Rituals & Runes Anthology Release AND J.E. Taylor Author Interview

 

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.

He was perfection incarnate, and I sighed heavily, rustling his hair with my breath.

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! 

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Rituals & Runes Anthology presents Piper Stone Author Interview!

 

All your favorite sexy creatures of your dreams are waiting for you in Rituals & Runes, a tantalizing collection of paranormal romance and urban fantasy tales. The authors of this anthology have a series of interviews regarding our box set.

 

Today, please welcome author Piper Stone to discuss her sexy tale, Dark Reign, which is only available in the anthology!

 

Author: Piper Stone

 

Book: Dark Reign

 

R&R: You have described your story as a dark little piece in the anthology, tell us why this is an apt description?

 

Piper: My hero is a very bad man, both with regard to the fact he’s a powerful mafia leader and that because of a vicious curse, he’s forced to live his life as a vampire. And our heroine is the fixation of his desires, incapable of refusing his desires.

 

R&R: What a hot, intriguing story readers can look forward to!

 

What do you think readers will like most about the love interest?

 

Piper: I think that our heroine is very strong, a fighter who refuses to give in. However, our hero does have a soft spot, more humanity than you might think a dead mafia king might have.

 

R&R: Layered characters make a story great and engaging. We can’t wait to read it.

 

Can you give us some insight into what makes your main characters tick?

 

Piper: For our hero, it’s all about the fact he was cursed by a witch, forced to live as the undead. For our heroine, she’s compelled by her instincts and spiritual gifts to explore the realm of witchcraft, a trait inherited by her grandmother.

 

R&R: Those are the types of challenges that make characters relatable and draw us in as readers.

 

What qualities does your female, main character possess?

 

Piper: All the feistiness of a true heroine, including a strong will to live. She also has dark desires that ultimately become impossible to ignore.

 

R&R: I bet she will give that vampire a good run around!

 

What about you as an author. Do you have a favorite place to write? Where is it?

 

Piper: I have an amazing office full of books and music where I write every day.

 

R&R: That's an author's dream come true! Very lovely.

 

What books do you have coming out that are not involved in the anthology?

 

Piper: I have a release every two weeks, including additional stories from the dark mafia world of Sinners and Saints, a sexy reverse harem involving oil riggers, and a hot little sci-fi about a human thief.

 

R&R: Those are quite a few amazing titles readers can get their hands on! Congratulations!

 

If you chose three people for a dinner party, who would they be, and why?

 

Piper: Stephen King, Bentley Little and Dean Koontz because I’m a horror junkie.

 

R&R: That makes total sense given your slant toward the dark side in your writing. Very nice.

 

Would you rather travel to the same place once a year or move every month to a new place?

 

Piper: I'd rather travel to a new place, enjoying the culture and excitement of the people, indulging in their food and customs.

 

R&R: Awesome! Sounds like an adventure like your books. Thanks for joining us.

 

If you’d like to find out more about this story, read on for more information and a juicy snippet.

 

Blurb: She is my salvation, innocent and vulnerable. Now, she belongs to me.

 

As the firstborn of the Bartholomew mafia family, I’m used to getting what I want, no matter the savagery I’m forced to use. However, when a single miscalculation leads to a damning curse, not only is the powerful hold on my empire threatened but my mortal life as well. Sequestered in the darkness, I’m plagued with an insatiable thirst only human blood can quench.

 

The moment Rayne Ward enters my life, my hunger becomes something else entirely.

Predatory. With a single whiff of her intoxicating scent, I realize she’s the only one who can break the horrific spell. She can fight the burning desire, the electricity sparking between us, but she will never be free.

 

My beast will claim her, but the man will keep her forever.

 

Excerpt

 

A delicious scent filtered across the street; the floral perfume laced with just a hint of exotic spices. Inhaling, I filled my lungs and closed my eyes briefly. Hunger roared through my system, but it wasn’t my usual craving for blood that had drawn me to this location or to the luscious creature.

 

It was her feminine scent, delicate and sweet, that had inspired my dark cravings. I dragged my tongue across my lips, my breathing labored just from the mere sight of her alone. She had no idea that a predator was watching, waiting patiently for the right time.

