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Meet the Characters: RETURN OF THE ASCENDANT by Raine Thomas

Howdy, y'all! With February approaching, I wanted to share some news about my upcoming release, Return of the Ascendant. This book will be released on February 17th as part of a New Adult Paranormal Romance Boxed Set with fellow authors Kristie Cook, Lynn Rush, R.K. Ryals, and Rachael Wade. More details about the boxed set (including links to pre-order) will come your way on February 12th!

I'll mention that Return of the Ascendant is a New Adult Paranormal Romance with Sci-Fi elements. It starts out on Earth and then transitions to a planet called Alametria. The focus of the story is on the romance between the main characters, KyrVawn (Kyra Vaughn on Earth) and TaeDane (Ty Dane). Regardless of which world they're on, the chemistry between these two is undeniable, so I thought it would be fun to introduce you to them!

Before I write a book, I always create detailed character sketches and develop an outline. Today, I wanted to share the highlights with you about Kyr and Ty to give you a hint of what's to come in the book. I hope you enjoy!

KyrVawn

From http://newerablue.com/dark-red-hair/

• Daughter and only child of ShayaVawn and BrunyrVawn (the Guardians of Alametria); she’s the heir apparent and future "ruler of worlds."
• Bears the title Ma'jah.
• Delicate in appearance, but not in demeanor.
• Long, wavy dark hair with a deep red tint, ice blue eyes (like blue-white stars), 5’5” tall.
• Intelligent and passionate about learning.
• Lacks confidence, which she'll need in order to Ascend.
• An excellent judge of character; burgeoning Empath.
• Has been attracted to Ty since she was old enough to see him as a man and not a boy.

 

TaeDane

http://celebmancrushblog.com/2011/06/08/wellness-coach-jessie-pavelka/

• Paired with Kyr as her Mynder (bodyguard) as a child because they were born on the same date, at the same time, under the same star.
• Spiky, caramel-colored hair, silver eyes, 6’5” tall, muscular build, tan skin.
• Physically and mentally powerful; has the ability to connect with Kyr’s thoughts and has been trained to protect her.
• Has extensive markings on both forearms, given on the day he officially became the Dem-Shyr (his formal title) and assumed his abilities.
• He's expressly forbidden from touching Kyr in ways other than for her protection. If he does, his markings cause him intense pain.
• He doesn't care about the above-mentioned pain. ;)

The Great Wolf Giveaway

The Great Wolf

Abel’s been training for this day since the first day he found out he is a werewolf.  The Werewolf Olympics, in Kilkenny, Ireland, is where the big announcement will take place.  He will be stepping up as alpha, and what will mean for every pack throughout the world.  His faith is tested when his right hand man and bodyguard is up on murder charges.  Someone in the pack is a mole, will you guess who it is?  This action packed story will keep you on the edge of your seat to the very end.

Book one of The Legacy of Kilkenny Saga is available for Free on Amazon & I-books

The Legacy of Kilkenny

 For sixteen years, my life has been normal. Piedsville, Oklahoma isn't the tourist mecca of the world, but it's where I live. It's my junior year and I've known everyone since Kindergarten, everyone except her, Pru Phelan. She walked into my English class, my heart stopped. I'd never heard the name Phelan before, so I Googled it and found Phelan means wolf. What I didn't know, she was a werewolf and soon my destiny would change.

This is the story about the prophecy of the Great Wolf and how it relates to me. I'm Abel Casey, and I am the Great Wolf.

The Legacy of Kilkenny is a young adult story about werewolves, friendship, family, and fear.

About the Author

  I've thought of myself as a writer for as long as I can remember. Being a grown up with a grown up job and a family to raise, left me with little time to write. Everyone is grown up now, and I get to do something I want to do. My love of young adult books helped mold me into the paranormal writer I am today.

    The Legacy of Kilkenny Saga is near and dear to my heart.  When I started the series, my own son was a junior in high school and Abel has many of his characteristics.  Each character has a little of my daughter and son in them.  I wanted the series to be about friendship and family, two things that are important to me.  The first book really takes the reader on a journey with Abel as he matures.  By the time you get to The Great Wolf, you will see a transformed young man and the decisions how he handles the pressure of being a werewolf.  I hope you enjoy the Legacy books, 

  Thank you to all of the readers who have fallen for my wolf pack! 

