Hi everyone! I can’t believe it’s already March 29, and the release of The Marked is only a few days away! I can’t say thanks enough to Jaime for hosting me as part of The Marked blog tour. For those of you who haven’t read the first book in the series, The Talents, I’m going to try to make this blog post somewhat spoiler free, though really, you should read The Talents before you read The Marked.
A bit of background for those who are new to the series, or those who may need a refresher: In The Talents there are two boys who play major roles: Cam and Jack. Jack is a bit of a bad boy—he’s had a rough life, and it shows. He’s not very fond of authority figures, or rules. Cam, on the other hand, is part of the machinery of Delcroix Academy. He’s a recruiter for the school, and intimately involved in what happens there. Dancia, the heroine, gets mixed up with both.
Now, this interview with Jack was recorded just after The Talents ended. Given that Jack can be a little, shall we say, resistant to authority, I had to do some coercing to get him to talk to me. As you can see, things didn’t go so well...
***
Jack is tall and lean, with unkempt black hair that falls over his forehead, and silvery grey eyes. He slouches low in a chair in front of me, cup of black coffee untouched in front of him. He narrows his gaze to study me, but does not say a word.
ME: Jack, thanks for coming.
JACK: Where’s Dancia?
ME (nervously): Well, she isn’t actually here…I mean, she might be here later, but she’s not actually—
JACK: (stands up) I came because you said I could see Danny. If she’s not here, I’m gone.
ME: Jack, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to fool you, I just want to ask you a couple of questions and I knew you wouldn’t come without some encouragement. The truth is, there are a lot of people who care about you, and they want to know what you’ve been doing since the end of The Talents.
Jack pushes back his hair. He jams his hands deep in the pockets of his dark jeans, which hang low on his hips, and sighs.
JACK: I care, why, exactly?
ME: They’re fans. You don’t want to be rude to your fans, do you?
JACK: (snorts) You’re kidding, right? Fans? I think you’ve got me confused with Pretty Boy.
ME: You mean Cam?
JACK: Yeah. Pretty Boy. I hate that guy.
ME: Well, no, they aren’t his fans, actually. They’re yours. I mean, some of them like him, but you’d be surprised. There are a lot of people pulling for you.
JACK: Glad to know someone sees through Pretty Boy’s lies. Can they get those damn Watchers off my back?
ME: (winces) Sorry. Probably not.
JACK: Then really, I appreciate the support, but they aren’t much good to me. Look, if Danny’s not coming, I’ve got to hit the road. I need to find something to eat, and a place to sleep for a couple of hours. They’re always a few steps behind me, and I’ve been here way too long.
ME: Has it been hard?
JACK: *expletive deleted* Seriously? I thought authors were supposed to be smart. I’m living on the street, the only person I care about is deep in the clutches of a group of fascists, I’ve got no one to turn to, and I’m being chased by a posse of crazy stalkers who want me dead. What do you think?
Jack pushes in his chair with enough force to rock the table. Without another word, he pulls open the door, glances both ways, and then takes off running.
ME (whispers): Goodbye, Jack. Take care of yourself.
From Goodreads.
Mackenzie and Amy were best friends. Until Amy was brutally murdered.
Since then, Mac’s life has been turned upside down. She is being haunted by Amy in her dreams, and an extremist group called the Trackers has come to Mac’s hometown of Hemlock to hunt down Amy’s killer: A white werewolf.
Lupine syndrome—also known as the werewolf virus—is on the rise across the country. Many of the infected try to hide their symptoms, but bloodlust is not easy to control.
Wanting desperately to put an end to her nightmares, Mac decides to investigate Amy’s murder herself. She discovers secrets lurking in the shadows of Hemlock, secrets about Amy’s boyfriend, Jason, her good pal Kyle, and especially her late best friend. Mac is thrown into a maelstrom of violence and betrayal that puts her life at risk.
Kathleen Peacock’s thrilling novel is the first in the Hemlock trilogy, a spellbinding urban fantasy series filled with provocative questions about prejudice, trust, lies, and love.
From Goodreads.
Hailed as “impossible to put down,” the Hex Hall series has both critics and teens cheering. With a winning combination of romance, action, magic and humor, this third volume will leave readers enchanted.
Just as Sophie Mercer has come to accept her extraordinary magical powers as a demon, the Prodigium Council strips them away. Now Sophie is defenseless, alone, and at the mercy of her sworn enemies—the Brannicks, a family of warrior women who hunt down the Prodigium. Or at least that’s what Sophie thinks, until she makes a surprising discovery. The Brannicks know an epic war is coming, and they believe Sophie is the only one powerful enough to stop the world from ending. But without her magic, Sophie isn’t as confident.
