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Thursday, February 4, 2016

BOOK CLUB FRIDAY--GUEST AUTHOR JONI SAUER-FOLGER

Joni Sauer-Folger spent twenty-two years with an airline traveling and moving around the country before settling down near the beautiful Pacific Ocean with her three very spoiled cats. She writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance as J.G. Sauer, and cozy mysteries and romantic suspense as Joni Folger. Learn more about Joni and her books at her website. 

As an author, I’m always interested in what folks are reading. What genres captivate you? What kinds of stories do you gravitate toward before all else? Do you watch television? Go to the movies? If so, what are your preferences? Science fiction, mysteries, sitcoms, thrillers, romance…

As a reader, I‘m very eclectic. And I mean, in the extreme! I’ll gobble up everything from Kathleen Woodiwiss’s historical romance to Stephen King’s horror and everything in-between. I’m pretty much the same with my television/movie viewing. I love science fiction (X-Files are back!), time travel (Dr. Who), space adventures (the late Firefly/Serenity, the new series The Expanse), adventure, romance, murder mysteries (LOVE Masterpiece Mysteries), thrillers, and the list goes on. But some of my absolute favorite shows/books revolve around treasure hunts, ancient mysteries, and paranormal objects. From television: the likes of The Librarians and Warehouse 13…from movies: Raiders of the Lost Ark (naturally), Sahara, Lara Croft Tomb Raider, National Treasure (swoon!), even the Brendan Fraser Mummy series… Well, you get the picture.

The thought of digging for treasure or finding an artifact that was handled by another human being from a distant time in history fascinates me. I love archaeology, as well as all things magical. Now take the search for an ancient relic, add a paranormal element to it, and you have a captivating mix that I can really get behind.

My first publishing contract was for a cozy mystery series, which I do enjoy, but as an author, and reader, my primary love is paranormal romance, urban fantasy, or mystical adventure. Immortal Obsession was my initial foray into this world. A different take on the Arthurian legends, the story revolves around ancient Immortals, the search for ultimate power—and of course, a prophesy (Yum!)

But when I started The Guardian series, I was looking for something more along the lines of an ‘A Team’ with paranormal abilities meets Raiders of the Lost Ark meets Warehouse 13. This series chronicles the missions of a disgraced ex-Ranger leading a ragtag squad of misfits—each with their own unique paranormal gifts—as they search for ancient mystical artifacts. I was most interested in these team members, all from different walks of life with very different stories, and how they would interact. In the beginning, you have a high-end thief with visions, a demolitions expert with kinetic ability, a mechanic/driver with an electrical touch, led by a tarnished warrior. Then there’s the interesting ‘strays’ they pick up along the way to round out the squad. On top of everything, they’re always up against an evil adversary who used to be part of the team.

Of course, they’re not searching for just any old relics, either. In some cases, the pieces they hunt have the potential to change or destroy life as we know it, especially in the wrong hands. Working in the shadow of a private corporation, it’s the job of this diverse team to hunt down these artifacts and safely store them away.

Tarnished Guardian, a digital only prequel, kicked off this series last year with a bit of background on the members of the Guardians. Search for the Mystic Stone, book one, released in October, and Sandman’s Lute, book two will release sometime in 2017, followed by book three, Through the Changling Glass.

Tarnished Guardian (digital short story prequel)
Narrowly escaping court martial for events beyond his control, Major Evan Coulter is approached with an interesting employment opportunity just when he needs it the most. But this job may be more than he bargained for when he’s introduced to a shadowy world filled with paranormal abilities and artifacts.








Search For the Mystic Stone
Evan Coulter is no stranger to life or death situations. The ex-Ranger has faced down danger too many times to count. But when half of an ancient paranormal relic with prophetic powers known as the Mystic Stone is stolen and put up for auction, he must lead the Guardians in a race to neutralize the threat before it can be used by a wealthy industrialist to change the future. Can he gain the assistance of the entrepreneur’s daughter? If so, will she be a help or a hindrance?

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3 comments:

Angela Adams said...

Evan sounds like an interesting character. Thanks for the post!

Joni Sauer-Folger said...

Evan is one of my favorite characters, and he's got a tough gig. He has no special ability, but must lead the ones that do, as well as keep them in check. It's a thin line most of the time. He's pretty skeptical, as one would be, in the beginning, but adapts quickly. :o)

Liz Lipperman said...

This is a wonderful start to a terrific series. I loved all the characters, especially Evan. Can't wait for more.