Thank you, for having me as your guest today! I love
visiting. Today I’m sharing my latest book “Lord Griffin’s Prize” This book has
time travel, enchanted Irish castles, fated love and hunky Irish war chiefs
turned griffin-shifters who will do anything to protect their mate. This book
was so much fun to write. Lord Griffin’s Prize is part of a new multi-author
paranormal book series from Ellora’s Cave called “Emerald Isle Fantasies”. I’m
very proud of all the authors and books in this series.
The Emerald Isle
Fantasies collaboration with the other authors was easy and came naturally.
I’ve made a lot of good friends in the group. The project was started almost
eighteen months ago. We were all Ellora’s Cave authors who were reassigned to a
new editor based in Ireland. Our editor’s husband worked in the hospitality
industry at a real Irish castle turned hotel. Pictures of his workplace were
posted and the “Oohing and Ahhing” started immediately. Brainstorming to create
our own fictitious castle filled with paranormal Irish high jinx and lots of
unsuspecting guests was the next logical step.
Here’s the Emerald Isle Fantasies Blurb:
When
guests check into the historic Castle Tullamore Hotel they expect bucolic
scenery and luxurious service. What they don't anticipate is along with the 5
star accommodations they'll also get drawn into lots of otherworldly Irish
mischief and erotic enchantment.
At Castle
Tullamore there are ghostly lovers, griffin-shifters, vampires, selkies,
witches and werewolves waiting to lure the lonely and the adventurous into
forbidden realms. The castle grounds are riddled with time portals where the
unwitting can experience vivid adventures in other timelines. For the most part
the hotel appears to be just a lovely Irish castle until things get wild and
reality drops from underfoot like a swinging trapdoor.
My
contribution to the Emerald Isle Fantasies is “Lord Griffin’s Prize” and of
course includes a sexy griffin-shifter who hasn’t been a man since 1332 AD…
Lord
Griffin’s Prize
Katalina
Leon
Part of the Emerald
Isles Fantasies series
Tullamore Castle Ireland is an enchanted place where the
unexpected happens. Phantom lovers materialize in haunted beds and a lonely
griffin patrols the ramparts waiting to reclaim its mate. And that’s just the
beginning.
For the adventure of a lifetime Maeve de’Burgo visits
Tullamore to study genealogy. Through a magical act and time travel she becomes
embroiled in a dangerous medieval romance and the unfinished life of her
ancestor. Maeve gets thrown back in time to be captured, ravished and cherished
as a war chief’s prize.
Ronan O’Griofa is a griffin-shifter, the most loyal of
creatures. He’s been trapped in limbo as the avenging guardian of Tullamore
since 1332 AD and longs to be free. When the soul of his wife returns to the
castle he’s granted the privilege of becoming a man for one day to be her
lover, win her heart and remind Maeve of a bond strong enough to last an
eternity.
I chose to write a story
about a griffin-shifter because griffins have always had a special place in my
heart. According to 9th century Irish author Stephen Scotus,
griffins mate for life and are “highly monogamous.” If a mate dies the other
will never re-mate, and that formed the basis of my story. Griffins rule both
air and land with justice and loyalty. So you see its hard to not love a
griffin!
A few years ago, as
an anniversary gift, my husband gave me a beautiful bronze casting of a griffin
to place next to my writing desk. The Griffin is there as a symbol of eternal
love and loyalty. My husband’s a griffin at heart; he’s protective, loyal and
he never turns his back on his responsibilities. I brought as much of that
sentiment as I possibly could to “Lord Griffin’s Prize.”
I loved writing my
heroine Maeve dé Burgo. She’s basically
a strong woman who’s recovering from a humiliating divorce. She’s a little
fragile when she first arrives at Tullamore, but no fool. She’s determined to
avoid attractive men and dreads having to endure another heartbreak. While
researching a distant ancestor she was named for, Maeve is confronted by the
spirit of her long lost soul mate—a medieval Irish war chief named Ronan.
Maeve’s never meet a man like this in the modern world and she’s swept away by
him. The adventure demands she be brave and take a whopping big leap of faith,
and a few leaps through time as well.
I completely fell
in love with Ronan. He’s all heart and self-sacrifice. He epitomizes all that’s
good about griffins. In the end his loyalty to a good cause earns him a little
justice. He’s been trapped in the form of a griffin for seven hundred years,
but when Maeve’s soul returns to Tullamore he’s allowed one day, from sun up to
sun down to take the form of man and win her heart. I absolutely loved writing
these two characters and giving them a happily ever after.
