A Kelly Society Christmas – Review & Interview
Celebrating Christmas in July! Give a warm welcome to S.K. Andrews, author of A Kelly Society Christmas! just released on July 20, 2022!
Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cooler, a Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter cookie from the plate, and let’s find out a little about S.K. Andrews and A Kelly Society Christmas.
I observed that many authors of book series include holiday novellas in between their full-length books. So, I wanted to join in the fun! Since my favorite holidays are Halloween and Christmas, I started with a Christmas novella for Vivien Kelly and her soulmate Neal. I also saw the movie Krampus directed by Peter Jackson (Lord of The Rings) and it was awesome! Also, the film was very scary. So, I kept the creepiness of Krampus, but also threw in humor, romance, and Christmas shenanigans!
What’s A Kelly Society Christmas all about?
After killing a demon and saving the modern world, paranormal cleanser Vivien Kelly only has three days till Christmas. She scrambles to buy gifts, grocery shop for holiday feasts, and get a Christmas tree. She’s on track when suddenly, her young friend Josh calls the wrath of Krampus, the Christmas demon.
Can Vivien buy gifts, cook Christmas dinner, decorate the tree, and also save Josh before Krampus drags him to an eternal hell? Vivien must call upon the most frightening goddess of all for help—Hel, goddess of the underworld.
My thoughts on A KELLY SOCIETY CHRISTMAS!
A Kelly Society Christmas by S.K. Andrews is a paranormal holiday story. It is part of a series, but it can be a stand-alone as well. Vivien Kelly is a paranormal cleanser. She had just defeated one bad demon and was trying prepare for Christmas when she discovered yet another demon to fight. Her friend, Josh, accidentally summoned the demon Krampus. Krampus takes bad children to Hell. Vivien, her soul mate, a few friends, and the demon Hel fight Krampus to save Josh while getting ready for the holiday season. There are twists and turns and a bit foreshadowing that there might be more in this series. Yippee!
I’ve read and enjoyed all of S.K. Anders books. A Kelly Society Christmas was a fun Christmasy feel story. The characters were well rounded. Hel has a few unique surprises. S.K. Andrews writing and world-building makes you experience the story through the wonderful characters. I love Christmas stories and will read it again during the holidays. LOL The story is a quick read.. If you love paranormal tales you’ll enjoy this Christmas read. I highly recommend A Kelly Society Christmas. Regardless of the time of year, the book will definitely conjure the Christmas spirit.
Sneak Peek Between The Page of A Kelly Society Christmas:
Vivien picked up her petticoats with one hand, clung to her songbook with the other, and ran. “Josh, Brian, come with us! We have to stay together!” she called over her shoulder.
Neal held onto his top hat and ran alongside Vivien.
A group of four millennials whipped their heads around and started following Krampus, Vivien, and Neal.
“Wow! This show is dope!”
“Don’t you know who that is?” The red-haired woman in their group pointed her finger. “That’s Krampus! My cousin went to the Krampusnacht Festival in Austria last year. He’s the opposite of Santa Claus. He’s a Christmas demon who punishes naughty children!”
“Let’s go!”
“Yeah, let’s check it out!”
They crossed the street with hollers and laughter.
To her horror, Vivien glanced back to see a mass of individuals pacing behind them in the middle of the road. The caroling team, Christmas shoppers, and random folks holding coffee cups moved in to see what would happen.
