What do you get when you put New Adult and Sci-Fi, two of my favorite things, together?! The Crimson Hunt the first book in the amazing Eldaen Light Chronicles by the super amazing and incredibly talented Victoria H. Smith. I'm so excited to share this pretty awesome book with you guys, along with an author interview and giveaway!
Guys! This is sci-fi New Adult, not contemporary romance or paranormal and it's also very otherworldly, dark, and mysteriously intriguing. I think it's definitely worth a shot! I'm just sayin'...but, don't mind my lunacy over the promise of such a compelling series. Hahaha.
Now, how about I entice you a little bit more and share with you, some insight into this wow-worthy sci-fi world that Victoria H. Smith has so creatively come up with?! Don't ya wanna know, come on...you know you do!
(Stay tuned...a review for this fantastic whirl-wind read, is coming later this month!)
Guys! This is sci-fi New Adult, not contemporary romance or paranormal and it's also very otherworldly, dark, and mysteriously intriguing. I think it's definitely worth a shot! I'm just sayin'...but, don't mind my lunacy over the promise of such a compelling series. Hahaha.
Now, how about I entice you a little bit more and share with you, some insight into this wow-worthy sci-fi world that Victoria H. Smith has so creatively come up with?! Don't ya wanna know, come on...you know you do!
(Stay tuned...a review for this fantastic whirl-wind read, is coming later this month!)
The Crimson Hunt (Eldaen Light Chronicles #1)
By Victoria H. Smith
Publisher: Self Published
Age Demographic: New Adult Sci-Fi
College junior Ariel Richmond is working on year three of Project Normalcy.
Her house reeks of keggers past and her bestie is just a slight bit vulgar. But the thing is—they both aid in making life refreshingly uneventful.
So much for hard-earned mediocrity when Luca Grinaldi appears on the scene.
Luca’s sudden presence on campus is hard to ignore. Those bright eyes act like a beacon to unsuspecting females, and with features like his, he’s got to be moonlighting for GQ. Luca hopelessly captivates Ariel with his confidence and charisma, but the mysteries surrounding him make him nearly untouchable. And just when Ariel grows close enough to unlock his secrets, a tragic event sends her life in a downward spiral.
That steady life is no longer an option and allies quickly become scarce. The mysterious Luca seems to be the only one willing to help her—but with that trust comes the burden of his secrets. He has a dark mission of otherworldly proportions, and is willing to sacrifice as many lives as it takes to see it completed.
Gone are the days of simply maintaining normalcy, and if Ariel isn’t cautious with her trust, so soon may be her future.
Her house reeks of keggers past and her bestie is just a slight bit vulgar. But the thing is—they both aid in making life refreshingly uneventful.
So much for hard-earned mediocrity when Luca Grinaldi appears on the scene.
Luca’s sudden presence on campus is hard to ignore. Those bright eyes act like a beacon to unsuspecting females, and with features like his, he’s got to be moonlighting for GQ. Luca hopelessly captivates Ariel with his confidence and charisma, but the mysteries surrounding him make him nearly untouchable. And just when Ariel grows close enough to unlock his secrets, a tragic event sends her life in a downward spiral.
That steady life is no longer an option and allies quickly become scarce. The mysterious Luca seems to be the only one willing to help her—but with that trust comes the burden of his secrets. He has a dark mission of otherworldly proportions, and is willing to sacrifice as many lives as it takes to see it completed.
Gone are the days of simply maintaining normalcy, and if Ariel isn’t cautious with her trust, so soon may be her future.
To Purchase The Crimson Hunt visit: Amazon
Victoria H. Smith
There have been some pretty disparaging remarks made recently in light of the New Adult genre, I've even heard it referred to as "YA with more sex" and I was wondering what your thoughts might be on pushing the limits of the stereotyping that New Adult has fallen prey to?
I’ve always found that the best way to deal with the critics is by education. I try to be open to readers or fellow authors if they have questions about what it is I do or what NA is. Through my group blog, NA Alley, we often try to trump the stereotypes as well. Often times when the world sees an influx of something that’s what they label it as. I’ve read NA with zero sex at all and NA that isn’t even romance. If people say NA, that’s “YA with more sex.” That’s like saying YA, “oh that’s NA with no sex.” See how silly that sounds? Especially since lots of YA does have sex. It’s best to lead by example. If people have questions just be open and let them know all about what NA has to offer!
What inspired you to want to write for the New Adult genre, versus writing for either YA or Adult in general? Were there any authors or books that might have you lured you into this genre?
