Author Interview | Felicity Heaton

Title: Her Avenging Angel

Author: Felicity Heaton

Series: Her Angel Series #7

Age: Adult

Genres: Paranormal Romance

Publication Date: October 11th, 2014

Page Numbers: 327

Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis: 
Once a proud angel of Heaven, Nevar is now a servant of Hell, bound to a new master—the King of Demons. Consumed by darkness and driven to seek revenge, he set in motion a series of events that awakened the Great Destroyer, a force that will bring about the apocalypse. Now, he is the creature’s master and the fate of our world rests in the hands of an angel with only darkness in his heart.

Lost in the mortal realm without any recollection of how she came to be there, Lysia is only aware that she has survived a great battle. When she stumbles into a demon bar, she finds more than a chance to discover what happened to her—she finds a dark and deadly angel warrior who stirs fire in her veins and awakens soul-searing passion she cannot deny.

With the mounting threat of the Great Destroyer, the forces of Heaven and Hell against him, and a band of dangerous angels intent on capturing Lysia on his heels, can Nevar protect the beautiful woman who is light to his darkness and find the strength to save the world?

Her Avenging Angel, the seventh book in New York Times best-seller Felicity Heaton’s hot paranormal romance series, Her Angel, is now available in ebook and paperback. To celebrate the release, she’s holding a FANTASTIC GIVEAWAY at her website.

Find out how to enter the Her Avenging Angel international giveaway (ends October 26th) and be in with a shot of winning a $75, $50 or $25 gift certificate at her website, where you can also download a 6 chapter sample of the novel: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/her-avenging-angel-romance-book.php


Excerpt 

“Pull it up over your chest.” Nevar averted his gaze and rose to his feet.

She wriggled in the corner of his vision and then grumbled something as her arms moved. She waved the two lengths of fabric that were designed to hold the top up.

“What do these do?”

Nevar took them and placed them around her neck, and slowed as her silken hair brushed his skin and the heat of her washed over him, becoming painfully aware of how close she was to him, the bar at her back stopping her from being able to move away.

He breathed in her sweet dewy fragrance and savoured the soft warmth of her skin as his thumbs brushed her neck. He drank in her beauty as she tilted her head back, bringing her eyes up to his, and listened to her breathing as it hitched with each sweep of his skin across hers. She filled all of his senses, stealing his awareness of the world from him and narrowing it down to only her. He stared down into her eyes, mesmerised by the way they widened and overflowed with dark allure, and how her lips parted, tempting him to taste her and making him hunger for her.

He swallowed hard, forgetting what he was meant to be doing, transfixed by her and lost in the moment.

“I told you not to linger.” Asmodeus’s deep voice rumbled through the silent room and shattered the spell she had cast on Nevar. “I should have known you would.”

Nevar drew back and looked over his right shoulder, towards his dark master.

Asmodeus’s golden eyes fell on the female and widened. “What is she?”

Nevar kept asking himself the same thing. She shrank back as Asmodeus advanced, casting her gaze downwards and shifting behind Nevar.

“I do not know what she is.” He moved in front of her, blocking Asmodeus’s path and earning a glare for his chivalry. “But I have to get her out of this place before the boss loses her temper.”

He quickly snagged her wrist and pulled her with him, making a break for it. A hot jolt ran up his arm at the feel of her soft flesh giving beneath his bruising grip and she gasped, as if she had felt it too. He tugged her towards the door.

Asmodeus stepped into his path. “Is she demonic?”

Nevar growled. “I do not know.”

“I have never seen a demon like her.” The dark angel pressed his palm to Nevar’s breastplate, holding him in place, and peered around him. “She is powerful.”

He nodded. He could feel just how powerful she was now that he had his hand on her and it was far beyond the level that he had previously thought.

It sent him back to his initial thoughts about her.

“I do not think she is a demon.”

Asmodeus drew back and studied him. “If not a demon, then what is she?”

“I do not know.” Nevar rubbed his thumb across the inside of her wrist as she emerged from behind him, her free hand clutching the two pieces of silver material to hold her top up and her leathery wings curled around her shoulders in a protective way. He looked down at her. “What are you?”

“Born of Hell.” She looked certain about that, but he still wasn’t sure she was a demon.

There were other beings born of Hell that weren’t demon. Asmodeus was one of them. He was all that was evil in his angelic twin, Apollyon. The Devil had tortured Apollyon until he had lost all good and had then used his blood to create Asmodeus, his own powerful angel of destruction.

Nevar took the two lengths of material from her and tied them behind her neck, afraid he would lose his temper if the top fell down and exposed her to Asmodeus’s golden eyes. He wasn’t strong enough to fight his master right now, but he wouldn’t be able to stop himself.

“Interesting, but we are leaving. Did you eat?” Asmodeus said and he shook his head.

