When I was asked what inspired this book, I had to stop and retrace my life to 2001 and 2002. The last two months of 2001 and the first half of 2002 were the months I spent discovering this secret world of gargoyles. I put the book away for nearly five years and when I picked it back up, I found myself consumed by the characters. It became almost an obsession to see where these characters would take the story and what would happen to them next.
Reunited was not an easy book to write because each of the characters were strong. I often had to rein in Starn. Even though he’s a secondary character he was dying to tell his story. He is such a misunderstood soul, that I thoroughly enjoyed writing. Stan however had a real problem which was constantly upstaging my hero, Garrett. Needless to say, Starn will eventually get his own story in the series. Once I promised him that book, the rogue gargoyle settled down – somewhat. He plays a very important role in Reunited and maintained a very strong presence throughout the book.
So did all of the other characters. I can’t recall when I’ve had such a cast of characters demanding the spotlight as those in this book did. I think their individual stories brought a great depth of emotion to the overall story of the gargoyles’ fight to survive. Jen Ormand, the heroine, certainly did because of her haunted childhood and destiny’s determination to constantly put her into the thick of things. Jen’s role, even though she starts out as an unwilling participant who just wanted to have a normal life, proved a challenge to balance so she was vulnerable yet strong.
Which brings me to the part where I’m often asked about portraying Jen in her reluctance to step-up to the plate and claim her natural abilities. I believe all people who have special abilities and talents that they find burdensome must at some time in life come to terms with their inner demons. Jen is no exception and although the majority of the demons she fights are very real, she still has an inner war she must wage and win.
Garrett, is the classic broken hero. He has flaws that I purposefully incorporated into his character that I knew would be difficult to portray in a heroic way. He showed me how to do this and I hope it made him even more lovable as the hero. From the reception he’s received, I believe it’s his flaws that make him a strong hero who has to overcome not just the insurmountable duty of saving his race, but getting out of his own way in order to accomplish this last act of heroism.
Reunited was not an easy book to write because each of the characters were strong. I often had to rein in Starn. Even though he’s a secondary character he was dying to tell his story. He is such a misunderstood soul, that I thoroughly enjoyed writing. Stan however had a real problem which was constantly upstaging my hero, Garrett. Needless to say, Starn will eventually get his own story in the series. Once I promised him that book, the rogue gargoyle settled down – somewhat. He plays a very important role in Reunited and maintained a very strong presence throughout the book.
So did all of the other characters. I can’t recall when I’ve had such a cast of characters demanding the spotlight as those in this book did. I think their individual stories brought a great depth of emotion to the overall story of the gargoyles’ fight to survive. Jen Ormand, the heroine, certainly did because of her haunted childhood and destiny’s determination to constantly put her into the thick of things. Jen’s role, even though she starts out as an unwilling participant who just wanted to have a normal life, proved a challenge to balance so she was vulnerable yet strong.
Which brings me to the part where I’m often asked about portraying Jen in her reluctance to step-up to the plate and claim her natural abilities. I believe all people who have special abilities and talents that they find burdensome must at some time in life come to terms with their inner demons. Jen is no exception and although the majority of the demons she fights are very real, she still has an inner war she must wage and win.
Garrett, is the classic broken hero. He has flaws that I purposefully incorporated into his character that I knew would be difficult to portray in a heroic way. He showed me how to do this and I hope it made him even more lovable as the hero. From the reception he’s received, I believe it’s his flaws that make him a strong hero who has to overcome not just the insurmountable duty of saving his race, but getting out of his own way in order to accomplish this last act of heroism.
Reunited by Sally Painter
Book 1 in the Gargoyles Seduced
Book 1 in the Gargoyles Seduced
Jen Ormand vowed never to return home. Traumatized by visions of demons only she could see, followed by a spell in a psychiatric hospital, she's determined to create a new life away from her hometown's dark past — until her parents die.
Now she's back and the demons are after her — again. Late one night they attack and sexy Garrett Dermonté saves her. When he sprouts wings and flies off into the night, Jen's sure she's suffering another psychotic break, especially since tall, dark and delicious makes her wet and hot for a lot more than rescuing.
Garrett has finally found the woman prophesied to reconcile his gargoyle clan. Jen is destined to lead them into battle against the demons, but can he convince her in time? Consumed by an uncontrollable lust for her, Garrett worries he's finally succumbed to the virus ravaging his species. Can he resist committing the unforgivable sin of making love to a human or will his hunger for Jen doom the world to demonic rule?
EXCERPT:
Garrett gazed down at the woman in his arms, finding it impossible to believe he was holding the Reconciler. He’d found her! Just in time too. Her aura bore a demon’s mark. She’d been recently tagged as a target, judging by the intensity of the reddish haze radiating off her. How long had they known about her?
His mind crowded with questions but the sudden whiff of her scent, a seductive mixture of earth and flowers, encircled him like wispy tendrils, numbing all thought. He drew the sweet fragrance in through his nostrils and electric currents zinged through him. What was that?
