Satin and Steel

The Book Mistress Tours

Satin and Steel
Blood & Fire, Book 2

By

Brantwijn Serrah

Genre: Paranormal Erotic Romance (NC17)

Book blurb

They say love ruined her. It's time to prove them wrong.
Half a century ago, Rhiannon lost the woman she loved. Since then, unlife has held little meaning for her, and she's fallen from grace among the vampire nation. She once swore to throw herself into the sun the day Aijyn died...but it turns out she's no good at keeping promises.
Sometimes the best cure for heartache is surrender. There's a demon in London with new promises: darkness to run in, pleasures to hunt, rules to break. Sent to track down a dangerous traitor, Rhiannon is caught up in a game of murder and treachery between three warring races...and the sinful, seductive shadow-walker who could be her redemption, or her ultimate undoing.

Buy Link

Satin and Steel at Champagne Books

Satin and Steel on Amazon

Satin and Steel on Barnes and Noble

Author bio

When she isn't visiting the worlds of immortals, demons, dragons and goblins, Brantwijn fills her time with artistic endeavors: sketching, painting, customizing My Little Ponies and sewing plushies for friends. She can't handle coffee unless there's enough cream and sugar to make it a milkshake, but try and sweeten her tea and she will never forgive you. She moonlights as a futon for four lazy cats, loves tabletop role-play games, and can spend hours watching Futurama, American Horror Story or Buffy the Vampire Slayer while she writes or draws.

In addition to her novels, Brantwijn has self-published erotic short stories available on Smashwords or Amazon.  She's also had a short story published in the Cleiss Press Big Book of Orgasm and the anthology Coming Together Through The Storm. She hopes to have several more tales to tell as time goes on.  She has author pages on GoodReads and Amazon, and loves to see reader comments on her work. Her short stories occasionally pop up at Foreplay and Fangs, her blog at http://brantwijn.blogspot.com.

Social links

Brantwijn's Facebook Page: http://tinyurl.com/qf2bzwk

Foreplay and Fangs blog: http://brantwijn.blogspot.com/?zx=6ba3380c7201b326

Foreplay and Fangs on Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/q2cmnep

