Guest
Post & GIVEAWAY with author Katalina Leon
Hey
everyone! Welcome to the “on time” post that is actually
scheduled for today. I know. You are all having heart palpitations.
Right? I am happy to report that after my bad illness I am nearly
caught up. But don't worry, I still have a ton of posts coming up so
you will not run out of any materials to read anytime soon. Back to
today! I am crazy excited about the post today. We have author
Katalina Leon guest posting. I have had Ms. Leon on the blog several
times and I always have a blast with her. Today, I have asked her to
talk about this book and why she wrote it. I think you will all
really enjoy yourselves as well as getting a bit of background on
this book/series. And don't cut out too quickly when you are
finished. Ms. Leon has a fabulous GIVEAWAY to share with us as well.
Be sure to enter before you hop out today! Everyone, please help me
in welcoming back to the blog:
**KATALINA
LEON**
**BIO**
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.
You
can find out more about Ms. Leon in the following places:
**LORD
GRIFFIN'S PRIZE**
**Emerald
Isle Fantasies**
**BLURB**
An
Irish warlord under a witch’s enchantment…
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.
Buy
Links
**GUEST
POST**
It’s a pleasure to be your guest today at Reader’s Edyn, thank you so much for inviting me.
My
name is Katalina Leon and I write for Ellora’s Cave, Loose Id and
several other presses to be announced soon. My latest book “Lord
Griffin’s Prize” is a paranormal romance that includes
time-travel, medieval war chiefs, an enchanted Irish castle, fated
love and a hot griffin-shifter willing to do anything to protect his
mate. It’s part of a multi-author book series named “Emerald Isle
Fantasies” from Ellora’s Cave.
I
really enjoyed working with the other authors in the Emerald Isle
Fantasies group. The collaboration was easy and came naturally. The
project was started almost eighteen months ago when all of us 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.
I
chose to write the story of 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
in his words “highly monogamous.” If a mate dies the other will
never re-mate, and that played a big part in my story. Griffins rule
both air and land with justice and loyalty being courageous and fair
minded. So you see its hard to not love a griffin!
A
few years ago, as an anniversary gift, my husband gave me a beautiful
cast 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
enjoyed writing a story of fated love for Ronan and Maeve that
reaches across seven centuries. Maeve’s character was a pleasure to
write. 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. While researching a distant ancestor whom
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.
While writing Lord
Griffins’ Prize I 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 castle 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.
Lord
Griffin’s Prize is part of the Emerald Isle Fantasies book series
and is available now from Ellora’s Cave. Be sure to check out the
entire Emerald Isle Fantasies books series. It includes lots of
talented Ellora’s Cave authors and loads of steamy, Irish
enchantment. You can’t go wrong!
Jennifer
LaRose “Phantom Mischief”
Rebecca
Royce “Crimson Lust”
Dena
Garson “Ghostly Persuasion”
And
much more to come…
~
KATALINA LEON
**EXCERPT**
By
reading any further you are stating you are at least 18 years of age.
If
you are under the age of 18, it is necessary for you to exit this
site.
(In
this scene Maeve has been in the O’Griofa suite for less than an
hour, but she’s already become infatuated with Lord O’Griofa’s
portrait, traveled back in time to a castle under siege, released the
pain of a failed marriage and hallucinated that a griffin is walking
the castle grounds. It’s been a very eventful night. She’s
exhausted and jetlagged. When she climbs into the notorious O’Griofa
suite’s “griffin bed” things really heat up.)
…She
walked around the room, making sure the door was locked and switching
off the few lights still lit. The fading red embers of the fire
glowed. The fire’s soft illumination was lovely and provided just
enough light to see. An errant sliver of moonlight cut across the
room and lit Lord O’Griofa’s portrait.
Maeve
pulled the covers back and climbed into the massive bed, which could
have comfortably slept several adults. She gazed up at the silk
canopy. The viridian curtains surrounding the bed were woven with a
subtle pattern that suggested to her tired eyes the faintest hint of
feathery wings.
She
noticed that the bed curtains could be drawn around the bed to either
block light or create an oasis of privacy. She drew the curtains in
hopes of preventing the first rays of dawn from waking her too early.
She allowed her head to sink deep into the lush pile of pillows and
sighed with pleasure that the bed felt as good as it looked.
She
stretched across the crisp sheets with her eyes squeezed shut,
wishing she had the energy or will to take off the bulky bathrobe,
but before she could rouse herself to act she became aware of the
warm weight of a solidly built man pressing down on her.
As
if by magic a naked man materialized beneath the bedcovers. His warm
skin radiated the faint but unmistakable scent of musk. He unknotted
the robe and pushed the fabric aside, baring her breasts. A soft sigh
crossed his lips.
She
made a halfhearted attempt to stop him.
With
gentle but decisive action, he took hold of her wrists and slowly
slid her arms above her head, pinning her beneath him.
