Thursday, January 1, 2015

GUEST POST by AUTHOR HD SMITH

Author HD Smith brings you the second installment in her Devil's Assistant series:

Dark Awakened.

Top 10 Things Readers Should Know About the Fourth Realm:

The Fourth Realm is also known as Fallen. The people that were once descendants are now known as the fallen. Unlike the other realms, which have had many names over time, but are generally referred to as Paradise, Purgatory, and Hell; Fallen’s original name has been lost to time.
Claire learns of the Fourth Realm in book 1 when Mab tells Mace about her sister Jayne—Mab doesn’t let him remember, but Mab has no clue Claire has heard the truth and knows the Fourth Realm is not a myth!
There is a prophecy that states “the girl” will set right what was lost by the ancients—the big three think Claire is “the girl”, but she’s about to find out that she’s not the only contender for the Fallen Queen’s throne.
The Fourth Realm was destroyed a millennia ago—by the rulers of the other realms. Most alive now believe it to be a myth, a fairy-tale told to scare children.
Jayne, the previous Fall Queen and ruler of the Fourth Realm, was killed by her siblings because she tried to take over and control all the realms.
It’s Jayne’s fault the fallen realm was destroyed and that time isn’t always consistent when traveling between worlds.
Chimera are descended from the Fourth Realm.
Traveling to any realm is safest through Underworld.
Never turn your back on a two-headed tiger … this is just good advice in general.
In book 2, Claire is tied to all the realms by magic that she can barely control. Will she become the greatest danger of all—the World Killer—or just another notch in the next contender’s belt?

MORE about...

Dark Awakened

The Devil’s Assistant Series

Book Two

Darkly delicious—relentless—and wickedly good …

the Devil’s Assistant is back.

Book Description:

Last spring Claire’s seemingly normal—if not totally screwed up—life was tossed on its head. For five years she’d been one of the damned—a human that knows the truth about the otherworldly among us. She’d worked for The Boss—the Demon King himself—as his administrative assistant, handling everything from early retirements, to Maintenance’s incessant requests for dental.

No one gets dental.

Then she walked into Purgatory—totally not her fault—went back in time, and awakened powers she never knew existed. Now Claire has a prophecy hanging over her head, a diamond ring hidden in her sock drawer, and the blood of a long dead royal running through her veins.

And it’s only going to get worse.

Her vow to live free or die takes a serious hit when she’s forced back under The Boss’s protection. Of course, there’s no protection from fate, or the Bounty Hunter sent to deliver her to Purgatory. And as if being “the girl” in the prophecy wasn’t enough, Claire soon discovers there are three other contenders for her role—two of whom want her dead.

Follow more of Claire’s adventures in Dark Awakened, the second installment of the Devil’s Assistant Series, to find out if she’s lucky enough to escape with her life, or if she’s just the first notch on the next contender’s belt.

Available at

Amazon BN Kobo Amazon Print

Reviews for The Devil’s Assistant Series

Dark Hope is a serious thrill ride type of story ~Fang Freakin' Tastic Reviews

I fell absolutely head over heels in love with this book! It truly was dark & delicious. Mayhem, death, Demons, Pagan's, Druids and a kickass heroine!

~ Taking It One Book at a Time

I thoroughly enjoyed this story, very unpredictable and difficult to anticipate what happens next, which is always a good thing. Claire is an intriguing character, everything she thought she knew is not quite true …I cannot wait for the next book in series, eager to figure out what is going to happen to Claire. ~ Musings From An Addicted Reader

I love when authors can create something that takes me on a wild ride I’ve never been before. ~ Book Lovin' Mamas

About the Author:

HD Smith has been writing for over ten years. She is a software developer by day, working for an awesome cruise line in Celebration, FL.

HD grew up in South Carolina, but has called the Sunshine State home since 1997.

She has Computer Science degrees from Clemson University (BS) and Florida Institute of Technology (MS). Her other hobbies include painting and screen printing. She enjoys creating t- shirts inspired by the places in her books.
For more information, visit HD’s

WEBSITE TWITTER FACEBOOK GOODREADS

RAFFLECOPTER Tourgiveaway

5 eBook copy sets of book 1 and 2

1 prize pack containing $75 Amazon Gift Card and eBooks of Dark Hope and Dark Awakened

Thursday, May 8, 2014

AUTHOR'S CIRCLE: introducing HD SMITH

Dear Readers, starting a new chapter for my blog where I'll be interviewing other writers in a series of guest posts titled:

Author's Circle.

Which brings us to...

Author's Circle debuts with a fellow author and good friend, HD Smith, to talk about writing, life and her book, DARK HOPE.

Hi HD Smith! Thanks for dropping by and letting us have a peek into your life. To jump right in...

What’s Dark Hope about?

Claire, the Devil’s assistant, knows very little about the world she was dropped into five years ago, when she inherited her mother’s unpaid debt to the Demon King. She certainly didn’t expect to be a contender for the Fallen Queen’s throne, a target for the Druid King’s mafia, or a suspect in the murder of Junior, the Devil’s oldest hell spawn … will Claire save her soul, or be trapped in their world forever?

What does your day look like?

I write software for an awesome cruise line in Celebration, FL. Most days I’m stuck in the office, but sometimes my office is a stateroom and I’m floating on ocean waves while I work.

Which author/s have inspired you the most?

Kim Harrison, Karen Marie Moning, Thea Harrison, Jeaniene Frost, Ilona Andrews, Kresley Cole, Gena Showalter … it can go on and on.

How did you become a writer? In other words, tell us YOUR STORY.

I started my first story (which I eventually used as a flashback in Keegan’s Point) over 15 years ago. I planned that story to death … literally. I put it aside before I’d even written one word of the actual novel and started a different story. The second one fell victim to the same fate, but I had at least started writing it. Shortly thereafter I discovered that I’m not a plotter … I’m a pantser … I don’t plan or outline I just write. My third attempt, Keegan’s Point, was the first story I finished. It’s available in all of its first book glory on Smashwords.

What is your best marketing tip?

Do a blog tour. Give readers plenty of chances to win a free copy of your book (Facebook party planned for May 9^th!). I’m a new author and as such I have NO fan base (yet). Getting out there in front of people, (social media, book signings, author promotional events) can only help you get noticed. This is the advice given to me by an author friend, and so far it has worked out well.

Why write urban fantasy?

I love the genre. I’ve found many great authors like Kim Harrison and Faith Hunter and Ilona Andrews that bring such fun worlds to life. I love the freedom of the paranormal world, with the believability of a contemporary setting. It’s magic :)

Naturally, in part you are all your characters (they come from your head) but which of your characters is the most like you? Or resonates in you the most? Why?

I’ll have to say Claire (main character of Dark Hope), but mainly because several of my good friends hear my voice in their head for her. She’s a bit snarky like me, which is our only real similarity.

What can we expect from you next?

I’m working on Book 2 in The Devil’s Assistant trilogy. I have 2^nd drafts of Book 2 and Book 3, but both need revisions based on the final version of Book 1. No ETA for either book yet.