Sharon: Welcome to the Flock! Grab a moon pie and some Kool-Aid and let’s talk sexy warriors…
Sharon: You are a new to me author. Tell me and our readers about the Scimitar Magi series and what makes them worth reading about.
Zoe: What was that? I’m in heaven eating my Moon Pie right now…hold on. Okay, now that I’m sugar-happy, I’ll intro you to the Scimitar Magi. Do you like reading about hot tattooed alpha badboys?
*Sharon looks at flock; flock nods*
Yes, yes we do!
Then, this will be your kind of read. The Scimitar Magi are ten pseudo-immortals that live within our modern world, but struggle to remain incognito. The guys are not exactly thrilled to discover they vowed their eternal soul eons ago to serve the Egyptian gods, and now must execute daemons for the rest of their lives. The gods were kind enough to grant them eternal reincarnation, but not past-life memory. That means they’ve got no clue how to wield the powers gifted them. Man to super warrior in a five-minute induction ceremony with no instruction manual. So, it takes each Scimitar a long time to work it out. At first losing control at random is the norm, and irritates the bejesus out of the more experienced guys. Incidents happen like blowing up a gas station, which is misinterpreted as an international terrorist act. And then there are the women. Each Scimitar gets matched to one woman for all time, and she is also reincarnated. But when, and if, this woman shows up is entirely up to the gods, who love to muck things up for entertainment.
So why read this? There’s a lot of adventure, a dabble of humor and some fantastic chemistry between our hero/heroine.
Sharon: The Egyptian god aspect is a great twist on the immortal warrior troupe. I love the idea of reincarnation without memory and I bet it does create some pretty funny moments while the experienced guys deal with the newbie’s screw ups.
Zoe: There’s a solid sense of brotherhood between the Scimitars, but also a hefty dose of ribbing for those screw-ups.
Sharon: What kind of heat rating do your books have and how many do you have planned?
Zoe: These usually get a reasonably high heat rating since there is explicit sex.
How many books? I have just completed the third novel in the series, but I’m not sure how many there may be total.
Sharon: Why did you chose Scimitar Magi as the series title?
Zoe: The magi weapon is the scimitar (a curved black-blade long sword), which must be used to kill daemons. As a side note, daemons are actually the summoned spirit of humans who previously dabbled with dark magik, but now are trapped in purgatory. Dark magik practitioners summon these beings for various purposes, but often discover they are not exactly controllable once in our world. That’s where the Scimitars come in. They must execute the daemons (send them back to purgatory) before the daemon goes on a death spree.
Sharon: what about the dark magik practitioners? Do they get rid of them too?
Zoe: Although it’d make a lot of sense to go on a hunt to get rid of the guys bringing the pesky daemons into the world, the Scimitars are not allowed to kill humans unless attacked. This is one of the “rules” as put down by the gods. Now, if the Hashishins (or other dark magic sorcerers) attack them first, then game on.
Sharon: When you aren’t writing PNR you are a small animal vet. Got a weird/funny vet story?
Zoe: Funny…most of the more entertaining things actually happen to me. Like evacuating anal sacs and it shoots all over me or a pet eliminating on my shoes -- serious ick moments, but funny. That happens far more commonly than I’d like. Or the things people say about their pets when describing delicate problems – you should hear the terminology that pops up when describing licking of the hind end. I’ve seen some bizarre stuff over the years ranging from tear jerkers such as a Golden Retriever who could detect when his owner was going to seizure but then got cancer…to pets showing up within a day of the passing of a family member and being the sworn reincarnation of that person’s spirit…to unusual rituals during euthanasia (I had one family who chanted while burning incense and placing a grape onto each nail during the process)...to ingestion of recreational drugs and the challenge of getting an owner to admit what their pet got into.
Sharon: O_O you should write a book….oh, wait <G> Do you include any pets in your series?
Zoe: No pets in this series. For now, I leave the pets at my day job. Someday they may cross over into my writing.
Sharon: If you could own any piece of art in the world what would you want?
Zoe: I’d actually love an original Remington horse bronze or an original Simon Combes painting (love his big cats).
