Spotlight & Giveaway: Soul of the Stone by Sharina Harris

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Sharina Harris to HJ!

Hi Sharina and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, Soul of the Stone!

 
Thanks! I’m so happy to be here!
 

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

A hybrid vampire, a lost love, and a race for survival. In Soul of the Stone, Khamari must protect his brother, the key to daywalking, while facing betrayal and a ruthless enemy. Texas, his former flame, uncovers dark truths about her own power and the Philosopher’s Stone. As alliances shift and a twisted quest for immortality looms, they must stop Alexander’s reign of darkness—before it’s too late. #Vampires #UrbanFantasy #SoulOfTheStone
 

Please share the opening lines of this book:

I’m fighting.
Fighting to control the unyielding power of the Maximus raging inside of me.
Fighting in the middle of Prussakovs’ state-of-the-art gym at the bottom of their immaculate mansion—because vampires invaded our Slayer Society’s headquarters nearly two months ago, forcing us out.
“Too slow.” Anton’s tight voice is like razor blades to a chalkboard. “Get in position.”

Please share a few Fun facts about this book…

• I traveled to Egypt and hired a Egyptologist for book research.
• I have a special playlist/soundtrack for Soul of the Stone.
• This series is inspired by my love of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the anime, Full Metal Alchemist.
• Alexander the Great is the villain in my story.
• My heroine is my favorite character to date – don’t tell the others.

What first attracts your main characters to each other?

They meet in high school. For Khamari he is instantly attracted to the no-nonsense band nerd lugging her saxophone down the hallway.

For Raven she likes that he is brave enough to get to know her despite the rumors about her dark past.
 

Using just 5 words, how would you describe your main characters”love affair?

Forbidden and second chance romance.
 

The First Kiss…

She mutters something I can’t understand.
“What’d you say?” I ask.
“Kiss me.” She grabs my face.
I can’t answer her demand because her lips hit mine, giving me all the chaotic energy swirling inside of her. I suck her lips, taking control of the rhythm, and rock her forward
in my lap. I savor all that sweetness for me. Only me.
Her kisses are more satisfying than the meal we had in the temple. I give everything—pouring in all the things I’ve felt since I left alone and stole her memories.
She breaks away, her breathing erratic. She squeezes her eyes shut. “This, uh…means nothing.”
“What?” I lick my bottom lip to make sure the sweetness hasn’t faded away.
“What just happened? That was a…I’m happy we’re alive kiss.”
I don’t let her words hurt me. That wasn’t a throwaway kiss.
Her heartbeat isn’t skipping—it’s damn near hopscotching in her chest. The blood in her veins sings a sweet song—a song much sweeter than that siren.

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

In the scene below, Texas, the vampire slayer, is exploring her powers to heal a hybrid vampire who is the hero’s older brother. The source of her power comes from her feelings…feelings she doesn’t want to face.

I remember that one time Khamari entered my dreams and we— I gasp, open my eyes, and the
energy stops flowing.
“What’s wrong?” Anton peers into my eyes. “You were
doing so well. And you had an immense surge just now.”
Nope. Nope. Nope.
All the nopes in the world. As a matter of fact, put the nopes in a shaker and make a nope margarita. I most certainly did not surge for my ex.
Girl, be serious. I shake my head and squeeze my eyes shut.
“Let’s try again,” Anton encourages me. I take a deep breath and plug into the good stuff.
“You’re humming with energy now.” Anton’s calm voice caresses my psyche. Relaxed again, I think about Khamari whispering things to me in the middle of the night, arms
closed around me. His warm breath tickles my neck.
Shit. Nope.
“Oh, another surge. Good. Keep thinking those thoughts.”
Thoughts of getting in his pants? Can do. Can totally do—for science. I’m about to heal the hell out of Khaven. Wait, no. This is wrong.
“Your energy is dipping.”
“N-no—”
“Don’t stop. No one knows what you’re thinking. You’re safe.”
“Jesus knows,” Khaven mutters, and I can tell he’s smirking.

