#AtoZChallenge - Ritual and Relationships in Redcliffe

Ooh, what a tantalizing title of alliteration! Ha ha, I couldn't resist that one. Today for my #AtoZChallenge, I will explain a little about the importance of Ritual in my paranormal world. And I had to throw in relationships and Redcliffe at the last moment, because, well, they are the essence of the Redcliffe novels. My paranormal romance series is all about the relationships between our witch protagonist, Jessica Stone, and her vampires and werewolves. Oh yes, there are more than one! Not all are romantic interests, you understand, but the threat is always there, simmering below the surface…

Most people associate ritual with witchcraft or shamanism, some form of spiritual, magical practice that evokes unknown entities to cause chaos or heal the sick. This is an element of spiritual work. A ritual is simply a special routine, something used for a specific purpose. For example, witches who use candle magic, will set out their candles in specific shapes, such as the pentagram, to symbolise the elements of earth, air, fire, water and spirit with which they work. They may wear special robes, and eat food that relates specifically to the ritual they are performing. It is all designed to call out those hidden forces of magic and mystery that we simply refuse to see in our daily lives. It is our way of creating sacred space in which to work, separating the magical from the mundane.

Photo Credit Deviant Art

Jessica Stone learns the importance of ritual during her explorations in witchcraft. She observes the Redcliffe wolf pack, and she watches how the vampires behave, learning about their individual and group ritual practices. Jessica only discovered she was a witch when she fell in love with a vampire, and so she is wary of magic and spells. She soon embraces her heritage, however, because it all comes so naturally to her. The ritual side of it is something that she must learn about. She will study her craft, listen to her mentor, and acknowledge her own daily rituals as she moves through her adventures in Redcliffe, and beyond.

If you are interested in seeing other participants for the #AtoZChallenge, check them out on the official website. We have everything from book stuff, to cooking, to photography, to travel, and a whole lot more. Happy April!

Did you enjoy this article? Join my tribe today, and I will send you a fabulous FREE book to get you started… (be warned, my vampires do not sparkle, and my wolves will bite!) 

Coming Out of the (Writing) Closet

My heart was pounding. I felt slightly nauseous. Even sweating a little. This was Big News. I was about to finally confirm my chosen career in life. Yes, it had taken a while. At almost 30 years old you would think I had it sorted. But, life never quite works out the way you expect. I had been naïve, ill-advised, distracted by other activities, and generally lacking in confidence enough to do what I really wanted. Eventually, I went for it. I started writing. And once I started for real, I mean being a serious, active, doing it writer, I knew this was the start of a beautiful journey.

My first task was to convince my husband that I should give up my full time paid job, take on a part time job closer to home, and spend my free time writing to develop my career. That took a lot of courage actually, especially since we were planning a wedding at the time and were very busy with time-consuming, and expensive, tasks. We had taken on a mortgage for our first home. The house needed (and still does need) a lot of repair work. It’s a very old house. But that was all inconsequential. I had released the demon, so to speak, and the demon was demanding that I be a writer.

My parents knew that I enjoyed writing. They knew I was an avid reader. It was my mother who introduced me to the library from a young age, and continued to encourage my creativity as I grew older. I excelled at English and creative writing classes in school. I chose to do a degree in Media Studies at university. Everything was intended to see me follow through into a creative writing career. But, as I mentioned, I got distracted. And I never quite had the guts to write a story that I would actually show to people, one that could be published and released into the public domain.

It had to happen eventually. Something clicked, I did a lot of soul searching and spiritual work, and finally I decided to go for it. I submitted my first short story to a competition for an anthology. It was accepted. I submitted a story to another anthology. That publisher came back and asked if I had any other stories to publish. They soon helped me to bring Love Hurts (A Redcliffe Novel) out into the world, followed soon after by its sequels, Love Kills (A Redcliffe Novel) and Love Redeems (A Redcliffe Novel).



Even now, with four published novels behind me, and several short stories around and about, I struggle with the concept of calling myself a writer. Well, I did. I don’t any more. It took me a while to accept that I wouldn't necessarily earn millions of pounds in royalties overnight. Authors had always been these mysterious, elevated entities that existed in a world of which I could never be accepted. Well, now I am there. I am an author. And for those of you reading this who are struggling with the demand for your writing and your ‘day job’ I say this: Be proud of who you are. Believe in your stories. They are important. And they will be told, to the right people, at the right time. Have a lovely week!

Love Kills (A Redcliffe Novel) by Catherine Green #ASMSG #Vampires

This is the ultimate love triangle between a witch, her vampire, and his werewolf alpha brother. And did I mention, the brothers are identical twins? Super charged paranormal action set in the heart of the English Riviera, Cornwall

Love Kills (A Redcliffe Novel) available on Smashwords, Amazon, and in all good bookshops everywhere.

