All Hallows Academy by Majanka Verstraete ~ A Cursed All Hallows' Eve Author Spotlight Interview @iheartreads #CursedHallowsEve

 

Blurb:

All Hallows Academy is one of the most prestigious universities in the world for witches and wizards and being accepted into All Hallows is an honor Lavinia Bloodbane and her best friend Jensen have been dreaming of for years. 

The academic year at All Hallows starts with its most renowned tradition: Thirteen Days of Halloween. Each day of the thirteen days leading up to All Hallow’s Eve, a famous witch or wizard from the past is called upon and asked to reach through the veil separating the living from the death. 

Lavinia wants nothing more than to fit in at All Hallows, but when something from beyond the veil reaches out to her on the First Day of Halloween, fitting in at the academy will be the least of her concerns…  

Excerpt:

“This is going to be amazing!” 

Jensen, my best friend, grabbed my hand and squeezed it. His smile spread from ear to ear and seeing it, I couldn’t help but smile myself. 

Today was our first day at All Hallows Academy, one of the most renowned institutions for witchcraft and wizardry in the world. 

Before enrolling at All Hallows, Jensen and I had attended high school together, and our number one dream for the past three years had been to get into All Hallows. We both worked hard to get here, and standing here today, it still didn’t feel real.  

“I think you already grabbed some people’s attention,” I remarked, grinning as a group of girls walked past us, some of them throwing flirty glances in Jensen’s direction. 

I knew my best friend was attractive, although I had never seen him that way—to me, he was the boy I had grown up with, who had gone to Miss Hecate’s Kindergarten for Magical Toddlers for the first time on the same day I did. I had accidentally made a doll come to life, courtesy of my lack of control over my powers, and Jensen had saved me by knocking the doll unconscious. 

Miss Hecate was anything but pleased that one of her students had caused such havoc, but the incident had formed the foundation of my friendship with Jensen, and we had been best friends ever since. 

Now we were here, roughly fifteen years later, and there was no one I would rather be here with, at All Hallows Academy. 

“Yeah, right.” Jensen snorted sarcastically, referring back to my earlier comment that he had caught the eye of quite a few witches already. 

Jensen had always been oblivious to his own good looks—a stark contrast with his brother, Flynn, and the one person I did not look forward to bumping into in the hallways. 

Okay, that was a lie. Part of me was looking forward to it. The stupid part. The teenage-crush part. 

During the summer holidays two years ago, while I spent most of my time hanging out with Jensen, I developed this enormous crush on his older brother Flynn and ended up making a fool of myself as I tried everything to get his attention. Flynn, on the other hand, practically ignored me and dated girl after girl until none of us could keep track anymore. 

Chill, Liv. Don’t let him get into your head again. Flynn is old news.

At least that was what I told myself while I kept trying to catch a peek of him in the crowd, but so far, no luck. 

Where can readers find All Hallows Academy?

Available exclusively in A Cursed All Hallows' Eve: Limited Edition Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy, and Reverse Harem Halloween Themed Collection

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Available to read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

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The veil is thin. Darkness calls. Will you answer?

Halloween curses plague the daring heroes and spunky heroines in this spirited collection of tales. A Cursed All Hallows' Eve brings you 20+ stories stuffed with everything from dark gods to brooding shifters, delivering hours of decadent, pleasure-filled reading from bestselling and award winning urban fantasy and paranormal romance authors.

If you can't get enough of those supernatural creatures—vampires, ghosts, witches, demons, and fae—this limited edition collection will alternately thrill you with the spicy and tempt you with the sweet. Delve into these worlds where the living haunt the dead and the undead tempt the breathing.

Answer the call, because this Halloween, not all the costumes are disguises.

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

Hello and welcome, readers! We have Majanka Verstraete here with us today. Majanka Verstraete, thanks for visiting us.

How long have you been a writer and how did you come to writing?

I have been writing books ever since I learned how to write, but my first official publication dates back to about ten years ago. It was called “Mirror, Mirror”, later renamed to “Fractured”, a young adult dark fantasy novel. In the meantime, the sequel to that, “Reflected”, has also been released. 

Tell us about your title featured in: A Cursed All Hallows’ Eve

My story “All Hallows Academy” is an academy / reverse harem story told in different seasons. Season one focuses on the “Thirteen Days of Halloween”, a yearly event held at All Hallows Academy, in which a different witch or wizard from the past is honored each day during the thirteen days leading up to Halloween. The first episode of this season is featured in the box set. 

