Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Shadow Rising by Kendra Leigh Castle (Guest Post/Giveaway)

Today I am excited to welcome romance author, Kendra Leigh Castle, back to celebrate the release of the third book in her awesome Dark Dynasties series, Shadow Rising!



Vamp Kitty Don't Care
By Kendra Leigh Castle

Dark Awakening (Dark Dynasties #1)
Thanks so much to Crystal for having me here today!  I'm thrilled to be celebrating the release of my newest Dark Dynasties book, Shadow Rising, with everyone.

Back when I started working on this book, I knew I wanted to do something a little different.  Okay, I mean, yeah, it's still extra full of vampires.  In fact, this is my first book wherein both the hero and heroine are both of the bloodsucking persuasion.  But Ty MacGillivray and Jaden Harrison, the respective heroes of Dark Awakening and Midnight Reckoning, were both somewhat...angsty.  I like angst in a hero.  Some torment is good.  But once in a while, I need a departure.  I need snark.  I need...well, apparently I needed Damien Tremaine.

If you've followed the series, you'll remember Damien as a smart-mouthed assassin whose moral code is loose to nonexistent.  He's not tormented.  He's not conflicted or confused, and he's not secretly longing for a good woman to save him.  Damien knows exactly what and who he is.  The man is basically the Honey Badger of the Dark Dynasties.  He really doesn't give a—well, you know.

Midnight Reckoning (Dark Dynasties #2)So who is Damien, and why should you want to read about this obnoxious immortal who took up several months of my life and who is still occupying valuable headspace because I can't seem to quit him?  Well, without saying enough to spoil it, I will say that he's the disgraced youngest son of a British nobleman whose tongue is as sharp as his daggers, and who prefers the company of said daggers to that of other people most of the time.  Though he is one of the Cait Sith, a "lowblood" cat-shifting vampire, he avoided the slavery of most of his kind and made his way as a talented assassin with the House of Shadows.  He's a fan of money, expensive things, and good tailoring.  He's also kind of a jerk, but that puts less people off than you'd think.  There's just...something about him.  Which is a good thing, since I gave him a heroine who could take his head off in a heartbeat if she wanted to.  Lucky for Damien, Ariane is as sweet as she is deadly.   The combination is one that, for once in Damien's long life, is impossible for him to walk away from.

Interested?  I hope so!  Damien is a character who quickly became one of my favorites, and I hope readers enjoy seeing him really get to shine in Shadow Rising as he finally gets a story of his own.  Since I'll be hanging out here today in the comments, here's my question for you: do you enjoy the occasional Honey Badger-esque character?  If so, who's your favorite?  I have to admit, I'm drawn to them.  My current favorite is Loki, the god of mischief from Thor and, more recently, The Avengers.  Yeah, he has daddy issues and wants to rule the world, but he definitely misbehaves in style!  And he has that smirk.  I'm helpless in the face of such things.

I'm giving away a signed copy of Shadow Rising to one commenter today, so be sure to say hello!  Thanks for reading!


Ancient Secrets, Dark Passions...
As one of the Grigori, a noble vampire dynasty shrouded in mystery, Ariane has spent her life hidden away in the desert. Like all of her kind, she is a watcher, fated to observe, forbidden to act. Yet when her best friend, Sammael, vanishes, she defies all rules and flees her safe haven to bring him home.
A shape-shifting assassin for the House of Shadows, Damien Tremaine is hired to locate Sammael. His hunt for the wayward Grigori leads him to Ariane, the rogue vamp who stands between him and his bounty. Damien never lets emotion interfere with his work, but a single touch from the sexy, beguiling vampire shatters his self-control. Drawn together by their common goal, what begins as an alliance of necessity soon becomes one of desire. But when the secret at the dark heart of the Grigori comes to light, Damien and Ariane must make a choice that could bind them eternally...or tear them—and everything they care about—apart.



