Thursday, July 7, 2011

Mahalia Levey - Inscribed Love



Welcome back to the blog Mahalia!

Tell us a little about your latest book, Inscribed Love.

Inscribed Love was inspired by the history of tattooing. I’ve always loved Ink and the cultural meanings behind each image or rite of passage for different cultures.
I decided to write about a hero who has been trapped on a flash that moves around every decade so that he’ll never be freed. A woman stumbles across the image that calls to her and through her ink he gains freedom and wishes to thank her for the gift she’s given him.

Wow! I'm hooked already. What draws you to write your genre and sub genre?

That is easy! I’ve always loved the paranormal genre and sub genres within. From shifter, to demons, to fallen angels, werewolves, etc. There’s a wide canvas to build a world, realm etc.. that is near limitless.

What is your guilty pleasure?

Chocolate is my guilty pleasure. I will have it in any form, shape or fashion.

Where can your readers reach you?

www.mahalialevey.com
www.twitter.com/hales3000
www.facebook.com – search Mahalia Levey
www.mahalia2010.wordpress.com

Are you working on another book?

I am working on Courting Disaster right now!

How did you come up with the title?

I have a clumsy witch who needs help undoing simple mistakes that turn to major disasters and a hero who is always there to help.

Do you work on one project at a time or mulitples?

I work on three or four at the same time. A premise hits me and I jot it down and stick it in a folder and systematically go through and begin working on them a few at a time.

Is there one particular thing that you find challenging about writing?

During the school year is hard with teens but now I have no one home but me so writing is easiest done in silence!

Who is your favorite author?

Sherrilyn Kenyon

Are your characters a reflection on you or anyone you know?

A few are based off of people I’ve met or some strong personalities I’ve seen through the years.

What do you do to get in the mood to write?

I drink coffee and listen to my playlist before writing.

How long have you been a writer?

I’ve been published under two years but writing for four.

How long does it usually take you to write a book?

The time it takes depends on length. If I do a novella a few weeks. I generally write three thousand words a day if not five thousand.

Do you characters talk to you?

They never give me peace. I have a muse who locks them up in a padded psyche room in my mind.

Who controls the storyline, you or your characters?

I never write them, they tell their story and I keep them within bounds.

Do you promo your backlists when you’re writing a new book, or dedicate your time solely to writing?

Yes, I promote the previous book with the current. All else is on my website so I think promoting more of them is unnecessary.


Excerpt for Inscribed Love

Blurb

Jaida Winters strived to be the epitome of a perfect daughter, following every rigid rule without question. Wondering what she missed out on in her strict life,
she's ready for a little independence, and decides it's time to throw caution to the wind. A tattoo is the first step to a new attitude.

Incubus Torquatus Darkblood remains locked within a talisman for the crimes of seducing a witch's charge. His release lies within the ink of a tattoo drawn on
a young woman's skin. When Jaida's pain calls to him, Torq finds he doesn't just want sinful pleasure of the flesh, he wants the woman whose soul cries
freedom.

