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Paranormal Week Day 2: Spotlight on Wendy Higgins and the Sweet Trilogy

Paranormal Week In Review:

Day 1: Amy Bartol and The Premonition Series

Day 2 spotlight of 2013 Paranormal Week shines on the Sweet Trilogy by Wendy Higgins. I discovered book 1, Sweet Evil, through a blog post by Jennifer L. Armentrout and I loved the cover! (YES! COVERS MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!!) After reading the synopsis, I knew I had to read it and I loved it! I had to wait awhile for book 2, Sweet Peril, but it was worth the wait!

Here’s my review of Sweet Peril (#2, Sweet).

About The Series

This is the synopsis of book 1, Sweet Evil.

Embrace the Forbidden

What if there were teens whose lives literally depended on being bad influences?

This is the reality for sons and daughters of fallen angels.
Tenderhearted Southern girl Anna Whitt was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She’s aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but it isn’t until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage and her willpower is put to the test. He’s the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna.

Forced to face her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns?

Why I Love These Books

I loved that the plot revolved around the children of fallen angels… it was an original take. I loved the main characters. Both Kai and Anna are strong characters and the story features a high level of angst, which I love. You also have a good balance of heartfelt moments, sexiness (not steam – it’s YA) and gripping action that keeps you entertained from beginning to end. I can hardly wait for the final book in the series, Sweet Reckoning.

Reading Order

Interview with Wendy Higgins

Contemporary Romances have been quite popular for
a while now and have been very successful for many authors.
It’s also been said that perhaps the time for paranormal has passed. What are your thoughts on this and why do you enjoy
writing about the supernatural?

I’ve always believed that no matter what the current trends are, there’s always going to be an audience out there for every genre. I personally gravitate to paranormal, despite the popularity of contemporary, so I can only assume there are many others out there like myself. I tend to lose myself deeper in paranormal fantasies because it’s so far from reality. The stakes feel higher to me. The dangers feel more severe. Paranormal is escapism at its best.

Tell us about the Sweet Trilogy!

It’s a story about the children of demons, who are meant to help their fathers bring humans to their ruin, whether the Nephilim want to or not. Love is not an option for Nephilim. We’ve got a main character, Anna Whitt, who’s torn between good and evil, and a love interest, Kaidan Rowe, who’s the son of the demon of Lust.

Are you done writing Sweet Reckoning, the final book
in the series (release date: April 29, 2014)?
What can we expect? What can you tell us?

Sweet Reckoning is finished, and in the final rounds of copy edits – yay!!! Readers can expect much more steamy romance, and a more fast paced plot than the first two books. There will be some heartache along the way. We might all need to have a group hug afterward.

Tell us about Kaidan Row, our sexy protagonist!
(See ideal casting of Kai here! And here <3)

Well, when I knew the son of the demon of Lust would be in my book I had to ask myself what qualities could possibly make a 17 year old guy “Lusty.” I proceeded to give him nearly every trait I’d ever thought was sexy. He’s a talented and passionate musician/drummer (I’ve had a thing for drummers since the middle school talent show). He’s from London, so he’s got a sexy English accent and dry British wit. He’s confident to a fault and goes after what he wants (think Alpha male). He’s got blue eyes (as a brown eyed girl I’ve always loved blue). His hair is wild. And he’s taken the time to learn what girls want, especially in the physical sense. He’s a very bad boy, but he’s got depth and secret longings.

Basically, he’s the kind of guy I’d tell my daughter to stay away from in real life. But in books all bets are off.

I think release timing can be especially important (and tricky) in paranormal reads as these types of books typically have pretty involved plot lines with clues and specifics a reader must recall when reading the next book in the series. What is your philosophy on release timing? Do you recommend people re-read the previous books before jumping into the next book in the series?

The long release gap between books published with traditional, bigger publishing houses is one of my pet peeves. I understand why it’s that way…kind of. I understand there are a lot of books that have to be fit into the rotations, but a whole year is SO long for readers to wait. I think six months would be ideal, but alas. I don’t make the rules. I definitely recommend doing a re-read when the next in a series is coming out. We authors try to weave in recap from the previous book, but it can still get confusing.

What’s in your future after Sweet Reckoning?

To be honest, I don’t have anything going on yet. I’m writing, but I’m thinking of it as “just for fun” right now. Not sure what’s on the horizon next for me…

What are some of your favorite paranormal books?

The Lux Series (starting with Obsidian) by Jennifer L. Armentrout (and also her upcoming series White Hot Kiss!), Poison Princess by Kresley Cole, Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter, and Cinder by Marissa Meyer.

Thank you Wendy! Anxiously looking forward to seeing what happens in Sweet Reckoning!

About Wendy Higgins

After earning a Creative Writing degree from George Mason University and a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction from Radford, I taught high school English until becoming a mommy. I’ve always had a heart for teens, and writing YA stories gives me the opportunity to delve into the ambiguities of those pivotal years before adulthood.
I live in the D.C. area with my husband, daughter, son and puppy Rue.