Buy Links
https://www.bookbub.com/books/a-kelly-society-christmas-the-kelly-society-book-2-by-s-k-andrews
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-kelly-society-christmas-s-k-andrews/1141389580?ean=2940160716428
About the Author:
When S.K. Andrews wasn’t swimming in the Pacific Ocean in her hometown of Laguna Beach, California, she busied herself by writing fantasy stories and acting on stage. Having grown up watching Rod Serling’s Twilight Zone and Night Gallery shows on TV, S.K. quickly fell in love with paranormal tales with a message of wisdom and love. Also, being a fan of romance novels and non-fiction ghost stories, she decided to marry the two and write paranormal novels of suspense, adventure, and intrigue with a strong romantic foundation. The sense of adventure inside her came from summers of camping with her family in Mexico (Baja California) and walking along beaches with no other footprints but hers, as her family members unpacked the camper and got ready to collect clams right off the shoreline for dinner. After attaining a B.A. degree in Theatre from University of California, Irvine, and a Professional Acting Certificate from LACC Acting Academy, an idea sparked for interviewing actors to help student actors entering the theatre arena. Her non-fiction book The Pursuit of Acting; Working Actors Share Their Experience and Advice was published by Praeger Publishers. In The Kelly Society book series, S.K.’s heroine, paranormal cleanser Vivien Kelly and her team are in a race to rid the modern world of deadly Celtic creatures. Bay of Darkness and A Kelly Society Christmas are the first two books in the series. Bay of Darkness won the Finalist prize in 2019 from N.N. Light’s Book Heaven and also placed Finalist with Readers Favorite in 2020. The beautiful Hudson Valley in upstate New York is where S.K. calls home. To sign up for her monthly newsletter and learn more, check out: https://www.skandrews.com
Social Media Links
https://www.facebook.com/authorskandrews
https://twitter.com/magicstarra
https://www.instagram.com/starraandrews
It’s been great having you with us today. Good luck with A Kelly Society Christmas.
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged A Kelly Society Christmas, Dark Fantasy, Paranormal and Urban Fantasy, S.K. Andrews by Tena Stetler with 3 comments.
A Chat with Karilyn Bentley Author of Devil Forget Me
Give a warm welcome to my sister author, Karilyn Bentley author of Devil Forget Me, Book Five of the Demon Huntress Series released today! Happy Book BIrthday! Not an April Fool’s joke. I can’t wait to get my hands on this one. I’ve read and loved all the previous books in the Demon Huntress Series!
Now, pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cooler, a Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter cookie from the plate, and let’s find out a little about Karilyn and Devil Forget Me.
Hi Tena! Thank you for having me back on Author’s Secrets! It’s always fun to chat with you and your followers. Today I’m excited to talk about my newest release, Devil Forget Me, the 5th and final book in the Demon Huntress series. This time Gin Crawford must discover the identity of the demon haunting her esteemed employer, The Agency, before all hell breaks loose. Which is a little hard to do since the demon cast a forget-me spell. Although, if you’re the demon, that’s a pretty nifty trick to hide from those annoying humans. Pick up your copy and find out how Gin solves the mystery!
Speed Round (one word only answer): Yep, I know torture for a writer!<evil laugh>
Favorite movie: Star Wars
Favorite book: Harry Potter
Last book read: Dead as a Door Knocker by Diane Kelly
Favorite color: Green
Stilettos or flipflops: Stilettos
Coffee or tea: tea
Ebook or audiobook or paperback: ebook
Pencil or pen: pen
Favorite song: Don’t Stop Believin’ by Journey
Streak or not: NOT!
Favorite dessert: almost anything chocolate
Favorite junk food: Hot Tamales candy
Favorite thing to do to relax: read
Champagne or gin: champagne
Paranormal or Historical: paranormal
Wonder Woman or Top Model: Wonder Woman
Favorite TV show: God Friended Me
Hot or cold: Cold
POV: first
I’d die if I don’t have: my toothbrush
Review or Not: review
See I told you, impossible for an author to give one word answers. LOL But this is one way to see into the soul and inter-workings of an author.
Second Speed Round <Only two words allowed> I Love these!
1.What is your favorite book of all time? Harry Potter
- Where do you relax to read? On the couch
- What sound drives you right up a wall? Fingernails on a chalkboard
- What sound relaxes you? Buddhist chants
- Favorite drink? tea
- Walking in the sand, shoes or barefoot? barefoot
- Favorite pet: Dogs
- Snow? Love or hate? Love!
- Doing ________ is like nailing jello to the wall. Dusting (it always comes back)
- Rock and Roll, Country, Jazz or Classical? Rock
- What can’t you leave the house without? My phone
- Calender or not; Paper or electronic? Yes, both paper and electronic
- Favorite place to write: kitchen
- What is your decadent indulgent? Cornbread and maple syrup
- You’ve just won $1,000.00, you have only 24 hours to spend it, so what will you buy? Clothes, books, and one of those Shark mops (my floors are really dirty)!
- Plotter or panster? pantser
- Introvert or extrovert? introvert
- Flight or fight? flight
- Favorite Monster? Mike Wazowski
- Magic or Not? magic
Tell us a little about your new release Devil Forget Me.