I started writing in general because I couldn’t find something to read that was relatable to me. I had just finished planning my wedding and was a first year grad student. I wanted to read something that wasn’t a boring text book and also something within my own group, or at least touched on some topics that someone my age goes through everyday. I searched for books like that and wasn’t finding them. That’s when I decided to write my first novel, The Crimson Hunt. I put in it everything I wanted to read in a novel. After I cleaned it and attempted publishing, NA had started to form around me. Books like Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire and Thoughtless by SC Stephens really started gaining buzz. I was very grateful to see this happening since I wrote something within the same category of those stories. As far as my inspiration, Jennifer Echols and Simone Elkeles come to mind. Jennifer Echols Love Story was the first NA I ever read. Though it’s classified as YA, it’s set in college and deals with more mature themes. Simone Elkeles’ Perfect Chemistry series, also YA, is very intense. They were a great starting ground for me as I was delving into the world of what has now become NA.
What is the most challenging aspect of writing New Adult?
I think that there are just so many stories to tell. New adult is so new, and there are many themes and story lines to touch on. Writing NA itself isn’t too difficult for me because I’m a new adult myself. I feel I really get that in between period of life; the transition into adulthood that the category is about.
What was the first New Adult novel that you read and what did you find so inspiring about it?
I touched on this earlier but Jennifer Echols’ Love Story. It’s about a college freshman who’s an English/ Lit Major in New York City. I actually stumbled on this book by accident. The cover appealed to me so I read the back cover. My eyes bugged out when I saw it was set in college. After I read it, I knew what I was writing needed a voice. If this author could tell this story so well and speak to me as a twenty-something I wanted to do the same for someone else. I guess that’s why I found it so inspiring.
Are there any books or specific authors in the New Adult genre that you would like to recommend?
If you’re looking for a good steamy NA I recommend Thoughtless by SC Stephens. Something lighter The Slammed Series by Colleen Hoover. If you want something outside of the more traditional NAs I recommend my three all-time favorite new adult books: The Host by Stephanie Meyer, Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, and Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion. These three are all in bookstores and are considered adult, but they are all about characters in the 18 – 25 age range and really epitomize the life and times of the “new adult.”
Was there any other career choice that you might have chosen to work in, if you weren't a writer? If so, what would it be?
I’m actually a legal assistant by day. I both write and work. One day I hope to be able to write full time :-)
Some author's like to write in fist person pov, third, or dual pov's. Is there any particular writing style that you find, you either like or feel more comfortable writing in?
I tend to like reading first person. I tend to like writing first person, dual POV better, though, LOL. I love getting into the head of my hero when I write.
Was there anything that inspired you to write The Crimson Hunt and how did you come up with the plot of your novel?
When I wrote The Crimson Hunt, I basically tried to create everything that I wanted to see in a fiction novel. Set on a college campus, action, adventure, steamy romance, and a witty heroine. After I drafted all that I went to work and the story was born.
If you could pick any character from your book The Crimson Hunt to be your favorite, who would it be and why? Which character was the most fun or was there a character that sort of resembles who you are as an individual?
My favorite is Luca :-) He is just so complex and I loved trying to figure him out as much as Ariel was. The most fun to write was Gemini. He is so very full of himself and light-hearted. I’m glad I get to feature him more in the upcoming novels. There aren’t any characters that really resemble me, but I have to say Ariel gets her sarcasm from me, lol.
A lot of writer's are inspired by many things, were you inspired by any other author's that you might admire and who are they?
I admire Simone Elkeles, Jennifer Echols, Tiffany Ashley, and SC Stephens. These ladies I feel are all trailblazers in the fiction they specialize in. They went outside the norm and wrote what they love. I can’t help but be inspired by that.
The cover for The Crimson Hunt (The Eldaen Light Chronicles #1) is absolutely stunning. Did you have any influence in that at all? Who was it designed by?
The first cover (the purple one) was created by Michelle Johnson. The redesigned cover (the red one) was made by Mooney Designs. For both, I knew I wanted Luca to look dark. He looks like he might be protecting Ariel, but at the same time something is off. He looks dark and Ariel has to keep a watchful eye on him. I picked the images and let the designers loose after that. They both did a great job and I’m happy with the end result.
I love that there is a New Adult Sci-fi novel, because it means that the genre or category (as some refer to it) is growing and evolving from just contemporary romance. What was your concept behind this intriguing novel?
My concept was a dark, sexy, exciting romance. I wanted the story to be constantly moving and weaving. The reader thinks it’s going one way and then suddenly it segues into another route. Hopefully, I achieved that.
Describe Luca in three words.
Mysterious. Passionate. Logical.
Being both a blogger and an author, how has this changed your life?
I loved that I started blogging early on in my writing career. It helped me create a platform and connect with readers early on. Before I started blogging, I didn’t really use social media. It’s really helped me connect more with the audience, and I love that.
Can you tell us a little bit about The Bringer's Quest and what it might entail, without giving too much away?