“I was rather preoccupied. The boss of this place told me to make her leave.”

Asmodeus’s black eyebrows met in a hard frown and his gaze drilled into him. “Why you?”

Nevar shrugged but could see his master wouldn’t take it as an answer. He scrubbed his hand over the jagged back of his white hair and flicked a glance at the female. Her hazel eyes flitted between him and Asmodeus, the glimmer of curiosity back in them.

“Apparently, only I can understand the language she is speaking, although I do not know how.”

“I can understand her.” Those words leaving Asmodeus’s lips gave him pause. The angel had understood her when she had informed them she was born of Hell.

He looked back at Asmodeus. “How?”

Asmodeus lifted his huge black wings in a shrug. “I did not question it. I understand many languages. Hers is as old as the Earth.”

“It is still spoken?” Nevar said and the dark-haired male shook his head.

“I have not heard it in millennia.”

Nevar’s gaze drifted back down to her and she smiled, a beautiful one that struck him hard in his chest and knocked the wind from him. “How old are you?”

She looked little more than thirty to his eyes, but then he was beyond two thousand years old and didn’t appear much older than she did.

Her black eyebrows pinched together and she mimicked his master, lifting her slender pale shoulders and shifting the clawed tips of her wings. “I do not know. Ancient. I recall the birth of the King of Demons.”

Asmodeus choked. “Excuse me?”

She beamed at him. “I remember your creation, although I did not witness it.”

Nevar stared at her. “Just how old are you and how can you recall the birth of Asmodeus but not the battle you survived?”

Her hazel eyes turned troubled and she lowered her head, her smile falling away. “I do not know. It hurts when I try to remember it.”

Asmodeus moved closer, studying her in a manner Nevar didn’t like. He wanted the male’s eyes off her.

“Erin told me that when Heaven tampered with Veiron, he experienced great pain when attempting to recall events from his true past,” Asmodeus said and Nevar growled at the casual mention of his ward. His master knew that when he was weak and tired, just the sound of her name was enough to cause him pain, stirring all the terrible things he had done.

Things he hoped she never found out about.

Things he regretted with every drop of his blood.

Asmodeus slid him a warning look and then turned back to the female. “Perhaps Veiron can assist you in regaining your memories, and he may know of your species.”

“No,” Nevar barked, a knee-jerk reaction to the idea of heading to the island where Erin lived. “You said yourself that we have a mission that needs our focus. We shall escort the female away from this place and then continue that mission.”

“You are leaving me?” she snapped and shot between him and Asmodeus. Her power rose so swiftly that Nevar’s knees almost buckled under the sudden pressure of it on his body. Her eyes darkened, blazing violet and her pupils stretched thin in the centres of her irises. “I will not let you leave me again.”

She snarled and claws curled from her fingertips, as black as night, and the tips of her sleek dark hair fluttered as if a breeze played with them.

Asmodeus’s left eyebrow shot up and then he grinned at Nevar, flashing his short fangs. “It would appear you have an admirer.”

His smile dropped from his face when she turned on him.

“What are you?” he said and Nevar knew he had seen her eyes too.

He had never seen eyes like them.

They matched the colour of his, and Asmodeus’s, when he lost his temper, but her pupils were elliptical.

“It is time we found out.” Because Nevar had the dreadful feeling that her origins were more than merely born of Hell. “But we will not ask Veiron. We shall seek the advice of another.”

Their presence wouldn’t go down well, but it was the only choice he had and his only shot at discovering what the female was without taking her to Veiron.

And Erin.

But not because he feared seeing his ward and seeing the pity in her eyes.

The female’s power began to lower, the weight of it lifting from his shoulders. She was dangerous and he wouldn’t take her to Veiron for that reason. He wouldn’t place Erin in danger, or her infant son. He would protect her. Them.

Asmodeus looked over the female’s head to him. “Where are we taking her?”

Nevar stared straight back at him.


“To the half-demon. Taylor.”

Her Avenging Angel is available from Amazon Kindle, Kobo Books, Barnes and Noble Nook, Apple iBooks stores and other retailers. Also available in paperback.

Find all the links, a fantastic 6 chapter downloadable sample of the book, and also how to enter the giveaway and be in with a shot of winning a $75, $50 or $25 gift certificate at her website: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/her-avenging-angel-romance-book.php


Order of Books

Book 1: Her Dark Angel – FREE in ebook at selected retailers


Interview

ME: Did you always wanted to be a writer or did you want to do something else?
FH: I didn’t make a conscious decision to become a writer. It was a role I evolved into through the course of my life. I’m a very creative person, but always wanted to do something more art-based, which is why I studied Graphic Design for my degree, and then pursued a career as a web designer/developer.