How did you come up with the storyline?

I have been wanting to write in this format for a while, with different “seasons” and “episodes,” like you see on TV. I like the idea of a book episode following the format of a TV episode, with a nicely completed story while at the same time also having an overarching story arc. Since the box set is Halloween themed, and I’ve wanted to write another academy / reverse harem for a while, the rest of the inspiration came easily. 

What inspires you to write?

Everything. It’s really hard to answer this one. Not a day goes by that I don’t have inspiration for one thing or another, and I really enjoy writing. It’s my favorite spare time activity and hardly ever feels like a chore. 

Tell us about your other books:

I have written over forty books and counting, so there’s a lot to tell. Let me focus primarily on books in similar genres. 

My “Academy for the Wicked” series will probably be of interest for readers who enjoyed “All Hallows Academy”. It’s a reverse harem academy series with all types of diabolical creatures: demons, vampires, warlocks, necromancers… It’s called “wicked” for a reason. 

Then, in terms of young adult books, I have a whole lot of different series, so I’ll just sum up some of my books here. All of them can also be found on my website. I have indicated the ones that are not published yet, but that are available for pre-order. 

The Soul Thief (Angel of Death Series #1) / YA Paranormal

Demonic Pact (Angel of Death Series #2) / YA Paranormal (available for pre-order)

See All Evil (Academy for the Wicked #1) / NA Reverse Harem Academy

Ghost Slayer / NA Paranormal Romance

Symphony of the Departed (Allegro Academy #1) / YA Paranormal Academy (available for pre-order) 

A Study in Shifters (The Adventures of Marisol Holmes #1) / YA Paranormal Mystery / Romance

The Sign of the Serpent (The Adventures of Marisol Holmes #2) / YA Paranormal Mystery / Romance 

The Wolf of the Baskervilles (The Adventures of Marisol Holmes #3) / YA Paranormal Mystery / Romance

The Conclave of Fear (The Adventures of Marisol Holmes #4) / YA Paranormal Mystery / Romance (available for pre-order) 

Murder in Mind / YA Dystopian 

Wicked Blood (Blood Witch #1) / YA Paranormal Romance

Fractured (Mirrorland #1) / YA Paranormal Mystery

Reflected (Mirrorland #2) / YA Paranormal Mystery 

Queen’s Fall (An Alice in Wonderland Retelling) / YA Fantasy

Where can readers find you? 

Readers can find me on my website, http://majankaverstraete.com

I’m also on Twitter (@iheartreads) and on Facebook. 

About the Author: 

Majanka Verstraete studied law and criminology, and now works as Legal Counsel. Writing is her passion ever since she learned how to read. 

She writes about all things supernatural, her books ranging from children’s picture books to young adult novels, all the way to new adult academy and reverse harem books. 

Check out her website for more information about her current series and her upcoming projects: http://majankaverstraete.com 

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Loving Boone Excerpt #shifter #paranormalromance #pnr

AMAZON

Beth-Ann Miller returns to her Tennessee mountain home to find chaos erupting between her survivalist family and their shape-shifting neighbors. Her father is convinced the were-cougar clan is responsible for the murders occurring in their area. He interrogates one of the shifers, Boone Evans, her childhood sweetheart. When Boone declares several members of his shifter family have gone missing including his little brother, Beth-Ann suspects someone else is behind both the murders and abductions.

Boone never expected to see Beth-Ann again. When she frees him from her father's cabin and promises to help find his brother, Boone doesn't plan on rekindling their passionate love affair or facing the pain of past mistakes. Nor does he plan on coming face to face with the man responsible for altering his family's life forever.

With men hunting the were-cougars, can Beth-Ann and Boone risk all to have a future together? Or is loving Boone too high a price to pay?

Excerpt:

She placed the bags of supplies she’d purchased on the table next to the solitary television, dumping the contents until she found the bottle of water. Chugging half of it, she slumped onto the chair beside the table, and leaned her head back, closing her eyes.

Slight dizziness accompanied her every movement, but she fought it off. She wanted to check Boone’s wounds before she found the comfort of a soft mattress and a few hours of sleep, so instead of climbing immediately into bed, she rested her head against the wall and closed her eyes while she waited for Boone to emerge from the shower.

