Blood and Moonlight
Moonlight Trilogy, Book One
Moira Keith
Genre: Urban Fantasy / Paranormal Romance
ISBN: 9781476298825
ASIN: B008XKUS9C
Number of pages: 270
Word Count: 92812
Cover Artist: Elaina Lee at For the Muse Designs
Book Description:
Though she shares the bloodlines of both Fae and Wolf, Kiara Morrigan O’Conaill refuses to claim her place in the Fae courts or submit to the animal within. Witnessing the murder of her Fae mother two years ago drives her back into those worlds, to search for answers and revenge.
Devlin McClure lives for one thing—the Pack. When their leader, the Cadeyrn, disappears, desperation sends Devlin to the last person he should be asking for help—the Cadeyrn’s estranged daughter, Kiara.
Kiara and Devlin are drawn to each other by fate and destined to embrace the very thing that threatens to rip their worlds apart. Now, Kiara will have to decide which is stronger, blood or moonlight?
My Review:
Blood and Moonlight by Moira Keith
My rating:
4 of 5 stars
The main character in Blood and Moonlight is Kiara, she is half Fae and half wolf, and she has grown up hiding/ignoring the wolf side of her and keeping a lot of what she feels deep inside hidden away. Being ashamed of part of your self is not easy feat. Kiara’s is plagued by the death of her mother who was killed by wolves and Kiara cannot forget that, all Kiara wants is to find answers to who killed her mother. When Kiara meets Devlin McClure from the local pack he has come to ask her for her help. Of course Kiara cannot stand wolfs and it doesn’t matter that one of the missing pack members happens to be her father. At first Kiara does not offer to help and why should she help find her father as far as she knows he died long time ago.
Changing her mind Kiara and Devlin head out to solve the mystery of missing pack members and her father. Besides the mystery that unfolds so does the romance and tension between Devlin and Kiara. Kiara at first has every excuse why they should not allow anything to happen between herself and Devlin but he is irresistible and hot and smells so good. Kiara and Devlin do not have an easy road ahead of them and both being such strong independent people they can’t even see what is right before their eyes …..that they are fated to be with each other.
Blood and Moonlight is a well written novel, I really liked that Kiara is part Fae and Wolf this is something you don’t read too much, I liked that it was different from other PNR reads. The novel was easy to read, has a lot of interesting character’s and the romance between Kiara and Devlin is exciting and you feel the tension building between them. There is so much more to this story the history of Kiara’s family, her tattoos and even Devlin comes from a strong and power background. This is a must read. Moira Keith has done an excellent job and her writing is good, I cannot wait to read more of Moira writings.
I would recommend Blood and Moonlight to anyone who enjoys Paranormal Romance/Mystery and a touch of Fantasy to pick up this novel. I have rated Blood and Moonlight a 4 star rating and cannot wait to read the next book in this series.
Interview with Moira Keith
1. Did you always want to be a writer? And what inspired you to write?
Actually, I didn't always know I wanted to be an author. I knew I always wanted to do something creative. It was the one thing I kept gravitating back to. Writing and sketching. Those were kind of my things and when I was in highschool, they each demanded a bit of my time. My love of reading really pushed writing to the forefront for me. I grew up in a family full of people who always reaped great enjoyment from reading. I wanted to be able to do that for others.
2. How would you describe Blood and Moonlight?
I would describe it as a book of self-discovery, filled with mystery, intrigue, and one hot celtic wolf. Kiara, the heroine in the book, has suffered quite a bit throughout her life. She's never truly felt accepted and in turn, has issues accepting herself. This is her journey and it is a doozy. (Do people still use that word?) Devlin really balances her I think, and he tests her resolve in many ways. Plus he's hot, but I'm biased.
3. Which character you had most fun writing?
Kiara and Reese were a lot of fun. Kiara because she has so much that she has to overcome. A lot of hurts that run deep and left their scars, have really forced her to have this mistrust in just about everyone and everything. It made her both challenging and rewarding to write her. Reese was fun for a whole other reason. She came very easily to me. She's fun-loving, a smart-ass, and always quick with her insights into her best friend. She grounded Kiara in a lot of ways. Reese was a total culmination of some of my dearest and closest friends.
4. What was your main source of inspiration for the story?
My main source of inspiration for this story had to come from a book called Wars of the Irish Kings. It covers over a thousand years of struggle from myth through the rein of Elizabeth I. There was one particular mythological battle in there that really set my mind running. That was probably the biggest inspiration for this book.
