Back in 2011 I wrote a few paranormals. I haven't written in that genre in years. Yet something drew me back to the immortality theme again and again. I always loved Frankenstein. Coming back from the dead? I wanted to write a romance, but not go full paranormal. In other words, not a vampire or some other unworldy creature, but an ordinary man dealing with extraordinary circumstances.
Beloved Monster fell into place. I originally envisioned three books in this series, Victorian, WW II, and the present day. However, historical and contemporary settings are not what the publisher wanted in a series, so only two books to keep it in the historical genre.
The Ravenswood Chronicles follows Luke, or Lucas Madden, Viscount Ravenswood. Beloved Monster (book 1) begins in the 1890's, showing a dissolute rake and his untimely death. No one really mourns him, he was a complete reprobate. The heroine, Glenna, who had her heart broken by this man a few years before, does not mourn him either.
But Luke does not rest in peace. For he is dug up and used by an eccentric scientist for an experiment. This is where the Frankenstein angle comes in.
I knew when I wrote this it was so different, because it was a complete mash of so many genres. It has fantasy elements, sci-fi, Gothic, but at its heart it is a romance. I also threw Beauty and the Beast and The Picture of Dorian Gray into the blender.
It is soooo different from anything out there and from anything I've ever written. It is something I am proud of. Beloved Monster got me multiple contract offers from Kensington Publishing. Caught the attention of literary agents, enough that two of them wanted to speak to me on the phone?! (I signed with Elaine Spencer of The Knight Agency) Amazing. Even my mother liked it! lol.
Give it a try!
BELOVED MONSTER by Karyn Gerrard
Book 1 of The Ravenswood Chronicles
Book 1 of The Ravenswood Chronicles
What makes a man?
The wild and dissolute Viscount Ravenswood lives only for his own pleasure, caring not one wit for the broken hearts left trampled in his wake. But his decadent lifestyle finally catches up to him in a fatal carriage race. It’s an infamous and spectacular end to a brief, immoral life—or is it?
And who is the woman who loves him?
When Glenna Parker stumbles upon her cousin Reed Parker’s cluttered laboratory, she could never have imagined the mad experiment he is about to embark upon—to bring a man back from the dead. Not just any man, but Ravenswood, who once shattered her heart. With no memory of his former life, Glenna calls him Luke, and finds herself enchanted by his compassion—and passion. Protecting the scarred Luke has become Glenna’s sole mission, but can she protect her heart from her beloved monster?
BUY BELOVED MONSTER NOW: (Bonus! On Sale until Jan 31st for 99 cents!)
I had fun writing this as I've never done WWII setting. I loved the research, learned things I never knew before. As I wrote, I envisioned these books as a mini-series unfolding in my mind and wrote it as such. It certainly has more action than anything I've written before.
Again, this has a mash of genres, Spy thriller, suspense, fantasy, sci-fi, Gothic, etc, but again, this is a romance. Some may not like that Luke loves again, but he is possibly immortal. He feels things deeply. All his senses are heightened. Even more so as the years pass. People he loves are growing older, and he is not, Or they die, leaving him alone. How to grapple with it all?
I had a good deal of fun writing these two books, and an author can't ask for more than that.
Give them a try, for they are...something completely different. :)
BELOVED BEAST Book #2 The Ravenswood Chronicles
Historical/Fantasy/Suspense
Kensington Publishing Lyrical Press
74,000 words +
Release date: Feb 28, 2017
(can be read as a stand alone)
If a man can live forever . . .
A lifetime ago, the debauched Viscount Ravenswood lost his life, only to be revived as as new man with a new name…and a new desire for love. Now, scarred and monstrous of visage, Luke Madden has outlived his beloved wife. Crushed by loss and despair, he swears to never feel such a love again. For such a perfect mingling of souls could never happen twice in one lifetime. Especially for a beast such as Luke believes himself to be . . .
. . . how can he love forever?
Gillian Browning is a bold woman of action. But her spy activities in pre-war Germany have made her a target. Now in London, she is being hunted by ruthless Nazi operatives. Luckily, a fellow spy knows someone who can protect her—Luke. Taking Gillian to his former home in the country, he reluctantly finds himself caring for her more than he thought possible, and to his surprise she reciprocates. But when a threat from Luke’s own past increases their peril, he must decide if he has the true strength to love—and trust—again .
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Karyn Gerrard, born and raised in the Maritime Provinces of Eastern Canada, now makes her home in a small town in Northwestern Ontario. When she’s not cheering on the Red Sox or travelling in the summer with her teacher husband, she writes, reads romance, and drinks copious amounts of Earl Grey tea.
Even at a young age Karyn’s storytelling skills were apparent, thrilling her fellow Girl Guides with off-the-cuff horror stories around the campfire. A multi-published author, she loves to write sensual historicals and contemporaries. Tortured heroes are an absolute must.
As long as she can avoid being hit by a runaway moose in her wilderness paradise she assumes everything is golden. Karyn’s been happily married for a long time to her own hero. His encouragement and loving support keeps her moving forward.
