Spotlight & Giveaway: Leashed by Katja Desjarlais

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Katja Desjarlais to HJ!

Hi Katja Desjarlais and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, Leashed!

To start off, can you please tell us a little bit about this book?:

LEASHED is Bo Echidna’s story, a hellhound from the banks of the Styx who lives for his vices and revels in his bad luck. He serves the will of Hades but bows Dionysus, his existence a push for the next surge of adrenaline to carry him through the unending monotony of existence.

Unlike Bo and his many vices, librarian and arts student Sage Marcellus’s only crutch is caffeine, the fuel pushing her through her revolving schedule of two jobs, school, and her position as Nixon’s Girlfriend. She’s everything Bo isn’t: accommodating and quiet, living in the periphery of her own life until she meets Bo.

While Bo and Sage struggle to fight their growing attraction to each other, ancient forces and grudges are working in the background to ensure Bo never gets his happily ever after. With the decks stacked against him, Bo is pushed to play a rigged game of luck to beat Fate at her own game.
 

Please share your favorite lines or quote(s) from this book:

There was a movement in the shrubs framing the complex and Bo stilled a moment. “What’re you reading?”
“Werewolf love triangle,” Sage said, holding it up to show him the cover. “Escapism at its finest.”
He snorted and leaned forward, taking the book from her hand and reading over the blurb on the back. “How the hell is this escapism?” he asked, glancing back at the cover. “I’m four into that vampire series and it’s stressful.”
She cracked a smile. “Stressful?”
He passed the book over and lounged back, his size looking ridiculous against the delicate weave of the wicker chair. “Well, yeah. Every guy knows romance is roses and wine and chocolate, but there was none of that in any of the books. So how the hell do they count as romance? It’s kind of stressful to know your average guy could do none of that stuff and still end up married.” He shoved his hand roughly through his hair to push it out of his eyes.
“So, becoming an accidental romancer freaks you out?”
“Sure the hell does,” he stated, playing with a loose thread on his shredded jeans. “How’s your average guy supposed to know what to avoid when the things that are romantic aren’t even in books about romance?”

What inspired this book?

LEASHED is the second standalone Hellhounds book. The series was inspired by a drive through Joshua Tree National Park at night during one of our family vacations and the tales my husband told me about of black dogs seen on highways shortly before drivers crashed. Rather than think about the fact we were well and truly lost on the dirt roads winding through the park, my imagination took over and created a book.

How did you ‘get to know’ your main characters? Did they ever surprise you?

Sage is a lovely woman who is intelligent, driven, and compassionate. She has a passion for art and reads romance novels to escape. Getting to know her was easy because I know women like Sage, quiet women with deep souls and beautiful laughs.

Pulling Bo’s strength out to the forefront was more difficult than I expected. So much about him is weighted and jagged, so bringing out his best was tricky to do without losing those core traits which make Bo who he is. Learning about him came with time as the story unfolded, and most times his actions and reactions meant I needed to look deeper into the why, into the reason he did or said something instead of taking it at face value.

What was your favorite scene to write?

Most of my favorite scenes to write were the ones where Bo and Sage’s very different yet complementary personalities shone through. She’s polite and sweet, he’s everything but. Once Sage got Bo into reading romance novels, their interactions became even more fun to write.

Sage followed Bo out the door, one eye on his locked-down expression as they rode the elevator in silence. He opened the passenger door for her and she climbed into his truck, catching sight of the third book of the vampire series sitting on his dash. Bo fumbled with his keys, cursing a streak under his breath while he got hold of them and started the engine.
“Kind of a dick in the morning, aren’t you, Sunshine?” she asked, clapping her hand over her mouth as the snarky words leapt from her.
His hand froze on his seatbelt.
“I’m so sorry,” she gasped. “That was so, so rude.”
He shook his head and tucked his hair behind his ears, adjusting the rearview mirror. “Sunshine?”
She winced. “I’m so—”
“You have got to stop apologizing for sh . . . for stuff,” he huffed, signaling and easing onto the road. “And ‘dick’ is my default mode for pretty much every situation.” He glanced over at her. “Every situation.”
Refusing to acknowledge the blatant innuendo accenting his point, she feigned interest in the radio. “How do I turn this on?”
“Same way you turn anything on. Push the right buttons.”
She bit her cheek to hide a smile. “Are you going to be inappropriate the whole drive to the library?”
Turning the stereo on, he motioned towards the book on the dash. “I’ve been reading soft-core vamp porn for two nights straight. This is me censoring myself.”