Follow me on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Devyn-Dawson/145383098868553?ref=hl

Twitter - https://twitter.com/DevynDawson

A New Year with New Possibilities.

2014 is here! The old has gone the new has come, the past is over and the future is waiting for us. It seems that at New Years we often find ourselves reflecting on what we have endured, or how we have failed, or triumphed. We exam our lives in such detail that I am surprised that more of us don't just throw our hands up with a dramatic huff and say it's just too much. You see, what I love about the new year is that everyone is drama free and change focused. When that calendar rolls from 12/31 to 1/1 it's like a flip is switched in us and we suddenly feel focused, and driven. But what do we do next?

Now at this point, before I tell you any more I would like to insert a disclaimer. I am not a life coach, a motivational speaker, a counselor or trained in any way to give advice on life, so please do not thing I am saying I'm an expert. I am simply sharing my experiences and praying that God will use it if he can to encourage someone else. Okay, housekeeping done, let's move forward. So it's 1/1 and like I said we suddenly have this fresh look on the year to come. I personally dive into Spring cleaning mode like immediately and so really in my house is should be called The New Year is Here and I'm sick of my dirty house now I'm going to conquer this beast Cleaning. I have the urge to overhaul everything. This year I decided I needed IKEA to vomit in my house with closet organizers and playroom cabinets and bedroom storage/entertainment centers (yes they totally have those). I made the mistake of getting on their website with wide eyes and a goofy grin plastered to my face as I imagined all the ways I could organize every thing in my house right down to the cat. Of course my husband stepped in and veto'd most of it (thank you God for giving me a husband who knows when to tell me to get a freaking grip). But I did end up with some pretty awesome wardrobes for the closet to organize all my shtuff, which has appeased the new years beast in me (a wee bit). So here I am with my conquer the world attitude and IKEA closet system newly installed (thank you my love), but what next? 

The question I pose to you, and hopefully give a somewhat doable answer is- when the new year has come and gone, the resolutions have been made, the determination meter set at high and the beast inside you that feels it can take on world hunger is rearing to go, what do you do? It can quickly become easy to get over whelmed with all of our new year ideas, or goals. And if we don't take those exciting thoughts and ideas and bring them into bite size pieces then we run the risk of being one of those people with resolutions never fulfilled, goals never reached and closets still overrun with coats from fifteen years ago, a bat that doesn't belong to you because you have never played ball in your life and shoes that quite honestly should have never made it out of the factory. We don't want to be that person, as a Christian I know that God doesn't want me to be a person who sets goals only to never reach them because I never tried. He wants to see me be successful and His word tells me he wants me to live life and live it to the fullest. 

Okay, hang with me, I promise I'm getting to the point. You have to remember I'm still on the New years high with the beast rearing so my thoughts are a little scattered. A good first step at the beginning of any new start is to make a list (yes, I said it, make a list). Write down the things you want to accomplish in order of importance and then make copies of it. Then take those copies and post them in various places in your house where you will be forced to see it. The best part about a list is getting to cross off the things you've put on it. It's like when you vacuum a room with carpet and the nice straight lines and clean carpet are left behind when you are finished giving it a "like new" appearance (if only for 15 min, but hey those are some satisfying 15 min). Next, write it on your calendar (tap it in your smart phone). What I mean is set dates for when you are going to start a project, and mark them as priority. Another way to help you stay motivated and actually act on your goals is to tell others. Share with your friends, spouse, family about your ideas and soak up their enthusiasm for what you want to do. They will undoubtedly ask you repeatedly if you've done such in such which is a great way to keep yourself motivated. A final tidbit I would offer is this, make your goals realistic. I'm not saying not to dream big, or to set high goals, but I am saying to remember that no matter how much you think IKEA should totally vomit in your house your bank account, and schedule (all that crap has to be put together by us suckers) might be telling you to get a frickin clue. I am totally one of those people who says hey I'm going to paint this room (taps cheek thinking and throws hands up in the air) what the hay let's paint the whole house and the neighbors too. So I totally get the whole not being realistic, I live in LaLa Land so don't feel bad if you're one of those. 

