Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
ISBN: Print – 1481981080
Ebook - 9781301450695
Number of pages: 454
Word Count: 114,679
Cover Artist: Gabriela Miyares
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Book Description:
After her clique's bullying causes a
classmate's suicide, Kat Grey trades the vicious world of the California
"in crowd" for the chance to become a better person in Massachusetts.
But when she steps in to protect a classmate from being bullied, Kat sparks a
war with Hannah, Milton Academy's resident Queen Bee.
Kat's courage and compassion attract the
attention of Blaze Ward, Hannah's ex-boyfriend. As they fall in love, Kat
discovers that Blaze is more than the boy next door. He's a warlock. He is also
the leader of an in-crowd like no other - the Brotherhood, five young warlocks
charged with defending witches and humanity from a demonic adversary named
Seth.
Kat challenges Blaze to become a better
man and leader while he helps her find redemption as she makes it her mission
to stop bullying at Milton. But when Hannah teams up with Seth to destroy her,
Kat becomes a hostage in the age-old war between the Brotherhood and their
greatest enemy. Saving Kat will require more than Blaze's strength and skill;
it will mean breaking one of his kind's most sacred laws. Blaze will have to
make a choice: his honor or Kat's life.
Interview:
- Where did you get the idea for the novel?
It first grew out
of a conversation I was having with my friend about what the ideal guy is like.
None of the Brothers in the book are perfect – that would be boring – but they
all have traits that I thought were essential for someone you want to be in a
relationship with, at least for me. For example, Blaze is strong, courageous,
intelligent, and puts others ahead of himself. Also, I’ve always been
interested in witches and magic, and this was my opportunity to build a world
around that! It was a lot of fun asking myself – now what would I do if I had
these powers?
- Your title. Who came up with it? Did you ever
change your title?
I came up with the
title Fire and Ice, and that was the
title from conception to completion.
- Which came first, the title or the
novel?
The title came to
me during the planning stages of the novel, before I started writing.
- Since becoming a writer, what’s the most
exciting thing to ever happen to you?
Without a doubt,
completing The Coven: Fire and Ice.
I’ve been writing for years – I started out with poetry and short stories but a
novel was my holy grail. It gave me a tremendous sense of accomplishment to
achieve that goal.
- What book are you currently reading or what
was the last book you read?
I’m reading “A
Discovery of Witches” by Deborah Harkness, ironically. I’ve wanted to read it
for a while since I’ve heard nothing but good things about the book.
- What was your first book that you ever wrote
(very first one you wrote, not published)?
The first book I
ever wrote was a nonfiction book actually. It was called “How to Succeed in
High School.” It was basically a manual for getting into college. I was the
first person in my family to go to college and I wanted to write a guide for
kids that didn’t think college was possible for them.
- What is your writing process?
I’m an outliner. I
devote a lot of time to plotting my books before I even start writing. I plot
chapter by chapter. It’s nothing super detailed, just the highlights of the plots.
I always like to know where I’m going. I find it easier to let the writing flow
once I know the direction I want to take. Simultaneously, I do a lot of work on
character development. I really try to get into my characters’ heads and get a
good grasp on their motivations. I have filled up whole notebooks on my
characters.
- Who are your favorite authors of all time?
I’ve been
influenced by a lot of writers across genres, all of whom have taught me
different things that I’ve used in my own work. Some of the most important for
me are Jhumpa Lahiri, JR Ward, Karen Cushman, Orhan Pamuk, John Ajvide
Lindqvist, and Naguib Mahfouz.
- At a book signing, do you just sign your name
or do you write a note? How do you come up with stuff to say?
I never just sign
my name. If I know the person, or have had a chance to interact with them, I
always write a personal note related to things we’ve talked about. At the very
least, I thank them for buying my book. Readers have a never-ending buffet of choices
and it’s an honor when they pick mine.
- What is something people would be surprised to
know about you?
I’ve been belly
dancing for five years. It’s completely incongruous with my persona – I have an
economics degree and I am an analyst now. But I LOVE belly dancing. It’s great
exercise and, like writing, is one of the key ways I express myself. It allows
me to stay in touch with my femininity and really increased my self-confidence.
Plus, I get to wear sparkly costumes with sequins and beads. What’s not to love
about that?
- How do you react to a bad review?
I won’t lie – they
hurt. Like all writers, I take my craft very seriously and my work is deeply
personal. That said, I respect other people’s opinions. We’re all entitled to
them. There are two kinds of negative reviews as well. First, there are those
that are really just mean spirited and hateful. I don’t pay any attention to
those. Then there are the kinds that are more like constructive critiques. I
try to hear those out because they can sometimes lead to improvements in my
writing.
- How did you celebrate the sale of your first
book?
I bought a pair of
killer heels that I’d been coveting for months. I finally had a reason I
deserved them!
Excerpt:
The body had left a spider web of cracks in Kat’s
windshield. Still wrapped in her seatbelt, Kat clutched the sides of her seat,
stricken with shock and fear. A rational
voice in the back of her head screamed at her to move, someone was injured,
maybe even dead. Trembling, she forced herself to get out of the car. On wobbly
legs she rounded the front of the Prius and scanned the area for the body.
