Character interview with Sebastian Colby

Interview with Sebastian Colby
Catina: Thank you so much Sebastian for stopping by and doing an interview for us. I know you are busy with the Inquisitors, but it is still greatly appreciated. 

Catina: Tell me about yourself?
Sebastian: My name is Sebastian Colby PhD, I used be a research chemist. I was married, had a home and a dog, we were expecting out first child. That changed when I found a strange book, what I now know is a grimoire. A witch wanted is and sent one her minions to retrieve it. I was framed for the murder, and sent for a psychiatric evaluation awaiting trial. I was rescued, and fully exposed to the hidden world, one of madness magic and monsters. Now I'm Brother Sebastian, and I hunt witches.

Catina: What is your occupation?
Sebastian: To most I am a monk with of the Poor Brothers of Gethsemane, a minor order of the Benedictines but really part of the secret Order of Inquisitors. As we are some of the few who can see magic, we are charged with protecting the innocent.

Catina: Do you enjoy every bit of it?
Sebastian: I was a scientist, exposing me to things like magic and monsters was a huge shock. I'm still processing it. I believe, but it's hard. I'm new and not confident in my ability to do my job. I have doubts, and the things I see grate on my mind, the things I do make me feel unclean at times.

Catina: Can you tell us a little bit about your family?
Sebastian: Sarah, my wife, is dead, my in-laws think I killed their daughter. I am still wanted in connection with her death. My new family is made up of men like me. Inquisitors. I'm still unsure if I fit in, or for how long I can do this job.

Catina: If you could change something about your life what would it be?
Sebastian: I want to go back to the way things were, before I even laid eyes on that grimoire. That I was still ignorant of the hidden world.

Catina: What is your favorite memory?
Sebastian: Sarah playing her cello naked, her long red hair framing her face, and what happened next.

Catina: What are you most afraid of?
Sebastian: That my dead wife will never forgive me, that I can never avenge her, and that I will not be with her when I die.

Catina: Which talent would you most like to have?
Sebastian: To play the violin, to honor my wife who was a cellist. Maybe if I can learn I can get her forgiveness for failing her, for letting her die.

Catina: What are you especially proud of in your life?
Sebastian: At the moment I have very little to be proud of; I survive.

Catina: How do you decide you can trust someone?
Sebastian: For most people I can't only other Inquisitors.

Catina: What is your most treasured possession?
Sebastian: I have a wedding picture of me and my wife that I keep, even though it is a breach of tradecraft.

Catina: What is your motto?
Sebastian: Vengeance first, forgiveness in time.

Stalk Sebastian's good friend Lincoln to learn more about the Inquisitor.

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Book Blitz: Junior Inquisitor by Lincoln Farish

Junior Inquisitor by Lincoln Farish
Genre: Dark Urban Fiction / Horror
Published by: Smashwords Edition on March 1st 2015
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Brother Sebastian is halfway up a mountain in Vermont, hell-bent on interrogating an old woman in ashack, when he gets the order to abandon his quest for personal vengeance. He has to find a missing Inquisitor, or, more likely, his remains. He’s reluctant, to say the least. Not only will he have to stop chasing the best potential lead he’s had in years, this job—his first solo mission—will mean setting foot in the grubby black hole of Providence, Rhode Island. And, somehow, it only gets worse… If he’d known he would end up ass deep in witches, werewolves, and ogres, and that this mission would jeopardize not only his sanity but also his immortal soul, he never would’ve answered the damn phone.

Excerpt: 

I took another step into the shop, pushing against the waves of evil. On the next set of shelves, I saw a severed hand in a large clear jar. The hand of a slain witch contains the knowledge of the deceased. The possessor then has that knowledge, all her spells and tricks. It’s one of the reasons witches were burned years ago...

A flash of movement from the other side of the room caught my eye. Two handmade Raggedy Ann style dolls were each held fast to the counter by a small black iron chain. The dolls were sitting slumped, as though alive and waiting for release. High-pitched, girlish voices came from them, full of hate, malice, and insanity. A sign in front of them said they were Hogaana Dolls.

