Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Guest Blog and Giveaway Borealis Ardor by Kay Phoenix



Unusual Paranormal Elements
One of the best parts about writing a paranormal story is creating the world in which it occurs.  Paranormal romances can take place in the contemporary world, a historical setting, or even in a futuristic post-apocalyptic world.  Creating the world is half the fun for me!
My paranormal romances are set in the contemporary world, because I like points of reference that give a shot of believability to my stories.  I feel that the realism is what brings the reader in, especially if they can identify with the characters. 
As far as unusual paranormal elements, I’d say that they are as varied as the authors.  If there really were vampires, werewolves and shifters walking the earth, we would have scientific studies that would reveal all their nuances.  But, there aren’t (are there?).  So, we authors have to rely on our imaginations, works of those who have gone before, and add a touch of science to blend up a concoction that fits our version of these creatures.  And, that’s fun.  Of course, there are always people who are sticklers for certain “rules” that have been set forth in the past, perhaps by Hollywood, but if your story of origin is believable then it becomes your lore.  If vampires sparkle in your world, so be it. 
            The unusual aspect about my vampires, if you want to call it that, is that they can still eat regular food as long as their nutritional requirement for the day has been satisfied.  In order to get their “daily requirement” they can either feed on a willing human, take a serum that was developed for them (that lasts a few days), or kill.  If a vampire doesn’t get their requirement for an extended period of time, they will devolve into a demonic, crazed creature. 
            Thank you for hosting me and for providing this interesting topic for discussion.  Let me know your thoughts on what is unusual and what is not.  




Borealis Ardor
Seasons of Passion
Winter Winds
Kay Phoenix

Genre:  paranormal romance
Publisher:  MuseItUp Publishing

ISBN:  978-1-77127-495-1
ASIN:  B00IA1QKFK

Number of pages:  58
Word Count:  14,709

Cover Artist:  Suzannah Safi

Book Description:  

Lauren Madison’s life started unraveling at a speed too fast for her to keep up with. Every truth she had taken for granted was torn away, and the pieces that were left painted no clear pictures at all…only more confusion.

The only pillar of strength in her fragile life was David Wagner, her bodyguard who was placed in witness protection. But, what had he seen that day, and why couldn’t she remember?

She had no choice but to run. And if her life was threatened again, who would be there to protect her?

Available at Amazon

Excerpt:

“You shouldn’t be here, Lauren.  Leave quickly.” The voice stopped me in my tracks.  It was David’s voice, in my head.  But, I shrugged it off and walked forward until I saw the new stone and the rectangle of earth in front of it that had noticeably less pine needles than the surrounding area.

I knelt beside it.

 “David Alan Wagner.  Beloved Son, Brother and Friend.”  The lines of the letters were etched deep and black, contrasting heavily against the light grey stone.  I gently lay the roses down and traced the letters with my finger.  There was a cross carved below the words.  I ran my hand along the entire edge of the top of the stone, feeling the rough edges in contrast to the freshly polished front and back.  I wondered how long the stone had been there.  Dad assured me he had taken care of the funeral expenses, and he must have made sure there was a rush order on the headstone.  There was a fresh bouquet of white roses lying at the base of the stone and it made me feel deeply saddened for his family, as well as for him.  As much as dad irritated the living hell out of me with his overprotective gestures, if I had to disappear forever and have him think I was dead, it would break my heart.  After we lost mom, we were all the family we had.

I loved David with my whole heart.  Even though we had only been together for two of the six months that he was assigned to me, I knew that he was the “one”.  I just knew it.  There was no explanation.  And, I was the “one” for him as well.  But, now he was gone, and it was unlikely that I would see him again, at least not any time soon.

I reached up to trace the “D” again and saw a strange light flash across the polished surface of the stone, which I realized with horror to be a set of headlights.

Who would be coming to a graveyard at this hour? Besides me of course? Teenagers with a Ouija board and bottle of Strawberry Hill wine in tow, perhaps?

I could take no chances.  I could have been followed.



About the Author:

Ms. Phoenix is a lifelong resident of Las Vegas, Nevada.  She serves on the board of the Las Vegas Romance Writers and is also a member of the Kiss of Death and Women’s Fiction chapters of Romance Writers of America.

In her spare time she enjoys hiking, camping and photography and is pursuing a Bachelor’s in Psychology.  She is also a member of the Vegas Artists Guild as a photographer.  Prior to writing, Kay was a Graphic Artist for 15 years in the casino industry.

Kay writes in the contemporary and paranormal romance categories, as well as non-fiction articles.  Please visit her website at www.KayPhoenix.com.

Website:   www.KayPhoenix.com




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3 comments:

bn100 said...

Nice excerpt

Kay Phoenix said...

Thank you bn100.

Kay Phoenix said...

Thanks for hosting me.

 
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