Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Guest Post & Giveaway: Thea Harrison

Photobucket
I'm so very excited to welcome back Thea Harrison back to Hanging With Bells! She writes the amazing Elder Races series which was one of my favorite new series to read this year. If you haven't read any of the books yet, you are missing out on some amazing storytelling! Speaking of storytelling, Thea has written a great piece of flash fiction about one of her characters. Aryal! She's a harpy and let me just say that she is unforgettable. Thea is sharing this piece of fiction here today and will have it on her website as well. There will also be a giveaway as well so make sure you check that out further down on the blog!


A morning in the life of… Aryal

Today sucked more than any other Monday, because, well, it was today. It was not a past Monday and not future one, but right now, so she had to live it.

First item of suckiness? She forgot to get her dirty clothes to the laundry on Friday. She kicked through everything on the floor in her bedroom. Nothing was clean enough to wear again. That meant she had to dig through her bottom drawer where she stuffed all the presents she hated. At least she found a clean T-shirt. Couldn’t remember who had given it to her. She sniffed at it. Nope, she hadn’t worn it before. She shook it out. The logo on the front read: “Heaven won’t have me, and hell’s afraid I’ll take over.”

Yeah well. She put it on and finished dressing.

Second item of suckiness? She didn’t get laid over the weekend. That always put her into a bitch mood. There was this one guy, and for a while it had looked possible… somehow that was always worse, when it looked possible but didn’t happen. To be scrupulously honest, they might have gotten dirty if she hadn’t laughed. Then his flag refused to fly, and really it had been such a teeny-weeny flag, that was why she laughed in the first place. Hell, she probably wouldn’t have even noticed if they had gotten dirty. Poor widdle dinker. She ought to have some sympathy. Guy had to live his whole life that way. At least she could move on.

Third item of suckiness? She had an appointment first thing. She really hated talking to people sometimes, and this one was mandatory which made it even worse. With a staff psychologist no less. Six weekly appointments because some corporate fuckwad convinced Dragos they might help senior staff develop better interpersonal skills. Fuuuuck. At least breakfast was easy. She ate three cupcakes she had bought from Crumbs, her favorite bakery, then grabbed a box of chocolate Pop Tarts to snarf on the way. Harpies were notorious for their sugar addictions.

Psych was all buttoned up, long pencil skirt, high-heeled pumps, suit jacket, hair pinned back, glasses. She looked like the beginning a bad porn movie. Underneath would be thigh-highs, cut-outs, and crotchless. The thought almost put Aryal in a good mood. She threw herself into chair, slung one leg over an arm, and kicked a foot.

Psych looked over her glasses at Aryal. “Our fifty minutes is starting.”

“Woo-hoo,” said Aryal. She tore open a foil pack and ate a Pop Tart.

“What would you like to talk about?”

Aryal just looked at the human. Then she started on the second Pop Tart.

Psych sighed. “We had the silent treatment the first time. Last week you answered every question I asked with another question. Can we at least do something different this week?”

“You don’t have any milk, do you?”

Psych’s mouth thinned. “No, I do not have any milk. Really, this passive-aggressive behavior isn’t suitable between two seasoned professionals.”

“Lady, there’s nothing passive about this,” said Aryal. “I work hard at these sessions.”

This time Psych looked down her nose. “Strong interpersonal relationships are essential to the efficient functioning of any large organization, especially one that employs so many different Races and that has undergone a downsizing of staff recently such as Cuelebre Enterprises has. It’s important we know how to avoid culturally sensitive topics and project an attitude of openness to others, regardless of species…”

Aryal tuned out the psychobabble as she opened another foil pack. “I know what we should talk about. Why, I’m so impressed with the job you do, I looked up your personnel file and found your home address. I enjoyed your apartment. Especially that lacy doily crap you’ve got draped on things.” She gestured with a hand.
“It’s not my personal preference. But I can see why you might like it.”

“You know where I live?” Psych paled. “You’ve been to my apartment?”

“Only because I like you. Honest,” Aryal said. She widened her eyes. “How’m I doing on the interpersonal shit? Because you know, I was hoping I’d improved so much, you could write something up for the next three appointments in a kind of ‘let’s don’t but say we did’ way. What d’you think?”

“You want me to falsify your personnel record,” Psych whispered.

“Uh, yeah.” Aryal finished the last Pop Tart, crumpled the box, aimed and tossed it across the room. It bounced around the rim of a wastebasket and fell in. Two points. “Unless you want to have me over for supper tonight. Maybe for breakfast too. Come to think of it, I might be available all this week.”

“Oh God no! I mean… I mean, all right. I’ll—I’ll say we completed all six sessions.”

“See?” said Aryal. “My communication skills are just fine. We understood each other perfectly, didn’t we?”

“Okay. Just okay.” Psych wiped her mouth. “And you won’t show up at my apartment.”

Aryal shrugged. “Not unless you give me reason to. Any reason at all.”

“God I hate working with harpies,” the other woman whispered.

Aryal regarded the other woman with satisfaction. “We done here?”

“Y-yes.”

“Great. See you around, doc.” Aryal bounded to her feet and headed toward the door. No more Psych and her psychobabble. Can we say hell yeah?

Day was looking up. Even if it was still a Monday.

GIVEAWAY!
Thea is generously giving away an ebook copy of True Colors!  It's book 3.5 in the Elder Races series.  Just leave your email with a comment if you would like to enter the giveaway!
PhotobucketMeeting your soulmate? Great. Preventing your possible murder? Even better.

Alice Clark, a Wyr and schoolteacher, has had two friends murdered in as many days, and she's just found the body of a third. She arrives at the scene only minutes before Gideon Riehl, a wolf Wyr and current detective in the Wyr Division of Violent Crime—and, as Alice oh-so-inconveniently recognizes at first sight, her mate.

But the sudden connection Riehl and Alice feel is complicated when the murders are linked to a serial killer who last struck seven years ago, killing seven people in seven days. They have just one night before the killer strikes again. And every sign points to Alice as the next victim.

Product Warnings
This book contains a hot police detective, a violent murderer on the hunt, and a heroine that can blend in anywhere...


Make sure you check out Thea at these sites:

The books in the Elder Races series:

And coming in March 2012:
Photobucket

34 comments:

  1. O I loved loved loved this snippet! I am a huge fan of Aryal, and so hope she will have her own book soon! Thank you, and for the giveaway.

    auriansbooks at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  2. ROFLMAO! Aryal is so definitely growing on me. Looking forward to reading True Colors.
    Jen(at)delux(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  3. LOVE THIS SERIES! Thanks so much for giving us an Aryal snippet Thea and Bells, she's a favorite character of mine. And thanks so much for the giveaway too, I can't get enough of this world:)

    supernaturalsnark(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  4. LOL. I love Aryal! She's so badass. To be honest, I'm not a terribly big fan of shrinks, either, so I totally sympathise. What was Dragos thinking?
    hannah.mohammed.hmg at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  5. I have all of Thea's books so no need to put me in for the contest. Thanks for the day in Aryal's life...totally made me smile! I just love this series!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love it! You have a gift with words. Thank you for sharing this flash fiction with us. Aryal is great!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Oh how I want to be Aryal. She is my hero. I hope she has a book in the making. I have so enjoyed this series.
    Merry Christmas.

    koonie2888 at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  8. Looks like I've found a series to add to my Christmas wish list...thank you so much. And those are all some fantastic covers.
    Thank you for the chance.
    Sebrina_Cassity(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hi everybody! I hope you all have a safe, happy holiday, and good luck with the contest!

    Bel, I'm excited to be here with you again. Thank you so much for having me here today.

    Smiles,
    Thea

    ReplyDelete
  10. Oh I want this book soooo bad! I have banned mysef from buying any new books until after Christmas. Of course I don't understand why I can't just wrap up boxes with notes that say "I bought this book for me Merry Christmas." Too Grinchish?
    proudarmymom32@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  11. Thanks for the giveaway! I love this series. I'm two stories behind, but hope to get some reading in this Christmas break.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Thanks for the giveaway.I would love to read this series. Please enter me in contest. Tore923@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  13. The Elder Races series was definitely one of my favorites this year, Thea, and I can't wait to read Gideon's story.

    Happy Holidays

    cathy m
    caity_mack at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  14. Thanks for an awesome post and giveaway! I love MS. Harrison's Elder Series! Have em all and currently reading the latest :)

    Happy Holidays!

    efender1(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  15. That was great. I love our dear Harpy :). I already bought True Colors - now to read it :).

    ReplyDelete
  16. I have decided this is one harpy I definitely want to get to know. Thank you for sharing with us today and I am hooked now thank you very much and have to know just what is going on with these elder races :)

    dz59001[at]gmail[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
  17. Enjoyed reading the post..Thanks for sharing. Those are some hot covers :)
    Thanks for the giveaway
    elaing8(at)netscape(dot)net

    ReplyDelete
  18. I love the Elder Races series. Thanks for the awesome giveaway.
    Crystal816[at]hotmail[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
  19. I want to read Thea's book!
    Thank you for the giveaway.
    Cambonified{at}yahoo{dot}com

    ReplyDelete
  20. ohhh this looks so good! thanks for the chance to win!! i LOVE this series!

    alainala At hotmail DOT ca

    ReplyDelete
  21. Aryal is hilarious! And she certainly knows how to get what she wants...

    julieguan AT gmail DOT com

    ReplyDelete
  22. sound great and then you have some great books to come in future
    desi the blonde@msn.com

    ReplyDelete
  23. I enjoyed the excerpt and I really need to get started on this series. The more I hear about it, the more I want to read it.

    Barbed1951 at aol dot com

    ReplyDelete
  24. I've not read this series before but it sounds so good and all the reviews are really positive. Gonna have to read them soon... thanks for the giveaway!

    yadkny@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  25. Id love to win this book thank you for the chance it sounds amazing and I love love love the cover

    flanagan@mebtel.net

    ReplyDelete
  26. oh squee! I love this series and this book has been much anticipated.

    terilhack at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  27. Great snippet! I'm a big fan of the series. Please include me in the giveaway.

    hankts AT internode DOT on DOT net

    ReplyDelete
  28. Love Aryal!! She cracks me up lol This is an awesome series and I can't wait for more :)
    gwoman23 (at) gmail (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  29. I love this series! Thank you for the giveaway.

    Kelly
    skoverstreet(at)aol(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  30. Thanks for the giveaway! I loved book one and really need to catch up!

    Sara M
    sara_UFblog [at] yahoo [dot] com

    ReplyDelete
  31. I have the first 2 of this series. Seriously need to find time to read them. Maybe over xmas break.
    scrsbpal at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  32. Loved books 1 & 2 - need to catch up & read 3! Thanks for the opportunity.
    klcoppock [at] hotmail [dot] com

    ReplyDelete
  33. I want to read this! Thank you for a great giveaway
    khelseyrjackson at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  34. The book sounds awesome. I'm sure it is Thea wrote it! I really enjoy this series. My favorites are Pia and Dragos. Thank you! brendem7@comcast.net

    ReplyDelete