Hunting
for Spring
Katherine
McIntyre
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Loose Id
Date of Publication: 1/12/16
ISBN: 978-1-68252-060-4
ASIN:
Word Count: 63,000 words
Cover Artist: Veronica Tibbs
Book Description:
Hunters are a lonely breed, and
Conor’s no exception, until the day he meets Brenna. Even though she slinks in
unannounced and kills the wight he was hunting down, the girl’s a mystery and
he can’t get that blinding smile or those gorgeous curves off his mind.
Since they’re both after the same
caster who’s unleashing these monsters, he suggests teaming up, and despite her
initial reluctance, the hungry way she scans him down promises something
powerful.
However, her secrets have
repercussions, and faster than Conor can lift his Glock, he’s drawn into the web
of kidnappings and Unseelie mischief, all concealing the machinations of a
darker foe—one that plans to bring Philly to ruin.
Available at Loose ID
Excerpt:
He took two
steps back, quite aware of the presence on the other side of the room. “You
know, stealing someone’s kill is bad form,” he complained, cutting through the
quiet tension.
“Looked to me
like you could use the help.” The female voice came from behind him.
Conor turned
around, his hand inching for his Glock.
She sat on the
countertop, one leg hanging over the edge. Long strands of dark, messy hair
hung past her face, brushing her cheeks as she lifted her chin. The woman had
the sort of striking features that made men gape, and Conor fell victim. Her
blue eyes intensified with a curious light as she scanned him, and in the
shadowy room, her pale skin took on a silver hue. Even though her dark eyebrows
knitted together, lending her features a sort of stark fierceness, her pursed
mauve lips softened her face.
The girl tugged
on the cord of her hoodie, and her eyes narrowed. “What’s a normal kid like you
doing hunting a beastie like that?” Her boots hit the ground with a thud, and
she brushed her knees off, making the buckles of her cargo pants jangle.
Conor arched his
brow, wiping his jacket sleeves on the wall in a sad attempt at getting rid of
the wight crud. “Sweetheart, whoever trained you in magic should’ve given you
the rundown on everyone you might encounter—including hunters.”
He caught the
recognition flashing in her eyes, as well as the careful way she stalked around
him like a panther surveying an encroaching predator. “Well, feel free to p*ss
off, then.” Her words were curt but not shocking. Hunters and casters shared a
history of bad blood due to the chaos so many irresponsible witches caused.
However, one bit of curiosity lingered within him—why had she been tracking the
wight? Unless she’d created this monster.
About
the Author:
A modern day Renaissance-woman,
Katherine McIntyre has learned soapmaking, beer brewing, tea blending, and most
recently roasting coffee. Most of which make sure she’s hydrated and bathed
while she spends the rest of her time writing. With a desire to travel and more
imagination than she knows what to do with, all the stories jumping around in
her head led to the logical route of jotting them down on paper. Not only can
her poetry and prose be found in different magazines, but she’s had an array of
novels and novellas published through Decadent Publishing, Boroughs Publishing,
Hazardous Press, and Jupiter Gardens Press. For more casual content, she’s a
regular contributor on CaffeineCrew.com, a geek news website.
Website: http://www.katherine-mcintyre.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/pixierants
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kmcintyreauthor
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/kmcintyremt
Interview
with Katherine McIntyre
I hail from the suburbs of Philadelphia, which
actually came into play with my most recent story…set shockingly in Philly.
We’re the city of quality cheesesteaks, Yuengling, and Wawa. Also lovingly
called Filthydelphia.
Tell us your latest news?
Well, the most recent is my new release, Hunting for
Spring. I’m thrilled for this book to hit e-shelves and can’t wait to share a
story in my favorite genre with everyone. It’s got sassy banter, competent
badasses for leads, and the story culminates in one of my steamiest scenes yet.
Plus, an adorable puppy steals the show.
When and why did you begin writing?
I began writing when I was a kid and never stopped.
Why is probably a bit more complex. I’ll let you in on a little secret—I’m
pretty sure my DNA is comprised of pixie dust and unicorn spit, so ever since I
was little I was bursting with creativity. I ooze it out of my pores and
collect it for rainy days. Seriously though, I wrote stories in crayon, and
then as I got older I collected sheets upon sheets of tales in notebooks. All
through high school I began a thousand stories I never finished, until I hit
eighteen, which marked the first time I finished a manuscript.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
Hrm. Well, I guess I’ve always been a writer, but I
didn’t really become an author until the past couple of years when I got
published. And I’ll admit, it took awhile for it to sink in that I was an
author. I’m talking like…four or five books in when it hit me. I always
expected some big fanfare moment to announce that I was an author, but the
realization occurred with a slow seeping gradualness, like the crawl of a
sunset until you blink and the sky’s turned dark.
