Spotlight & Giveaway: The Rookie by Abigail Owen

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Abigail Owen to HJ!

Hi Abigail and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, The Rookie (Fire’s Edge #2)!

 
Hi! Thank you so much for having me HJ. Meeting readers is one of the best parts of what I do!
 

Please summarize the book for the readers here:

The Rookie is the second book in my Fire’s Edge series of dragon shifters (though it stands alone with its own HEA). This series is about the Enforcers of the dragon world (think SEALs / SWAT / judge/jury/executioner all rolled into a team). Aidan is the rookie of the group and out to prove himself, having pulled himself up from a rough start in life. Sera is a single mom and, low and behold, a dragon mate. She also dreams of Aidan every night. But the mark on her neck, indicating who her mate might be is a political nightmare. Especially for Aidan!
 

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

Damn, you’re tiny,” he said.
“How romantic.” Her lips tipped up, drawing his attention. “Is tiny a turn-on?”
“Tiny makes me…” Protective. Possessive. A total moron.

Aidan Paytah is going to be the death of my vibrator.

She gave a frantic little nod. “I need you to make it all better. Just for a minute. Even if it can’t last.”

The words pierced his heart, and the protectiveness he already resisted when it came to this woman surged in through the holes.

Please share a few Fun facts about this book…

• The main conflict of this series revolves around how dragons find their mates. It’s not a good system right now. Tune in to see if it gets fixed (or broken a little more first).
• The winery Sera owns in the story is based entirely on Boeger winery in northern California. When we lived in the area, we spent a lot of time there, and I loved bringing it to life in the book!
• Not everyone we think is good really is. And not everything we think is bad really is. (Sort of like real life that way, I guess.)
• Get ready to watch Sera go mama dragon on someone’s ass. 🙂

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

Aidan and Sera are destined mates, but that’s not what attracts them to start. To start with, both have obstacles in their lives that need to be overcome, and having a mate would make that exponentially harder. Plus, they don’t know Sera is a mate at first.

But Aidan is always looking out for Sera and her son Blake, who has elevated him to a bit of a hero. He’s done this from the first day they met (in The Boss) even though he had to wipe her memory of that moment. The way he is with Blake–that alone has Sera smitten.

For Aidan, Sera is his sunshine. She is always positive, always cheerful, and about making others happy, despite hardships that have come her way. For a man who is always serious, that’s catnip.

Did any scene have you blushing, crying or laughing while writing it? And Why?

Well, one scene had me sobbing while I wrote it. Unfortunately, I can’t give major details as it’s a pivotal scene where a character dies. My editor said, “No tears written on the page. Make the reader do all the crying.” I’ve been to my fair share of funerals. I included some of the more heartbreaking moments I’ve witnessed, and yeah. That did me in just writing it.

Here’s a snippet:

One by one, the dragons surround them lay down, wings rustling as they folded them back, glowing gazes fixed on their dying friend. All except Finn, who seemed to stand guard over all of them.
It struck her then, that each man must be talking to him silently, delivering their own messages through that telepathic link they shared. Private messages.
He’s still so alone.

Readers should read this book….

to fall in love with the characters. Aidan and Sera are destined mates, but the way they get from impossible to perfect is a journey for them both, and for Sera’s son Blake. Also, to see some dragons fly, fight, and… other things that begin with F. Lol.

What are you currently working on? What other releases do you have in the works?

Oh my. So many fun things!!!

A cross-over series (Inferno Rising) featuring the dragon kings kicks off with book #1 – The Rogue King – releasing July 30th both in eBook and in mass market paperback.

Just about to send Fire’s Edge #3 to my editor. Aiming at a release date in December.

The Blood King, Inferno Rising #2 is in edits now and will be releasing early 2020.

Then I just need to write Fire’s Edge #4, and Inferno Rising #s 3 & 4. Lol. But it’s all planned out!!!
 

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: $10 Amazon gift card and eBook copies of The Mate & The Boss!

