BooksChatter: ☀ℚ The Reluctant Sacrifice [1]

Thank you for joining us on the Virtual Book Tour for The Reluctant Sacrifice, a Young Adult Paranormal Romance by Kerr-Ann Dempster (7 August 2015, Kerr-Ann Dempster, 346 pages).

PREVIEW: Check out the book's synopsis, the excerpt below, some more snippets and the promotional author Q&A. Read the first five chapters with Amazon Look Inside. The Reluctant Sacrifice is FREE on Kindle Unlimited and Kindle Owner's Lending Library.

We also have two giveaways for you. Author Kerr-Ann Dempster will be awarding a signed copy of The Reluctant Sacrifice + a swag bag to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour, as well as a digital copy of The Reluctant Sacrifice to one of our readers.

Synopsis | Teaser | Author Q&A | About the Author | Giveaways

Synopsis

Centuries ago, sibling rivalry tore Aramith apart. As punishment, the losers were stripped of their immortal birthright and banished to Earth. There, they wasted away from old age and diseases. However, there is hope…

If a Shaw child, born on the 12th day of the 12th month offers her soul in a public sacrifice, then the exiles will be forgiven and welcomed home to Aramith.

Aubrey Shaw is that child, but dying for the exiles is not on her to-do list. Using her gift as a Jumper, Aubrey leaps between bodies to escape relentless shape-shifting hunters. Only, shedding her skin is not enough. Not when Joshua, her best-friend-turned-hunter, is hell-bent on dragging her to the altar.

Will Aubrey’s love for Joshua change his mind?

Or, will she have to trust the scarred stranger who shows up out of the blue cloaked in lies and secrets? Doing so means giving up on Joshua. But betting on Joshua’s love could do more than break her heart.
It could kill her.

Teaser: Excerpt

3

     Mom hobbled back to the center of the market. The hunters slinked out of shadowy corners to meet her. They moved as they did in the air, in V formation with Joshua at the head. The tall hunter and Rooster brought up the rear on the left and right. When he reached Mom, Joshua made a circular motion in the air with his thumb. The hunters fanned out, forming a circle around Mom.
     Joshua heaved a deep breath. “Where is she?”
     Mom’s voice was like steel on steel. “Gone.” “Gone where?” “If you think I’m telling you then you’re not only a traitorous bastard, you’re a fool.” I watched as Mom and Joshua stared at each other, neither one blinking or taking a
     breath. As the angry stare-off stretched on, the hunters exchanged uncomfortable glances and a low grumble moved around the circle.
     One hunter, with arms like sculpted marble sniffed the air noisily with a bumpy nose. “Aubrey is close,” he said. “I can taste her in the air.”
     “Silence,” Joshua barked. “But her scent—” “Use your eyes as well as your nose, idiot. It’s obvious Rose switched shirts with
     Aubrey.” The hunter crunched his knuckles. “I’m no idiot. You can barely see the damn thing.” Mom shook her head. “Lefu always said you’d make a good Captain one day. Pity
     he’s never wrong.” “Yeah, Pity.” Joshua’s eyes flickered to the gate and back to Mom. “The sacrifice isn’t
     —” “Sacrifice?” Mom cut him off. “Call it what it is, Joshua. Murder.” “It is not murder.” “She’s sixteen! She’s a child, and so are you. You should be taking her out on dates,
     not hunting her like a rabid dog.” “I wouldn’t have to hunt her if she would turn herself in. She’s meant to be on that
     altar, Rose. You can’t keep telling her otherwise.”
     “But why her?” Mom demanded. “None of you stupid exiles can tell me why it has to be my daughter who pays the price for our sins.”
     Joshua’s mouth opened and closed. Finally, he shook his head. “I don’t know, Rose. The duty fell to her.”
     “To hell with duty,” Mom said, stabbing him in the chest with a finger. “And to hell with Azure! And to hell with Celo and all you foul exiles!”
     “Enough,” Joshua boomed. His voice echoed in the sky like thunder causing Mom to yelp. “We are Aramithians, not humans,” he said. “Just because we’ve been exiled to this backward world for the last two centuries, doesn’t mean we can abandon our responsibilities of duty, obedience, and loyalty to Aramith.”
     Mom balled her fists, and her chin rose defiantly in the air. “Like I said. To hell with duty.”
     Sighing, Joshua raked a hand through his hair. “Look,” he said. “The sacrifice isn’t for another year. I can see to it Lefu lets you stay with Aubrey until then.”
     “And then?” “That’s the best I can do,” Joshua said. “You won’t be pardoned.” Mom smiled a cruel smile that would have never worked on her old face. “Is thirty
     pieces of silver still the going rate?” “I’m not a traitor,” Joshua said. “Neither am I, but I’ll gladly die like one instead of letting you vipers bleed my child dry.”
     A lovely mellifluous laugh came from the palm trees to the left of the circle. Bitterness flooded my mouth as Morgan stepped out. My sister had taken after my dad’s side of the family, from their pointy, elvish faces to their sylphlike bodies.
     “Morgan,” Mom cried in an embarrassingly breathy voice.
     With a spine as straight as an arrow and crimson dreadlocks touching her waist, Morgan stalked toward Mom. The hunters parted for her, their eyes darting to the splashes of pale flesh that peeked out of her carelessly wrapped cloak. Her shrewd, unblinking eyes stayed on Mom’s face.
     “It must be nice having a mother who cares so much,” Morgan said in a scornful voice. “I wonder what that’s like.”

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Author Q&A

What is this book about?

