Holding
Out For A Hero
Order of Olympus, #1
by Maria
Shield
Date of Publication: January 31st 2020
Publisher: Shield Publishing
Cover Artist: Damonza
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Tagline: She will face gods and monsters to save the man she loves.
BLURB
A hero cursed by the gods…
Once one of the greatest heroes Ancient Greece had ever known, Argos is a far cry from the immortal warrior he used to be. After five hundred years of captivity, he is finally free—but a curse from a goddess has left him woefully mortal. In order to become a hero again, he’ll need the help of the gods and the seductive nymph who saved his life.
The only woman who can help him…
Claire Winters is definitely not a nymph, despite the assumptions of the half-naked man whose life she saved . Taking care of a delusional man while a storm rages is not what she planned – especially not as she gets ready to open her dream restaurant. She doesn’t have time for the tall tales of her handsome rescue. Yet, here she is.
When it turns out Argos’s claims are real, Claire finds herself thrown deep into a hidden and ancient world. Now, the two strangers must rely on each other to survive. Together they will face the gods, and the fiery attraction between them, as they work to reunite Argos with his ancient powers.
Will strength and wit be enough to protect them? Or will love prove to be the most powerful weapon of all?
HOLDING OUT FOR A HERO is the first novel in the ORDER OF OLYMPUS series. A sexy, action-packed romance series based on Greek Mythology and set in the modern world.
Ancient heroes never looked this good.
Excerpt
1: (Steam Level- Smoking)
We should help
each other…
Gods, more
precious words had never been spoken. Argos cradled them, cherished them, just
like he did the small leaf of a woman who offered them up to him. She did not
need to emphasize what she meant; the hand that firmly grabbed at his front
made everything very clear.
His body could
not help but react. What it had been starving for was finally offering itself
to him. Eager and ready. He did not even realize his hand had grabbed hers in a
solid grip, pulling it away from his aching cock. Claire blinked her owlish
eyes at him, her lips parted in surprise.
A groan worked
its way up his throat as he forced himself to stay in control. “You are already
helping me, Claire.”
“You’re right,”
she said stubbornly, “I am.” She trailed her free hand up his arm and across
his collarbone. Her lips followed, pressing a trail of kisses against his
heated skin. Argos watched in fascination as each kiss sent a jolt of lightning
threw him. He wanted those lips against his own. He needed her to look at him.
Finally, she
did, her eyes beseeching. Her lips parted, silently begging for him to claim
her.
Defiant little
nymph. She was not an innocent. How could he ever think that? The Claire in
front of him matched the confident seductress who infiltrated his fantasies.
The woman commanded attention and refused to let it go.
Argos could not
help it. His body leaned forward, aching for her touch. He sucked in a sharp
breath, feeling his control slip.
Of course, it
was at this moment that Claire pulled back, startled by the noise that escaped
him. “I want this to be good for you as well,” she amended softly, looking
torn. “Tell me what you need.”
“I need you not
to tease me,” he nearly growled, swooping down to capture her lips. It was a
proper kiss. The thing he had been wanting since first laying eyes on her lush
lips. As he had dreamed, they parted easily for him, allowing his tongue
entrance. An delightful noise arose from Claire and his curse ached for more.
“I need you. All I need is you.”
Claire gasped as
he picked her up. Her body hardly weighed more than his old shield. He easily
tossed on onto the bed, her nightshirt hitched up, revealing unmarked white
skin.
Looking down on
her turned his entire body into a burning flame. He worried it would burn them
both alive. It felt like a century since the last time he’d touched a woman,
though it had been only a few days. He wanted to ravage her, but that would not
do.
She was helping
him. The least he could do was make the experience one she would never forget.
“What are you
doing?” Claire propped herself up on her elbows, looking at him with excited
eyes. Her hair was disheveled from their escape, but it only made her more
beautiful to him. In a few moments, it would be even worse. He wanted her to
fall apart under the pleasure he gave.
“I fear that
once I start, I will not be able to stop,” he breathed, giving her one last
chance to quit while they could.
Her lips parted,
but the words refused to come out. Slowly she pulled herself into a sitting
position and reached for her top. The air left Argos’s lungs as she pulled it
over her head, showing two perfect, pale breasts. They were the most beautiful
things he had ever seen. Small and soft, barely holding on to the same tone of
color as the rest of her body.
“I don’t want
you to stop.”
Author Info
Maria Shield writes romance, and science fiction. She was raised in Kansas but has since lived all over the world, from Korea to Japan, finally ending up in her current location in Hawaii with her husband and pets. She is passionate about Japanese culture, ancient history, and feminist activism.
She also loves helping other writers find their communities and sharing craft tips and tricks. This often means she's participating in a critique group somewhere or starting one herself.
When she isn't writing, Maria can often be found doing the 3 R's: Reading, Running, and Researching.
The Book Junkie Reads . . . Interview with Maria Shield . . .
How would you describe your style of writing to someone who has never read your work?
Some of my favorite paranormal romance authors are Kresley Cole and Illona Andrews. I love the way they fuse humor with intense action. When you pick up one of their books you always know you’ll get a Happily Ever After ending, but they are going to make the characters WORK FOR IT! Dark times, sexy times, with a little humor-- that’s my style.
What mindset or routine do you feel the need to set when preparing to write, (whether you are working on a project or just free writing?
One of my favorite authors, Rachel Aaron, wrote about how mindset and prep is everything when it comes to writing. It can seriously help improve word count phenomenally if you know the unique quirks that best prep your creative mindset. For me, I know I’m a morning person, I get the most writing done in the morning with a cup of coffee and a scented candle going. I also need my notebook in front of me to pave the way for what I had planned for the day.
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?
I always try to do basic prep work on a character before starting the story. Some characters are easier than others. My next book will feature a character with PTSD, so I’m doing a lot of research up front. I always want to be aware of the steps my characters are making in their arcs, so that takes a lot of plotting and planning.
But I also want them to surprise me while I’m writing, so I try not to get too wrapped up in the details. This is especially true for my side characters, who always surprise me the most. Having little details regarding their past and their feelings jump out in the writing process is always a lovely delight.
Can you share your next creative project(s)? If yes, can you give a few details?
Yes, I’m working on Book 2 in the Order of Olympus series along with a novella that I hope will be released soon. Book 2 will feature a new hero, Barcus as he explores the world of Greek monsters. Monsters and heroes are mortal enemies, but what will happen when he meets one who steals his heart?
Readers can expect to meet classic Greek monsters in the next book and learn how these creatures have adapted to the modern world. I’m really excited about expanding that world and introducing a new couple.
If you could go ANYWhere and money were not a concern, where would you spend one full year? What would you do with this time?
Greece. I’ve spent two years reading all about it; now I want to explore the places I’ve been writing about and see the archeological sites I’ve read about. The history nerd in me would be coming out full force, but the location would definitely inspire me to write, research and get a nice tan!
Website: https://www.maria-shield.com
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