A Note:

6/2/13

I once told myself: IF I am accepted into grad school, this blog would no longer be updated. As it turns out, in April, I received news of my acceptance for the Fall 2013 semester, where I will attain a Master's degree of Science in Nutrition.

Running a blog, as many of you may already know, is a demanding side job once the excitement wears off. And once I fell out of the blogging community's loop (have you SEEN how many blogs there are now? Wow!), it was like the kiss of death. Despite my best efforts, I couldn't get into a blogging routine once this happened due to the disconnect I felt from the community.

So I took a break. I struggled with the loss and with missing my blog. And then I realized I didn't have to run Book Faery to still be a book reviewer; I could read my books and post reviews online. I'm still a book review blogger, just not in the traditional sense.

I'll still be online. You can chat with me on Twitter, where I'll be posting links to my reviews and talking books. I'll also be posting links to nutrition articles. And if you'd like to connect with me where I guarantee I will post reviews, just add me as a friend on Goodreads.

So that's all, folks! It's been a fun and amazing journey, and I thank you all for listening to my thoughts about books. I hope we all can keep in touch elsewhere :)

Tori

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Guest Post with Claire Ashgrove


Why My Knights Are “Old”

by Claire Ashgrove 


If you’ve been following the blog tour, yesterday you read an interview with Merrick du Loire, the hero in IMMORTAL HOPE, and you probably recognized his speech is a little antiquated. He’s definitely not a modern man. And, on some levels, Anne initially exchanges “chivalrous” for “chauvinist.” 

When I developed the series, I put a lot of thought into how I wanted to portray the knights. Eventually one thought refused to leave my head – “These men have been around for centuries, but all the life lessons of importance they learned in the 12th Century.” 

If you consider the values we learn in our first twenty years of life, for most of us, that builds the foundation for adulthood. That’s often why we “turn into our parents”. I had a difficult time believing that even though they were adults for centuries that time could erase core values and beliefs.

Secondly, it’s only been the last 100 years where we, as a society, have moved away from the traditions or principles of our ancestors. Prior to 1900 the role of men and women was very cut and dry. A few exceptions occurred, but as a rule, men had their responsibilities and women theirs. We were also a very warlike society – and some would argue we still are, but I counter that we’re nowhere as warlike as Europe prior to 1700. 

If you consider a man born in roughly 1100 has lived 900 years. Only the last century have values begun to shift into what we call “modern society”. I find it incredibly difficult to believe that 800 years of different principles can just be erased because the rest of society shifted. 

Last, I spoke with someone who’s an immigrant and came overseas as a child. He has no accent to his speech, despite hailing from a country where we would consider the accent thick. His sister, who’s only a few years older than he, however, has a very thick accent. Evidently, there’s a point in life where the way we learn to speak stays with us, despite how long we speak a second language. That’s why accents carry over and only truly disappear in those who put conscious effort into altering speech. 

All of that combined into a firm opinion on how knights who’ve been alive for 900 years, give or take, should appear in the series – they must be antiquated. They can’t just embrace the idea of women’s liberties, they can’t just stand aside and compromise ingrained values. They can’t suddenly become metro-sexual men in tune with their feminine sides either. 

They must, at all costs, embody the complete picture of a knight. 

And that’s why my knights are old, not just in age, but in spirit and thought as well. I’m curious though – what are your thoughts? Would you concur that 800 years of life would stamp certain things into an individual? Or would you make the argument that centuries-old people would change as society changes, and adapt to the standards of today?


~Claire

Claire Ashgrove has been writing since her early teens and maintained the hobby for twenty years before deciding to leap into the professional world. Her first contemporary novel, Seduction's Stakes, sold to The Wild Rose Press in 2008, where she continues to write steamy, sexy stories for the Champagne and Black Rose lines. Adding to these critically acclaimed contemporaries, Claire’s paranormal romance series, The Curse of the Templars, debuts with Tor in January 2012. For those who prefer the more erotic side of romance, she also writes for Berkley Heat under the pen name Tori St. Claire.

Claire lives on a small farm in Missouri with her two toddler sons, fifteen horses, four cats, and five dogs. In her “free” time, she enjoys cooking, winning at rummy, studying ancient civilizations, and spending quiet moments with her family, including the critters. She credits her success to her family's constant support and endless patience.