Here’s an exclusive
excerpt from “Lord Griffin’s Prize”
Chapter Three:
(In scenes before this excerpt Maeve has had a hard night at Castle Tullamore. She’s jetlagged and fallen in lust with a medieval portrait of Lord O’Griofa. She’s traveled back in time to a medieval castle under siege, and had a phantom named Ronan appear in her bed and make love to her. A real griffin has been scuffling around in her hotel suite. She needs coffee and moment of sanity and goes downstairs to one of the castle’s dining rooms but more strangeness awaits her. A contemporary ancestor of Lord O’Griofa, a Professor O’Griofa, wants to give her a tour of the castle and the resemblance to the original Lord O’Griofa is uncanny.)
…Maeve gulped an anxious breath and gazed at the
professor, now realizing that his resemblance to the portrait was beyond
striking—it was eerie. She’d allowed a modern haircut and clothing to distract
her from the facts. Where
was the kindly old silver-tinged professor with dim hearing and a moth- nibbled
sweater she’d been expecting? This guy appeared to be just a few years older
than her, with a powerful build as sleek as a tiger’s. “You’re Professor
O’Griofa?”
“Yes I am.” He beamed as he stepped closer. “I’m
delighted to meet a dé Burgo under such pleasant circumstances. The castle’s
not aflame and no one’s been stabbed in the gut. I hope matters will remain
civil between us.” He flashed another brilliant smile that brought a twinkle to
his eyes. “Please join me for breakfast. I’d like to know what you’re
interested in learning about Tullamore.”
She stood and approached him on shaky legs. As she
drew closer she saw there was a faint scar on his chin, just like in the
portrait. She suspected that a detail like that couldn’t be coincidence and
wondered if she had been drawn into an elaborate hoax. The professor was just
too attractive to not be a danger to her bruised heart. She didn’t trust him or
herself. “I want to be up front with you. I had a modest financial arrangement
with Professor Burke. I’m told you are the foremost expert on Castle Tullamore.
I’m not wealthy and I’m not sure I can afford to properly compensate you for
your time. Also I’m not—”
He raised his palm in anticipation. “I don’t mean to
sound brusque but I am wealthy and I don’t require compensation. I’ve
spent my life studying the long history and intricacies of Castle Tullamore.
This castle is my soul’s home. I’d be happy to share what I know with you, so
long as you’re not bored by me. Besides, I’d be here anyway on personal
business. I’m writing a book. What sort of information interests you?”
“Genealogy. As you already know, I’m a dé Burgo and I
have a particular ancestor I want to focus on.”
“You want to know more about dé Burgo history to plot
a family tree?”
Her face heated. “Actually I plan to write a book
too.”
He laughed. “Oh dear, the dé Burgo and the O’Griofa
competition is back in force. Please tell me you’re not planning to pen a witty
yet fully comprehensive tome on medieval battle craft, because that’s my
forte.”
“No.” She shook her head. “There’s been an idea in
the back of my mind for quite some time. You might think it’s fluff. It’s a
medieval romance, with an emphasis on romance, so hardly anyone will get
bludgeoned or impaled on a pike.”
“Then it’s not a very accurate book.” His brow shot
upward as he picked up the silver pot and poured steaming coffee into her white
porcelain cup. “Life was horrible back then, completely wretched. Everyone’s
life hung by a thread. Death pounced on victims and slaughtered them with
abscessed teeth as easily as it claimed souls on the battlefield with a sword.
Bleak times indeed. Everyone walked around groaning in misery with frowns on
their faces. Hardly the stuff of romance.”
She drew a tense breath. “Yet those same conditions
give birth to all western ideals of nobility and courtly manners. Even in the
worst of times people sought God, love and tried to see the beauty in life.
That’s an achievement that counts for something.”
A sarcastic grin curled his lip as he poured himself
a cup of coffee. “There was nothing close to what you’d consider courtly
manners in medieval Ireland. Trust me on that. ‘Courtly’ and ‘manners’ are two
words that shouldn’t even be applied to the thirteenth-century Norman dé Burgo
clan. I’m just warning you now, so you won’t be disillusioned later. The dé
Burgos were a rough, rude, churlish lot.” He glanced sideways at her. “With a
few outstanding exceptions.”
