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ABOUT THE BOOK
Enchanted Guardian
Camelot Reborn Series
Book Two
Sharon Ashwood
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Harlequin Nocturne
Date of Publication: August 1 2016
ISBN: 978-0373009763
ASIN: B01CNMT0DK
Number of pages: 300
Word Count: 85000
Book Description:
Enchanted Guardian- A love of legendary proportion
In another time, in a place once known as Camelot, they had been lovers. Torn apart by betrayal and lies, Lancelot Du Lac and Nimueh, the Lady of the Lake, had each suffered greatly.
But the magic of the fae had reawakened a man once trapped in stone, and Lancelot was determined to find his long lost love. Only, Nim was desperate to hide her fae soul, as she was marked for death by their mutual enemy.
Though centuries apart had not diminished their passion, they would once again face a dangerous test to prove each was the other’s destiny.
Book Trailer https://youtu.be/btP6qzxOmpk
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Excerpt:
Lancelot caught her arm, pulling her up short. Nim scowled down at the long, strong fingers. Fine scars ran along his tanned knuckles, evidence of a life around blades. Heaviness filled her, a primitive reaction to the strong, aggressive male taking control of her in the most basic way. Once it might have grown into anger or lust, but now it confused her.
“Take your hand off me,” she said, letting her voice fill with frost.
“No.” He pulled her closer, turning her to face him. “You will answer my questions.”
Nim jerked her arm free. They were so close, she could feel his warm breath against her skin. “About what?”
His nostrils flared as if scenting her. Still, Nim studied his tense jaw and the blood flushing his high cheekbones. The heat of his emotions made her feel utterly hollow. His hand closed around her wrist again, almost crushing her bones.
“There are too many people here,” he growled.
“There are enough people here for safety. Perhaps I don’t want to answer you.”
His eyes held hers a moment, dark fire against the ice of her spirit. That seemed to decide him, for he pulled her close and took a better grip on her arm. “Come with me.”
“Where?”
He didn’t reply, but steered her toward the door, moving so fast she skittered on her heels. She took the opportunity to pull against him, but this time he held her fast. “Don’t.”
The threat was real. Her fighting skills were nothing compared to a knight’s. Lancelot could crush or even kill her with a single blow. Still, that didn’t make her helpless, and she would not let him forget that fact. Rising up on her toes, she put her mouth a mere whisper from his ear. “You forget what I can do. My magic is nothing less than what it was when I was the first among the fae noblewomen. I can defend myself against your brute strength.”
Just not against what he’d done to her heart. She closed her eyes a moment, feeling his breath against her cheek and remembering the past for a long moment before she denied herself that luxury. “Let me go,” she repeated.
In response, he pulled her to the side of the building, refusing to stop until he was deep into the shadows. The ground was little more than cracked concrete there, tufts of grass straggling between the stones. He pushed her against the siding, her back pressed to the rough wood. “Not until I’ve had my say.”
He had both of her arms now, prisoning Nim with the hard, muscled wall of his chest. Anyone walking by might glimpse two lovers in a private tête-à-tête, but Nim drew back as far as she could, something close to anger rising to strike. No one handled her this way, especially not him.
“Then talk,” she said through gritted teeth.
“Aren’t you even surprised to see me?” he demanded.
“Why should I be?” She needed to squash any personal connection between them. Even if she was whole and their people were not at war, he had betrayed her.
He put a hand against her cheek, his fingers rough. She jerked her chin away, burning where his touch had grazed her.
But he was relentless. “I’m told you were caught by Merlin’s spell along with the rest. I know what the fae have become.”
Soulless. As good as dead inside. Lancelot didn’t say the words, but she heard them all the same. “It’s true,” she replied. “It’s all true.”
His expression was stricken as if hearing it from her lips was poison. Good, she thought. Better to be honest. Better that he believe her to be the monster she was.
“Maybe that’s true for some. I don’t believe that about you. You still have too much fire.”
