Uncaged: Can you tell readers more about your Red series? Red #1 is bundled in Once Upon a Twisted Time boxed set. Are there any plans to release it separately in the future?

Red started off as simply a fairytale retelling for a boxed set. After I wrote part 1, I really liked the characters and I didn’t really feel like the story was complete—so I kept going! I also took the opportunity to tie the story back to The Bloodlust Chronicles, my completed Vampire series, AND introduce some new characters with the possibility for future stories.
Yes! Red Part 2 will be released separate from the boxed set once the rights revert back to me later this year. I don’t have a definitive date on that yet, but it is something that’s coming.

Uncaged: What do you have coming up next that you can tell us about?

I have a few big projects on the horizon. The first one is a series of contemporary novellas I plan to release beginning in July. Right now there are 5 books, all standalones. If they are well-received, then there are plans for more. All 5 are up on Goodreads for anyone interested in contemporary romance. The second big project is a rewrite of Irresistible, book 1 of The Bloodlust Chronicles. I expect that will take me all summer to get through that one.

Uncaged: You are attending the Mayhem in the Midwest Author signing in September. What is your favorite parts of going to conventions and signings?

I LOVE getting to meet readers! The people who come to signing events just have the most amazing energy. Being able to make a connection with a reader in person is so great, some of my loudest cheerleaders on social media are the readers I’ve been able to hug and say hi to in person.

Uncaged: Do you read your reviews? What do you take away from them?

I know general advice is to avoid reading them, but I do. From the more favorable reviews, I take away motivation. Just knowing someone out there actually enjoyed reading something I wrote makes me want to write more! From the less favorable reviews, as long as they include constructive feedback, I do actually take suggestions into consideration.

A perfect example would be the rewrite of Irresistible. While the book has a substantial number of higher rated reviews, there were some detractors who were disappointed in how I portrayed the relationship dynamic between the hero and heroine. After considering what was being said, I took a closer look and realized that the feedback about the unhealthy relationship I built between these characters was dead on. From there, I decided I didn’t want to leave the story that way.

Uncaged: What is one of the nicest things someone has said to you about your books?

The nicest thing someone has said about my books was, “When does the next one come out?” I love that!

Uncaged: What is your favorite parts about being an author? What have you found to be the least favorite?

My favorite part is being able to take this idea, which may have just been a single phrase scratched into whatever piece of paper I have on hand, and make an entire story about it. I enjoy bringing those characters in my head to life.
My least favorite part is marketing! I’m not very good at it. I have a hard time “selling” to people, so it’s something I really need to work on.

Uncaged: What do you like to do when you aren’t writing? Where is one of your favorite places on Earth?

One of my favorite things to do when I’m not writing is working outside in my gardens. I’ve got so many gardens, probably more than I can really handle, but I love it. Flowers, herbs, vegetables, you name it.

My most favorite places on Earth are anywhere I can be in the woods. I tend to put a lot of forest and tree imagery in my books, and I suppose it’s because those are places I am able to call up vivid imagery from memory.

Uncaged: What can you tell us that is very unique about you?

I don’t know about very unique, but a lot of my inspiration comes from music. Most of my stories originated from some kind of imagery which came to mind when I heard a song. The original edition of Irresistible was conceived of while listening to Fall Out Boy’s American Beauty/American Psycho album. The third book in The Bloodlust Chronicles, Irreplaceable, was inspired by listening to PVRIS’ White Noise album. The opening scene for Irrecoverable, book four of The Bloodlust Chronicles is my play on Melanie Martinez’s song Tag, You’re It. Those are just a few examples I can come up off the top of my head.

Uncaged: What would you like to say to fans, and where can they follow you?

Thank you so much for all your support! It means so much to me to know there are people out there who like to read my work!

You can head to my website to check out blog posts, upcoming events, and sign up for newsletters here: https://www.authortaravasser.com/

[symple_box color=”black” fade_in=”false” float=”center” text_align=”left” width=””]Tara Vasser is a wicked writer who lives in the frozen north in Minnesota with her wonderful husband and two rambunctious little dudes. She is an engineer during the day, a crazy mom in the afternoon and a writer at night. She enjoys spending her time playing in the dirt when her gardens aren’t covered in snow and listening to a wide variety of music that inspires her writing – sometimes doing both at the same time.[/symple_box]

Red, Part 1
Tara Vasser
Paranormal
Packaged in a Box Set

In the aftermath of a tragic car accident, Red is resurrected by a Vampire. As repayment for her second life, she spends a decade being groomed to serve as a peace offering between enemies.
Upon arrival at the estate of her betrothed, Red soon realizes the cruelty of her husband-to-be and the sterility of his manse are more than she can bear. Seeking refuge, she flees to the woods where nothing is as it seems. There, she is drawn to a dangerous figure shrouded in secrecy. It is within the trees where Red will discover who is predator and who is prey.