A summoned spirit—a soul called from Hell—can be captured and enslaved by a strong or skilled witch. Trapped between here and Hell, the spirit can act as an oracle and tutor—a guide for witches trying to learn and experience new levels of power and what I’d call madness but she would refer to as “clear thinking” or “a deeper understanding.” The drawback is that a spirit is still ethereal and can escape easily unless tightly contained and constantly fed power to keep it here. The bound spirit can be transferred into a vessel to contain it in a form, a body...

My hands were shaking, my stomach roiled, and my eyes stung from the candles and incense. I wanted to flee...

I needed to leave and report back. This was beyond my abilities.

When I looked up, a tall, thin woman was staring at me from behind the counter. Her gray hair grew in clumps between patches of gnarled burn scars. She was dressed in a tight jumpsuit, stained with blood. Rings covered her hands, and I saw the deep purple of porphyrite in one.

Her face had an odd twist to it, as though someone had taken a screw, driven it into her nose, and turned it. She was a Screwface—a witch who thrived on pain and torture. A witch I wasn’t capable of breaking, or even dealing with. And now it was too late for me to escape.

Only a very special type of Inquisitor—a man without empathy, one who would be called a sociopath in the regular world—could deal with them. Formed into teams called Hammers, they’re elite, but they die even faster than regular Inquisitors. Not only do they train longer and harder than my regular Brethren, they receive special instruction on how to deal with Screwfaces. And despite all this training and conditioning, they’re still sometimes reduced to a pitiful weeping mess after one of their Purges.

Her smile reeked of madness and pain.

One of the dolls moved and shrilled, “Make it bleed.”

She glanced at it then raised the hand with the porphyrite ring, which was glowing and snapping in a purple and black nimbus. She was unleashing some spell; only magic was that mind-bending color. “Goodbye, false monk.”

About the Author:

Called an adventurer and quite possibly insane, Lincoln has traveled to many continents and countries on his own and at his country’s behest to determine from whence the darkness comes. Despite persistent rumors, Lincoln maintains that he had nothing to do with the tiger, was not involved in illicit wiener dog races, and has never used his knowledge of genetics to create a better life form.

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Review: Hidden (Dragonlands #1) by Megg Jensen

Title: Hidden
Author: Megg Jensen
Series: Dragonlands #1
Published by: 80 Pages Incorporated 
Published Date: Dec 20th 2013
Genre: Fantasy, Dragons, Paranormal, Young Adult
Pages: 314
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The mystery enshrouding Hutton’s Bridge is as impenetrable as the fog that descended at its borders eighty years ago. Each year, three villagers enter the mist searching for answers. No one ever returns.

Then a dragon falls from the sky to the town square, dead—the first glimpse of an outside world that has become nothing more than a fairy tale to Hutton’s Bridge. Except to Tressa.

Tressa grew up with Granna’s stories of the days before the fog fell. When Granna dies, leaving Tressa without any family, Tressa ventures into the fog herself, vowing to unravel the foul magic holding Hutton’s Bridge captive.

What she discovers beyond the fog endangers the lives of everyone she loves.

(I received a copy from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.)

When I read the synopsis I was really really interested in the book so I had to read it. Right now I am just at a lose for words really. I liked the book, but I didn't like the book, if that makes sense. At one point I got so frustrated around 40% I just wanted to stop reading this in general, but I can't just stop reading a book I have to finish it so I know what happens just in case I do enjoy it. 

In the beginning Sophia, Tressa's grandmother was only thirteen years old when all the adults in the village just up and disappeared and a strange fog surrounded them in all corners. Yeah it scared the living crap out of all the kids in the village. Every year since the fog came along they would send out 3 people to venture into the fog, and some never return. Tressa's grandma did and she told stories about everything beyond the fog. Now that she has passed away the stories passed with her. Tressa was selected to be one of the three people to venture into the fog, but before that they found out a plague is running through their village and she wants to find a cure and drop the fog barrier. Within the fog there are unknown creatures and the smell of death. 

