Meet Author Elisabeth Naughton and win TEMPTED

“Too dark. Too damaged.” Those are fightin’ words in a paranormal romance—namely, me fighting to read about a new alpha hero who’s going to have to face down his demons in order to earn his happiness. Speaking of happy, I’m happy to welcome author Elisabeth Naughton to the blog—Tempted is her new paranormal romance out this month from Sourcebooks. A former junior high science teacher, Elisabeth now writes full-time from her home in Oregon. Her work has been nominated for numerous awards, including the prestigious RITA award from the Romance Writers of America. Visit her at www.elisabethnaughton.com to learn more about Elisabeth and her books. And of course, today we’re giving away two copies of Tempted, so read on!

First, about Tempted:

       Demetrius is the hulking, brooding warrior even his fellow Guardians avoid. Too dark. Too damaged. And given his heritage, he knows it’s best to keep everyone at arm’s length.

       Isadora is missing. The words pound through his head like a frantic drumbeat. For her own protection, Demetrius did all he could to avoid the fragile princess, his soul mate. And now she’s gone—kidnapped. To get her back, he’ll have to go to the black place in his soul he’s always shunned.

       As daemons ravage the human realm and his loyalty to the Guardians is put to the ultimate test, Demetrius realizes that Isadora is stronger than anyone thought.

       And finally letting her into his heart may be the only way to save them both.

Welcome, Elisabeth! Give us the “elevator pitch” for the Eternal Guardians series.

Thanks so much for inviting me to stop by! Here’s the teaser for Tempted:

            A dangerous secret. An even darker desire.

            As daemons ravage the human realm, one Guardian’s loyalty will be put to the ultimate test. Salvation hinges on a secret he’s vowed to keep hidden and a smoldering desire he can never give in to. No matter how tempted he may be.

I love that you do playlists for your books, and make a mix available on iTunes. Do you listen to music while you write, or find songs whose lyrics inspire you? Is there one song that sums up Tempted for you?

I’m always inspired by music and each song on my book playlist is a song that somehow touched me or made me think about the characters or plot in some way. I listen to the playlists on my ipod while working out, driving or hanging out at home to keep me thinking about the book. But when I’m actually writing, I can’t listen to anything with lyrics. I find myself singing along and lose my flow.

       In every book, though, there’s one song that stands out for me. In Tempted, that song was “Missing,” by Evanescence.

Your warriors draw a lot on Greek mythology. How much research do you do, and why did you decide to draw on mythology?

I spend months researching before I begin writing, and continue as I’m writing. Every time I write a new book I find new mythological stories I want to incorporate into the Eternal Guardians Series.

You used to be a junior high science teacher. Did that have any impact on your writing? Any temptation to join the YA fray?

I know I got my penchant for writing romance by watching middle schoolers. Every minor annoyance to a preteen is the end of the world. High drama, extreme emotions. When I’m writing I try to apply that extremism to my characters. “What’s the worst thing I can do to them?”

       I have a book idea my middle-school daughter is dying for me to write as a YA. I’m still mulling it over.

What’s on your bedside table to read—or at the top of your To Be Read pile?

Right now I’ve got Catherine Mann’s Cover Me on my nightstand. After that I’m reading Tawna Fenske’s Making Waves.

       As for all-time favorite reads, Judith McNaught’s Perfect is one I’ll read over and over again. It breaks every writing rule out there, but I just love the romance in that book.

Do you read in your genre, or try to avoid it?

When I’m deep in an EG book, I can’t read other paranormals because they pop me out of my world. I also don’t want to be influenced by what other paranormal authors are doing. When I’m between books though, I enjoy staying up to date on what’s happening in my genre.

What’s next for the Eternal Guardians series? Can we *crosses fingers* expect more?

Yes! Absolutely! Enraptured releases April 3, 2012. You can find out info about this book on my website at http://www.elisabethnaughton.com/books/enraptured/. Enraptured will be followed by book 5 (we’re still debating titles), slated for release in November 2012.

Thanks, Elisabeth! Want to win a copy of Tempted? Leave a comment, and you know the rest of the drill. One entry for comment, another for blog follow, a third for a Twitter follow @Suzanne_Johnson, and a fourth for a Tweet or Retweet. Be sure to include your email. Now...Go forth and comment!