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About the Author:
I am a wife, a programmer,
and now an author. I have an adorable mini Schnauzer and more books than I have
room for. I love reading romance because no matter what may be happening in my
life, I can always count on my books to end happily ever after. The day I met
my husband was the day I truly began believing in happily ever after. After
hearing me complain a few too many times that I had “nothing” to read despite
the hundreds of paperbacks scattered around the house, my husband began
suggesting I write my own stories. When I finally took his advice I discovered
that although I enjoy my day job as a software engineer, my true calling is to
be an author.
My sister drilled into me an
appreciation for fantasy and mythology, something I try to bring to my books.
My debut novel, Breaking the Nexus started as a book written for NaNoWriMo and
has grown to so much more. It was the conduit that introduced me to a fantastic
group of independent authors who have changed my life in unimaginable ways.
When I’m not writing, I’ve
found a passion for blogging and interviewing fellow authors. I also love
reading (of course!), baking, crochet, sewing sock monkeys, playing video
games, and all sorts of random crafts. I have an incurable love of rubber
duckies and stuffed animals, and I believe nobody should have to grow up if
they don’t want.
Here's my interview with the Author:
Here's my interview with the Author:
What is your name? Do you use a pen name
(if so, why?)?
My name is Lindsay Avalon and yes, that’s a
pen name J I had to pick a pen name because to
be honest, my real last name is unspellable. It looks like someone took a bag
of scrabble letters, got really drunk, and started grabbing letters at random.
I wanted something easy to spell and memorable. Since I write paranormal/dark
fantasy romance, Avalon seemed perfect.
Tell me a bit about yourself:
I have an obsession with rubber duckies and
spreading chaos wherever I can. I adore reading and have discovered a passion
for writing. Although I’m a programmer by day, I believe my true calling is to
be a writer so I plan to eventually quit my day job so I can write full time.
What type of genre do you write?
Paranormal/dark fantasy romance is my
primary genre. I’m considering branching out after I’m through with my current
trilogy, however.
What genre to you personally read?
Most kinds of romance, especially paranormal
and romantic suspense. I also love a good mystery, some horror, and true crime.
Tell me about your latest?
Breaking the Nexus is the first in my
Mythrian Realm series. It’s also the first in a trilogy featuring Sha Phoenix
and Connor Flynn.
Throughout history, myths and legends of
extraordinary creatures have been told and retold. Fantastic tales of demons
and banshees, gryphons and dragons, and of course, magic. Stories that every
child grows to learn are nothing more than fantasy…or are they?
Beyond the world you see lies a hidden
realm, the Mythrian Realm, inhabited by all of the creatures you’ve been told
are mere fiction. Only one thing lies between humans and the truth: the Nexus.
A magical barrier erected millennia ago to separate the two realms, it has
stood the test of time. Until now.
For Mythrian Sha Phoenix, magic is nothing
new. But when she stumbles upon a portal on the verge of collapse, her fate
will forever change. Pulled through the portal into the Human Realm, she lands
in the middle of Detective Connor Flynn’s brutal murder scene. Soon it is
obvious someone is using blood magic to try to bring down the Nexus. Together,
Connor and Sha must work to unravel the secrets before the barrier falls and
the realms collide.
The Nexus is breaking and all hell is about
to unleash…literally.
What sparked your passion for books and the
art of a good story?
I come from a family of readers. My
brother, sister, and parents all love to read so naturally I fell in love with
it too. My sister really fostered my love of fantasy and mythology. She used to
drill me on classical Greek and Roman myths. Since she is a few years older,
she’d read books and pass them on to me. Her taste mostly ran toward fantasy so
from an early age that’s what I had the most exposure to. My sister is also a
big reason I decided to try writing. She pestered me to do NaNoWriMo with her
until I finally caved and gave it a shot.
Is there a particular book that changed or
affected your life in a big way?