I'm truly excited about this year to come and yes I have a million ideas running through my head. First on my list- Write Into The Fae. So that's what I'm working on. 2nd on my list- Lose 20 pounds- So I started Weight Watchers two days ago and I'm eating my 26 points a day and telling my stomach it's not hungry (my stomach gives me the finger). 3rd on my list (this is a family goal) We want to adopt an infant- So we've already started the process with an agency and will be doing our home study in the next couple weeks. Okay I just took one of the steps and told you all things that you can now hold me accountable for. I want to have a successful year, I want to honor God in all that I do and say, and I want to see you ALL have success as well. Happy New Year and God Bless you all!

~Quinn

Sneak Peek: RETURN OF THE ASCENDANT by Raine Thomas

Happy New Year, Writer's Voice readers!

I wanted to start my 2014 TWV posts with a sneak peek at my upcoming release, Return of the Ascendant. This novel will initially be published as part of a New Adult Paranormal Boxed Set releasing in February (more details to come!). This is a different style for me, but I loved every minute of writing it! I hope you enjoy. :)

 

Return of the Ascendant by Raine Thomas

Chapter One

The screaming started when Kyra was halfway down the hall. She was surprised it had taken this long for things to escalate. She’d been listening to the constant bickering between the two freshmen moving into dorm room 1411 for nearly thirty minutes. Based on past experience, she’d known it was only a matter of time before things got violent.

Picking up her pace, she made it to the open door just as a ceramic figurine flew out and crashed into the opposite wall, missing her nose by inches. One of the resulting shards nicked her right cheek. The brief jab of pain made her temper rise.

“Hey!” she snapped out, rushing into the room and forcing herself between the two females, who were now grappling in an embarrassing display of cat-fighting. “Knock it off!”

It took two solid minutes before she managed to separate them. The fact that they held fistfuls of each other’s hair made it particularly challenging. She wondered where the hell the dorm monitor was and why all of the other girls just stood in the doorway with unhinged jaws. Eventually, she forced the roommates apart and managed to hold them at arm’s length.

She glowered at them. “This is ridiculous. You two have to spend at least a full semester together. You need to get over yourselves and work this out.”

“She’s hoggin’ all the space!” whined the blonde with a nasally southern accent. “These rooms are small enough as it is. Why should she get extra space just ‘cause she claims she needs a mini fridge? No one else is allowed to have one.”

“I’m diabetic,” retorted the brunette with more calm than her red-faced roommate. “My insulin has to be refrigerated.”

Kyra rolled her eyes and turned to the blonde, who had the grace to look down at the floor. “You’re complaining that someone with a life-threatening disease needs extra space to keep her medicines?”

The blonde sniffled, moving quickly from anger to tears. “I just really hoped to fit the storage chest Gran gave me before she died. The fridge makes it impossible.”

Glancing at the brunette, Kyra saw a softening of her expression. She realized the two girls hadn’t discussed the specifics of why space was an issue. They’d just gone straight to arguing. It was a scenario Kyra had seen too many times to count in her two years in the dorms. Young freshmen, especially, were already so stressed out about the many changes in their lives that every little thing set them off.

Lord, she wouldn’t miss this next year.

“I’m sorry that I’m taking up more room than my side allows, Savannah,” the brunette said in a quiet voice. “If I could change things…”

“We can change things,” Kyra said when the brunette drifted off. “First and foremost, we can change the room’s layout.”

Both girls looked at her. The blonde—Savannah—shook her head. “Dorm policy states that the room can’t be altered from the condition we find it in.”

“You’re right,” Kyra agreed in a reasonable tone. “But in situations like these where one roommate has a special condition requiring the room to be altered, changes can be made until both parties are satisfied.”

Savannah’s mouth opened. Hope lit her eyes. “You mean I might be able to fit Gran’s chest after all?”
“We’ll make sure of it.”

Crisis averted, the hallway outside the room quickly cleared. Kyra put a hand on her chin and surveyed the room and its contents. After a short discussion with the roommates about any remaining items they intended to bring into the room, she started directing them on furniture placement. In less than thirty minutes, the room had been arranged in a way that fit both the refrigerator and the chest while leaving room to maneuver.

“Thanks, Kyra,” said the brunette, whose name Kyra had discovered was Patrice. “You’re a life saver.”

Smiling, Kyra shook her head. “Nah. I just don’t like to see two smart young women resorting to aggression and violence in an attempt to get their way.”

