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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ARC Review: Darkness Hunts by Keri Arthur

Darkness Hunts

(Dark Angels #4)

by Keri Arthur

In the fourth book of the Dark Angels series, Arthur takes a slightly different approach to the storyline. Yes, the keys are needed to make everything right in the world. However, there is a more pressing matter that Risa and Azriel have to attend to. On the astral plane, there is a killer who likes to play games. He claims that it is his duty to rid the world of its evil, so one by one, he is killing off women. To make things even more drastic is the fact that this killer has no face. On the astral plane, his features don’t exist, which makes it even more difficult for Risa to pin him down. Also, he aims to make this a game by contacting Risa and giving her enough incentive to go searching for these victims until their time is up. In a way, Risa is a pawn in a deadly game of chess. But never count Risa out. She has her eyes set on winning.

In the process, Uncle Rhoan is there to guide her and Azriel is there to protect her. But even then, sometimes Risa is too late. More and more people are dying and she is always one step away from saving them. Jak and Lucian have a considerable amount of page time in this book. Risa explores her relationships with both of them and for one of them, the ties are completely severed because of one act that dissolved her trust in him. You need to read the book to find out who and why.

It seems that Risa has chosen one of the guys to be with. Azriel and Risa have had this chemistry from the very beginning so it’s really no spoiler when I say that they have decided that this thing between them in different than what they have with others. However, it’s not all flowery things and happy endings yet. Arthur explores their relationship, both the ups and downs, in a way that keeps readers riveted to the pages. She teases you and coaxes a few smiles because of the sweetness of some scenes, but then there is also heartbreak and sadness as well. Risa and Azriel are learning how to be together. When one person is a celestial being while the other is flesh and bone, having a “normal” relationship has a slightly different meaning to them. With the way Arthur ends this book, she gives those romantic readers some hope that there is a chance to see something good come out of this relationship. But, as is the case with all relationships, it’s about the journey of getting to that happily-ever-after that is part of the ride as well.

*ARC provided by publisher

Purchase Links: Amazon

ARC Review: Beneath a Rising Moon by Keri Arthur

 

Beneath A Rising Moon

(Ripple Creek #1)

by Keri Arthur

People are dying and the killer is still on the loose. Neva Grant wants nothing more than to catch this killer, but with her twin sister, Savannah in critical condition in the hospital, Neva must do this alone.

The number one suspect is the Sinclair pack. Silver hair is found on the bodies and the Sinclair pack are known for their moon-colored coats. But in order for Neva to get close enough to investigate, she must seduce the most notorious wolf in the clan – Duncan Sinclair.

Duncan is a man legendary for his prowling sensuality and attitude. He is a dominant in and out of bed, and that irks Neva a bit because she isn’t used to submitting. Submitting to a man as dominant as Duncan can be a dangerous thing. Yet Neva cannot deny her body when Duncan proposes that they become dance partners for this particular moon cycle. Neva agrees, but soon finds out that denying Duncan of what he wants can cause a lot of problems in her life.

Keri Arthur writes wolves so well. She captures the animalistic nature of them and the prowling sensuality that makes them so intriguing and desirable. She also manages to grasp the importance of power in the pack and in each individual wolf. As I said earlier, Duncan is a dominant and while he can act like a jerk sometimes, his arrogance also fits her wolfish personality well. In a community where power is the most important thing, a “nice” wolf probably wouldn’t cut it.

Neva and Duncan clash heads, but it’s such an enjoyable thing to read because even though they argue, there’s that underlying tendril of lust that is undeniable. The sex scenes are so frequent and steamy that half the time I thought I was reading a werewolf erotica. However, the actual sex scenes are not detailed enough to fit into that category. Arthur just writes really sexually-charged scenes and I’m not complaining.

I enjoyed the mystery aspect of this book a lot. It definitely pulled the plot forward and I liked the way that Duncan and Neva formed a truce in order to find the killer. I’m a major fan of stories where the protagonists clash at first, but then agree on a truce in order to work something out. It just shows how well they can work together.

I’ve got the next book, BENEATH A DARKENING MOON next on my reading pile. Can’t seem to resist these sexy wolves!

