Ready to be distracted by two stories of paranormal romance?
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Scroll down to find out more about the books and the author, read the excerpt and enter the giveaway.
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Title: Blood on the Moon
Author: Cassiel Knight
Published: Sept 30th, 2012
Publisher: Champagne Book Group
Word Count: 85,000
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Content Warning: Mild Adult Content
Recommended Age: 17+
Synopsis:
Mia Langdon—tomb raider and adventure-seeker—has everything she wants. Freedom. Independence. No chains (a.k.a. a man). Her troubles begin when she’s attacked on a dig in Peru. Soon, she’s forced to use her tomb raiding talents to find the flaming arrows of an Egyptian goddess. In the wrong hands, this weapon could destroy the human race—and nearly had.
Used to doing things her own way, it isn’t long before she figures out that she needs the help of Harrison Braden Stanton, her stuffy, but so yummy, Egyptologist and ex-lover. There’s one problem. He despises what she does. As Mia and Harrison find themselves in the middle of a battle between the Egyptian gods and goddess, there’s no choice for the woman with a Grand Canyon-sized independence streak and the man working for the Egyptian god, Osiris, but to work together to prevent the destruction of all they love.
Title: Key of Solomon
Author: Cassiel Knight
Published: March 1st, 2011
Publisher: Samhain
Word Count: 85,000
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Content Warning: Mild Adult Content
Recommended Age: 17+
Synopsis:
Anthropology PhD candidate Lexi Harrison never bares it all when she belly dances for a strip club crowd. She doesn’t have to—she’s that good. Every performance earns money toward her degree, and restores the sense of power that her painful childhood ripped away.
Something is different about tonight. A man whose silver gaze seems to touch her skin beneath her veils. When a rowdy customer crosses the line, he comes to her rescue with the speed of a falcon—complete with wings.
Mikos Tyomni has never seen anyone dance the raqs sharqi like Lexi. Trust his tormentor, Archangel Michael, to put him in close contact with the cause of his downfall: a mortal woman. Particularly this mortal woman. The Defender. He has only thirty days to win her trust before Hell’s deadliest demons attempt the mother of all prison breaks.
No matter how sexy the messenger is, Lexi’s career plans don’t include some crazy idea that she’s the last line of defense against the forces of evil. Until her university mentor’s murder leaves her holding the key to Hell. And fighting a losing battle against a passion with the unholy power to bring down Heaven…
About the Author:
In the job that pays the mortgage and allows her to indulge in her real passion, writing, Cassiel Knight works in the beautiful state of Oregon. Crazy-passionate about the romance writing industry, Cassiel has a paranormal romance series featuring fallen angels and demons from Samhain Publishing, an urban fantasy through Lyrical Press and a Egyptian mythology/archeology series with Champagne Book Group. She writes paranormal romances with kick-assitude that blend archeology and mythology – just a few of her favorite things.
Giveaway Details:
There is an International tour wide giveaway. Prizes include the following:
· $25 Amazon Gift Card
Samhain
Interview
Welcome to "Urania's
distractions", Cassiel Knight. I think your readers already know a lot
about you, but please share a short bio with us.
Hi and thanks for having me here! I’ve been a
writer ever since I can remember. The first time I put pen to paper to write
fiction was after reading The Flame and the
Flower by Rosemary Rogers. At the time, I was in high school
and thought being able to write such a terrific story must be the most amazing
thing in the world. Turned out it was; however, I wasn’t the writer. I still
kept writing. But not fiction. I wrote for newsletters, drafted publications in
the military, training outlines, business letters and more. Everything but
fiction. It wasn’t until AOL came along that I found fiction again. Actually,
it was a combination of AOL, Moondust and Madness by Janelle Taylor
(futuristic romance) and a dream. From then on, I
was hooked on the genre and wanted to craft my own stories.
When did you discover your gift for writing?
As I noted above, a long long
time ago. For as far back as I can remember, I’ve always written. But my goal
to be a full-fledged writer started around 1993 and solidified in 2003 when I
got serious about being a writer and getting published.
What personal need does writing cover for you?
I used to play with Barbie dolls and make up stories with them. I think
it’s the creative aspect I like. Plus, I love to research and continue to
learn. And, I love words—love crafting sentences into an interesting and
entertaining story.
What kind of sacrifices have you made along the way?
Well, I have to say my marriage. My husband and I have separated after 22
years of marriage because of my focus on writing and editing and his, I don’t
want to say lack of support but maybe lack of understand how important this all
is to me. However, we are still fabulous friends and I have hopes we can find
our way back together. I love him to pieces.
What genre do you write?
I love paranormal romance but my absolute favorite is
science fiction romance and I’m actually, among working on my series, writing
two science fiction romances. Taking my characters into the stars, for some
reason, really excites me. I blame it on Janelle Taylor’s Moondust and Madness and Dorchester Publishing for their LoveSpell
books in the nineties. J
Any genre you have excluded from your writing?
