Spotlight & Giveaway: Bad Moon Rising by Zoe Forward

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Zoe Forward to HJ!

Hi Zoe and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, Bad Moon Rising!

 
Thank you for having me visit.
 

Please summarize the book a la Twitter style for the readers here:

Don’t miss the first in this new paranormal romance action adventure series.
It’s Bourne meets Winter Soldier! #paranormalromance #shifters #vampires #urbanfantasy
✺ amnesia
✺ forbidden love
✺ shifters
✺ forced protector
 

Please share the opening lines of this book:

She had no clue how she ended up in a car, with a low-tech cell phone on her lap, a Zippo lighter in her hand, and a printed map with directions to a club located in the heart of Berlin.
She silenced the phone’s on-the-minute countdown timer. 00:21:58.

Please share a few Fun facts about this book…

• 4 lycan brothers magically cursed into serving the monarch of England to fight inhuman terrorists
• An amnesic woman who remembers nothing of her past, not even what she is. Every moment is a new and unsettling insight into her gifts, her dangerous skills, and who she is.
• A conglomerate terrorist organization of megalomaniacs captures nonhumans to brainwash them to become brain-controlled mercenaries, and sells them to the highest bidders.
• A Latin vampire who appears at the right and very wrong moments that may or may not be in cahoots with the enemy.

What first attracts your Hero to the Heroine and vice versa?

For our heroine, Nova, Roman might be attractive, like…tongue-lolling-on-the-floor hot, but above that, the growly lycan oozes power and unpredictability. The concept he might attack her outright both intimidated and excited her. But ultimately what gets her is his loyalty, honor and intense protective nature.
For our hero, Roman, he might be spooked initially by her finding him when no one’s supposed to know he exists but her outrageous smart mouth, bravery and persistence break through the gruff exterior.
 

Using just 5 words, how would you describe Hero and Heroine’s love affair?

Magic-curse complicates smoldering to incinerating love.
 

The First Kiss…

“I should be dead. But I’m not human, am I?” She swiped a tear of frustration off her face. “Whatever I am makes me stronger, faster, and scary as hell when fighting. I changed, scaled the top of a moving truck, and fought a guy shooting a gun at me.” She ran her hand across her face to wipe away the tears. “I’m a mess. The mud in that ravine got in all the cracks, even my underwear. But the injuries are already almost gone, and somehow, I know all this will heal. Based on you being all pissy, I assume your meeting didn’t go well.”
“It took an unanticipated turn.” His tone was odd as he continued to stare at her.
“What exactly do you do that involves secrecy and the Crown?”
“I can’t tell you.” Something about how he looked at her was different. Her skin tingled like it had before she’d shifted. Survival instinct flared.
“Did they order you to…kill me?” It came out of her on a fatigued exhale. Her shoulders drooped.
His face remained remote as if trying to wall off emotion. He neither confirmed nor denied, which might as well have been a screaming affirmative.
She dropped her chin.
He said nothing, so she looked up. He stared intently at her, making her almost shrink in place under the gaze of those thunderous eyes.
“Is this when you tell me to leave again?” she asked. “Would you go?”
“If they ordered you to kill me, wouldn’t you be forced to come after me? To hunt me down? So, what’s the point in me running unless you like the hunt?”
He pushed his hand through his dark hair and stepped away from her. Frustration oozed from him. Seeing him start to lose some of his composure made him less threatening. He wasn’t the robot assassin. She wanted to run her fingers through his thick hair and down his scruff-roughened chiseled jawline to soothe him. Would her touch, if done in comfort, affect him the way she suspected his touch would destroy her?
From the way he simply stared at her, she guessed yes. The silence was killing her. “What’s going on here?” “No idea.” He muttered something under his breath that she couldn’t make out.
He stepped toward her and slid a finger under her chin to tilt her face upward. Their eyes met and held. “I’m sorry someone hurt you. That you had to fight for your life and went through a windshield.” In a whisper, he added, “I should’ve been there.”
The grit in his voice, the despair, as if he’d let her down, packed one hell of a punch.
What was she supposed to do with that?
Oh dear…God. His hold on her face, how his thumb gently stroked over the skin on her jaw…
How he moved in so she could feel the hard surfaces of his body, the concrete chest and abs…
All of it swirled together, turning her mind to mush, which was bad when she needed to remain alert. Death… her death was on the line. But she was about to make a very bad decision to let him do whatever the hell he wanted after that declaration.
“I made a promise to erase Dom’s kiss. To make you forget. I never go back on my promises.”
Like his promise to help her get answers?
He didn’t lower his head, but stood there, hesitant. “You’re too hurt right now.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake.” She slid her good hand up his shoulders and neck. His muscles twitched under her touch, and his chest rose and fell more rapidly. Feeling how much just her hand on him affected him encouraged her to continue. Cradling the back of his head, she pressed her body into his. As she pulled him toward her mouth, his incredible size and power registered but didn’t intimidate. Didn’t scare her.
Her mouth touched his. Warmth on warmth. Once… Twice… Three times. His lips were a lot softer than they appeared. The roughness of his facial scruff scratched her skin.
He did nothing in return. She couldn’t force him to act.
She began to pull away, but one of his hands spanned the back of her neck, keeping her in place. Then his lips moved over hers, at first tentative with the lightest touch as if he expected hell and damnation to rain down. Then he pressed in for a real kiss, pulling her tight to him until every possible part of his hard body made contact with hers.
Wow. Oh wow. She forgot about all external pain. Electricity shot through her. This was a kiss.
He moved his hands to either side of her face. Her heart swelled from how much the move made her feel cherished. This wasn’t the move of a spy-assassin-killer about to ram a knife in her gut. His mouth returned to hers and moved down her neck to her shoulder to lick over one of her wounds. “Your beautiful skin this damaged makes me furious. If that asshole wasn’t dead, I’d rip him to shreds.”

