Dusk & Dawn Series by Alexa Piper 💕 Guest Post, Series Tour & Gift Card Giveaway 💕 (Paranormal Romance)

This blog post contains affiliate links. Click Here for details.

Falling in love with your boss is never easy, especially if he’s a vampire.

Maxim, tall, whimsical, and a vampire, wants to hire a curator for his art collection. Robyn, a newly minted art historian looking for a job, loves fine art and old stuff, and Maxim soon realizes she is not just perfect for the job, but also for him.

Robyn never liked prejudices against vampires, werewolves, or Fae, but the moment she starts working for a vampire, things appear less black and white, especially when she begins to fall for her new boss.

Robyn and Maxim’s young love will have to overcome odds and odd vampires who take issue with the fact that Maxim happens to be a vampire hunter who doesn’t shy away from decapitating his own kind.

Getting married isn’t easy, and a series of creative murders doesn’t help.

Maxim would love nothing more than to marry the woman he loves, in peace and without distractions, but a series of uncanny murders in the hunter’s city demands his attention.

Meanwhile, Heath is excited to plan Maxim’s and Robyn’s wedding. While he does that, he will have to learn to make time for his own budding relationship with Brian.

When Robyn’s bachelorette party ends in more murder, no one is happy. Yet all are willing to combine their efforts to end the bloodshed for good, so the wedding can be had, along with a happily-ever-after.

Gordon and Orrin, vampire and wolf… Is their love impossible, or inevitable?

In New Amsterdam, supernaturals and humans live side by side. That doesn’t mean there are no borders or boundaries within supernatural society. Orrin works to save the living as an NA police detective, and Gordon labors to do right by the dead as a medical examiner. Fear and insecurity foiled their first attempt at a potential relationship. Now, they find themselves pulled to one another once more by a string of gruesome murders.

Prejudice and social conventions don’t make life easy for them, and their own insecurities don’t help. Will they dare to allow love between them while they work side by side to stop a violent murderer?

WARNING: This book contains mentions of violence/assault against minors and animal cruelty though neither are graphically portrayed.

Even vampire hunters should be allowed a break, but murder makes the French countryside less scenic.

Ravelle is looking forward to being back in France. All she wants is to have wine with her daughter-in-law, catch up with an old vampire acquaintance, and get closer to Yanis, who is a breath of fresh air to Ravelle. She is not looking forward to working, and a seasoned vampire hunter like Ravelle should be granted a simple, quiet vacation.

Yet the hunter soon smells murder on the air, and where there’s murder, there is a corpse, and where there's a tenderly wrapped corpse, there tends to be a crime, in Ravelle’s experience. So rather than pursuing wine, Ravelle will have to solve all the mummy's mysteries.

Werewolf Orrin and vampire Gordon want to enjoy their love, but a serial killer threatens the peace.

Orrin and Gordon come from different worlds: Orrin is a werewolf with the New Amsterdam Police, and Gordon is a vampire who likes the quiet of his morgue. Yet, they decided to be with one another even though Orrin’s vampire was at first afraid to commit.

Now, new complications come barreling at the two when Orrin realizes he will have to step up to become a parent to an orphan shifter, while New Amsterdam has become the haunt of a serial killer who targets mixed supernatural and human couples.

Gordon was slow to realize he loves his werewolf mate, but it takes him even longer to figure out he still has his own demons to deal with. A past hurt has left a scar on his soul. Gordon’s werewolf detective might just be what Gordon needs to heal the scars from his past. The only question is whether geeky Gordon is enough for serious and seriously handsome Orrin.

Together with Maxim, New Amsterdam’s bardic vampire hunter, Orrin and Gordon are on the case to save the city from sinking into fear and panic as more murders challenge the peace. Through turmoil and death, Orrin and Gordon must find a way forward.

NOTE: This book contains scenes of assault and kidnapping that may be triggers for some readers.

Can you, for those who don't know you already, tell something about yourself and how you became an author?

Hi! My name is Alexa Piper, and I write paranormal romance books that have been known to make people laugh out loud in public. Some stories I write are downright dark though, and if those make you laugh, I compliment you on a singular sense of humor. I started writing fantasy and science fiction several years back and then later branched out into romance. With several series out now, it gives me room to let my characters grow and experience more, which is a lot of fun for me to write about.

What is something unique/quirky about you?

Orchids seem to like me. I've been known to get even the lost causes to bloom.

