April 9, 2010

GuestPost by Teal Ceagh & a Giveaway

Please welcome today Teal Ceagh also known as Tracy Cooper-Posey. Her new book, Carson's night, was released this month and she is here to talk about why she chose Gargoyles to play an important rule in this book. She also has a little surprise for you at the end so stay tuned. Give Tracy a warm welcome


Gargoyles as heroes? Werewolves are bad enough.


Even when I was running a separate site for Teal Ceagh and, as I mentioned somewhere else, being myself “with the volume turned up,” one of my enduring themes on www.TealCeagh.com was vampires vs. werewolves. Even then, werewolves came a poor second.

I tried very hard to give the furry ones a fair go. I invited a lot of lycanthrope-inclined authors to guest with me and try to explain why fuzz was better than fangs. Tielle St. Claire and Katie Allen stepped up to the challenge, but I confess I’ve never seen the appeal.

Lately there’s been murmurings that vampires must just finally wither and die in the popularity stakes. My agent nearly fell off her chair when an editor said she wasn’t taking any more urban fantasy on board for just now, recently. That’s almost scandalous. Is this a hint that the time of vampires is coming to an end?

The more interesting question is, if it is, what would we vampire authors all write about, if they were to die out at last?

I put this question to my husband when we were idly sitting about musing over the fanged creatures who have supplied so much material for my books in the last couple of years. As Carson’s Night is about 1) vampires, 2) demon hunters and 3) gargoyles, and the gargoyles were his idea in the first place, he suggested, with his chest puffing up, that I use gargoyles as my next fantasy heroes.

Ugh. Eeewwww. I mean, gruesome.

He just blinked at me while I dry heaved. He didn’t get it at all. He pointed out that there was a really, really good series that had been done in the early eighties where the gargoyles had been the good guys. True, it had been animated, but I was writing novels, so that wasn’t a problem. The series had had character stars like Jonathan Frakes and Marina Sirtis from Star Trek: The Next Generation supplying the voices, even.

And while I stared at him, he rattled on enthusiastically about how these really cool gargoyles had gone around save the world as we know it, and how I should write these books using gargoyles as good guys and heroes…

Have you ever really looked at gargoyles? There’s no way you can pretty them up to even look pettable, let alone sexy. I write erotic romance. I’m good, but I’m not that good. There’s no way I could pull off a story about a human and a gargoyle that would even begin to sound convincing.

There’s a reason I haven’t tackled a werewolf story yet…I don’t think I could write one that would ring true. The thing about erotic romance is, if the author isn’t one hundred percent authentic it shows immediately. In normal romances, you get away with a certain amount of tongue-in-cheek because you’re not that intimate with the reader. But in erotic romance, you’re right up there, with no clothes to hide behind, so you’d better be open, honest and unquestionably the real deal, or you’ll hit the wall inside three paragraphs.

So while I’m sure there’s a really, really smart and creative author out there who will figure out one day how gargoyles can be used as the next generation’s romantic hero, I don’t think it’s going to be me.

But I do wonder what we’re all going to write about when vampires are finally persona non grata. What do you think will be the next big thing in fantasy?
___________________
Carson’s Night by Teal Ceagh
It’s August 1977 in New York City and the weird sculptor Moss Alex Meinhardt lies dead at the foot of an ugly gargoyle he’s half-completed. Natalia Grey’s demon hunter father is also dead, and his new partner, the astonishingly sexy Carson Connors, can’t remember how it happened.
Carson isn’t sure what role he has played in Natalia’s father’s death, but after one look at Natalia, he does know that guilty or not, he’s doomed.
Natalia must take up her father’s sword and her heritage as a demon hunter and figure out what happened this night, for the gargoyles Meinhardt carved have life they should not have without the help of dark forces she and Carson must defeat—once the gargoyles have risen, of course. But the night is hours away yet…

