Slayed By Darkness
(A Guardians of Eternity Novella)
by Alexandra Ivy
From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Alexandra Ivy comes a new story in her Guardians of Eternity series…
Only an idiot would try to kidnap Jayla. She’s a take-no-prisoner kind of vampire who rebelled against the previous King of Vampires, and now regularly battles with both human and demon enemies who resent the success of Dreamscape casino she manages in Hong Kong. So when she’s snatched off the streets, she doesn’t bother to struggle. Instead she starts plotting her slow, bloody revenge.
The last creature she expects when she arrives at her destination is Azrael, the mysterious mercenary vampire she killed a century ago.
Azrael has never forgotten Jayla, and not just because she tried to stab a stake through his heart. He’d never encountered a female who could match him in battle. Her raw courage was sexy as hell. And it didn’t hurt that she was drop-dead gorgeous. But, he didn’t abduct her because he desired her. Or at least, that wasn’t his main motivation. He needs her rare talent to stop time. An evil fey has stolen his sword. The weapon is magically bound to him, and unless he retrieves it, he’s doomed to a painful death.
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An Exclusive Interview With Alexandra Ivy:
~ with Jillian Stein of Read Love Blog
OMG I loved this story so much! How did you choose Jayla and Azrael for this novella?
I introduced Jayla in DARKNESS RETURNS as the manager of Dreamscape Resort in Hong Kong. I knew she was a kickass female, and I wanted to find the perfect mate for her before writing her book. You need someone special for the private assassin of the King of Vampires. At last I decided that only a mercenary could have the courage to stand up to her.
I also adore their names, especially Jayla. How do you choose your character names?
It’s one of the hardest things for me. Sometimes I’ll get halfway through a book and realize that the name just isn’t clicking. It has to evoke a feeling or reveal something about the character for it to fit.
The setting of this story, Hong Kong, was so much fun to imagine while I was reading. Where are some places you’ve either traveled to, or is a travel bucket list place, you’d love to write a story set in?
I’d love to set a story in Venice. When I was there it felt as if every building was speaking of the rich history of the place and there’s an elegance that would be the perfect backdrop for a vampire story. And of course, London is always my favorite city, probably because when I first started writing I set my stories in regency England.
I have to admit, Levet is one of my all-time favorite characters. How did he come to you?
He wasn’t supposed to be more than a cameo in Embrace the Darkness, but once I started writing his character I fell head over heels in love. He’s a combination of Cary Grant and PePe Le Pew (which truly ages me lol) and customed designed to irritate the arrogant males and charm the females. Plus he gets to say all the stuff we want to say, but we’re too polite.
Ok, I have to know…did you ever finish the play you mention on your website?
I did! It’s sitting beneath my bed just waiting for my retirement years. Once I have time, I want to polish it up and eventually get it staged.
Can you give us a few lines from what you’re currently working on?
“Darcy doesn’t like the word dungeon,” Styx reminded his companion, his thoughts distracted. Had the vampire been kidnapped because he was coming to see Styx? Perhaps he knew something about the troubles plaguing the city. Or had he been kidnapped just because he happened to be near Styx’s lair? Like a warning shot?
Impossible to know for sure.
“Holding center for disobliging guests,” Xi offered in dry tones.
“That’s better.”
“If you say.”
From Bewitch the Darkness coming in November!
Biography:
Alexandra Ivy is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. From Alexandra: “I’m not exactly sure when I fell in love with books. Probably on my mother’s knee listening to her read Dr. Seuss to me. I do remember that I was barely old enough to cross the street by myself when I discovered the delights of the local library.
Could anything be more wonderful than spending summer days surrounded by stacks of Nancy Drew mysteries? Over the years I fell in love with Victoria Holt, Jane Austen, Agatha Christie, and J.R.R. Tolkien just to name a few. I read poetry, essays, biographies, and plays. In fact, I read anything I could get my hands on.
Years later (no, I’m not admitting how many) I’m still an avid reader, and my tastes are still as varied as they were in my youth, which I suppose helps to explain why I enjoy writing regency historicals under the name of Deborah Raleigh, as well as my contemporary paranormals as Alexandra Ivy. For now that is enough to keep me busy, but who knows what the future might hold!
I do have a few other loves in my life besides reading and writing, the most important being my unbelievably patient husband, David, and my two sons, Chance and Alexander. Without their constant support and belief in me, I never could have been able to follow my dreams. They are truly my heroes
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