FIre Song by Tanya Anne Crosby
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Tanya Anne Crosby will be awarding signed copies of the Daughters of Avalon series (3 books)(US ONLY) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
Praised for her beauty and grace, deep down, Seren Pendragon fears a tempest rising inside her. Her mother is a witch, her sisters are in peril, and she has been promised to a beast of a man who’s already murdered one king. When she and her youngest sister seize the opportunity for escape neither realizes how much their struggle will cost, and it will take a terrible tragedy to unleash Seren’s inner fire and true nature.
The Bastard of Warkworth is no stranger to misfortune. Everything he held dear vanished one night in a wisp of smoke and fire, and he has been scarred by his encounters with Seren’s own mother, Morwen Pendragon. Even so, when one of the witch’s daughters finds herself in trouble, Wilhelm must find the champion within and ride to her rescue.
Read an Excerpt
“Where are you going?” she asked in surprise.
“Home,” he said irascibly.
“Nay, my lord—not lest you mean to go by ship. And you’ll not put me on another one after what I have witnessed. You would have to gag and bind me, and tis not very likely I would stand still to allow it.”
“I am not your lord,” he said again. “I’m no man’s lord.” And he kept riding, without bothering to turn back. Seren cast Jack a bewildered glance. The boy shrugged.
It was her habit, she supposed, to call every man of consequence lord. Somehow, it seemed better to give Wilhelm deference, but he clearly did not like it. And yet, he behaved like a willful lord, doing whatsoever pleased, keeping whatever pace he saw fit, and never bothering to ask what Seren would like to do. Hadn’t he said he was here to help? Well, he hadn’t had very much to say since insisting she accept his aid.
“Wait here,” she said to Jack, and spurred her mare to catch up with the sour-faced lout. “I do not mean to disparage you,” she confessed. “Tis but that you seem more a lord to me than most lords do.”
He grunted in answer, but kept going, and Seren frowned.
How was she supposed to travel with his man, who seemed so intent upon ignoring her? He hadn’t said much of anything since retrieving Jack.
“What in the name of St. Afan would you have me call you if not lord?”
“Wilhelm,” he replied. “And since when do you Pendragon sisters swear by the name of saints?”
Seren lifted her chin. “I lived most of my life in a priory,” she informed him. And then she whispered, “I cannot very well swear by the Goddess, can I? Else Jack will wonder.”
“Well,” he said. “That’s your fault. Had you left the boy in Dover you wouldn’t have to pretend you are someone you are not. And anyway, I doubt he knows St. Afan, either.”
Had he somehow taken offense? “Do you know St. Afan?”
“Nay,” he said. “And neither do I aspire to. He’s some Welshman, by the sounds of him. But, more importantly, do you know who he is?”
Seren frowned. “Nay, sir. I do not,” she confessed. “Though I did hear Father Ersinius invoke him on occasion. I am not so much impressed by saints.”
“What are you impressed by?”
Seren bristled. She was not going to confess herself to this impertinent stranger. “What I wouldst like to know is what you wish me to call you if not lord—can you, please, stop! Please?” She reined in her horse, peering back at Jack, who was staring at them with furrowed brows.
“Nay,” he replied, without turning.
Seren sighed, and moved forward once more. “Where are you going?”
“Home, I said.”
She furrowed her brow. “You are not going home! Did you not read that sign? You are going to Ramsgate, returning to the ocean, and, once again, I will remind you that lest you have a ship, or you and your horse would like to have a good swim, the road to Canterbury is the road best traveled.”
Finally, he stopped, turning to look at her, and his cheeks appeared to bloom. Without a word, he spun his mare about, trotting back toward Jack, who was still waiting right where Seren left him. Wilhelm passed him by, never sparing him or the signpost a glance.
He couldn’t read, she realized, with blinding insight.
About the Author:
Tanya Anne Crosby is the New York Times/USA Today bestselling author of more than thirty novels, including works of women’s fiction, suspense, historical romance and fantasy. Known for stories charged with emotion and humor and filled with flawed characters, she is an award-winning author, and her stories have garnered reader praise and glowing critical reviews.
