Guest Post with Author Claire Ashgrove

CENTURIES AGO,

Templar knights defied the archangels and unearthed the copper scroll, revealing the gates to hell. Cursed for their forbidden act, they forever roam the earth protecting mankind from evil. But darkness stalks them, and battles they fight bring them ever-closer to eternal damnation. One promise remains to give them salvation – the return of the seraphs.

Embittered by his purpose, Merrick du Loire must honor an ancient pact and bring peace to his cousin’s soul. When he stumbles upon history professor Anne MacPherson, he discovers she possesses a sacred artifact that marks her as a seraph. Duty demands he set aside his personal quest and locate the knight she’s fated to heal. As he struggles with conflicting oaths, Anne arouses buried hope and sparks forbidden desire that challenges everything he’s sworn to uphold.

Anne has six weeks to complete her thesis on the Knights Templar. When Merrick takes her to the Templar stronghold, he presents her with all she needs—and awakens a soul-deep ache, he alone can soothe. Yet loving Merrick comes with a price. If she admits she's destined for him, her gift of foresight predicts his death.

Name:  Gareth of Aletorp

Profession:  Knight Templar (European branch)

Age: (JUST BEFORE PHILIP’S TERROR)

Height: 6’0”

Hair Color: Sandy Blonde

Eye Color:  Soft brown

Thank you, Gareth, for meeting with us before you head back to England and Raphael.  I was wondering if you might provide a little more insight on the division between the two temples, the two commanding archangels?

Gareth: Of course, damsel.  You have but to ask.  And when one is as fair as yourself, ‘tis no difficult chore to converse.  I serve Raphael, the European commander of the Knights Templar.  Mikhail is commander of the North American forces.  Our roles are similar, but the knights who serve Mikhail are older.  (He smirks.)  Soon they shall be fat and lazy.

Somehow, I can’t picture any of you fat and lazy.  Do both branches serve the same purpose?

Gareth:  Indeed.  We are all sworn to guard the gates to Azazel’s realm and protect both mankind and the holy relics Azazel desires.

So why is it you are younger?  And did I hear correctly that the curse doesn’t seem to affect the European faction as much?

Gareth:  Aye, ‘tis true our health is better, but the reasons we do not know.  We are younger because we joined the Order just prior to its eradication.

I see.  Do you work well together then?

Gareth:  (Chuckling)  At times.

Othertimes not quite as much?

Gareth: Several of Mikhail’s knights – Merrick’s sworn brethren – resent myself and my brothers.  Let us say only that at times it becomes tedious.

You and Anne are fairly close, right?

Gareth:  We have become such, aye.  ‘Tis my understanding that I somehow spurred both she and Merrick together.  I shall miss her greatly upon my departure. 

Spurred them together?  I sense a story.  Do tell.

Gareth: (shaking his head) The details were not shared with me.  I suspect ‘tis told in IMMORTAL HOPE, Anne and Merrick’s biographies.

Okay okay, I was hoping for some secrets.  Let’s talk for a minute about the archangels.  Is it true that what we’ve been taught as a foundation of Christianity is not entirely true?  That the archangels play different roles than documented?

Gareth:  Over time, man has made a few, shall we say, adjustments to the truth.  At the core, the archangels are the same, but they carry many aspects of simple man, and in some cases their roles are different.  For instance, damsel, Raphael.  He is cited as the Master of Healing.  In truth, ‘tis Uriel who heals.”

Will we learn more about this in IMMORTAL HOPE then?

Gareth nods, and his grin flashes.  “Indeed.  You will learn far more than such, as well.  There are many things that have been mistakenly recorded.

Oooh, that sounds fascinating.  One last question and I’ll let you get back to packing.

Gareth:  Ask, damsel.  I am willingly at your service.

Any chance we’ll be reading about your seraph next?

Gareth:  Ah, milady, only the mighty Gabriel knows the seraphs.  Though perhaps… (a devilish grin lights his eyes) we might expedite Gabriel’s disclosure by investigating whether you might possess my mark?  T’would only require the removal of your clothes.

