Faedra rose

Faedra Rose is a USA Today Bestselling Author of Erotic Romance, including Ménage, Reverse Harem, and LGBT love. While she writes everything from the fantastical to contemporary … you can always be sure that her stories will be laced with an undercurrent of danger, and lashings of delicious darkness!

Uncaged welcomes Faedra Rose

Welcome to Uncaged! Your latest release, Immortal Hearts is the third book in the Hearts of Avalar series. Can you tell readers more about this series?

Thank you so much for having me! Set in a medievalcome-Victorian Gothic world, Hearts of Avalar is a paranormal romance novella series published with Evernight Publishing which focuses on the relationships and bonds of friendship which blossom between the witches and shifters of the magical, unseen realm of Avalar as an epic struggle for power and Balance takes place in their ancient lands which are presided over by Fate and the Goddess.

Strong alpha males support their Fated mates (heroines and beta males) through their personal journeys to selfdiscovery and acceptance of the roles they must play in the upcoming War of Elements.

Hearts of Avalar is an inclusive series, and features both heterosexual couplings, as well as LGBT, and alternative relationship dynamics such as ménage and reverse harem!

While each and every Hearts of Avalar title reads perfectly as a stand-alone romance, the series is best read sequentially to fully appreciate the overarching world storyline, as well as the exciting and fun cameos of previously introduced characters!

Book three, Immortal Hearts, is the story of a noble ancient vampire and a pair of identical twin Fire witches who are exiled from their coven and on the run for their lives. Fate conspires to push them together, revealing their unique Fated mate bond as a triad, as well as the discovery of a new Element in Avalar...

You also have written stories for two anthologies that released towards the end of last year. Can you tell us about those?

Absolutely! Wild Hearts, the first book in the Hearts of Avalar series, features in Evernight Publishing’s Alpha Male anthology. This story sets the tone for all the titles that follow, and introduces the major concepts of Fate and Balance in Avalar, as well as the existence of the Elements: Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Chaos.

Carnal Hearts, which is the second book in the Hearts of Avalar series, features in the m/m anthology Alpha Male: Manlove Edition. This story introduces the presence of warlocks in the realm, and ongoing conflict behind the scenes to overthrow the predominantly matriarchal rule of Avalar. faedrarose.com

What is the most difficult scene for you to write? What is the easiest?

I’m not sure that any scenes are difficult or easy, per say. Some scenes I find I’m able to write faster, because they’re intimate, or dialogue heavy; whereas others I take a little more slowly to ensure that I’m being consistent with my world lore and the connecting events taking place around Avalar that are relevant to each book in the series.

I can say that I really enjoy writing the emotionally charged, and more violent scenes, as they really allow you to get inside your character’s heads, and demonstrate just what kind of people they are. I believe a great deal is revealed about someone when they are under significant pressure, or forced to defend someone they love!

Where do you get your ideas for new plots and characters?

The bane of any author’s existence: this question! I can’t say where I get my ideas, as those I come up with are born of a culmination of my own life experiences, as well as everything I’ve ever read, watched, and appreciated. I can reveal that my deep love of epic, dark fantasy and paranormal romance has been inspired by some of my favorite authors over the years. J.R.R. Tolkien, Terry Brooks, Anne Bishop, Anne Rice, Jacqueline Carey, and George R.R. Martin just to name a few!

What are you working on now that you can tell us about?

I just wrapped up work on Entangled Souls, which is the first in a new series of mine published by Evernight Publishing called Soul Mates. It’s presently up for pre-order and releases on the 3rd of February. It’s a bit of an homage to my deep love of the trope of the eternal battle between Dark and Light, and my personal addiction to all misunderstood, and morally grey Dark Lords.

Outside of that, I’m presently diving into the world of dark contemporary MC romance. I’m nearly done penning the first in a new series, and can’t wait to share it with the world. It has a very uniquely Australian flavor, and highlights many of the colloquialisms, the beauty, and eccentricities of our culture and landscape.

Do you base any of your characters on real-life people?

