Mid Week Tease - The Bone Flute - Inheritance

Welcome to the Weird, the Wild, & the Wicked for a new year of Mid Week Tease hosted by Sandra Bunino.

Authors: this is a great opportunity to spotlight a few lines or even a paragraph or two from a new release or backlisted title. Readers: you get to sample some delicious snippets! We’ll do our best to tease, titillate and tantalize you into the weekend.

I'm working on a new paranormal romantic suspense set in Las Vegas, entitled The Bone Flute. In this unedited snippet, Rain Szep is the resident paleontologist for the Bureau of Land Management in Las Vegas. She's just found out her paternal grandmother has died and left her a fortune. With a catch.

“When did she die?” Rain asked lamely.

“Three weeks ago,” Mr. Stienmeyer replied without elaborating. “At the reading of her will, it was stipulated that her three grandchildren from her first son Reginald Szép each receive a small trust fund of fifty thousand–”

Rain choked. “Dollars?”

“Yes, dollars, only to be awarded after the occasion of legitimate marriage,” he went on with a little frown at her interruption. “In addition to your monetary inheritance, your grandmother also handed down this antique wooden box and its contents to you because, and I quote, ‘She’ll know what to do with the damn thing and she’s into that sort of stuff.’”

Rain couldn’t imagine what her grandmother was talking about since she’d never met her as an adult. Grandmother Szép had decidedly not been part of their lives, even as children. Rain glanced at the box and tried to figure out the cryptic message as Mr. Stienmeyer opened his briefcase and pulled out some papers. He set them on the table and indicated where she needed to sign for her inheritance. Considering she wasn’t likely to get married anytime soon, it wasn’t much.

He gathered the papers and put them back into his briefcase, promising to send her copies for her records. Then he shook her hand and walked out of the Public Room, leaving her alone with the big table and the stained wooden box.

Clara Newton, the main Public Room greeter, walked up next to Rain and peered down her flared nose at the box on the table. Her full lips pursed and a small line appeared between her chocolate brown eyes as she cocked her head to one side.

“Did I hear that right? You get fifty grand if you get married? Otherwise, all you get from your granny is this box?” she scoffed with sympathetic surprise.

“Sounds like it,” Rain agreed as she looked at the older black woman.

“What’s in it?”

“I don’t know.”

“Well, open it, honey. You got my curiosity up.”

Rain turned the box and looked at the seam between the lid and the base. There were three ornate latches; two on the ends and one in the middle of the long side opposite the hinges. They opened easily with a flick of her fingers and she lifted the lid.

Inside the box, nestled in faded red satin, lay what looked like a flute. It was longer than her thigh from hip to knee and had eight air holes carved in regular intervals down its length. Intricate scrolling designs resembling an ancient language etched the shaft between the air holes, disappearing around the back of the flute hidden in the satin. The ‘mouth-piece’ of the flute showed where material had been removed and the barrel twisted along its length.

Rain recognized the material as bone immediately and unease flitted up her spine. Dear God, is that a human femur?

“Wow,” Clara breathed.

“Yeah.”

“Is that a flute?”

“Yes, I think so.”

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New Release, Guest Post, and Giveaway from Silver James

First, thanks to Siobhan for asking me to guest post today. When thinking of something to write about, I realized it’s already September. This is important because September 22 marks the autumn equinox. The day is variously called Harvest home, Mabon, the Feast of the Ingathering, Meán Fómhair, or Alban Elfed. It’s the first day of Autumn, my favorite season of the year! But what exactly is the equinox, scientifically speaking?

The equinox occurs twice a year, in March and September. The plane of the Earth's equator passes the center of the Sun. When this occurs, the Earth's axis is tilted neither away from nor towards the Sun. The name "equinox" is derived from the Latin aequus (equal) and nox (night), because around the equinox, night and day are about equal length.

