Author Name: Kasia Bacon
Book Name: The Poison Within
Series: Inspector Skaer, Book #1
Page/Word Count: 50 pages, 11K words
Categories: Bisexual Romance, Fantasy/Paranormal/Sci-Fi, Mystery & Suspense
Release Date: March 18, 2017
Publisher: Self-Published
Cover: Kudi-Design
Buy Links:
Blurb:
Black clouds of xenophobia gather over Radvadur, the western province of the Empire. The political climate is strained and fragile. A surge of Nymph refugees has stirred widespread hostility towards non-humans. When the investigation of a gruesome triple murder linked to the refugee camp ensues, it takes Inspector Käyru Skaer and his lover, Count Ellydhar Finn-Jánn, along an unusual path, at the end of which a precious gift awaits.
Käyru and Elly are worlds apart in social standing, but they have found common ground in the bedroom—up against the wall and the stable doors, too. The arrangement between them ought to have been temporary and of no consequence. As their circumstances change, will they find the courage to risk their hearts?
Warning: Contains mentions of off page sexual assault
Excerpt:
By nature, I’d always been an inquisitive sod, one to seek answers and ascertain motives. Besides, I liked the idea of justice served and balance restored. That sentiment prompted me, to a great extent, to become a lawman.
My fondness for asking questions explained why, after parting ways with Temper, I found myself heading towards Ÿben’s.
I encountered a few random checkpoints on my way to the town centre. The entire place bustled with Imperial soldiers looking purposeful.
Ÿben took his bloody time answering the door. I had my foot inside before he could blink. From the scowl he wore, I guessed my unannounced social call went unappreciated.
“Talk, elfling.” I barked at him. “About your Furia friend.”
“Inspector, you can’t—”
“Where is she?” I forced my way in and slammed the door behind me with the heel of my boot.
Ÿben stepped back and flattened himself against the wall.
The Furia’s tall figure appeared from around the back. She moved in the fluid, stealthy manner of a predator. Bloodstains marked the front of her clothes. Her upper lip lifted in warning and a display of teeth followed. The hair on the nape of my neck prickled at the bestial growl that came from her throat. I didn’t dare flex a muscle; I stood no chance if she chose to attack me.
Her luminous purple eyes clung to mine, and she spent a long moment examining me.
I wouldn’t say that her gaze made me shit myself exactly, but with three massacred bodies fresh in my memory, I drew damn near that territory.
Besides rage and hostility, something poignant lurked beneath her savage expression.
Despair.
“Tell me, human. Is there someone you love?” she rasped at last.
I blinked. The thought of Elly never slipped far from my mind.
Whatever emotions crossed my face must’ve satisfied her because her features mellowed. She summoned me with a jerky hand gesture. “Come.”
Wary and tense, I followed her.
5 Questions with the Author:
- What is your writing process? ‘Process’ is probably too fancy a word. I’m an organic writer. I don’t prepare detailed outlines. Instead, I keep loose memos, scribbled on the back of receipts, napkins and animal-shaped Japanese post-it notes. I visualise and ponder. A lot. Once the idea has matured in my mind—when I’ve imagined the characters and figured out the plot—I simply sit and write it all down.
- What is the hardest part of that process for you? Err…the sitting and writing it all down part? I’m a first-rate procrastinator. Often, I start with a Pinboard to motivate myself and create something half-tangible. And then, the moment I begin putting the words down, I get sucked in.
- What do you think makes a good story? Stories that evoke emotions. Humour. Language in particular often makes or breaks a book for me. I appreciate natural sounding dialogue that conveys the characters’ personalities.
- Do you have any strange habits or rituals? Oh dear. In a word: yes. I mainly write at a rustic coffee shop near my house. Unless I can get my usual table, I’m oddly wordless. Neither can I write without:
- Breaking Benjamin blasting in my headphones
- Hot beverages
- Almonds
- Heaps of Japanese stationery
- What can readers expect from you next? More fantasy/paranormal stories from my Order Universe. ‘The Highlander’—the continuation of ‘The Mutt’ told from Lochan Féyes’ POV—is coming next. After that, I’m determined to finish ‘The Price of Salt’, a novella built around the forbidden love trope, which tells the story of an insecure hunter and a gifted trainee priest. And I can hardly believe it myself, but I’ve also got a ridiculous idea for a fated mates shifter romance on the backburner.
Author Bio:
A linguist and an avid reader with a particular fondness for fantasy and paranormal genres, KASIA BACON lives in London with her husband. When not tearing her hair out over a translating project, she writes stories about the shenanigans of emotionally constipated assassins and sexy Elves. Otherwise, she can be found shaking her loins at a Zumba class, binging on anime or admiring throwing knives on Pinterest. She has a mild coffee and lemon tart addiction. A lover of MMA and Muay Thai, she also enjoys nature and the great outdoors. She dreams of becoming independently wealthy, leaving the city and moving into her wooden mini-manor—located in the heart of stunning forests resembling those of the Elven Country depicted in her tales.
Where to find Kasia Bacon:
Giveaway:
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