GtPGKogPYT4p61R1biicqBXsUzo" /> Google+ Sheep Interview: Christina Ashcroft + giveaway | I Smell Sheep

Friday, November 16, 2012

Sheep Interview: Christina Ashcroft + giveaway

Today we have Christina Ashcroft to talk about her new book Archangel of Mercy and maybe we brought up naughty bits once or twice <G>

Katie: Thank you for coming by to chat with us today Christina! The dungeons have been cleaned in your honor, just disregard all the moans.
*Sharon turns up background music* 
Christina: Thanks so much for having me here today, Katie and Sharon! Nice dungeons! 

Katie: Tell readers a little about your story Archangel of Mercy. 
Christina: The Archangel Gabriel is a tortured hero, who suffers from survivor’s guilt and the heartbreaking knowledge that he is forever separated from his soul mate. It’s for these reasons he fights his growing attraction toward Aurora—not because he has a pathological aversion to commitment but because he no longer possesses the capacity to love. 

As for Aurora, although in many ways she is the girl-next-door type she does have one significant difference to every other human Gabe’s encountered. And the consequences of her actions in trying to claim her heritage is the catalyst that causes an Archangel to fall from the heavens… and in to her arms. 

Katie: Oh dang! So he is going to fall? 
Sharon: *holds out arms* I’ll catch him! 

ChristinaYes, he well and truly falls although of course he fights it all the way.

Sharon: Why do all your stories have happy ever afters?

Christina: I love happy ever afters. I only ever read books where I know there’s going to be a happy ever after and it’s the same with movies. I don’t mind a good cry in the middle but if I’m in tears at the end (and not in a good way!) then watch out world! Dinner will be burned that night :) 

Katie: Would you say your Angels are the soft lovey type or the darker version? 
ChristinaThey are definitely the darker type. They survived an Apocalypse millennia ago and the events from that time still impact on them in the present day. They are hot, bad ass and immortal but when they find the right woman their entire existence is turned inside out (don’t you just love it when that happens?) 
Katie: And you have numbers for the single ones I presume? 
Sharon: Dossiers? I want some stats.

ChristinaIf only! They’re not very forthcoming until it’s all too late and by then the woman destined to steal their heart away has arrived on the scene *sigh* Still, at least I get inside info on what’s happening which can be very… interesting…

Katie: How does erotic PNR differ from straight PNR?
Sharon: Um…we are a PG-13 site…just saying <G> You can call them naughty bits.
ChristinaLOL! Well, I write for Berkley Heat which is the erotic line, and my editor was very keen for me to write an erotic romance with archangels. The focus is very much on Gabe and Aurora’s developing relationship and I confess I do mention one or two naughty bits. Several times. *Ahem* 

As for how it’s different to straight PNR, I don’t think it is except perhaps the love scenes are a little more explicit. There’s plenty of action going on that doesn’t include the naughty bits! 

Sharon: Do Archangels have better naughty bits than regular angels? 
ChristinaThe quick answer to that is yes. The long answer is… OMG yesssssssssssssssss!!!

Sharon: With a house full of kids and animals, how do you carve out time and space to write? 
ChristinaLuckily my kids are older now so I no longer do the school/college run – but whoever said it got easier as kids grew up was totally lying!!! My three kitties are completely adorable and one of them usually keeps me company by sleeping on my desk as I work. This is a bit awkward, as they also like to stretch out over all my notes and diary and don’t like being disturbed when I try and find something. Another of their favourite games is to see how quickly they can bat everything off my desk before I catch them. My best time to write is early morning but I’m hopelessly addicted to checking my inbox, Facebook and Twitter accounts. I might need an intervention. 

Sharon: Diary? Got any secrets to share?
Christina: 
Not counting my Sekrit Project, it’s filled with deadlines and reminders and word counts. Unless you mean Clive Owen and Henry Cavill’s phone numbers? Uh, sorry, not telling!!



Katie: How far do you see this series going? Is there a "final" book in your mind? 
Christina: Although there are threads that weave through the books relating to the ancient beings of the universe, the main focus of each book is on an individual Archangel and his heroine and their particular conflicts. At the moment I don’t have an end-book as such in mind, as I would really love to explore this world with all the different elements and archangels, demons and vampires that inhabit it. I have finished the second book in the series, ARCHANGEL OF DEATH, and have some ideas floating about for the third book. But I’m still waiting to hear back from my editor on that :)
Sharon: Back to the naughty bits…this Archangel of Death…are his naughty bits better.. SMACK!! 

