Author Override: Larissa Ione

Author Override is the place where authors take the reins and take you on a journey into their world. Some may allow you into their private writing dens. Others may take you along with them on research trips or interviews. Whatever the case may be, sit back, relax and enjoy the ride because here you’ll get an in-depth look into an author’s musings.

Riding Redemption

First of all, I want to thank Francesca for having me! I had the pleasure of meeting her this year, and she's as lovely in person as she is online. Okay, sure, she tried to get me drunk, but hey, that's part of her charm! *g*

Okay, so...I just had a book release! Lethal Rider, the third book in the Four Horsemen/Lords of Deliverance series came out on May 22nd, and I couldn't be more excited.

And nervous.

Oh, sure, every release is nervewracking for an author, but I have to say that this one has made me an especially crazy basketcase. Why? Well, if you read Immortal Rider and know what happened between Lethal Rider's hero, Thanatos, and the heroine, Regan, you can probably figure out why I'm stressed.

See, out of all of my books, Immortal Rider is the one that brought me the most hate mail. I had a feeling it might happen, but I underestimated the ferocity of some of it.

So why did I write a scene I knew was going to be extremely sensitive and controversial, and that would possibly make readers hate Regan?

It's because I love the challenge of redeeming characters. Well, that's not exactly true. I guess it's more that I like writing characters who aren't what they seem, and I always hope that readers will trust me to reveal the truth behind all the frayed layers. Because the thing is, what readers saw during that particular scene isn't what it appeared to be on the surface. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

There are some characters in the series who are more than the sum of their evil acts. And there are characters who aren't as good as they seem to be. Still other characters will find out that who they are isn't who they thought they were.

So yes, I love writing characters who either aren't what they seem to be, or who need desperately to be redeemed. And Regan was a tough one, because she truly believed that she needed to seduce Thanatos in order to save the world. There's often a fine line between good guy and bad guy...I mean, there are those who would call Navy SEALs bad guys because they sometimes have to make hard decisions that risk innocent lives for the ultimate greater good. We don't want to know about it, and we're glad THEY are doing it instead of us.

That's what Regan did. She set about to do something reprehensible in order to save billions of lives. As a warrior conditioned from birth, she didn't think she'd have a problem doing it, but as she got to know Thanatos, her guard started to come down. But before she could back out of the plan, things went very, very wrong. Now, in Lethal Rider, she has to come to grips with the reality of what happened and somehow make things right.

Did she do that? Can she achieve redemption? And then there's Reseph, whose Seal broke, turning him into an evil bastard known as Pestilence. His vile deeds have rocked the world on a scale never before seen. And what about Harvester, the Horsemen's evil Watcher? That fallen angel isn't exactly a puppies and rainbows kind of girl, and who can forget that she cut off Reaver's wings? (Hint: there's a little insight into her character in the short story included in the Lords of Deliverance Compendium...available in ebook format from most e-tailers.)

Redemption. It's one of my favorite romance themes, and I can't think of anything more satisfying than when an author takes a character I didn't think I'd like and turns him into a hero I'd like to bring home and chain to my...er, we'll not go there. But you can!

They're here. They ride. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

Born of a match between good and evil, four siblings stand between hell's minions and everything they want to destroy. They are the Lords of Deliverance, and they have the power to ward off Doomsday...or let it ride...

LETHAL RIDER

Thanatos, the most deadly Horseman of the Apocalypse, has endured thousands of years of celibacy to prevent the end of days. But just one night with the wickedly sexy Aegis Guardian, Regan Cooper, shatters centuries of resolve. Yet their passion comes with a price. And Thanatos must face a truth more terrifying than an apocalypse-he's about to become a father.

Demon-slayer Regan Cooper never imagined herself the maternal type, but with the fate of the world hanging in the balance she had no choice but to seduce Thanatos and bear his child. Now, as the final battle draws closer and his rage at being betrayed is overshadowed by an undeniable passion for the mother of his child, Thanatos has a life-shattering realization: To save the world, he must sacrifice the only thing he's ever wanted-a family.

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Who is your favorite romance character -- male or female -- who went through a massive redemption? Answer in the comments for a chance to win a copy of Lethal Rider + a Demonica/LOD tote bag and swag! Be sure to leave your email address in the comment so we can contact you if you win.