Redeeming the Unredeemable
Hi all! Thanks for
having me here today and listening to a little about Marked for Death, the last
book in the Inherited Damnation series…and my absolute favorite book of them
all. If you’re just catching this
series, you can check out the first book free – Cursed to Kill.
So, around book four, my editor said to me that I was going
to have a hell of a task in redeeming Taran, the darkest sibling of the
bunch. To give you an idea what she felt
I was up against, here’s what he’d done so far:
pretty much attacked one of the heroines
- he killed innocent animals
- he hates his entire family
- he was stalking some woman in France
Quite the daunting task, honestly. But hey, I’m always up for a challenge!
As I piddled along, the answer to how I could pull this off
was to give him a reason for being so dark and so loathesome. Which meant something pretty nasty had to
push gears already in motion, into full-tilt baddness. The answer?
His curse.
You probably know by now that the entire family is cursed to
kill whomever they give their hearts to. And Taran fell head over heels for a
witch and suffered the worst fate—she died by his hand. In that death, in the torture he suffered
over knowing he killed the woman he loved and couldn’t stop himself, I found
the sympathetic thread. Which I believe
is the core of redeeming any darker character.
Can you imagine what it must feel like to be unable to stop
yourself, to have no physical control over what you know is rationally wrong
and horrific, and to murder the one person you can’t envision living
without? Then, to top it off, there’s no
death for you. No jury or life
sentence. No suicide. You must continue on, because you’re
immortal. And you can’t escape.
Unless you get your hands on one of your mother’s ancient
scrolls that will force you to stand before the ancestors, who will judge
whether you return to life or die eternally.
So who the heck wouldn’t do everything under the sun to
insure you weren’t coming back to relive that moment, that utter loss, day in
and day out? I sure would.
I think this added another level of depth to Taran. Previously, we never saw his thoughts; only
his actions, and several of his actions we heard about second-hand. For those of you’ve who’ve been following
along, as you get into Marked for Death, you’ll be able to look back and see
those scenes in a different perspective.
And then there’s one character who sort of marries the
entire concept of being alone. A cat
Taran very much cares about, but who can’t stand him. That poor cat is Taran’s judge, jury, and
executioner.
Of course, it’s never quite as simple as one element. There are many other smaller areas where
Taran’s past influences him. The issues
with his family run deep and definitely scar.
I’m sure some of you will relate to the struggles he faces with his
siblings, curse aside. And I’m pretty
sure there are some twists and surprises that you won’t anticipate. All of which were amazingly fun to write and
develop.
I hope you’ll check it out.
Meanwhile, please leave your thoughts below: what would you do in his position? How would you cope with the horror you created?
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One of eight children born to an ancient Celtic priestess
and sired by a demonic incubus, Cian McLaine suffers from a centuries-old
curse. Though his immortality allows him to enjoy the pleasures of mortal life,
he is plagued by the desire to kill. As long as he doesn't fall in love he can
keep the compulsion at bay.
When Cian walked into her rare bookstore months ago, Miranda
Phillips never imagined she'd lose her heart to the handsome playboy. Her
reward for doing so was abandonment. Cian left as mysteriously as he appeared,
in the middle of the night with no explanation, no goodbye. Now he's back, and
passion flares just as hot. But Cian has secrets. If Miranda is to survive, she
must uncover the truth and free his darkened soul.
Tormented by Darkness
INHERITED DAMNATION Book #2
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Cursed by her incubus father centuries ago, the last thing
Rhiannon McLaine wants is to fall in love.
The night she delivers flowers to detective Mick Farrell,
however, everything changes. Deep-seated attraction flares into untamed
passion. In the morning, Rhiannon awakens to find she’s lost her heart. Now, unless
she can convince Mick of her secret past, she’s destined to take his life.
When Rhiannon asks Mick to go camping with her, instinct
warns him to refuse. Though he hungers for her love and the goodness she
represents, he’ll do anything to keep her from discovering the darkness within
his soul. Yet a weekend in the woods is the perfect place to indulge in
temporary desire…until he finds himself bound against his will.
Surrounded by ancient Celtic rites and magic, can Mick see
beyond Rhiannon’s duplicity and recognize her love? Or will the revelation of
her true demonic nature doom Rhiannon to a mortal life alone?
Destined to Die
INHERITED DAMNATION Book #3
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Haunted by his mother’s betrayal, Belen McLaine surrendered
to his demonic half long ago. For centuries, he’s roamed, doing all he can to
corrupt those he encounters. But Belen’s life changes when a little Yuletide
fun goes wrong, and the one woman he can’t stay away from is suddenly in need
of his protection. Unable to cast her aside, he finds himself on a deadly path
to love.
Faith Winters shared one glorious date with Belen complete
with fireworks, but he stayed away until the night of her brutal attack. As
danger escalates, he becomes her only safety net. Shared passion gives way to
something deeper, hotter, than she’s ever known before. Yet Faith has no idea
her greatest threat is the very man who holds her heart.
