Keri Arthur, author of the New York Times bestselling Riley Jenson Guardian series is with us for a Q&A today. We are so excited and THRILLED to have her !!! Keri has now written more than twenty-eight novels. She’s received several nominations in the Best Contemporary Paranormal category of the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Awards and has won RT’s Career Achievement Award for urban fantasy.

1. Tell us about Risa and the Dark Angel series?
The Dark Angels series is an offshoot of the Riley Jenson series, set 25 years in the future, and in the same world. It also features some of the same characters (you get to catch up with Riley and the gang, and find out what has been happening with them.) Risa first appeared as a baby in Tempting Evil, but we saw her becoming a cheeky two year old over the rest of the books, and she was such a strong character that she had to have her own series. While she can kick butt like her 'Aunt Riley', she has vastly different talents. She's half Aedh (which are energy beings who live on the gray fields--the lands between this world, and heaven and hell), and she can not only walk the fields, but see the reapers. These abilities lead to her becoming a key player in the search for the missing keys to heaven and hell.

2. The 4th book in the series, DARKNESS HUNTS, will be released in November. Can you tell us about it?
In Darkness Hunts, not only does the search for the keys continues, but Risa also has to track down the identity of a stranger who is murdering women and draining their blood. Only trouble is, the killer knows who she is, and is
coming after her.

Risa Jones, half-Aedh/half-werewolf, can enter the realm between life and death. She can speak to the dying and the dead, and she can see the Reapers, collectors of souls. What she can not yet see is the identity of a stranger murdering women and draining their blood. Now Risa must summon her gifts to find him, even if it means putting her own life in danger. But Risa needn’t look far. The killer knows who she is.
He tells her his victims are infected by darkness and he’s fated to destroy them. Fascinated by Risa, he engages her in a sinister game: the chance to save the life of his next victim by deciphering his series of clues. In a race against time, she enlists the help of the Reaper Azriel
But as an attraction between them grows, so does the fear that the stranger’s motives are only part of a larger, more dangerous scheme—one that has lured Risa and Azriel into the dark.

3. How many books are planned for this series?
Seven at this stage, although there may be eight given what I just did in the 5th book :)

4. One of your day job was a function and dessert cook. Could you give us one of your favorite dessert recipes?
One of my favourites is the Mille Feuille. There's a bit of work involved, but it's worth it!

Ingred: Sheets of puff pastry (amount depends on how many you want to make)
whipped cream (real cream, not the fake canned stuff)
sliced strawberries or whole raspberries
Passionfruit pulp
Icing sugar to dust

creme patisserie;
100 gram plain flour
250 gram sugar
8 yolks
1 litre milk
drop or two of vanilla essence

-mix sugar, flour, essence and eggs with a small amount of the milk
-bring the rest of the milk to the boil, then lower heat. Slowly add egg mixture. bring back to boil, and cook for 5-10
minutes, until flour cooked off and the creme pat has thickened. Don't overcook as it can split.
-pour into heat proof bowl, cover with glad wrap to prevent skin forming, then place in fridge.

-cut large circles (3 inches in width roughly) out of puff pastry and cook in moderate oven. Cool, then split.
-Take one half circle, layer cooled Creme Pat, sliced strawberries (or   raspberries) & cream. Repeat process with a second layer, then drizzle with passionfruit pulp, top with another half circle (facing down this time) and dust with icing sugar.

5. With Australia as your home, do you find readers from the States have different “likes” when it comes to plots or characters?
I think the only thing that matters to any reader is a good story and characters they can cheer for!

6. Do you think, country and culture, make a difference as to how a book is perceived? If yes, how so with your work?
My novels, though set in Australia, tend to be very Americanized. A lot of the Australian slang and words are taken out by my editors, who seem to think American audiences wouldn't like or understand it all. It's a theory I'm
intending to test when I self publish my first novel next year.

7. The front runner in your books are wonderful strong females. Will this continue in the future or will a male figures step-up to the plate in some of your books?
I only write first person these days, and I find it hard to write in first person male POV. After all, I'm not male and I generally do not understand what they're thinking half the time ;)

8. What projects are you planning for the future?
I'm currently working on book six of the Dark Angels series, but there's also a new series in the works, again set in Australia but featuring a heroine who is a phoenix. There's also the series I plan to self publish, which features a half
elf, half siren heroine who is a private investigator. This one will feature all the traditional fantasy creatures (so trolls, dwarves, orcs, etc) in a modern day setting, and is less serious than my other series (and in a shocking development, there won't be any sex in it--not for the first three books, at least)

9. Do you think your fans influence what happens in your work. I mean, if you get a lot of emails wanting this or that to happen in the future, do you listen, or ignore?
I do get a lot of emails from fans (which is fabulous!) wanting various events to happen, but I've always written what the story demands, not what readers would like to see.

10. Is there anything you would like to tell our followers?
If you thought things had been bad for Risa up until now, what until you read the next couple of books! ;)

11. How about giving us some contact information for our followers that want to know more?
readers can contact me via the following:
Webpage: http://www.keriarthur.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authorkeriarthur
Twitter: @kezarthur
Email: mailto:kez@keriarthur.com

 I’m a born and bred Melbourne (Australia) gal, and grew up sharing my life with dragons, elves, vampires, werewolves, shapeshifters and the occasional talking horse. Which worried my family to no end. Of course, now that I’m actually make a living sharing my life with the above mentioned creatures, they no longer contemplate calling the men with the little white coat. When not at my keyboard, I can be found at the gym, sitting front of the TV, or taking my two dogs for a walk.

This giveaway is a real treat!!!

Keri is offering a signed ARC of DARKNESS HUNTS.
Good Luck to all!

 

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