It took longer than she anticipated and before she knew it, she’d drifted off to sleep only to awaken when the bathroom door opened revealing a cloud of steam swirling around Boone’s naked chest and a large towel wrapped around his waist.

The thick, black strands of his hair dripped water onto his sculpted chest to run rivulets down the firm muscles of his abdomen. The color of the clean linen slung around his narrow hips contrasted sharply with his dark copper-toned skin.

Beth-Ann found it difficult to breathe as she took in the sight of his magnificent body, especially knowing what remained hidden beneath that towel.

Desire shot through her veins, burning through her blood. The sight of his near nakedness sent flutters low in her belly.

He halted at the doorway to the bathroom when he caught sight of her.

“You’re back,” he stated. “That was quick.”

“We didn’t need much.” She licked her lips, then grabbed the bottle of water, wanting to drown herself in the liquid rather than ogle Boone. She kept her gaze averted as he padded into the room, sitting at the edge of the bed, his legs splayed and the towel spreading dangerously close to revelation.

Beth-Ann fumbled with the water bottle as she tried to recap it and set it back onto the table. She stood when she nearly dropped the bottle, spilling some water onto the carpet.

“We, uh, we…” Why couldn’t the words form correctly? She knew what she wanted to say, but her mouth worked uselessly, her tongue suddenly thick and numb.

She glanced at the towel again, seeing the strong muscles of his leg exposed. How easy it would be to run her hand up that leg to find the rest of him hidden beneath?

Beth-Ann forced her gaze away, hoping he hadn’t noticed how distracted she was by his nakedness, and focused her attention to the supplies spread over the table.

“We have…I mean…we need…”

She needed to get a grip on herself.

Boone sat nearly naked on the bed only two feet away. So? She could handle herself like an adult and not some hormone driven teen salivating over a piece of man-meat. Beth-Ann had control over herself and her body. Just because she still desired Boone and his intimate touches that sent her to the moon and the heavens above didn’t mean she needed to make that common knowledge.

He didn’t know how she yearned for his caresses, nor did he seem particularly eager to renew their intimacy.

What they shared in the past had been beautiful, but that was over. They could never go back and fix the things that had gone wrong between them.

She had to remember that.

Even during times like this when it became difficult to remember exactly why they went their separate ways.

“We should check your wound.” The words finally tumbled out of her mouth in one quick, coherent breath.

She grabbed antiseptic and bandages, then turned back to face Boone, hoping she’d finally gotten control of her mutinous body.

His gaze captured her. The emerald green of his eyes darkened to moss as he watched her fumble with the items in her hands. The moment stretched for an eternity.

Boone’s lips parted, and her gaze focused on his mouth, hungry for his kiss.

She wanted so desperately to drop what she carried in her hands and go to him, to wrap her arms and legs around him. To cradle him, to feel him pressed hard against her, to kiss him senseless and make him want her as she wanted him.

Instead, she broke away from his powerful gaze and those sensual lips to address the angry red slash on his shoulder. The bullet had grazed him, carving a long line into his skin.

The wound reopened from removing the bandages. He had cleaned away all the dried blood with soap, but Beth-Ann dabbed some disinfectant over it anyway to be sure it was sterilized. After covering his wound with a clean, white strip of cloth, she then cut a strip of bandages from the roll she bought and wrapped them around his shoulder to keep the padding in place.

The entire time she worked, she didn’t make eye contact with him, nor did he say a word. He kept his gaze averted, not that he could see beyond the swollen flesh of his left eye. The skin around his eyebrow had turned purplish, but the swelling had gone down significantly since she’d first found him in her father’s room at the cabin.

She breathed deeply of the peppermint shampoo he used in his hair giving him that fresh, clean male scent.

When she was done with his shoulder and his eye, her attention lowered to his ribs. The bruises were showing along his left side. She sucked in a breath at the sight of them, marveling how she hadn’t noticed the discoloration when he first appeared in the bathroom doorway.

Then again, passion distracted her. She couldn’t deny that.

“They’re not broken,” Boone said, breaking the silence between them. “It hurts like hell, but nothing is broken.”

“If you say so,” Beth-Ann nodded. Then she gathered the remainder of the bandages and wrapped everything away, stuffing the items back into the plastic bag.

When she turned, she found Boone’s intense gaze fixed on her again. She swallowed hard but forced her feet to move past him.

