Enslaved is the latest book
in the Eternal Guardians series. What inspired you to write about the
Argonauts?
EN: I’ve always loved Greek mythology, but the idea
for the Eternal Guardians series came about while I was doing research for my
debut book, Stolen Fury, a treasure
hunt romantic suspense. In Stolen Fury,
the two main characters are searching for relics of the three Furies from Greek
mythology. I was so immersed in the research for that book, I knew I wanted to
write a series that had something to do with the ancient stories. At the same
time I also had an idea for a paranormal about a warrior in search of a human
woman who will fulfill a prophecy that will save his world. And one day I
realized…the two ideas were meant to go together. The Eternal Guardians series
blossomed from there.
The hero and heroine go on a treacherous journey, but
find the time to fall in love along the way. What draws them together?
EN: Gryphon is originally drawn to Maelea because being in her presence calms
him. He doesn’t hear the menacing voice in his head when she’s close. He
doesn’t know why she affects him this way, but he quickly realizes when she’s
close, he can think straight, and he needs that if he’s going to ever find the
goddess who cursed him.
For
Maelea, being with Gryphon is a risk. She senses darkness in him and knows he
was tortured in the Underworld. Because of her own link to the Underworld, she
finds herself attracted to the darkness inside him—darkness she’s been trying
to deny her whole life. She’s intent on getting away from Gryphon, but he’s
determined to keep her with him.
Soon,
of course, each realizes the other is not what they initially thought, and the
romance develops from there.
What’s one of your favorite scenes in
this book, and why?
EN: This question is so hard to answer without giving too much away!
My favorite scene in the book comes about halfway
through. Gryphon thinks he’s done something completely awful to Maelea. His
memories are sketchy, but when he wakes in the morning he’s riddled with guilt.
There’s a scene between the two of them where he’s trying to apologize—although
knows he can never make up for what he did—and Maelea’s looking at him like
he’s nuts. What follows is a major turning point in their relationship that
makes me smile every time.
Tell us something readers don’t know about
your hero, Gryphon.
EN: Gryphon was always the easy-going Argonaut. Fun loving, easy to get along
with, everyone’s friend. He was also quite a playboy before being sent to the
Underworld, and he had a reputation as a real ladies man. What readers don’t
know about Gryphon until they read Enslaved
is that secretly, he’s always just wanted to find someone who cares about
him because of who he is inside, not because of his title or status or his work
as an Argonaut.
What do you think Malea’s best trait is?
Her worst?
EN: Maelea is a survivor. And she doesn’t give up when she puts her mind to
something. She also has a soft heart, which is what ultimately makes her the
perfect match for Gryphon.
Her worst trait is that she doesn’t easily trust.
She’s lived so long she knows that everyone has their own agenda. She’s
skeptical and withdrawn and she’d rather live her life alone than open herself
up to someone who could hurt her.
What is your average “writing” day like?
Fill us in on all the “glamourous” details!
EN: Ah, the glamour!
A
typical day for me usually starts with a workout to clear my head (I run and go
to a weight lifting class to keep my shoulders loose – all that computer work
makes me sore). After that, I come home, spend the morning checking email and
doing promo work, and typically write in the afternoon. Depending on what’s
happening at my house, I either work in my office, my bedroom, or I head to the
coffee shop. After that, I head home, herd my kids and think about my book in
the evening before I start all over the next day.
Glamorous,
eh?
What is your most memorable Thanksgiving
memory?
EN: We usually go to my mom’s house for T’giving dinner. A few years ago she
decided to forego the turkey and serve lobsters instead. (I don’t like turkey
so I was thrilled with this idea!) However, she made the mistake of buying live
lobsters, and my husband and younger brother were goofing around in the kitchen
with them before the cooking. Yep, you guessed it. They wound up in a lobster
fight. Now, this is something I’d expect young boys to do, not grown men, but
what do I know? At one point I remember yelling, “Do not take those rubber
bands off the claws!” but no one listened to me. My younger brother ended up
with a nasty lobster bite on the back of his arm, my mom was frantically trying
to clean up his blood, which was dripping all over the kitchen floor, and I then
had to explain to my children why dueling with lobsters was not something they
should ever do.
Ah, family…good times.
Pick one (or all): favorite movie, book
or author and tell us why!
EN: Favorite Movie(s) – I have two! The
Lord of the Rings and Gladiator
(my hubby is so sick of these movies but I watch them regularly.) I love the
fantasy and friendship elements in The
Lord of the Rings and Gladiator
is an underdog story that always leaves me feeling as if anything is possible.
Favorite
book – Perfect by Judith McNaught. A
deep, emotional love story I reread at least once per year because I love the
characters so much.
Favorite
author – oh, that’s so hard! I honestly don’t have one. I like so many
different authors in a variety of genres. The great part about books is you
have many unique voices to choose from.
If I wasn’t an author my dream job would
be.....
EN: I would probably own a used bookstore with comfy couches and a coffee bar
where people could hang out, read and chat about books.
Please tell us what you have coming out next!
EN: Right now I’m
working on Eternal Guardians book 6, which is Titus’s book (tentatively titled Scorched). It will release in early 2013.
I’m also working on the sequel to Wait
for Me (which is still untitled), and I’m in the process of putting together
an all-new romantic suspense series loosely connected to a novella I wrote in
the Bodyguards in Bed anthology,
titled “Acapulco Heat.” 2013 will be a busy writing year for me, but I’m
excited about giving my readers new stories and new characters they can get
lost in.
ENSLAVED BY ELISABETH
NAUGHTON – IN STORES NOVEMBER 2012
“Do not miss this series.”—New
York Times bestselling author Larissa Ione
GRYPHON—Honorable,
loyal, dependable…tainted. He was the ultimate warrior before imprisonment in
the Underworld changed him in ways he can't ignore.
She calls to him.
Come to me. You can't resist. But Gryphon will not allow himself to be ruled by
the insidious whispers in his head. And there's only one way to stop them: kill
Atalanta, the goddess who enslaved him. But with so much darkness inside, he
can't be sure what's real anymore. Even the Eternal Guardians, those who
protect the human realms and the gods, want to exile him.
Finding Malea is
like a miracle. Somehow he doesn't feel the pull of the dark when she's near.
And he's determined to keep her as near as possible, whether she wants him
close or not. But she's a temptation that will test every bit of control he has
left. One that may ultimately have the power to send him back to the
Underworld...or free him from his chains for good.
Praise for Elisabeth Naughton:
“Entertaining and smoldering.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review of Tempted
“Creative
worldbuilding and ever-present danger pull the reader into this mesmerizing
tale.” —RT Book Reviews, 4 ½ star review
of Enraptured
ABOUT
THE AUTHOR
A former junior
high science teacher, Elisabeth Naughton
traded in her red pen and test-tube set for a laptop and research books. She
now writes sexy romantic adventure and paranormal novels full-time from Oregon,
where she lives with her husband and three children. Her work has been
nominated for numerous awards, including the RWA RITA© Award, the NJ RWA Golden
Leaf, and the RWA Golden Heart. When not writing, Elisabeth can be found
running, hanging out at the ball park, or dreaming up new and adventures. Visit
her at www.elisabethnaughton.com and follow her
on Twitter, @ElisNaughton.
Contest: One lucky person will win a copy of Enslaved. Leave a comment with your email address for
your chance to win. Contest open to U.S.
and Canada, ends December 2nd.
Blood Shadows (Blackthorn #1)