From a reading standpoint, no. I do believe
Breaking the Nexus changed my life
because it made me realize how much I adore writing. I have never had the same
passion for my day job that my coworkers did. I never understood when they’d
sound so enthusiastic learning about the latest programming technologies. When
writing Breaking the Nexus, I
discovered that same passion/
Is there a message in your book that you
want readers to grasp?
That magic is everywhere.
What challenges have you faced in your
writing career?
Time management is a huge problem. I work
full time and my day job is demanding. On top of that and writing, I also have
a very active blog where I interview fellow authors and review books. I’m
constantly busy so finding a balance is challenging.
What has been your best moment as a writer?
The moment I published Breaking the Nexus and saw it appear on Amazon.com. I literally
burst into tears and sobbed because I was so happy.
Who is your author idol?
I don’t have a single author idol. Every
one of my fellow indie authors are amazing, especially those who have really
carved a name for themselves. Many have become great friends and I love the
support that we give to each other.
Do you see yourself in any of your
characters?
I try to put a bit of myself into all of my
heroines so they especially remind me of myself.
Do you feel like your dream has come true
or is there much more to do?
My dream hasn’t fully come true yet. The
day I am able to quit my day job and write full time will be the day it is
fully realized.
What does your workspace look like?
A complete and total mess! I don’t have a
defined workspace unfortunately. It’s more of a little sewing table set up in
my living room and it’s part of the reason why I have trouble focusing and
writing. We’re moving soon and I hope to be able to find a place with a spare
bedroom that I can turn into an office.
Have you ever had a day when you just
wanted to quit?
Not really. I have days when I want to quit
the efforts to promote myself and keep my name out there, but I can’t seem to
be able to turn that off. It would be so much easier if I could slow down, but
I’m determined to make it as a writer. This is my true calling and nothing will
stop me now that I’ve decided this is my future.
What do you do when you’re not writing?
I love to read, crochet, do little crafty
things, but most of all, I love spending time with my husband and miniature
Schnauzer. We’ll sit around and watch TV or video game replays and cuddle and
it’s where I’m happiest, without a doubt.
What are the most important attributes to
remaining sane as a writer?
Whether I’m sane is quite debatable lol. I
would say, you have to be determined and focused on your end goal. For me, that
goal is to become successful at writing so I can quit my day job. That singular
purpose drives everything I do and the decisions I make. Every time I get
discouraged, I think “If you quit now, you’ll lose the momentum you’ve built
and this chance you have at making this your career.” Writing is hard and to
stay sane, you have to be determined.
Did you have a moment when you realized you
were meant to be a writer?
Yes, when I wrote Breaking the Nexus and the ideas flowed. I won NaNoWriMo that year
and tried to shelve the book because I was exhausted from all that writing. The
book kept sneaking its way back into my subconscious and wouldn’t let go.
That’s when I knew I was meant to be a writer.
What advice would you give to aspiring
authors?
Be persistent and write because you love
it, not because you think you’ll get rich quick. This is a very difficult field
and it’s not getting any easier. I’m determined to make this my living but I’m
so determined because I love it. If you’re in it just to make money quickly,
you’re in the wrong field.
After this book, what is next?
I’m working on a novella that will be out
in about a month and then book 2 of the trilogy, Waking the Phoenix, will be out this summer. After that, I’ll write
another novella and then hopefully be able to squeeze in book 3 this year. All
told, I’m hoping to release 2 novellas and 2 novels in 2013.
Your website? www.lindsayavalon.com
Your blog? Lindsayavalon.blogspot.com
Other websites? FB: http://facebook.com/author.lindsay.avalon
Twiter: @LindsayAvalon
Where can your book be found?
