Into the Dark Series Character Profile: Haden Lord

Releasing in paperback 4/14/2015!

Name: Haden Lord (a.k.a. Lord Haden, Prince of the Underrealm)

Hair color: Dark brown hair in daylight. Appears midnight black in the dark.

Eyes: Jade green with amber fire rings around his pupils. Sometimes, especially when vexed or otherwise emotional, it looks like he has actual flames dancing in his eyes.

Height: about 6'4"

Build: Big and muscular like a Spartan warrior.

Favorite food: Braised hydra in plum sauce and steamed griffin's milk  . . . or pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.

Favorite drink: Pomegranate nectar--definitely not soda like Daphne, it burns!

Special skills: tracking, hunting, sword fighting, hand-to-hand combat, languages, stealth--to the

Releasing in hardcover 4/28/2015

point of being almost invisible in the dark, playing the guitar and singing (he just doesn't know it yet!)

Weaknesses: Impulsive, sometimes selfish, occasionally compassionate of the less fortunate, sentimental about his deceased mother, too human.

Life Goal: To have his honor restored and to reclaim his standing as heir to the throne of the Underrealm. (Or so he thinks.)

Character inspirations: Prince Zuko from Avatar: The Last Airbender, Sam Winchester from Supernatural, Castiel from Supernatural, Thor and a little bit of Loki. 

Intorducing THE ETERNITY KEY: Book #2 of the Into The Dark series. Plus a super HOT suprise and a giveaway!

After slaving away over a mildly warm computer for several months, the fruits of my labors are finally starting to take form. Book #2 of the Into The Dark series is written, edited, and finally has a cover, title, and an official synopsis! Check them out below . . . and then keep scrolling for a super HOT surprise. (Trust me, you will want to see this!)

Synopsis (Warning: mild spoilers if you haven't read THE SHADOW PRINCE):

Fan-favorite author Bree Despain continues her modern-day romance trilogy inspired by the Greek myth of Persephone and Hades with this second book in her Into the Dark series.

Haden Lord, the disgraced Prince of the Underrealm, has chosen love over honor and will do everything in his power to protect Daphne Raines, the human girl he was supposed to bring to the Underrealm. Haden's choice is put to the test as the Skylords and a figure from his past arrive in Olympus Hills with a plan that could destroy all of the realms.

Embracing her destiny as the Cypher, Daphne begins to understand the immense power of her musical ability to control the elements, but she must come to terms with her feelings for Haden and what she must sacrifice in order to protect him and her friends.

Believing the Key of Hades is the only thing that can stop the Underrealm Court from releasing the monstrous Keres on the mortal world, Haden, Daphne, and their friends set out to find the Key before Persephone's Gate opens again on the spring equinox.

THE ETERNITY KEY will be hitting shelves some time in Spring 2015, but if you're looking for a review copy, I hear that it is already available on Netgalley.


Okay, so you may have noticed that the cover for THE ETERNITY KEY is significantly different from the hardcover of THE SHADOW PRINCE (Book #1 of the Into The Dark series). Well, surprise, that's because TSP has gotten a HOT (or is that HOTT!? Or maybe even HAWT??) new cover design for the paperback!***

Not only does TSP have a schmexy new cover, it also has a new official synopsis.
Check it out below:

 From Bree Despain, the fan-favorite author of The Dark Divine trilogy, comes her highly anticipated second young adult series: a contemporary adventure inspired by the Greek myth of Persephone and Hades.

Haden Lord, the disgraced prince of the Underrealm, has been sent to the mortal world for six months in order to convince Daphne Raines to return with him to the land of the dead.

The best way to do this, Haden is told, is to get Daphne to fall in love with him. But getting a teenage girl to fall in love with you isn't easy, especially when Haden's life and more depends on the success of his quest. Little does he know that the tenuous peace between the Greek god of the Underrealm and the Greek god of the Sky is breaking and war is imminent.

If Haden succeeds, his honor and standing will be restored in the royal court, and Daphne will be sacrificed to save us all.

The complication he didn't see coming: he's the one who falls in love.

Now Haden must choose to either fulfill his sacred duty or to follow his heart and find a way to rewrite his and Daphne's destinies.

Btw, the paperback edition of THE SHADOW PRINCE will be available in April 2015--and you can already pre-order it HERE.

GIVEAWAY:

To celebrate the new covers, I am going to give away the very first signed ARC of THE ETERNITY KEY to one lucky winner. (Please note: I don't have ARCs yet, but when they arrive, the very first one out of the box and signed will go to the winner.) All you have to do to enter is share one or both of the new Into The Dark covers with you friends. Use the Rafflecopter below to enter. 

