Deadly Destinations: Sharon Ashwood takes us to the Castle from FROSTBOUND

**Visit Dark Faerie Tales today for her Deadly Destination tour of Jenn Bennett’s Morella, California from Arcadia Bell & a chance to win KINDLING THE MOON**

 

A new week of Deadly Destinations starts today and we’re visiting an entirely different dimension: The Castle from Sharon Ashwood's FROSTBOUND (available now from Signet & you can read my review HERE), the fourth book in the excellent Dark Forgotten Paranormal Romance series full of “were-beasts, vampires, hellhounds, demons, dragons, unicorns—you name it.” Thanks to the wonderful people at Signet, three of you who comment on this post will win a copy of the book!  See details below

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Guide to the Castle
by
Sharon Ashwood

Take a trip to the Castle!

Okay, so you’re looking for a different kind of summer vacation: Something unique, something a little adventurous, and yet available at a bargain price. Got it.

Have you thought of visiting the Castle?  Sure, it’s had some bad press, but keep an open mind. First of all, it’s in another dimension. Who around the water cooler at work can say they’ve been somewhere like that?  Plus, the portal is right downtown. No plane fares, no passports required. Yeah, the leather clad guys taking tickets are known to turn into slavering hellhounds from time to time, but that’s only if a traveller steps out of line.

This trip offers an experience you just won’t find anyplace else. Think of the Castle as a cross between a horror-themed amusement park and a game preserve. It’s a little short on views—there’s only an inside of the Castle, no outside—but there are plenty of caverns, underground streams, and steep stairways to provide interest. With so many twisting stone corridors, it’s a good idea to stick close to your tour guide, but the entire structure is lit by ever-burning torches. Wear comfortable shoes and be sure to adjust your camera’s settings for low light.

Now, a few safety tips. The prisoners--um--occupants of the Castle roam free. Pay attention to the areas marked safe for visitors, and under no circumstances roam out of bounds. There are demons at large. Do not feed the dragons. Do not purchase anything from the dark fey. Do not annoy the trolls. Most of all, obey the Castle guards—they haven’t had a vacation in hundreds of years, and they’re cranky. Observe these few precautions and you’re sure to leave with plenty of fascinating stories and unique snapshots!

And, before you leave, be sure to stop by the souvenir shop! Whether you’re looking for the ladies (check out our unique Succubus Allure line of lingerie) or something for yourself (fancy a shrunken head?), the store is sure to have something to intrigue and amuse. All proceeds go toward upgrading the first aid area.

It’s a once-in-a-lifetime holiday opportunity! Forget Vegas with its whole what-happens-there-stays-there shtick.  Pffft. With the Castle, there’s no guarantee that your playmates will ever see the light of day again. How’s that for confidentiality? As for the sign on the entrance:  Welcome to the Castle. The price of admission is your soul.  Ignore that bit. Don’t pay any attention. Really.

The Castle is the prison where so many non-human creatures were held for centuries: these are the Dark Forgotten. It started out as a separate, garden-like world, but after the magic in it started to get old and run down, it turned into a dungeon.

This is the world the hellhounds grew up in, slaves to the more powerful demons.  The hellhound Alpha, Lore, engineered his people’s escape, and then returned to bargain for the lives of those stragglers left behind. Now he’s faced with rebuilding the hounds’ community and learning how to prosper in the human world.  They’re strangers in a strange land, and the pack leans on Lore to guide them in a place they don’t fully understand.

But that’s only the beginning of his problems. Then he meets Talia, one of the undead, and knows she is the one female he can love. In the hellhound mythology, the pack can’t have young until there is a mated Alpha pair.

The pressure is on for Lore to take a hellhound mate, and every granny has a young lady for Lore to meet. Unfortunately, although he’s definitely checked out the local girls, someone entirely inappropriate catches his interest. Talia Rostova is everything he’s not—a loner, secretive, up to her eyeballs in chaos and murder, and a vampire. Not only is she the wrong species, but she’s definitely not the kind of girl for a responsible leader.

Naturally, he’s intrigued. Enthralled. He may be the Alpha, but he’s also a young, hot-blooded male with an iron will and plenty of curiosity—and she’s forbidden fruit.

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About Sharon Ashwood

Sharon Ashwood is a free-lance journalist, novelist, desk jockey and enthusiast for the weird and spooky. She has an English literature degree but works as a finance geek. Interests include growing her to-be-read pile and playing with the toy graveyard on her desk. As a vegetarian, she freely admits the whole vampire/werewolf lifestyle fantasy would never work out, so she writes paranormal romances instead. Sharon lives in the Pacific Northwest and is owned by the Demon Lord of Kitty Badness. Visit Sharon Ashwood online: Website|Blog|Facebook|Twitter

Want to read more from Sharon?

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Giveaway provided by Signet

Three copies of FROSTBOUND by Sharon Ashwood

Available on now from Signet

Description:

Every dog might have his day, but the hellhound guards the night . . .

As a snowstorm locks down the city, more than the roads are getting iced. Someone's beheaded the wrong girl, and vampire-on-the-lam Talia Rostova thinks it was meant to be her. Now she's the prime suspect in her own botched murder—and the prisoner of her smoking-hot neighbor.

Lore is a hellhound, bred to serve and protect, so he's not freeing Talia until he's sure that she's the prey and not the hunter. You'd think a beautiful woman in his bedroom would be a good thing, but trouble-prone Talia has run afoul of someone more sinister than your average lunatic killer. An ancient Undead is wreaking vengeance on the city—and on her—and Lore will have to go far beyond a stake to put him back in his grave . . .

Click HERE to read an excerpt | Click HERE to read our review

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Giveaway Guidelines

1. Open to US/CA addresses only. No PO Boxes

2. Leave a comment for Sharon & a way to contact you unless it’s listed in your profile

3. All Deadly Destinations winners will be announced on August 7th

4. See our Giveaway Policy if you have any questions

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