters are really reacting to each other.  Then it’s fun to see the sparks fly!

7)  If you could spend the day with any one of the characters from your ELDER RACES series, who would it be, and what would you want to do?

Thea:  I would love to spend the day with the Djinn Khalil (from ORACLE’S MOON), so he can amuse me with his particular world view, and we can travel all over the world in a single day:  breakfast in Paris, lunch in Milan, and watching the sunset in Hawaii. 

8)  If you could have one super power, which would you want it to be and why that one?

Thea:  I do think it would be fun to fly!  Of course, it also sounds kind of scary, whizzing around high in the air without any plane or protection.  So I’d like to be able to fly without any fear.

         Book Monster Reviews/LITERAL ADDICTION:  Now we'd like to ask you more about your books and series:

9)  For readers who have not yet experienced how amazing the Elder Races series is, can you please give us a brief synopsis of the series?

Thea:  The Elder Races is a series about an alternative Earth where magical/mythical creatures live openly alongside the human race.  It’s quite a melting pot of clashing politics and cultures, but there’s always some kind of HEA involved.  And some pretty hot sex.

10)  Was there any specific inspiration behind the creation of the Elder Races series?

Thea:  I love reading sci-fi, fantasy and paranormal romance, so I am sure that inspired me to create the Elder Races!!

11)  Congratulations on the release of LORDS FALL!  I fell in love with Dragos and Pia back when DRAGON BOUND was released and I'm so happy we get to see more of their life together.  Can you tell us a little of what we can expect in this book?

Thea: Dragos and Pia face a lot of challenges, not only in the world but also in their relationship.  In DRAGON BOUND, they’ve fallen in love and they’ve mated, and Pia has just discovered she was pregnant… and then what?  How do they make it work?  LORD’S FALL answers a lot of questions that have built up over the last several books.

12)  How many more books do you have planned for the series and what book is coming up next after LORDS FALL?

Thea:  Book six is Aryal’s story, which is currently scheduled to come out in November 2013.  I’ve done some plotting now for three more books, so… it’s going to be exciting to see what happens!

13)  We know you have a new series coming out.  Can you please tell us a little about it and when we can expect it?

Thea:  The new series is actually a duology called Game of Shadows.  The first novel RISING DARKNESS is out April 2013, and you can read the cover copy here:  http://theaharrison.com/blog-post-cover-copy-for-rising-darkness-a-game-of-shadows-novel/

The second novel is currently entitled FALLEN LIGHT.  The stories are based in another alternative Earth, but it is much different from the Earth in the Elder Races series.  I’ve seen a draft of the cover art for RISING DARKNESS, and I’m very excited about it.  I can’t wait to get the final version to share!

14)  If you were to write an auto-biography, what do you think it’d be called?

Thea:  I’d probably call it SUCCEEDING IN SPITE OF MYSELF!

15)  Is there anything specific you would like to say to your readers while we have you here today?

Thea:  Hi readers! You can connect with me via Twitter @TheaHarrison and Facebook:  www.facebook.com/TheaHarrison, or send me an email through my website at:  www.theaharrison.com.  I always love to hear from you! 

Book Monster Reviews/LITERAL ADDICTION:  Thank you again Thea for taking time out of your busy schedule to chat with us.  We would love to have you back again anytime to help you promote your next releases.

Thea:  Thank you so much for having me! It’s been a pleasure. J  Happy reading!

Penguin is giving away one mass market copy—winner’s choice!—of any of Thea’s previous four previous Elder Race’s books (Dragon Bound, Storm’s Heart, Serpent’s Kiss or Oracle’s Moon) to one winner (US ONLY) from Book Monster and one winner from LITERAL ADDICTION (over on their site).

Don't forget to drop by the LITERAL ADDICTION website (http://www.literaladdiction.com/) and follow the directions and links to enter their contest for an extra chance to win!!!

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