Tanya has been featured in magazines, such as People, Romantic Times and Publisher’s Weekly, and her stories have been translated into eight languages. Her first novel (Angel of Fire) was published in 1992 by Avon Books, where she was hailed as “one of Avon’s fastest rising stars.” Her fourth book (Once Upon a Kiss) was chosen to launch the company’s Avon Romantic Treasure imprint. She and her writer husband currently split their time between Charleston, SC, where she was raised, and northern Michigan, where the couple make their home.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tanyaannecrosby/
Website: https://www.tanyaannecrosby.com/
Buy Links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Fire-Daughters-Avalon-Tanya-Crosby/dp/1947204378
KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/fire-song-11
BN: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fire-song-tanya-anne-crosby/1130052932
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Fire Song, Tanya Anne Crosby by Tena Stetler with 4 comments.
Interview Nikki Z. Richard Author of Demon in the Whitelands
Give a warm welcome to Nikki Z Richard, author of Demon in the Whitelands.
Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cooler, a Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter cookie from the plate, and let’s find out a little about Nikki and Demon in the Whitelands! Pssst… Don’t forget to enter the Rafflecopter at the end of this post!
How long have you been writing?
I’ve been writing creatively (in some form) since I was in middle school. I started out mostly writing sappy emo poetry and vampire stories, none of which will ever see the light out day. It wasn’t until my sophomore year of college that I decided I wanted to be a novelist. I love books. I love stories. There’s nothing else I enjoy more than writing.
Do you see yourself in your characters?
It’s an old writer’s cliché, but I always see aspects of myself in every character I create. I’ve felt, thought, witnessed, and experienced a lot of great and awful things in my life. I also probably spend way too much time imagining what I would do in hypothetical situations, like living in a post-apocalyptic world. When I write, in some egotistical form or another, I am writing about myself.
Why do you write what you write? Contemporary, paranormal, suspense, etc
I am a dystopian literature fiend. From Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower to Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Game, I fell in love with any story set in a post-apocalyptic world. There are so many interesting things that can happen in an advanced society that has somehow regressed to primal acts of violence. I also love writing about teens and young people, maybe because I still think I am one. For Demon in the Whitelands, I wanted to write a dystopian series about a young person who struggles to find his identity (religious, sexual, moral) in a world where his father’s religion is used by the ruling class as a tool of oppression.
If writing is your first passion, what is your second?
Music! I’ve been in punk, metal, church, and emo bands since I was thirteen. At the moment, I play bass and sing in a pizza-punk band, Infinite Pizza. Music is one of my favorite things. I usually can’t write unless I have my headphones in blasting tunes. (Tunes…I’m so old.)
Excerpt:
the buck quieted its struggle. It panted wildly, its dark tongue hanging out
the crack of its mouth. Samuel got to his knees, drawing closer. The deer
twisted its neck in horror, its dark eyes watching him. They were wide and
black. The eyes of prey.
inside his jacket and got the knife.
said softly as he straddled the deer’s torso, making sure to fully secure him
underneath his legs. The buck’s muscles twitched, but the creature could do
nothing. How had the girl felt when she’d been caught in the bear trap, iron
teeth snapping into her leg? Like the buck? Did she think she’d be free?
Somehow, he couldn’t picture her as a deer. She was more like a scrappy wolf
cub.
Or a demon.
It was wonderful having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with Demon in the Whitelands!
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Demon in the WHitelands, Nikki Richard, YA Fantasy by Tena Stetler with 3 comments.
Interview Jim & Stephanie Kruepfl Authors of Merged
Give a warm welcome to Jim and Stephanie Kruepfl, authors of Merged just released September 17, 2019. Pssst… don’t forget to enter the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.
Tell us something about yourself and allow us to get to know you.
We are a husband-and-wife writing team, which admittedly took a little time to learn how to accomplish. The key was to let go of our egos and learn to rely on each of our strengths. Now, we can edit each other’s work to the point where we no longer remember who wrote what. We used to work in corporate jobs in Denver and a few years ago finally decided to follow our dreams. We moved to a tiny town at the edge of Rocky Mountain National Park so we could live in the beauty of the Colorado Rockies and better focus on writing our novels. We have a rescue dog, Finn, who quickly learned to run away from moose. “Merged” is our first published novel, and we couldn’t be more thrilled with our journey so far.