Without revealing too much, what is your favorite scene in the book?

He returned to the table with a pile of pastries and two coffees.
“Hungry?” she asked.
“Let’s figure out what you like.” He waved at the pastries. How thoughtful.
She picked up a small biscuit cookie to nibble but shook her head. “Too crunchy.”
“Try the scone,” he recommended.
One bite. “Nope. No scones. Maybe I’m not a pastry person.”
“I’m taking notes over here.” He almost spit out his sip of coffee from laughter when she had to empty her mouth into a small napkin after biting into a cheesy sweet concoction.
“Sorry.” Her face went hot. “I’ll stick with croissants. What about you? What do you like?”
He shrugged. “I’m not picky.”
“Is it bad to be picky? Does it mean I’m high maintenance?”
“Maybe you’re not into sweets.”
“If I dribbled chocolate all over you, I’d lick it off and like it.” She slapped a hand over her mouth. “Did I just say that out loud? Forget I said that.”
“No undoing that. It’s stuck in here.” He tapped his head. “Moon madness.”
“It’s mid-morning. There’s no moon in the sky.”
He peeked out the window. “Maybe not a full moon, but there’s one in the sky. This insanity is our bodies cranking up for the main event later today.”
His eyes traveled down her body and back up; he wet his lips with his tongue.
Her mind flashed back to the moment his lips were on hers, the way his fingers had dug into her, the desperation flowing from his fingertips. Things were about to get a lot more interesting as the day wore on.
In silence, they ate for a while.
She leaned back and stared at him. “You may have to answer to someone, but you like what you do most of the time. Why do you do it? Save humans against things that bump in the night?”
“I’m cursed to follow orders.”
“Sure, you’re forced into some things, but that only goes so far.”
He wiped a few crumbs off the table. “Perhaps so. It’s a good cause. Most of the time. Occasionally, the missions we’re ordered on are based on erroneous information.”
She reached out and put her hand over his. “I might be as bad as they made me out. I don’t remember. I appreciate you trying to help me figure it out, but if I start to show an inclination toward evil or world domination, do your job.”
He rotated his hand to hold hers and stared at their connection. “The fact you considered it means you’re not someone I should kill.”
“We don’t know.” She removed her hand from his. “Tell me something about yourself. What pastry do you like? Are you a scones person?”
He shook his head. “I’m not into a lot of sweets, but I’ve realized I like chocolate.”

If your book was optioned for a movie, what scene would be absolutely crucial to include?

