Interview and Giveaway with author Jennifer Ashley

Today author Jennifer Ashley has stopped by for her first visit to Paranormal Haven. We are so happy to have her here with us to talk about her books, including her latest release Primal Bonds. Primal Bonds is the newest chapter in her Shifters Unbound series. You can check out our reviews for more about Primal Bonds or visit Jennifer's website.

Lets get into the interview and make sure you keep reading because we also have a giveaway.



Paranormal Haven: What inspired you to write a Shifter series?
Jennifer Ashley: Construction workers on the side of the road. Really. I was searching for an idea for a paranormal series (I wanted to do a vampire series, but the publisher said "no vamps," so it was back to the drawing board.) While driving to the airport, I saw these guys that kind of looked alike, maybe brothers. I got this idea that they were all related--a family of bachelors, living and working together. I thought "what if they were shifters?" and things started rolling in my head.

None of my Shifters actually work construction—it was more the sense of family and camaraderie between the guys that made me come up with the Morrissey family and the Shifters in general. Liam, Sean, Dylan, and Connor were born, and the book started to write itself!

PH: Can you tell our followers about your newest release, Primal Bonds?
JA: Primal Bonds is the second book in the Shifters Unbound series. Shifters "came out" twenty years ago, and humans, fearing them, rounded them up, made them live in "Shiftertowns," and put Collars on them to control them.

In Primal Bonds: When half-Fae, half-Shifter Andrea Gray flees an abusive would-be mate, the only way she is allowed to relocate to the Austin Shiftertown is if a Shifter there claims her as mate.

Sean Morrissey, the Guardian of his clan and all of Shiftertown, is mateless, lonely, and has a tough job--to send the souls of deceased Shifters into the afterworld. He volunteers to claim her, sight unseen, but doesn't realize that one look at the gray-eyed, dark-haired Andrea will stir the mating frenzy in him. Even though the mate-claim isn't finalized, official, or yet blessed, Sean will do anything to get Andrea into his life and keep her there, forever.

That's the blurb, but I want to give you a little bit more about Shifters!

Shifters: Shape shifters of all species, mostly predatory: Most commonly Feline, Lupine, and Bear. The Fae bred Shifters millennia ago from the best of each species to be hunters and fighters for the Fae. Shifters rebelled during the human Middle Ages, fought the Shifter/Fae war, and thereafter lived independently of the Fae.

Collars: Developed by a half-Fae, Collars are both magical and technological. Tied to the adrenal system, they send shocks and pain through the Shifter's body if he starts to get violent.

Mates: Pairings recognized by the pride or clan leader in two rituals, one under full sun, one under the full moon. Shifters are not allowed to be legally married under human law, but the sun and moon rituals are recognized by Shifter law as a marriage.

Pride: Mates and cubs plus closely tied family members living with them (e.g., parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, first cousins). (Lupines=Packs; Bears=clans)

Clan: A collection of prides or packs that are related, though the relationships may be very distant (e.g., cousins to the 12th degree). The clan leader supersedes the pride or pack leader, although no clan leader can interfere with issues between mates or between parents and cubs. Females and cubs are protected from the clan or pride leader by the male mate. (Note: Bears only have clans, but they distinguish between immediate family and extended family.)

Shiftertowns: Enclaves in inner-cities or remote rural areas cordoned off by humans where Shifters must live. Shifters are not allowed to live outside Shiftertowns.

Shiftertown Leader: A new position created for Shifters by humans. The Shiftertown Leader is chosen from the clan leaders in that Shiftertown, and has final authority over the entire Shiftertown--over all species. He can supersede clan- and pride leader decisions when necessary. The Shiftertown leader usually has a second (and often a third), to take care of detailed Shiftertown business.

Sword of the Guardian: A mystical sword made of magically hardened silver and bronze forged by a Shifter and spelled by a Fae. The sword turns a dead Shifter's body to dust and releases the soul (see "Shifter Made" in The Mammoth Book of Irish Romance, Running Press, Feb., 2010).

The Guardian: The member of the clan chosen to use the Sword of the Guardian to dispatch a dead Shifter's soul into the afterlife (the Summerland). Before the Collar, each clan had its own Guardian (and own sword); at present, each Shiftertown has a Guardian that is responsible for everyone in that Shiftertown (across all clans, prides, and species).

