Posts Tagged ‘Paranormal romance’

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Darkest Caress: Magic In the Air

Kaylea_Cross | April 25th, 2012
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View from the Baltic side of the Curionian Spit, Lithuania

Since I hate flying, I don’t travel very often. Thus, never in my wildest imaginings did I ever think I’d wind up visiting the Baltic States, but that’s exactly what I did in the fall of 2010. (See? Never say never, people.)

While in Lithuania touring the Curonian Spit and the spectacular seaside town of Nida where the Soviet Beaujolais liked to spend their summers, we learned about the local folklore and pagan tradition of the area. I was hooked.

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Devil sculpture, waiting to lure the unwary traveler. Hill of Witches, Lithuania.

During a tour of the Hill of Witches, I got shivers up my spine.

In the 1970s, sculptors completed a variety of wooden statues depicting local legends and set them in a very specific order on what used to be a pagan site of worship. Today visitors start out in the sunlight and walk up the ancient hill, moving through the forest amongst friendly sculptures of good witches and goddesses. Then the shadows close in. As you walk further up the hill and deeper into the darkness, suddenly devils and evil witches lurk everywhere. Once you pass the devil, shrouded in shadow at the pinnacle of the hill, you continue back down toward the sunlight where more friendly creatures await once more. The experience left quite an impression on me.

During this ethereal journey I swore I felt magic tremble in the air. That’s when the idea for this series first whispered to me.

Standing on that ancient, pagan site of worship, I listened raptly as our guide regaled tales of witches and devils, of mythological creatures and a powerful sea goddess named Neringa, who formed the Curionian Spit and it’s gigantic sand dunes by throwing sand from her apron, thus protecting the local fisherman from the fury of the Baltic Sea. Other things I learned that day were equally as fantastic. Though I normally write military romantic suspense, I just couldn’t ignore the story line for this series. It was too interesting and too powerful to set aside.

With a little encouragement I bit the bullet and sat down to dive into Darkest Caress. The best part was the world building, where I got to take these ancient legends and weave them into my modern day story. I hope you enjoy it!

For me, the setting of Nida and the Curonian Spit brought this series to life. What book settings have most impacted you as a reader? Leave a comment for a chance to win a digital copy of Darkest Caress.

Happy reading,

Kaylea Cross

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Blurb: Two-hundred-year-old Daegan Blackwell is one of the last remaining Empowered, an ancient magical race. Daegan’s duty is to lead and protect his remaining Brethren in the coming war foretold by prophecy. The last thing he expects is to meet the one woman who will either save or destroy him—his destined mate.

Fiercely independent Realtor Olivia Farrell believes darkly handsome Daegan is simply a prospective client. Until she’s attacked by a man with a strange aura—and Daegan fights him off, taking away her pain with just his touch. At first, Olivia refuses to believe she’s part of a magical race, yet mounting evidence and her powerful chemistry with Daegan are too strong to deny.

But as Daegan’s partner, Olivia becomes a target in the battle between good and evil that threatens her life, as well as the very existence of the Empowered. And the only one who can save her is the man claiming to be her destiny…

*Kaylea Cross writes edge-of-your-seat military romantic suspense and magical paranormal romance. For more information please visit her website, Twitter, or Facebook.*

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Posted in Carina Press | 9 Comments »

Cats and Characters

Sheryl_Nantus | February 15th, 2012

Cats and Characters

Blood of the Pride

It was late in August and I was preparing to put together my story idea for NaNoWriMo, the yearly tilting at windmills project for writers everywhere. Fifty thousand words in thirty days – the chance to dash off a first draft with the sensation of tossing oneself off a cliff and hoping the parachute would open before you hit bottom.

I loved the feeling but needed some place to start; setting down the outline to get ‘er done in thirty days. What did I want to write about?

I wanted to do a detective story in first person, something that would combine my love of the paranormal and shifters along with going back to my hometown of Toronto, Canada which never can get enough love, in my opinion, being a proud Canadian.

The type of shifter was obvious – being a cat lover almost from birth I decided to make my main character a Felis, a cat shifter. But she couldn’t be just a regular shifter. Why would she be in Toronto and taking on odd jobs?

So I created a misfit. Not only in mind but also in body.

Rebecca Desjardin is a woman who can’t fit in anywhere – banished from her Felis shifter family because she can’t Change, she’s been fighting to secure a spot in the human world by making a life as a private investigator.

