Kyra Halland's Blog, page 28

Fall Into Romance Blog Hop

Welcome to this stop on the Fall Into Romance Blog Hop, put on by Hops With Heart! I'm Kyra Halland, and I love fantasy in my romance and romance in my fantasy. Enjoy some magical falling in love moments from my stories, and be sure to enter the giveaways further down! I'm giving away an ebook Love and Magic 3-pack (containing my novels Urdaisunia , Chosen of Azara , and Sarya's Song ) and there's also a grand prize giveaway sponsored by Hops With Heart for a $75 Amazon gift card! Also make sure you check out some of the other great blogs participating in the blog hop - the Linkup list is at the bottom of the post.

And now, on with the romance!
From Chosen of Azara , a wanderer named Sevry, whom Lucie has seen in mysterious visions, takes shelter at Lucie's father's house, and Lucie makes an astonishing discovery:
* * *
Lucie moved into a foreign ballad that her mother, Rinata, had taught her. She had been told many times that she had the sweetest voice in the Lower Districts, and wasn’t shy about singing in front of people. She didn’t understand the words to this song, but she could feel the mixture of sadness and strength in them. The tune was in a minor mode, almost tragic except for a subtle thread of love and tenderness that ran through it. This was one of her best songs, and she wanted the man from her visions to hear her at her best. Not that she really cared what he thought of her, of course; she just wanted to put her best face forward for a guest.

She sang, letting the feel of the music and the lilt of the language guide her singing. After a moment, she realized that another voice had joined hers, a fine baritone though somewhat rough from disuse; it was the stranger singing quietly along with her. He knew all the words, and pronounced them with more ease and certainty than Lucie did.

Lucie’s fingers faltered on the strings. Flustered, her heart bursting with a wild mix of emotions, she managed to make it through the rest of the verses and the last chorus. “I’m sorry,” she stammered when the song was done. “I’m tired. Good night.” She fled the hall, clutching her lute in both hands, the stranger’s voice still echoing in her mind.
From The Lost Book of Anggird , after attempting to magically Heal Perarre's cold, Roric suffers the consequences, and comes to an uncomfortable realization:
* * *
He slid down along the wall to sit on the floor next to the washstand, fists clenched in frustration, tears in his eyes. The pain was bad enough, but he hated the sickness, the shame, the feeling of helplessness that came along with it. He felt like he was trapped in that dark hour twenty years ago, shortly after coming to the University, when he had crouched in a hidden corner with the point of a stolen kitchen knife pressed against his throat, trying to will himself to plunge it in, to put an end to the memories and pain and shame and to make sure that no one would ever discover what he was. The life he had painstakingly built for himself since that day, the respect and reputation he had gained, all seemed to crumble away under the onslaught of misery that Healing brought upon him. Why had he done this to himself, just for the sake of temporarily relieving a simple head cold?

Because her illness was his fault, that was why, a reproachful voice inside his head pointed out. It was disgraceful the way he had been overworking her. Had she really thought that he would dismiss her if she became ill? If he wasn’t careful, he would drive her away or wear her down completely before he even had a chance to begin the most important research he would ever do.

And, in any case, what right did he have to interfere in his employee’s personal habits? What had he been thinking, to insist that she go swimming in the frigid waters of early spring? He had been born in a place where icy winds blew unhindered for three-fourths of the year. Though he couldn’t bear pain, tolerance of the cold was bred into every particle and sinew of his body. It had been stupid of him to assume that Miss Tabrano would have the same tolerance.

He sat in misery, waiting for the pain to ebb away. As it faded, a memory of smooth, warm skin beneath his fingertips came unbidden into his mind, along with the realization that, regardless of pain, illness, and propriety, he had enjoyed having an excuse to touch her. More shame flooded through him — how could he have taken such advantage of Miss Tabrano in her illness? But he couldn’t bring himself to regret that brief moment of unexpected, unfamiliar pleasure.

And that was more alarming than any amount of pain.
And finally, here's a sneak peek inside Beneath the Canyons, book 1 of my upcoming fantasy-western series Daughter of the Wildings. Lainie Banfrey can't help feeling a little smitten with Silas Vendine, the stranger in town, even though she knows he's probably trouble (please note, this is not the final edited version!):
* * *
Lainie tied Mala to a post outside the mercantile and looked at the list she had written on a scrap of paper. It contained five or six things her father had meant to tell her to get the other day when he sent her to buy nails but had forgotten. Ever since Blake's death, he was distracted and forgetful, lost in anger and memories and grief.

As she read the list, a shadow fell over the paper and she felt a presence beside her. She looked up to see Mr. Vendine standing there. A burst of excitement and shyness leaped up inside of her, and she tried, unsuccessfully, to keep from smiling.

