A Writer's Mind: Forbidden Temptation. Knights of Stone by Lisa Carlisle.

Monday, November 24, 2014

Forbidden Temptation. Knights of Stone by Lisa Carlisle.

Today it’s my pleasure to welcome over Lisa Carlisle, author of Knights of Stone, Highland Gargoyles, Book 1, a paranormal erotic romance.

ASIN: B00O9EHH5E

Number of pages: 100

Book Description

Gargoyles, tree witches, and wolf shifters have divided the Isle of Stone after a great battle twenty-five years ago. When Kayla, a tree witch, hears about the unconventional rock concerts in the gargoyle’s territory, she sneaks from her coven and into their territory to see for herself. Night after night, she returns to see one in particular shift into human form and play guitar at these unconventional shows.

For several nights, Mason has kept watch for the pixie-like female. He plans to seduce her, thinking she’s a visitor from another island. When he discovers she’s one of the tree witches, he retreats, attempting to keep his distance. The temptation is strong, but forbidden.

Kayla and Mason attempt to meet in secret, but other elements on the isle command their attention. A magical cloak created by the three clans on the island is thinning, leading to repercussions for all the clans. Kayla and Mason are caught in the middle of it, and their actions may change the fate for all.

Available at Amazon BN ARe iBooks Kobo

Giveaway! Be sure to enter the Rafflecopter after this post for a chance to win one of three digital copies of Dark Velvet, the first part of the Chateau Seductions series.

Interview Time!

How did you come up with the title?

Knights of Stone is also the name of the band in the story. Since they’re gargoyle shifters, a clan of brothers, it fit.

Tell us a little bit about the conflict in your story.

There’s a forbidden romance between a gargoyle and tree witch. Their clan and coven forbid them to associate after they divided their island in a battle many years prior.

Tell us about your book cover and how it relates to your story.

The cover features the gargoyle shifter Mason in human form with the island’s ocean environment in the background. If you look closely in the water, you can see his gargoyle image.

Are you currently working on another story? If so, we’d love some details.

I have had such a tremendous response to Knights of Stone with readers asking me to write more that I’ve decided to turn it into a series. More hot gargoyle rock stars to come.

I also have several other romances released this fall, including Dark Muse and Rock My Senses, both paranormal romances.

Did you enjoy writing one scene above all the rest? If so, share.

I loved writing the opening scene in Knights of Stone when you see the gargoyle shifters transform on stage. Also, any scene where Mason and Kayla were together, struggling against their feelings was fantastic to write.

Tell us about your favorite writing environment. Is it indoors, outdoors, a special room, etc.

I love writing in cafes or libraries, but usually end up writing on my sofa.

It’s time to promo. What is your favorite marketing tool?

I spent a lot of time on Facebook, chatting with authors and readers. Find me there if you want to connect—Lisa Carlisle. I’m also on Twitter--@lisacbooks.

What genre/genres do you prefer to write? Are there other genres you’d like to write in the future?

I write in several genres. My professional writing career began in nonfiction and I still write articles. In fiction, I write paranormal romance, new adult, contemporary, military, and even suspense. My favorite at the moment is paranormal romance, but I may have more military romances in the near future.

Do you prefer to write short stories, novellas or novels? Why?

I write all of the above, but mostly read and write novellas. They are perfect for an evening or two.

Do you write books in series? If so, share a bit about the series you currently have published or are coming soon.

I have multiple. On Halloween, Rock My Senses was released, part of my paranormal erotic romance series with Ellora’s Cave. It features a computer geek by day/ rock guitarist by night, a fun character to explore.

Dark Muse also just came out, part of my Chateau Seductions series set at an art colony on a remote New England island. It includes a romance between a socially awkward painter and elusive rock guitarist. I love losing myself writing about the castle setting—would love to visit there myself if it existed. ;)

Excerpt

Five torches blazed on the stage all at once, lit by an unseen force. The audience erupted in cheers as the dancing lights from the flickering fire basked the statues. The flames lowered, casting the gargoyles in an eerie, almost reverent glow.

Movement. So slight, Kayla wondered if it was simply a play of light and shadows in her anticipation for the change. She fixed her gaze on the statue in front of her, the one she’d gravitated to each time she’d had snuck out to see the show. Its massive gray form stood straight on two legs built for sturdiness. Its chest jutted out proudly. Gray wings with detailed feathers etched in the stone arched from a point below its shoulder blades. Eyes cast straight ahead on a face that appeared to be a mixture of canine and lion. Its right hand twitched, so slightly she would have missed it if she hadn’t stared so intently. Then a clawed foot inched forward.

Murmurs of astonishment burst from the crowd as the transformation began. Their cries of fervor grew louder as the monstrous statues transformed into taller, slimmer figures with the bronzed skin of warriors who battled under the midday sun. The tartan fabric fell over their thighs as they stood erect, covering their nudity.

Kayla barely blinked, mesmerized as always, as the statue before her stood to full height, taking on the form of a human male, but with beautiful raven wings. Hair just as black snaked rebelliously past his chin. The stony eyes flickered with animation, turning to a mossy green. His deep gaze seared the audience, seeming to burn anything in the path. When he found Kayla, he stopped.

His expression was unreadable, but the intensity in his unblinking eyes made her swallow. She froze under the scrutiny as if hypnotized, unable to break eye contact. Her stomach lurched, heart pounded, and every muscle in her body tightened, fueled with blood now scorching through her veins. His penetrating appraisal affected her so. When his eyes took on a smoldering glint, her skin tingled and a red-hot awareness grew between her thighs.

He broke the stare and continued to assess the audience. She gasped, not realizing she had been holding her breath, and panted while she tried to breathe at a normal rate. He turned on robust legs and strode to a guitar stand. She tore her eyes from him to note the other gargoyles. They, too, had shifted into the form of striking males. One had black hair draped further down his back, one had long blond hair, and two had reddish-brown hair—one wavy and shaggy, the other straight. They took their place at other instruments. She sought the guitarist again and caught the first sound of the pick striking the strings. On hearing the guitar projected through the amp, the crowd roared again, pressing Kayla forward.

The freak show was about to begin.

Spotlights flooded the musicians, powered by solar panels near a massive amplifier. The guitarist continued playing and the others joined in, playing a raucous crossover between hard rock and heavy metal. The one with long blond hair grabbed hold of the microphone and belted out a shattering cry that sounded like a call to battle. The crowd went pin drop silent to listen and then cheered in unison as the band played on. The front man sang piercing growls and low croons about the Knights in Stone, the protectors of the ancient forests, battling against the evil tree witches.

Kayla’s coven.

About the Author

Lisa loves stories with dark, brooding heroes and independent, caring heroines. She feels very honored to be a multi-published author since she's wanted to write since the sixth grade. Her travels have provided her with inspiration for various settings in her novels, including deployments while she served in the Marines. She lived in Parris Island, the California desert, and Okinawa, Japan. She also backpacked alone through Europe, and lived in Paris, France, as an au pair before returning to the U.S. and buying a book store. She now lives in New England with her husband, two children, a cat, and many fish.