I wrote a little in school when I was a teenager because we had to write the opening chapter of a gothic horror and it really got my mind working, and my teacher liked mine so much that she read it out to the class. I wrote more for it, and it was definitely the first idea I ever had. It was going to be quite romantic, but very gothic too. I had a whole plan for the story, but then schoolwork took over and it fell to the wayside. I wish I had the notes I wrote for it, and the chapters I completed, but they’re lost somewhere.

I didn’t write until 2003 after that. I got really into writing fanfiction for Buffy the Vampire Slayer and was running my own fanfiction website for my stories. A friend who was writing the same genre as me convinced me to give writing something original with my own characters a go. I took a little convincing but I took the leap and really loved it. I began publishing my books back in 2006 after being with an e-publisher for a year. It was just something I came to naturally. I was actually a full-time web developer throughout most of my years I was writing too, balancing both. I went full-time writer in 2011 and I still can’t believe this is my job!


ME: Where do your ideas for your books come from?
FH: I’m never sure how the ideas come. They just come! I get inspired by anything. From a song, to something on TV, to something I read, or even just taking a walk. I have a very hyperactive muse and he’s always throwing new story ideas at me and inviting new characters to wander into my head. I rarely have to think hard to come up with anything. I save the thinking hard for when I’m actually plotting the book and trying to get it all to work out, with maximum tension, passion and action.


ME: How long does it take you to write a book from start to finish?
FH: It really depends on the book’s length and how much editing it needs. It’s sort of impossible to say how long it takes to write a book. Every single book I write varies in length and the amount of time it takes for me to write it. Ballpark figure for a 90k word novel is probably anything from 30 days to 45 days, but it could be less or more.


ME: Are you working on anything now?
FH: I’ve just released Her Avenging Angel, which people can read about over at my website and which is the seventh book in the Her Angel romance series. It’s pretty epic and it ties up a lot of things in the current story arc, and also sets up the next one, which I’m writing as a sort of spin off series set in the same world. That series will kick off in 2016 and it’s going to be called Angels of the Apocalypse. The characters from the Her Angel world will of course appear in this new spin off series.

I’m also working on the next Eternal Mates books. I came up with this insane idea to release four books in a row in that series in early 2015, all close together, and I’m trying to make that happen now. The idea came about partly because I love writing in this world, but mostly because my readers of that series are so incredibly and wonderfully enthusiastic about it and I want to give them all what they want and are asking for from me. More Eternal Mates books.

I’m editing Hunted by a Jaguar right now, which is the fourth book and a novel. I’ve also completed the first drafts for Bitten by a Hellcat and Craved by an Alpha, which are both novellas / category novels (around 50,000 words), and I’ll be writing the first draft of Taken by a Dragon, which will be another novel in the series, soon. These four books will all be released a couple of weeks apart from each other kicking off in early January 2014.


ME: If you could co-write with another author, who would it be?
If I had to choose, I would probably collaborate with Lara Adrian, as I love her books and she seems really nice. I’ve collaborated with some great authors on boxed sets though, and developed friendships with most of them. It’s been a great experience.


ME: What inspired you to write in a paranormal romance book? Is this the genre you started writing in or have you morphed to this one?
FH: I’ve loved paranormal genre stuff since I was really young, like just starting to read young and in single digits. I have book reports where I call every book boring unless it has vampires, werewolves, witches or monsters in it! I was hooked at an early age and it has stayed with me throughout my life. My passion for it only grew in strength when I read the classics as a teen, devouring Dracula and Frankenstein, and reading H P Lovecraft and Poe. I read classic romances too, like Jane Eyre, North and South, Persuasion and Pride and Prejudice too. I think I began to blend those two very separate genres, falling for vampires and other creatures of the night, imagining worlds where they existed.
I had never intended to become a writer. I wrote a little in school, but nothing after that until I fell into writing fanfiction for a popular TV show, Buffy. That progressed into rekindling my love of dreaming up worlds of vampires and I began writing my own worlds populated by my own characters. I’m happiest when I’m writing about them because I love doing something different, twisting accepted norms into something new, playing with mythical creatures and history. It’s amazing fun and I can spend hours just figuring out the finer details about the breed of vampires in a series, or crafting their world, layering in the details that makes it feel real to readers. In paranormal, the possibilities are endless, only limited by my imagination, and my imagination loves to push the boundaries.


ME: Does music influence your writing? Or do you write in silence?
FH: I do write to music, and often I have a playlist for each book I write, plus my general one for different moods/types of scenes… like action / fight scenes, and romantic or solemn ones. For those types of scenes, I tend to listen to classical music as I find it more inspiring and find it draws the right emotions out of me that I can then pour into the book to bring it to life.


