Are blue witches more appealing than green?

I invited Kyra Jacobs back to my blog to talk more about her book BLUE MANHATTAN. You see, she writes fantasy in between sweet romances to have a little creative fun. That’s why I write the Muddy River series. There’s nothing like a witch to perk things up a bit. My Hester is plenty powerful. So is Kyra’s Shay Tempest. But is she powerful enough to save herself and her sister from the erlking who wants Shay back? Have I mentioned that Shay is blue? And she purposely chose that color because Mauricio liked her better when she was green? Ah, well, I’ll let Kyra take it from here and tell you a little about the book herself:

Last month I released BLUE MANHATTAN, a fantasy romance and my tenth novel (wow, it still feels awesome to type that!) And while all my published books so far have centered around relationships and romance, BLUE MANHATTAN was a little different than the rest.

Ok, so it was a LOT different than the rest. But that was actually my intent.

See, instead of it being a sweet romance between the girl next door and the everyday great guy—which I also love to write—this time I wanted to have a little fun and see just how far my imagination could go. They say you’ve got to exercise muscles to keep them limber, right? Well, I think stretching your thinking and imagination is an important exercise as well. (So is dishing up your favorite flavor of ice cream, but I digress…) For this story, I decided to flip the everyday “meet cute” scene on its head. Literally.

In BLUE, the book opens in a bar whose patrons aren’t supposed to exist. At least, that’s what us humans have been led to believe. Goblins, witches, yetis, trolls, pixies, griffins—the list goes on. Let me tell you, I had so much fun researching mythical creatures for this book! But in the midst of all this supernatural “normalness”, who should come crashing in but a lowly human.

“We’ve got ourselves a crasher…”

Needless to say, Jamie Knight doesn’t initially believe what he’s seeing. In fact, he at first convinces himself that he’s stumbled into some ComicCon-type party with really legit costumes…until fighting breaks out, bones start cracking, and green goo starts flying.

Suddenly it’s every creature for themselves.

And who comes to his rescue? Shayla Tempest, the powerful blue bartender at McGronkle’s Supernatural Pub, planted smack dab in the center of all that chaos.

You see what I did there? Not only are humans at the disadvantage in this scenario, but I wrote in one helluva kickass heroine. I don’t generally write pushover heroines, mind you, but this one I wanted to empower with a little…more. And trust me—I gave her plenty of power. The struggle for Shay comes in learning to trust people again, something she’s got to conquer on the inside without her fancy magic.

Does she save the day instead of the hero at the end?

Guess you’ll just have to read it to find out. 😉 While you do that, I’ll be hanging out with the cast as I work on the next book in the Moonlight Mayhem series. Be sure to share your favorite mythical creature with me in the comments below, and happy reading, everyone!

BLUE MANHATTAN (Moonlight Mayhem, Book 1)

By Kyra Jacobs

Genre: Fantasy Romance

Length: 334 pages

Available on Amazon: bit.ly/BlueMZon21

Blurb:

Bartender Shayla Tempest wants nothing more than to stay out of trouble. Oh, and to kill the supernatural mob boss who’s stolen her sister. So, when Mauricio Hunter demands Shay deliver some “special package” in exchange for her sister’s life, this supe masquerading as a blue-skinned witch doesn’t hesitate to agree. Until, that is, she learns the package is one that’s completely off-limits for her kind: a human.

Computer programmer Jamie Knight just wants to finish debugging his latest app. But some douche bag named Mauricio has kidnapped his girlfriend, and now Jamie’s dodging dangerous mythical creatures in a race against time to pay her ransom. His only hope? One seriously stubborn witch who’s blue, scary powerful, and sexy as hell.

With an unexpected attraction brewing between them, this unlikely duo will break every rule in the supernatural underworld to complete their rescue mission. But something far more devious than kidnapping is on Mauricio’s true agenda, and the erlking will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Do Shay and Jamie have what it takes to thwart his plans without losing themselves—or each other—along the way?

Excerpt

Soap suds rose from the hot tub in the bar’s front corner, and distracted Shay from the fire water she’d been making. A lick of yellow bit her hand as she bobbled the glass, sending flames dancing across the bar top. Four nymphs sharing a nearby stool took wing to avoid the fiery cascade, a litany of curses filling the air. Shay cursed as well, reaching for a washrag to clean up her spill before it claimed any casualties.

“Dammit Floyd, what the hell are we paying you for?”

Their mile-high waste-of-fur bouncer perched beside the door bristled. “What’s your problem, Blue?”

