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Sunday, September 30, 2012
Blog Tour: Deborah Cooke's Ember's Kiss
DRAGONFIRE Series
One kiss can
change the course of destiny...
For
millennia, the shape-shifting dragon warriors known as the Pyr have commanded
the four elements and guarded the earth's treasures. But now the final
reckoning between the Pyr, who count humans among the earth's treasures, and
the Slayers, who would eradicate both humans and the Pyr who protect them, is
about to begin...
When Sara Keegan decides to settle down and run her quirky aunt's New Age bookstore, she's not looking for adventure. She doesn't believe in fate or the magic of the tarot-but when she's saved from a vicious attack by a man who has the ability to turn into a fire-breathing dragon, she questions whether she's losing her mind-or about to lose her heart...
Quinn Tyrrell has long been distrustful of his fellow Pyr and a self-reliant loner. So when he feels the firestorm that signals his destined mate, he's determined to protect and possess Sara, regardless of the cost to himself. Then Sara's true destiny is revealed-and Quinn realizes he must risk everything- even Sara's love-to fulfill their entwined fates...
When Sara Keegan decides to settle down and run her quirky aunt's New Age bookstore, she's not looking for adventure. She doesn't believe in fate or the magic of the tarot-but when she's saved from a vicious attack by a man who has the ability to turn into a fire-breathing dragon, she questions whether she's losing her mind-or about to lose her heart...
Quinn Tyrrell has long been distrustful of his fellow Pyr and a self-reliant loner. So when he feels the firestorm that signals his destined mate, he's determined to protect and possess Sara, regardless of the cost to himself. Then Sara's true destiny is revealed-and Quinn realizes he must risk everything- even Sara's love-to fulfill their entwined fates...
But
it now:
Kiss of Fury
(Dragonfire #2)
One
act of passion can save the world...
Scientist
Alexandra Madison was on the verge of unveiling an invention that would change
the world. Then her partner was murdered, their lab was burned, and their
prototype was destroyed. While Alex is in the hospital recovering from burns
suffered in the fire, recurring dragon-haunted nightmares threaten to land her
in the psychiatric ward, but she knows she has to escape to her lab to rebuild
the Green Machine.
Handsome,
daring, and impulsive, Donovan Shea is more than willing to do his part in
the Pyr/Slayer war. Assigned to protect Alex, Donovan is
shocked when her presence ignites his firestorm. He has no desire for a
destined mate, but Alex's intelligence and determination inspire him to join
the fight to save her invention. With the Slayers closing in,
Donovan knows he would surrender his life for Alex...and lose his heart to
possess her.
Buy it now!
Kiss of Fate
(Dragonfire #3)
One foretold love deserves a second chance...
Haunted by dreams of a lover who takes the form of a mythical dragon,
Eileen Grosvenor searches for the truth. She never expects to find a real
dragon shape shifter, let alone one who awakens her passion and ignites
memories of her own forgotten past.
Erik Sorensson is focused on leading the Pyr to triumph
over theSlayers, even if it costs him his life. When an ancient relic
that can turn the tide of the battle reveals itself, Erik knows he has to
retrieve it from Eileen's possession. But when he tries to do so, he's shocked
by an incredible firestorm that compels him to confront the truth about
Eileen's identity. Her presence reminds him of mistakes he's determined not to
repeat, and Erik is forced to make a choice: duty or love.
Only by unlocking the secrets of the past can Erik and Eileen fulfill the
final prophecy of the Pyr. Can they face their deepest fears and
claim their destined love in time to defeat the Slayers?
Buy it now!
Winter Kiss
(Dragonfire #4)
A kiss can
melt the coldest heart...
The
mysterious Dragon's Blood Elixir gives immortality to Magnus, the Pyr's
greatest enemy, and his minions. The Pyr must destroy this
source of power, and outcast Delaney vows to complete the quest himself.
Delaney was exiled because of his dangerous impulses, and success in
eliminating the Elixir will either redeem him or end his suffering.
But his
plans don't take into account his sudden firestorm - or fiery Ginger Sinclair.
The firestorm revitalizes Delaney, restoring him to his old self. And when
Ginger learns about Delaney's mission, she realizes she cannot resist a strong
man with a noble agenda.
Buy it now!
Whisper Kiss
(Dragonfire #5)
One man's mission ignites one woman's
fire...
Niall Talbot has volunteered to hunt
down and destroy all the remaining shadow dragons - who were weakened by the
destruction of the Dragon's Blood Elixir - before they can wreak more havoc. Among
them is his dead twin brother, making Niall's mission not only dangerous but
personal.
