The Nightwing Series #1
Juliette Cross
Genre: Urban Fantasy Romance
Publisher: Kensington Publishing/Lyrical Press
Date of Publication: October 20, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-61650-561-5
Number of pages: 109
Word Count: 32K
Cover Artist: Renee Rocco
In a world divided by prejudice and hatred, only love can bridge the chasm.
Tensions are rising in the Gladium Province. The boundary between humans and Morgons has begun to blur. While the human aristocracy strives to maintain distance between their daughters and the dragon-hybrid race, fate has other plans.
As the daughter of the corporate king, Jessen Cade is duty-bound to honor her arranged marriage to a man she detests. Feeling trapped by family duty and a loveless future, she longs for more, straying to the Morgon side of the city.
Lucius Nightwing is the eldest son of the powerful Morgon clan, and the greatest enemy of Jessen’s father. When a bar-room brawl thrusts Jessen into his arms, his dragon roars to the surface, craving to sate his carnal hunger in the brown-eyed beauty. The beast in Lucius recognizes her as his own, even if the man refuses to admit the truth.
Available at Kensington
Myths of the Almighty Alpha
by Juliette Cross
Let me preface this post by first stating that I in no way begrudge the ladies who love
their beta men. To each his own, I always say. Some like chocolate, some like
vanilla. I totally get it. It’s a free country.
Myth #1: He must be a hubris-infested billionaire,
high on himself and BDSM.
While Christian Grey certainly fits the mold of an
alpha male, one must consider the fact that behind all the arrogance and
bravado is a tormented soul searching for an outlet to the torture and pain he
suffered as an abused child. Up front, he appears to “have it all,” when in
reality he has nothing until love finds him through the kind, nurturing nature
of one woman. In reality, he is insecure, not vain. He uses BDSM to gain some
sense of control over his life, which in the end proves to be nothing more than
a mask, a wall to block out his emotional pain. Though he is a billionaire,
money does not an alpha make.
Myth #2: All alphas are biker dudes, firefighters,
cops, or some other male-dominated occupation fixated on bar-room brawls and
borderline domestic abuse.
I have to defend this one from a personal standpoint
first, rather than fictional. My husband is a former cop. And while there was
an a-hole or two under his command, the majority of his brotherhood in blue
were outstanding men, fixated on getting the bad guy by all means possible,
risking their lives every time they stepped onto the street. This often
required aggressive tactics and/or violence. And they spent more time tending
to domestic abuse cases, rescuing helpless women and children, rather than ever
coming close to perpetrating these crimes themselves.
Now, are alphas aggressive and violent? Hell yes!
Especially when someone messes with their woman or their cubs. It’s that
protective nature that draws us female readers who are hot on defend-you-to-the-death
men, not abusive plugs who don’t deserve to live.
Myth #3: Alphas are just pretty boys with scruff who
spend all day in the gym, admiring their hot bods.
Well, yeah, they tend to be rather attractive, but
more on the rugged end of the stick, rather than “pretty.” The scruff comes
from their lack of beauty control as opposed to the over-coiffed,
highlight-wearing, body-hair-shaving metrosexuals of the age. Alphas could give
a rat’s ass about their lack of facial moisture cream and whether their jeans
have the sparkly Buckle or True Religion brand-name on the butt-cheek. Give our
boy a well-worn pair of Levi’s and call it a day.
Their well-defined abs come from the nature of their
occupation, or perhaps from being an animal shifter if you’re reading a
paranormal or fantasy, as opposed to pumping-it-up and getting buff in the gym.
A real alpha is hot by nature, not from self-absorbed overgrooming.
Myth #4: Alphas are dark, brooding a-holes.
Dark? Yes. Brooding? Yes. But there’s good reason.
Our favorite alpha male suffers from a tortured past, a dark secret, and a
flawed character. His pensive, often gloomy, nature reflects his inner turmoil
and the walls he builds to keep the world out. These alphas might be naughty by
nature, but they long to be redeemed and redeemable. It will be the woman he
loves who finally cracks through that hard shell, pulling him toward the light.
Now, if you happen to run across an alpha in
real-life or in fiction who actually IS the definition of myths 1, 2, 3, or 4,
then let me say for alpha-loving-women everywhere, run fast or throw that book
at the wall. Get away or get a refund. Because no sane woman wants an a-hole or
abuser as their hero. We want a protector who is more concerned about saving
his girl than shaving his legs. If you’re reading a book with this kind of
alpha, who shows no signs of compassion or ability to love, put it down and
pick up another book please. Because that’s not the man any woman deserves—in
fiction or in reality.
A big thank you to Aly’s Miscelany for having me
today. It’s been a pleasure. J
About the Author:
Juliette calls lush, moss-laden Louisiana home where the landscape curls into her imagination, creating mystical settings for her stories.
She has a B.A. in creative writing from Louisiana State University, a M.Ed. in gifted education, and was privileged to study under the award-winning author Ernest J. Gaines in grad school.
Her love of mythology, legends, and art serve as constant inspiration for her works. From the moment she read JANE EYRE as a teenager, she fell in love with the Gothic romance--brooding characters, mysterious settings, persevering heroines, and dark, sexy heroes.
Even then, she not only longed to read more novels set in Gothic worlds, she wanted to create her own.
Website: https://www.juliettecross.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Juliette__Cross
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/crossjuliette/
Tour giveaway
5 ebook copies of Soulfire
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