Seven
Forbidden Arts
Prequel
Charmaine
Pauls
Genre: Erotic Action Romance
Date of Publication: 8 May 2015
ISBN: 978-0-620-65578-1
ASIN: B00W224OHY
Number of pages: 258
Word Count: 71 000
Cover Artist: Adara Rosalie
Book Description:
If your father is a powerful
criminal, you can’t trust anyone, especially not the stranger who saves you.
Lily is on the run for her
father’s sins. Having escaped a brutal attack on her home that left her dad’s
small army and her beloved nana dead, she finds a job and a cheap room in Camps
Bay, South Africa. When the men from Sky Communications track her down, she’s
forced to flee again. This time, Lily ends up homeless, alone on a bench under
a brewing winter storm in a violent city. It’s a lucky coincidence that Jacob
appears through the mist just before a gang finds her in the dark, deserted
park. Or is it?
After offering Lily shelter for
the night, Jacob’s flat is destroyed in an explosion. With Jacob’s help, Lily
tries to locate her father in search of his protection. In a whirlwind escapade
from Africa to France, danger always a step behind, Lily learns about desire,
love, survival and trust. Eventually, she’ll also learn about betrayal … and
the truth about the savior to who she gave her body and heart.
This novel is a prequel to the
Seven Forbidden Arts series, but reads as a stand-alone. There are no
cliffhangers.
*
This book contains frequent, consummated love scenes and explicit language. It
is recommended for an adult audience.
Available at Amazon
Excerpt:
Chapter One
Mist rose from the ground in the
dark park on Green Market Square, enveloping Lily Reid up to her knees. She
shivered on the bench under the yellow spotlight of a lamppost. Heavy clouds
moved in front of the moon. The loss of light should have made the South
African night blacker, but in Cape Town, the evening sky always had an
artificial glow that reflected the vastness of the manmade illumination below.
A
searchlight reached up from afar, a beam cutting wedges into the heaven.
Another crime had been committed somewhere. Another trespasser was being
chased. Lily clutched her backpack to her chest. It held her meager
possessions–a change of clothes, a passport, a flashlight, a toothbrush, and
her empty purse.
The
brittle winter air penetrated her denim jacket and jeans. A sudden gush of wind
shook the leaves around her and bent the treetops low. Its iciness told her it
came from Table Mountain’s side. Biting her nail, she considered where to
shelter from the imminent storm. Already she could smell the earthy odor that
served as warning of the rain. Soon, the city would be drenched and howling
with gale force winds.
About the Author:
Charmaine Pauls was born in
Bloemfontein, South Africa. She obtained a degree in Communication at the
University of Potchestroom, and followed a diverse career path in journalism,
public relations, advertising, communications, photography, graphic design, and
brand marketing. Her writing has always been an integral part of her
professions.
After relocating to France with
her French husband, she fulfilled her passion to write creatively full-time.
Charmaine has published six novels since 2011, as well as several short stories
and articles.
When she is not writing, she
likes to travel, read, and rescue cats. Charmaine currently lives in Chile with
her husband and children. Their household is a linguistic mélange of Afrikaans,
English, French and Spanish.
Interview
Charmaine
Pauls (Author of Loving the Enemy – Prequel, Seven Forbidden Arts series)
Where
are you from?
I was born in central South Africa in a
city called Bloemfontein.
Tell
us your latest news?
Regarding my novels, Loving the Enemy, which is the prequel
to the Seven Forbidden Arts series,
has just been published. Pyromancist
(Book 1) and Aeromancist, The
Beginning (Prequel novella to Book 2) are already on the shelves. Aeromancist (Book 2) is due for release
this summer.
I also have a couple of literary short stories
and a sweet romance that will soon appear in anthologies in England, Nigeria
and the US. Whereas my novels are pop or goth romance, my short stories are
literary and darker by nature.
When
and why did you begin writing?
I always wrote from a young age, but the
first time I set my mind to writing a book, was when we moved to Chile from
France in 2009. The kids were old enough to go to preschool and with the free
time I gained in the morning, I decided to follow my dream and write fulltime.
When
did you first consider yourself a writer?
When I held my first book in my hands, I
felt like I had accomplished something, but it was only after I had written the
second and third that I could confidently introduce myself as a writer when
people asked about my occupation. In hindsight, I think you are born a writer.
When it is in your blood, it is a passion that will always be part of you.
What
inspired you to write your first book?
While living in France I wanted to record
all the breathtakingly beautiful scenery and romantic experiences so that I
would never forget a single, astonishing detail, but I don’t enjoy keeping a
journal, hence I decided to write it like a story instead. That story grew into
a book with imaginary characters in the enchanting setting of southern France.
Do
you have a specific writing style?
Readers and the members of my writers
group tell me that my voice is very South African. My first editor told me the
style of my first romance is literary. Subsequently, I have worked with other
editors, such as acclaimed sci fi author John DeChancie and romance novelist
Terri Valentine, who said my writing is fast-paced, action packed and
descriptive. My strong points are character building and dialogue.
How
did you come up with the title?
The heroine, Lily, falls in love with
Jacob, a stranger who saves her from a gang in a dark park in Cape Town. Lily’s
father is a powerful criminal with many enemies who would like to get their
hands on her. And Jacob is not what he pretends to be. Soon Lily discovers that
she has fallen for her enemy. Loving the
Enemy summed it all up for me. It says that the book is about powerful love
and hurtful deceit.
Is
there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
I often have themes in my books, but
this one was written for entertainment only, with no underlying message, at
least not intentionally.
How
much of the book is realistic?
The settings (Cape Town and other areas
of South Africa, Mozambique, Algiers and France) are real, but the characters
and the story are purely fictional.
Are
experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
Not at all. This is a product of my
imagination.
What
books have most influenced your life?
Spiritual books by Gary Zukav gave me a
new perspective on life in the 80’s, whereas classic literature such as Wuthering Heights and Dracula inspired my love for gothic
romance.
If you had to choose, which writer would
you consider a mentor?
Definitely Lora Leigh. I love her
ability to create realistic situations that I can relate to, while building
likeable and believable characters with brilliant dialogue and super-hot love
scenes.
What
book are you reading now?
I am re-reading The Bad Girl by the Peruvian author Mario Vargas Llosa, an old
favorite of mine. (It won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2010.)
Are
there any new authors that have grasped your interest?
I love Anna Zaires’ work. Her writing is
emotionally gripping and she keeps you hooked until the end.
What
are your current projects?
The Seven
Forbidden Arts series is on contract until 2017. There will be eight books
in total.
What
would you like my readers to know?
I am a romantic by heart who believes in
everlasting love and who would live in a castle if I could. My stories are
meant to be passionate and deeply emotional, and I hope that this will show in Loving the Enemy.
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Tour
giveaway
1
$20
Amazon Gift Card
5 eBook
copies of Loving the Enemy
Thank you so much for having me on the blog!
ReplyDeleteAnother great interview Charmaine! I am so inspired by your work!
ReplyDelete