Here’s an excerpt from the start of “Blood of the Pride“:

I smelled the blood before I had a chance to look for it, the tangy, dense scent landing on the back of my tongue. Forcing the familiar taste to the back of my mind, I opened the office door and studied the man sitting in the chair opposite my desk. He was clean, dressed smartly in a white dress shirt and dark blue pants. He didn’t get up as I approached the desk, walking around the chipped wooden edges I had unsuccessfully tried to hide with walnut oil.

“Ms. Desjardin.” Harry Cloches bobbed his head up and down as I sat down in the old oaken chair. “Sorry for being early, but I wanted to get the information I requested as soon as possible.” He waved at the door. “Your front door was open when I arrived, so I thought I’d come into your office and wait in here.” Beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. “I hope you don’t mind.”

My nose twitched as I rocked back, urging a creak from the worn old wood. A small box rested on the left side of the desk. It hadn’t been there when I had gone upstairs last night after locking the doors and checking the windows. The brown paper wrapper encased the palm-sized box fully, but moisture was already beginning to fight through the paper.

I picked up the file folder from the top of the small pile to my right and opened it up, spreading the black and white photographs across the desk in a half-circle display.

Cloches leaned forward, his pink tongue darting out across dry lips as he squinted to see the images.

“Your wife is not cheating on you.” My finger tapped the image of the brunette exiting a coffee shop, latte in hand. “She’s actually working a second job.”

His forehead furrowed. “A second job?”

“Your ten-year anniversary is coming up in a few months. She’s saving up for a cruise.” I could smell the nervous sweat on him, mixed with the scent of another woman. It took a concentrated effort to stop my nose from twitching.

***

As you can guess having enhanced senses is both a blessing and a curse for Reb as she goes through the paces of working divorce and theft cases – until a mysterious box arrives and drags her back not only into a murder investigation but also deep into Felis politics.

Throw in a hot hunk of a reporter demanding answers who might be the killer and she’s got a handful and a half.

Drawn back into her past she has to look backwards and forwards not only to solve the case but also to figure out what she wants from life and from a possible relationship with a human – and how much to tell him about her shifter past.

For the record I did finish the first draft of “Blood of the Pride” in thirty days but it took much, much longer to whip it into acceptable condition for publication – and I’ve finished and sold a second book through the NaNoWriMo grind. If you’re looking for a mental rush I recommend it for anyone wanting to give themselves a wild writing ride.

I hope you’ll come along for the ride with Rebecca and Brandon in “Blood of the Pride” and ponder the quote I have at the start of the book:

“Our character is what God and cats know of us.”—Thomas Paine

Thanks for reading!

Sheryl Nantus

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorSherylNantus
Twitter: http://twitter.com/SherylNantus
Web page: http://www.sherylnantus.com
Blog: http://sherylnantus.wordpress.com/

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Posted in Carina Press | 2 Comments »

Happy Valentine’s Day! I got you the end of the world.

Nico_Rosso | February 14th, 2012

The question always comes up for Valentine’s Day. What’s a romantic gesture? Diamond jewelry? Fancy dinner? Bed strewn with rose petals?  This year I’ve simplified this holiday with a one stop shopping solution: The apocalypse.

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What better venue to show your loved one how much you really care?  There’s no doubt your passion is true when you’re willing to put your life on the line to ensure your partner’s survival.  That’s what was so intriguing for me when I created the Burning Earth’s first novella THE LAST NIGHT.  The apocalypse is the perfect place for characters to show what they’re made of.  It is the ultimate stage for incredible acts of bravery, intelligence, and strength.

I think that’s why you’ll see a lot of romance set after the end of the world this year (look for Ella Drake’s DESERT BLADE coming from Carina in April).  In other sub-genres, there’s often a metaphoric end of the world, a broken heart or cutting betrayal, but in post-apocalyptic romance, society as we know it is actually over and rebuilding the world will test the mettle of the characters.

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In THE LAST NIGHT, chained earthquakes tear the world apart, releasing ancient viruses.  Many of the humans who survived the quakes are turned into stone-skinned mutants called ashers.  They’re burning the world down and eating the ashes of the past.  And if they get a hold of us, they feast.  So for my main characters Erica and Jake, the stakes are already very high.  Survive or die.  And to fall in love in the midst of all that will prove just how strong their bond really is.