Sharon: beautiful art! I love the Remington’s too :)
Sharon: Which deadly sin did you commit most recently?
Zoe: It was just the holidays. I think gluttony counts since it seemed like an endless food fest of delectable treats.
Sharon: Which Disney hero would you like to date?
Zoe: Jack Sparrow popped to mind, but then I realized he probably stinks since he never bathes…so even though he is entertaining beyond belief and Johnny Depp is always one of my top ten hotties, I don’t think I could handle the no-bath thing. I’d go for Edward from Enchanted…I mean it is James Marsden who is (okay fanning face now)…whew!
Sharon: What is it about ancient Egyptian cultures that attracts you?
Zoe: I’ve always been fascinated with ancient Egypt. And there aren’t a lot of Egyptian paranormal romances that take place in modern times. There’s a reason for that: Egyptian mythology is tough! I like tough topics and I love ancient Egypt. I’m not an expert on Egyptian mythology and I’m sure I get it wrong a lot, if you ask an expert in the field. Creating a paranormal hero group the utilized Egyptian mythology and weaving that into a romance required a tad bit of fascination with the subject and a lot of research. To build this world I read a lot of very heavy books (they actually did weigh a few pounds each) and tried to get a handle on the vastness of the religion, the mythology, the lifestyle, and the magic. What I concluded was that there wasn’t always consensus on the meanings behind myths and symbols. Each expert has his or her own opinion on the surviving hieroglyphics found on tablets and papyri. Then there are the gods…oh my. Did you know there are over 700 Egyptian gods and goddesses? Some had three to five different names. Once you get beyond the sheer number of them they are an interesting bunch. They did a lot of kinky stuff from incest to revenge to killing to curses. Bottom line was after all this research my fascination persisted, but I ended up utterly confused. So, what did I do? I let my imagination play around with the mythology. Use it, but bend it. And focused on my heroes.
Sharon: Finish this sentence: People think I am weird just because….
Zoe: they fail to grasp the reality of normal.
Sharon: Was there a time when you thought about giving up writing?
Zoe: Some of my early criticisms of my first book both before publication and after hurt to the point I hesitated continuing, but then I enjoy writing so much. I can’t stop. I’m an addict.
Sharon: magic carpet or hover board?
Zoe: magic carpet
Sharon: basket of ducks or basket of hedgehogs?
Zoe: hedgehogs (ducks bite and smell really fishy; I know how to handle hedgehogs even when they’re mad)
Sharon: Movie Theater or rent??
Zoe: Movie theater
Sharon: what was the last movie you saw/enjoyed?
Zoe: Hobbit 2 (Richard Armitage & Orlando Bloom…sigh)
Sharon: the prince or the pauper?
Zoe: pauper
Sharon: thunder storm or snow storm?
Zoe: t-storm
Sharon: pancakes or waffles?
Zoe: I prefer French toast, but I’d take waffles
Sharon: :drool: I got to agree with you on that one.
Sharon: Pepsi or Coke?
Zoe: Pepsi
Sharon: YES!!! For the win! Sorry, we have a friendly little competition over this one...okay, maybe not so friendly;)
Zoe: I grew up on Pepsi. Coke tastes funny. So, we’re on the same team.
Sharon: Hokey Pokey or Chicken Dance?
Zoe: I hate both…actually cringe when I’m at a wedding and this song makes an appearance, but I tolerate the Hokey Pokey.
Sharon: hamburger and fries or salad and yogurt?
Zoe: Salad (no yogurt; don’t do yogurt unless it’s frozen)
Sharon: Thanks for visiting with us. Is there anything you would like to add? Future appearances, releases, where you hid the cookies?
Zoe: I love to hear from readers. So, don’t be shy. To read more about my books, and new release, Forgotten in Darkness
Dawn of a Dark Knight
Series: Scimitar Magi, Book 2
Paperback, 366 pages
Publisher: Wild Rose Press
Publication Date: February 18th 2013 (first published November 24th 2012)
ASIN: B00ADAD9AU (eBook)
ISBN-13: 978-1612177212 (paperback)
Page Count: 366 pages
Genre: Paranormal Romance
In the shadows of our world, a secret band of warriors fights to protect us. They are the last line of defense against an evil no human can stop.
