A former junior high science teacher, Elisabeth Naughton traded in her red pen and test tube set for a laptop and research books. She now writes sexy romantic adventure and paranormal novels full time from her home in western Oregon where she lives with her husband and three children. Her work has been nominated for numerous awards including the prestigious RITA® awards by Romance Writers of America, the Australian Romance Reader Awards, The Golden Leaf and the Golden Heart. When not writing, Elisabeth can be found running, hanging out at the ballpark or dreaming up new and exciting adventures.

Shonna- On a personal note I want to shout out to all our followers about what an AWESOME author Elisabeth is. I’m telling you the truth when I say, this lady can write! I absolutely LOVE her work and am so thrilled to be able to spread the word about her ETERNAL GUARDIANS series. Each book is a fantastic read that should immediately be put at the top of you TBR list. The stories will captivate your mind while you become a willing prisoner to the world she has created. If you are looking for a series to grab your attention, look no farther. This is it!

Thanks so much for having me here today!

1. Resigning as a middle school science teacher to become a writer with two children is a big step into a whole new ball field. Was this transition difficult, and how long was it before your first published book?

For me it was an adjustment. I'd worked since I was sixteen so to go from working full time outside the house to being home all day was definitely a transition for me. Working from home is very different from getting up and going to an office (or school). I've had to learn how to be productive when the kids are screaming and the dog is barking and the phone is ringing. I suppose in some ways it's not all that different from when I was teaching, but the dogs and phone (and even my own kids) don't respond to "Knock it off or I'll give you detention" like my students used to.

It took me five years to sell my first book, which (I'm told) is the average for a writer. Some of my early manuscripts will never see the light of day, but they taught me a lot about craft and prepared me for my eventual career as an author, so I wouldn’t change any of the time I spent toiling away before I sold.

2. You use a publisher and are an indie. Having experienced both systems to sell your books, which process do you prefer and why?

Both have benefits as far as I'm concerned. If you're an author with a publisher who's willing to get behind you and your book, it can be beneficial to your career to let them market you in ways you can't do yourself. Likewise, the Indie market can also be a boon to authors because it takes the reading experience from author to reader, bypassing a lot of red tape that can sometimes slow down releases.

3. The covers for your ETERNAL GUARDIAN series are all very YUMMY, YUMMY. Yes, we are having a hard time not staring. (focus Crazy Chicks, focus) What can you tell us about them? Do you have much input on the finished product? (Oh and if you ever need any help with future covers, you know, selecting models,... inspecting those sexy bodies as the possible pick, just give us a shout, PLEASE)

The Eternal Guardians covers ARE amazing, aren't they? I often sit and stare at them myself (for hours). I'm lucky in that I have a GREAT cover artist who's captured the tone and flavor of the series (okay, of the GUARDIANS). I'm also lucky in that my publisher has let me have a say in the cover designs. For both ENRAPTURED (book 4) and ENSLAVED (book 5, which releases in November 2012) I got to see two different designs and give my feedback on which one(s) I liked better.

4. Tell us 3 things you love about being an author, and 1 that you don’t.

Three things I love…

I love that I can work in my pajamas if I want to.

I love that I get to do write what I'm passionate about.

I love that my stories touch readers in ways I never expected.

One thing I don't love about being an author…

(This one's hard.) For me it has to be that I'm never "off". At 5 pm I'm not done working. I can't easily turn off the creative side of my brain and chill out with the family at the end of the day. Even when I'm watching movies with them, story ideas, plot twists and character arcs are always going through my head. And I'm ALWAYS thinking about the book I'm working on. Whether I mean to or not, I'm constantly working, even when it looks like I'm just staring off into space (which happens a LOT).

5. If you could, would you like to go to Argolea for a 48 hour visit? If yes, what would you want to do while there?

Absolutely! I'd love to see Tiyrns. I have this image in my head of the white city framed by the Aegis Mountains and the Olympic seas, but I'm pretty sure it wouldn't even compare to reality.(Maybe Peter Jackson will take my books and create the world for me??? A girl can hope…) As for what I'd do there? Hang out with those sexy Argonauts, of course! (And I would be the center of attention as their creator, don't you think?)