Sophie’s bound for one hell of a ride—can she get her powers back before it’s too late?
From Goodreads.
Laurel now knows the truth: Yuki is a rare Winter faerie, the most powerful—and deadly—of all, and she is working with Klea to conquer and destroy Avalon. With Tamani, David, and Chelsea by her side, Laurel prepares for a fight she never thought she would have to face.
Filled with heart-pounding action, sweeping romance, and higher stakes at every turn, Destined is the series conclusion that readers have been clamoring for—with a twist that will leave them breathless.
Jus: Thanks for having me J !
Two Chicks: For those out there who’ve not read Touch, can you tell us what it’s about?Jus: Short and sweet version: A seventeen year old adrenalin junkie goes on the run with her father’s best assassin, igniting a war between the company that owns him, and a rogue group trying to bring them down.Two Chicks: How did you decide that you wanted to write a book in the paranormal genre?Jus: I’ve always loved the paranormal, and I’ve always loved to write. It was a no-brainer. Other than several horse and dog themes stories I wrote as a child (horrible, horrible stories that will forever stay locked away in a box that’s hidden in a lose floor board of a secret room), everything I’ve ever written has been infused with some kind of paranormal. I wouldn’t have it any other way!Two Chicks: What made you want to write Untouched as a novella for this series?Jus: I really had never given any thought to writing a novella. My editor and agent suggested I do one, and the rest is history!Two Chicks: And we are so happy that you did! How did you come up with the titles for the Denazen series (Touch, Untouched and Toxic so far)?Jus: TOUCH was born with the help of my crit partner, Heather. It was originally titled REAPER (those of you who have read it will understand why ;) ) But with so many books floating around at the time it was being queried about reapers, she thought it gave agents the wrong idea—which she was totally right about.UNTOUCHED was born from the genius of my editor, Liz. She’d asked me for title suggestions and I had nothing. Like, echo in a large stadium kind of nothing. Crickets, dead air, yadda yadda—you get the picture. She suggested UNTOUCHED and it was like, BAM. There it is.And TOXIC… *huge grin* Toxic just kind of named itself. And it is perfect. Its literal, it’s symbolic… I can’t wait to hear what readers think!(Two Chicks: We can’t wait to read it!!)Two Chicks: Who was your favorite character to write and why? Who was your least favorite or gave you the most trouble?Jus: Dez was my fave to write hands down. She’s everything I wish I’d been at her age. Confident, self reliant, and brave. Writing her was the most fun I’ve had with a character in a long time.If I had to pick a hardest, I’d have to say writing UNTOUCHED from Kale’s POV gave me the most trouble. And it’s not so much that it was hard… Dez and Kale are so different—which is one of the things I love about them as a couple. But going from Dez to Kale was a bit of a shock to my system. Kale isn’t snarky and views things in a totally different—almost pure—way. It definitely took me a pass or two until I was happy with it.Two Chicks: Do you ever get writer’s block and if so how do you deal with that?Jus: It happens—though thankfully not a lot. When I do find my brain all stopped up, I either listen to music or go for a run. Sometimes I bake, but I try to avoid that. It usually involves chocolate cupcakes and I’m the only one who eats chocolate in this house… Do the math… Yeah.Two Chicks: What are you working on now?Jus: I’ve just wrapped up the first book in a new series, and now I’m working on the second novella in the Denazen series—which has been SO much fun. It’s about a character who isn’t Dez or Kale. Anyone wanna guess?Two Chicks: What do you do when you’re not writing?Jus: I love to cook, and I get out with the dogs and go hiking behind the house whenever the weather allows it. I’m also a huge gamer geek. I’ve been playing World of Warcraft since like right after it came out. :D
We want to know you better questions:
Two Chicks: Do you believe love can last forever?Jus: I really think it can—if the right two people find each other! I was very lucky, I found my forever person when I was only eighteen.Two Chicks: If you could learn any language, which would you choose and why?Jus: I’d learn Italian. I know a few choice words—none of them useable in polite company—and would love to learn more. I have tons of family in Naples and I’d love to go there one day and be able to chit chat :DTwo Chicks: If you could have dinner with any author, dead or alive, who would it be and why?Jus: Hmm. I’m gonna go with Poe. I love the dark stuff and he made such a strong impression on me when I was a kid. I’d love to buy him a sandwich and a beer and pick his brain a bit.Two Chicks: Who is your favorite cartoon character?Jus: Stitch!Two Chicks: What is the last book you read?Jus: I finished Third Grave Dead Ahead by Darynda Jones a few weeks ago and I’m currently reading Doubletake by Rob Thurman. (both awesome and you should check them out if you haven’t already!!!)Two Chicks: Chocolate or vanilla?Jus: Both—smushed together! Come on, admit it. Everyone loves ice cream soup!Two Chicks: Breakfast, lunch or dinner?Jus: Well, I’m allergic to eggs so that limits breakfast, and I’m not usually hungry till after four so definitely dinner.Two Chicks: Sunrise or sunset?Jus: You can’t beat facing an awesome sunrise as the day stretches out before you.Two Chicks: Cats or dogs?Jus: Dogs. I’m pro shelter dogs all the way. I have three large, lazy ones of my own and I couldn’t see my life without them! (go out and adopt a dog!)