What was the most difficult scene to write?

Dionysus was front and center for some of the hardest scenes to write in this book. His influence is so strong and Bo isn’t always able to resist. Writing those moments was tough because I wanted to portray the struggle Bo faced without turning him into a martyr or letting him rely on an outside strength to carry him.

“From you too,” Ryan stated, glancing back at Dionysus. “I need to do this.”
Lifting a brow, Bo straightened up. “Last time one of my brothers said that, he was enchanted by a succubus.”
“Her name’s Charlotte, and Alex will kill you if he hears you call her that,” Ryan grinned, holding his fist out until Bo bumped it with his own. “I’m off.”
He shut the door and stepped back, watching the car until it disappeared over the hill.
“Come here, boy!” Dio yelled from the forest. “We’ve got some misery to drown.”
He took a step forward, stumbling when he felt the warring beasts inside him rear up, one reaching for the wine, the other dragging him away. “I can’t, Dio,” he grunted, the pain radiating through every nerve in his body.
“Sure you can.” The old god chuckled. “One step in front of the next.”
Shaking his head, he remained rooted on the spot as the agony eased into a dull ache. “Let me put it this way. I don’t want to.”
They stared each other down, Dio finally relenting with the surrender of his hands, the amphorae dropping to the ground and splashing the wine at his feet. “I’ll indulge this phase for now, Boreus. But you’d be wise not to test my patience.”

Would you say this book showcases your writing style or is it a departure for you?

LEASHED is definitely a showcase piece for my writing style. I love world-building and playing with the interactions between different personalities. Rough, damaged, borderline anti-heroes are my favorite to write because of the challenge to redeem them, to ensure they’re worthy of the heroine.

What do you want people to take away from reading this book?

I hope readers will fall in love with the Hellhounds world and the secondary characters who enrich the story. I love to play with my characters’ motives and intentions to blur the good-bad lines, so I’m eager to know how different characters are perceived by readers by the end of the book. Some may love Persephone, others may cringe away from her. The same goes for Dionysus, Hades, and the Fates. I’m as excited to hear opinions on those characters as much as I am about Sage and Bo.

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

I’m currently editing the third book in the Hellhound series, MUZZLED and the fourth book in my vampire series, PROVOCATION in preparation for release. I’m also wrapping up writing a four-book contemporary romance series this month and hope to rework the first in a new paranormal romance series provided I don’t detour into any of the other series ideas I have stashed away.

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: An ebook copy of Leashed & 3 Tule ebooks

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: Sage introduces Bo to paranormal romance books and he becomes hooked. What book series would you recommend to a guy if he came to you looking for his first foray into the romance genre?

 
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Excerpt from Leashed:

