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The Blood Dagger
Misty Hayes Author Interview
The Watchers follows Larna and her friend Corinth on a mission to destroy the most vile of vampires, Gabriel. What were some ideas you brought from book 1 in the series and what were some new ideas you wanted to explore in this book?
I wanted Gabriel Stanton to be more than just a one-dimensional villain. In Volume two, it was important that I show his motivations on why he does what he does, but I also wanted to make people hate him, and then by the end of the book make him a little less vile. In Volume three I will definitely play on this more.
With any vampire book today you can’t help but compare it to Twilight, which I think your book far exceeds. What were some sources of inspiration for you while writing?
It’s funny you should mention Twilight. I mean, I get it, Twilight is one of the most popular stories out there. I started writing The Blood Dagger series in 2012 – at the height of Twilight’s popularity. Twilight was in part, one of the reasons I started my own vampire series. But it was really important for me to create a more relatable female protagonist. Someone far from perfect; who had a lot of growing to do in order to find her strength. It was also extremely important to me that my story more about the plot and less about pining over the love interest. Don’t get me wrong, I still like the ‘chosen one love triangle’ scenario, but I didn’t want to make it the main focus. My sources of inspiration are Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files, Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments, and Alexandra Bracken’s Darkest Mind series.
If Hollywood came knocking, what actresses/actors would you cast as the main characters?
Oh man! Don’t tease me . . . I would absolutely LOVE for this to happen! And I unashamedly admit that I might have thought about it:
- Larna – She’s always existed solely in my head, but I saw Dumplin’ the other day and I loved Maddie Baillio’s performance in it. She played Willowdean’s friend, Millie, in the Netflix original movie.
- Corinth – He’s a mix between Zach Levi, Andrew Garfield, and Jay Baruchel – I’ve actually never publically told anyone this until now.
- Alastair – I don’t have anyone set to play Alastair – I haven’t found his Hollywood Doppelgänger yet.
- Gabriel Stanton – Justin Baldoni from Jane the Virgin.
Where will book three in The Blood Dagger series pick up and when will it be available?
Volume three will pick up right where I left off from The Watchers. It will be just as action-packed and full of suspense. There will be plenty more surprises and plot twists included. Volume three: Tree of Souls is planned for a release date set in December 2019.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
![The Watchers: The Blood Dagger Series by [Hayes, Misty]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51HXB0Tv5KL.jpg)
Eighteen-year-old Corinth Taylor didn’t sign up to become a Watcher—an elite warrior destined to restore balance to the human race—he was chosen. Corinth can barely control his own hormones … much less the deadly blade. And to make matters worse, his best friend, Larna, just so happens to be the very thing he’s supposed to eliminate.
But when vampires and slayer find a common enemy, Corinth knows it’s his innate calling to hunt evil down. And evil has a name: Gabriel Stanton. The enigmatic vampire who escaped their capture, has plans for Corinth, Larna, and Alastair … and it’s a threat they’ll never see coming.
When the line between good and evil gets crossed, devastating consequences start to happen. As Watcher and vampire worlds collide, Corinth must decide where to place his trust: with his old allies or his killer instincts.
An upstart slayer. A clan of vampires. What could go wrong?
It’s only the end of the world.
The Watchers is the second book in The Blood Dagger series, a high-octane paranormal YA thriller. If you like witty heroines, unconventional relationships, and friendships that can withstand the grave, then you’ll love Misty Hayes’ high-stakes story.
Sink your teeth into a fun, fierce vampire series today.
A Memory of Solstice
![A Memory of Solstice (Dark Ocean Book 1) by [Chandler, Caleb]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51XFHWyaKDL.jpg)
A Memory of Solstice by Caleb Chandler opens in the middle of the night in a dark and eerie museum in Washington D.C. James and Billy are the night guards and the night will not be a successful one for them. There are some otherworldly forces at work; intent on retrieving a keystone the museum has in its collection.
This sets the stage for the reader’s introduction to Lincoln, a peculiar workaholic lawyer who lives alone with his three-legged dog, Sadie. All is not what it seems with Lincoln either. A strange man named Wes approaches Lincoln and starts a conversation about biology and genetics and genetic mutations.
Later, Wes approaches Lincoln again to inform him that the company Wes works for has been watching Lincoln for a while. He also tells Lincoln that he knows things about him that make him special. He then proceeds to ask Lincoln if he will help Wes and his company, Xelix, by approaching five more people who are like Lincoln to some degree.