(He doesn’t give me a chance to respond.  Before I can stumble out a few words, he kisses my cheek, and strides to the door, where he stops to flash me a wink.)  “Good day, milady.”

While I recover from that pulse-tripping experience, enjoy this excerpt from IMMORTAL HOPE.

EXCERPT:

“Dine,” Merrick insisted as he jabbed at her bowl with his spoon, the gesture jerking her out of her thoughts.

Anne stared down at the greasiest bowl of . . . glop she’d ever seen. Merrick said it was stew. But her eyes—and her stomach—refused to consider this mushy concoction as anything but garbage. “Oh. Hell. No.”

She pushed the bowl away and fought back the urge to whimper. She was so hungry her stomach was in knots. But even starving people had their standards, and that bowl of crap defied the minimal ones she possessed.

Spoon poised near his mouth, Merrick lifted one reproachful eyebrow. The men on each side of him—men Merrick hadn’t wasted time in discovering they weren’t meant for her—stared at her as if she’d just committed blasphemy. A blush crept up her cheeks, and she offered Merrick a weak, apologetic smile.

“ ’Tis food, Anne.”

“No it’s not.” No wonder everyone around here had massive chips on their shoulders. How long had it been since they’d had a decent meal? “Is there maybe some salad somewhere?”

Merrick’s other brow shot up. “Salad?”

His companions continued to stare. Behind Merrick, a stranger with long ash-blond hair turned to looked over his shoulder. His gaze narrowed. Cold blue eyes flashed. Dangerous energy assaulted her.

Anne swallowed down unexplainable foreboding and met Merrick’s soothing onyx stare. The uneasy tension in her belly dissolved. “Yeah, you know— lettuce, celery, carrots, croutons?”

A chuckle shook his shoulders, but he refrained from smiling. “A man does not eat leaves.”

Just like they didn’t believe in radios. Somehow that didn’t surprise her. She dropped her spoon to the table, folded her arms over the scarred surface, and gave each gawking face a sugary-sweet smile. The two men hastily turned their attention to their meal. Behind Merrick, the nosy stranger abruptly turned back to his meal. Anne gestured at her bowl. “If I’m going to eat greasy crap, I think I’ll take McDonald’s. Or maybe Pizza Bob’s. He delivers, you know.”

Merrick indicated her food with his spoon. “What did you tell me earlier? Ah, aye, get used to it.”

Claire will be giving away a $25 Amazon.com gift certificate to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour, and a second $25.00 Amazon.com gift certificate to a second randomly drawn commenter at the end of the tour.  Be sure to follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning! 

Claire Ashgrove (Blog Tour)

ClaireAshgrove.com

@ClaireAshgrove

Guest Post & Giveaway: Katie Reus & Alpha Instinct

A little about Katie Reus: I’ve been reading romance from a young age—ever since I discovered my mom’s hidden stash. Luckily the addiction stayed with me into adulthood. I write paranormal romance and sexy romantic suspense for Carina Press, Harlequin Nocturne, and NAL/Signet Eclipse. To learn more about me please visit my website, my blog, facebook or find me on twitter @katiereus.

Welcome to MBB, Katie!

Thank you so much to Michelle for having me here today at her blog!

For as long as I can remember I’ve had a fascination with all things paranormal and supernatural. And when the show Supernatural came out? I was in freaking heaven (even if the sexy Winchester brothers do tend to hunt some of the creatures I like). Now paranormal shows seem to be taking over the airwaves (True Blood, Grimm, Once Upon a Time, Fringe, Ghost Hunters) and I totally dig it. 

So it’s no surprise that I also love visiting haunted places. In the past few years I’ve been on some fun haunted tours. I’ve been on a haunted tour in New Orleans (more than once) that’s more of a history lesson than anything else (but very interesting). I’ve also been to the lighthouse in Pensacola Florida that’s supposedly one of the most haunted lighthouses in America. But I must say my favorite haunted tour was in Saint Augustine Florida. There are so many haunted spots there but the Huguenot Cemetery was by far the creepiest (and coolest). 