To learn more about Claire, visit her at:
www.claireashgrove.com
www.toristclaire.com
TWITTER: @ClaireAshgrove

 

Remember! I will be giving away a $25 Amazon.com gift certificate to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour, and a second $25.00 Amazon.com gift certificate to a second randomly drawn commenter at the end of the tour. Be sure to follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning! Click the Blog Tour badge for a complete list of blog stops.




Giveaway Time!



Centuries ago, Templar knights defied the archangels and unearthed the copper scroll that revealed the locations of the gates to hell. Cursed for their forbidden act, they now roam the earth, protecting mankind from evil. But darkness stalks them, and battles they fight bring them ever closer to eternal damnation. One promise remains to give them salvation—the return of the seraphs.

Embittered by his purpose, Merrick du Loire must honor an ancient pact and bring peace to his cousin’s soul, releasing him from the clutches of their enemy. When he stumbles upon history professor Anne MacPherson, he discovers that she possesses a sacred artifact that marks her as a seraph. Duty demands he set aside his personal quest and locate the knight she’s fated to heal. As Merrick struggles with conflicting oaths, Anne arouses buried hope and sparks forbidden desire that challenges everything he’s sworn to uphold.
  
Anne has six weeks to complete her thesis on the Knights Templar. When Merrick takes her to the Templar stronghold, he presents her with all she needs—and awakens a soul-deep ache that he alone can soothe. Yet loving Merrick comes with a price. If she admits she is destined for him, her gift of foresight predicts his death.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

32 comments:

  1. I don't think time erases lessons learned. We follow the principles initially instilled in us. For good or ill we DO often turn into our parents.


    marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com

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  2. Nice! Really cool stuff and very inspiring. Thanks for sharing!

    nightclub guest list

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  3. what a great idea for a story. I've read only a few Templar stories before and I love the mixing of their old ways with modern society. I would think they would keep a lot of core values, but will have learned to "act" the part of society at the time. I also think they would want to cloister their selves away from modern society.
    I would love to see more Templar stories, but I think they will just be background to the major paranormal players

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  4. You're a new author for me but your book sounds really interesting.

    sgiden at verizon.net

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  5. I enjoyed both the post and the excerpt; both were great reads.

    I have Immortal Hope on my must have list.

    Thanks,
    Tracey D
    booklover0226 at gmail dot com

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  6. I have been seeing a few templar books around. I would love to see more. Vamps and such are getting a bit old. But that is just one little voice in the world.
    I have had this on my wish list since the first time I saw it. I hope to get a copy soon.

    musicalfrog at comcast.net

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  7. i havent read any templar books but i think that if they're good they could have the potential to hang up there with the paranormal stuff. maybe the word just need to spread about them. :)

    Terri M
    oklahomamommy0306@gmail.com

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  8. It's very hard to change our cultural biases. However, we are adaptable creatures and if we interact with other people of different backgrounds, we can't help but change. The key word here is INTERACT. If your hero actually lives in and interacts with the present world, he is going to change.
    mcv111 at hotmail(dot)com

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  9. It's very hard to change our cultural biases. However, we are adaptable creatures and if we interact with other people of different backgrounds, we can't help but change. The key word here is INTERACT. If your hero actually lives in and interacts with the present world, he is going to change.
    mcv111 at hotmail(dot)com

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  10. It's very hard to change our cultural biases. However, we are adaptable creatures and if we interact with other people of different backgrounds, we can't help but change. The key word here is INTERACT. If your hero actually lives in and interacts with the present world, he is going to change.
    mcv111 at hotmail(dot)com

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  11. Mary - funny how we resist that concept, and then one day, it's just upon us. Laugh. Thanks for stopping in on today's release day!

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  12. Nightclub - thanks so much for joining the tour! Hope to see you at the next stop.

    Sharon - Funny you say that. When the series sold, there were no paranormal Templar stories. Chuckle. Just a glimpse of the publishing pace there. Thanks for stopping in!

    Sandy -- I hope you enjoy Immortal Hope. I think you will. It's so much more than the cover and blurb provide.