 

Tonight was the night her life would change, surrendering to my carnal needs. I’d studied her for some time, absorbing her habits, her long hours spent at job that was beneath her intellectual abilities. With few friends, her time spent alone entailed burying her nose in a book, obviously longing for a better life, one that could provide excitement like the heroines in the romance novels she devoured.

 

I was the man who would provide everything she’d ever wanted, fulfilling her darkest fantasies.

 

Rayne.

 

Her name rolled across my tongue as I whispered it, igniting the kind of fire I hadn’t experienced in years.

 

Then I would sink my teeth into her porcelain skin, savoring the taste of her blood as I extinguished her life. The thought pushed my throbbing cock against my trousers, the hard pinch creating an ache that would remain until I buried my shaft deep inside her pretty, pink pussy.

 

She was very organized, ensuring the lock on the library door was intact before walking down the aging stone steps, tugging on her light jacket. The girl who’d walked out beside her chatted away, her drivel regarding whatever cute young man who’d visited the hallowed halls of the establishment boring my luscious flower. I could sense Rayne was attempting to be polite while longing for the dark hair girl to shut up.

 

A part of me wanted to become her hero, removing the troublesome girl from Rayne’s life, leaving her bloodless body on the cracked sidewalk. But I would refrain from indulging at least for now. I moved closer, longing to gather a stronger whiff of Rayne’s delicious fragrance. Exotic, spicy and when combined with the scent of her aching pussy, my desires bordered insatiable.

 

When the useless girl finally walked away, Rayne began her walk, the same one she took every night. This part of New Orleans was safe, so she’d been led to believe after returning to her hometown. Little did she know the kind of danger she was in. She would soon learn that monsters lurked in the shadows, prepared to take what belonged to them at any time.

Tonight was the night.

 

Soon, Rayne Ward would belong to me.

 

Body and soul.

 

 

 

Author Bio:

 

Amazon Top 100 Internationally Best-Selling Author, Kindle Unlimited All Star, Piper Stone writes in several genres. From her worlds of dark mafia, cowboys and marines to contemporary reverse harem, shifter romance and science fiction, she attempts to delight readers with a foray into darkness, sensuality, suspense and always a romantic HEA. When she’s not writing, you can find her sipping merlot while she enjoys spending time with her three Golden Retrievers (Indiana Jones, Magnum PI and Remington Steele) and a husband who relishes in creating fabulous food.

 

Dangerous is Delicious.

 

Where you can find her:

 

Newsletter Link  http://eepurl.com/c2QvLz

 

https://piperstonebooks.com

https://www.facebook.com/authorpiperstone/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1868206103443965/

http://twitter.com/piperstone01

http://www.instagram.com/authorpiperstone/ 

http://amazon.com/author/piperstone

http://bookbub.com/authors/piper-stone

https://www.tiktok.com/@piperstoneauthor

piperstonecreations@gmail.com

Get more magical & paranormal-themed stories like this in Rituals & Runes!

Universal: https://books2read.com/rituals

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3oz9aGJ

 

Rituals & Runes Anthology presents Calla Zae Author Interview!

 Fall under the spell of the hottest bestselling authors in paranormal romance and urban fantasy with the Rituals and Runes Anthology which welcomes author, Calla Zae.

 Please enjoy an author interview featuring her book, The Wicked Return, only available in the anthology!

 

Author: Calla Zae

 

Book: The Wicked Return

 

R&R: Thanks for joining us today. What made you write about witches?

 

Calla: I love mystical things such as tarot cards. I have quite a few oracle decks at home. I’ve always wanted to write a witch romance, so when the opportunity presented itself, I joined Rituals & Runes!

 

R&R: Tarot cards are so much fun and are a super neat way to link your story to the overall anthology theme.

 

Without sharing spoilers, what part of your story made you feel the strongest emotion while writing it?

 

Calla: When I wrote the scene on how Ariyana encountered the otherworldly witches. These women gave her hope, which she used to heal herself physically and emotionally.

 

R&R. How moving and touching. It will be interesting to see how it comes into play in the plot.

 

If you were in your story, what do you think you would do in the world and what role would you have in your world?