Celebrate in Style; Christmas with the Vampires! #ASMSG

With his blond hair, ice blue eyes and sculpted physique, Marcus Scott immediately turns the heads of everyone he encounters upon his arrival in London at Christmas time. Unbeknownst to all the women and men who fall under his spell with just one glance, Marcus is a vampire with a desperate need to feed from the young and the beautiful. When he unexpectedly encounters the Lady Amelia Richmond, the vampire instrumental in his own transition, the two begin to plan a holiday feast to satisfy their deep hunger.

Christmas with the Vampires is a special seasonal short story available exclusively on Kindle now.

Victorian Vampire Romance; The Darkness of Love #ASMSG

You might have read the Redcliffe novels and fallen in love with Jessica Stone and her adventures in love with the Mason brothers, but have you tried Victorian vampire romance The Darkness of Love? This features Marcus Scott from the Redcliffe novels, as he tells his story about how he became a vampire...

Lord Gregory Stockton is a powerful and respected businessman embracing the modern era of the Victorian industrial revolution. He has a grand and beautiful manor house complete with a repertoire of servants, and his young wife is charming, attractive, and the perfect lady to his gentleman. The only thing they lack is an heir to the family estate. Lord Gregory knows he can never produce a child, for he is a vampire, although his wife and servants know nothing of his secrets. There are other ways to provide heirs for his estate, however, and Lord Gregory has noticed the romantic attraction between his wife and the young stable hand Marcus Scott. He hatches a plan to bring the would-be lovers together, and then cruelly tear them apart as he continues to build his empire and secure his power base in the south of England. The humans are pawns in the vampire’s game of lust, love and control.

Hump Day Hook presents: The Darkness of Love #HDH #vampires

Greetings my friends, and welcome to this week’s edition of the Hump Day Hook. Today I show an excerpt from my historical paranormal romance novel, The Darkness of Love. This excerpt is right at the start of the story, where our powerful love rival, Lord Gregory Stockton, snatches an erotic embrace with his pretty young wife, Sarah.

He slid his hands down her sides, smoothing over the rich taffeta, and she stood very still, enjoying his caress despite her embarrassment at his bold behaviour.  Resting his hands on her hips, Gregory lowered his handsome youthful face and tenderly kissed her rosebud lips.  His body reacted as it always did to her tenderness.  She was delicate, so beautiful, and always so compliant for him.  His teeth itched as his fangs fought to free themselves, and it took all his self-control not to bite her white skin, and drink deeply of her sweet blood.

If you enjoyed this one, why not pop over to our dedicated Hump Day Hook blog and see what my fellow authors have to offer. We write about romance, love, science fiction, fantasy, erotica and everything in-between, so you are sure to find something that delights the senses. You can also find us on Facebook. Happy Humping!

Love Kills in the Hump Day Hook #HDH #ASMSG

Greetings my friends, and welcome to this week’s edition of the Hump Day Hook. Today I show an excerpt from book 2 in the Redcliffe novels series. Here is a snippet from Love Kills (A Redcliffe Novel). Our heroine, Jessica Stone, has returned to the werewolf lair for the first time since she discovered the secrets of her town. And now she faces a new challenge in the form of the werewolf alpha, Danny Mason.

We were back in the entrance hallway, the one where I had almost died.  I stopped in the middle of the room, staring down at a dark stain on the flags.  This was my blood.  I had lain here, bleeding from the neck and stomach, when Danny had fought Seamus Tully to the death.  Closing my eyes I could hear the dim sounds of snarls and growls, turning to howls as wolves were slain.  Simon and Sally had been injured but they healed quickly, so when they visited me in hospital it seemed like I was the only one to suffer.  I took a few deep breaths, and when I opened my eyes Danny was standing silently beside me.  I hadn’t even felt his presence.
“The floor has been cleaned several times.” Danny said, looking down at the stain.
            “A permanent reminder I suppose.” I said lightly, though my voice quivered.
“Come, Jessica, let us return to the pub.” Danny said, taking my hand and gently leading me towards the door across the room.
I nodded.
“Yes,” I said, “I need a drink.” 

If you enjoyed this one, why not pop over to our dedicated Hump Day Hook blog and see what my fellow authors have to offer. We write about romance, love, science fiction, fantasy, erotica and everything in-between, so you are sure to find something that delights the senses. You can also find us on Facebook. Happy Humping!

Help! My Novel Needs a Title!