She
gulped a startled breath as he parted her legs with his knee. The
sensations were real. The wet tip of his heavy erection brushed
between her thighs. She started to cry out in surprise.
“Hush,”
the man whispered. He grazed his lips against the side of her cheek.
“Don’t wake, my love—this is only a dream.” The man’s
comforting voice was pure reassurance. “I’ve been waiting so long
for you.”
“Ronan?”
She relaxed.
“Who
else comes to your bed?” A quiet laugh crossed his lips as if it
were a casual joke that often passed between them. He released his
hold on her wrists. “Wrap your arms around me and make me feel
loved.” He leaned close and his warm breath flooded the side of her
throat. “I need you, Maeve.”
A
shudder of desire seized her, impossible to deny. The man’s voice
was drenched with longing and coaxed myriad buried feelings to
surface. She realized that every lover should plead for touch with
this much conviction, yet so few did.
Dream
or not, it had been ages since she’d felt sensations so fiery and
she couldn’t resist giving in. The dream man—Ronan or whoever he
was—felt so good that she found herself wrapping her arms around
his broad shoulders and drawing him close. The silky hair on his
chest glided against her breasts. In a moment of uncharacteristic
boldness, she reached down, took hold of his shaft and guided him
between her legs. She rubbed the head of his cock against her with
slow strokes, until he was slick and her clit peaked. Without further
prompting she allowed him to glide inside.
“Oh
Maeve.” A husky groan escaped his lips as he sank deep.
She
arched beneath him and twined a smooth leg around his hip, wishing
he’d start moving and pay out on the building excitement he’d
caused. She skimmed the length of his muscular back with open palms
before gripping his solid butt and pressing down with a demanding
little push that said “get going”.
He
moved with caution.
She
tried to glimpse his face in the shadows but saw nothing beyond a
vague silhouette. It excited her to be with a complete stranger.
She’d never done such a thing and it really didn’t matter because
this was just a dream. It was so freeing to give in to raw lust.
“Fuck me,” she whispered.
“What
a salty tongue you have.” He sounded amused as he nipped her
throat. His lips lingered on her skin. “You’re sweet as heaven
but you talk like a devil.” He took several long strokes, pumping
his hips faster. The muscles of his back coiled and his breath sped.
He was big and solid and the animal strength of his graceful body
took her breath away. Each movement was controlled and decisive and
every inch of his body tensed. “I can’t hold back.” A moment
later he bolted into action like a racehorse sprinting. “Sorry,
love. This is going to be sweet and swift.” He gripped her
shoulders as his body covered hers and moved with fierce strokes.
The
thick shaft of his cock glided against her wet clit at the perfect
angle. She lifted her hips off the bed to intensify the sensation.
“That’s good.” She encouraged him to move with her. She grabbed
on to the hard muscles of his butt and pushed down with force. The
brisk stroke of his cock brought her moaning to the edge. “I’m
right there.” A beautiful rush of sensations heated her blood as
the easiest, quickest climax of her life carried her away and left
her limp with pleasure. “Ah...”
He
lifted Maeve’s thigh higher and sank deep. A quiet growl vibrated
low in his throat. He tipped his head back and arched as he came
hard. The man trembled and nearly collapsed against her, with a dewy
sheen of sweat on his skin. He brushed his face against her cheek and
she felt a gritty hint of stubble.
Alarm
shot through her. Those details felt all too real. She feared this
couldn’t possibly be a dream. No dream was this vivid. She pushed
against his shoulders and tried to get a better look at him.
“Am
I crushing you?” He rose on his elbows so she could move and
brushed his fingertips against her cheek. “That was wonderful. I
wish I could stay inside you all night, but I can’t.”
A
chill shivered across her skin. “Why can’t you?”
“Because
it’s not night anymore, it’s morning.”
The
man evaporated in front of her eyes and the warm bed covers slumped
on top of her with a swoosh as he exited.
Maeve
bolted upright and smacked the empty covers with her palm. The man
had vanished. The bed curtains remained drawn and still. Her bathrobe
was open and the bedding was rumpled but beyond that only the
faintest scent of salty sweat betrayed that he had ever been there.
She
reached between her drenched thighs with caution and touched. Without
doubt a man had been with her. What the hell was going on?
The
quiet scratch of what sounded like claws against the wooden floor
made her freeze. She drew a tense breath, listened with laser focus
and heard a soft snort and what sounded like the padding of heavy
paws crossing the room. A noise like an animal snuffling the fire
grate made her blood run cold.
Now
she was fully awake and certain this was no dream. Her heart hammered
against her ribs. Beyond the bed curtains, someone or something was
moving around the suite.
She
drew the bed curtain aside a crack and peered out. The room was
illuminated by the faint rays of an overcast dawn.
Near
the fireplace beside the mantel, she saw a large animal the size of a
male lion with black sweeping wings folded behind its back. The
creature turned to the side, revealing the lethally curved beak of an
eagle and keen, dark eyes. She gasped in awe and immediately covered
her mouth with her hand.