Excerpt


Carson Connors heard the murmur and flicker of light that meant the return of the vampires and stretched his shoulders and neck. They ached from being held in the same position for so long, forced that way by his wrists, which were bound by rope that was secured to a wall strut. The rope wasn’t cruelly tight, but firm enough to keep him contained at this end of the warehouse. He didn’t blame Sherwood for such a precaution. If it had been him, Carson would have done the same because under these circumstances he was a risk. Perhaps now they could sort this out. He glanced over to approximately where Peter Grey lay, a black shadow in the dark and unformed guilt touched him again.
What had happened here tonight?
No matter how he probed or tried to recall the events of the night, nothing came. No memories formed. There was simply nothing there, no associations to provoke the next event in the chain. He’d broken sweat trying to bring forth the memories and…nothing.
That produced sweat of its own.
He watched the light draw closer. So who was it the two vampires had rushed out to bring in as a consultant on this? Some heavyweight hunter? Peter James Grey had been one of the best and Carson himself was no slouch—he’d been building his reputation in the field, anyway—and couldn’t think who Nicholas Sherwood would be able to scare up in the greater New York area in late August at a moment’s notice that would be able to help the great Nick Sherwood figure this out.
The two reached him and Carson could feel his heart seize and his cock stir. Sweet Jesus, his mind murmured as he stared at her. She was quite simply beautiful, with perfect symmetry. Her face was heart-shaped, her eyes a stunning sea green with dark lashes and strong dark brows, and pillow-soft lips the color of apricots. Her skin was flawless. He had the insane urge to taste it, to slide his tongue along those cheekbones and nibble the corner of her jawline and that slender neck rising out of the Dark Side of the Moon tee shirt. Full breasts lifted the tee shirt and the belt pulled the jeans in around a waist that looked like he could put his hands around it. Indecently long legs hid beneath flared jeans. He’d have those off her. Very soon.
Then he realized with an almost painful start of awareness exactly where his thoughts and gaze were. He dragged, pummeled, tore his gaze back up to her face. Licked his lips.
She was staring at him. Her lips were parted softly and she was breathing quickly. Knowledge…awareness…it was there in her face. She saw exactly what he was thinking. It was as clear as if she had spoken. And she was not offended. She wanted it.
His excitement spiked again. He clenched his fists, feeling the rope chafe and his cock and balls throb painfully. He was suddenly hot, way too hot. He’d do anything to be able to take off his coat, the coat of his trade.
He made himself look at Nicholas Sherwood. “I can’t remember what happened, but I know I didn’t cause Peter Grey’s death.”
She flinched and suddenly he realized who she was. Grey’s daughter. The genetic traits were there, once you looked past her beauty. Grey’s strength was there in her stubborn jawline, her clear-sighted way of looking. And her green eyes. This was why Sherwood had brought her in. The inherited business. He looked at her. “You must believe me,” he told her.
“We’ll find out,” she assured him.
He was impressed. It would have been easy enough for her to simply believe him, to trust her instinctive reaction to him, but she wouldn’t allow herself to do that. She would trust only evidence because she knew she was vulnerable right now.
She hefted the sword on her shoulder and let the point drop to the concrete to rest. “Do you know who Moss Alex Meinhardt is?” she asked.
“Sure.” He shrugged. “He’s that weird sculptor nut who carves giant gargoyles.” “Gargoyles,” Nicholas breathed. He looked up at the roof. “And it’s dawn.” He put the lantern down abruptly and reached into his coat. “And the demon brings them to life.”
“What demon?” Carson asked.
There was a low, reverberating swoosh overhead. Then another.
He pulled out a knife and sawed through Carson’s bonds, freeing his hands. “No time.”
“I’ll get Damian,” the girl said.
“No, I’ll get him. I have no need of light. You take Connors and the lamp. Get your father’s body. Take all of them back to my apartment. It’s warded against the demon.” And abruptly Sherwood was gone, leaving the girl and her long sword apparently in charge.
There was another low swoosh overhead, then a more alarming sound, the crash and tinkle of glass and wood breaking as a roof caved in.
“Come with me,” the girl said. She picked up the lantern and began to run.
Carson threw off the last of the rope and followed and despite the knowledge that there were giant gargoyles pouring into the building, that his partner lay dead and he didn’t know why or how, that a demon was on the loose and bent on mischief and that two vampires were seriously pissed at him for all of the above, he only seemed to be able to focus on the sweet sway of her ass as she ran and how much he want to cup his hands around each cheek.
He knew that no matter how tonight’s events played out, he was doomed anyway.
_______________________

To buy Carson’s Nightclick here.


