Title: Blood on the
Moon
Author: Cassiel Knight
Published: October 1, 2012
Publisher: Champagne Book Group
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Word Count: 85,000
Content: Minor Adult Content
Synopsis:
Mia Langdon—tomb raider and adventure-seeker—has everything she
wants. Freedom. Independence. No chains (a.k.a. a man). Her troubles begin when
she’s attacked on a dig in Peru. Soon, she’s forced to use her tomb raiding
talents to find the flaming arrows of an Egyptian goddess. In the wrong hands,
this weapon could destroy the human race—and nearly had.
Used to doing things her own way, it isn’t long before she figures out that she needs the help of Harrison Braden Stanton, her stuffy, but so yummy, Egyptologist and ex-lover. There’s one problem. He despises what she does. As Mia and Harrison find themselves in the middle of a battle between the Egyptian gods and goddess, there’s no choice for the woman with a Grand Canyon-sized independence streak and the man working for the Egyptian god, Osiris, but to work together to prevent the destruction of all they love.
Used to doing things her own way, it isn’t long before she figures out that she needs the help of Harrison Braden Stanton, her stuffy, but so yummy, Egyptologist and ex-lover. There’s one problem. He despises what she does. As Mia and Harrison find themselves in the middle of a battle between the Egyptian gods and goddess, there’s no choice for the woman with a Grand Canyon-sized independence streak and the man working for the Egyptian god, Osiris, but to work together to prevent the destruction of all they love.
Excerpt:
What was with all the handsome blokes lately? It seemed she
couldn’t go more than an hour without seeing men who were the poster children
for every woman’s fantasy. Or were they just her fantasies?
He removed the gun from Gus’s temple but didn’t drop his arm. The man’s grip was steady, not quivering from the weight of the weapon. Strong, she figured. Used to holding guns to people’s heads. Lovely.
“My employer is getting impatient. She requires an answer.” His head cocked. “And for your sake, I hope it’s the right one.”
She? “An answer to what?”
Icy blue eyes looked deep into hers. “Don’t be coy, Ms. Langdon. It doesn’t suit you.”
“Well, you see, I’ve already given my answer so I really don’t understand your purpose in being here.” Mia placed both hands on her desk’s front edge. “I suggest you leave right now before I get madder than I already am.”
“Oh?”
“You and your men broke into my house, assaulted my employees and now threaten one of them with a gun. I’m plenty pissed right now, but still willing to let you walk away with your manhood intact.”
“And if I don’t comply with your eloquent demand?”
She shrugged. “You’ll leave me with no choice.” Her fingers tiptoed under the desk’s lip. “I’ll have to make you leave. On a stretcher.”
His laughter rippled forward, a rich, rolling guffaw that actually sent freaking shivers along her spine. Christ, Mia, just how long has it been since you had sex?
“And how do you intend to do that?”
She let a slow smile dance across her lips. “Like this.”
As she finished speaking, she tugged the stiletto from the hidden compartment under the desk and threw it at the man. At the same time, Gus collapsed to the floor and did a backward flip. The long slender blade with its needle-like point punched into the man’s shoulder. He let out a cry of pain and rage. Off balance, his fingers tightened involuntarily on the trigger. The Colt roared a single shot, splitting the wood of the paneled wall on the opposite side of the room.
She lunged across the desk, her ass sliding on the smooth surface and kicked the gun from his hand. Her feet hit the floor, and she immediately flipped a snap-kick at the man himself. He blocked her strike with both hands and before she could pull back, used her forward motion to spin her around. His right arm came from behind, snaked around her neck in a one-arm chokehold dragging her against his chest. The metallic scent of blood mixed with an outdoorsy odor teased her nose.
“Aside from the little poke, I expected more from you, Ms. Langdon.” His words blew a warm gust across her neck. Tiny hairs lifted. “I’m disappointed.”
She took a deep breath, suppressing the flush of rage clawing for release. Sparring while angry was a dumb way to get pulverized. “Don’t be,” she countered. “I don’t want to mess up my new carpet with more of your blood.”
He removed the gun from Gus’s temple but didn’t drop his arm. The man’s grip was steady, not quivering from the weight of the weapon. Strong, she figured. Used to holding guns to people’s heads. Lovely.
“My employer is getting impatient. She requires an answer.” His head cocked. “And for your sake, I hope it’s the right one.”
She? “An answer to what?”
Icy blue eyes looked deep into hers. “Don’t be coy, Ms. Langdon. It doesn’t suit you.”
“Well, you see, I’ve already given my answer so I really don’t understand your purpose in being here.” Mia placed both hands on her desk’s front edge. “I suggest you leave right now before I get madder than I already am.”
“Oh?”
“You and your men broke into my house, assaulted my employees and now threaten one of them with a gun. I’m plenty pissed right now, but still willing to let you walk away with your manhood intact.”
“And if I don’t comply with your eloquent demand?”
She shrugged. “You’ll leave me with no choice.” Her fingers tiptoed under the desk’s lip. “I’ll have to make you leave. On a stretcher.”
