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Hello, everyone. This is my friend, Jen Winters. She is the author of the Guardians series. In addition to being an accomplished author, she is also a married mother of two and co-admin for Author Promo Co-Op. She works very hard to keep a balanced life, which includes reading, writing, parenting, and promoting other authors! Let me tell you a bit about her books:

Kissing Demons is Book 1 of the series. Narrated by the kick-ass Guardian Geneva Archer, who, upon her natural death, was appointed by God the task of cleansing people’s auras when they are affected by evil and protecting the world from demonic attacks. One evening, she decided to have a drink at a hideaway bar for supernaturals, where she meets her soulmate, Alex Wolfe. The two begin a hot, steamy relationship. Unfortunately, Alex is the son of the demon Yuruch, who has been a thorn in Geneva’s side since she first became a Guardian. When Yuruch calls together Alex and his other children to assist him in a mission of mass destruction, Alex is powerless to disobey his father’s command. Geneva, of course, is pissed to no end! She, along with her trustworthy team, must come up with a plan to outsmart Yuruch so she can have Alex back and hopefully save as many lives as possible.

Kissing the Rain is a novelette that tells the story from Alex’s point of view. He lives a peaceful existence as a math teacher in a secluded school for halflings in France. When his father, the demon Yuruch, calls him to Texas for a mission of destruction, Alex resentfully obeys. Trying to avoid facing his father for as long as possible, Alex hides out in the Hunter’s Moon, a hideway lounge for supernaturals. It is there he meets a beautiful, redheaded Guardian that he knows immediately is his intended soulmate.

Fallen Angels is Book 2 of the Guardians series. Narrated by the brooding, workaholic fallen angel Ambrose, he tells the story of his fall from Heaven, his despair at having no mission or purpose, and his serendipitous encounter with the demon Yuruch, with whom he enters into a covenant for mutual protection. Over the millennia, Ambrose and Yuruch form an eternal, unbreakable bond, and although Ambrose finds him insufferable at times, he would give his very life for his best friend and constant companion. Ambrose, through his friendships with Yuruch and his romance with Guardian Lavinia, learns a lesson about fate and destiny that frees him from a long lifetime nihilistic melancholy.

Here is the link to Jen’s Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/Jen-Winters/e/B00RSOYPCA/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

Now, what is the common link between the three stories? Here he is:

This is Yuruch, the delightfully evil demon that you just can’t help but love! I wanted to get his side of the story and to learn more about what makes him tick, so he agreed to an interview:

Interview with Yuruch

J: Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to speak with me today. And congratulations on the upcoming birth of your grandson. I think Geneva and Alex are going to make wonderful parents. I have some questions for you, but please feel free to skip any that you feel are inappropriate or would give away too much of your top-secret plans (not trying to incur the wrath of Hell here…)

Y: Thank you for thinking of me! I rarely get the opportunity to get my voice heard. People are so involved with my son and my brother that I never get a word in edgewise!

J: Sounds frustrating! What was your job as a “machine” under the Divine Will?

Y: Oh, I did a little of this and a little of that, but mainly I was in charge of delivering souls to creatures in need of them. I can tell you it was an ok job, but it seems to me that I could do better with fewer directives and more imagination.

J: Of course. Something all of us with monotonous jobs can relate to. So why did you choose to fight on Lucifer’s side?

Y: I wanted more freedom to be who I thought I should be. Lucifer offered me that chance. Unfortunately, he then changed his mind and tried to enslave me as much as the Other one did.

J: But you seem to despise Lucifer. Do you wish you had chosen differently? Or, were there any choices that were acceptable to you?

Y: If you knew what went on in Hell you wouldn’t like Lucifer either. He’s quite self-involved and the power he has is what had been given to him by others. I am disinterested in giving him what he hasn’t earned. The moment we all got souls, his deceptions became evident to me. I lost my power and my connection to the Creator because he lied to me. I may despise the Creator, but at least He has never lied to me. Lucifer deceived us all and apparently I am the only  demon that noticed. I will fight Lucifer until the end of time for breaking me with lies.

J: Sounds like a daunting task! Can you tell us what Lucifer and Hell are like? I’d rather hear it from you than experience it firsthand.

