Summer of Indie Greets Author Olivia Hardin

Our guest today on the Summer of Indie blog is author Olivia Hardin. When asked for a brief description of herself as an author, Hardin said, "I’m a Romance, Paranormal, Fantasy writer who hears the voices speaking to her morning, noon and night… and I like it that way." Olivia Hardin spoke with us about books 1 and 2 in her Bend-Bite-Shift Trilogy, and gave us an excerpt from the first book in the series, Witch Way Bends, which we included at the end of this interview.

Witch Way Bends

Devan Stowe has only one thing on her mind when she teams up with Kent Crosby and his associates—putting an end to her father’s child trafficking business. Her determination takes her on a journey to discover her true strength and the… one man she was destined to love. In his arms, she’ll learn the meaning of trust, honor, and courage. Devan will unlock an amazing gift that will free her from her past and open up a future full of magic, faeries and more things than she ever imagined possible.

Bitten Shame

Jill Prescott returned from self-imposed seclusion to help save her best friend Devan’s life. Throwing herself into Devan’s problems and bringing an evil organization to its knees might just be the distraction she needs to keep living without the only man she’s ever loved. Her life changed forever when she was hired to spend a week with Doc Massey. On the day she became a vampire her youthful innocence ended, but Doc’s love rescued her from being consumed by the darkness. The shadow of that former life continues to loom over her, keeping her from realizing her own self-worth. Running from her past only brings her closer to a destiny that is inextricably connected to what she is trying to escape… Every gift has both a reward and a price, because All of it fits…

After finding out more about the Bite-Bend-Shift Trilogy, we interviewed author Olivia Hardin to find out more about them as an author:

Olivia Hardin realized early on how strange she was to have complete movie-like character dreams as a child. Eventually she began putting those vivid dreams to paper and was rarely without her spiral notebooks full of those mental ramblings. Her forgotten vision of becoming an author was realized when she connected with a group of amazingly talented and fabulous writers who gave her lots of direction and encouragement. With a little extra push from family and friends, she hunkered down to get lost in the words. She's also an insatiable crafter who only completes about 1 out of 5 projects, a jogger who hates to run, and is sometimes accused of being artistic, though she's generally too much of a perfectionist to appreciate her own work. A native Texas girl from Port Arthur, Olivia still lives in the beautiful Lone Star state with her husband Danny and their puppy Bonnie.

Q:Where can people get your book

A:http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006DNUJ3G

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/noresults?ean=2940013527614&itm=1&product.urlkeywords=books&usri=witch+way+bends&workid=1107735419

Q: In your book, who is your favorite character?

A: My favorite character is probably the giant Langston. There’s just something about him. The way he speaks, the coolness with which he reacts to things, the confident assurance he exudes. I think I’m half in love with him. He’s introduced to us in Book 1 of the trilogy, but I’m very excited he’s recently gotten his own story. “Tell A Soul” is featured in the Cupid Painted Blind Anthology that was just released this February.

Q: What's your favorite indie book that you've read recently?

A: Well I have to say the Apocolypto Series by L.K. Rigel. I have so many books to read and I try to take them in a certain order. L.K.’s Apocolypto Omnibus was on my list but not in queue yet. I made the mistake of peeking at a few pages one weekend and I could not stop reading it. I can’t wait for her to write more in the series.

Q: What's your favorite book of all time?

A: Oh, what a tough question. I’d have to say Aztec by Gary Jennings. Interestingly enough, it was required reading for a course I took on Aztec history when I was going to undergraduate school. I could read it again and again. I was thrilled when I found a way to tie that book into my own trilogy.

Q: Who are some of your favorite authors?

A:Well, I’ve already mentioned L.K. Rigel. I also love Karleen Koen. I developed an intimate connection with Barbara in Through A Glass Darkly. I felt like I physically experienced each and every episode in her life and can remember laughing aloud at times, then sobbing uncontrollably. Fabulous book!

Q: Do you have any advice for new writers?

A:Don’t take other writer’s advice? Seriously, we can all provide each other tips and pointers about this or that, but I think the most important thing is to follow your heart. Be selective. You are the creator of your own literary universe. Possess it and make it what you dream it should be.

Q: What's next for you (in your writing)?

A: I just finished writing the first draft of book 2 in the trilogy. Bitten Shame should come out this Spring and then hopefully book 3, Shifty Business will follow in the fall.

You can find author Olivia Hardin online at:
http://www.amazon.com/Olivia-Hardin/e/B006FPRBW4/
http://oliviahardinwriter.wordpress.com/
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5354958.Olivia_Hardin
http://twitter.com/oliviaH_writer
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Olivia-Hardin/312337365448880

The following is an excerpt from Witch Way Bends, Book 1 in the Bend-Bite-Shift Trilogy:

Now she looked hard into Kent’s eyes and nodded. “I know about the Org,” she muttered, her hands clinched into fists.

“No, Dev, you don’t. But first things first, do you believe in magic?”

Devan hesitated. To fill the space while she thought of an answer, she stood and moved towards the minibar. She found a diet soda and took a long drink, “Do you possess magic, Kent?”

“Do you, Devan?”

The question startled her and she shook her head immediately, “No, of course not. Why would you ask me that?”

“Auras. Do you see or sense auras? Have you ever had a premonition of something to come, not déjà vu, but a visible premonition? Dreams, have you traveled in your dreams? Have you ever touched someone and felt energy, a spark of who they are?”

“No, no, no! Of course not. What? Do you think I’m a witch?”

Devan watched the expression in his blue eyes as he approached her slowly. She was again stricken by the absolute refinement of each movement of his body, the swing of his arms and the subtle twist of his torso. He stopped in front of her and his mouth was so close to hers that she could feel the warmth of his breath against her lips. Their eyes searched each other for a moment, then in anticipation she closed hers just before he kissed her.

Her body dissolved against his as her arms clasped tightly around him. She wanted to be closer, to taste him more fully so she stood up on her toes to bridge the gap in their heights. As Kent’s arms snaked around her waist, he bent his own legs slightly and brought her tight between them. When one of his hands clasped her backside and ground her hips tightly to his, she moaned into his mouth, their breaths becoming one.