“We’ve learned our lesson,” Savannah said, leaning over and giving Patrice a one-armed hug. “From now on, we’ll talk things out.”

Kyra thought they just might. In fact, judging by the way they exchanged grins and the earlier plans she’d heard about using part of the mini fridge to store energy drinks, she thought they’d become life-long friends.

That thought made her think of her own freshman and sophomore roommate, Avana. Kyra was supposed to be going out with her and their mutual friend, Sam, tonight. Her eyes shifted to the single window in the room. She finally noticed that the sunlight was dimming into a deep pink color. Glancing at her watch, she realized she was running late.

“Sorry, ladies,” she said. “I’ve got to go.”

“Oh, sure,” Patrice said. “Thanks again. Sorry we kept you.”

“Are you in one of the neighborin’ rooms?” Savannah asked.

“I was, but I’ve just moved out.”

Savannah’s face fell. “Bummer. Well, it was nice to meet you.”

“It really was,” Kyra said with a smile. “I’m sure we’ll see each other around campus. I start my junior year next semester.”

Both of the girls smiled back. “Yay!” Savannah cheered. “We’ll catch ya at a party or somethin’.”

Waving and giving a vague commitment to see them again soon, Kyra hurried back down the hall to her former dorm room. She hadn’t gone ten feet before she spotted the dorm monitor, Rachel Ferris, stepping off the elevator with a distinct post-coital glow. She wore a self-satisfied smile, an incorrectly buttoned short-sleeved top, and a mussed hairdo. The sight of her had Kyra narrowing her eyes even as she debated whether to talk to her at all. She’d be out of this dorm forever in a few more minutes. It wasn’t like she had to say something.

Her mother’s censuring voice rang in her head, making Kyra sigh. “Hey, Rachel,” she said, halting the other woman’s progress. “I wanted to talk to you about something.”

“What?” Rachel said, her smile fading. “Surely you can’t have another complaint about the way I monitor the floor. You’re leaving…aren’t you?”

Kyra could tell Rachel was worried she wasn’t about to get rid of the bane of her existence. While others may have turned a blind eye to Rachel’s blatant disregard for campus policies about appropriate dorm room activity, Kyra hadn’t been able to do so. How could the person responsible for upholding the rules disregard them and expect everyone else to respect her?

“While you were out,” Kyra said, not bothering to answer the question put to her, “there was an incident in 1411.”

Rachel didn’t comment as Kyra walked through the basics of the altercation and ultimate resolution. Her posture stiffened, though, as she realized she had missed something significant that had been witnessed by most of the tenants on the floor. Kyra knew she was considering what this might mean for her future as dorm monitor.

“Anyway, it’s all resolved now, but I thought you’d want to know why the room had been rearranged,” Kyra finished.

Rachel’s eyebrow lifted. “That’s it?”

“What do you mean?”

“You aren’t going to spend ten minutes lecturing me on how I should have been here instead of spending time with my fiancé? You’re not going to threaten to report me to the dean? You’re not going to storm off in a huff to vent to your weird roommate?”

Kyra shrugged. “My not-weird roommate is probably waiting for me in the quad, and I think the other things can take a pass in light of the fact that I am, indeed, leaving. But Rachel, these girls are counting on you. College campuses are ripe for drugs, rape, and violence. Don’t let them down.”

Rachel’s eyes widened. She seemed about to say something, then just nodded. Seeing she understood, Kyra nodded back and hurried on to the room she’d shared with Avana for the past two years.
She’d offered to supervise the move-out that afternoon because Avana had to attend a family function. She wanted to do a thorough walk-through of the small space to make sure nothing was overlooked. When she reached the door, she paused in the threshold.

Scanning the nearly empty room, she wondered how she’d ever managed to fit her belongings into half of the tiny space. Hell, she hadn’t even really had half. Avana had all but taken over the room by freshman year’s end. It was a rather accurate reflection of their overall friendship, she couldn’t help but think in an affectionate way.

She eyed the small bed with the rock-hard mattress she’d slept on and pitied the poor soul who would inhabit it next. She’d suffered on that sucker for much too long, but she’d be living the apartment life as a junior. Her new job as an admissions assistant would finally allow her the freedom to live off-campus. Well, that and Avana’s agreement to room with her and split the rent. Unlike Kyra, Avana never had to worry about money. Her parents were made of it. She’d only chosen to room in the dorms for the social element.