What are some of your pet peeves?

I am a terribly picky reader. If I don't like something about a book, if it's not well written, I can't go on. The more I write, the more critical I become of all media I consume, so I tend to spend time on only things that I really enjoy. Frees more time for making my own stories.

Where were you born/grew up at?

Aw, I love to let people guess, so I cannot give that away! A lot of the time, they guess wrong.

If you knew you'd die tomorrow, how would you spend your last day?

Like I spend a relaxing Sunday: some reading, connecting with friends, take a day trip to a pretty city maybe.

Who is your hero and why?

Whichever person in a room full of people speaks out when they see something wrong happening.

What kind of world ruler would you be?

Benevolent Dictator Squid because squids are awesome, and they have many arms. (Being a squid isn't against the rules, is it?)

What are you passionate about these days?

Do not waste my time. No, really; don't.

What do you do to unwind and relax?

Sleep, have coffee, make pancakes (and eat them.) And I cannot do all of them at the same time, which is a shame.

Describe yourself in 5 words or less!

...Benevolent Dictator Squid?

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

When I sold a poem for actual money.

Which of your novels can you imagine made into a movie?

All of them! And they would be R-rated and full of great acting and well-made special effects, because my Fae need to look shiney.

What literary pilgrimages have you gone on?

I went to the Whiskey Museum in Dublin. That counts, right?

As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?

Benevolent Dictator Squid.

What inspired you to write this series?

The first book was the kind of story that just hits you over the head, nearly fully formed. I wrote it in ten days or so, that's how badly it wanted to be on the page. Even now, there are situations that I see playing out in my head like a movie, and they are usually these hilarious character moments. In the second book, when, uhm, in spoiler-free terms, when Heath puts his foot down before the big highlight event in that book, that was one of those scenes. There are just so many characters in this universe that I love to bits, even if I feel that as an author, it is my sacred responsibility to keep an open mind about possibly having very, very bad things happen to them. (Then I remember I am a Benevolent Dictator Squid, and I try being real nice, but as a result the goat had to die in book 2. Go read it, it'll make sense. Probably.)

What can we expect from you in the future?

More books. In my Fairview Chronicles series, I seem to have discovered the lovely niche of furniture porn since one of my characters is a desk who is very horny all the time, so more of that, but just more books in general. (Since I have not said the word squid in a while, I would like to point out that I have a book with a kraken demon in it, and he doesn't just use his tentacles for tickling, if you catch my drift. It's called Loved by a Kraken. Check it out!)

Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in your Dusk & Dawn series?

Sure! There's Maxim, the bardic vampire hunter who loves a pun. Clement is a household guardian called a Lar who spent some time as a poltergeist and is a bit of a misanthrope. Gordon is a forensic pathologist, and one item on his bucket list is probably to dye his hair in all the colors of the rainbow, though I don't know if he has a bucket list. Oh, and if you are into really evil characters, Laurenzio dazzles in all the ways he is despicable. I'm sure there are also level-headed characters who simply have a plan and can handle stressful situations like unwrapping mummies and things, but it looks like I forgot all about them.

What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

I want to know what happens next! I may have a somewhat better idea of that than the reader, but I only find out when I sit down and write it, and that is really the best part!

Tell us about your main characters- what makes them tick?

Obviously, they all want world peace. After all, I made them in my image, I, your Benevolent Dictator Squid.

Did you learn anything during the writing of your recent book?

I write furniture porn, and there is no denying it, not since the desk had that wet dream about a foursome on top of it.

Anything specific you want to tell your readers?

I know that whenever someone picks up a book from a new author, it's like an advance in trust. I'm grateful, and I'll do my best to earn it! To returning readers: thanks for buying another ticket! I hope you enjoy this ride as much as you did the last!

Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?

They invade my imagination, and a lot of the time, they don't ever leave.

Advice they would give new authors?

You must practice. Writing is like any craft; it can be learned, but it takes repetition and the strength to handle rejection--a lot of rejection--to improve. And let me stress again: you must practice, meaning, sit down and write.

What makes a good story?

Beginning, middle, end.

What is your writing process? For instance do you do an outline first? Do you do the chapters first? What are common traps for aspiring writers?

I'm a pantser, aka discovery writer. This means I just sit down and write the story as it comes to me. It took me some time to realize this, because a lot of writing advice focuses on outlining. I think that advice is useful, but in my case, I had to give myself permission to just enjoy the process of telling the story, and outlining robbed me of that joy.