Spotting a large, still lump lying in the grass, Kat sprinted over to the
person’s side. Kneeling, Kat placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. She couldn’t
detect any signs of blood; there was also no blood on her windshield. Whoever
he was, he smelled awful. Maybe it was a homeless person.
“Hello? Can you hear me?”
The man moved faster than the blink of an eye. One minute he
was lying immobile on the ground, the next he had his hand clamped on her mouth
and an arm around her throat. A shot of cold fear zoomed down Kat’s spine as
she felt herself being hoisted up. She kicked and thrashed in a desperate
attempt to get away, but the arm on her throat was like steel. Her cries were
muffled by the foul-smelling hand, and the stench of the grave enveloped her.
Kat thought she was going to faint until adrenaline and her fighting spirit
came to her rescue. She bit down on the stony fingers and used all her weight
when she stamped her foot on her attacker’s instep. The taste erupting in her
mouth was worse than the smell and made her want to vomit, but she concentrated
on wrenching herself free. The thing made no sound but jerked its hand back
from her sharp teeth. Kat used the opportunity to let out an ear piercing
shriek. Before it could silence her again, she tipped them both forward and
sent them sprawling toward the ground in a heap. Kat aimed another kick at its
stomach and managed to escape. It reached out and grabbed her foot but only
pulled off her sneaker.
Kat shot off into the night, racing back to her car. She
paid no attention to the gravel jabbing her shoeless foot as she ran. As she
ran she continued to scream, hoping someone, anyone, would hear her. Her thighs
burned as they ate up the distance, and she could hear her attacker gaining on
her from behind. Fear and a desire to live propelled her onward despite the
pain in her foot and throat, and tears ran down her cheeks from the biting
wind. Soon the Prius was in sight, but her attacker had almost closed the gap
between them. She could feel those disgusting fingers reaching out and trying
to grab her. Kat pressed on, even though every muscle in her body screamed to
stop.
Suddenly, a thick mist rolled in and enveloped the area,
blanketing everything. Because of it, Kat couldn’t see the exposed root
sticking up in her path. She tripped over it and pitched forward. As she fell, the
attacker’s hand grasped her hair, yanking it violently. Kat thought her neck
was going to break. She hoped it would, and that it would kill her before this
person, this thing could. She thought of the mother she was just getting to
know again, and felt sick. Then something hot streaked past her face, and the
ground beneath her shook.
“Kill the mist, Q! I need to see!”
Kat’s heart lifted – was someone coming to help her? She
didn’t want to believe, but then she heard another gruff, masculine voice.
“It’s not alone! Hold back till I clear this place!”
The mist receded, like water draining from a bathtub. Kat
was on the ground, and through her watery vision she could see two pairs of
boots racing toward her. Her attacker’s fist was still wound tightly in her
hair and she could hardly breathe for the stench. She tilted her face upward
and relief fled when she saw her saviors’ eyes cast an unearthly light in the
darkness, the color of the glowing embers of a fire.
“Oh my God,” Kat breathed.
Another shot – of lightning?! – whizzed past her. The
tension on her hair slackened. She heard a dull thud behind her as the blast of
whatever-it-was nailed her attacker in the chest and sent him flying backwards.
Her rescuers ran past her in a blur. One of them was a tall blond boy, the
other African American with close-cropped black hair. Her attacker tried to
crawl away from them but they surrounded him. The black boy brought his boot
down on his ankle, pinning him to the ground. The blond kicked him savagely in
the ribs, his body flipping over onto his back. He brought a knee down onto the
attacker’s scorched chest and placed his hands on either side of its head. The
blond boy’s hands glowed brightly as he twisted the attacker’s neck 180
degrees. A blinding white light filled the night, and the attacker’s body was
gone.
If Kat thought she was scared before, she was absolutely
terrified now. She pushed herself off the ground and tried to run away, but a
sharp pain in her ankle brought her back down. She must have sprained her ankle
when she tripped. Kat gritted her teeth against the pain and rose again. She
would crawl the last few feet to her Prius if need be, but come hell or high
water she was getting out of there.
“Hey, stop!”
Kat didn’t look back as she half ran, half hopped away. She
was almost to the Prius. Impossibly, the blond boy was right next to her in an
instant, blocking her path.
“Stop,” he commanded in a voice accustomed to being obeyed.
“Go to hell,” Kat spat back as she moved around him. She
tried to evade the long, powerful arms that reached out for her, but she was
too slow. Or rather he was unbelievably fast. On instinct, Kat fired her elbow
into his ribs. The blond let out a grunt and she slipped halfway out of his
grasp. He tried to regain his hold, but Kat reared back and scraped her nails
across his cheek. This made him angry, but she didn’t care. She was pissed. If
he took her, it wouldn’t be without a fight.
“Get away from me!” she screamed. Despite her best efforts,
he caught her again. His arms were like stone pinions around her.
