Halloween Event: Fae - Deborah Court (Guest Post & Giveaway)

  Welcome wonderful readers! Today I'd like to introduce you to new author, Deborah Court, who is joining us with those magical creatures, the Fae, for 'Creatures that go Bump In the Night!' and her new release about an elven prince and a mortal woman, Bound to the Prince. 

Elven Lovers and Legends of the Fae

By Deborah Court, Author of "Bound to the Prince"

Now as the day of Samhain - or Halloween, as we call it - draws nearer, I like to look out of the window in the late afternoon and watch the fog rolling in over the fields. The world seems to be gently sleeping, covered in a thick white cloud of magic. Even the colors of nature look otherworldly and more intense. In those moments, I ask myself if it could be true that right now the veil between our world and that other, unknown one - the realm of the spirits - is indeed so thin that creatures we only know from old stories could cross the boundaries.

Perhaps one of them, a Fae prince, might see a human woman standing on a bridge, staring down into the swirling mist, and desire her so much that he decides to steal her from her own world and take her down to his underground lair. This is exactly what happens in my Paranormal Romance, "Bound to the Prince." But we'll come back to that a little later.

In Irish mythology, the legendary people called the Fae, or Fey, aren't strictly limited to one kind, but consist of a whole variety of magical creatures - such as elves, fairies, pixies, gnomes, giants, goblins, brownies, sprites or trolls – opinions seem to differ. Depending on their tendency towards good or evil the Fae are divided into the Seelie and Unseelie Court. The Sidhe, also called "The Good People" or "People of the Mounds", for they are supposed to live in luxurious underground palaces, seem to come closest to our understanding of elves as we know them from modern fantasy literature and movies.

The Sidhe (pronounced '"Shee") are described as tall and handsome, they dress richly and accounts of their halls are of beautiful places abounding with delicious foods and drinks. These noble Fae descended from the Tuatha De Danann, who conquered Ireland ages ago but, after being defeated by the Milesians, retreated to their own world: underground caverns or springs and to the land of Tír na nÓg, a mythical island to the west of Ireland. Thus they became the legendary race of immortals, strong and noble but also clever and cunning. Being able to walk among humans disguised by their magic glamour, they might steal babies from their cribs and leave changelings in their places; and woe to the traveler who wandered too far into an area that belonged to the Fae! Both male and female Sidhe occasionally seduced humans and took them to their magic realm, sometimes even marrying them.

In "Bound to the Prince" I used some of the elements of Celtic mythology that inspired me, and wove them into my story. With Fearann, I wished to create a medieval fantasy world with elves who were not those ethereal beings we know from Tolkien, but warriors - strong, honorable and passionate. But when it comes to the women they love, they are as down-to-earth as the next man. However, they know how to use their magic to their advantage when they seduce a human. Being immortal has given them a lot of time to practice, after all.

Happy Halloween,

Deborah Court

Bound to the Prince 
(Elven Warrior Trilogy, #1)

Paranormal Erotic Romance

An elven prince without a throne. A mortal woman without hope, stolen from her own world to fulfill his every desire. A choice of love and death that could bind them together forever.
Fallen from grace, elven warrior prince Elathan is living in exile, separated from his own people. He despises humans; yet he has chosen to live among them, hidden in underground caves. When he beholds a strangely compelling woman on a London bridge one night, he abducts her and takes her to his lair, commanding her to be his slave of pleasure.

Igraine Chandler, a nurse from New Jersey, might not be everyone's idea of a perfect romantic heroine. Recently dumped by her faithless fiancé, she’s heartbroken and bereft of all her hopes and dreams. But she soon finds herself in a world beyond her wildest dreams, fighting at her prince's side to help him reclaim his throne. However, can she survive a night of untamed passion in the arms of a Fae, and will she be prepared to die for his immortal love?

"Bound to the Prince" is now available at Amazon, B&N, Smashwords and all large retailers. For excerpts, the book trailer and much more, visit Deborah's website and blog: http://www.deborahcourt.com

http://deborahcourt.blogspot.com

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Excerpt from "Bound to the Prince"

© 2011 Deborah Court

Elathan stood at the edge of the lake, waiting for Igraine to serve him. "What do you want me to do, my Lord?" she asked, still avoiding looking at his private parts.

"Don’t you filthy humans even know how to wash?" he hissed impatiently. He gestured to the ornate table. "These vials contain soaps and oils. Use them to bathe my body, slave." The prince stepped under the waterfall, rinsing off part of the mud, but it stuck to his skin and hair. Igraine sniffed at some of the bottles, inhaling their wonderful, unknown scents. Some of them were fresh, others musky, but clearly intended for use on the gorgeous body of the male who was showering right in front of her, naked. Water droplets glistened on his skin, running down from his chest to his flat, rippling stomach and still further down, gathering at … "Why do I feel like I'm in midst of a Cool Water commercial now?" she nervously murmured, wincing when the elf threw her a glance that clearly declared her a lunatic.