*Katie bops Sharon on the head for trying to work the word phrase naughty bits into the interview again* 
Christina: I like the word phrase naughty bits. I’m going to use that in my next book! (Sharon, I have it on good authority the Archangel of Death’s naughty bits are very naughty indeed but I’m not going near the better bit or not…)


Sharon: Which of the 7 deadly sins did you last commit? 
Christina: I have a dreadful weakness for chocolate éclairs at the moment so that might come under the sin of gluttony. But I also frequently lust over my current hero. I might have committed both sins together very recently… 

Sharon: Which Disney Princess would you want to be? 
ChristinaI’d have to say Princess Fiona—that would be before she turns into an ogre! She’s a real kick-arse, take no prisoners girl. Umm, is Fiona a Disney Princess? *Hunts through the DVD pile* Uh… (Christina hides behind a large rock) 

Katie: Now it's time for some rapid fire questions. Just answer with the first thing that pops up!

Katie: Banana or Mango? 
ChristinaMango in yogurt! 
*Sharon whispers* with naughty bits

Sharon: left or right? 
ChristinaLeft (no idea why as I’m right handed!) 
Sharon: Welcom
e to the left side…mwahahaha! 
Christina: Do we have cookies?
Sharon: we have something better...moonpies!

  Katie: Coke or Pepsi? 
ChristinaTrying to give it up, but on my bad days it’s Coke all the way! 
Katie: YES!!! Coke again for the win!!! 
Sharon: *grumble, hiss, spit* 

Sharon: feather boa or fancy scarf? 
ChristinaI have fancy scarfs but I’ve always wanted a feather boa. A pink and glittery one! It would go nicely with the tiara! 
Sharon: And Diva bling-bling sunglasses! 

Katie: Walk really fast or hail a cab? 
ChristinaI want to fib and say I would walk. But the chances are good I’d hail a cab! Just don’t let the girls know over at the Romance Writers of the Apocalypse as we’re supposed to be getting fit for the End of Days. 
Sharon: Cardio Christina, cardio! 

Christina: Cardio should be a four letter word!

Sharon: Singing in the car or singing in the shower? 
ChristinaI’ll sing anywhere, anytime, so long as there’s no one around to hear me! 

Katie: Gangnam Style or Macharina? 
Christina: Macharina! 

Sharon: Rockies or the Alps? 
ChristinaI haven’t been to either, but both the Rockies and the Alps are breathtaking places I would love to visit – can I say both? 
Sharon: Well, I am sure Katie and I c
an come up with a fair trade…maybe an archangel or two? 
Christina: I’ll see what I can do!


Katie: Bold or italics? 
ChristinaItalics in a fancy swirly script. 

Katie: Thanks again for coming over to hang out with us. Anything you would like to add before we wrap? 
ChristinaYou can keep up with what’s happening in my crazy writerly world over on Facebook and Twitter. I love to chat with readers and would love to see you over there! I have a newsletter that I send out a few times a year - Christina's Newsletter 
It’s not a chat loop so your inbox won’t be flooded.

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


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. 

The Book Depository 
Barnes & Noble 
Amazon

About the author:
Christina Ashcroft is an ex-pat Brit who now lives in Western Australia with her high school sweetheart, their three children, an eccentric Maltese-cross and three regal cats. She can’t remember a time when she didn’t write, and always managed to include an element of fantasy or the paranormal in her English essay homework. Luckily her English teachers didn’t mind, despite the fact these stories generally finished with the hero, heroine (or both) coming to a dire end. Thankfully by the time she hit fourteen she discovered romance novels and the wonder of a Happily Ever After. She now writes about hot archangels and the women who capture their hearts for Penguin/Berkley Heat and her books always have a happily-ever-after. 


***GIVEAWAY***


An e-book of my erotic futuristic/fantasy novella, TOUCH OF THE DEMON, written under my other name – Christina Phillips – and some gorgeous Archangel swag. 