Excerpt

The snap of a twig in the stillness of the night halted Red in her tracks. With a slow turn on her heel, she surveyed the darkness behind her, both listening and watching for the culprit. A rodent of some kind darted across the path, and Red observed its escape with sharp focus.
Wind whipped through the trees in intermittent gusts, creaking the branches as they swayed. The creaking was all at once comforting and eerie in the otherwise quiet of the woods. Taking in deep breaths, Red continued her leisurely stroll between the oaks, careful to avoid disturbing the flora and fauna of her temporary refuge. The animals that were awake at this time of night scurried into hiding places, having an innate ability to sense the danger surrounding her kind. Humans had once been able to rely on this instinct as well, but she supposed it had dulled with evolution and the use of technology.
In these woods, it didn’t matter. There were no humans here. There was no one here. This was exactly the reason Red glided gracefully through the oaks like a wraith in the night—to be alone. The sprawling estate she was confined to during most hours of the night and day had amenities aplenty, but room to breathe wasn’t one of them. Glancing up to the sky, she allowed her thoughts to quiet for a moment as she took in the sight of wispy clouds racing across the outline of the near-full moon. Dulled silver light filtered through the canopy of the trees, creating dappled patterns on the ground, much like Red imagined the sun would do during the day.
A melancholy sigh escaped her lips unbidden. She hadn’t seen the sun on the leaves in ten years, and she never would again, if she wanted to avoid turning to a pile of ash.
The moon’s illumination winked out once more as a thick cloud obscured it from Red’s view, her attention waning just like the light. Dropping her gaze from the sky, she focused once more on the trees and underbrush surrounding her. A surprised gasp escaped and she stumbled back a step when her attention was drawn to a man in front of her, instead of the tree as she’d expected.
A large gust of wind barreled through the oaks, ruffling the man’s hair and wafting his scent to her. Unable to control the instinct to identify the man as either prey or predator, Red drew in a deep breath. Scents of pine and earth filled her lungs, as if he was not a man made of flesh, but of the woods themselves.
Standing is if rooted to the earth like the trees surrounding him, his only movement the result of the wind, he appraised her just as she watched him. Eyes the color of deep amber held her gaze, as if daring her to look away and miss him slipping back into the shadows from which he’d materialized.
Red’s stare challenged him to remain where he stood.
Another blast of wind whipped Red’s hair into a whirlwind of raven tangles she knew would be a pain to comb out later. Panic gripped her as her dark tresses blocked the view of the enigmatic man, breaking their stalemate. When she could once again see, just as she feared, the space where he’d stood was empty.
Drawing his scent in with a huge inhale, she tried for the last time to identify him, but came up empty-handed.
“What are you?” Red whispered.

Uncaged Review

This novella is a good start into a series and it’s currently bundled with a boxed set. After Red is brought back as a Vampire, she learns that not only her sire, but everyone around her has lied to her about almost everything, keeping her weaker, so she’s easy to mold into a bride for a cruel leader who is only marrying her for a treaty of power and plans to kill her soon after. Red makes her escape, and is aided by a shifter – Colin.

The story was quick, but the backstory was started to be brought in, with well-developed action sequences. I think the love story itself was a bit quick and there was still a lot of unanswered questions that I hope will be addressed further into the series. I enjoyed the world that the author has created and am looking forward to the next books in the series.
Reviewed by Cyrene

4 Stars

Uncaged welcomes Trakena Prevost

Uncaged: Can you tell readers more about your book Cursed? Is this a debut novel?

The idea for Cursed came about when I asked myself what it would look like if the drug problems of the world had a supernatural source. That one thought spawned this crazy tale of a group of supernatural beings divided by what they feel is most important: Power or the value of life. My main character is in the throes of vengeance when that choice is thrown upon her and she has to fight for her humanity.

Cursed is my debut, though it was published a few years ago.

Uncaged: What do you have coming up next that you can tell us about?

