Eternal by AlTonya Washington

Lilia Avery had no idea what prompted her to suggest booking Eternity Lodge for the annual Senior Week trip. The place was in no one's budget, but she decided to take a chance and was pleasantly surprised when the proprietors seemed keen on her idea. The last thing she'd expected was to meet Fystian Akintunde and have him wipe her mind clear of every ounce of her common sense. He was an enigma and he seemed just as off kilter by her. 

Fystian Akintunde was more than an enigma. The abilities and other special traits possessed by he and his siblings had them all in danger from the moment they were born. Ancient and powerful parties were determined to see the Akintunde quintuplets destroyed. Now, a young woman's fate will unexpectedly intertwine with a clan of immortal siblings and set in motion a chain of events and a centuries’ old prophecy will be realized. 

Excerpt: Eternal by AlTonya Washington

Happy to be alone, Fystian prayed for just a half hour of solitude. The irony made him grimace. If things turned out to what he was expecting, finding time alone wouldn’t be a problem. Annoyance deepened as his troubled thoughts turned to Lilia Avery. For just a moment, he’d glimpsed what his life would be like- could have been like had his family not been… cursed.

She was different, he mused easing both hands into the front pockets of the jeans slung low at his hips. Her looks, while dark, provocative and unforgettable weren’t what attracted him most about her. Even when he had time to dwell upon his reaction to her, he could find no way to explain her hold over him. She calmed something inside him. The rage that simmered deep and ranted to be freed, quelled when she was near. When she touched him… Fystian stilled. He had entered the den and was approaching the plaid burgundy and hunter green sofa, when his head bowed and his eyes narrowed. Slowly, he turned toward the front door.

~~~

Lilia flexed her hand as though the action might assist in her ringing the doorbell which she had yet to do. There was no need. Her finger was centimeters from the bell when the door opened with Fystian Akintunde on the other side. Her lips parted, but no sound emerged. She was surprised and like an idiot, she stood there gawking, rubbing her throat to rouse words.

“I’m sorry I-” She cleared her throat, working to improve the delivery. “I shouldn’t have dropped by this way. I um…tried to call…”

Fystian had moved back during Lilia’s ramble. When she took notice of his changed position, she took his stance as a silent instruction for her to enter the house. The sound of the door closing mere decibels below a slam sent a scant jerk through her body and she turned.

“We’re alone here,” He seemed to await a reaction.

Lilia was unmindful of wringing her hands as she watched him relax against the door. She was unconscious of how greedily her eyes absorbed him. Her gaze fell to his mouth, outlining the wide, alluring set of it until she forced herself to refocus.

“I came to apologize for the way I acted that day you came to my house.”

“What about it?”

Surprised and slightly suspicious, she couldn’t quite believe he’d forgotten how rude she had been.“I didn’t mean it Fystian,” she continued her ramble and her obsessive hand wringing. “I had a lot going on that day. I let it rule me which I never do-”

Fystian pushed off the door, rendering Lilia instantly speechless. In a couple of strides, he was there before her, cupping a hand behind her neck and crushing her mouth beneath his.

Lilia was; at first, too stunned to do anything other than stand there and take it. He cupped her face, his thumbs drawing out invisible circles on her cheeks while his tongue chased hers. Gradually; so subtly that she didn’t realize it, his hands roamed the length of her body to smooth about her hips. He fused her to him when his hands slipped just inside the back pockets of her denim skirt.

Tentatively at first, Lilia nudged his tongue with hers and then became a more energetic participant in the act. Her hands smoothed up his chest and she shivered over the realization that he felt as strong and solid as he appeared. She kneaded broad shoulders on her way to encircling his neck. There, she toyed with the soft skin at his nape before her fingers massaged his scalp and she discovered his close cut hair was as silken as its texture boasted.

Her response then was explosive. Lilia gripped the front of Fystian’s T-shirt, her fingers curving into the neckline of the black garment. She tugged him closer, taking command of their kiss by plying him with slow, sultry lunges of her tongue.

She heard him whimper and was certain the sound had to be out of character for him. It didn’t matter, she felt empowered, emboldened by her effect on him. She lost all sense of herself, her fingers tightened on the material of his shirt and threatened to tear…

Fystian worked to hone in on the voice demanding his restraint. He knew it had to be there somewhere in the haunted depths of his mind, but he couldn’t lock in on it. Not that he really wanted to. The girl in his arms had no idea how powerfully he hungered for her. Her eager willingness, loosened every tether he’d used to harness his desire.

The voice of sanity and logic bellowed out to him then and successfully churned through a passion-filled haze. It bridled him, tempered the robust urges that insisted he return to his bedroom with her in tow. He broke the kiss with tremendous effort and labored to settle his breathing once space resided between them.

