HIGH MAGA by Karin Rita Gastreich @EolynChronicles #Excerpt #Fiction #Fantasy

Rishona unclasped her cloak and flung it to the floor at Mechnes’s feet. “You are not to question my wisdom or my will in public. Ever.”

Mechnes could not help but smile at the sight of his niece, now a grown woman pretending to give him orders. “With all due respect, San’iloman, I am your military advisor. It is my duty to speak my mind when the weight of my experience contradicts your rather naïve instincts.”

She moved to strike him, but he caught her wrist and forced her arm until she gasped. “It is a little early in the day to start with these games, my Queen. But if you desire a spark of conflict to brighten this weary morning, I am more than willing to please you.”

Rishona kept her eyes hard as stone and her voice taut with menace. “Speak your mind, Mechnes, but do so with discretion. I will not have our disagreements heard by those who would use them to spread malicious rumors against me. Nor will I have our men, who have struggled long and hard up this wretched pass, fall victim to any suspicion that our unity of purpose is wavering.”

He brought her body tight against his, let his breath fall upon her silky skin until he felt a shiver pass through her, followed by the softening of her shoulders and the almost imperceptible tilt of her face that always preceded that ardent kiss.

Before their lips met, he released her. “We must open up this road if we hope to bring a proper army through it.”

“We cannot bring down any more trees,” she insisted. “We are undermining the power of this forest. We need its magic for everything that is to come.”

“This is a very big forest.” He drew out one of their maps, passing his hand over the moss green crescent of impenetrable woodland that swept north toward East Selen and south along the foothills of the Paramen Mountains. “And a very small pass.”

Rishona stared at the map, lips protruding in that familiar charming frown. She rubbed her arms to ward off the damp chill. Noting her discomfort, Mechnes retrieved a dry cloak and placed it about her shoulders.

“I hope you are right,” she said. “It is just that every time we bring down one of those trees, I feel strength torn out of the earth. I fear I went too far by clearing the valley where my parents died.”

“You are Syrnte, Rishona. Your magic derives from the air.”

“Yes, but these creatures were not banished to the Underworld by Syrnte magic. They were imprisoned by the mages and magas of Moisehén, and they must be summoned by the same powers. I will need the air to anchor my spirit when I summon them, but without the earth I cannot control them.”

Mechnes narrowed his eyes. “If you have doubts regarding your ability to manage these beasts, you should have mentioned them before now.”

“I have no doubts.” She looked up at him, defiant. “I know how to gratify the Naether Demons and bring them into our service. But there are many elements involved, and they must be integrated carefully. No one has attempted this before, uncle. Or if they have, they failed miserably, and hence we know nothing of their fate.”

“Are you ready to summon these beasts or not?” He did not bother to hide the threat in his tone. Already he had poured tremendous resources into this conquest. He would show no mercy if she had deceived him.

Rishona straightened her shoulders, expression resolute. “Yes, I am ready. For tonight, I am most ready. And for what is to come, I have time to prepare.”

Lands Ravaged. Dreams destroyed. Demons set loose upon the earth.

War strikes at the heart of women’s magic in Moisehén. Eolyn’s fledgling community of magas is destroyed; its members killed, captured or scattered.

Devastated yet undaunted, Eolyn seeks to escape the occupied province and deliver to King Akmael a weapon that might secure their victory. But even a High Maga cannot survive this enemy alone. Aided by the enigmatic Mage Corey, Eolyn battles the darkest forces of the Underworld, only to discover she is a mere path to the magic that most ignites their hunger.

What can stop this tide of terror and vengeance? The answer lies in Eolyn’s forgotten love, and in its power to engender seeds of renewed hope.

HIGH MAGA is the companion novel to EOLYN, also available from Hadley Rille Books.

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Genre – Epic Fantasy

Rating – PG-13

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Blog http://eolynchronicles.blogspot.com

The Wings of Dragons (The Dragoon Saga) by Josh VanBrakle #Fantasy #Excerpt #AmReading

Toah. Toah. Toah.

Iren Saitosan’s eyes snapped open at the sound of something he almost never heard, yet instantly recognized: the echoes of footsteps on the stone tower stairs leading to his chamber.

Toah. Toah. Toah.

He threw off his tattered blankets and leapt out of the hard bed. Almost no one came up here. Every so often, children would dare each other to see who could climb the farthest up the steps without getting frightened. They considered scaling the tower all the way to the top and knocking on the Left’s door the ultimate sign of bravery.

Toah. Toah.

These steps didn’t belong to children though. They were too heavy, and there was no associated chatter. Those not making the climb always teased the challenger, alternating between goading them on and threatening them with what the evil Left might do to them if they dared to continue. No, these steps came from an adult.

Toah. Toah.

Iren tensed. Since the day King Azuluu had decreed that he must live up here away from “normal people,” no adult had ever climbed the tower.

Toah.

That was odd. Iren furrowed his brow. The steps were slowing down, as though whoever made them were hesitating. It was probably just some gawker, no different from the children, coming to see the freak, the Left.

The sound of nervous breathing made Iren focus on his chamber door. Whoever had come had made it all the way to the top and now stood just outside. The door was already slightly ajar, just as Iren had left it. He grinned. This was his favorite part. He couldn’t help but glance above the door at the wooden bucket resting precariously against the top of the door and the wall. His little trick always worked on the kids; he wondered if an adult would be stupid enough to fall for it too. Folding his arms, he leaned against the windowsill and waited.

After a moment a loud grunt came from the steps, and then the door flung open as the intruder shoved his way in with a shoulder charge.

“Ow!”

The bucket slammed into the man’s head, dumped its load, and then rolled away, rumbling on the stone floor. Its former contents, a full load of water, now soaked the intruder. Across the room, Iren cocked his head sideways and smiled innocently, saying, “Should have knocked.”

The intruder put a hand to his head, feeling for a bruise. “Captain Angustion warned me you might pull a stunt like this.” He started to say more, but some of the water snuck inside his mouth, making him gag.

“That’s smart, Balear, spitting it out,” Iren said lightly. “Do you know how many times I’ve washed my clothes in that?”

Balear’s face paled, then just as quickly reddened as he shouted, “You left-handed demon-child!”

From fantasy author Josh VanBrakle comes an epic new trilogy of friendship, betrayal, and explosive magic. Lefthanded teenager Iren Saitosan must uncover a forgotten history, confront monsters inspired by Japanese mythology, and master a serpentine dragon imprisoned inside a katana to stop a revenge one thousand years in the making.

Lodian culture declares lefthanded people dangerous and devil-spawned, and for Iren, the kingdom's only known Left, that's meant a life of social isolation. To pass the time and get a little attention, he plays pranks on the residents of Haldessa Castle. It's harmless fun, until one of his stunts nearly kills Lodia's charismatic heir to the throne. Now to avoid execution for his crime, Iren must join a covert team and assassinate a bandit lord. It's a suicide mission, and Iren's chances aren't helped when he learns that his new katana contains a dragon's spirit, one with a magic so powerful it can sink continents and transform Iren into a raging beast.

Adding to his problems, someone on Iren's team is plotting treason. When a former ally launches a brutal plan to avenge the Lefts, Iren finds himself trapped between competing loyalties. He needs to figure out who - and how - to trust, and the fates of two nations depend on his choice.

"A fast-paced adventure...led by a compelling cast of characters. Josh VanBrakle keeps the mysteries going." - ForeWord Reviews

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Genre – YA epic fantasy

Rating – PG-13

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Website www.joshvanbrakle.com

#Fantasy #Excerpt from Promised Land: A Galatia Novel (The Galatia #Series) by C. D. Verhoff

On the surface, everyone must work together in order to survive. Josie Albright is eager to do her part, but has the misfortune of being assigned to her nemesis’s foraging unit:

After Josie was assigned to a foraging unit, the morbid fate of her lost family members no longer overwhelmed her waking thoughts. Now she fantasized about slugging her former classmate, Lindsey Burning, right in the ole kisser.

Sure, Lindsey was an impressive shot. She always hit bull’s-eyes in archery classes in the bunker. In basketball—she tipped the scoreboard. During paintball, Lindsey came out fresh as sheets hot from the dryer, while her enemies returned splattered in gooey defeat.

That didn’t make up for all the bitchiness. Ever since Lindsey had been put in charge of the unit, the girl pranced around as if she was the Queen of Awesome. How did she get to be in charge, that’s what Josie wanted to know, when there were so many better people to choose from?

Josie eyed the light tan shoulder holster that Lindsey wore over her tight pink tank top. It wasn’t fair that she got to be the uber-cool gunman. Even in elementary school, Lindsey got all of the fun jobs, like using the Smart Board, reading the daily announcements, and wearing the official safety patrol arm band. Josie consoled herself that Lindsey got all those jobs because she was pretty, slender, tall, and a total brownnoser. It couldn’t possibly have anything to do with being deserving.

Lindsey led the group of twelve foragers into a clearing deep in the forest. Trees with smooth gray bark needled into the sky, their net of branches reserved only for the topmost quarter of their two hundred feet. The leaves were shaped like hearts and big enough to use as blankets. Back in camp, people put them to good use as sleeping mats and roofs for temporary shelters. According to the botanists, the trees weren’t California Redwoods, but a totally new variety of plant. In jest, the Galatians called them Ohio Lostwoods.

The forest floor was open and bright in this neck of the woods. Yellow and blue wildflowers competed for space. The botanist said some of the varieties, like the dandelions and violets, had been around forever. Others, like the pink ones that opened and closed like pursing lips to catch bugs, or fingers if you weren’t careful, were new variants on plants that had been around before the Galatians went into their bunker. The dandelions were edible. The Lippies were toxic to the liver, or so the botanists said.

Josie had been sent to find two missing unit members. She found them doing the nasty in the underbrush, too preoccupied with banging each other to hear her approach. Seeing their naked flesh pumping together like that, all sweaty and glistening, awoke in her a mixture of primal lust, the desire to love and be loved, and pure curiosity. Eighteen-year-old Jennifer Lin was engaged to a twenty-year-old hunter, Joey Law, but the guy with her now wasn’t Joey Law.