6. The strong silent type always grabs our attention. Can you tell us one little bitty secret about Nick that we haven’t been able to read about in your books? When will you be writing his story? (Shonna here: And just in case you might be interested in a good name for his “ONE”. I think Shonna is the perfect name to go with Nick.*hint hint*) (Wendy and LT, shaking their heads and rolling their eyes)

Oooh…Nick. I get a lot of fan mail about Nick. Readers are dying for his book. Nick's book is coming up soon. I'm actually plotting it out right now. His story is going to be the culmination to the overarching power struggle between the gods and the Argonauts. As for a secret…people won't like this but as stated in the end of TEMPTED, yes, Isadora really is Nick's soul mate. He doesn't have another. And his relationship with  both Isadora AND Demetrius will change drastically in Nick's book.

Was that enough of a teaser for you? LOL
(Shonna: I was really hoping for a loophole where Nick was concerned,..DARN! )

7. The forth ETERNAL GUARDIAN installment was just released a couple of weeks ago. Tell us about ENRAPTURED.

ENRAPTURED is Orpheus's story. Orpheus was not an Argonaut by birth. A descendent of Perseus, he's Gryphon's older brother, passed over by the gods to serve with the Argonauts in favor of the younger "chosen" son. Orpheus has a serious chip on his shoulder because of this, and he's been a trouble maker throughout the series. But he's got this heroic streak that's in direct contrast to his own personal goals, and whenever the Argonauts need him, he seems to show up.

In ENRAPTURED, Orpheus is searching for a way to rescue his brother Gryphon from the Underworld. Unbeknownst to him, however, Zeus has ordered Orpheus stopped, and he's sent his number one Siren—one of his personal assassins—to put an end to Orpheus. Skyla, a Siren, finds herself wickedly attracted to Orpheus, and she senses Zeus is not behind honest with her about who and what he really is, but the bigger secret—how the two of them are connected—is the one that has the power to change everything about her and him and the world as they both know it.