He tipped his brown, flat-brimmed leather hat to her. "Good morning, Miss Banfrey."

She was being silly. She had only just met him; she couldn't be smitten with him already, and if she was, she was a fool. With an effort, she managed to respond with dignity. "Good morning, Mr. Vendine."

"More errands for your father today?"

"Yes, he always thinks of things he meant to tell me to get right when I've just made a trip to town."

"I certainly hope you have a better day for it than you did the other day."

"I hope so, too." Having someone to talk to about it, someone friendly who wasn't all wound up over the situation, made her words come spilling out in relief. "Once they've done some shooting, they usually calm down for a while before they start getting all riled up again."

"They? The miners?"

"All of them." Lainie waved a hand, encompassing the whole town. "The whole damn-fool lot of them." Suddenly she felt self-conscious of her own babbling. "Anyhow, Mr. Vendine, thank you for keeping watch over me the other day. If you'll excuse me --"

He touched her shoulder as she turned to go into the store, stopping her. "If I could speak to you privately for a few moments, Miss Banfrey, I'd appreciate it. Maybe on your way home?"

His voice and his handsome face and dark eyes were very serious. Not a trace of flirtation or even friendliness, though his manner was certainly polite. Although he had been so kind to her, she was suddenly afraid of what this stranger might have to say to her. He had a slightly dangerous air about him, as of a man who keeps his own secrets. Did he know about her power, how she had tried to protect herself with magic the other day? Or was there something else going on with him? The ranch hands had heard rumors he was a bounty hunter; did he think she knew something about a fugitive he was hunting?

"Please," he said. "I mean you no harm. It's important."

"It's a distance back to the ranch," she said. "Four leagues and some."

"My horse could use some exercise. I'll saddle him up and meet you back here by the time you're done with your business."

"My Pa don't want me riding out with men he don't know."

"It won't take long. I just have a question or two I'd like to ask you."

Just a question or two. There couldn't be any harm in that. Finally, she nodded. "All right, then."

"Thank you. I'll be waiting here for you." He tipped his hat again, then walked away towards Mundy's Boarding House. Lainie watched him go for a moment, then went into the store.
Enter to win a Love and Magic eBook 3-pack (Urdaisunia, Chosen of Azara, and Sarya's Song ) from Kyra Halland/Welcome to My Worlds! (One winner)
a Rafflecopter giveaway And the grand prize giveaway from Hops With Heart!
a Rafflecopter giveaway Grand Prize Giveaway not run or sponsored by Kyra Halland/Welcome to My Worlds
Be sure to check out the other blogs in the Fall Into Romance Blog Hop, Sept. 19-22!

Book Review: The Chocolatier's Wife

The Chocolatier's Wife, by Cindy Lynn Speer

Really lovely fantasy-romance-mystery. When William is seven years old, the magical spell used to choose future spouses reveals that his future bride is Tasmin, a newborn baby girl from the magical and dangerous north. Despite his family's misgivings, William begins a correspondence with Tasmin, sending her letters and gifts. As they grow, William to become a sea captain of some renown and Tasmin to become an herb mage and teacher, his kindness and honesty win her heart even though they haven't yet met. So when Tasmin hears that William, now retired from the sea to open a chocolate shop, has been arrested for murder, she refuses to believe it, and sets out to rescue him. Together, William and Tasmin discover a nefarious plot to destroy William's family and, although romance is considered an irrelevant frivolity when it comes to marriage, fall in love.

Beautifully written, interesting magic, engaging and likeable characters (except for the ones you love to hate! But even they have multiple dimensions, and aren't just cardboard cutouts). The world is also interesting, a setting reminiscent of late 18th/early 19th century Europe. I always appreciate fantasy that isn't set in the standard pseudo-medieval setting. The mystery is well-plotted and kept me guessing. My only quibble is that some of the tensions between Tasmin and William, such as Tasmin's jealousy, seem contrived, as though they were put in just to keep the relationship from seeming too "perfect". It isn't necessary; the relationship between William and Tasmin is charming and quirky enough without those elements, and they don't really fit the characters and story.

The Chocolatier's Wife is sweet romance, with some sexual references but no on-screen sex.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Chocolatier's Wife, and highly recommend it for those who like romance in their fantasy, or fantasy in their romance, along with an intriguing mystery.

