Thank you, Paula, for having me on your blog today to talk
about my new release, The Hunted.
The Hunted is the
second book in my Knight’s Academy series. It’s a paranormal novel about
vampires and werewolves. Think Twilight
but better. I’m joking, of course. It’s not a whole lot like Twilight.
In all seriousness, Twilight
was one of the inspirations for it, along with Vampire Academy and Bloodlines
series. But, it was inspired mostly from a dream I had.
In this dream, I had been kidnapped and locked away in a
tower. I was being held captive along with some other people, and then, I was
rescued. In the dream, as the guy was saving me, I knew that I was hiding from
vampires, and he was a vampire himself—but a good guy. He didn’t believe in
what the others were doing. Sounds familiar? My rescuer became Milo in the
books.
It’s funny. I never thought that I would write a book about
vampires and werewolves. I never thought people would even like it, but I’m
glad I wrote the books. They were so much fun to write! The characters have
been the most fun, I think. Let me introduce you to them.
We have Myka, the artist who never feels quite at home
anywhere. She’s looking for a place to belong, but she can’t find it anywhere
until she meets Brent and finds her way to the pack. She’s strong, at least I
think to think so. She’s mostly strong-willed and stubborn, though.
Then, we have Milo. He and Myka are kindred spirits. Milo
tows that line of human vs monster. He never really knows where he stands. Some
days, he feels more human. Others, he’s convinced he’s a monster and can’t be
saved. I love how raw and real he is.
I think Olivia is my favorite of the bunch. (Don’t tell
Brent.) She is sassy and bright. Liv loves others fiercely, and she isn’t
afraid to speak her mind. Her personality shines, and it’s easy to see why
everyone loves her.
Brent—he’s Mr. Beefy Arms, according to Liv anyway. He’s a
bit older, more experienced in the ways of the pack, but he’s undeniably drawn
in by Myka. He’s loyal, almost to a fault, but when he falls, he falls hard. He’s
valuable to the pack, as well. That’s why he was tasked with protecting Myka in
the first place. Though, some, like Milo, would argue that was a mistake.
Luka. *sigh* I love me some Luka. He may not be as hot as
the other guys in my book, but he’s adorable! He’s so cute. He’s like a little
kitten! Well, maybe not a kitten. But if I were to date a vampire, I think I’d
choose Luka. He may have been forced into his situation at Knight’s Academy,
but it was only to protect the people he loved. He would literally do anything
for them, to save them, to keep them safe. He’s almost perfect. Minus the whole
vampire thing anyway. Though, that might seal the deal for someone.
There are some more awesome characters in my books.
Including Preston. Just kidding. He’s the big bad baddie everyone hates. But in
all honesty, he was totally fun to write. Sometimes, it feels good to make
people hate someone so much!
I hope you’ll pick up a copy of The Hunted (or The Marked if
you haven’t started the series yet) and let me know what you think! I love
connecting with readers and having fun discussions about the series and these
characters!
Thanks for joining me on the tour! Stay tuned for more stops
this week!
The Hunted: Knight’s Academy Book 2
About The Hunted:
Myka Williams has been forced out of Knight's
Academy and is on the run, constantly moving to keep the vampires off her trail
until Preston's venom is no longer coursing through her veins. But she isn’t
alone.
Brent Jacobson is her protector, training her
and teaching her how to be the werewolf she’s destined to be. He's annoying,
stubborn—and hot. But there’s something he isn't telling her.
Myka has to come face-to-face with the truth of
who she really is. Will she find safety, or will she always be hunted?
Purchase The
Hunted:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2sEKaxh
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2sjkaIi
Nook: http://bit.ly/2tiwkCA
iTunes: http://apple.co/2tJbVJP
Add The Hunted to Goodreads:
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2tEjlgC
About Emerald Barnes:
Emerald Barnes resides in a small town in Mississippi and
has the accent to prove it. She’s an auntie, a youth leader, a Whovian, a
little bit of a nerd, a reader, a writer, and a family-oriented person. God is
number One in her life, and she thanks Him continuously for His love and favor.
She’s addicted to tv and binge-watching shows, and she has a thing for
superheroes.
Connect with
Emerald:
Author Contact:
Emerald is available
for personal appearances and interviews.
Excerpt One:
Preston had been hot on their trail for two months
now. The werewolves hoped the venom would be out of her system soon.
Apparently, Preston had been filling her full of it since she’d first been
assigned to him. It bothered her that she hadn’t known what he was doing, and
even now, the memories weren’t accessible. The only memory she had left of one
of his bites was when he’d kidnapped her and tried to make werewolf/vampire
babies with her. For all she knew, they still planned on capturing her and
using her for exactly that, and that’s why she had to go on the run with Brent.
There was something he wasn’t telling her, though. She had gathered that much,
but Brent wouldn’t let on to the real reason he had run away with her. It had
something to do with her birthmark, though he never opened up about it.
The worst part about being on the run was not
knowing when—if ever—she’d be able to see the people she cared about most. She
had to leave everyone behind: Jilly, Barry, and Olivia. Milo. What was worse, she had to leave a stupid letter about
running away because she was adopted. She couldn’t care less about that. Barry
and Jilly were her parents.