Check and mate! Absolutely—to a degree. Every single male I write is a reflection in some way, shape, or form of my very own soul mate. His personality, heart, and strength of character constantly inspires me to create beautiful and uniquely flawed men who will do anything to protect their girl.

Other people, places, stories, and experiences certainly come into play, as well; which is why I love what I do. Everything I write is like a little facet of the diamond of my life on the page.

What behind-the-scenes tidbit in your life would probably surprise your readers the most?

Hm. That’s a tough one! I try to keep my personal life and professional life separate, so I haven’t revealed all that much about myself Online. But I think readers might be surprised to learn that I watch and read horror to relax before bed!

Which comes first, the plot or the characters in the planning stages?

First things first. I have to admit I am not a planner. I am utterly and unapologetically a ‘pantster’—I write by the seat of my pants. Everything is written on the fly as it comes to me. That being said, when something first pops into my mind, it’s already a complete rough draft. Something like a faintly sketched out painting. I already know everything— broadly speaking—that’s going to happen from start to finish; but as I go, the layers grow, the gaps fill in, and the story becomes more complex as I add detail.

What are some things you like to do to relax when you aren’t writing or working?

I think to some degree an author is always working. Inspiration is everywhere, and our stories are never far from our thoughts no matter where we are. But when I’m actively trying not to work, I can be found enjoying quality time with my family exploring the stunningly rugged Australian great outdoors, or indoors chilling with a good series or movie.

Do you prefer ebooks, audiobooks or physical books? Are you reading anything now?

I’ve never tried audiobooks, and I think digital and physical books both have their place—their benefits and downsides. With eBooks you can have an almost unlimited library, but with paperbacks you run out of shelf space pretty fast. But then, you can never replace the feel of a real book in your hands, the smell, or the delight of owning a signed copy!

I’m currently re-reading Wilbur Smith’s Warlock. It’s left-of-field compared to what I write, myself, but I love his evocative language, and the detail of his work. As a lover of all things historical and mythological, it’s a favorite of mine.

What would you like to say to fans, and where can they follow you?

Thank you for reading my stories! It’s been my lifelong dream to write and be a published author, so to think that anyone out there in the big wide world is enjoying the madcap imaginings of my mind is totally amazing!

My fans can find me on most social media platforms, and I also have my own website which contains everything you need to know regarding my publications.

Enjoy an excerpt from Immortal Hearts

Immortal Hearts

Faedra Rose

Paranormal Romance

While patrolling his family’s ancient seat of power, The Crypt, lonely vampire Sebastian Gorefang spies two Fire witches drowning in the sea below. His curiosity piqued, he swoops down the sheer cliff in bat form to investigate. Drawing near he feels the undeniable pull of the Fated mate bond. Desiring nothing more than to share eternity with a companion, Sebastian rescues the pair of witches … only to discover that they are identical twins— and he shares the sacred bond with not just one of them, but both.

Excerpt

Teaser Excerpt Sebastian

The moon rises, cold and distant, cloaked by dark, turbulent shadows—just like my heart. As pale as the moonlight itself, I observe the shimmering ocean from the battlements of my keep, The Crypt, a great castle hewn into the steep, solid, and immense obsidian cliff face of Avalar’s western coast that overlooks the Sea of Sorrow. Having originally crossed the sea to reach these shores, my forefathers aptly named these lands Sorrow’s End.

Burrowed deep into the cliff, my family sleeps peacefully in their crypts, knowing that they are safe on my watch. My mother and father slumber together, wrapped in each other’s arms, the very vision of immortal love. I sometimes visit them as they dream, and envy stirs in my heart. Of all my extended and great family, I alone … am alone. Without a mate to share my eternal life, I feel hollow.

The pleasures so relished by our kind have grown stale to me, and I yearn for a companion, someone with whom to covet the joys of immortality. I long for a precious beauty to treasure and call my own. Someone to warm my heart and bed. Someone who can see into my black soul and love me despite what horrors they witness there. But charged with the duty of guarding my kin, when would I meet such a woman? There is no opportunity!

