Why was your heroine, Giselle, unconscious for nine weeks?
Giselle wasn’t coping very well with the
early sickness of her pregnancy, and was making rash decisions. Antoine decided to do the one thing he knew
would cure her, and suppress the need for self destruction. He also knew that with both Alex and Xavier
on the hunt, he had to shield her from their snares. With her bond to Alex
still intact, he had to place her in a deep sleep where Alex was unable to
focus on her activity and whereabouts. So in a sense whilst unconscious she
became invisible to all those hunting her.
How does knowledge of her forthcoming
child influence the vampires and creatures of darkness in the underworld?
They all want a piece of her. They know that with the impending birth of
the baby, that there will be a shift in the role of vampires amongst all
creatures in the Underworld. Vampires,
as cruel and as vicious as they are, are still considered vermin among the
Shadow Creatures. And with the Baranksi’s being descendants of the Nelapsi,
they are not respected at all; no matter how much Royal blood runs through
them. This new life, new breed, a vampire who holds a soul, and can drink not
only the blood but also life source of its victim means that Vampires could
become the superior creature and take over the complete lineage of the
Underworld.
Why is the underworld in turmoil?
There has been a shift in power.
Everyone wants to be at the top, the ruler of all. But no one can agree and
with Leonid out of the picture, most creatures are vying for spot as top
dog. Obviously, they don’t really see
that they are being played against one another. They are just pawns in one
Vampires game for winner takes all. And if she has her way, most creatures will
become nothing more than minions to her, ensuring her future as mother of the
next generation of darkness.
Is Giselle’s life in danger since she
carries the first child of a new race of vampires?
Yes.
Giselle is never truly safe, except for her brief time in Aurelius, but
even then, two fallen angles break the barriers and trap her in their snare of
lies.
Many vampires and creatures of darkness
seem to have greatly shifted their orientations toward good and evil, except Ysoriel
the Archangel and the goddess, Lilith. Why have they remained more constant?
Ysoriel is older than time itself and
has endured many battles, and fought some of the darkest creatures from the
underworld, she senses something greater than herself in Giselle, and isn’t
willing to allow anything to happen to her. The goddess, Lilith, has plans for
Giselle, and isn’t willing to stand back and watch her protégé being destroyed.
Whilst they both represent opposite sides of good and evil, the one thing they
have in common is their concern for the wellbeing of both Giselle and her
unborn child.
Why are those two interested in
Giselle’s welfare?
Again, both Ysoriel and Lilith see the
greater picture with Giselle. They see her changing the role of Vampires among
the kindred. She also has a pure soul,
and has been willing to sacrifice herself for her child. She’s proven her
devotion to her new life, and yes, there has been times when she questioned her
role in the new world opening before her eyes, but ultimately with both
Ysoriel’s and Lilith’s guidance she can become more powerful than any vampire
ever known.
Walking with Shadows by Julieanne Lynch
“Walking
with Shadows” is the second of The Shadows trilogy, an urban fantasy of
vampires and the supernatural, and much, much more.
Giselle regains consciousness and is horrified to discover she has been asleep for nine weeks. She was already aware that she was carrying a very special baby who was to be the first of a new race of vampires, but she is shocked to find how her pregnancy is progressing. Around her, the underworld is in turmoil.
Giselle regains consciousness and is horrified to discover she has been asleep for nine weeks. She was already aware that she was carrying a very special baby who was to be the first of a new race of vampires, but she is shocked to find how her pregnancy is progressing. Around her, the underworld is in turmoil.
Vampires
battle with creatures of darkness and with other vampires, and few are entirely
what they seem. More confusing still, those who appeared to be totally evil may
have a streak of goodness in them, and those who appeared to be Giselle’s
friends may have a darker purpose of their own. Almost anyone, it seems, can be
changed and turned, except possibly Ysoriel the Archangel and the goddess
Lilith, and Giselle cannot be sure that even they are interested only in her
welfare.
The only certainty is that it will all become very much worse before it begins to get better – if anything ever gets better for Giselle.
** Publisher’s note: Not recommended for readers under 15 years of age.
Excerpt
(COPYRIGHT Julieanne Lynch/2011)
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The smell was the first thing that triggered the memories of my time
held in the cell. A damp, musty, hot scent that burned the back of my nose
brought me back to reality and face to face with him. He watched me as I was
led towards him. His eyes glared at me and inspected every inch of my body
and swollen abdomen.
Smiling, he stood up and mocked me by bowing at my feet.
“The illustrious queen returns,” he shouted. “The shadow queen herself
stands before us. We must rejoice.”
Inside, my heart thumped hard against my chest and my baby moved,
brushing limbs against the inside of my womb. Silently, I prayed to Lilith,
and to anyone who would save me. How I regretted leaving Ysoriel and walking
into this trap.
“Giselle, I knew you would come to me. I could sense the darkness in
you the very first time I saw you. You may be a picture of innocence on the
outside, but inside you are dead and cold just like the rest of us. Welcome
home.” He brushed his hand against the side of my face, smiling, as his eyes,
yellow and feral, stared hard into mine. The same sinister eyes I had seen in
my dream.
He took me by the hand and led me away from Mara and Bernael, taking
me into a large oak lined room and closed the door behind us. I stood frozen,
trying to control my breathing.
The urge to scream was almost uncontrollable, but something inside
stopped me. Instead, I looked ahead, focusing my gaze on a bizarre portrait
that hung over the wrought iron fireplace. It was unusually misplaced in a
world that was anything but calm. A brown haired woman stood by a large
chestnut tree, her limbs were pale and lithe, and her face was beautiful. Her
dark blue eyes focused on the small child next to her, and the child looked
up at her with total love.
