SERIES: The Paranormal DownUnder - Christina Ashcroft

In Australia, 2012 is the National Year of Reading. What better way to celebrate this than by finding a new-to-you author or revisiting a favorite one?

This series of blog posts, entitled The Paranormal DownUnder, aims to do just that!

Any of my regular readers know I'm passionate about introducing 'local' talent (aka authors from Australia & New Zealand). This time around I'm keen to feature those who write in this genre.

So, be prepared for a swag of authors & some blatant promotion of their books as they share their thoughts on the paranormal genre and why they find it so compelling.

Please welcome my next guest...Christina Ashcroft. 

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 sticky 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.

Christina is a member of the Romance Writers of Australia, Romance Writers of America, the Dark Side Down Under group blog and the Historical Hearts blog. She is a contest judge for RWAm, RWAus and RWNZ. She was a member of the inaugural Professional Development for Authors team and has been part of the editorial team for the Romance Writers of Australia’s monthly newsletter, Hearts Talk.

What compels you to write in the paranormal genre?
I've always written stories that had a touch of the paranormal. Even when I was at school there was always an element of the strange in my English homework. Not that I ever thought it was strange, because in my mind it's all perfectly normal!!

It makes much more sense to me that there are otherworldly creatures among us, as well as among the stars, than the idea we're totally alone in the universe. Just because we can't see it doesn't mean it doesn't exist! And so writing about gods and goddesses, angels, demons and vampires feels very logical and sane to me :-)

Is there something you'd like to write but have yet to attempt?
Not that I can think of off the top of my head. I've written about all the fantastical beings that fascinate me, even if all those books haven't been published yet. I do have a couple of time travel romances I'd love to sell one day.

Who are auto-buys for you in this genre? What makes their books so appealing to you?
So many books and so little time! I don't even know where to start. I'm so behind in my reading, my tbr piles (both physical and digital) threaten to tumble at any second.

One series I've been looking forward to reading for ages is Joss Ware's The Envy Chronicles. I hope to emerge from my cave for long enough to devour the whole series in one go!

Archangel of Mercy (December 2012) ~ writing as Christina Ashcroft

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. 

Writing as Christina Phillips 

Forbidden (out now)
Between a warrior and a princess comes an erotic passion as all-consuming as the hatred between their warring worlds...

Captive (out now)
Trained in sensuality, a Druid priestess finds herself falling for the wrong man - the warrior who's taken her prisoner... 

Book 3 (release date tba)
A Druid priestess is captured and enslaved to a Roman tribune who must decide whether his loyalty lies with his heritage or the woman he suspects may be Rome's deadliest enemy. 

Highland Warrior Series (tba)
An exciting new series with sexy Highland Warriors and Pictish Princesses.

Touch of the Demon (novella - out now)
A bad ass dark angel hero. A reluctant assassin heroine. When their destinies collide raw lust escalates into a firestorm of sizzling passion.
Amazon   Nook