What appears to be a simple crime, unmasks a chilling deception…
Gin Crawford, the world’s newest demon huntress, kills two minions who are breaking into a financial adviser’s office. But what she thinks of as another night in the life of a demon huntress leads to a cover-up of epic proportions. A demon haunts her employer, the Agency, and only she can stop it.
Aidan Smythe, her guardian mage and lover, along with her brother T, and the healer Eloise, join her search in discovering the demon’s identity. A search thwarted by a powerful spell.
Breaking the spell requires her to join forces with Zagan, the demon of deceit, the demon who marked her as his. But working together comes with a price. One Gin is not sure she can pay.
Excerpt: (Insert an except other that the official one – if possible – readers like something different.)
Local weather report for today: sunny with a chance of scattered minion parts.
I spin, my sword slicing off the minion’s arm. His eyes flare, round saucers in a shocked face. What did he expect? Me to roll over and stop fighting?
Fat chance, buster. Shouldn’t have hosted the demon’s essence.
Minions might be super-charged on a demon’s essence, but they still feel pain. And whacking off an arm causes pain.
While the minion grabs his bleeding stump and whimpers like a kicked dog, I pull back my sword for a fatal blow. One I should have administered instead of one-arming the minion.
A swing later and the whimpering stops, courtesy of the minion’s head rolling across the ground. Score!
“Good job.” Aidan Smythe, my guardian mage, mentor extraordinaire, and current lover, nods at the dead minion.
I draw in a deep breath, standing a little straighter. When I first became the world’s newest Justitian—or demon huntress as I like to call me and my twelve fellow sword-sisters—I sucked at killing demons. Now, I’m Gin Crawford, super-awesome demon huntress. A feat continuing to impress me.
If only my demon-killing employer was as impressed. Then again, in my book the Agency isn’t exactly known for its intelligence.
You can pickup or download your copy at: Amazon Barnes & Noble iBooks Kobo:
About the author:
Currently working on a secret project, Karilyn Bentley blends magic, dark fantasy and romance mixed with a touch of funny that her readers expect and love. When she’s not busy writing, Karilyn enjoys reading and recently learned she loves sledding down hills into snowbanks. Stop by her website at www.karilynbentley.com and discover your next paranormal read!
Where to find Karilyn:
Website: www.karilynbentley.com
Newsletter: https://eepurl.com/ba_0Rf
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KarilynBentleyAuthor
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/karilynbentley1
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4051943.Karilyn_Bentley
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/karilynbentley
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/karilyn-bentley
It was wonderful having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with Demon Forget Me!
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Dark Fantasy, Demon Forget Me, Demon Huntress Series, Karilyn Bentley, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy by Tena Stetler with 16 comments.
Haunted by Darkness – Trick or Treat – You Decide
Night
Raven Williams
sounds.
lay,
the graves.
full moon,
tune.
stir,
soft black fur.
streets,
treats.
give fright,
Halloween Night.
A peek between the pages of Haunted by Darkness – Chapter One
Victorian London
Lucien closed his eyes and tucked his violin under his chin, placed the bow to strings and began to play. Long notes with a bittersweet edge embodied the atmosphere, like a ship floating, lost, its crew and sails forever lost at sea.
A door slammed in the background, and something heavy pounded the floor. Lucien’s eyebrows knitted in frustration, as a discordant note sliced through the illusion he created. He placed the instrument on an end table, and stormed out of the library, into the parlor.
His brother, Edward, stood near the entry, loosening his cravat. He nodded. “Lucien.”
“What are you doing slamming into the house like a herd of elephants?”
The material slid off Edward’s neck, and his lips curled into a pout. “Annabelle has decided to marry Merrill Brighton,” he said, with a huff. “That leaves me starting over, or marrying Winnifred Camden.”
Lucien didn’t think Winnifred was so bad. She had a few love handles, but that just added to her personality somehow. His brother on the other hand, wanted someone with riches and popularity. Lucien frowned and shifted. “What does that have to do with your conduct? Please settle the affairs of your love life without tearing down the house? Even Winnifred won’t want a man with a poor disposition.”
“Easy for you to say. Ladies hang on your every word.” He smiled, “Or should I say note?” He sat at the piano, and ran his hands over the keys. Soft sounds poured into the room like a whisper.
