Seeker (Companion Book), Page 3

  Interview with Janie & Kai

  (My Crazy Book Obsession Book Blog)

  1. So Kai, if you hadn't been Turned, what do you think your life would have been like?

  Hmm, I don't know. I've lived this way for so long. I hardly remember what it's like to be 'normal' *pauses to think*. There've been so many people affected by my actions. My parents, Janie's dad...life would've definitely been better for them if I hadn't Turned. But, I also wouldn't have met Janie.

  2. Janie, besides kicking ass and ridding the world of evil, what's your favorite thing to do?

  I like to read. As you might imagine, it's hard to find the time. I hardly get any sleep as it is. When I get any downtime, I spend it catching up on sleep or training.

  3. Kai, if you could take Janie on a date, where would you take her?

  What, the streets of Baltimore don't count *laughs*? Seriously, I'm not sure. The last time I 'dated' someone was years ago. Janie's not really into bells and whistles, so it would probably be something low key, like a movie.

  4. Tell us one thing you love about each other.

  Kai: She's hot. Stubborn and impulsive, but definitely easy on the eyes.

  Janie: *smacks Kai on the arm*

  Kai: Okay, fine *laughs*. She's loyal and devoted, and would risk anything, including her life, to protect the people she cares for. I admire her for that.

  Janie: He drives me crazy with everything having to be his way, but it's only because he wants to do right by others. Under all the cockiness - I love his heart. Although, he still doesn't understand that lying by omission is still lying, even if he is trying to protect someone, mainly me.

  5. If you had one wish, what would it be?

  Janie: To have one night where I'm not responsible for the city's well-being. When others' fates are dependent on my ability to defeat evil, it's crazy pressure. I'd love to be care-free, with no worries for just twenty-four hours.

  Kai: This is simple. For Janie's father to be alive.

  6. Where do you see yourself a few years from now?

  Janie: Seeking in another city...

  Kai: ...with me.

  7. Tell us something about yourselves that we won't learn from the book.

  Kai: I'm pretty simple. I guess you can kind of tell from my home, but I don't surround myself with lots of things. Clutter drives me nuts. I like things clean.

  Janie: My favorite book is Les Misérables. Jean Valjean shows that your past actions don't define who you are today. That's kind of how I feel about Kai...the past is the past. All we have is now. It's the good we choose to do in the moments ahead that matter.

  8. Tell the readers what they should expect from Dark Return.

  Janie: Just when I think I've learned everything there is to know about Kai's past, there's a newcomer to Baltimore. Someone who will do anything to make sure I lose him forever.

  Kai: Everything will change.

  Excerpt from Dark Seeker

  (Janie’s first real run-in with Kai while seeking in a Baltimore alley)

  Janie sensed at least one, maybe two. She could smell them. The smell of death and decay. She gripped the hilt of her dagger tightly. They were fast. She’d have to be ready. She deftly reached behind her to locate the other blade wedged in the waist of her jeans.

  A large mass landed on top of her, knocking her to the ground. A male. She quickly twisted away from him and rolled onto one knee. He crouched in front of her, brandishing his fangs. She could tell by his wild, hungry eyes that he was newly born.

  He looked so human, except for his fangs and soulless black eyes. His kind wasn’t pale; they kept their human-like complexion. But just like a demon, they embodied an empty shell of what was once a living, breathing human being.

  He swaggered forward, and she smiled. This is exactly what I’ve been waiting for—a newbie. . .perfect.

  “Hey, girlie, what are you doing with that dagger? You could get yourself killed.” He laughed.

  She shook her head. “You’re just a baby. You have no idea who I am, do you?”

  “My first meal.” A feral wildness danced through his eyes as he focused on the pulsating vein on the side of her neck.

  “You want this?” Janie turned her head to expose her bare flesh—a perfect view of her jugular. She heard a click from behind. She turned, keeping the newbie in her peripheral vision. A silver trash can hit the concrete, spewing its contents across the alley floor. Two more appeared behind it, a blonde woman and a large man.

  Janie whirled back around. With a skipping side kick, she drove her foot into the newbie’s chest, throwing him into the wall. She spun around and landed a punch to the woman’s cheek, followed by a jab to her stomach with the other fist, causing the woman to double over and kiss her knees.

