UFI welcomes Author Jill Archer. Thanks for Joining us!!
What can you tell my readers about yourself that they might not know from looking at your bio or reading in another interview?
When I was a kid, I had a Huffy Star Spangler. Loved it!
http://ratrodbikes.com/forum/index.php?threads/1976-huffy-star-spangler.63389/
What do you enjoy doing in your down time?
I like to bike, although my Star Spangler is long gone. :-(
I also like to hike, hang out with friends and family, day trip, watch movies, and – of course – read! :-)
What is your favorite part of writing?
The process of discovery and exploration. Each book is an opportunity to build upon the existing world and characters, play with new themes, and create an emotional experience for readers.
How would you pitch Pocket Full of Tinder to someone who has not heard of it before?
Maegester-in-Training, Noon Onyx, heads to Rockthorn Gorge to work for its new demon lord – who also happens to be her ex-boyfriend.
Can you tell us a little bit about Noon’s world?
The stories take place in Halja, a fictional country with a circa 1900s technology level. Halja’s biggest city is New Babylon, which was built on top of the ancient battlefield of Armageddon.
Which character was the hardest to write about?
Because Noon’s a student, each book has one or more professors in it. Noon’s mentor in book #4 is Ralla Wolfram, her externship advisor. He took a couple of tries to get right.
Here’s a snippet from their first meeting in Pocket Full of Tinder:
But instead of Ivy or Fitz, I ran into Wolfram, of all people, who was sitting alone in a booth with a messenger bag and five empty beer bottles for company. He waved me over, motioned for me to sit, and hailed a waiter. He ordered another beer and I asked for bangers and mash with water.
“Water?” Wolfram said, pointing to the sign above the door.
Grapes are sweet
Apples are neat
But it's Barley and Wheat
That can't be beat!
“Come on, Onyx, it’s my treat,” and then he guffawed at his rhyme adding, “After all, we may never meet… again.”
I groaned and rolled my eyes. “Like you care.”
What are some authors in the Urban Fantasy/ Paranormal genres that are on your TBR list?
Rebecca Hamilton
E.J. Stevens
Faith Hunter
Jennifer Estep
Bec McMaster
Want to be notified when the pre-order links are up for Pocket Full of Tinder?
Interested in possibly receiving an ARC?
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Thank you, Stacy, for the interview. Best wishes to you and your readers!
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Pocket Full of Tinder
Noon Onyx #4
Noon Onyx is back! In this long-awaited fourth installment, Jill Archer returns readers to the dangerous world of Halja, where demons, angels, and humans coexist in an uneasy state of détente.
Maegester-in-Training Noon Onyx feels like she’s done it all – mastered fiery magic, become an adept fighter, learned the law, killed countless demons, and survived having her heart broken by both love and an arrow, but now she’ll face her greatest challenge yet…
Far to the north lies an outpost famous for its unrest – Rockthorn Gorge. The town’s patron has specifically requested Noon’s help. Her assignment? Help the neophyte demon lord build his fiefdom and keep what’s his. The problem? Lord Aristos – Noon’s new employer – is her erstwhile lover, Ari Carmine, the aforementioned heart breaker. And the number one thing he wants is her.
When Rockthorn Gorge’s viaduct is destroyed by Displodo, an enigmatic bomber, killing a dozen settlers and wounding scores more, Noon sets off early to aid in the search and rescue. Ari is listed among the missing and the suspects are legion. But Noon’s search is just the beginning. Her journey forces Noon to confront not only those she loves, but also enemies hell-bent on destroying them.
Excerpt:
Pocket Full of Tinder
The claw-and-ball had been chewed clean off. It lay on a patch of sunny parquet floor, just to the right of an antique, aubergine wool rug now covered with the splintered remnants of an eleventh century pedestal table and one very large, ghastly looking, somewhat repentant barghest.
Nova’s head rested on her front paws as her gaze shifted warily from me to Miss Bister, Megiddo’s dormater, or house mother.
“Megiddo’s lobby is not a kennel, Miss Onyx. That”—she motioned dismissively toward Nova—“beast can no longer be housed here.”
I opened my mouth to respond, but Miss Bister continued speaking, her tone rising only infinitesimally, her back as stiff as Luck’s lance must have been, and her expression just as hard. She pointed toward the previously priceless, three-footed piece of furniture that was now a worthless, two-footed pile of kindling.