Lucien sighed, and pulled his coat from the rack. While he loved his brother’s piano, he wanted to play violin and he couldn’t do it with the other music in the background. “I’m going for a walk.”
“Shouldn’t be out alone tonight,” Edward said. “The moon is full, and it’s children will roam seeking their next meal, as the night wears on.”
Lucien scoffed. “Fairytales written to frighten children. Don’t be absurd.”
Edward laughed, and the door slammed shut behind Lucien. Not that he was angry, he understood Edward’s frustration. A gentleman needed to find a woman of wealth to settle with in order to live in comfort, unless he had a fortune of his own. Lucien didn’t worry about such things. He would rather spend his time making music. Everyone fell into the hands of destiny anyway, the cards would fall where they wanted, changing the course of a man’s life, and shaping his future in ways he never dreamed. A pleasant chill climbed up his back. Where would his music take him? Would he be able to perform in great halls, or be forced to settle with a woman, warming a bed and creating babies for her comfort?
The moon hovered bright over the city, and sparkles of light danced on the surface of the Themes. Lucien stopped to watch, breathing in the cool night air. His favorite kind of evening after a warm, summer day. Frustration rolled off his shoulders in waves. He began to relax and continued on his way.
footsteps shuffled behind him. He stopped and glanced back. Nothing but the moon and it’s shadows disturbed the darkness of night. A bird screeched overhead, and he jumped, as he resumed his walk. The footsteps resumed when he continued walking. When he stopped again, they did too. Could there be something to the moon children myth? Goosebumps covered his skin as he turned and squinted to see better, but there was still only darkness. He took a deep breath and shrugged the tension out of his shoulders. He was being foolish.
The shuffling stopped when he turned toward the city, and soon he wondered if it had been the work of an over-active imagination. His anger giving rise to the absurd. His shoulders dropped, and he relaxed, as new threads of music filled his mind. He hummed them as he walked, until the shadow of a man came into view up the lane. Lucien tensed, was someone waiting for him? He turned left at the corner, but moments later, the silhouette stood waiting once more. He turned again.
It had to be someone else. No one could move that fast. How many people were out this evening? Maybe it had something to do with the moon. His brother’s words echoed in his mind. He turned again, and shuddered when he saw the silhouette of the man waiting.
Lucien’s heart raced. He spun and jogged back the way he came. In seconds, the silhouette blocked him, but this time it was closer. His chest tightened as the man moved toward him, his stride like a feral cat. For a moment, all Lucien could do was stare.
Lucien broke the spell, spun around and ran. The chest he crashed into was solid as cement. Muscled arms encompassed him. He kicked his feet and twisted, but the man’s grip tightened.
“Don’ worry,” a smooth voice crooned.
Lucien shuddered.
“We’ll be done in just a few minutes.”
Website: www.jenabaxter.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jenabaxterbooks
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Dark Fantasy, Fairytale, Haunted by Darkness, Paranormal Fantasy, Raven Williams by Tena Stetler with 2 comments.
Interview with Candace Blevins Author of Slave-A Dark(ish) Faerie Tale Series
Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cooler, a Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter cookie from the plate, and let’s find out a little about Candace and her A Dark(ish) Faerie Tale Series
Lets start with what inspired this particular story?
I’ve written Queen Mab as a secondary character in other books, and she’s The Evil Queen, The Dark Queen, and The Winter Queen. She legitimately fills all those roles. However, we’ve also seen tiny little glimpses of a human side, and I wanted to explore the dichotomy of who she has to be versus who she truly is.
What do you want your readers to take away from your books?
My first goal is entertainment – reading is my escape, and I want to offer readers a way to dive into an adventure. However, it’s also my hope that they come away from my books understanding something they might not have when they started it, or perhaps even learning something. Food for thought.
Where do your story ideas come from? If they come to you in the middle of the night, do you get up and write them all down?
They occasionally come to me in the middle of the night, or first thing in the morning, but most of the time they come to me while driving. I have a way to quickly turn my phone on to record my thoughts, transcribe them, and email them to me so they’re in my inbox when I get home. It’s all voice commands so I can be safe while I drive.
Why do you write what you write? Contemporary, paranormal, suspense, etc.