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***COVER FAQs

Q: Why did the cover for THE SHADOW PRINCE change?
A: Because if certain powers that be want a different cover for your book, and you have a smart publisher, you get a new cover.

Q: Is this the third cover design for TSP?
A: Yes, yes it is. I guess some books are trickier to cover than others. Maybe that's because TSP is so many things rolled into one story: fantasy, contemporary, adventure, mystery, romance, etc.

Q: Does this mean my hardcovers for the series won't match now?
A: Unfortunately, yes. I know, I know, that always bugs me too. But you gotta admit that new cover for TSP is pretty HOT.

Q: These covers are kinda romancey, will boys like this series too?
A: Yes, I think so! The story itself has a ton of appeal for both female and male readers. Heck, the main character is a dude! This series has everything from explosions and monsters and gods and a love story and music and quirky characters and a tiny adorable cat who will probably kill you if you make her angry. There's something for everyone! (If I do say so myself. Heheh.)

Q: Did you design the covers?
A: No! People far more artistically talented than I designed the covers for my publisher. I just write the books.

Q: Did you get to pick the cover models?
A: I didn't pick the model for Daphne on the TEK cover, but I did get some say in the model for Haden on TSP. He was one of a few that I picked out as possible hunks to get the privilegeq of being my Underrealm prince.

THE SHADOW PRINCE Teaser Tuesday #8: Save the Cat! (and giveaway)

It's Tuesday and that means it's time for a new teaser from THE SHADOW PRINCE! Today's teaser is about one of the most lovable characters in TSP--and one who isn't even a person. According to Greek mythology, Hades, the god of the Underworld, kept a giant, monstrous, three-headed dog named Cerberus as a pet.

So I decided that my character Haden Lord (who was inspired by Hades) should also have a pet. And naturally his pet would be . . .

 

the world's smallest cat!

Brimstone, Haden's cat (or hellcat, to be more precise) is based on this picture of Mr. Peebles (the Guinness Book of World Records' holder for smallest living cat in the world) but she looks more like my blue kitty, Ava, when she was just a wee girl.

 Brimstone is described as being "barely bigger than a guinea pig . . ."

 

But don't let her size fool you! Brim is a full-grown cat, and she hates being called a kitten. That's something you should keep in mind since Haden warns that you should never get a hellcat angry!

So why give Haden, a prince of the Underworld and a trained warrior, a pocket-sized feline for a pet?

First off, because it's unexpected. Secondly, if you follow me on Instagram, you've probably noticed that I like kittens. And thirdly, because I think it's important to find a way to show what makes a character--especially a character who might seem less-than-human or not all that emotionally available at first--lovable or redeemable. There are several ways of doing this, and in screen writing, showing this redeeming quality (or moment of compassion) is called "Save the Cat." Two of my favorite ways of creating a likable character is by showing something or someone that my character loves, or by showing who loves my character despite their flaws--even if that someone is a pet.

Here's an excerpt from THE SHADOW PRINCE about Brimstone:

"She's a tiny little thing, but a good deal bigger than the puff of fur she'd been when I rescued her from one of the owls' clutches when she was only a few days old. As a runty newborn, she'd been tossed out of the nest by her mother, left to die in the Wastelands. That's why I'd saved her--and that's why she rarely left my side and could always find me no matter where I was--we'd both been rejected by the only family we'd ever really known. That made us kin."

So Haden "saves the cat" by literally saving a (hell)cat. But Brimstone isn't just a plot device, she's an important character in the book. I think of her as the older sister that Haden always needed. She scolds him when he's being thoughtless, prods him to do the right thing, and even tries to help him out with the ladies on occasion. Brimstone is fiercely loyal and deeply bonded to Haden, and he to her--a connection that plays out in important, and hopefully unexpected, ways in the book.

For more Brim and Haden, be sure to check out THE SHADOW PRINCE on March 11th!

(BTW, I kind of dream of the day someone does some Haden and Brimstone fanart!)

Now for a giveaway!

Brimstone loves music so I am giving away one of my silver lyre necklaces. Brim also comes from a long line of ancient mythological creatures, so I am also giving away a signed copy of RELIC by Renee Collins, an exciting book about people who harness special powers from the bones of ancient magical creatures.



Enter to win using the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.

Last week's Teaser Tuesday winner is: Madeline Hale!

(Winner, if you didn't get my email, hit the contact button in the menu above and sen me your shipping address in order to claim your prize.)