Why do you write what you write?
Stephanie grew up in a small town outside of Buffalo and Jim grew up in an even smaller town in northern Wisconsin. The books that remain our favorites are the ones we read as teens. Stories were our window to travel the world, meet people who were vastly different from us, experience amazing adventures, and learn about who we are and who we want to become. Once we started reading YA and MG as adults, we fell in love with these genres all over again.
What is your approach to writing? Are you a plotter or follow your characters flow (Pantser)?
This is actually a topic we discuss when speaking. We began as Pantsers, which is probably how most aspiring authors start. We found that we ended up throwing away months of work because it didn’t add anything to our characters’ development or the story itself. This time wasn’t totally wasted because all those deleted pages contributed to honing our writing skills. We finally started to use a large cork board with index cards to plot our novels. One card for each chapter with just a few sentences written on it. This allows us to see where the story is heading, spot the weak areas, more easily move or cut scenes, and work on the pacing. It also provides a sense of accomplishment because each card is changed from white to a color when the first draft is completed. As an added bonus, we never get writers block because we each grab a card and know what we need to write that day.
Why should we read this book, and what sets you apart from the rest and makes your book unique?
There are two alternating points of view in “Merged.” Orfyn is a sensitive street artist who paints masterpieces on brick walls to beautify his world, but they never last. Lake is a chemistry prodigy who wants stability, but her well-planned future is shattered when her grandmother gets Alzheimer’s. Our story explores just how far someone will go to achieve their dream.
Within the story are many references to famous paintings and scientific concepts, and—in a fun way—it questions whether art is as an important contributor to mankind as other fields (the STEM vs. STEAM education debate). It’s fast paced, and there’s something for everyone: romance, humor, adventure, and a mystery.
Any tips to share with fellow authors/aspiring authors? What’s the best advice you’ve ever heard? Read Stephen King’s book, “On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft.” It’s filled with practical lessons on writing, and at the same time, it inspires you to believe you can actually do it.
Speed Round (one word only answer): Yep, I know torture for a writer!<evil laugh>
Favorite movie: “Big Lebowski”
Favorite book: “Huckleberry Finn”
Last book read: “Aurora Rising” by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Favorite color: Blue
Stilettos or flipflops: Flipflops (for Steph), although Jim has great calves
Coffee or tea: Coffee!
Ebook or audiobook or paperback: Paperback (you can smell it)
Pencil or pen: Pencil
Favorite song: “Here Comes the Sun” by The Beatles
Streak or not: Why not?
Favorite dessert: Pumpkin pie
Favorite junk food: Pretzels with Marie’s blue cheese dressing
Favorite thing to do to relax: Laughing at our adorably bad dog
Champagne or gin: Gin
Paranormal or Historical: Paranormal
Wonder Woman or Top Model: Wonder Woman, of course!
Favorite TV show: “Big Bang Theory”
Hot or cold: Cold
POV: First
I’d die if I don’t have: Coffee
Review or Not: Review
Sneak peek between the pages of Merged
Mr. Blue points to the document. “Sign this and change your life. Or don’t. It’s up to you.”
“What happens if I say no?”
“The Darwin Corporation will remain your legal guardian, but you’ll lose the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to become one of humanity’s greatest hopes.”
So basically, he’s saying I’m stuck here either way. “Will I always be locked up?”
“That depends on your choices.”
I wait for him to crack a smile. He doesn’t.
I break eye contact and flip to the last page. There’s one short paragraph stating that I’ve read the forty-one-page document (which I haven’t), I understand the risks (which I don’t), and I buy into the idea that two minds are better than one (or something like that). At the bottom, there’s a line with my name printed below it.
“Is it dangerous?” I ask, really wishing my voice hadn’t cracked.
Mr. Blue hesitates, and for a moment he almost appears human. “Every medical procedure has its risks, but the end result could change the world. And you’ll be one of the few who have the ability to change it.”
What if I could become the next Michelangelo? I’ve been given the chance to create art that makes a difference. For now, and even hundreds of years to come. “What else can you tell me about Bat?”
“He’s very successful,” Mr. Blue says, taking a pen from his suit pocket. “And he’s dying.”