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  13. Waves at Tracey and Patti -- morning to you!

    It's in Wal-Mart, Patti, and released today at all the major booksellers. :Happy dancing day as I celebrate two releases!:

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  14. Hi, Terri!

    I think the one thing that probably limits most what the Templar can do, is... if you're keeping with the historical aspect of them, you have two obstacles right off the bat:

    a) the theology aspect. Too much, and you alienate readers. Too little and you lose factual accuracy.

    b) the vow of chastity. There's only so many ways you can write around that historical fact, and it can't just be ignored because it was one of the major vows of the Order.

    But, it can be done :) Just like it's been done with vampires and werewolves.

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  15. MCV -- yes, I agree, if a character maintains a daily life in the modern world, he/she has to adapt. Which was another reason I chose to cloister the knights in barracks of stone in a secret temple.

    Thank you for stopping in, and I hope you'll stay with the blog tour!

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  16. Awesome post, Claire. I love the name of your blog tour and can't wait to read the book. What a cool idea to incorporate old-fashioned values in modern day living.

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  17. LOL CLAIRE. I JUST WANT TO LICK THE COVER!!
    linda_bass@sbcglobal.net

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  18. What a great post, very interesting. Have never read a Templar story before, I am very interested in reading your book.

    skpetal at hotmail dot com

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  19. Joya -- So good to see you here! I wish, I wish, I wish I could take credit for the book tour name. But alas... the lady who did my graphic claims the creativity.

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  20. Linda, I won't stop you. But you might want to warn the next person who handles the book ;) LOL!

    Jean, I really think you'll like it. (Gee imagine an author saying that!) But if you're at all fascinated with history or the Templar there *is* a lot of historical fact interwoven here.

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  21. I think paranormal books will still rule but I would love to read this book. Please enter me in contest. Tore923@aol.com

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  22. I would have to agree that they wouldn't lose the major lessons they were taught. I do think that depending on their interaction with human/non-immortals they may adapt to some things.
    I think the templars will take their place along side the vampires and shifters. Bring them on they sound yummy! :)

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  23. Tore -- paranormal does rule! Immortal Hope is paranormal, FYI, it just has historical foundations.

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  24. Fingers crossed, JoAnna that Templar Knights can walk that walk of fame!

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  25. This is actually the first I am hearing about Templars, so I hope they don't fade into the background before I have a chance to get to the know them:) Thanks for the giveaway!

    yadkny@hotmail.com

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  26. That was an interesting posting and thought provoking discussion. I think it depends on the individual and how immersed they are into the culture around them to determine changes. I don't think it would be possible to be 100% adaptable though with that many years thinking and doing as those knights did.

    As to the other question on the giveaway, I think there will always be the most popular paranormals. I think these guardian types will have their following when they are well written.

    sophiarose1816@gmail.com

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  27. I absolutely agree with your assessment of Merrick's personality & character. It wouldn't make sense for him to walk, talk & think like a modern man. Things have changed so fast for those of us living in the 22nd century, we forget that time & attitudes moved much slower in the days before technology. Great post.

    drainbamaged.gyzmo at gmail.com

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  28. That kind of thinking that there must be signs of antiquity in a century-year-old being adds authenticity to the character. The lack of this "authenticity" is what puts me off some books and cause me to avoid certain authors. Maybe I ought to read Immortal Hope :)

    Cherry Mischievous
    cherrymischif-darkward [at] yahoo [dot] com

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  29. Q - Do you think they will be the new and upcoming fad in the paranormal genre, or will they simply be background music to vampires, werewolves, faeries, etc?

    A - It depends on how well they are written... fans will follow if they are.

    Cherry Mischievous
    cherrymischif-darkward [at] yahoo [dot] com

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  30. Ah... please disregard my entry, I missed the US/Can-only qualifier :)

    Cherry Mischievous
    cherrymischif-darkward [at] yahoo [dot] com

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  31. I love Templar stories, so I will definitely add this book to my tbb list.

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  32. If the giveaway takes non-US readers, please count my entry please! :)

    Cherry Mischievous
    cherrymischif-darkward [at] yahoo [dot] com

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