By Kryssie Fortune (Guest Blogger)
Even the name Knights Templar sounds romantic. I picture powerful knights fighting in organized jousts to win a lady’s favor.
Ever
been on an escorted holiday led a guide? In England, Thomas Cook
started a travel company on that principle. In 1841 he organized a
group excursion from Leicester to Loughborough. Everyone hailed it as
a success and the UK’s first travel company was born. No one
realized the Templars had done something similar back in the time of
the crusades. Of course, they had to fight off infidel attacks along
the way.
Back
to modern holidays. Do you use travelers’ checks? They’re a great
way to keep your money safe, aren’t they? The banks did good when
they thought of them.
Well…not
really.
The
Templars beat them to it. When someone set out on medieval
pilgrimage, they needed a way to protect their valuables. They could
pay money to the Templars before they set off and withdraw it along
the way. Just like modern bankers, I’m certain the Templars charged
for the privilege.
While
I’m on the subject of bankers, who do you think started the banking
system? The Gnomes of Zurich? Well…only if those gnomes wore a
white tunic emblazoned with a red Templar cross.
On the 13th October, 1307 the whole Templar organization was condemned by Pope Clement and King Philip lV of France. They owed the Templars a fortune and didn’t want to pay it back. Instead, they arrested every Templar they could lay their hands on and put them to death. A few survivors supposedly escaped to Switzerland and fought with the Swiss cantons against foreign oppressors. Once the battle was won, they moved to Zurich and worked with the one thing they knew. Money.
On the 13th October, 1307 the whole Templar organization was condemned by Pope Clement and King Philip lV of France. They owed the Templars a fortune and didn’t want to pay it back. Instead, they arrested every Templar they could lay their hands on and put them to death. A few survivors supposedly escaped to Switzerland and fought with the Swiss cantons against foreign oppressors. Once the battle was won, they moved to Zurich and worked with the one thing they knew. Money.
Did
you notice the date of the Templar’s fall? 13th October
doesn’t sound all that important, until I tell you it was a Friday.
Friday the 13th. No one can prove it, but many people
think that’s why the date’s considered unlucky.
Of
course, the Templars were crusader knights. Along with other travels,
they brought new foodstuffs with them. As a caffeine addict, I’m
glad they brought coffee. I live in Yorkshire’s famous rhubarb
triangle, so that’s something else I’m grateful to them for—along
with dates and spices.
Not
hungry? Okay, but I bet you use mirrors and writing paper. Carpets
add comfort, and they came from the Holy Land too. Are you a chess
player? You guessed it. Chess was a game played in the Holy Land and
adopted by visitors.
I
know I’ve been flippant, but let’s face it, the Templars and
their ilk really did do lots for us.
So
why the interest in the Templars?
In
my latest book One Knight Stand the hero once belonged an
order of religious Knights based loosely on the Templars—one I
invented. He’s was a Knight Defender.
Now
he’s a modern-day billionaire with a philanthropic streak. And
fangs. That’s why he’s a Knight Vampire. Not that my heroine
knows that.
Boy,
is she in for a surprise!
Blurb
Crusader
knight, Blaxton de Ferrers rises as a vampire after the Knights
Defender steal his soul. Murdered by his cousin, he preys on the
people he once swore to protect. His emotions leach out of him.
Gradually, he forgets how to feel.
Eight
hundred years later, he meets Harriet.
Harriet
Mortlake’s a strong, sassy woman who battles her weight and her
temper. She’s the modern-day archivist in the castle which was
Blaxton’s childhood home. She’s supposed to ferret out the
castle’s secrets. Instead, she finds the love of her life.
When
danger threatens Harriet, Blaxton steps in. Harriet and Blaxton are a
match made in heaven. Except… he’s a vampire and he’s destined
for hell.
Note:
this book was previously released under the title Knight’s Vampire.
It has been updated and re-edited for this release.
Buy
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Excerpt
“How
dare you embarrass me like that?” Harriet Mortlake planted her
hands on her hips and glowered at the man she’d cornered outside
the cafe. Her normal iceberg cool deserted her, and she wanted to
slap the condescending smile off his face. Around this stranger, she
felt as though lightning bolts flashed from her eyes.
“It’s
a temple, not a chapel,” he insisted.
Stubborn.
Damn. Male. She’d been showing the big guns from the Castles’
Management Trust around the building. They’d already made it clear
they thought her too young for the archivist’s role. This
know-it-all had infuriated her when he sounded off in the chapel. Now
he antagonized her all over again.
“As
if!” Harriet snorted. “No way would medieval Christians build a
pagan temple on their grounds. Superstitious locals would have
accused them of devil worship. They burned heretics at the stake,
remember?”
Despite
Mr. Condescending’s interference, she’d impressed the big
bosses—she thought. Now the sexiest male, ever, clung to his
ridiculous belief the chapel had been a pagan temple.
He
flashed her a smile which would have lit up the underground chapel
where he’d embarrassed her earlier. He should keep his mouth shut
and let her admire his looks. Everything about him radiated sex
appeal. Looking at him almost made her anger evaporate, but he gave
her the know-it-all look that made her bristle.
“You
need to get your facts right,” he told her, determined to have the
last word.
Stupid,
arrogant male. She couldn’t decide whether to show him her
diplomas and degrees or kick his shins. She’d reined in her temper
while the higher-ups carried out their inspection. Now they’d left,
she felt free to vent her rage. Hands still on her hips, she tapped
her foot at him.
“Lost
for words without an audience? Or don’t you have any facts to back
up your cock-and-bull story? Put up or shut up, Mister. Tell me why
you think it’s a temple.”
Mr.
Condescending sat outside the castle’s tearoom as if he hadn’t a
care in the world. His interference when she’d shown the bigwigs
into the chapel could have cost her the job she loved. Whitborough
Castle’s extensive records needed cataloging, and Harriet couldn’t
wait to get her hands on them.
More
about Kryssie Fortune
Kryssie Fortune writes the sort of hot sexy books she loves to read. If she can sneak a dragon into her paranormal books she will. Her paranormal heroes are muscular werewolves, arrogant Fae or BDSM loving dragons.
Kryssie
likes her contemporary heroes ex-military and dominant. Her heroines
are kick ass females who can hold their own against whatever life -
or Kryssie - throws at them.
Kryssie's pet hates are unhappy endings, and a series that end on a cliff hanger.
Her books are all stand alone even when part of series. Plot always comes before sex, but when her heroines and heroes get together, the sex is explosive and explicit. One review called it downright sensual.
Kryssie's pet hates are unhappy endings, and a series that end on a cliff hanger.
Her books are all stand alone even when part of series. Plot always comes before sex, but when her heroines and heroes get together, the sex is explosive and explicit. One review called it downright sensual.
Kryssie Fortune Social Media
Pinterest
http://bit.ly/1OGFnjc
Amazon
Author Page http://amzn.to/2hA0ZVO
2 comments:
Thank you for hosting me. It's always a pleasure to drop by your blog.
Hi, Kryssie,
Sorry I didn't drop by to welcome you yesterday. I was at a conference all day--Lisabet had to wait!
Hope the new release does really well!
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