Established in 1821, the Huguenot Cemetery is close to the city gates (another haunted hotspot but that’s for another blog post). There was a problem with yellow fever and this cemetery was used to bury Protestants in the ancient city. A little over ten years after it was created a Presbyterian church bought it and by the end of the 19th century it was closed because of overcrowding. The most well-known ghost lurking in this cemetery is Judge John Stickney. In 1882 on a trip to Washington DC he became sick and died of typhoid fever, but his body was brought back to Saint Augustine to be put to rest. Years later his children decided to move up north and had his body exhumed to be brought with them. Didn’t they know you’re not supposed to disturb the dead? Apparently there was some sort of disturbance when his body was dug back up and someone stole all his gold teeth in the chaos. While his body was transferred up north, his ghost supposedly remains in Huguenot Cemetery (probably looking for his stolen teeth!) haunting it to this day. When my husband and I were there we didn’t see the judge, but a woman on the tour with us snapped a bunch of digital pictures of the graveyard and I swear, there was a male face next to one of the tombstones. It was soooo creepy. 

This story doesn’t have anything to do with my upcoming release. I just wanted to share a little bit about myself. As you can probably tell, I’m a total junkie for anything related to the supernatural! Even though I started out writing romantic suspense it was only a matter of time before I turned to the paranormal genre. I’m glad I did because that’s how the Moon Shifter series was born. I love researching legends and lore of various creatures and while I like vampires, I adore werewolves and shifters. Hopefully that’s obvious in my upcoming release Alpha Instinct (1st book in a new paranormal series).

Fear has a scent. So does desire…

Ana Cordona has been a strong leader for the lupine shifters who survived after all the males and most of the females in her pack were mysteriously poisoned. As tough as she is, with no Alpha male, the pack is vulnerable to the devious shifter Taggart, who wants to claim both their ranch and Ana as his own. When Connor Armstrong comes back into her life, promising protection, it’s almost enough to make Ana forget how he walked out on her before—and reluctantly accept his offer to mate.

The minute Connor sees Ana again, it reawakens a raw hunger. He must have her for his bondmate—his wolf cries out for it. But his human side knows he must proceed with caution because of their complicated past. If he is to truly have her body and soul, he must go beyond his burning desire and win back her heart. Whatever it takes, he is determined not to leave her side again.

But Taggart and his rival pack are not their only enemies. A human element in town is targeting shifters. Their plan not only threatens Ana and Connor’s future, but the lives of the entire pack…

Now for the giveaway:

What do you love about paranormal romance? Do you like ghost tours? Which ones have you been on? Answer any of the questions and be entered to win a copy of Alpha Instinct, my upcoming paranormal release from Signet Eclipse (2 copies up for grabs, US & Canada only eligible).

My answers are easy:  

1. I love the Alpha Males!  :)

2. No ghosties for me - I'm a big chicken.

But what about you?  Leave your answers in a comment along with a valid email addy and you are entered to win. Giveaway will run through Sunday 1-29-12 and using Random dot Org, the (2) winners will chosen and announced on Monday 1-30-12.

I'd like to thank Katie Reus for stopping by MBB and for the generous giveaway of (2) copies of Alpha Instinct.

My review of Alpha Instinct can be found here.


Thanks again to Michelle for having me here today!

Guest Post & Giveaway: Angela Lovell and Blood Drunk

Today Author Angela Lovell has stopped by Michelle's Book Blog with a guest post and giveaway in celebration of her new book, Blood Drunk: Faded Blue - the first book in the new Blood Drunk series.


Welcome Angela.

BIO:


Angela Lovell is an award-winning playwright, director, screenwriter, essayist and performing monkey. She’s written for MTV, several independent film studios and publications such as BUST Magazine, The New York Press and High Times. You can hear her as Mark Twain’s daughter on the new album Mark Twain: Words & Music (featuring Clint Eastwood, Garrison Keillor and Jimmy Buffett.) Blood Drunk is Angela’s first full-length novel. She lives in New York City with her handsome husband and their two opinionated dogs. See her best side at: AngelaLovell dot com

SYNOPSIS:


With summer waning quickly before the start of his senior year, a family emergency forces Blue Knightly to leave his small Midwest town and travel to New York City to locate his rebellious sister. From the morgue to Central Park to the underbelly of New York, he quickly discovers the big city is the least of his concerns as he reluctantly takes sides within a warring faction of vampires to unravel the mystery of his sister’s disappearance. In their underground world of abandoned subway tunnels, Blue finds himself falling for a femme fatale vampire whose vibe is seldom clear. Not knowing who to trust, Blue finds himself battling not only the undead, but his own heart, as the family crisis escalates and every decision could be his last.

BLOG POST:

Several years ago I waited all alone on the train platform for the A train to come sweep me up and deliver me to my unbelievably craptastic apartment in upper-upper Manhattan (just south of the Bronx.) I stood there reconsidering the dramatic way I’d just dumped my current boyfriend – the manager of a popular downtown bar. He lived in the East Village which was a five dollar cab ride from the bar I’d just left after shaking him down for the cash he owed me. When I walked out the door it felt as though someone should cue a Destiny’s Child song about empowered ladies. But a few minutes later as I stood freezing on that subway platform, I felt a pang of regret. My sadness wasn’t at the loss of the very attractive supplier of free drinks, but rather his warm nearby bed. I stood there staring down the dark subway tunnel expecting the bright lights of a train when suddenly I thought, “What if vampires flew out instead?!”

They could. If vampires were real they’d be just as eclectic and enigmatic as any New Yorker I’d ever met, so what better place for them? And what better time to feed than 4am when it’s just a bunch of idiotic girls who can’t afford cabs all the way home because they were recently fired from their coatcheck job at a swing dancing club? I stood there with my feet frozen to the platform, telling myself what a stupid, stupid girl I was to put myself in such a dangerous position. But part of me was thrilled by the idea. Vampires! Living under New York City!

I thought about this idea a lot and saw it as a screenplay in those days and not yet a book. For years I would imagine vampires occupying the subways of New York, sometimes even venturing above to find safety in the shade provided by the city’s skyscrapers. The idea took shape, and as my vampires were fleshed out (pun!) I began to see New York through different eyes, realizing this city would be the ultimate vampire playground.

Though over eight million people are occupying this island, New York City is a small town. New Yorkers are constantly pissing each other off, and while toying with this story I realized the vampires would be just as susceptible to the confines of such a small place. That’s why there had to be two rival gangs. And it didn’t hurt that the subway runs along the east side and west side as far as their underground habitats were concerned.

I’m a sucker for suspense, so I tried to only leak out a little bit of where they come from, what started the riff, who murders for food and who murders for more sadistic reasons. This book is told through the eyes of Blue – a small-town teenager who finds himself enchanted by the city and by a certain female vampire named Kat. Blue is a good vessel for readers unfamiliar with New York City because he’s so excited about all of it and trying to take it in. I wanted to make Kat a walking version of New York – tough, glamorous, fast, and dangerous. There’s a soft side to both Kat and New York, and not many people could let their guard down to fall in love with either. (I’d say only about half of the people living here genuinely love it.) Kat’s certainly a tough sell, but she’s probably my favorite character.

As I started developing the plot and these characters, I realized they had way too much going on to be explored in just a screenplay. There’s a lot of ground to cover in the long life of a vampire. Plenty of fantastic writers have tackled the origins of vampires, and in this series I intend to explore that, with a little more attention on where they’re going. To the right people, a pack of vampires could be quite useful. And in this first book of the series, I reveal that humans can serve a purpose (other than food) to vampires. A real challenge when writing the beginning is to make it interesting without too much exposition. I took extra care to set up the story while delivering on the fun stuff.

I love all things paranormal, but more importantly, I love New York. I try to write about this city as though it’s one of my lead characters. If you like vampires even a wee bit, I hope you’ll give Blood Drunk a shot. It’s got quite a few surprises and a lil’ somethin' special for anyone who enjoys a good, creepy love story.

I've read Blood Drunk, Faded Blue and enjoyed it quite a lot.  Here's my review.

Angela has offered one print copy of Blood Drunk, Faded Blue.  To be eligible just leave a comment for Angela along with a valid email addy so I can contact you when you win.

Giveaway open to all those with a US mailing address.

Using Random dot Org winner will be chosen 11-16-11.

Good Luck!