The beginning was good, once everything started to go down and Tressa ventures into the fog the pace dropped down about 20 notches. Connor ends up getting taken away and Tressa and Bastian end up meeting with their parents that left years ago. But Tressa's "father" sends them both down different paths. Which I did not understand a darn bit. Who is Tressa's so called father and Bastian so call mother. So someone turned them into dragons? But why send them both down different paths? Once everything started to pick up pace again it started to get interesting again. Tressa reminded me a whole lot of Mulan with what she did to get close to the queen.

When it comes down to the characters, I am not sure if I liked them or not. Leo was cool, and well we hardly got to know Henry :/. They weren't really interesting characters in my opinion, I feel like they were lacking something but I can't quite put my finger on it. Overall the story-line was good, characters "eh", the pace "went up and down". I do plan on reading the 2nd book to this series because I do want to know what is going to happen to Tressa and the village. 

Book Blitz: The Memory’s Wake Trilogy by Selina Fenech

The Memory’s Wake Trilogy by Selina Fenech 

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

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Lost in a world full of monstrous fairies, a troubled sixteen year old has to find out who she is and why her memories were stolen before she is found by those who want her dead.

She takes the name “Memory” and knows she has just one goal – to find her way home, wherever that is. But this land is strange. No technology to be seen, and iron is banned, thanks to a pact the humans have with the magical creatures who share their pre-industrial era world. In her t-shirt and torn jeans, Memory knows she’s different, even before she performs impossible magic.

Haunted by her past, chased by a dragon, wanted by the king and stalked by the strange, handsome savage that seems to know her, everyone is after Memory, and she suspects it’s not just for her eye-catching outfit. Her forgotten past holds dangerous secrets that will challenge everything she believes and risk the lives of everyone she loves.

Memory’s Wake contains over 45 illustrations by the author and artist.

Everything is slipping away from Memory. The bond of friendship between her, Eloryn, Roen, and Will, that was formed while running for their lives is tearing. In a world that doesn’t feel like home, with a mind filled with nothing but questions, Memory struggles to be true to herself… whoever that is. When her past self starts haunting her, she knows her sanity could be the next thing she will lose.

A wicked plot dating back to the very beginning of Avall is coming to its end, and Memory is a vital part. In order to save her friends, Memory will break all the rules. With all worlds put at risk by her actions, she will have to step up and make the greatest sacrifice to repair Avall and make the world something better than before.

About The Author: 

Born in 1981 to Australian and Maltese parents, Selina lives in Australia with her husband, her baby girl, an unnamed cat, and a lorikeet who's far too clever. 

During her life Selina has found ancient Roman treasure, survived cancer, had knights joust at her wedding, been mugged for doughnuts, made a living as an artist, eaten every bizarre and wonderful food put in front of her, and now enjoys writing novels

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Interview with A.Star

Interview with A.Star:
I just want to take the time to thank A.Star for going out of the way to do this interview. A.Star is the author of Lover,Divine (Mythos Gods & Lovers 1) and the Djinn Order. 

You can also read my review for Lover,Divine here.

~Ouestions about the Author~

Catina: Tell us a little about yourself and your background?

A.Star: Army Brat. karaoke lover. netflix addict. I still dress up for halloween. Best costume ever? a garden gnome. georgia peach. Lover of french fries. rather be cold than hot. been a writer since my early teens, but I was twenty-four before i took it seriously. avid reader. obsessive blogger. worshipper of all things “supernatural”. #Teamdean.

Catina: Do you have any special sayings or expressions?

A.Star: “true that” is one I use often. “f*** that” is another.

Catina: What is your favorite book? Why?

A.Star: No such book exists, but I must say I am in love with the black dagger brotherhood series by jr ward.

Catina: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

A.Star: Answered above but I will say it again. I realized I had a gift when I was just a teenager, but it wasn’t until I was twenty-four that I finally took is seriously and decided to give it a real shot.

Catina: What books/authors influenced you to write your first book?

A.Star: rick riordan (Percy jackson) is what really put me on to greek myths, though I was a fan of the myths before that. Also harry potter was pretty damn awesome, wasn’t it?

