Book Junky Girls: The Vargr Clan Trilogy by Angela Stevens

Thursday, October 22, 2015

The Vargr Clan Trilogy by Angela Stevens

Author BIO

Angela Stevens is the author of contemporary adult romance novel Lemon Drops and Love and the newly released book 1 of her Urban Fantasy Trilogy, The Wolf You Feed. Her first children’s fantasy book, Mariquita will be out in the spring.

Angela is British born and moved to Virginia, USA nine years ago. Always a keen traveler, she has enjoyed spending time living outside of her native country. She is an ex-teacher and the mother of two children. When empty nest syndrome threatened, Angela turned to writing novels to fill her growing free time. Her hobby has now grown into a fully-fledged obsession and she works on her books full time.

Loving both contemporary romance and urban fantasy genres, Angela flip-flops between the two. If you ask which is her favorite, she is always undecided. For now her genres remain separate, but maybe in the not too distant future they may combine. She is currently trying to find the time to draw up plans for a steamy fantasy romance series, so watch this space.

When Angela is not writing you can find her indulging in her other passion, ice hockey. She discovered her love of this sport when she first moved to America. Now a rabid Washington Capitals fan, Angela can often be found 'Rocking The Red' at the Verizon center supporting her beloved team.

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The Wolf You Feed, Blurb

Tore Vargr finds his world turned upside down when he is forced to choose between the love of his life and the life he loves. Tore chooses Annike, disrespects his brother, Erik, and sets off a chain of events that shape his life in a way he could never have imagined.

Outlawed from his clan, Tore embraces his new responsibilities of father and protector as he carves out a new life in a human world. But a jealous brother has a long memory and Erik is nothing if not patient, when it comes to exacting revenge. When Tore’s past catches up with his present, he has to learn to pull from an inner strength.

There is a battle of two wolves inside us all.

One is evil: it is anger, envy, greed, arrogance, jealousy, resentment, lies.

The other is good: it is joy, peace, love, hope, humility, kindness, empathy, truth.

The wolf that wins?

The one you feed.

— Cherokee proverb

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How The Vargr Clan Trilogy Became:

I began writing this book back on January 1^st 2012. At the time I had this madcap idea of having a go at writing an urban fantasy story. I don’t know where I got this wild idea from, as my first book had been a traditional romance story. However, I had this very vivid scene in my head for the opening chapter and I ran with it.

In the beginning, the book was meant to be a stand-alone but, as I began to plan it out, it rapidly became obvious it was going to be a massive story. Unperturbed, I continued writing but by the time I reached 120k words, I knew the book was getting out of hand.

I took a few weeks off writing it and went back over all my plans and realized that what I had planned wasn’t one book but a trilogy. The scary thing was, that in order to make it work, I had to totally reorganize the whole structure of the book and that pretty much meant starting from scratch.

In the reorganization, a lot happened. I switched from writing in the third person, to writing in first, and I dramatically reordered the way the tale was going to be told. This meant that after the restructure was finished, what had been my initial first chapter — the one that had started off this whole project — now no longer features in the first book, The Wolf You Feed. Instead it has a new home, part way through the second book (Hold On).

The Vargr Clan Trilogy has been a huge challenge from start to finish. When I began writing it, I was very inexperienced and had absolutely no idea how a trilogy should be structured. However, I had read a lot of trilogies and had some pretty good instincts about how they worked.

Mid-restructure, I met another writer who took me under his wing. Alex McGilvery took on my mess of a story and gave me a thorough critique. This was the first time I’d ever had something like this done and it was very daunting. But, it was the best thing ever. Armed with pages upon pages of notes from him, I was able to wrestle it under control.

Further down the line, when I had all three books roughed out, I had my second stroke of luck. Another writer offered to go through my story with a fine toothcomb and find all the plot holes. Dean C Moore was amazing. Since then we have formed a partnership acting as each other’s structural editors and beta readers.

Over the two years, I have revisited and rewritten this manuscript too many times to count. I found that each time I went through it, I laid down yet another layer, building up the story.

Most recently, the three books received the most dramatic change of all. After getting advice from a lot of people, I decided to switch the whole trilogy from first person point of view back into third person.

Lessons I learned? Never, ever attempt to do this! However, despite it being a monumental headache to change the point of view, I don’t regret this decision for a moment. The Wolf You Feed had started out life this way and really it was never meant to be in the first person. Now it has gone full circle and, at last, I am pleased with how it has been told.

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Themes in The Wolf You Feed:

At the beginning of The Wolf You Feed you can find a famous Cherokee proverb-

There is a battle of two wolves inside us all.

One is evil: it is anger, envy, greed, arrogance, jealousy, resentment, lies.

The other is good: it is joy, peace, love, hope, humility, kindness, empathy, truth.