Excerpt from ENRAPTURED

Orpheus followed Skyla up a flight of stairs and paused outside a blue metal door in the run-down rent-by-the-week motel on the edge of town.
As he stared at the back of her head, a waft of honeysuckle met his senses. The same fragrance he’d noticed in the concert crowd, in that clearing, and every second since. A scent that was oddly…familiar.
She reached up to the doorframe, felt around, flashed him a one-sided grin as her hand lowered with a key. “Stay here. I’ll be right back out.”
He didn’t know what she was up to, but he waited in the hallway while she disappeared into the apartment, then came out seconds later with folded jeans and a T-shirt slung over her forearm. She locked the door, replaced the key, then motioned for him to follow her again down the hall.
“What was that?” he asked.
“Neighbor. He’s about your size. Works nights. Way too trusting.”
He smirked as she stopped in front of another blue door and pulled a key from her pocket. A schemer, like him. Who’d have thought it? “I thought you said they were your clothes.”
“I never said that,” she answered, pushing the door open with her hip. “And no way you’d fit into my pants. If you did, I’d have to kill myself.”
He eyed her pants. And her sexy backside. Told himself trying to find a way into her pants was a really dumb idea. He didn’t have time to play with the blond, no matter what she was. He should be back out there already, searching for the dark-haired female again. But he didn’t want to be. For just a few minutes, he wanted a break. Craved something just for him. Needed that connection with another person to remember he wasn’t dead. Like Gryphon.
Thoughts of Gryphon brought back the tightness to his chest he’d been living with the last three months. He thought of the female he’d been chasing earlier. And the way the blond had talked to her in the crowd at that concert.
The two knew each other somehow. Why else would the blond have followed them into the trees?
She closed the door after him, flipped on the kitchen light. The place was a far cry from the Ritz. The kitchen spilled into a tiny living room with a wall of windows that looked out to an enclosed deck and the darkness beyond. The furniture was old, covered in brown and orange checked fabric that looked like something straight out of the seventies. The tables were wood veneer, and the draperies hanging on one side of the windows were made of some heavy off-white, smoke-stained material.
He turned a slow circle, took in the closet-sized kitchen with its avocado green Formica and matching fridge that barely reached Skyla’s shoulder, the cracked vinyl brown chairs and matching table. And the short hallway off to his left, with its thick, brown shag carpet that was bracketed by two doors, both dented and scarred from time and abuse.
He didn’t doubt for a minute that this was nothing more than a stopping place for her, one that suited her as much as the Argonauts suited him.
“The bathroom’s here.” She moved down the hall, pushed the door to the left open, flipped on the light.
More avocado green countertop and a mirror over the sink that reflected hollow cheeks streaked with blood, pale skin, and hair standing out every which way.
He looked away from his reflection, moved into the doorway of the other room, where she’d disappeared. A full-sized bed with an ugly, burnt-orange bedspread filled the space. A small dresser, nightstand, and lamp rounded out the room. “Gorgeous. You do the decorating yourself?”
She crouched in front of the dresser, pulled the bottom drawer open, and extracted a clean towel. “Oh yeah. Shit brown and puke green are my favorite colors. Aren’t they yours?”
“Obviously. I’m a daemon, right?”
One corner of her lips curved. A sexy little grin that supercharged his blood. And again he was struck by the fact she didn’t seem the least bit afraid of him.
She stood, held out the towel and clothes. “While you get cleaned up, I’ll find bandages for your head.”
He didn’t bother telling her he didn’t need bandages. Instead he took the clothes, pulled them against his chest so she could pass. Was just about to ask why she wasn’t scared as a normal person would be, when her body grazed his in the doorway.
Her heat seared every inch of him, reigniting the arousal he’d felt back in the trees. Only this wasn’t just sexual. No, this was something more. An awareness. A déjà vu feeling. A memory he couldn’t quite bring into focus.
Her feet stilled. Her smile faded. And his stomach felt as if it flipped over when he realized she felt it too.
Who was she? What was she to him? And why the hell couldn’t he figure out how he knew her?
She turned back toward the kitchen. “Take your time.”
Why the hell was he so rattled around her?
Skata. Maybe that last shift had been one too many. Maybe he’d finally suffered some serious brain damage in the process.
Stepping into the bathroom, he shook off the thought, avoided the mirror. He didn’t need to see his reflection to know he looked like shit. He felt like it too. And not just from the change. Months of searching, only to be met with disappointment, were taking their toll. He needed food. A couple hours of shut-eye. And to find that damn dark-haired female before he lost the Orb for good.
Steam filled the room as he let the water beat down on his battered body. He rubbed soap all over his skin, washed his hair with shampoo from a purple bottle that smelled way too girlie, then flipped off the water and dried with a towel from the rack. As he did, he caught sight of the ancient Greek text on his forearms that ran down to entwine his fingers.
Man, if the Argonauts could see him now. No, nix that. He already knew exactly what they’d say or do if they’d seen the switcheroo he pulled in that clearing. Daemons weren’t just discriminated against in their world, they were the bitter enemy. If word got out he was half daemon, the Argonauts would be the first to crucify him, likely in Tiyrns Square, for all Argoleans to see. Forget the fact he was the last living descendant of the famed hero Perseus. And never mind that he’d helped their queen and all the Argonauts more times than he could count. He tossed the towel away in disgust, jerked on the fresh jeans. To them he’d forever be nothing more than a daemon. Useful one way: dead.