“No amount of money – or magic – can fix that, Nouiomo. It’s beyond repair. I warned you. I made an exception to my ‘no pets’ rule because you never cause trouble. You never forget your key; you promptly pick up your deliveries; you change your own light bulbs; you double bag your trash. You leave nothing behind in the bathroom; you don’t monopolize the washing machines; you are exceedingly polite to the lift operator; you don’t sing in the shower.”
I suppressed a sigh. After a year and a half of painstaking efforts, harrowing experiences, and endless hours of education, my worth had just been measured by the fact that I could change a light bulb. I’d mastered fiery magic, become an adept fighter, learned the law, killed countless demons (one regrettably, the others much less so), freed myriad immortals from an accursed, tortured bondage, and survived having my heart nearly destroyed by both love and an arrow, yet none of that meant bupkis next to the fact that I double bagged my trash. And yet…
I couldn’t really argue with Miss Bister either. Everything she’d said was true. And who was I to tell her what she should deem important? I respected that she valued domestic order and antiques. I did too, if not nearly as much as I valued the thing that now threatened our continued access to such. I glared at Nova, who swept one paw over her eyes as if she could hide from me and the evidence of what she’d done.
Barghests are giant hellhounds. They’re bigger than bears, fiercer than rabid raccoons, and uglier than naked mole rats. Their teeth are the size of railroad spikes, their claws as sharp as a sickle, their breath as foul as sewage gas. But they are also affectionate, brave, and loyal. What barghests lack in magic, they make up for in devotion. And even though I was plenty mad at Nova for chewing up Miss Bister’s table, I also knew it wasn’t Nova’s fault.
It was mine – for thinking the lobby of a demon law school dormitory would be a good place to keep her.
“Miss Bister, please,” I said. “I’m truly sorry. I know I can’t replace that exact table. But if you would just allow me to—”
“No,” Miss Bister said simply. “Either the beast goes… Or you do.”
I stared at the small, frail, magicless woman in front of me, trying desperately to think of some way to fix this problem. Wasn’t there something I could do, or say, or offer her that would make amends and convince her not to kick us out?
But all I could think of was how useless some of the things our society valued most were. As Miss Bister had pointed out, neither magic nor money would help. If I was going to repair the table, I’d need to find another way. Which would take time. And that meant I’d need to find somewhere else for us to sleep tonight. Because if the beast was going… I was too.
“Yes, Miss Bister,” I said. “I understand.”
She narrowed her eyes, slightly suspicious of my now gracious defeat since I’d just spent the last half-hour trying to persuade her to accept various forms of reparation. But then she nodded, handed me a couple of paper bin bags, and left.
I slid one bag inside the other and stooped down to pick up the slobbery remains of Nova’s mangled chew toy. When I finished, she came over to me and nudged my arm with her head. She let out a woofy whine.
Was she sorry? She darn well better be!
I gave her a scratch behind the ears.
“Now that you’ve sharpened your teeth on my former dormater’s furniture, are you ready to eat some real food for breakfast?”
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Dark Light of Day
Noon Onyx #1
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Armageddon is over. The demons won. And yet somehow…the world has continued. Survivors worship patron demons under a draconian system of tributes and rules. These laws keep the demons from warring among themselves, and the world from slipping back into chaos.
Noon Onyx grew up on the banks of the river Lethe, the daughter of a prominent politician, and a descendant of Lucifer’s warlords. Noon has a secret: She was born with waning magic, the dark, destructive, fiery power that is used to control demons and maintain the delicate peace among them. But a woman with waning magic is unheard of, and some would consider her an abomination.
Noon is summoned to attend St. Lucifer’s, a school of demon law. She must decide whether to declare her powers there…or to attempt to continue hiding them, knowing the price for doing so may be death. And once she meets the forbiddingly powerful Ari Carmine—who suspects Noon is harboring magic as deadly as his own—Noon realizes there may be more at stake than just her life.
Praise for
DARK LIGHT OF DAY
“Spectacular debut novel.”
—USA Today bestselling author Faith Hunter
“An abundance of adventure, mystery and passion!”
—RT Book Reviews (4 stars)
“Delightfully dark and unique.”
—Bitten By Books
“Archer is now down on my ‘never miss’ author list.”
—Night Owl Reviews
“Overwhelmingly addictive.”
