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Interview: Juliana Stone + Giveaway!
Filed in Giveaways , Interview , Juliana Stone , The Danger Lover Posted on July 11, 2011 @ 6:00 am
40 comments
It’s our great pleasure to welcome Juliana Stone, Author of the critically acclaimed Jaguar Warrior series to Book Lovers Inc. today. The first book in Juliana’s series, His Darkest Hunger, was published to rave reviews in March 2010. His Darkest Embrace, Book II in the series was published in October 2010! Juliana is here to celebrate the upcoming release of Book III, His Darkest Salvation, which will hit the stands on July 26, 2011! The Jaguar Warrior series is published by HarperCollins Avon and it chronicles the lives and loves of the Castille brothers who are jaguar shifters. Juliana also writes a time travel series for Samhain Publishing called Black Opals, and the first two novellas in that series are available now.Lea: Juliana! Welcome to Book Lovers, thank you so much for joining us here today!
Juliana: Thanks for having me!
Lea: Juliana can you please tell us a bit about yourself?
Juliana: Sure! I live in Canada with my husband, 2 kids, a dog and the newest member of our family, a precocious kitten named Gibson. My life is rich…I have the best girlfriends on the planet, a family who totally rock and I get to write about fabulous men and women and exotic places! I love sports, particularly baseball and hockey and music is a huge part of my life. I’m a total 80’s geek and proud of it!
Lea: Describe a typical day of writing? Are you a planner or pantser?
Well, I used to be a total pantser. All the way. And on some level I still am. BUT, as this series has progressed and I’ve introduced so many new characters….and now that we’re expanding this world even more with the new series…I’ve had to sit down and do a bit of planning. Overall though, I’d say I still write with a clear opening scene and with the idea of certain events I want to happen…but I let everything flow to get me there! This is why I suck at writing synopsis…mine finished books never turn out the way they were first drafted in synopsis form.
Lea: What can we expect of His Darkest Salvation?
Juliana: His Darkest Salvation is the third book in my Jaguar Warrior trilogy. It pretty much ties up a lot of loose ends that were threaded throughout the first two books. Both Hunger and Embrace focused on a couple but the over-reaching story arc is put to rest in Salvation.
The book focuses on Julian who is the one brother that’s not a Jaguar Warrior…meaning he never developed the warrior tattoos. He’s a shifter of course but has never been thrilled with this side of himself. But he loves his brothers and was drawn into the drama and intrigue that started with Jaxon and Libby. At the end of Embrace he’d begun to change, welcoming the savage nature of his cat. But he’s forever altered by those events…he’s been sucked into hell along with Declan O’Hara and is not anything close to the CEO that he was.
Salvation brings together all my characters, Jaxon and Libby, Jagger and Skye, Cracker etc for a final showdown with the nasty Cormac O’Hara. There is lots of action, intrigue and some hawt smex!
We also meet a few new characters who will play a big part in the next books, which kick off my new series set in this same world, League of Guardians.
Lea: In the first book, His Darkest Hunger Julian was this uber hot GQ – CEO who ran the family corporation. However, as the series progresses you matured Julian so he became more involved with his brothers Jaxon and Jagger who are powerful black warrior jaguar shifters and have backgrounds in military black ops and covert operations. During the battle that occurs during the riveting conclusion of Book II – His Darkest Embrace Julian disappears and we learn he has been sucked into hell and has endured extreme pain and torment. His Darkest Salvation opens with a Prologue detailing his struggle. Julian is a changed man/shifter isn’t he Juliana? Can you talk about Julian a little and maybe share more about his character and where you take him next?
Aw, my poor, tortured Julian. I loved writing about this brother. A lot. He went through hell—literally. He’s in a dark place and is no longer the same person. Everything in his former life means nothing now. He’d turned his back on his shifter legacy preferring to live his life in the business world and ignoring the savage part lived inside him.
He’s a man in transition and more than a little off center…pieces of his soul were torn from him and darkness is gathering inside. He’s got to learn to control the darkness long enough to complete an important mission. Throwing Jaden DaCosta into the mix just makes things all the more complicated.
It certainly was interesting to watch him grow and realize that he needs his jaguar in order to complete himself as a man.
Lea: Would you say Julian embraces his ‘animal’ side?
Juliana: Definitely! He’d always pushed this side of himself deep into the shadows but the strength of his animal feeds not only the darkness inside of him…but his soul…or at least what’s left of it!