The autumn equinox is a mysterious time of balance between day and night. From this date, until the spring equinox, days grow shorter and nights longer. In ancient times, it meant time to gather the harvest and to prepare for winter. People gave thanks for the bounty of summer, for the gifts of meat, cheese, furs, cloth—all the things needed to survive during the dark times to come. Today, most people don’t even mark the passing, other than to note it’s the first day of fall.

Me? While I’m not an active practitioner of Wicca, the old ways and gods fascinate me. As such, they often play roles in my writing. This is especially true with my new Urban Fantasy series, The Penumbra Papers. I’m often asked what a penumbra is. And here I get technical again. LOL Penumbra: Etymology: New Latin, from Latin paene (almost) + umbra (shadow). Yeah, I copied that from the dictionary to be all cool and stuff. *wink* The important thing is that light and dark fascinate me—whether physically in the change of seasons or emotionally in looking at good and evil within my characters.

In the northern hemisphere, the sun enters the astrological sign of Libra, which is the sign of the scales and of balance, at the autumn equinox. The glyph for Libra represents the sun setting/rising, expressing the balance between night and day. And I discovered something while putting this post together. Sade Marquis, my main character, is a Libra. She is a balance of light and dark, of human and magic, so it’s very appropriate that her astrological sign is the scales of justice.

I’d like to share a snippet from the newly released novella, THAT OL’ BLACK MAGIC. The novella offers  a look at the world of Penumbra, where a human FBI agent deals with all the things that go bump in the night.

SNIPPET

THIS was only Day One of what was shaping up to be a bloody weird week and the gods had been drinking again. Too bad Sade Marquis didn’t have that option. She was on duty. Dammit. Not to mention it was only ten in the morning. However, if things got any stranger, she might change her mind.

She occupied the one booth that gave her a broad view of the whole place. Déjà Vu. All over again. Back in the early days, right after graduating from the FBI Academy, the New Orleans Field Office had been her first assignment. She’d leased an apartment upstairs from the Déjà Vu. The bar-restaurant combo became a second home. Open twenty-four/seven, she could eat no matter the time of day.

Jax Martine—or as she liked to think of him “a Jax of all trades”—sailed by her table and two glasses of ice water appeared in his wake. He was human, but Sade would bet dollars to donuts there was a witch in his family tree. She glanced at her watch and wondered if she could squeeze in a late breakfast. She was meeting her partner, who had no concept of time. Werewolves were like that.

Catching Jax’s attention, Sade wiggled her fingers through a complicated series of gestures. A plate with eggs, bacon, and French toast—real French toast made from thick-cut slices of crusty French bread—appeared a few minutes later, along with two more glasses of ice water to replace the ones she’d drained.

She was on her third cup of post-breakfast coffee when two girls sitting at the bar stirred. Their attention swiveled to the front door, eyes on the prime specimen of fae male swaggering into the shadowed space. Back-lit by a sunshine nimbus, Ariel made quite an entrance. Sade looked to heaven for a reprieve that didn’t come. Her day just kept getting better and better.

****

If you are interested in learning more about Penumbra, visit my WEBSITE. And you can buy THAT OL’ BLACK MAGIC at:

AMAZON | SMASHWORDS | GOODREADS

To celebrate the Autumn Equinox, I’ll give away a free download of THAT OL’ BLACK MAGIC to a random commenter, in the format of the winner’s choice. Just answer this question: What’s your favorite season? And be sure to leave your email address or some way Siobhan and I can get in touch with you if you win!

Happy Autumn!

BIO:    Silver James likes to take walks on the dark side and coffee. Okay. She loves coffee. LOTS of coffee. Warning: Her Muse, Iffy, runs with scissors and can be quite dangerous. She’s the author of the best-selling Moonstruck series and new urban fantasy series, The Penumbra Papers. She's been a military officer's wife, mother, state appellate court marshal, airport rescue firefighter and forensic fire photographer, crime analyst, technical crime scene investigator, and writer of magic and mystery. Now retired from the “real world,” she lives in Oklahoma and spends her days at the computer with two Newfoundland dogs, the cat who rules them all, and myriad characters all clamoring for attention. She writes dark paranormal thrillers, time travel romance, and light contemporary with a kiss of suspense. To find out more about Silver, visit her at www.silverjames.com, email her at silverjames@swbell.net, or follow her infrequent tweets at @SilverJames_.

