J.T.Geissinger’s RAPTURE’S EDGE  Interview, Book tour and giveaway

The Reading Cafe would like to welcome the author the the NIGHT PROWLER series J.T.Geissinger

TRC: Hi J.T. and welcome to The Reading Café. Congratulations on the June 18, 2013 release of RAPTURE’S EDGE.

J.T:  Thank you so much for having me! I’m excited to be with you and your wonderful readers today.

TRC: We would like to start with some background information. Would you please tell us something about yourself?

J.T:  I write paranormal romance/urban fantasy, and Rapture’s Edge is the third release in my Night Prowler series. I’m an RWA RITA finalist for Edge of Oblivion, and an RWA PRISM finalist for Shadow’s Edge, the first book in the series. I grew up in Los Angeles, and currently live in a small beach community 15 minutes from downtown LA with my husband. I’m an avid reader, an avid wine drinker, I’m addicted to diet Mountain Dew and Red Bull. I’m also a stray cat magnet. For some reason, they find me anywhere. I recently went on vacation to the Caribbean and every stray cat on the islands made a beeline right for me. Maybe it’s because they know how much I love them…

TRC: RAPTURE’S EDGE is the latest release in your Night Prowler series. Would you please tell us something about the storyline?

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J.T:   Rapture’s Edge is book three in the Night Prowler series. It’s set in Paris, and our heroine Eliana is an art thief and competitor in the underground fighting circuit of the city. It’s been three years since she last saw her former lover, Demetrius—standing over her dead father’s body with a gun. In the meantime, she’s been in hiding, planning revenge. She’s caught by the police trying to steal a painting from the Louvre, and Demetrius—who is desperate to explain himself, and still madly in love with Eliana—comes to her rescue. Only she’s not having any of his explanations—she just wants to kill him! Making matters worse, an elite band of assassins have been dispatched by the leaders of the other Ikati colonies to kill Eliana because she could expose their secrets to the human world.

It’s a very action-packed story. A recent reviewer said, “reading this book was like watching an action movie. There were art heists, fight clubs, car chases, prison breaks, secret societies, mad scientists, torture chambers, assassins, gun fights, a kick ass heroine, a bad ass hero and villains so evil they made my frigging skin crawl.” I love it!

TRC: If you could virtually cast the lead characters of Demetrius and Eliana, which models or actors, would best represent your ideal image?

J.T:   Well, D is huge, 6’4 and 230 pounds, so we’d need a really big boy to fill his shoes. And he’s tatted and pierced, so no pretty boys will do, either. Dwayne Johnson (aka The Rock) would be a great choice, or Tom Hardy when he’s really bulked up like in his role as Bane in Batman or in the movie Warrior. As I was writing Eliana, I imagined her as Kate Beckinsale in the Underworld movies.

TRC: What has been the inspiration behind the Ikati shifters and their fabled storyline history?

J.T:   It all started with a stray cat. One day an incredibly sleek, beautiful female cat appeared out of the blue at my house, demanding a meal. She looks like a miniature panther, all black with bright yellow/green eyes. I fell in love.

This cat has an uncanny ability to disappear. One minute she’s there, looking at you as if she’s just about to say something, the next she’s gone—poof!—as if she was never there at all. It must be a feral cat trick, but it got me to thinking.

Two things occurred to me immediately: one, there are a lot of people who hate cats. Two: the Egyptians revered them. Put those two things together and mix in a big bowl, and you’ve got a race of cat shifters worshipped as gods by the ancient Egyptians who’ve had to hide because they’ve since been hunted by humanity. I spiced it up with some historical nuggets about Egypt, the Inquisition, witch hunts, religion, Rome…it goes on, but you get the idea.

TRC: EDGE OF DARKNESS is the title of your December 2013 release. Would you please tell us something about the premise? Hero/Heroine?

J.T:   I’m so excited about Edge of Darkness. I think it’s the best thing I’ve ever written, and the darkest, and has the most tragic, romantic, beautiful storyline. And it features Christian, a fan favorite from book one, who is also one of my favorite characters of the series. Our heroine Ember is very broken, and the book deals with the theme of how to go on living after terrible loss, and how love can both heal you and tear you apart. Here’s the book description:

Six years after a shocking tragedy left her emotionally and physically scarred, Ember Jones lives a life of quiet isolation in Barcelona. Determined to keep her troubled past a secret, she keeps her head down and her heart locked up tight. Until the day a beautiful, mysterious stranger walks into her life, and her carefully controlled world is shattered forever.