Lea: Okay, so behind every great man there is an even greater woman (or something like that lol), or in this case a jaguar warrior shifter. Jaden DaCosta, is mated to an unsuspecting Julian. The DaCosta’s are a nasty bunch and mortal enemies of the Castille’s. Jaden, however isn’t evil, she is working on the side of good but Julian is naturally suspicious of her. All your heroines are extremely strong, kick-ass women and each is unique in her own way. What about Jaden? What is her background and how did she ever get mixed up with Julian Castille? lol
Juliana: Jaden DaCosta is the lone female offspring of Jacobi DaCosta. He heads up a family of jaguar warriors who are one heck of a nasty bunch. She is working as a double agent basically…undercover for PATU (paranormal anti-terrorist unit) and her father thinks that she shares his agenda which at the moment includes getting his hands on a portal to the demon realm.
She’s a woman who is strong, focuses and will do whatever it takes to defeat her father—a man she loved once, but someone who let the taint of evil corrode his soul. Three years before this story takes place Jaden met Julian and they had a wild night of passion. She had no clue who he was and her jaguar chose him for a mate. But remember, Julian was not into his shifter heritage at this point in his life and left before he even knew they’d been mated.
So there are a lot of deep feelings here…anger, betrayal, lust…love? She’s one hell of a woman though and is more than willing to overlook all of that for the greater good. And she gives as good as she gets!
Lea: I’ve been a huge fan of your books since I read His Darkest Hunger when it was released in April of last year. You write dark, sensual, action packed paranormal romance but I felt you moved the bar that much more with His Darkest Salvation in that it is the ‘darkest’ of the three books. There is a real sense of foreboding emanating from Julian isn’t there Juliana?
Juliana: Sure there is. He spent six months in hell…there is no way he could come out of that unscathed. Then there is the missing pieces of his soul. I wanted to show how damaged he was. There are times when he’s a total asshole. But how can he not be? He’s not whole. He needs to find his way and as the title implies, hopefully his salvation.
Lea: At the heart of each of the books is certainly a tumultuous erotic romance. The jaguars are extremely sensual and mate for life. However, would you say the overarching theme of your books is a battle between good and extreme evil to save the world?
Juliana: Yes! I love stories that are layered and I’d always envisioned a 3 book story arc. What better than the triumph of good over evil? When the stakes are high, that to me is when things get really interesting.
Lea: Sexy Irishman Declan’s book Wicked Road To Hell is next. Declan O’Hara is a great soldier with a powerful command of Magick, he’s been a significant presence in all three of the Jaguar Warrior stories. He’s not a jaguar shifter. Is Declan’s book part of the Jaguar Warrior series or is it a spin off? Will the Castille brothers play secondary roles in Wicked Road To Hell?
Juliana: Wicked Road to Hell, kickstarts a new series for me, League of Guardians. It is set in the same world and yes, you will see various characters in these books, particularly Nico and Cracker. I’m not sure if the Castille boys will make an appearance but never say never!
This is a small snippet of the premise:
For millennia the struggle between light and dark, the upper and lower realms, has been policed by a secret group of warriors culled from every fabric of existence. They are both otherworld and human, male and female. They are light and dark themselves, known to each other as the League of Guardians. Their pledge, to protect the line between the two realms and make sure neither side grows too powerful. If they fall, so shall the earth, the heavens and hell. And there will be no more.
Lea: Sounds awesome! Thank you for sharing!What can fans expect next from the desk of Juliana Stone?
Juliana: At the moment I’m writing a novella which will be released by Avon Impulse next February. It will bridge the gap between the events of His Darkest Salvation and expand upon the world in League of Guardians a bit more. My hero is a shapeshifting hellhound who I adore! Declan will make a cameo in this novella and then his book Wicked Road to Hell releases end of April, 2012.
I’m so excited about this new series and will be working on the next books for those!
His Darkest Salvation Video:
Lea: Can you please summarize His Darkest Salvation for us twitterstyle (in 140 characters or less)?
His Darkest Salvation is an intense ride where passion, violence and chaos collide. Where Salvation might be nothing more than a dream.
Lea: Now can you tell us 3 reasons why people should read your books?
- They are entertaining,.
- Wildly passionate.
- Features a unique world where all kinds of otherworld creatures exist.
Lea: Juliana, as always it’s been such a pleasure to chat with you and congratulations on the upcoming release of His Darkest Salvation!
Where to find Juliana:
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~*~*Giveaway*~*~
Juliana has generously offered paperback copies of His Darkest Hunger and His Darkest Embrace to one lucky commenter!
All you have to do is leave a meaningful comment about the interview.
(You can read our full giveaway policy here)
Please leave us a way to contact you.
(Email in blogger profile or twitter name – no way to contact you – no entry).
This giveaway is open worldwide!
Giveaway ends on Saturday July 23,2011; and we will announce the winner on Sunday.
Good luck!
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I loved the interview. It is always nice to know more about the authors you love to read
Angelbiker82@gmail.com
Love the pic of him in the tub!! Can he be a prize also?? : ) Gibson is the cutest little fuzzball I have seen in awhile. Good luck with him, love his name.
I love that you are into sports and still love music from the 80's. Those were the days.
His Darkest Salvation sounds like it will be an awesome read. Now I am going to have to get the 1st 2 books. I have never read your work before but now I want, no make that need to.. Good luck and I am looking forward to reading your books.
Christine
chrissy6341 at aol dot com
Hi Juliana,
Thanks for the interesting interview. You are a new-to-me author so I appreciate the chance to learn about your books. They sound absolutely yummy! Thanks for the giveaway too!
kareninnc at gmail dot com
Julian sounds like an intriguing and cool character.
Is there a reason why you chose the name Julian for him? I wondered as it's so close to your own (pen)name.
I enjoyed the interview. Cat shifters are my favorite. Jaguars are so beautiful.
I would love to read this series.
twoofakind12@yahoo.com
This series has been in my wishlist like forever! But these books has never made it to the cheap second hand market (where I could afford to buy it) yet… [I'm hopeful though] 🙂 …anyway, I was just wondering, would the new League Of Guardians series also have three books, or we don't know yet?
Thanks for sharing with us behind-the-scenes sneak peaks about the Jaguar Warrior world!! And for the giveaway! 😀
Cherry Mischievous
cherrymischif-soldier [at] yahoo [dot] com
@Sullivan You know I didn't even realize how close it was to my name until after I'd written the first two books. Seriously, LOL. Just like a reader once pointed out that Embrace is about a cat and a bird which was something I'd not thought about either!
Names are weird because I have to make sure the name fits the image in my head and Julian totally fit my oldest Castille brother…polished, sophisticated and sexy!
It took me a while to read that interview … first I got distracted by cute lil' Gibson and then by man candy in the bathtub. And now you expect me to leave a meaningful comment about the interview? You're joking, right? 😉
But seriously, I liked the interview, my fav part is usually the planner vs pantser question. And frankly, who cares if an author sucks at writing a synopsis if the book itself is a gem?
danaan at gmx dot at
HIS DARKEST SALVATION is the (3rd) book of the “Jaguar Warrior trilogy”. This book is centered on JULIAN. He is going thru a transition. He needs his jaguar.
Juliana mentions her next series “League of Guardians” to start with book (1) WICKED ROAD TO HELL. Juliana suggests that if you like entertainment, wild passion and otherworld creatures, reading her books are for you.
chandragay on twitter
I haven't started your series yet but will soon. I love the fact that he's a jaguar. I just LOVE kitties :). Thanks for the interview and the fantastic giveaway.
vsloboda(at)gmail(dot)com
Just wanted to pop in & say what a terrific interview this was. I loved Hunger & need to catch up with Embrace so I'll be ready for Salvation.
Love the kitten pic not to mention the big cat pics. LOL.
Hi Juliana and Lea!
I love the Black Opal novellas, hoping for more, as well as the Jaguar series. Can't wait to see what happens with the Hellhound series. Have to say I haven't read of shapeshifting hellhounds before, totally new and sounds like fun! Loving your books!
Dottie 🙂
gymmom_027@yahoo.com
This book sounds like a fab read..
I haven't really read much of cat shifters, and seems like I'm missing out a lot 😉
Great to meet you Juliana.. I'll be looking out for your books.
Thanks for the giveaway. judimello AT gmail DOT com
I just love this series and I cannot wait to read this book! It looks so good. I can't wait to see the sparks fly between Jaden and Julian. I loved the little bit that we got in the last book. I just know I'm going to love this book.
PS. I seriously can't wait for Declan's book. I've been anxious for it ever since we met him in His Darkest Hunger.
iqb99@yahoo.com
Great interview!
I love paranormal stories and cat shifters are my favorite 'animals'.
kissinoak at frontier dot com
I can't wait for "His Darkest Salvation"! And not just because I've been staring at the cover with Paul Marron for too long.
