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Guest Post & Giveaway: Dark Beauty by Taryn Browning

Today Taryn Browning is here to talk about her short story, Dark Beauty. She's here telling us why she created this short story to go along with her Dark Seeker novel.

Enter below for a chance to win a personalized copy!

Thank you for having me on your blog. I’m so excited to talk about Dark Beauty, a short story and prequel to my Dark Seeker novel.

I was inspired to write this series by one of my all-time favorite TV shows, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Like Buffy, the female characters in both stories (Isabelle and Janie) are strong, independent teenagers who don’t take lightly to assistance, especially from the opposite sex. Plus, both girls battle the undead and are kick-ass heroines, a trait that I love in female characters.

In Dark Beauty, Isabelle and Abram are Seekers, similar to vampire slayers, only they are up against a new vampire hybrid called Daychildren. A stake isn’t going to take them out. Readers will also find Isabelle and Abram in my Dark Seeker novel, only in different roles. Dark Beauty takes the reader back 20 years, when Isabelle and Abram were active Seekers. I really loved writing Isabelle’s character. She is spunky and very strong willed, making for entertaining banter between her and Abram. While writing Dark Beauty, I had to think about what Abram would have been like as a teenager, since he is much older in Dark Seeker. I wanted him to have a cocky arrogance, but also a caring and loyal side. He is quite stubborn in Dark Seeker, so I needed Abram to have specific traits and a back-story that moved him in this direction.

I’ve received such wonderful reviews for Dark Seeker, and interest for more, that I’m writing another short story to continue Isabelle and Abram’s fight to rid the city of the new and more deadly Daychildren. This has been an amazing experience and I’m so grateful for the positive feedback. Thank you again, Jessica, for allowing me to discuss the series on your blog. I’ve had a fantastic time.

Dark Beauty by Taryn Browning (Short Story)
Publisher: Createspace (July 30, 2011)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Paperback: 54 pages
For fifteen-year-old Seeker, Isabelle Crowe, ridding the Houston streets of the undead is an inherited duty, passed down from her Cherokee ancestors. During her first night without her mentor, she encounters Abram, a more experienced Seeker from Chicago looking to avenge his cousin's death. Isabelle quickly learns she must work with Abram to protect her city. With one Seeker already dead, Isabelle's love of the hunt becomes a fight to survive.

Giveaway Prize:

  • 1 winner will receive a SIGNED (personalized) copy of Dark Beauty by Taryn Browning.
Rules:
  • You must be at least 13 to enter.
  • Name and email must be provided and counts as 1 entry.
  • Extra entries are possible and links must be provided.
  • Contest is US Only and ends September 19th.
  • Once contacted, the winner will have 48 hours to respond.
  • The form must be filled out to enter.

Find Taryn Browning
Website | Goodreads | Twitter

Purchase Dark Beauty
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords

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Guest Post & Giveaway: Dark Beauty by Taryn Browning + TIME