Simply Hot Release!!FIRE KISSEDbyErin Kellison+Giveaway!!

Today
Simply Ali
welcomes
Wickedly Talented Author
Erin Kellison!!

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Erin is here to give
Simply Ali
readers a taste of her fiery new release
Fire Kissed
which hits stores this Tueday!!

You don't want to miss this paranormal delight! I could not get enough of Erin's dark fantasy world and her hotter than sin couple! You will learn what Ms. Ali thinks of all things Shadow later on in the post.

Today's we are going to give
Simply Ali
readers a little bit of everything :)

A New Release Spotlight, Interview, Reviews and a great Giveaway! We hope you all enjoy discovering Erin's world of Shadow on this the first day of July!

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FIRE KISSED
by
Erin Kellison

Shadow Kissed, Book 1

Zebra Books

Paranormal Romance

July 3, 2012

Blurb

Fae Fire

It is Kaye Brand’s power to wield. But outcast from her kind, she’s been selling herself to the highest bidder-- – money for her survival in exchange for a magic glimpse into the flames of the future.

Angel Ice

One of the angelic Order, Jack Bastian has no use for a female like Kaye, as provocative and unexpected as her blazing beauty. Yet he has no choice but to hire her to uncover the secrets of his sworn enemy and her former fiancé, Ferrol Grey.

Magekind

War is inevitable between the defenders of the Order and the mage houses who threaten to engulf the world in Shadow. For Jack, mage-born Kaye is off limits, no matter how hot the impossible attraction between them. But in the coming darkness, beset by danger and desire, everything is about to change …

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Excerpt

Kaye blinked, bleary. He watched as her gaze shifted to the glaring window, to the bright mess of clothing spilling off a chair. To Jack, then held.

She bolted to kneel on the mattress, her hands shaking and full of livid faefire. “Angel,” she said, naming him as she prepared to strike.

“That won’t be necessary,” Jack said. Though he could read human minds easily, Kaye’s was a complete and utter blank, like all of the soulless mage-born. But he knew human nature well enough. If he remained at ease, she wouldn’t burn him. Most likely.

Pillow lines creased one cheek. Her auburn hair was flat on that side as well, wavy on the other. Black eyes. Her legs were braced apart, athletic in their youth. The skirt was still rucked up high on her thighs. Her stance was full of fight, so the life she’d been leading hadn’t broken her yet. Very good.

“Although historically I’m your mortal enemy--” Jack began. Mages, like the fae, had always defied Heaven. He added a smile to make the acknowledgment seem friendly. “Today, I’m your prospective employer, Jack Bastian.”

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Grab your copy of FIRE KISSED here...
Amazon / Barnes & Noble / BAMM

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FIRE KISSED

Kaye Brand is a mage with the power to wield fire. She’s an outsider who does what she needs to survive. Kaye exudes such great strength and power, and although weary of her at first, I came to care for her character and loved how she and Bastian worked together.

Jack Bastian and finds himself in need of Kaye’s help to take out Ferrol Grey, who may be behind the disappearances of angels. Kaye has a past history with Grey, and there is no love lost there. Ferrol Grey comes off well as the villain, and you’ll definitely wish him to fail in his plans.

The tension between Kaye and Bastian can be felt through the pages. Their attraction starts off as a simmer and later blazes red hot. I’ve always loved when a hero tries to fight his attraction to the heroine, but ultimately, they fall and fall hard.

It didn’t take long to find myself deeply drawn into Fire Kissed and mesmerized by the world Erin Kellison created. Ms. Kellison does an amazing job of interlacing romance and fantasy, as usual. I could feel the heat radiating between Kaye and Bastian.

Fire Kissed by Erin Kellison is a sensational story that will have you immersed in the world of Shadows.

I lingered during the last few chapters of Fire Kissed, not wanting it to end. I’ve so enjoyed visiting the world in Fire Kissed and look forward to more. This is the first book in the Shadow Kissed series, a spin-off of the Shadow series.

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First, thank you so much to Simply Ali for having me here today to celebrate the release of
Fire Kissed, book one in my Shadow Kissed series. And thank you also to readers stopping by—I appreciate it more than you know. Leave a comment below and be entered to win a copy.

What inspired your Shadow World?

Confession: I’ve always been afraid of the dark and very watchful of the darkest shadows in the dark. I can remember all the way back to age four trembling in my bed, and unfortunately, to this day, it takes a little will power to get me to walk into a pitch black room. I’ve always imagined that there was something in the darkness or… on the other side of the darkness. I found I was writing about shadows before I even realized that I had tapped into that fear. Now it’s obvious to me.

What made you decide to create the Shadow spin-offs, the Novellas and Shadow Kissed?