Tattoo artist Rox believes the world
is a canvas to be made more beautiful. An unconventional spirit who isn't
afraid of anything, she doesn't even flinch when a shape-shifting dragon
warrior suddenly appears on her doorstep. And as a woman who follows her heart
in matters of passion, she makes the perfect mate for a firestorm with Niall...
Buy it now!
Amazon / Barnes
& Noble / Books
A Million / Chapters
Indigo / IndieBound / Powells
Darkfire Kiss
(Dragonfire #6)
For one
woman, he will risk more than his life...
Rafferty
Powell has exchanged challenge coins with his arch-nemesis Magnus Montmorency,
and their next battle will be their last. But Rafferty never expected to meet a
woman whose desire for Magnus’ downfall matches his own—and whose presence
sparks Rafferty’s long-awaited firestorm.
Since facing
her own mortality, investigative reporter Melissa Smith has resolved to live
without fear. She’s determined to make the seemingly untouchable Magnus pay for
his role in ending her friend’s life – no matter the price to herself.
When her
quest entwines with Rafferty’s, Melissa finds herself risking more than she
ever thought possible. Because the heat between them unleashes the darkfire—an
awesome force of Pyrlegend, one that won’t be sated until
everything they know has been tested and remade.
Buy it now!
Flashfire
(Dragonfire #7)
He's lost
all hope...until she changes everything.
Master
illusionist Lorenzo wants nothing to do with the Pyr. His dragon
nature is just another secret to hide and another detail to juggle, like
ensuring that each of his Las Vegas magic shows is a true spectacle. Until he
feels the burn of his firestorm and his whole world shifts....
Cassie
Redmond is tired of photographing celebrities. She wants to pursue her dream of
serious photography—despite the lucrative offer for a shot of a dragon shifter.
Las Vegas is the last place she wants to be, but Lorenzo arouses more than her
curiosity when he shifts shape as the finale of his show. Instead of forcing
him to reveal his secrets, Cassie gets swept away by this illusionist’s
masterful touch.
Lorenzo
wants to satisfy the firestorm and put it behind him. But Cassie is hard to
forget—and he can’t ignore the danger whenSlayers target the mate Lorenzo
didn’t believe he wanted...
Buy it now!
Ember's Kiss
(Dragonfire #8)
Release
Date: October 2, 2012
Only one woman can
persuade him to embrace his powers.
Brandon Merrick is
determined to banish his shifter nature forever. The charismatic tattooed
surfer is on the cusp of the ultimate challenge - to prove himself on the
whitecaps of Hawaii and secure his future as a pro surfer. But his dragon isn't
prepared to be tamed so easily...
One look at marine
biologist Liz Barrett ignites the spark of the firestorm: Liz is his destined
mate and his chance for happiness. While Brandon sees their first night
together as just the beginning, his dragon seizes the upper hand. Awakening in
the company of a raging dragon challenges Liz's ability to believe her own
eyes. Can Brandon accept his inner beast in time to make it work with Liz?
Neither one realizes that
Brandon is caught in an ancient Slayer's scheme to enslave him.
When the deadly plot ignites, the very island will be at risk...and Brandon and
his mate could be the ultimate sacrifice.
Buy it now!
Hi Deborah! Welcome to Book Lovin' Mamas! We are so excited to
be a part of this blog tour!
Thanks for inviting me. It’s great to be in the company of
fellow booklovers. :-)
1. Tell us 5 things about yourself that readers may not be
able find out about you on the web.
Haha! I suspect that anything you can’t find on the web at this
point is something I don’t want to share! Let’s go with five things that
usually surprise people:
• I write romance under three names - as Claire Delacroix,
Claire Cross and Deborah Cooke. (There’s another author named Claire Cross who
writes history books. That’s not me.)
• My first love is medieval history and folklore, thus I wrote
medieval romances first. (http://www.delacroix.net)
• I’m finishing a Claire Delacroix medieval romance series right
now that I had to abandon in 2005, which is enormous fun. THE RENEGADE’S HEART
is the first book in The True Love Brides series, which carries on from The
Jewels of Kinfairlie series, and is available now. It’s my first new medieval
since 2005. (And I love Murdoch.) More about that book right here: http://www.delacroix.net/trhX.html
• I fall in love with each and every one of my heroes, one after
the other after the other. It’s completely predictable. Tupperman is in the
midst of kicking Murdoch out of my heart, and I see Drake in the shadows,
getting ready to take Tupperman’s place.
