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My name is Katalina
Leon. I’m an artist, author, mother and wife. I write for Ellora’s Cave, Loose
Id Publishing and a couple new to me 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.
Today I want to
introduce a new paranormal book series from Ellora’s Cave that I think is something
really special. The “Emerald Isle Fantasies” book series takes place in an
enchanted Irish castle turned hotel and currently includes nine great Ellora’s
Cave authors with more coming soon. It’s a whole lot of paranormal fun and
romance with a little drama and few spooky chills thrown into the mix.
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
very sexy griffin-shifter who hasn’t been a man since 1332 AD… Lord
Griffin’s Prize
Katalina
Leon
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.
The Emerald Isle
Fantasies collaboration 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.
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 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 love my heroine Maeve.
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 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.
The adventure demands she be brave and take a whopping big leap of faith, and a
few leaps through time as well.
I simply 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.
Thank you for having
me as a guest. I hope you’ll check out “Lord Griffin’s Prize” and The “Emerald
Isle Fantasies” series.
Lord Griffin’s Prize
is available now from Ellora’s Cave.
Look for Jennifer
LaRose’s “Phantom Mischief”, Den Garson’s “Ghostly Persuasion” and Rebecca
Royce’s “Crimson Lust”
And there will be
more Emerald Isle Fantasies coming soon…
You can find me at
these links:
Ellora’s Cave:
Loose Id:
Amazon:
All Romance eBooks:
Night Owl Reviews
Author Page:
Pinterest:
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/katalina.leon.142?ref=tn_tnmn
Lord
Griffin’s Prize
Katalina Leon
Genre:
Paranormal romance shape-shifter
Publisher:
Ellora’s Cave
Date
of Publication: July 10, 2013
ISBN:
9781419945397
Number
of pages: 114
Word
Count: 50k
Cover
Artist: Syneca
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.
Buy Links
Excerpt:
Lord
Griffin’s Prize
Katalina
Leon
Chapter
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.”
“Thank you, Áine.”
Maeve was barely able to manage a smile in her exhausted state. “From the
outside, the castle is so dramatic, very picturesque. I’m certainly looking
forward to seeing my room.”
“Of course you are.”
Áine took Maeve’s hint and hurried behind the counter to retrieve a massive
leather-bound ledger with vellum pages. “Because you are a dé Burgo would you
please sign the historic guest ledger?” She handed Maeve an old- fashioned
feather quill and a bottle of ink.
Maeve sighed as she
accepted the quill and ink. Despite her interest in all things historical, she
had no experience writing with a quill and hoped she wouldn’t make a mess of
Áine’s lovely old ledger with an inevitable clumsy ink splosh on the creamy
page.
Áine seemed to read
Maeve’s mind. “It’s not difficult. Simply dip, swipe the quill on the rim of
the bottle and write far more slowly than you think you should.”
Maeve dipped the
quill and sketched her name across the velum with shaky, scratchy strokes that
required several dunks into the ink.
“Lovely.” Áine gazed
at Maeve’s signature and set the ledger aside to dry. “By the way, the room you
requested is not available. We had a slight accident with some workmen the
other day and the room you reserved will require refurbishment.”
Maeve groaned in
disappointment. “The cheerful little yellow room overlooking the rose garden
isn’t available?”
“No.” Áine glanced at
Maeve sideways. “We’re putting you in the O’Griofa suite tonight. It’s our
finest room.”
Maeve gasped. She’d
visited Castle Tullamore’s website many times and knew the O’Griofa suite was a
sprawling set of adjoining rooms stuffed with priceless antiques and no doubt
far beyond her budget.
“It’s all right.”
Áine raised a preemptive palm into the air. “You will not be charged suite
rates. The mistake was on our side and you shall be the one to benefit.”
Maeve exhaled. “Thank
you.” A nearly forgotten thought surfaced. “Some months ago I contacted a
Professor Burke to meet me here at the castle and help me to gather information
about my family’s genealogy. I forgot to email him and tell him my flight was
delayed. Has the professor contacted you?”
“Yes, I spoke with
Professor Burke at some length and now that I know you’re a dé Burgo your
research project makes perfect sense. The dé Burgos have shared a stunning
history with Castle Tullamore. Your family has been here since the beginning.”