This isn’t to say that for Valentine’s Day I’m going to set off the actual apocalypse for my wife, Zoë Archer.  We live out heroic and romantic deeds all the time as we write, so plans for that night are a bit quieter than destroying the world.  That means you don’t need to stockpile too much canned beef.

But being prepared is always a good idea.  That’s why I’m giving away a custom survival kit and a PDF copy of THE LAST NIGHT to one commenter.  My question to you is:  What is the most romantic gift someone could give you in the post-apocalyptic world?

I’ll select a random winner (sorry but because of customs, this is open to US addresses only) and will send the survival kit (hopefully) some time before the end of the world.

You can purchase THE LAST NIGHT from:
Carina Press
Amazon Kindle
Barnes and Noble Nook

You can find me here:
http://www.nicorosso.com

And you can follow me on:
Twitter (@Nico_Rosso)
Facebook
Tumblr

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Posted in Authors, Books, Contest/Giveaway | 12 Comments »

Mind on the Run

Regan_Summers | January 18th, 2012

Reading has always been my favorite escape.

Well, that or champagne and chocolate on the beach. (In my fantasy world the champagne is always chilled, the chocolate rarely melts, and sand never creeps into uncomfortable places.)

I was neck-deep in winter and in desperate need of distraction when I wrote Don’t Bite the Messenger, my urban fantasy novella with Carina Press. For those of you fortunate enough to have avoided it, winter in Alaska is cold, deep, and still. I found myself wandering aimlessly or lying – salted slug-like – on the couch. Do any of you get the winter blahs like that? You find yourself craving Color. Motion. Excitement. Something to heat your blood and confirm you’re still alive and vital in the darkness.

I’d reread all my favorite books, read a few new ones, and watched every movie with a scene like this in it:

I needed more, and this is where Sydney Kildare, Malcolm Kelly, and the world of Messenger came from.

Anchorage, Alaska

The vampire population may have created an economic boom in Alaska, but their altered energy field fries most technology. They rely on hard-living—and short-lived—couriers to get business done…couriers like Sydney Kildare.

Sydney has survived to the ripe old age of twenty-six by being careful. She’s careful when navigating her tempestuous clients, outrunning hijackers and avoiding anyone who might distract her from her plan of retiring young to a tropical, vampire-free island.

Her attitude—and immunity to vampires’ allure—have made her the target of a faction of vampires trying to reclaim their territory. Her only ally is Malcolm Kelly, a secretive charmer with the uncanny habit of showing up whenever she’s in trouble. Caught in the middle of a vampire turf war, Sydney has to count on Malcolm to help her survive, or the only place she’ll retire is her grave…

Sydney is as determined as she is capable and, despite a rough upbringing, she’s still quick to laugh (don’t let that phenomenal cover fool you) and quicker to help people who need it. Malcolm is hiding secrets behind a charming smile, and his first encounter with Sydney leaves him wanting far more. All he has to do is keep up as she speeds through the frozen streets of Anchorage and beyond.

The story starts with a kiss, a car chase, and an explosion…and then it really gets going. Just what we need on a long winter’s night.

What’s your favorite escape? Is it in your imagination, or is it a real place? Where does your mind turn when it requires rest or revival?

DON’T BITE THE MESSENGER IS AVAILABLE NOW


Regan Summers lives in Anchorage, Alaska with her husband and alien-monkey hybrid of a child.

Visit Regan at the following locations:

WEBSITE FACEBOOK TWITTER GOODREADS

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Posted in Carina Press | 9 Comments »

Attack of the Snot Monkeys!

P. Kirby | January 10th, 2012

The Canvas Thief by P. KirbyTwas the night before Monday, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring … except for my husband and me, as we were embroiled in a deep intellectual discussion.

“I can’t believe I have to go work tomorrow and I’m sick,” I whined. “You gave me a cold.”

“No, you gave me a cold,” he replied. Sneeze!

“Nuh-uh. You did.”

“No, you did…” And so it went. Sniffle, sneeze, blow nose, drop used tissue on the living room floor, because illness is fabulous reason to be utterly revolting. Our population of dust bunnies ran for cover as the new guys in town, slimy wadded-up tissues, took over the carpet and got kicked under the couch.

