Inherited Damnation Tour

Welcome to My Odd Little World, today's stop on Claire Ashgrove's Inherited Damnation Tour. Claire was nice enough to answer a few questions for me, and I thank her for her time and consideration. My contribution is Claire's book, Destined To Die. I will post links to the different stops below the blurb, so you can get a taste of all the books on Claire's tour.

Tour Prizes - Each blog will give away a digital copy of the book featured on that stop. The tour grand prize will be all 8 books in the series. The Grand Prize winner will be selected and announced on 1/26.

What is the best thing about being a writer? The worst?

The best – I have an outlet for all these crazy people in my head!  No, seriously, I get to build worlds, bring people to life, and if I’ve done a really good job, impact a reader’s emotions.  For someone who’s creative, writing is the end-all be-all outlet.  There’s no real limit; it never comes to an end. 

The worst – To be a career author there’s a significant amount of focus that must be put toward the business itself, which is 180 degrees opposite the creative process.  I can do business, I can track accounting, but I don’t like it.  I’m much happier in my little cave putting fresh words on paper.  I’d even rather do edits for days on end, than turn on the left side of my brain.

When you get a chance to read, what books do you love to read?

Hands down I go to the non-fiction part of a bookstore before I ever go to the fiction side.  Give me Ancient Rome, anything Medieval, or really any ancient society and I’m over-the-moon.  I can’t grab them up fast enough, and I’ve been known to do ridiculous things like read text books cover-to-cover because I’m enthralled in a particular era. 

When I do finally pull myself away from biographies and historical accounts, because so much of my writing is based on world building and/or sub-plotting, I prefer to read fantasy.  There’s a lot to learn from the complicated works, and I love seeing how new authors handle tried-and-true tropes. Which naturally then leads me to urban fantasy and paranormal works.

Tell us about your favorite character from your books.

Between my two pen names, I have twenty-three published books, so that’s really hard to answer.  When I finish a book, until I finish the next, I tend to feel like “That’s my favorite character set of all.”

But there are a few exceptions, some that stay with me longer than others.  I love darker characters and you’re featuring one of my favorite character sets with Belen and Faith.  Belen struggles with his dark calling and what he’s perceived he’s done to the one person who matters.  That inner conflict gets me.  Resolving it all, bringing he and Faith together as they should be, still stays with me.

In this particular series, however, Taran (Marked for Death), the darkest sibling, is the one I love the most.  His journey really tugs at my heart, and if I put myself in his shoes, I end up in tears every time.  I can’t imagine surviving what he lived through.

Do you plan all your characters out before you start a story or do they develop as you write?

I’m a plotter.  Everything is in a spreadsheet somewhere, with a specific role to play, long before the first words of the first book take shape.  Sometimes I have to set particular characters aside and deal with them immediately before I begin their specific book, but I have only pantsed one novel in my career.  It worked.  But I also had to backtrack repeatedly—a journey in frustration I’m not willing to experience again.

Why Scottish as opposed to Irish?

This is the easiest question of the whole batch!  And it’s ridiculously simple.  The Selgovae Celt tribe lived in Scotland, not Ireland. 

If I could transplant them to Ireland…oh, lordy, I would in a heartbeat.  I am Irish at heart, and will live there at some point in my life.  Even if just for a summer or so.

Thanks for having me here today!  If there’s anything else anyone would like to know, please feel free to ask.  I’ll be dropping in periodically throughout the day.

~Claire

Award-Winning Author, Claire Ashgrove

www.claireashgrove.com

National Bestselling Author, Tori St. Claire

www.toristclaire.com

Blurb for Destined to Die:

Haunted by his mother’s betrayal, Belen McLaine surrendered to his demonic half long ago. For centuries, he’s roamed, doing all he can to corrupt those he encounters. But Belen’s life changes when a little Yuletide fun goes wrong, and the one woman he can’t stay away from is suddenly in need of his protection. Unable to cast her aside, he finds himself on a deadly path to love.

The one date Faith Winters shared with Belen was laden with fireworks, but he stayed away until the night of her brutal attack. As danger escalates, he becomes her only safety and shared passion gives way to something deeper, hotter, than she’s ever known before. Yet Faith has no idea her greatest threat is the very man who holds her heart.

For Belen, even if it means hurting Faith, he must not succumb to love. If he fails, his father’s curse promises he’ll take Faith’s life.

Tour Links

1/15 Guilty Pleasures

1/16 Harlie's Books 

1/17 Scorching Book Reviews 

1/18 My Odd Little World 

1/21 Mrs. Condit & Friends Read Books 

1/22 Under the Covers

1/23 Ezrabet's Enchancements  

1/24 Herding Cats & Burning Soup 

1/25 Heart Breaking Reviews

Purchase Claire's books from THE WILD ROSE PRESS

http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=advanced_search_result&search_in_description=1&keyword=Claire%20Ashgrove

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