Hmm… the story behind my
book.
Nature of the Beast started out as nothing more than a simple idea of what
it would be like to live in a world without color and the beauty of nature. I
myself love being outside, gardening and enjoying nature to the fullest. I can’t
even imagine not being able to go outside and work in my garden; so the idea
came to me of what would it be like to not only be without those things, but
have them be illegal. And then the thought came, what would happen if there was
a group of people who were the exact opposite of what society approved of. A
beast, with no name, craving the love denied to him…
Thus Nature of the Beast was
born.
Looking back, I never
expected my simple story to turn into the monster it became. LOL. I’ve always read
and wrote M/M romance, and knew when I started this story that it was going to
be the same. Ash and his little lover Raine controlled my thoughts, not
allowing me to work on anything else until their story was done. Everything
else got pushed to the side; all other ideas and WIPs were put on hold while Nature
consumed my every waking moment. I would actually be sitting in my car at a
stop-light, plotting ideas for the next chapter on my cell phone. I worked on
it for months, agonizing over every plot twist, every scene change, every
interaction between my characters and every new person introduced in the story.
Too soon, the single story
turned into a five part series, and I’ve been busy ever since.
Nearly five months later, I
had a book the likes of which I had never written before, looking for a home.
Silver Publishing seemed to be the most obvious choice, and I was very pleased
when my book were accepted only weeks later. Then came the months of edits and
tweaks, working with my very wonderful editor who handled all my neurotic
moments with the patients of a saint. I don’t think it was until I had the
cover in front of me that I realized this was really happening.
Yes, I’d published books with
other publishers, but this particular book was a labor of love, delving into a
fantasy/science fiction world that I had never tried before. I’ve been very
happy and grateful for the wonderful welcome it’s received, and squealed like a
child when I started getting fan mail about how much people loved my book. And
when I got the print copy of my books, I just about passed out. LOL.
Now I have two more books set
to come out this next year, one being the sequel to Nature of the Beast,
and I will forever be grateful to my muse, who planted an idea into my head and
allowed it to grow into the story I’ll always be proud of.
-Amylea Lyn
The City is a cold, sterile
place. What lies Outside it?
Raine O'Kelly has a gift. The very power of nature is his to command. When his gift lands him in trouble with the government, Raine find himself thrown into The Prison; one of the most feared punishment for those citizens who wont conform to The City's ideals.
Abused, scared, and slowly dying of deprivation from the one thing his body truly needs, an accident lands him in the infirmary, which leads him to be given to The Prison’s most feared inmate… The Beast.
When The Beast defends him from the guards, Raine finds himself inexplicably drawn to the misunderstood man. A man with unique abilities of his own, the Beast’s animalistic desires forms a connection between them that cannot be denied. When he learns The Beast comes from Outside the City, is Raine willing to take the chance on escape with the mysterious man?
Escape wont be easy, and there are dangers waiting for them on The Outside, ready to strike at the fragile relationship between the two men. When The Beast’s past come’s to light, will Raine be able to put aside his own fears in order to fight for the life the two of them could have together? Or will he fold under the pressure?
Will he get his happily ever after?
Or will he become just another victim of the Nature of the Beast.
Raine O'Kelly has a gift. The very power of nature is his to command. When his gift lands him in trouble with the government, Raine find himself thrown into The Prison; one of the most feared punishment for those citizens who wont conform to The City's ideals.
Abused, scared, and slowly dying of deprivation from the one thing his body truly needs, an accident lands him in the infirmary, which leads him to be given to The Prison’s most feared inmate… The Beast.
When The Beast defends him from the guards, Raine finds himself inexplicably drawn to the misunderstood man. A man with unique abilities of his own, the Beast’s animalistic desires forms a connection between them that cannot be denied. When he learns The Beast comes from Outside the City, is Raine willing to take the chance on escape with the mysterious man?
Escape wont be easy, and there are dangers waiting for them on The Outside, ready to strike at the fragile relationship between the two men. When The Beast’s past come’s to light, will Raine be able to put aside his own fears in order to fight for the life the two of them could have together? Or will he fold under the pressure?
Will he get his happily ever after?
Or will he become just another victim of the Nature of the Beast.
Excerpt:
The others were near. He
could smell them, mortal men, hunting him. The stench of their hunger clung to
their skins. At one time, he would have called them friend, perhaps even lover,
but now they were the enemy, chasing him through the trees, waiting for the
perfect opportunity to pounce.
How had his life come to
this? A leader among his people, a prophet, guardian and protector; how had he
become the prey? He couldn't remember anymore. He knew only fire and pain, the
Betrayer's scent clinging to the inside of his nostrils, burning into his soul
so he would never forget.