Christian McLoughlin is unlike anyone Ember has ever met. Wealthy, cultured, and utterly charismatic, he also has dark secrets of his own. They succumb to the undeniable pull between them and embark on a passionate affair, but things turn explosive when the truth about Christian and the reason he came to Barcelona is exposed. As their dark pasts collide, the two unlikely lovers find themselves caught in a web of danger and deceit that neither of them might survive.

The Edge of Darkness, where hunter becomes hunted, no one can be trusted, and love is the most dangerous game of them all.

TRC: You blend a paranormal storyline with the reality of the modern world. How do you keep your plot unpredictable without sacrificing content or believability?

J.T:   Each book features a different couple, which really helps keep things fresh because each story has its own set of conflicts. But there is an ongoing plot thread behind all the relationships that ties the books together, and once we get to the final book, readers will be able to look back and go, “Aha! I see where this all was leading!” There is always a certain suspense of disbelief that has to take place when a reader enters a supernatural world, but it can be tricky combining the supernatural with our own world, so I try to keep the characters as “real” as possible, despite their unusual abilities. And the themes and conflicts are universal, so that helps keep things believable as well.

TRC: How thoroughly do you plan out or research your characters and story before you begin the first draft?

J.T:   My characters always come first. I spend a few weeks getting to know them, interviewing them about their likes and dislikes, their quirks, what makes them crazy, what makes them angry, what makes them who they are. Every person, real or fictional, has a past, and I like to dig deep into my characters’ pasts so I can write about them in an honest way. Even if most of the details are never used, it adds richness and depth to the story.

As far as the plot, I have a general idea of where I’m going and where I want to end up. The rest I leave up to the characters; they tell me what to do along the way. It might sound strange, but they come alive as the story develops, and they begin to tell their own story and I just begin to take dictation and type it all out! Each of my books is set in a real location, so I do a lot of research on the city and surrounding areas. For instance, Rapture’s Edge is set in Paris, and prominently features the catacombs beneath the city, so I did extensive reading and internet research about those areas, among others.

TRC: What struggles or difficulties (e.g. research, logistics etc) did you encounter getting your books and this series to publication?

J.T:   I was very, very lucky. I didn’t decide to write a novel until I turned 40. Then I wrote it, and found an agent who loved it, and she found a publisher who loved it, too, and was willing to take a chance on an unknown author. Then it was a bestseller and both the first and second books have been nominated for prestigious awards. So my advice to anyone looking to make a life change is this: Go for it! You only lose if you don’t try.
Keeping a series going is a bit of a struggle, especially with all the characters and details and plots that can get confused, but it’s a good struggle. The main struggle I have, always, is with self-doubt. I never feel like anything I do is good enough.

TRC: What do you believe is the biggest misconception about you?

J.T:   I’ve been told people find me intimidating, which is hilarious. I’m just as neurotic as everyone else. Plus I’m a giant goofball, and will bump into any piece of furniture within a ten-foot radius. Although I do have a very “big” personality, and a tendency to really focus on people and look them in the eye when they’re talking, which one friend describes as “the stare.” Maybe I should have gone into law enforcement or something…nah, I hate telling people what to do.

TRC: Who or what has been the biggest influence in your life and why?

J.T:   My husband, hands down, has been the most positive influence in my life. I was a wild animal in my teens and twenties, a total disaster, and it wasn’t until I met and married Jay that I gained direction and settled down. He is the reason I write romance, because I know from experience that true love exists, soul mates exist, and finding that special person who gets you and has your back can absolutely save your life. Every book I write is dedicated to him because he has saved me in so many ways. Today is our thirteenth wedding anniversary, as a matter of fact! Love you, honey.

TRC: Who is the first person you think about when you need someone to talk with and why?

J.T:   My husband Jay. He’s the smartest person I’ve ever met, and is also the only person I’ve ever met who is unafraid of anything. (Well, except spiders. He really, really hates spiders.) I’m the emotional one, the one who freaks out and over-reacts, and he can cut through all that and get to the heart of the matter and calm me down. He’s just so f*ing…cool.