If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

Write more!

from The Hunting Mates

Alexa Piper

“You got a broadsword,” Gordon said when he came back from taking the ashes out of the oven. The dead vamp offender had burned up nicely.

“And you smell of ash,” Maxim said.

They had been playing Dragon Labyrinth for just a little under two hours, and Maxim was already frightfully good at it. If only speed and acute reactions came with vampirism automatically. All special talents Gordon had noticed in himself was that no matter what color he dyed his hair and how often he changed it, it would stay healthy and free of split ends. Not that I’m complaining about that. Healthy hair is great. Currently, he was a dark eggplant purple with black-blue highlights.

“Well, I’m sorry if --”

Someone knocked on Gordon’s still-open office door and cleared his throat. Gordon turned, and when he saw Orrin standing there, all thoughts that had been ordered in his head became a mishmash of confusion. Confusion, embarrassment, and fear, to be exact.

“I hope you don’t mind, Gordon, I asked Detective Orrin to drop by here with some information he considered important. You two have met, haven’t you?”

Gordon managed a nod.

“We have,” Orrin said. His voice sounded even, not angry, and Gordon wasn’t sure whether he would have preferred angry.

“So what was that thing about a hate crime that you were going on about, Orrin?” Maxim said.

Orrin walked into the room and closed the door behind him. “Yes. Jack the Ripper. That guy who murdered humans and Fae and tossed London into a panic around the 1890s. That ring a bell?”

Maxim paused his game and turned. “Oh, it certainly does. The Fae murders. I wasn’t in London at the time, but I followed the case. I take it you have someone emulating that killer, whoever he may have been?”

Orrin pulled something up on his phone, handed the device to Maxim. “Crime scene photos. You tell me.”

Maxim scanned through the photos slowly as if he were committing all the details to memory. Then he handed the device to Gordon. “Your opinion, Doctor?”

“Uhm,” Gordon said. “I’m not really familiar with Jack the Ripper, other than where pop culture is concerned.”

Maxim shrugged. “There’s a corpse. Don’t be shy. Have a look.”

Orrin crossed his arms. “And we’ll all just pretend I asked for you to consult.”

“Oh, silly Orrin,” Maxim said. “It’s a possible hate crime against supernaturals, which means I get informed, and through the power my position invests in me, I get to consult all the nerdy medical experts I want. And Gordon here happens to be the best, nerdy or otherwise.”

Nerdy. Yes, I guess I am that. Which made Gordon tense. He hadn’t even thought about it, but his office was, well, every collector’s wet dream, and it was really just a small slice of his entire collection, and really, Orrin could probably smell the weed cookies in the Lord Helmet cookie jar. What was he going to think about Gordon now? When Gordon had already messed up before and hadn’t even taken the time or effort or courage to set things straight. Well, fuck.

He tried to focus on the pictures, which had all the many shades of red and darkness, blended and combined to fill a canvas of a dark mind’s imagination. “Strong attacker, right-handed. I could give you a height range if I were there, but not from photographs alone. I see no obvious indicator the victim was anything other than human.”

Maxim beamed. “See? Gordon and his corpses.”

Orrin grunted. “I can get you to consult on the autopsy, but I can’t have the victim brought here. And if you wanted to, I mean, you have other things to do, but I would appreciate another set of eyes on the crime scene.” After a pause he added, “You too, Maxim. Should have a look, I mean.”

Maxim made a moue. “And here I was, just getting fond of the old broadsword and hoping that those dragon knights would bite their thumbs so I could offer them challenge.”

Gordon sighed. “I don’t think you really get video games, Maxim.”

The blond vampire snorted. “You talking about not getting things is a right hilarity, Doctor. Now, let’s go have a look at a corpse, shall we?”

Alexa Piper writes steamy romance that ranges from light to dark, from straight to queer. She’s also a coffee addict. Alexa loves writing stories that make her readers laugh and fall in love with the characters in them. Connect with Alexa on Facebook or Instagram, follow her on Twitter, and subscribe to her newsletter!

Up for grabs:

- $10 Amazon gift card
- eCopy of A Taste of Magic (Fairview Chronicles #1)
- eCopy of The Hunter's Bride (Dusk & Dawn #1)
- eCopy of Holiday Magic (Elvenswood Tales #1)

(1 winner each. Enter daily!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway Can't see the giveaway? Click Here!