The wolf that wins?

The one you feed.

This proverb is the backbone to this story. Tore Vargr is a man driven from his family and clan at a young age but despite his exile he is prepared to make the best of what he has. Tore is an inherently good man, who has a strong sense of family. He is happy with a simple life that revolves around his mate and his children. But when tragedy strikes, Tore finds himself at odd with himself. As revenge and hatred threaten to possess this good man, Tore struggles to break through a cycle of self-destruction and decide which wolf he feeds.

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Excerpt 1: (1109 words taken from chapter two, The Wolf You Feed, a flashback to how Annike and Tore met)

Bloggers may use this extract when discussing, reviewing or providing and sort of spotlight on this book or author.

The fire roared in the center of the clearing, taking the chill out of the December air. Fur boots kept out the snow, while woolen blankets draped across knees ensured shivers were kept at bay. Tore joked with his friends as they shared sodas and wild tales. They fell silent, their eyes flicking to someone behind him. Tore turned. A tall elegant girl smiled at him. His friends forgotten, he found himself staring.

She asked if she could sit. Embarrassed and tongue tied, he shifted along the log to make room for her. Eavesdropping, he heard her friend call her Annike and he locked the information into his heart.

Almost immediately, Tore found himself captivated by her mouth. When her lips pursed in thought, he wondered what it would be like to kiss them. When she smiled, they curled up at the corners, creating pretty dimples in both her cheeks. As Annike ran her pink tongue across her bottom lip, he fantasized about their taste. When she caught her top one with her teeth, his breath caught in his throat.

They found themselves cocooned on the log, their friends having migrated to the barbecue pit. The soft glow of the fire lit up her face. Tore popped the cap on a soda, “You thirsty?”

She reached for the bottle, her fingers touching his. Moments later he blushed, realizing he still held it and was staring at her. Muttering an apology, he looked away. She laughed, placed the glass between her lips before offering it back. Tore put his own to the bottle, his heart skipping at the thought of her mouth having touched the same place.

“You’re Tore aren’t you?” It surprised him that she knew his name. “Annike.” She stretched out her hand. A tingle of excitement raced through him as skin slid across skin. “This is the first time I’ve been to one of these.” She waved her free hand at the partygoers. “I’m only halfway through my transition,” she explained.

Tore continued to hold her hand. “Thought I hadn’t seen you here before, I’ve just about finished mine. I turn eighteen this month.” He cursed himself. Was that all he could think of to say? Any minute now, she’d walk away and find someone more interesting to talk to. Think, Tore. Say something cool. “You…um…want to go for a walk?” Oh great, now why would you ask her that?

“Sure, I’d love to.” She stood folding the blanket that had been across her lap.

Oh, she does! Tore jumped to his feet slopping the soda, splashing her pant legs with fizzy orangeade. “Oh, I’m sorry…” He knelt down and used the sleeve of his sweater to wipe her legs. She was giggling. He blushed as he noticed the wet orange stains on the cream wool.

Damn, he sure was making a great impression.

“You ready?” She nodded towards the trees.

“Sure.”

She led the way through the crowds of other youths. Tore put his hand to the small of her back, not wanting to lose contact for a second.

As they walked through the woods, she slid her hand into his. “I saw you hunt yesterday.”

She did?

Her hand felt warm and soft in his and he squeezed it tighter.

“I was by the out crop. Watched your wolf come across the fields. You’re fast.”

“It was my first solo hunt. That doe almost got away from me.” Why did he say that? He should have shrugged it off, said he’d caught loads. Now she’d think he was a loser.

“It did? That must have felt good bringing her down, then. Haven’t tried it yet. I don’t have a clue how to read my instincts.”

“I could take you out. We could try something small together. I’ll talk you through it. Erik did that with me a few times before I went solo.”

“Would you? I’d like that.” She was breathless when she spoke. He wondered if she meant it, but her eyes were sincere. A burst of electricity shot through him, she meant it.

They stopped by the river and lent against a boulder to keep out of the wind. Her golden hair shone in the moonlight. Tore was again tongue-tied but she rescued him with a question about his studies. They chatted as they skimmed pebbles across the water’s surface.

“You’re not how I imagined,” she looked sideways, giving him another of her dimpled smiles.

“How long have you been thinking about me then?”

Now she blushed. She skipped another stone, “The others talk, tell stories.”

“They do? What do they say?”

“That you’re cocky. Have lots of human girlfriends. Stuff like that.”

For some reason, he hated that she’d heard that. “It’s just an act…I’m not like that… just talk, with the guys.”

“I’m glad it’s not true.” That whispered breathiness had crept back into her voice. Stone-skimming forgotten, he found himself gazing into her eyes. As she returned his stare, their hands reached out and connected. As their fingers laced, a fluttering in his stomach caused his heart to play copy-cat. He leaned forwards, stopping inches from her mouth.