His laughter rippled forward, a rich, rolling guffaw that actually sent freaking shivers along her spine. Christ, Mia, just how long has it been since you had sex?
“And how do you intend to do that?”
She let a slow smile dance across her lips. “Like this.”
As she finished speaking, she tugged the stiletto from the hidden compartment under the desk and threw it at the man. At the same time, Gus collapsed to the floor and did a backward flip. The long slender blade with its needle-like point punched into the man’s shoulder. He let out a cry of pain and rage. Off balance, his fingers tightened involuntarily on the trigger. The Colt roared a single shot, splitting the wood of the paneled wall on the opposite side of the room.
She lunged across the desk, her ass sliding on the smooth surface and kicked the gun from his hand. Her feet hit the floor, and she immediately flipped a snap-kick at the man himself. He blocked her strike with both hands and before she could pull back, used her forward motion to spin her around. His right arm came from behind, snaked around her neck in a one-arm chokehold dragging her against his chest. The metallic scent of blood mixed with an outdoorsy odor teased her nose.
“Aside from the little poke, I expected more from you, Ms. Langdon.” His words blew a warm gust across her neck. Tiny hairs lifted. “I’m disappointed.”
She took a deep breath, suppressing the flush of rage clawing for release. Sparring while angry was a dumb way to get pulverized. “Don’t be,” she countered. “I don’t want to mess up my new carpet with more of your blood.”
About the Author:
In the job that pays the mortgage and allows her to indulge
in her real passion, writing, Cassiel Knight works for Clackamas County in the
beautiful state of Oregon. Crazy- passionate about the romance writing
industry, Cassiel has a paranormal romance series featuring fallen angels and
demons, an urban fantasy novella and a new paranormal romance series that
started this fall with Champagne Book Group. She writes paranormal romances
with kick-assitude that blend archeology and mythology – just a few of her
favorite things. She can be found online at http://www.cassielknight.com.
Giveaway Details:
There is a tour wide giveaway. Prizes include:
- Ten PDF copies of Blood on the Moon (INT)
- Blood on the Moon Bracelet (US Only)
- Key of Solomon Print Book (US Only)
- $10 Electronic Amazon Gift
Card (INT)
Interview between Keira Kroft and Cassiel Knight
Welcome to Keira’s Corner, where there is always
chocolate, and lots and lots of coffee.
Keira: You had a story release last year though
Champagne Book Group entitled
Blood on the Moon. What is that about?
An
attack forces a tomb raider to hunt for the flaming arrows of the goddess
Sekhmet, which triggers a chain of events that shove her and her ex-lover, an
Egyptologist, into a war between Egyptian gods and goddesses. Will the woman
with a Grand Canyon-sized independent streak and a man who disapproves of all
she is find a way to build a bridge between two souls meant for each other? Or
will secrets destroy any chance at rekindling their love? Blood on the Moon features the half-immortal children of Egypt’s
gods and goddesses born to protect mankind against deadly relics.
Keira: Is writing your only talent?
No,
not at all. But writing and editing, are what I’m best at. I also create
Christmas wreaths and arrangements and love to decorate my house. Unfortunately,
writing, editing and promoting my work keeps me so busy it’s hard for me to
find the time to do the other creative things I like to do. That’s okay, but I
do miss it sometimes. I usually try to take time before the holidays to create
the wreaths for my local writing chapter’s holiday party. One of these days,
I’d like to list them on Etsy or something like that and sell them. I think
they are pretty gorgeous. J
Keira: Where in the Hell did you find time
to write?
Oh, it’s hard, really hard anymore.
I’m afraid I write less than I do but I’m slowly working my way back into it.
It helps to be inspired about what I’m writing and as I’m working on book 2
(after Blood on the Moon) and love my
characters in there so much, I’m having fun which means I’m anxious to get back
to writing. Mostly, I just squeeze in the time I can. I’m fortunate that while
I have a day job, I can do some things there but I also don’t have any children
or outside personal things that take me away. That gives me more freedom to do
all the things I love.
Keira: Why are you a writer?
I’ve
been a writer ever since I can remember. This, I’m afraid, isn’t as far back as
most writers seem to remember. I love words and crafting sentences and
paragraphs into a tale – business or fiction. The first time I put pen to paper
to write fiction was after reading The Flame and The Flower by Rosemary
Rogers. At the time, I was in high school and thought being able to write such
a terrific story must be the most amazing thing in the world. Turned out it
was; however, I wasn’t the writer. I still kept writing. But not fiction. I
wrote for newsletters, drafted publications in the military, training outlines,
business letters and more. Everything but fiction. It wasn’t until AOL came
along that I found fiction again. Actually, it was a combination of AOL, Moondust
and Madness by Janelle Taylor (futuristic romance) and a dream. After I
read Moondust, I fell in love with futuristic romance and started
telling myself a story in my head until I went to sleep at night. I
“wrote” the whole first chapter in my mind and then one night, while my husband
was stationed in Guam, I didn’t stop writing the story after I feel asleep. I
remember the next morning waking up and knowing I had a story and that I had to
write it. At the same time, I discovered the romance section of AOL and knew
this was my dream. So, I put fingers to computer and wrote my first book, Written
in the Stars which I still have and no, not sure I plan on publishing. It
didn’t matter though. I was hooked on writing romance and have been hooked ever
since.
