The Wolf of Ashford Manor
by Toni Cox
Date of Publication: January 7th 2020
Cover Artist: Fire Quill Design
Genre: PNR/Paranormal Fantasy Romance
Tagline: The Werewolf within Patrick is never far from the surface, but with Angelica, it’s another beast he must tame.
BLURB
The animal within him was never far from the surface, but with her, the wolf was untamable.
Patrick Blakesley, born to a bloodline of werewolves, falls in love with the mysteriously shy, yet ravishingly beautiful daughter of his new employer – the Lord of Ashford Manor.
When the town of Ashford is besieged by a sudden spate of murders, suspicions fall on Patrick, for he has been discovered for the beast that he is.
Although forced to go into hiding, it does not stop Patrick from pursuing his love for Angelica. Shacked up in an old boat shed, they discover pleasures such as only forbidden fruits can yield.
As Patrick discovers all that Angelica has to offer, the brutal murders continue.
Are they strong enough together to discover the true beast and tame it, before all of humanity perishes before its wrath?
A steamy paranormal romance that merges romance, thriller, mystery, and the paranormal.
Excerpt:
Patrick stood at
the edge of the precipice of white cliffs, and gazed out over the ocean,
staring at the distant continent across the water; the ship he had stepped off
earlier was already out of sight.
Too long had he
been away from home.
He now turned
his back on those distant shores, burying deep within the memories of the last
three years. He strode out powerfully, his long legs steeled from the years in
the war. He had miles to go to Ashford and would not reach it for several days.
There would be
inns along the road, and he hoped to find accommodations there for the nights.
After a good
day’s march, Patrick readjusted his weighty satchel and stepped off the rutted
road to allow a wagon to pass. The two heavy draught horses snorted uneasily as
they went by him.
He looked up
into the sky and realised night would be upon him soon.
“Good sir,” he
called out to the driver, “would there be an inn close by?”
“Not for another
twenty miles, ‘m ‘fraid.”
The horse nearest
to him exhaled nervously, and the driver shifted his attention away from
Patrick.
Stepping back,
Patrick cast another heavenward. Wispy clouds sailed across an orange tinged
sky as the sun began to set in the west. Soon the moon would rise.
Leaving the driver
to calm his horses, Patrick turned away from the road and headed towards the
nearby forest. A vein in his neck throbbed at the thought of spending the night
within the confines of the dark trees before him.
He walked deep
into the woods, well out of sight of the road. At a pebbly creek, he hung his
satchel upon a high branch of a tree before slaking his thirst with the cool
water.
As the light
faded, Patrick gathered firewood and made a fire pit with rocks from the
riverbed. He put dry moss and kindling in the centre, and then stacked some
logs around it, but he did not light it.
Instead, he
removed his clothing, folding it neatly and arranging it next to the fire pit.
His
clothes were
worn and faded, but clean. Although muscular, his tall body was made of clean
lines, long legs and a broad chest. Years of war had made him lean and tough.
Naked, he cast
an approving glance over his sparse camp and then walked away from it. Over the
years that he had been away, he had learned to control himself. It had not
always been easy, and until even a year ago, there were occasions where he
could not trust himself. Today, however, he was in control.
Away from his
camp, with the moon rising over the forest, his naked body distorted, changing
shape with agonising contortions.
Breathing
heavily, the werewolf ’s fur bristled in the cool evening air, and he raised
his snout to taste the scents on the wind.
Tonight, he
would hunt.
Author Info
Born in Germany in 1976, International Bestselling Author Toni Cox moved to South Africa in 1991. Although she has spent much of her working career in the timber wholesale business, she is also an accomplished horse rider, has a diploma in project management, photography, and nutrition, and has a passion for books and all things fantasy.
From a young age, her dream had always been to put her imagination into words. When she was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis in 2013, she decided life is too short not to follow her dream. With the support of her husband and three children, she began writing book 1 of the Elemental Trilogy in January 2015.
Toni Cox writes Epic Fantasy, YA Fantasy, Sci-Fi Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Dystopian Fantasy, Paranormal Fantasy, and Dark Fantasy. She is a firm believer in dragons.
Do you take your character prep to heart? Do you nurture the growth of each character all the way through to the page? Do you people watch to help with development? Or do you build upon your character during story creation?
Do you have a character that you have been working on that you can't wait to put to paper?
What are some of your writing/publishing goals for this year?
The Book Junkie Reads . . . Interview with Toni Cox . . .
How would you describe your style of writing to someone that has never read your work?
I find it difficult to describe my own style, but I have been told I don’t think much of flowery language, yet still manage to bring life to all my descriptions.
What mindset or routine do you feel the need to set when preparing to write (in general whether you are working on a project or just free writing)?
I need my coffee, a silent office, and my cat on my desk, and I am a happy author. In the evening, I like to light the candles on my desk, too.
Do you take your character prep to heart? Do you nurture the growth of each character all the way through to the page? Do you people watch to help with development? Or do you build upon your character during story creation?
Yes, I outline all my characters. They have a history/past, family tree, flaws, good and bad traits, and all the things they need to be ‘real’ people before I even start writing them.
Have you found yourself bonding with any particular character(s)? If so which one(s)?
Maia and Erika are, so far, the closest to my heart. Maia is from the Elemental Trilogy, and Erika is from Resilient.
Maia I worked on for so long, she literally has become part of me. Erika, shame, I made her go through so much, I can’t help but feel for her.
Do you have a character that you have been working on that you can't wait to put to paper?
Oh yes, I can’t wait for you to meet Dana of Silverstalk. She is Fae and as feisty a redhead as you’ll ever meet. But, don’t worry, you won’t have to wait too long.
What are some of your writing/publishing goals for this year?
8 books (fingers crossed)
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