5 Question Interview of a New Adult Romance Author - Morgan Knight

Welcome back to the Weird, the Wild, and the Wicked. Today I have the honor of hosting new adult romance author Morgan Knight with her newest release, Walking Into Darkness. Morgan and I have known each other for a while and we share the love of the weird and off the wall. Morgan is graciously offering the chance to win a copy of her book and an Amazon gift card.

Welcome, Morgan. Thank you for being with me today.

Thank you for having me!

What started you on the path to writing new adult romance?

I’m not sure why I am drawn to the genre since, cough, I’m a couple years away from the sucky number 40. Maybe I yearn to stay young. Yeah, I bet that’s correct. I’ve tried to hold at 29 for years and it isn’t working! LOL. What I enjoy most about new adult is that I can sprinkle in life lessons I’ve learned. I hope they are subtle and somehow help younger readers. Or maybe it’s because I’m a mom and don’t want to see others make the same mistakes. Who knows? I will say that I am very young at heart and at times can’t believe I’m, cough, close to 40.

Congratulations on your release of Walking Into Darkness. Introduce us to the main characters and premise of your story.

The main character is Samantha Wright, a college graduate who has been unsuccessful at landing at job. Her life hasn’t been typical and all she yearns for is happiness and to be accepted the way she is. The premise of the story is her journey after moving back home and finding out disturbing information about her family, an ancient prophesy, and a twin sister named Sadie that may or may not be alive. During her quest to unravel the secrets, Samantha meets William, a hot priest to be. William wants to be her knight in shining armor and fights the desire to be more than just Samantha’s friend. As the two delve into the world of ancient prophesies, Samantha’s life is put in danger, and William’s oath to the church is as well. All in all, the story is one of finding love, even with the most unlikely of people. It is also about finding acceptance and happiness.

Did anything in particular inspire this story?

I think the biggest inspiration for this story comes from my own battles when I was younger. Mind you, I didn’t come from a family like Samantha’s, but I struggled to find my way, overcome the pain of the past, and all I ever yearned for was happiness. My road, much like Samantha’s, was full of potholes and detours. My life has been about self discovery and understanding that although flawed, I’ve overcome and found my rainbow. I hope the story is a reminder to readers that there are times when life looks bleak, and at times it seems to continually get worse, but we should push on, because we never know what life has in store for us.

That's a great wish. With your studies of myth and religion, did you discover anything surprising about yourself?

I’ve studied history and religions for years. I grew up very southern, attending services, and yet something has always been missing. My research was an attempt to understand religion better and how it came about. I wanted to understand why prayers aren’t answered, why some are destined to be left behind while others bloom and find happiness. I must say, for years I was a very miserable person. When I finally realized that my happiness depended on me and myself only, life got better. I am in control and I take responsibility. Not to offend anyone, but my research into ancient religions was a real eye-opener. I respect others and their beliefs, and hope others will respect my decision as well. My life and outlook changed the day I quit trying to please someone else. So to answer your question, in my research, I found out that I am Agnostic and it surprised the hell out of me. I can say with certainty, I’ve been a happier person since I accepted it.

I'm so glad you found something that fits well with you, Morgan. What other projects are on the horizon for you that we’re likely to see?

Coming up will be Sadie’s Story as the prophesy continues to be revealed and you will learn more about my Gothic dressed cutie.

That sounds great. Thank you for joining me today, Morgan, and we look forward to all your upcoming releases!

Morgan is graciously offering an e-copy of her book to one lucky commenter. She didn't have any specifics, but to be eligible to win, you must leave a comment and follow both mine and Morgan's blogs. The giveaway will run until Friday September 13 2013 at 8:00 pm Pacific time, so comment away. You can follow my blog under the pomegranate on the right sidebar. To follow Morgan's, click on the link.