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/breaking-the-nexus-lindsay-avalon/1114319812?ean=9780615753140
Signed Paperbacks: http://lindsayavalon.blogspot.com/p/buy-my-books.html
Breaking the Nexus
Book 1 of the Mythrian Realm series
Book 1 of the Mythrian Realm series
Lindsay Avalon
Genre: Dark
Fantasy Romance
Publisher: Blue
Phoenix Publishing
ISBN:
978-0615753140
ASIN: B00AMPXDLQ
Number of pages:
200 print pages
Word Count: 42,000
Cover Artist:
Miranda Stork (front cover)
Book Description:
Throughout history, myths and
legends of extraordinary creatures have been told and retold. Fantastic tales
of demons and banshees, gryphons and dragons, and of course, magic. Stories
that every child grows to learn are nothing more than fantasy…or are they?
Beyond the world you see lies
a hidden realm, the Mythrian Realm, inhabited by all of the creatures you’ve
been told are mere fiction. Only one thing lies between humans and the truth:
the Nexus. A magical barrier erected millennia ago to separate the two realms,
it has stood the test of time. Until now.
For Mythrian Sha Phoenix,
magic is nothing new. But when she stumbles upon a portal on the verge of
collapse, her fate will forever change. Pulled through the portal into the
Human Realm, she lands in the middle of Detective Connor Flynn’s brutal murder
scene. Soon it is obvious someone is using blood magic to try to bring down the
Nexus. Together, Connor and Sha must work to unravel the secrets before the
barrier falls and the realms collide.
The Nexus is breaking and all
hell is about to unleash…literally.
Excerpt:
Sha floated, surrounded by a cold, dark abyss. This must be death. It was rather peaceful in a way and at least
she didn’t hurt. The thought hadn’t finished forming when jagged shards of pain
radiated through her body. By the flame. This was almost as bad as mage
fire. She clenched her teeth, pride the only thing keeping her scream of agony
locked in her throat. She wasn’t dead, though whether that was a blessing or a
curse remained to be seen.
Forcing herself to steady her breathing, the deafening roar in her ears
subsided to a low howl as she worked to push aside the pain. Backlash was
brutal; the Gate must have collapsed, sending out a wave of raw energy that her
mind had attempted to absorb. Talk about sensory overload, it was a minor
miracle she still had her wits about her.
Gradually she grew aware of her surroundings, the surface beneath her
body cold, hard, and…sticky? What the hell? Maybe she’d been hasty in assuming
she’d kept her wits. The last thing she remembered was walking into the forest
clearing. Trepidation welled up inside her body. Inhaling, she barely stopped
herself from expelling what little she’d had for breakfast that morning. The
stench of blood and Goddess only knew what else sent her stomach roiling. She had
a sneaking suspicion she wasn’t in Mythria anymore.
“Right, let’s just state the obvious, shall we? And now I’m talking to
myself. I’m going insane, that’s it.” Since Luca hadn’t teased her for
muttering to herself, nor had he asked if she was alright, she surmised he was
either missing or unconscious. “Stop being a baby and just open your eyes.
What’s there to be afraid of?”
Steeling herself, she pried open one lid. The dawning sun lanced into
her brain, triggering a resurgence of her headache. Could this day get much
worse? As her vision cleared, she wanted to kick her own ass for taunting the
fates.
“Hey miss, you alright? Cops are on their way. Do you know what
happened?” The voice was unfamiliar, the accent not quite like anything she’d
ever heard before. Her eyes narrowed, trying to bring her surroundings into
focus. Holy hell. She was in the Human Realm. Lying in an alley. In a pool of
blood; a lot of blood, though not hers since she’d notice losing important limbs or acquiring new
holes. A commotion nearby drew her gaze to a crowd of strangers growing larger
by the minute, all eyes fixated on Sha. Yup, she’d been an idiot to tempt fate.
Struggling to pull herself upright, she waved off the hands
outstretched to help. “Fine, I’m fine. Just dazed, I think.”
A shrill scream amplified the pounding in her head. Why did some women
have to sound like the infernal banshees that roamed the Enigma Forest?
“Oh my God! There’s a body over here! Oh my God, that woman’s covered
in blood! She had to have done it! She could be armed!”