Lilia swallowed noticeably, her expression sharpening as though she were zoning back into reality. “Fystian…I- I’m sorry.”

He gave her a black look. “What the hell for?”

She smiled, in spite of her breathlessness. “For...for taking over I-um…I get the feeling you like control.”

“Control, huh?” His black look diluted as a smile revealed something elemental and amused. “Not always,” he said.


( Continued... )

© 2016 All rights reserved. Book excerpt reprinted by permission of the author, AlTonya Washington. Do not reproduce, copy or use without the author's written permission. This excerpt is used for promotional purposes only.


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Intimate Conversation with AlTonya Washington
Eternal by AlTonya Washington

AlTonya Washington has been a romance novelist for 14 years. She’s traditionally published with Harlequin’s Kimani Romance imprint, winner of the Romance Slam Jam EMMA Award and two time winner of The Romantic Times Magazine Reviewer's Choice Award. AlTonya is a mom and works as a College Reference Librarian. In 2015, she received scholarly publication for her article An Indie Author in a Library World which appeared in “Self-Publishing and Collection Development: Opportunities and Challenges for Libraries” published by Purdue University Press. She enjoys a successful indie author career and is best known for her Ramsey/Tesano romantic suspense series.

BPM:  What made you want to become a writer?
I decided to become a writer the summer after I graduated college. I attended the HBCU Winston Salem State University in North Carolina. I believe it was that experience that made me look at the romance novels I’d enjoyed since age 13, with a more critical eye. I still enjoyed the stories, but I craved seeing characters that looked like me.  As the great Toni Morrison says “If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it”. These words have been a driving force behind so many of the stories I’ve created. How long have you been writing? I penned my first story in the summer of 1994.

BPM:  How do you think you’ve evolved creatively?
I believe I’ve learned how to write the story my characters are showing me instead of the ones I want them to act out. I listen to them more which has enabled me to create some pretty unforgettable people.

BPM:  Do you view writing as a kind of spiritual practice?
I don’t know if I’d say spiritual, but it is therapeutic. There’s a feeling I get when I’m writing that just soothes me. Whatever is going on around me or in my life, writing creates this…bubble that protects me from all the angst. Then, it rejuvenates and inspires to give me the strength to go and face the angst.

BPM:  How has writing impacted your life?
It’s made my house a cluttered mess! I write everything in longhand so you can imagine the notebooks I’ve got piled. Seriously, it’s not that bad-I try not to let my ‘hobby’ put my home in too much of an uproar. To be honest, writing has ‘impacted’ my life in beautiful ways. I continually evolve as a more thoughtful person, more observant, more detail-oriented and definitely more focused!

BPM:  What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?
I’ve learned that my characters’ personalities deeply impact the way I craft a story. There are times when I need a scene to play out in such a way and I find that I have to have another character handle that issue because the character I intend to have in that scene just won’t fit because of who I’ve created them to be. A certain way of handling things just won’t work for a particular character unless I tweak the way the scene plays out to fit them.

BPM:   Where do you see yourself as a writer in five years?
Five years…Wow…lots of changes. I pray they will be wonderful ones. My best guy will be in college I hope. I’ll be a free woman with even more time to write-yaaaay!! My biggest personal goal though, is to be writing full time. I hope to make this a reality before 5 years, but definitely by then.

BPM:  How do you find or make time to write?
I HAVE to write. It’s like a vitamin. I don’t feel quite right until I have it in my system. Unless I’m out for the day with my best guy, there are few places I go without having work with me. I’m usually up by 5am, and start writing after my morning workout before I head off to the day job. On the weekends, I usually sit down to write 2-3 times a day and put in 2-3hrs per session.  Are you a plotter or a pantster? I’d say both terms relate to me. I rely heavily on plotting, though I wouldn’t consider my books to be plot driven but character driven. I begin each writing project by taking a wealth of notes and gathering tons of research about the places and topics I plan to cover in any given story. I create a “What Has To Happen” document that can run anywhere from 15-20 pages in length and can contain as much as 75-100 different items I want to cover in the story. My title “A Lover’s Return” contained almost 200 notes in this document. Still, I enjoy the freedom that is associated with being a ‘pantster’. When it’s time to craft my rough draft some of this won’t make it into the story-the final decision always rests with my characters.

BPM:  How did you choose the genre you write in?
I think the romance genre chose me. I have been an avid reader all my life. From the children’s classics like The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, The Secret Garden and more to the teen dramas like the Sweet Valley High series and the Flowers in the Attic series by VC Andrews, I was a fan of them all. Romance however was the only one that sparked my desire to write. Have you considered writing in another genre? I would enjoy crafting a mystery novel and have already plotted out a crime fiction title that I hope to start on later next year.

BPM:  Tell us about your most recent work? 
Eternal has been a story in the making for quite a while. It originally started as an idea for a children’s book for my son. When he was younger, he enjoyed hearing stories more than reading them, so I attempted to create one with the kind of excitement and mystery that I thought he’d enjoy. Well…as I started researching for the story while crafting this new paranormal world, the possibilities of where I could take it began to call to me in such a way that the story took on less of a ‘children’s’ book allure and became one that was more suitable for YA. That YA label is a shaky one though as there’s a lot in this story that would draw in adult readers as well. I’m a huge YA fan and I’ve read enough to know the kind of material one might find in some of these stories. I believe I’ve listed Eternal properly as a YA although I do wish there was a genre listing for Older YA. This book would be more suitable for 15 (maybe 16) and older. Available on Nook and Kindle? Eternal is available in ebook and print formats. It’s available on Nook, Kindle as well as via Kobo, Apple and a host of other platforms.
 
BPM:  Give us some insight into your main characters or the speakers.
Eternal requires several characters to tell its story. Our featured characters however are our hero Fystian Akintunde and our heroine Lilia Avery. Fystian is the eldest in a family of quintuplets-quintuplets who have lived over a century and don’t look a day over 17. Lilia is a soft-spoken, intelligent beauty who, along with her mother, has been on the run from her step-father for years. What makes each one so special? Fystian and Lilia find each other at a time when Fystian is starting to think that he’ll beat the “curse” that he’s always lived under. Fystian is a tortured soul, a reality compounded by the fact that he shares his soul with a rather monstrous persona-one that has been quiet for many years. This changes when Lilia enters the picture and Fy discovers that both he and his unwanted persona have been captivated.
 
BPM:  What was your hardest scene to write, the opening or the close?
I got so involved in this story, that I really didn’t find that there were many hard scenes to write. I will say that there were some that took LONGER to write than others. Eternal is so full of imagery-as a writer you want the reader to be where you are. You want them to see every blade of grass and the sky in all the shades you imagine. Additionally, when there is high action involved, you want to capture that in a way that keeps the pulse pounding. Unfortunately, it doesn’t happen that way when you’re writing. When I’m writing, I stop, start, ponder, and sometimes act out what I’m imagining in order to come up with the best way to put it all into words. My hope is that the readers get the sense of fast paced action and a real sense of the environment. In reality, all that action and high drama can sometimes take hours to put in place.
 
BPM:  Share one specific point in your book that resonated with your present situation or journey.
The quintuplets in Eternal have abilities. For some, those abilities make them feel cut off from the rest of the world even though they are a source of intrigue in the small, upstate New York town they call home. Girls swoon over Fystian and his three brothers, Caspian, Prime and Mathias. Likewise, it’s love at first sight when boys meet the youngest of the quints and the only girl, Suriaya Akintunde. I enjoy creating flawed characters. While the Akintundes’ abilities aren’t exactly flaws (with the exception of Fystian’s) they still feel cut off in spite of their good looks and appeal. Characters like these resonate with me because I think many of us have misconceptions about people who seem to have it all in the looks department. Some of us tend to think issues can’t be that insurmountable when you look like that. I enjoy peeling back those sorts of layers to show how wrong those ideas are.

BPM:  Is there a specific place/space/state that you find inspiration in?
I can write pretty much anywhere, but being at home on a rainy day continues to be my absolute favorite time, space, place to create. A gray, rainy day with the lamps on, a mug of hot tea and the kettle simmering on the stove means Tonya is somewhere in comfy clothes writing and smiling.

BPM: Are there certain characters you would like to go back to, or is there a theme or idea you’d love to work with?
Well, I just adore all the characters in my Ramsey/Tesano series and I’ll probably write stories featuring them for as long as I’m able to write. My Sleeping Giants characters are becoming especially satisfying as are a few others I’ve yet to introduce to the reading public. As for recurring themes, the ‘mad scientist’ element has been drawing me in deeper and deeper. I’m having quite a bit of fun exploring that in my romantic suspense titles lately.

BPM:  Do you want each book to stand on its own or do you prefer to write series?
I enjoy both. I make a conscious decision before starting a new project on whether I intend for it to be a standalone or a series. I enjoy series which allow me to plant those little seeds that I can watch spring up during the course of the books-as with the Ramsey/Tesano saga. I enjoy the standalones as well. Standalones give readers the closure they want without the fear of a cliffhanger. Now, I’m hooked on creating standalones within a series- which follow a particular theme. These are stories that a reader can pick up from anywhere in the lineup and not feel the need to read the other titles in order to enjoy the story in hand. I’m having great fun exploring this in my new Sleeping Giants interracial romantic suspense series.