He tugged on the dark blue T-shirt that barely fit, shoved his feet back into his boots, and finger-combed his hair. Screw what he thought he wanted. There was only one thing he needed right now. The Orb of Krónos. Once he had that…well, then the tide would finally turn.
As for the blond…yeah, she was hot, but he didn’t have time for this. And the weird sensations pinging around in his chest when he looked at her weren’t just delaying him, they were distracting him. So he’d go out there, find out what she knew about his target, then be on his way.
Decision made, he grabbed his weapon from the counter where he’d left it and opened the bathroom door. Steam preceded him into the hall, where the scent of bacon filled the air. His stomach growled, and he turned the corner to find the blond—shit, he should have asked for her name—standing at the stove, flipping bacon and scrambling eggs. She’d dressed in fresh clothes: another black shirt—this one short sleeved—a fresh pair of slim black pants and the same kick-ass goth boot she’d worn earlier. But it wasn’t her outfit that made the room spin. It was the modern appliances fading into the background that tipped the world out from under him.
Weathered stone, a baking hearth, and an old scarred table filled the space. And at the counter, the same female, stirring something in a ceramic bowl. Only this time she was barefoot, wearing a slip of a dress made of gauzy white and tied at her narrow waist with a woven gold braid.
He reached out and gripped the hallway wall to steady himself.
She looked up. Her hand stopped moving. The bowl sat cradled in the nook of her other arm. A streak of flour ran across her right cheek.
A warm smile spread across her face. One filled with heat and mischief and knowledge. “Stop looking at me like that. Thou knowest that is playing with fire.”
She went back to stirring. Looked back down at her work with a victorious grin. Turned to reach for something behind her.
But Orpheus felt like he’d just been sucker punched in the gut.
The air left his lungs on a gasp. The room spun again, flipped his stomach end over end. The scabbard fell from his hand as he reached for the wall with his other hand. He felt himself going down. Saw shadows barreling in from all sides. But was powerless to keep from fainting like a giant pussy.
“Daemon? Can you hear me?” The voice was muffled. Distant. Something hard pressed down on his chest. “Come on, already. Wake up!”
A crack echoed around him. His eyes flew open.
“That’s it. Yeah, that’s right, keep looking at me.”
He couldn’t do anything else. He stared up into amethyst eyes that sparkled like the Aegis Mountains in the early-morning sunshine. And felt that rush of familiarity all over again.
“There you go. See? Not so bad after all.” Her voice wasn’t so muffled anymore. “Let’s get you up.”
He didn’t fight her when she pulled on his shoulders, maneuvering him around to lean against the wall, his legs kicked out in front of him. While his head continued to spin like a top, she went back into the kitchen, flipped off the stove, reached for bandages and other supplies, then came back and knelt next to him.
Honeysuckle wafted around him as she leaned close to look at the side of his head. But that vision of her in that old-time kitchen wouldn’t leave his head. That and the knowing smile she’d sent him that spoke of familiarity on a personal level. An intimate level.
Shards of heat ricocheted everywhere she touched, sending a tingle down his spine that left him more off-kilter than before. “This looks like it’s finally scabbed over,” she said. “I know daemons heal quickly, but…well, you are not what I expected.”
Neither was she. Whatever she was doing to him, though, he was about to put a stop to it.
He grasped her wrist, ignored the heat that flared beneath his fingers. “I want…answers.”
Another jolt of déjà vu rippled through him. She looked down where he held her, and something akin to shock washed over her face. Then she pulled her hand free with a quick snap of her wrist, a motion that told him she was stronger than she appeared, and pushed to her feet. “You need food. We’ll talk after you eat.”
Screw that.
He’d never fainted in his life. Couldn’t believe he’d done so now, especially in front of her. Whatever she was—witch, sorceress, immortal—she was playing some kind of mind fuck on him. Getting him to see and feel things that weren’t real. His mother had been Medean. He’d studied her craft, knew how to cast spells himself when the time was right, and was well aware of the power the dark arts could harness. He wasn’t about to be manipulated by this female, in any way.
He pushed to his feet. Before she reached the end of the hall, he flashed in front of her, bringing her feet to a dead stop.
Surprise lit her eyes. Confusion followed quickly on its tail. Argonauts could only flash in Argolea. In the human realm they were limited to the same laws of nature as humans. But not him.
She dropped her supplies, eased back. “What…? How did you do that?”
“I’m full of surprises.” He took a step toward her.
She moved back more. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“I’ve had a shitty day and I’m tired of the head games.” Her back hit the wall. He knew his eyes were glowing green, illuminating the dark hallway around them, but he didn’t force his daemon back as he normally would. Right now he needed its strength. “I want answers, and I want them now.”
He pressed a hand against the wall and leaned in close. Until the heat from her skin slid over his and the beat of her heart was all he could hear. “I want to know who the hell you really are. And I want to know what your being here has to do with me.”