*ARC provided by NetGalley

 

 

Purchase Links: Amazon

Review: Darkness Devours by Keri Arthur

Darkness Devours

by Keri Arthur

(Dark Angels # 3)

Keri Arthur kicks things in high gear with the latest installment of the Dark Angels series! DARKNESS DEVOURS is smart, sexy and full throttle! Risa Jones is half-werewolf and half Aedh so she has a ton of skills and abilities in her repertoire. It makes her both lethal and cunning. Paired with her sword, Amaya and her own personal sword-weilding, half-naked sexy reaper, Risa’s also got the people to back her up when things get rough.

The vampire council requires her expertise and this time, Risa has her own possible execution lingering over her head. Added to that is the fact that there is someone killing off blood whore-addicted vampires. Risa pulls some strings and calls in her ex, Jak Talbott, a reporter to help her uncover truths better left buried. As Jak walks back into her life, Risa is once again reminded of her time with him. Pleasant memories are washed away when she remembers his betrayal. But despite the bitter taste in her mouth, Risa can’t deny that Jak still has that charm.

What I love about this series is that Risa has a bunch of men in her life but not one of them is perfect for her. Each of the guys – Jak, her ex, Lucian, her lover, and Azriel, her reaper are all involved in her life somehow but they are simply not compatible for her. Perhaps if they were all rolled into one person then she would have her perfect match, but Risa isn’t really lucky this time around. It keeps things interesting.

However, readers finally get what they’ve been hopelessly wishing for. Azriel is very much a part of this book and I absolutely loved each moment with him. I loved that he shows a little more amusement and humor. But of course, the fact that he reveals his feelings is the best part.

“Look at me.” 

This time, the demand in his voice was undeniably and I found my gaze rising almost against my will. My breath caught somewhere in my throat. 

Because there in the blue of his eyes was a desire so stark and raw it burned my very soul. 

“You cannot deny this, Risa,” he said softly. “You cannot deny us.” 

As usual, Keri Arthur does not hold back. Everything in this series is no-holds-barred – the action, the sex. It’s a series that shines against the plethora of Urban Fantasy series out there today and one that remains as my top favorites on my shelf. I can’t wait for DARKNESS HUNTS!

 

Purchase Links: Amazon

Covers to Covet

Two of my favourite authors recently released the covers of their next upcoming releases.  Urban fantasy author, Keri Arthur has DARKNESS HUNTS, the fourth book in her Dark Angels series. This book is set to be released in November of this year.

What do you think of the cover? They recently had a makeover and I do like this change better than the first two books of the series. I love the wings and the overall background color and the bold lettering definitely catches my attention immediately. I can't wait to read this book!

Now this next book is one that I am curious to know more about. I'm a big fan of Kresley Cole's Immortals After Dark series and her highlanders, so I wonder how writing YA is going to be for her. I haven't read much YA recently, so I'm hoping I will like this one. Either way, I will read it since it is KC. What do you think of the cover? POISON PRINCESS, the first book in the Arcana Chronicles series is out in October.

Review: Darkness Rising by Keri Arthur

 

 

Darkness Rising

(Dark Angels # 2)

by Keri Arthur

**REFERENCES TO DARKNESS UNBOUND, THE FIRST BOOK OF THE SERIES WILL BE PRESENT**

Keri Arthur continues Risa Jones’ journey as she tries to avenge her mother’s death. However, in the process, Rise gets tangled up in business with Madeline Hunter, the leader of the vampire council. Her task is to find a killer. The victims are losing their immortal powers, causing them to age rapidly and grow mad. Tasked with finding out the reason why, Risa is put to the test to see if she can handle herself in the worst of times.

I recommend reading this series in order because there is not much summary from the first book of this series. If you don’t, you may miss some important backstory going into this book. Furthermore, the romantic subplot to this book carries on from the first book as well.