~Questions about your book~

Catina: Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?

A.Star: It came from reading and being pulled into another world where my imagination just took over. I wanted to do that for others and share the feeling.

Catina: What inspired you to write your first book? 

A.Star: I had ideas and I knew they weren’t meant to stay ideas. So i turned them into reality.

Catina: Where did you get your ideas for your book?

A.Star: From everywhere. Tv. movies. books. life.

Catina: Give us an insight into your main character. What does he/she do that is so special?

A.Star: siobhan is mortal and other than having insight into the actions of the greek gods, she doesn’t have any real powers or anything. Apollo, on the other hand, is full of tricks and stuff like that. He’s a god. what else do you expect?

Catina: Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

A.Star: Sure. I always want to write more than the book calls for. Curbing my imagination is the hardest thing most of the time.

Catina: What are your current projects? 

A.Star: wish for me (Djinn order, act one) is the next release and I have several planned for the year!

Catina: What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

A.Star: write until your eyeballs fall out. Even then, don’t stop.

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Book Tour & Review: Lover, Divine by A.Star

Lover, Divine (Mythos: Gods & Lovers) by A.Star
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Mythology,  
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For fans of the Oracle of Delphi series...and for those who aren't... Born into one of the wealthiest families in Ireland, Siobhan Law has status, privilege, and a secret: The Greek gods of Olympus and their kingdom in the clouds are real, and her family acts as one of their agents on Earth. When the beautiful immortal celeste Liam Argyros shows up claiming to have come to Earth to deal in the affairs of the divine, Siobhan finds herself unable to resist his charms. New to the game of passion and seduction, she quickly ends up in over her head, sinking deeper with every attempt Liam makes to win her over. But Liam’s divine mission is far more complex than she ever imagined and nothing is truly as it seems. Because Liam has a secret of his own: He is Apollo, Olympian god of the Sun, and his mission will never be complete until he has claimed Siobhan’s heart forever.
WARNING: For readers 18+ only. Contains adult language and sexual situations.

I truly adored this book from front to back. Warning this book does have a little bit of naughtiness in it.  I really love the story-line behind this book. The characters were quite amazing to, I don't normally see books made in Ireland or people who have Irish accents. But reading this book I could feel all the emotions behind each character. Apollo was funny and very romantic and Siobhan was smart, and outgoing. All the character's played an important role in the book and I love each and everyone of them. 

The story is about fate getting the god Apollo and Siobhan together. Siobhan is an influential daughter. Influential families are the politics of the world and they basically make the gods happy. Apollo decides to sneak into Siobhan's life with a fake name, but once she finds out she gets pissed and pushes him away. Their relationship is on and off, but once they really get together it is the most beautiful thing ever. Siobhan does get upset with Apollo when he holds things back from her. 

The only thing I really hate is the fact that Apollo is keeping so many secrets from the women he loves. The other thing I hate is that their kids are at his whim not hers and she doesn't get the keep them and take care of them. Athena is taking care of their daughter and their son is a price and the protector of a oracle.  

I haven't read the Prophecy of the Most Beautiful (Oracle of Delphi, #1), but I do plan on it later on. I really enjoyed this book and it has a great story-line for more books to come. I would recommend this book to anyone. 

Author Bio 
A. Star is a fan of dirty passion. She likes to read it, and she damn sure likes to write it. Her first adult romance/fantasy novella is called Invasion, an alien romance about sacrifice. Lover, Divine is the first release from the Mythos: Gods and Lovers series. Future releases under A. Star include, King, Desired (Mythos: Gods and Lovers #2), the Love & Steampunk series, the Purr, Inc. stories, and more.