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: Why do you think the idea of a fated love/fated mate is so appealing?

 
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Excerpt from The Rookie (Fire’s Edge #2):

The familiar sweet ache of fulfillment filled Sera’s body, warmth spreading out from her core. She wanted to revel in it, lie replete in her lover’s arms. Except Aidan had already faded from the unfocused mist of another realm.
“No,” she called after him. Don’t go. Don’t leave me.
The mist faded more. I’m dreaming.
The sting of disappointment wasn’t enough to lance the bubble surrounding her. She didn’t want to leave, or for the dream to end. Even as she tried to draw him back to her, to keep him with her, the dream slowly being replaced by cold, stark reality.
“No,” she moaned.
Strong hands at her shoulders, even more solid than in her dreams, yanked her the rest of the way into the real world. Her dream world faded, and she opened her eyes to collide with intense sky blue eyes. Concerned eyes. Searching eyes.
His name punched from her lips. “Aidan.”
The residual sensations from her dream, still buffeting her body, didn’t fade nearly as fast, leaving her both keyed up and needy. She never woke to the man leaning over her.
Just a taste.
Not thinking it through, Sera pushed up with one elbow and pressed her lips to his, needing that contact more than she could say. Aidan stiffened, but didn’t pull back. So, she kissed him again, lingering over the touch, savoring the taste of him, the citrus and smoke scent of him all around her. Strangely familiar, but she didn’t linger over that thought, too focused on the man.
This Aidan was real.
Before he could kiss her back, or she tried to take it further, the rest of her sleep-fog drifted away, and harsh reality intruded. She was in her bedroom, the pale light of early morning filtering in through the white blinds and curtains covering her window.
Aidan was here to keep her safe. Only to keep her safe.
I shouldn’t be doing this.
With a groan, Sera dropped back to the bed, flopping an arm across her eyes so she didn’t have to see his reaction. “Sorry.”
After a long silence, he cleared his throat. “You were having a nightmare.”
Sera huffed a bitter-tinted laugh at that. If he only knew. The things he’d done to her in that shower. “I’m fine now.”
She would be as soon as she could pull herself together. For that he needed to leave, but Aidan didn’t leave. His presence filled the room. Like always.
Curiosity pulled her arm down to find him staring at her, brows furrowed. “Can I help you with something?”

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

To escape exile, Aidan Paytah has had to prove himself worthy. Every second of every damn day. He fought with everything he had to earn his precarious place on the Huracán team of dragon shifter enforcers. He can’t fail or afford distractions, no matter how temptingly sweet. Total loyalty to the clans and dedication to his team is the only way.

Sera Morrison lost her parents and her husband in short order, leaving her a single mother running her family winery alone. Nothing could ever have prepared her for the discovery that she’s a destined dragon mate. But once she finds out, there’s only one man she wants—the one who walks away.

However, the Alliance Council has its own agenda. They want to use her as a political pawn and force a mating that could ultimately kill her to save the High King. Aidan has no choice but to kidnap her, even if it means their close proximity reinforces their own mating bond. And mating with him could end up being a far worse fate for Sera…
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Meet the Author:

Multi-award-winning paranormal romance author, Abigail Owen, loves plots that move hot and fast, feisty heroines with sass, alpha heroes with heart, a dash of snark, and oodles of sexy shifters! Other titles include wife, mother, Star Wars geek, ex-competitive skydiver, spreadsheet lover, Dr. Seuss quoter, eMBA, organizational guru, Texan, Aggie, and chocoholic.

Abigail grew up consuming books and exploring the world through her writing. She attempted to find a practical career related to her favorite pastime by earning a degree in English Rhetoric (Technical Writing). However, she swiftly discovered that writing without imagination is not nearly as fun as writing with it. She currently resides in Austin, Texas, with her own personal hero, her husband, and their two children, who are growing up way too fast.

Abigail also writes award-winning contemporary romance under the name Kadie Scott.

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