Y: The only power Lucifer has over Hell is what has been afforded him by the demons there. I hate to break it to you, but Hell isn’t for your kind, so you don’t have to even consider the possibility of ending up there yourself. There are places for your kind, but Hell is not one of them. Hell itself isn’t so bad, really. It’s the company that gives the place its reputation. I’m sure you’ve heard of the Fires of Hell, right? Myth. Sort of. The fires of hell refer to the fiery pain inflicted by the fiery swords of the angels. There are certainly many demons who are on fire for eternity in hell, but it’s not because Hell itself is on fire. They are the demons stupid enough to follow Lucifer into battle and lose.

J: I wish someone would say that to all those so-called “Christians” who are constantly screaming “You’ll burn in Hell!” Not very Christian-like at all in my opinion. But I digress. Do you have any theories on why the Creator gave you and Ambrose (and presumably, other demons and fallens) the ability to procreate, knowing that the offspring would be abominations and predestined to eternal damnation?

Y: Well, Ambrose thinks that way about our offspring, but I happen to think that if I wasn’t supposed to have kids, I wouldn’t be able to.  I don’t believe in predestination. I was given a soul and I am a free agent; my ability to choose is vital to the point of this universe. Alex maybe half demon and all werewolf, but as we all know, he is good to the core. I don’t know where I went wrong with that one.

J: Yeah, I do get the distinct impression that fatherhood isn’t Ambrose’s cup of tea. I know you’re not exactly thrilled that your arch-nemesis, Geneva Archer, is about to be your daughter-in-law. However, there are times when you seem to genuinely respect and admire her. I would like to hear more about Geneva from your perspective.

Y: Ah Geneva–she is a beauty, isn’t she? I am actually quite proud of Alex for that one! Who knew my genes would become the son of a Guardian? I wouldn’t say she is my arch-nemesis. I think I have proven to be my own worst enemy, haha; but she has been quite meddlesome, hasn’t she? I’d like to think that given time to get to know me, she would actually enjoy my company. Though, now that I am thinking about it, she reminds me of Eve. Now that woman scares me! I think given a few thousand years under her belt, Geneva could very well become the next Eve. She’s already set up for it being the mother of my grandson.

J: Learn to cook enchiladas. I think that will win her over 😉. I’m curious: Why, of all places, did you choose Fort Worth, Texas?

Y:  *evil laughter* I chose Fort Worth because it was an easy target. All those humans milling about, complacent toward terrorism because they had never experienced anything so traumatizing as Chicago had. Ten years and they had forgotten what it was like to lose a limb. I reminded them. It was also helpful that the most powerful werewolf pack and the most powerful vampire coven were there. I had been sprinkling my genes into both of those lines since their inception and I was able to use the pack and the vampires to set off the bombs. Suicide bombers who couldn’t tell me no. It was a perfect plan.

J: That makes sense. And although I can’t say I agree with the taking of innocent lives, you do have a point about people becoming overly complacent. Now, let me ask you about Ambrose. You two are like night and day. Whereas you are excitable and impulsive, he is mainly an over-serious workaholic (unless you give him an Xbox, and then nothing gets accomplished). The flip side to that coin is that you two complement each other in a lot of ways, and he has expressed deep feelings for you. However, he never tires of telling anyone who will listen what a royal pain-in-the-behind you are to him at time, and I’m sure you think the same of him. The Covenant aside, how would you describe your longstanding, mutually beneficial partnership with Ambrose?

Y: I trust Ambrose with my life. I have to–he sustains it. But beyond that, he is a good guy. Sulky sure, and he holds on to his misery like no one I have ever met, but he’s good. He treats me as well as I can expect and he respects me as his brother. I don’t know anyone who sees me for who I am not just what I am. Yes, I am a demon and yes I do eveil things, but that’s all everyone except Ambrose sees. Ambrose sees me differently–maybe through some rose tinted glasses at times, but always as his brother first. And while it may seem odd coming from a demon, I love that guy too. Hes my only friend in the universe and I would do anything for him. Anything. I would save the immortal representation of Divine love for Ambrose. The only thing I have ever regretted in my life was disappointing Amrbose. I’d do anything to make it up to him.

J: It’s so rare to find a loyal friend. You have been blessed to have found Ambrose. What was it about Ambrose that made you decide he would be a good partner and companion?

Y: I spent quite a lot of time listening to the screams of the demons that Ambrose sent back to Hell, gift-wrapped for Lucifer. When Lucifer sent me after him, I knew that my time as second in command was at an end. Lucifer never wanted Ambrose dead, he wanted Ambrose to do his dirty work. When I became that dirty work–well, let’s just say I was a bit angry about that. Ambrose was an accident, but a good one nonetheless for me. Making that deal was the best thing I have ever done–even if Ambrose regrets it.

