Brain to Books Blog Tour
Fast Facts:
Author: Lu J WhitleyBio:
Blurb:
A ‘townie’ college student, living off campus with her overprotective mother, Greta Brandt thinks everything about her life is run of the mill. Everything, except for the nightmares that have been plaguing her for as long as she can remember.
When her reality is torn apart, Greta finds herself adrift in a world she thought only existed in her fevered dreams. The one soul she can cling to, a dark stranger who seems to know her better than she knows herself.
Jaromir Ragnarsson is a shadow in a world men do not see. Charged with protecting the Brandt women from untold dangers, he had been ever vigilant in his task. Until one night, a fatal mistake threatens to take away mankind’s only chance for survival: Greta Brandt.
Now, Jaromir must find a way to introduce Greta to this hidden world, where magic and myth are fact not fiction. And curses are very, very real.
Excerpt:
He’d last seen the girl three years ago.Three years, four months, and eight days ago, to be precise. Had he been wearing a watch at the time, he probably could have narrowed it down further. She’d been leaving her house just as he’d arrived for a meeting with the older Ms. Brandt, on her way to a late night swimming party at the lake on the outskirts of town. He’d told himself to stay out of sight, keeping to the shadows in the corner of the living room. But as she’d flown down the stairs on her way out the door, he’d caught sight of her, wearing nothing but a black bikini and a pair of flip flops. A sweatshirt tied loosely around her waist. And he’d been floored.He wasn’t sure how he’d missed her growing into the woman he’d seen before him. It wasn’t like him to be so oblivious. Gone was the awkward teenage gangliness. The braces. The terrible shag haircut. In their place was a full-grown fantasy. Full lips. Sooty lashes that framed her almond-shaped eyes. Her dark hair was cut pixie short, baring the long expanse of her throat. And the body. It was a map of womanly curves he wouldn’t mind taking a few days to travel down. All silky smooth skin that had glowed like a pearl in the moonlight rushing in through the open front door.Luckily, she hadn’t seen him. And he needed to make sure she never would. He didn’t know exactly what he might do if she ever turned her brilliant violet eyes in his direction. Those eyes the undeniable reason she was under his protection in the first place. So he couldn’t be thinking about her like…like…however it was he was thinking.
Buy BloodMarked:
Bonus: Excerpt from BloodStone (The Fraktioneers #2)
★ Caution: Contains foul language…lots of it.
“I’m Stein.” The big guy held out his hand for her to shake, but she reeled back from the sight of blood and dripping black goo. He looked down when she declined his outstretched hand. “Oh. Sorry.” He wiped the offending hand on his pants, clearing it of the sticky mess, and then re-extended it.
“That doesn’t answer a damn thing, Stein.”
He lifted the offered hand and raked it back through his long silver hair. He blew out a sigh and said, “I’ve been sent to collect you.”
“Collect me,” she huffed, crossing her arms over her ribs and nearly catching herself in the armpit with the long butcher’s knife she was still clutching in a white-knuckled grip. “What am I, a fucking stamp?”
He let out a chuckle and stepped forward into her personal space so she had to crane her neck back to look him in the eyes. They were an odd shade of whiskey gold. Rich and dark. “Not hardly.”
She stepped back, retreating him. “That still doesn’t answer my question. Who are you? Why are you in my apartment?” She motioned a finger at the two men now lying dead on her ruined carpet. “And who the fuck are they?”
“They…” He seemed to have just remembered they weren’t alone in the room. “Well, I can’t really tell you who they are. They’re bad guys.” He reached out to take her arm, trying to lead her from the room. “That’s all you need to know.”
Jen shook out of his grip, holding her ground. “That’s not all I need to know.”
“Yes, it is. C’mon, we need to go.”
“Go?” She took a few steps backward, until her bare heel smashed painfully into one of the dead men’s boots. “I’m not going anywhere with you!”
“Yes,” he grunted, trying to get a hand around one of her now flailing arms. “You are.”
“No, I’m…”
“Look, I really didn’t want to have to do this. But you’re not giving me much of a choice.” His other hand grazed along her hip. And… Pinched her?
“Do wha…” The room began to spin, and she felt herself begin to tumble backwards. Her legs giving out in a fit of numbness.
“I’m sorry, Jen,” Stein breathed, smoothing his palm gently over her hair, pushing a few stray strands away from her face. “It’ll be okay.”
Jen let her eyes slip closed, enjoying the tender strokes of his hand on her scalp as the world went black.
An Impromptu Interview:
- Tell us a little about yourself.
I Like long walks on the beach… Oh wait… No, I pretty much hate sand. I’m a writer. Yes, I know you know. But at this moment, that’s what my life is, and it’s great. I work from home, writing and playing with my furbabies…and stopping them from killing each other and eating the house. When I’m not writing, I’m marketing, because being a self-published author is hard. When I have some free time, I’m either watching netflix or reading. Or passing my husband like ships in the night.
- Is this your first book? How many books have you written prior (if any?)
BloodMarked is my first published book. I’ve written several actually, but I’m overly critical of my work, and none of the others have made it to the publishing stage yet.
- What genre do you enjoy writing the most and what is this book about?
I like paranormal/fantasy elements. Who wants reality when you can have fantasy?
This book is about the main character, Greta, learning the reality of her life, which is fantastical and terrifying and has been kept from her her entire life. She’s quickly thrust into a hidden world she knows nothing about. Cue ‘Yummy’ Jami Ragnarsson, Greta’s chosen protector, to show her the ropes – and tie her insides up in knots.
- What inspired you to write this book?
As crazy as it sounds, I always have characters talking to me inside my head. One night Jami started talking, telling me his story. I just wrote it down
- How did you come up with the title of your book or series?
The series was difficult. I tell you, If you can think of a series name, it probably already exists on Amazon. The title came to me years ago, I just needed the story to go with it.
- Tell us a little bit about your cover art. Who designed it? Why did you go with that particular image/artwork?
Laura Gordon from thebookcovermachine.com is responsible for my gorgeous cover. Honestly, I told her the main character’s eye color and an image of a star were important to the story line. She went to work, and QUICKLy came up with the final product. I love it, and I’m hooked on her for life.
- If you could cast your characters in the Hollywood adaptation of your book, who would play your characters?
This is the HARDEST question for me to answer! The characters in my head are so specific that no one, in my opinion, really looks like them. But if I HAD to pick, I’d go with Plus-size Model Jennie Runk for Greta, Alexander Ludwig from Vikings as Jami, and Brock O-Hurn for Stein.
- When did you first consider yourself a writer?
The first time someone told me that I needed to write faster because they wanted to know what happened next.
- Do you have any strange writing habits (like standing on your head or writing in the shower)?
I write almost everything on paper first. I can’t type as fast as my brain works, so I always end up losing my train of thought.
- Are you a plotter or do you write by the seat of your pants?
The seat of my pj pants. I write a general outline of what I’d like to happen, but it rarely ever goes to plan. Usually, I don’t know what’s goint to happen until it flows out of the end of my pen.
- Who is your favorite character from your book and why?
Stein. My loveable troll. He was a happy accident. A character that was supposed to have no lines. Now he’s pretty much taken over the second book, BloodStone.
- How important are names to you in your books? Do you choose the names based on liking the way it sounds or the meaning? Do you have any name choosing resources you recommend?
I like my names to sound authentic to the time and place the character is from. My main character was born in Germany, so I googled popular girl baby names for Germany and picked the one I liked best. Some names just happen upon me. Sometimes the voices in my head make it easy on me and tell me their names.
- If you could change ONE thing about your novel, what would it be?
The ending. I’m awful at ending things, always have been, but sometimes, to avoid having a 2000 page novel, it just has to end.
- What can we expect from you in the future?
Crazy Questions That No One Ever Asks Authors:
- What do you wear while writing?
- Do you have a pet or pets?
- Are you a compulsive shopper/hoarder?
- If you had a supernatural power, what would it be?
- Do you remember the first book you read?
Not the first book I read, but I remember the first book I couldn’t stop reading. In fourth grade, I read The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander, and I was hooked. His Chronicles of Prydain series is still a favorite of mine.
The Little Star 
Leave a comment