Bottle Banished: Dreaming of Genie
Bottle Banished
Book One
C.L. Riley
Genre: Dark Fantasy/Romance
Date of Publication: February 11, 2015
ISBN: ISBN-13: 978-1506170640
ISBN-10: 1506170641
ASIN: B00S1LBSC4
Number of pages: 301
Word Count: 80,500
Cover Artist: Steph’s Cover Design
Book Description:
Genie thought learning how to “do” The Hustle was the worst thing about 1977, right along with strobe lights and disco balls, but she discovers something far worse the day she is bottle banished by an unsanctioned hunter obsessed with her destruction.
Thirty-seven years later, she is awakened from her spellbound slumber by a homeless alcoholic who wants whiskey not a wish. Overwhelmed with shame and keeping secrets from even himself, Reid Romans is the worst master ever.
He stinks. He’s dirty. He’s rude, but even more maddening; he’s sinfully sexy under all the filth and attitude.
When his green-eyed gaze captures Genie for the first time, she’s hooked, and being hooked on a human is not acceptable or allowed according to the genie rule book.
While Reid’s unsavory past bites hard at his heels, and he’s accused of a murder he didn’t commit, a powerful jinn is stalking Genie, intent on adding her to his harem. She has rejected him too many times to count, but he won’t stop until he claims her—body and soul.
Genie and Reid have way more than one love-sick jinn to deal with. A ruthless FBI agent; a cold-blooded cartel; and a hateful hunter, who wants genie back in her bottle, banished forever; keep them fighting for freedom and against the desire flaring between them.
Dark secrets, forbidden love, and simmering suspense take Genie and Reid on an unforgettable journey where the past and future collide and wishes run out.
Please be advised: Bottle Banished is a multiple POV (Point of View) dark fantasy that portrays graphic drug use, violence, language, and sexual situations some may find offensive, including dubious consent, light BDSM, and a Ménage à Trios. There is a Happily Ever After (HEA) for now, but several doors remain open for future installments.
Readers will uncover numerous references to current and past pop culture sprinkled throughout the story. Watch author’s website for contests connected to these references!
Available at Amazon
About the Author:
C.L. Riley is addicted to books, coffee, and playing around on the Internet where she cyber stalks things she enjoys. She has a passion for reading dark fantasy, biker romance, paranormal romance, erotic thrillers, and everything “genie.” She has four books to her credit under a different name, thus the missing author photo. For now, she is keeping her other identity top secret.
A native of Portland, Oregon, C.L. Riley has a son in college and a teenage daughter that keeps her on her toes at home. Her house is filled with books; something her kids, to her dismay, call clutter. She is working on book two in the Bottle Banished series and the Scorched Souls serial, a four-part, biker romance serial series.
Interview
Where are you from? I was born and raised in the
Pacific Northwest
and have remained for a number of reasons. I love living where there are four clearly defined seasons. Two hours one way I can be at the ocean, walking on the beach, and two hours the other direction are the mountains. Can’t beat that!
Tell us your latest news? Well, Bottle Banished: Dreaming of Genie is my new release. I’m really excited to share the story with readers. Genies, jinns, mystery, murder, magic, romance, and steamy sex…can’t beat that combination, right? I loved writing this book. I always wanted to be a genie and live in a cool, plush bottle. Readers will discover that bottles for genies are actually bad, very bad.
While perusing genie related “stuff” on the Internet, I happened to find the most amazing “genie room.” This is something I’d like to create. What a place to write (and read). Now that would be news to remember!
When and why did you begin writing? I started writing when I was a young child. I think I still have the book I put together. Pink bunnies, flowers, and everything pretty and pastel. A far cry from my dark fantasy/paranormal work of today! I did have an extensive imagination and was a compulsive reader from the very beginning, and I still love pink and purple but with a splash of black added.
When did you first consider yourself a writer? I thing I always considered myself a writer, but when I had an article published in my high school newspaper it cemented that belief.
What inspired you to write your first book? It was time. I had a story bubbling around in my brain that just had to be told.
Do you have a specific writing style? I can’t seem to stop myself from inserting humor into things even when they’re supposed to be dark. I’m not sure I have a particular style, though. I enjoy writing in both first and third person POV, and have written a number of non-fiction articles for publication. I consider myself diverse.
How did you come up with the title? With my genie book, I knew I wanted to give a nod to the original I Dream of Jeannie, thus the Dreaming of Genie part of my title. On the other hand, this book is a dark fantasy romance, and a majority of genies have been banished into bottles. The title came together perfectly in my mind. Bottle Banished: Dreaming of Genie is the result of those ponderings.