J: It’s pretty clear that Lucifer underestimated you both. What do think of Ambrose’s budding romance with Lavinia? What advice would you give him as a friend? Please note that it’s a little too late to tell him to go buy a pack of Trojans…

Y: HAHAHAHAHA!! When condoms came out, Ambrose tried them and found out too quickly that they didn’t work for him at all! Fortunately for him, the woman he got pregnant died shortly after in a freak accident. I had nothing to do with it no matter what he tells you. I have always enjoyed his offspring and would have really loved to see what became of that one. Personally, I don’t go for the whole soul mate thing, but I can see that he loves her in his own way. I personally don’t know her well. I encountered  her once about five thousand years ago, but she didn’t know me from any other demon at the time and I haven’t been inclined to remind her that I was the one who got away. As for advice? I’ve never loved anyone like that. I have kept a cool distance from the mothers of my offspring. So, I guess I should tell him not to screw it up! He’s pretty committed though. He’s an all or nothing kind of person.

J: Um…well, my sources are telling me that there will be a great love in your future. We shall see. What, besides tormenting Guardians and devastating major metropolitan areas, are your favorite hobbies?

Y: I do so love seeing what my offspring can do. Unlike Ambrose, I wait around for them to be born and I keep tabs on them. I also love to read and I have taken up the habit of journalling. I have journalled since the invention of papyrus. I have a whole shed of my life experiences hidden away (no I won’t tell you where). I also enjoy sports, especially the ones where balls are required. Tennis is fascinating. I find the human mind’s ability to invent games astonishing.

J: Can you tell me who’ll win the World Series this year? No? well, it was worth a shot…Anyhow, do you have a preference for any particular being’s “chi” or does it matter?

Y: By far, Ambrose is the best I’ve ever had. But throwing him out of the equation, I would say that the best I’ve ever had was this little thing in Ancient China. She was just a tiny thing, dying from starvation because she was  abandoned by her parents. I thought I would end the baby’s suffering and I took her chi away. It was perfect in every way. Not nearly as powerful as Ambrose’s, and it couldn’t sustain me for long, but it definitely tasted just as good as Ambrose’s.

J: So it’s true: you do have a soft side 😀. About your son Alex: he seems especially willful and defiant, more so than your other children. What kind of antics did he get into as a kid? Any humorous stories to share? Did you ever have to give him a fatherly butt-whipping (or at least thought he needed one?)

Y: This is the one time I wish I had kept better track of my offspring. After he was twelve, I didn’t see him. Before he was twelve, I didn’t worry about him. It turns out that I should have taken a more active interest in him. In order for him to be my avatar I had to place a special bond on him. Unlike his siblings, he couldn’t be called until I was absolutely sure he had overcome the halfling side of himself. I had to do a whole deadly and disgusting ritual just so that Alex would be able to eventually control his wild side. Then Stephan got a hold of him and, sure he learned control, but then he also learned to be utterly good. Do you even know how inconvenient it was having him fight me the entire time I had him? I honestly believe that if he had just given up and let me be, I wouldn’t be in the situation I am in now. I would be comfortably ruling world already.

J: Yeah, probably. I don’t think DFACS comes after the supernatural, so maybe a little more discipline (your way) was in order. But despite being classified as a demon, you seem to have a lot of good qualities (as mentioned previously), such as loyalty, helpfulness, and a tiny bit of compassion (don’t worry; we won’t tell Lucifer). Are we to understand that no one, be they demons, fallens, angels, Guardians, humans, vampires, or otherwise, is 100% evil or 100% good?

Y:  We weren’t made to be good or evil. We were given the choice. So yes, I suppose that we all have the potential for good and evil in us–some of us lean more toward one than the other. But we are all free agents and we do what we want. I don’t feel particularly evil. Sure I’ve done some pretty horrible things, but those were just a means to an end. My ends aren’t particularly nasty. Ambrose once pointed out that everything I do is either sticking it to the Creator or sticking it to Lucifer, and that’s true, but that’s not the ultimate end for me. What I want is to be free and safe from the ones who have been hunting me my whole life.

J: That’s understandable. Ambrose seems to have an incredible knack for bungling up his assignments. I can almost see you do that Patrick Stewart-style face-palm. The first one changed the course of human history in a profound way. Do you have any idea what became of the twins? We have met their well-known mother. And since we’re on the subject, any idea of what became of her gullible, costally-deficient husband?