Walking over to each bed, Kyra looked underneath them and made sure she didn’t spot anything. She opened each of the drawers on the two small dressers and the shared nightstand, but didn’t find anything there either. Her search complete, she deemed the move-out acceptable and stepped back out of the room, closing the door behind her. An unexpected pang struck her as she realized that this was the last time she’d do so. Despite the hassles and headaches, she’d miss this place.

A faint noise reached her ears. The dull bonging sound of the university’s bell tower striking the hour.
Damn! It’s eight o’clock, she thought, running for the stairs.

She was supposed to meet Avana and Sam in the quad at quarter to eight. She hadn’t realized how much time it took to talk to Rachel and finish her inspection. Pulling her cell out of her purse as she descended the few flights of stairs, she texted Avana.

Sorry. Be there in 5.

The dorms were only steps away from the edge of the quad, but the spot where she’d agreed to meet Avana and Sam was on the far side of the heart of the campus. The three of them were headed to a party hosted by Sam’s fraternity, and she’d dressed before the move was finished to make sure she was ready on time. She was wearing a red and white knee-length sundress and matching red peep-toed heels. The adorable shoes added three inches to her five-foot five height, but greatly hindered her ability to hurry across the grassy ground of the quad.

Her cell buzzed in her hand as she walked. K. C U then.

She smiled. Of course Avana wouldn’t have been worked up over her tardiness. She was a free spirit, more inclined to go where the wind directed her on any given day than to follow a compass or path. Punctuality had never been one of her hang-ups.

Her phone’s screen went dark. Looking up, she realized she was walking in shadow. Typically, the quad was well-lit by tall lamps designed to look like old-fashioned gas lamps. The posts stood about twenty feet apart and surrounded the square area, offering plenty of luminescence and providing a sense of safety. Now, at least three of the lamps along Kyra’s route had gone out.

Her steps faltered. She looked to her right, where the school’s science building stood. Rows of bushes cast deep, uneven shadows along the brick face. A breeze rustled the leaf-covered limbs, generating an eerie scratching sound as they brushed the harsh surface of the wall.

Feeling as though someone was watching her, she cast a furtive look around the quad. On any normal evening, there would be plenty of people walking around the area. Now, however, not another soul was in sight. Kyra supposed they were all either still moving into their dorm rooms or had already left for the big party.

Despite the visual confirmation that she was alone, she had the pressing urge to call out and ask who was there. An image of herself acting like a horror movie cliché kept her lips firmly sealed, however.

Another scraping noise on her right had her starting. She clutched her purse closer to her body and picked up her pace. Surely the shadows were just making her jumpy, she reasoned. That didn’t explain why every hair on her arms and neck now stood on end.

Swallowing her rising fear, she almost broke into a run as she reached the last twenty feet of darkness. Her eyes didn’t move from the gloomy bushes. She couldn’t explain her reaction, as the university was in a small, sleepy town and had a low crime rate. But every instinct in her told her to run.

Just as she neared the halo of light cast by the closest lamppost, it went out. She staggered to a halt.
That was when the darkness moved.

Not possible, she thought.

She watched the shadows take shape, growing ever taller. Five feet, six feet, seven feet tall…like a creature advancing and casting a longer and longer shadow. Her heartbeat accelerated. The voice in her head ordered her to flee.

Run now!

Before she could command her limbs to move, she felt her arm taken in a firm grip. She barely avoided issuing a terrified shriek over the contact. In truth, her fear had escalated to a point where she couldn’t even get a sound past her throat.

Her head whipped to the side. She realized the man who had grabbed her was a good eight or nine inches taller than her, even in her heels. She got a sense of a chiseled profile and broad shoulders as he urged her to move. Her gaze flew to the ground as she tried to avoid breaking an ankle. Only when they emerged from the darkness did her sense of panic begin to ease.

Her unexpected companion’s pace also slowed once they reached the light. She turned her gaze to him once again, wondering if he’d been the one who had cast the shadow. Although she couldn’t tell much about him from his profile, however, she didn’t feel as though he would harm her.

“It is not me you need to worry about,” he said in a deep voice. “You were right to fear the dark.”