ME: What  kinds of advice would you give to someone who wants to start writing?
FH: Study the craft. I think it was advice I gave to myself but I do recommend it to all writers. I’ve read some fantastic books on writing and I still make time to read books on writing now. They’ve all helped me in some way or another. I’m an advocate of putting in some reading time and doing exercises to improve your writing.


ME: What are you currently fangirling over?
FH: Nothing right now.


ME: What are some of your favorite books?
FH: My all time favourite books are actually classic romances. Jane Eyre is the number one book.


ME: Top 10 Paranormal Beings?
FH: Vampires, angels, dark elves, demons, witches, werewolves, cat shifters, dragon shifters, incubi/succubi, fae, and also gods, but they’re not exactly paranormal beings.


ME: What inspired the Eternal Mates series?
FH: I was inspired to write the Eternal Mates series because I wanted to explore the world of the Vampire Erotic Theatre more and delve deeper into the lives of the other species I had mentioned and touched on in that series. I also wanted to bring elves into the world of paranormal romance and give a new spin on them, and also on the concept of fated mates. Each species in the series has a different way of knowing their mates and a different set of rules for courting them. I love being able to explore this huge world and bring in a multitude of paranormal species.

Kissed by a Dark Prince was the first book, and it introduced the dark elves, a race that are actually the forefathers of the vampires and who have little love for that species. It’s packed with passion and tension, and some seriously hot action, and I think all of the books in the series will be just as hot and passionate, and dramatic. There’s a six chapter sample of the book on my website. In Claimed by a Demon King, the second book, I had a demon hero, a hunter heroine, plus dark elves, vampires, werewolves, bear and dragon shifters, and witches too. It’s incredible fun writing the characters in this series too. Every single one of them has really captured my imagination and I’ve fallen hard for this world because of them.


ME: Favorite character from the Eternal Mates series? Least favorite character?
FH: Vail, who is a dark elf from my Eternal Mates series of paranormal romance stories. Since beginning the Eternal Mates series with Kissed by a Dark Prince in November 2013, I have fallen deeply in love with Vail. He’s broken and tormented by the things he has done, but not beyond redemption. I’ve been looking forward to writing this book and giving him a brighter future with his fated mate, setting him on the path towards being healed and leading a normal life again. Writing his book, Tempted by a Rogue Prince, really was everything I had expected it to be—a very emotional journey. He made me cry a few times, and readers have blamed me for a tissue shortage in their houses because of this book. Now, I’m looking forward to catching up with him in future books in the Eternal Mates series. People can read all about the series over at my website. I don’t really have a least favourite character but I guess the villains might fall under that heading. I really hated some of the bad guys in Hunted by a Jaguar, which will be the next release in the series.


ME: What kinds of things do you enjoy outside of writing?
FH: I spend my free time doing a few different things that I find relaxing. I love anime and manga, both Japanese in origin, and can happily sit watching a new anime series or reading a new manga, letting the world drift by unnoticed by me. I also have a passion for playing PlayStation games, especially ones such as Assassin’s Creed (I had always wanted to be an assassin), Uncharted, Tomb Raider, and the Final Fantasy games. I like exploring the worlds and the characters, and unravelling mysteries during the adventure. My other favourite pastime is drawing, which I do as often as I can, but it really isn’t often enough.


ME: What is your ideal Paranormal Playlist?
FH: I listen to a lot of different genres of music and lots of bands so it’s impossible for me to narrow it down to a few specific songs. I tend to lean towards the alternative rock side of music. I love bands like Three Days Grace, Lifehouse, Nickelback, Red, Seether, 7 Days Away, OneRepublic, Thirty Seconds to Mars, 3 Doors Down, Daughtry, The Fray, Green River Ordinance and many many more. I find these bands really speak to me and there’s always a song or two from them that really suits the book I’m writing.


About Author

Felicity Heaton is a New York Times and USA Today international best-selling author writing passionate paranormal romance books. In her books, she creates detailed worlds, twisting plots, mind-blowing action, intense emotion and heart-stopping romances with leading men that vary from dark deadly vampires to sexy shape-shifters and wicked werewolves, to sinful angels and hot demons! If you're a fan of paranormal romance authors Lara Adrian, J R Ward, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Gena Showalter and Christine Feehan then you will enjoy her books too.

If you love your angels a little dark and wicked, the best-selling Her Angel series is for you. If you like strong, powerful, and dark vampires then try the Vampires Realm series or any of her stand-alone vampire romance books. If you’re looking for vampire romances that are sinful, passionate and erotic then try the best-selling Vampire Erotic Theatre series. Or if you prefer huge detailed worlds filled with hot-blooded alpha males in every species, from elves to demons to dragons to shifters and angels, then take a look at the new Her Angel series.

If you want to know more about Felicity, or want to get in touch, you can find her at the following places: