In the Aerie of the Wolf Virtual Book Tour 2011

In the Aerie of the Wolf

Join Leonora Pruner, author of the historical gothic novel, In the Aerie of the Wolf (Nordskog Publishing, April 2011), as she virtually tours the blogosphere in June on her second virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book!

About Leonora Pruner

Leonora-Pruner

While born in Dubuque, Iowa, Leonora Pruner was brought to California by her parents during the Second World War, which has since been her principal residence.  In 1953, she graduated from Westmont College then earned an MBA from Pepperdine University in 1981.  Having married in 1953, she has seen her family expand from two children to thirteen grandchildren and five great- grandchildren.

Writing has been an important activity since junior high.  In the late ‘60s, an eighteenth-century English character on The Wonderful World of Disney, captivated her interest.  The desire to create a variation of him, led to five years of extensive research, followed by the publication of two period novels in 1981 and 1987, Love’s Secret Storm, and Love’s Silent Gift.  Feeling that all that research should be reused, eighteenth-century England continues as a setting for her work.

From 1987 to 1997, she lived in the Republic of Maldives collecting folklore and teaching economics and computer science. While there, she wrote the first drafts of Close to His Heart and The Aerie of the Wolf on her computer.

Visit Leonora online at http://nordskogpublishing.com/book-in-the-aerie-of-the-wolf.shtml

Aerie cover

About In the Aerie of the Wolf

Set in 18th century England, our heroine Anne is betrothed to a man she’s never met and must leave behind her girlhood fantasies. When she arrives at the home of Lord Wolverton, Master of the Wolf’s Aerie, the mysteries and challenges of her new life cause her to seek Biblical wisdom and guidance concerning honor, integrity, and faithfulness. In this story of the discovery of true love, there is also danger, betrayal, and sword fighting—and it all takes place in a castle complete with secret passageways. Become lost in another time and place. You will not want to put this book down.

Read an Excerpt!

The strange, deep voice coming from a dark corner startled her, prompting a rash of prickles on her skin. She heard a crunching step on one of the paths. Had he come through the door? She heard no sound of it. Should she call for Smithson? Anne pulled her Spanish shawl tighter as she rose and faced the voice, demanding in tones elevated by fear, “W-who are you?”
“Andrew Lupus, at your service.”

She saw the flash of diamond buckles as he made a proper leg in bowing. Diamonds? Who else could it be in this place? Despite a mouth suddenly dry she managed to murmur, “Anne Crofton,” and dropped a curtsy.

“I know.”

“Have we met?” she asked hesitantly, trying to recognize his voice.

“Not formally. We do not stand on ceremony at the Aerie.”

“Oh.” Her heart was pounding uncomfortably hard. “Are you, are you Lord Wolverton, m-my host?”

“The same.”

At last! She made a deep curtsy, trying to conceal her nervousness. “I am so happy to have this opportunity to thank you for your kindness in providing my lovely rooms. The moment I crossed the threshold, I felt the warmth of ‘home’.”

“Such was my desire. I am gratified it pleased you.”

She noticed the moonlight exposed the white stockings covering his ankles above the sparkling buckles. If she could talk long enough, it might move up his figure and reveal his features. “I was uneasy coming to this strange place, as you might imagine. But, on seeing my things from ho… the Haven, and realizing your considerable effort in bringing them here, not to say planning and forethought, I felt easier in my mind.”

“Then the efforts were more than justified. I trust your journey was not overly tiring.”

“No. Lengthy, but Old Samson took excellent care of me.”

“He is … my most faithful servant.”

Anne took a small step backwards and was pleased to see his feet move towards her and the moonlight expose his dark breeches fastened at his knees. “This is a very unusual garden. Old Samson said it was developed some years past, which I take to mean by one of your ancestors?”

“Traditions in the region indicate it was first planted in the 15th century by the eccentric master of the castle. He also delighted in fostering the notion that we were werewolves.”

Suddenly chilled, Anne asked, “W-werewolves? Surely you jest.”

“Not at all. Very likely it suited a perverse sense of humor or provided primitive power over a very superstitious people. Whatever his reasons, he cultivated that image. He called this place the ‘Aerie of the Wolf’ and took ‘Lupus’ as the family name.”

“How strange,” she murmured, seeing the dark skirt of his coat become visible, possibly brown like his servant’s livery. Casually, she moved a step away from him.

“Anything out of the way was attributed to him, justly or not. As a result, a number of legends grew up about us.” Again, his feet moved forward.

The fingers of his right hand became visible. Beneath the wide lace hanging from his sleeve, she noticed a ring with a large dark stone on his fore finger. Perhaps it was like the betrothal ring she wore. A word, long forgotten, learned with exciting shivers of fright, rose to her consciousness. Gripping her fan tightly, and taking a deep breath, she asked boldly, “And you, are you also a, ly, lycanthrope?”