Chapter 1:
Fire leapt toward the sky as a massive explosion rocked the earth. For
a few minutes chaos reigned while animals raced from the blast zone and the
night air was filled with a cacophony of panicked cries.
“What the hell was that?” Luca looked more than a little shaken as he
picked himself off the ground.
“If I had to guess, I’d say something went ‘BOOM!’ What’s the matter,
Luca? You’re looking pretty pale there. Tsk, tsk, not the best look for a
fearless bad ass.” Sha didn’t bother to hide her grin. To be fair, since he was
Elven hailing from the southern regions, his olive complexion showed only the
barest hint of pallor. But she’d just keep that to herself. No, it was much
more fun to get a rise out of him while his moss green eyes were still wild
with shock.
“Very funny. I saw you dive for cover just like me. Don’t try to deny
you were just muttering a prayer for forgiveness to the Seven Founders,” Luca
snapped. “You do realize that you have leaves stuck in your hair, right?”
“Crap.” She’d never admit it, but there might have been a moment when
she considered making amends for past sins. And while she might have ducked
down quickly during the explosion, she wouldn’t call it diving for
cover. Cursing, she struggled to untangle the leaves from her thick, golden
hair. The streaks of ocean blue signifying her status as an Aquarum Sorceri
were imperceptible beneath the crushed foliage. Wonderful. Just her luck,
there’d be some sort of creepy bugs crawling around in there.
“Is that a spider I see?”
“What, where?” Her hands raced around her head, desperate to locate and
eliminate the hideous creature. It took
her a moment to realize the asshole was now doubled over in laughter. “I hate
you, you know that?”
“Sorry, couldn’t resist. Everyone knows how much you hate spiders so
I—oomph” Breath whooshed out as she elbowed him in the stomach.
“Sorry, couldn’t resist. I think the blast originated in that
clearing.” Glancing back, she was satisfied to see he still hadn’t regained his
breath. Served him right.
“There’s a Gate…in that direction…isn’t there? Could it have come…from
the Human Realm?”
Unlike Sha, Luca couldn’t sense the subtle vibrations emitted by the
portals that connected the two realms, but he’d studied their locations during
training so he could patrol the Nexus looking for weak spots. Lucky bastard,
she thought as her head began to throb. Instead of steady pulsations, the
energy was erratic, overwhelming her shields and driving into her brain like a
knife. “Doubt it’s from the humans; it was too loud and bright. Mother Night,
my head. I don’t know what’s going on with that Gateway, but we’d better go
look.”
“We need to let the commander know what happened.”
“Don’t worry, we will. Besides, he’d have our heads if we didn’t ensure
the entire forest didn’t go up in flames.” A sudden thought occurred to her.
“Think we could make s’mores? I’ve always wanted to try them and I’ve heard
they should be made over a campfire. Does that count you think?” She gestured
toward the orange glow in front of them.
“Seriously? What is up with your fascination with all things human,
Sha? It’s not natural. They don’t have gifts or magic or anything that makes
them remotely interesting. They’re boring.”
She rolled her eyes. Her partner shared the opinion of most Mythrians.
He was glad the Nexus had been erected millennia ago to separate the two
realms. As far as he was concerned, the humans could live their quiet, little
lives and continue believing their legends, myths, and fairytales had no basis
in reality.
Shrugging, she continued in the direction of the apparent epicenter of
the blast. “Considering it is our responsibility to make sure no one can get
through the Gateways in the Nexus, I would think it’d be advisable to study the
humans.” She snuck a glance at him, wondering if he’d bought the rehearsed
speech and grateful it was a moonless night as she felt her cheeks begin to
burn.
More times than she could count, she’d cursed the fact that she hadn’t inherited
her father’s complexion. That would have made life so much easier. But no, she
had to take after her mother with skin so pale that during training she had
been nicknamed The Ghost. Well, until she’d flattened the other trainees with a
flame surge. Her lips quirked at the memory. Never underestimate one of the
Infernum.