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

*The end of book #2 which is the last fight scene. There’s a big reveal and emotional. I’ll just include a small snippet. *

His claws unfurl as he points to…me.
“It’s time you enter this dance.”
“A dance?” I step back, once, twice, but my feet stop dragging—it’s as if someone pressed pause on my muscles and squeezed, squeezed, squeezed.
“Time for you to fight, little bird.” He flicks his finger from me into the air. My body flies and drops like a sack of potatoes in front of Anton’s feet.
I slowly lift my head, look at Anton. His eyes are wide, and his battered body is shaking.
My fists rise and, like always, when we spar, my left foot slides forward and right leg back. But I’m not doing this. I’m not…I’m not in control.
My fists tremor, and I’m shaking, fighting whatever this foreign thing is inside of me.
“I…I can’t control myself.” My voice is a whimper.
“I know.” Anton exhales, and he looks very, very sorry.
“I was afraid he’d use this power.”
I curse Alexander as my body pulls itself up from the ground. My legs slide back. I sink into my fighting stance. My fists lift on its own, forming a barrier around my head.
I try, fail, to lower my fists. It’s like I’m arm-wrestling the Hulk.

Readers should read this book …

If they are a fan of angsty and action-packed paranormal romance between a vampire and a slayer.

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

I’m working on book #3 to end the series!

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: $10 gift card (will be gifted by Entangled).

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: “What would you choose: protect someone you love, even if it risks unleashing a great evil, or sacrifice them to save the world?”

 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

 
 

Excerpt from Soul of the Stone:

“I’m fine. It’s my birthday, after all.”
He sighs. “You don’t seem happy.” “Why should I be?” I sit beside him.
“Indeed.” He settles beside me. We sit in silence for a few minutes until he breaks it. “I’m sorry
about what happened yesterday. I’ve not been myself. And…and I know I’ve pushed you too hard. But this is not out of malice. It’s because I know what you’ll face.”
“Right.” I tug at the loose string on the sofa. “You don’t want me to turn dark.”
“There’s nothing wrong with your darkness. It’s a tool that you must learn to control.” He leans
back and does his Care Bear stare thing. He’s good at it, with one eye blue and the other hazel
green.
“I don’t want you to fail like I have against Alexander.” “You didn’t fail, you—”
“I am no match for my father. His strength is… overwhelming. Even with my magnificent sword,
Solphear, I could barely cut or burn his flesh.” He clenches his hand into a tight fist. “Right
now, you are no match for me, which means you are no match for Alexander. You must get stronger, and I know you can do it. I suspect…I suspect your distraction has something to do with the new vampire king.”
“Khamari?”
“Yes. Him,” he confirms, both soft and swift. “Does he visit you in your dreams? Is that the reason
you cannot sleep at night and cannot focus on training?”
“No, he hasn’t, not since…right after I became Maximus. He knows he’s not welcome. So no, he’s not a distraction. I don’t even think about him.”
“Are you sure you don’t think of him? Charlotte says you have experienced some trauma from his
abandonment.” He lifts his eyebrows.
His words shock me like a taser. Abandonment isn’t the right word. It makes it sound like he left me in a puddle of tears and that I can no longer receive company because of my inability to cope. No, what Khamari did was turn into a vampire (not his fault), then disappear and erase my memories (totally his fault).
Later, when he saw me again, he was all like “top of the morning to you, stranger.” Meanwhile, we gave our virginity to each other and exchanged I love yous less than a year ago.
But I’m not traumatized. I’m enraged. There’s an inferno in the pit of my stomach. It doesn’t eat
at me—it feeds me. And my daily thoughts of his demise stoke the fire.
“Charlotte’s wrong.” I snort. “And don’t tell me you’re getting advice from little Ms. Everyone
Needs Therapy.”
“Then what is it?” Anton presses. “What keeps you from sleeping? Is it Dakota?”
The flame inside me flickers and licks at my insides. Khamari’s not the only jerk in my life. Oh,
no. There’s my old roomie, Dakota, who pretended to be a meek mouse but ended up a traitorous mole. She let vampires into our academy, and they slaughtered scores of students and teachers.
I deflect. “How do you know I can’t sleep?”
“I’m half-human, not fully nocturnal. I can hear you— your tears and muted screams.” He focuses his rare eyes on me. It’s not the unusual color that pulls me in, but the ice in his eyes has thawed. He looks at me, genuinely looks at me like he wants to know me—who I am, not just how I’m doing. Like a friend.
But I’ve learned that making friends is the first step toward trouble.
“I’ll try to be quiet,” I whisper.
“Wait here.” He gets up and goes inside a room—his room—then he returns with a small, rounded box
the size of an air fryer. “For you.”
“Oh.” I take the box from his hands. It’s heavier than it looks. “What is this?”
“A CD player.” “A what?”
“It’s… You put a compact disc in it, and it plays music.” “Oh yeah. I saw this at a museum once,” I
tease.
He lets out an airy sigh. “It is old-fashioned, yes. But still usable.”
He presses the middle button and the flap releases, revealing a silver disc. “It has my favorite
sounds. Things that quiet my mind. It bears songs and chords and instruments from around the
world.”
“Thank you.”
“Play it anytime. It helped me. I hope it helps you now.”
He stands. “You’re strong and you fight well. I’m very proud of your progress. But I’m also very
sorry you must carry this burden. I’m sorry that I’ve added to it.” He lets out a breath, but it
doesn’t sound like frustration. “I’ve never had the pleasure of training a Maximus.”
“I…” My cheeks warm uncomfortably at the odd and infrequent compliment. “Thanks.”
“Of course.” He walks into his room and shuts the door. I clutch the player and hug it against my
stomach. I push down the lid and press play. The low hum of the gongs and chants vibrates my chest. After pausing the music, I walk upstairs to my room and place it on the nightstand.
“Listen to us. Listen to ME!” a woman shouts in my head. Her command seizes my muscles. I freeze.
“What do you want?” I ask.
“We want you,” the legion of voices shout at distinct tones and tempos and volume.
“And who the hell is we?” I whisper, my voice cracking.
“The one hundred souls trapped inside the stone want you.”