On television, a guy in a car commercial yelled at me about the Sale to End All Sales (didn’t they have one of those last week?). I tuned him out–an easy matter since my ears were partially clogged by the cold. That ad was replaced by another featuring sock monkeys selling something. I don’t know what because I was hissing at the TV like a cat.  Hsssss!

“Look, it’s your favorite,” said my husband. “Sock monkeys! You know you love ‘em. I’m getting you one for your birthday.”

“Noo! No sock monkeys! We hates them, Precious. Hates them!” (Whaaat? I’m a geek. I can’t go more than a few hours without some geekish quote.)

Except, with my tuffy snose it came out, “No snot monkeys!”

My husband laughed. “Snot monkeys? What’s a snot monkey?”

“It’s…” My attention fell on the army of used tissues. “This.” I picked up a tissue, “This is a snot monkey.”

And henceforth, at Casa de Kirby, used tissues were known as snot monkeys, another addition to our odd family lexicon that includes birdles (birds) houndilete (greyhound), and junkacitos (chachkes), the latter two being strange Spanglish-esque inventions.

I bet every family has a similar collection of weird made-up-words. It’s like a unique culture and it’s part of what makes “family” synonymous with “home.” Home is where folks speak your language.

Benjamin, the hero in The Canvas Thief, longs for that sense of home. As a comic book character come to life, he is, so to speak, a kind of orphan. Sprung fully formed, as it were, from the pages of a book, he doesn’t even have childhood memories. As such he understands the value of family more than many. Unfortunately, he’s also overly impulsive, and his desperation to go “home” leads to his completely NOT-meet-cute moment with Maya, the heroine in The Canvas Thief.

The Canvas Thief is a love story, but it’s also the story of how Benjamin finally finds his way home. Which, I guess, is a roundabout way of saying … it’s a love story.

My question to you is: “What are some of your family’s ‘Snot monkeys?’”

****
A lifelong resident of the desert southwest, P. Kirby grew up in El Paso, Texas and is a graduate of New Mexico State University. After about a decade in the grownup workforce, she reached the point where promotion meant becoming management. *Shudder* She dropped out to become a cliché: a starving artist/writer. Home is a tiny house in the desert, shared with her long-suffering husband. She is co-owned by an Arabian horse and a neurotic greyhound. She has never owned, or been owned, by a cat. Please stop by and visit at her blog, and on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads.

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Posted in Books, Carina Press | 15 Comments »

It’s All About the Boots

Rayna_Vause | January 10th, 2012

Amazon Heat is the product of a great friendship, a long car ride, and the general goofiness that accompanies us wherever we go.  On a car pool to the monthly Liberty States Fiction Writers meeting, we decided that the paranormal market needed an injection of fun. We all love vampires, but they’re all so dark and broody. What about fun stories? Stories more campy than melodramatic?

Ideas were tossed around, silliness ensued, and we finally settled on a kick-butt, Wonder Woman and Greek mythology inspired world in which to drop our heroine. We totally cherry picked the good stuff from the myths, like super strength and a military-like civilization. We tossed out the things that are too weird even for us, like the fact that the mythological Amazons sliced off their left breasts so their aim with a bow would be truer. Ouch, and ewww.

The entire story was outlined at a New Jersey diner, and Amazon Heat was born just a few, thoroughly enjoyable weeks later from a love of Wonder Woman and the Amazons of Greek mythology. Cause who doesn’t love a girl who can kick butt, in cool boots no less?

Who is your favorite kick-butt heroine? Why? And does she wear cool boots?

AMAZON HEAT released January 9th from Carina Press.

Two years ago, ethnobotanist Dr. Elizabeth DeMarco, driven by grief to find a cure for cancer, left her lover mid-proposal to accept a position on a research expedition to the Amazon Rainforest. Kidnapped by guerrillas, she was saved by warriors from the secret all-female civilization of the ancient Amazons. She has been kept prisoner since in the Amazon’s supernaturally hidden valley.

Despite Elizabeth’s rejection, anthropologist Logan Spencer never stopped searching for her.  While consulting on a mass grave uncovered in the remote Brazilian interior near the place Elizabeth was kidnapped, Logan falls from a cliff.  On the brink of death, he is collected by the Amazons and magically healed. When Logan wakes, the first person he sees is his beloved Elizabeth.  Unfortunately, their reunion is less than joyful. The mystical medicine is changing Logan.  But there’s no time to study the side-effects. The Amazons plan to steal Logan’s DNA, then kill him.  Logan and Elizabeth must escape before dawn or Logan is doomed.  Getting him out of the hidden valley won’t be easy.  The Amazon’s supernatural powers make the task all but impossible.

