The authors of the magical Rituals and Runes
Anthology (R&R) are thrilled to present you with our author interviews
about the swoon-worthy books included in our box set.
Today, we are excited to present, J.E. Taylor
who will talk about her novella, Jasmine!
Author: J.E. Taylor
Book: Jasmine, A fractured
fairy tale.
R&R: Hi, Ms.
Taylor. Thank you for joining us today. As your contribution to the Rituals and
Runes Anthology, you've chosen to write Jasmine, A Fractured Fairytale, a story
inspired by Arabian Nights.
What inspired you to
choose this theme and what aspect of Arabian Nights did you base your story on?
Ms. Taylor: I started my
fractured fairy tales four years ago and I originally was going to do eight -
at least that is how many covers I ended up getting. Red, Cinder, Brave,
Tangled, Frozen, Snow, Spindle and Belle.
And then my cover artist did a premade that
sparked an Aladdin retelling in my head (inspired by Arabian Nights). But like some of the fairy tales, I spun it
on its head and made my genie a female who fell in love with her master.
Each book has a theme of either Shifter or
Magic. And now I have a total of ten
because I also found a wonderful Hook cover that will be coming next week. It's paranormal romance, so there are HFN or
HEA endings, unlike some of my urban fantasy books which can be ambiguous.
R&R: Oooh, that sounds so juicy and fun. I know a lot of fans love a
fairytale flipped in its head! And I love how you tied into our theme relating
your story to both magic and breaking the rules.
Tell us something about Jasmine that isn't in the blurb. Also, what genre is the book?
Ms. Taylor: Jasmine is cunning
and smart and does not quite get a man who doesn't make wishes out of selfish
wants. That is what she is used to. So she doesn't quite know what to think of
Ali.
R&R: Awesome! Jasmine sounds intriguing and I can’t wait to find out what
happens between her and Ali. I’d like to know more about Jasmine but I’ll make
it challenging.
Describe her in only
three words.
Ms. Taylor: Magical, beautiful,
and smart!
R&R: Score one for the
strong and intelligent female character. How about you tell us more about what
makes your main characters tick?
Ms. Taylor: Jasmine must follow
the rules set for genies or she will be demolished. Ali wants his kingdom
restored to what it once was.
R&R: Your story sounds so exciting, like your characters get in some sticky
situations, and have huge challenges ahead of them. I love all the mystery and
big stakes. It makes me want to find out what happens.
How about a few
questions about you. Do you listen to music when you write? If so, does your
book have a play list?
Ms. Taylor: Not usually. Usually,
my husband has sports on the television and I'm just typing away as he watches.
R&R: That’s funny!
Well, we do what works.
What genres do you
write?
Ms. Taylor: Urban Fantasy,
Paranormal Romance, Suspense, and Horror.
R&R: That’s a
fantastic variety. Tell us, what books do you have
coming out that are not involved in the anthology?
Ms. Taylor: My last book in my new Shades of Night Trilogy is coming out today, October 4th! Shades of Night Trilogy is an urban fantasy romance series about a vampire hunter who has a bad night and all the chaos that ensues.
I also have another fractured fairy tale
coming out next week. Hook, the tenth and final Fractured Fairy Tale of mine is coming out on October 11th.
R&R: Exciting! You
really give readers a lot to look forward to! Those sound fun and filled with
mystery. Now for our fun bonus question. Tell the readers, would
you rather be in a room full of snakes or spiders?
Ms. Taylor: Snakes. I'd befriend them all. And funny you should
have snakes as an option - because there is a scene in Jasmine with a snake. :)
Spiders - I'd need to burn down the entire
house.
Thank you so much for joining us today. It was
a pleasure having you with us and hearing about your wonderful projects.
Please enjoy the blurb and an awesome excerpt
from Jasmine. You can also find out
more about Ms. Taylor and where to find her!
Blurb:
There are three rules
all genies must obey: No killing. No raising the dead. And above all else,
never fall in love.