Speaking of romantic relations...or um, the lack of with a particular reaper, I was glad to read about Azriel again. As a spiritual being, he takes the form of a shirtless and totally ripped, dark-haired warrior with a wicked blade strapped to his back. Azriel is Risa’s reaper and sexy sidekick. He follows her around, whether she likes it or not and this time, Azriel shows more human emotions than the last book. Apparently, if he stays within a form long enough, he starts to gain human emotions. I CANNOT WAIT to read more about him. He’s just all kinds of awesome.

Tao and Illiana, Risa’s BFF also make regular appearances as does Stane. I love it when they are all kicking some ass together. They are just so badass.

What I also love about this series is the incorporation of various mythology. There’s some witchcraft, some bits of folklore and Arthur really makes it her own. I’ve never read anything like this series.

If the first book in the series got me pining for more, then this book has made it into a full blown addiction! I’m hooked!

 

 

Purchase Links: Amazon

Review: Darkness Unbound by Keri Arthur

 

Darkness Unbound

by Keri Arthur

(Dark Angels # 1)

I worried that Risa Jones would not live up to her Aunt Riley.

I should never have doubted Arthur. Loyal and new readers alike will love the Dark Angels series.

Risa is such an amazing heroine that I instantly loved. Now twenty-eight years old, Risa isn’t the little girl we know from the Riley Jensen series. Arthur has made a fun, kick-ass heroine who possesses wit, intelligence and determination that I admired.

Risa is half werewolf and half Aedh which allows her to see reapers. I have to say that the Aedh part of her really intrigued me. Having never read anything like it, I found myself glued to the pages, anticipating the next time she “shifted”.

In addition to a great lead in Risa, there were two other things that really made this book for me.

The first is Risa’s supporting cast. Like Riley’s gang, I fell in love with all the supporting characters in this book. Risa runs a restaurant called RTY with Tao and Iliana, her best friends. Iliana is a witch whereas Tao is a werewolf who wields fire. I have to say out of the two, Tao really stood out. He provided that comfort and strength that Risa needed many times during this book and I found that his presence really made the book for me.

Also, Risa has a love interest in Lucian Dupont, a fellow Aedh. This man is sexy. That is all.

Then Risa has her very own reaper in the form of Azriel, the sword-wielding warrior. Surprise, surprise, I loved him too!

Arthur does a really great job of creating distinguishable characters that are fun and memorable. When I love characters enough to remember specifics, I’m much more likely to continue a series to find out what happens to them.

Secondly, the pacing of this book is perfection. The words just flowed. There were no dragging moments. Arthur allows for small reprieves for her characters but this book is really action-packed, filled to the brim with the paranormal. And I loved every moment of it!

I highly recommend this series. Readers will love Arthur’s take on the paranormal.

 

Purchase Links: Amazon

Review: Destiny Kills by Keri Arthur

Destiny Kills

(Myth & Magic # 1)

by Keri Arthur

 

It's Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster! Or Destiny, the sea dragon who just escaped a bunch of bad scientists who had discovered the world of dragons and kept her captive (along with her mother, and other dragons) for over 10 years.

Born of a sea dragon mother and a fire dragon father, Destiny had left her home in search of her mother who had disappeared, leaving behind her sick father. Except she gets captured by the same people who took her mother. While in captivity she builds somewhat of a relationship with a fire dragon, and after 10 years they manage to escape together.

While traveling back to her father, who is about to die, her traveling companion and sort of boyfriend is killed and she is left to trust his brother, Trae.

So Trae is pretty likeable. He's sneaky, he has his own agenda with valid issues, but he knows when to recognize he has found his one true life mate.

Destiny was just ok for me. She seemed to have the oddest reactions to things at the most inappropriate times, which maybe was supposed to be part of the story but just left me thinking "Really? Now? Are you serious?"

However, Trae and Destiny are pretty good together and I was happy to see a difference between this series and Keri Arthur's Riley Jensen series. There is a HEA at the end of this book people! I was not expecting that.

I'm very interested to keep reading about this world, with the different kinds of dragons. The ending was a bit cheasy for me and in general the story moved a little slow, but we did get some action, as well as a visit to Scotland. Yes, the place where the dragons where being held was Loch Ness, which probably accounts for the human tales of Nessie. I thought that was extremely cute!

I am in no rush to get to book two, but I will definitely be reading it.

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