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Book Tour & Reveiw: Aurora Sky: Vampire Hunter by Nikki Jefford

Aurora Sky: Vampire Hunter (Volume 1) by Nikki Jefford

Date of Publication: November 27, 2012

Genre: New Adult, Paranormal Romance,

Urban Fantasy

Pages: 260

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If there is one thing eighteen-year-old Aurora Sky wants, it's to get off the iceberg she calls home. Being kissed before she graduates wouldn't hurt either. Then a near-fatal car wreck changes everything. Government agents step in and save Aurora's life in exchange for her services as a vampire hunter. In Alaska. Basically she's a glorified chew toy. All thanks to her rare blood type, which sends a vampire into temporary paralysis right before she has to finish the job... by hand. Now Aurora's only friends are groupies of the undead and the only boy she can think about may very well be a vampire.

Aurora Sky, you average, "wanting to get away from Alaska", teenager. She is a senior at Denali High-school and on her way to going to Notre Dame. She wanted to get away from Alaska and start somewhere fresh. Well, she was on her way to going to Notre Dame, when she gets into a car accident and almost gets killed. Ok, well she does get killed and the government brings her back to life so she can fight vampires. Vampires are made from diseases, but only people who have AB negative blood running in their veins get turned into a vampire. Since Aurora has that type of blood they used her and placed some of the virus inside her so she can fight vampires.

Aurora's whole attitude toward life changes after her world changes and she finds out vampires are real and she has to now fight them. Her attitude now sorta ticked me off to the point I didn't think I could finish the story, but I pushed myself to finish it because I hate not finishing a story. The story was excruciatingly slow, but once she starts doing her job and things start to progress it does get quite interesting.

Secretly, Aurora has had a crush on Fane. There is no real story on this two and why all of a sudden Fane wanted to be with Aurora. After Aurora changed she started to get annoying and I justed wanted to slap her. Fane, you don't really get to know him till later in the book, I still wanted to know why all of a sudden he wanted to be with Aurora. Noel seems like a wonderful friend who will stick by Aurora through thick and thin. Valeria, she seems to be a real big "bitch", and what she does to Aurora proves it on so many levels. Then you have Dante, he doesn't seem like a bad guy, and he seems really sweet. But when he tells Aurora they didn't have to pretend to date, I felt he may be one of those player boys.

I love the whole concept of the story, fighting vampires, near death experiences. love all the sorts to a great story. The storyline is great and it can be a wonderful series, just the characters are the only thing that really disappointed me. Another book with a cliffhanger too, which also threw me off guard. Other then those things it was an ok book.

About the Author:

Nikki Jefford loves fictional bad boys and heroines who kick butt. Books, travel, TV series, hiking, writing and motorcycle riding are her favorite escapes. She loves meeting people from all walks of life, from around the globe, and wouldn’t trade her French husband in for anyone – not even Spike!

She’s a third generation Alaskan, born & raised in Anchorage, now living in northern Washington. Crazy about her dog, Cosmo. (Writer’s best friend.) The dark side of humanity fascinates her, so long as it's balanced by humor and romance.

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Promo Blitz: Chosen by Christine Pope

Title: Chosen
Author: Christine Pope
Genre: Paranormal Romance

Date Published: February 4, 2015

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It began as a fever of unknown origin that its victims dubbed “the Heat,” but as it burned through most of the world’s population, it became known simply as “the Dying.” And for those left behind, the struggle has just begun….
In the aftermath of the Dying, survivor Jessica Monroe is protected and guided by the gentle voice of an invisible being she thinks of as her guardian angel. When she reaches the sanctuary he’s provided for her, however, she realizes that her unseen companion is no angel at all. The destruction of humanity was only the first step in a much larger plan, and now Jessica must struggle to discover her own role in a frightening new world where everything has changed.

Excerpt:

Now was the time to say a few words, but nothing seemed to come to mind. I couldn’t even remember the Lord’s Prayer, or more than the first few words of the Twenty-third Psalm.

“The Lord is my shepherd,” I began, then shook my head. What came next? The lines were all jumbled together in my head, nonsense syllables that sounded like something straight out of “Jabberwocky.” And what did it matter, anyway? We weren’t a religious family; we went to Christmas Eve services some years and some years not, maybe Easter. I’d gone to Sunday school when I was really little, but my parents hadn’t even bothered with that when Devin came along.