PH: Did any of your characters give you a hard time while writing this book?
JA: Yes! Andrea, the heroine, did. I had to revise her several times. I struggled to find who she was and get her right. Sean likes her, though, so I guess it worked out :-)

PH: What is your favorite scene, so far, from this series?
JA: I think it has to be Sean settling the bet over what underwear he was wearing in his front driveway. I love that scene!

PH: Will things ever change between Shifters and the Fae?
JA: I have many things coming up for the Shifters and the Fae. There’s more going on among the Fae than meets the eye, and the Shifters will be interacting more with them. I will develop things in Wild Cat and the books beyond.

PH: Which heroine could you see yourself being friends with Glory, Kim or Andrea?
JA: Probably Glory. She's hilarious, and you always know where you stand. Besides, she likes good ice cream. And she likes Dylan, so I can't fault her taste.

PH: There are several different species of Shifters in your series, do you have a favorite?
JA: Felines and Lupines and Bears, oh my! I love the Felines, the wildcats, just because I like cats, plus werewolves have become overdone lately. I am liking the bears I’m coming up with, though—Ronan the Kodiak bear in Primal Bonds, and Shane, a grizzly you’ll meet in Wild Cat.

PH: If you could go on a date with Liam, Sean, Dylan or Connor, who would you pick and what would your date be like?
JA: Oh, wow, what a choice. It would have to be Dylan. I love Sean and Liam, but Dylan really floats my boat. Strong, tough, silent, but with a lot going on inside. You'd know that if he picked you, he really meant it. The date would probably be short on conversation, but long on the good stuff, LOL.

PH: What do you have in store next for this series?
JA: In the next book, Wild Cat, you’ll meet another Shifter family, the Wardens: Eric, Cassidy, and Jace. They’re Felines who look mostly like snow leopards. Eric has jade greens eyes and bad-ass tattoos. He’s the leader of his Shiftertown, and he has a struggle to keep everyone in line.

His sister, his second, Cassidy, recently lost her mate, and she’s dealing with grief at the same time she’s trying to find her mate’s killer. During her hunt, she runs afoul of Diego Escobar, a human who is trying to keep her (and the Shifters) out of trouble. Diego is a little bit like the hero of Burn Notice—he has a lot of baggage but willing to do what he needs to do to help Cassidy. He’s a hand-to-hand combat expert, and seriously hot :-)

PH: What else can we expect to see from you this year?
JA: A lot. Pride Mates, the first book of the Shifters series, will be reissued by Berkley in both print and e-book in July. Following that, in August, the Mackenzie series will resume—Berkley is re-issuing The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie (in print and ebook) at the same time the third book in the series The Many Sins of Lord Cameron (also in August). And then more Shifters with Wild Cat in January, followed by more Mackenzies.

On the Allyson James front, the next book in the Stormwalker series, Shadow Walker will appear in June 2011. I’ll also have a short Stormwalker story called “Double Hexed” in the Hexed anthology with Ilona Andrews.

Also, as Allyson James, I’m resuming my Tales of the Shareem series at Ellora’s Cave. Braden (which has the hottest cover alive) will be out sometime soon. It’s finished and with the publisher—I’m waiting to hear a pub date. I’m working on the next book, Justin, now.

And finally: I’m reviving my Ashley Gardner persona (Regency mysteries), and publishing the first six books in that series in Nook and Kindle, to be followed by new books in the series. The first one The Hanover Square Affair is up already, and will be followed by A Regimental Murder in March (plan to pub one a month).

I’m also working to get a few backlist Jennifer Ashley novellas up for sale on Nook and Kindle as I can.

In other words: Lots of stuff!

Thanks so much!

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We want to thank Jennifer for stopping by. Jennifer is offering 1 lucky winner a book from her backlist of titles so if you haven't started her Shifters Unbound series, now is the time. Or you can select a book from one of her many other series'. It's winner's choice! Check out her website for the full list.


This giveaway is open to international followers. Here is how to enter:

1. Leave a comment about the interview or a question/comment for Jennifer.
2. Leave your email address in your comment. If your email is on your profile, that will work.

We will announce a winner on Wednesday, March 16th and they will have 3 days to respond to our email or another winner will be chosen.