Kendra Leigh Castle is the author of the Dark Dynasties series, as well as several other paranormal romances.  She lives in Maryland with her husband, three kids, and menagerie of pets.  Kendra can be found at www.kendraleighcastle.com, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.







~*GIVEAWAY*~
As Kendra mentions above she is giving away one copy of Shadow Rising to one lucky reader! To enter, just leave a comment answering Kendra's question on this post and then fill out the rafflecopter below. Additional entries are available but not required. Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway



44 comments:

  1. Hey Crystal! Hey Kendra! Great post:) I absolutely loved Shadow Rising ^_^ Hmm. Do I love Honey Badgers? Yes, yes & YES! I love my dark & brooding hero's, but Damien Tremaine was a breath of fresh air. I loved his attitude & his spunk! *sigh* ME. WANT. HIM. NOW!! xD

    Question for Kendra: Did you know Damien was going to get his own book when you first started out writing the Dark Dynasties series?

    Thanks for the giveaway :)

    Ana♥ Beach Bum Reads

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  2. I didn't know what the Dark Dynasties series was until Shadow Rising. Wow, was I missing out.

    Damien is the *perfect* hero and I LOVE that Ari can kick yank his **** 'till it pulls off if she wants to.

    This series is on my "never-to-be-missed-again" list and I can't wait for the next book.

    How fast do you write, Kendra??

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  3. Hi Ana! Yeah, I had this revelation that Damien was a human honey badger at like midnight the other night. Maybe there was something in the Chai I was drinking:) I love snarky, slightly nasty heroes! They're so sexy, and so fun to take down with the right heroine. I'm glad you loved Damien too! To answer your question, no, I was pretty much just going to kill him off. Then he started talking, and my reaction was basically, "Damn it. He's staying." And so he did! And he kept talking...and TALKING...

    Musing Sallie, hi! LOL, yes, that was a main requirement for Damien's heroine. She had to be able to kick his butt. Let's face it, the man needs regular butt-kickings. I'm so glad you loved the book! How fast do I write? Faster than I used to think I could! I like to have three months, but I've done it faster under duress. For my sanity's sake, though, three months per book.

    Thanks for being here, ladies!

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  4. I love a snarky/smart mouthed chatacter. Ones that come to mind are William from Lords of the Underworld and Vlad/Bones from Night Huntress.

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  5. This is kind of off topic but who designs the tattoos?
    I love sarcastic smart ass male characters. Larissa Ione's Wraith is my favorite.
    Thank you.

    vsloboda(at)gmail(dot)com

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  6. I love the snarky guys, but the problem is that when it comes to a triangle (which I'm not fond of anyway), it's always the brooding, angsty guy that gets the girl rather than the sarcastic, funny one. I just finished The Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa, so Puck is on my mind. I so want him to find someone special, but he's relegated to second place.

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  7. Loved the first in the series and I have the second waiting in my massive TBR pile!!

    Kassandra
    sionedkla@gmail.com

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  8. ULA, you and me both!

    Victoria, I love Wraith! A graphic designer named Frank Daley did the tats for me. He was fantastic:)

    JenM, count me in the "not a fan of triangles" club. I always wind up rooting for the one who doesn't win. I enjoy a brooding hero, but the sarcastic guys are always my faves!

    Kassandra, awesome, that's Jaden's book! His heroine, Lyra, is snarky...I loved writing her:) Hope you enjoy it!

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  9. I'm not sure what a honey badger character is? Please explain. Thx

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  10. hi Kendra, I love the concept of the series. The idea of different dynasties is so interesting. Also, snarky sounds so fun! A snarky and hot hero and an assassin!! I know I'm bound to love him already lol

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  11. Lona, sorry, I was teasing...the honey badger is a silly youtube video that went viral a while ago. The tagline is "Honey badger don't care." It's basically a grumpy animal that does whatever it wants and really could care less what anyone else thinks. I spend too much time on the internet:)

    Hi Ning! Glad to have caught your ionterest!