“Can you give me a little more than that?”
“He specifically chose you.”
Nobody has ever chosen me.
I grab Mr. Blue’s pen and sign the document using the name I’m adopting. If I’m going to share my brain with someone and become a ground-breaking artist, I’m doing it as Orfyn.
It was wonderful having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with Merged!
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Jim and Stephanie Kruepfl, Science Fiction by Tena Stetler with 1 comment.
Viking’s Crusade Author Sky Purington’s Interview
Give a warm welcome to Sky Purington, author of Viking’s Crusade, released today!
“I used to enjoy sitting beneath the trees at my home in Lake Placid,” she mentioned, steering the conversation away from intimacy. “Then I went off to college and never got around to sitting under one again.”
He lit a fire and sat beside her. “It is peaceful, yes?”
“It really is,” she murmured. “Funny, maybe a small part of me was trying to bring that sense of peace to the rest of the world.”
“By the sounds of it, you did.”
“Here and there.” Not when it mattered most, though.
“I would like to it see someday,” he said softly. “Your life…what you accomplished.”
“You mean, look through my mind’s eye.” She tensed at the thought. It was one thing catching her thoughts, but to let him all the way in would mean him seeing first-hand the atrocities she had caused. “Maybe eventually.”
“When you are ready,” he agreed. “Though it might happen against your will as it has for some of our kin.”
“I know.” She met his eyes. “I guess I just want to put it off for as long as possible.” She shook her head, realizing it was for more reasons than one. “Not just for me but for you.”
“You are afraid of the way I will look at you. That it will damage the way my dragon looks at yours, the connection they are so desperate for.” He shook his head. “But it will not, Ava. It cannot.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I do, though. As I said before, my dragon can only lend yours comfort and protect it,” he said softly. “Letting me and my dragon in will not push us away but pull us closer. It will allow us to soak up some of your pain…to help you find self-forgiveness.”
“How can you know that when you’ve never had a mate?”
“Because I have had a mate.” He brushed the back of his knuckles along her jaw. “You.” He searched her eyes. “Surely, you feel the growing connection. The intense bond.”
“You know I do,” she whispered because she couldn’t quite find her voice. “Only our growing connection isn’t giving me a sense of confidence. Instead, I feel like I’m drawing closer to unbearable pain.” While she meant to keep it to herself, her inner dragon prompted her tongue along. “I keep getting this nagging feeling I’m going to lose you now that I’ve found you.”
“You cannot let that stand in your way,” he said gently. “Instead, you have to trust it, allow the connection. In that, you will find peace.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I already feel it.” His fingers trailed down the side of her neck, causing a fresh spike of heat. “While yes, there is great risk, there is also certainty that this is eternal. That the connection we made on Múspellsheimr is ours for all time.” He tilted her chin until their eyes were aligned. “Our dragons will always find their way back to each other, Ava. So even if you lose me in this life, there will be another. I will return to you.”
He certainly had a way with words, didn’t he? But they were true words said from his heart. She could see it in his eyes. Sense it in his soul. More than that, she could feel it in his tender touch.
About the Author
Sky Purington is the bestselling author of over forty novels and novellas. A New Englander born and bred who recently moved to Virginia, Purington married her hero, has an amazing son who inspires her daily and two ultra-lovable shepherd husky mixes. Passionate for variety, Sky’s vivid imagination spans several romance genres including historical, time travel, paranormal, and fantasy. Expect steamy stories teeming with protective alpha heroes and strong-minded heroines.Purington loves to hear from readers and can be contacted at Sky@SkyPurington. Interested in keeping up with Sky’s latest news and releases? Either visit Sky’s website, www.SkyPurington.com, subscribe to her quarterly newsletter or sign up for personalized text message alerts. Simply text ‘skypurington’ (no quotes, one word, all lowercase) to 74121 or visit Sky’s Sign-up Page. Texts will ONLY be sent when there is a new book release. Readers can easily opt out at any time.
It was wonderful having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with Viking’s Crusade!
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Romance, Shifter, Sky Purington, Time travel, Viking Ancestors:Rise of the Dragon, Viking's Crusade by Tena Stetler with 7 comments.
