<>

Albert Camus

Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend.

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

The Dragon's Heart by Eden Ashe

Published: January 4th, 2014
Cover Artist: Renee Rocco

Description:

The dragon-shifter king will do anything to keep his mate alive…even if it means war.

“We’re dragons. We don’t do the mushy friend thing.” – Daniel

Dragon Lore, #1

After millennia as king of the dragon-shifters, Daniel Ashborne wants a little peace and quiet, especially from the beautiful Hollywood starlet who haunts his memories. His escape tactics end abruptly when he is called to the ER to save the one woman he wants to forget, but who now bears his mark.

Shelby Kincade’s life and movie career were nearly destroyed when Daniel vanished a year ago. Now he’s back, claiming they have been accidentally mated. Getting over him once was hard enough, but she must choose either the life of her dreams or the man she can’t live without.

With peace finally on the horizon between the dragon-shifters and the Hunters, an assassination attempt on the dragon king and his mate shatters everything. Tensions rebuild as Daniel and his loyal team of shifters try to discover who put out the hit. Enemy and ally lines are crossed, but in the end–after the battle ash has settled–no one could have foreseen who has plotted for their own gain.

Content Warning: Graphic fight scenes, lots of great sex, and hot, hot, hot dragon men.

GUEST POST
Dragons: From Monsters to Hot, Faithful Lovers

Maybe it was because my dad took me to see Star Wars when I was less than a year old. Or maybe it was because I grew up with my dad’s favorite movies: Indiana Jones, Willow, Star Wars, The Princess Bride, The NeverEnding Story. Or it could be because the first book I ever read was The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.

Whatever the reason, I’ve not only always been fascinated by fantasy and the supernatural, but the bad boys as well. The rogues. Those rough-and-tumble, craggy, gruff men who knew how to save the day—and the girl—in the end.

I’ve always resisted the idea that mythical beings had to either be all good or all bad. I’ve always been a huge supporter of the underdog, and what bigger underdog is there than the dragon? Throughout mythology, they were depicted as hunted and destroyed, with no personality established or given to them. Which kind of breaks my heart a little. Because even the most evilest, vilest creatures in the world have personalities.

So I started thinking. What if the dragon’s had just gotten a bad rep? What if they weren’t destructive hoarders out of any evil inclination, but because they were tasked with something huge, something that would make them hunted and despised through their own time and history?

What if they were guardians?

Daniel Ashborne, the dragon hero in The Dragon’s Heart, didn’t pop into my head a dragon, but I realize now he always had the personality for it. Huge, silent, grumpy, growly, over-protective, and loyal to a scary fault. While he will assure you dragon’s don’t eat baby or steal virgins, he will also be the first to tell you that dragons protect what is theirs. Not until the end, but until death. Once they claim something as belonging to them, it would take a force stronger than the entire dragon population to take it away from them.

Which make them the perfect heroes. Not just because they’re over-protective to a scary degree, but because they use those myths and legends to their advantage. Isolated beings, they still won’t hesitate to wage war to protect any female under their protection. 

And that hot, fiery personality? That’s not a myth. They burn hot to their cores, faithful and passionate, craving their mate with every breath they take once they find her and capture her heart.

And it’s that heart that makes them the perfect hot, faithful lovers that they are. Because underneath that overbearing, overprotective, hard bad-boy personality is a flawed, sometimes damaged male that needs to be loved desperately, for all that he is. Hard, scary edges and all.

EXCERPT


furious Daniel towered over her.

Realizing she was in an ambulance, she scooted back on the stretcher, pulling the sheet tighter around herself. Something was very, very off. There was no pain or range of motion issue with her shoulder. There was just a blackness where the last hour should have been. Whatever was wrong with her, it ran core deep, and had everything to do with the man treating her as if she’d caused all the wrongs in his world.

She let out a pathetic snort. He had vanished on her, leaving her to face the last year alone. The media wasn’t forgiving at the best of times, and they’d had a field day--field year--with America’s Good Girl falling from grace. A dead body, and the disappearance of the man accused of the crime, was too good of a story for the media not to run around the clock for a month straight.

It didn’t make any sense why he hated her. For as much hell as he’d caused her in the last eleven months, professionally and personally, nothing had prepared her for the blast of emotions that rocked her at seeing him standing close to her again. She had no idea what to do with the realization she’d missed him. As soon as she figured out what the hell was going on, she needed deep psychological help.

“So.” She was careful to keep her left arm tucked against her stomach as she tried in vain to put more distance between them. It still didn’t hurt, but the thought of ripping the rapidly healing wound open made her queasy. She’d never been a big fan of blood. Her teeth tugged at her bottom lip as she tried not to worry about how much space he took up, even while sitting on the bench. He was huge. “You’re alive.” When he leaned forward, bringing them closer together, she tried to keep her face impassive. Her gaze dropped to the huge forearms he braced against tree trunk-sized thighs, before she snapped her attention back to his face. He was a lunatic who looked to be on the verge of major violence. She wasn’t so confused she didn’t understand the combination was a powder keg with a lit fuse. “I wasn’t sure. The police said you were gone before the ambulance ever got to the hospital.”

“Disappointed, princess?”

She almost snorted at him. She’d spent the last year hoping he was still alive, and trying not to let the uncertainty drive her out of her mind. “I didn’t get myself shot on purpose, you know. So whatever you’re mad at me about, it’s not my fault. I didn’t ask them to call you.”

“Right.” He dragged his gaze from the mark over her heart back to her face. Though she was sure she was imagining it, she could have sworn his eyes lingered on her mouth. “Just like the Hunter showing up in your bedroom was just a weird twist of fate?”

“A hunter?” She asked, certain she was missing a huge part of the conversation. “Daniel, my house was in the most exclusive part of Los Angeles. There isn’t anywhere to hunt.”

“Ryuu.”



She remembered that word from their first date. He’d told her it was an ancient dragon curse because his sister didn’t like him using cuss words. Funny. She’d thought it was sweet at the time. Now she was sure it just made him bat-shit crazy.



About the author:
Convinced dragons have gotten a bad rep throughout time, and more than a little addicted to fairy tales and romance novels, Eden Ashe has decided to re-write history. In her version, the dragons are ancient warriors in tarnished armor, who not only deserve the girl in the end, but will fight forever for her.

9 comments:

Unknown said...

I am totally in love with this story! Shelby is a delightful, strong woman who deserves her fantasy man to give her a happy ever after, and Daniel is totally swoon worthy. This book is a must read!

Heather said...

The book sounds Wonderful !! Awesome Art work!

Unknown said...

Anything doing with dragons I love to read and this book sounds special with heart written all over it by the author

Fayth97 said...

Oh, I am going to love this book!!! Thank you so much for the introduction to Eden!!! Really hope I win this one!!!

Kai said...

I just love reading any books with dragons in them. Thanks for the giveaway.

Unknown said...

thanks for the giveaway.
love a good dragon story :)

Unknown said...

I love this concept of dragons being the desired ones. I agree- they always get a bad rep yet they are so amazing and beautiful.

Eden Ashe said...

Thanks everyone! I had so much fun writing it, and I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do. ~Eden

Amie said...

looks like a great book! Thanks for the giveaway.