Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Guest Post - Amber Riley

Welcome Amber Riley to the Imogene Nix blog site!

Real life relationships can be messy and complicated. Whether it’s a casual remark or a complete betrayal, the people involved will feel hurt by the other at some point. Writing about relationships isn’t much easier. My characters are like my children. Seeing them get hurt is just as hard for me as it is for them. But, in order to build a realistic relationship, it has to happen.  I don’t want my characters to feel this pain, but it’s part of life.
In The Flash of a Firefly, Kaden meets Lyn. There is an instant mutual attraction between them that Kaden tries his best to ignore. He knows enough to realize that a vampire shouldn’t date a human. But, that’s where those pesky feelings come in and take over. Being the author, I knew how things would end for them. I knew that, both in the first novel and throughout the series, things wouldn’t always be pretty for them. It made me sad that I was setting Kaden up to be hurt so many times. (I won’t say how Lyn hurts him, but it isn’t really her fault.)
Alternatively, it’s very awkward writing the scenes where they are intimate. It was hard for me to detach enough to write those moments. (My “children” don’t do those things!) It took a long time to get those pieces written. I actually skipped over them in the first draft and wrote them in later.
Despite all my mixed feelings about the relationship between Kaden and Lyn, I’m happy with the way things end for them. It might not wrap their relationship up in a pretty bow, but it’s as realistic as it can be given the genre. The ending of the series does show their bond, which I think is the most important thing.



Title:  The Flash of a Firefly (Kindred Blood, Book 1)
Author:  Amber Riley
Publisher:  Self
Length:  Approx. 50,000 words
Genre:  Paranormal/Fantasy, YA

BLURB:
Trying to put his past behind him, Kaden moves to New York City where he creates a new life for himself. And that isn't easy, considering the fact that he's a six-hundred-year-old vampire who hasn't fed on a human in more than a century. Unfortunately, the past isn't something you can always escape from. When old enemies resurface, they come with a message. His master wants him back and refusing isn't an option.

Confronted with losing both his freedom, as well as the human that has captivated him, Kaden struggles to hold onto his humanity while controlling his darker side. He knows the showdown is inevitable. He must find a way to stand his ground.

EXCERPT:
Then, a hundred feet away, two figures slowed their pace to match mine. I clenched my jaw and forced my feet to keep moving forward. I hadn’t been looking forward to this day. I knew it would come sooner or later. I just wished that I had listened to my gut instinct in the first place.

Well, there was no going back now. I was within reach of them, and my blood was boiling under my skin.

“What are you doing here?” I snarled.

“It’s good to see you too, Kaden.”

Her hair tumbled down her back, and her jaw set as she forced her full red lips into a big smile. It was a face I hadn’t seen in over two centuries, one I could have gone a thousand lifetimes without seeing again.

“What are you doing here?” I repeated.

“Would you treat your own sister so coldly after all this time?” she asked in a sickeningly sweet voice.

“You’re no relation to me,” I growled through gritted teeth.

She smiled sarcastically. “We’ve come to take you home.”

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MORE ABOUT AMBER RILEY

Amber Riley has enjoyed writing short stories since childhood and is happiest with a cat in her lap. Born and raised in Central New York, she is currently living in Germany with her new son and husband, a Seabee with the US Navy.

VBT Schedule:
Apr 2: ReadingDiva's Blog (Giveaway/Interview)
Apr 3: Aine P Massie (Review)
Apr 4: She Who Blogs Behind the Rows (Giveaway/Guest Post)
Apr 5: The YA Cafe (Giveaway)
Apr 6: More from Mom (Guest Post)
Apr 7: The Bornean Bookworm (Giveaway/Guest Post)
Apr 8: Krazy Book Lady (Giveaway)
Apr 9: Literati Shuffle (Giveaway/Review)
Apr 10: Sapphyria's Book Reviews (Review)
Apr 11: Imogene Nix (Giveaway/Guest Post)




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