Shifted
The Shifted, #1
by Roxanna Mason
Date of Publication: December 18th 2022
Cover Artist: Benjamin Richard
Genre: Paranormal Romance
ISBN: 979-8-218-12243-0
ASIN: B0BNCBQT61
Number of pages: 516
Word Count: 109,379
.jpeg)
BLURB
Jacey Lange has everything she has ever wanted. She is newly engaged, and her menswear line is one of the fastest-growing in the country. Beautiful, successful, and deeply in love, Jacey feels like she's on top of the world.
That is, until she catches her fiance in bed with her assistant.
Everything around her comes crashing down.
Thankfully, her best friend, Leon, welcomes her back to her old apartment with open arms. The people in Jacey’s life watch for months as she wallows in her misery, until Leon hatches a plan: if Jacey agrees to get herself back out there and promises to go out with the next five guys that ask her, no matter who they are, then not only will he give her the master bedroom in the apartment, but both Leon and Jacey’s sister, Elise, will agree to stop meddling in her love life.
In rapid succession, Jacey finds herself falling for five completely different men. Yet despite all their differences, there is something oddly familiar about each one. When she finds out why, it won't just change the way she feels about love, it will make her question everything she once thought was real.
I didn't know what Owen had in mind, but it was already obvious to me that I would go anywhere this man was leading. He kept his hand in mine as he guided me through the crowded bar and toward the pool tables. Thankfully, because the band was still playing, the back of the bar was far less populated.
"Is playing pool normally part of a first date with you, or are you just trying to get me alone?" I teased.
Owen took a step towards me, pinning me between him and the pool table.
"Both," he said with a smile on his face that I could only describe as wicked.
I tilted my head to the side as I looked up at him. "Let's make it interesting, then."
"Interesting?"
I took a step to the side, sliding out from between him and the ancient wooden table. I grabbed a pool cue off of the rack and tossed it to him before grabbing a decidedly smaller one for myself. "We're going to need more shots," I said to him.
A smile crept over his dark features. "My kind of girl..." he murmured as he lowered his head towards mine.
"Nope, if you want to kiss me, you better plan on winning."
Owen shook his head and left me at the table while I started to rack the balls. A few minutes later, he returned with four shots; two of whiskey, two of tequila. I took one of the shot glasses filled with dark brown liquor straight out of his hand and threw it back. I winced as the alcohol made my throat close in on itself. The truth was, I might have been putting on a show. I enjoyed the way I felt around Owen, but I didn't know if I was as wild as I wanted him to believe.
"So what are the stakes here?" he asked me as he set the remaining shots on a nearby hightop.
"If you win, you get to take me home..." I said in a voice I barely recognized as my own. It was breathy and seductive. Those two shots apparently went to my head faster than I thought.
"And if you win?" Owen asked with a raised brow.
"If I win, I get a second date."
"Who said we can't do both?" he said with a chuckle.
I rolled my eyes. I didn't have this whole impulsive, whiskey-drinking, short skirt-wearing Jacey completely figured out yet.
Owen took a step towards me. He reached for my hips and pulled me toward him. "What do you really want?"
I could feel my pulse banging in my ears, and the loud, crowded bar faded into the background. He reached around my head, threading his fingers into my hair and tugging me towards him. I leaned forward, expecting him to kiss me, but his mouth hovered over mine.
"What do you want?" he asked again.
"You," I said, my voice caught in my throat.
"What was that?" he asked teasingly. His deep voice, vibrating through me.
"I want you."
Finally, he brought his lips to mine and kissed me deeply. Kissing Owen wasn't new to me; we couldn't stop kissing the night he drove me over the Brooklyn Bridge. But this was something else. I wasn't sure I even knew my own name anymore.
"When I take you home, it's going to be because you're begging me to...not because I won at pool."
Author Info
Roxanna Mason is a debut paranormal romance author and formally trained actor from Los Angeles, California. It was her deep love of storytelling that led her to study theatre and that same love of storytelling that drove her to write her first novel. When not writing, Roxanna is binge watching horror films, creating vegan recipes, and dancing around her living room to Fleetwood Mac.
The Book Junkie Reads . . .Reckless Dreams Interview with . . . Roxanna Mason . .
How would you describe your style of writing to someone who has never read your work?
I would say that my style is very witty, relatable, and heavily plot centered. My goal is, no matter how paranormal or unexpected the plot, that reading my books feels like you're being told a story by a good friend.
Do you feel like writing is an ingrained process or just something that flows naturally for you?
I would say it's storytelling, rather than the writing, that comes naturally for me. Alongside being an author, I am also an actor. I did my first play at five-years-old and even got my degree in theatre. Understanding plot and character development are both huge parts of both of those mediums, and so that part of the writing part is really easy for me. Remembering writing rules and using tropes that will make a book marketable is definitely a more of a process.
Have you found yourself bonding with any particular character(s)? If so, which one(s)?
I always say that while there's a lot of myself in my main character, Jacey. Leon in Shifted is my baby. I have such a hard time writing any situation in which he's in pain or going through difficulties because I'm so bonded to him.
Can you share your next creative project(s)? If yes, can you give a few details?
Shifted has a sequel called Shattered that will be coming out later in 2023 and is already up for pre-order now. Where Shifted follows my main character as she encounters the paranormal for the first time, Shattered is a deep dive into the world that her love interest comes from.
What are some of your writing/publishing goals for this year?
I've already almost finished my first manuscript of the year, and I'd like to finish another before 2024.
Where would you spend one full year, if you could go anywhere, money is not a concern? What would you do with this time?
Anyone who knows me, knows how much I love my home in Los Angeles. I really couldn't imagine wanting to leave it for a full year. However, if I had to pick a place that wasn't home I think I would choose New Orleans. I've always been incredibly attached to that city. Plus, I think as a paranormal romance author, there would be no better place to take a year to just write than a city with so much paranormal history.
Hosted by
Presented by
No comments:
Post a Comment