Author Spotlight: Mandy Lou Dowson

Introducing Mandy Lou Dowson, author of multi-genred paranormal romance:

1. Tell us a little about yourself.
I'm an Irish Mother (no, don't be scared - we're not that bad), and I'm thirty-one.  I'm the kind of person you'll see smiling for no reason, or laughing away to myself about something that happened ages ago.  I'm never as happy as when I'm learning something new.  This time around I'm learning to drive - yes, I know I'm a late starter - and I haven't killed anyone yet, even though roundabouts freak me out and I sometimes forget to break 'cos I'm daydreaming.

When I'm not threatening the public with my vehicle, or writing, you can usually find me curled up on the couch with a good book or a movie.  I don't really watch much TV and I wouldn't even have cable if I didn't have children, preferring the smell of ink and paper to the sight of full color on screen.  Sometimes I even go out in public haha.  I've been known to enjoy the odd night out, karaoke et all!  I love to dance, and Halloween is my favorite holiday.  Last year I made my own costume using styrofoam, paint and a bed sheet.  I was... the Ghostbusters sign!  I won three competitions with that haha.

2. When did you start writing, and why?
I started writing as soon as I could form a sentence, I think.  Of course, when I was a kid I wasted my talent - and my emotions - sending love letters to unattainable guys.  Don't we all?  No?  Just me, then.  Anyhoooo, I read a book when I was very young, called Under the Hawthorn Tree, about three Irish children trying to survive the Great Famine, and it just struck such a cord with me, and instilled in me the adoration of books I still have today.  That was where my love affair with the written word began.
3. What do you write, and why? What do you enjoy about what you write?
I write Paranormal Romance, but I hate labelling it so - it's so much more than that.  I'm not your typical boddice-ripper-writer.  Imagine if you will, a veritable genre orgy.  Romance is there, Paranormal is there, but they also hook up with Thriller and Horror, Comedy and Mystery, and Urban drifts around the edges, taking it all in.  It's a feast for the eyes, the senses and will leave you longing for another go around.  That's what I love about writing.  The total enthrallment of my captive audience.  When someone comes back to me to let me know they loved my book, and can't wait for more?  That there is the sole reason to do what I do.

4. What is your latest book or series? Any forthcoming books?
I recently released the first in a series.  Bound by Fate, a Moon Bound Series novel. I'm currently working on book number two in the series, Bound by Revenge, and by the way fans are reacting to the first, I know they're going to adore this instalment.  It's due for release in February.  But if I have all my duckies in a row, it could release as early as January.
5. "Welcome To My Worlds": Tell us a little about the world of your latest book or series.
My world has a modern day urban setting, for the most part.  A lot of my characters live completely ostricized from humans, but there are also a few dotted around who have integrated a little more with the humans' way of life.  Magic is prevalent in my world, and the presence of The Great Mother - She who created them - is always near.

The mythos of my world is this... In the beginning, The Great Mother cleaved our spirits in two, sending each one to earth in a separate vessel to find each other.  But before these, there were others, which She calls the Lonely Spirits.  As a young deity, She knew no better, and sent spirits in their entirety to earth in just one vessel, not knowing that they would turn into twisted and evil things, and there they remain, causing havoc, destroying spirit halves, and generally being a pain in Her holy butt.

But things are about to change, as She takes a more active approach in their destruction.

6. Introduce us to some of your characters. What do you like about them?
Aside from my main character, Beth, and the two males in her life, there are so many different characters that I have loved creating.  There's the pair of cackling old she-wolves who remind me of my dearly beloved and recently passed Nan and her sister.  There's Alanna, the seductive and sinuous Mistress of Dance.  Mickey and his ill-fated conquest September.  Bradley - everyone loves to hate him!  But I have to say, I have such a soft-spot for Donovan - one of the two males Beth must choose between when her mating ceremony goes wrong in every way.  He's such a softy, and gets himself into more situations than he should because of that.  Gareth is your typical tough-as-nails, if-looks-could-kill Alpha in the making.  Between the pair of them, Beth is driven to distraction and I, as their creator, was driven to the point of madness when they wouldn't behave on paper! :P

7. A fun fact you would like your readers to know about you or your book.
I wrote the first half of this about five years ago, and then got bogged down with other projects, so it languished in the vaults of the unfinished until earlier this year, when suffering from serious Writer's Block, I dusted it off and immediately immersed myself in the familiar waters of this world.  Ever since, the ideas just keep flowing, and I've got the bones of at least six more books in the series rattling around in my brain.  They won't let me sleep at night. Bound by Fate :
Giving her Guardian the slip has never been a problem for Beth. Even for a wolf, she is wicked fast and almost impossible to track. Then she meets Gareth, her new Guardian. Gareth is ruggedly handsome, unfailingly stubborn, and seems determined to sniff Beth out, no matter where she runs.