She picked up a porcelain pitcher and poured a
generous amount of cream into her coffee. “There must have been something
worthwhile about those times, because you’ve devoted your life to studying them
and they’re certainly burned deep into the collective psyche of the western
world. Who doesn’t love a tale of knights, ladies and fated love?”
“You’re right.” He picked up a strawberry straight
from the bowl with his fingers instead of using the dainty silver tongs Áine
had provided. The juicy berry was consumed with blissful relish. “My God, that
was tasty. I could go for another.” He licked the tips of his fingers one by
one, locked his languorous gaze onto hers and allowed it to blaze lusty hot.
She gasped that he would make his thoughts so
obvious. She started asking silent and tortured questions about why a man like
him would be interested in her. Maybe he could smell the scent of rebound on
her, the way sharks sniffed blood in the water? He was gorgeous, intellectual
and wealthy—if he had told the truth. She was freckled, chubby and average,
coupled with a little more average. It would take an act of utter enchantment
for them to make sense as a pair. Even casually it made no sense.
He leaned over the table and offered his hand in
greeting. “I haven’t introduced myself. My name is—”
With a rush, she knew with certainty what he would say.
The tiny hairs stood on the back of her neck. “Ronan?”
“Yes.” He smiled. “Did Áine tell you?”
She reached forward and grasped his hand. It was
warm, calloused and comforting. She thought it odd that it felt perfectly safe
to take his hand and even hold on to it for a lingering moment. “My name is
Maeve.”
“You look like a Maeve. You know the name Maeve means
‘intoxicating’, don’t you?” He reached for her free hand and gave it a gentle
squeeze. The pad of his thumb traced a lazy circle against her palm. “Does
anyone call you Maeveen?”
He looked at her with possessive interest as if she
were some choice item to attain.
Her heart went crazy, shouting “hooray” for flattery
from a handsome man, but it also screamed vague warnings to practice caution at
the same time. She got so flustered by the emotional push and pull that she
almost snatched her hands back and leaped away from the table. Ronan made her
as nervous as hell. Her gaze dipped to the floor as she considered sharing the
dreadful news that she was fresh out of a divorce and not up for flirting or
anything fun, but decided to keep her mouth shut on that dismal subject. “No
one has ever called me Maeveen.”
“Maeveen.” Ronan brought her fingers to his lips,
kissed them and released her hand. “Would you spend the day with me? I would
love your company and you can tell me how dull I am when I go on and on about
this musty old castle.”
She laughed. “If I were you, I wouldn’t let Áine hear
you say Tullamore is a musty old castle. She’s quite proud, and rightly so.”
“Áine and I are old friends and she knows how much
this castle means to me.” Ronan’s gaze sharpened. “So let me share some of its
history with you.”
(They
go off together to tour the castle grounds but Tullamore is filled with
enchanted time-portals and magical places. Ronan is intent on stalking his
claim on Maeve. Beyond this point poor Maeve gets more than she bargained for.)
Lord Griffin's
Prize (Emerald Isle Fantasies)
by Katalina Leon
Paranormal
Romance
Categories:
Action/Adventure
Publisher:
Ellora's Cave
Release
Date: July 10, 2013
Heat
Level: Steamy
Word
Count: 50,000
Available at:
Book Description:
Part of the Emerald Isles Fantasies
series
Tullamore Castle Ireland is an enchanted place where the
unexpected happens. Phantom lovers materialize in haunted beds and a lonely
griffin patrols the ramparts waiting to reclaim its mate. And that’s just the
beginning.
For the adventure of a lifetime Maeve de’Burgo visits Tullamore to
study genealogy. Through a magical act and time travel she becomes embroiled in
a dangerous medieval romance and the unfinished life of her ancestor. Maeve
gets thrown back in time to be captured, ravished and cherished as a war
chief’s prize.
Ronan O’Griofa is a griffin-shifter, the most loyal of creatures.
He’s been trapped in limbo as the avenging guardian of Tullamore since 1332 AD
and longs to be free. When the soul of his wife returns to the castle he’s
granted the privilege of becoming a man for one day to be her lover, win her
heart and remind Maeve of a bond strong enough to last an eternity.
Warning: This title is intended for readers over the age of 18 as it contains adult sexual situations and/or adult language, and may be considered offensive to some readers.