Keira: If you could choose anyone, who would
you pick as your mentor?
Stephen
King, absolutely. He doesn’t write romances but does he ever write a scary
story! I’ve read just about everything he’s written and I’m fascinated by the
depths of his imagination. To me, he’s a complete genius at things that live
dark in people’s mind. I often wonder what he’s like on a daily basis.
Keira: Please share a particular detail
about one of characters, please.
I
love to talk about my heroine, Mia. Like a lot of fiction heroines, she’s tough
with a heart of gold, but she’s more than that. I crafted her to be a strong
confident woman that I think many of us (I know I do!) secretly long to be.
She’s in control, for the most part, of her own destiny and her life. She makes
her own choices and will live with the consequences but she’s smart enough to
usually make the right choices. And can handle herself when she makes the bad
ones. When it comes to love, she’s also in control of that and isn’t afraid to
use her sex to win.
Keira: What advice would you give
to an unpublished writer?
Write
a good book. Seriously. That’s the key to the whole thing. And then I’d add,
make the book something you believe in and enjoy because you, unless you are
Nora Roberts who has hundreds of books out, are going to be with that book a
long time when it sells. I went through three edits and now that it’s getting
ready to go to print, am going through again. That’s four times after I sold
the book. See what I mean? J
Let’s get
personal…
Keira: What is your favorite Smell?
There
are a lot of scents I love but my favorite is plain, simple Vanilla. Vanilla
makes me happy. Makes me feel warm and secure. I have no idea why. I can’t
think of a single thing in my past or childhood that would explain this
deep-seated love of Vanilla. As a child, for Easter, I always wanted white
chocolate as my chocolate. I like regular chocolate but white chocolate is my
favorite. I remember the first vanilla/white chocolate bunny my mom gave me – I
was in heaven. I will often buy natural Vanilla bean ice cream and add nothing
to it. I wonder what it says about me that Vanilla is my favorite?
Keira: If you could change one your physical
features? Would you? What would it be?
My
skin on my face. Ugh. It tends to be red but not because I’m blushing. It’s not
so bad but it really shows in pictures so I tend to avoid having them taken but
man, I have some friends that take pictures of everything. Good thing I love
them. J
Keira: What is your favorite time of the
year?
Fall.
Because I loathe the heat of summer and Fall is just so refreshing. The cool
temperatures, the scents of moist grass and leaves, the bright colors. Yes,
even the rain. Fall makes me happy – and productive.
Keira: Do you have pets?
Yes,
I have three adorable Shih Tzu’s – Abby (8), Chloe (3) and Pixi (11 weeks –
yep, she’s a baby). I’m going to put them on my website so you can come meet
them at http://www.CassielKnight.net.
I suspect all the reasons I love my girls could be said of cats but for me,
there’s nothing like the unabashed love and attention my girls give me. The
happy faces, kisses, wagging tails and snuggles. I’ve had some hard times over
the last 10 years and know that without them, I would have lost myself a long
time ago. My first dog, Keiki and, my first female, Ginger, have left me in physical
form but will never leave my heart. Good thing it’s big enough to take all my
kids.
Keira: What are you reading?
Cold
Days: A Novel of the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. Of all the series and
authors I love, Jim Butcher and Harry Dresden are my favorite. I can’t get them
fast enough and while I wouldn’t pay the hardback prices, I’m willing to get it
in Kindle and even pay that high price. This series is crack to me. But, I’m
also reading, right now: The Paradise
Prophecy by Robert Browne a story based on Paradise Lost by John Milton about fallen angels and demons. A
favorite subject of mine as touched on in my first book, Key of Solomon. Plus, I always have a host of research books on
promotion and marketing, paranormal, history and more I flip through. Reading
is my passion – even more than writing which I love to do.
Keira: Can you share your blurb
with us?
Why
sure!
Mia
Langdon—tomb raider and adventure-seeker—has everything she wants. Freedom.
Independence. No chains (a.k.a. a man). Her troubles begin when she’s attacked
on a dig in Peru. Soon, she’s forced to use her tomb raiding talents to find
the flaming arrows of an Egyptian goddess. In the wrong hands, this weapon
could destroy the human race—and nearly had.
Used
to doing things her own way, it isn’t long before she figures out that she
needs the help of Harrison Braden Stanton, her stuffy, but so yummy,
Egyptologist and ex-lover. There’s one problem. He despises what she does. As
Mia and Harrison find themselves in the middle of a battle between the Egyptian
gods and goddess, there’s no choice for the woman with a Grand Canyon-sized
independence streak and the man working for the Egyptian god, Osiris, but to
work together to prevent the destruction of all they love.
One lucky commenter will win a free e-copy of Blood on the Moon
You can find Cassiel Knight at:
You can find Blood on the
Moon at:
Champagne
Book Group – plus, here you can read a free sample!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