She palpated the edges of the wound. “So, I’m like you…werewolf—no, lycan? Am I some sort of science experiment?”
He became utterly still, giving her a chance to see he wasn’t lying when he said this. “You’re not human. You have to remember this. I don’t know how one of us could ever believe otherwise, even if we lost our memory. Maybe if someone hypnotized you into believing yourself human, I could buy you not remembering. Knowing what you are is as basic as knowing how to walk. We are lycanthropes. Lycans.”
No one said anything for several long moments of silence. Even Flynn seemed to have stopped breathing from wherever he stood behind them. Flynn was probably looking at her again. Why did that make him want to punch his brother, whom he trusted with his life?
Skepticism laced her tone. “Can I change into a dog or something?”
“No. That’s a human urban myth. We do change to become stronger when necessary, like I did in the hangar. In our feral form, we can do many superhuman things, but it’s not an ugly creature covered in hair like in the movies. You almost did the shift at the club. It’s why I distracted you both times. You can’t do that in public.”
“You’re lycan, too, Flynn?” she asked. “Does that mean you both got bitten at the same time?”
“What?” Flynn shot a shocked glance at Roman. “Bitten? What the actual hell?”
“Chill. She’s got no clue,” Roman said in a calm tone.
“Of course I’m lycan.” At her skeptical eyebrow raise, Flynn groaned theatrically and rolled his eyes. “It’s genetic, not something like in the movies where a bite will turn you. I was born this way. My parents were 100 percent lycan, as were theirs. And yours. It’s a different species than humans.”
She asked, “Why do I believe so strongly I’m a person, that I’m human?”
Roman shrugged
“Superspeed healing?” She touched her side.
“The older we get, the more rapidly we heal. That speed means you must be at least fifty, maybe older.”
“How old are you?”
“A lot older.”
“You think I’m fifty? I look maybe early twenties.” She nibbled her lower lip. “How long do you…we live?”
Roman shrugged. “Centuries. I don’t know any that died of natural causes.”
“What about that spooky guy named Antonio? Is he like us?”
Both Roman and Flynn exchanged glances.
“You didn’t know what he was?” Flynn asked.
Roman said, “He’s a vampire, not exactly a friend of our species.” They had yet to pin down if Antonio was involved with the dealer who peddled black magic artifacts like the vial. But every time they found something deadly like it, he lurked about.
“Maybe that’s why I didn’t like him. Probably good I didn’t act on one of the five ways I envisioned he could die.”
He was staring at her.
“Yeah, probably smart,” he muttered.

Readers should read this book …

If you’re looking for a paranormal romantic escape that involves magic, action adventure, mystery, strong family bonds, and hotness, you shouldn’t miss this.

What are you currently working on? What other releases do you have planned?

The second in this Crown’s Wolves series should be released at the start of 2022. I’m now midway through drafting the third installment of the trilogy.
My contemporary romance, Bet You Still Think of Me, a second chance music romance, releases in January 2022 as part of the Desires After Dark Anthology.

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: $20 Amazon Gift Card

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: If you woke up with amnesia what type of shifter would you like to be the one to help you discover who you are and find love?

 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

 
 

Excerpt from Bad Moon Rising:

A bad guy? He smothered a smile at the naiveté of the
question. “Do you wish I was your heroic rescuer? That’s cute.”
“You didn’t do any rescuing. That part was all me.”
“I’m no one’s hero anyway. Most label me an abomination. It’s my lot in life. I do scary things beyond what you could even imagine. It’s why you’re best off if you get out of the car. Go your own way.”
“You do scary things? Like pick up a girl and murder her on the side of the road?”
“Are you frightened?”
“I’m terrified,” she said sarcastically without a hint of fear. “You lumped us together earlier when you said ‘our kind,’ so I assume I also do bad things.”
“You killed that guy in the club.”
“You mean the one who planned to shoot you in the heart?”
“I’m not saying I feel bad for him. Just pointing out murder’s not exactly a heroine move.”
“So I’m a bad girl? You like that, don’t you?” She stared out the window, her lips compressed against a smile. “I like it.”
Holy shit, she was incredible.
He dealt with the deadliest of preternatural creatures on a daily basis. His servitude to the Crown required he hunt down and destroy paranormal threats bent on power, greed, or world domination.
But he’d never encountered someone like her.

Excerpts. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

They are the ultimate weapon. The ultimate secret. They are the Crown’s wolves.

Lycan Roman Lanzo and his brothers are bound—by magic, no less—to serve the Crown of England. All he knows is honor, violence, blood, magic, and death. Which is exactly when he finds her. A rare female Lycan, gorgeous, fierce, powerful, and with no memory of who or what she is. Now everything in Roman’s blood wants to help her, protect her, and—damn it all to hell—want her.

Nova woke knowing only that her leather Goth get-up was riding up in the wrong places, and that she had to find Roman. Since then, every moment is a new and unsettling insight into her gifts, her dangerous skills, who she is, and what she wants…including this daunting, muscled Lycan whose name is tattooed on her skin.

But the Crown knows all about Nova. What she is, what she can do, and just how brutally dangerous a female Lycan can become. Now they want her put down for good. And they have their perfect weapon of choice… Roman
Book Links: Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Goodreads |
 
 

Meet the Author:

USA Today bestselling author, parent, wife, veterinarian, chocolate lover. Author of spicy paranormal and contemporary romances. Zoe Forward brings readers the perfect combination of action adventure, romance, humor and a bit of magic.
Her novels have won numerous awards including the Prism, Readers’ Choice Heart of Excellence, Golden Quill, Carolyn Readers Choice Award, and the Booksellers’ Best Award.
You can find her residing in the South with a menagerie of four-legged beasts and two wild kids.
Website | Facebook | Twitter | | Instagram |