Inkwell Guest: Zrinka Jelic

Hey, gang! Another guest today to talk about her latest.

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Thank you for having me here today as your guest. My debut novel “Bonded by Crimson” has been released on January 28th, and it is available in all formats at Black Opal Books, Amazon, Smashwords, Barnes & Noble and All Romance eBooks.

To my surprise, readers often ask me if my heroine is me. So I’d like to talk about my favorite character, Kate Rokov. Kate is at the life crossroads with no clear direction. And although she is determined, she is also scared to take chance at anything in life. She knows she must take that leap in order for her life to change, for better or for worse and if she continues on the same path, where nothing exciting happens, she’ll feel as if she was buried alive. She is lonely and quite girl. No one knows she exits. When she can no longer afford the rent in the city, she is forced to act and leave her waitressing job for a nanny position in the Toronto’s suburbs. But she finds out the house she was sent to, is in total isolation from the nearest town. As soon as she arrives, strange things start to happen, but she dismisses them as lack of sleep and long drive. She also finds the three boys she is responsible for very irresistible, but their father as terrifying as he appears at first, is absolutely alluring. He is in a fog of his own and Kate discovers she must help him become involved in his boys’ lives. In helping him and the boys to become close, she finds she is hopelessly falling in love with her employer. Her job takes her to Croatia where she and her new family are from. There, her boss reveals his true identity. After initial shocks wears off and she accepts who he really is, she finds herself even more drawn to him. Their relationship progresses at the slow pace but when they finally come together, it is Earth shattering. Love is ensured and she accepts his proposal, but one greedy character is lurking around, plots and puts an evil plan into action. The events that follow would determine Kate’s fate and change her life forever once again.

BLURB

Love isn’t in the cards for her…

After her short failed marriage, Kate tries to rebuild her life and takes a position as a nanny to three small boys. She quickly grows to love them, but their father, terrifies her, while igniting a passion she didn’t know she possessed. Disturbed by his distant manner with his sons, Kate struggles to make him more involved in the boys’ daily lives. Her efforts are mysteriously supported by an entity that cannot really exist. Or can she? And if she does exist, is she really trying to help Kate, or just take over her body?

But when he deals the hand, all bets are off…

Six years after his beloved wife passed away, Matthias is still trying to become the father she wanted him to be. Not an easy task for a three-centuries-old immortal. His search for the ultimate nanny ends when Kate Rokov stumbles to his home and into his arms. The immediate attraction he feels for her seems like a betrayal of his dead wife, a love he’s harboured for over three hundred years. But when Kate is stalked by a deadly stranger, life he clung to in the past begins to crumble and break down. Can Matthias learn to trust and to love again in time to save his family from disaster, or will his stubborn pride destroy everything worth living for?

EXCERPT

He claimed to be immortal, but that was ridiculous…wasn’t it?

Kate’s heart hammered. The experience seemed so real. A low moan escaped her and she bit her lip. Soon warmth surged through her, causing her body to go limp. Her legs gave way underneath her, but Matthias—or whoever this man claimed to be now—wrapped his arm around her waist. His sweet, musky scent clung to her. Ecstasy filled her and she felt as if she hovered in the air. If he intended to kill her like this, she could imagine no better way to die. A voice echoed through her mind, speaking of undying love in centuries old Croatian.

“Wake up,” he whispered close to her ear, his strong arms still locked around her.

“I don’t want to.” Her head wobbled, exuberant with sheer happiness, a kind she had never experienced before.

“You must.” He stroked her hair with tender fingers. “Wake up now.”

“No. I want to stay like this. Forever.” She focused on his handsome face staring at her through her haze.

His smooth cheek brushed against hers. “Me too, but you must wake.”

The fog lifted and his image appeared, clearly now. She blinked once. Twice. What had happened? She pushed away from him and flattened her back against the wall.

“You, you—”

“You,” he said, pointing at her, “asked for proof.”

AUTHOR’S BIO

Zrinka Jelic lives in Ontario, Canada, with her husband and two children. A member of the Romance Writers of America and its chapter Fantasy Futuristic &Paranormal, as well as Savvy Authors, she writes contemporary fiction—which leans toward the paranormal—and adds a pinch of history. Her characters come from all walks of life, and although she prefers red, romance comes in many colors. Given Jelic’s love for her native Croatia and the Adriatic Sea, her characters usually find themselves dealing with a fair amount of sunshine, but that’s about the only break they get. “Alas,” Jelic says, with a grin. “Some rain must fall in everyone’s life.”

Contact me @: www.bondedbycrimson.blogspot.com
http://zrinkajelicromanceauthor.wordpress.com/
Find me on: Facebook and Twitter
Watch the book trailer: Bonded by Crimson