Featured Book: The Reapers by Ali Winters

Having been a reaper as long as she can remember, Nivian knows that what she does is essential in maintaining balance. After being assigned to a rushed mark she finds that there is more to this human than any other she has encountered.

Kain had been living an ordinary life without a second thought until he meets Nivian who turns his world upside down. He is thrust into a world of hunters and reapers. The keepers of life and death have been feuding for centuries over a reason no one can even remember.

With Kain having been marked for reaping, and Nivian being hunted, they forge a friendship and together must find the truth in order to keep balance in check. Wrong choices could destroy everything. As they journey they discover hidden histories, powers, and lies and truths that have been spun since the beginning of time. The consequence of failure, unimaginable.

AMAZON // GOODREADS

Nivian leaped over the edge of the bridge and landed with a soft tap on the surface of the water. She reached down, pulled the soul of the driver up by the collar of his shirt, and stood him up next to her on top of the water. She took the driver’s hand, palm up, in hers and waved her other hand over his. Pinching the air, she pulled and lifted up to expose his life thread. His wide eyes stared unblinking, hypnotized by the glowing string of light. Nivian reached behind her and grabbed the scythe strapped to her back, and swung. With a slow, deliberate movement, Nivian sliced the human’s life thread. The light formed into a ball and hovered between them. She pulled out a small pocket watch and guided the life energy down to the watch. It sunk into it and disappeared.

She snapped the watch closed and returned it to her pocket. “You should know better than to drink and drive. You could’ve seriously hurt someone.”

He gaped at her, his mouth opened and closed like a fish. “Yes, you really are dead,” she confirmed and gave him an apathetic look as she turned away.

“Are you … the devil?” he managed to sputter.

“No, of course not. I am just the natural order of things,” she said, looking back over her shoulder. “Wait here. Your spirit counselor will be here soon to guide you to your afterlife. I have other jobs tonight.” She spun on her heel and walked away, as she pulled her hood back up over her head and vanished.

Today I’m welcoming Ali Winters to chat about writing, life, and their current project. Welcome! Let’s talk a little about The Reapers.

What inspired you to write this story?

I was laying in bed thinking about the books I had been reading and blogging about and I had the idea for the first scene in The Reapers, so I wrote a note on my phone and the next day I wrote it all down. When I hit 1k. I was so amazed. I have never expected that idea to be even that long. I showed what I’d written to a friend and she encouraged me to finish the story.

Is there a character you feel especially connected to? Why?

Kain, from The Reapers. He has a lot of personality traits that my husband has. I don’t think I was aware of it when I was writing him, but after publishing I started to realize what I’d done. It works for the story and his character.

What was the hardest part of writing this?

The fight scene. Fight scenes are hard when you’ve never fought like that, or written something like that before.

Who has had the biggest influence on your life?

My parents. They’ve always encouraged me to follow my dreams, never telling me I should do something else. They support everything I choose to do with my life, they’ll give me advice, but never tell me to change.

Which author(s) have inspired your writing?

Piers Anthony and Douglas Adams. Their humor and the Sci-fi /fantasy worlds they create are places my imagination loves to live.

Tell us about your favorite literary character(s).

Arthur Dent. He’s just an average human thrown into a crazy life. He has the reactions I think we would all have.

Word Sprints!

Plotter or pantser? Plotter – I find it leads to the best story pacing.

Cats or dogs? Dogs.

Do you have any pets? Tedward the boxer/lab & Nika the husky. <3

What’s one of your hobbies? Photography, I still photograph part time.

Morning person or night owl? Night owl. Don’t talk to me in the am, don’t even look at me.