  The man lunged at her, his large muscles bulging through his wife beater and jeans. He knocked Janie to the ground with his fist. She felt the side of her face. Jerk, that’s gonna leave a mark.

  She shot back to her feet and knocked him backward with the handle of her dagger. The woman lunged at her. Janie used the alley wall as a springboard, flying onto it and running up the brick. She flipped over the woman and plunged the dagger into her skull on the way down. Green blood oozed from the woman’s head. Her entire body melted like hot candle wax and seeped into the black asphalt. All traces of her existence disappeared.

  The newbie jumped onto Janie’s back. She heaved forward, throwing him to the ground. But Mr. Muscles wrapped his arms around her. She wriggled in his hold. His grip was too strong to break. He clamped her arms to her sides so she couldn’t use her dagger. The newbie crouched, facing her. He wore a wild stare, like a rabid animal ready to bite.

  “Not so tough now, are you?” the newbie spat.

  Janie’s dark brown eyes narrowed into hateful slits. “I will kill you,” she said.

  In a flash, his teeth sank into her neck. Muscle man held her firmly as the newbie bit even deeper into her vein. She kicked the newbie, dislodging his fangs and sending him back crashing into the brick wall. They didn’t have pure venom. There would be no lasting effects of his bite.

  A blurry shadow streaked in front of her. Crap, another one. And he’s fast. He materialized beside the newbie, taking the form of a golden-blonde teenager with white highlights. The newbie scraped his body off the ground and propped himself up by his shoulder against the brick.

  The blonde, with medium-length wavy hair, stood about the same height as the newbie, but Janie couldn’t detect any rancid odor around him, unlike the newbie, who smelled like rotten food mixed with sewer runoff. The blonde teenager’s eyes shot over to her. They were a deep green, the color of well-watered foliage. A green that could only be found in a rainforest. I’ve seen those eyes before.

  He cocked his slender arm. She turned her head to avoid his strike, but his fist moved past her face and knocked Mr. Muscles to the ground, freeing her. Janie swung around and plunged the dagger into Mr. Muscle’s head.

  The blonde drew a long knife from his waist. With its curving silver blade, it resembled a scythe used to cut grass. Janie’s eyes widened. When he raised his arm, she noticed three jagged scars running down his forearm. The blade then circled in one rapid motion, beheading the newbie. Janie stepped back, dagger drawn and pointed at the blonde.

  Interview With Taryn Browning

  (I Know That Book Blog)

  1. When did you realized you wanted to be a writer?

  I have always loved reading and English was once of my favorite subjects, but I actually started writing my first novel during a stressful time in my life. Writing became my outlet in a way. I've been writing ever since. It's my passion.

  2. What is the hardest thing you faced as a writer?

  Definitely querying agents. During this time I kept on writing and improving my craft.

  3. What is your favorite place to write?

  I usually write at my desk in my o
ffice where I can turn on my music and let the words flow without interruption. Although, this is difficult with two very active young boys *laughs*.

  4. For those who are unfamiliar with the Seeker series, how would you describe it?

  The series is about a Seeker (vampire hunter) with the inherited duty of protecting the Baltimore streets from a new vampire-demon hybrid known as Daychildren. Jaded by love after her father's tragic death, she unwittingly finds love where she least expects it, and with the very hybrid she is trained to hunt.  Together they must deal with the "demons" of his dark past, or risk losing each other forever.

  5. If you could introduce Janie or Kai to any character from another book, who would it be and why?

  I would introduce Janie to Rose from the Vampire Academy series. They are both strong kick-butt female characters with stubborn sides. Both heroines grow as the series continues, but they have their share of hardships along the way.

  6. What is your favorite paranormal creature?

  I'm a vampire girl.

  7. What's your favorite holiday?

  Christmas. I love decorating and Christmas lights. Plus, spending the holiday with family.  

  8. If you could invite any person in the world for a coffee, who would you choose and why?

  Oprah. She is an amazing example of a strong, independent woman who has spent her life sharing her knowledge with others. She has taught me so much about spirit, life and myself.

  9. Tell us about a future project.

  I am currently working on a young adult sci-fi romance and writing the 2nd book in my Whispering Hills series.

  Playlist for The Seeker Series