I need some help people! My manuscript for the fourth Redcliffe novel is progressing speedily now that I am back in the groove, but at the moment it still doesn't have a title. Now I am not too concerned at present, because I have a long way to go before the book is ready to publish. However, I sort of feel the need to give it a name. It needs an identity of its own, and not just Redcliffe book 4, as I currently refer to it as. Can you help?

OK, so, where do we start? I think about how I named my first three novels in the series. Love Hurts (A Redcliffe Novel) was named almost from the start of writing it really. I got the name from that classic rock ballad by the band Nazareth. It seemed to fit somehow, and for those of you who read the book, you may remember the sneaky reference I put in there...

Moving on from that, I chose Love Kills (A Redcliffe Novel) as the title for my second novel because it was just right. Again, I liked the short, sharp header, and it is appropriate for the content of the story. Finally, my third novel Love Redeems (A Redcliffe Novel) also came naturally. Once I named the first book in the series and knew that I was writing two more, it was easy to pick titles. They all had to connect, and they all reflect the themes of the stories.

Now I have a dilemma. Do I choose a title for book 4 that also includes the word 'love' or do I move away from that? You see, the first three novels form a trilogy, but now I plan to write another three in the series. They may form a separate trilogy, I am not sure, so perhaps I can move on to a new theme. However, they follow on with the story that emerged in Love Redeems, and so I need some sort of correlation I think. I don't know! If you can help, please do... I await your suggestions and advice.

#99cents Offer! Love Hurts (A Redcliffe Novel)

Did I mention that my debut novel Love Hurts (A Redcliffe Novel) is now just $0.99 on Smashwords? Oh, well, just saying... maybe you want to read it, if you haven't already... and don't forget to leave a review! Thank you!

The Cornish town of Redcliffe is a beautiful seaside resort.  It has wild sea, rambling forests, mysterious cliffs, and a local powerful werewolf pack.  Jessica Stone is blissfully happy running a bookshop with her best friend and business partner, Elizabeth Gormond.

When Detective Jack Mason sweeps Jessica off her feet, she cannot understand the hostility towards him from her gay best friend Simon Bunce.  Eventually Jessica realises that there is more to Jack Mason than meets the eye, and then she meets his identical twin brother, Danny.  She is drawn into their dangerous lives by their enemy, a powerful werewolf determined to overthrow the pack leader.

Jessica’s world is turned upside down as she discovers that all is not as it seems in this picturesque resort, and there are many painful lessons to be learnt about falling in love…

Buy Love Hurts (A Redcliffe Novel) from Smashwords now! 

I Am the Master Procrastinator! #CampNaNoWriMo

We are 9 days into the Camp NaNoWriMo challenge for 2014, and I'm off to a slow start. It's not surprising really. As I write this, my youngest daughter is sitting on my knee trying to bash the computer keys. My eldest daughter is demanding that I play pirates, doctors, princesses and a whole host of other games. I sit at the computer, and instead of opening my WIP and getting on with the writing, I hop from one social network to another, messing about and telling myself that it is work.

I'm in a strange place at the moment. I need to sell more books. I need to get myself on some internationally recognized bestseller lists, and I need people to embrace the Redcliffe novels, and to understand that I am a bloody good writer! There is an opening in the UK market for some paranormal romance, since the popular television series Being Human finished months ago. I can't think of any British authors in recent decades that write the kind of stories I do, at least not in popular circles.

So how do I go about marketing myself properly? I have absolutely no budget. I am, essentially, a housewife. I dislike the title and all its associations, but that is a whole different issue I need to work through for me, and my emotional state. One thing is certain: my children are my priority right now. But in the same way, my books are like my children. Fellow authors will understand what I mean. I believe in my novels wholeheartedly. I would never have written them otherwise. So now I need to figure out how to show them to the wider world. How do I get people to actually buy my books? That is the ultimate million-dollar question...

The Darkness of Love by Catherine Green

Lord Gregory Stockton is a powerful and respected businessman embracing the modern era of the Victorian industrial revolution. He owns a grand and beautiful manor complete with a repertoire of servants and a charming attractive young wife. The only thing he lacks and desires is an heir to the family estate. Lord Gregory knows he can never produce a child, for he is a vampire, and his wife and servants know nothing of his secrets. However, there may be other ways to provide an heir for his estate. Lord Gregory notices the subtle growing romantic attraction between his wife and the handsome young stable hand Marcus Scott resulting in the humans becoming unwitting pawns in a vampire’s game of lust, love and control.

***************

The Darkness of Love is available in all formats from Chances Press and via my UK Amazon page and my US Amazon page

#SampleSunday The Darkness of Love

It has been a while since I shared an excerpt from one of my novels, so here is something from my latest release, The Darkness of Love...