Don’t forget to leave me a comment!  I love to chat!


*~*Giveaway*~*

Tracy offered to give a copy of Eva's Last Dance to one lucky commenter.
All you have to do is ask Tracy a question

or 

tell us your opinion about her post.

Giveaway ends next Friday, April 16th.
(winner will be announced that weekend)

32 comments:

Jools April 9, 2010 at 8:55 AM  

OOOO the gargoyle idea is intriguing! I remember that series I was a kid and I used to watch it on Disney saturdays. Traditionally gargoyles were put on buildings to protect those inside and scare away evil- so ooooo possibilities! Stone by day, sexy warrior by night.... oooooo.

Cool post you got me thinking!

Really enjoyed the extract too.

I am a vamp lover, but I love all paranormal and would definitely read Gargoyles!

SusiSunshine April 9, 2010 at 10:24 AM  

@Minx LOL I loved that series too. And you can find a sexy warrior in everything, huh?

Jools April 9, 2010 at 12:51 PM  

Oh definitely, I can find a sexy warrior in the strangest of places! As I was buying shoes I was thinking (probably no thoughts that haven't been thought out before and disgarded) but... imagine, they are knights from another world battling in a war against 'monsters' their enemy- the war rages across space and they end up battling on Earth during the Dark Ages. They have with them a magical weapon (an egg of some sorts) which is to be used under dire emergencies only. Someone gets over excited and sets it off... it turns the 'monsters' to stone but also curses them to the same fate, they don't realise this until dawn breaks and they morph into stone monsters- aka gargoyles!

They quest during the night to break the spell, ahving kept in contact with their home plante over all thses years. The spell having extended their lives making them imortal...

That kinda thing.... ideas not completely realised yet!

Minxy

SusiSunshine April 9, 2010 at 12:56 PM  

@Minx Wow hon I so want to read that story now. You really can find the heroes everywhere!

Tracy Cooper-Posey April 9, 2010 at 3:00 PM  

Good lord, I've really started something, haven't I?

I supposed, if the gargoyles turned into decent looking human-like creatures at night, you could do something with that, but in the mythology as it currently stands, when they wake from their stone-sleep they look just the same, just animated. I wouldn't bed that in a million years.

By the way, thanks for having me here, Susi!

Tracy

Tracy Cooper-Posey April 9, 2010 at 3:00 PM  

PS: Minx -- really like your avatar.

t.

Tracy Cooper-Posey April 9, 2010 at 3:02 PM  

And yes, Minx -- that's as good an explanation for gargoyles as any I've heard so far. It could work...but it's like werewolves, you'd have to spend a lot of storytime having the heroine get used to the idea that these ugly creatures are the sexy guy in her bed at night. Ugh.

SusiSunshine April 9, 2010 at 3:13 PM  

@Tracy Anytime hon and I agree Minx's avi is really hawt!

Sophia (FV) April 9, 2010 at 4:51 PM  

Sydney Somers has a series called the Pendragon Gargoyle series where the heroes are gargoyle shifters. I've read one book in the series and have the on my shelf to read this month. I really enjoyed it. I admit I was dubious when I first considered reading it but Sydney Sommers made it work!

Tracy Cooper-Posey April 9, 2010 at 5:15 PM  

Hi Fiction Vixen:

I'll have to track down that series, then.

There's a whole series of books left in mine, too. BEAUTY'S BEASTS is the second in the series, and will be released in the near future, and I'm working on the third book now. So far in the series, gargoyles have been the bad guys, and less than romantic material, but nothing says that can't change! After all, Anita Blake starting out thinking vampires were utter monsters without redemption, but there was quite a shift in her perceptions as the series went on.

