It was a crazy weekend. Our paranormal team was at an historical site gathering evidence for an October fundraiser we are doing for them!
There's always time for authors though, and today we have C.A. Worley dropping in to answer a few questions:
SC: Tell me a little bit about your main character of this book.
CAW:
Nora is the female main character in The Wolf King’s Bride. She’s the youngest
daughter of King Edward of Gwydion. Her people are elementals, sometimes called
witches, though they find that offensive. She’s the only Gwydion unable to
wield her magic. Her mother died while birthing Nora, and the extreme
circumstances damaged Nora’s soul. Instead of compelling magic from within, she
must absorb it in order to replenish the constant drain on her lifeforce.
Basically, she’s leaking magic like a sieve and her family is a tad
overprotective because of it. Her entire life she’s been treated as though she
was made of glass.
Nora
hates being treated differently. She’s adventurous and willful, rarely bowing
to her older sisters wishes of social decorum and grace. It’s during one of
these times, when she’s completely disheveled, that she meets Kellan, the Wolf
King of the North. He finds her state endearing, despite her sisters’
reactions. Her sisters are nervous around him, but Nora finds him fascinating.
When he starts speaking of her as if she’s not in the room, she snaps at him,
something no one else in the royal family would dare to do.
Nora
tries to think of herself as brave, and at the very least willing to make the
best of things. She makes an effort to quell her traitorous temper around
Kellan, but her mouth often gets the better of her. Her courage and her effort
to control her disposition help make the trials she faces in the Northland
bearable. Her newfound ability to channel her anger helps her survive the ultimate
betrayal.
SC:
Nora sounds like she's dealing with a lot! Do you believe in the paranormal and
if so, do you have an experience you can share?
CAW:I
believe there are things in our world we can’t possibly comprehend. I don’t
know they’re paranormal, but I know we don’t know everything, nor can we explain
everything.
When
I was in middle school, my brother, C.C., and I experienced something that
rocked our little brains. Because we both experienced it, I know it wasn’t my
imagination.
We
lived in the country. Out by the barn, my dad had a running line for our dog,
Sam. At night, we clipped him to the line and fed and watered him before our
bedtime. Just past the barn was what we believed to be a small cemetery. We
didn’t know one was there when my parents bought the property. We’d found small
stones we thought were grave makers shortly after we’d built the house. We
didn’t discuss it. It was too creepy. We all just sort of pretended there
wasn’t a possibility of bodies buried less than fifty yards from our home.
One
night, C.C. and I went to feed Sam. We always went together because we were
scared to death to go alone. As soon as our feet left the pavement of our
driveway and stepped onto the grassy path that led to the barn, we heard
someone speak.
We
froze, staring at one another. Then we heard other voices chattering away. It
sounded like an old man and a group of children. We lived out in the country,
on acreage. There were no people nearby. We were at the top of a small valley
and there were homes down in the bottom. It was entirely possible voices were
carrying up the road. But that was a pretty long way for sound to travel, at
least to my twelve-year-old brain.
We
did what any self-respecting country kid would do. We ran back inside. Dad made
us go back out. Mom must have felt sorry for us because she followed and stood
at the door so we could see her. This time, when we stepped on the grass, the
interior light of my dad’s car came on.
I
grabbed my brother’s hand and took a step back onto the driveway. The light
went off. My mom yelled to wrap it up. We stepped forward, and the light came
on again. My brother yanked me back onto the pavement and the light went off.
He dropped the dog bowl and ran for my mother, leaving me behind. I set the
other bowl down and followed suit.
We
never waited until dark to go out there again. I always accused my father of
having his car’s clicker someplace nearby to mess with us, but he insists he
was in the living room. My mom was spooked when she noticed the light going on
and off, but chalked it up to coincidence. C.C. and I have no idea what it was.
But it was enough for us to wonder what was out there, especially when we
started finding old children’s shoes and shoe soles in the area we thought was
the cemetery.
SC:
Great story! And speaking of great stories, what titles are you working on now that you
can tell us about?
CAW:
I am working on The Vampire King’s Mate, which is Book 2 of the Fate of
Imperium Series. I am also working on an untitled fantasy under the pen name
Cass Alexander. It’s got a lot of humor and tons of off-color language compared
C.A. Worley’s books. My brother and I are also starting another nonfiction book
to follow the one we wrote last year. This is also under the Cass Alexander
moniker. We think it will be about our lives in rural Kentucky growing up.
Maybe we’ll even add in our “ghost” experience!
SC:
That sounds awesome! Let's take a look at your novel now.
The Wolf King’s Bride
Fate of Imperium
Book One
C.A. Worley
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Publisher: C.A. Worley
Date of Publication: 9/10/2018
ISBN: 9780463151723
ASIN: B07GBHZ6S3
Word Count: 73,000
Cover Artist: OliviaProDesign on Fiverr
Tagline: “No, that was never her fate. Her future was always in the North.”
Book Description:
When Kellan, Wolf King of the North, meets his fated mate, she is only a child. He immediately brokers a betrothal and, on the day after her 20th birthday, whisks her away to his castle in the Northland. Kellan is elated, believing he has everything he has ever wanted. His new wife, Nora, doesn’t quite share the same sentiment.
Before Kellan has time to court her, Nora is attacked. An ancient brotherhood refuses to allow an heir of one kingdom onto the throne of another. All four factions in the land of Imperium appear to be involved in a surreptitious struggle for power … while Nora hides a few secrets of her own.
Excerpt:
Nora ran for the
door and Kellan caught her by the waist. “I don’t think so, love.”
She clawed and
scratched at him, using her combat training to try and get free. Her father was
in danger. He needed help.
Kellan was
bemused by his wife’s strength. She managed to score her fingernails across the
side of his face. She drew blood and Kellan was half-proud of her.
In his stupor
over witnessing her abilities, he must have hesitated, because she landed a
hard knee to his kidney. Kellan grunted, but did not let go. He was the
strongest wolf in the pack. His little mate was no match for him.
He carried her
to the bed and held her down with one hand. He reached for his belt on the
floor and his kidney suffered another blow.
Despite his
efforts to avoid it, his cock hardened. He made note to revisit this in the
future. Battling with her in bed was something he wanted to explore.
A punch to his
mouth was enough to dampen his lust. He growled, seizing her wrists and
slamming them above her head.
Holding them
with his left hand, he looped the belt around them with his right. Nora was
bucking like a madwoman, so he flung one leg over to straddle her ribs as he
tightened the restraints.
It took longer
than it should have. Nora was a skilled fighter. Yet another secret withheld
from him.
“There,” he
proclaimed once she was secured to the bed. Her feet were still loose, but he
didn’t think she could get her arms free.
“Please, don’t
do this, Kellan. My father … please!”
“Nora, calm
yourself. I will find him. Did you think I would ignore the vision? I may be
furious with him, but I’ll not ignore my father-in-law’s need for help. Trust
me to do what is necessary.”
“But I can track
him. The earth, it will tell me where he is.”
“As will my
nose. Do not worry. I will handle it.”
“Don’t you dare
leave me like this, Kellan.”
He ignored Nora
as he started to dress, then thought better of it. He would leave the castle in
wolf form, so he could track Edward.
“I will return
as soon as I can.”
Kellan bent to
kiss Nora. Instead of allowing it, she tried to hit his forehead with her own.
“Woman, will you
calm down?” Kellan did not want to get his nose broken.
“How could you?
Are you trying to ensure you’ve earned my abhorrence? Because I can assure you
it’s working,” she seethed.
Kellan recoiled
at the vehemence in her words. “No. Do not say that.”
“How could I
not? You do not listen to me. You have no regard for me. You think of me as a
witch. Do not pretend that you’re not disappointed I’m not a she-wolf. I bet if
I was wolf you would let me go to my father. Instead, you’ve tied me to your
bed like a damned animal.”
“You are tied to
our bed, so I can ensure your safety, Nora. I will be gone from the castle and
you refuse to stay put. I cannot concentrate on whatever your father is facing
if I am worried about you. You are my mate. Nothing is more important to me
than you. Do you hear me? Nothing. I care not that you are an elemental. I
shouldn’t have called you a witch. I am sorrier than you could possibly know.
My anger got the best of me. It won’t happen again. Just as you will not lie to
me again. Mates do not lie to one another. Ever. I am hurt that you could do it
so easily. But we’ll discuss it later. I have to go.”
Kellan had his
hand on the door handle when Nora landed her final blow.
“I may be your
mate, but you are not mine. I am Gwydion. We don’t have mates.”
He bowed his
head as his heart filled with more sorrow than he had ever known. He took a
calming breath, wanting to ward off the reaction he was having to Nora’s harsh
words, but the grief inside him was too big to hide.
Kellan turned
his head towards his wife, eyes wet from the enormity of his heartache.
Nora was shocked
to see tears forming in Kellan’s eyes. One spilled and mixed with the blood
from the scratches on his face. The ones Nora had put there only a moment
before.
“I may not have
your heart, Nora. But you have mine. You can wound it easily. Yet, I give it to
you, freely, with no expectation of anything in return. I’ll endure your hatred
to ensure your safety. For this, I’ll not apologize.”
With that,
Kellan exited the bed chamber, leaving behind the only thing he had ever truly
held onto—hope that his mate loved him.
About the Author:
C.A. Worley is the alter-ego of Romance Author Cass Alexander. Where Cass tends to focus on humor in her publications, C.A. loves to write fantasy. She chose to write under the two different monikers to not confuse (or tick off) her readers.
C.A. currently resides in the Midwest, but was born and raised in the South. She spends her days working from home and her evenings are spent shuttling her kids to and fro. Her dinners are subpar, but she makes a mean dessert.
When she's tired of living her sons' travel sports schedules, C.A. enjoys a glass (or four) of wine. She needs the liquid courage to click the publish button for her fantasy romance novels.
Her motto is, "Be Brave," and she tries to live it every day—it takes a healthy dose courage to get through this thing we call life.
Thank you, Janine, for hosting me on my release day and for the super fun interview! Much obliged!!!
ReplyDeleteHmm, it says I'm "Unknown," but I'm pretty sure I have a name. Ha! Thanks again! ~C.A. Worley
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