“I’ve been told I was
named for a great ancestor of mine, Lady Maeve dé Burgo. I’m looking forward to
learning more about her.”
Áine did not appear
to be the least bit surprised by this bit of information. “There’s been a mild
setback. I am sorry to say Professor Burke isn’t coming. He called yesterday to
cancel your appointment. He must attend to emergency business in France and
will not return for a fortnight. He apologized profusely for the sudden change
of plans.”
“The professor’s not
coming?” The energy drained from her. “I’m so disappointed. That was the core
purpose of my trip to Tullamore.”
“Don’t despair.” Áine
lifted her chin. “Another professor has volunteered to take his place.”
“Who?”
“Ironically it’s a
Professor O’Griofa. He too claims a strong ancestral connection to Tullamore
and has enjoyed a long association with the castle. Isn’t that an interesting
coincidence?” Áine’s gaze sharpened. “Professor O’Griofa is considered the
premier expert on Castle Tullamore, so it goes to show that tiny setbacks and
substitutions can often be wonderful boons. I’m sure the change was for the
best. Tullamore’s just that kind of place. One must expect the unexpected.” She
reached for a brass skeleton key dangling from a hook. “We use an old-fashioned
key for the O’Griofa suite. Come with me and I’ll show you to your room.”
Maeve followed Áine
down a long corridor lined with gilt-framed oil portraits of the castle’s many
occupants. They passed a staircase and approached an antiquated- looking iron-cage
elevator.
“We’re going to take
the lift.” Áine took hold of the iron filigree door and struggled to wrench it
open. “This door can be so stubborn.” She gave the base of the door a brisk
kick with the heel of her shoe until it opened. “Ah, there we go. You’re not
claustrophobic or easily startled by screeching metallic sounds, are you?”
“No.” Maeve gazed
longingly toward the staircase.
“Don’t
worry, the lift is in excellent working condition. It’s just odd.”
Maeve lingered at the
threshold. “How is it odd?”
“It’s
haunted and there are a few other peculiarities.” “Like what? I would think
haunted is peculiar enough.”
“Oh there’s much
more.” Áine stepped into the lift, pulling the rolling luggage with her, and
motioned for Maeve to follow. “Get in and I’ll tell you about its many
eccentricities.”
Maeve felt her face
blanch as she stepped inside the unsound-looking lift.
Áine slid the
rattling door shut and pressed a button. The lift lurched with a grating noise
and rose to the thumping whir of unseen gears and pulleys.
Maeve gulped a
nervous breath. “I’ve never been in a lift like this.”
“You certainly
haven’t!” Áine grinned with pride. “It’s one of a kind. I’ve had guests swear
the lift delivered them into another time and place. Can you imagine that? A
few bold souls have even claimed to encounter entities haunting the lift that
encouraged them to engage in...” She hesitated. “How should I say this? Amorous
behavior. Their actions were quite spontaneous and uninhibited, but I strongly
suspect they didn’t do anything they didn’t already want to do.”
“Oh my.” Maeve
laughed. “And they blamed the lift?”
The lift screeched to
a jolting halt. Áine drew the door open. “We’re here.” She motioned for Maeve
to exit. “The O’Griofa suite is at the end of the corridor.”
(Just wait until
Maeve sees the handsome portrait of Lord O’Griofa. She’s in for trouble…)
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…
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.
Ellora’s
Cave:
Loose
Id:
Amazon:
All
Romance eBooks:
Night
Owl Reviews Author Page:
Pinterest:
Facebook:
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August 5 Spotlight
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August 6 review
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August 6 Spotlight
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cloeyk.blogspot.com
August 8 Interview
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pembrokesinclair.blogspot.com
August 9 Interview
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www.fang-tasticbooks.blogspot.com
August 12 review
The Book Maven
bookmaven623.wordpress.com
August 13 Spotlight
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http://smolderingheat.wordpress.com
August 13 review
Sapphyria's Steamy Book Reviews
saphssteamybooks.blogspot.com
August 14 Spotlight
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http://ShareMyDestiny.blogspot.com
August 14 Spotlight
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August 15 Spotlight
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August 16 Interview and review
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August 19 Spotlight
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August 19 Spotlight and review
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