What inspired you to write your first book?
My first manuscript which shall not see the light of
day was a romantic fantasy tale, which was primarily inspired by my
relationship woes at the time. My first published book though, An Airship Named
Desire, was a culmination of a lot of facets. First off, I’ve been obsessed
with pirates since I was a wee lass who went down the Outer Banks and had her
head crammed with tales of Blackbeard. Secondly, Bea is the spitfire voice
inside my head that has been there for years. To this day, she’s one of the
easiest characters I’ve ever had the pleasure for writing. I never, ever need
to question how she’d react to a situation or what she’d say.
Do you have a specific writing style?
Most definitely. I tend to be in the less is more
camp, and I also subscribe to the Snarky Dialogue Club. I’ve been told that I
do description well, but I’ll be honest, I feel my way through stories via my
main characters, so a lot of detail gets tossed out the window.
How did you come up with the title?
Titles usually come last for me. Hunting for Spring
was a symbolic title, since throughout the story Conor and Brenna both happen
to be searching for what spring symbolizes—hope, growth, and rebirth.
Is there a message in your novel that you want
readers to grasp?
I don’t want to spoil anything, but I went with a
sort of Last Unicorn ending, because from an early age, I realized life wasn’t
all butterflies and sunshine—you had to live with the grief and the regret too.
So if I had to hone in on any message apparent, it’s that despite the regret
and loose ends that life likes to leave dangling, you can pave your own path of
hope, even if the past was all rocky ground.
How much of the book is realistic?
The character’s emotions in it are, however I highly
doubt fairies are going to come pouring out of Fairmount Park any time soon. I
will say I did scope some of the settings out myself since I happen to live in
the suburbs of Philly. That’s actually my tactic to handle the abstract
situations, like the idea of fighting off nightmarish Unseelie, I’ll equate to
adrenaline pumping situations and the feelings that invokes.
Are experiences based on someone you know, or events
in your own life?
Not directly. I don’t really lift straight up
situations from my life, but people I’ve run into along the way will add
aspects to characters, or common jokes and interactions I’ve had will become
dialogue. My husband laughs when reading certain characters because they’re
doing a very ‘me’ thing that I didn’t even realize while writing it. For
example, the pup in Hunting for Spring, Failinis was based off of a sweet
little lemon beagle I’ve met…so watch out, folks, you might end up in one of my
stories!
What books have most influenced your life most?
My influences all stem from childhood, so a lot of
my early ones were the Last Unicorn by Peter Beagle, the Lioness Quartet by
Tamora Pierce, and the Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander. Note the
recurring theme of fantasy in there, though I felt all three books/series had
different lessons to teach.
If you had to choose, which writer would you
consider a mentor?
I’m from the school of practical application, so
while I admire the heck out of authors who’ve scored it big, their situations
aren’t always accessible to my here and now. I’ve learned the most from other
writers from my publishers. The folks from now defunct Breathless Press,
Decadent Publishing, Boroughs Publishing, and Loose Id have been a delight to
work with and learn from.
What book are you reading now?
Currently reading Shield of Winter by Nalini Singh.
I got horribly sucked into her Psy-Changeling series back in October/November
and have been bulldozing through the books.
Are there any new authors that have grasped your
interest?
Hmm, two authors that were new to me over the past
year were Nalini Singh and Maggie Stiefvater. Though one’s spicy paranormal
romance and the other is young adult, those happen to be my favorite genres. I
adore both writing styles for vastly different reasons. Maggie Stiefvater’s
work is poetic and deep, which stirs me to my core while Nalini Singh’s is so
sexy and swings from laugh out loud to heart melting within moments.
What are your current projects?
I’m editing a young adult fantasy involving druids
and an epic fantasy realm, and I’m writing a paranormal romance with two
argumentative, feisty leads. Needless to say, I’m smitten with the characters,
and their story has been so much fun to write so far. Plus, with it being set
in Boston, I now have an excuse to travel up there.
What would you like my readers to know?
If they’re looking for take-charge females,
emotionally savvy men, and ragtag crews, my stories should be right up their
alley. High warning for passionate speeches too, I have a tendency for those.
If you want to chat books, come hit me up on my Facebook page, www.facebook.com/kmcintyreauthor!
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