Monday, October 12, 2015

Warriors of Hir by Willow Danes Excerpt, Giveaway & Interview


Captured
Warriors of Hir
Book One
Willow Danes

Genre: Science Fiction Romance/
Paranormal Erotica

Publisher: Here Be Dragons

Date of Publication: August 8, 2014

ISBN: 0692271813
ISBN: 978-0692271810
ASIN: B00MH65BDG

Number of pages: 218
Word Count: 55,000

Cover Artist: Steven James Catizone

Book Description:

Jenna McNally is tending to the heartrending task of clearing out her grandfather’s cabin when she’s knocked off her feet by the impact of a nearby plane crash. She races into the snowy North Carolina woods to help and discovers that this is no plane that’s crashed.

Ra’kur’s people have been brought to the brink of extinction by war. After years spent searching for a compatible mate to bond with, an enemy attack lands him on a backward, primitive planet and right to the very female he has been seeking. And a Hir warrior’s first task in claiming a mate is to capture her . . .

Available at Amazon

Excerpt Captured
The screaming came from overhead, like metal ripping through the sky.
In the next instant Jenna stumbled, falling onto her hands and knees as the cabin itself seemed to be lifted up a bit before being slammed back down in a puff of dust, the books and boxes and Pap’s many doohickeys rattling around her.

She was gasping, her ears still ringing as the cabin settled into quiet again. Shaking, Jenna eased back onto her haunches, her hand going to the little golden bird charm that hung on a chain around her neck. 

Taken
Warriors of Hir
Book Two
Willow Danes

Genre: Science Fiction Romance /
Paranormal Erotica

Publisher: Here Be Dragons

Date of Publication: February 1, 2015

ISBN-10: 0692377735
ISBN-13: 978-0692377734
ASIN: B00T0VFO8S

Number of pages: 271
Word Count: 69,000

Cover Artist: Steven James Catizone

Book Description:

Hope MacGowan is a city girl but reeling from a break-up on top of a layoff has her determined to have a weekend away in the North Carolina mountains—even if all her friends have bailed at the last minute. Hope’s life is one big train-wreck and getting kidnapped by a tall, blond alien—even a gorgeous one—sure isn’t helping.

R’har crossed the galaxy to seek a mate on this newly discovered world and this delicate red-haired female is everything he’s dreamed of—except happy to find herself mated to him. R’har knows in his heart he’s her true mate, even if he’s not human. But taking her doesn’t mean he can keep her and somehow he has to convince Hope to choose him before time runs out . . .

Available at Amazon

Stolen
Warriors of Hir
Book Three
Willow Danes

Genre: Science Fiction Romance /
Paranormal Erotica

Publisher: Here Be Dragons

Date of Publication: July 28, 2015

ISBN-10: 0692500820
ISBN-13: 978-0692500828
ASIN: B012UW5YKG

Number of pages: 265

Word Count: 68,000

Cover Artist: Steven James Catizone

Book Trailer:

Book Description:

Kidnapped from Earth by an alien warrior when she visits her uncle, Summer Mills is terrified she will never be able to return home. Her alien captors are using human females as breeding stock and her only chance to return to Earth is Ke’lar, the one Hir warrior willing to stand between her and his own kind.

Returning this human female home won’t be easy and Ke’lar knows by this act of defiance he is throwing his own chances at a lifemate away. Both his family’s enemies and his own clan have pledged to reclaim the woman he has stolen, the only woman he will ever love . . .

Available at Amazon


 the Author:

Willow Danes is the pen name of author Ariel MacArran, creator of the Tellaran Series. She is an Amazon bestselling author, currently at work on book four of the Tellaran Series, The Princess.

