Hello!
My Monday Moments are with paranormal fantasy writer Andrew P. Weston. Andrew visited my Nancy's Novels blog last year, so it's excellent to welcome him back here with the second novel of 'The Cambion Journals' series.
Today, Andrew has generously given us an excerpt to read along wth the blurb to Kiss of the Succubus, released just yesterday on June 15th, 2014 by Pagan Writers Press. In addition, he's agreed to be interviewed so that we can get to know him a bit better. There's also a fantastic set of goodies to be won in a GIVEAWAY, so make sure to fill in the rafflecopter details that you'll find access to below.
What's Kiss of the Succubus about?
Having
survived the double-cross planned by Samael, the demon king, and Fanon, his own
spawn-father, Augustus Thorne is trying to come to terms with his lot in life.
Both Fanon and Agamemnon, the king’s assassin, lay dead. And good riddance! But
the only woman Augustus has ever loved in his long and lonely life is
gone–driven away by the very real dangers his lifestyle brings. However,
Augustus doesn’t have the luxury of dwelling on what might have been. An
insidious new threat has emerged, one that exposes humanity to a danger, the
likes of which they have never faced before. Surprisingly,
Augustus discovers he doesn’t have to face this threat alone. Quite by chance,
he stumbles upon a mysterious woman. Someone who appears to be the only other
Cambion he has ever met. Has he found
a true soul mate at last? Or is she too good to be true? Are other players
involved who would still like to see Augustus Thorne dead? If so, what’s the
connection? Find out for yourselves as the story continues in: The Cambion
Journals – Kiss of the Succubus.
Buy Links: Amazon | Amazon UK |
Barnes & Noble
Welcome to my features blog, Andrew. It's great to have you visit again and even better to get to know more about you.
Take yourself back 20 years and tell us if you had any
aspirations to become an author at that time.
*Certainly. I’ve always been creative and used to express it
in a number of outlets. Art, poetry, short stories for my children. But sadly,
life got in the way of actually finding the time to sit down and put my
thoughts and ideas into a novel.
I totally understand about life and the job taking a priority place, Andrew! What were you mainly doing as a daily occupation at that
time?
*I spent a total of 33 years as a military specialist, and
then as a police officer. As you can imagine, those lifestyles were very
intense and time consuming. I’m afraid to say, they stifled the opportunity to
express my creativity on long-term projects.
And today? How do you mainly spend an average day?
*I live on the Greek island of Kos, a place dominated by the
holiday seasons. In winter, I train as soon as I get up. I find that relaxes
me, and puts me in the correct frame of mind for a morning’s writing. When my
wife comes home – around 1:30 – 2:00 PM – I finish off with an hour’s research
and note-making. That way, we get to spend quality time together.
In summer, I work every day on shifts without time off. I adjust my training
schedule to suit, and complete my research and plot preparations during meal
breaks and the odd moments I snatch here and there. That way, I can ensure to
devote 2 – 3 hours of quality space
to my writing, before or after work. It’s difficult, but I’m strict with
myself, as I want to keep making progress, while making sure my family doesn’t
suffer.
That's a tough summer schedule. Now jump forward 20 years from today. What do you think
you’d like to be doing then?
*That’s easy. Full time writing.
What’s your preferred genre for reading material?
*Science Fiction and Fantasy. Although I enjoy paranormal
and action adventures too.
What genre/ sub-genre do you feel comfortable writing in?
*I like to write what I read. Although I might do something
more autobiographical as time goes by.
What do you think will be the main reading materials within
the next decade? Books, some form of portable tablets?
*I’ve got no doubt electronic reading devices will become
more sophisticated as time goes by. I mean, look what you can do with mobile
phones now. BUT – The good old-fashioned method of reading from ink on paper
will never fade from true connoisseurs tastes.
In recent years there’s been a movement towards popular
cult-type stories- sometimes driven by what’s been popular on TV and the
cinema, like Vampire, shifter, time-shift sub-genres. What do you see as being
the ideal focus to capture the imagination in 5 years time?
*I think we’ll probably see a return to space exploration.
NASA’s proposing all sorts of projects and expeditions for the future. TV and
films are bound to tie in with a
popular, developing trend.
That's an interesting insight, Andrew, and one that will delight some of my author friends who write in those areas. Can you give us an idea of what your writing schedules might
be like during the remainder of 2014 and on to 2015?
*Busy. I have another sci-fi trilogy to complete, along with
a separate, specialized novel I’ve been invited to write. After that, I have a
brand new concept I’m itching to begin. The more time I devote to its
development, the more I want to crack on with it.
Fast and furious:
Ice cream or chocolate cake? *Neither – cheesecake!
Home made lemonade or rum cocktails? *Rum cocktails.
Cycling tour of France or a beach holiday in the Caribbean?
*Cycling Tour.
A date with a politician, or a date with Jennifer Aniston?
*Now...let me think J
Children or pets? *Pets. My children are now grown up...joy J
Thanks for your great answers, Andrew.
Andrew P Weston is a
military and police veteran from the UK
who now lives on the beautiful Greek island
of Kos with his wife,
Annette, and their growing family of rescue cats.
A criminal law and astronomy graduate, he is a
contracted writer of both fiction and poetry for several publishing houses and
a growing number of well established magazines. In his spare time, Andrew assists NASA with one of their research projects,
and amazingly, still finds the time to submit regular educational articles for
Amazing Stories and Astronaut.com.
When not writing, Andrew enjoys
holding his breath, being told what to do by his wife, and drinking Earl Grey
Tea whilst dressed as Captain Jean Luc Picard.
Make it so…
Andrews’s
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Don't go without reading Andrew's teasing excerpt:
A background
thum-thum, thum-thum, thum-thum, pervaded the tranquil
serenity of her thoughts. A muffled throb that somehow coaxed her along the
current of sublime melodic reverie that was her entire world.
Everything was as it should be. She was safely cocooned within a web-like
tracery of scarlet and rose warmth, and her senses were soothed by the rhythm
to the point of rapture.
She had changed. Of that there was no doubt. The disconcerting
other
within her heart was making its presence felt. And yet, the metamorphosis it
had generated caused no discomfort. No anxiety intruded upon her perfect
existence.
Thum-thum, thum-thum, thum-thum.
Something encroached at the very limit of discernment—static noise, a
sharpening of mental focus. Awareness impinged, and her head swarmed to the
echo of a thousand whispers on the edge of perception as she blinked her eyes
open.
At first, her sight refused to cooperate, and it took a moment before the
liquid silver of her vision cleared. Lucidity, the likes of which she had never
before witnessed in thousands of years of existence, struck her with a hammer
blow.
A darkened chamber illuminated only by a handful of Bale-Lights greeted her.
Plain walls welcomed her return to coherent thought, their clinical frigidity a
stark contrast to the bank of high-tech medical equipment surrounding the
single bed upon which she lay.
That unfamiliar sound intruded again.
Thum-thum, thum-thum, thum-thum.
What the . . . ?
“Are you all right?” a disembodied voice asked.
“I . . . I think so. . . .” Her thoughts turned inward, scrutinizing the
presence within her.
“Are you in pain?”
“No, not at all. It was just . . . different than what I expected . . . than
what I’m used to.” Turning, she recognized the source of the questioner. “Lamia?”
“Welcome back, Mahlat-essa. How have the last three and a half months been?”
Mahlat-essa felt her breast and the newfangled steady rhythm that beat
incessantly within her. “I feel . . .
different.”
“That’s the effect of the Bloodstone. Is it freaking you out?” Lamia placed a reassuring
hand on her shoulder.
“No, it’s just . . . not what I’m used to.” She sensed that inward scrutiny
again, and wondered what to call it. “What’s happened to me?”
“Your memories haven’t returned yet?” Lamia
appeared concerned, her brow furrowing.
“Well, I recognized you, didn’t I?”
“I suppose we have to expect this. The Bloodstone is bound to mix things up
for a little while yet.”
“So what’s it done?”
“It’s changed you at the molecular level, Mal. Altered what you are—”
“What I am?”
“We talked about this. Don’t you remember?”
A soupy mishmash of jumbled thoughts tumbled through Mahlat-essa’s mind.
Slowly, they began to coalesce into a structured, recognizable form.
Comprehension dawned.
“So the bloodline was puissant enough then?”
Lamia’s
relief was obvious. “Yes, it certainly was. Only two lines still exist today,
as you know. We were able to extract sufficient vitality from our subject to
imbue the stone with enough potency to trigger the transmutation.”
“And there’ll be no lasting side effects?” She touched her chest again, with
its disconcertingly loud beat.
“Not so far as we can determine. The stone contains sufficient potency to
hold the change in stasis for about six months. It’s gradually leaking that
essence into your heart at a steady rate. Once it’s depleted, you’ll either
revert back to normal or have to undergo a fresh infusion.”
“Lamia, do
we have a mirror here?” Mahlat-essa sat up, the speed of her sudden movement
causing both shock and delight to course through her veins like an electric
charge.
Smiling, Lamia
fished one out of her handbag and handed it to her friend.
Mahlat-essa was slow to raise the vanity mirror to her face, and was stunned
by the reflection staring back.
Gone was her devilishly beautiful and angular looks which had taken the
breath away from the most resolute demons. She had been replaced by a vision of
even greater exquisiteness.
How?
“I look . . . I look . . .” She gasped.
“Perfect, eh? Just right for your goal.”
“My goal?” Mahlat-essa mumbled, momentarily confounded.
“Remember.” Lamia
hugged her close, gushing, “You can’t recall much about your past, my dear.
Your poor mother died when you were born, and you were left all alone in the
world, wondering who and what you are. You grew up with the awful burden of
knowing you were rejected by others for being different. For having a hunger
you could barely control. The only relief you’ve ever felt is when these
supernatural
things are present. These
demons! Venting your
fury on them provides the only opportunity you have of appeasing the hunger
inside. And you’re very, very good at dealing with demons. It’s something that
comes naturally to a
freak like you, yes?”
Memories began to unravel within Mahlat-essa’s mind.
“Yes, I’m starting to remember now! I’m different than other girls. Stronger
than other humans, faster in some ways, nastier. Although I want to protect
them, they shun me. I’m all alone without anyone to share my sad and solitary
existence with.”
“Which is a shame of course, because our one woman execution squad just so
happens to be incredibly highly sexed and armed with killer looks too. The
perfect bait, eh?”
Raising the mirror again, Mahlat-essa grinned. That smile failed to reach
the cold depths of her eyes.
Yes. The perfect bait. He won’t know what hit him!
Very intriguing, Andrew! Thanks for visiting, today, and best wishes with your latest novel,
Kiss of the Succubus.
Slainthe!
On my Features blog I'm welcoming a returning guest author- JoAnne Myers. JoAnne visited my main blog last month, May 2014, and shared a wonderful guest post with us. If you missed that slot, don't worry because we're sharing the promotional information about her paranormal anthology - 'Wicked Intentions' - here today.