Tolkien drew me into his world when I was in middle school. I knew trees sometimes moved their roots at the last second to trip me, and it was like Tolkien and I shared this secret. His ability to draw our real world into the fantasy world and make the reader suspend belief has stuck with me throughout my life. Now, I have readers telling me about the man they saw in the grocery store they’re sure is one of my werewolves, and I’m thrilled I’ve been able to do the same for readers.
Isn’t that fun, I feel the same way.
A sneak peek between the pages of Slave.
Chapter One – Queen Mab
For every season, there are positives and negatives. Today is the summer solstice, and I’m miserable in the heat. Plus, my sister is Queen of Faerie during the summer.
From here on out, the days will grow shorter, and the time of my reign draws nearer. Come the fall equinox, I’ll be the ruling Queen once more, and my days will be filled with the duties of running the queendom.
However, for the time being, I had the luxury of spending all the time I wanted in my dungeons, and I was fully taking advantage of the long days — there are so many people to torture and play with in the bowels of my castle.
I’d acquired the former Eagle King as a result of a horse trade a while back, and was still having great fun with him, but I’d been informed we had a new pleasure slave — paid to me in tribute by a wealthy businessman — and she’d been put into a holding room so I could personally handle her intake process.
Prisoners are fun to punish, but the rare pleasure slave who’s been trained to enjoy torture is a special treat. I’d seen the paperwork on this girl, and based on her previous owners and trainers, I had hopes she might prove a nice diversion.
I was informed she seemed a nervous wreck, so I went to the holding room instead of having her brought to the throne room. I brought another slave with me, one who’d record the new slave’s answers and any notes I wanted put into the girl’s file.
Contrary to what most probably think of the Wicked Winter Queen, I don’t make a habit of abusing my slaves just because I can. I’d whipped this particular stenographer slave once when she was rude to a business associate, and I’d assigned her to dishwashing duty in the kitchens for a month when she zoned off while on the job, but the girl’s been with me nearly fifteen years and those are the only two times she’s been punished.
My first view of the new little pleasure slave sent tingles through my magic. She was a little slip of a thing and strikingly beautiful. Someone had put her into my preferred inspection pose — feet a little wider than shoulder width, perfect posture, eyes straight ahead, fingers laced at the back of her head. She still held it beautifully, and her arms didn’t appear to be shaking.
Some slaves hold their position when I enter, but most prostrate themselves. Neither choice earns reprimand or punishment at this stage, but I was intrigued she’d chosen to follow orders over protocol.
Whether she’d been naked when she arrived or had been stripped to nothing by my guards, I didn’t know. I wasn’t certain of her most recent owner’s slave protocols for travel, but the Master he purchased her from wouldn’t have permitted clothing at any time, nor would her original owner, where she was raised and trained.
I walked in a circle around her, observing. She didn’t break posture. Didn’t move a millimeter, other than to breathe. Her nails were swirled purple and green, her red hair had streaks of gold, and her eyes practically glowed green. I circled her a few more times, and noted her toenails matched her fingernails. I’d need to double-check to be sure the familial searches had been done.
My new slave had enough muscle I knew she’d be able to handle what I doled out, but was soft enough she’d still be fun to play with. I couldn’t wait to see her flawless white ass with streaks of red from a strap, and then dotted with smaller streaks from a flogger. However, she was too thin for my tastes, and I made a mental note to check later to see if this was her natural size, or whether her food intake had been severely restricted.
“What’s your name?”
A deeper breath, so she’d have enough air to speak, but she answered quickly, her eyes still straight ahead without looking at me. “My original owner called me seven-sixty-three, Ma’am. The Master I just came from called me little one.”
Before I slapped the shit out of the girl for her impertinence, I asked, “Do you know who I am?”
“No, Ma’am?”
Her voice wavered and her arms finally shook a little. The poor thing was scared shitless, and I was about to terrify her even more, whether I wanted to or not. I softened my voice and said, “You address me as my Queen or Your Majesty, Little One.”
Lady
Queen Book Four
INSTAFREEBIE ➔ https://instafreebie.com/author/candaceblevins
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Candace Blevins, Consort, Dark Fantasy, Fairy Tales, Lady, Queen, Romance, Slave by Tena Stetler with comments disabled.