After a disastrous night of passion with Gareth, Beth has no choice but to put herself forward for mating. Although, it's not just Gareth that has his eye on this female. Donovan, a wolf from a neighboring pack , has his own reasons for wanting this she-wolf, and when Beth makes the wrong choice, she finds out exactly what happens when you're "thrown to the wolves".

Secrets are revealed and choices are made. Will love conquer all, or destroy everything Beth has ever known?

Review Snippets:
"This book was truly amazing. I ran the gamut of emotions while reading it. (Seriously TWO Kleenex's)"

"For me..you rate right at the very top."

"I honestly can't wait for the second book in the series and I highly recommend this book"

"This is an excellent start to a new PNR series and I look forward to seeing what else Mandy Lou Dowson has up her sleeve."

"I hope this will be a long series"

"You have ruined me I don't know who I love more in Bound By Fate so many choices to ponder upon!"
 
The first book in the Moon Bound Series, Bound by Fate, which is garnering 4 and 5 star reviews across the board, is available on all good online retailers.

Amazon | iTunes | Barnes & Noble | Kobo
About the Author:
Mandy Lou Dowson was born and raised in a small town in Ireland, in 1983. Family is a huge deal to Mandy. She has three wonderful children, and two dogs - a Siberian Husky who only does what she's told if there's something in it for her, and a little white Pomeranian who loves nothing better than to roll in mud, or worse.

In her spare time, she likes to relax with a few glasses of wine and some karaoke. She has a keen interest in special effects make-up and is part of a dramatical society which puts on one show and one concert each year.

Mandy started reading at quite a young age and her appetite for the written word has only increased with time. It would not be at all surprising to find her reading anything and everything from shampoo bottles to Edgar Allan Poe.

Like The Great Mother, I can be found in a lot of different places.

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COYER Book Review: Secrets

Secrets (the Guardian Trilogy #1), by Liz Schulte

Exciting and entertaining paranormal suspense/romance. After Olivia has a chance encounter with a handsome, compelling stranger, frightening and tragic things begin to happen all around her. In the meantime, she and the stranger find themselves irresistably attracted to each other - against both their better judgments - and Olivia is faced with a destiny she doesn't want and a heartbreaking choice.

This kept me reading to find out what happens next. It's clear from the beginning that Holden is no ordinary human; the hints and suggestions that are dropped during the chapters in Holden's point of view make an entertaining puzzle, and, for me, the big reveal comes at exactly the right point in the story.

I liked the alternating sections in Olivia's and Holden's points of view, overlapping so we see the events of the story through each character's eyes. Most scenes aren't repeated; usually it's done so that a chapter takes place in one character's point of view, then the next chapter overlaps the end of that bit of the action so we get the other character's reflections and reaction as the story moves on. I thought that was very well done.

The characters of Holden and Olivia and engaging and likable, as is Olivia's best friend Juliet. The other mysterious guy involved, Quintus, doesn't have quite as much personality, he seems kind of smug and perfect, but that seems to be on purpose - he's supposedly a force for good but without real empathy for human emotions. I did have a little trouble with Olivia; she seemd kind of stubborn and prickly, with a tendency to sometimes make not very smart decisions. This is something I've noticed in contemporary urban fantasy/paranormal (though I'll admit I haven't read a lot in the genre) - orneryness being used to show that a female character is "strong". However, I did like how thoughtful she is in evaluating the realities of who Holden is and if she can deal with that. And I liked it that when confronted with Holden's supernatural identity, she was able to accept it without denying what's been right in front of her all along. It bugs me when characters refuse to accept the magic or supernatural things that are happening even when they see them happening right in front of them.

There's some pretty depressing stuff that happens in the book, which made it a little hard to get through, and the ending is inconclusive. But I enjoyed it enough to download the sample for the next book right away.

See my main Clean Out Your eReader post for reading list and review links.

COYER Book Review: Snowbound and Lady of the Woods

Snowbound, by Mark P. Kolba

Exciting fantasy short story. Lleyyanir, an elven messenger, has a vital message to deliver; at stake are the lives of thousands of innocent people. But a shortcut through the mountains turns into disaster as he's trapped in a cave with no way out. Honor struggles with necessity as he must decide whether to open the message he was given - an unforgivable crime - and learn the truth of the errand he was sent on.