I was so fixed on the image of the mother and child that I had not
noticed the roar of the fire, until the screams caught my attention. I tried
to shield my ears from the screams so piercing that I almost fell to my
knees, but slowly they died, as did the flames.
Laughing, Xavier rubbed his hands together and sat down in a large,
ornate chair. Running his nails along the arm, he let out a deep breath, and
sighed.
“Another soul damned. I do enjoy these moments. It fills my,” he
thumped his chest, “with so much joy.” Then his eyes turned cold and mean.
“Why have you brought me here?” I asked, controlling the tremble in my
voice.
“Dearest Giselle, need I really point out the obvious factors to your
return?”
“But I don’t belong here. I just want to return to my old life.”
“Your old life, my dear child, is a thing of the past. Look at it as
being a decayed memory, something distorted, and, given time, you will soon
forget the ways of the old and embrace the ways of the new.” He smiled at me.
From deep inside me, I could feel a surge of something creeping to the
surface. A rush of adrenaline ran through me, and before I could think about
what I was saying, it came out.
“I think you mistake me for the simpering little girl from before.” I
walked over to him. “But you see, people change, and I have seen so much in
the past few months that you no longer scare me.”
“Now this, this is the fighting talk of a queen,” he said exuberantly.
“What?”
“I knew it from the first moment I set my eyes on you, that you were
worthy of the crown.”
I stepped back from him and shook my head. “No, I will not be a
goddamned queen. I refuse to take a part of this bloody freak show any
longer. I demand you return me back to Antoine, now.”
He approached me and placed his hands on either side of my abdomen.
Breathing heavily into my face, he looked down at my swollen baby bump
and smiled. “You will not be going anywhere for a long time my dear.”
From behind me I could hear movement, and as I turned round, two dark
silhouettes took a firm hold of my arms and held me still. Xavier stepped in
closer to me, and grabbed me by my chin.
“You would be a foolish girl to try anything stupid. There will be no
rescues, no saviours, nothing. You are here for good, and once you give birth
to the child, you will be reborn. The sooner you accept this, the easier it
will be for both you and the child when the time comes to hand him over to
the Nightwalkers,”
“What? No... No one is taking my child from me,” I spat at him.
“A deal is a deal, little dark one.”
“Oh my God, there is no way in hell you are taking my baby from me,” I
screamed as I struggled to break free from the grip of the shadows.
“Ah, but you see, you are in hell, and it’s the way of hell,” he
laughed. “Take her below,” he instructed the two shadows holding me.
I pulled against them and managed to free my arm. I went to hit him,
but before my eyes he evaporated and then appeared again in front of me,
smiling. “Silly little half-breed,” he snarled at me, and took hold of my
neck and pushed me forward.
Remembering the time I had been kept here, I knew there was no point
in resisting. I walked on through the dimly lit corridor, hearing the
familiar sounds of faint screams and pleading. Gritting my teeth, I fought
against the urge to shout an array of obscenities at my guards. Instead, I
focused on the tunnel and the light at the end. Stepping down to avoid my
head hitting the beam above me, I was led down a narrow spiral staircase.
I was surprised to be met by Mara. She smiled gleefully at me, unaware
of how much I hated her at that precise moment, and if it had not been for my
‘delicate constitution’ I would have lunged at her and ripped her head off.
So, dreaming of a time that I would carry out that thought had to be enough
for me and enough to take me through the awful situation.
“Giselle, you seem flushed,” she commented. “Maybe you ought to rest.
A woman in your condition must take all the rest she can get. Come, we have
prepared refreshments in your chamber.”
Mara was tall, with the longest blonde curls I had ever seen, but she
looked like a shadow of what she might have been in another life. Her pale
skin and dark circles reminded me of how dreadful you become when you cross
over to the darkness. She seemed to move as though she was floating on air.
Her long flowing silk dress covered her feet, but it hung low on her back,
revealing thick red scars around her shoulder blades, and continued down to
the centre of her spine, only stopping where the dress covered her lower
back.
We followed her until we came to a set of doors. She clapped her hands
and one of the guards released his grip on me and moved to the door, opening
it for us to enter.
“Come,” Mara instructed me.
Inside me, the familiar feelings of nerves and queasiness overcame me,
and I felt my heart pound in my chest. I was astonished at what met me when I
walked into the room.
The room was like something out of a period drama. The walls were
covered in red flocked wallpaper, the hardwood floor covered by an oriental
styled rug, and, to my surprise, two large windows were dressed with heavy
swags and thick layers of suedette and lace. A large ornate fire surround had
candelabra on both ends, and a clock sat on the mantle, chiming.
I stood in the centre of the room, trying to take it all in. This was
nothing like the conditions I had been kept in before. This was opulent, and
that confused me, but before I could say anything someone from behind me
cleared his throat, and, turning around, I was met by an unfamiliar man.
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About the Author:
Fiery Librian Julieanne Lynch is an author of urban fantasy books for
both adults and teens. Originally from Northern Ireland, Julieanne now lives in
Ireland, where she works on her Shadows Trilogy and other series full-time.
Before becoming a writer, she considered a few different career paths, a rock
star being one of them. She studied English Literature and Creative Writing at
The Open University, and considered journalism as a career path. However, she
decided writing was the way for her and believes all of her education and
reading prepared her for it.
An avid reader, Julieanne has always had an encompassing fascination
with folklore. When not writing, she enjoys crime series such as Criminal
Minds, CSI, NCIS and Cold Case, and loves anything with Vampires, listening to
metal, meeting new people, drinking lots of green tea, and sharing her dreams
with her children. She is a self-professed goth wanna-be,and is happy when left
to write into the early hours of the morning.
Find Julieanne online:
1 comments:
Great interview! This book looks really interesting, and a new spin on vampires. I'll definitely check it out.
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