• I knit a lot but also have published some free knitting
patterns. You can find them on Ravelry, right here:
http://www.ravelry.com/designers/deborah-cooke
2. What does a typical writing day look for you?
I prefer to write in the mornings, so an ideal writing day would
begin with ducking my email and diving right into the story-in-progress. After
lunch, I check in online, then usually do research, editing or take care of
some promotion that needs doing. In the evenings, I tend to do research, unless
I’m running behind. I tend to work most days and I try to write every day,
because that keeps the story vivid in my mind.
3. Can you please tell the readers a little bit about
this new release, Ember's Kiss?
EMBER’S KISS is the 8th Dragonfire novel - that’s my series of
paranormal romances that feature dragon shape shifter heroes called the Pyr. Although there’s a story arc over
the entire series (it takes place during the good dragon shifters, the Pyr, final fight against the bad dragon
shifters, the Slayers) each book
focuses on one dragon shifter hero. Although my dragon guys live a long time,
they’re not immortal, and each has one chance in his life to conceive a son.
When he meets the human woman who can bear his son, the dragon shifter (and the
“mate”) experience a firestorm - sparks literally fly between the pair of them.
I love that the dragon shifter has to romance and seduce the woman in question,
while explaining to her what’s happening and defending her from bad dragon
shifters. (The heroines in this series are practical and intelligent women who
aren’t so hot to have a dragon baby, thanks very much.) The heat of the
firestorm doesn’t just attract other dragon shifters but it continues to
increase until it’s satisfied - and that son is conceived.
After a number of books in a series, though, the author needs to
mix it up a bit. This year, the Dragonfire novels starred heroes who weren’t so
interested in being dragon shifters. They were outsiders to the core group of Pyr. In January, FLASHFIRE featured
Lorenzo, my bad boy Pyr who knew a
lot about being a dragon shifter but wanted nothing to do with it. He actually
had a plan to get rid of the dragon side of his nature - fortunately, for all
of us, he had his firestorm and Cassie was the woman to change his mind.
EMBER’S KISS stars Brandon, an aspiring surfer on the cusp of going pro and a
dragon shifter who is estranged from his dad. Brandon doesn’t want anything in
common with his dad, since he blames the older Pyr for his parents’ divorce and for his own dragon powers (the
trait is passed from father to son). He has ignored his dragon powers all of
his life. Brandon knows very little about being Pyr, which is just the way he wants it to be - until he is targeted
by the evil Slayer Chen and has his
firestorm, too. He has no knowledge of how to fight fire with fire, so to
speak, but happily for Brandon, his mate Liz has some paranormal powers of her
own. She’s the first of my Dragonfire heroines to be anything but a normal
human woman, so I had a lot of fun introducing this element.
It gives me lots of ideas for future books, too.
4. What inspired you to write this series?
I wanted to write a paranormal romance series, but not one featuring vampires. They don’t really interest me that much and there are an awful lot of them out there. I love dragons, though, and I love the idea of shapeshifters. The idea of a hot guy who could also be a fire-breathing dragon really worked for me and still does. I like also that there is so much mythology and lore about dragons, which gives me a lot of story elements to explore.
5. If you could be any one of your characters (from the
Dragonfire series) who would you want to be and why?
I’d like to be Eileen. We both knit, we both like witchy little black boots, but she’s the mother of the new Wyvern and the mate of Eric, leader of the Pyr. I think that would be a little bit of okay. ;-) I wouldn’t mind having heer acres of curly reddish gold hair either.
6. Do you ever base your characters on people you know in real
life?
No. But I do think that the characters I create become more realistic because of my observations of people. I’m always asking myself questions like “what kind of person would immediately go after the Slayer, even knowing she could be fried alive? Well, she’d have to be impulsive; she’d be confident in her own powers; etc....and what other kinds of things would that kind of person do?” I think that writers who are observant of people can flesh out their fictional characters to make them more realistic as a result of those observations, without actually basing them on real individuals.
7. Who was the easiest character(s) to write and why?
Generally, I find heroes easier to write than heroines. That’s true in any subgenre of romance I write. I’m not sure why, but there you go. Maybe I just like to think about them more!
8. Can you give us a little peek at how you do your
research for a new series?
Well, I’m right in the middle of writing a new novella so my process on it might be a good example. This novella is linked to my Prometheus Project, a trilogy of paranormal romances I wrote as Claire Delacroix. (http://www.delacroix.net/angels.html) The series features fallen angel heroes in a dystopian future - they volunteer to shed their wings in an attempt to save us from ourselves. The current books are FALLEN, GUARDIAN and REBEL, but there is one secondary character, Tupperman, who never had his HEA. He’s also a fallen angel but a bit solitary. I didn’t know his story until this year and am working on it now.
