I’ve got a lot to show you about Elle Hill and her book, Hunted Dreams.
I want to thank Goddess Fish Promotions for organizing a really fun tour!
Elle Hill is here to answer a couple of questions about writing her book. I have a hook to snag ya and a glimpse inside this exciting story.
And don’t forget to enter the awesome giveaway!
Elle Hill is here to answer a couple of questions about her writing process and her story. Enjoy this quick, fun interview.
When starting a new book, do the characters come first or the storyline?
Rewind about four years to the genesis of my Hunted Series universe and Hunted, the first novella that would populate it and my thoughts went something like this:
Wouldnβt it be cool if there were a community living under humanβs noses that bred women warriors and men magicians? Yeah, thatβs cool. And theyβd be at war with another supernatural group, one from whom they needed to protect humanity. Maybe that other group would eat humans. Not literally, though, βcause thatβs kinda gross. At war for centuries, these groups wouldnβt know life without fighting; they canβt imagine life without hatred and death. Children would be trained as soon as they could hold a weapon. The two different groups would probably shove their members under one roof in order to protect them. Heck, I imagine the warriors would even sport names with one syllable, since, during battle, itβs a lot easier to call out βBrenβ than βAnastasia.β
Β
Now imagine one of those woman warriors. What would she be like? Probably pretty no-nonsense. Even if she cared to, she wouldnβt know anything about dating or nail polish or playing board games. What would happen if this ascetic warrior met a peace-loving, sweet human guy? Sheβd probably feel as uncomfortable around tenderness as he would feel knowing an entire supernatural war has raged invisibly for centuries.
Throw in a black cat named Picante, and you have the foundation for Hunted.
As you can probably tell from the example above, my plots and characters tend to inform one another. My story ideas usually start out as a small, conceptual seed (βWhat kind of character development could we explore if the main character remains locked inside her own head throughout the book?β) that blossoms into character sketches and arches, which in turn branches into specific scenes and situations. Itβs all very organic.
Did the loop of nightmares lead to psychic vampires or vice versus?
In Hunted Dreams, Katana, the amnesiacΒ main character, remains locked in an endless parade of nightmares. She doesnβt even realize sheβs dreaming till a quarter of the way into the book, and only when Reed, the storyβs male protagonist, begins visiting her dreamscape.
The pair tries to figure out who she is and why she canβt wake up. They discover the second first: Katana is trapped inside her brain because supernatural beings named Leeches (AKA, the Broschi) subsist on painful human emotions, and they wanted a continuous supply of snacks.
So, in short, the psychic vampires induced Katanaβs endless nightmares, since the resulting pain, confusion, and terror benefit them mightily, that is, gustatorily.
Thanks so much for the opportunity to chat with you, Laura. Happy October!
Happy October to you too Elle. Hunted Dreams will be the perfect read for Halloween!
~~~~~
Hunted Dreams
by Elle Hill
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB
Her history, her whereabouts, her name: She knows nothing. Nothing but her current reality: a constant stream of horrific, surrealistic scenarios in which she fights not only monsters and unseen attackers but also her own pain and despair.
Reed JayvynΒ is an ex-Army vet, penniless and living in his truck. After saving a young man from attackers, he finds himself embroiled in a superhuman drama between the Broschi and the Clan, two groups engaged in a centuries-long war. Worse, he finds he is one of themβa Broschi, a psychic vampire that feeds off the pain of humans. But Reedβs greatest surprise comes each night, when he finds himself dreaming of a fierce, nameless woman.
She is dreaming. So says the handsome man who uses his heretofore latent psychic ability to flicker in and out of her dreamscape. With Reedβs help, she slowly learns more about who she is, why she is here, what trauma in her past keeps her locked inside her mind. Meanwhile, Reed explores his own heritage, discovering enemies and allies in unexpected places.
But most important to Reed is freeing this woman caught in an endless loop of nightmares, someone he considers in every way to be the woman of his dreams.
Β ~~~~
Hook
A woman trapped in an endless cycle of nightmares. A handsome hero committed to rescuing her. Itβs just like Sleeping Beauty β except the dreaming damsel is the sword wielder and the hero is a psychic vampire feeding off her pain.
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Enjoy this glimpse inside.
βThe Leeches got their nickname from the way they eat.β Reedβs voice was even.
βThey drink blood?β she breathed.
He shook his head. βA little less literal. The Broschi are empathic. They can feel and even evoke other peopleβs feelings, negative ones like fear, pain, horror.β
βSun and stars,β she breathed. She got it.
She got it.
βTheyβre eating me,β she said, and laughed, but not humorously. βThese superhuman, psychic Leech people are keeping me trapped in nightmares, eating my feelings.β Her chest felt heavy. She pressed her left hand against it and felt its gentle rise and fall.
None of this is real. All this drama, all this fear, all the pain and anger and malice. None of it exists except in the form of juicy brainwaves that these beings sip like mint juleps. No wonder she couldnβt die, couldnβt escape, couldnβt ever wake up.
Reedβs face was flushed, his nostrils wide. Her handsome hero. For a minute, she hated him, hated that he got to wake up, hated this situation, hated everything boxing her in this narrow world.
Katana glared at him for a moment. βIβm trapped in here,β she grated.
His face relaxed into compassion. Hers hardened.
βI know,β he said.
She stared at him for a moment longer. Finally, with a sigh, she leaned her head against the glass. βWho are you, Reed?β
βIβm a Leech, too, Katana.β
Β
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
An inveterate fan of fairy tales, particularly the darker ones, Elle pens paranormal romance. Her urban fantasies envision an alternate Los Angeles (or is it?) in which Leeches — scheming psychic vampires — and Hunters and Psychics — the beings that exist to thwart them — fight fierce, primal battles in the land of movie stars, silicone, and sunshine.
