Don’t Piss Off the Fairies

It’s Halloween… the veils between realms are tissue-paper thin, my children are dressed up like zombies, the cauldron is brewing mulled wine, candy is everywhere, I’ve eaten my weight in snickers and pumpkin pie, and if that’s not enough of a reason to celebrate the day…

BARGAINS is out!

I cannot tell you how complete this makes me feel.

This is book 4 in the series and it’s a beautiful culmination of many things: The end of the first major story arc that answers many questions. It’s also a gateway for the next round of Holy Shits. And to make it double delicious, you’re introduced to a new crew who will ultimately get stories of their own.

(BTW – If you haven’t read the first three books in the series, please do so before reading Bargains. I’d hate for you to miss out or get lost.)

When the original crew of Adam, Ava, Rowan, Devlin, and Brinley came to me, I rejoiced. They were so remarkable and if that wasn’t fascinating enough, the Fates showed me their futures. Then in walked Ruark, Xander, Ashlyn and Willow I was breathless. It didn’t stop there. Oh no, because the Fates also showed me their futures as well… and in walked a whole different breed of… well… you’ll find out soon enough.

Although “Bargains” is the end of the first major story arc of the series, it’s certainly not the last. And no, these characters will not fade into the background to be forgotten.

Adam would never allow it.

This story was tough for me to write. I tend to always know the beginning, middle, and end before I start a book; and never have I stuck to it. This time was no exception.

I’ve learned the hard way that when it comes to my characters, I can’t control them. I can give them a voice, a means to speak and show me the way, but in the end… they just do any damn thing they please and I can’t do jack about it.

Trust me, I’ve tried.

This book is a blend of Ava and Willow. I wanted them separate (please read Author’s note in the book for the full story), but they insisted that it was together or not at all. To add to the frustration factor, I demanded many things of them and they delivered on none. When I yelled, they laughed, wagging their fingers in my face and told me to simmer down and watch, listen, and record.

What could I do? Pitch a fit? I tried, it did nothing. Do I deny them my service? Not hardly. I wanted that story so bad I was willing to trade a piece of my soul to have it.

Oh yes… did you catch that?

In the end, I didn’t have to give up much other than all my patience and what was left of my sanity. Nothing out of the ordinary for this mad writer. Although, I will admit, there were a few times I tried to make this story go into a different direction. I’m stubborn, too, damnit. (*stomps foot*)

Alas, when I tried to bark orders and move into a new direction I thought would be “better,” they all turned on me. The lights went out, the voices were silent, and I was in a dark cavern all by my little lonesome big mouth self.

I’m no fool. I threw my hands up and surrendered instantly.

With that, everything went back to perfectly running order and I had my book finished before the start of summer.

What did I learn from this experience? Don’t piss off the fairies. Or the angels… or the witches… or anybody else who strolls around in my head.

They own my ass.

The bittersweet truths in this book hit me hard. It’s about being desperate. It’s about being insecure. It’s about being raw and living stripped to your bare bones. It’s about vanity, vengeance, betrayal, and how the hell do you ever deal with life when it’s so ugly sometimes. No one’s perfect, but, damnit, so many of us try to be.

For Xander, the lover of women, this is the end of his big bang (no pun intended). His story makes me smile – and probably makes him cringe a little. Love was not easy for this male. Ironic, huh?

“Love is like a mountain,” he once said to me, “a treacherous struggle to climb, but the view at the top is always worth the effort.”
“Yeah,” I replied sardonically, “And what happens if you get to the top and someone pushes your big, sexy fairy ass off the side?”
“Then I’ll enjoy the fall, Briana. It is love, after all. Falling is what you’re meant to do.”

God, why does Xander always have the perfect answer? I rolled my eyes before tacking on, “I bet hitting bottom is going to be an ass buster.”

I’ll let you decide who was right.

As for Ava… Well, the mysterious Divine Intervention can only hide her secrets for so long. When I met her, I couldn’t tell if I could trust her or not. She was always disappearing to Danu knows where throughout my books. She answered to no one – not me. Not even Adam.

She just always seemed “up to something” and even if it turned out to be okay in the end of her disappearance, the fact that I wasn’t even allowed to know where she’d go really pissed me off. I kept asking myself, “Is Ava trustworthy? Is Ava good? Is Ava bad?”

I believe many readers have wondered the same thing about our dear Ava. Eventually, I got my answer. So will you.

I will end in saying that this series is going to blow up into so many wonderful lessons learned and stories told. I’m excited to finally see things coming together; stories are entwining and proving my point that EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON.

Take a seat, strap your ass down tight, and enjoy the ride my friends. We still have a long way to go.

All my love,
Briana

PS.  OH!!!  I almost forgot! When you meet the Charmer, his name is Louis. Do not – and I mean DO NOT- call him Lewis.  His name is Louis, pronounced “Lu-wee” and if you say it wrong, he gets rather pissy. You don’t want that.  Trust me.