Excerpts. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

Slay like no one is watching…in the jaw-dropping, vamp-enemies-to-lovers sequel to Sign of the Slayer.

There are things I love about being a slayer. Being faster and stronger than everyone else? Love it. Taking down a bunch of evil bloodsuckers before they feed on the innocent? That’s my vibe. Working with the American Slayer Society and creating weapons out of thin air? Here for all of it.

But there are some things I didn’t sign up for, and they’re becoming increasingly harder to deal with. People making my life miserable, vampire treachery, heavy-as-all-hell responsibilities I didn’t ask for…all the pressure is growing. Exponentially.

I didn’t ask for any of it. Not the black-out rage that’s consuming my closest relationships. Not the lies fed to me by those I trusted—and even my own family. And definitely not the voices from the stone that follow me wherever I go. Guiding me. Taunting me. Haunting me.

Because there’s big work to do, and the greatest—and oldest—threat to humanity is now alive, kicking, and thirsty as hell. None of us are safe. And the only person who can help me is the one whose kiss can ignite my soul…or shatter it to a thousand slayer pieces.

Catching feelings is one thing. But following him into the underworld to save the world?

That’s an even more terrifying problem.
Book Links: Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Goodreads |
 
 

Meet the Author:

Sharina Harris earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Georgia State University. After college, she pursued a career in digital marketing and public relations. Although her profession required writing, she decided to pursue a career in writing in 2012.

Sharina’s contemporary romance series under the pen name, Rina Gray, was named Book Riot’s 100 Must‑Read Romantic Comedies. When not writing, she can be found with her head stuck in a book, rooting for her favorite NBA teams, and spending time with friends and family.
Website | Facebook | Twitter | | Instagram |