And then there was Milo. He knew the truth, but it
didn’t matter. Myka knew they couldn’t be together. He was a hybrid; she was a
werewolf. It wouldn’t work no matter how much she wanted it to. She exhaled
slowly and closed her eyes.
Brent’s phone rang, distracting her from her
pity-party. She stood from the bed and wondered if she should pick it up or
not. Brent would be angry if she did. She walked to it, knowing that she should
let it go to voicemail, but when she saw who was calling, there was no way she
could ignore it.
“Hello,” she said, her voice shaking and her
heartbeat pounding in her ears.
“Myka?” Milo whispered her name, and tears stung
her eyes. “How are you?”
“I’m fine.” Ugh,
that was lame, she thought. She was far from fine.
He hesitated before asking, “Where’s Brent?”
“In the shower. You want me to get him?”
“No. I’ll call back.”
She nodded, fully aware that he wouldn’t be able to
see her, but she couldn’t speak. All the emotions she’d been holding back
wanted to burst out right then, and she wanted to say so much. I miss you was on the tip of her tongue,
but she couldn’t say the words. It made everything seem too final.
“Myks, you
still there?” he asked.
“Yeah.” She wiped away a tear rolling down her
cheek. She refused to cry. “How’s Liv?”
“She’s good. Fighting mad that you left.” Milo
laughed, and she had forgotten how much she’d missed hearing it. She could
almost see the rare smile of his, the one he had around her and no one else.
“Will you tell her that I’m sorry?” Myka asked.
“I will.”
“Who did you call?!” Brent’s angry voice made her
jump. She turned around to see Brent, soaking wet and in nothing but a towel.
“No one. Milo called. I just answered.”
Myka put her hand on her hip, frustrated at the way
Brent was acting. He held out his hand, and she placed the phone in it.
“What do you want, bloodsucker?” Brent asked,
annoyance heavy in his tone.
Myka stared at Brent, her frustration faded as she
watched his chest move up and down with each breath he took and how the water
dripped off his body. The man was ripped. He was probably around six-foot-three
and around 220 pounds of pure muscle. His abs were well defined, extremely well
defined. She turned her head away as a hot blush burned her cheeks.
Brent swore, and Myka turned back to face him,
curiosity and fear coursing through her. His body was the last thing on her
mind at that moment. His eyes narrowed as he watched her, and she hoped that
anger wasn’t directed at her.
“Thanks for calling,” Brent said before hanging up
the phone and tossing it on the bed.
“Why did you answer?” he asked, his anger rising.
“I wanted to talk to him.”
Myka wasn’t backing down from Brent. She didn’t
regret her decision. Well, not much, at least.
“I told you that life is over. Stay away from him.”
Brent stormed back into the bathroom, and Myka
jumped as he slammed the door. Hot tears rolled down her cheeks, and she buried
her face in her hands. Something was going on at the academy, and Brent hadn’t
told her what. Was Olivia okay?
When Brent came back out, he had put on his jeans
and t-shirt, but his hair was still a wild mess. He looked sexy, but she pushed
that thought aside, focusing on her anger at him.
“You should
never answer my phone again. What if that hadn’t been Milo? What if it had been
Preston instead?” Brent ran his hands through his wet hair, making it stand on
end.
“But—”
Myka was about to go
off on him about how he wouldn’t let her
talk to Milo and that’s all she wanted,
but he interrupted her.
“Stop thinking about how much you miss that
bloodsucker and get over him. He’s not good for you, Myka. I don’t know why you
can’t see that!” He paused and paced the tiny space between her bed and the
bathroom. “I’m just trying to protect you.” His last words were barely a
whisper.
“I know. Thank you,” she whispered, matching his
tone. She knew everything he had risked for her, but she didn’t like being told
who she could and couldn’t talk to.
“Just be careful, kid. We can’t lose you to them.” Brent walked to Myka and leaned
close to her face. Her breath caught when he wiped away the tears on her cheeks.
“You’re too important.”
Excerpt Two:
She searched for the spare key that they always
kept under the mat. Not the safest place, but Jilly was certain no one would
find it there. Myka shook her head at the thought but was thankful that Jilly
hadn’t changed her mind about it. She unlocked the door and pushed it open as
quietly as she could. She shut the door just as quiet and let her eyes adjust
to the darkness.
She took in a deep breath. The air smelled of fresh
linen; Jilly’s choice of fragrance. She liked the idea that a home could smell
like fresh laundry. Myka basked in the scent, and tears formed in the corners
of her eyes. She didn’t realize how much she’d missed that smell.
A fast puff of breath rushed from her lungs when
someone pushed her against the door. The knob pushed into her back, taking her
breath from her and burning the muscles as she was pushed harder against it.
“It’s me! It’s me!” she cried when she found her
voice.
A light came on, and she saw Barry, hair
disheveled, staring back at her with a confused expression on his face. She
doubled over, catching her breath when he let her go. Jilly was by her side,
rubbing her back, and telling her that it would be all right.
“Myka, sweetie. I thought I’d never see you again,”
Jilly said through sobs.
