Please welcome Eden Bradley as she talks about her new release FALLEN ANGEL.
It took me ten years to write this book. Not that I sat in front of an empty computer screen for ten years-lol!-although sometimes that’s what the life of a writer feels like. : ) But the idea came to me while I was listening to music- Rhiannon By Fleetwood Mac. Images started pouring into my head- a woman lying naked on the bare earth, a hand scattering rock salt in a circle around her in some sort of ritual, strange symbols painted on her skin…
I often get characters first when my brain comes up with a story, and very often it’s visual-I know just what they look like, what their names are, even. But this time the woman was a mystery to me. It took me a long time to create a story around the image, and even longer to find a publisher who would take a chance on this sort of weird story. But weirdness aside, this is a really romantic story-more romantic than I expected it to be when I started to write it. My hero, Declan, is a pretty dark, tortured guy, and I think only someone like Angel, with her unearthly innocence, could have pulled him out of the darkness. I didn’t expect things to happen the way they did, but my characters are a bossy lot.
Then there’s the demon Asmodeus…can’t say too much about him without spoiling the story, but Asmodeus is the demon of carnality in the Catholic hierarchy of demons. I spooked myself a bit researching him-I’m a big chicken-lol! And he’s definitely wicked…although, again, this isn’t a paranormal, I swear!
Here’s a peek at FALLEN ANGEL:
He would move heaven and earth to protect her
Was she heaven-sent…or more heartbreak waiting to happen?
Haunted by a military mission that ended in personal tragedy, Declan Byrne still bears a soldier’s scars. As a park ranger on the secluded Mendocino coast, he guards his heart while standing ready for anything. Anything except a beautiful, ethereal woman with a mysterious past, falling from the cliffs to the rocks below.
Angel, as Declan decides to call her, has no memory of what happened. But as her body heals, disturbing dreams emerge. In Declan’s protective care, Angel feels safe to act on the undeniable passion between them, without the threats from old, unnameable demons. And, in time, she senses Declan needs her as desperately as she needs him. But when her past returns with a vengeance, Declan must decide just how much he’s willing to risk in order to keep the woman he loves safe.
EXCERPT:
Mist swirled around his feet, obscuring the hard-packed sand as Declan Byrne took his morning walk down the rugged beach. The sun was just beginning to rise, a faint amber glow casting the first golden rays of the day, barely touching the cresting waves of the Pacific Ocean. He loved it there, loved to come when it was still nearly dark, picking his way over the craggy rocks, the piles of driftwood and seaweed, the empty sound of the thundering ocean soothing him.
Liam, his enormous black mastiff, trotted beside him, his only company. Declan preferred it that way. He reveled in the loneliness, the isolation of this place. It was a big part of why he’d come back here six years earlier. He’d needed the quiet. He’d needed to heal. Maybe he still did.
Abby…
No, don’t think about her now.
Don’t think about her, period.
He turned instead to the sea, watched as Liam chased the edge of the incoming waves, sniffing, backing away as the water surged onto the sand. This was their daily ritual. How Declan got his head on straight before beginning work, before he had to interact with other people, something he’d been lousy at the last few years. He much preferred his dog, the ocean, the rough and lonely Mendocino coastline, to people.
His work as a forest ranger didn’t require much human contact. This particular job included making sure trails were cleared, keeping order in the campgrounds, the occasional lost hiker, and sometimes training new rangers. But mostly, it was just him and the forest, the lone stretches of beach and rugged cliffs that made up the National Park’s coastline. Probably the biggest reason why he’d taken the job. That, and something about his father having worked in this area as a ranger most of his life, up until he’d retired a couple of years ago.
Following in the old man’s footsteps, no matter how he felt about him. But this place was home to him. His gruff father was home to him, even though they’d barely spoken since his mother died.
Don’t think about that, either.
The sun was coming up fast, warming the damp air as he and Liam climbed over the rocks to the next crescent of sand. Declan stopped and looked out to sea, tracking the rising sun, the surge of the gray and green water, and felt that brief moment of peace he sought each day. He breathed in the sharp salt air, filling his lungs. Watched as a lone gull flew in low over the water on silent wings, skimming the surface beyond the waves. Peace here, yes. He didn’t want to stop to consider why he needed it so desperately.
A hard thump behind him; shocking, how loud it was,how it made the ground shake. Declan spun around, his heart hammering while Liam went off, barking like crazy.
A woman lying on the sand before him. He nearly tripped over her in the half-dark, had to dig his heels into the rocky beach to steady himself. The crashing of the cold surf faded into the background as he tried to grasp what he was seeing. Liam had stopped barking and was sniffing her limp body, his huge black head dwarfing her.
He grabbed for the mastiff’s collar. “Liam, off!”
What the hell?
She was naked, bleeding, one leg caught on the rocks, twisted at an impossible angle. His brain shifted into high gear as he bent over her, adrenalin swamping his veins in a hot, speedy current.
Where the hell had she come from? Must have fallen from the cliffs. He looked up, peering through the pale light, his gaze wandering up the ragged cliff side, but he saw nothing, no one.
“Jesus,” he muttered as he pulled out his cell phone and dialed 911.
As the phone rang his gaze roamed her body, trying to assess the damage in the diffused light of the rising sun. Pale, waving blonde hair down to her knees. There were strange symbols painted all over her: her stomach, her thighs, across her bare breasts. They were lush and round, he couldn’t help but notice, then cursed himself. The woman was half dead, for God’s sake. He leaned in closer, trying to find out if she was breathing. He didn’t want to touch her. No, he wanted to touch her. He didn’t dare.
What the fuck is wrong with you?
There. A small, gasping breath rattling in her chest.
Thank God.
An operator finally answered the phone, and he quickly told the man who he was, gave him details, his location.
