An Interview with Eleri Stone

The Reading Cafe is happy to welcome Eleri Stone. Last month, Eleri released her 2nd book in her Twilight of the Gods series, Witch Bound.

She is here to discuss her new release, as well as what else we may have to look forward to in 2013/2014

Let’s meet Eleri.

 

 

TRC: Hi Eleri, welcome to The Reading Café. Thank you for taking the time to answer some questions today. We are always looking forward to reading about the author behind the book.

Eleri: Thanks for having me!

TRC: Please tell us about yourself

Eleri: I grew up in New Jersey but now live in the Midwest with my husband and our three children. I have a pretty big extended family. I’m the oldest of five and both of my parents had seven siblings so I’m used to a lot of noise and mayhem. I love dark chocolate and black coffee, hiking, kayaking and experimenting with making bad-for-you recipes…well, maybe not good for you but less bad. I’m addicted to Game Of Thrones, The Walking Dead (Daryl!), Dr. Who and Sherlock (BBC version). Most of all I like books-romance and fantasy especially.

TRC: When and how did you first become interested in writing? 

Eleri: I’ve always loved to write but I had a bad habit of starting a story, setting it aside for one reason or another and never getting back to it. When my youngest started preschool, I set a goal to actually finish something. By the end of the school year, I had Mercy which was later published by Carina Press.

TRC: Can you please tell us the premise of Twilight of the Gods series, and how you came up with the idea?  Also, how many books are you planning for this series?

Eleri: Twilight of the Gods is based on Norse mythology with the premise being that Ragnarök (the Norse apocalypse) already happened centuries ago for Asgard. A group of Æsir refugees managed to escape the destruction and flee to earth where they settled in places where the wall between worlds is the thinnest. Now, they keep the Jötnar who destroyed their world from crossing to earth and destroying ours.  

How did I come up with the idea? I’ve always been fascinated by Norse mythology, but the series was also inspired by a place where we go camping every year. It’s an isolated and beautiful spot that was settled by Scandinavian immigrants who still maintain a strong connection to their heritage. Put that together and you have Norse demigods living in Iowa.

Demon Crossings was actually meant to be a standalone book but then I fell in love with Fen so I wrote his story too. I’d love to revisit the series at some point but right now I have no definitive plans.   

TRC: Witch Bound is the second book in your Twilight of the Gods series.  Can you give us a brief description of the book? 

Eleri: Sure! Witch Bound tells the story of a witch named Raquel who is joining a new clan through an arranged marriage. Everyone is counting on her to replace the failing wards that protect the town, but she has trouble controlling her power. While she’s dealing with that, she falls in love not with the groom but with the best man-Fen, a wolf shifter who’s sworn to never take a mate.

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

TRC: If your book becomes a movie, do you have preferences as to whom you would like to play your characters?

Eleri: I’ve had more than one person tell me they picture Fen as Adam Levine so I’ll go with him for the hero. For Raquel, I’d pick Teresa Palmer.  

TRC: You have another series, Lost City Shifters, which you just recently released your 3^rd book Rebellion.  Can you give us a brief description of the premise of this series?  How many books are you planning on this series?

Eleri: Lost City Shifters is about a tribe of jaguar shifters living in the Amazon rainforest. The Lost City is modeled after the legends of El Dorado and the Yaguara who’ve called the city home for centuries are a proud and brutal group of cats. The series is about what happens when their very traditional society starts to butt up against the modern human world. The series is complete at three books. There are other kinds of shifters in this world and if I do revisit, I’ll probably focus on wolves…maybe bears.

TRC: You also released the first book, Threads of Desire, in your new series in January, 2013, Spellcraft.  Can you please tell us a little bit about this series? 

Eleri: Threads of Desire is set in a world inspired by medieval Spain where magic is possible, an ability that certain people are born with. Within the Empire all gifted children are rounded up and trained by the Mage’s Guild at the University. There are a group of aristos, similar to European nobility, who have inherited their wealth and a growing merchant class beginning to threaten their position in society. The Empire has a bloody history but Threads of Desire opens during a relatively stable period.

The second book Stone Cold Desire will be out 2014. But really, these books are only related by the world they’re set in. They’re completely self-contained otherwise. I’m writing them without overlapping characters as much as possible so you’ll be able to pick up any one.

TRC: You write both Paranormal romance & Shifters, as well as Fantasy.  Do you have a preference as to which genre you enjoy writing the most?  Is there any other genre you would like to try?

Eleri: I grew up reading fantasy and didn’t pick up my first romance until I was in my twenties. I’ve always considered paranormal romance to be contemporary fantasy + romance. To me they’re so related I don’t know that I can pick a favorite! While I can’t really see myself writing anything without some element of fantasy or the supernatural, I haven’t completely ruled it out. 

TRC: What are you currently working on?

Eleri: Right now I’m working on a historical paranormal romance called Reaper’s Touch. I call it my zombies vs. cowboys story because it’s set in a sort of post-apocalyptic version of the Wild West. The first book is scheduled to release February 3 and the second a few months after that.

TRC: What is your writing process?  Do you have a favorite place or time you like to write?

Eleri: During the school year, I send the kids off to school and then write. I generally deal with the business side of things in the afternoon. During the summer, I write at night, usually after everyone is in bed. That’s my plan anyway. I can and do write anywhere.

TRC: What are the challenges or difficulties that you found in your writing career?

Eleri: Visibility is the big one. Self-publishing has really opened things up and while I think that’s a good thing, it can be easy to get lost in the noise.

TRC: Is there a book or author that gave you the inspiration to write?

Eleri: Hmmm. I’ll say Karen Marie Moning for this one. Loved her highlander series. Love her Fever series even more.

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Eleri: I want to say thank you to all the readers! Seriously, I couldn’t do this without you.

LIGHTNING ROUND:

FAVORITE FOOD: NJ Pizza. I miss it so.

FAVORITE DESSERT: Salted Caramel Ice Cream

MILK OR DARK CHOCOLATE: Dark!

FAVORITE LITERARY CHARACTER (not your own): I should probably pick a classic but right now my favorite literary character is Bran from Patricia Briggs’ Mercy Thompson series.

FAVORITE TV SHOW: The Walking Dead

LAST MOVIE YOU SAW: World War Z

TRC: Thank you,  Eleri for answering our questions. The Reading Café wishes you the best of luck with Witch Bound. 

Eleri: Thank you! It’s been a pleasure.

To learn more about Eleri, you can find her at the following links:
Website:
Twitter:
Facebook:
Goodreads:

Eleri has graciously offered to give one member of The Reading Café their choice of either Demons Crossing or Witch Bound.

1.  Please register using the Log-In at the top of the page, or by using one of our social log-ins.

2.  If you are using a social log-in e.g. Twitter, please leave your email address along with your comment.

3.  Giveaway open US only.

4.  Contests runs from August 1 to August 4, 2013