Words of Wisdom....from The Scarf Princess: Book Spotlight on In the Flesh by KD Grace (GIVEAWAY)

Saturday, September 24, 2016

Book Spotlight on In the Flesh by KD Grace (GIVEAWAY)

Readers looking for a compelling tale that's not easy to categorize as it blends Gothic and dark romance with a bit of the paranormal will find themselves drawn to this series starter. Keep reading to get a tempting taste of In the Flesh by KD Grace, and learn about mashing up genres when crafting a story, then add this unforgettable read to your bookshelf. In honor of this first installment in the Medusa's Consortium series make sure to fill out the form below for the chance to win a $30 Amazon GC too!

I have to admit, I was very skeptical when my husband rented a copy of Cowboys and Aliens for our evening’s viewing pleasure a couple of years ago. I mean seriously – that’s like mixing clams with chocolate covered cherries isn’t it? And then there was Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Slayer and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Is it an acquired taste? Well it certainly wasn’t for me. I have to admit I loved all three. That got me thinking about mash-ups and rules and how they exist to be broken. In the Flesh wasn’t really a mash-up when it started its life ten years ago as a short story. It was just sexy horror. I didn’t even plan the mash-up bit when I began what I thought was In The Flesh, the novella. But as it evolved into a novel, it became a strange mix of demons, vampires, angels and Medusa – that’s right, even Medusa shows up for the fun. And why not? It is the first book of Medusa’s Consortium, after all.

What I discovered as I wrote it is that the characters who joined the cast throughout the novel may have come to the party uninvited, but they were always a welcome addition that made the story better and stronger and juicier as it unfolded. Those new characters and the chemistry they created opened the doors to whole new possibilities and made the novel shine and sizzle in ways I could have never achieved without a little party-crashing mash-up, making ready for one giant twist of a mash-up that absolutely guaranteed Michael, Susan and the Guardian were gonna need a sequel. Enjoy the excerpt and don’t forget to comment for a chance to win the giveaway.

When Susan Innes comes to visit her friend, Annie Rivers, in Chapel House, the deconsecrated church that Annie is renovating into a home, she discovers her outgoing friend changed, reclusive, secretive, and completely enthralled by a mysterious lover, whose presence is always felt, but never seen, a lover whom she claims is god. As her holiday turns into a nightmare, Susan must come to grips with the fact that her friend’s lover is neither imaginary nor is he human, and even worse, he’s turned his wandering eye on Susan, and he won’t be denied his prize. If Susan is to fight an inhuman stalker intent on having her as his own, she’ll need a little inhuman help.

EXCERPT:

By the time I finished my breakfast and was ready to go, Annie was already fast asleep, curled in her nest at the foot of the altar. Outside, the smell of burning rubbish stung my eyes and the back of my throat.

I had little enthusiasm for the handbag sale, nor for lingering at the make-up counter. Instead I found myself in a coffee shop, laptop open researching God’s love life, which turned out to be a long history of seducing humans.

Zeus visited Danae in a shower of gold. He seduced Leda in the form of a swan. Eros came to Psyche in the dead of night forbidding her to look upon his face. Hades dragged Persephone down to the Underworld. The Virgin Mary was impregnated by the god of the Bible. In the New Testament, Christ is the bridegroom, and the church his bride. And the list went on and on. Perhaps even the indwelling of the Holy Spirit was just another way for divinity to experience flesh.

I had always loved mythology, and I’d read all these stories before. I’d just never put them together to get the whole picture. And though I was seeing an aspect of divinity that I found rather disturbing, I couldn’t help feeling there was still a piece of the puzzle missing.

I suppose I should have felt relieved. Annie wasn’t as unusual as I’d thought. God was the ultimate stalker, and he didn’t seem to be very faithful to his lovers. Just Annie’s type. I tried not to think about the implications of my experience in the bath last night. After all, it was just mythology, and I’d had a lot of wine. And there’s never any accounting for my vivid imagination. After all, I was a writer. I made my living as a teller of tales.

“What are you reading?"

I jumped at the sound of Annie’s voice and quickly minimized the page. “Didn’t expect to see you here."

“I’m feeling better."

“How did you know where to find me?"

She leaned down and whispered next to my ear. “My lover’s God, remember? You can’t hide from him.” I barely had time to register shock before she reached down and restored the page.

“Trying to learn a little bit more about him, are we?” She smiled at the monitor and nodded knowingly. “None of this does him justice. He’s the Hound of Heaven. He’s always pursuing those he loves, and there’s no escaping. Once he’s set his eyes on you, he’ll do whatever it takes to make you his own."

I suddenly felt cold.

AUTHOR INFO:

Voted ETO Best Erotic Author of 2014, and a proud member of The Brit Babes, K D Grace believes Freud was right. In the end, it really IS all about sex, well sex and love. And nobody’s happier about that than she is, otherwise, what would she write about?

When she’s not writing, K D is veg gardening. When she’s not gardening, she’s walking. She walks her stories, and she’s serious about it. She and her husband have walked Coast to Coast across England, along with several other long-distance routes. For her, inspiration is directly proportionate to how quickly she wears out a pair of walking boots. She also enjoys martial arts, reading, watching the birds and anything that gets her outdoors.

KD has erotica published with Totally Bound, SourceBooks, Xcite Books, Harper Collins Mischief Books, Mammoth, Cleis Press, Black Lace, Sweetmeats Press and others.