Never ever forget his life
was over, thanks to one traitor; someone who he never expected to betray him.
One of his own.
The humans gained ground, and
he began to tire. He could practically feel the heat of their torches against
his back. The scent of their sweat, stale and bitter, overlapping the once
joyous and soothing aroma of the lush forest around them. Gleeful shouts echoed
in the wood and all others dwellers were silent; each small animal hiding deep
in their burrows, laying silent witness to his last desperate flight.
He knew the woods, deep in
his soul he recognized his little earth sister, but his mind went blank.
Everything he rushed past, each tree and shrub, every flora and fauna, had at
one time been familiar to him. Now everything he saw swirled together in a mash
of greens and browns, nothing distinct or unique. He didn't even know his name
anymore, only the fact he had once been a man of great importance, and that he
had been betrayed by someone he should have been able to trust.
Everything else had vanished.
He'd woken in an unknown
clearing, his mind a daze as pain and confusion racked his body. How had he
gotten to the middle of the forest? What had happened?
He lifted a hand to his
aching head, only to find his hair matted with blood; little drops dripping
down the back of his neck. His tongue felt thick and uncoordinated in his
mouth, making swallowing seem impossible. The cool night air drifted across his
naked skin, leaving him shivering without his clothes and boots. A scent
covered him, one he instinctively knew belonged to the person responsible for
his unfortunate circumstances, and he growled in fear and anger.
Shouts suddenly filled the
air and a half-dozen men raced into the clearing, torches lighting the glade
and glinting off dangerous weapons. He could smell the aggression, hate, and
fear clinging to their unwashed bodies, and shuddered visibly at the sight of
the vermin wriggling in their ratted and matted beards.
He didn't stick around to
find out why they were after him. Instead, he ran.
Over rocks and roots. Through
bushes and over small streams. A desperate flight to a safer place, one just
out of reach of his conscious mind. If he could get a little further, evade his
hunters a bit longer, he would be free.
It wasn't meant to be.
He tripped over an unseen
root, landing with a pained grunt on the forest floor, leaves and twigs poking
the sensitive skin along his front. He tried to get up, to run again, but
something large and heavy landed on his back. The stench of his pursuers
overwhelmed him; he couldn't get up, trapped and caught.
But he wouldn't go without a
fight.
He bucked up, managing to
unsettle the man on his back, and then turned over to slash at him with his
claws. Fear and desperation fueled him and he racked across the man's face,
something primal and angry rejoicing in the bleeding man's screams. He stood,
slashing at another, then another, growling and snarling at them, jerking back
from the torches thrust in his direction.
Kill, kill, kill. His mind became a haze of aggression, an inner
animal bursting forth. Kill, kill, kill!
"He's shifting!" A
flurry of movement followed the hollered warning.
Something thick and wooden
slammed into his back, possibly a tree branch, stunning him for a moment, only
for a short while but enough for the others to act. Something cracked, sudden
and loud, leaving a burning trail of fire blossoming on his side. Another loud
sound split the air, this one right on center, causing him to double over with
a howl as fire seemed to bloom and spread from his midsection upward to his
chest and down toward his feet, leaving him numb.
He fell, body twitching, as
another object slammed into him, pain blossoming in his shoulder. His body felt
heavy, the world becoming disorientated and blurry around him. He fell like a
tree to the forest floor, not even able to cry out in agony as the numbness
robbed him of speech.
Dark shapes moving around
him, circling like a pack of wolves. He tried to get up and defend himself, but
his strength continued to wane and he couldn't raise his head off the ground,
let alone fight off his attackers. As his world started to go dark, he heard
one of the hunters speak, and sent a silent prayer to whatever unknown god may
be listening.
"The boss wants him
gone. Let's get him tied up and back to the City…"
Amylea’s Blog: http://www.amylealynromance.blogspot.com/
Amylea’s Website: http://www.amylealyn.webs.com/
Author bio:
Amylea Lyn is a little odd, a
lot weird, and just plain strange. At least that's what everyone tells her. She
lives in the middle of a desert, filling her laptop with too many stories to
count and trying to ignore the yells of her football-obsessed siblings in the
background. Most days, Amylea can be found sitting in her favorite chair after
work, bugging those around her for fun tidbits to make her stories more
interesting. When she's not writing, Amylea spends her time daydreaming her
fantasies while talking to herself without realizing it, experimenting with
different baked dishes that she force feeds her brothers, and plotting ways to
get back at her psychotic cat. All in all, she likes to think of herself as
pretty normal... even if it's only by her own standards.