The
griffin.
The
creature glanced over its shoulder stealthily, as if it were aware of
her presence, and reached toward the wedding ring she had left as an
offering. It picked up the ring with its hooked beak. The griffin
tossed the ring into the air and swallowed it with a quick gulp.
She
bit her lip to keep from gasping aloud.
The
griffin turned and walked through the heavy wooden door, which posed
no physical barrier. It passed through the locked door with the same
ease as if it were walking through fog, and disappeared.
“Oh
my God!” Maeve trembled with shock. “What just happened?”
She
threw the bed curtains back, leaped off the mattress and ran toward
the door while tying the bathrobe around her waist. She grabbed the
doorknob and rattled it. The knob did not budge and she saw that the
door was latched from the inside.
She
turned and ran toward the mantel. Her gaze went straight to the
clawed feet of the stone griffin. The wedding ring was gone. She
reached out and felt the empty spot with her fingertips to reassure
herself that this moment of utter madness was real. “I’m losing
my mind. This isn’t good.”
She
focused her gaze with suspicion on the disheveled bed before
ricocheting like a bullet toward Lord O’Griofa’s portrait. Had
all that been real too? Had she made love to a phantom?
“Nope.
That’s too much crazy,” she said it aloud in a calm voice. There
was no way a man from the distant past had materialized in bed and
fucked her breathless with tender gusto. It was a thrilling but
improbable fantasy.
It
was more likely she’d been ignoring her true feelings and physical
needs for so many months that she’d gone temporarily nuts. “Strange
fantasy men in the bed” crazy was a bad development. That level of
cuckoo should never happen again. It was obvious to her that dire
needs must be addressed. She realized she should buy a vibrator on
this vacation and start using it ASAP.
Fucking
hunky medieval phantoms was without doubt a sign she needed to get
off more often than she had been lately—which was not at all. She
was pent-up. This situation simply wasn’t acceptable. She was a
loaded gun ready to explode, for God’s sake. What was next? Would
she throw herself at the first interesting man who crossed her path?
In her current wounded-prey state of mind she knew that would
definitely be a mistake. To make sure this type of weirdness didn’t
happen again, a vibrator was a must, and she promised herself she’d
get one soon.
Beyond
the tall, narrow windowpane, the sun broke through a thick layer of
cloud, lighting the morning sky in brilliant shades of blue and gold.
Maeve
smoothed the bed covers. There would be no pretense of going back to
sleep. Besides, she didn’t dare to climb back into that bed until
she’d had a sobering cup of coffee and a long talk with her
love-starved libido…
(Maeve
dresses and heads downstairs and guess who she runs into walking the
castle grounds dressed in contemporary clothing? Oh yes, it’s very
awkward. How can she tell a stranger that she just finished having
sex in her dreams with someone who looks and sounds just like
him…Poor Maeve.)
**GIVEAWAY**
Katalina
is giving away two
Amazon gift cards valued at $15 each and a pdf ebook to randomly
drawn
commenters during the tour.
Do
you all see why I adore Ms. Leon so dang much? She really is
fabulous. A side note, I too adore Griffins. So much so that I Named
one of my sons Gryffyn. True story.
How
about that rockin' excerpt? Holy wow! That'll get you going through
the day, will it not? I really want to know what you all thought
about this post. The guest spot, blurb, excerpt, any part of it. Your
feedback is always welcome so please feel free to leave a comment
below. And as always, please consider purchasing this book for
yourself. As readers, this is the best way we can show support for
the authors that bring us so much reading pleasure!
I
want to thank Ms. Leon for being here today and for taking the time
to write such a great post for us. I hope that you all enjoyed getting
to know a bit about this remarkable author and her latest release.
You can be sure that she will be back again in the future. Do NOT
forget to enter the GIVEAWAY before you leave today. You have nothing
to lose except your chance to WIN, so why not give it a go? I wish all
who enter the best of luck! Everyone have a terrific day! How can you
not with a post like this one? I will be seeing you all very soon!
Until then ...
HAPPY
READING!!!
Thank you so much! Wow do I love that name Gryffyn! May your son grow into that noble role and be a great man.
ReplyDeleteThanks Katalina! He was named appropriately. He was born with DiGeorge and has been a fighter through it all. He is great now after hearing horror stories of what would likely be his quality of life. There are still a few struggles, but given all he has been through, he has done amazing. And he is such a lover! Thanks so much for spending time with us again. It was a pleasure as always and I hope to see you again in the future!
DeleteWould love to win.
ReplyDeletersgrandinetti@yahoo(DOT)com
And I hope that you do! :) Thanks so much for stopping by! Best of luck to you, Renee!
DeleteThis looks awesome! Thank you :)
ReplyDeleteallishagold at volcano dot net
Allisha ~ I agree and you you are welcome. I hope you get a chance to read it soon! Thanks so much for stopping by and spending some time with us!
Delete