I'm also looking forward to Declan's book.
ironss [at] gmail [dot] com
I have not read any of this series but I am definately going to have to. I have not read many books about shifters other than wolves. However, one of my favorite authors, Kerrelyn Sparks, has a variety of shifters in her books: wolf, panther, bear, tiger, etc.
Btw, I love 80's music too! I grew up listening to it and still enjoy the "hairband" music today.
GFC follower: June M.
manning_j2004 at yahoo dot com
Thanks for all your kind words! (waving to MaryG!)
Um, I've had the chance to see Declan's cover, and yes, it is WICKED! weeeeeee!
@Cherry I only ever envisioned my jag books as a 3 book trilogy. The League of Guardians however has the ability to grow and continue as long as my readers enjoy them. As of now, there will be 2 novella's next year as well as two full length books. The novella is tentatively entitled Shades of Gray and Declan's book, is called Wicked Road to Hell. I'll post more information as I get it! Thanks for asking!
Hi Juliana, glad to see a Canadian author. Doesn't Gibson look like a cute feline warrior in the making? This is actually the first time I have heard of your Jaguar Warrior series and I think I have better get started on them. The extent of the paranormal world I have visited have consisted mainly of vampires but I am really brnaching out into werewolves and shape-shifter stories. I find jaguar warriors a great idea; jaguars to me are sleek, deadly and very territorial. The makings of a warrior. Of course, I can't resist a passionate love story.
Cambonified(at)yahoo(dot)com
This is my favorite genre to read and I'm always looking for new series! tWarner419@aol.com
Since I haven't had a chance to start the Jaguar Warriors series yet, I'm very excited about this giveaway. I love big cat shifters, and these books sounds fantastic.
Barbed1951 at aol dot com
I'm kinda new to PNR & looking for new series/authors to read. "Dark, sensual, action packed paranormal romance" sounds yummy. I'd love to win the books! *fingers crossed*
thumbelinda03@yahoo.com
I enjoyed this interview! Ohhhh! This series sounds goooooood! 🙂 Love me some shifters! I am definitely checking these books out!
justforswag(AT)yahoo(DOT)com
The three reasons given why we should read Juliana Stone's books, are the three reasons the Jaguar Warrior series is on my list.
marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com
Juliana, you have been blessed by the cover gods 🙂 These are awesome covers.
Which one is your favorite?
His Darkest Salvation sounds really great.Congrats on its upcoming release.
elaing8(at)netscape(dot)net
Great interview I really enjoyed it. I love reading any and all kind of shifter stories. I can't wait to read your series.
sstrode at scrtc dot com
I haven't read any of the series as yet but they certainly sound like action packed adventures.
As the author is new to me, I was just wondering if she writes or plans to write in any other genres ?
Thanks for the giveaway and especially for opening it to worldwide entries.
Carol T
buddytho {at} gmail DOT com
I have not read Juliana'stories but they sound really different and what a transformation Julian must have gone through to become a part of his brothers' world.
mce1011 AT aol DOT com
A really great interview. A new author to me, I really like the sound of your books. Love reading about shifters. Off to find out more about this series.
Gibson is adorable!!
Jean
skpetal at hotmail dot com
I enjoyed the interview. I love reading paranormal books. I have never read about cat shifters before. I would love to read your books. Please enter me in contest. Tore923@aol.com
I am interested in the idea of a character that has spent time in hell. I love to find out how an author is going to work around that kind of issue. Thanks for the giveaway.
jepebATverizonDOTnet
Congrats on the release!
The new series sounds pretty good too, looking forward to it.
bacchus76 at myself dot com
@Juliana: Thanks for answering my question
What an interesting and enjoyable interview post. Thanks for sharing and let me just say how much I love big Cat shifters. Thanks for the chance to win.
Carol L
Lucky4750 (at) aol (dot) com
Great interview! The books sound awesome and Gibson is adorable. I enjoyed the eye candy too.
marlenebreakfield(at)yahoo(dot)com
Julian!! I'm excited to read his book for him but I'm also looking forward to seeing Jaxon and Jagger again. Love those Castille men 🙂
Stephanie G
sgradel(at)gmail(dot)com
Great interview! I've been meaning to read these books as I keep hearing buzz about them. Please count me in! 🙂
hankts AT internode DOT on DOT net
great interview . i havent read this series yet but now I really want to
meandi09@yahoo.com
I would love to read the Jaguar Warriors series! First, I love stories about shapeshifters, especially big cat shifters such as jaguars and lions. I love the sensuality of these shifters and the playfulness. I also really love a passionate story, so I'm sure I'd love these!
angeldream3[AT]gmail[DOT]com