Bound by Blood
INHERITED DAMNATION Book #4
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Beth Whitley has finally put her life back together after
her husband’s betrayal and is determined to piece together the clues to her
past. But she never imagines an ancient scroll bearing the name of a Celtic
ancestor will plunge her into a world of demonic ritual. Nor does she suspect
that a kiss shared with genealogist Fintan McClaine will unveil the secrets of
her dreams and a burning desire.
Fintan McClaine wants freedom from the dark curse he’s
suffered for centuries. When Beth arrives with evidence that she shares
ancestral ties with his Selgovae Celt tribe, he must confront the truth of his
inherited damnation. As he struggles to convince Beth the truth within her
dreams, she awakens a dangerous and forbidden yearning in his heart.
Fated for Sacrifice
INHERITED DAMNATION Book #5
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When Reese Hamilton is abandoned in the snow-laden woods,
she must find her way to Dáire McLaine’s cabin—a friend she’s known for years,
and the man who makes her pulse triple. Little does she know that a cozy night
in the woods will lead to passion they both have been longing to explore. But
with the new change in their relationship comes something darker and more
terrifying, and Reese must confront danger, even death, before she can be free
to love.
Dáire McLaine will do anything to escape his demonic blood
and attain mortality, even if that means defying nature’s laws and manipulating
Reese’s thoughts for his own means. But when he delves into her hidden secrets,
the staggering emotion he encounters makes it impossible to deny the forbidden
longings of his own heart. He’s yearned for Reese over the years. Yet to love
Reese will demand the ultimate sacrifice—his life.
Doomed to Torment
INHERITED DAMNATION Book #6
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Isolde McLaine left Hatherly Hall and its darkly handsome
owner Angus Shaw to escape her incubus father's curse. But when word reaches
her that Angus is selling the piece of British history, she returns to talk
sense into him. Little does she realized that returning to England will throw
her into her sire's vile world and leave her fighting not just her heart and
the danger of falling in love but battling to save Angus's son's life.
For three and a half months, Angus has done his best to put
Isolde and the one unforgettable kiss they shared behind him. Yet when she
returns, scolding him for selling his deceased wife's estate, he's sharply
reminded of the passion she awakens inside him. Yet as Isolde pushes for him to
leave his son's legacy intact, their battle of wills provokes far more than
just desire. His son's nightmares have returned. And Isolde triggered the
hellish dreams.
Torn between protecting his child and the love he feels for
Isolde, Angus must find the strength to trust in Isolde before her demonic sire
claims his son.
Enslaved by Fear
INHERITED DAMNATION Book #7
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For standing against her brother, Brigid McLaine is
imprisoned within her home. All she wants is freedom and the ability to follow
her dark nature. But captivity poses a greater threat in the form of her
handsome guard, Micah Nelson. Day after day of confinement leads her down a
treacherous path of desire she can no longer ignore.
When Micah befriended Brigid six years ago, he never
imagined the woman who haunted his every fantasy would end up being the very
same demon he's employed to guard. During the forced confinement, he comes to
learn the softer, gentler side of the woman who is despised by her family--and
he recognizes the fear that keeps her chained to her sire. As their bond
strengthens and passion ignites, Micah struggles to convince Brigid to confront
her fears and escape her incubus father's dark designs.
Marked for Death
INHERITED DAMNATION Book #8
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COMING 6/23/15!
Buy links available on the Author’s Website
Taran McLaine knows the agony of his incubus father's
curse more intimately than his siblings. A century ago he murdered the only
woman he ever loved. When he finds her alive, he's faced with the ultimate
heartbreak. They have no chance at a future--he's done all he can to insure
that on his day of judgment the ancestors will deny him a mortal life.
Years ago, Solene Larouche embraced Taran and the dark
curse that cloaked him. She knew the risk she faced, but when Drandar pulls
her back to life, she agrees to aid the demon and damn Taran to eternal
suffering. One look at the man who held her heart so long ago, however,
changes her mind. She must find a way to free him, even if it means
condemning herself to eternity as Drandar's slave.
As Samhain approaches, Solene and Taran conspire to
destroy Drandar. But will their combined effort enable them to kill the
incubus or will they be cast into Drandar's own special Hell and all hope of
their renewed love marked for death?
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Make sure to check all of them out, and thank you so much
for following the extravaganza!
About the Author:
Building on a
background of fantasy game design, a fascination with history, and a lifetime
love of books, Award-Winning Author Claire Ashgrove brings to life
action-filled, passionate journeys of the heart. Her paranormal series, The
Curse of the Templars, marries the history of the Knights Templar with the
chilling aspirations of the most unholy--a must-read for speculative fiction
fans. For romance fans, she also writes as the National Bestselling Author Tori
St. Claire and historical romance as Sophia Garrett.
In her non-writing
time, she owns and operates Finish The Story, a full-scale editing house
co-founded with Bryan Thomas Schmidt. She lives in Missouri and enjoys cooking,
studying ancient civilizations, and spending downtime with her two sons and
too-many horses, cats, and dogs.
To learn more,
visit her at: claireashgrove.com or
toristclaire.com. For all the
latest updates look for the Untamed Spirit blog, via any of her websites.