I’m currently polishing and just beginning to shop a book on Djinn, the proper name for Genies. In this book, a young half-Djinn discovers that her parents are not dead as she’d originally been raised to think, but that her Djinn mom has been enslaved to her human dad for many years. At its core it’s a story of the love a girl has for her mom and her determination to freeing her from a horrible fate.

Uncaged: You’ve attended a couple conventions this year. What are some of the most memorable moments from the convention for you?

Really just meeting and hanging out with readers and authors! These are my people…they get me.

Uncaged: Do you read your reviews? What do you take away from them?

I try not to. My goal is to take the stories that are in my head and to put them down on paper. I know that some may love them as much as I do, and others may not, but I try not to focus on that. This business is seriously subjected and that’s just the way things are. If I do read them, I make sure to never respond. I try to be grateful for the feedback and to move on.

Uncaged: What is one of the nicest things someone has said to you about your books?

I participated in a teen writing program at one of my local libraries last year. One of the girls reminded me a lot of myself as a teen, young, passionate, and mildly irritated that the stories she liked didn’t have people who looked like her in them. She read my book and thanked me for writing something that she could enjoy with a main character that she could see herself in. It was pretty much that moment where I thought, “This is why I write!”

Uncaged: What is your favorite parts about being an author? What have you found to be the least favorite?

My favorite part is getting to explore all of the crazy stories in my head!

The constant, never-ending self-doubt. Most days I think that my writing is trash and that I should stop while I’m ahead…lol! But that’s where your writing tribe comes in. Those are the folks you meet who swoop in and remind you that this business is a tough one and that you’re amazing. I don’t know what I’d do without those folks.

Uncaged: What do you like to do when you aren’t writing? Where is one of your favorite places on Earth?

When I’m not writing I’m typically hanging out with my kiddo and husband. I like to read a lot. And I definitely have a few TV shows that I adore and keep up with on DVR. My hubby and I travel at least once a year to reconnect as a couple, and my favorite place is anywhere in the Caribbean. We went to Cabo last year and it was amazing to read outside our plunge pool and to stare at the ocean!

Uncaged: What can you tell us that is very unique about you?

Other than the fact that I spend a lot of my free time crafting crazy tales that have my family wondering what’s the matter with me? LoL!

I’m actually a decent singer. In another life I wanted to be the next Whitney Houston – without the addiction to illegal substances – but I quickly realized that I am slightly introverted so that would not work out for anyone. I still love to sing for my kiddo though. I sung to him when he was in my belly and he loves to hear mamma sing to this day!

Uncaged: What would you like to say to fans, and where can they follow you?

That I’m so grateful for every single one I have and that I know I’d be nowhere without them!!! I’m most active on twitter (@trakenaprevost) and Facebook (http://facebook.com/TrakenaPrevostAuthor). You can also check out my website (www.trakenaprevost.com)

[symple_box color=”black” fade_in=”false” float=”center” text_align=”left” width=””]Trakena Prevost was born and raised in the great state of Texas, where everything IS bigger and the people are super friendly. She spends most of her time running around after her young son, trying tirelessly to annoy her husband to distraction, and oscillating between being completely obsessed with reading and crime dramas. She also just so happens to write down the fantastic stories rumbling around in her head – mostly to quiet the voices that take residence there. When not reading and writing, Trakena spends her time working in HR, hanging with her family and friends, and desperately trying to force her love of reading on her little one.

Trakena is dedicated to writing paranormal stories with multicultural characters, where race is not the main conflict. Her passion stems from being a young teen in love with paranormal fiction, but being unable to find any stories she liked with characters that looked like her. She hopes to change that reality for her son and all the other kids of color out there who love to read as much as she does![/symple_box]

Cursed
Trakena Prevost
Young Adult/Paranormal

Half-succubus Jazz Watkins spends her nights knee-deep in Chicago drug dens hunting Suecai—an evil kind of incubi and succubae who devour the souls of humans. But when a leader of the Suecai curses her, Jazz has to track him down. Either she kills him before the curse burns through her, or she’ll become a full-fledged, out of control, soul-sucking monster.

She’s got a handful of weeks, absolutely no leads, and only her sexy best guy-friend, Khan, covering her back. But will the growing attraction she feels for Khan get in the way of her mission to save her own life?