BPM:  Does writing energize or exhaust you?
Writing energizes me all the way! I don’t write when I’m exhausted-I never try to push past it because I don’t feel it produces my best work. If I’m not feeling energized, I recognize that I need a fresh brain. I refuel (with sleep) before going back to the drawing board.

BPM:  Do you believe in writer’s block?
I believe in exhaustion. I really believe that’s what hinders so many writers and they misdiagnose it as a block. Not saying it doesn’t exist, only I think a writer should first examine their fuel gauge.

BPM:  Is there one subject you would never write about as an author?
I’m not so sure anymore. What is it? I once said I’d never write about a couple having to deal with infidelity. I write romance and I don’t see how that could be crafted as romantic but I’ve been having some ideas lately that may require me to revisit the idea and we’ll see…

BPM:  Do you try to deliver to readers what they want or let the characters guide your writing?
I think what readers want is a good story. I try to provide one with every project. It doesn’t work for me not to listen to my characters-getting into their heads, discovering who they are and presenting those layers to my readers is one of the great joys I get out of writing. My readers expect a dynamic plot but they also want to experience that connection to the people (the characters) who live the story.

BPM:  Is there a certain type of scene that's harder for you to write than others?
Not really, but for me love scenes depend on the kind of scene it is. For instance, with an ‘almost’ love scene, I can pretty much write that anywhere-they’re fun, quick, sexy scenes in route to the rest of the plot and can be used to advance the story in an incidental way. For the ‘all the way’ love scenes, I prefer to write those at a time and place where I know I won’t be interrupted. If you’ve read my work, you know that sometimes those scenes can go on for a bit. I write from beginning to end with those and strive to make them as intense as a scene of dialogue. It’s important for writers to understand that love scenes are part of the plot as well and really begin from the first moment the characters meet in the story. They should not be written simply as sex tossed in for good measure, but have a true connection to the work.

BPM:  What was the best money you ever spent as a writer?
Best money I ever spent as a writer was back in 2001 when I attended the Romance Slam Jam Literary Conference in Orlando, FL. I was a new mom, money was VERY tight and I even think I missed the registration deadline but I was living in Orlando and able to reach out to Mrs. Brenda Woodbury, who was the local contact person for the event. She worked magic to get me there. Aside from a few magazine short stories, I had nothing in the way of a major publication. Attending that event was like being admitted to another world -a fantastic one I had only dreamed about. Once I started writing, I pretty much shied away from reading romance-not wanting anyone else’s voice to intrude on my own.

So…until 2001, I had no idea African American Romance existed at such a level. One reason I started writing was because I couldn’t find the books I wanted. In SC of the 1980s & 90s, I could NOT find such stories on the shelves. The BEST part about Slam Jam, were the readers-energetic, intelligent, curious women with insatiable reading appetites. They made me believe that my voice had a place and an audience in this new and dynamic world.

BPM:  Have you written any other books that are not published?
Oh yeah! I’ve got two at the rough draft stage that I just haven’t pushed into final draft mode and several more that I’ve done outlines for, but haven’t had the time to move any further with.  We won’t discuss all the stuff still rattling around in my head.

BPM:  What projects are you working on at the present?
Now THAT’S a loaded question! I’m working on so much-or I should say so many things are coming down the pipeline. Folks tend to get on me about my work taking so long to release, but it’s hard for me to work on more than one book at a time. I admire people who can. I enjoy giving my all to one world at a time. I’d say it works pretty well for me, there’s a lot on the horizon. 2017 will see a new Harlequin Kimani entitled “Silver Screen Romance”. Also, the second in my Sleeping Giants Series “Conquered” which follows “Intoxicated” that released in June 2016. There will be new T. Onyx erotica “Pleasure’s Possession” a spin off from the earlier “Pleasure’s Powerhouse”. “Tradition”- a  new family saga trilogy set in Charleston, SC.  I’ll wrap up the year with “Book of Scandal- The Tesano Elders”.

BPM:  What is your preferred method to have readers get in touch with or follow you?
I’m good with any method- FB, Twitter, Instagram. I absolutely LOVE emails from my readers, though many often drop me a line via FB Messenger when they have a quick question.  It’s a great pick-me-up when I see a message from a reader.

BPM:  How can readers discover more about you and your work? 
http://www.lovealtonya.com
https://twitter.com/Ramseysgirl
https://www.instagram.com/novelally
https://altonyasblog.wordpress.com
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAltonyaWashingtonFanPage

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