TRC: If you could select one reality TV show to be a contestant, which show would you chose and why?

J.T:   I DESPISE reality TV. Hate, loathe, detest, all these are too soft for what I think of reality TV. It kills me to see people make such desperate, utter whores of themselves in the pursuit of fame or money. Okay, with the exception of So You Think You Can Dance—but at least those kids have a dream they’re trying to pursue, and dancing is art. The Kardashians, on the other hand—don’t even get me started.

TRC: What are the 5 things you would like to accomplish in the next ten years?

J.T:   This is a tricky question. I am not a goal-oriented person, never have been, never will be. I’m a pantster, I live day to day and let life take me where it will, which is part of the adventure. (I don’t have kids, so I have the luxury of indulging myself.) But I also recognize the importance of planning for the future, in case it comes, which it probably will. So I have a 401(k), blah, blah, blah. I guess I’d just like to keep writing and getting better at it, and there’s a long list of places I’d like to travel to, and that’s about it. If there’s one thing I’ve learned for sure, it’s that life happens moment to moment and the best way to prepare for the future is to be flexible and keep your eyes open for opportunity.

TRC: On what are you currently working?

J.T:   I just finished a story titled The Last Vampire, and now I’m working on book five in the Night Prowler series, Darkness Bound. It’s set in Brazil, so I’m in the research phase.

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

J.T:   I’d like to say thank you to my wonderful readers!! I feel so honored that you take the time to read my books and share them with your friends, and I am very, very grateful for you. I’m also very grateful to bloggers (yay, Reading Café!) who do such a service for both readers and authors in spreading the word about books they enjoyed.

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food – Fois gras over fresh oysters
Favorite Dessert – Chateau d’Yquem Sauternes
Favorite TV Show – Game of Thrones
Last Movie you saw – World War Z
Dark or Milk Chocolate – Milk
Favorite Flower – Tie between white peonies or green cymbidium orchids
Last Vacation Destination – sailed around the British Virgin Islands on a chartered catamaran

TRC: Thank you J.T. for taking the time to answer our questions. Congratulations on the release of RAPTURE’S EDGE and the upcoming EDGE OF DARKNESS.

Night Prowler Series by J.T. Geissinger

The Ikati is an ancient shape-shifting species of panther, with only a few remaining colonies in the world. Each full-blooded Ikati is blessed (or cursed) with a special ability. Some are telepathic, able to shift into mist and others can walk through walls. And anyone betraying their secrets is punished by death.

SHADOW’S EDGE
Night Prowler #1
Release Date: June 2013

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Deep within the primeval forests of southern England, a race of beautiful, savage shape-shifters lives hidden from the everyday world. Bound together by ancient bloodlines and a ruthless code of secrecy that punishes traitors with death, the Ikati send their leader Leander on a mission to capture one raised outside the tribe before she can expose their secret. When Leander tracks the unsuspecting outsider to Southern California, the hardened warrior is prepared for a fight—but not for the effect the sensual young beauty has on his heart.

Jenna spent her childhood in hiding, on the run from someone—or something—her parents refused to discuss. She trusts no one, not since her father’s mysterious disappearance, not since her mother’s sudden death, and definitely not since she began exhibiting strange, superhuman abilities. When handsome, enigmatic Leander appears, promising answers to the mysteries that shroud her past, she knows she shouldn’t trust him either. But their connection is undeniable, and as powerful as the enemy hell-bent on destroying every one of their kind…

••••••••••••••••

EDGE OF OBLIVION
Night Prowler, #2
Release Date: October 2012

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There exists a world beyond our own. It is a world of ancient magic and well-guarded secrets, a world of strict laws and harsh punishments for those who betray them, a world inhabited by the Ikati, a race of gifted people who are so much more than they first appear. Brought together by fate in this world of danger and beauty, two people with dark pasts will meet.

Morgan is beautiful, smart, sexy…and about to die. Convicted of treason against her shape-shifting kin, she is given one last chance at redemption; discover the hidden lair of the enemy intent on destroying every one of her kind, or forfeit her life.

Xander is ruthless, heartless, cold-blooded…and assigned to kill her if she fails in her task. Expecting to feel nothing but contempt for the traitor under his watch, the assassin accompanies Morgan on her search, but as the two race through the heart of Italy while the clock winds down to zero hour, he finds himself drawn into a dangerous web of desire as powerful as it is forbidden. Their passion will test everything they believe in, and endanger the future of the tribe itself.