Find Brantwijn on Google+

And on Goodreads

Say hi to her on Twitter

Book excerpt

In a blink, the demon disappeared into the silhouette of the smoke stack. Then, Rhiannon felt slender fingers brushing along her shoulder, slow and coy. She spun to find Vivienne lounging happily on her stomach atop another chimney, slipped there through the shadows without a sound.
“What we have heard about you,” she said, “is far from rumor.”
Rhiannon jerked away. “Don’t touch me.”
The corner of Vivienne’s smile twitched, for a moment becoming hard, an irritated scowl.
“Your kind is only the Fourth Blood of the Drogh Lord’s kingdom,” she hissed. “The werewolves and shadiil came long before vampires. We are older than even the oldest of your race, gravespawn, something you and your mother would do well to keep in mind.”
Rhiannon bristled at the insult. “Older than vampires, but still the spawn of beasts,” she spat. “Rife with a touch of madness because of it, I’d say.”
Vivienne fell silent, searching Rhiannon carefully. “They say you have been mad once.”
Rhiannon’s spine straightened. A wary prickle traveled through her shoulders and a low growl started deep in her throat.
“Drank the blood of another vampire, didn’t you?” the shadiil purred. “Drained a rival warrior to death, just as a rabid thrall does, and lost your pretty little mind.”
Rhiannon’s hand returned to the hilt of her blade.
“You haven’t exactly been the same since then, have you, Rhiannon Donovan?”
“It’s a lie,” she muttered. “I am not a thrall. I know my own mind and I am not rabid!”
Vivienne’s smirk returned, as if renewed by the anger she’d provoked. She slid her knees out from under her and dropped to the rooftop, backing Rhiannon down.
“You were expected to become the first Archon in the history of the Blood Circle Council to bear four fangs,” she said. “A vampire colder and crueler than any ever squirted out from between her dam’s thighs. Colder and crueler than most who were sired with a bite, perhaps. What happened to you, Rhiannon Donovan? Where did your strict, disciplined focus and cold-blooded dedication go? Where is the tigre méchant et sanguinaire, the malicious and bloodthirsty tiger?”
“Back away, shadiil,” the vampire spat. “I am still a Weapons master.”
Vivienne stopped, tilting her head, scanning Rhiannon up and down with giddy cruelty.
“They were wrong about you,” she said. “You are no Archon.”
“It no longer matters to me if I am.”
Green eyes glittered. “My race knows better, little Rhiannon. My queen knows better. You will throw off every expectation the bloodsuckers have of you. You will throw off every expectation everyone has of you. You are no Archon at heart.”
She stood close enough that her pretty, elfin nose almost touched Rhiannon’s. The vampire realized she’d stopped growling, caught off guard by those glowing, hypnotic eyes.
“Non, non, Rhiannon. At heart, you are nothing less than a Councilwoman herself.”
Rhiannon snorted.
“You are the one who is mad, shadiil,” she muttered, turning to slip down the way she had come. “Run off. Let me hunt in peace.”
“I am not teasing you, ma chérie,” Vivienne said with a smile. “This is what the seers have told us: you will become the greatest vampire among all vampires.”
“Your seers are blind.”
With a cold rush of shadows, the other demon appeared out of the darkness before her, materialized in the silhouette of the window casement.
“Enough of grand talk then, since it bothers you so,” she murmured. “Reconsider hunting with me. We will find this beast and put it in the ground. You can go back to your race a hero and get back on the path you pursued so hungrily before you lost your mind.”
“I didn’t lose my mind!” Rhiannon insisted, pushing past her.
“The shadiil prides of London and our werewolf allies will be far more helpful to you than your own kind. We are not so busy prattling about the blame and covering up our blunders. You will find us to be far more pleasant company.”
“I don’t want company.”
“Arrêtez, ma cher...wait.”
Rhiannon paused, another growl escaping her.
Vivienne strolled up to her side. “May I see your teeth, ma beau chérie?”
Rhiannon sneered. “What?”
Vivienne lunged, putting her soft hands to Rhiannon’s face and nudging her lips away from her teeth. As the curious beast inspected the bracketed fangs in eyeteeth and canines, her smile quirked up at the corners even more. She started to purr, her tongue peeking out to run over her dark lips.
“Oh...they are most lovely, bastard child,” she murmured, stroking one hand along Rhiannon’s cheek. “So lovely, I could almost bite you myself, and send you home to your mother with my naughty teeth marks all over your tight little body.”

Questions for Authors

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

The Books of Blood and Fire are a romantic adventure series and first and foremost, I hope my readers can enjoy these tales of Rhiannon Donovan for the simple, sexy pleasure of it. For those who are interested, though, there’s a deeper search into the nature of evil, the question of the soul, and, ultimately, redemption. These things inspire me as a writer to write the tales; I’d love to know if they touch the readers, as well.

Was there an Author who inspired you to write?

So many! Topping the list, though, must be Stephen King, Joss Whedon, Jennifer Roberson and Jim Butcher.

How did you come up with the characters in your books?

Most of them originate out of music that speaks to me. Rhiannon, alas, has been with me so long I can’t remember exactly which song first introduced me to her. There are two that personify her to me these days: Carnival, by Natalie Merchant, and Question of Honor, as performed by Sarah Brightman. In Satin and Steel, the character of Vivienne is inspired by Lady Gaga’s Teeth, Solvä by Nightwish’s Ghost River, Glory by Evanescence’s Bring Me To Life.

What are your current projects?

Again, so many! I’m trying to finish out the sequel to Goblin Fires before this year’s National Novel Writing Month gets underway. During November I intend to work on Rhiannon’s third story, Winter Hearts, though I’m still feeling called to work on my BDSM Fantasy, Lady in Chains.

Do you see writing as a career?

I do. Though I have a day job and that’s the job that pays my bills, I consider myself an author first and foremost. This is who I am.

Do you ever picture yourself and one of your heroines?  If so, which one?