If you can't wait that long and would like a copy of Walking Into Darkness, you can find it at:

Amazon

You can find Morgan at:

Blog

Facebook

Twitter

EXCERPT

William gently shut the door as I kicked off my shoes. I felt him behind me and shuddered. He placed his hands on my shoulders and pressed against my back. Gentle kisses on my neck made me hum immediately. The heat from his body warmed me and I felt his hard length push into my back.

“I need you.” William whispered into my ear.

A rush of wetness built between my thighs. I allowed a soft sigh to escape when he squeezed both my breasts and flicked his thumbs over my nubs. Inside I was screaming for more. I reached around to grab hold of his hips, pulling him tighter to me. We began to move, rubbing our bodies together, taking as much pleasure as we could from just touching.

I’ve never wanted anything or anyone so much. My pulse increased and my breathing came in quick bursts. William lifted my shirt, taking it off. Without delay his hands were back on my skin. Everywhere his fingertips touched left my skin tingling. He turned me around and lowered his mouth to mine. Urgency flooded between us as our kiss became hungry. We moaned as our tongues slid together, lips pressing roughly together.

I needed to feel his skin on mine. My hands tugged his shirt from his jeans. I started to fumble with the buttons. My fingers trembled so hard I couldn’t even complete the simple task. Fuck it! I grabbed the shirt and yanked, sending buttons flying. Light pings sounded where they crashed to the floor. William growled, kissing me harder.

Our hands explored and teased. The passion between us had built up so much we couldn’t stand it any longer. He unbuttoned my jeans and shoved them down in one motion. I stepped out of one leg and got my foot hung in the other side and stumbled. God, I was a clumsy mess. William caught me and pushed me down on the soft bed. I gasped. I felt as though my heart would explode.

“Let me help you with those,” William stated in a voice so deep and thick with passion, my body hummed with delight.

He slowly pulled my jeans and panties off, dropping them to the floor. I was mesmerized by the sight of him. Tall, lean, and built to perfection. His plump lips curved into a sensual grin as he began to unbutton his jeans. I quivered and watched, almost demanding that he hurry up. The zipper eased down at a snail’s pace, and my stomach flip flopped with enthusiasm.

“Gorgeous.” I exhaled the word as he pushed his jeans and boxers down. Muscles rippled down his stomach, flexing, delighting my eyes. He was perfection, from his sexy tousled hair, deep chocolate eyes, and plump lips to his fit and toned body. I dare guess, but if a god designed William, I was grateful and in awe of him.

William’s erection popped out, and I couldn’t help but gasp loudly. Hot moisture continued to build at the apex of my legs. He held himself and lightly stroked his length as I watched. I wiggled my finger for him to come to me. I scooted back on the bed and he followed. He crawled forward slowly, with fierce eyes, a predator victorious with his prey in his sights. He was large and opposing compared to me. The soft light of the moon highlighted his beautiful features. Tan skin wrapped over his magnificent body. His wide chest beckoned me to touch. He offered a devilish grin as he lower his body over mine, trapping me under him.

He stared at me for a moment as if creating a memory. His sensual eyes flickered with enjoyment before he nipped my bottom lip, teasing me. I couldn’t take it anymore. I grabbed his neck and pulled his mouth against mine. We were almost there, finally naked, in a bed, alone. I wiggled with anticipation when our tongues delved deep, hungry and wanting. William’s hand began a tortuous glide from my collarbone down over my breast, easing further to my stomach that clenched tight. It had been so long since I had been touched so intimately, but nothing could hold a candle to this experience.

Thanks for stopping by and happy reading!

