Interview and Giveaway with Keri Arthur

We are so extremely excited to have with us today the talented Keri Arthur.  Her RILEY JENSON series has been one of my favorite series, one that I loved and devoured and she's been writing some kick ass books ever since!  Her new series DARK ANGELS, which is loosely a spin-off of the Riley series, is one not to be missed.  Here to celebrate the recent release of the fourth book in the series, DARKNESS HUNTS...please welcome Keri to UTC!

Can you please introduce yourself for those readers who are just discovering your books?

Well, I’m Keri Arthur, the author of both the Riley Jenson, Guardian series, and the Dark Angels series. I’m an Aussie, live in Melbourne (the place where both stories are set), and I’m a former function and dessert chef. I’m also addicted to green tea and dark chocolate  <g>

Your Dark Angels series is one of my favorite Urban Fantasy series out there right now. How did you come up the idea for this series?

It grew out of the Riley Jenson series. Risa first appeared in Tempting Evil (the 3^rd in the series), but she was supposed to be little more than a baby Riley had to rescue in order to get the information on the bad guy she was hunting. I hadn’t planned for her to be in any other book, but in them she was--sometimes you just can’t keep a good character down! By the time she’d become a toddler who could see death and who had her ‘aunt’ Riley wrapped around her little finger, I knew she just had to have her own series. And while Quinn’s Aedh background was mentioned in the Riley Jenson series, I really hadn’t explored who the Aedh were, and what their role as priests were. The Dark Angel series gave me that chance.

I've loved Risa from the beginning. She's sexy, smart and tough. How would you say Risa has grown throughout the series?

In many ways, I think she started out somewhat naive and entirely too trusting. She’d been trained to fight by her aunt and uncle, but wasn’t really mentally tough. I think she’s becoming that now. She’s certainly learning trust is something that should be earned, not instantly given.

Azriel is one of the many reasons why I love this series. Risa and Azriel have incredible chemistry, but cannot really act on their desires. What do you think Risa sees in Azriel that makes him so desirable and similarly, what do you think Azriel sees in Risa that makes her desirable?

Tough question! For Azriel, it’s her humanity--her warmth, her passion for--and belief in--her friends, and her desire to do whatever it takes to protect those she loves, even if it means putting her own life on the line (something that also frustrates the hell out of him given he was sent to protect her).  For Risa--I think it’s the strength she finds when she’s with him--and the fact he is as sexy as hell. ;)

DARKNESS HUNTS steps away from the search to find the keys and focuses on a more immediate concern where a faceless killer is toying with Risa. What can readers expect from this book?

Lots of twists and turns, and hopefully, one hell of a read!

Lucian and Jak make regular appearances in DARKNESS HUNTS. So the question stands....Will Risa ever find love? ;)

Now, you know I can’t answer that without stepping into spoiler territory. But those who have read the Riley Jenson series can probably guess the answer given the same question hung over that series. And I am a believer in happy endings--or at least semi happy ones  ;)

The series is set in Australia. How important was having the series take place in the country you're from?

It’s important in that I live in and love Melbourne, and it’s so much easier to write a series set in a place I’m familiar with rather than one I’m not. Plus, I don’t think there were any urban fantasy novels set here before I wrote the Riley Jenson series, and it’s always nice to have a somewhat different setting to other novels. Besides, Melbourne is such a great city--lots of gothic architecture, little laneways, and fabulous cafes.  :)

What does a typical work day look like for you? How many hours do you write a day?

A typical day for me is walking the dogs after breakfast, then heading off to the gym for a couple of hours exercise. After lunch, I sit down and write. I generally don’t have a set amount of hours to write, but rather a required page amount. I aim for 5 pages every day. Sometimes I get more, sometimes less, but I can generally have the first draft of a book done in three months.

Do you keep or toss any rejection letters you may have?

Before I was published, I used to screw them up, jump up and down on them a few times, then toss them in the bin. Made me feel a whole lot better. Then, after a few days, I’d retrieve them, re-read them, and make a mental note of all the things I’d been doing wrong  :)  These days, rejections go through my agent, so they’re easier to cope with.

What's next for Keri Arthur?

After Darkness Hunts, my next release is the paperback re-release of Beneath a Darkening Moon. Darkness Unmasked, the next Dark Angels novel, comes out in June 2013. I’m currently working on Darkness Splintered, the 6^th book.

Well, there you have it!  You are now seeing why you HAVE to read everything Keri Arthur has ever written right?  Thanks so much for taking the time to answer our questions!

About the Author - The Unofficial Bio: 

I’m a born and bred Melbourne (Australia) gal, and grew up sharing my life with dragons, elves, vampires, werewolves, shapeshifters and the occasional talking horse. Which worried my family to no end. Of course, now that I’m actually make a living sharing my life with the above mentioned creatures, they no longer contemplate calling the men with the little white coat. When not at my keyboard, I can be found at the gym, sitting front of the TV, or taking my two dogs for a walk.

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READ OUR REVIEW

Risa Jones, half-Aedh/half-werewolf, can enter the realm between life and death. She can speak to the dying and the dead, and she can see the Reapers, collectors of souls. What she can not yet see is the identity of a stranger murdering women and draining their blood. Now Risa must summon her gifts to find him, even if it means putting her own life in danger. But Risa needn’t look far. The killer knows who she is.

He tells her his victims are infected by darkness and he’s fated to destroy them. Fascinated by Risa, he engages her in a sinister game: the chance to save the life of his next victim by deciphering his series of clues. In a race against time, she enlists the help of the Reaper Azriel.

But as an attraction between them grows, so does the fear that the stranger’s motives are only part of a larger, more dangerous scheme—one that has lured Risa and Azriel into the dark.

Penguin Group has FIVE (5) copies of DARKNESS HUNTS up for grabs. US ONLY!

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