In The Bringer’s Quest, you are going to see Ariel’s journey into leadership. She struggles with this severally and often doubts herself. We will also delve way more into the life of the mysterious Luca. We see his past and how it affects him and his relationship with Ariel. The book is not all serious, though. There are lots of fun times and new cast members. I hope you all enjoy it!
I was visiting your blog and I noticed that you enjoy extreme couponing, just curious what's in your stash? lol.
I’m better with pictures :-)
What is your favorite hobby or past time, besides writing?
I’m a shopper. Love spending money. Who doesn’t, right? lol
In Tweet-Style (140 character's or less), can you tell us why we should read your novel?
A college student throws out all her hard-earned normality when she literally runs into the new guy on campus.
SOUL BLAST
EBook or Hardcopy/Paper? eBook
Night or Day? night
Chaotic or Organized? A little bit of both. My writing space is chaotic, but my writing method is organized, lol.
White or Dark Chocolate? white
Tea or Coffee? coffee
Black, White, or Gray? black
Dog or Cat? cat
The Walking Dead or The Hunger Games? The Hunger Games
Downton Abbey or Doctor Who? I actually haven’t seen either… *hides* I think I would like Downtown Abbey though since it’s historically set.
If you had a spirit animal (can symbolize certain aspects or quality of your personality, skills, traits, or emotion), what do you think it would be and why?
I always said my patronus (Harry Potter) would be a cat. I just love how smooth and agile they are. They are stealthy and cautious. I think that’s me? LOL
Is there anything else that you would like to mention?
Thanks for allowing me a space on your blog! The Bringer’s Quest and its novella (about a very special character ;D) will be released late summer/ early fall.
I’ve always found that the best way to deal with the critics is by education. I try to be open to readers or fellow authors if they have questions about what it is I do or what NA is. Through my group blog, NA Alley, we often try to trump the stereotypes as well. Often times when the world sees an influx of something that’s what they label it as. I’ve read NA with zero sex at all and NA that isn’t even romance. If people say NA, that’s “YA with more sex.” That’s like saying YA, “oh that’s NA with no sex.” See how silly that sounds? Especially since lots of YA does have sex. It’s best to lead by example. If people have questions just be open and let them know all about what NA has to offer!
What inspired you to want to write for the New Adult genre, versus writing for either YA or Adult in general? Were there any authors or books that might have you lured you into this genre?
I started writing in general because I couldn’t find something to read that was relatable to me. I had just finished planning my wedding and was a first year grad student. I wanted to read something that wasn’t a boring text book and also something within my own group, or at least touched on some topics that someone my age goes through everyday. I searched for books like that and wasn’t finding them. That’s when I decided to write my first novel, The Crimson Hunt. I put in it everything I wanted to read in a novel. After I cleaned it and attempted publishing, NA had started to form around me. Books like Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire and Thoughtless by SC Stephens really started gaining buzz. I was very grateful to see this happening since I wrote something within the same category of those stories. As far as my inspiration, Jennifer Echols and Simone Elkeles come to mind. Jennifer Echols Love Story was the first NA I ever read. Though it’s classified as YA, it’s set in college and deals with more mature themes. Simone Elkeles’ Perfect Chemistry series, also YA, is very intense. They were a great starting ground for me as I was delving into the world of what has now become NA.
What is the most challenging aspect of writing New Adult?
I think that there are just so many stories to tell. New adult is so new, and there are many themes and story lines to touch on. Writing NA itself isn’t too difficult for me because I’m a new adult myself. I feel I really get that in between period of life; the transition into adulthood that the category is about.
What was the first New Adult novel that you read and what did you find so inspiring about it?
I touched on this earlier but Jennifer Echols’ Love Story. It’s about a college freshman who’s an English/ Lit Major in New York City. I actually stumbled on this book by accident. The cover appealed to me so I read the back cover. My eyes bugged out when I saw it was set in college. After I read it, I knew what I was writing needed a voice. If this author could tell this story so well and speak to me as a twenty-something I wanted to do the same for someone else. I guess that’s why I found it so inspiring.
Are there any books or specific authors in the New Adult genre that you would like to recommend?
If you’re looking for a good steamy NA I recommend Thoughtless by SC Stephens. Something lighter The Slammed Series by Colleen Hoover. If you want something outside of the more traditional NAs I recommend my three all-time favorite new adult books: The Host by Stephanie Meyer, Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, and Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion. These three are all in bookstores and are considered adult, but they are all about characters in the 18 – 25 age range and really epitomize the life and times of the “new adult.”
Was there any other career choice that you might have chosen to work in, if you weren't a writer? If so, what would it be?
I’m actually a legal assistant by day. I both write and work. One day I hope to be able to write full time :-)
Some author's like to write in fist person pov, third, or dual pov's. Is there any particular writing style that you find, you either like or feel more comfortable writing in?
