Tammy's Two Cents: Interview, Review & Giveaway with H K Savage

Cassie Porter’s family pushed her to be an agent for Veritas, the agency responsible for policing witches who live side by side with "regulars". Veritas promised her a life off the Reservation with a way to support her father and Grandmother. The problem is, Cassie is on probation due to the volatility of her mixed magick, a byproduct of her mixed blood.

Julia Decartes, a matronly Vodou practitioner and Quan Long, an elemental witch from the headwaters of the Yangtze are entrusted with bringing along Cassie’s magickal ability while attempting to keep her from killing anyone including herself in the process.

Investigating a witch and cult leader in Tampa, Cassie meets Drew Carter and discovers the powerful abilities both he and his brother are hiding as well as the terrible plan the witch has set into motion.

Drew pairs up with Cassie when his brother goes missing. It’s through their joint effort that Cassie untangles her power and Drew finds the world where he really belongs. 

Very Refreshingly, Different take on Witches!   

 I really did enjoy Savage's take on witchcraft and how she wove it with the Native American culture from Cassie's background.  

I love when I find a Paranormal story that keeps it real.  Cassie is very relatable in her struggle's throughout; Awkward and Unsure of herself and her abilities in the beginning she struggles to gain control of her Majik.  Once she finds that balance and harness's the control needed to wield her powers, Katie Bar the Door!  Then we have some steamy Romance; sent on this mission to investigate the use of majik at a nightclub we meet Drew and Brandon Carter.  Brothers unaware of their majikal ability, 1 of which is being unknowingly used by or male antagonist, Terry Pritchard.  Cassie and Drew find themselves more drawn to each other with each passing minute until the Desire reaches it's peak and a relationship ensues. Still struggling with emotions in overload and self doubt, our young lovers now have to decide if it's truely an undeniable attraction or a side effect of their shared majik.

Woven into the story you are introduced to Julia and Quan whom are formidable characters in their own right.  Without Julia's unwavering belief in Cassie and her abilities our story might have taken a different turn.

 Savage maps out a story of loss and tragedy that leads to a struggle to find the truth then ends with the triumph that lies beneath discovering who you are, and what your meant to be.  5 Feathers guys!!  I will end my review with one of my favorite quote's from this book.... 

"You cannot follow your own path if someone else is choosing it for you." 

 

 And Now, my Favorite part!  Heather indulged me by answering some questions about her book(s) and herself as well as offering up some goodies for our bloggers.  She will be giving away an ebook copy of "The Path" as well as a bookmark to 1 luck winner; Also a bookmark to a 2nd lucky winner (giveaway details to follow) ... here is my Interview with H K Savage.      

*Tell me a bit about yourself.

I'm old enough to know better but still do things that make my poor husband shake his head. Secretly I think he likes that I'm a little off. Just like everyone else, I've always loved books. By the time I was a grownup, I thought I was destined to go a different route (editing and advertising). Lo and behold, the opportunity presented itself a few years ago, I wrote and then I asked the most honest people I knew if it was okay. They loved it! That was the beginning for me as an author and as my Empath Trilogy grew from digital to paperback I learned a lot about publishing and the gaping hole in the industry. Small presses with a big publicity push to help busy authors are virtually unheard of. Staccato is a publishing company but also provides editing and publicity for hire as well as cover creation. We're a one stop shop and we handle the deadlines and headaches. Sorry, what was the question?

*Where were you born and where do you call home?

Born in Akron, OH and lived in LA but now I reside in MN an hour north of Minneapolis on a tiny lake.

*What was your inspiration for The Path?

The Path was really fun to write! Paranormal is my first love. Like most people I love the wild things that can happen in a world with broader boundaries and fewer limits. The Path was about witches and magick (the k because the character's Celtic ties if you're wondering), something I thought was lacking in a world full of vampires and shifters. Not that there's anything wrong with vampires and shifters, Empath was ALL ABOUT vampires and shifters.

*Was there a particular person that was the inspiration for Cassie or Drew?

