Moonlit Guardian by Crystal-Rain Love (Author Interview!)

I am thrilled to have author Crystal-Rain Love visiting me today to share her new release Moonlit Guardian (available now!) with its gorgeous cover and a great twist on the shifter concept! I’m so looking forward to reading. Please help Crystal-Rain feel welcome!

I love the Hollywood princess meets the Beast concept! What inspired the combination?
I’ve been doing the Moonlit series for a while and the previous book introduced new shifter types other than werewolves. I thought gargoyles were interesting since they aren’t real animals so I had more room to play with the concept. I decided my gargoyle shifter would be my breakout star. Gargoyles are guardians so I needed someone for my hero to protect. I instantly thought: Celebrity!

Were-gargoyles are new to me. How did you come up with such a unique idea?
The previous book, Moonlit Majesty, tells the story of the White Wolf and how the werewolf race was created. In that book you discover that the evil queen who turned Zaira into the White Wolf used the same magic to make other shifters. I wanted shifters that hadn’t been overdone so I threw in gargoyles, anacondas, unicorns … and trust me, I have more than that up my sleeve. 🙂

Did you find it hard to combine the real world of Hollywood with the fantasy world of were-creatures?
A bit. I had to remember my heroine was famous and therefore HIGHLY noticeable. I couldn’t have my gargoyle-shifter shifting shape in the public eye. It was also a struggle writing a story with a heroine who had a manager constantly hanging over her and a schedule I don’t think anyone would envy. I wanted them hanging out together in a cabin all day, but she had so many gigs! 😉

What would your theme song be as an author?
Ooooh. That’s a cool question. Um…. Maybe David Cook’s “We Believe”? It’s a song about not giving up and any author can tell you that you start to doubt yourself hard around the middle of whatever story you’re creating, but if you keep pushing through, you end up with something really great. You just have to believe in it.

More fun to write…. hero, heroine, or villain?
They all have their fun aspects. Villians can be lots of fun, especially if they’re just plain crazy. I think I tend to enjoy writing the heroes more than the heroines for some reason. Maybe it’s because I grew up with all boys and always found it easier to get along with guys in school.

What projects are you working on or what’s next for you?
I write horror/thriller novels under the name, Raymond Lee, and now that I’ve finished Moonlit Guardian, it’s time to start the second book in my One Nation Under Zombies series. I plan on having it out by March. I got to kill a zombie-version of Miley Cyrus in the first one so I can’t wait to see what kind of fun stuff I get to do in this next one.

Once that’s done, I’m jumping back into Romance mode and finishing up Redemption, a story about a girl sentenced to 15 years in prison at the age of twelve, her only crime: being too scared to stop a group of girls from killing another. The story follows her release from prison and how she deals with the guilt and shame of not saving another’s life, and how she must now deal with living in a town surrounded by people who hate her, the only exception being the town sheriff who risks everything to help her.

What question would you like to ask the readers of this blog?
Wanna hang out? 🙂 I love hanging with people at my Facebook page and on Twitter!

And now, for the speed round (a la Actors Studio). Answer the following questions with 1 word:

• What turns you on? Dean Winchester! 😉
• What turns you off? Cruelty or arrogance
• What is your favorite word? Turd-blossom (I watched Guardians of the Galaxy 16 times this past weekend)
• What is your least favorite word? Perhaps
• What sound or noise do you love? David Cook’s voice is the most beautiful sound.
• What sound or noise do you hate? When people fold a piece of paper and smooth it by running two pinched fingers down it really fast… That sound is like fingernails on a chalkboard to me.
• What profession other than yours would you like to attempt? Hiking guide.
• What profession other than yours would you NOT like to attempt? Most everything else. I’m a hermit and a nature lover. I wasn’t made for your regular 9-5 jobs or dealing directly with people.
• What is your favorite swear word? Fucktard
• If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say to you as you enter the Pearly Gates? I firmly believe Heaven does exist and I just hope I get to enter those gates! He can say anything to me as long as He lets me in and I’ll be happy. 🙂 However, I would LOVE to hear that my daddy’s there too, waiting for me. 🙂

 

MOONLIT GUARDIAN

Kimiko Lee has it all: Fame, money … and a stalker. The multiracial actress-singer doesn’t know who to trust as she receives threats and dodges bullets, especially when those closest to her become suspects.

Her newest bodyguard, Draven Gregory, vows to keep her out of harm’s way. Being a weregargoyle, he has a few tricks up his sleeve to keep her safe.

As they quickly fall for each other, they realize their hearts may also be in danger.

Can the woman the world sees as Hollywood royalty love a creature like him? Can he be with her without endangering his people?

Amazon

 

Excerpt:

Draven shook his head as he walked over to the balcony and closed the doors.

“What’s with the head shake?”

“Nothing.”

“You obviously have an opinion.”

“I wasn’t under the impression I was being paid for my opinion.”  He turned away from the balcony and stood straight, hands clasped behind his back, eyes forward.

Again, she found his lack of focus on her annoying. “Share it anyway.”

He shrugged, as much as his fierce protector stance would allow. “I just think it’s a sad life to have if all your needs are so material and being adored by strangers matters so much.”

Kimiko sucked in a breath as if she’d been punched in the stomach. Immediately, her hackles raised, ready to strike back with any of the countless comebacks she had for so-called serious journalists who attacked her during interviews, ridiculing the quality of her music and acting, but the words didn’t come out. Draven wasn’t a journalist. He had no reason to bait her. He was simply a man speaking a truth she knew but did not want to admit to.

“I did not mean to offend you. You asked my opinion.”

Realizing she’d allowed her bruised feelings to show, Kimiko shook the hurt off and stood from the loveseat, wrapping the robe she’d changed into after her shower tighter around her.  “I’m ready for bed.”

“Good night.” He didn’t move from his post.

Kimiko stared at him for several minutes until he raised an eyebrow in question, seeming otherwise oblivious as to why she hadn’t moved.

“This is the point where you leave the room.”

He frowned. “My job is to ensure your safety.”

“Right. You can do that outside the door.”

“I could.” He nodded as if considering the option. “I could leave you exposed to whoever may enter the room through the balcony and kidnap you from your bed.”

“Seriously?” Kimiko laughed. “We’re on the twelfth floor. Who’s going to kidnap me? Batman? Leave the room, now. I’m not sleeping with you watching me like some weirdo.”

“It is my job.”

“A job I could have ended with one phone call.”

“You said Kim hired me.”

She folded her arms over her chest. “That doesn’t mean I can’t fire you. I’m a superstar. I get what I want.”

“Do you want to get hurt? Killed? You tried to stop me from performing my job correctly earlier today and you were nearly shot.” He stepped closer until he loomed over her. “Settle down, princess, and allow me to keep you alive to make your bad movies.”

Kimiko’s jaw dropped. Not even Kim would dare speak to her in such a way and she was family.

“Nothing to say? Good. Sleep well.”

“Who the hell do you think you are?” Kimiko asked, gathering her wits.

“Draven Gregory, bodyguard to a beautiful, spoiled superstar who hates all the things she’s supposed to love about her life, and man who has no intention of leaving her unguarded. Any more questions?”

 

About the Author:

Crystal-Rain Love resides in the South with her three children and enough pets to host a petting zoo. When she’s not writing she can usually be found creating unique 3D cakes,hiking, reading, or spending way too much time on FaceBook. Slightly obsessed with David Cook, Walking Dead, and Supernatural.

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