Tense and exciting, with a real sense of claustrophobia as Lleyyanir comes to terms with his plight. Lleyyanir and the other characters are distinct and interesting, and just enough of the world and the back story is given to fill in the blanks without having to wade through lots of infodumping. Like all of Mr. Kolba's short fiction, the world is interesting and the characters engaging. I've enjoyed all of his short stories I've read so far, and I'm lookng forward to reading his longer works. Lady of the Woods, by Mark P. Kolba

Cute story about magical beings living in the woods, and how sometimes a threat is only a threat if you think it is. Kind of short on plot, but as with all of Mr. Kolba's short fiction, I enjoyed spending time in his fantasy world with the engaging, interesting characters he writes. And while I'm at it, here's a plug for Mark P. Kolba's other work. I've read "Dragon's Draught" and "The Power to Heal", and enjoyed them both muchly, and I just now bought "The Star of Amalore". You can also get all five of his stories in the collection Fantastical Tales. I'm also looking forward to reading Awakening from the Shadows, the first novel in his Mirynthir Chronicles series, and he also has an interesting-looking thriller out, Shattered.

See my main Clean Out Your eReader post for reading list and review links.

Author Spotlight: Rachel A. Brune

Introducing urban fantasy author Rachel A. Brune (don't miss the giveaway link at the bottom of the post, to win a signed paperback copy of Cold Run!)

1. Tell us a little about yourself.
When I learn something, I like to learn it all the way. I love reading, so I write. I like baking so I learned how to make bread from scratch. I like knitting, so I am learning how to spin. I enjoy German and Russian literature, so am learning the languages. All these random hobbies come in handy when I sit down to write a new project.

2. When did you start writing, and why?
My mom has a story I wrote in Kindergarten about Santa Claus and a pie.  I think the jolly old saint got it in the face... I've always had an interest in writing, both creative and journalism. After college, I joined the Army as a combat journalist and had a chance to travel around and get experience writing about different subjects as well as producing work on a deadline. I don't know where this compulsion to put words on paper comes from, I just enjoy telling stories.

3. What do you write, and why? What do you enjoy about what you write?
Currently I write news articles for a military-interest Web site, Task and Purpose, as well as short fiction and novels. As before, I enjoy reaching out to people, talking to them, learning what excites them, what they're passionate about. This goes for fiction, too — I enjoy getting to know my characters, finding out what makes them tick, what drives them crazy, and why they do what they do.

4. What is your latest book or series? Any forthcoming books?
My novel, Cold Run, launched August 4 from Untold Press. It's a bit shifter urban fantasy meets action spy novel. I'm currently working on a sequel, as well as a separate urban Fae fantasy.

5. "Welcome To My Worlds": Tell us a little about the world of your latest book or series.
Cold Run is set in our contemporary world, with the little added detail that the main character is a werewolf. His shifting ability gives him an advantage in sneaking around, so he spends a lot of time working for a covert organization, MONIKER, fighting crime and criminals. His abilities were discovered in WWII, so various groups of scientists have had a shot at analyzing and studying him. Some of this information has been leaked to some unsavory characters, with just about the results one would expect. The world as a whole, then, is a world of science with undertones of things that can't be explained.

6. Introduce us to some of your characters. What do you like about them?
The three characters we spend the most time with are Rick Keller, our resident werewolf secret agent, and his partners John Tell and Karen Willet. Rick is kind of a pain, grumpy all the time and not really a team player. But he has a strong sense of loyalty, and will bend over backwards to help a friend, or someone who's getting a raw deal. John is an experienced agent, who used to be an NYPD detective. He's not very forthcoming about his past, and has an over-fondness for making shaggy dog jokes at Rick's expense, but when there is a job that has to be done, he will make sure it gets done. Karen has a military background, but is also a bit of a scholar. She is a legacy member of MONIKER; her grandmother was a founding member. When things — and Rick — are falling apart, she is the one to put them back together. 

7. A fun fact you would like your readers to know about you or your book.
One of my tattoos is based on a short story featuring Rick Keller that was published in the Dark Oak Press anthology, Luna's Children: Full Moon Madness. It was the tattoo that came from something I wrote, but probably not the last! Cold Run :

It is amazing how quickly a phone call can interrupt your life, even when you're a werewolf. Rick Keller hangs up from the unwanted call, but the shadowy organization he once belonged to doesn't take such an answer lightly. Waking up collared and caged by MONIKER is a quick way to learn retirement isn't always permanent. Death will be if he doesn't accept their assignment.

Keller and his new team follow a group of human traffickers on a thin trail across the globe. Their only hope is in a man who hasn't had much practice being a werewolf in a really long time, a sadistic agent who loves making dog jokes, and a beautiful operative who is better with guns than relationships.
If being forced back into service wasn't bad enough, he quickly discovers they have many new experiments to try out on their pet wolf. Even worse, MONIKER now isn't the only one who knows his secret.

Hopefully an old dog can learn some new tricks, especially if he wants to stay alive.

Excerpt:

"Keller."