Amazon Heat is now available at Carina Press | Amazon | Barnes & Noble. Read an excerpt here.

Melinda Leigh is a mom, a dog lover, and a second degree black belt in kenpo karate. In addition to writing paranormal romance for Carina Press, she is also the author of She Can Run, a kindle bestselling romantic suspense released in November 2011 from Montlake Romance. Find out more Melinda: website / facebook / twitter

Rayna Vause is fascinated by the paranormal and she loves a good romance as well, which probably explains why these two elements perpetually crop up in her writing. When she takes off her writer hat she is a martial artist, video game lover, Disney enthusiast, and a Pop Tart aficionado.  Find out more about Rayna: website / facebook / twitter

Melinda and Rayna blog together at http://AttackingThePage.com

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Posted in Carina Press | 3 Comments »

Take a Liking to a Viking

Eleri_Stone | January 5th, 2012

I grew up in New Jersey and moved to Iowa to attend college which is where I met my husband (in a strange but beside-the-point story). And while we’re busy living out our own happily-ever-after here in Iowa, part of me still considers New Jersey my home. New Jersey and Iowa are very different but the one thing they do have in common is that they’re two of the most maligned states in the Union. One is synonymous in people’s minds with pollution, crime families and reality TV. The other with corn, tractors and caucuses. And really those are the kinder generalizations. Now, it might be that I’m just hyper-aware of these things, in the same way that when you’re pregnant it seems like every other woman you see is pregnant too, but these two states get picked on a lot. And I love them both.

I set my new book Demon Crossings in Iowa and I’ve been fielding a lot of “why Iowa” questions. Considering some of the misperceptions floating around about my adopted state, I thought I’d take this opportunity to explain a little bit about the where and why of the setting. Demon Crossings is based on Norse mythology and I wanted to set the story somewhere in America with Scandinavian roots. We love to camp in the driftless area of Iowa (called that because it was not glacierized during the last glacial period). It’s a beautiful, hillier, more wooded corner of the state just west of the Mississippi. It was also settled by Norwegian immigrants who remain very proud of their heritage.

For the story, I wanted a small community bound by a shared heritage. I wanted someplace isolated enough to keep a secret. And I wanted a town that felt completely and utterly mundane even though its people were anything but normal. So…Iowa. Here are some pics to set the scene:

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(Thank you MP Mitchell for permission to use these beautiful photos.)

This is the setting for Demon Crossings. Here’s the blurb:

Private investigator Grace tracks a kidnapped child to middle-of-nowhere Iowa. Encountering a strange creature she knows can’t be a local animal, she doesn’t need her psychic abilities to figure out the sleepy town is not what it seems. When she meets the intriguing Aiden, she’s plunged into a world of Norse gods and fire demons where the Wild Hunt still rides the night.

Aiden needs Grace’s help to cross the portal between worlds and rescue his daughter. Grace is unlike any woman he’s ever met. He’s drawn to her courage, distressed by her vulnerability and doubtful of her motives. But he knows that her visions are the key to defeating the enemy and bringing everyone home alive.

Grace wants a future with Aiden, even if it means she’ll never have a normal life. When a test run to the portal takes a terrifying turn, they must learn to finally trust each other or Aiden’s daughter, and their chance at love, will be lost forever…

If you’re interested in learning more about the parts of Norse mythology I used in the story, I’m running a series of posts about that on my blog here.

Thanks for letting me introduce you to the world of Demon Crossings. Hope you come visit!

And if you’d like to visit me…

Website Blog Facebook Twitter

So, seriously, tell me what it is about IA and NJ that makes them such easy targets. I know this is not all in my head.

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Posted in Authors, Books | 7 Comments »

A Love Affair With Cornwall

Alix_Rickloff | November 2nd, 2011

PhotobucketCornwall. The southwest bit of England that juts out into the Atlantic. Bound by tradition and folklore to those other Celtic refuges—Wales, Brittany, Ireland, the Scottish Highlands.