“A what? A lycanthrope?”

Tensely, she awaited his reaction. Fascinated, she watched the light slowly move up his arm as he stepped towards her with a low laugh.

“You are asking me if I am a werewolf? Come, come. How might I answer? If I say ‘No, of course not,’ I could be lying. If I was a werewolf, I certainly would not admit to it to my … betrothed.”

The emotional timbre when he pronounced ‘betrothed’, created an enjoyable tingle in Anne. “No, I suppose not. I might be frightened away before being wed.”

“And that would not suit my plan at all.”

He almost sounded as if he was smiling. “And what is your plan, milord?” She tried to speak lightly, but her voice trembled slightly.

He paused briefly before answering in measured, vibrant tones, “To make you my wife.”

“Oh!” Her pulse quickened. “But why? Why me? You don’t even know me.”

“Ah, there you err. I know a great deal about you. Your gentle kindness and graciousness will be valued at the Aerie, and your wit and brave heart especially please me.”

“I cannot think why you should entertain such absurd ideas about me. I am far from brave, although I should like to be so,” she ended wistfully. She looked down at her fan, opened and closed it, and drifted back another step.

“It takes great courage to converse with a suspected werewolf on the night of a full moon without screaming for aid.”

She looked up in surprise. The lace of his shirt was clearly visible and metallic braid glinted down the front edges of his full-skirted coat. He’s not a great deal taller than I am, she thought. Perhaps he is shy because he is of small stature. “I, I may be foolish, but I admit I feel no danger.”

“Under these circumstances it is foolhardy to inquire if your companion is a werewolf, even in a veiled manner. The question might rouse him to a lethal reaction.”

“Ah, but if you do not wed me, your plan will fail. I must be safe until then.”

“As you say.”

“In any event, as your guest, I am already at your mercy, milord. Your many kindnesses encourage me to trust you.” Turning, she walked away slowly to the far side of the bench, hoping he would follow into the light. “Please, do not tell me my trust is misplaced,” she said, glancing hopefully over her shoulder.

But she was alone.

Read the Reviews!

“What a triumph! IN THE AERIE OF THE WOLF is Leonora Pruner’s best book ever. A gripping love story with the page-turning pacing of a gothic romance and the fairy tale evocations of The Beauty and The Beast. A heart-stopping tale set in the wilds of 18th century Yorkshire with Pruner’s superb period detail and spot-on theology.”

–Donna Fletcher Crow, VERY PRIVATE GRAVE, The Monastery Murders

In the Aerie of the Wolf Tour Schedule

Monday, June 6

Book spotlighted at The Plot

Book spotlighted at Pump Up Your Books, Blurbs and Bytes

Tuesday, June 7th

Guest blogging at Review from Here

Character interviewed at The Plot

Wednesday, June 8th

Guest blogging at The Hot Author Report books

Thursday, June 9th

Interviewed at As the Pages Turn

Friday, June 10th

Book reviewed at One Day at a Time

Monday, June 13th

Guest blogging at Writing Daze

Tuesday, June 14th

Interviewed at Blogcritics

Wednesday, June 15th

Interviewed at Paperback Writer

Book reviewed at One Book Shy of a Full Shelf

Thursday, June 16th

Guest blogging at Literal Exposure

Friday, June 17th

Interviewed at The Book Connection

Monday, June 20th

Book excerpt featured at Between the Covers

Tuesday, June 21st

Book spotlighted at Books, Products and More!

Wednesday, June 22nd

Book spotlighted at By the Book

Thursday, June 23rd

Book reviewed at The Adventures of My Family of 8

Monday, June 27th

Guest blogging at Literarily Speaking

Tuesday, June 28th

Guest blogging and giveaway at Acting Balanced

Book reviewed at Lynn’s Corner

Book reviewed at Confessions of an Overworked Mom

Thursday, June 30th

Book reviewed at Carpe Libris

Book reviewed at The Knowlton Nest

Friday, July 15th

Book reviewed at By the Book

Leonora Pruner’s IN THE AERIE OF THE WOLF VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR ‘11 will officially begin on June 6th and end on June 30th, 2011. Please contact Cheryl Malandrinos at cg20pm00(at)gmail(dot)com if you are interested in hosting and/or reviewing this book or click here to use the form. Thank you! Deadline for inquiries is May 20, 2011 or until the tour is filled.

UPDATE: This tour is now full. Thank you for your interest in In the Aerie of the Wolf. Please check out our Books for Review page for more available titles.


Comments are closed.