Erotica. I thought about writing it because it’s
such a hot genre but I just can’t do it. I just cannot be THAT descriptive in
my sex scenes. This means I have to struggle harder to find readers who like sexual
tension but not a lot of descriptive sex. Not a whole lot out there anymore. J
Do you have a special genre preference as a reader?
I’m an eclectic
reader and what I read really depends on my mood. Right now, I’m in a horror
frame of mine and have just finished several really wonderful spooky books by
Michaelbrent Collins who I discovered. I’m also a picky reader and while I love
urban fantasy, I’m tired of the same old trope. Because I have limited time to
read, I need to be hooked or I’ll put the book down. And when I put it down and
don’t think about going back to it, I’m done. I love action-oriented books,
which I write. I love characters but for me, it’s more about stuff happening. The
books I read tend to cross genres but they all have lots of stuff happening.
How do you
approach your writing? Do you plot or go with the flow?
Oh, go with the flow all the way but sometimes, with just
a teeny bit of plotting tossed in just to mix things up. I
know some say it’s because if they plot, they know the story so why write it. That
could be part of my thoughts as well but I don’t think it’s just that. I like
the act of creating and while I run into frequent snags (sigh), I love coming
up with neat ways to come out of them and find that my stories tend to twist
better this way.
Who is your favorite author and why?
I really have two - Jim Butcher but for his Harry
Dresden series only. I tried to read his fantasy series but after Dresden, well, I can’t
read him as anything else. I just love the world he created for Harry, and I’m
in awe of his imagination. My second favorite is Stephen King. Seriously. He’s
so wickedly scary and such a genius at creating terror on the page. I’ve read
his On Writing book a number of
times. It’s quite inspirational.
What inspired you to write Key of Solomon and Blood on the Moon?
For Key
of Solomon, book 1 of my Relic Defender series with Samhain. At
the time I wrote this, there wasn’t a lot on the market about fallen angels and
I really wanted to write about them. Plus, I loved Tomb Raider and got the idea
of combining fallen angels, demons and a woman on a quest for an ancient book
that controls demons. All this combined made Key of Solomon and the characters
that fill it.
For Blood
on the Moon, book 1 of my Children of Egypt series, again,
here I am with my Tomb Raider love but this time, I married it with my love for
all things Egyptian. I wrote this book
so I could write my own version of Lara Croft who turns out to be the daughter
of an Egyptian goddess. Her hero is the son of an Egyptian god. The idea was to
turn this into a series featuring the half-blood children of Egyptian gods and
goddesses battling it out for various dangerous to mankind relics.
What's the significance of the book's
title? Key of Solomon is the title of the book the story is
about—the item my heroine and hero need to find. Blood on the Moon I took from, believe it or not, the bibliography
of a book on vampires I was researching for another story. It works perfect
given the nature of the story.
Is there a main message that you'd like
readers to take away from the book?
I’m supposed to
have one of those? J Really, I write for entertainment
but I do tend to have
a similar message in both stories. It’s that giving up control doesn’t make someone weak –
it can add more strength then one things possible. Also, faith in friends and a
higher authority (this is NOT an inspirational book but all mine tend to have a
faith element).
How do you pick the character’s
names?
Oh boy. That’s hard to answer. See below
for why. J
Any interesting writing quirks or stories
you would like to share with my readers?
It takes me forever to get a character’s name and my
critique partners were always getting new pages and kept asking, who is so and
so? I’d have to tell them that’s the heroine’s or hero’s new name. It got to be
quite a joke. I’m not as bad now but it still takes me long time to settle on
just the right name for my characters – all of them – big and small. I
just keep researching names until one “sounds” right. That can take until the
book is finished.
What was one of the most surprising things
you learned while creating your book?
Nothing really surprising, but a lot was
fascinating in both books. I can’t think of anything that made me go wow.
Did you have to do any research for your
story/ies?
Oh, lots and that was really, in a lot of ways, the
best part. Besides the putting it all together. I relied on Internet
and library research plus my own library is now filled with all kinds of
reference books. They look so pretty sitting on my shelves. Happy sigh.
What’s the
most challenging aspect of writing? Easiest?
Besides my character names,
I have such a hard time with making sure I’m
descriptive enough. I’m a plot driven author which means, for me, it’s all about
what’s happening. I have to go back during revisions and fill in details. I had
someone read my book and tell me that not once had I described the location. I
just figured the reader knew. :-D I’ve
been told that I write very good action scenes. Those probably come easiest to me. Wonder what it means that I like to
write violence?
What’s the
most rewarding aspect?