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Teaser Tuesday #6: The Perfect Song (and a giveaway)

I'm in a melancholy mood today so I thought I'd share a song that is featured in THE SHADOW PRINCE that encapsulates how I feel.  In the book, Haden--who knows very little of music because it is forbidden in the Underrealm--gets goaded into performing a song in front of the entire town. Desperate not to fail, and looking for a way to get close to Daphne, Haden convinces her to perform a duet with him. Daphne suggests a song in this excerpt from THE SHADOW PRINCE:

      "It's 'Falling Slowly' by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova--from one of my favorite movies. It's the first duet I thought of, but after looking at several others, I think it's the best option."
      I read over the words. Imagining the lyrics with the notes evokes an uncertain, wanting ache inside my chest. "It's perfect."
     "It's going to take a lot of practice," she says. "Are you up for spending that much time with me over the next couple of weeks?"
     "Yes," I say.
     At this moment, there's nothing I want more.

Check out the song for yourself and see if it makes you feel the same way as it does Haden. Personally, I agree with him, it's perfect.



Now for the Teaser Tuesday Giveaway!

Today I am giving away a book by an author who is one of my all favorites (both because she's an amazing writer and a really inspiring person): Sara Zarr.  I've got a copy of her latest book, ROOMIES, that is signed by both Sara and her delightful co-author, Tara Altebrando, for a very lucky winner. Use the Rafflecopter below to enter.














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THE SHADOW PRINCE Teaser Tuesday #2

I know it's late in the day, but it's STILL Tuesday, so that means it's time for another teaser from THE SHADOW PRINCE.

But first, I must announce the winner of Teaser Tuesday #1. Drum roll please . . . .

And the winner is: Michelle Chaffee!****

Now for Teaser Tuesday #2:

I've often said that THE SHADOW PRINCE is a crazy-fun mish-mash of all the things I love, rolled together with some Bree Despain-style romance.  This is especially true when it comes to Haden Lord--the disgraced prince of the Underrealm and one of the book's main characters. So today I thought I would share with you my inspiration board for Haden--featuring a few of my favorite fictional hotties.

CLICK HERE TO SEE MY HADEN LORD INSPIRATION BOARD ON PINTEREST.

Then be sure to come back and enter this week's giveaway:

I was privileged enough to get a signed ARC or DEFY from my friend Sara B. Larson. I read it (and it's awesome, by the way) and now I have her permission to give my copy away to one of you!

Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway below to win my signed ARC of DEFY and also a Shadow Prince silver Lyre necklace.***

(Why the lyre necklace?  Because the lyre is the ancient Greek symbol for music and storytelling. And music plays a very important role in THE SHADOW PRINCE, where it is forbidden for one character and essential to another.)


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***Contest is open internationally. Winner will be announced next Tuesday. Winner must claim their prize within 30 days or it will be forfeit.
****Winner, if you did not receive my email, hit the contact button above and send me your shipping address so I can send out your prize. 

THE SHADOW PRINCE TEASER TUESDAY #1 (and giveaway!)

You guys, we are only 3 months of Tuesdays away from the release of THE SHADOW PRINCE on March 11th, 2014!!! To celebrate, starting today and then every Tuesday until launch, I am going to host THE SHADOW PRINCE TEASER TUESDAY in which I will be posting special teasers like snippets from the book, pictures or Pinterest boards of people or things that inspired the story/characters, and even a few fun videos.  And since no celebration is complete without prizes, we'll even have a bunch of those, too!

To kick off our very first Teaser Tuesday, I thought I would start with one of the most important parts of the book--the first line.  Would you believe that I wrote 24 different openings to THE SHADOW PRINCE before landing on just the right one? Good then, because it was actually 28!

But then the perfect line came to me--in the shower of all places--and everything started to click into place: character, setting, word-building, stakes. It was the line that prompted a dozen questions in my head, and finding the answers became a book.

So now I present to you, THE SHADOW PRINCE TEASER TUESDAY #1:

And as some of you might have noticed, there's a double teaser in that image. THE SHADOW PRINCE is going through a cover redesign, and while I can't show you the whole thing yet, I got permission to show you the little teaser snippet of the title treatment above. Isn't it stellar?

NOW FOR THE GIVEAWAY!!!:***

Enter to win a signed ARC of THE SHADOW PRINCE (which is now a limited edition with the old cover) and a beautiful lyre necklace (the importance of which you'll know after you read the book).  Also, I'm giving away signed copies of the Raven Boys books.  Check out the lovely prize pack:

Enter to win using the Rafflecopter below, and be sure to come back every Tuesday until March 11th to get more teasers and enter to win more prizes!

And feel free to grab the teaser image and share it on your blog, tumblr, pinterest, wherever!

*** Contest is open internationally. The winner will be announced next Tuesday. Prize must be claimed within 30 days or will be forfeit. 

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