Forbidden
Forest
The
Legends of Regia, Book
One
Tenaya
Jayne
Genre: YA Fantasy romance, PNR
Publisher: Cold Fire Publishing LLC
Date of Publication: 2012
ISBN: 0988275716
ASIN: B009JVTLA6
Number of pages: 264
Word Count: 77,000
Cover Artist: Erika Doucesse
Book Description:
Born in shame. Cast from society.
Shape Shifter/Elf hybrid, Forest must fight for any respect she can get.
Targeted in her youth by a vampire noble who placed an illegal slave mark on
her, she is forced to obey him, no matter what.
Slipping the grip of her master and
abandoning the prejudice of Regia, her native world, Forest takes a job on
Earth, guarding the portal, using her skills as a warrior to enforce Regia's
laws. Now, called home for a black ops mission, Forest must put aside her own
prejudice to transport the vampire prince, Syrus, through enemy territory in a
time of war.
Prince Syrus, mage and master of
the Blood Kata, wants Forest more than he's ever wanted anything. In spite of
their mutual mistrust, their attraction cannot be denied. Through the danger of
their mission, and the secrets they both keep, it doesn't matter what they
feel. Forest is forbidden.
Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/Y2FtqAk64VA
Excerpt
Forest pressed her
back against the cool concrete wall, wanting to remain aloof from the entity of
the crowd. She chose her position in the shadows, out of the paths of the
roving, multi-colored spotlights. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling
of the undulating human pheromones flying around on the air. At the beginning
of every shift, she allowed herself a few minutes of this alien/human
experience, though she didn't fully comprehend the combination of dancing,
drinking, and ear-breaking sound waves. They loved it, however, and never
seemed to deviate from the recipe.
Forest pressed her
back against the cool concrete wall, wanting to remain aloof from the entity of
the crowd. She chose her position in the shadows, out of the paths of the
roving, multi-colored spotlights. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling
of the undulating human pheromones flying around on the air. At the beginning
of every shift, she allowed herself a few minutes of this alien/human
experience, though she didn't fully comprehend the combination of dancing,
drinking, and ear-breaking sound waves. They loved it, however, and never
seemed to deviate from the recipe.
These were the people she was sworn to
protect. She had developed a light affection for the human race and considered
them a benign, if not slightly silly, bunch of creatures. Her religious passion
for her job was rooted in hatred of that which harmed the humans, not a
superhero tendency to protect the weak.
Forest opened her eyes and focused all her
senses to sniff out the illegal suckers that tried to sneak through the portal.
She was in the zone tonight, and not for the first time did she feel that hers
was the best job in existence. It was a shame she couldn’t legally kill suckers
in her native world.
Over the next two hours, Forest didn’t move
from the wall. She monitored the light traffic through the portal: two shifters
and one elf, each of which nodded to her respectfully as they passed. Yawn. The
shifters left the club to enjoy the delights of Austin’s nightlife elsewhere.
The elf would have
been breaking Regia’s law had he left the club, but he dutifully seated himself
at the bar and ordered a fuzzy navel. He wore a plaid, porkpie hat, pulled down
over the tops of his pointed ears. Forest didn’t know him personally, but she
had seen him in here before. The bartender surveyed him with narrowed eyes as
the elf nervously tugged his hat down further and ordered a few more girly
cocktails.
Intent on making
sure that not one sucker was able to sneak past her, Forest was blindsided by
the drunk bubba who had been trying to catch her eye for the last twenty
minutes. He had finally decided to stagger over to hit on her.
“Hey babe, you’re too beautiful to look so
lonely. How’s ‘bout I buy you a drink?”
“How’s ‘bout I call you a cab instead?” Forest
mimicked his drawl.
“Only if you share it with me, Darlin.” He
leaned in closer, and Forest’s throat began to sting from the noxious fume of
booze mixed with his natural musk.
“While I appreciate the offer, Jethro, it
seems only right to inform you that I’m not actually attractive at all. If you
leaned in a little closer, you’d see that you’ve fallen victim to the effect of
beer goggles. A hag like me can’t take advantage of a stud like you.”
As he leaned in, Forest instantly enlarged her
nose, pockmarked her skin, evaporated her front teeth, and added a large black
mole with a long hair sprouting from it for good measure.
“You’re no hag, baby! You’re the sexiest
little thing in…I…uh…" He stumbled backward. “Good grief! Sorry, sorry…”
he stammered, retreating. “I’ve gotta quit drinking,” he mumbled as he turned
away.
Forest chuckled to herself once he absorbed
back into the crowd. Being a shape shifter sometimes had unusual perks.
Author Bio
Nationally Bestselling author
Tenaya Jayne has always walked a shaky line between reality and fantasy. A
nomad by nature, she's lived all over the US, and now resides happily in the
Midwest, with her husband and sons. She's an advocate for Autism awareness and
women trapped in abusive relationships, and feels everyone has too much pain to
not enjoy an escape into a fictional fantasy world. Her passions include
reading, independent and foreign films, cooking, and moody music. For more
about Tenaya and her books, visit www.tenayajayne.com
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Interview
Please welcome Forbidden Forest author Tenaya Jayne to Diane’s Book Blog.
What is your favorite
part of the story in Forbidden Forest?
My favorite scene is when Forest and
Syrus spar in the rain and end up having their first kiss. It describes their
relationship, perfectly. It’s the turning point where it doesn’t matter what
they thought they felt and the reasons why they cannot be together, they are
meant and it is bigger than either of them.
If you were stranded
on a desert island which of your characters do you want by your side?
Syrus, no question, and not just because he’s
totally hot. He’s kind, laid back, and would make me laugh. And since he’s a
mage, he could handle whatever deserted island problems we might have.
If you could be best
friends with one of your characters, who would it be?
Forest. She has grit and spunk …she’s rough
around the edges but her heart is true and soft under all of her pain. She
actually is one of my best friends even though I made her up. I guess I never grew
out of having imaginary friends.
What books have most
influenced your life?
Whew. There are a
bunch. Perfume, by Patrick Suskind is one for sure. It’s totally brilliant both
in plot and execution. This is an influencer for me because sometimes I have ideas
but it feels like writing them out is just beyond me. Those are the moments I
remember Perfume. When you look at the plot for Perfume, it amazes because it
is so ambitious, so much of it is about smells! When I get locked up, I
remember Perfume, and remind myself that all I have to do is slow down and
focus on what I want to say. If a moment or a scene feels too difficult, I
cannot discard it, I must stretch myself until I can find the right words.
Can you share a little
of your current work with us?
I’m
currently working on the sixth title in The Legends of Regia series. It’s
titled Blood Lock. I’m not all that far along but I’m having a blast with it.
My characters won’t stop bothering me. They yammer inside my head incessantly.
I know that sounds crazy to a non-writer but it’s really the best thing. I’ve
really upped the ante in Blood Lock. The whole world is in danger from a
violent and powerful race. Despite that there is still an intense romance in
the storyline. Lots of action and heart.
What book are you
reading now?
The Night Circus by
Erin Morgenstern. I just started it.
What do you prefer
paperback, hardcover, or ebooks?
I like them all, but I prefer paperbacks because they are
so handy. I don’t need to worry about the battery, I can just put them in my
purse and take them wherever I go.
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