Alexandra Ivy's Blog, page 17

PrologueBehind the VeilGideon glided through the vaulted marble corridors of the Great Hall. A thick hush filled the ancient air, stirred only by the occasional rush of a scurrying servant. It was an unnatural silence. As a rule the spiderweb of corridors were filled with vampires seeking entrance to the vast library or attending the endless debates in one of the antechambers.There was no greater duty for a vampire than searching for knowledge. It was an insatiable thirst, and the only true desire that had remained since they had left the mortal plane to exist behind the Veil.It had been nearly two hundred years since the great vampire Nefri had used the Medallion to create the Veil. Two hundred years of serenity and utter peace.They had left behind the chaos and compulsive pas­sions of the mortal world. They had also left behind the bloodlust that had made vampires as savage and brutal as the humans they preyed upon.Since then it had been a time of immeasurable greatness for the Immortal Ones. Without the passions and hungers of the flesh they had reached a superior society that transcended any loss of powers they had suffered. Shape­shifting and mist walking that came only from the drinking of human blood were talents needed only for those who hunted.And vampires no longer hunted.Or they had not until this morning, Gideon sternly corrected.A frown marred the fiercely elegant features as he considered the shocking revelations the Great Council had bestowed upon him.It was near sacrilege to consider the notion that there would be traitors among the vampires. It was simply assumed that they had evolved far beyond petty jeal­ousy and the lust for power. Surely such superior beings would be above the flaws of mere mortals?Unfortunately there was no means of denying the startling truth that three powerful vampires had recently slipped through the Veil to the world of men. Or that they intended to battle for control of the Medallion.A chill threatened to pierce the magnificent calm that had shrouded about Gideon for two centuries.The traitors could not be allowed to gain command of the ancient artifact. With such raw power they could do untold damage. Including ripping the Veil to shreds and challenging the authority of the Great Council itself.The chaos that would ensue did not bear imagining, Gideon acknowledged with cold determination.Thank blessed Nefri that she had possessed the sense to realize the impending danger and had man­aged to separate the Medallion. She had then given the pieces to three maidens who had no notion of the power they held.The desperate measure had momentarily protected the Medallion from the clutches of the renegades, but it would only be a matter of time before they went in search of the maidens.Which was precisely why he had been summoned to the Great Hall. Almost reluctantly he glanced down at the dagger he held in his long, pale fingers. In the soft light it ap­peared nondescript with a smooth ivory handle. Only the trained eye of a vampire could detect the unmistak­able shimmer of magic that rippled over the steel blade. His frown deepened.The mere thought of killing another vampire was utterly repellant. It was perhaps the greatest of sins. He would as soon sacrifice himself. But he had his commands.He, Lucien and Sebastian were commanded to travel through the Veil and protect the maidens who unwit­tingly held the Medallion.By any means necessary.His fingers clenched about the dagger.Any means.

I have the first link to Fear the Darkness (Caine and Cassie's story) that will release Sept. 1st.http://www.amazon.com/Fear-Darkness-A... I get a chance I'll post a short excerpt here!Alex

I'll update the website once everything is settled. But for now I plan to attend Romcom in Denver in June, RWA in CA in July and AAD in New Orleans in Aug. All these events will have open booksignings, so I hope if you're in the area you'll have a chance to stop by and say hi!!Happy New Year,Alex

Another lovely review :http://unitedbybooks.blogspot.com/201... is the kind of leading lady I love! She is a sarcastic, strong lady, but underneath it all is just a woman with a passionate and vulnerable side. Ariyal turns into quite the leading man. I love how Ivy's leading men are never Prince Charmings, but show they have flaws. The banter and chemistry sizzles amongst the pages and you start rooting for the couple to overcome all obstacles. I wish there were more scenes with Levet. That is my only complaint. There is something about that little French gargoyle that always brings a smile to my face. Maybe it's because he catches all the ladies hearts, while irritating the males. This book has it all demons, spirits, wizards, trolls, ogres and zombies, Oh my! Ivy also gives you a taste of whats to come with Santiago and Nefri. The peek behind the veil has you wanting to see what will happen and leaves you wishing you could see it now. This Guardian's of Eternity fan will be holding her breath till I get my next fix in the world Ivy has created! By Lindsey with United By Books

Alexandra Ivy's characterization of these lovers is excellent. Hunters like Jaelyn endure brutal training and are bound by a strict code that governs their lives. It's literally beaten into them that intimacy and choosing a mate are forbidden. Jaelyn has many emotional scars from her difficult life, but she also has a conscience. The tough-as-nails, lethal killer is vulnerable. Ariyal has his own skeletons related to his past enslavement to the sadistic Morgana le Fey. He's also an extremely appealing hero: He has stunning bronze eyes, amazing strength and abilities and a magical, sensual aura that wraps around a reader. Together, Ariyal and Jaelyn wield significant power, and their sexual chemistry simmers and boils off the page. Witty, sarcastic banter adds good fun to an enemies-turned-lovers theme.A subplot involves the über-seductive vampire Santiago (I loved this guy), who is tasked with finding the missing Cassandra, a powerful werewolf prophet whose trail is extremely illusive. Santiago is assisted by Nefri, an extraordinary, immortal vampire with a fascinating background. I'm looking forward to reading the next books in the series to see what Alexandra Ivy has in store for these two!Alexandra Ivy embeds snippets of Arthurian legend in an imaginative, complex paranormal world. A variety of intriguing characters — including, mages, vampires, werewolves, fey, demons, spirits, wizards, trolls, ogres and, let's not forget, some nasty zombies resurrected by a necromancer (oh my!) — help advance the fast-paced plot. And there is Levet, an endearing miniature gargoyle with a French accent, who is a favorite recurring character in the series. Much to Ariyal's chagrin, Levet wheedles his way into Jaelyn's heart, which isn't easily won.Witty sarcasm provides laugh-out-loud dialogue and introspection that lightens even the darker scenes. Magic enhances ancient weaponry used in a number of well-choreographed action and battle sequences. Bound by Darkness is an exciting page-turner, and I found Alexandra Ivy's world extremely creative and clever. Ariyal and Jaelyn face nasty antagonists and dark evil, but at the end of the day readers are not left wanting for a special HEA.Bound by Darkness is the eighth book in the Guardians of Eternity series and the first Alexandra Ivy story I have read. I think this book could be enjoyed as a stand-alone, as the author provides considerable background development and explanation of the world's vernacular. This reader is definitely looking forward to reading more about the Guardians of Eternity.Lea Franczak lives in Toronto with her family, which includes three dogs and one cantankerous geriatric cat. She has been blogging and reviewing since 2008 and is one of the administrators at Book Lovers Inc. She is also an active member at Goodreads.

http://www.theromancereviews.com/view...

If you have some time tomorrow (Dec. 7th) I'll be doing a Twitter chat from 2-5 central time. Just hop on twitter and use the hashtag #AlexIvyChat to join in. I'd love, love to have some time to 'chat' about books, writing, or my lack of cooking skills. Anything you want :)

I've used Random.org to choose three winners!! Please send your snail mail address to:alexandraivy @ yahoo.comThe Grand Prize winner is:KassandraSecond Prize winner is:leleThird Prize winner is:Cindi PhillipsA huge thanks to everyone who entered and check back. I'm doing several blogs and interviews in the next couple of weeks with giveaways, and I believe most of them are open internationally!!!Happy Thanksgivings, stay safe and have a fabulous holiday!Best,Alex