The man behind the weapon was a ghost, a black tactical suit concealing his form, expensive scope mounted on some sort of rifle. I howled again and lurched at him, brought down short by another surge of the change. I struggled to remain upright but found myself on my knees.

Another man appeared to the side, shining a bright, piercing strobe light at my eyes, disorienting me as I tried to turn to face the new threat, my traitorous body rendering my reactions unreliable.

I scrambled to get my feet under me, but the final throes of the change robbed the ground from me. I flailed my paws against the last remnants of my work clothes, now torn and scattered on the ground.
I heard the explosion of gases from the chamber of the first man's rifle a split second after the bullet pierced my side. I yelped and fell sideways, trying to relieve the pressure. I rolled to all fours and lunged toward the man, intent on relieving the pain by ripping the screams from his throat.

He shot again and again as I reached him, bowling him over and aiming for the soft pieces exposed to my grip.

Instead of soft viscera beneath my teeth, the next sensation I felt came as intense pain, which slowed and disjointed my movements. I raised my head, snapping and gnarling in vain against the folds of the net suddenly enveloping me. Ignoring the second man–stupid mistake. From the burning the lines of the net raised against my hide, I could tell the wires were laced with silver filaments.

The man with the rifle scrambled away from me. I let him go, rolling on the ground, trying to escape the clutching net.

"He's a big one." The second man spoke the words, looking down on me from an impossible height as the pain began to outweigh the panic. I could feel the silver working against my struggling.

"He always was." The first man hocked and spat. It smelled of Copenhagen. "It's going to be a bitch dragging him down to the truck."

The words made no sense. I listened, but could not understand.

"If we let you up, do you promise to be a good doggie?" The man with the rifle prodded the barrel into my side.

I growled, but it was mostly wishful thinking, the energy from the night and the change suddenly sapped by the ensilvered net. I lay on my side and simply lolled.

"Good boy." The man kept his rifle trained at me as his partner knelt down and fiddled with the edge of the net. Grasping a loop from the edge, he pulled. The line must have been attached in some ingenious way so when he pulled on it, it contracted the net into a small, compact circle around my neck.

"Come on." The second man jerked at my neck, holding the line as a leash. "I'm not carrying you down this hill in the dark."

The net continued to burn against my neck as he dragged me to my feet. Head hanging, I padded after him through the snow.

Cold Run is available at Amazon.

About the Author:

Rachel A. Brune graduated from the NYU Tisch School of the Arts in May 2000, and was immediately plunged into the low-stakes world of entry-level executive assistant-ship. Her unexpected journey out of that world and into the military is chronicled in her self-published book Echoes and Premonitions. After five years as a combat journalist, including two tours in Iraq, and a brief stint as a columnist for her hometown newspaper, she attended graduate school at the University at Albany in NY, where she earned her MA in Political Communication, and her commission as a second lieutenant in the military police corps. Although her day job has taken in her in many strange, often twisted directions, Rachel continues to write and publish short fiction. She released her first novel, Soft Target, in early 2013. She blogs her thoughts about reading and the writing life at http://www.infamous-scribbler.com.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads Click the picture to go to the giveaway! Prize: signed paperback copy of Cold Run (one of five copies)
Giveaway runs through October 1, 2014.

Author Spotlight: Montgomery Mahaffey

Introducing Montgomery Mahaffey, author of Ella Bandita and the Wanderer:

1. Tell us a little about yourself.
Besides being a writer? I'm also a storyteller. I love to dance. I love hot springs. I especially love telling stories while sitting naked in hot springs. I've moved some and travel often, and gravitate to the more mythical places in the American landscape. In fact, I'm on a road trip right now. I left St. Augustine yesterday and will head to Savannah tomorrow..

2. When did you start writing, and why?
I've made up stories since I was a kid. In 3rd grade, we'd get a list of new vocabulary words every week, learning how to spell and use them in sentences. But the crowning achievement every week was the piece we had to write by Friday, using all the words we had learned. Most of the kids wrote essays, but I made up stories where my classmates were characters.

 As far as my adult writing career is concerned, I started writing almost 15 years ago because it was what I always wanted to do.

3. What do you write, and why? What do you enjoy about what you write?
I'm considered a fantasy author. This I accept, albeit reluctantly, because I don't read the genre. But I devour folk tales and fables. I consider my work to be fairy tales for an adult audience. My reasons for writing in this genre/style are because there is something about using elements of magic and suspending the rules of mundane reality that makes it very easy for me to say what I want to say. The stories come out effortlessly and they feel good to write.

