Gothic Beginnings

by Layna Pimentel

My obsession with gargoyles began long ago when I was transitioning from an awkward teenager, to a woman whose fondness for all things that go bump in the night, became a way of life. I’m not shy to admit that I like many others dove into the misunderstood realm of being ‘goth’. To this day, I am proud of that path I chose, and the people I met during those years. It wasn’t just the dark and heavy music of Nine Inch Nails, Ministry, or Type O Negative that allured me, but the culture in itself was the most fascinating thing ever.

But gone are the days of wearing long red crushed velvet dresses, knee-high boots that buckled all the way up, and black hair dye. The only thing that remains from those years is my obsession for stone figures—or in my case, resin castings of fascinating dark creatures.

I suppose it was inevitable that I’d eventually write a book about them one day. And I suppose hell froze over, ‘cuz guess what? I wrote one, and it got picked up, and it’s coming out very soon from Secret Cravings Publishing this April (date is still TBA).

For those of you intrigued of what Hardened Desire is all about, here is the blurb and a tiny snippet to tide you over until I post the full excerpt on March 30th at my regular stint at 69 Shades of Smut. Enjoy!

Hardened Desire:

What could Luc Mercier, a gargoyle who's more than a century old, possibly have in common with modern introvert, Gillian Harris? Loneliness and isolation.

When meddlesome friends bring the two together, neither is prepared for the flurry of emotions nor revelations that overwhelm them. That is, until Gillian stumbles across the truth and struggles with how she let her guard down.

Learning to love again has never been harder.

Excerpt:

Was he for real or what? Gillian mused while driving back to her High Park apartment. The stranger’s eyes captivated her, but also warned her not to get too close. There was something peculiar about his mannerisms. Who the hell actually kisses a woman’s hand when first meeting her these days? The age of polite men and chivalry only existed in history books and romance novels, and her life was anything but a romance novel.

Lizzie had crossed the line. What the fuck! Lizzie would be one dead chickie the next time Gillian saw her. If she wanted a date, she knew how to get one herself. Hell…the last thing I ever wanted was to be hand-fed a man.

Let alone the fact that she really didn’t have the time for one. It was bad enough this meeting put her into over-time, she still had work at eight in the morning. Yet, despite the inconvenience of this impromptu mini date—if you could call it as such—the man was charming in a distinguished sort of way.

Luc exuded a confidence that frightened her. Perhaps her inexperience with men dictated her apprehension, yet her inquisitive nature led her—or more accurately—dragged her on. She wanted to know more and understand what really attracted her to him in the first place.

Gillian backed into her designated parking space, narrowly missing the lamppost, utterly distracted by tonight’s events. She rushed into the building and ascended the staircase with expedience. She needed to talk to Lizzie and make sense of this, not to mention address the issue of her meddling.

Author Bio:

Born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, Layna discovered her love of reading at an early age. When she isn’t devouring salacious romance novels or writing, she enjoys losing herself in researching ancient history and mythology, weaponry, and hiking. She lives in Northern Ontario, with her husband and two daughters.

Layna is a member of the Romance Writers of America, and is a monthly contributor at 69 Shades of Smut. For updates on her upcoming releases, or to leave her a comment, you can find at:

RomanticsSleepy

Thursday, 28 March 2013