Bo Echidna ripped through the dense forest circling Rattlesnake Lake, the dim light of the quarter moon doing little to illuminate the rugged ground beneath his paws. Snarling as his shoulder broke through a low-lying branch, he added the sharp burn of the bleeding gash to the dull throb of his hangover and locked them both into the back of his mind while he gained the ground he’d lost early on.
Slowing long enough to scent the air, he changed course, veering in the direction his brother Ryan had gone. The woods began to thin out as he closed in on his fellow hellhound, and he pushed his muscles to overtake his older sibling, skidding to a stop when he hit the sandbar encircling the lake.
Chuffing his annoyance at losing the race, he used the back of his paw to shove his pitch-black fur from his eyes, grunting when fine grains of sand trickled onto his muzzle. Ryan stalked along the shoreline, assessing the solitude of the beach before padding back to the trees and nodding toward the frigid water.
With a gravelly growl, he rose to his feet, digging his paws into the ground to gain enough traction for a stronger start. Ryan’s tail slapped against his hindquarters and they bolted to the lake, Ryan breaching the still surface a split second before Bo barreled in, howling into the quiet night as the freezing water permeated his thick fur.
Adrenaline coursed through Bo’s veins as he swam deeper, rolling onto his back to stare up at the mountains surrounding their secluded winter swim hole. Ryan’s gentle splashing as he walked through the shallower waters of the shoreline was the only sound in the still night and he closed his eyes.
In this moment, Bo could almost pretend his freedom was real. Almost believe the Fates didn’t exist. Almost imagine he wasn’t a lackey for the God of Revelry. Almost think he was more than the show dog of a spoiled goddess.
But almost was never enough.
The temporary rush was already fading from his mind, the respite from his monotonous existence slipping from his grasp faster every time he reached for it. He couldn’t hit a peak high enough anymore. Couldn’t ride any wave long enough to stave off the restlessness deep in his bones. The thrill of the hunt wore off before his prey’s carcass hit the marbled floor beneath his master’s feet.
Nothing ignited him.
Not even the fires of hell.
Allowing himself to sink under the surface, he tracked Ryan’s movements through the relative stillness of the water, straining to listen as his brother moved in closer with the stealth of a trained hunter.
Knowing he was little more than a sitting duck in the middle of the lake, he righted himself, taking a deep breath and yelping in surprise as Ryan tackled him from above and dragged him back under. He kicked himself loose from his brother’s hold and burst through the surface, panting as Ryan swam off with an insolent flick of his tail.
Cursing inwardly, he dog-paddled to the beach and slumped along the sand to the tree line where Ryan sat waiting. Ensuring he was close enough to his brother for maximum spatter, Bo shook the water from his long fur and sauntered back through the forest toward the narrow road where Ryan’s car was parked.
When his vehicle came into view, Ryan trotted ahead, digging up the buried keys and taking up a sentry position at the bend in the path. Bo ducked into the shadows of the pines in preparation for his transformation, stilling when the treetops to his left trembled.
Anticipating his master’s arrival from the underworld, he braced himself for a shift of the land beneath his feet, holding position until he caught the scent of the God of Wine. With a roll of his eyes, he traded places with Ryan and padded over to meet Dionysus on the deserted road.
“Boreus, my boy,” the god called out, reaching over to scratch him under the chin with one hand while he set two amphorae on the roof of the car. “How’s my favorite companion doing?”
Ryan strode out from the shelter of the trees, transformation complete and the mark of Hades inked across his chest still dripping with lake water. “Your favorite companion is going to change before he even thinks of getting into my car.” Nodding pointedly toward the pines, he opened the trunk and grabbed his boxers. “What brings you topside, Dio?”
“Boredom,” the old god replied with a grin, kneeling down to give Bo’s ribs a vigorous rubdown. “What better reason is there?”
Dio’s influence warmed through his fur and into his body, the tendrils slithering into his head and narrowing his thoughts one by one until the need to partake in the wine of the gods monopolized his mind. Not bothering to hide out, he allowed his own transformation to take hold beside the vehicle, waiting until the tremor in his bones ended before he joined his brother, one eye on the amphorae. “Best fucking reason there is,” he concurred, grabbing his own boxers and hiking them up over his hips before he shook the water from his long blond hair, earning an unimpressed glare from Ryan.
“Hold still, boy. You too, Orion,” Dio commanded, smoothing his black beard as he stepped in close to examine the identical tattoos covering their backs. “That recent addition healed up nicely.”
Glancing over at his brother’s shoulder where the image of their last successful hunt was emblazoned with the mastery of an eons-old artist, he shrugged and picked up his shirt. Tugging it over his head, he cringed as the fabric brushed over the wound marring the exact replica on his own body. “They always do.”
Every one.
Every time.
Each face of the cursed Pirithous bloodline he and his two brothers were bound to eliminate was meticulously preserved on their skin as a macabre memento of their service to their master.
The mark of ownership on their chests hadn’t been enough.
Their boss had also desired a permanent tribute of loyalty.
And what Hades desired, Hades received.
With Persephone’s blessing.
Zipping the fly of his torn jeans, he snatched one of the amphora off the roof and opened it, taking a long swig of the heady wine inside. The incessant restlessness in his mind dulled as Dio’s liquor coated his tongue and temporarily satisfied the cravings the god’s touch ignited. “Nothing tops this shit. Best hair of the dog in existence.”
Uncorking his own vessel, Dio took a sip and grinned. “Let the revelry begin, boy.”
Someday, he’d fight the destiny the Fates had spun for him. Someday, he would break the hold Dionysus had over him with a single touch. Someday, he would tell the old god to find himself a new disciple to fuel his flagging power, to convince the spinner of Fate to tie another deity to him.
But today wasn’t the day.