He reached out to grab her hand, stopping her.

Her breath hitched in her throat and her body froze. The heat of his hand melted into her skin, her heartbeat doubled. She lifted her lashes to peer cautiously in his direction.

“Thank you.” His deep voice caressed her, vibrating within her bones.

“There’s no need.” Slowly, she pulled her hand away. His fingers slipped from hers to land onto his thigh.

She felt the loss of his heat so keenly, but he didn’t make any motion to further their connection.

Three more steps and she closed the bathroom door, blocking the sight of him. She leaned her back against the door and took several long, deep breaths of steamy air that remained after his hot shower.

The shower stall was to her left. In her mind, she imagined him standing there, the water from the shower head running wet rivulets down his naked flesh.

She closed her fingers into a fist.

If she was going to survive the next day or two in his company, she had to get better control over her physical and emotional attraction to this man.

There was a reason she hadn’t returned home for a lengthy visit since she left for college two and a half years ago. There was a reason, she avoided Boone’s side of the mountain every time she came home.

A single tear slipped down her cheek. She swiped it away, not realizing that she was crying until she saw the stains on her cheeks when she looked at her reflection in the mirror.

She faced the trembling woman in the mirror, angry that she’d let a man affect her to this degree.

And, not just any man.

This man.

Boone Evans.

She could never have him, his body or his heart. What happened between them, the tragedy that had occurred to tear them apart could never be undone. Hateful, hurtful words remained a part of their past and she clung to those words, keeping them close, using the pain as a shield over her heart.

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New Release! Loving Boone ~ A Cougar #Shifter #Paranormal #Romance

New Release! 

Loving Boone is Now Available!

Today is my mother's birthday. If she had lived, she would have been 62. It's difficult for me to imagine what life would be like if my mother had survived the leukemia that killed her. She passed away at the age of 31.

My mother was a major influence in the 11 years that I knew her. Her loving hand has guided me during my entire life, even beyond her living years. She was an avid reader and I discovered years after she died that she had made several attempts at writing fiction. I believe had she lived, she may have one day written and possibly published her work.

She may be gone, but she will never be forgotten. As a teenager, I followed in her footsteps as a reader. And without realizing it at the time, I also followed her path to writing.

Now, here I am, decades later publishing my work on her birthday.

Yes, that was planned. In honor of my mother.

Here's my birthday gift to my mom. I hope she can read it in Heaven. For I surely know, wherever she is, there's a large stack of romance novels nearby.

Loving Boone

A Cougar Shifter Paranormal Romance

Cougar Shifters Book #1

Beth-Ann Miller returns to her Tennessee mountain home to find chaos erupting between her survivalist family and their shape-shifting neighbors. Her father is convinced the were-cougar clan is responsible for the murders occurring in their area and interrogates one of the shifters, Boone Evans, her childhood sweetheart. When Boone declares several members of his shifter family have gone missing including his little brother, Beth-Ann suspects someone else is behind both the murders and abductions.

Boone never epected to see Beth-Ann again. When she frees him from her father's cabin and promises to help find his brother, Boone doesn't plan on rekindling their passionate love affair or facing the pain of past mistakes. Nor does he plan on coming face to face with the man responsible for altering his family's life forever.

With men hunting the were-cougars, can Beth-Ann and Boone risk all to have a future together? Or is loving Boone too high a price to pay?


Excerpt:

Boone returned her stare, his green-eyed gaze boring fiercely into her heart, her father's rage reflected in his gaze. It wounded her to see him look at her with such fury.

Although they hadn't parted on the best of terms when she left for college, she had done nothing to hurt his people. And she didn't believe her father would either.

But Boone stared at her with such accusation, he didn't need to verbalize his thoughts.

She was one of them.

Beth-Ann parted her lips, trying to think of something appropriate to say. Nothing seemed right. What words could she say to fix this? To fix what happened between them.

There was nothing.

So, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath and straightened her shoulders.

When she opened her eyes, he remained straining against his bonds and staring as if he wanted to cut her apart.

But this was Boone.

He'd never hurt her.

She stepped forward. From the corner of her eye, she caught sight of her Uncle Travis about to protest, but she raised her hand to silence him. She stopped when she was an arm's length away from Boone.

He kept his gaze fastened with hers, not even blinking as she approached.