         “Do you desire me, Marcus?” she asked, grabbing his hand.  What was this?  She was never so bold, never so brazen with a man!  Yet she didn’t feel light-headed or intoxicated.  Her words came naturally.
“Yes, Sarah, I desire you very much,” Marcus replied, shaking.
She grabbed his hand and clasped it to her bosom, and  he couldn’t contain himself any longer.  He embraced her in his strong arms, pressed his lips to hers, and she kissed him hungrily.  She tasted so sweet, so addictive.  Marcus groaned as he pressed her body to him, wrapping his arms around her slender waist, feeling her delicate skin beneath his fingers.  Then he broke off as he realised what he was doing.
“Sarah!” he gasped, “What are we doing?  This is madness!”
She laughed, reckless suddenly.
“I know,” she said, “It is completely insane.  But I cannot ignore it any longer Marcus.  I love my husband, I always will, but I am no cuckold.  I know that he has mistresses.  Why, then shouldn’t I take my own pleasure elsewhere?”

Did you enjoy this article? Join my tribe today, and I will send you a fabulous FREE book to get you started… (be warned, my vampires do not sparkle, and my wolves will bite!) 

New Year, New Hump Day Hook Style! #HDH

We’re back, hooray! Hump Day Hook was hanging in the balance at the end of 2013, but we simply could not let it go. Instead, our wonderful organiser, Kerrianne Coombes, has revised the format and today I present an ‘Action’ sequence from my debut novel Love Hurts (A Redcliffe Novel).

Suddenly he was on his feet, so fast I didn’t see.  He lunged at me and I screamed, jumping back as he grabbed for my neck.  He fell to the floor and I backed up, finding myself pressed against the wall, staring at him in horror.  He had tried to bite me!  He wasn’t human.  I couldn’t move; my body was frozen in fear as I watched Jack gather himself and stand up slowly.  It wasn’t Jack that looked at me from those beautiful blue eyes.  It was the monster from my dreams and I screamed as he lunged at me again. I called his name, trying desperately to bring him back.
Suddenly in a blur of movement someone pushed me away from Jack and put himself between us.  It was Marcus.  His eyes were glowing silver, his face white, and then he turned to Jack, restraining him, whispering to him.  Jack went still in his arms and Marcus turned his head to me, looking very human again.  
“Are you alright, Jessica?” he asked gently.

If you enjoyed this one, why not pop over to our dedicated Hump Day Hook blog and see what my fellow authors have to offer. We write about romance, love, science fiction, fantasy, erotica and everything in-between, so you are sure to find something that delights the senses. You can also find us on Facebook. Happy Humping!

*FREE BOOK!* Christmas with the Vampires

MERRY CHRISTMAS! 

In honour of the season, and in support of my latest novel The Darkness of Love, I am pleased to offer a FREE short story, Christmas with the Vampires, available to download now!

The promotion runs live on Amazon from 11th - 15th December, have a fabulous festive holiday!

Vampire Christmas Party!

This coming week sees the start of my epic book tour around the old t'internet on the Darkness of Love book tour. To celebrate, and in honour of the festive Yuletide holiday, I am hosting a Vampire Christmas Party over on Facebook. It starts at 9:00am GMT on Wednesday 11th December, and ends at 9:00pm GMT on Sunday 15th December.

I will be online to post snippets from my novels and short stories, throw in the odd specially written story or flash fiction piece, answer questions about The Darkness of Love, the Redcliffe novels, and my new short story Christmas with the Vampires, and generally make small talk with you guys out there...

So pop along, say hello, have a virtual glass of red wine (or something more suitable, wink wink) and sink your teeth into the wonderful world of the supernatural. Ho Ho Ho!

Four Intriguing Questions #BlogHop

Hello and welcome to my entry for the fabulous frog blog hop! Thank you to Flossie Benton Rogers for inviting me to play…

1. What are you working on now?

My current work in progress is the fourth novel in the Redcliffe series. Love Redeems (A Redcliffe Novel) was published earlier this year and it concluded the initial trilogy when my heroine Jessica Stone met the Mason brothers. Now her story continues, although at this stage anything could happen as she becomes involved with the Redcliffe werewolf pack while trying not to fight with her vampire lover.

2. How is your current WIP different from others in the genre?

Mine are totally British for starters! I find the majority of paranormal romance novels in mainstream avenues seem to be American, which is fine but I wanted something I could relate to as a small-town girl from the North of England. So I wrote something set in Cornwall, which is actually in South West England, but hey-ho! At least my heroine is a northerner who moved down south, and we meet some interesting characters from Ireland as well as the native Cornish folk.