 

Calla: I’d be an otherworldly witch of course. Who doesn’t want to play with magic? Lol.

 

R&R: Great question! And it's on point, because who wouldn't? Also, we're looking forward to understanding what "otherworldly" means in your story.

 

What are your main characters' hobbies?

 

Calla: Ariyana loves to collect crystals and dabble with interior design. Dillon enjoys sports and loves to go fishing.

 

R&R: They seem to be sort of opposites that make a wonderful juxtaposition in a book.

 

Who is your book boyfriend and why?

 

Calla: I have so many! Lol. But I have to say that Roarke from the J.D Robb series is my book boyfriend for now. He's a dark and dangerous billionaire who only loves one woman.

 

R&R: Wow. He does sound sexy.

 

What made you take part in the anthology?

 

Calla: Because it was a perfect opportunity for me to write my witch story. I also wanted to meet other writers too. I’ve met a lot of friends working on this anthology!

 

R&R: That's a lovely reason. And yes, the group has been really neat to get to know.

 

What books do you have coming out that are not involved in the anthology?

 

Calla: I have an Asian fantasy novel coming out in October 2022 and a contemporary romance releasing in November under a different name.

 

R&R: Very cool you write diverse books and contemporary romance as well.

 

Would you rather have to sing along to every song or have to dance to every song?

 

Calla: Probably sing.

 

R&R: Singing seems easier than dancing so I can see why you chose that. Lol!

 

Thanks again for talking with us today. Find out more about The Wicked Return below!

 

Book blurb:

He may not be punctual, but sure as hell, he’d promptly kill anyone who hurt her.

As a human with a painful past, Ariyana struggles to learn extraordinary magic from otherworldly witches. She secretly loves a man but is afraid of making the same mistakes that once hurt her. When she is captured by an enemy, she is forced to find the power to fight a wicked vendetta that will destroy everyone she has come to love.

Dillon has an open mind, but he is always late to everything. The one time he is “punctual,” he’s tossed into a dark world, where a confession opens his heart and makes him realize that he has wasted too much time hiding his true feelings from the woman who holds his heart.

 Is it too late for Dillon to confess his wicked desire to Ariyana?

 

Excerpt:

 

Dillon was scheduled to arrive today to deliver an order for breadboards, butcher blocks, and boxes for wines and candles. As always, he was late today, a whole hour. The Apothecary staff was used to it, expected it.

If Ariyana made it back now, she could hopefully at least catch a glimpse of him. She got up from the ground and prepared to head back to the wagon of baskets when she noticed that the swirling image from the pond hadn’t disappeared. It should have vanished when the scrying stopped.

An uncomfortable sensation settled in her stomach. The swirling gray cloud rose from the water’s surface, forming into a figure of mud that floated back down to stand in the water. The muddy figure moved toward her. Goosebumps bloomed all over her body. This figure didn’t belong in this sacred space.

Who was it? What was it? How had it snuck in?

Fear skated down her spine, and she stepped back. Sludge slid and dripped down the female figure as it carved out her form.

She walked out of the water and stepped onto the ground. The wet dirt sagged off her form, revealing a translucent face Ariyana had seen in pictures taken with the Taka siblings. Ariyana’s heart thundered with fear as she stared at Sanna, who used to be one of the Zintakan witches but had since become an evil witch. A witch who was supposed to be imprisoned.

 Author Bio

I love writing otherworldly romance novels. I'm an artist, and I love to create visuals to convey my stories.

I live in Massachusetts with my husband who keeps me grounded to Earth and two creative children who think I have my own secret planet. They're onto something...

 

Where to find her:

Website: https://www.callazae.com/

Newsletter Link: https://callazae.com/newsletter/

Amazon Profile: www.amazon.com/author/callazae

Instagram link: https://www.instagram.com/callazae/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@callazae

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/callazae/_created/

Bookbub Link: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/calla-zae

FB author page: https://www.facebook.com/callazaeauthor

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20603799.Calla_Zae

 

Get more magical & paranormal-themed stories like this in Rituals & Runes!

Universal: https://books2read.com/rituals

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3oz9aGJ