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  12. "Interest," I mean...yay, my typing rules:P

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  13. I LOVE the "Bad Boys" in paranormal romance novels. My favorite as always been Wrath from J.R. Wards Black Dagger Brotherhood. He takes no cr*p from anyone. He is the blind king and his only real weakness is te woman he loves. THAT is why I love bad boys, when they love...Gawd help the idiot that gets between them and the one they love!
    cindymac52(at)copper(dot)net

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  14. That's exactly what I love, Cindy! They don't fall easily, but when they do, they fall HARD.

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  15. I've yet to read this series >.< But Ana ^^^ (very first one :P Lol) Loved this book, and told me about Damien... I mean, HE PURRRSS!!! yup that was enough to make me fall in love! xD I mean, how sexy is that? Lol. My question even though I haven't read the books, is, how'd you come up with your characters? I mean their traits and personalities? (I hope that's a good question >.< Sorry)

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  16. *PS Crystal- Kendra's facebook page "like" button wasn't showing up when I used the rafflecopter, I couldn't get it ;(

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  17. Oh yes, I'm interested! I love a snarky, hot, bad ass. I love to see them fall for their lady love!

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  18. Thanks for defining a "Honey Badger". Now I know the character...Shelly Laurenston's Pride Series has a charcter named Bo Novikov, a russian 7+ foot polar bear shifter who plays hockey. He was absolutely the most self absorbed sports-aholic character I had ever read but the over exuberant wolf-dog shifter Blayne Thorpe got under his skin and I had to love him in the end. It was quite a ride and I loved it, lol.

    I can't wait to start your series after reading this post. I have been collecting this series and NOW I HAVE TO READ IT because I love your writer's voice. Thanks for the giveaway :-)

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  19. Hi Neyra! The purring does seem to make these guys pretty popular with people who read them:) It's not abad question, no worries! I don't really know how I come up with the characters' personalities, honestly. Sometimes they arrive in my imagination fully formed, other times I have to fit them together like pieces of a puzzle. I like it better when they make less work for me, of course! I don't know how rafflecopter works, but my author FB page is still one you have to friend, so there wouldn't be a "like" button...I hope that hasn't screwed anything up! I'm nowhere near my friend limit yet (*pitiful sad face*), so I hadn't bothered to switch the sort of page I have yet.

    Laurie, me too!

    Glittergirl, no problem:) And to anyone who has no idea about the Honey Badger, just look it up on youtube, the original one narrated by Russell. It's funny. Or maybe I'm just twisted. I enjoyed it. Anyway, that sounds like a great book! Now I'm going to have to add to my TBR pile. *sigh* I'm glad you like my voice! And I hope you enjoy the series:)

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  20. I really love a character with a lil' sass to them. It makes for some interesting reading especially in the PNR world where things can get too serious. I love the humor in Showalter's and Frosst's characters and how it makes those books enjoyable as well as Kresley Cole. sdylion(at)gmail(dot)com

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  21. Hi Kendra!
    Love this series... can't wait to read Damien's story! I'd never heard of a Honey Badger before:) Now that I know what it is I'd have to say that there are quite a few heroes out there that fit the type. The one that comes to my mind is Wrath from the BDB series.

    Thanks for the giveaway!

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  22. Glad I am not the only one that got stumped. I love a good starky guy that does anything he wants no matter what. Shock from the Doomsday Brethern comes to mind.

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  23. You can't help but love those heroes, they know how to get under your skin while you fall in love for them!!!

    diane.sadler@gmail.com

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  24. SdyLion, I feel the same way! I love snark. If a book doesn't have a sense of humor, no matter how dark, it loses me.

    Hey yadkny! Okay, I had no idea I would be introducing everyone to the honey badger today:) I should have included the video in the post, I think! This is what I get for writing a post while overly caffeinated late at night. "My hero is like...the honey badger! YES! The day is mine!" Glad to see you here:)

    Hi Maria! It's a character type I love:)

    Tore, glad you like the sound of it!