#ThursThreads - Week 83 - Winners

Week 83 of #ThursThreads had some terrific tales. I'm honored to see all of the returning writers and read your stories. Thank you for coming back again and again to write. And welcome to the new folks who stopped by. Great thanks to Cara Michaels for judging this week. :)

Entries:

• Dr. Mike Reddy | @DoctorMikeReddy
• Rafe Brox | @etcet
• Charley S. | @Charley_001
• Mark Ethridge | @LurchMunster
• Veronica Jordan | @RevolutionaryVJ
• Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil
• Greg Nance | @acenance
• Kelly Heinen | @Aightball
• Lizzie Koch | @Lizzie_Koch
• Silver James | @SilverJames_
• Brandon Yusuf Toropov | @BYToropov
• Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir
• Nellie Batz | @solimond
• David A. Ludwig | @DavidALudwig

Winners Announcement:

Honorable Mentions

Rafe Brox | @etcet

Cara says: I started giggling at “oncoming storm” and was laughing out loud by the end. I love a good nod to fandom.

David A. Ludwig | @DavidALudwig

Cara says: I enjoyed the hints of epic fantasy unfolding and the pair of unlikely friends in Craig the warrior and Peter the priest.

Veronica Jordan | @RevolutionaryVJ

Cara says: A quiet, well-written story leading to an unexpected (but relevant to many writers, I’m sure) reveal at the end.

Week 83 Winner

Silver James | @SilverJames_

Cara says: Keeping 250 words or less coherent and engaging is always a challenge. Silver, your story caught my attention with clean, clear writing and an amusing set up that carried through to the end. Ariel’s mischievous character came through strongest, but Sade sure makes an entrance. Now I wonder what Caleb will do once he’s free, lol. These three sound like quite the trio of trouble. :)

Ariel gripped the leash tighter, his fae strength tested by the furry fury attempting to twist free. A muzzle kept Caleb from biting but didn’t silence his angry growls and whines.

The veterinarian returned with a large syringe and a small glass ampule.

Caleb’s scrabbling paws and growls turned frantic.

“Easy, boy,” the vet soothed as he eyed the huge animal with some distrust. “I have to admit he’s the biggest Siberian Husky I’ve ever seen.”

Ari smiled and pushed his magic gently toward the doctor. “He probably has some wolf in his DNA somewhere.” He watched the human vet prepare the injection while doing his utmost to hide the smile threatening to flood the room with glee.

“Will the rabies shot hurt him?”

The vet shook his head and smiled. “Not at all. In and out with a quick swipe of alcohol.” The man grabbed a fold of Caleb’s fur and was about to slide the needle in when the door banged open.

“What the fuck?” One very angry FBI agent stood in the door, hand on her weapon, her green eyes glittering like shards of broken glass under the noon sun. “Back away, Doctor.”

“I beg your pardon.”

“That’s not a dog, Doctor.”

He looked confused. “Of course it’s a dog.”

“No sir. That’s one very pissed off werewolf.” Sade glared at the fae. “Ari, you are such a jerk. Soon as the fairy dust wears off, you’re all Caleb’s.”

Ariel gulped. “Do I get a head start?”

Congratulations Three Time Winner Silver, Rafe, David, and Veronica! Don't forget to claim your badges and display them with pride. You certainly earned it! :)

Pass on the great news on Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus, shiny mirrors, Morse Code, and signal flags. Check out all the stories here. Thanks for stopping by and happy reading! :)

Six Sentence Sunday - The Bone Flute - Dead Things

 Happy Six Sentence Sunday! Thank you so much for visiting and taking the time to read this week's snippet. I really appreciate your time and the comments you leave for me. While my sixes aren't always right after each other, they are in chronological order. If you'd like to read last week's SSS post, it's here.

Today I'm offering another snippet from The Bone Flute, a paranormal romantic suspense. Remember the box? In this snippet, Rain Szep opens the wooden box and finds a rather grisly discovery.

Looking down at the bone flute, Rain suspected her job had contributed to the dubious gift. Her grandmother had known she studied old bones and the flute probably seemed like the ideal gift to give a paleontologist. Unfortunately, the artifact should’ve gone to an archaeologist because Rain didn’t have much to do with human remains.

Even oddly carved human remains.

Closing the lid carefully, she said, “Probably because she’d heard I was a dead thing specialist. This certainly is a dead thing.”

