Kait Ballenger Guest Post: Six Reasons I Love the Execution Underground

There are six people that make the Execution Underground series. (Check out VBC’s review of Twilight Hunter.)

Six fierce, strong, muscled and handsome people that I thought I would introduce readers to in this post: the six hunters of the Rochester division of the Execution Underground.

1. Damon Brock
Occupation: Vampire Hunter and Leader of the Rochester Division of the E.U
Height: 6’4”
Ethnicity: Caucasian
Eye Color: Ice Blue
Hair: Black, buzz cut extremely short

Ahhh Damon. *dreamy sigh* Damon is definitely my favorite member of the Rochester division. He is a fine specimen of a man. If I could have one of my characters from the series come to life, it would be him.

Why you ask? Damon has always been my favorite, because he has always been the character I’ve known the least about. He’s mysterious, even to me…and what paranormal romance reader doesn’t love a dark, mysterious alpha male? 😉

When I first started writing the series, the reason I chose to make Damon’s book the last of the six novels was not only because I hoped readers would fall in love with him and anticipate his book as much as I do, but also because I knew it would take a lot of time for Damon’s story to fully unravel. Needless to say, that unraveling began a lot sooner than I initially anticipated. Damon is the main character in Shadow Hunter, a short prequel novel to the series that appears in an anthology titled After Dark alongside a Lords of the Underworld novella by NYT Bestseller Gena Showalter.

Shadow Hunter tells Damon’s origin story, a story I never had any intention of telling, and how he came to establish the Rochester division of the E.U. The Damon you see in the first full-length book of the series, Twilight Hunter, is very different from the character you see in Shadow Hunter. Why? Well, you’ll just have to pick up a copy and see for yourself.

I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but I will say Shadow Hunter shows a much softer side of Damon than you’ll see throughout the rest of the series. So what I love most about Damon Brock, aside from his mysterious tortured persona, is the metamorphosis he goes through—all the trials and tribulations he has to overcome before he can finally have his happily ever after. Damon’s story begins in Shadow Hunter, his prequel novella, and ends with Dark Hunter, his full-length novel, which is the sixth and tentatively final book of the series.

2. Jace McCannon
Occupation: Werewolf Hunter
Height: 6’4”
Ethnicity: Caucasian
Eye Color: Emerald
Hair Color: Auburn, chin length

Jace McCannon: my most uncontrollable character in the series. Jace may be a native of Honeyoe Falls, New York (a small town not far outside the Rochester city limits), but his Irish temper gets the best of him every time. Jace is where the whole series began, and despite Damon being the leader of the division, Jace was the first hunter from the series to waltz into my mind.

Naturally, I chose to write his story first: Twilight Hunter. Jace is the ultimate bad boy. He smokes Marlboros like a chimney, drinks Bushmills like a fish, and after reading only a short amount of his story, you’ll clearly be able to identify Jace’s favorite word. I’ll give you a hint: it’s four letters, starts with an f and ends with a k. What I love about Jace though, aside from his naughty nature, is Jace has a secret. A deep, dark secret that’s unknown to the other members of the Execution Underground.

Jace is the best werewolf hunter on the east coast, but it’s easy to have an advantage when you’re the same type of monster you’re hunting. If you think Jace is feisty on a regular day, wait until you get him underneath the light of the full moon, and watch his half-supernatural bloodline emerge.

3. David Aronowitz
Occupation: Demon Hunter/Exorcist
Height: 6’6”
Ethnicity: Jewish
Eye Color: Dark Brown, near black
Hair Color: Black, very short/near buzz-cut

And the man of the hour today is David Aronowitz, hero of Immortal Hunter, the newest novel in the series! Though at first glance, David Aronowitz might seem like just a good ol’ Jewish boy, he’s far from it. David is ferocious when it comes to fighting the hell spawns and has a wicked sense of humor. He also has a love so deep for his ex-fiancé that it haunts him worse than the demons constantly on his tail.

What I love most about David, aside from his love for Allsún, is his constant drive to do right by humanity. David is one of the only hunters in the world who cannot only kill demons, but can exorcise them back to hell without hurting the possessed victim.

4. Shane Grey, Ph.D
Occupation: Occult Specialist/Witch Hunter/Professor at the University of Rochester. He is also in charge of the security systems and technology of the Rochester Division
Height: 6’3”
Ethnicity: Caucasian
Eye Color: Honey/Golden Brown
Hair Color: Light Brown

Dr. Shane Grey is a nerd. A big nerd. A nerd who also happens to be ridiculously ripped and handsome. Shane is the youngest member of the Rochester division and by far the most intelligent. A classic overachiever, Shane specializes in the occult and black magic, monitoring the witch and warlock covens of the Rochester area and ensuring they aren’t wreaking any havoc. Though he’s what every book-nerd ever wished for—a gorgeous, intelligent man with a sensitive side—what I love about Shane is his potential. Shane may start out the series as an odd duckling, but by the time his book rolls around he’s quickly realizing his full potential and he’s more powerful than ever he expects.

5. Ashley (Ash) Devereaux
Occupation: Ghost Medium/Poltergeist Hunter
Height: 6’3″
Ethnicity: Caucasian and Creole
Eye Color: Grey
Hair Color: Golden blond

Any woman who has ever melted at the sound of a sweet, Southern drawl will love this Louisiana boy—I know I sure do. Ash is one of my favorites. Ash may be slow talkin’ and smooth, but he’s got a hardened heart from years of being haunted by the dead. Ash can see and hear all the plights of those on the other side, those who are unable to move on, and he drowns out his demons with an endless supply of Crown. He carries the weight of the world on his shoulders in the form of an ongoing battle with Post-Traumatic Stress and never once complains. But what I love most about Ash is that once he does find love, he’s willing to go to the ends of life and beyond to keep it.

6. Trent Garrison
Occupation: Hunter of Shapeshifters (Non-Werewolf)
Height: 6’4”
Ethnicity: Latino (El Salvadorian)
Eye Color: One blue, one green
Hair Color: Black

After a fight with a nasty shifter leaves Trent with an intense facial scar, he’s doubtful that he’ll ever get his hunting game back. He struggles to find his footing when he returns to the field. But what I love about Trent is his ability to stay calm and collected in intense situations and when he slowly starts becoming one of the monsters he hunts, his patience has never been put to the test so intensely.

There you have it. The top things I love about the sexy men of the Execution Underground. Hopefully, they’ll capture your heart exactly like they did mine. 😉

Which one would be your favorite?