    Diane, thank you! That's definitely how I hope people feel:)

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  25. Okay, and for, er, reference, the video (for the interested) is entitled "The Crazy Nastya** Honey Badger (original narration by Randall)". Because..yeah. Did I mention I'm apparently on the internet too much?

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  26. Yeah, love them. Bo from Shelly Laurenston's series is great. You just don't know what to do with him.

    mythic021@gmail.com

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  27. I love heroes who are snarky and sexy...Wraith from Larissa Ione, Vlad from Jeanienne Frost, Bo from Shelly Laurenston...can't wait to read Damien from YOU!

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  28. I do like reading about a character who does what he wants how he wants and doesn't care if it bothers anyone else. Right now I can't think of a favorite character. I do like Jacob from the Vampire Queen series by Joey W. Hill. He's an alpha male who has to submit to his vampire, Lady Lyssa. He doesn't always do as she says, he does what he wants, but it's for her protection. He also comes back with some smart remarks that I really liked.
    luvfuzzzeeefaces at yahoo dot com

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  29. Love Bones and Jace!

    Thanks,
    Leanne

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  30. I think I'm going to have to read Bo now, you guys. Seriously. I'm intrigued.

    I'm glad you all love snarky, difficult heroes! I really hope you enjoy Damien too:)

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  31. Awesome series. I cant wait to read the new one.

    I think I have to go with Bones though for a fav

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  32. I do like the "honey badger" type character, I think they add interest to the story. My favorites are Jeaniene Frost's Vlad and Faith Hunter's Leo Pellissier (who's not really a hero, but definitely does anything he wants to and is very hard to read, but has come through for Jane Yellowrock time after time).

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  33. Hi Kendra! Missed you at RWA this year!
    I'm about to embark on a snarky hero book, the tenth in the CSC series. Maybe I need to read this one...
    LOVE THAT COVER!!!!

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  34. donnas, thank you!!

    Barbara E., now see, I would be trying to turn the "not really a hero" into a hero at some point. I can never help myself:)

    Hi Cheryl!! Oh man, I missed you too. Next year. You'd better be going. And I must say that I am VERY excited about a snarky cat hero from you:)

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  35. I do, =) it shakes things up a bit and can be a fun change to all things perfect. And i agree, Loki was a great one!

    best wishes, Linda xo

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  36. Hi Linda! Yeah, I'm maybe slightly a little bit kind of obsessed with Loki. Sort of. *ahem*

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  37. lol, It makes sense now. The one character I can think of would be Lothaire from Immortals After Dark series. He is awful and I cant help but to love him. Thx for giveaway.

    blinkysthebest at aol dot com

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  38. Do I enjoy a Honey Badger-esque character? the only Badger-esque character I've ever encountered thus far is the were-badger doctor in the Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews... an yes, I like that character! Quirky. Grumpy. and a big softie! :)

    Cherry Mischievous

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  39. Do have to agree with you with Loki. Just something about him that you like sooo much!

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  40. Yes, love them! My fave is Vishous from Black Dagger Brotherhood.
    Great book. I can't wait to read it! Love the snarky dark guys!

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  41. Kendra I have to say I LOVED the honey badger quality to Damien, I adored Shadow Rising, I so have to read the others too! Carin
    mawmom(at)gmail(dot)com

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  42. Yes, sometimes those villains seem yummy. I loved Alan Rickman as the Sheriff in Robin Hood the Costner version.

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  43. Honestly, most of the time I'm a Beta Hero or secondary character fan. I do love characters who have strength, but I like them to have some "give" as well.

    Karin
    AquarianDancer at gmail dot com

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  44. Greetings Kendra! So I'm not weird to find Loki appealing, too?! Thank God! Don't get me wrong, I usually root for the good guys but there's just something so twisted about Loki that draws me to him. He makes me want to smack him but kiss him at the same time ;)

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