 ••••••••••••••••••••

RAPTURE’S EDGE
Night Prowler #3
Release Date: June 18, 2013

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SECRETS…In the hidden world that exists beside our own, a mirror world of ancient magic and elegant deceptions, a world of people who are so much more than they first appear, a war is brewing. Most of these Gifted people—the Ikati, a savage, sensual race of lethal predators—are content to hide behind human smiles, disguising their splendor in order to survive. But others are discontent. And they will hide no longer.

BETRAYALS…Eliana lives for two things only: vengeance on the man who killed her father, and seeing his dream of living in the open with humans come to pass. But that dream is far too dangerous for The Hunt, a group of elite Ikati assassins with one objective: eliminate her before she can expose their secrets to the world.

SEDUCTION…Demetrius is haunted by the memory of the woman he once loved. He will risk everything to save her from the killers on her tail…and convince her, before the ancient walls between two worlds crumble, that only together can they defeat their real enemy, a brilliant, cunning traitor far more deadly than either of them can guess.

J.T. Geissinger’s debut novel, Shadow’s Edge, was published in 2012 and was a #1 Amazon US and UK bestseller in fantasy romance and romance series. She has been nominated for the prestigious RITA^® award from the Romance Writers of America for best paranormal romance for her second book in the Night Prowler series, Edge of Oblivion.

A life-long lover of reading and a self-professed “book addict,” she didn’t realize her dream of writing a novel until a milestone birthday forced her to take stock of her goals in life. Always believing the right time to commit to putting pen to paper would magically announce itself, it took waking up one cold January morning with a shiny new zero as the second number in her age to kick start her determination.

Starting on that very day, she wrote what would become Shadow’s Edge in a little over four months and submitted it to several literary agents. Nothing happened. Thinking that was the end of that but by no means willing to give up on her dreams of being published, she began work on a second manuscript.

Then, during a trip to Italy in honor of their 10^th wedding anniversary and the honeymoon she and her husband never took, she received an email that would change her life. It was from an agent, Marlene Stringer of Stringer Literary, and it contained the three words every aspiring author longs to hear: “I loved it.”

Marlene sold the manuscript to Montlake Romance who published it six months later. Hitting the #1 Amazon bestseller lists within weeks of publication, Shadow’s Edge was book one of the Night Prowler novels. Book two, Edge of Oblivion, was published in October 2012 and will be followed by Rapture’s Edge in June 2013, and Edge of Darkness in fall 2013. There are six books total planned for the series.

Connect with J.T.:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

BLOG TOUR-June 17 to  July 7, 2013
6/30- Literal Hotties Naughty Book Reviews
http://literalhottiesnaughtybookreviews.blogspot.com/
7/01- The Reading Cafe
http://thereadingcafe.com/
7/02 – Book Monster Reviews
http://www.bookmonsterreviews.com/
7/02 – Literal Addiction
http://www.literaladdiction.com/
7/03- Buffy’s Ramblings
http://buffy-kennedy.blogspot.com/
7/03-  Penny For Them
http://pennyforthem1.blogspot.co.uk
7/04- Book Lovin’ Mamas
http://booklovinmamas.blogspot.com
7/04- Night Owl Reviews
http://www.nightowlreviews.com/v5/Blog/Articles/Raptures-Edge-by-J-T-Geissinger
7/05- Spiced Latte Reads
http://spicedlatte.blogspot.com/
7/05- Toot’s Book Reviews
http://tootsbookreviews.blogspot.com/
7/06-Paranormal Fan For Life
http://paranormalromancefanforlife.blogspot.com/
7/07- Vampires, Werewolves & Fairies Oh My!
http://vampireswerewolvesfairiesohmy.blogspot.com/

NOTE:  The Reading Cafe is NOT responsible for the rafflecopter giveaway.  If you have any questions please contact the blog tour operator.

J.T. is giving away the following prizes at the end of her tour:

GRAND PRIZE: (US ONLY)
Kindle Fire HD

RUNNER-UP: (OPEN INTERNATIONALLY)
Signed copies of all 3 books in the series

a Rafflecopter giveaway