Her cloth snagged on a crusty spot, and she lifted it to find a chunk of charred wing. Okay, strike that—claim any more casualties. She cast a dark look to the yeti. “You are. Thought you patted the water kelpies down when they were paying their cover?”

“I did.”

She tipped her head toward the growing mound of bubbles and Floyd’s gaze flicked toward the tub. With a muttered expletive, he slid off his personalized tree stump and strode toward the thickening scent of lavender. At ninety-five, the guy believed he was the best thing to come along since the invention of glamouring. Maybe in another hundred years, he’d lose the ego and Shay would be able to tolerate the pompous jerk.

No, probably not even then.

He had just made it to the kelpies when the front door burst open and a body stumbled through. A human body, judging by the way he was gasping for breath. Usually, they hit the wards and made an about-face. So far, this guy wasn’t that smart.

“We’ve got ourselves a crasher,” Milo crooned from a nearby booth, his scaly green lips drawing back to reveal teeth that desperately needed a good brushing. Like, a few decades ago.

The goblin slid his arm free of the drunken fae nestled beside him and started to rise. But a brawl was the last thing they needed tonight, especially with that package due to arrive from Mauri. Shay abandoned her washrag and strode forward, giving him a not-so-subtle shove down along the way.

“Keep your shirt on,” she said.

“But—”

“I said, keep your shirt on.”

She snapped her fingers, freezing the little bastard in place. Goblins—always trying to be the tough guys. Her spell wouldn’t hold him long, but it did allow her enough time to give their newcomer a onceover. He looked to be just over six feet tall, long and lean. Not overly muscular, but not an ounce of fat on the guy, either. Nothing she couldn’t handle if good old Floyd chickened out again. Why he got so nervous around humans was beyond her. This one’s dark hair was short on the sides and a little longer on top, just like all the pretty boys on posters in Time Square. As she stared, a pair of melted chocolate eyes began to scan the room.

Gods, he was repulsive.

“I’m looking for a woman.”

Snickering ensued as Shay continued forward, stopping before she emerged from the shadows. Best not to give him too big a fright, or their crasher would soon be a fainter. Fainters always made the griffins hungry, and she’d be damned if she was gonna jump in the middle of a herd of them to save clueless Joe Blow here.

“I think you’re lost, city boy,” she called. “Best turn around and head back to Upper Manhattan.”

He squinted in her direction and lifted one hand to shield his eyes from the entryway lights, a piece of crumpled paper in its grip. “Violet. I’m looking for Violet. They took her from me.”

His breathing was beginning to smooth; not a good sign. If he acclimated to the wards, he’d soon be able to see them all just as they were—a bar full of creatures he wasn’t supposed to know existed. Shay put a little more venom behind her words.

“Don’t know nothing about none of that. Now leave.”

The human unwadded the note in his hand. “No? Then how about a…Storm? She’s supposed to know where I can find her.”

Shay sucked in a sharp breath. Storm?

Oh, no. No, this guy could not be the package.

A human, Mauri? Are you out of your friggin’ mind?

“Ain’t got one of them neither,” she pushed. “Now scat.”

The newcomer squared his shoulders. “Well if they’re not here,” he said, voice rising above the bar’s standard bedlam, “then somebody better bring me that son of a bitch Mauricio Hunter. Right. Now.”

The entire tavern fell silent as every head turned to see what fool had said aloud the name of Antinomy’s most notorious mob boss. From the Barbie Dream House, cracking knuckles could be heard.

Then all hell broke loose.

Author Bio:

 Kyra Jacobs is an extroverted introvert who’s always called Indiana home, so she’s well-versed in fickle weather, pork tenderloins that don’t fit on a bun, and sarcasm. Putting her Indiana University degrees in Public Management to good use by day means Kyra does the bulk of her writing late into the night. Fueled by caffeine and funny memes, she weaves tales of love and relationships, including the humor and/or chaos both can bring. Kyra’s published novels range from sweet contemporary romance to romantic suspense and paranormal/fantasy.

When this Hoosier native isn’t at a keyboard, daydreaming through her fingertips, she’s likely outside, elbow-deep in snapdragons or on a sideline somewhere cheering (loudly) for her sporty sons. Kyra also loves to bowl, tries to golf, and is an avid college football fan. Be sure to stop by kyrajacobsbooks.com to learn more about her novels and ways to connect with Kyra on social media.

Connect with Kyra:

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Website:  http://www.KyraJacobs.wordpress.com

Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/Kyra_Jacobs