An ancient nemesis has resurfaced. Duty demands that Ashor Vlahos, Scimitar Magi commander, recruit a magical healer to fortify the remaining eight magi. The gods' choice is the woman who helped him escape torture a decade ago. Ashor couldn't have imagined a better punishment for his vow-breaker homicidal incidents than for the gods to bind him irrevocably to the only woman in the universe he cannot have. The soul-searing desire she ignites in him is strictly forbidden.
Kira Hardy, M.D. is a brilliant, hardworking internal med resident with big secrets. But when Ashor asks for aid after a brutal daemon attack, she is sucked into his dangerous, secret world. Enslavement to the magi, no matter how hot they are, may be an unattractive life plan, but being targeted for death by their enemies is less tolerable.
She must trust the sexy, tormented Ashor to keep her safe while he must deny his ultimate desire and keep Kira at arm's length lest he bring destruction down on them both. As a centuries-old evil catches up to them, they face a crucial decision--follow the gods' rules or follow their hearts.
*Warning: Contains explicit sex, graphic language, action-adventure, and an exceptionally hot tatted hero.AMAZON | KOBO | WILD ROSE PRESS | NOOK
Forgotten in Darkness
Series: Scimitar Magi, Book 2
Publisher: Wild Rose Press
Release Date: 1/03/14
ISBN 978-1-62830-118-2 (Paperback)
ISBN 978-1-62830-119-9 (eBook)
Page Count: 356
Genre: Paranormal Romance
After an unjustified two-century stint in purgatory, Scimitar Magus Dakar returns to the human realm, renewing his eons-old curse. Once again he must murder the woman he loves. To break the vicious cycle, he must kill her before she strikes her deathblow, something he's never done in the past.
Archaeology grad student, Shay McGinnis, suffers a near-death attack in pursuit of a piece of Scimitar Magi lore. But did the magnificent warrior who pinned her to the wall injure her or the daemon he fought? In her search for answers, she draws the attention of both an ancient evil sorcerer and the warrior Dakar. The attraction between her and Dakar is instant, and for Shay confusing. She wants to be with him, but intuition equates him with death. Not random death. Hers.
Will this be the lifetime they break the curse before they are murdered by an age old enemy or worse kill each other yet again?
AMAZON | BARNES&NOBLE | KOBO | WILD ROSE PRESS
Excerpt:
Shay's brain ordered her body to make a break for it, or at least let loose a scream to draw attention, but she stood there, dazed and staring. It was the throw-your-panties-off-gorgeous bad boy from her hotel room.
My God, this guy was a brick shithouse oozing don't-screw-with-me vibes. And didn't that just make her knees weak. She was so not a swooning type of girl.
Despite the warmth of the day, he wore a knee-length black leather jacket. No doubt, he was armed out the wazoo beneath it.
He subjected her to a scrutinizing once-over. A swirling black substance in his irises mesmerized her. She hadn't noticed that last night.
What was this guy? Definitely not completely human. A month ago, she would've rationalized the sludgy black substance obscuring the real color of his irises into normalcy and remained in complete denial of anything amiss.
She wondered if this guy might just be the real deal--one of those mythical, sorcerer-like immortals obligated to fight daemons for all eternity. A Scimitar Magus. Shouldn't he be a good guy? A hero figure? Why then did her intuition demand immediate evasion? For some reason, her gut equated this guy with death, but not random death. Hers.
About the Author:
FB | website | Goodreads | blog
Zoe Forward lives in the South with her supportive family and an assortment of pets. She has a special love for archaeology, especially anything Egyptian. A deep part of her wishes she had a career that would have her at a dig site in a sandy country. But she is a small animal veterinarian, caring for everything from chinchillas to dogs...and there was even one hermit crab in there.
Zoe Forward's FORGOTTEN IN DARKNESS Blog Tour 1/3 - 2/28
Zoe is giving away the following prizes at the end of her tour:
GRAND PRIZE:
Egyptian style necklace/earrings AND a $25 Amazon Gift card
RUNNERS-UP:
2 runners up will receive an e-copy of FORGOTTEN IN DARKNESS.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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