Guest
Post for All Things Paranormal by Kinley Baker
Thank
you so much to Jacqueline, for allowing me to visit All Things Paranormal! This
is definitely a site I can get behind.
My
favorite thing about the paranormal is that it’s a celebration of the
strange. Add to that the romance angle,
and I seriously think I was made to love paranormal romance. I admit I’m a gal
who needs romance in fiction and the dependability of the happy ending. If
there’s one thing I want readers to trust me on, it’s the fact that the
characters will find their way through the drama and darkness. No matter how
horrible things seem, there is always hope, even when all appears lost.
Ruined released in July
2011 as my debut release. It’s the first book in the Shadowed Love Trilogy. Since
it was my first, I will always have fond memories, but another part of me is so
glad that the first couple was Jessa and Vale. They really evolve in this book
and set the stage for a trilogy about three very different women, who serve as
the three heroines.
I
have a new perspective now because I’m just getting ready to turn in the third
book to my Editor and the second book already released. I didn’t mean to write
such different female leads, but now that I look back, I couldn’t have written
three more different ladies if I’d actively tried.
Jessa
is a Healer who places others about herself. She struggles with how much to
give of herself. I think a lot of us can relate to that turmoil. As friends,
siblings, significant others, parents, we’re always trying to find that ever
elusive balance. Jessa manages to find hers even if it’s a little different
than she ever imagined. Her relationship with Vale is forbidden, but she falls
for the man behind the throne. She brings him compassion.
Vale
loses his brother in the first chapter and he’s thrust into power when he’s
never been expected to lead. It’s very rare for kings in the Shadow Shifter
Kingdom not to rule for sixty years and pass their position on to their sons.
When he’s given the power, he desperately wants to provide for his people and
keep them safe. But he struggles against knowing what’s best, his scheming
Court, and his feelings for a woman who can’t provide him the heirs he needs to
stay in power. For a man who’s lost so much, he can’t risk losing the love of
his life.
Their
peaceful society is corrupted when the reason behind the death of the king,
Vale’s brother, is revealed. In a fantasy romance, nothing can be easy. There’s
an edge of suspense to the imminent epic battles.
Ruined is about an
adventure through the shadows and all the things darkness can hide. There’s
scandal, friendship, and strong family ties. They are Shadow Shifters who
thrive in the night. But the book also celebrates all the different varieties
of characters.
Some
are inherently good, some are inherently bad, most are several shades in-between.
They’re all strange in their own way, and that’s what I love about the
paranormal. How many of us are truly normal? I suppose I’m biased. I’ve always
been kind of weird, struggling to find my place.
Finally,
fiction showed me that I didn’t need to find a place, I could create my own.
And if you’ve ever wondered if you’ll ever find people like you, people who
thrive in their imaginations and can’t stop writing or reading, the romance
community is the place to be. They even make rooms for the witches and the
vampires.
I’ll
be back to talk more about the second book in the series, Denied. I’m so glad
to have the opportunity to visit again! Tabitha is a woman fighting for the
right to be the first female guard in her kingdom. Two
warriors battle head-to-head in a clash of cultures, wills, and hearts. Tabitha
couldn’t be more different than the gentle Jessa, but they both share spines of
steel in their own way.
RUINED: Shadowed
Love Book One
By Kinley Baker
Genre: Fantasy
Romance
BLURB:
Jessa
is one healing away from death. Under the thrall of her gift, the Court's
Senior Healer risks giving her life in exchange for her patient's.
Vale
is a rebel ruler. When his brother is killed, he's given the throne and the
decree from the Court to produce an heir or lose his family's hold on the
land--and his deceiving advisors aren't afraid to use murder as a weapon if
their directive to stay away from the Senior Healer goes unheeded.
But
Vale burns to possess Jessa. The heat between them leaves a wake of smoke, and
even the powerful forces above want to bind them in a union that lasts forever.
Vale taking another would be a betrayal neither could survive.
Their
enemies fear a child born of such a powerful Healer and Warrior, but the true
threat lies in the bond forged in shadows and fused in fire.
EXCERPT RUINED:
"You."
Fury burned hot under Jessa's skin as she glared at Vale. "Who do you
think you are, demanding I come live in this castle? You can't just order your
guards to enter a woman's home and pack up her things."
"Well,
I did." Vale came around the desk and propped one hip against it, more of
a threatening than casual movement.
"Someone
tried to kill me. It makes sense that I have my Healer close by."
She
released a pent-up breath. "Why couldn't you have explained that instead
of mandating?" Silly. Her imagination had run away with her. The king
needed his Healer. But the realization he didn't want her made her angrier.
"Because
I didn't want to give you the option of saying no."
She
most definitely would have said no.
"If
you would have explained your reasoning, I would have complied. Your safety and
health come first, even if I-"
"Even
if you what?"
"Loathe
you." She bunched her fingers into two fists, seriously tempted to hit
him. For all the nonexistent pain it would inflict upon him.
"Do
you?" His tone deadened with calm. "Because I can't stop thinking
about you."
"That's
normal." She brushed off the claim. "I saved your life."
He
moved in a blur. A true Shadow Shifter. One second he stood near his desk, the
next he had her in his arms, one locked around her waist and one hand tangled
in her hair. Their lips almost brushed.
"I
can't stop thinking about you." His murmur played down her spine, leaving
a tingling trail. His scent invaded her. His voice embraced her like bare skin
against satin sheets.
Her
heart beat fast, her pulse jumped.
She
disliked him, but didn't want him to let her go.
"Have
you been thinking about me?" His soft tone feathered over her flesh.
"Only
how much I dislike you." Lust pulsed in her belly.
He
pulled her head back gently by her hair, so they looked straight into each
other's eyes. Their bodies pressed tightly together. "Liar."
About
the Author:
Kinley
Baker has a terminally tender heart and an inconvenient sense of humor. She
loves puppies and cries at celebrity weddings.
Kinley believes that romance novels are the keys to world peace, because
if you’re holding a book, you can’t be holding a gun. Kinley supports all
supernatural lifestyles and believes “happy ever after” isn’t only for the
normal. Her books Ruined, Denied and Freed are available now from Crescent Moon
Press. Look for a new post-apocalyptic/futuristic romance series from Etopia
Press in 2013.
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