Magic Thursday - Genesis of an Archangel

 Destined to fall... destined to love...

Writers are often asked where they get their ideas from, and it’s not always an easy question to answer. At least, I don’t find it easy because most of the time I have no clue where they come from!

But the spark that ignited the world of my Archangels is very clear in my mind, and dates back to well before we had the Dark Side blog. In fact there were only a handful of us in the Paranormal Group at the time when Eleni Konstantine announced that Harlequin were setting up a new line—Nocturne Bites.

Yes, I did say it was a long time ago :-)

For a reason I still can’t fathom, the image of a tortured Archangel flooded my mind (you knew he would be tortured, right?) He was on the outer edges of the universe being all moody and Alpha and it took me forever before I could get him to open up enough to allow me a glimpse of his story.

I wrote the novella, and something just didn’t click. It finally occurred to me the reason it wasn’t gelling was because Gabe had wings. But he was an Archangel, and Archangels have wings. How could he not?

Well, apparently this Archangel didn’t. And until I got that fact straight in my head Gabe wasn’t saying another word. And so I started over.

It soon became clear that a novella was never going to be long enough to get to the heart of what made the Archangel Gabriel into the immortal he was today. In fact it took me more than four years of writing, ripping apart, sewing back together and finally ditching a novel length book and starting again before his true depths were revealed. It was also some time during this process that an important secondary character was unveiled. And the inspiration for this character’s name is, once again, our very own Eleni :-)  I so owe her a big drink at the next conference!

So although the published book is very different from the original short story I first imagined, its core remains the same. An Archangel whose heart was shattered millennia ago and who is emotionally crippled with grief and survivor’s guilt.

And, of course, the woman who captures that damaged heart and heals his soul.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Archangel of Mercy

by Christina Ashcroft

Giveaway ends December 02, 2012.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Between an angel and a desperate woman comes salvation-

and a raw passion that challenges them at every turn… 

When Aurora Robinson attempts to open a rift between dimensions to embrace her true heritage, an arrogant Archangel is the only one who can save her from the jaws of hell. And while she owes Gabriel her life, she’s determined not to fall at his feet-despite the desire she feels whenever they’re together.

After his wings were brutally destroyed millennia ago, Gabriel has no compassion for humans like those who ruined him and betrayed the ones he loved. But when he inexplicably finds himself defying ancient protocols to rescue a woman from a fate worse than death, he is shocked by the searing attraction he feels for a mortal.

As the ancient forces that seek to punish Aurora for her actions close in, Gabriel offers the tempting woman protection at his private sanctuary. But as they both succumb to their desires, they discover an even deeper connection-one that threatens to consume them.

Excerpt

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Christina Ashcroft is an ex-pat Brit who now lives in Western Australia with her husband and three children. She is owned by three cats who graciously allow her the occasional spare moment to write hot paranormal romance for Penguin/Berkley Heat.

Christina also writes hot historical romances as Christina Phillips for Berkley Heat and Ellora’s Cave

I have a copy of ARCHANGEL OF MERCY and some gorgeous swag to give away to one lucky commenter – just leave a comment on this post or let me know whether or not you love a tortured hero—and why!

The contest is open internationally to wherever The Book Depository delivers.