The Avid Reader: Author Interview

Let’s Talk Books, Vampires, and Everything Paranormal!

Hey there! I’m Amanda J. Greene—paranormal romance author, vampire enthusiast, and creator of the Rulers of Darkness and Under Realm Assassins series. If you love tortured, brooding immortals, fierce heroines, and swoon-worthy action with a bite (pun totally intended), then we’re going to get along just fine.

I’m thrilled to be featured on The Avid Reader and to chat about all things books, writing, and of course… vampires—my favorite paranormal creature of all time. With the recent release of the Under Realm Assassins Box Set 1 (books 1–3 bundled together!), now felt like the perfect time to sit down, share a little behind-the-scenes magic, and connect with you.

So grab your coffee or tea and let’s dive into the interview!

 

What is your favorite part of the book?

Since this release is a box set (Under Realm Assassins Books 1–3), I have to say—my favorite part is that it’s three books in one! As someone with two toddlers, three dogs, two cats, a full-time job, and an active-duty spouse, I don’t have much free time. So when I do read, I binge. Hard. That’s why I love box sets as both a reader and a writer—you can devour a whole arc without the wait.
As for the content itself? I absolutely adore the "meet cute" moments. There’s just something magical about that first spark between characters, especially in romance. Watching them collide for the first time is always a thrill to write (and read).

Does your book have a lesson? Moral?

 Honestly? Not intentionally. These stories are meant to be fun, fast-paced, and full of escape. But... now that I think about it, there is a recurring theme. Most of the books in this series are enemies to lovers. So maybe the takeaway is: don’t judge someone too quickly—your enemy might just be your fated mate.

Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?

They’re mostly from my imagination. That said, real life does sneak in now and then. For instance, in Surrender to the Chase (Under Realm Assassins #2), Ethan’s ringtone is Dr. Dre’s “Keep Their Heads Ringin’.” That was actually my husband’s ringtone back in the early days of our relationship. I’m not saying Ethan is my husband… but let’s just say there are influences.

Of all the characters you have created, which is your favorite and why?

This is such a hard question—like choosing a favorite child! But if I had to pick from this series, I’d say Katya. She’s sweet, kind, and incredibly powerful, even if she doesn’t fully recognize it. She’s both a healer and a warrior, and I love how she balances strength and softness. Plus, she can totally handle her deadly assassin of a lover, which is not easy.

 What character in your book are you least likely to get along with?

I’d like to think I could get along with all of them… but working with Jaxon every day? That might test my patience. He’s a nonstop smart-ass, always joking, rarely serious. But under that wit is a heart of gold—and his own story is coming later in the Under Realm Assassins series.

 What would the main character in your book have to say about you?

Probably that I’m a little bit chaotic. I’ve got a thousand things going on and somehow think I can juggle them all. I mean, I’m working on three books right now. But hey—when all the characters are shouting in your head, what’s a writer to do? I go where the voices (lovingly) scream the loudest

Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?

 A bit of both. I design each book to stand on its own with a full arc—new couple, new mission, new romance—but they’re all part of a greater world. There are threads that weave through the entire series. So you can jump in anywhere, but longtime readers will catch extra layers and cameos that make it all the more fun.

 

Description 

A Bewitching Christmas

It has been seven years since Analette Dyson stopped practicing magic and headed to New York, where she created a new life, complete with a fabulous job, an apartment in Central Park West, and a sexy werewolf fiancé. She never planned on returning to her small home town in Maine, but when she learns her grandmother is ill, she decides to pop over for a visit and what better time than Christmas? Excited for her fiancé to meet her family, they head up a day early.
Worst idea ever!
After doing some last minute Christmas shopping, Analette returns to their hotel to find her fiancé in bed with another woman. Cursing the universe for her never ending bad luck with men and dreading telling her family about her cheating fiancé, she heads to the bar to self medicate.
Not one to celebrate the holidays, vampire and assassin, Cole McRae, has followed a lead to a rustic town in witch territory. But after a few days of research and waiting for his target to show, he begins to suspect he has wasted his time. That is, until he meets a curvaceous blonde with bewitching green eyes at the local bar. One night with the enchanting Analette could make this useless trip well worth his time.
Their passion is undeniable and unbeknownst to them, their fates are intertwined. Magic and romance will strike on Christmas, changing their lives forever.

Surrender to the Chase

A year after the tragic death of his close friend and fellow assassin, Ethan Halstead is ready to take up his sniper rifle once more. But his first assignment is nothing he ever expected. Ethan must hunt and retrieve a beautiful, spirited, alluring werewolf.
Knowing no other way to escape an arranged marriage, Fraya flees from her pack. As she contemplates slipping across the border and heading to South America, she is captured by a dangerously seductive vampire who plans on escorting her back to her family. Even as Fraya vows to make Ethan’s mission as difficult as possible, she can’t resist the riotous desire he sparks within her.
But Ethan isn’t the only predator that pursues Fraya. A powerful rival pack’s alpha wants to make her his mate. Will Ethan be able to keep Fraya safe and return her to her pack? Or will he surrender to temptation and claim Fraya as his own?

Wicked Passion

James Stonewoll is an Elite Assassin for the Under Realm Syndicate—an expert hunter and merciless killer. As a former pirate, he thrives on danger, the more perilous the mission, the better and he can't resist his newest contract: eliminate a rebel shape-shifting magic thief that stalks the border of the Under Realm kidnapping and murdering innocent Others. But never did the centuries old vampire anticipate playing hero to a mythical temptress with luscious curves, tantalizing lips, and hypnotic eyes.
Captured and held prisoner, Katya Moro was trapped in a seemingly endless loop of unimaginable agony as her magic was slowly being torn from her soul. A gasp away from death, she is rescued by a sinful kiss and awakens in the strong arms of a powerful warrior whose roguish smile, sharp fangs, and intense strength unlock dormant instincts within her, an all-consuming madness that demands complete surrender.
Gazing down at her, James knew he had to kill her. Dark Magic Wielders, like the beautiful female he’d found, were a grave threat to human society and were not permitted to roam the mortal world. But Katya’s smoky voice and sweet kisses stir a fierce hunger inside him. She is unpredictable, uncontrollable and wickedly seductive—his perfect kind of dangerous. To keep her safe, James will protect her from the magic thieves that hunt her and his fellow assassins until he can find a way to return Katya to her home in the Under Realm.
Can Katya’s passion conquer the darkness within his soul?

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