Vampires have long been thought of as the monsters of Avalar. We feed on the blood of the innocent and guilty alike, venturing out only under the cover of darkness. The thirst drives us to unfathomably heinous acts of cruelty and devastation—not that we care. It is our way. It is what we are, what we have always been. We are proud creatures of the night, not self-loathing undead corpses of timeless memories and regret. The witches steer clear of our domains entirely, and shifters skulk through our lands only when necessary, giving our keeps and crypts a wide berth. Though most are not old enough to know it, there are greater terrors that dwell in Avalar than vampires. But they are ancient, more so even than the Goddess most worship. But thankfully, they sleep, entombed beneath the waves.

Dragons. The thought of them sends a shiver down my spine. Dragonfire burns all, the stories of my kin whisper. No Element that exists can extinguish it. It burns until there is nothing left to feed upon. It stops only when it has devoured everything in its path, leaving behind a charcoal feast of destruction for the mighty beasts. The inhabitants of Avalar don’t know how lucky they are that we are their monsters, their creatures of nightmares and destruction. What death we could reap as a race in a single day would not compare to that of a single dragon.

Turning from the ocean, I sigh and prepare myself to walk the usual routes around the keep and the coast, ensuring the safety of my kin, when something catches my eye. A glint of firelight in the night. It gleams warm and painfully insignificant against the gloom of the open ocean.

My curiosity piqued, my predatory senses engage. Transforming into my giant bat form, I take wing, sweeping around the cliff face toward the waves. Two young women are flailing, drowning in the chaotic waves ruthlessly pounding the cliff face. One of them has her palm thrust up toward the sky, and in her hand burns fire. A fire without fuel? Witches! I realize. What in the name of the Goddess are two Fire witches doing in the Sea of Sorrow? Alone? Seeing the two witches struggle in the turbulent waters stirs something in my soul, and it’s like the darkest parts of me suddenly burst into flame, rekindling the long-starved embers of my heart. Like a man possessed, I give in to the song in my heart and the instinctual need gnawing away at my belly. Diving down, I plummet. At the last possible moment, I back wing and snatch one witch from the water with my clawed feet, lifting her toward the stars and my keep.

After setting her down on the battlements, I waste no time retrieving the second witch from the surf. Laying her beside the other, I transform back into my vampire self and stare in awe. They’re twins. Identical twins. Flame-haired, fucking porcelainskinned sisters of Fire. The witches stir vaguely, enough to splutter and cough, clearing the cold, briny seawater from their lungs. One of them makes fleeting eye contact with me before her cerulean jewels roll back in her head. She falls limp, passed out with exhaustion while the other instinctively reaches a weak, protective arm over her sister, before she too, loses consciousness.

They look so tragic, lying there together, sodden, half-drowned, and bedraggled. My heart inexplicably aches for them. They could—were they conscious— set me ablaze with a single thought, and yet the danger and risk serve only to solidify my will and my need for them. I will have them both, I decide. There is no other choice. They have come to me, practically to my threshold and into my waiting arms, seemingly delivered by Fate itself.

After scooping them up with ease, one over each shoulder, I carry the twins down from the battlements, into the heart of our subterranean keep, and to my personal chambers. Their skin, though warmer than mine, is icy for their kind. Resting them on the bed, side by side, I bite my lip as I gaze at their glorious, young forms, nipples prominent beneath their transparent, wet dresses.

The scent of their blood causes me to salivate and my fangs to ache, but I force the hunger down by sheer force of will. I have never before smelled such exquisite deliciousness in all my thousands of years. I close my eyes and swallow the urge to tear open their throats to sample their precious crimson nectar. No. They are mine. There will be time for blood, but it is not now.

After fetching two beautiful gowns from the family vault, acquired at some point centuries ago, I undress the twins and wrest them into the new, dry gowns before covering them over with my luxuriously thick duvet. Once I’ve lit the fire in the hearth, I retire to a plush, velvet chair by the window and settle down to watch over them throughout the night.