Cheers,

Tracy

Jools April 9, 2010 at 5:31 PM  

Ooooo thanks Fiction Vixen- I might ave to hunt that series down too!

Tracy and Susi- thanks I like my avi too *wiggles frilly butt*

I ahve been thinking about gargoyles and I have an idea now... I may ahve to blog about it... after I have written fight night! LOL

Cathy M April 9, 2010 at 6:03 PM  

Hi Tracy,

Well, I for one am not ready for vampires and werewolves to be gone. And why not a sexy gargoyle? I am in awe of the imagination of my favorite authors (that's you too, doll), and don't think the paranormal/urban fantasy craze will be over anytime soon.

I second FV on Sydney Somer's gargoyle series, she did a great job with it and made it totally believable.

Unknown April 9, 2010 at 6:08 PM  

Carson’s Night by Teal Ceagh sounds very unique. I look forward to reading it. The moment I read "Natalia must take up her father’s sword" I was hooked. I will definitely be looking into this book and author further.

Tracy Cooper-Posey April 9, 2010 at 6:28 PM  

Hi Cathy!

I don't think vampires will go away soon, but I think they're going to morph and meld with other fantasy creatures -- like gargoyles. We already see them rubbing shoulders with werewolves a lot.

I just don't like werewolves and don't write about them because I couldn't write them convincingly as heroes. As bad guys, probably, but the meat-breath and cannibalism, and border-line bestiality is something I have trouble dealing with honestly as an erotic writer, and if you're not 100% *there* when you're writing erotic romance, it really shows. So I've avoided the wolves so far.

I've just started reading Laurell K. Hamilton, and I've noticed she has a lot of the same prejudices. Well, Anita Blake does, anyway.

I guess it's not just simply a matter of us (Hamilton) just looking like each other (although I'm taller!).

Tracy

tetewa April 9, 2010 at 8:19 PM  

Paranormals are my favorite genre to read and I love the idea about reading about gargoyles! Sounds good! tWarner419@aol.com

Jools April 9, 2010 at 9:31 PM  

ok Susi this is all your fault- been on my mind all day I had to blog about it! my blog here

I am also gonna hunt doen some of thise gargoyle books!

Stella Price April 9, 2010 at 9:36 PM  

hey All..

I followed this over from Minxy's recent blog post. Vicki Tompson writes a gargoyle series for Berkley, and has for I believe 4 years now. Its pretty good, you should try them out.

Now I'm ALL FOR vamps and wolves to be OVER! As an author that writes the odder races (weresnakes, satyrs, Kitsune, Djinn, Kirata, Dagonites, cerberosi, unicorns, etc) I'm relishing a boom in the odder races (provides I'm in that boom , LOL). Joey W Hill has done great with her mermaids, and we all know the Cat and dragons shifters are climbing the ladder, why not Gargoyles or their equally interesting unique "cousins"?

With my weresnakes, its been a painfully apparent that readers are looking for that next big thing in romance, things that really make their brains work, and give them something new to love.. so I say let the blood suckers rest in their coffins, and the wolves scratch their fleas on the sidelines... lets give the more unique races a chance!

Stella

Stella Price April 9, 2010 at 9:39 PM  

Tracy: Re: werewolves: I AGREE... and think about this, when they are wet they are going to smell like wet dog too! nothing sexy about screwing what could end up being your puppy once a month!

I agree, I write Werewolves as bad guys,and they are constantly getting slaughtered (mostly because I seriously dislike them.)

*wink*

Fedora April 9, 2010 at 9:49 PM  

LOL! I think the only gargoyle hero I've read is in one of Sally Painter's stories--and I think he did do some sort of transformation thing at night or something :) I guess just about anything might make a good hero, but it takes the power of a great author to bring it to life! So you never know, Tracy! Maybe the muse will strike you and you'll be penning goldfish shifters next ;) (I haven't read any zombie stories yet either--that doesn't seem sexy to me...)

Tracy Cooper-Posey April 9, 2010 at 11:12 PM  

Stella:

Don't know that I could give up vampires entirely...but I could certainly mix them in with something new.

CARSON'S NIGHT and the gargoyle series will certainly do that -- the gargoyles and demons and demon hunters are a large part of the story universe.

But this is also an *erotic* romance, so there's a lot of story word count given over to...well...other stuff. ~wink~

But I'm always on the look out for what editors want next, and I'm just starting to get a hint now that editors are tiring of vampires and maybe urban fantasy in general (oh no!!)

It'll be a while before it dies out -- this was a New York editor, so they're acquiring for two years from now -- but it's the first early warning signal.

Tracy

Anonymous,  April 9, 2010 at 11:13 PM  

Hi T,

I don't know what would come next. I couldn't imagine reading a love story with anything that wasn't human for the most part.
I did read a cute gargolye in the Darkness series by Alexander Ivy. He was funny too. lol

Just want to say Congrats on the book and the tour!

Christine
chirth7@yahoo.com

Tracy Cooper-Posey April 9, 2010 at 11:14 PM  

flchen:

Have you read Mark Henry's HAPPY HOUR OF THE DAMNED? It features a zombie heroine and she looks pretty hot on the cover.

Apparently it's hilarious. I haven't read it myself yet, but I've had about five people tell me I must, so it must be good.

Cheers,

Tracy

Tracy Cooper-Posey April 9, 2010 at 11:16 PM  

Christine! You made it!

Thanks -- and I'll have to check out the Darkness series. Any gargoyle anywhere is worth checking out. I didn't think there were that many out there, but now they're coming out of the woodwork.

Cheers,

Tracy

SusiSunshine April 9, 2010 at 11:19 PM  

@Fiction Vixen I'm so writing the name down now. Thanks for the tip!

@Cathy M I'm not ready for that either. I love me some vampire and shifter action. But I have to say I Prefer the kitties as shifters.

@Robin K Do that hon!

@Minxy Girl you are just fabulous! Great post!

@Stella Okay the gargoyle list is getting longer. I'm so intrigued by the weresnakes. And yes kitties are the best!

@flchen1 Goldfishes? LMAO!

@Christine Another name on the list! Thanks.

Mary Preston April 10, 2010 at 12:55 AM  

I just LOVED the excerpt. WOW!!! Talk about leaving the crowd wanting more. I can't wait to read the book. So well done.

marypres@gmail.com

skyla11377 April 10, 2010 at 6:03 PM  

Carson’s Night Sounds Raally Good And Steamy. Tracy You Have Such A Creative Inagination. Loved The Excerpt By The Way.

Hey Tracy What Are One Or Two Things We Wouldn’t Normally Know About You?
And
What Inspired You To Write Eva's Last Dance?

skyla11377(At)AOL(Dot)Com

annalisa April 11, 2010 at 2:12 AM  

I enjoyed the excerpt for Carson's Night. It sounds like an exciting story!

I really hope that vampire books will continue to be popular and not wither and die! I have always enjoyed reading them and the paranormal genre is my favorite.

Do you enjoy promoting your books or would you rather be writing?

TOPSAIL246(at)aol(dot)com

Anonymous,  April 11, 2010 at 2:15 AM  

Hi Tracy,
I'm really looking forward to reading about Carson and the gargoyles. I love reading about Vampires and I have to say it Were wolves. :)I jut eliminate the wet dog smell and fleas and think about their sexiness and gruff behavior and all that stamina. :)Carol L.
Lucky4750@aol.com

Unknown April 16, 2010 at 5:06 AM  

I love gargoyles and vampires but werewolves and werecats are my favorites.
marlenebreakfield(at)yahoo(dot)com

Esther April 16, 2010 at 2:37 PM  

Maybe you could have an outcast Gargoyles disowned by his family because he was just so gorgeous :0)

Cheryl April 16, 2010 at 3:10 PM  

Wow, what a great post! That sounds like one hot book! I will have to put that on my list of books to read!

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