“I didn’t think I’d ever see y’all again either,”
Myka answered, straightening herself.
Myka’s back ached, but she didn’t mind. Relief
flooded through her, knowing that they were still okay. She threw her arms
around Jilly and cried onto her shoulder.
“I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry,” she blubbered.
“You have nothing to apologize for,” Jilly said.
“You’re home now.”
Myka didn’t want to ruin the moment by telling them
that she couldn’t stay. Brent would come looking for her as soon as he woke up,
and he would follow her trail back here. She needed to be back before he woke.
“I’ll make
some coffee. Looks like we’re all gonna need it,” Barry said.
Myka ran her hand through her hair when Jilly let
her go. She didn’t stop to think about what she looked like. She didn’t want
them worrying about her, and if she was haggard in appearance, Jilly would
question her. She hadn’t thought far enough ahead to know what to say to them.
She just wanted to check on them.
Myka looked around the small kitchen and dining
room they stood in. It had just been a few months since she left for Knight’s
Academy, but it felt like it had been years. She took a seat on one of the
chairs at the table. She felt weary. From her run, from her life with Brent.
She was tired, and she wanted to make this place home again.
“When was the last time you ate?” Jilly asked, ever
the concerned mom.
“I had supper,” Myka answered, thinking about the
sad excuse for dinner Brent had made up. Snack cakes and potato chips.
“You look skinny. Have you been able to eat?” Jilly
continued to fuss over her.
Myka nodded. She needed time to think because she
knew the next question would be where she had been.
Barry stood at the coffee pot, watching it spit and
sputter out the last drops of coffee. Steam rose in the air, and the entire
kitchen filled with the scent of the hot coffee.
Barry poured each of them a mug and set them on the
table. Myka blew on the hot liquid, as she held the mug in her hands, letting
the warmth flow through her. Barry took a seat, and she could feel them
watching her. She couldn’t meet their eyes. Not when so much was left unspoken.
“So are we just gonna ignore the elephant in the
room?” Barry asked.
Jilly answered first. “He’s right, Myka. Where have
you been? Why haven’t you called?”
“I just haven’t had the time,” she answered, still
staring at the hot coffee in her hands.
“You haven’t had the time to tell your parents
where you’ve been? That you were alive?”
Barry said, his voice raising.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I never meant to hurt
you.”
“But you did,” he said, ripping her heart in two.
Tears slid down her cheeks again, and she wiped
them away.
“I know saying I’m sorry isn’t enough.” She braved
a look at them, and it only hurt her
more. “But, please believe me when I tell you that I didn’t mean for this to
happen.”
“What does that even mean?” Jilly asked. Concern
choked her voice. “What aren’t you telling us?”
Myka shook her head. She didn’t need to bring this
up. She couldn’t. To keep from having to speak, she took a drink of her coffee.
The hot liquid burned her tongue, but she swallowed it down anyway.
She braved another look at her parents. It was now
or never. She could tell them the truth. Tell them everything that was going on
in her life. She wanted to, so she took in a deep breath, about to speak the
words, but then shut her mouth. They would throw her into the psychiatric ward
at the hospital. They wouldn’t believe in werewolves and vampires. They
especially wouldn’t believe that she
was a werewolf.
“There’s nothing to tell,” Myka said. “I ran away
to find my real parents.”
“And how’s that going?” Barry asked.
Myka looked at him. He crossed his arms over his chest and stared her down. She looked
away. That look made her want to divulge every little detail from the very
beginning.
“Not as well as expected.”
“Mmm-hmm. I see,” he
said.
He didn’t believe her.
“I need to go,” she said, standing. “This was a
mistake.”
“Wait,” Jilly said. “You can’t go.”
“I have to.”
Myka walked around the table, toward the door, but
Barry stood in front of it, blocking her escape.
“You’re lying, Myka. I always know when you’re
lying,” he said.
“You know nothing about me,” she said. “You never
had anything to do with me.”
Grief welled up in his eyes, and she felt horrible.
“I know more than you think.”
She sat down in the nearest chair, absorbing his
words. “What are you talking about?”
This conversation was taking a toll on her. She
just wanted to make sure that they were still alive. That was all.
“Myka, I have to tell you something,” Barry said.
Barry’s eyes narrowed like he was remembering something that happened a long
time ago. Jilly placed a hand on her shoulder. Myka fidgeted in her seat as
anxiety rose up inside of her. She stared at Barry, waiting for him to speak.
“I’m your dad,” he blurted out.
“I know. You adopted me.”
“No. I mean that I’m your real dad. Your mother
passed away right after she had you.”
Myka stood and faced Jilly. Jilly’s lips were
pursed, and her eyes watered. He was telling the truth. She fell into the chair
again.
“Why didn’t you tell me this before?” Myka’s voice
rose an octave.
“We didn’t think it would help. Jilly adopted you,
and that’s what you overheard.”
“But I’m your daughter? By blood? You should have
told me.”
“I know. I just—there was too much at stake,” he
stammered.
“Jilly, what is he talking about?”
Myka turned to Jilly. She needed answers. Now.
“Because of
what your mom was, and because of what we think you are now,” Jilly said.
They knew. They knew she
was a werewolf.
