I'm A Believer

Thanks for having me here on Romancing the Genre. 

I’m Erin Quinn and I’m a believer.

It’s why I write paranormal romance.  From past lives to spirits that don’t move on to signs that can’t be ignored, I’ve always believed that there’s a whole world beyond the one we see every day and in that world, the paranormal thrives.  I’ve written about reincarnation, ghosts, clairvoyance, time travel, alternate realities, telekinesis and death.

And I could keep writing about it forever.

In my new series, which launched with The Five Deaths of Roxanne Love, my fascination with the supernatural gets a free rein.  By the time the story begins, Roxanne Love has already died three times and been miraculously revived after each death.  But in today’s world, miracles are often suspect and for Roxanne, the media has twisted her survival into a phenomena that makes her a target for lunatics and fanatics.  It also puts her in the crosshairs of creatures from the Beyond—heaven, hell and everything in between. 

Enter the Reaper who’s been cheated by Roxanne too many times. 

On the eve of Roxanne’s fourth death, the Reaper takes over the body of suicidal cop in the moments before he pulls the trigger.  Dressed in Santo Castillo’s skin, the Reaper plans to end Roxanne’s life for once and for all.  What he doesn’t plan for is the emotions that come with the body or the way seeing Roxanne with human eyes will make him feel.  Now he finds himself overwhelmed by emotions he’s never had before and protecting the woman he came to kill.

Here’s a short excerpt of The Five Deaths of Roxanne Love.  On the run, Santo and Roxanne have taken refuge with an old friend.  But instead of finding sanctuary, the two have brought danger with them.

A sound coming from outside the kitchen window stopped Santo before he reached her. Roxanne heard it, too, but wasn’t sure what it was. His sudden stillness was her only warning that it was something to fear.

Santo crossed the kitchen and turned off the lights. Warily, he pulled the lacy curtain from the edge of the window and peered out. Moving as quietly as she could, Roxanne joined him there.

A fat moon gloated in the sky, diminishing everything below with harsh light. Bushes and trees seemed overlaid on a canvas of pitch. The night had no depth, and the eerie absence somehow magnified the absolute silence. Roxanne scanned the shivering quiet, feeling the chill that coiled around the trees and bushes, hushing the chittering leaves and restless limbs. Behind her, Santo held himself rigid, his tension feeding her own.

A sudden gust crackled the barren branches and agitated the leaves. A flutter caught the corner of her eye, then something darker than the night parted the shadows as it soared toward the window.

An enormous bird—a raven?—alighted on the sill, black wings spread wide and beak open in a greedy smile. Easily the size of an eagle, it gripped its perch with clawed feet and stared at them with watchful, ebony eyes.

Behind her Santo sucked a breath between his teeth. He pulled Roxanne away and faced the room with worried eyes. Santo, who’d fought snarling, rabid hellhounds without flinching.

The bird rapped its beak against the glass, waited, head cocked, and did it again.

Knock, knock. The sound, almost polite for all its insistence, lit a wick of superstition she hadn’t realized she possessed.

Another sound—bizarre and yet familiar in a way she didn’t understand—flapped in the cryptlike silence. Roxanne found herself shaking her head as she tried to place it. Santo turned his eyes upward as the scratch of clawed feet skittered across the tile roof. Then his gaze shifted and met Roxanne’s.

“This is going to be bad,” he said softly.

Thanks for stopping by!  I’d love to give away a digital copy of The Five Deaths of Roxanne Love to one lucky commenter. Be sure to leave your email address so you can be notified if you win.

 

Erin Quinn is an award winning author who writes romance for the thinking reader. Her books have been called “riveting,” “brilliantly plotted” and “beautifully written” and have won, placed or showed in the Booksellers Best, WILLA Award for Historical fiction, the Orange Rose, Readers Crown, Golden Quill, Best Books, and Award of Excellence.

 

Go to www.erinquinnbooks.com for more information or follow Erin on Facebook or Twitter.