8. Listening to music is part of your writing regiment. What did you pick for ENRAPTURED and why?

I listen to instrumental music when I write and flock toward movie soundtracks—Lord of the Rings, Gladiator, Last of the Mohicans, etc. When I'm "thinking" about my books though, I listen to music with lyrics and have put together an itunes playlist with songs that inspired the books. I have eclectic music tastes, so on my ENRAPTURED playlist you'll find Linkin Park, the Goo Goo Dolls, Evanescence, The Fray, Bryan Adams and even Lady Antebellum. To listen to the ENRAPTURED playlist, go to: https://c.itunes.apple.com/us/imix/enraptured/id499167620

9 This coming November ETERNAL GUARDIAN fans have book #5, ENSLAVED, to look forward to. It would make a wonderful Holiday gift to tell your friends you want, if you can wait a few weeks to read it. The Three Crazy Chicks,.... NO WAY. We will be reading it the day of release.  Could you give us a glimpse of what is to come in this read? (LT here: Give us the goods Elisabeth, spill, spill! Wendy, chimes in but still can’t take her eyes of the book covers)

LOVE that idea!

Book five is Gryphon's book. I was trying to keep the identity of the hero in ENSLAVED a secret, but can't. Gryphon plays a BIG role in ENRAPTURED so hopefully readers will be eager to get to his story. From a reader's perspective I wasn't that nice to him in ENRAPTURED…but I promise I'm nicer to him in ENSLAVED! (I'm not giving away any more…you have to read ENRAPTURED to find out what's happening with Gryphon!)
(Shonna: I am about to BUST! I was glued to every page of ENRAPTURED, and can not wait to read this)

10. Elisabeth where can our followers click to in the cyber world to find more about you and your must read books?

Aw, I'm so glad my books are must-reads for you! You just made my day. To learn more, readers can find me at the following locations:

Website: www.elisabethnaughton.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/elisabeth.naughton1

Twitter: www.twitter/ElisNaughton

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2002988.Elisabeth_Naughton

Elisabeth’s publicist at Sourcebooks is donating a copy of ENRAPTURED to one of our lucky followers. Leave a question or comment for Elisabeth along with your email address to be entered in the random drawing. (Limited to US/Canada residents

THERON – Dark haired, duty bound and deceptively deadly. He’s the leader of the Argonauts, an elite group of guardians that defends the immortal realm from threats of the Underworld.
From the moment he walked into the club, Casey knew this guy was different. Men like that just didn’t exist in real life—silky shoulder-length hair, chest impossibly broad, and a predatory manner that just screamed dark and dangerous. He was looking for something. Her.
She was the one. She had the mark. Casey had to die so his kind could live, and it was Theron’s duty to bring her in. But even as a 200-year-old descendent of Hercules, he wasn’t strong enough to resist the pull in her fathomless eyes, to tear himself away from the heat of her body.
As war with the Underworld nears, someone will have to make the ultimate sacrifice.



ZANDER — The most feared of all the Eternal Guardians. It’s rumored he can’t be killed, and he always fights like he has nothing to lose. But as a descendant of the famed hero Achilles, he’s got to have a vulnerability… somewhere.
Forces of daemons are gathering and have broken through the barriers of the Underworld. Now more than ever the Eternal Guardians are needed to protect both their own realm and the humans’. Zander can’t afford to think about what might have been with the bewitching physician he once regarded as his soul mate. But with eternity stretching before him, he also can’t fathom spending his life without the one woman who makes him feel most alive. Perhaps he’s found his weakness, after all…


DEMETRIUS—He’s the hulking, brooding warrior his fellow Guardians avoid. Too dark. Too damaged. And given his heritage, he knows it’s best to keep everyone at arm’s length.
Isadora is missing. The words pound through his head like a frantic drumbeat. For her own protection, Demetrius did all he could to avoid the fragile princess, his soul mate. And now she’s gone—kidnapped. To get her back, he’ll have to go to the black place in his soul he’s always shunned.
As daemons ravage the human realm and his loyalty to the Guardians is put to the ultimate test, Demetrius realizes that Isadora is stronger than anyone thought. And finally letting her into his heart may be the only way to save them both.