One of my favorite authors – Marie Harte – gave us an interview talking about her new super spicy paranormal romance series.
What can you tell me about your new “Between the Shadows” series? I know the most recent installment – Book 2 in the series – came out December 14th. I know it’s about vampires, and that the first two books got sexy facelifts with awesome new covers. What else?
I’m so in love with Between the Shadows! It’s a blend of urban fantasy and paranormal romance. The center of this series is the Night Bloode—a clan of murderous vampires who would normally kill each other, but they’re under a spell to become kin (family). Think snarky, vampire band-of-brothers who meet their match in the women they come to love. The Night Bloode clan has been tapped to work for the goddess, Hecate. (Oh, and they hate gods too. Vampires are really arrogant.) She’s gathered them to fight a coming darkness that has the potential to end everything.
Hecate has a plan. Force these vampires to find love and they’ll fight heaven and earth to protect it.
Each book is a standalone, yet they build up to an ending story arc battle against the Big Bad Dark.
Besides vampires, what other kind of supernatural characters are in this series?
The heroine of book one is an elf, book two has a witch, and book three a water nymph. The series has a ton of fantastical beings from multiple worlds. You’re talking fae, demons, gods, lycans, angels—the broad spectrum of fantasy yet set in Seattle.
I’ve said before that I wish more books had a snippet in the front of a book with an exchange between the hero and heroine so that the reader gets a flavor of the chemistry between the main characters. How would you describe the dynamic between the hero and heroine in BETWEEN BLOODE AND CRAFT?
Duncan, a revenant from England, has been alive for over two hundred years. He’s smooth, sexy, and seductive. Macy, the witch who managed to put a spell on him, is not yet thirty and has big plans to go far in her job. By getting under Duncan’s radar, she’s intrigued him. And annoyed him. They banter quite a bit; Macy’s no pushover. And that attracts Duncan as much as she confused him.
Here’s a short snippet:
“You’re charming me. On purpose,” Macy accused.
“Of course.”
“The others would have threatened or bitten me. You could have seduced me.” Her eyes narrowed. No, he hadn’t vamped her with his innate power. His allure was on the up and up and came not from any revenant ability, but from Duncan himself.
“I could have but didn’t. Because you seduced me first. Be honest, Macy, you want me.”
“Sure. Why not?”
Duncan cocked his head, now studying her.
“What?”
“You’re a tough one to make out.” He pursed his lips. “First you run from me. Then you put a spell on me. Then you kiss me like you’re dying and I’m all that’s left between you and life. What’s a gent to do but see to what a lady wants?”
Macy snorted. “You’re no gentleman.”
“And you’re no lady.” He buttoned up his shirt and tucked it into jeans, which should have made him look goofy. Instead, he paired the jeans with loafers, no socks, and a black sportscoat and looked like a million bucks. “But that’s why I like you.”
Excerpt from BETWEEN BLOODE AND CRAFT by Marie Harte. Copyright © 2021 by Marie Harte. Reprinted courtesy of No Box Books.
In this series, the heroes are supernatural hotties, but I also love your blue collar sexy, strong, and sweet heroes in your contemporary heroes. What are your favorite kind of heroes to write about? Even though they’re all different, is there some quality you like to endow all your heroes with?
My favorite heroes typically are very down to earth. Which is a switch up with vampires, and yet, not really. I love that band-of-brothers aspect of my stories, where family and companionship are as important as the characters falling in love. The vampires in my world are typically solitary creatures, so watching them have to get along with their enemy, to consider them family, has been fun. (Especially because one of the vampires keeps pranking the others, and they don’t find him amusing though I do!) Seeing these creatures who don’t believe in love falling in love has been awesome. I’m not a fan of weak heroines, so pairing strong women with paranormal killers is such a treat.
I’ve heard other romance fans say that they sometimes flip past the sex scenes because they’re kind of standard. I always like yours because I think they are unique to the specific characters and their dynamic. Is writing a sex scene more difficult to write than others? What inspires you?
I’ve never had a problem writing sex scenes, but yes, it has to be organic to the characters and scene. My vampires are earthy creatures, and they like to feed those carnal hungers. That said, these books are a balance of romance and action. In the first book, the romance is more a slow burn that turns hot. No idea why, it’s just how the characters wanted it to happen.
What are your favorite kinds of books to read?
Books that make me keep turning the pages. I can’t stand dopey or weak heroes and heroines. I don’t write perfect people, but they’re not TSTL (too stupid to live), which I find a terrible trope in stories. I’m really into urban fantasy, which has elements of fantasy in contemporary times. So setting the vampires, lycans, and mages in Mercer Island (Seattle) has been really fun. I like reading about creative worlds and rich, fascinating characters. Paranormal romance has always been a favorite of mine to read.
What are you currently working on?
I’ve got two more books to finish my Between the Shadows series. Khent (Between Bloode and Death) is next on the agenda. He works death magic, and I’m totally stoked to build that mythos. But I’m also toying with putting him aside to write a contemporary romance I’ve been wanting to write. I have the cover already, and that always motivates me to write, when I get to see the eye-candy that accompanies the story. I’m toying with both, but we’ll see…
Thanks so much for the opportunity to chat with you!
BETWEEN BLOODE AND CRAFT by Marie Harte
A dark grimoire. An enterprising witch. One very annoyed vampire.
Once the enchantment ends, the witch will pay. With her life, or her love?
A paranormal/urban fantasy vampire romance from NYT and USA Today bestseller Marie Harte.
Duncan has lived for over two hundred years. As a vampire, he’s aware there is very little that can do him harm. Certainly not a sexy young witch he thought he’d seduced. Even worse, he learns she’s in possession of a grimoire that has the ability to end all vampires. Forever. Tasked with finding the spellbook, he’ll do whatever it takes to destroy it, and he’ll take pure pleasure in devouring her.
Macy had no idea she’d ensnare herself by using the grimoire. She found it accidentally. She thinks. Except lately, she keeps using it, even when she’s not sure she wants to. When Duncan captures her, the book disappears, and her neck is literally on the line. She can’t find the book. He doesn’t believe her. And then there’s that weird demon guy who wants it too.
With few options left, Duncan uses all his wiles to persuade Macy to give him what he wants. But somehow, he finds himself wanting her more than the book. And when it turns out she has a special connection to him and his kin, it’s all he can do not to claim her for his own. But doing so might send him straight to Hell, eternally tortured, with the end to everything he holds dear.
Romance Paranormal [No Box Books, On Sale: December 14, 2021, e-Book, / ]
Buy BETWEEN BLOODE AND CRAFT: Kindle | Amazon CA | Amazon UK | Amazon DE | Amazon FR
About Marie Harte
Caffeine addict, boy referee, and romance aficionado, USA Today bestselling author Marie Harte has over 100 books published with more constantly on the way. Writing romance, and in particular erotic romance, across the genres, she’s created stories set on other worlds, among paranormal creatures, and between normal men and women seeking true love. Marie is a confessed bibliophile and devotee of action movies. Whether hiking in Central Oregon, biking around town, or hanging at the local tea shop, she’s constantly plotting to give everyone a happily ever after. Visit her website and fall in love.
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