This post is part of a review tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Ash will be awarding a $25 gift card to Amazon or BN as well as a unique handmade book-inspired keychain to a randomly drawn commenter and to a randomly drawn host.Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
Tell us about your current book in 10 words. Words That Bind: It’s a love story about a genie and his therapist.
When do you do most of your reading? In the evening, after supper is cleared and we have a chance to just relax. That’s when I can let my guard down and let someone’s story take over.
Favorite place to read? On the couch, with a blanket and a cup of Darjeeling. Cozy, comforting, and perfect for getting lost in another world.
Favorite genre? Fantasy, of all sorts, from epic to urban. Moorcock, Rawn, Lackey, Weis & Hickman, Hamilton, Huff...I can go on and on.
Do you loan your books? No. I’m a terrible friend when it comes to that, but in the long run, I do my part to help support the authors I love. If we keep buying their books, they will keep writing them for us.
Favorite book to recommend? The Golden Key by Melanie Rawn et al, with the original cover by Michael Whelan. I love everything there is about this book, and I am grateful every day that I found it. I have three copies, and one of them is a paperback that that been loved to shreds. It’s been listed as my “currently reading” selection on Goodreads for years because I’ll never stop reaching for it.
How do you keep your books organized? Ha, ha, ha...I can’t. If they are on a shelf instead of random stacks on the floor, I feel victorious.
Re-reader or not? Definitely! I love re-reading good books. The first time around, I usually am so eager to turn the pages that I miss a lot of the detail. The second time around, I’m rewarded with a deeper look at the story. The third time, I get the whole experience.
What would make you not finish a book? If I can’t get into the main character’s head. If it’s a first person POV, I have to sympathize with what they are doing, thinking. If it’s a multi- character third person, I need to feel at home with one of them or I find it hard to stay in the story. Luckily, I haven’t had a DNF in years. So many excellent writers around, and I just keep finding more.
Keep books or give them away? I’m a keeper—a hoarder, in fact. I just came home with another bookcase. The husband didn’t even make a peep as I carried it in. After 25 years, he’s finally gotten used to it.
READ THE BLURB
Social worker Tam Kerish can’t keep her cool professionalism when steamy client Mr. Burns kindles a desire for more than a client-therapist relationship—so she drops him. However, they discover she’s the talisman to which Burns, an immortal djinn, has been bound since the days of King Solomon...and that makes it difficult.
Ethical guidelines are unequivocal when it comes to personal relationships with clients. However, the djinn has a thawing effect on the usually non-emotive Tam, who begins to feel true emotion whenever he is near. Tam has to make a difficult choice: to stay on the outside, forever looking in...or to turn her back on her entire world, just for the chance to finally experience what it means to fall in love.
READ AN EXCERPT
“So. You’ve destroyed a stereotype for me. A genie who lives in a library. Different.”
“When in Rome, no?” He stirred his cup before setting down the spoon with a light clink against the saucer. “Or, I suppose it is more accurate to say when in human form. When I am Burns, I prefer here.”
“Human form.” It didn’t sound right. Who said things like that, and meant it? “Can you change into anything you want? Any shape at all?”
He stretched out his legs and cocked his head, sliding his gaze up and away. “I suppose I could. I’m getting old and set in my ways. There’s this...” He swept his hands down the line of his body.
Her eyes were unable to keep from following, not even when he lingered over his midsection. Even lounging, his shirt was tightly tucked into his beltline. No belly fat there.
He tilted his head and gave her an upper-teeth smile, nibbling gently at his lower lip. “And apparently this form is pleasing to the eye, so I wear it often. But there are others. Tiger, a favorite. Savage and regal and the colors of flames in the night. Fearsome to behold, but very useful when dealing with physical conditions in which a human form may be outmatched. Plus, I can lash my tail.”
His voice took a teasing, conspirator’s tone. “I love my tail. You’d love it too, if you saw it.” She trained her eyes firmly upon his. No way would she give him the pleasure of checking out his tail.
“When in Rome, no?” He stirred his cup before setting down the spoon with a light clink against the saucer. “Or, I suppose it is more accurate to say when in human form. When I am Burns, I prefer here.”
“Human form.” It didn’t sound right. Who said things like that, and meant it? “Can you change into anything you want? Any shape at all?”
He stretched out his legs and cocked his head, sliding his gaze up and away. “I suppose I could. I’m getting old and set in my ways. There’s this...” He swept his hands down the line of his body.
Her eyes were unable to keep from following, not even when he lingered over his midsection. Even lounging, his shirt was tightly tucked into his beltline. No belly fat there.
He tilted his head and gave her an upper-teeth smile, nibbling gently at his lower lip. “And apparently this form is pleasing to the eye, so I wear it often. But there are others. Tiger, a favorite. Savage and regal and the colors of flames in the night. Fearsome to behold, but very useful when dealing with physical conditions in which a human form may be outmatched. Plus, I can lash my tail.”
His voice took a teasing, conspirator’s tone. “I love my tail. You’d love it too, if you saw it.” She trained her eyes firmly upon his. No way would she give him the pleasure of checking out his tail.
MEET THE AUTHOR
Ash Krafton is a speculative fiction author from northeastern Pennsylvania. Krafton’s first novel, Bleeding Hearts was published in 2012 as part of an urban fantasy trilogy The Books of the Demimonde (Pink Narcissus Press). An urban fantasy novella, Strangers at the Hell Gate, was published by Wild Rose Press in 2013. Her newest release, Words That Bind, won first place in the HeRA RWA “Show Me the Spark” 2013 competition as well as a Zebulon award in 2014.
Krafton also writes New Adult speculative fiction novels under the pen name AJ Krafton. Upcoming titles include The Heartbeat Thief, Face of the Enemy, and the award-winning Takin’ It Back. She is part of a YA/NA collective known as the Infinite Ink Authors.
In addition to novel-length fiction, Krafton enjoys writing poetry and short prose, some of which earned distinctions in various writing competitions. One of her poems was also nominated for the Pushcart Prize. She’s a proud member of Pennwriters, Romance Writers of America, and Pikes Peak Writers. Krafton also writes for the Query Tracker Blog and the Prose and Cons blog.
She resides with her family in northeast Pennsylvania.Facebook: http://facebook.com/ashkraftonauthorTwitter: http://twitter.com/ashkraftonGoodreads: http://goodreads.com/Ash_KraftonPinterest: http://pinterest.com/demimondeashPublisher: http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/maincatalog_v151/index.php? main_page=product_info&cPath=195&products_id=5847
Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteThank you for having me... I enjoyed chatting!
ReplyDeleteGreat interview.
ReplyDeleteGreat excerpt, sounds like an interesting book. Entering under the name of Virginia.
ReplyDelete^^ like you i'm a keeper of books and i can't lend them after loosing some ( or getting them back damaged) they are my treasures^^;; but i do offer some to other books lovers
ReplyDeleteit's sadly a forbidden wish to get more time to read and a huge mansion filled with bookshelf to get all teh books i could want in teh world^^
interesting forbidden excerpt
ReplyDeletebn100candg at hotmail dot com
Ash...I have not read The Golden Key. I'll have to check out your suggestion.
ReplyDeleteGreat interview. I've heard of Melanie Rawn but haven't read her books.
ReplyDelete