Monday, May 10, 2021

Bloodscourge

            Fate has given her a second chance. The only things Elisabeta knows how to do is lie, cheat, and swindle. When her brother learns of a treasure worth kingdoms lying in the heart of Ichor Knell, the great vampire city, he sends her to steal it. However, the key to the treasury is safeguarded by the captain of the guard, a brute named Dracula.

`        Dracula cannot resist the beautiful and mysterious Elisabeta. As danger erupts in Ichor Knell, he is forced into a precarious position to resist the evil within the city and to protect his family and the woman he cares for immensely.

Despite the connection he feels for her, the secrets she hides could be deadly to them both. Will the truth tie them for eternity or set them on a path of destruction?

 Wild Women Authors welcomes Sydney Winward back to our blog with the latest in her Bloodborn series: Bloodscourge, a current release out of the Black Rose line for the Wild Rose Press. First up is professional thief Elisabeta Trelles.

Good morning, Elisabeta. Thank you for spending time with us. Let’s start the interview with where you are from. Northbury. It’s extremely snowy and cold, and not at all a pleasant place to live. I never stayed there, and instead live on my brother’s ship.

Tell us a bit about Bloodscourge. It is about a brother/sister duo looking to steal a treasure from deep within the vampire city of Ichor Knell. But as humans among vampires, it’s a dangerous feat. Elisabeta goes in alone to try to steal the treasury key from the captain of the guard, a vampire brute named Dracula. But as she gets to know him and makes friends within the city, she realizes she has to choose between Dracula and her brother. However, the choice becomes much harder as danger erupts in Ichor Knell and she’s caught in the crossfire.

What did you think the first time you saw Dracula? He was nothing like I expected. When I first arrived in Ichor Knell, I expected to find an ugly brute of a vampire. Instead, when I first saw him, I was immediately smitten with his good looks and formidable height.

Oh, yeah. Tall, handsome men. Right up our alley. And your second thought? My attraction to him made things more complicated. I came to Ichor Knell to steal from him, nothing more.

So it wasn’t love at first sight? Dracula was a means to an end. At least at first. I never expected to fall in love. That came later.

What do you like most about him? I love how invested he is in family. If he considers someone family, he will protect them until his very last breath.

How would you describe him? Brutal. Brutally honest. Flirty. Irresistible. Though, I’m afraid if he found out I was actually a human and not a vampire, he might eat me for breakfast.

Interesting picture you paint. How would he describe you? He would say I often get under his skin. But I know he actually loves it.

What made you choose thieving for a career? My brother, Miles, and I grew up on the streets. There is no honest work for orphans trying to provide for themselves. We had no choice. While Miles grew to love thieving, I hated it, but I could never find a way out of the life.

What is your biggest fear? Being left behind. Although I don’t like the pirate life, there’s nothing else I know how to do. Miles is the only family I have, and I fear he will leave me behind while he pursues something greater.

How do you relax? Sparring with a sword in my hand or sitting around a bonfire.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received? Being honest and truthful has always been a struggle of mine. Nicolae Covaci taught me that if I begin a path of honesty, everything else will fall into place.

Thank you for this, Elisabeta. We now have a new slant on a figure from ancient lore. Now, we’d like to chat with Sydney.

What movies or books have had an impact on your career as a writer?Christopher Paolini’s Eragon had a huge impact on my desire to become an author. It was one of the first books I completely fell in love with, and it made me want to become a writer myself. Other things that have made an impact on me is the tv show Merlin and Sophie Jordan’s Firelight series.

What event in your private life were you able to bring to this story and how do you feel it impacted the novel? I have experienced two miscarriages, and I think this impacted the novel in one of the most heartbreaking scenes in the book.

Tell us a bit about your publisher: how did you hear about them and what influenced your decision to submit to them? I found the Wild Rose Press during the querying process for my first novel, Bloodborn. Several things that influenced my decision to publish with them is their incredible author support, the amazing network of authors to connect with, and their beautiful covers.

What books currently rest on your TBR pile? Bone Crier’s Moon by Kathryn Purdie, The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, and Darling, There Are Wolves in the Woods by L.V. Russell

Lastly, what's up next and when can we expect to see it on the shelves? I have a novella coming out in the Wylder West series with The Wild Rose Press called Through Wylder Meadows, likely releasing sometime this year. Also watch out for a fantasy romance series in the works!

 Sydney brought an excerpt for us:

     “Now look what you did,” he said quietly. “You just broke the rules.”

      Panic clutched her from the inside out. “What? I thought the Game had no rules.”

      “Not that game,” he said, rolling his eyes. Her breath hitched as he trailed his thumb across her bottom lip. “This one. Distracting me in battle.”

      She trembled beneath his touch. He had never looked at her that way before, with an intense passion seeping from his eyes. Warmth spread from her toes to her fingertips to her heart and to her lips that desperately wanted to be kissed. Right then, seducing him no longer mattered because she couldn’t do it. She didn’t want to use him for her own personal gains. But what did matter was how close he was, close enough to feel his breath on her skin. 

      “Kiss me,” she breathed, not able to handle the tension anymore.

      “Dear Elisabeta,” he grinned wickedly, “that’s not how this game works. There are rules.”

      He kissed her below her ear, and her heart nearly collapsed as the tension thickened. It was all she could do to force out her words. “I don’t like rules.”

      “I’ve noticed,” he whispered in her ear.

 To purchase Bloodscourge, go to:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08TW5TGW4/

Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/bloodscourge/id1550787905

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bloodscourge-sydney-winward/1138678093?ean=2940162304104

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/bloodscourge

 

To learn more about Sydney Winward and the stories she creates, go to:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SydneyWinward

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sydneyewinward

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sydneywinward/

Website: https://sydneywinward.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19712442.Sydney_Winward

 

 

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