3. Why do you write?

It stops me from going insane with the madness that would otherwise accumulate inside my mind. Well, that and the fact that I can’t help but dream up my own stories in response to books I read and television I watch. It is just natural for me; I have to write.

4. How does your writing process work?

Hmm, I tend to use a method known as ‘free writing.’ I simply sit in front of the computer with a vague idea of my topic/subject/setting, and I just write. Often I have no idea what to expect from my characters, or even where the story is going, but it usually turns out very well. Actually, my characters like to surprise me with random twists and turns, which is very exciting!

To meet some other fabulous authors, check out their Q&A blog hop on 12th December on the following websites…

Alexandra Anthony

Alex Laybourne

Debz Hobbs-Wyatt

Christmas with the Vampires #amreading

To compliment my new novel The Darkness of Love, I have released a special edition Christmas short story called Christmas with the Vampires. I succumbed to the charms of my favourite mischievous vampire Marcus Scott, and here is the result... Enjoy!

With his blond hair, ice blue eyes and sculpted physique, Marcus Scott immediately turns the heads of everyone he encounters upon his arrival in London at Christmas time. Unbeknownst to all the women and men who fall under his spell with just one glance, Marcus is a vampire with a desperate need to feed from the young and the beautiful. When he unexpectedly encounters the Lady Amelia Richmond, the vampire instrumental in his own transition, the two begin to plan a holiday feast to satisfy their deep hunger. 

You can download the story at Amazon US or Amazon UK.

Book Review: The Darkness of Love #ReadMe

Here is my first review of The Darkness of Love... http://www.tony-paul.com/

#NaNoWriMo – Love Kills (A Redcliffe Novel) - #HDH

Hello and welcome to the Hump Day Hook. In honour of National Novel Writing Month 2013, today I share an excerpt from my ‘winning’ manuscript of NaNoWriMo 2011. Here is a snippet from Love Kills (A Redcliffe Novel):

“Jessica, please, I want to help you,” Jack said from the stairwell where he stood in shadow, “You are not weak.  Please talk to me.”
Carrying my glass over to the table, I gulped the cold water and put my glass down, then turned to him.  He was naked, and his body seemed to glow in the darkness, tormenting and tempting me at the same time.  This was not a man.  This was a vampire.  I am in love with a vampire.  Because of him I was almost killed, and now I am scarred for life, both physically and mentally.  Because of him my life will never be the same again, and yet still I can’t leave him.  And now, to top it off, I am having erotic dreams about his identical twin brother, a man who has made it clear he wants to sleep with me.  What kind of a soap opera is my life right now?
“Jack, it’s late, or early, whatever, and I need to sleep,” I said moodily, “And I can’t sleep, because I keep having these stupid, ridiculous dreams.”
“What dreams?” Jack asked gently.
I swallowed, thinking about my words.  I felt anger now, and frustration, but at least the tears were gone.  I took a deep breath.  If I didn’t tell him he wouldn’t leave me alone.
“I keep dreaming about Danny,” I said, heart pounding.

If you enjoyed this one, why not pop over to our dedicated Hump Day Hook blog and peruse some new and exciting authors. We write about romance, love, science fiction, fantasy, erotica and everything in-between, so you are sure to find something that delights the senses. You can also find us on Facebook. Happy Humping!

#ReadMe – Vampire Seduction in The Darkness of Love - #HDH

Hello and welcome to the Hump Day Hook. Here is an excerpt from my new Victorian vampire novel The Darkness of Love. It tells the story of the vampire Marcus Scott from the Redcliffe novels, from the time when he was human…

 Amelia picked up her glass and took a long sip of the rich red wine.  When she spoke again her eyes were glowing and her fangs had extended delicately.  Gregory felt her energy filling the room, and he smiled, responding with a lash of his own cold power.  He possessed the energy and strength of diamonds, hard and impenetrable.  Amelia shivered, her lips curling in a hiss, and wrapped her violet sparks around him in a cold, sharp embrace.  To a human there was nothing unusual in this room, but to a vampire, it was electric and very exciting.  They played a fine line between safety and danger, and Amelia thrived on danger.

      “You wish for me to seduce this young man at your party next week?” Amelia asked, still caressing Gregory with her power, while she stood like a marble statue in front of the fireplace.

   

If you enjoyed this one, why not pop over to our dedicated Hump Day Hook blog and peruse some new and exciting authors. We write about romance, love, science fiction, fantasy, erotica and everything in-between, so you are sure to find something that delights the senses. You can also find us on Facebook. Happy Humping!