Monday, September 15, 2014

Feature: Lia Davis, author of Artemis' Hunt


Artemis’s Hunt ~ Sons of War novella 2.5
By Lia Davis

Blurb

Artemis, goddess of the hunt, has lived with heartache for the last fifteen hundred years, believing her only love is dead. That’s what her father—Zeus, king of the gods—told her. After recent events brought the truth to light, Artemis must gather the courage to face her lost love again.
Evangelos, former god of messengers, was content living in the mortal world until he discovered he has a daughter and her mother is Artemis. When the goddess shows up at his place of employment with tales of renewing his god status, he’s skeptical. Zeus wouldn’t reverse the curse out of the goodness of his heart. There is always a catch. The god king wants something in return.

When Artemis explains she has to hunt down her stepmother, Hera, in order to get Evan back into Zeus’s good graces, Evan demands to accompany her. However, the journey turns out to be a test that could bring them closer together or tear them apart forever.

Excerpt
A familiar, masculine scent mixed with that of forest and earth met her nose. Annoyance bathed her, turning to anger as she twisted sharply to face the intruder. Evangelos, minor god of the messengers, stood a few feet away, his own bow at the ready. She snarled, glancing from the bow to the smug look on his face. “I thought Hermes taught his sons better manners. Don’t you know it is dangerous to sneak up on me during a hunt?”
One large, bare shoulder rose in a lazy shrug as he stalked closer. She planted her feet in place, refusing to show him any type of weakness—he would never know how her body heated when he was near, something she hadn’t experienced with any other man.
She was a pure goddess, untouched by the desires of the flesh, and she would stay that way. Not even Evangelos could change who she was or her nature.
He stopped a foot away, the heat from his virile body reaching out to her, coaxing her to come closer. “I want you to teach me to hunt.”
Steeling her spine, she narrowed her gaze at him. “You can already hunt.”
“Not like you. I want you to show me your way.”
“Why?”
He took a step nearer. She desperately wanted to move away, but giving up ground would be a sign of weakness. “Does the reason matter?”
No, it didn’t matter. She couldn’t care less why he wanted her to teach him. “What do you offer me in return?” He had to know asking a boon of her meant she’d require some sort of payment in exchange.
One corner of his mouth lifted, drawing her attention to his full lips. What was wrong with her? She must be ill. It was the only reasonable explanation for her reaction to him. When he spoke, his tone softened, almost to a whisper. “I offer my services to you during the time it takes you to teach me.”
Suspicion crawled up her spine. “What services?”
He closed the distance between them until only a breath separated them. “Anything you wish, my goddess.”
She was fully unprepared for what happened next. When his soft lips brushed hers, every nerve in her body lit up as if charged by lightning. For a moment she allowed his testing caress, but when he wrapped an arm around her waist, she broke the kiss and slapped him. The sound of the strike echoed off the trees as his head whipped to the side, thunder to emphasize the storm he’d awakened with his touch.
“Do that again and I’ll kill you,” she warned.


Sons of War series to date
Ashes of War, book 2
Artemis’s Hunt, book 2.5
More to come…

INTERVIEW

What inspired you to write this book?

The idea for Artemis’s story developed as I wrote the second book in the series. Once I discovered who Ashlynn’s (heroine of Ashes of War) father a whole new story unraveled. I couldn’t not write Artemis’s story.

Can you give us an interesting fact about your book that isn't in the blurb?

Where the main stories in the Sons of War series are about the dragon shifters, Artemis’s Hunt is the first that tells the story of the gods. It’s more contemporary with a paranormal/fantasy twist.

How did you choose your title?

This title came to me easier than the others. When I decided to write about the gods as novella with the series, it made sense to me to include their names in the title.


How long have you been writing?

Even though I’ve always loved creative writing, I started writing with the intent to publish in 2008 after discovering paranormal romance and urban fantasy.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

I’m a hybrid pantser/plotter. This means I will map out major plot points before I start writing, but I have to leave plenty of room for the pantser in me to fly with it. The first outline almost always changes. Lol

What part of the writing process is the hardest for you?

Writing the first draft. I have a hard time turning off the internal editor.

What tips can you give on how to get through writers block?

For me, when I hit a block and can’t move forward, it’s because something is wrong. It’s either with the relationship between the characters, a plot issue, something is missing, or all the above.

What kind of music do you like to listen to while you write?

I love all kinds of music. With the sons of war, I listened to mostly instrumental music. A few examples are Two Steps from Hell, Apocalyptica, and Nox Arcana

Who is your favorite author?

I have so many I love. My top three are JR Ward, Nalini Singh, and Sherrilyn Kenyon.

What do you like to do when you're not writing?
I spend time with Hubby. However, I always have pen and paper with me in case I get inspired. Lol

What advice would you give an author just starting out?

Don’t give up on your dream no matter what others say. Write what you love the read.

Have you had anything else published?

Yes, Artemis’s Hunt was my 16th book published. Below is the list by series.

Ashwood Falls (wolf and big cats shifters)
0.5 – Winter Eve
1 – A Tiger’s Claim
2 – A Mating Dance
3 – Surrendering to the Alpha
3.5 – A Rebel’s Heart
4 – Divided Loyalties
4.5 – Touch of Desire (part of the Dark Fates Anthology)
More to come…

Pleasures of the Heart (contemporary novellas, all will be standalone)
1 – Business Pleasures
2 – Red Hot Pleasures (MM VDay story coming in February)
More to come…

Sons of War (dragon shifters and Greek mythology)
1 – War’s Passion
2 – Ashes of War
2.5 – Artemis’s Hunt
More to come…



What's your next project?

I have several projects going, but my current WIP is a vampire menage Christmas story, It’s A Vampire Christmas, targeted to release on December 16th. This will be the first in a new vampire series titled Vampire Lords.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lia Davis is a mother to two young adults and three equally special kitties, a wife to her soul mate, and a lover of romance. She and her family live in Northeast Florida battling hurricanes and very humid summers. But it's her home and she loves it!
An accounting major, Lia has always been a dreamer with a very active imagination. The wheels in her head never stop. She ventured into the world of writing and publishing in 2008 and loves it more than she imagined. Writing is stress reliever that allows her to go off in her corner of the house and enter into another world that she created, leaving real life where it belongs.
Her favorite things are spending time with family, traveling, reading, writing, chocolate, coffee, nature and hanging out with her kitties.


Get your eBook personalized at Authorgraph. http://www.authorgraph.com/authors/novelsbylia

2 comments:

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  2. Thanks for sharing Lia! Love your books! Love that you are branching out to other things...different shifters, gods and now vampires! Love the variety!!

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