Age
of Gray, Book
1
Juliette
Cross
Genre: historical paranormal
romance
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Date of Publication: Feb. 2, 2016
ASIN: B016XTOQIS
Word Count: 85K
Cover Artist: Kanaxa
Tagline: Love can stand the test of
time. Can it rise above the taint of Hell?
Book Description:
Lady Katherine Blakely is married
to a monster. On the same night she witnesses how low her husband can sink, she
meets a charming stranger, a gentleman from top to toe. Yet even her gallant
rescuer is possessed of a dark side.
Lord George Draconis Thornton,
commander of the Dominus Daemonum, is on a mission to expel the demon prince
Damas back to the underworld. But a golden-haired beauty derails his plans and
stirs an attraction he’s never felt before, not even for his centuries-dead
wife.
Discovering Lord Blakely is in
league with Damas, George sweeps Katherine away from the chaos and devilry
threatening her life. With every touch, their love grows by joyful leaps and
bounds.
Sensing his enemy’s vulnerability,
Damas kidnaps Katherine to his hellish lair, where he wages a sensual assault
on her defenses. As George tears at heaven and earth to find her, he is
painfully aware of only one way to save her soul. The cost will break her
heart…and destroy his own.
Warning: Contains wolves in
gentlemen’s clothing, a precipitous descent into Hell, and a frightening
glimpse of a post-apocalyptic world where angels and demons wage war for
dominion on earth.
Excerpt
“How do you know
about the world of demons, George? How did you move as they did? I thought I
had fainted by the pond and awakened beside the barn, but I didn’t, did I?”
Had she imagined
being transported from the horses to the barn in a long blink?
“No, you didn’t
faint. It’s called sifting. A power of the angels, to move from place to place
at will.”
“But they weren’t
angels.”
“They were once.”
Fallen angels.
Could this be possible? What did that make the man standing before her? He
inhaled a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Perhaps I should define the two
realms for you.”
“That would be
lovely.”
His mouth quirked
at her sarcasm, though he chose not to comment. “There is the Flamma of Light
and the Flamma of Dark.”
“Flamma?”
“Fire, in Latin,
which is the common tongue between the heavenly and demonic hosts.”
She pulled her
hand from his and stood, staring into the flames. “Why fire?”
He joined her and
removed his wet coat. “I asked the same question once.” He winced as he peeled
the coat off his right arm. A pool of red had soaked through his undershirt.
“Oh God, your arm,
George. You’re bleeding.”
“It’s nothing.”
“It’s not
nothing.”
Just as he had
unbuttoned her jacket, she swiftly unfastened his waistcoat, then his shirt and
peeled them off him. Steering her gaze away from his finely sculpted chest and
broad shoulders, she examined the cut more closely. She bent over and, with a
quick rip, tore a long strip from her shift.
“You needn’t do
that, Katherine.”
“Be still and let
me mend you as best I can.”
He held his arm
straight so that she could wrap the fabric around his arm.
“Why fire?” she
asked again, busying herself with the makeshift bandage.
“Flamma are all
touched by fire, an otherworldly power given to each of us.”
She remembered the
way he moved, the way the demons moved, with supernatural speed and agility. A
drop of rain dripped from his tousled hair, landing on his shoulder before
rolling forward. She followed its path as it slid down and over his pectoral.
Trying to regain her composure, she inhaled a deep breath, which was a mistake.
She breathed in the heady scent of rain and beautiful man, her agitation
amplified by his proximity and the undeniable power surging through his body.
She longed to touch him, to know what all that strength would feel like under
her fingertips, but she was paralyzed by her own desire and wavered on a
dangerous precipice. When she’d cinched the bandage into a neat knot and
finally chanced a glance at him, his smile nearly buckled her knees.
“There,” she
whispered. “That will stop the bleeding.”
“I’m not so sure.”
“What do you
mean?”
His shoulders went
rigid as if he were holding himself in tight control. Katherine knew his
thoughts had wandered away from the wound in his arm. She asked again, “What do
you mean, George?”
His eyes slid
closed. “I love to hear my name on your lips.” He opened his eyes again, his
jaw set in grave lines. “What I mean, my lady, is that I am bleeding inwardly,
and I know of only one way to stop it.”
Katherine was well
aware of the tension filling the room, of the rise of her heart rate, of the
longing in his gaze, which surely matched her own. She realized she was
tumbling over that cliff. And she didn’t care, quite content to drown in his
aquamarine gaze.
“How can I stop
it, George? Tell me.”
“I’d rather show
you.”
“How do you know
about the world of demons, George? How did you move as they did? I thought I
had fainted by the pond and awakened beside the barn, but I didn’t, did I?”
Had she imagined
being transported from the horses to the barn in a long blink?
“No, you didn’t
faint. It’s called sifting. A power of the angels, to move from place to place
at will.”
“But they weren’t
angels.”
“They were once.”
Fallen angels.
Could this be possible? What did that make the man standing before her? He
inhaled a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Perhaps I should define the two
realms for you.”
“That would be
lovely.”
His mouth quirked
at her sarcasm, though he chose not to comment. “There is the Flamma of Light
and the Flamma of Dark.”