About the Author:
I’m an artist, an
author, mother and wife. I write for Ellora’s Cave, Loose Id Publishing and a
couple new publishers to be announced soon. I try to bring a touch of the
mystical and a big sense of adventure to everything I write because I believe
there’s a bold, kick-ass heroine inside all of us who wants to take a wild ride
with a strong worthy hero.
Connect
with Katalina Leon
Website: http://www.katalinaleon.com
All Romance eBooks: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html
Night Owl Reviews Author Page: http://erotica.nightowlreviews.com/V5/Authors/Katalina-Leon
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/katalinaleon/
Excerpt One
Maeve
placed a gloved hand on the golden door handle of the Tullamore Castle Hotel
and pushed. The glass door resisted against the vacuum of a blustery gust. The
short but stormy walk from the cab to the curb had left rain sheeting from her
umbrella and tall black boots.
She
bore down, gave the door a firm shove and watched in awe as it swung open onto
a timeless realm entrenched in equal parts modern luxury and dour medieval
grit. Above the entrance a time-ravaged, iron-studded medieval shield bearing
the image of a griffin held a place of honor between two Victorian-era crystal
sconces, punctuating the contrast of a far-reaching past.
Maeve
was too tired to care that she was tracking water across the patterned carpet as
she ambled into the elegant front lobby dragging a lopsided piece of rolling
luggage. For the past twenty-four hours she’d roamed airports, engaged in
endless desperate bargaining with airline personnel to exchange tickets, hunted
down cabs and texted anyone she could reach to tell them
that her international flights and all her arrangements on the ground had been
disrupted by turbulent weather.
The
challenging journey from the US to Ireland had left her weary to the bone.
Everything that could go wrong had. As she approached the front desk there was
little wonder in her mind why the word “travel” had its roots in the original travail,
which literally meant torture.
An
attentive middle-aged woman, with red hair swept away from her stark face,
stepped from behind the carved baroque counter to greet her. “You must be Maeve
Clark. We received your message. I’m so sorry you’ve had such a difficult time
getting here.” The woman reached for Maeve’s luggage. “Let’s get you signed in
so you can rest.”
The
woman glanced out the front entrance as the cab that had brought Maeve turned
and drove away in the pouring rain. “I don’t see anyone else out there. Is Mr.
Clark with you?”
“What
time is it?” Maeve fought the impulse to rub her eyes with the heels of her
hands and grind what little mascara still clung to her lashes onto her cheeks.
The
woman smoothed the lapels of her prim navy suit. “It’s 1:11 a.m.”
“Oh
god. I’m so disoriented I thought it was earlier. By the way, I’m no longer
Maeve Clark. I made the reservations last year before I divorced. Didn’t I
update you on the name change?”
The
woman’s gaze lingered on the prominent wedding ring on Maeve’s left hand. “No
name change was mentioned, but we have a beautiful room waiting and we’re
pleased to have you visit with us, Miss...?”
“Maeve
dé Burgo.”
The
woman looked elated. “You’re a dé Burgo? Of course, now it all makes sense! Oh
this is wonderful, and so appropriate. I’m certain you are aware that the
ancestral founder of Tullamore Castle was Lord dé Burgo?” The woman clasped
Maeve’s hand. “My name is Áine Byrne. I’m the current owner of Tullamore Castle
and if I’m not mistaken, you and I are distant relations.”
“You’re
the castle owner? I’m so happy to meet you, Miss Byrne.”
“Call
me Áine. I’m simply thrilled to have a dé Burgo under our eaves again!”
Maeve
was dumbfounded by the woman’s intense enthusiasm for her maiden name. “I’m
surprised to see you working the front desk at this hour.”
“I’m
a hands-on owner and a notorious insomniac. Night is when interesting things
happen at Tullamore. I like seeing everything and everyone who comes through
the front entrance. Hospitality is my business and I enjoy being hospitable.”
GIVEAWAY INFO:
Prize is a $15 Amazon Gift Card.
Contest is tour-wide, open internationally and ends Sept 14.
Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.
Thank you Lynelle for hosting me today and adding the beautiful griffins! I love them.
ReplyDeleteGreat pleasure Katalina, I thought you would love them. Bought the book today, can not wait to get started.
DeleteThank you for reviewing this great book.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by Theresa, hope to see you again.
DeleteThanks for sharing the great excerpt and the giveaway. I love Griffins so I am looking forward to reading this book. evamillien at gmail dot com
ReplyDeleteSounds interesting
ReplyDelete