I tend to like reading first person. I tend to like writing first person, dual POV better, though, LOL. I love getting into the head of my hero when I write.
Was there anything that inspired you to write The Crimson Hunt and how did you come up with the plot of your novel?
When I wrote The Crimson Hunt, I basically tried to create everything that I wanted to see in a fiction novel. Set on a college campus, action, adventure, steamy romance, and a witty heroine. After I drafted all that I went to work and the story was born.
If you could pick any character from your book The Crimson Hunt to be your favorite, who would it be and why? Which character was the most fun or was there a character that sort of resembles who you are as an individual?
My favorite is Luca :-) He is just so complex and I loved trying to figure him out as much as Ariel was. The most fun to write was Gemini. He is so very full of himself and light-hearted. I’m glad I get to feature him more in the upcoming novels. There aren’t any characters that really resemble me, but I have to say Ariel gets her sarcasm from me, lol.
A lot of writer's are inspired by many things, were you inspired by any other author's that you might admire and who are they?
I admire Simone Elkeles, Jennifer Echols, Tiffany Ashley, and SC Stephens. These ladies I feel are all trailblazers in the fiction they specialize in. They went outside the norm and wrote what they love. I can’t help but be inspired by that.
The cover for The Crimson Hunt (The Eldaen Light Chronicles #1) is absolutely stunning. Did you have any influence in that at all? Who was it designed by?
The first cover (the purple one) was created by Michelle Johnson. The redesigned cover (the red one) was made by Mooney Designs. For both, I knew I wanted Luca to look dark. He looks like he might be protecting Ariel, but at the same time something is off. He looks dark and Ariel has to keep a watchful eye on him. I picked the images and let the designers loose after that. They both did a great job and I’m happy with the end result.
I love that there is a New Adult Sci-fi novel, because it means that the genre or category (as some refer to it) is growing and evolving from just contemporary romance. What was your concept behind this intriguing novel?
My concept was a dark, sexy, exciting romance. I wanted the story to be constantly moving and weaving. The reader thinks it’s going one way and then suddenly it segues into another route. Hopefully, I achieved that.
Describe Luca in three words.
Mysterious. Passionate. Logical.
Being both a blogger and an author, how has this changed your life?
I loved that I started blogging early on in my writing career. It helped me create a platform and connect with readers early on. Before I started blogging, I didn’t really use social media. It’s really helped me connect more with the audience, and I love that.
Can you tell us a little bit about The Bringer's Quest and what it might entail, without giving too much away?
In The Bringer’s Quest, you are going to see Ariel’s journey into leadership. She struggles with this severally and often doubts herself. We will also delve way more into the life of the mysterious Luca. We see his past and how it affects him and his relationship with Ariel. The book is not all serious, though. There are lots of fun times and new cast members. I hope you all enjoy it!
I was visiting your blog and I noticed that you enjoy extreme couponing, just curious what's in your stash? lol.
I’m better with pictures :-)
What is your favorite hobby or past time, besides writing?
I’m a shopper. Love spending money. Who doesn’t, right? lol
In Tweet-Style (140 character's or less), can you tell us why we should read your novel?
A college student throws out all her hard-earned normality when she literally runs into the new guy on campus.
SOUL BLAST
EBook or Hardcopy/Paper? eBook
Night or Day? night
Chaotic or Organized? A little bit of both. My writing space is chaotic, but my writing method is organized, lol.
White or Dark Chocolate? white
Tea or Coffee? coffee
Black, White, or Gray? black
Dog or Cat? cat
The Walking Dead or The Hunger Games? The Hunger Games
Downton Abbey or Doctor Who? I actually haven’t seen either… *hides* I think I would like Downtown Abbey though since it’s historically set.
If you had a spirit animal (can symbolize certain aspects or quality of your personality, skills, traits, or emotion), what do you think it would be and why?
I always said my patronus (Harry Potter) would be a cat. I just love how smooth and agile they are. They are stealthy and cautious. I think that’s me? LOL
Is there anything else that you would like to mention?
Thanks for allowing me a space on your blog! The Bringer’s Quest and its novella (about a very special character ;D) will be released late summer/ early fall.
Victoria has been super awesone enough to offer up a digital copy of The Crimson Huntto one lucky winner. Trust me, you guys are gonna LOVE this novel for sure! :)
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Victoria H. Smith has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. She puts it to good use writing romance all day. She resides in the Midwest with her Macbook on her lap and a cornfield to her right. She often draws inspiration for her stories from her own life experiences, and the twenty-something characters she writes give her an earful about it.In her free time, she enjoys extreme couponing, blogging, reading, and sending off a few tweets on Twitter when she can. She writes new adult fiction romance in the sub-genres of science fiction, urban fantasy, and contemporary, but really, anywhere her pen takes her she goes.
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