Taut muscles flinched and his heart drummed a new rhythm. A strange and perplexing beat that matched the anxious quaking in him. The sensation spiraled to his gut, twisting until it wound tight like a corkscrew and then released in a powerful surge of need. Primal. Urgent.
“What the fuck?” he panted, looking down at the woman still cradled in his arms.
Full rosy lips parted and a soft moan rushed between them. He raked his tongue over his lips, imagining how she would taste. Just a slight touch of his lips to hers… He held her closer against his bare chest. Sweat trickled down his back. Garrett shook his head as though he could disentangle himself from the seductive spell but his mind filled with the image of her naked body writhing beneath him.
He’d never experienced such a compulsion. His mind raced with possible reasons for the emergence of such a highly charged energy and then a fearful thought struck him. He’d heard of overwhelming urges taking control when a gargoyle was in the first stage of mutation.
Infected gargoyles claimed to be victimized by their inner natures, no longer in control of their free will. This couldn’t be happening to him. He couldn’t mutate. Not now. Not when he’d finally found their salvation. He looked down at the Reconciler.
Fate wouldn’t be so cruel.
He groaned. Heat pooled in his groin and his cock throbbed. The gargoyle nature was one of discipline, Garrett reminded himself. He was a trained warrior, able to control all desires, especially any unwanted reactions, yet at that moment he didn’t feel in control. The desire wouldn’t abate. In fact it stretched against the fraying threads of self-control.
“I won’t be defeated. Not by a primal instinct to mate a human. Not after all the battles I’ve fought against demons.”
Resolve was quickly supplanted by impulse and his feverish mind clouded as he looked down at her. God, she was so beautiful. She had a warrior’s physique, toned and firm, yet at that moment she was every inch of feminine softness. Gentle curves pressed into him as she lay unconscious in his arms, seducing him with the forbidden.
“Sweet paradise! I won’t allow this to happen,” he rasped and willed the arousal away.
The energy relented and twisted to his belly, churning into a hard knot. Licking his lips, Garrett studied the goddess cradled in his arms. Ethereal and irresistible. Moonlight bathed her face, tracing long dark curls that cascaded over his arm. His fingers trembled. He needed to caress the shimmering fall…no, what he needed was to sink his cock deep inside her warmth and find release.
Mercy! Was there no mercy? Not for mutants. A feeling of hopelessness settled in his gut. None for him.
“I’m not a fucking mutant,” he growled. There must be another explanation for what just happened. Something he was overlooking.
Her perfume filled his nostrils and Garrett frowned at the oval face, so perfectly formed…
Realization struck him. The emergence of his baser self must be because of her. It wasn’t the virus. Somehow— Maybe it was a special power she held as the Reconciler.
If it could do this to him, what would it do to gargoyles weakened by the virus? It would mean chaos not salvation. Garrett squinted. It couldn’t be her. He knew the Legend inside and out. Nowhere did it mention the Reconciler having this kind of power over gargoyles or that her scent was an aphrodisiac.
His stare traced the slender column of her neck to the front of her blouse. Full breasts rose high above the first button, luring his gaze to dip beneath the material in search of rosy tips. The imagery shot liquid fire to his groin, pooling at the very tip of his cock. Pre-cum leaked past his attempt to stop his body’s response to her as the feral instinct seized him.
He clamped his mouth shut, straining to control the surge of power coiling tighter and tighter in his gut, threatening to break free. He tensed his body against the force but it raced up his throat, clawing against his clamped jaw. A low groan vibrated against his teeth, curling his upper lip into a snarl. Neck muscles constricted and his head fell back as the building pressure pried open his mouth. A fierce roar burst from him, echoing into the night and startling nearby dogs into frightened yelps.
“Son of a bitch,” he wheezed and gulped for air. “I have to get out of here.”
Car. Go to the car.
Garrett forced his feet to take a step forward. One foot in front of the other. He carried her back to the SUV and opened the passenger door where he lowered her into the seat. He paused, staring down at her, longing to touch her face. He reached over to buckle the seat belt around her.
As he straightened, his hand brushed one of her breasts. He froze. It had been a simple touch, yet every cell in his body sparked to life. Strong nails dug into the flesh of his palm as he tightened his hand into a sweaty fist. The hot night air pressed down on him, offering no relief for his fevered flesh. Visions of her lying naked in his arms with legs spread wide for him, revealing tender flesh, pink and moist… He swallowed past the dryness in his throat. Raw nerve endings ached with the need to feel his cock scrape past the velvety folds of her pussy and plunge deep inside her.
He shook his head and shoved away from her. This must stop. He pounded his fists hard into his chest but the pain from the blows didn’t break the spell. The hunger consumed him.
Garrett knew if he remained there any longer, he’d lose this battle for his self-control. He slammed the car door shut and hurried around the front of the vehicle but glanced at her through the windshield. By all that was holy, he wanted to throw open the door, steal her from the vehicle, and disappear into the night with his prize.
His mind raced. He must think about something else. Demons. Shit, he had to get her out of there. They would return with reinforcements. His legs shook as he walked around to the driver’s side.
“What the fuck is happening?” he breathed.
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