Born in Idaho during the height of disco, Elle Hill now chicken-pecks at the keyboard while rocking out to Donna Summer and KC and the Sunshine Band. She worked in Idaho for several years as a secretary and journalist before moving to California and selling her soul to academia. After receiving her PhD in Sociology, Elle Hill became a not-so-mild-mannered college instructor by night and a community activist during the remainder of her waking hours. Always a journalist and writer at heart, one of her favorite pastimes includes publishing commentary on the political and social states of the world; some of her thoughts are posted on her blog at ellehillauthor.blogspot.com.
Elle welcomes visitors to her website at www.ellehill.com. She also urges everyone to become a superhero and adopt their next non-human companion from a local animal shelter.
Links:
Blog: http://ellehillauthor.blogspot.com/
Website: http://www.ellehill.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Elle-Hill/155409064486649?ref=hl
Purchasing the book: http://www.amazon.com/Hunted-Dreams-ebook/dp/B00CHUEIIG
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Elle will be awarding a $50 Amazon Gift Certificate to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.
Click on the rafflecopter link below to enter.
Click on the button below for more fun posts on the tour.
Don’t forget to comment! The more you comment, the more chances to win.
Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!
For all of my giveaways go HERE.
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Thanks so much for featuring my thoughts and my goodies. Oh, and happy Monday! π
You’re most welcome. Just got home from work and there’s a party going on here! Look at all the awesome comments!
OMG! I would love to win an Amazon gift card! This is a great contest.
Thanks, Tiffany! I’m a huge Amazon fan, too! Best of luck with the giveaway!
I know what you mean. More Books!!!
Great cover Elle, and I really enjoyed the excerpt. Good luck on the tour.
Thanks so much for the well wishes, Violetta! The cover artist at Soul Mate Publishing is a genius. I’ll pass along your kind words.
Good luck winning the loot! π
Great cover Elle. I enjoyed the excerpt and wish you good luck on the tour.
Thanks for stopping by:)
Thank you for the background. I enjoyed reading through it.
So glad you enjoyed it! Best of luck with the gift card giveaway!
Love the premise of the book and the cover is awesome! I gotta read it!!! Lots of love, Emily
Thanks so much, Emily! I’ll pass your very kind words on to the Soul Mate Publishing cover artist. She’s pretty amazing.
Best of luck scoring some loot in the giveaway! π
Hi Emily! I thought you might like this one.
Thank you for hosting
I agree completely. Many thanks!
You’re welcome and thanks for another fun tour!
Sounds really creepy.
Yay! What an awesome compliment! π I like a little horror thrown in with my paranormal romance. Yes, it’s pretty dark, but it also has some funny bits in it.
Best of luck with the givewaway!
The better to scare you my dear. LOL A good time of year for this one.
Oooooh! Good point! I hadn’t thought of the Halloween angle. You wanna be my marketing director? π
Thanks, and good luck with the giveaway!
The story sounds very intriguing.
“Intriguing”? I like it! Thanks for the kind words, Rita, and best of luck with winning the gift card!
Sleeping Beauty with a twist – very cool premise!
Thanks muchly for the kind words, Linda. I’m a huge fan of fairy tales, esp when we give them a little tweak. π
Good luck winning some loot! Woot!
Fascinating stuff, Elle.
Thanks, Sarah! I like your very cerebral response, too. π
I wish you huge luck in winning the gift card.
Sounds very intense!
I think that’s the perfect word for it, Trix. It’s pretty darn intense. If you read it, I’d love to know what you think.
Good luck in the giveaway!
Sounds like my kind of book. It’s on my TBR list. I can’t wait to read it.
I’m pleased and honored to hear that, Janna! Once you read it, please let me know what you think! Huge thanks.
Oh, and good luck scoring some loot! π
Yep. This is one for our TBR for sure Janna!
Love the sound of this book and hope I win! Thank you again for an amazing giveaway!!!
Thanks so much for the kind words, and you’re welcome for the giveaway! I’m sending good vibes out for your eventual win. π
I’ve read this — and it’s even better than it sounds. You HAVE to read it! HAVE TO!
I couldn’t agree more. The fate of the nation — maybe even the world — depends on you all reading this book. Oh, and leaving a review on Amazon, of course. π
Thanks so much for the kind words, Lauri. Good luck with the giveaway.
No worries Lauri! I will definitely be reading this. My blogs all about books I’ve read and want to read.
Yay! Thanks for the ego boost. I hope you enjoy! π
Thanks for sharing the great excerpt and interview. Sounds like a good book. Thanks for sharing the giveaway. evamillien at gmail dot com
Hi Eva. Elle did a good job didn’t she? I had just as much fun putting the post together as ya’ll did reading it!
Thanks again. You have a fabulous group of readers.
Thank *you* for the kind and thoughtful reply! I wish you the best of luck in the giveaway!
My goodness! This book sounds wicked awesome! I am SO looking forward to reading it!
justforswag(AT)yahoo(DOT)com
“Wicked awesome” tickles my tail feathers! Thanks so much, Chelsea, for the awesome compliment. Good luck landing the loot! π
Sounds like a great read!!
I love paranormal romances!!
natasha_donohoo_8 at hotmail dot com
Me, too, Natasha! I hope you grab a copy and enjoy the heck out of it. π
Good luck scoring the gift card!
Very nice excerpt
bn100candg at hotmail dot com
Thanks so much! Best of luck to ya!
Thanks for the awesome giveaway, Elle!
Wish you all the best π
Huge thanks, Aline! I wish you tons of happiness and many wonderful books. π And good luck winning some loot!
This sounds like an awesome book! Definitely my kind of story. Also, many thanks for the giveaway π
~Veronica Vasquez~
Thank you for the chances to win! π
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