He hung up to wait for the rescue team, finally dared to reach out and lay his fingertips on her wrist to check her pulse. Bones like a bird, isn’t that what the saying was? She was so delicate…
She was alive, her breath shallow, but she was taking one after another. There was blood everywhere; he could smell it even over the tangy ocean scent in the air, but beneath the mess he could see a lovely, angelic face. Hard to tell how old she was. Late teens? Early twenties? Closer inspection showed him bits of twigs—herbs, maybe?—and small bones woven into her hair. On her upturned palms were pentagrams painted in red.
Who the fuck would have done something like this?
Liam was standing next to him, over the girl, peering into her face as though he were trying to figure it out, too.
He’d never seen anything like it. He never wanted to again.
He fought back the sense of horror that made bile rise, made his throat want to close up.
So much blood…
~~~~~~
CONTEST! We can’t have a real celebration without giving something away, so how about I hand out to one lucky winner a copy each of my e-books TEMPT ME TWICE & the first book in my Midnight Playground vampire series, THE SEEKING KISS. Just comment here and let me know what you love about reading about love! I’ll choose a winner and announce it here in the comments section tomorrow night.
If you’d like more information about my books, visit my websites: EdenBradley.com EveBerlin.com or my group blog Smutketeers.com
Hope to chat with you all soon!
Eden aka Eve
22 comments
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Joanne B
June 20, 2012 at 11:13 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Fallen Angel sounds amazing. Can’t wait to read it to learn more about Declan and Angel.
e.balinski(at)att(dot)net
Eden Bradley-Eve Berlin
June 20, 2012 at 11:23 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Just popping in to say good morning, and to thank my hosts for having me.
I’ll stop by again a bit later.
Eden/Eve
Marika Weber
June 20, 2012 at 11:58 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
*waves to Eden* Yes, I’m stalking, I mean following you. I really can’t wait to read this one from you. You are an amazing writer and I wish you continued success.
Marika
maw1725@gmail.com
Kaylyn Davis
June 20, 2012 at 12:19 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Fallen Angel sounds so good! My favorite love stories are the ones that have a journey. They fight an uphill battle. I think it makes the ending more worthwhile.
erinf1
June 20, 2012 at 12:19 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
thanks for a fun post and giveaway! Congrats on the newest release!
I love *everything* about romance
I’m a closet romantic so that’s why I love reading about it so much 
erin
efender1(at)gmail(dot)com
Christine Sheets
June 20, 2012 at 12:36 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
The book sounds fabulous and definitely going to have to read it soon! Have an awesome day!
cms72023 at gmail dot com
Sandy Wolters
June 20, 2012 at 12:38 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Wow! 10 years? I’m so glad you released it because Fallen Angel sounds fantastic! I think the reason I like romance so much is because I’m a nurturer. I’m a sucker for two broken people coming together and making one whole unit. I also like the fact that in romance, you seem to have more happy endings than in any other genre.
Thanks so much for the awesome giveaway!
sandy(dot)wolters(at)q(dot)com
Maria D.
June 20, 2012 at 2:09 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Good post! No need to count me in the contest for the books because I already have them
Eden Bradley-Eve Berlin
June 20, 2012 at 3:00 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Aw-thanks, Marika! And I love a good stalker.
Sandy-I think so many of us women are nurturers-it’s natural for us. Maybe one reason why we love to read romance.
Thanks for stopping by, everyone!
Eden/Eve
Kirsten
June 20, 2012 at 3:41 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
FALLEN ANGEL sounds amazing, Eden! I’m hooked!
I loved the story behind the story, too. It’s amazing where the inspiration for characters comes from, and sometimes they just drop from the sky.
)
–Kirsten
didi
June 20, 2012 at 4:32 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Thank you for the great post Eden. best wished on the release of Fallen Angel.
Bee
June 20, 2012 at 5:22 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Thanks for the giveaway
My favorite thing about reading about love is the possibility. There’s no obstacle too big, no fear to great, and there’s something for everyone : )
Mel Bourn
June 20, 2012 at 5:41 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I love romance as a means to escape everyday life. It gives me something to look forward to.
Mel
bournmelissa at hotmail dot com
Laurie
June 20, 2012 at 6:33 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Congrats on the release, Fallen Angel sounds awesome! I love seeing how people overcome whatever obstacle is in their way to find happiness and love! Looking forward to reading this and more of your stories!
MaryC
June 20, 2012 at 7:39 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Beautiful cover! I love reading romances because they remind me to be thankful for the people in my life.
Tiana
June 20, 2012 at 8:24 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Reading romances is a way for me to escape. I know that there is a HEA or at least a HFN in all the romance (no matter the type) that I read.
Eden Bradley-Eve Berlin
June 20, 2012 at 8:54 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
LOL, Kirsten-it is!
Eden/Eve
ELF
June 20, 2012 at 9:03 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I love that there is always hope in love stories and the feeling that there is someone for everyone who can be absolutely depended on to have your back. Yes, you have several stalkers, lol!
June M.
June 20, 2012 at 9:44 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
What I love about reading romances is the HEA or at least HFN endings. And there are so many different subgenres that you can keep from getting burnt out on them and can find a great book no matter what mood you are in.
Timitra
June 20, 2012 at 11:27 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I love the emotion, the sex and seeing them overcome whatever obstacles stand in their way of finding their HEA!
taccb_1981@yahoo.com
bn100
June 21, 2012 at 2:15 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I like the happy endings and reading about how they got there.
bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com
Linda
June 21, 2012 at 12:45 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Love this and i´m looking forward to reading.
I love reading about alpha males, sexual tension and i need my HEA in the end.
That way i can read almost anything, as long as i know that it will work out *happy sigh*
best wishes, Linda xo