Excerpt

When he walked out the bathroom, the nerves I’d thought I’d turned to steel started to quiver. What if he refused me? Khan was just as stubborn as I was. How could I possibly ask this of him? How could I get him to understand?

I took a deep breath and looked at him. “Khan, we need to talk.”

“Uh oh, that’s never what a guy wants to hear from his girl.”

My stomach fluttered, but I refused to give into the distraction. “I have a plan…in case we don’t find and kill the Gunshi. But I need your help to pull it off.”

He didn’t look taken aback, just more determined than anything. “Jazz, it’s too soon for you to give up now. We’ve got some really good leads, we can do this!”

I shook my head. “I’m not giving up, Khan. I never give up…you know that.” I smiled at him and was rewarded with one in return. “But…being a leader means having to think outside of myself…you and my dad taught me that. We have to prepare for all possibilities – even this.”

His dark eyes flashed and, for a second, I thought I was in for a long and hard fight. Then understanding washed over his features and he nodded. “As long as you promise this doesn’t mean you’ve given up.”

“Not even close – and giving in doesn’t even sound like me.”

He snorted. “That’s for sure.”

I rolled my eyes. “Okay, I think we can do this, but if not…I have a forgetting tonic to erase my memories. That way, in the very least, the vermin can’t use my knowledge against everyone I love.”

Khan jerked. “Where in the hell did you…?” Then he groaned. “Claudine.”

I couldn’t help but smile. “She always has been good at knowing what I need.”

His face was hard. “Okay, so I’ll make sure to wipe away your memories. I’ll erase everything that makes you, you – everything I’ve grown to know and care about. We done?”

I paused. “Not quite.”

He flinched. “I figured something more was coming when you said, ‘In the least’.”

I almost didn’t have the guts to continue. “Think about it, Khan. You can’t just leave me there, a newbie Suecai with the urge to feed. What if I came across my mom one day? Or your dad?

“You might not be able to do it immediately – there’s no telling how strong I’ll be at first or how protected – but eventually you’ll have to take me out! I shuddered at the thought. “What else can we do?”

The rage flew through his features even more quickly than when I’d told him I couldn’t be his Valentine in the sixth grade.

“Anything, Jazz,” Khan whispered. “We fight. We search. We keep pounding the pavement until we find that bastard. We do anything and everything.”

Words escaped me. A boulder set squarely on my chest and wouldn’t budge. I should’ve known this wouldn’t be easy – hadn’t I spent my entire life traipsing around Chicago with Khan? I shouldn’t have expected anything else.

Khan seemed to take my silence as an opportunity to change my mind. “You could learn control, Jazz, become a full-fledged Dorgai.” There it was, that secret hope I held deep in my heart that I was too scary to speak out loud.

“Khan, that’s impossible. There’s no way I can learn control if I’m forced into feeding too fast. The only way we halfers manage it is by taking an entire year to ease into the process. All of Dad’s advisors are agreed that I’ll become an uncontrollable Suecai.”

“I can’t believe that, Jazz. It can’t happen. Not to you.”

I couldn’t focus. My need to be rational kept battling the little girl within me reaching for a solution, any solution.

I didn’t notice Khan moving until it was too late.

Before I could say something to break the bubble, Khan stood over me, his face inches from mine. His eyes were warm and I could feel the heat of his breath, minty from his recent trip to the bathroom. My heart stopped. And then he was kissing me, slow and deep at first, and then with a heat and passion I’d only guessed he possessed.

Uncaged Review

The reader is tossed headfirst into the action as soon as you get started, and it doesn’t let up much throughout the book. Good action sequences and the characters are well developed. The supernaturals in this book are the Dorgai and the Suecai – both need a human’s life essence to survive except the Suecai don’t control their hunger and kill humans by sucking out their essence completely killing humans. Jazz and her team find the Raves and parties and extinguish as many as they can, but one night goes wrong and Jazz is cursed to turn into a full-fledge in days, a process that normally takes a year – and could force her into Suecai, so the race is on to reverse the spell.

Jazz is a bit headstrong and teenage “stupid” at times, but she is only 17, and a lot of time she is driven by her heart and not her head because of when her mother was captured and tortured. And this book does have a brewing romance, maybe a romance triangle? Don’t know for sure, but the next book may answer some questions for us. This is a good, action-packed read that will keep you on your toes, and it was a refreshing change of pace in the paranormal genre. Reviewed by Cyrene

4 1/2 Stars