Until he met Dez, Kale’s days were filled with violence and death. He was used as a weapon of destruction by the power hungry men of Denazen. He’s a Six. A person with an abnormal ability. Some people call them gifts, but not Kale. Kale’s touch means instant death.
But now there’s Dez, the girl he can touch, and they’re hunting down Sixes and warning them about Denazen. Kale is learning about the world outside captivity and trying to put his dark past behind him. But they underestimated how badly Denazen wanted him back.
When Dez sacrifices herself to save the new Six they’d rescued from falling into the corp’s hands, Kale is lost. Denazen has brought out its best to get the job done. Samsen, a nightmare from Kale’s past—the only person he’s ever truly feared—has come for them, and it soon becomes obvious he has his own twisted agenda.
Kale will need all his training to get Dez back and ensure they make it out, free—and alive. But will it be enough?
From Goodreads.
What if there were teens whose lives literally depended on being bad influences? This is life for sons and daughters of fallen angels in Sweet Evil.
Tenderhearted Southern girl, Anna Whitt, was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She’s aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but it isn’t until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage, and her will-power is put to the test. He’s the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna.
A cross-country trip forces Anna to face the reality that hope and love are not options for her kind. Forced to face her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns?
There is need. And then there is Fate...
Being destined to become some kind of supernatural electrical outlet isn't exactly awesome--especially when Alexandria's "other half" is everywhere she goes. Seth's in her training room, outside her classes, and keeps showing up in her bedroom--so not cool. Their connection does have some benefits, like staving off her nightmares of the tragic showdown with her mother, but it has no effect on what Alex feels for the forbidden, pure-blooded Aiden. Or what he will do--and sacrifice--for her.
When daimons infiltrate the Covenants and attack students, the gods send furies--lesser gods determined to eradicate any threat to the Covenants and to the gods, and that includes the Apollyon... and Alex. And if that and hordes of aether-sucking monsters didn't blow bad enough, a mysterious threat seems willing to do anything to neutralize Seth, even if that means forcing Alex into servitude... or killing her.
When the gods are involved, some decisions can never, ever be undone.
“I know how brave you are, Alex. But you don’t always have to be. It’s okay every once in a while to let someone else be brave for you. There’s no loss in dignity in that. Not for you. You’ve already proven that you have more dignity than even a pure-blood can muster.”
I kind of wondered where that had come from. “You must be high off sugar or something.”
Aiden laughed. “You don’t see what we see, Alex. Even the times you’re being utterly ridiculous about something or when you’re just standing around, doing nothing, it’s hard not to notice. As a pure-blood it’s the last thing I should notice.” His eyes flickered shut, long lashes fanned his cheeks before his eyes reopened to reveal intense sliver. “I don’t think you have a clue.”
The world outside the car ceased to exist. “What don’t I have a clue about?”
From Goodreads.
She fell for him in a nighttime world. But the time for dreaming is past—and the here-and-now can be just as fragile their love…
When Theia Alderson first encountered a mysterious, handsome boy in her dreams, she never imagined how finding Haden Black—and falling in love—could change her life. To save Haden, Theia sacrificed everything. And the dangerous bargain she made could have lasting repercussions.
Now Theia has returned to Serendipity Falls, and she finds herself struggling with the same deadly hungers that have tortured Haden. When students at their high school fall prey to a mysterious illness, Theia can’t help but wonder if Haden’s control is slipping—and how much longer she’ll have a grip on her own.
And still the nightmare realm of Under won’t let them go. Someone from Haden’s past is determined to destroy Theia from the inside out, starting with those closest to her, forcing Theia to choose between family and friends and a love that may have been doomed from the start…