Annike pulled her hand away and brushed the snow from her clothes. She started to walk down the path and Tore hurried after her.

Did he do something wrong?

“We should get back. Nea will wonder where I went. I didn’t tell her I was going.”

“Nea?”

“My friend from earlier. We look out for one another, she’ll worry.”

Tore walked her back to the campfire, wishing time would slow down, so he could have her to himself for longer. All too soon, they were back in the crowds. She surprised him by sitting down beside him instead of finding her friend. Tore pushed his luck further as he sat closer and pulled a blanket over their laps.

Hours later, the crowds thinned. Annike watched them disperse. “I’d better head back too, I suppose.”

They stood, the silence awkward for a moment. Tore wondered if he should ask to see her again. Before he plucked up courage, she stood on tiptoe and pulled him by his sweater to her. Did he dare chance a kiss? Her honey scent filled his senses as she whispered in his ear.

“Tore, Son of Isak, one day you’re going to be my mate.”

Annike didn’t wait for an answer. She turned and left.

A stupid grin appeared on Tore’s face. He watched her curvaceous hips sway back and forth, hypnotizing him as she walked away. With those words, she laid her claim. And with that smile, he accepted his fate.”

***

Excerpt 2: (643 words taken from chapter 6, The Wolf You Feed, when Tore goes hunting)

Bloggers may use this extract when discussing, reviewing or providing and sort of spotlight on this book or author.

Tore loped down the rocky outcrop towards the tree line, following the scent of a wild boar he’d noticed earlier. It led him through dense undergrowth and into a small clearing, where the pig’s odor became confused with others.

He scanned the area and scented the air. Moments later the familiar reek of wild pig, hit the back of his throat. His body stiffened. Ears twitched as his nose locked onto his prey. Tore assessed his surroundings, crept out of the clearing, and dropped back into the undergrowth once more. Concealed in the shadows and grasses, he began his approach. He shifted into a faster gear and closed the gap. The pig grunted, giving away its position. Tore slowed, his tail wagging slow and steady, keeping his focus with metronomic rhythm. If the boar ran now, it would be impossible to catch.

Ah, there it was!

Rooting about in the forest floor, making a ridiculous amount of noise, it was oblivious to the predator closing in. As the gap narrowed, the boar heard him and swung its heavy body towards Tore. It was quite a young boar; its short stubby tusks under developed. Tore licked his lips. It was fat enough to feed the three of them and small enough to drag back.

They settled into a standoff. Despite its smaller stature and fat belly, it didn’t pay to underestimate the pig’s capabilities. The damn things were vicious and, despite their rotund frames and short legs, they could run. When they took off, their movements were unpredictable. Tore knew his larger frame was less maneuverable. He’d have to play it smart if he didn’t want to lose the pig in the trees.

The boar stood its ground. It was only a matter of time before its aggressive nature forced it to charge. Still, the pig hesitated longer than Tore expected. He snarled, attempting to goad it. Willing it to run so it would stimulate his own instinct to attack.

With a huge squeal and a cacophony of grunts, the boar broke the stalemate. Surging forwards it triggered Tore’s rush. The pig swerved right before it reached him and disappeared into the undergrowth. Tore followed at full speed, his hind legs struggling to grip the loose ground as he made the tight turns. Keeping his eyes on the disappearing meal, he ran faster.

As the boar twisted and turned between the trees, Tore watched for signs that the pig would turn and fight. A huge boar with massive curled tusks had caught him by surprise once before. That one had attacked him, sending Tore tail over ears into a thorn bush. By the time he’d extracted his embarrassed ass out of the undergrowth, dinner was long gone.

This time, there would be no mistakes. This would be a successful kill.

With one giant leap, Tore landed parallel to the squealing hog. Huge jaws locked tight around its throat and Tore’s long fangs punctured its jugular. The boar thrashed and writhed as the wolf’s canines pierced deeper into its flesh. The pig was strong. Strangled squeals echoed around the forest as it fought for its life.

Tore used all his considerable strength to hold the bucking creature. Inch by inch he ratcheted his jaws together until the pig inhaled its last breath. With its heart no longer beating, its blood pooled in its arteries and the once robust body hung limp. Warm hog’s blood trickled down Tore’s throat and the gamey smell filled his nostrils. The impulse to feed on his prize was consuming his wolf, but Tore was half human. Unlike his animal counterpart, he could keep control.

Dropping the lifeless body to the ground, he stretched out the tension from his neck and jaw. Adjusting his grip he checked his wolf’s compulsion to feed and dragged the heavy carcass back to the cave.

The Vargr Clan Trilogy Covers