Tynga's Reviews

Showing posts with label Tracey O'Hara. Show all posts

Monday, January 31, 2011

When I’m not Writing… with Tracey O’Hara

I am very lucky to have an amazing person and fantastic author by my side today! Tracey O’Hara is the author of the Dark Brethren series (you can read my review of the first book, Night’s Cold Kiss, here), and her latest release, Death’s Sweet Embrace, hit the store on January 25th, 2011! If you haven’t read her series, I really suggest you do, but for now let’s learn more about Tracey. Please welcome her warmly =)

** You can click any images to see full size**

When I’m not writing I am usually at work in my day job as an Analyst Programmer. That is way too boring to talk about. Instead I am going to talk about where I’m from. I am Australian and have only been outside my country once. Having said that, I have travelled a lot of this country and feel very lucky to live here, even if it is a country of such extremes.

A few weeks ago, the state I grew up in was hit with huge floods. Most of my family and a lot of my friends live there, so it was quite a scary. The extent of the damage is astronomical hitting 75% of the state (and our states are big). The floods rose so hard and fast that people died. Other’s lost everything they own. And the loss of life for the animals, both domestic and wild is heartbreaking. They say it will be like a post war recovery for Queensland.

As I said, ours is a country of extremes and until recently we have been in severe drought. In 2009 we had devastating fires to the south of us in Victoria. Again people lost everything, and some lost their lives. Like the floods, the fires hit hard and fast, giving people little time to prepare. In 2003 such fires devastated my city. In some of the images I have attached you can see how dark it is—that was 2 o’clock in the afternoon. The smoke and ash blotted out the sun, the flames tinged it red. We were on our roof, spraying it with water and preparing to be evacuated at any moment. It was the longest night of my life.

But Aussies are survivors and we take these things on the chin, because we know there is a lot to be proud of. Our country is just as full of beauty as well as danger. We have fantastic cities, tropical islands, rainforests, harsh but beautiful deserts and weird cute creatures. We also have spectacular natural wonders like The Great Barrier Reef and Uluru. I feel very lucky to belong here, but what’s more are the people. With the disasters, Australians band together to help out their mates and a stranger is a mate you haven’t met yet. We are laid back and fun loving people.

So this is my country. This is where I live, work and play. This is where I belong.

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Thank you so much Tracey for sharing with us. You’re so amazing. Love ya!

After thousands of years of secret conflict, humans and parahumans have reached an uneasy truce. But unspeakable evil now threatens to shatter the tenuous peace.

Teenaged shapeshifters are being slaughtered by a twisted, sadistic serial killer who rips their still-beating hearts from their paralyzed bodies. A task force must be formed to halt the madness—a union of avengers including the vampiric Aeternus, Christian Laroque and Antoinette Petrescu, as well as Kitt Jordan and Raven Matokwe, members of enemy Animalian tribes…and forbidden lovers.

A centuries-old blood feud has divided their peoples—pitting wolf against snow leopard in a battle to the death—and if their passion is discovered it will doom them both. But past hostilities must be put aside in light of the scourge that is now upon them. For the killer they seek is but the first sign of a blossoming terror rising up from their long-buried pasts: the all-consuming nightmare of The Dark Brethren.

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by Tynga at Monday, January 31, 2011

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Dark Winter Tale Part 10 with Tracey O’Hara

Please visit the Master List if you missed the previous parts of the story!

I am very happy to have author Tracey O’Hara with me today for the follow up of the Dark Winter Tale story. She is the debut author of Night’s Cold Kiss, and her next novel (the second in the same series), Death’s Sweet Embrace, will be available at the beginning of 2011. If you haven’t read her first book yet I strongly suggest you do, I really liked it (review here)!

Aodh’s shrieks unsettled the trolls. At first they huddled together, clutching at each other in confusion, then almost as one they turned on Liv and Wyatt, teeth bared and eyes feral. Wyatt stepped in front, pulling her to safety behind him.

“When I give the word,” he whispered over his shoulder, “run down the tunnel to the left and keep going. No matter what.”

“What’re you going to do?” she hissed back as the ugly little trolls inched to toward them, pure menace in their eyes as the saliva dripped from their twisted mouths.

“Don’t worry—just get outta here,” he turned to her for a brief second, apologetic concern clouding his expression. “I’m sorry I got you into this.”

She shook her head. “I can’t just leave you here.”

“You don’t have any choice….” Wyatt’s voice trailed off as he turned away.

For a moment, Liv couldn’t work out what had changed. Then she realized the fey’s screams were now silent and raised her gaze to stare straight into the murderous bloodlust burning in Aodh’s once mesmerizing eyes.

“I never meant it to go this far,” Wyatt whispered.

The tingling started in her extremities, flowing from her fingers and toes towards the center of her chest where it pooled and swirled.

There was something else Nana Rose had told Liv that she found hard to believe—until this very moment when she felt it building deep within her.