4. What is your latest book or series? Any forthcoming books?
Right now, I'm promoting "Ella Bandita and the Wanderer" - the first in a 4-book series of the Ella Bandita Stories. The novel as a whole is offered only in paperback form through Amazon. Through ebooks, "Ella Bandita and the Wanderer" is broken down into 4 novelettes that will be released every 3-4 months - "Birthing Ella Bandita;" "The Bard Speaks;" "Challenge;" and "The Heart of the Lone Wolf" are the 4 parts that make up "Ella Bandita and the Wanderer." I'm currently working on the 2nd novel in the series, "The Shepherd and the Courtesan." I plan on promoting that the same way as the first, and I expect it to be out by Summer 2015.

5. "Welcome To My Worlds": Tell us a little about the world of your latest book or series.
Well, the story is set in the past but the themes are modern. The time is pre-Industrial Revolution in unnamed places in Europe. The settings are very specific to the natural world, rather than being bound to named places and times in history. An agent tried to talk me into changing the stories to Urban Fantasy, when that was all the rage. But I didn't follow her lead because I believed the character of Ella Bandita was more unique and more powerful in her sexual freedom if she lived in a time when women did not have that as an option.

6. Introduce us to some of your characters. What do you like about them?
Ella Bandita is a macho slut who is mad, bad, and dangerous to know. She's a fun character to work with.

The Wanderer is a rare breed - a nice guy with a troubled past, charisma, and sex appeal. He's also really stubborn and I love him for that.

The Shepherd is the great, humble wise man - what's not to like about that? In this novel, the reader doesn't meet him until Part 4: "The Heart of the Lone Wolf," but he's one of the main protagonists in the 2nd novel.

7. A fun fact you would like your readers to know about you or your book.
I wish I could be a macho slut like Ella Bandita - but I'm too emotional to pull it off.
Ella Bandita and the Wanderer:
They were fated to collide, Ella Bandita and the Wanderer. This complex fable about a predatory seductress and an adventurer frozen in grief explores the darkness of the human heart and the allure of erotic obsession over love. The story begins when an outcast young woman tries to kill herself. Yet a sorcerer intervenes with a last chance to change her destiny. But she must be his lover and give him her heart to transform into the immortal Ella Bandita. All his life, the Wanderer hears stories about Ella Bandita, the ruthless thief of hearts. But he never believes she lives and doesn't recognize her when they meet. Driven by lust, he follows Ella Bandita into a battle of wills that threatens to destroy him. The Wanderer wants nothing more than to avenge himself on a woman he loathes, the vagabond seductress who stole his heart.

Excerpt:
The Patron found her past the wide bend in the river in the same spot where she and the Trainer used to fish. Crouched on her haunches, she wore crude trousers tied at her waist, the fine stitches of her blouse grimy, her hair in a long braid to her waist, strands tousled around her face. Although she’d grown taller and now had the curves of womanhood, she looked just as she had that season seven years ago. Scanning the trees, he almost expected to find the Trainer, but his daughter was alone.

One thing had changed. She’d never worn a holster back then, but now had one belted below her waist. He raised his brows when he saw one of his pistols at her hip. He hadn’t heard the shot when she caught the squirrel, but she was skinning the carcass with one of his daggers. So intent was she on her task she didn’t hear him approach. Her eyes grew wide when she looked up and her hand slipped, the blade slicing into her wrist. The Patron leaped off his horse and reached her in two strides. Gripping her arm, he sunk her hand in the water. The girl resisted, but he held on tight and squeezed her wound to stop the blood flowing into the river. He brought her hand out of the icy water and pressed his scarf against the side of her wrist, pulling a handkerchief from his breast pocket. He heard her labored breathing and felt the taut muscles of her arm while tying the bandage around her wrist. The Patron glanced over, ashamed when he saw the girl pulling as far from him as possible, her eyes narrowed to slits. It had been years since he last touched her.

Ella Bandita is available at Amazon.

About the author:
Montgomery Mahaffey is a fantasy writer who has told her stories all over the country. Alaskan winters shaped Mahaffey as a writer, and her work is built off of the myriad of personal and collective experiences formed underneath that mystical landscape. Born in the south to a family of storytellers, Mahaffey has developed her own voice that is suffused with the temperament of the wanderer instinct. Set in a world where magic is at once subtle and pervasive, her novels bring to life symbols and stories of the old fairy tales told with wry humor and passion. In 2005 she was granted the Individual Artist Project Award from the Rasmuson Foundation in Anchorage, Alaska. Ella Bandita and the Wanderer is her first novel.

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August 2014 Wrap-up, September Preview

Mostly book reviews and author spotlights on the blog lately; now it's time to check in with what I'm up to.

In August, I more than doubled my reading goal for Clean Out Your eReader Summer Vacation, with 20 books on the list and a few more to add before it's all over. Still catching up on the reviews; they'll be up later in the week. I also finished reading Midnight Tides , book 5 of The Malazan Book of the Fallen, by Steven Erikson.