Sighing, Igraine took a small green bottle containing a soapy liquid and followed the prince. Elathan stepped out of his natural shower without even looking at her. Closing his eyes, he turned his broad back to Igraine, with the unspoken order to wash him. She poured some of the aromatic soap into the palm of her hand. The mud was diluted by the water, but it still ran in dark streams over the elf’s body, down over his hips and his muscular backside, dripping over his thighs. It collected in a puddle at his feet.

Igraine’s hands trembled when she reached out to touch him. "May I …?" she said softly. "What are you waiting for?" Elathan replied. Despite the harsh words, his voice was low and hoarse. She couldn’t see the expression of his face from behind, but she noticed his rigid posture. His contempt for her was obvious.

Taking a deep breath, she fought back her tears and started with his dirty hair, lathering it with the luxurious soap. Black, muddy water ran through her fingers and down her arms. When she had worked the soap into the whole silken length, she reached up to massage his scalp. Elathan stiffened before tilting his head back so she could reach him more easily. After she had washed all the mud out of his hair, she reached out to touch his shoulders, covering his pale skin with the soap.

Elathan stiffened even more, looking like a statue of stone now. Her hands wandered to the sides of his neck to wash the dirt away, then moved down over his shoulders, rubbing him in circles. His skin was smooth and soft as velvet over his rock-hard muscles. She longed to touch him, ferociously. No man had ever affected her so much. Just being close to him made her a weak creature, driven by the most primitive desire to mate.

Now that he couldn’t see her shamelessly staring at him, she was safe to admire his muscular back. It was built like an artist’s masterpiece. The scars marring his alabaster skin only enhanced his beauty. Without them, the sight would be too perfect for human eyes to endure. They were old, faint scars, diagonally crisscrossing all over his back. Igraine suddenly realized that the prince had been whipped, even if it had obviously happened long ago. Tears stinging in her eyes, she lightly traced the scars with her fingers while she washed his back. Although she didn't dare, she longed to touch those reminders of his torment with her lips, kissing the ancient pain away.

Continuing with his waist, she found some very nasty grime there, sticking to the prince’s skin. As she rubbed his sides to get them clean, Elathan seemed to wince. She paused, but when he said nothing, she rubbed some more. He winced again, apparently trying to escape her touch. At first she stared at his back, baffled for a moment. Maybe he didn't like her to touch him anymore. But then she understood.

The merciless, battle-hardened elven prince was ticklish.

Amazed by her discovery, she pondered about tickling him some more, but decided against it. She should not tempt her fate too much. Instead she reached around his waist and began to wash his wide chest, feeling his strong heartbeat and the heat of his skin. He was so tall that she had to press her body against his back to reach him with her arms. Moving down, she soaped his flat stomach, feeling the tense muscles under her fingertips. Elathan seemed to breathe more heavily now. For a moment, she asked herself what would happen if she dared to go even deeper, washing him … there. When she had finished and withdrew her arms, she glanced down at his butt. Heavens, this was too good to be true – so smooth, perfectly rounded and tight. She wondered if he would allow her to wash him there, too.

Suddenly a mischievous grin spread across her face. Well, even if he would kill her afterwards, this princely backside would be worth it. Now your ass is mine, Your Royal Highness, she thought. She just couldn’t help it. Then her hands touched his muscular buttocks, lathering the soap in small circles over the skin. Maybe being an elven prince's slave wasn't going to be so bad, after all. When Elathan moaned ever so softly, she couldn’t hold herself back anymore. A small giggle escaped her lips.

Strong hands grabbed her upper arms. Igraine was whirled around until she stared directly into Elathan’s furious face, his golden eyes burning with anger. Before she could move or utter a sound, he picked her up like a weightless doll and threw her into the lake.

All of this happened so quickly that she didn't even have time to hold her breath. She sank into the dark water and struggled for a moment in panic. Then she managed to reach the surface and came up, coughing and gasping for air. Bewildered, she was still wondering what had happened when Elathan was suddenly in there with her, wading through the lake and quickly rinsing off the soap from his hair and body. His pitiless grin let her know that he found her distress entertaining.

"You!" she shouted angrily, shoving against his chest with both hands. The fact that his eyes widened with surprise gave her a certain amount of satisfaction, but not enough. "Prince or not, who the hell do you think you are? First you abduct and enslave me, threatening to kill me if I don't obey your every wish and whim. You hate humans, and still you don't bother to kill me. Instead, you seem to enjoy your little game of humiliating me. Why don't you finally get it over with, elf? You incredibly arrogant, insufferable…"

He grabbed her wrists and bent her arms behind her back with a swift movement. Simultaneously, he silenced her with a hard, passionate kiss.

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~*GIVEAWAY*~
Deborah is kindly offering one digital copy of Bound to the Prince to give away and an mp3 of the song from Bound to the Prince's trailer above. To enter, just leave a comment on this post answering this question: Which Fae creatures do you enjoy reading about? 
Then fill out the rafflecopter below!