Interview:

Where are you from? New York City
Tell us your latest news? I've just released my first audiobook of the Hir series! Captured, Warriors of Hir, Book One is now available on Audible, Amazon and iTunes. I'm really excited about this project because it's a two-narrator format—Adam McLaughlin is playing all the male roles and Kathryn LaPlante is performing all the women's roles. In fact, Adam and Kathryn, are in the studio currently recording the second book of the Hir series, Taken; that audiobook will be out in late October/early November. Right now I'm working on The Princess, fourth book of the Tellaran series and Hidden, the fourth book of the Hir series.
When and why did you begin writing? I can't remember when I didn't want to be a writer! At five I used to make storybooks made from construction paper and yarn. :)
When did you first consider yourself a writer? Not until my first novel, Another Man's Bride, was read and given a glowing review by someone I didn't know. I thought "OMG-to this reader I'm on a level with Diana Gabaldon and R.K. Rowling- a REAL writer!" 
What inspired you to write your first book?
I write the Hir series under the pen name Willow Danes but my first book was published under my real name, Ariel MacArran. In fact the first book I wrote, The Seer, actually came out third, after Another Man's Bride and Stardancer. I loved the idea of a couple who grew and drew from each other's strengths- Jolar is the aristocrat, the golden boy who keeps everyone at an emotional distance, and Arissa is a telepath a gift outlawed by the very society that's given Jolar his privileged life. They challenge each other, becoming better individuals because they fall in love.
Do you have a specific writing style?
Whole stories pop into my head and I used to sit down and write furiously until about page 100 (why is always around page 100???) then I just . . . get . . . stuck. I have the beginning and an idea of the end but the middle scenes used to keep me blocked for months. I finally decided to just write out whatever I had so now I make one long word document. I write whatever scenes I have in my head, putting them in sequential order. For scene I don't have yet I'll write one or two lines like "They escape from the planet" or "Party scene." 
How did you come up with the title?
Titles are the hardest for me! I can write 100k words but picking one or two that will grab reader *and* fit those 100k words? Not so simple. I made a separate word file for each series and book idea with lists of possible titles. Isabella and Colyne's story had about a dozen before I finally settled on Another Man's Bride.
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
In my novels there’s always the theme of the characters being challenged on a inner personal level when they fall in love. It’s hard for everyone to accept how vulnerable love makes them but ironically it’s my human heroines in the Hir series who struggle more with that than the seven-foot tall g’hir warriors!
How much of the book is realistic? My books are mostly Science Fiction Romance and the Historicals have elements of magic but I always make the emotions and conflicts realistic. And of course Another Man’s Bride was meticulously researched because it featured real historical events.
Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life? Writing is a great way to make use of all my experiences—good and bad—nothing is ever meaningless because I can always draw on it in my writing.
What books have most influenced your life most? There are so many! I adore Phillipa Gregory’s books, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Jane Austin—too many wonderful authors to pick just one.
If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor? Jude Devereux. When I was just learning how to craft a novel I picked up a copy of “How to Write a Romance and Get it Published”. The industry information is obviously out of date but there were interviews with Romance writers all through the book and in Jude Devereux’s section she talked about the value of outlining a novel as well as some of the criticism she got as a novelist. In that section she also gave one piece of advice that I’ve built my career on—“Write the kind of books you’d like to read.”
What book are you reading now? I just finished “The Sociopath Next Door.” Great info for villain creation!
What are your current projects? I’ve got so much going on! The audiobook of Captured just came out and the audiobook of Taken is slotted for release in November then the narrators, Adam McLaughlin and Kathryn LaPlante, head back into the studio to do Stolen. The Tellaran novels and my medieval Historical, Another Man’s Bride, are gearing up for audiobook production too. In the coming months I’ll be releasing The Princess, fourth in the Tellaran series, and Hidden, the next book in the Hir series. I have another Historical in the works and a time-travel I’d love to do.

What would you like my readers to know? How much it means to me to hear from readers! I love getting emails and I read every one! You can reach me through my websites—WillowDanes.com and ArielMacArran.com. I’m a Goodreads author too.





Tour giveaway

2 $15 gift cards to Amazon

1 Grand Prize One $25 gift card to Amazon and Jenna’s 14K Gold Necklace with 18” chain 


This special piece was used as the model for the necklace in the novel "Captured."

A precious little bird dangling from 14k gold filled chain. The petite 14k gold dipped charm is beautifully detailed, and finished with a soft matte finish. The pendant slides freely from side to side on chain.

A lovely and minimal piece made of high quality material suitable for everyday wear. Looks great on it's own and layers well with other delicate pieces.

• Pendant: 14K Gold Dipped

• Chain: 14K Gold Filled



1 comment: