Welcome to Annette McCleave's guest blog

First off, thanks very much for having me at Love Romances and More today. My debut novel, DRAWN INTO DARKNESS, just released on Tuesday, and it’s wonderful to be able to share my excitement!

Drawn into Darkness is the first book in a series about Soul Gatherers, immortal warriors who battle demons for the souls of the dead. There’s a dark theme running through the books, but they are definitely romances—each book follows the romantic fate of an individual couple. Being an avid fan of the romance genre since my teens, I truly enjoy the emotional journey of watching a couple meet, fall in love, and walk into the sunset.

To develop a paranormal romance series, the world in which the characters live and breathe must be rich and deep and sustainable. In this series I drew on religion, mythology, folklore, and my own imagination. Heavy on the imagination. While I used familiar markers from religion and tried to use them with respect, the world of the Soul Gatherers is pure fiction.

There are priests in my books, but they’re part of a secret society known as The Protectorate. There are angels with familiar names, but they operate within the constraints of a world divided into three ‘planes’ and guided by a Covenant signed between God and the devil. My Soul Gatherers are a take on the grim reaper, but Lachlan MacGregor, the hero of Drawn into Darkness, is far more gorgeous than grim, despite his unpleasant job.

Naturally, given the background behind my series, there are a number of action scenes in Drawn into Darkness, including a few sword battles. But there’s a softer, gentler side of the story, and the focus always remains on the romantic development between the hero and heroine.

******
He filled the kettle and put it on the stove. “How is Emily doing? Recovered fully from the accident?”
“Funny you should ask,” Rachel responded dryly. “She’s why I’m here.” Then she flushed a charming shade of rosy pink. “Probably inappropriate of me, but I asked around to find out which apartment was yours. I hope you don’t mind.”
“No’ at all.”
Mind didn’t begin to describe the turmoil in his gut. He wanted to be pleased that she’d sought him out, but a host of old memories rose up right along with his male pride. Memories of what it felt like to have a woman desire him, to win her love, to have his heart ripped out when she died—which all living things eventually did. He took two cups and a teapot out of the cupboard.
“What’s the problem?”
“It’s kind of hard to explain.” She wandered over to the stone fireplace, eyeing his sword with curiosity. “You’ve got quite the collection of medieval weapons. Are they real?”
“No, they’re replicas. The real thing would be worth an arm and a leg in today’s market.” And he certainly wouldn’t keep treasures like that in this poorly secured apartment. In a specially sealed vault at the bank, perhaps, but not here.
Her gaze drifted over the furniture-less room. “There are other priorities for your funds, I guess.”
The temptation to dispute his lack of wealth was powerful, but Lachlan kept his mouth shut. An explanation would almost assuredly involve showing her his well-appointed den down the hall, which was too close to his king-sized bed for comfort.
The kettle whistled, and he poured boiling water over the tea bags. “Tell me about Emily,” he encouraged. A nice, safe topic.
Rachel crossed the room and climbed onto one of the stools at the breakfast island. As she leaned over the granite countertop, the silky material of her blouse stretched tight across her breasts.
Lachlan abruptly turned away.
She sighed, then confessed, “I don’t know what’s got into her.”
As he fetched the milk and sugar, she explained her daughter’s wayward behavior and challenging attitude. Weariness tugged at her mouth and created tiny furrows between her brows—a sight he responded to by handing her several sugar-dusted shortbread cookies, which she ate absently, between words.
******


It’s a delicate balancing act, providing the plot depth required to make the paranormal aspects work while keeping the romance front and center, but that’s what makes this genre so fun to write in. And so enjoyable to read.

Speaking of great reads, what are some of the most fun or fascinating new twists on familiar mythologies or fairytales that you’ve run across? Why did the twist work for you? Have you ever read a twist that you just couldn’t buy?

Bio: Annette McCleave is the Golden Heart® award winning author of DRAWN INTO DARKNESS, the first novel in a new paranormal romance series about Soul Gatherers--immortal warriors who battle demons to protect the souls of the dead. A former marketing executive, Annette is now a full-time writer and mother of one.

Contest time: This is one of the stops on my Cross into Darkness blog tour. In celebration of my release, I’m offering one commenter here today a copy of DRAWN INTO DARKNESS. In addition, over at my personal blog, I’m running a grand prize contest. I’ve posted a mystery photo, and at each stop on my tour, I’m giving a clue about the identity of that photo. If you guess correctly and submit an entry over at my site, you could win a silver Celtic cross not unlike the one my hero Lachlan MacGregor wears. Contest details, including the stops on my tour are listed on my blog. Good luck!

Love Romances & More Clue: This area is in Perthshire

The second book in the Soul Gatherer series, BOUND BY DARKNESS, releases in May 2010.