“I know plenty about them. They have no magic, they have no idea there
is any other realms besides their own, and they think we are nothing more than
silly stories they hear as children.”
She took a moment to concentrate and formed a soft, glowing orb of
light to illuminate their path. “Don’t you think it’s interesting that we have
protected them for all these years and nobody really knows why?” From the day
she had joined the Sentinels she had adored the archives, which housed
everything Mythrians knew about the humans and their ever evolving
technologies.
“I would say it’s more interesting that you care so much, but then I’ve
always known you were a bit strange in the head.”
Sha pinned him with a withering glare that only resulted in Luca
doubling over with laughter. “You better watch it, Lucarion. Otherwise I’ll be
forced to tell Soren you’ve been shirking your duties.”
“Using my full name and vague threats? I’m scared, truly.”
“Remind me to blast you later.”
As they neared the clearing, Sha focused on picking up any trace
magical signatures in the vicinity, leaving her partner to visually scan and
communicate with nearby animals. She envied the Elves for their ability to
speak to animals as well as their enhanced night vision. Not that she was
afraid of the dark or anything, she just preferred being able to see everything
around her. Especially things that could eat or pulverize her.
“You’re not still afraid of the dark, are you? You’ll give yourself a
migraine concentrating so hard.”
For someone with telepathic abilities that supposedly only worked on
animals, he had the most obnoxious ability to read her mind. “I am not
afraid of the dark; I just happen to like seeing where I’m going. Besides, need
I remind you of your fear of chickens?”
“I’ll have you know chickens can be quite vicious when pissed off. And
you have a spider on your shoulder.”
Sha prided herself on her calm, rational reaction. Rather than slapping
at her shoulder, she took a deep breath…and vaporized the offensive creature.
Seeing that Luca had gone still, she frowned. “What’s wrong?”
The instant the words left her mouth, she realized the energies
emanating from the Gateway had changed, growing stronger. There was an
undercurrent of dark magic that troubled her, but before she could explore it
further, alarms rang in her mind. “Shit, the Gateway’s destabilizing.”
His mouth settled into a grim line. “Call for backup.”
Trusting Luca to watch her back, she tried to locate the mental thread
that ran to their commander. An invisible fist punched her mind, driving shards
of glass into her brain. Mother Night, that hurt.
“Sha!” The sharp tone penetrated the haze of pain and gave her
something to latch onto long enough to come out of her stupor.
“Fine, I’m fine. Raging migraine to end all migraines, but it’ll pass.”
“I take it you couldn’t reach the commander?”
She bit back the bitchy retort that welled up. It had been a fair
question after all. “Something just attacked, something strong to have gotten
through my shields. I think we’re on our own for now.”
“Do we keep going or head back for reinforcements?”
“If that Gate falls, it will rip open part of the Nexus. Nothing like
that has happened for centuries so it’s hard to predict the consequences.”
“I’m betting nothing good. Alright, I’ll send one of the wolves to
headquarters instead. It’s not the best solution, but it should bring help, especially
if one of the watch happens to be Elven.”
“Do it. I’ll see if I can shore up the Gate.”
Sha continued into the clearing, dread weighing down on her with every
step. It made no sense that the Gateway could be this unstable; daily patrols
ran every area containing portals through the Nexus since they introduced
vulnerabilities in the barrier. There was no way it could have degraded to the
point of collapse this quickly, at least not by natural means. Someone was
working very hard to compromise it, but what the hell did they hope to gain?
Metal overpowered her senses, filling her mouth with the bitter tang,
the scent of it enough to make her eyes water. Mother Night, blood
magic! Seconds later, the world exploded.
Website: http://www.lindsayavalon.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/LindsayAvalon
Please thank Lindsay for
joining us today. Check out her websites and buy a book! Good luck to Lindsay!
Keep Writing!
Jodie Pierce
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