"It’s about Aubrey Shaw and her fight to remain alive. Aubrey is an Aramithian exile and according to prophecy, her death will earn forgiveness for all the exiles and reinstate their immortal birthright. However, Aubrey is unwilling to play savior. She wants to live and will do anything to it takes to stay alive."

Why should I read it?

"Because you’re hungry for something fresh and enjoyable? If you want the same- old-same, this book isn’t for you. However, if you are looking for a fast-paced story that’s rich with diverse characters, a unique plot, and witty dialogue, then dive in."

Aubrey is a Jumper. What’s that all about?

"Most Aramithians are born with supernatural gifts, given to them by the creators of Aramith. As a Jumper, Aubrey’s soul has the ability to leap between bodies. You’ll get to see it happen a few times throughout the novel."

According to the blurb, she’s in love with her best-friend-turned-hunter, Joshua, but she also meets a mysterious stranger. Will there be an eye-rolling love triangle?

"No spoilers! But, for those who hate love triangles, relax. Yes there are two guys in Aubrey’s life, but I can guarantee you there are no eye-rolling tropes in this novel. If you’ve ever fallen in love then you’ll find Aubrey’s love life relatable. "

Tell us about the relationship between Aubrey and Joshua, her best-friend- turned-hunter.

"Aubrey and Joshua were childhood best-friends. They were each other’s firsts in many ways and have a deep connection. They know each other inside-out, and have a knack for saying all the things that cut straight to the heart. They know how each other think. This is great, but it also sucks since Joshua is now a hunter and has been assigned to drag Aubrey to the altar."

Tell us about your favorite character (who is not the MC).

"That would be Coy. Coy Brady made me laugh out loud a dozen times while writing. He’s handsome and sexy, but also roguish and flawed in every possible way. I won’t tell you more. You’ll have to fall in love with him yourself."

Favorite moment in the story.

"That’s hard. I’d have to go with the entire 1st paragraph of chapter 2 when we first see the Hawk Unit transform. Invoking the right image without being overly descriptive is a difficult task. The paragraph accomplished that beautifully.

Majestic wings slapped the air. With beaks pointed toward the ground, the hawks plunged into the market. Shrieking, the shoppers covered their heads and ducked. But the hawks did not attack. With a burst of feathers, they transformed into naked, muscular men and women. Wings and tails billowed out like smoke, and then formed hooded, feathered cloaks around their bodies. "

When will I get to see more of Landon and the Aramithian community?

"The Reluctant Sacrifice takes place largely outside of the Aramithian community, so the reader only gets to see it when Aubrey does. Thankfully, The Reluctant Huntress will follow Aubrey’s sister Morgan. Since Morgan lives in the town of Landon and is a member of the Hawk Unit, I get to show the reader a lot more of Landon and also take them behind the scenes of the hunter’s world."

Throughout the novel, Aubrey and her friend Tessa discuss Supernatural. Aubrey is Team Dean, while Tessa is Team Sam. What team are you on?

"I’d like to combine those teams. How about Dean’s voice and face, with Sam’s body and hair? Hmm, excuse me while I daydream."

Could you talk a bit about your writing process?

"I love writing. I also love notebooks. The two go hand-in-hand when I’m starting a story. I jot every thing down. Every sentence and dialogue that pops into my head. Every character quirk and attribute. I keep a second notebook for the plot. After doing that, I try to look at it as a reader would. What do I need to know about this story’s world to make me feel like i’m apart of it? Which characters should I identity with? Which plot twists will I expect? (Those are the first ones I cut.)

The next step is outlining. I use a combination of a notepad, Pinterest, and software to map the story and build a timeline. Timelines always trip me up when writing. I have to go over them repeatedly.

Then, I begin writing. At the moment, I am experimenting with writing my first drafts in 3 months as the author, Stephen King advises. In the past, it took me six-eight months because the first few chapters are the hardest for me. We’ll see how that goes. I never share my story before the first draft is complete. It’s for the best because first drafts are usually crappy, repetitive, and inconsistent. The story doesn’t come together until the second draft.
v The second draft gets sent to a developmental editor and then revised and presented to beta readers. I never skip the beta readers. They spot things even an editor misses. I would be lost without them."

Tell us about your current project

"I’m currently working on The Reluctant Huntress. It follows Morgan, the sister of the main character in The Reluctant Sacrifice (TRS). She is the most hated and misunderstood character in TRS. Her story will shock those who hate her and force them to see her actions in a different light. The fun thing is that the books can be read in any order the reader chooses, which means you will end up hating the main character from each book because everyone is the hero of their own story.

Since this novel takes place in Landon, fans of the TRS will get to see more world building as I take them deeper into the magical Aramithian community. (A novella will is also planned to tie the series together). "

When can we expect The Reluctant Huntress? 

"The Reluctant Huntress is scheduled for a 2016 release. It will be swiftly followed by a novella that ties the duology together and gives closure."

About the Author

Kerr-Ann Dempster lives in Michigan where she is often found with her nose in a book, knee-deep in snow, and online fan-girling over fictional characters and fellow authors.

She is a graduate of Loyola University, Chicago where she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. After working in Visual Communications and as a Flight Attendant, Kerr-Ann decided that life was best spent being happy. With that in mind, she published her first novel, Beneath Scarlett Valley, in August 2014. She then published her second novel, The Reluctant Sacrifice, in August 2015.

If you live in Michigan, you may also find her in line at Moomers purchasing homemade ice cream.

To learn more about Kerr-Ann, connect with her on: