Interview/Giveaway/Review Guardian of Fate by LJ Kentowski

                                                     Fear of death is all too common. 
                                          Visions of it chill the bones and skip heartbeats. 
                        Seeing it coming and knowing only you can rescue the soul of the victim

                                 from the fiery bowels of hell…that’s downright life-altering.

Cassandra Cosgrove’s life was altered at the age of sixteen when she found out that it was her responsibility to save the lives, and ultimately the souls, of innocent victims targeted by Hell’s demons. As impossible as it seemed at first, she was able to live a fairly normal life, while secretly fulfilling her obligation as a Guardian of Fate.

But years later Fate has its own plan when her visions begin drastically changing at the same time two mysterious men appear in her life. Cassandra suddenly finds herself caught in a battle between good and evil, with her own soul on the line. When it seems everyone in her life has a secret they’ve been hiding from her, who can she trust to be the Guardian of her Fate

 Get ready for a book that will pull you into an emotional tug of war! Cassandra is a Guardian of Fate which basically is someone who sees innocent people succumb to Demon persuasion and end their life or the life of others. Cassandra's job is to save those innocent people. After getting a vision Cassie high tails it to the location to save an innocent person but what happens is not what she expects. For some reason her vision was wrong and that never happens. While trying to figure out what went wrong and the fact that she isn't sure if she made the right decision she heads into a local bar. After entering she realizes that she is the only patron inside but pushes the uncomfortable silence away and makes her way to the bartender. After some light banter and flirting the door opens and in walks a man, the most gorgeous man Cassie has ever seen but there's one problem, He's been haunting her dreams for years.

Cassie gets a strong vibe that the two men know each other and can feel the hostility rising in the empty bar. Cassie takes her leave but not before the bartender Caleb, gives her his number and tries to persuade her into a date. These two men, Caleb and Hunter have plans that Cassie doesn't know about and they basically force themselves into her life. Some would think, hey two hot guys both wanting to be with me and that's what Cassie thought in the beginning but her perception of these Men quickly needs re evaluated, but who will she chose to trust and who will she run from?

This is truly a well written book that will grab your attention right from the beginning and not let go until the end. I find myself still thinking about this book days after I've read it! Fast paced, a love triangle gone wrong, and second guessing the Male characters. It so refreshing to find a Paranormal Romance that is like no other book out there. The ending you will not expect at all and it sets up perfect for book two in this series called Seeker of Fate due to come out sometime this Winter. 

Grab your copy today!
AMAZON  | B&N  |  SMASHWORDS  |

Interview with the Author 

Welcome to All  the Fun Starts After Dark LJ! It's so great to have you! 

Before I give away all my deep, dark secrets, I’d like to thank you, Brandy, and all of your followers, for letting me invade your space here on All The Fun Starts After Dark. It truly is an honor. 

 Your welcome here anytime!

Has Writing always been a passion of yours?

While I’ve delved into writing many times throughout my life, creating stories here and there, I cannot say that it has been a passion of mine until the last 5 years. My passion for reading is really what sparked my interest to write long ago, but I never took my writing seriously until recently. I have, however, always daydreamed passionately ;)

What is your favorite way to spend your time when you’re not writing?

My favorite thing to do is spend time with my family. My life seems like such a whirlwind lately that it’s so nice to be able to sit back, relax, and enjoy them. My son is six, so all of his new discoveries have become mine while watching him grow. He’s really at a fun stage right now and I hate missing any of it, so I try to get in as much as I can. He’s learning new school subjects, how to swim, ride a bike, play sports, etc., so it’s also really important for me to be there to help him with it all. Aside from that, I still love my TV shows and books! I’m a chronic DVR chick, and freak out if I miss my shows for longer than a week. I just hate it when they pile up on me.

What are your hopes for this series?

The Fate series is already set to be a trilogy. I’m almost finished writing Book #2, Seeker Of Fate, and I’ve planned for the 3^rd book to be the end of the series, but one never knows. There are so many twists and turns that have risen up in just these 2 books that I wouldn’t be surprised if there ended up being more down the line. I could also see writing a few spinoffs for some of the other characters, but nothing actively in the works right now besides the original trilogy.

Do you have a favorite scene you can share without spoiling too much?

I have lots of favorites scenes, but I’ll share one of them with you here. For a little back-story on it, Cassie has just met, in-person, the man she has been dreaming about for the last six years: the mysterious, and very striking, Hunter. After a conversation with him that only leaves her more confused, she leaves the bar they are in to try and find her mom in order to get some answers. Her emotions over the day get the best of her and she breaks down in the parking lot of her car. Hunter comes out to find her this way.

     “Cassandra, I’m not going to hurt you. I came out of the bar and saw you were still in your car. Is everything all right? Is it your mom?” His eyes roamed my face searching for answers.

     Embarrassed, I made a feeble attempt to wipe away the remaining tears from my face, but I was sure my eyes were red-rimmed and puffy.

     “Oh, um…no, I haven’t gotten a hold of her yet. I’m going to drive to her house now to make sure she’s all right. Thanks for checking on me, Hunter,” I sniffled, “but I’m fine.”

     He reached his arm across my body, and I felt a shiver run through me from the mere breeze of his movement. Holding my breath, I froze. My eyes were the only things capable of movement, as I watched him open up the console and grab a tissue. I was so hypnotized by him that I couldn’t even form the words to ask how he knew they were there.

     He offered it to me, and I took it slowly. As I wiped my nose, he continued to watch me, his body still too close to mine. Even after I was done, I remained frozen in my awkward position, afraid to move. Emotions warred within me. My mind told me that I should be terrified of this big, powerful man, whom I just met. Crouching in front of me, he was close enough that I wouldn’t stand a chance of escape if he chose to attack me, but something deep inside made me feel safe with him. Maybe it was because I felt I knew him from all the years I’d dreamt of him. Maybe I had a death wish.

     My emotions battled silently, and my pent-up breath rushed through my lips in a pant. As his eyes moved to my mouth, the air between us suddenly felt so thick I thought I might suffocate.

     He moved back from me, but remained crouched next to the car.

     “Are you ok now?” he asked.

     “Yes.”

     He stood up, and I was struck by an incredible urge to make him stay, if only for a second longer.

     “Hunter, have we met before?” I blurted out. It wasn’t just a question to keep him near me, I had to find out if somehow he knew me too.

     He looked at me for a moment with his head tilted slightly to the side, as if a better angle might help him place me. Slowly, he crouched next to me again causing me to lean back once more.

     “No, we’ve never met.”

     Not willing to come to terms with the fact that I was the only one who could feel this powerful connection between us, I asked, “Are you sure?"

     “Cassandra, if we had met before,” he said in a deep, almost seductive voice, “I assure you, it would have been memorable.”

     My body trembled from the meaning of his words. I was sure that he had me under some kind of spell, because I hadn’t realized he’d moved in closer. Wiping a stray tear from my cheek with his thumb, his fingers rested softly against the side of my head. His touch was so light I would have considered it a mere caress, if not for the burning sensation it left when he pulled it away. My hand immediately flew to the spot he had touched, and I stared at him in astonishment.

     “I should apologize for being so forward as to touch you,” he said, “but I’m afraid I’d do it again if given the opportunity.” Standing up, he continued, “I hope your mother is well. Maybe we’ll see each other again.”

     I felt as if I was in some crazy trance that I couldn’t shake, so it took me a minute to process what he’d said. As he started to walk away, I stood up and called, “I thought you were just passing through?”

     I heard him laugh, and then he stopped and turned around. The smile was still on his face when he told me, “I was, but I’m starting to like what I see here, so maybe I’ll stick around for a bit longer.” The shocked expression I wore was starting to feel like a permanent facial feature tonight. It remained in place as I watched him turn back around and walk into the night.

Do any of our characters reflect someone you know?

No, not really. There may be aspects of people I know built into some of the characters, but that is as far as I can compare anyone. Maybe a teensy bit of my sarcasm can be found in a few of the characters.

I wish I knew a man like Hunter though. That would be quite…nummy J (Shhh… don’t tell my husband. He still thinks he’s the model for him.)

Who is your favorite Author?

I’m going to pick an old favorite and a new one, just because I can’t decide. Sandra Brown has been a favorite of mine since I was a young teen. I loved her contemporary romance novels back then. I’d stay up all hours of the night reading them. She is now writing romantic suspense and excels at that too.

My new fave is Karen Marie Moning. I was a Fever addict, still am! I consumed those books, and was so mad when I was done with them because I just wanted them to go on forever! Her writing style (Barrons), world-building (Barrons), and plot &character development (Barrons), are all so amazing! She’s definitely an author I idolize.

Do you have any rituals you do before you sit down to write?

You know, I wish I did. I’d probably stare at a blank screen less. I am starting to try new ways to get into writer mode lately though. Free-style writing for ten minutes about nothing in particular seems to help. I’ve also started creating a broad outline of what I plan to write about in the next scene before I actually write it out. One thing that is a must for me is having music in my ears. It helps me zone in and concentrate, especially certain songs. Halestorm’s “Familiar Taste of Poison” actually gave me some great ideas while writing GOF. I put it on now whenever I’m in a writing slump, and it usually helps me get through it.

I know some Authors don't like to read reviews of their books, do you?

No, I don’t like reading reviews, but I’m compelled to! I really want to steer away from this, because no matter what anyone says, a bad review is taken personally. It’s like someone telling you your baby is ugly. But here’s the thing I’ve learned: everyone is looking for something different when they read. Some people like the strong, protective men, while some see it as too much testosterone. A writer cannot please everyone. There’s going to be bad reviews, you just have to tell yourself that they didn’t find what they were looking for, and it just wasn’t the right book for them. I told myself when I first decided to publish GOF, that if one person that I didn’t know read my book and said they loved it, then I would be happy. I’ve had that, and for that I’m really thankful. I also think the more books I get out there, the less I will read the reviews. In the end, bad or good review, I’m just thankful that anyone gave my book a chance.

What is the name of book 2 in the Fate series, when does it release?

Book # 2 in the Fate series is called Seeker Of Fate. I plan to have it out in the Winter of 2012.

Can you tell us anything about book 2?

I can tell you that Cassie is coming into her own in SOF. She’s stronger, and a lot more independent. Of course she has to be, because she’ll be up against some really evil and powerful people. There are a few new characters introduced and a lot more twists to keep you turning the pages.

What's the hardest part about being a Self Published Author?

The hardest part about being self published is finding time for everything. My family relies on my income, so as I’m just starting with my writing career I still have to maintain a full-time job. Everything I do for promoting my books has to be done at night and on the weekends, usually after my son goes to bed. This includes, social networking, requesting reviews, interviews, giveaways, guest posts, blogging, etc. Throw in the mix more books to write and there are just not enough hours in the day. But I make it work and just getting that one good review makes it all worth it in the end.

Find out more about LJ Kentowski's here:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER 

WEBSITE - (You can also read the first chapter here)

LJ is generously offering not One BUT Two signed paperback copies of Guardian of Fate and it's open to everyone! Only mandatory entry is to be a blog follower which is located in the right side bar, all other options are extra entries, good luck everyone! Winners will be announce here, FB, Twitter and the winner will be emailed.
a Rafflecopter giveaway