King Arthur’s birthplace. Home to doomed lovers Tristan and Isolde. The fabled land of Lyonesse  lying beneath the waves off St. Michaels Mount. Stories of Jack the Giant Killer, knockers residing within the dark tunnels of tin mines, and winged piskies thick on the ground as the heather. These fireside tales alongside the wild, and potentially sinister reality of smugglers, wreckers, and revenuers combine to make Cornwall perfect for a writer’s wild imaginings.

PhotobucketI’ve always had a love affair with Cornwall. Ever since I discovered my family’s connection to this mystical corner of England. One ancestor from St. Michael Penkevil fought as a knight during the Wars of the Roses when the houses of York and Lancaster struggled for the English throne. I spent my childhood imagining Sir John riding off to battle, banners snapping, armor gleaming. His wife watching from an upper window, fear and worry for the man she loved clouding her heart. Did he ally himself with the Duke of Buckingham during his ill-fated rebellion or did he fight for Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth? What did he think when he heard about the death of the little princes in the Tower?

According to family lore, another Cornish ancestor—and another John—fought for Charles I’s cavaliers during the English Civil War and had to flee the country after the king’s death. Did he stand at his ship’s railing, looking back on the rocky cliffs and scattered seaside villages of his home with sorrow and bitterness, wondering what awaited him across the ocean? Did he and his wife comfort each other as they embarked on a journey to a new life, their love sustaining them through the tumultuous upheaval of exile?

See what I mean? I can’t stop myself.
And don’t want to.

PhotobucketI’ve taken this fascination with the legends and history of Cornwall, blended it with my ability to “what-if” and turned it into grist for my writer’s mill. DANGEROUS MAGIC opens in a tiny village on the Cornish coast. A place where the area’s mystical past reaches out to affect the Regency present. Gwenyth Killigrew is the embodiment of these Celtic roots with her gift of Sight and her honoring of the old ways. Rafe is a child of the Regency. A naval veteran of the Napoleonic wars and now a smuggler running the British blockade of France to bring contraband cargo ashore among Cornwall’s dark beaches and forested inlets. When the two strike an unusual bargain, their worlds collide and passion ignites.

PhotobucketAs I wrote the book, I used the striking landscape and the traditional legends to create a world both recognizable and extraordinary. I drew on research and my own travel experiences to paint a picture of a beautiful, magical place. A place of family history. A place where anything might happen. And where my “what-if” can and does run rampant.

To celebrate the release of DANGEROUS MAGIC, I’m giving away a Cornwall-inspired 2012 calendar. I’ll pick one random winner from anyone who writes in with their favorite family legend—any story repeated from grandparents to grandchildren down through the years. Any ancestor who inspires you to indulge your what-if. Or any place you hold dear because it means family and lineage and a connection to your roots.

A writer of historical-paranormal romance, Alix Rickloff creates a compelling world of magic and enchantment set during the British Regency period. Her books have been described as “sexy and intense”, “exciting and spellbinding” and “a universe you won’t ever wish to leave”. You can visit her at www.AlixRickloff.com, www.facebook.com/pages/Alix-Rickloff/101434889914147 or www.blameitonthemuse.com.

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Posted in Authors, Books, Carina Press, Contest/Giveaway | 13 Comments »

Is it possible to have too much action?

Eleri_Stone | September 27th, 2011

PhotobucketI was a teenager during the 1980’s and have fond memories of the action adventure movies produced during that much maligned decade. The last Star Wars movies were released in the 80’s, along with Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark, the Temple of Doom and the Last Crusade, Romancing the Stone, ET, Goonies, and Die Hard. Filmmakers back then seemed to have a knack for combining high stakes peril with engaging characters you wanted to root for when the chips were down and the cards were stacked against them.

That particular brand of action movie is scarce nowadays (although 2009’s Star Trek was awfully reminiscent and I loved the heck out of it for exactly that reason). In today’s films, you can still find larger than life heroes, outlandish plots and loads of action but a lot of times they come across as just a series of action clips strung together (Cowboys and Aliens, I’m looking at you).

So what’s missing?

I think it’s the spirit of adventure. And by that I mean the kind of adventure where triumph isn’t necessarily finding the lost treasure but it’s finding the courage to take that next step into danger when it’s the right—or even the only—thing to do. I’m talking about the thrill of exploration and the wonder of discovery. Romance.

