Excerpt
A wall of darkness had appeared in the road, snuffing out the light. The illumination from their chemlights seemed to bounce back, unable to penetrate the gloom.
Behind her, Grim brought the car to a stop. “What is it?”
“Darkness,” Bertie said tersely. “All dark.”
A sound seemed to grow in front of them, a roaring grumble, like a distant waterfall. A distant waterfall that was somehow getting louder. Annie bit her lip, piercing the dark with her suddenly puny flare.
“It’s coming closer,” Bertie said softly.
Annie stared. The wall of darkness was moving, blanking out everything it touched. Annihilating the night around them.
The SUV door opened behind her.
“Annie,” Grim urged. “Get inside.”
“What about the light?”
“Screw the light! Get in the damn car.”
Bertie stepped in front of her, taking the flare from her hand. “Do what he says.” He moved into the middle of the road, extending his arms with a Cyalume in each hand.
Annie ducked into the car beside Grim, slamming the door behind her. The rumble seemed to be coming from the inky wall, like the sound of darkness advancing.
In front of them, Bertie extended his arms from his body in a V. The Cyalumes trembled. Grim opened the door again. “The flares don’t help. Get in, Bertie. Now.”
After another moment, Bertie opened the back door, bringing the lights with him. Their orange tinge glowed, ghostly inside the SUV.
“What is it?” Grim’s voice sounded tight.
“No idea. I’ve never seen anything like it before. What are you going to do?”
Grim pushed the SUV in gear. “Play chicken. With the armies of the night.”
Interview
What should readers expect when they pick up your book?
They’ll be introduced to the world of the Folk, fairies who moved to the USA several hundred years ago and learned to “blend in.” They look like us and act like us, but, well, they’re not us. They have special powers, depending on the nature of their clan. Some can talk to animals. Some can freeze beer with a glance. Some can throw you across the room with a hand gesture. And apparently some of them are working on a rebellion that will turn everything in their world upside down.
Have you started your next project?
Yep. Book 2 of The Folk, Unseen, is scheduled for release in August by Soul Mate Publishing. It picks up where Book 1 ends.
What are your future ambitions?
I’d love to go on working with The Folk series. Their world is a lot of fun to expand upon. The first three books are already in draft, and I have another three planned. And I want to keep my contemporary books going as well—I have a new book in my Konigsburg, Texas, series almost ready to go to the editor.
What advice would you give to unpublished authors?
The same advice that was given to me at the beginning of my career: find someone who doesn’t love you to read your stuff. Your mother or your Significant Other will probably be more concerned about not hurting your feelings than giving you an honest reaction of your writing. And you really need to know how a reader feels about your book before you send it to a publisher or try publishing it yourself. Things that may not seem confusing to you (because, of course, it’s your book) may seem mystifying to a reader. And if you decide to self-publish, spring for a an editor. Yes, they’re expensive, but they can save you a world of grief when it comes to making the book work.
The best book/s you ever read?
That’s a hard one because I have favorites in lots of different genres, but since we’re talking romance here, my favorite romance is Loretta Chase’s Lord of Scoundrels. Chase is a masterful writer and she does a wonderful job of blending humor and pathos. It’s the only book I know of where the heroine shoots the hero (he deserves it), and he still marries her!
Favorite place to read?
Weirdly enough, on the treadmill. I try to get sixty or seventy minutes of exercise every day or so, and walking on the treadmill while reading is a remarkably painless way to do it. It’s really easy with my Kindle, and I have a book holder that makes it relatively easy with a regular book, too.
Any last words?
I hope your readers will enjoy Away. It was great fun to write, along with all its sequels.
Thanks...
Meg Benjamin is an award-winning author of contemporary romance. Her newest series, the Folk, is a paranormal trilogy set in Colorado. Meg’s Konigsburg series is set in the Texas Hill Country and her Salt Box and Brewing Love trilogies are set in the Colorado Rockies (both are available from Entangled Publishing). Along with contemporary romance, Meg is also the author of the paranormal Ramos Family trilogy from Berkley InterMix. Meg’s books have won numerous awards, including an EPIC Award, a Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, the Holt Medallion from Virginia Romance Writers, the Beanpot Award from the New England Romance Writers, and the Award of Excellence from Colorado Romance Writers. Meg’s Web site is http://www.MegBenjamin.com. You can follow her on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/meg.benjamin1), Pinterest (http://pinterest.com/megbenjamin/), and Twitter (http://twitter.com/megbenj1). Meg loves to hear from readers—contact her at meg@megbenjamin.com.
Giveaway
Meg Benjamin will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
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