[Series Feature] Rising Currents' by Lani Rhea

Welcome, Lani!


Thank you, Christina, for sharing your blog with me today. It’s an honor. I would like to start off with a little history about werewolves and vampires, because mine are different, yet share characteristics in the same retrospect. And I’ll toss a little magic in the mix…

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Histories:

Werewolves are ancient, going back far into history from Greek mythology to Latvian folklore. All over the world the myths of werewolves can be found. They have attributed superhuman strength and senses, and mate for life and stay in family groups.  Humans can be turned into a werewolf simply with a bite, or there can be a curse.

Vampires, ah, the mighty vampire, the creature I used to pretend to be as a child. Who am I kidding, I still dress up as vampires at Halloween! Vampires can be so fun. They go back thousands of years in several different cultures. A favorite vampire cult of mine is the Egyptian Cult of Sekhmet. I’ve actually began a story called Rising Currents’: Aeon Blood centering around this cult, but in my own creative way.  It is based on Goddess Sekhmet, which is the reason that modern day vampires are around in books and movies today.

Hoodoo, folk magic, is also known as a conjure, witchcraft or rootwork.  In American English, the word hoodoo was first documented was in 1875 and is commonly mixed up with voodoo.  Voodoo is a religion and hoodoo is a group of magical practices. And the reason I mention hoodoo is because my story Rising Currents’: Louisiana Moon involves hoodoo magic.

Now my characters:

What’s a normal life anyway…

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Kristina Knight

Kristina Knight is a kick-ass werewolf and bounty hunter. Think of the artist PINK and you can envision Kris, except Kris has long curly brown hair. She is of Royal blood, and in my story Louisiana Moon only Royal bloodlines live forever. Kris has turned her back on her Royal tie and lives a long life alone killing ominous vampires who dare cross her path. Only Royals can hold the beast inside for long periods of time. She is not vegan 100%, but tames the beast with tasty treats of alligator and sushi rolls. To help keep Mother Earth clean, Kris recycles and yes, she considers herself a tree hugger. Nature is in her blood and she doesn’t want any creature or being disturbing the natural balance. She lives in a stylish container home and drives a Chevy Volt.  And the only man deemed her lover in the past, a vampire.

The Underworld is not to cross…

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Ryant Starga

 

Ryant Starga is Italian, born centuries long ago in Tuscany. He has hips built for pleasure, a tongue for wicked things and tawny eyes with dark specs like reptiles that could capture any soul. Ryant has locks of raven hair meant for pulling and built like a gladiator. Can you imagine the rousing succulents this man could bring? Ryant does break the rules. His latest and greatest uproar, kicked out of New York for forming a coven. He materializes from thin air and can vaporize into mist with the snap of his fingers to travel to different locations. To some, he may appear ruthless, which is a vampire’s nature. They can be vicious and take what they want at any given point. And let me mention, Ryant could come to my house anytime, I’d invite him inside. Would you? But then again, once his mate, always his mate and he will let his own self be invited inside…your heart that is.

Trouble stirs deep when a third is involved…

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Darin James

Darin James, your all American wannabe war hero, never finding the right woman, until he is saved by Kris before being turned into a vampire. He’s six foot tall with shoulder-length blond hair, and ripped muscles from all those strenuous workouts. Darin lost his parents in a car accident, and brings a natural balance to Kris’s world with his kind humanity and human nature. He’s always ready for a fight, eager to give that helping hand in the right spots, too.

BLURB



Humans are disappearing right off the streets! Kristina Knight learns Ryant Starga is the vampire cult leader for the Truce Brotherhood, underground protectors of the Darkworld, and behind the kidnappings. She rescues a human, Darin James, from forced vampirism and conscription into the vampire army to fight the snarling demons. Kris can’t allow it, no way. A major complication arises, Ryant can’t push Darin out of the picture to gain Kris’s respect and woo her into his bed. Not to mention the demons that won’t stop until they capture her.



In the sultry world of Louisiana, Kris, a werewolf and bounty hunter, spurns her royal bloodline, wanting nothing to do with the damned Throne Leaders. Her normal life crumbles when vampires seek her help to locate a dangerous escapee. Her former lover, Ryant, is determined to save Kris from Soul Demons, a.k.a. Soulscapes, shadows that dwell in cement. But as she believes her parents were slain by Ryant’s kind, she isn’t too keen on helping them. He’s got some nerve thinking she’ll trust him after denying vampire involvement.



Hoodoo magic lures Kris to a hell house where people are sacrificed to ensure the demon success. They need one drop of her royal blood. After they have, she will be discarded in so the demons will have control of all preternatural creatures as Throne Leaders. If the cement dwellers would stay locked up where they belonged there wouldn’t be a mess for Kristina to clean up. She could handle it. Maybe. Who needed to be of royal blood anyway? Not her. Hell, she’d fight to the death before trusting vampires to save her from the demons. But she has to trust vampires to stay alive.

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Rising Currents’: Louisiana Moon will be published in October 2012 with Lyrical Press. I’m in the process of writing Rising Currents’: Aeon Blood.  The third installment will be written later this year called Rising Currents’: Shadow Side.

Thanks again for having me on your blog today, Christina. It was a pleasure. And thank you readers for stopping by today!

~Lani

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                                                          More about Lani Rhea:

Married for over 15 years to her high school sweetheart, Lani Rhea lives in the heart of Oklahoma. She has four children, two cats and one dog. Lani is always up for a challenge and enjoys mixing romance with all genres that spark her interests. You can find Lani either reading or writing, and co-writes with Jp Archer.