Lately I’ve found myself in the headspace of my Lady in Chains heroine, Sadira. I love the dichotomy of her character: she’s a strong soul, a fighter underneath everything, a woman with a clear view of what she wants and needs; but in her most intimate, vulnerable heart, she seeks out a master who can touch the wild storm of emotion and strength within her, and help her to calm it. I love that she’s strong, and yet she’s deeply submissive, and she’s able to understand that duality in herself very well.

Do you have a favorite heroine/hero from one of your books? If so, who?

I think Rhiannon is probably the one I’m most endeared to. I can’t put my finger on why but Rhiannon is my girl.

What kind of research do you do for your books?

I do lots of research through many, many channels, and I usually find myself intrigued enough to do more research than I need for the project. Wikipedia tends to be my starting point these days, just because it’s such a great place to find the first nugget of information, and further research on other websites, cultural forums, hard-copy books, and so on.

What is the hardest part of writing your book?

I have trouble with “Point B” scenes—as in the ones that get the character from Point A to Point C. Little scenes with little action and little emotional charge…I have trouble working through them. At the same time, though, I get very frustrated with authors who skip over these slower-paced scenes, leaving their books with an unequal balance of action and rest. So I make myself write through these slower parts…and usually they end up being scenes I love.  I also have trouble with fight scenes, but I make myself write through them until they feel full and balanced as well.

If you could say anything to your readers what would it be?

Read, write and be merry!

What is your favorite Genre and why?

I enjoy most genres, but if I have to name a favorite I think it would have to be urban fantasy. I enjoy the different ways authors of urban fantasy can incorporate and re-imagine classic folklore, myth, and legend.

Do you prefer to write alone or do you like to collaborate with other authors?

I’m not sure I’d know how to write a collaboration! Though I think I’d like to give it a try one day. However, I tend to prefer to write alone, on my own time, and at my own pace.

Do you ever get writer’s block? If so, how do you get through it?

I get writer’s block all the time. At times, I can overcome it by switching to another project temporarily, or taking a chance to break for some silent meditation on my own. One fairly good way to jog my mind is to put on some inspirational music and go for a long walk with my dog.

When you are reading a book, who is your favorite author?

I have a lot of favorites, usually favorites for different reasons. I think my all-around favorite is JK Rowling, however. I think her talent for storytelling is amazing on many, many levels, and in fact I’m not sure she gets quite as much credit as she deserves. Other favorites are Stephen King, Jim Butcher, and lately Sarah Waters.

Do you come up with the cover or does someone else do it?

The cover for Satin and Steel was done by Victoria Miller, who is an amazing artist and I hope to have her work on future titles as well. For my self-published works, however, I’ve created my own covers.

If you could change anything in your writing what would that be?

It’s hard to put my finger on exactly what I would like to change, though I can identify it in my mind easily enough. Sometimes I feel my voice is not as “just right” as some of the writers (especially erotic authors) I admire, like Remittance Girl or Sarah Waters. Their stories move almost seamlessly for me, in terms of prose. I feel I’m not at that level, and I would love to be.

What book if any would you want to be made into a movie?

Most of the books I want to see as movies are already made into movies. There’s one I hope they never make into a movie (though there’s already been talk of it), and that’s The Dark Tower series.  I love The Dark Tower, don’t get me wrong. But there’s so much about the books that, in my opinion, would never transfer to the screen very well. I think it would cause more people to dislike the series, rather than win it new fans. I just think there’s no reason to try and force it into a film format.

Everyone uses computers, tablets, phones and no one uses handwritten form or typewriters, what do you prefer to use?

I actually do write by hand. At least in my earliest forms. Since I work 40 hours a week at my day job and I can’t use the computers there for writing smut, I collect notebooks and do a lot of hand-written first drafts. I do quite enjoy this, actually… it’s very versatile.

Is there a ritual you do before you begin your book?

It’s always a quest to find the perfect title, and the perfect opening quote. Before that’s done, I can’t write a thing.

What do you do when you finish your book and turn it in to the editor?

Begin the waiting game.