I have been granting wishes to the most
deplorable of humans for thousands of years. So, when Prince Ali releases me
back into the world, I’m not prepared for a selfless man who isn’t an absolute
bastard like all the others before him.
His stepfather is another story. The new
sultan carries out his rule with an iron fist. His return to barbarian ways
leaves the kingdom cowering with fright, for the new sultan finds joy in
screams of fear and pain.
When Ali comes to me with an impossible wish,
I must decide whether to follow the rules, or break them and be banished to my
lamp forever.
Excerpt:
He groaned and moved again. His hip rubbed the
lamp with his motion.
I laughed at the irony. He hadn’t freed me on
purpose. I drifted down and crossed my arms on the edge of the outcrop he laid
on, mere inches from him.
“Psst,” I whispered to get his attention.
His head turned in my direction, and his eyes
fluttered open for the briefest of seconds before his eyelids fell again. But
it was enough time for me to see eyes of bright emerald under those dark lids.
His profile revealed a beauty that men usually don’t carry. He was all high
cheekbones and supple lips, with a crop of dark hair that hung over his
forehead. His nose was neither too skinny nor too broad. His form was lithe but
muscular, with broad shoulders that tapered to a thin waist and an ass right
out of heaven’s mold.
His eyes slowly opened and met mine. His
eyebrow cocked and he timidly pushed himself onto his elbows.
“You are on a ledge,” I said in case he
decided to roll to check out his surroundings.
“Are you an angel?” he asked in a groggy
voice.
I let out a hearty laugh and raised myself up
so I filled up the cavern above. Expanding enough to make his eyes as wide as
the cave’s entry used to be.
He tracked my movement with something akin to
awe filling his features, making his slack-jawed stare that much more amusing.
“I am a genie, and you have freed me from my
prison. Therefore, I shall grant you three wishes.”
He rolled back, pressing my lamp into the dirt
wall.
“Just don’t ruin my home, please.” I waved behind
him.
“But I thought I gave the lamp to my
stepfather.” His forehead creased in confusion.
I put my hand on a crumbling pillar next to me
and used my magic to raise it as high as the one that had once held the decoy.
With a wave of my hand, another imitation lamp appeared on the pedestal. “You
mean this shiny piece of crap?”
He nodded and felt behind him, finally pulling
my real lamp out. It was as black as night and his rubbing of the side revealed
my golden seal embedded in the onyx container. He stared at it and slowly
pushed himself into a sitting position so he could glance at his predicament.
The shelf he sat on was not big enough for him to maneuver much, and it was a
straight drop to the fiery pit below.
As if sensing a possible meal, the earth belched
a fiery bubble.
Author Bio:
J.E. Taylor is a USA Today bestselling author,
a publisher, an editor, a manuscript formatter, a mother, a wife, a business
analyst, and a Supernatural fangirl, not necessarily in that order. She first
sat down to seriously write in February of 2007 after her daughter asked:
“Mom, if you could do anything, what would you
do?”
From that moment on, she hasn’t looked back.
In addition to being co-owner of Novel Concept
Publishing, Ms. Taylor also
moonlights as a Senior Editor of Allegory E-zine, an online venue for Science
Fiction, Fantasy and Horror, and co-hosts the popular YouTube talk show
Spilling Ink.
She lives in New Hampshire with her husband
and during the summer months enjoys her weekends on the shore in southern
Maine.
Where To Find Her:
Website https://JETaylor75.com
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/JETaylor/
Facebook Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/jetcryptkeepers
FB Profile: https://www.facebook.com/JETaylor75/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jtaylor8/
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/J-E-Taylor/e/B003FER8M6
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3153969.J_E_Taylor
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/j-e-taylor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JETaylor75
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jetaylor75/
Blog: http://jetaylor75.blogspot.com/
You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcZDfwKo5R-ARo7yjpk5DyA
TikTok: @jetaylor75
Get more magical & paranormal-themed stories like this
in Rituals & Runes! Only $0.99 for a very limited time, so grab your copy today!
Universal: https://books2read.com/rituals
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3oz9aGJ