—Tower of Babel
Fiery Edge of Steel
Noon Onyx #2
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Powell’s Books | Book Depository | IndieBound
Lucifer and his army triumphed at Armageddon, leaving humans and demons living in uncertain peace based on sacrifice and strict laws. It is up to those with mixed demon and human blood, the Host, to prevent society from falling into anarchy.
Noon Onyx is the first female Host in memory to wield the destructive waning magic that is used to maintain order among the demons. Her unique abilities, paired with a lack of control and reluctance to kill, have branded her as an outsider from her peers. Only her powerful lover, Ari Carmine, and a roguish and mysterious Angel, Rafe Sinclair, support her unconventional ways.
When Noon is shipped off to a remote outpost to investigate several unusual disappearances, a task which will most likely involve trying and killing the patron demon of that area, it seems Luck is not on her side. But when the outpost settlers claim that an ancient and evil foe has stepped out of legend to commit the crimes, Noon realizes that she could be facing something much worse than she ever imagined…
Praise for
FIERY EDGE OF STEEL
“Original and clever urban fantasy.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Fresh and fascinating series!”
—RT Book Reviews (4 stars)
“A believability that sucks you in like world-bending magic.”
—Bitten By Books
“A fantastic blend of danger, adventure, magic, love, and the quest for truth.”
—The Qwillery
“Entertaining and addicting… cannot wait to see what future books bring to this series.”
—Night Owl Reviews
White Heart of Justice
Noon Onyx #3
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Since Lucifer claimed victory at Armageddon, demons, angels, and humans have coexisted in uneasy harmony. Those with waning magic are trained to maintain peace and order. But hostilities are never far from erupting...
After years of denying her abilities, Noon Onyx, the first woman in history to wield waning magic, has embraced her power. She’s won the right to compete in the prestigious Laurel Crown Race—an event that will not only earn her the respect of her peers but also, if she wins, the right to control her future.
However, Noon’s task is nearly impossible: retrieve the White Heart of Justice, a mythical sword that disappeared hundreds of years ago. The sword is rumored to be hidden in a dangerous region of Halja that she is unlikely to return from. But Noon’s life isn’t the only thing hanging in the balance. The sword holds an awesome power that, in the wrong hands, could reboot the apocalypse—and Noon is the only one who can prevent Armageddon from starting again…
Praise for
WHITE HEART OF JUSTICE
“High stakes and powerful magic collide…”
—Publishers Weekly
“A compelling heroine and mythos!”
—RT Book Reviews (4 stars)
“Will leave all urban fantasy lovers wanting more.”
—Night Owl Reviews (Top Pick)
“I spent the entire novel compulsively reading, racing to the finish.”
—Bitten by Books
“The best so far… I SERIOUSLY CHEERED… an action packed piece of excellence.”
—Happy Tails and Tales
Excerpts:
Dark Light of Day
Noon Onyx #1
“I’ve been watching you, wondering, waiting to see where you’d end up. After all, there are other demon law schools,” Seknecus said, making a moue of distaste that made it clear exactly what he thought of them. “But I was happy to see that you chose St. Lucifer’s.”
Technically my mother chose St. Lucifer’s . . . But there seemed no reason to interrupt to clarify that bit of misinformation. Seknecus wandered around the room, picking through papers, flipping open and quickly shutting the front covers of various leather-bound books, never meeting my eye. I had no doubt, however, that his attention was fully focused on me.
“So, you see, seeing your name on my list wasn’t exactly a surprise, although it appeared much later than I would have liked.”
He did look at me then, with a frown of disapproval. I did my best to look expressionless because none seemed appropriate. It wouldn’t do to look amused, bored or, Luck forbid, rebellious. Seknecus stared at me with narrowed eyes and then went back to wandering.
“You’ve got some catching up to do,” he said, addressing a copy of Sin and Sanction: Codification & Case Law. “It doesn’t matter why or what excuses you’ve got for yourself. You will be held to the same standards as everyone else, regardless of whose daughter you are. And you’ve missed a lot of class already.”
I opened my mouth to protest, but he cut me off with a wave.
“Manipulation class,” he clarified. “You’re going to have to work ten times as hard as everyone else just to pass. Quintus Rochester doesn’t go easy on students and he’s likely to see your absence during the early part of the semester as a challenge. You know, failing is not an option. Not if you want to live . . .”
Fiery Edge of Steel
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