“Flamma?”
“Fire, in Latin,
which is the common tongue between the heavenly and demonic hosts.”
She pulled her
hand from his and stood, staring into the flames. “Why fire?”
He joined her and
removed his wet coat. “I asked the same question once.” He winced as he peeled
the coat off his right arm. A pool of red had soaked through his undershirt.
“Oh God, your arm,
George. You’re bleeding.”
“It’s nothing.”
“It’s not
nothing.”
Just as he had
unbuttoned her jacket, she swiftly unfastened his waistcoat, then his shirt and
peeled them off him. Steering her gaze away from his finely sculpted chest and
broad shoulders, she examined the cut more closely. She bent over and, with a
quick rip, tore a long strip from her shift.
“You needn’t do
that, Katherine.”
“Be still and let
me mend you as best I can.”
He held his arm
straight so that she could wrap the fabric around his arm.
“Why fire?” she
asked again, busying herself with the makeshift bandage.
“Flamma are all
touched by fire, an otherworldly power given to each of us.”
She remembered the
way he moved, the way the demons moved, with supernatural speed and agility. A
drop of rain dripped from his tousled hair, landing on his shoulder before
rolling forward. She followed its path as it slid down and over his pectoral.
Trying to regain her composure, she inhaled a deep breath, which was a mistake.
She breathed in the heady scent of rain and beautiful man, her agitation
amplified by his proximity and the undeniable power surging through his body.
She longed to touch him, to know what all that strength would feel like under
her fingertips, but she was paralyzed by her own desire and wavered on a
dangerous precipice. When she’d cinched the bandage into a neat knot and
finally chanced a glance at him, his smile nearly buckled her knees.
“There,” she
whispered. “That will stop the bleeding.”
“I’m not so sure.”
“What do you
mean?”
His shoulders went
rigid as if he were holding himself in tight control. Katherine knew his
thoughts had wandered away from the wound in his arm. She asked again, “What do
you mean, George?”
His eyes slid
closed. “I love to hear my name on your lips.” He opened his eyes again, his
jaw set in grave lines. “What I mean, my lady, is that I am bleeding inwardly,
and I know of only one way to stop it.”
Katherine was well
aware of the tension filling the room, of the rise of her heart rate, of the
longing in his gaze, which surely matched her own. She realized she was
tumbling over that cliff. And she didn’t care, quite content to drown in his
aquamarine gaze.
“How can I stop
it, George? Tell me.”
“I’d rather show
you.”
Author Bio
Juliette is a multi-published author of paranormal and urban fantasy romance. She calls lush, moss-laden Louisiana home, where the landscape curls into her imagination, creating mystical settings for her stories. From the moment she read JANE EYRE as a teenager, she fell in love with the Gothic romance--brooding characters, mysterious settings, persevering heroines, and dark, sexy heroes. Even then, she not only longed to read more books set in Gothic worlds, she wanted to create her own.
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a Rafflecopter giveawayCharacter Interview
Please welcome George from Juliette Cross' The Deepest Well to Diane’s Book Blog.
This interview took place before George meets Lady Katherine.
What is your full name? Do you have a nickname?
George Draconis. The demons have many names for me—Slayer of Demons, Stalker of Dens, Destroyer of Spawn.
How old are you?
Approximately 1500 years old.
Who are the people you are closest to?
Jude Delacroix, Master of Demons. He has been my friend for centuries and keeps me sane in an insane world.
What is your biggest fear?
Finally finding love and losing it.
What is your most treasured possession?
My sword, Silversong.
Which living person do you most despise?
The demon prince, Damas, has been the bane of my existence from the first moment I took up Archangel Uriel’s charge to defend humanity against the demons.
What is the quality you most like in a woman?
Authenticity and honesty.
What do you most value in your friends?
Loyalty.
What is your motto?
“To thine own self be true.” Will Shakespeare always seemed to say it best.
This interview took place before George meets Lady Katherine.
What is your full name? Do you have a nickname?
George Draconis. The demons have many names for me—Slayer of Demons, Stalker of Dens, Destroyer of Spawn.
How old are you?
Approximately 1500 years old.
Who are the people you are closest to?
Jude Delacroix, Master of Demons. He has been my friend for centuries and keeps me sane in an insane world.
What is your biggest fear?
Finally finding love and losing it.
What is your most treasured possession?
My sword, Silversong.
Which living person do you most despise?
The demon prince, Damas, has been the bane of my existence from the first moment I took up Archangel Uriel’s charge to defend humanity against the demons.
What is the quality you most like in a woman?
Authenticity and honesty.
What do you most value in your friends?
Loyalty.
What is your motto?
“To thine own self be true.” Will Shakespeare always seemed to say it best.
Giveaway
Thank you for having me today, Diane. Much appreciated. :)
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome at Diane's Book Blog any time. Good luck with The Deepest Well!
ReplyDeleteWonderful character interview. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteAww! Thank you for reading, Angela. :)
DeleteThat except piqued my interest so hard! Loving the sound of this book.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sab! Hope you give it a try. :)
Delete