Cassie is a strong female character without being the leather pants wearing, ass kicking heroine we see in PNR and UF. Don't get me wrong, I love Anita Blake and Rachael from Kim Harrison's Hollow's series. But I like the idea of quiet strength and being in a place where we act out of obligation. So many of us can relate to a character who is stuck in a role because of family or work. Same with Drew. Tragedy at a young age left him with only a brother in his inner circle. The blind devotion and delusion he allows because of his love for family forces him into a different sort of place I think many of us can relate to. My characters are always pretty deep. I like readers to feel what they're feeling and make the unbelievable situations they are in, relatable.

*Your not only a Fantastic Author but, you have your own publishing company as well... what are the Pros and Cons?

Like I said above, I came from an editing and advertising background so it was a natural progression I guess. Writing and marketing flow into the editing and publicity. We've grown in our first year and, as of today just signed another author under our main imprint, Staccato and our first under our new endeavor, Darkest Night (digital first imprint launching in July). I love orchestrating the project amongst our staff, distributors, reviewers and managing our giveaways with fans (new and yet to be).

The downside is that being as my clients come first, I spend the least amount of time on my own work. After everyone else is sorted, only then do I get to write providing I have the time and energy. Pretty much, I've given up sleep as superfluous. So far it's working nicely. Zzzzz. Sorry.

*For those who are unfamiliar with your novel; The Path, how would you introduce it?

I'm the world's worst blurber. As a matter of fact, I have someone do them for me. Here's the one she did for The Path:

Family, obligation and love… sometimes the choice is made for us. Magick is real.  And there is a secret world complete with its own agency, Veritas. Their purpose is to control those who would wield their power over “regulars” or threaten the secrecy that keeps them all safe from the persecution that nearly destroyed them centuries ago. For Cassie, a mixed blood witch, it’s the only world she’s ever known and now she is struggling in her role as agent. For Drew, a witch born to a non-magickal family, the discovery answers many of his questions.  It is also the cause of tremendous loss and pain.  And now, as he and Cassie attempt to find his missing brother, rumored to be working with a rogue witch and cult leader, it threatens to take the last of his family. Or will magick save it?

*I was fascinated by the background of your story; Cassie's history and the energy aspect of the story.. what research did you do for your story? 

I know so many people who have different beliefs. Some alternative, some more traditional, all of them fascinating. The pervading cultural concept of energy manipulation and its resulting power fascinate me as well as the inclination to give a single person power over a group when they're perceived as wise, as in the case of cults, is compelling.

*Whom in your life would you say has influenced you the most?

Boy, that's a question. Mom raised us so I'd say her but more recently it's been my daughter and husband. Mom showed us how to be strong and never to give up. My daughter has reminded me to be imaginative and true to myself, and my husband has helped me to understand unconditional love.

*What has been the most interesting comment (or review) about your book?

That it was steamy. RT Book Reviews did one on this book and said it was steamy as well as giving it 4 out of 4 stars. A comment that someone made that I found odd was that it started slow in the first chapter then took off and they couldn't put it down. When I wrote the first chapter I thought it was a pretty fast take off. I would love to talk to that critic and find out what they thought was slow. Not a problem for me, just love to hear what readers think.

 *Who is YOUR favorite Author?

I hate this question. I've never been good at favorite songs, colors, books or authors. Depending on my mood, it's different. When I was a kid I couldn't get enough Black Stallion by Walter Farley and Jack London's Call of the Wild. Since then, I'd say my first political thriller, The Scarlet Pimpernel. But how can I forget about Poe?

*What are you reading right now?

As of tonight I'm reading a super secret manuscript by someone we're signing for release next year. After that, I've got a few indies I got signed by some exciting new authors at the RT Convention in Chicago a few weeks ago: Kendall Grey's Inhale, Cole Gibsen's Breathless, Lynn Rush's Wasteland, Joanne Brothwell's Stealing Breath. I can't decide who's up for tomorrow. Might have to roll the dice.

*Tell us your latest news.

As an author, my latest news is that I've just finished a run in the first contest I've ever entered. The 2012 ABNA Breakthrough Novelist contest sponsored by Publishers Weekly and Penguin Publishing. My novel, Whispers, made it to quarterfinals (from 5000 down to 250). I was really proud.

*Please, do tell why we should read your book.

Because it's awesome! Kidding. I thought it was a fun story with characters who are flawed and real. Their struggles are familiar while they are immersed in a world that asks us to suspend our beliefs; just a little.

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