I'm bringing you something a little different today. We've done erotic romance, D/s, M/f, F/m, BDSM, spanking, ageplay and more, but we've never done paranormal/shifter romance like Lisa Carlisle does paranormal/shifter romance.
If you haven't discovered Lisa's work, here's your chance. She loves stories with dark, brooding heroes and independent, caring heroines. To whet your appetite, she's brought along an excerpt from her newest release; Knights of Stone. Stick around after the steamy sample and get to know Lisa better in the authors corner.
Knights of Stone
Highland Gargoyles 1
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.
This novella was originally released as part of the
USA Today bestselling Highland Shifters paranormal romance boxed set.
Excerpt
A
stagehand with tartan draped over one shoulder climbed onto the stage and
walked to the closest statue. He fastened the kilt over its shoulder and around
its waist with a thick belt, covering the statue’s massive thighs. Kayla
flushed, picturing why the coverings were necessary once the transformation
began. The kilt had become a key detail in her fantasies about the guitarist,
since it was the only clothing he wore. The stagehand continued dressing each
statue with the same brilliant blue tartan worn by the gargoyle clan.
The
last vestige of sunlight disappeared from the sky, and night draped the stage
like a closing curtain. The statues loomed, dark silhouettes barely discernible
by the crescent moon with the backdrop of the craggy cliffs and the rugged
peaks of waves in the Atlantic Ocean behind them. The murmur of voices was
replaced by silence. Waiting…
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 had sneaked 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.
Buy now:
Maddie's Intimate Authors Corner
Maddie: I’m
always excited to have first time visitors in my authors corner. I enjoy getting to know the author behind the
words and sexy covers.
Can you tell us a little bit about your new book? An
inspiration, a funny anecdote, or a mishap during the process, something we won’t
find in the pages or the blurb.
Lisa: Knights
of Stone started out as a short story. After I completed it, I knew there was
more to the story I wanted to tell. It ended up being ten times longer than the
original version! Now it’s a novella rather than a short story.
Maddie: My
audience might not be familiar with your work.
Give is the basics; genre, new or established author, how many books to
date, accomplishments, you know NY Times Bestsellers, Pulitzers, what have you…
Lisa: I’ve been
writing nonfiction professionally for fifteen years, but have only been
published in romance since 2012. I wrote many terrible, unfinished romances
during that learning period, though! Now I also write paranormal erotic
romance, new adult, contemporary, military, and suspense. I have a series with
Ellora’s Cave, military romance with Red Sage, and some indies I’ve released
myself. The Knights of Stone novella was originally released as part of the
Highland Shifters boxed set, which became a USA Today bestseller.
Maddie: What is
you writing process? Plotter or
pantser? (Plotter: methodical process including an outline,
notes and highlighters, or pantser: fly
by the seat of your pants, write frenetically and go back and clean up the
mess.)
Lisa: Total Pantser.
I discover the characters and story as I write.
Maddie: To
self-pub, or not, that is the question.
Do you or have you self-published?
If you have, what do you find are the pros and cons. If you haven’t, what is keeping you from it?
Lisa: Yes, I
became a hybrid author this year. I have a series with my publisher, but
started new ones on my own. It’s a huge learning curve and takes much more
work. I started with shorter stories to get a hang for the process. I love how
I can control everything including the cover, the pricing, and the ability to
team up with others for boxed sets.
Maddie: Social
media is a wonderful thing, but it also takes a lot of time away from
writing. How do you balance the two?
Lisa: I enjoy
going on Facebook to connect with authors and readers, but have never played a
game on there so hopefully that saves time. When I’m writing, I shoot for 500
words a day as I work full time, too, and more on the weekends. Might not seem
like much, but it adds up.
Maddie: How
about some fun ‘get to know you’ stuff. Tell
me 5 fun facts about yourself that would surprise us if we knew, sexy or
mundane is up to you…
Lisa: I’m quite
petite, but served in the Marines for a short time. I’m addicted to peanut butter and banana
sandwiches. In my early 20s, I
backpacked alone around Europe. Then I ended up living in Paris, working as au
pair.
Maddie: Okay,
first of all petite Marine seems like an
oxymoron, but I can honestly say I’m impressed by your commitment and
patriotism, and thank you for your service.
I’m also envious of your world travel.
Not only for all of the sights you’ve seen and the people you’ve met,
but for the abundance of story ideas you must have picked up in your travels.
As far as peanut butter and banana sandwiches goes, my
follow up question is fried like Elvis, or as is. LOL
Thanks for joining me today Lisa. Good luck with Knights. Come back again when you have more shifter
action for us. (Psst, one of my guilty
pleasures J
)
About Lisa Carlisle:
Lisa Carlisle is a USA Today Bestselling author of
romance and suspense. She loves stories with dark, brooding heroes and
independent, caring heroines. 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 and works in New England with her husband, two children, a cat, and
many fish.
Connect with Lisa:
Website: http://www.lisacarlislebooks.com
"Lift your skirt and show me your
panties.”