While Lincoln is not happy at this intrusion into his life, he does finally concede and agree to help. He then goes on a journey to collect the others like him: Hannah, a woman who works with flowers and plants: Nathan, a paleontologist: Talon, a police officer: Bennett, a personal trainer for the body and mind: and Micah, a young, petty criminal who has not yet found his way in life.
They all find themselves gathered at Xelix. Nothing is what is seems and things quickly take a turn for the worse. The action really picks up at this point as the reader learns more about each character and different worlds are discovered and explored.
Although the story was a bit hard to understand at times, I think that can be attributed to the fact that there was so much going on. I think the book could benefit from differentiating the characters a bit more. At times, the way they spoke kind of ran together and I had to check to see who was speaking.
With that said, the story was very good. I found myself turning pages quickly to see what might happen next. The action never got boring. Each page brought more surprises and unexpected events. The book kept me entertained. The story felt very ambitious and although the twists occasionally were difficult to follow the author was able to deliver some moments that made me gasp.
I very much enjoyed this book for it’s thought provoking themes and elegant character development. If you like supernatural thrillers, this is the book for you. The story is especially effective when introducing new worlds and unusual characters that were fantastic but still authentic, which reminded me of Jim Butcher’s same ability in the Dresden Files. I was very impressed with the books attention to detail and the way the author painted pictures with words. Get ready for an adventure!
Pages: 503 | ASIN: B07D9WQXKQ
Shoot First, Ask No Questions
Joe Canzano Author Interview
Suzy Spitfire Kills Everybody is a genre-crossing novel with elements of over-the-top action, science fiction, and dark humor as well. Did you start writing with this in mind, or did this happen organically as you were writing?
The science fiction part was planned, but the rest evolved. I started out with a loose goal to try and write something like Neuromancer, but it ended up being a lot less serious.
Suzy is a fugitive on the run and takes no crap from anyone. What were some of the trials that you felt were important to highlight her character’s development?
The situations involving her tendency to be impulsive – her inclination to shoot first, ask no questions, and then shoot again. Also, the situations involving trust. Suzy isn’t very trusting, but it’s hard to get through a good fight without a few friends, and she needs to deal with that.
There was rarely a dull moment in the story and I enjoyed the rapid fire action. How did you balance action with storytelling?
I try to make the action all about how the characters react to the stress. The real story is in the characters, otherwise it’s just a bunch of empty gunfire and explosions. To paraphrase Jim Butcher, “The action is just a light show.”
Also, I think action comes in different forms. Two people talking is action – as long as there’s tension, or it’s entertaining in a way that relates to the plot, or both. Kurt Vonnegut once said that “Every line should either reveal character or advance the plot.” I think about that quote a lot.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I have outlines for four new books, but I’m not sure which one I want to do. One of the outlines is for another Suzy Spitfire story, and I might do it. It was a fun book to write. It would be available next year.
Author Links: Website | GoodReads
When outlaw Suzy Spitfire discovers her father was murdered after creating a super-duper artificial intelligence, she races across the solar system in search of the brain he built—but it’s a rough ride, and she’s soon forced to tangle with pirates, predators, and her father’s killer—as well as a man she thinks she can love.
Suzy Spitfire Kills Everybody is a smash-bang sci-fi adventure filled with action, intrigue, and a dose of dark humor.
Giving Away 5 Jim Butcher Box Sets!
Jim Butcher Box Set (Dresden Files) (3 Book Series) Kindle Edition
The Hungry Monster is giving away a Kindle edition Jim Butcher Box set. All you have to do is follow @monster_review on Twitter and Retweet this giveaway. EASY!
How to Win: Follow @monster_review and Retweet this giveaway on Twitter
How are the winners chosen: 5 winners will be chosen randomly
The giveaway starts 10/11/2016 and ends 11/11/2016
ENTER GIVEAWAY
The Jim Butcher Box set includes:
For Harry Dresden, Chicago’s only professional wizard, business, to put it mildly, stinks. So when the police bring him in to consult on a grisly double murder committed with black magic, Harry’s seeing dollar signs. But where there’s black magic, there’s a black mage behind it. And now that mage knows Harry’s name.
Could a werewolf be loose in Chicago? Common sense says no. The grisly evidence says yes. So does Harry Dresden. And with his weird connections, he should know.
In all his years of supernatural sleuthing, Harry Dresden has never faced anything like this: the spirit world’s gone postal. These ghosts are tormented, violent, and deadly. Someone-or something-is purposely stirring them up to wreak unearthly havoc. But why? If Harry doesn’t figure it out soon, he could wind up a ghost himself.
LITERARY TITAN 