Give a warm welcome to S.K Gregory, author of Bloodlines. releasing today. Yippee!!
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. Gregory and her YA Urban Fantasy, Bloodlines, Book One of The Dark Fae Chronicles! Pssst… Don’t forget to enter the Rafflecopter at the end of this post.
What inspired this particular story?
Bloodlines started out as a story in a boxed set called Cursed Lands. We were to come up with an idea for an urban fantasy/YA/Dystopian novel or novella. I chose this idea because I wanted to write about the Fae and I thought it would be interesting to see what the world would look like if they took over the world. My main character is half Fae herself and is caught between both sides.
Why should we read this book/series and what sets you apart from the rest and makes your book/series unique?
Bloodlines and the other two books in the series, Battlelines and Borderlines, tell the story of a young woman in an apocalyptic world, struggling to survive after the Fae attack and wipe out a large percentage of the human race. I think there are a lot of dystopian novels out there but not many deal with Fae taking over. It’s something a little bit different, full of magic and intrigue.
Who is your favorite character of all of the books you’ve written and Why?
At the moment my favorite character is Persephone from my Gods of Chaos series. I have always wanted to write about the Greek Gods, although she was not the God I would have chosen originally. I wrote a short story about her and it turned into a whole series. She is strong, cynical and a survivor, which I think suits her story.
Did you tell friends and family that you were writing a book? Or did it take a while to come out and tell friends and family you were a writer?
My family have always known as I was forever carrying a notebook with me everywhere I went when I was younger. My friends found out after I was published. My grandfather likes to tell everyone he meets about it! I should hire him as my agent! Lol.
Tell us a little about Bloodlines, The Dark Fae Chronicles,Book One
When the Fae take over the world, only one girl can bring them down.
Nova and her mother take a trip to England, where Nova accidentally awakens an ancient Fae Queen. Now a prisoner to her ‘Uncle’ Phillip, Nova discovers the truth about herself – she is Fae too.
A new world order…
The Fae Queen unleashes her creatures on the world, seeking revenge on the humans and her brother, who imprisoned her. She will bring them to their knees, no matter the cost.
Nova is mankind’s last hope…
Nova escapes from her prison and finds that the world is no longer recognizable. Humans are struggling to survive, driven underground, they scavenge food where they can. Nova stumbles across some of the survivors who take her in, not knowing what she is. It’s time for Nova to make a choice. Side with the humans who raised her, or her true family – the Fae. As the only one who can overthrow the Queen, Nova may be the last hope of humankind.
Which side will she choose?
A sneak peek between the pages of Bloodlines:
Asteria was asleep and dreaming of the war when the first drop of blood touched the Earth. Her eyes opened for the first time in a millennia, as she felt the vibrations through the soil.
Oberon’s blood. It has been shed.
Her kin started to awaken too. They lay below her, her subjects, the ones who followed her in her bid to become Queen. Even Oberon’s loyal followers were entombed with her. He showed them no loyalty to them, choosing instead to seal them all away until only he remained.
Selfish of you, brother, Asteria thought. She remembered that day on the battlefield, when she lay waste to all around her, smiting and cursing the humans because he preferred them to his own kind.
She was majestic, riding forth on her winged horse, her red hair, the color of blood, flowing behind her as she rode. She was well named. She held the power of the sun within her and was determined to scorch the Earth, rid the world of the human vermin and make it fit for the Fae once more.
She should have succeeded, but Oberon fought dirty. He knew he could never defeat her head on, so he used blood magic to open a sinkhole in the Earth. One by one, her brethren were sucked inside.
As she stared her brother in the eyes, she asked him – why? She didn’t expect to see pain in them, but it was there all the same.
She fought hard but the magic was too strong. She was sucked down into the ground, her body trapped by the layers of dirt. But Fae cannot be killed by being buried alive, no, they remained conscious, forever subdued, while the world above them carried on.
But Asteria could still dream and she dreamed of the day she would escape and finish what she started. While she did not share her brother’s ability to see the future, she was able to see glimpses of the world above her. The humans grew in number at an alarming rate. They laid waste to the Earth, murdering each other over petty squabbles. At times she wondered if they would do her job for her, but no, they continued to flourish and breed.
Oberon decided to mark the spot where they fell, placing huge stones above them, as grave markers. The stupid humans would flock to the site to marvel at the structure.
If only they knew what lay beneath their feet.
She wanted to reach out and grab them, to strip their flesh from their bones and swallow it whole.
Today was one of the days they congregated here – the Solstice. Surprising that the fickle creatures remembered such sacred days. The Solstice was a rare time when she could feel the sun’s energy replenishing her.
She longed to bask in its glow. It was so cold down here, so dark. That was when she felt it. Some primal part of her reaching out to something familiar in the world above. What was that?
For a moment, a brief moment, she was connected to it. Oberon? He has returned. The connection broke as quickly as it came.
Oberon never came here. Even with her ability to reach out into the world, she never once felt him. Saw him. Perhaps he changed his mind? Could he have decided that she was right all along?
Then the blood dropped. Fresh, warm, it struck the dirt like the first drop of rain after a long drought.
He is here. He is releasing us. No doubt he had seen what this world had become and decided to join her against the humans.
All around her, the others were reacting to the blood too, eager to be free.
Patience, my pets, she thought. It would take time for the blood to reach them, but when that first drop touched her, this Earth would face a reckoning. There would be no more mistakes, no more truces with the humans. They would be wiped out quickly, without warning. Most would be consumed and the rest? Well, she’d had plenty of time to think of suitable ways to torture them. This world would be hers. If Oberon wanted to join her, so be it. She could work with her brother despite all that he had done. They could slay the humans together, help restore the Earth to the way it once was, so it could heal and the magic could flow freely once more.
And when it’s over, I’ll cut off his head and place him in a tomb of his own. Somewhere dark, cold, where he will be completely alone. When a Fae dies naturally, they enter the Summerlands, but she would ensure he never reached it. He didn’t deserve peace. She would trap his essence in a body that could not be used, for all eternity.
The blood began to work its way down towards her.
Come. Yes, free us, brother. It will be the last thing you do.
About the Author of Bloodlines:
S. K. Gregory is the author of several urban fantasy, paranormal romance and young adult novels. She runs a blog that supports indie authors by offering book reviews and promotions.
She is an editor and proofreader with JEA Press. With a background in journalism and film making, she recently worked on an arts based radio show called Lisburn Reads, with a focus on local writers.
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6574558.S_K_Gregory
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It was wonderful having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with Bloodlines!
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Dystopian, SK Gregory, Urban Fantasy, YA by Tena Stetler with .
