This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Barb Jones will be awarding a $15 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
Where are you from? Did you have a happy childhood?
I grew up in New York but I was an orphan. I spent the first 9 years of my childhood in the orphanage. But, that’s when I met my parents for the first time. It wasn’t a happy childhood before then and as soon as they took me home, it was great. I always did what I could to make them proud. Even graduating from college with the highest honors.
Where do you live now and what do you do for a living? Is there something you'd rather be doing?
I live now in Seattle. I took a position as the curator for the Macedonian Art at the Seattle Museum of Science and History. I’m not sure what I could be doing right now. Everything is in turmoil for me. I don’t picture myself in any other position career wise. I mean, being the youngest curator is a dream and to work with this exhibit is amazing. I have a great boss, Malakai Ridgewater, but there’s something about him. It’s like I know him much longer than we’ve been friends. Chloe is one of my dearest friends.
What's going on in your life right now?
Can I sum it up in one word – A LOT!!! I am the Queen that has been destined for saving all the supernatural races. I didn’t understand how, but in a way I see why. I mean, I was born human but not fully human. My real father was a werewolf, my mother a powerful witch. And now, I’m a vampire. I guess you could say, I’m a real Heinz 57 so to speak. A little of everything in me. I know right now, we are preparing for the battle. Who knows how it will turn out but honestly, I’m afraid. I don’t know if I can save the world or what if I die? I have Zaraquel to think about, Rae and so many others.
Tell me about your friend Chloe. What is that friendship like?
If I ever had a sister, Chloe would be the one. She’s more than my best friend, my confidante, my sister. I know I can never have a child, being the Queen and a vampire, but there’s something about Zaraquel, her daughter, that makes me think of her like she would be my child. I don’t take anything away from Chloe but Chloe is understanding about my relationship and love for my goddaughter. I know I would protect Zaraquel as if I was her own mother. Chloe is my true best friend. Life would not be the same without her.
How is your relationship with your parents now that they know who you really are or did you not tell them?
That’s the funny thing about families. You can do anything, make mistakes, and they will always be there for you. It was hard to tell my parents about who I became, who I was destined to be. It was hard to talk about the supernatural because they were not familiar that this exists. But, it really surprised me. Chloe and I made a surprise trip to see my parents and for me to tell them. I wanted to know more about my past. Chloe made it easy to show them things they’ve never seen before. In the end, it was probably the best visit I ever had with my parents. I know they worry for my safety but when Chloe told them about Zaraquel and how much that little angel means to me, somehow they knew everything would be ok. In fact, my father, gave Chloe a family heirloom that he asked me if it could be given to Chloe. He wanted to make sure I was OK with it because he wanted Chloe and I to know that they accepted her into our family. In fact, my mother sent us home with her cake to share with the others.
Are you in love?
I love Michal but somehow he’s changed. I’m not sure what’s in store for us or what the fates hold but I do love him. Then, there is a part of me that is pulling away. The longer he stays like he is – I don’t know. My friendships with the others – they are what keeps me focused as we prepare for the battle. I’m scared to know if he will be the one to save me or kill me. Sometimes I feel like that with everyone. I’m always running it seems. To save the world or have someone try to kill me.
What’s your favorite book of all time?
Well, if you didn’t realize it by now, I’m a nerd. Look at where I work. What young adult under thirty works in a Museum of Science and Natural History and loves it? But, I read this book in college about the History of Babylonia from Beginning to End. I don’t know why but it’s a book I could read over and over.
What was the appeal of that book?
It’s funny that you ask that. Before I met Chloe and everyone, I think I just liked it because of the history and the way Mesopotamia was. But now, I feel that having read that book changed me. It’s really part of who I am and that understanding goes a long way in trying to unravel the prophecy. But the history of that area in the world is like part of my story, waiting to be told. The other aspect that I liked was that this part of the world cultivated itself. If you think about it, they formed their own way of existence and evolved. That is really what is fascinating to me.
Nevertheless, the Tall Dark Man had set a plan in motion that could threaten the very existence of the Blood Prophecy. Would he gather his dark forces and succeed in destroying Amber once and for all? Or, would she assemble her powerful friends and save the world?
One night when he was making his rounds in the forest to see if he could find any scraps tourists left behind when camping, he heard a soft whisper.
“Briar….”
He stilled at the sound of his name, and turned around to see no one or nothing in sight.
He was alone.
In the dark.
So, he crouched down and continued to shine the flashlight.
“…Hexham.”
He stopped once more and looked over his shoulder. His forehead crinkled with lines of confusion. “Hexham? Who the hell is Hexham?” His voice was thick with an English accent.
The bodiless voice laughed, and the closer he listened, the more definite the voice became. A woman’s voice spoke to him loud and clear, as if she were standing right in front having a conversation with him.
Briar’s voice quivered, partly from fear and partly from fascination. “Who are you? Where are you?” He shined the flashlight but saw nothing. Complete darkness and trees, that was it.
The woman’s voice laughed mockingly in return. “Who I am is not important—for now. But I am everywhere and nowhere, all the same.”
As the voice spoke, Briar felt a sense of ease overwhelm his body. The fear and anxiety dissipated. For the first time in his life, he felt like he belonged, truly and deeply, just by the sound of her voice.
“You do belong. We are family, a family of witches. The most powerful to have walked the earth. We lost you, but now you are found.”
He looked out to no one in particular, but his shock was evident. “Witches? That’s ludicrous.”
The scarier, the better.
My love for the supernatural never went away, even after moving to Seattle, far from Hawaii's majestic beaches with unusual colors. Nothing compares to the landscapes of Maui, Lanai, or Oahu. But somehow, Seattle stole my heart anyway. It became the place where my love for stories took on a new form, in a book of my own: The Adventures of Little Arthur and Merlin the Magnificent. This book is for kids who love stories, just like I did.
Then I had an idea while sleeping.
One night, my mind began to work overtime. In a dream, I saw a unique storyline involving all the races and an epic battle of good versus evil. It was a modern day plot with a three thousand year old prophecy, The Blood Prophecy. I finished the first book in 2014, The Queen's Destiny. Two years later, I released The Queen's Enemy. The last book in the series, The Queen's Ascension, released on August 17, 2020.
Today, I live in Florida with its beaches and sunshine. But I'm still a Seattle girl at heart. And so all my stories take place in the Northwest.
I always keep to my roots when I write.
Website: https://www.thebloodprophecy.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BloodProphecyBooks/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Blood_Prophecy1
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Amazon Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Queens-Ascension-Prophecy-Barb-Jones-ebook/dp/B08DKK66PM
Barnes and Noble Buy Link: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/queens-ascension-barb-jones/1137386713?ean=2940162985693
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Thank you for hosting me today!
ReplyDeleteIt's been great getting to discover your book and share with the readers in my family. Thank you and thanks for the giveaway.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great read.
ReplyDeleteThe cover looks really pretty!
ReplyDeleteSounds very intriguing and I love the cover! Thanks for sharing!
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