We’re so pleased to have author L.J. Hayward stopping by today on the tour for her latest release, Why the Devil Stalks Death, book two in the Death and the Devil series. L.J. has put together a short Q&A to share with us today, and there’s also a giveaway so be sure to check out all the pertinent details for that as well.

Welcome, L.J.!

The Interview

Hello and welcome to my blog tour! I’m L.J. Hayward and I write the Death and the Devil series about Jack Reardon, a spy, and Ethan Blade, an assassin, two damaged but well-equipped men trying to survive their jobs and each other. In Why the Devil Stalks Death the guys are faced with a serial killer of exceptional skill and finding the Judge before they kill again might just be the thing that breaks Jack and Ethan apart . . .

One lucky commenter from the tour will receive their choice of the Death and the Devil series to date or a $15 Amazon gift voucher! End date to enter is 17^th December.

An AMA of sorts . . .

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What was your hardest scene to write? And why?

In Why the Devil Stalks Death, it was the final scene (before the Coda). No spoilers but there was so much build up to that one event, I was terrified of writing it. So many expectations are riding on this one thing it was incredibly daunting. In my defence, I never expected it to become such a Big Thing!

What book made you cry? 

Haha, all of them? Just about everything by Alexis Hall. Anything by Erin McLellan (except her recent flash fiction piece which just made me sigh happily). Syncopation by Anna Zabo. I think I held it together for Counterpoint, but I have a shocking memory so let’s include it as well. A to Z by Marie Sexton, and anything with Angelo and Zach basically. Out of Nowhere by Roan Parrish.

What would you say is your writing quirk?

That I never planned the ‘Then’ and ‘Now’ format of Where Death Meets the Devil. It just sort of happened that way! I’m a pantser and don’t really plot out stories completely before I start them. I always have an opening scene, an idea about who the characters are and a vague ending to aim for, but otherwise, I just start writing and see what happens. The back and forth of WDMTD took me by complete surprise but I loved how it forced me find connections between the two timelines and kept both of them rollicking along at a good pace.

Do you write listening to music? If so, what music inspired or accompanied this current book?

I usually have music playing while I write, but I can’t say that anything in particular inspired or accompanied this book. It’s generally after the book is written that I find themes for it and the characters. In Where Death Meets the Devil, Jack’s song was Incubus’s “Surface to Air”, as someone alone and desperately seeking a connection. Ethan’s was Muse’s “Undisclosed Desires”, for all the reason in the lyrics. With Why the Devil Stalks Death they’re much closer and the song that speaks to me is about them together. Bishop Briggs’s “River” is a good fit for their relationship, and if I can tease for a moment, her “White Flag” is looking like a good theme for book 3 . . .

If your latest book was to be made into a movie, who are the celebrities that would star in them? 

I asked some friends for ideas and we spent two hours discussing actors, LOL! We got lost in a dreamy pile of Bollywood stars for a while too. But in the end, I have to go back to my original fancast . . .

Jack Reardon – (a younger) Sendhil Ramamurthy

Ethan Blade – (a slightly older) Dylan O’Brien

Donna McIntosh – Cate Blanchett (or Gillian Anderson in some serious heels)

Eve Garrote – Zoe Saldana

Lewis Thomas – Hugh Sheridan

Adam Quinn – Chris Pine

Will we get to ‘meet’ Jack’s dad and sister at one point? 

Yes.

If Ethan could gift Jack three things to help him through the events of Why the Devil Stalks Death, what would they be? Same question for Jack.

Wow, um. Tough.

Ethan to Jack – A complete dossier on himself, so he wouldn’t have to talk about his past but so that Jack would have everything he needed to protect himself, physically and emotionally. Secondly, a clue! We all want to give Jack a clue or two about so many things, Ethan included. Lastly, an RPG for those moments you just need to let your frustrations out.

Jack to Ethan – A secure place for them to be together, even if he doesn’t completely understand Ethan’s need to be safe. Secondly, peace, because he wants to Ethan to be settled and happy but knows that getting there will be very rocky. Lastly, Jack would love to give him . . . well, you know what.

In When the Devil Drives, does the carpet match the drapes?

No. 😉

Thank you so much to The Novel Approach for hosting me today, and many thanks to everyone for joining me on the tour. I hope you all enjoy Why the Devil Stalks Death!

~ Cheers, L.J.

About the Book

Title: Why the Devil Stalks Death

Series: Death and the Devil: Book Two

Author: L.J. Hayward

Publisher: Self-Published

Length: 348 Pages

Category: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense

Blurb: Jack Reardon uncovers secrets for a living, and the Meta-State spy is pretty good at it. Or rather he thought so until he met Ethan Blade—assassin, warrior, enigma. The unlikely pair have decided to give living together a shot, but Jack’s not entirely certain what he’s gotten himself into—or exactly who he’s in it with.

Jack’s worries are compounded when he’s assigned to a police strike force hunting a serial killer. With each new puzzle piece, Jack considers the true nature of a serial killer—and how similar it is to an assassin. To one particular assassin who’s having trouble adjusting to retirement. Jack’s unsure how to help Ethan—or if he even can.

When the killer strikes close to home, Jack must race against the clock to stop another murder, despite the price someone has put on his head. Could the matters be connected? Is a certain assassin at the centre of both? Surrounded by killers, the only one Jack wants near disappears, leaving Jack drowning in secrets. He’ll have to do what he does best—unravel the secrets, including Ethan’s—to stop the killer and save the life he and Ethan have only just begun to build.

**Content Warning**: Child abuse and child sexual abuse in a character’s history and not depicted directly on the page.

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About the Author

Hi! I’m L.J. Hayward and I’ll be your author for this biography.

I’ve been telling tales (some of them of the tall variety) for most of my life. The first book I ever produced was about Easter, as I recall, and was written in crude pictographs. In my defence, I reckon I was about three. Stapler-binding was the format of choice (way, way before the advent of the e-book). First story with words (and pictures) was about a trip to the moon, in which I included the exhaustive research I did on the matter by saying it took three days to get there. Sadly, the trip was cut short when a puddle of blood (!! – quite gory for its day and age) was discovered on the moon, so the characters had to leave before the murderous aliens found them. Nail bitting stuff!

Beyond that, I don’t recall exactly when I began to think seriously about writing. I always enjoyed a creative writing exercise in high school, but hated scientific writing in university. Not enough room for drama or humour or unicorns. But even before I began writing stories down, I was writing them in my head. Serious writing started around the mid-twenties. Good writing started a couple of years later. Even better writing is still in progress.

As a pathology scientist, blood and medicine is a big part of my life and, naturally, have an influence on my writing. My first book, Blood Work, had its origins in how blood behaves in transfusions (vampires drinking blood is basically a transfusion, right? Right.).

Of course, recently I’ve moved into M/M romantic suspense, with the publication of Where Death Meets the Devil. I’m blaming Manna Francis’s Administration series for hooking me into the wonderfully wide and diverse realm of queer fiction. It’s a genre pool I plan on wallowing in for good long while. ;)

Visit L.J. at her Website to stay update on her latest news and releases!

The Giveaway

(in case you missed the details above ~ comment to enter!)

One lucky commenter from the tour will receive their choice of the Death and the Devil series to date or a $15 Amazon gift voucher! End date to enter is 17^th December.