I tried to capture some of that spirit in Adriano and Sophie’s story, Redemption. Adriano is a jaguar shapeshifter, a mercenary who was sent into exile five years ago by his people the Yaguara after being setup as a scapegoat to end a political conflict. He wants to go home and is on the brink of recovering a priceless artifact from a damaged archaeological site in Peru, knowing that the Yaguara can’t afford to let it fall into human hands and confident that he’ll be able to exchange it for a pardon.

Sophie is an inquisitive and hard-working archaeologist who keeps getting in his way. Adriano’s plan to seduce her as a distraction backfires and what follows is a fast-paced adventure through a labyrinthine tunnel system hidden beneath the ruins.

The site in Redemption was modeled after a real archaeological site in Peru called Chavín de Huántar which captured my imagination when I first heard of it—dark tunnels, a forgotten culture, an ancient temple constructed by a priesthood who actually believed that they could transform into jaguars (while under the influence of psychotropic drugs). It’s been called a real life temple of doom and I have to admit that my love of Indiana Jones definitely influenced my decision to set the story there and flavors its telling.

So, there is a lot of action but the real story belongs to Sophie and Adriano. It’s about whether these two people from very different cultures can find common ground in what they love and whether they’ll find the courage to leave the past behind and let their attraction develop into something more.

If you’re on the fence about diving in, you can find an excerpt here.

Also, I’m giving away a free copy of Redemption to one of the commenters today. Just drop a comment letting me know what your favorite 80’s movie is…or if you hate them all and always secretly hoped that Indy would choke on his fedora. Make sure to leave an email address where I can reach you if you win. I’ll leave the contest open for 24 hours.

Note: Redemption is the second book in the Lost City Shifters series after Mercy but it can be read as a standalone story.

Where you can find me:

Website: http://eleristone.com/

Twitter: @EleriStone

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/EleriStone

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Posted in Authors, Books, Contest/Giveaway | 16 Comments »

RESEARCH GEEK HERE!

Barbara_Longley | September 20th, 2011

- Barbara Longley

I’ve always enjoyed the research aspect of writing. Next to typing “The End” after that last line of happily-ever-after, research is my favorite thing to do. For HEART OF THE DRUID LAIRD, I visited Scotland, (not entirely research) read a number of books about Druids, Scottish mythology,  Irish mythology, and tons of material about reincarnation.

The plot for HEART OF THE DRUID LAIRD involves a curse of immortality, unrequited love, and reincarnation. I’ve always been fascinated by the concept, and though I’m in no position to say whether or not it exists, I can honestly say I’ve been deeply affected by the evidence I encountered while researching the subject. Maybe it’s just wishful thinking, but once around just doesn’t seem like enough.

Before I could write Dermot and Sidney’s story, I needed to know if experiences from previous incarnations affect our present life. Is it possible for romantic love to carry over? Do we recognize souls we’ve known from our past?

Where do you go to research something like that? After a little digging, I discovered the International Association of Regression Research and Therapies, Inc. They train hypnotherapists who help individuals overcome irrational and inexplicable phobias, patterns of behavior, and debilitating emotional issues that have no discernible link to an individual’s present life history. Hmm. Past life trauma can significantly impact your present life? Explains a lot, or at least I like to think it does.

This discovery led me to an extraordinary individual who, as fate would have it, lives in the same city I do. Score!  Eric Christopher, a regression hypnotherapist,  is such a generous and compassionate soul, he was willing to devote an entire afternoon to answering my questions. Plus, he has his own romantic love carry-over story to share about himself and his wife.  If this topic interests you, join me today at Here Be Magic where I’ll be interviewing the source: Eric J. Christopher, certified marriage, family and regression therapist. One lucky commenter will win a $25 Amazon gift card! Hope to see you there.

Cursed with immortality, Dermot MacKay craves death. To lift the faerie curse placed upon him and his men over 1,600 years ago, he must return the soul of his reincarnated wife to the exact place and time of her murder. But her soul is currently residing in the very modern Sidney St. George—and first he has to convince her to accompany him to Scotland.

Sidney doesn’t believe Dermot’s wild claims of immortality and rebirth, yet she cannot deny that she is drawn to the sexy Scot. Nor can she explain the sense of déjà vu his touch elicits. Desperate for answers, she agrees to go with him—only to learn too late that to help the man she loves is to lose him forever…

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