How appropriate that a.c. Mason received another fantastic review for His Mortal Soul, her erotic paranormal in the 2012 Irish Stories Collection. It just received 4 1/2 stars at sensualreads.com, and I'm posting an interview I did with Mason this spring. Congratulations, Mason, on the great review!
And several more wonderful reviews here:
His Mortal Soul is a Top Pick for the Romance Reviews
I totally agree with the reviewer, who said, "Ms. Mason...touches all of your sensory elements and weaves a spine-tingling, heart-thumping read."
Now let's enjoy her cover.
Absolutely gorgeous.
Here's more to pique your interest.
Can she save his immortal soul...and help him find heaven on earth?
Touching Sephora may cost Kieran his mortal soul…
Kieran has always been a good Catholic, even studying for the priesthood. But there are complications. A few weeks before his ordination into
the priesthood, he was made a vampire. And then there's Sephora, the beautiful, independent American student who draws him to her. His "blackbird", she seems to hold all the secrets to life and happiness, like the mythological creature of the ancient Celts. Despite his best intentions and though he knows he can only hurt her, her hold on him increases by the minute.
Although Ireland promised Sephora an escape from the horrors of a brutal
attack she suffered two years ago, she has discovered that the true
scars lie within. But being with Kieran melts away the pain and his touch
provides her the refuge to reclaim her body.
WARNING: A gorgeous Irish hero and gutsy heroine. Biblical and
religious themes that might offend. The theme of survival and healing after sexual assault.
And an excerpt, to whet your appetite even more.
This curse of being bitten and becoming a vampire was a test
of his faith. And so was she. Kieran
couldn’t let her lure him from saving his soul--from lifting the hex.
Admittedly, stalking her wasn’t helping him achieve that. Nor did he have any
intention of stopping. Father O’Brian would be disappointed, but tonight was
Kieran’s last on earth. Better he spend his time where he wanted to be--with her.
A well-dressed male student wrapped an arm around her and
guided her away from the hall through the exit. Inside, students wasted money
and brain cells in the name of a good time. The door shut behind the clift--fool--and
her, muting the blaring music. The asphalt pathway where they walked was
deserted. The freckle-faced man laughed as he stumbled. The scent of his
illicit intent reached Kieran. He hadn’t thought she was that type of woman,
but lately he’d learned he was wrong about a great many things. The devil and demons weren’t just the stuff of myths and legends. Evil dwelled within the heart of every human. All that was needed was something to unlock it.
a.c. holds a special place in my heart. She was the first author on my roster when I started at Lyrical and we've worked on many books together since. She's amazing.
Though a short story, like all her books, with this one you won't be disappointed. It's very intense and emotional, highly sensual and delves into the age-old questions about good and evil. Humanity, really, and human-ness. You'll be thinking about the characters and their situation long after you read the last word.
Now let's talk to Mason!
MM: Ireland is many things to many people. The
“Old Sod”, a dream place to visit someday...what about Ireland appealed to you,
made you want to set your story there?
a.c. Mason: The men. Lol. Who doesn't find an Irish accent sexy?
I find the mix of Judeo-Christian and Celtic beliefs
intriguing. Dichotomies between the two philosophies, yet they seem to
co-exist. There's also the divide between Catholics and Protestants. In Canada
we have a linguistic divide. In Ireland the split was based on faiths. Those
types of elements draw me to places.
MM: As a reader, your
characters seem real to me. I see them clearly in my imagination as I read, can
even hear their voices. Could you describe them a little for us? What traits do
they have that you just love?
a.c. Mason: Sephora Silverman is an American master's student, come to
Ireland to spread her wings and fly once more. Despite her strength, that's
easier said than done.
Deacon Lorcan Kieran is struggling with what he has become
and what he intended to be—a man of the cloth. He's so hot too.
MM: What would your
dream vacation in Ireland be? If you could spend a month, what would you want
to see, what places would you like to visit?
a.c. Mason: I've been blessed with the ability to travel. What I've come
to realize is that hitting some highlighted spots is fun, but I'd rather just
stay with locals and get a taste of their life. Listen to their dialect,
laughter and sorrow. I might sit looking out upon the ocean or try to capture a
glimpse of them on the pages of another story.
MM: What was your
favorite part of the editing process?
a.c Mason: Opening up the document for the first time after you've
marked it up to see where we can improve the images the words weave for the
story. I'm lucky that you get me, because you'll say “I think if we do
something like this it drives this or that to another level.”
MM: I always love working with you, Mason, and I always learn something from you. Plus, your books keep me up at night, in a good way. Thanks so much for
the interview. Please tell us about other books you’ve had published, and what
projects you’re working on.
Mainstream Fantasy
Sins of the Undead
Patriot, an erotic paranormal, is slated for release in October 2012.
Erotic Romance.
What's next is the Undead Patriot Series.
Urban Fantasy
The Undead Patriot Trilogy
Sins of the Undead Patriot (October 8, 2012)
6. Do you have a blog
or website?
Born from the union of her Scottish and Belgian
mother and an African American and Cherokee father, a.c. Mason’s youth was
filled with dichotomies and moving from place to place. She developed a
curiosity to explore through writing the seedy side of our nature and desires.
Given her own diverse background, she writes stories that represent the world
she grew up in. She is fluent in French and English. For the past eight years
of her life, she has worked with one foot in the past spanning such times as
the 18th century, the Bering Strait theory to modern day, and now late Victorian.
Her stories are the place where darkness meets human desire and fairytales
endings are not promised but earned. In 2011 her work was nominated for six 2012
Bookie Awards. If you’d like to learn more about a.c. Mason, go to
www.acmason.com.
You can find Mason at www.nightsofpassion.wordpress.com too. Since this interview, Mason has also collaborated on Interracial and Multicultural Books, a website that celebrates authors and their work in that genre--www.irmcbooks.com. Wonderful authors and stories there. Please check them out too! And she's one of the founding members of the Cultural, Interracial and Multicultural Special Interest Chapter of Romance Writers of America. Kudos, Mason!