For the longest time I stood there under the oak, the sun disappearing altogether, deep dusk falling upon the yard. Then I moved, and the motion-sensor light mounted to the side of the garage flashed on.

“I love you all,” I said finally, then set the Waterford vase and the football trophy on top of their grave.

After that, I went back inside and shut the door behind me. It seemed to echo in the unnatural stillness of the house, and I realized it was hardly ever this quiet — someone always had the TV on in the background, or there was music playing, or somebody talking on the phone. Now the quiet pounded against my eardrums, and I realized how big a three-bedroom, two-thousand-square-foot house could feel when you were the only one in it.

The only one in the world….

The thought whispered through my mind, and I did my best to ignore it. Surely if I were immune, and not just having extremely delayed onset for some reason, that meant other people had to be immune, too. How many? I couldn’t begin to guess. I didn’t know the mortality rate of the disease. Even if 99.9% of the population was dead, that would leave around a thousand people still alive in the greater Albuquerque area, if I was doing my mental math correctly.

I turned on the overhead lights in the kitchen, then went through the house, turning on all the lamps. Maybe that wasn’t the smartest thing to do — maybe advertising my presence would do more harm than good. But I couldn’t sit there in the dark, not after everything I’d been through that day. Besides, when I peeked out through the curtains, I saw mine wasn’t the only house on the street that was all lit up. Most likely the others just had their lights on because no one was around to turn them off, but it did make mine seem less conspicuous.

“Are you there?” I asked of the darkness. Even a voice that was only a product of my imagination was better than this deep, deep silence, the kind of quiet you should never hear if you lived in a big city.

No reply, of course. My gaze shifted to the remote control, still lying where I’d last dropped it on the coffee table. I didn’t quite dare to turn on the television, not after what I’d seen the last time around. I could only imagine how bad it must be by now.

But there was still the stereo, and all the CDs my parents wouldn’t get rid of, despite Devin and me telling them all that plastic just took up space and that they should just rip all their music off those CDs and then play it through Apple TV or something. And now I had to be grateful for their stubbornness, because that meant I could get up and choose something to blot out the silence. My father liked country, but old country, like Hank Williams and Willie Nelson and Patsy Cline, and my mother preferred classical. That sounded better to me right then, so I found her favorite, Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto, and put that on.

It actually was better, with the sound of an orchestra and Vladimir Ashkenazy on the piano overriding that awful stillness. Or at least it was better until I realized that no one would ever play that piece live again, that there would be no more symphony orchestras or Arcade Fire concerts or anything, ever again.

“Oh, God,” I gasped, pushing myself up from the couch and running into the kitchen, where I turned on the faucet and splashed cold water in my face. As if that could begin to help. It was all too big to comprehend, so awful and enormous that I could literally feel the horror of it beginning to sink in, like some  noxious chemical seeping into my skin.

And then it was as though strong, invisible arms wrapped around me, bringing with them a soothing warmth. Unseen lips brushed against my hair, and I heard the voice again.

Be strong, my love. Be strong for just a while longer.

Just as suddenly, the presence was gone. I held on to the tile of the kitchen counter, feeling the cool surface beneath my fingertips. In that moment, I truly wondered if I’d lost my mind.

What other explanation could there be?

 

About the Author:

A native of Southern California, Christine Pope has been writing stories ever since she commandeered her family’s Smith-Corona typewriter back in the sixth grade. Her short fiction has appeared in Astonishing Adventures, Luna Station Quarterly, and the journal of dark fiction, Dark Valentine. Two of her short stories have been nominated for the Pushcart Prize.

Christine Pope writes as the mood takes her, and her work includes paranormal romance, fantasy romance, and science fiction/space opera romance. She blames this on being easily distracted by bright, shiny objects, which could also account for the size of her shoe collection. After spending many years in the magazine publishing industry, she now works as a freelance editor and graphic designer in addition to writing fiction. She fell in love with Sedona, Arizona, while researching the Sedona Files series and now makes her home there, surrounded by the red rocks. No alien sightings, though...not yet, anyway!

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