The first of the snarling little troll men launched at them.

“Go now—” Wyatt growled through gritted teeth. “RUN!”

Instead she held her ground, acting on instinct. The energy rocketed up her arms and shot out of her fingertips, hitting the troll mid leap and the smoking carcass dropped to land harmlessly at Wyatt’s feet.

“It’s true!” Aodh’s triumphant roar rebounded off the surrounding rock. “I’ve found her at last.”

To Be Continued….

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The tension between the Aeternus, an ancient vampiric people, and humanity has been mounting for over a century. But when rogue vampires begin to drain humans in order to achieve an illegal blood-high, all bets are off.

After the death of her parents, Antoinette Petrescu devoted her life to becoming one of the top Venators, the elite hunters who destroy the rogue Necrodreniacs. Her kill count is legendary and her skills superb.

But now the serial killer who killed her parents has returned. And to stop him Antoinette must join forces not only with the Aeternus, but also their most legendary killer. One that is both dangerously attractive, and involved in buried secrets of her past. More dangerous still, a dark attraction grows between them--one that could doom both races.

After thousands of years of secret conflict, humans and parahumans have reached an uneasy truce. But unspeakable evil now threatens to shatter the tenuous peace.
Teenaged shapeshifters are being slaughtered by a twisted, sadistic serial killer who rips their still-beating hearts from their paralyzed bodies. A task force must be formed to halt the madness—a union of avengers including the vampiric Aeternus, Christian Laroque and Antoinette Petrescu, as well as Kitt Jordan and Raven Matokwe, members of enemy Animalian tribes…and forbidden lovers.
A centuries-old blood feud has divided their peoples—pitting wolf against snow leopard in a battle to the death—and if their passion is discovered it will doom them both. But past hostilities must be put aside in light of the scourge that is now upon them. For the killer they seek is but the first sign of a blossoming terror rising up from their long-buried pasts: the all-consuming nightmare of The Dark Brethren.

Interested yet? Well here’s your shot to get your hands on the first book.

Harper Collins is offering three copies of the first book, Night’s Cold Kiss to three lucky winners!

Open to US & Canada

All you have to do is FILL THE FORM

Ends Dec 27th, 2010.

by Tynga at Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Dark Winter Tale, giveaway, Harper Collins, Tracey O'Hara 10 People left their mark

Friday, December 03, 2010

Night’s Cold Kiss by Tracey O’Hara

The tension between the Aeternus, an ancient vampiric people, and humanity has been mounting for over a century. But when rogue vampires begin to drain humans in order to achieve an illegal blood-high, all bets are off.

After the death of her parents, Antoinette Petrescu devoted her life to becoming one of the top Venators, the elite hunters who destroy the rogue Necrodreniacs. Her kill count is legendary and her skills superb.

But now the serial killer who killed her parents has returned. And to stop him Antoinette must join forces not only with the Aeternus, but also their most legendary killer. One that is both dangerously attractive, and involved in buried secrets of her past. More dangerous still, a dark attraction grows between them--one that could doom both races.

Antoinette Petrescu, is a vampire hunter in a world set in an amazing lore. Vampire is indeed the common public name for Aeternus, a race of vampire living peacefully. As opposed to Dreniacs, a race of vampire addicted to death-induced high, they are serial killers of the worst kind. Antoinette is hunting the latter, but also has a strong repulsion to Aeternus since her mother’s murder. A dreniac is currently on the loose, killing prostitute matching Antoinette’s physical description. She is determined to stop him, even with demons from her past hunting her, and even if this means teaming up with sexy Christian Laroque, Aeternus.

I LOVED this book for multiple reasons, but the lore is one of the main ones. It kind of reminds me of the Vampire Academy series because of the good vampire/ bad vampire aspect, but is original nonetheless. I have to admit it was a little confusing at first because of all the new terminology, but thankfully, Tracey included a glossary at the end =)

I also really liked the character’s richness: They all have an interesting past and an unique personality. Viktor was my favorite. He is so corky, smart and original. There aren’t two like him. Christian is indeed brilliant and suave, but also tormented by his past, I appreciated his strong character and determination. Those last two qualities also apply the Antoinette, but what made her so special was her vulnerability. She is a strong and capable female, but the “bad guy” had such power on her, it shattered all her strength, and made her that much more real. If I had one complain regarding our heroine it would have to be her name lol It’s such an old French name it just didn’t sit right with me.

The tension roused in a crescendo the entire book and ended in a blast – literally. The plot took twist and turns I never saw coming and kept me on my toes the whole time. I can’t wait to see what’s to come!

This Urban Fantasy is indeed action-packed and passion loaded. A few sex scene to tease the imagination and a fiery intensity between the two main characters. Tracey’s debut is definitely a success and you can sign me up for the second book, Death’s Sweet Embrace.

Read an excerpt