Interview with Alexandra Ivy and Giveaway

Today I am so happy to welcome one of my favorite authors to RFTC, Alexandra Ivy. Alexandra is the author of the Guardians of Eternity series and is celebrating the release of her newest book Fear The Darkness. Alexandra has stopped by today to answer a few questions and I hope you all give her a very warm welcome.

I’m not exactly sure when I fell in love with books. Probably on my mother’s knee listening to her read Dr. Seuss to me. I do remember that I was barely old enough to cross the street by myself when I discovered the delights of the local library.

Could anything be more wonderful than spending summer days surrounded by stacks of Nancy Drew mysteries? Over the years I fell in love with Victoria Holt, Jane Austen, Agatha Christie, and J.R.R. Tolkien just to name a few. I read poetry, essays, biographies, and plays. In fact, I read anything I could get my hands on.

Years later (no, I’m not admitting how many) I’m still an avid reader, and my tastes are still as varied as they were in my youth, which I suppose helps to explain why I enjoy writing regency historicals under the name of Deborah Raleigh, as well as my contemporary paranormals as Alexandra Ivy. For now that is enough to keep me busy, but who knows what the future might hold!

I do have a few other loves in my life besides reading and writing, the most important being my unbelievably patient husband, David, and my two sons, Chance and Alexander. Without their constant support and belief in me, I never could have been able to follow my dreams. They are truly my heroes.

Places to find Alexandra: 

| Site | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | 

First off, can you tell us a bit about you?
Sure! I’ve been married to my college sweetheart for twenty eight years and I have two sons, Chance and Alexander. I live in the northeast corner of Missouri, a very remote area that’s best known for producing Mark Twain. When I’m not writing or reading I love, love, love to travel!

Did you always want to be a writer?
I actually came to writing from my love for theatre. I’ve always been a huge reader, but when I was younger I hoped to work on stage. After taking a playwriting class I realized I actually preferred to create my own characters rather than mimicking someone else’s. I worked on a play (that I would still love to finish), but my heart has always belonged to romance, so I swiftly turned my efforts to novels.

What kind of writer are you? Panster or Plotter?
A little of both. I try to have an overall outline, and I always know the beginning and the end, but sometimes the middle will take me in unexpected directions. I have to be much more careful since I’m writing an ongoing series. Each book is separate, but there’s an overall storyline that I have to consider.

Where do your ideas come from?
Everywhere!! Books, movies, real life events. Anything can spark an idea for a story. But with the Guardian series, most of my ideas have come from my previous books. I love to introduce new characters that I hope will become future stories.

A la Twitter style, can you describe your book (or series) in 140 characters or less.
Caine is convinced he’s been returned from death for one purpose. Cassandra. The vulnerable prophet holds the future of the world in her hands and only Caine can protect her.

What are some of your favorite kinds of stories to read?
I read EVERYTHING!!! Fantasy, romance, horror, biographies...well, you get it. I do try to keep up on all the current paranormals, but only when I’m not writing. I’m always afraid I might accidentally be influenced by someone else’s writing.

Do you have a favorite book and if so what is it?
Pride and Prejudice =)

What are the scenes that are the hardest for you to write?
Sex scenes and fighting scenes. They take both careful choreography as well as deeply aroused emotions. It’s a difficult to balance the physical with the emotional for the reader.

If you could have dinner with any three authors, who would you choose and why?

• Jane Austen- I absolutely love her clever wit. She was amazing at creating characters that you either loved or wanted to punch in the nose =) That’s the sign of a great writer.
• Stephen King- He is a master at craft. His writing is always compelling and his stories grip you from the first page. I would love to pick his brain.
• Oscar Wilde- Like Jane Austen he has a biting humor and the ability to capture the absurdity of people. I’ve always thought he would be a riot at a dinner party.

Last question, are you working on anything right now?
I’ve just started a new series “The Sentinels”. The first book will be featured in an upcoming anthology, PREDATORY, that will be published in May 2013, followed by a full length book that will be published fall 2013. These stories are centered on a group of people who have X-Men like powers. I’m very excited to see what the readers think of them!! And, of course, I’m always working on the next Guardian book. Santiago’s story will be out June 2013.

Thanks so much for this opportunity, Dani!!

Her visions lead her to danger

Beautiful Cassandra is a Were, a prophet both vulnerable and defiant, blessed with visions that portend the fate of the world. A rare and delicate creature, Cassie must be protected at all costs. Enter Caine, a powerful cur turned pureblooded Were whose recent tangles with a demon lord have left him in serious need of redemption. Caine is duty-bound to keep Cassie out of danger—and that means resisting his potent urge to seduce her...

And only he can save her

As Cassie’s mysterious visions lead them in and out of danger, Caine believes he has found his true mate, the woman with whom he is bound for all eternity. Cassie is both charmed and frightened by Caine’s magnetism, and unsure if he--or her feelings for him--can be trusted. But Cassie can’t afford to doubt Cain now. A deadly enemy bent on destruction is closer than they realize—and only they can keep chaos from ruling the world...

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository |

Check out the other books in the Guardians of Eternity series:

1 lucky commenter (US/Canada ONLY) will win a copy of Fear The Darkness

To Enter:

• Please leave a meaningful comment or question for Alexandra. 
• Fill out the Rafflecopter form below.  

Good Luck =)

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