With that, he claimed her mouth in an angry kiss. Nim caught her breath, stifling a cry of true surprise. The Lancelot she’d known had been gentle and eager to please. Nothing like this. And yet the clean taste of him was everything she remembered.
His mouth slanted, breaking past the barrier of her lips to plunder her mouth. The hunger in him was bruising, going far beyond the physical to pull at something deep in her belly. Desire, perhaps, or heartbreak. She wasn’t sure any longer, but she couldn’t stop herself from nipping at his lip, yearning to feel what she had lost. A sigh caught in her throat before she swallowed it down. Surely she was operating on reflex, the memory of kisses. Not desire she might feel now. The warmth and weight of him spoke to something older than true emotion. Even a reptile could feel comfort in the sun. Even she…
Still, that little encouragement was all the permission he needed to slide his hand up her hip to her waist and she could feel the pressure of his fingers. Lancelot was as strong as any fae male, strong enough certainly to overpower her. That had thrilled her once, a guilty admission she’d never dared to make. She’d been so wise, so scholarly, so magical, but an earthy male had found the liquid center of heat buried under all that logic and light. They had always sparked like that, flint against steel.
But then his hand found her breast and every muscle in her stiffened. This was too much. Memory was one thing, but she wasn’t the same now and she refused to have a physical encounter that was nothing more than a ghost of what it should be.
Nim pushed him away. “I don’t want this.”
Something in her look finally made him stop, but his eyes glittered with arousal. “Are you certain about that?”
INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR
- What initially got you interested in writing?
I remember writing stories pretty much as soon as I could hold a crayon. My parents were huge readers and I grew up surrounded by bookshelves. Since children believe they can do everything, I started writing and never stopped.
- How did you decide to make the move into being a published author?
I joined a local chapter of the Romance Writers of America. It’s really a terrific organization for educating writers on the practical steps of getting your book into the wild, whether that’s via traditional or independent publishing.
- What do you want readers to take away from reading your works?
First and foremost, entertainment! I want to create worlds that readers return to over and over again. My characters do tackle issues of belonging and forgiveness, but my stories are hopeful. There’s not always an easy answer tied up in a bow, but there will be a positive ending that will leave readers satisfied and happy for the characters.
- What do you find most rewarding about writing?
The act of writing. There is nothing better than losing myself in the realms of imagination. Wait – there is one thing better. Finding readers to share the experience! I adore hearing from people who have enjoyed my books, because that’s why I sit for hours typing and drinking cold coffee. Storytelling is no fun without an audience.
- What do you find most challenging about writing?
The business side of being an author can be hard. We pretty much have to build our own audiences, so a lot of time gets spent doing marketing and promotion instead of what we do best—telling fabulous tales.
- What advice would you give to people who want to enter the field?
Take your time and write the best books you can. Write, write, read, read, and write some more. That’s how you develop skill. The first couple of manuscripts are practice pieces, however much you might
adore them. Make your mistakes, enjoy the process, and learn who you are as an artist. That’s when you can really dig deep and produce something brilliant—and that’s how you start a career.
What ways can readers connect with you?
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/sharonashwood/
Newsletter: http://www.sharonashwood.com/newsletter/
Blog: http://www.sharonashwood.com/daily-strange/
Website: http://www.sharonashwood.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SharonAshwood
Facebook Fanpage: https://www.facebook.com/authorsharonashwood
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sharon Ashwood is a novelist, desk jockey and enthusiast for the weird and spooky. She has an English literature degree but works as a finance geek. Interests include growing her to-be-read pile and playing with the toy graveyard on her desk. As a vegetarian, she freely admits the whole vampire/werewolf lifestyle would never work out, so she writes her adventures instead.
Sharon is the winner of the RITA® Award for Paranormal Romance. She lives in the Pacific Northwest and is owned by the Demon Lord of Kitty Badness.
TOUR GIVEAWAY
$25 amazon gift certificate + books 1&2 of the Camelot Reborn series
(winner’s choice of paperback or ebook)
I’ve always been intrigued by the character Nimue in those legends. This sounds interesting!