In the original Shadow series (Shadow Bound, Shadow Fall, and Shadowman), magic began seeping back into the world, bringing a terrible monster of old into our contemporary life. I loved the overlap of fairy tale, legend, and myth on our experience today. But I started wondering whether there were people who had known about Shadow all along. That perhaps they even have it within themselves. What would they be like? That’s how I conceived the mage Houses (or families), who are almost medieval in their practices and traditions. The Shadow Kissed series was born, which right now includes Fire Kissed and Mage Kissed (my current work in progress). The Shadow Touch novella series (Shadow Touch, Shadow Play, plus two more to come) are set in the same universe and bridge the two series.

In all of your Shadow series, who is your favorite character and why?

Kaye Brand from Fire Kissed. She’s bold, unafraid, and unapologetic about what she wants… and she doesn’t flinch when she chooses a course of action. At the same time, she’s incredibly vulnerable. There is nothing bland or safe about her character, which made her exciting to write.

I admire the complexities of your characters. Some can be extremely dark but you manage to make them heroes. Shadowman for instance is the Grim Reaper. How do you keep the right balance between good and evil?

It’s actually pretty straight forward—they all choose and are motivated by love.

In Fire Kissed, the Hero is an Angel and the Heroine is a Mage, natural-born enemies. What is it about these two characters that make them perfect for each other?

Opposites attract. Well, no. First opposites drive each other crazy, challenge each other in ways they could not predict, all the while attracting. Ultimately, they have to complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses. For example, firemage Kaye Brand is impulsive and wild; angel Jack Bastian is all about control and reason. Both value loyalty, which ties them together while their other prevailing character traits undergo a sort of story fusion to overcome the tremendous odds facing them.

In Fire Kissed, you take some risks with your characters. Is there ever a time when you are writing and the story is flowing out of you that you stop and think the reader may not like this twist?

I think I know the risk to which you are referring, and yes, it is a doozy. :) I usually plan (stress, fret, complain, rant) about key plot points in advance, and yes, I think about the reader in all of those deliberations. But second guessing is an easy trap to fall into, deadly for a book (and the writer). My approach is to think it through (banging my head on my desk and medicating with chocolate), then I go for it. I go all the way, I don’t pull my punches, and I raise the stakes as high as I can.

Will there be more Shadow Kissed stories? Please tell me there will be :) If so, when? And will they continue Jack and Kaye’s story or focus on other characters?

Yes! I’m working on Mage Kissed right now. I’m actually not sure of the release date, but sometime in 2013. Kaye and Jack reappear, but the focus shifts to other characters.

I noticed that you have a Masters in Cultural Anthropology. What drove you to pursue this degree and how does it help your storytelling?

Well, I studied mythology and storytelling, so it helps immensely! World-building immediately comes to mind. I have always been passionate about stories, but early on I was too chicken to pursue my dream of writing. I enjoy school (sometimes even consider going back), so I pursued my interest on an academic level. After having kids though, nothing scared me (okay except the dark… and spiders… you know what I mean), so I went for it.

I really like the tag line on your website because I totally agree with it :) “dark fantasy meets modern fairy tale” where did you come up with this line?

I’m so glad you like it! I was trying to come up with a short and sweet way to convey what I write. The “dark fantasy” is pretty obvious—the tone of my books is dark and my world-building and emphasis on fairy tales, legends, and myths lends itself to fantasy. And “modern fairy tale” suggests a contemporary take on familiar stories—for example, where the heroines save themselves. But also, I set the old stories in a modern context where people today have to contend with the story they are caught up in.

Will you be attending any conferences this year? If so, which ones :)

Yes! Some have already passed, but two remain in 2012. RWA (Romance Writers of America’s national conference) in Anaheim. It’s pretty much for writers and publishing professionals, but there is a massive booksigning open to the public on July 25 from 5-8pm. Get information HERE

And I’m headed to the Authors After Dark conference in New Orleans (August 8-12). This is a wild and fabulous reader conference, but if you aren’t able to attend the full con, it too has a huge booksigning open to the public. Find out info about AAD HERE

If you are interested in reading Erin's answers to Simply Ali's signature questions you can find them HERE. She was gracious enough to stop by during Simply Ali's Authors After Dark Birthday Bash!

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About the Author

Erin Kellison is the author of the Shadow Series, which includes Shadow Bound and Shadow Fall, as well as the upcoming Shadowman (Sept 2011), and the e-novella Shadow Touch (June 2011). Stories have always been a central part of Erin's life. She attempted her first book in sixth grade, a dark fantasy adventure, and she still has those early hand-written chapters. She graduated summa cum laude with a degree in English Language and Literature and went on for a masters in Cultural Anthropology, focusing on oral storytelling. When she had children, nothing scared her anymore, so her focus shifted to writing fiction.

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Want to learn more about Erin? Here are some links...
Website / Facebook / Twitter

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Don't miss out on the rest of Erin Kellison's
FIRE KISSED tour. Check out the Schedule HERE.

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GIVEAWAY

Leave a comment/question below and you are entered to win FIRE KISSED!!

Thank You Erin for the wonderful giveaway and for bringing FIRE KISSED to Simply Ali!

Contest open until Midnight July 3rd.

Randa Reviewed FIRE KISSED for Joyfully Reviewed You can read her review HERE