BookLover Sue: Interview & Giveaway - The Christmas Dragon/Strings by Ruthanne Reid

The Christmas Dragon / Strings

by Ruthanne Reid

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURBS:

*The Christmas Dragon*

All Katie Lin wants is to get away from her family: from the magic, from the mayhem, and from the never-ending war.

Unfortunately, someone has other ideas, and sends her a box. A box that jumps.

The tiny fire hazard inside may just force her back to Wales - and right into the path of a dragon war, the Crow King, and at least one reluctant elf prince. Sometimes, running away just doesn't work as planned.

*Strings*

Need help? You probably shouldn't ask Grey.

A runaway Unseelie prince, Grey feeds on love - a commodity he conjures via music and magic in late-night Manhattan. It's a sweet gig, if lonely, and Grey is almost sure the dire warnings he was given about New York in December won't come true.

Then a monster from his childhood attacks in the middle of the night, and everything changes.

He survived, but he's marked, and more monsters are coming for him and everyone who survived. Grey has no plans to be a hero but fate doesn't care what he wants. Sometimes, no matter what you do, you aren't the one pulling the strings.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXCERPT:

The Christmas Dragon

The box jumped.

Boxes are not supposed to jump. It’s a law somewhere, I think. Maybe Guyana. Apparently not in New Hampshire, because the box kept jumping.

I sat in my idling car, puffs of exhaust rising in my rear-view mirror, and stared at the uncoordinated box-dance. It was wrapped in the loveliest paper, too, which was a shame, because bouncing on my boot-scraper had roughened all the corners and torn one edge. The bow was big and purple and covered in small green somethings. I wasn’t close enough to make them out.

I didn’t want to be close enough to make them out.

If I didn’t do something soon, the neighbors would notice. The box probably hadn’t been jumping all morning, or there’d be a crowd. Or maybe it was already on YouTube. I didn’t know.

So much for a safe, boring life among the Ever-Dying. New Hampshire, you have failed me.

I turned off the car. Time to go see what invaded my (mostly) magic-free space.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Let's learn a little about author Ruthanne Reid!

What is your writing environment?

Usually messy and wherever I can sit down! That’s the honest truth. We’ve just moved to a new state, and our furniture and everything else is in disarray. Right now, to write means determining to write, regardless of environment.

In terms of ideal environment, I love the coffee-shop atmosphere; white noise (though not enough to drown out my headphones), the smell of coffee, and no interruptions like the pesky need to do laundry.

Who is your perfect hero/heroine and why?

Those who are flawed, but make choice to do the right thing, even if it hurts. I think in this way, we all have a chance to fit that mold. To rise above, to fight selfish instincts and care for the good of others even if there’s no benefit to ourselves – that, to me, is heroism.

What authors have caught your interest lately and why?

Merrie Destefano is a new one for me. Someone gave me a book of her short stories, and I fell in love with her style and imagination. Like me, she writes in any genre that fits her tales, and I really admire the way her style adjusts to fit every story. I’d also include Seanan Mcguire, whom I hadn’t read before. Her book Indexing was tons of fun, and I hope she writes more in that universe.

What type of book have you always wanted to write?

A proper urban fantasy with an ass-kicking heroine. My stories never quite go that way, though I do have one on the back-burner called Witch Hunter which just might manage it.

Top 3 things on your bucket list?

Travel the world with my husband.

Read lots and lots and lots more books.

Learn more musical instruments. I have my eye on the cello and the guitar.

How did you get the idea for this particular novel?

The Christmas Dragon and Strings both began the same way: with the character responding to an unexpected situation. I didn’t know what was going on or why, so I had to learn the tale at almost the same pace they did. It was really fun; world-building grew around these tales, expanding and answering questions I’d had about other characters.

What is your favorite scene in your new release?

The Christmas Dragon: The stuffed-bird explosions. I have no idea why, but something about that whole scene makes me laugh so hard. I think I’m channeling Katie’s frustration; it’s such an absurd scenario, so over the top, that the only thing she can do is kick the wall until she feels better.

Strings: The end. That moment when Grey succeeds, and that eye stares at him from the ash… I can feel it in my bones. That whole scene came to me in a breathless rush, and I couldn’t wait to write it down.

What are you working on now and when can we expect it to be available?

I’m working on a book tentatively titled Notte, which covers 15,000 years of history. It follows the growth and life of an ancient character, a being who was designed as a biological weapon to destroy humankind – and instead became their greatest ally.

What do you like to do when you are not writing?

Read. I also enjoy photography, but reading is genuinely my favorite thing to do – usually with a bowl of popcorn by my side.

What is one interesting fact about you that readers don’t know?

I’m shy. I may joke about being an introvert, but it’s actually true. I can seem gregarious and outgoing, but the fact is that people terrify me – to the point that although I’ve had a couple of opportunities to set up at cons and sell things there, I haven’t taken them yet. My courage needs a little more work!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Indie author Ruthanne Reid writes about elves, aliens, vampires, and space-travel with equal abandon. She is the author of the series Among the Mythos, and believes good stories should be shared. Subscribe to her free email newsletter for free books and more at http://amongthemythos.com . You can connect with her on Twitter (http://twitter.com/ruthannereid ), Facebook (http://facebook.com/mythos ), or Tumblr (http://ruthannereid.tumblr.com ), where she looks at too many kittens and Avengers blogs.

Ruthanne’s love of magic, urban environments, and deep space birthed a strange world with undercurrents of faith, magic, villainy, and heroism (along with swords and lasers, on occasion). Among the Mythos showcases aliens with all-too-human feelings, entire societies on the decline due to greed and fear, protagonists who might actually be the bad guys (or vice-versa), and endings every bit as messy as the world that creates them.

Ruthanne knows from experience that endings are messy. No matter how exotic the setting, how many limbs the characters have or what (if any) genders, the problems and questions addressed by a good story are very real, and that’s why they have power. If she has a theme, it is this: keep fighting, and keep pushing toward hope, because the struggle is worth the finish-line.

Links:

Website: http://amongthemythos.com

Blog: http://amongthemythos.com/blog

Twitter: http://twitter.com/ruthannereid

Facebook: http://facebook.com/mythos

Buy Links for The Christmas Dragon:

Kindle http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IG0BFZA/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00IG0BFZA&linkCode=as2&tag=rutreiscifica-20&linkId=3IU55SSUNT26PXKH

Nook http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-christmas-dragon-ruthanne-reid/1118633594?ean=2940046391596

Kobo http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/the-christmas-dragon-4

Google https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Ruthanne_Reid_The_Christmas_Dragon?id=rR8jBQAAQBAJ

Play https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Ruthanne_Reid_The_Christmas_Dragon?id=rR8jBQAAQBAJ

iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-christmas-dragon/id938466009?mt=11