Yes it is, and she has no idea what a 'lucky' girl she is. :D There are several great authors on the Six Sentence Sunday list and a few of my favorites are Karla Doyle, Sarah Ballance, Silver James, Zee Monodee, and Goran Zidar. Thank you for stopping by and happy reading! :)

Author Spolight: Alex Bowman, Erotic Romance Author

Good morning, dear readers. I have the great pleasure to introduce Alex Bowman, M/M erotic romance author. His debut release, Losing His Religion, is from Evernight Publishing, and he's generously offered a excerpt and a giveaway. This is M/M erotic romance, so if that's not your cup of tea, please skip to the bottom of this post and leave a comment for Alex.

Now, the BLURB for Losing His Religion:

Discarded most of his life, Jamie had learned as a teen that he was a Soul Collector, one of a mysterious group who fought the demons that attacked fellow humans. Cast out into the world, alone, the orphan fought hard to find his way, ending up in a seminary of all places. But chastity wasn’t a problem. He had no time or trust for relationships, let alone love.

Ios felt protective of the Soul Collector, the one the prophecy claimed would one day be his mate. Following the human for years, Ios had done everything he could to ensure his safety without stepping out of the shadows. He also held his lust in check, knowing Jamie would never accept him.

The time was upon them to join forces. Could Jamie handle who and what Ios was, and trust the growing feelings between them before it was too late?

ADULT EXCERPT

“So did you?”

“Did I?”

“Know I was yours the moment you saw me?” Jamie pinned him with a look of lust he’d never quite seen flash on the man’s face before.

Mine. Ios’s felt the rush of need spiral through him with such force that it nearly took him to his knees. His cock thickened and he felt his balls tighten. His whispered “Yes…” floated on the air, his body trembling with the hard-won control to stand in place and not cross the room and force the human to the floor under him.

“I don’t know that I believe in fated lovers, predetermined to find one another.”

“I’m not asking you to believe in anything.” Ios believed enough for the both of them.

“I will admit, there is something…” 

Something?  “What?” He needed Jamie to say it, that he wanted Ios. Needed Ios.

Jamie’s face flamed and he glanced down, apparently unable to put the emotions he felt into words.

Fuck it. Control is overrated.

Ios stomped across the small space, grasped Jamie’s head in his hands and pressed his lips against the smoldering heat of the human’s mouth. Swallowing the gasp of pleasure, he thrust his tongue into Jamie’s mouth and tasted the ale left lingering there, as well as the heat and taste of his male.

When he felt Jamie’s hands spreading across his chest and moving down his stomach, he tightened his whole body, needing for the hands to venture further south, needing the male to show him that he wanted more through his exploration. As warm hands rubbed against his hardened cock through his jeans he could have shouted in joy. He deepened the kiss, pressing his hips forward, languishing in the caress from his male.

Ripping the shirt open, baring Jamie’s chest, the tinkering of buttons hitting the stone floor echoed around him. Ios spread his fingers along the hard muscles before him. Jamie removed the shirt, dropping it to the floor. The material puddled around his feet and Ios wanted more to follow. His shaking fingers pulled at the belt buckle Jamie wore, and he tugged at the leather, not wanting to remove his lips from the human’s.

Pulling back, he was afraid the moment would be lost if he could not keep Jamie in a frenzy. His need was too great. He could not be denied this time. Ios would have the male now, or he would explode.

Warm hands steadied his. “Let me.”

Jamie gazed into his eyes, slowly removing the belt and dropping it to the floor. His hands then went to the top of his pants and he unbuttoned them. The slow pull of the zipper reminded him that he was overclothed as well. Ios removed his t-shirt in a flash and kicked off his shoes. By the time his pants were gone, Jamie also stood naked.

His hands ached to touch the male, to explore every single inch of flesh he had to offer up for his inspection. Jamie was beautiful. Small, firm muscles curved over his slim build, his skin nearly unmarred. The wound in his chest was no longer visible.

A small smattering of blond hair started below his belly button and thickened as it surrounded his jutting cock. Fully erect, it stood proud against his stomach, a pearl of fluid shining at the tip of the purple head. Thick veins spread along the shaft and Ios’s mouth watered to taste the flesh. Dropping to his knees before his human, he got a closer look at what the male had to offer.

Alex is offering one lucky commenter a copy of Losing His Religion. Just leave a valid email address or Twitter handle for us to contact you should you win. Contest ends Thursday, May 31st at 8:00pm PDT.

If you can't wait until then, Losing His Religion is available now from:
Amazon
All Romance Ebooks
Bookstrand
Evernight Publishing
Smashwords 

If you'd like to connect with Alex, you can find him:
Facebook
Goodreads
Blog

Thanks for stopping by and happy reading! :)

5 Questions of a Paranormal Science Fiction Author, Jason McKinney

Welcome back to the Weird, the Wild, and the Wicked. I have the honor of hosting paranormal science fiction author Jason McKinney for the beginning of his blog tour with a new release. Jason shares my love of the fantastic and lycanthropic, and his new release, Dog World, is just the thing to get us all howling. Plus, he’s offering one lucky commenter an autographed copy of Dog World and two runners-up will receive an e-copy.

Welcome, Jason. Thank you for being with me today.

Thank you for having me, Siobhan. I’m very pleased to be featured on The Weird, the Wild and the Wicked. From what my wife and a few others have told me, I’m a big unbalanced package of all three. :)

LOL. She’s a lucky lady, then. What started you on the path to becoming an author?

One night, ten years ago, I was about to read my son a bedtime story, when he asked for an all new adventure instead of a traditional tale. I was half asleep when I began, but I was able to come up with a story based on my wife’s albino German Shepard, Teddy. I’m told I spent a half hour telling the tale, but being so out of it then, I barely remembered it. The next day my wife, Tabitha, suggested I write it out. I looked at her and said, “What story?” She then recounted what I’d told Christopher the night before and needled me again to put it to paper. A year later I did just that. I ended up writing five tales titled Sheriff Teddy’s Mysteries, and I hope to get those released soon.

That’s awesome! What a great dad to do that. J

Congratulations on your new release on Dog World. Introduce us to the main characters and premise of your story.

Dog World is the first in a werewolf apocalyptic series. The protagonist in charge, Karl Vance, has been plotting to make werewolves the dominate species since the bubonic plague outbreak in 14^th century Europe. Over time he’s cultivated contacts while amassing an army and wealth to make his goal a reality. In the end the invasion of Iraq proved to be the perfect beachhead to initiate his final solution to the human question.

There is no singular lead character in Dog World, but there is a core group of characters made up of diverse individuals. Captain Paul Demarti and Major Omi Kunpai are the heart of the group while Specialist Gloria Tan, Sergeant Cameron Mitchell, and Chief Warrant Officer Brenda Walinski are my strong female cast.

Demarti is the level headed communications executive officer stationed at one of the attacked forward operations bases and Kunpai is a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is Marine infantry officer sent to investigate loss of communication with Demarti’s post.

Tan is a communications soldier under Demarti that survives the initial attacks and becomes a hardened lycan hunter while Mitchell is a human sympathizing lycan who initially wants nothing to do with either side.

Now Walinski is my personal favorite as well as a favorite to Dog World fans. She’s an Apache helicopter pilot that becomes injured after her squadron is decimated at Demarti’s base. What makes her fun is the injuries she sustains in her helicopter’s crash that causes her to have extra personalities living in her head afterwards.

I can say she’d be my favorite, but I’m a sucker for helicopters. Did anything in particular inspire this story?

The inspiration for Dog World was a short story I scribbled 13 years ago. It was about an American infantry platoon doing maneuvers in Ireland when they encounter something they could never have imagined. Their maneuvers turned into a fight for their lives and those of a small village against marauding werewolves. I stuck that story in the drawer that we writers exile things to when we don’t think they’re good enough. Tabitha, however, loved it and urged me for years to do more with it, but I shrugged her urgings off, convinced that it belonged in “the drawer”. Then we saw the movie Dog Soldiers and she brought up my old story. She kept saying things like, “See that? There’s a market for your story. That movie’s a hit” After I finished my last Sheriff Teddy I finally decided to drag the idea out and turn it into Dog World.

What made you choose lycans (werewolves) over other paranormal creatures?

Werewolves scare me and I mean, they really scare me. I’ve loved Lon Chaney, Jr’s The Wolf Man since I was a kid, but it was seeing Silver Bullet as a ten year-old that truly made me fearful of them. Everett McGill was delightfully scary as the lycan villain. He set a tone for me that only Dog Soldiers has followed. I read Cycle of the Werewolf years after seeing the movie and it scared me to the point that I loved the emotion. It also doesn’t hurt that werewolves as a whole get the crap end of the stick when it comes to the majority of media, and I wanted them to be the ones on top for a change.

I always cheer for the werewolves. J What other projects are on the horizon for you that we’re likely to see?

I’m currently working on the sequel to Dog World titled Dog ‘Verse and a werewolf zombie mash-up titled Werewolves of the Dead. I’m also finishing up proof reading my Sheriff Teddy books for release. My manager *cough, cough, wife* would like to see those in circulation.

Thank you for joining me today, Jason, and we look forward to all your upcoming releases!

And thank you for having me aboard, Siobhan. It’s been a pleasure and an honor to be on your site, and to be grilled in such a fun way. :) 

Jason is graciously giving away a signed copy of Dog World to one lucky commenter, and two copies of the ebook to two other commenters. All you have to do is is leave a valid email address or Twitter handle so we can contact you if you win. The giveaway will run from Monday, May 14th until 8:00 pm PDT Thursday, May 17th. The winner will be announced here on the blog on Friday morning.

Here's the blurb to Dog World:

As the war in Iraq gathered momentum in 2003, a separate, secret conflict took shape between humans and lycanthropes, or lycans – biped wolves that consume human flesh. Galvanized by the growing human conflict across the globe and intent on seizing the opportunity, the werewolves launch a full-scale assault on humanity, decimating the population and changing the course of history. Captain Paul Demarti, a U.S. soldier on the front lines in Iraq, is among the survivors of the attack and now leads a small band of determined fighters hoping to preserve the human race. As borders between ally and lycan blur, paranoia and anxiety mount. The group learns they must trust one another and work together in order to survive. Hope dwindles as the conflict continues and the humans must decide what they are willing to sacrifice in order to create a future for their kind. Readers craving a compelling story coursing with humor will relish sinking their teeth into Jason McKinney’s furiously fast-paced and viciously fanged Dog World.

If you’d like a copy of Dog World, and can't wait for the giveaway, you can find it at:

Amazon (paperback)

Amazon (ebook)

If you'd like to find out more about Jason McKinney, you can find him on:

Website

Twitter

Facebook

Dog World on Facebook

EXCERPT

The top of his dark flesh grew darker, new hair sprouted all over. Its flesh had the appearance of rapidly flowering, perverse new forestation, growing over barren, pain clotted land.

His uniform ripped, and the sound forced Zellar to try to move away. She became tangled in her own wobbly feet, and fell to the floor. She desperately scooted away from the terror filling her mind, body and soul. She struggled to get to the door as quickly as she could force her mangled body. Escape and evasion thinking gave way to panic. Her thoughts didn’t extend past getting the fuck out and surviving to the next minute. Retreat was her only plan and she had no idea where safety might be found.

The building was empty. No one showed up around a corner to investigate the commotion. Zellar felt that she was alone in ways she didn’t want. She paused, watching, too terrified to move.

Taylor stomped to Zellar and grabbed her by the throat, lifting her off her feet.

She felt his claws growing into her neck. She could feel one touching a throbbing artery. The artery pulsed under the pressure before the claw pierced it.

Thanks so much for stopping by and happy reading! :)