Guest Blog with J.E. Hopkins

Thanks so much for having me guest blog on your site.

One of the themes I love to explore in my novels is the struggle characters face overcoming past mistakes and moving forward. In my latest book in the Misfits of the Lore Series, We Shall Rise, the hero, Kaden’s entire life has been defined by the ills of the past that continue to haunt him in the present. Because of his inability to move on and move forward he continues the pattern of making mistake after mistake hurting those he loves most. As an immortal vampire, he has nearly 174 years of wreaking havoc on himself and too many others.
Kaden’s biggest problem is that he allows the past to paralyze him the present. He hasn’t dealt with the demons that continue to haunt him. He can’t outrun those forces, but he evades them day after day.

Unfortunately, as in the real world, there’s no escape. At some point, you have to face your fears. You can’t run forever.

That’s what I love about the heroine Reysa, Kaden’s mate. She sees beyond his brash exterior and forgives him even when he cannot forgive himself. At the same time, she refuses to be his doormat. She will not allow him to take out his anger on her as he has so often done to others. Reysa forces him to deal with the harsh realities that he wants to escape. She uses her strength to lift him when he’s at his weakest. There are certainly many times throughout We Shall Rise where Reysa is justifiably tempted to strangle Kaden, but she is patient with him and loves him despite him. That’s what makes their bond so special.

In the end, Kaden will continue to battle this issue as will many other characters in my series. I think it’s a theme that is not unique to this story. It’s an issue that many of us struggle with on a daily basis. For me, I always try to keep in mind that the past is who you were, the present is who you are and future is who you want to be. None of those people have to be the same. We can always redefine ourselves.

Thanks again for allowing me to guest blog. I hope you enjoy We Shall Rise.



We Shall Rise
By J.E. Hopkins

Book Blurb:

War surrounds him, yet for vampire Kaden Gaspard, there is no greater battle than the one his mind has waged against his heart. He knows he should stay away from her. Reysa. The half-breed vampire warrior who had risked her life to prove his innocence for the seven murders for which he was accused, but had not committed. This stubbornly loyal woman who dedicated her life to her family of misfits - immortals shunned and abandoned by their clans for their impurity of blood and genetic mutations. This courageous and valiant African warrior who Kaden fears could never love the monster that he is destined to be.

As Kaden and Reysa struggle to accept the undeniable bond between them, they must come together to stop the emerging terror that threatens to destroy all immortals. The lesser immortals – witches, sages, shifters, demons, hybrids, charmers and foreseers – have declared war against the pureblood vampires and lycans who have used their purity of blood and greater strength to enslave the weaker races. No immortal is safe. This is a fight for freedom and a fight against genocide. There can be no true victor as death looms for them all.

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Author Bio:

J.E. Hopkins is a practicing attorney in New York and an avid fiction writer. Hopkins holds a Juris Doctor from St. John's University and a Bachelor of Arts from New York
University.

J.E. Hopkins published her first novel, The Broken, in 2007. She subsequently published her first paranormal romance of the Misfits of the Lore Series, Lover's Betrayal, in 2011.

For more information about this author and upcoming works, please visit www.jehopkinsauthor.com