Beth-Ann gently pushed a few sweat-soaked strands of hair out of his face so she could view his injuries better.

She gasped at the blood seeping from several cuts on his cheeks and around his eyes. Redness discolored his cheekbones from the impact of her father's fists and swelling was not far behind.

His face was going to be one big bruise.

Even as she stared, the flesh around his left eye was growing puffy.

"You're going to need ice," she muttered, more to herself than to him.

"I'm going to need that knife," he answered, nodding to the dagger still sunk into the floorboards.

"Not here," she said with a shake of her head. Her father wouldn't kill him. It wasn't in his nature. "No one will hurt you here."

"Not anymore?"

She flinched.

This wasn't the Boone she left behind. It was as if she gazed into a stranger's face expecting to see the boy she remembered. He might look the same, but his eyes had changed. His soul had changed. He'd been wounded in ways she couldn't comprehend.

And he had it right. Despite her beliefs, he'd been hurt by her father's hand. Geoffrey already inflicted injuries on him that might have killed a normal human.

But Boone wasn't human, was he?

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He Needs Answers #pnr #WIP #excerpt #NaNoWriMo #WeWriWa #8Sunday

The Weekend Writing Warriors hosts a group of writers who share excerpts of their published works or works-in-progress every Sunday for reader's enjoyment. Please, be sure to check out the other writers in this group. You might find your next great read!

I'm nearing the end of writing my WIP novel for this year's National Novel Writing Month. I've been posting brief snippets all month about my New Adult Paranormal Romance, Loving Boone. If you've been reading these posts, thank you for following with me along this journey! I've needed inspiration to complete this challenge and reading your wonderful comments have been great help to keep me writing. 

If you're just joining me now, you can catch up by reading Going Home, To Meet Again, and He's Not Human. 

“So, why free me? Your father will be furious when he finds out I’m gone.” Even now, Boone kept his keen hearing peeled for any signs of footsteps approaching the door. Once he was finished with Beth-Ann he’d make his escape, but not before he got his own answers from her.

“Because, I believe you.”

He lowered his hand only a fraction so his fingers rested alongside her neck. His thumb traced her jawline and her pulse fluttered rapidly against his palm.

“Boone,” Beth-Ann said, her voice a little breathless. His gaze dropped to her mouth.

Check out these other Weekend Writing Warriors!

I write sensual paranormal and historical romances. Interested in learning more about my stories? Sign-up for my newsletter where you'll learn about my new book releases, updates on my works-in-progress, writing tips, book reviews, contests, and other fun book-related info!

Happy Reading!

Tricia

He's Not Human #pnr #WIP #excerpt #NaNoWriMo #WeWriWa #8Sunday

The Weekend Writing Warriors hosts a group of writers who share excerpts of their published works or works-in-progress every Sunday for reader's enjoyment. Please, be sure to check out the other writers in this group. You might find your next great read!

I'm half-way through writing my current work-in-progress, Loving Boone. This is my National Novel

Writing Month project. The goal for NaNoWriMo writers is to finish a 50,000 word rough draft

during the month of November.

I've been posting my progress in snippets for Weekend Writing Warriors to help encourage me and others to finish the novel. For me, this is a daunting task considering my four children keep me busy 24/7. I've been lucky enough this week to have the opportunity to write 2k a day during the 1-hour nap time of my 18-month old son while the older kids are at school.

If I can keep that schedule up, I'll have no worries about finishing on time. Keeping my fingers crossed!

Loving Boone is a New Adult Paranormal Romance with a shapeshifter hero. You can read the other snippets I've posted this month about Boone and Beth-Ann at Going Home and To Meet Again. 

“No one will hurt you here.”  

“Not anymore?”

She flinched. 

It was as if she gazed into a stranger’s face expecting to see the boy she remembered. Boone might look the same in appearance with his dark skin and black hair, but his eyes had changed. His soul had changed. He’d been wounded in ways she couldn’t comprehend.

And, he had it right, despite her beliefs that her father wouldn’t kill him. Her father had already inflicted injuries on him that might’ve killed a normal human.

But, Boone wasn’t human, was he?

Check out these other Weekend Writing Warriors!

I write sensual paranormal and historical romances. Interested in learning more about my stories? Sign-up for my newsletter where you'll learn about my new book releases, updates on my works-in-progress, writing tips, book reviews, contests, and other fun book-related info!

Happy Reading!

Tricia