I also had a goal to write 500 words a day, for a monthly total of 11,500 (allowing for several days of not writing) and finish the Tales of Azara collection. I also hoped to plan my next project (working title: The Source-fixer) and start writing that. On the days when I wrote I averaged well over 500 words and I did finish Tales of Azara (or at least the stories I had planned; I'm not calling the whole collection finished because I might come up with a couple more ideas), but I ran out of stuff to write before I got to 11,500 words.

I also hoped to finish the revision of Daughter of the Wildings, but it's going to end up taking another week or so. The main event in August was taking our younger son to Northern Arizona University, where he's starting college. We were gone for a few days, and they were busy days, and the whole thing -- traveling, the youngest leaving home, adjusting to not having the same involvement in his life as before and to my changing role -- took a greater physical, mental, and emotional toll on me than I expected it would. So I just haven't been getting much done. I'm a little more than halfway through Book 6 and expect my pace to start to pick up again.

So I didn't quite hit all my goals, but considering that I overestimated my ability to deal with other things going on in my life and underestimated the demands all that other stuff would make, I guess I did ok.

And now, here are my September goals:

1. Finish my COYER book reviews on or before the event ends on the 5th.
2. Plan The Source-fixer and start writing 500 words/day when it's ready
3. Finish the revision of For the Wildings (DoW book 6) by Sept 13 (being generous here; hopefully it won't take me that long!)
4. Start the final revisions and editing on Beneath the Canyons (DoW book 1), aiming for publication later in October.

Also in September, the 19th-22nd, I'll be participating in the Fall Into Romance blog hop. Be sure to check it out for some falling-in-love moments from my books, giveaways, and links to other romantic posts!

COYER Book Review: Embers (Guild of the Cowry Catchers #1)

Embers (Guild of the Cowry Catchers #1), by Abigail Hilton

Embers (Guild of the Cowry Catchers #1) is an interesting book. I'm not quite sure how it ended up on my TBR list, because I'm usually not drawn to fantasy with non-human characters. The characters in the world of Wefrivain are shelts, humanoid on top and animal on the bottom. Except for a few details, though, I found Gerard, the honorable new Chief of Police for the High Priestess (who is a humanoid-griffin combination), and Silveo, the corrupt, ruthless and damaged Admiral (humanoid-fox) to be very human on the inside. I had a hard time maintaining the visualization of the characters as described with their fox/griffin lower halves and long, pointy ears (I don't do long pointy ears) so I just imagined them as human to myself, editing that visualization when things like tails or paws were mentioned.

The story is engaging and well-written. Gerard and Silveo, who can't stand each other, are assigned to work together to find the elusive leader of the Resistance. Understanding and trust gradually grows between them (which, going by the reviews of later books, eventually turns into considerably more) as they face danger and track down clues. I enjoyed their interactions and seeing their characters unfold through the story.

I found a few things besides the half-animal appearance of the characters a little difficult, particularly the fairly bleak nature of the world and the fact that sentient beings hunt and eat other sentient beings.

The book ends abruptly; it's the first part of a serial, and the reason given for cutting the story into smaller parts is to accomodate the illustrations without making the ebook file too big. So be warned that this isn't a complete story; this installment doesn't even have its own complete story arc.

Later installments of the Guild of the Cowry Catchers veer into definite not-my-thing territory, so I won't be reading on. It's a good, well-written story; not continuing is just a matter of my own personal preferences. Also be aware that Guild of the Cowry Catchers is very much for adults (not a problem for me, but it appears that other readers have been taken by surprise, not noticing the author's very direct warning to that effect). I would suggest before starting that you read the descriptions and reviews of all the books to decide if it's for you. If you do decide to go for it, I would recommend buying the individual installments to get the beautiful illustrations (which aren't included in the omnibus edition).

See my main Clean Out Your eReader post for reading list and review links.

Spam Poetry Challenge: Spam Haiku

I'm still slogging my way through the revisions on For the Wildings, book 6 of Daughter of the Wildings, and adjusting to the major lifestyle change of having no more kids at home, so in the interests of un-stressing a little bit, I decided to take Christy Birmingham's Spam Poetry challenge. Only I'm not that great with poetry, so I took my spam and turned it into haiku. Enjoy!

(Image: Honjo Shigenaga parrying an exploding shell
By Utagawa Kuniyoshi [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons)


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joyed studying.

(Johnf475)

Amazingly, all these poetic geniuses have the same ISP! And now, back to For the Wildings. (Seriously, no one can procrastinate like writers.)