Caught
In Crimson:
Book Two of the Sword of Elements
Book Two of the Sword of Elements
Release
Date: 04/13/15
Summary
from Goodreads:
CAUGHT
IN CRIMSON, the long awaited sequel to the Amazon Bestseller BOUND IN BLUE:
Rhi’s
ability to see magic as color, and her hunger to consume it, have brought her
to Las Vegas to seek out the bard Taliesin’s help in understanding the true
nature of what she is—a Leannan Sidhe, a kind of vampire. Armed
with Excalibur, she’s torn between the factions looking to control the destiny
of the earth. When an ancient artifact of the earth magic calls to her, filling
her with fire, Rhi must decide whether to follow her heart or the path to power
before her father Merlin decides she’s outlived her usefulness and destroys her
mind.
The
choices caught up in color and magic are never black and white.
EXCERPT:
In the darkness, out
of sight of mankind and godkind, I let emotion fill me—rage at the mother who’d
abandoned me, the foster mother who’d denied me the truth of my existence, the
father who only wanted me as his puppet—it erupted from every pore. Back arched
and gasping, I was a column of fire reaching for the sky.
I was a question
framed in flame.
And I was answered.
Red magic surged into me from unknown beings, some as close as the neighborhood
behind, others as far as the edges of the state. I wanted to keep it all, but
it passed through me leaving tantalizing glimpses of the wondrous, terrible
things it could make me capable of. Then the magic was gone and only my hot
anger remained. Sick with hunger for that ecstasy of power, I didn’t care if it
meant stealing it from other beings somewhere out there in the dark. In that
moment, I would have killed to have it back.
Agony sliced through
my temples. Falling to my knees, I called on Viviane’s binding spell to block
the pain. For one terrifying moment I didn’t think it would work, but then
cool, blue relief replaced the red of rage. I huddled in the sand, naked and
cold, guessing that I’d probably done new damage to myself. I didn’t care.
Weeping at the loss of
magic both darker and brighter than anyone should ever possess, I knew I was a
monster.
AUTHOR INTERVIEW:
An interview with Heather Hamilton-Senter,
author of the Amazon bestseller Bound In Blue: Book One of the Sword of
Elements and it sequel Caught In Crimson.
1. Tell us a bit more about
your books. Who designed the covers?
Actually, I design all my
own covers and also covers for other authors through my business Book Cover
Artistry (www.bookcoverartistry.com).
I come from a long line of artists, but while I started out drawing and
painting, I’m firmly digital now and loving it.
2. Who is your favorite
character from your books and why?
Hands down my favorite
character is Thomas Redcap. In Bound In Blue, the first book in the series, I
started out intending to write a monster who would threaten the heroine Rhi—and
if you know anything of the fairy lore concerning redcaps, you’ll know just how
incredibly scary they are—but instead, he became this charming, dangerous, sexy
guy. It was who he wanted to be and I seemed to have no control over it!
3. Who is your least favorite
character?
Taliesin is one of the
good guys and always was intended to be, but I discovered that just like Rhi, I
admired but didn’t like him very much. I think her reaction to someone who is
essentially a great hero has added complexity to the story.
4. What was your inspiration
for the Sword of Elements Series?
My mom is from Belfast and
I visited Ireland and Europe a lot growing up. I remember once one of her
cousins dragging me around the Irish countryside looking for a fairy well whose
water was supposed to cure blindness. The line between myth and reality always
seemed narrower there. As a child, my very first books were beautifully
illustrated fairy tale and Arthurian mythology books – there was no Dr. Seuss
in my house!
5. What do you enjoy most
about being a writer?
I love being able to work
from home and be there when my children get back from school.
6. What do you enjoy least
about being a writer?
Being disciplined. There’s
no boss standing over me making sure I’m writing and not surfing the net!
7. Fantasy is obvious from
your background, but why Young Adult?
I think my books ride the
line between YA and regular fantasy, but part of why I love YA is that it tends
to move fairly quickly. I started reading YA as a mother with young children
because the quicker pace made them easier to get back into after any
interruptions.
8. What inspires you in
general?
I’m an information magpie.
I’m constantly gathering strange bits of history or mythology, even
archaeology, looking for a way to weave them into a book. I’m also strangely
attracted to forgotten things – odd buildings on the side of a country road
that no one remembers the purpose of, historical plaques in out of the way
places, the remnants of old bridges and roads . . .
9. Other talents or hobbies?
I’m a classically trained
singer and a member of Canadian Actors’ Equity. I was a wedding photography for
a few years and still sell photography online.
10. Favorite TV shows?
Everything genre! Buffy,
Supernatural, The X-files, Star Trek, Walking Dead . . . I’m a geek!
11. Favorite books?
Lord of the Rings, The
Dark Is Rising Series by Susan Cooper, A Wrinkle In Time, Libba Bray’s Gemma
Doyle Trilogy, The Hunger Games, The Riddle-Master trilogy by Patricia A.
McKillip, the Dragonriders of Pern books by Anne McCaffrey, the Witchworld
novels by Andre Norton. I’m kind of old-school.
12. Any advice for other
writers wanting to be published?
Don’t be afraid to walk
your own path, but make sure you know what path you’re walking on! Whether
you’re thinking of traditional or indie, learn your craft and do your homework.
I’ve had an amazing ride this last year, but it wouldn’t have been possible
without the years before it learning and studying, attending conferences and
taking classes. Once you’ve made your choice, you then have to accept that you
can’t control what agents, publishers, or buyers will do, but you can be happy
and satisfied with the work you’ve produced.
13. The first in your series,
Bound In Blue, has consistently been #1 in several categories of Fantasy on
Amazon since it was published June 2014. What would you say has been the biggest
contributor to that success?
Other than luck—which is
perhaps the biggest factor for any author or artist—I’d say it’s a combination
of branding and studying the industry. I recommend the Writer’s Café on www.kboards.com as the best place to get up
to the second information on writing, promotion, and the state of publishing in
general, and indie publishing in particular.
14.
Where can readers find Caught
In Crimson and your other books?
I’m currently exclusive to
Amazon:
Pre-Order Links:
Book One:
(cover linked to Goodreads)
About
the Author
Heather
grew up in a family where books of myth and legend were used to teach the ABCs
and Irish uncles still believed in fairies. Raised with tall tales, she has
always told stories too- first as an actor and singer, then as a photographer,
and now as a writer.
Heather lives in rural Ontario, Canada happily raising three children ranging in age from 6 to 18 with her biggest fan, her husband Steve.
Author Links:
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I love that the author designs their own covers and those for others, that is awesome! Wonderful interview Becca!
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