So, my research plan began by re-reading the trilogy and
flagging all references to Tupperman in those books. Then I reviewed my notes
about fallen angels and angelology, and my notes about this gritty future
world. The series concludes with a major change for that world so I spent a few
days speculating on other changes that might have occurred - these were the more
unexpected ones. Every change for the better tends to make things a little
worse for somebody, and I ended up with some rebels. They’re in the story now,
making trouble, and I’m still not quite sure what to do with them. They’ll
either have a bigger role or a smaller one by the time I’m done. In figuring
that out, I ended up doing a lot of reading about the wall coming down between
East and West Germany and the union of those two countries as one.
By this time, I had written several scenes of the actual novella
and had a good sense of Tupperman’s voice and his mood, a glimpse of his
conflict. I never write a synopsis until I have a couple of scenes down,
because my characters tend to take my ideas in different directions. At that
point, I wrote an outline for the novella, then critically reviewed it. It was
set in New Gotham again, which was repetitive. To shake things up, I changed
the setting of the main action to New Mexico, and needed to do a bunch of new
research about that region. I also realized that my notion of the heroine did
not work, so I needed a different heroine. (The women are always trouble, you
see?) I had an idea and some superficial research revealed that I was on the
right track. (no spoilers on that from me.) As a result, I did a lot more
research for the heroine’s nature and occupation, working out her character and
conflict. Ooo, I like her! And that exercise gave me the prologue and the meet,
plus put the two of them on the path of the story. Once that happens, I write
like mad, but still have to research bits and ends as I go.
I am a bit of a Luddite, so I do my first quick checks online,
but then always delve into physical books for deeper research. The inhouse
library gets a little more extensive with every book I write! When I’m writing,
my office is a disaster. I have books stacked on my desk, on the floor and
under the desk, some of them propped open. I have a map spread across the floor
and an Excel spreadsheet of the timeline of the world in question including how
the events of the story fit into it. I have a list of characters in a file for
reference and in this case, the series guide I wrote for the Prometheus Project
at hand. And, in the middle, is my computer and cup of tea, while I write away.
This is the good stuff. I’m happy to shut the door and live in this universe
for hours on end.
9. When you are not writing, what are your hobbies and
interests?
I love to knit and I knit a lot. Knitting is relaxing and it results in something lovely at least some of the time. More importantly, I find that the rhythmic motion seems to encourage ideas to pop into my head. I solve lots of plot problems while I’m knitting.
10. Do you have anything specific you want to say to your
readers?
Thank you for reading my books! There’s a post queued up on my blog for November 1 about the future of Dragonfire, so be sure to stop in to find out what’s coming in 2013.
http://www.delacroix.net/wordpress/?p=4306
Fun quick questions:
11. Coffee or Hot Tea
Hot tea, please.
12. Beach or Mountains
Mountains. I love rocks.
13. Sunrise or Sunset
Sunsets, because they’re more colourful.
14. Summer or Winter
Winter for me.
15. Country Music or Rock N' Roll
Rock and Roll, played very loud while I’m writing.
Thank you so much for giving us a little inside look! We hope
you will come back in the future! :)
Thanks for inviting me!
Deborah Cooke has always been fascinated with
dragons, although she has never understood why they have to be the bad guys.
She has an honours degree in history, with a focus on medieval studies. She is
an avid reader of medieval vernacular literature, fairy tales and fantasy
novels, and has written over forty romance novels and novellas. She has also
been published under the names Claire Cross andClaire Delacroix.
Deborah makes her home in Canada with her husband.
When she isn't writing, she can be found knitting, sewing or hunting for vintage
patterns.
Connect with Deborah:
EMBER'S
KISS Blog Tour Giveaway
Deborah
will be giving away a paperback of EMBER'S KISS for each blog stop - They will
be coming straight from the publisher so it's
US and Canada winners only.