My covers. Really. Have you seen them?! J And telling people I’ve written a book and it’s actually for sale. But
more than that, I like being published because it lets me continue to write. It
was hard to keep going for a while when I was spending a lot of money and
getting nothing (except satisfaction but satisfaction doesn’t pay the bills,
you know?) in return. Now, I still spend money but at least, I get some return.
And I enjoy creating a new world and playing with new characters.
What’s the most interesting comment
you have received about your books?
Sorry, I’m boring. No interesting
comments. J
What advice can you offer to those who are struggling to make their book
known to the public?
It’s the same thing I give to writers waiting to be published. Don’t give up. Keep putting yourself out there. Keep
exploring new promotional opportunities and if you work with a publisher, take
advantage of what opportunities they offer. We can’t always make millions out
of the gate. Most of us struggle so just keep going.
What are we to expect of Cassie in the future?
I’m actually
working on two projects—the next books in both of my series featured here. First,
The Death Skull, book 2 of my Relic
Defender series (Key of Solomon, Book
1) comes out this May. I’ve started working on book 3 as I’d like to have that
come out early next year to wrap up this series. Then, I’m also working on book
2 of the Children of Egypt series (Blood
on the Moon is the first). And, as if that isn’t enough, I have a science
fiction romance I’m working on. Whew! Problem is, I have a lot of ideas but
just me to write them. J
Is there anything you’d like to ask
our readers?
I would love to know where they find
their books and how they decide where to spend their money.
Thanks again, Cassie, and best of
continued success to you in all your endeavours!
Excerpt from Blood on the Moon by Cassiel Knight:
Harrison sighed and leaned back in the chair. He stretched one arm over the back of Eleanor’s chair. She turned and smiled at him, lavender eyes sparkling nearly as much as the diamonds she wore at her neck and in the delicate pink lobes of her ears. He smiled back and she returned to telling their tablemates a story about her last trip to France.
His girlfriend was in rare form tonight, bubbling and officious and impeccably attired in a blue dress the color of Egyptian lapis lazuli hugging every curve and swell of her body. Pure feminine delight, a feast for the eyes.
He sighed again. For some reason, the banquet set before him left him full. After nine months of dating exclusively, he knew Eleanor expected him to pop the question, as the Yanks would say. A week ago, he considered doing just that. But now, a sense of restlessness and anticipation left his feet tapping and not from a desire to dance.
His gaze swept the crowd again. Where was Sophie? He hadn’t seen her since she and Sebastian left to see the tomb mock up. His niece hadn’t wanted to wait until his duties as exhibition curator were discharged before going off and exploring. Fortunately, his friend surprised him with a visit and now ran watch over Sophie.
Harrison rubbed his chin, feeling the slight scrape of his morning shave wearing off. Time for him to go find his wayward, high-spirited niece. The last thing he needed was for her to find her way into a part of the museum she wasn’t supposed to be. And it wasn’t like his best friend from childhood would be any sort of detriment. In fact, Sebastian was just as likely to lead the way.
As if towed toward her by a fishing line, his gaze found and locked onto a tall woman in a sleek gown of scarlet. It wasn’t just the color that got his attention, or made his mouth suddenly dry. It was the long, naked line of her spine revealed by the nearly backless dress, a smooth expanse of flawless skin that begged to be touched. To be caressed. To run his lips along the indentation of her spine.
Unlike most of the other women with hair pulled into tight knots, the exotic woman’s black hair fell in a loose braid down to the middle of her back. Some hair escaped, defying any attempts at control.
She carried herself confidently, her strides smooth and slinky as if she were aware of the appreciative gazes following her every move. Pure animal sexuality screamed from every bump and swivel of her hips. Harrison clenched his jaw. Fingers gripped the back of the chair as he fought the urge to adjust the tightness in his crotch.
Holy hell.
The woman’s whose body language fairly shouted take me now turned her head and looked him straight in the eye. God almighty. The full lines of her lips curved into a mischievous smile. Familiar tawny eyes glowed with humor.
Mia.
He should have bloody well known. Indeed, the most primitive part of him had known. Scarlet dress, red, the color of warning. The color of danger. Everything Mia Langdon was. Dangerously exotic, dangerously sensual.
The only woman who had the power to take his breath away. The woman who he once thought would be at his side for the rest of his life. Until he discovered, unlike the perfect relationships in romance novels, love did not conquer all. It failed to conquer the insurmountable, deep within their soul, differences each had about their passions. The passion for history. While he worked to protect the past for the future; Mia salvaged the past’s treasures for the glory. For the excitement. For the money. That he could not get past.
Hovering at the beautiful woman’s side was the sun-kissed sable waves of his recalcitrant niece. And just a little further away, a tall man with dark hair. Bloody hell. Sebastian. Harrison’s stomach twisted. The only way this situation could get worse is if—
“Harrison!”
Excerpt from Key of Solomon by Cassiel Knight:
Time to get to work.