How much of the book is realistic? The answer to this question depends on what you believe! There are numerous sites dedicated to the Djinn and genies. Many individuals and groups are convinced these beings do indeed exist. Middle Eastern lore is overflowing with encounters and references. The Koran refers to them as well. Personally, I’ve yet to meet one!
What is realistic are the many geographic locations in my book. My characters explore the Shanghai Tunnels, otherwise known as the Portland Underground. These tunnels and warehouses beneath the city streets have a dark and shady past. Supposedly, brothels, opium dens, illegal booze and other vices of the times were available for a price. Unluckily for some, that price was a life at sea after being kidnapped, or shanghaied, through trapdoors in the saloon’s floors above ground. Here’s a link if you’re interested in learning more about
Portland
’s history.
http://www.shanghaitunnels.info/
There are actually tours that take you through the underground mazes. One is called: The Ghost Tour. It is my understanding the tunnels are considered one of
Oregon
’s most haunted places.
Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life? The fantastical and magical elements are not based on my life or anyone that I know. But the drug use, yes. I don’t share this often, but almost twenty years ago, I was addicted to drugs like heroin and cocaine. I got involved with some very scary people. I was one of the lucky or blessed ones to find freedom from drugs and the lifestyle that accompanies drug use. I have made it one of my missions to bring awareness, but more importantly, to let others know there is a way out. There is hope.
What books have most influenced your life most? I don’t think I like this question! There are just too many to list. If I’m honest, I’d have to say every book I read influences me in some way, big or small. We are influenced by what we allow into our minds. When I was younger, the Nancy Drew series, Black Beauty series, and Little House on the Prairie were some of my favorites. Then came CS Lewis, Tolkien, and Terry Brooks. Fantasy, suspense, drama, and adventure, everything I read left something behind. Whether fiction or nonfiction, books have played a role in my life.
If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor? There a so many writers I admire and believe I’ve learned from. On a personal level, there are a few who have taken personal time with me: Tessa Dawn, Carol Van Atta, and Lisa Olsen. Their examples and feedback has been invaluable. Not to mention, I’ve enjoyed their books! I also enjoyed meeting Charlaine Harris and Anne Rice at book signing events. Both were kind and down to earth despite their fame, something I aspire to be with everyone I meet, though I certainly am not famous.
What book are you reading now? I just finished Burned, Karen Marie Moning and Madeline Sheehan’s Thicker than Blood. Loved them both! I’m reading a young adult book, Beautiful Monster 2, Bella Forrest, right now. My Kindle Fire broke and I’m losing my mind. I actually ended up reading the hardcover version of Burned. I don’t like reading on my laptop, but I’m surviving.
Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest? With all my interest in genies, it’s probably no surprise I’ve been reading quite a few books featuring them. I stumbled across a new Young Adult author, Laura Catherine, and her book Djinn. I really enjoyed it and believe she has a great future. It’s not a naughty book at all, so if you’re looking for that you won’t find it with Djinn; you’ll have to read Bottle Banished-Dreaming of Genieinstead! (Sorry, shameless self-promotion) I’m looking forward to book two in her series.
What are your current projects? Book two in the Bottle Banished series: Bottle Banished: Claiming Cassie. And…I’m working on what I think will be an awesome addition to the biker romance genre. Yep, I caught the bug. I think it started with Jax on Sons of Anarchy, and then I discovered there were books about hot, bad boy bikers and I was doomed. So, I guess it makes sense I dive into the mix. My new serial-series, Soul Scorched, is in the works. Book one Firetrap, should be out over the summer, possibly sooner if I can stop reading. Here’s the cover and a teaser!
What would you like my readers to know?
I just hope everyone knows that I’m someone who is transparent and who cares about others. I write because I can’t imagine not letting all the crazy, creative images out of my already overcrowded mind. When you choose my work to read, spending your hard-earned money, I am honored. There are so many amazing and talented authors today; it is difficult to choose what to read and when. I know I struggle to decide! I want to read just about everything. When you pick up my book/s I truly am grateful and hope you find the adventure of reading what I wrote as exciting as I did writing it. Thank you for taking time to read this interview. I appreciate your interest and support.
Happy reading! Hoping you open genie’s bottle and take a chance on her story
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GeniesGalore
Website/Blog: http://clriley.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/CL-Riley/1507738442832894
Goodreads Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9874055.C_L_Riley
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