Excerpt 1

Jaida stared at the computer screen attempting to ignore the burning in her lower back. She thought about calling the parlor, but didn’t want to appear like a wimp. Not only that, she wasn’t sure she was ready to talk to Jay again. She wasn’t stuck up by any means. The way the tattoos on his skin told a story, she’d sit for hours to find out the history of each one.
Unfortunately, attraction like that could land her in more hot water, with her immovable, impossible to please, overbearing parents than she wanted to deal with right now. Her ink was just the first act of her rebellion.
Remember, breaking the mold here.
To top it off, the statistics on the new penile dysfunction drugs didn’t add up. Jaida slipped her reading glasses back onto her face and stared at the data. Next to her eight books filled with graphs, correspondence from team meetings, clinical trials, documents and all pertinent data confirmed what she’d suspected all along. Not every male member for the second trial reported back to the clinicians to fill out the survey. A groan left her mouth. She couldn’t have concrete reports without the surveys. She officially hated her job as head statician for Nelson and Myrtaz Pharmaceuticals. Confidentially she could think of at least a few past lovers who could use some Zephal. She reached for her ruler and dug down her back in an attempt to stop the irritation.
“Jaida?” An intern popped her head in.
“Yes?” Jaida knew she was caught red-handed, but man it itched so damn bad. She slipped the ruler back on her desk and gave the intern her full attention.
“I have the list of contacts you requested this morning. Do you, um, need help with something?”
“Excellent, if you could contact them all for email conformation, I’d appreciate it. I’d like their surveys in my inbox by the end of the week. Make sure to advise them no more Zephal if they can’t follow through on their obligations, as well as no financial reimbursement for their time.” She wiggled in her chair trying to scratch her itch.
“Jaida…” Thomas barged in without proper protocol. “What’s wrong with you?” He approached her desk.
“Nothing but a little itch.” Jaida half growled. “Can’t you people knock and wait for an answer?”
Thomas looked at her back. “Is that blood?”
“Where?”
“On your back.”
“Miriam. Could you please go do what I asked? Thomas can you go back from where you came and give me some peace please?” She finished in exasperation.
“Yes, boss.” Miriam ducked out of the room.
“Thomas…you’re still here.” Jaida fumed.
Thomas clamped his arm on Jaida’s and hauled her out of her chair. With his free hand, he yanked up the back of her dress shirt. “You got a tattoo?”
Jaida slapped his hands away. “Just because we happened to have dated in high school and your parents happen to be friends with mine, doesn’t give you permission to pry into my life, or manhandle me!” She shot him an icy glare and then smoothed her shirt down.
“What’s gotten into you lately? Behavior like that is going to bring down your mother’s wrath.”
So he appeared to be worried. She couldn’t dislike him for that. “One tattoo isn’t the end of the world.” She sighed.
“People like us don’t get tattoos.” He frowned at her.
“I’m a person, not a people and I wanted a tattoo.” Here was the side of Thomas she disliked, the pompous holier–than-thou type.
“You should go see a doctor about your back. I doubt you’re supposed to bleed and please tell me you went to a clean shop.”
“If we weren’t working I’d tell you what I think about you. Of course the place was clean, hell it’s cleaner than that hovel you call an office. Get out. I have work to do.”
“Excuse me Miss, is everything all right?”
Jaida turned to the liquid sex voice that penetrated through her fog of anger. What she saw stole the rest of her tirade. Eyes the color of midnight stared at her, etched in worry. She held her breath and gazed from top to bottom, strong jaw with slight stubble, bulging muscles, tattoos galore, downward her eyes went, landing smack dab on his crotch. Oh mama. She looked up.
“Oh mamma wasn’t what I expected,” the stranger replied.
“Look Mr. T-shirt and tight jeans. The clinical study for Zepal is down the hall in suite B. Make an appointment, they’ll give you a before and after physical including a measurement of your equipment and length of time for elongation,” Thomas interjected and pointed toward the door.
“Zepal? Clinical trial? Elongation.”
“It’s the penile dysfunction study. They measure the penis before and after taking the drugs to plot how long getting happy takes and the lasting effects of the drug wearing off, to make sure there are no adverse side effects before leaving. After that you get a two week trial. They trust as a volunteer you’ll give an accurate accounting of how long you can go before detonation with your partner,” she squeaked.
“I can assure you there is nothing dysfunctional about my penis and I’m straight.” He quirked a brow.
Jaida choked on her words, struck stupid with embarrassment.
“Miss, are you okay?”
“No, she’s not okay. Your people tattooed her and she’s bleeding,” Thomas answered.
“I’m fine really. Thomas get out of my office.” She changed her tone as she addressed mister dark and sinful. “Sir, I don’t know your name, but can I help you?”
“Wait until your parents find out.” Thomas shuffled out of her office.
The pretentious ass had to have the last word. Jaida exhaled a deep breath. Get yourself together girl. “How can I assist you?” Stuck staring again, she blushed and had to look away from his physique before drooling or better yet started stammering like a school girl.
“Let me take a look at your back.”
“Can I at least get a name before you strip my shirt off?” Not that she’d mind removing every article of clothing if he ordered.
“Torquatus, but you can call me Torq.”
“Torq-ate-us.” She bit her tongue, the tip protruding through her lips. “Hmm. I’m not as smooth as you are.”
“I’ve had years of practice.”
When he grinned his dark eyes lightened. “I do suppose you have. Can’t say it’s a name I’ve heard before. Did the tattoo shop send you?”
“Something like that.” Torq raised the back of her shirt and peeled the corners of the taped gauze to the side. “Just a spot of blood, you’ve been scratching.” He frowned at her.
“It itches. Since we’ve confirmed I’m not bleeding to death, who are you and what do you want?”
“Torq, like I said, Miss Winters. As for why I’m here…I’m going to help you.”


www.mahalialevey.com
www.secretcravingspublishing.com


Contest

Win a copy of Inscribed Love
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Details- leave your email address and respond to why you’d like to read this story and I’ll pick two winners, one will receive a pdf copy the other swag.

2 comments:

  1. I'd like to read Inscribed Love because I really enjoyed reading the blurb and the excerpt and would love to find out what happens to Jaida and Torq. :)

    TOPSAIL246(at)aol(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks Rhonda for having me :)

    Hi Annalisa thanks for commenting :)

    ReplyDelete