To enter:

1. Leave contact info in comments
2. Do you prefer erotic or tamer PNR and is there a naughty bit word that you just can't stand!?
*followers get an extra entry

Contest ends: Nov. 23 at midnight

29 comments:

  1. I like spice so I vote for erotic, but there are times when I want something not so erotic.
    debby236 at gmail dot com

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    1. Hi Debby, I'm the same. Sometimes I'm in the mood for something really hot but other times a sweet romance is exactly what I'm looking for :-)

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  2. I like tamer PNR. I do follow.

    sherryfundin69(at)netscape(dot)net

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    1. Hi Sherry, my books are on the tamer end of erotic romance, if that helps, lol!

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  3. Thanks for a great post and congrats on the new release! I guess it depends on my mood. I can read either :) Call me weird, but I don't like the word p*ssy and I especially hate the c word... I don't know why and it's so prevalent in erotica.

    gfc: erin
    efender1(at)gmail(dot)com

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    Replies
    1. Hi Erin, thanks for the congrats! I have words that squick me out. I blame my kids. A few years ago I used the word "moist" perfectly innocently when describing a cake. They fell about laughing and it's become a family joke. So now I have trouble actually using that word in my writing! Which is a shame because it's a great word :-)

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  4. I'm game for either... just depends on my mood:)

    *Follower
    yadkny@hotmail.com

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  5. I'd have to say that I tend to stray more towards erotic PNR. I like the naughty stuff LOL! I can't really think of any words that get to me. If any it would be the c word. It bothers me that it bothers me though cause it's used in erotica all the time. I should be used to it, and I am for the most part. Sometimes an author can go overboard with it though.

    I'm currently reading Archangel of Mercy and I'm really enjoying it. Gabe is such an elitist (I'm only like 50 pages in).

    follower
    riverinaromantic AT aol DOT com

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    1. Hi Megan!I tend not to use the c word, though I do think it's a great word when used sparingly, so I'm not too sure why I don't use it more. That's something for me to think about!

      I'm so happy you're enjoying Archangel of Mercy :-)

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    2. lol, I don't like the word 'nubbin' just...no!

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    3. Hi Sharon! I haven't used the word 'nubbin' yet :-)It's never really seemed to fit!!

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  6. I lean towards the erotic PNR.
    Thanks for sharing the wonderful post.
    Congrats on the release, Ms Phillips (the cover art is interesting)

    BeckeyWhiteATgmailDOTcom

    Follower

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    1. Thanks for the congrats, Beckey! I love this cover so much. The model for Gabe is so gorgeous, his face is just to die for :-) (his body isn't half bad either!!!)

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  7. I like both. Thanks for the chance to win!
    I follow by email.
    natasha_donohoo_8 at hotmail dot com

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  8. I tend to lean towards the tamer PNR, but when it is well written I will enjoy the story regardless of the label on the hotness LOL There are a couple of words, however, that make the hairs on my arms stand up they are .... ...., but that is me and we all enjoy different things. Congratulations and every success on the new release and thank you for the fun interview.
    dz59001[at]gmail[dot]com I am a sheeply follower ;)

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    Replies
    1. Hi Denise, thank you for the congrats! I'm glad you enjoyed the interview, it was so much fun. Despite how I showed my ignorance over the Disney princesses (not going to live that one down!!!)

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  9. I like both, I read both, and have more PNR in my library but I do not know how "tame" it is as a whole. Some is and some isn't. I love the edgier stuff as well as the tame. sdylion(at)gmail(dot)com

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    Replies
    1. Hi SydLion, I've only recently started reading the more edgier erotic romances. Joey Hill and Cari Silverwood are fantastic.

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  10. I prefer the more erotic PNR.

    GFC: Megblod
    Megblod@yahoo.com

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  11. I love 'em both...I read anything that strikes my fancy!

    I'm a follower!

    kcnrhtx (at) charter (dot) net

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  12. Thanks for this very fun interview ladies, I enjoyed it very much. I go for the "tamer" PNR or UF thank you, so I would love to win the swag, instead of the erotic ebook. I do want to read those Archangel books though.
    I am a follower of the flock.

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  13. Hi Aurian, I'm so glad you enjoyed the interview, it was great fun chatting with Katie and Sharon :-) I'd be happy to send you some swag if you'd like to email me - christinashcroft @ gmail dot com (no spaces)

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  14. I like both kinds. Don't have any words I can't stand.

    I follow via email.

    bn100candg(at)hotmail(Dot)com

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  15. contest closed. The winner is Debby! Thanks to everyone who stopped by and commented and thanks to Christina for taking the time to stop by too! I sent an email to the winner.

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