5. How did you come up with the title of your book?
It actually took a few tries. This book was originally going to be titled Chosen, that didn't stick. Then it was going to be called Blood Moon because the blood moon plays a part in the mythology in the story, and eventually I settled on Blood and Moonlight and I loved it. The title took some time coming to me. But it was worth the wait.
6. Do you see writing as a career?
Definitely. If I had my way, it would be my only career. You have to approach it as a job. It takes time and dedication to learn your craft and hone your skills. If you want to be good at something, you have to look at the whole picture. It's more than just passion for the story you've written, there is a business aspect to it as well. Marketing, strategizing, plotting, planning, execution—these are all things that one would likely do in a regular nine to five career.
7. As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
I think for a time, I wanted to be a fairy princess like most other girls out there. Then I wanted to be a mermaid and study fish and ocean life. In fact when I'd reached highschool, I was looking into schools that had a marine biology program. So I almost was a mermaid. Looking back though, writing was always there in the background, waiting for the time to stake its claim.
8. Where do you hope to take your writing in the future?
As far as I possibly can. This has been such a fun journey for me and the ideas just won't cease. So I'm hoping that I never run out of ideas or people who enjoy my work. While my ideas tend to lean very heavily on the paranormal romance and urban fantasy front, I have the occasional contemporary story that comes to mind. I love being able to indulge in my passion and share it with so many readers.
9. What were your feelings when your first novel was accepted?
I had to seriously pinch myself. To be completely honest, when the email came in, I thought for sure that the story was going to be rejected. After all, it was my first book. No one ever publishes their first book, right? And when I finished reading the email, I had to read it a few more times before I called my parents to tell them.
10. Are you working on any books/projects that you would like to share with us?
Of course! Why not share with you a little about book two in the Moonlight Trilogy, it will be coming out in 2013 (I know, don't slap me). I'm very excited about where the series is going. Here is a little look at what is in store:
Kiara Morrigan O’Conaill finds herself away from the man she loves, in a world that cast her out, and protecting a queen who’s hatred for her runs deep. Mysterious letters surface, warning the queen of danger and signed by a man rumored to be as old as the Fae. Is this an elaborate prank to get Kiara back into the Fae courts or are the shadows in the moonlight hiding a key to the past?
Devlin has an uneasy feeling about Kiara’s return to Faerie. The bond between them makes it harder to sense what is true danger and what is merely anxiety over the trials they both must endure. As he tries to stay focused on the pack and finding the missing Caedryn, he discovers that the moonlight holds secrets that might be better left shrouded in shadow.
Will their individual tasks pull Kiara and Devlin closer together or test the bonds of their union?
11. Who designed the covers?
Elaina Lee at For The Muse Designs did both my covers for Blood and Moonlight and Shadows in Moonlight. Aren't they lovely? Sorry. It's hard for an author not to be proud of the work that goes into the perfect cover, especially when the artist nails it. Elaina has been a pleasure to work with and I recommend her highly.
12. What was the hardest part of writing your book?
The hardest part was just getting it down, making sure I put enough in the story to get my mythology out there and to not give everything away. This was always too big to be just one story, and there are three very distinct things that need to happen for it to come full circle. So finding the balance for each book...that has been the challenge.
Any last thoughts or words of wisdom you would like to share with the readers?
Never stop reading. Authors everywhere get to do what they love because of your love of reading. Without your support, we couldn't do that. You challenge us to be better, to push our stories further, and to strive for perfection and greatness with each and every word. So while they aren't words of wisdom, they are my open thank you to readers of books everywhere.
About the Author:
Moira Keith has a penchant for men in kilts, is a lover of shoes, Celtic mythology, connoisseur of Guinness, baker of cupcakes and overall complete mess! As an author of paranormal, urban fantasy and contemporary romance, Moira writes stories that are often filled with the magic of love and the mayhem that ensues, threatening to keep her couples apart.
Currently, Moira resides in Las Vegas with her twin zombie sons, their beta fish, and a turtle.
Where to Buy
Amazon Smashwords Barnes and Noble Apple Book Store
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Born in Essex, England C.M.Gray has since been lucky enough to live and travel in many countries around the world. In fact he has lived more time outside of England than living there! Home now is just outside of Barcelona, Spain in a house in the middle of the forest with his Dutch born wife and two children.