GRAND PRIZE:
There is a Grand Prize drawing of an autographed set of the
DRAGONFIRE series, (that's all 8 Dragonfire novels) over on Deborah's
blog. To enter, click the link below:
Deborah Cooke's Blog
Tour for Ember's Kiss
Tour runs from
September 24 - October 10
9/24 - RCJReZine Blog - http://rcjrezineblog.blogspot.com/
9/25 - Vampires, Werewolves & Fairies Oh My - http://vampireswerewolvesfairiesohmy.blogspot.com/
9/26 - Books-n-Kisses - http://www.books-n-kisses.com/
The Reading
Café - - http://thereadingcafe.com/
9/27 - All The Fun Starts After Dark - http://allthefunstartsafterdark.blogspot.com/
9/28 - Riverina Romantics - http://riverinaromantics.blogspot.com/
9/29 - Reading Between The Wines - http://readingbetweenthewinesbookclub.blogspot.com/
9/30 - Book Lovin' Mamas - http://booklovinmamas.blogspot.com//
10/1 - My Keeper Shelf - http://mykeepershelf.blogspot.com/
10/2 - United By Books (Interview) - http://unitedbybooks.blogspot.com/
10/3 - Under The Covers (Interview) - http://underthecoversbookblog.blogspot.ca
10/4 - Book Monster / Literal Addiction -
Book
Monster - http://bookmonsterreviews.blogspot.com/
Literal
Addiction - http://www.literaladdiction.com/
10/5 - The Book Nympho - http://thebooknympho.blogspot.com/
10/6 - Book Reader Addicts - http://bookreaderaddictsgiveaways.blogspot.com/
10/7 - Cocktails & Books - http://www.cocktailsandbooks.com/
10/8 - Paranormal Haven -
- http://www.paranormalhaven.com/
10/9 - Grave Tells - http://gravetells.com/
10/10 - I Smell Sheep - http://www.ismellsheep.com/
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21 comments:
Hi Deborah! I am curious to know who does your book covers, they are gorgeous! Happy Early Release! Thanks for the chance to win!
ehaney578 at aol dot com
not sure how I missed this series, it sounds interesting. thanks for the chance to win a copy of the latest.
Really love how Deborah describes each man in their dragon form. Each one is different and unique in shape and color. I like to know how she decides their coloring or lets the characters tell her
Raonaid at gmail dot com
So is the son conceived the first time they...um..."do it"? Do they have more kids or is are the guys only able to have one kid?
Thank you for the giveaway!!
This sounds like such a great series and I don't know how I've missed it until now. I'm going now to add them to my wish list.
Hi Everyone! This is Carla, Deborah Cooke's Assistant.
Deborah is having problems leaving comments here so she emailed me her replies to those who have commented.
Please feel free to keep leaving comments and I'll pop back in to post her replies.
Thanks to Anna and Fran for having Deborah here today.
Smooches to you both!!!
FROM DEBORAH.......
Hi Everyone!
@Elizabeth H. - NAL's art department is responsible for my covers. I think they're just awesome! The artist that they use for mine (and several other series) is Tony Mauro. You can check out his work on his website, right here:
http://darkdayproductions.com/
@Raonaid - I do try to mix up the guys, so that they're distinct from each other. I'm not sure, though, what comes first - their look or their character. Depends on the dragon. Sometimes their dragon colours do surprise me, so that must come from them.
@books4me - Yes, "first time every time" as Thorolf says. It defies belief, and several of the heroines have been skeptical -- but the Pyr have a powerful kind of magic on their side. If the Pyr stays with the same human woman, yes, they can have more kids later. No more sparks, though, at least not the visible kind. The firestorm only launches their relationship.
I love this series! It's so interesting and it always keeps me coming back for more! I want this series to go on FOREVER! lol! Congrats on the release! Keep up the amazing work!
stickiekittie [at] gmail [dot] com
I agree with the other commenters. I really love this series so very much, and can't wait to read Ember's Kiss. Wishing you continued luck with all your releases!
I really like the idea of dragons as characters because they are so interesting. I've never read about them before as main characters.
I love dragons. This book sounds fantastic. Can't wait to read it. I put it on my wishlist. Thanks for the blog tour.
e.balinski(at)att(dot)net
This series is so fantastic, and I love the detail that Debroah goes into describing each dragon.
Great Interview!!!!
love this series and keep them coming.
I really like dragon shifters. I need to read this series.
FROM DEBORAH COOKE:
Thanks for having me visit the blog. I'm getting a major fix of Dragonfire love here today! THANK YOU!
@Alyssa - not FOREVER. You'd get bored. I need to make sure you stay interested.
d, who has tricks up her sleeves...
Amazing series! It's very interesting and the characters just grab you and never let go! I love all of them and can't wait for each and every one to have their firestorm. I hope this series continues to go for a long time! :)
stickiekittie [at] gmail [dot] com
I haven't read any of the books in this series yet, but if I win I will definitely buy the first books. I don't like to start a series in the middle.
Thanks for the opportunity to win.
I haven't read any of the books in this series yet, but if I win I will definitely buy the first books. I don't like to start a series in the middle.
Thanks for the opportunity to win.
Great series. Looking forward to reading more of it.
i really love dragons, and deborah series are so good, i cant pick a favourite. looking forward to reading embers kiss. wish her all the best julie.beasley@btinternet.com
Great interview. Love Dragonfire series. Looking forward to reading Ember's Kiss. Thanks.
kidsue99@yahoo.com