Unsettled feelings aside, even after dancing four, sometimes, five nights a week, she never got tired of the sensuality or power contained within the Sharqi dance movements. She much preferred this style of Egyptian belly dancing since it was less folksy and more refined and delicate. Besides, she loved the feeling of supremacy and control over the hypnotized audience. Oh, and they were hypnotized. Glassy, staring eyes and slack lips proved that.
Striking a pose, arms upraised, veils draped seductively about her waist and hips, Lexi waited as a hush fell. She risked a glance about the darkened room. Men, and some women, from all walks of life filled the chairs.
Business men, stiff in their tailored suits, with desperate gleams in their eyes as if they sought to find relief outside the rigid structure of the world they lived in rubbed elbows with construction workers whose steel-toed boots showed the dusty debris of the worksite. Homeless men skittered about the room’s edges and wore hopeless expressions like heavy clothing.
All of them lost souls. Like her. Maybe that’s why she was still here. Still dancing. Whatever the reason, she had a job to do. Money to make. Her lips pulled into a quick smile. No open seats. Good. A packed audience. The tips’ll be great.
She swiveled her hips and slipped into the comforting routine of her choreography. The pulsing beat swirled around her, curling its seductive energy about her body. When she danced, nothing else existed.
Not the laughter, catcalls or propositions.
Not the clink of glass or scrape of chairs against the scarred wooden floors.
Only the thrumming cadence, the crystal clash of the finger cymbals, the jingle of the coins at her waist and the soulful moan of the lute.
Shutting out everything but the music and the provocative dance movements was the only way she could do what she loved while the lust-filled and often half-crazed faces watched.
Halfway through her set, that changed.
Surrounded by a sea of blurred faces, a shadow-shrouded man grabbed her attention, coerced her regard as if a spotlight caught him in its beam. For a brief moment, she froze while her music continued its bewitching tempo.
The dark figure steeped in gray sat motionless, not attempting to hide the fact he watched her. While that didn’t make him different from the twenty or so other men who did the same thing, his posture and behavior did. Like a quiescent volcano, he left her with the impression that tremendous power lay beneath the serene surface. Power ready to explode at the slightest provocation.
Three other men occupied the same beer-bottle dotted table. Yet, no one spoke to him. They talked to each other around him. As if they didn’t know he sat there.
As if they didn’t see him.
One of his long arms was stretched across the back of the chair next to him. The neck of his black shirt gaped, revealing a muscular, tanned chest dusted with dark hair. He projected an energy that sang a mesmerizing song of hot nights and warm bodies wrapped in cool sheets. Of velvet caresses and hard, yet tender, lips pressed against all her hidden, pleasure points.
Her heart hammered against her ribs, and she squinted with the effort to make out his features. All she glimpsed was a masculine profile and an occasional silver glint from his eyes when the lights eddied over him. Like viewing an object from behind a full glass of water, his form was vague, yet visible at the same time.
Flickering, wavering.
There, but not there.
From behind the shadows over his face, she felt the touch of his stare, his magnetism so potent she couldn’t look away A wealth of unspoken words hung in the air, words she could only imagine. Words directed at her. For her. Only her.
Despite her best efforts to look away, something kept pulling her attention to him. Something familiar. As if she’d seen him before. But where?
He shifted. The wan, but clear, glow from one of the lights fell over his face and suddenly she saw him as clear as if he stood right before her. The shaft of light struck his hair, illuminating the midnight depths with flashes of fire. She licked her lips as her gaze tracked back to his face, to his firm, sensual lips.
A brief, violent shiver rippled within her muscles, and she lost a step. Or was it two? To cover her abnormal, and frustrating, reaction, Lexi dropped into a deep downward movement. The satin of her costume and colorful jewel-toned veils drifted with soft scrapes against her sensitive skin, skimming across her nipples until they peaked.
His gaze was riveted on her face then moved to her shoulders and down to her breasts. Embers kissed her skin everywhere his eyes rested. Her breasts tightened while liquid heat pooled between her legs. She licked her lips again. His silver regard turned molten.
He held her gaze, a long, silent moment suspending between them as if spun from silk into a finely made and equally fragile gossamer thread. Her pulse leaped before settling into an erratic rhythm that threatened to steal her breath away. She slowly drew off each veil, a come-hither siren’s call in every motion. To tantalize, tease and torment. Even as she moved, she knew she’d never danced as well as she did now. Certainly never for a particular man.
When the last scrap of gauze floated to the ground, she bent backward, a final flourish, knowing as she did so, she delivered a message. For him. Only him. All she had to do was step off the stage and…
The tinkle and crash of shattering glass, followed by a woman’s squeal, snapped Lexi out of her trance. She swallowed over a dry throat and blinked rapidly. What the hell had just happened? Had she really come close to going to that man?
God help her, she was losing her mind.