“Relax,” he said into her ear in a deep, rich bass. “I’m not
going to hurt you.”
“You expect me to believe that! You just broke someone’s
neck!”
“You’re welcome, miss. It was a pleasure saving your life.”
Without thinking, Kat spat in his face.
A low whistle sounded behind him. It was the other boy.
“A girl who is immune to Blaze Ward’s charms – I do believe
this is a first.”
The one called Blaze lifted his right hand to wipe her spit
away, while still keeping her imprisoned in his left arm. She struggled against
his hard body uselessly.
“Do me a favor and hold onto her while I call Etienne.”
Oh no, there are more of them, Kat thought as she was passed
like a ragdoll between the two of them. The other boy held her just as tightly.
Her ankle throbbed. She thought about screaming again, but figured it was
impractical as there was no one else around.
Her captor leaned down to her ear and spoke to her in a calm
voice. “Don’t be afraid. We won’t hurt you. Just keep still and quiet. And
please keep your saliva to yourself.”
Blaze stepped away from them and closed his eyes. He made no
sound or movement, but he seemed to be reaching out to something or someone.
Moments later, another huge blond appeared with eyes as green as hers. Out of
thin air.
“Oh, good Lord,” Kat said aloud.
The new blond turned to look at her. “Crap – a norm. What’s
she doing here?”
“Dark One had her,” Blaze replied. “We rescued her.”
“And she thanked Blaze with a nice, big loogie,” Kat’s
captor said gleefully.
Mirth twinkled in the new blond’s eyes. “Did she see
anything?”
“Too much. Which is why I called you,” Blaze said.
“You need me to wipe her?”
“Please.”
Kat stiffened with terror. Her captor felt the change, and
rubbed her arm soothingly. “Calm down – he’s not talking about killing you.”
The new blond moved toward her. “No, baby. I promise this
won’t hurt, and you won’t remember any of this.”
“Get away from me,” Kat said in a hard, angry voice. He said
nothing, bringing his face closer to hers. Kat could make out the individual
hairs of his prickly stubble. His green eyes flashed gold.
Something pricked at Kat’s consciousness. She closed her
eyes and shook her head. The pricking continued, and some force deep within her
mind resisted. Kat squeezed her eyes and opened them again. The pricking
stopped, and she fixed him with a glare.
The blond frowned. “This one’s mind is strong. Most norms
would be drooling wrecks by now.”
“Try harder,” the first blond said.
Suddenly, a feeling of tremendous calm washed over Kat. Her
muscles relaxed, and the pain in her ankle drifted away. Those golden eyes
mesmerized her, held her in their sway. If her captor hadn’t been holding her,
she was sure she would have fallen to the ground. Her mind tried to fight back,
but this time it was impossible.
“You’re calm,” he whispered. “You’re safe, and warm.”
“Safe and warm,” Kat repeated drowsily, in spite of herself.
“Give her to me,” the first blond said. His voice sounded
far away and she nearly collapsed into his arms. He wrapped her arms around his
neck. Reaching down, he slipped an arm behind her knees and lifted her off the
ground. Cradling her to his chest, he turned to the others.
“Etienne, do something about her car. Q, conjure up another
shoe for her, will you?”
If she had been alert, she would have thought their
conversation was insane. But now all she could think of was sleep.
The one called Q stepped forward with her white and pink
Puma sneaker. Kat wondered idly where he had found it.
“I wonder who she is, and where she lives?” Blaze asked Q.
“Never seen her before. Probe her mind for it,” Q suggested.
“No need,” Etienne shouted. “Got her license here. Katherine
Grey, lives at 223 Shady Oak Lane.”
“Pretty sure she’s breaking curfew now,” Q said. “We should
get her home before she’s grounded for life.”
A thought occurred to Kat. “Text Mom,” she murmured.
Blaze shushed her. “Etienne, is there a phone over there?”
“Yup. Texting her mom now. Man, there are like 10 messages
from Momma Bear on this thing.”
“Q, go back to the others and make sure there are no more
Dark Ones roaming around. Etienne, drive her car back to her house. I’m going
to run ahead with her.”
Kat looked up at the young man holding her in his arms. His
handsome face was angular and sculpted, with high cheekbones and a strong,
masculine jaw. He must have felt her looking at him, because he peered down at
her. His narrowed eyes were a translucent, shimmering blue. She breathed
deeply, inhaling his scent. He smelled of sweat, dark spice, and pine. In spite
of herself, she felt completely safe and taken care of. He stared at her for
another second, and his eyes were inscrutable. The next thing Kat knew they
were moving, the night rushing past them at incredible speed.
Copyright 2013 Verdell Walker. All rights reserved.
About the Author:
Verdell Walker is the author of THE COVEN
series. Born and raised in the South, writing has been her escape from reality
for many years.
Verdell is an avid sports fan and
absolutely devoted to the Green Bay Packers. A gifted cook and baker, few
things make her happier than making a meal for her family and friends. Except
maybe writing about her favorite boys.
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