Sage Marcellus rocked forward in her seat, urging her car to buck up and start for her. When it lumbered to life, she sat back in relief and set her phone on speaker with a laugh. “Sorry, honey. You still there?”
“Yeah, I’m here,” Nixon grumbled, the agitation in his voice piercing her good mood. “When are you going to take that thing in for repairs? Or, I don’t know, buy something newer?”
She closed her eyes for a moment, unwilling to rehash their monthly argument for the hundredth time. “Soon. How was work?”
While Nixon launched into a detailed account of a client he was wooing, she pulled onto the interstate and chugged her way to her shift at the library, her attention torn between her boyfriend’s work woes and the semis passing her at high speeds. When he went silent on her, she frowned at her phone. “I’m sorry, honey. What was that?”
“I said, I’ll be by around eight,” Nixon repeated.
“Damn,” she muttered, signaling as she exited the interstate and found herself in the wrong lane.
“Excuse me?”
“Oh jeez.” She sighed, waving at the elderly woman who let her in. “Sorry. I got over too far on the underpass. I was asked to cover an extra shift at the library until two, then I’m at the lounge until eight. But I can meet you there at nine?”
Nixon went silent again for a moment. “You told me you weren’t going to take extra shifts anymore.”
Slowing to a crawl while she scanned the street for parking, she pulled into an open space, tucking her schoolbooks into her bag and touching up her lipstick in the rearview mirror. “I know, but Marie’s car wouldn’t start this morning and I was the only one available.”
“Fine,” he huffed, the annoyance in his voice loud and clear. “We can have a very late dinner then.”
“Sounds good, honey. See you then. Love you.”
“Yeah. Love you too.”
With a quick scan of the area, she hopped out of her car, heaved the clunky door shut, and placed the thick metal of her car key between her fingers. She tiptoed gingerly over the snow-covered sidewalk to the library and pulled the heavy glass door open, smiling at one of her regular patrons as she walked over to the desk and tucked her purse under the counter.
She was halfway through scanning the pile of returned books when the double doors swung open, a cold wind hitting her moments before she caught sight of the man who’d brought the gust in.
For a split second, her heart stopped.
He stood at the entrance and scanned the room with narrowed eyes, his thumbs hooked into the belt loops of his low-slung jeans. Well over six feet and broad-shouldered, his presence blocked the natural light coming from the exterior doors. The sun illuminated his long blond hair from behind as he walked over to her.
“Hey there,” he opened as he placed a hand on her desk and leaned in, his voice low and gravelly. “Do you have a phone I could use?”
Her eyes were drawn to the dark, slate-gray tattoo stamped across his chest. The symbol was vaguely familiar, and the thick lines reached deep into her memory while her fingers flexed with a subconscious desire to trace the ink.
“Miss? A phone?”
She blinked, her cheeks flushing when she looked up to find him waiting for her response. “I—”
“Sir,” her boss called over her shoulder. “You’re going to need to put a shirt on to be in here.”
The guy glanced down and tucked his tangled hair behind his ear. “Goddammit, Dio.” He met her eyes for a moment and she swore she felt her heart begin beating again before he turned and walked away.
She leaned forward a fraction to see the intricate tattoo covering his entire back, sitting back in disappointment when the door swung shut before she could make out the image. Shaking off the shiver the cold air had sent through her bones, she picked up the scanner, and the familiar stark tattoo faded from her mind as she got back to work.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

A good dog heels when Fate calls. Others take their chance in hell.

On earth, Hellhound Bo Echidna chases his vices and embraces his bad luck, hoping to ease the monotony of his immortal existence while he waits for his master’s call. Bound to the will of Hades and touched by the hand of Dionysus, he drifts from bar to bar and bed to bed on the hunt for his next rush, knowing it will never ease his eternal torment.

Librarian and art history student Sage Marcellus‘s only vice is the caffeine that fuels her revolving schedule of two jobs, school, and her passive position as Nixon’s Girlfriend. Accommodating and quiet, she lives in the periphery of her own life until she meets Bo, whose unexpected friendship leads Sage to ponder her life choices.

While Bo and Sage grapple with their growing attraction, ancient forces and grudges work against them to ensure that Bo never gets his happily ever after. And when Sage is in peril, Bo must play a rigged game against Fate to save them both.

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Meet the Author:

Katja Desjarlais is a music teacher by day and a paranormal romance writer by moonlight. She is an unapologetic music addict with an obsession for bad Bach puns despite her irrational aversion to Baroque. Her favorite words include ‘plethora’ and ‘dapper’, and she is physically repulsed by the word ‘moist’. Katja’s interest in the paranormal can be traced to her early childhood movie choices and to the collection of books she has stored on her phone for reading emergencies.

Desjarlais lives in northern Canada with her husband, three children, and polydactyl cat. Her summers are spent driving across North America with her family, while the long Canadian winters are made more bearable by attending heavy metal concerts.
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