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In Tantalizing You, you’ll meet an imposing, even forbidding gargoyle called Gregoire. But don’t worry; he has a heart of gold and wanted nothing more than for Frankie and Reese to stop being absolute buttheads and realize they were in lurve.
But where did gargoyles come from anyway? When they started popping up on European churches around the 12th century, they were considered to be protective spirits, dedicated to ensure that the evil ones didn’t enter. They also made pretty good drainage systems, as they tended to be hollow in the middle so that rainwater sluicing off the church roof was directed through their mouths into drains way below.
If you don’t believe me, consider this: The word ‘gargoyle’ comes from the French word ‘gargouille’, meaning pipe of throat, and that’s the exact sound the water makes as those stone monsters ‘gargle’ the water shooting through them.
I remember at age 14, standing with my family in Paris outside of the Cathedral of Notre Dame, staring up at those world famous gargoyles, fascinated by them. Not to mention almost disbelieving that I could even be there … in Paris! I think that experience helped influence my decision to study French up to college level, which eventually influenced me as a writer, sneaking in scenes in France in many of my books, including Tantalizing You.
Wish I had a few outside my house! Although they’d scare the hell out of my dogs.
Giggle time
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Before I wander off, wanna hear a gargoyle joke? What did one gargoyle say to the other as he heard him moving around in the dark?
“Statue?”
Ha ha. Okay, I hear you. I’ll stick to romance writing.
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