After living in a posh underground shelter his entire life, Lars Steelsun is plunged headfirst into a mind-blowing adventure on the surface of the Earth. As Lars and his displaced bunker mates are led across the grasslands by Mayor Wakeland, a man of questionable sanity who claims to talk with God, they discover a primitive world where human beings are no longer welcome. Even more mystifying is the emergence of new senses and abilities from within. Learning to use them has become a priority, but his biggest challenge comes from the vivacious Josie Albright. Her lust for glory is going to get them both into trouble. Sparks fly when her gung ho ways clash with his cautious personality. Can they overcome their differences to find love and a homeland for their people?

May not be suitable for younger readers. Contains mild profanity, sexual situations (infrequent), and violence. 

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Genre - Epic Fantasy

Rating – R

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Blog http://cdverhoff.blogspot.com/

#Fantasy Author Dora Machado On Life & #Writing @DoraMachado

Can you tell us a little about yourself and how long you’ve been writing?

Sure! Thanks for having me. My name is Dora Machado, and I've been writing romantic fantasy for about six years now. My first novel, Stonewiser: The Heart of the Stone won the Benjamin Franklin Award for best debut novel in 2009. Stonewiser: The Call of the Stone and Stonewiser: The Lament of the Stone followed suit and won their own set of awards. I'm very excited about my latest novel, The Curse Giver, a stand-alone fantasy romance that has just been released by Twilight Times Books.

Open the book to page 69. What is happening?

On page 69 of The Curse Giver, we find Lord Hato—Bren's right-hand man and spy master—sneaking into the Lady of Tolone's library to steal an ancient manuscript that may help defeat the curse ailing Bren and threatening to destroy Laonia. Hato is an old man, but age is not a barrier to this shrewd player of politics. While stealing the valuable manuscript, he also discovers that the Lady of Tolone, who is one of Bren's key allies—and something else, but that's a twist—has betrayed Bren by conspiring against him with Bren's dangerous enemy, King Riva.

Alarmed by his finding, Hato manages a bold escape. By the time the Lady of Tolone's guards catch up with him, he is sitting in a warm tub, pretending he's been soaking his swollen knee all afternoon. They never notice that under the water, Hato is still wearing his breeches.

But Hato's problems have just gotten worse, because the Lord of Laonia and his captive, Lusielle, have both disappeared overnight, and Hato's men return to report that they've found evidence of a fight deep in the woods. Hato wonders: Was the woman a trap from Bren's enemies? Did she too betray the cursed Lord of Laonia? Has Bren fallen captive or is he perhaps dead?

Hato jumps out of the tub, sodden breeches and all, and orders his men to prepare to leave. Dead or alive, Hato is determined to find his lord.

What are your current projects?

I'm really excited about my newest fantasy novel, The Curse Giver from Twilight Times Books, which just came out in print this October. The Curse Giver is about an innocent healer, Lusielle, who is betrayed and condemned to die for a crime she didn't commit. When she's about to be executed, Lusielle is rescued from the pyre by an angry, embittered lord doomed by a mysterious curse. You might think that Bren, Lord of Laonia, is Lusielle's savior, but no, he isn't. On the contrary, Bren is pledged to kill Lusielle himself, because her murder is his people's only salvation.

What ensues is a dangerous journey, where Lusielle and Bren have to escape their ruthless enemies and unravel the mystery of the terrible curse that ails the Lord of Laonia. They also have to overcome the distrust they have for each other, struggle with the forbidden attraction between them, and defy the boundaries between love and hate and good and evil to defeat the curse giver who has already conjured their ends.

I'm really proud of The Curse Giver. It's gotten some wonderful reviews, which you can check out at http://www.doramachado.com/cursegiver.php.

I'm also excited because all of the books of the Stonewiser series are coming out in audiobook this year. In fact, the first book of the trilogy, Stonewiser: The Heart of the Stone, is already out. I have to tell you, listening to the story was one of the most powerful and joyful experiences I have ever had as an author.

The narrator, Melissa Reizian, is an incredibly talented voice actress. She did an amazing job, applying a broad spectrum of accents and sounds, enriching and enlivening the story. Even if you have already read Stonewiser: The Heart of the Stone, I encourage you to listen to the audiobook. And if you're an audiobook lover, this is one you have to hear. You can listen to a chapter sample at: http://www.audible.com/pd/Sci-Fi-Fantasy/Stonewiser-Audiobook/B00F52CJIY/ref=sr_1_1?qid=1379186069&sr=1-1

It's good old-fashioned storytelling at its very best!

There is a lot more going on at www.doramachado.com, including my blog, newsletter and a giveaway that your readers might enjoy.

Do you think books transfer to movies well? Which is your favorite/worst book-to-movie transfer?

I think that books and movies are two different and distinct media. I usually approach them with different expectations. What makes a book great is not the same thing that will work for a movie. The translation is particularly challenging for science fiction and fantasy. There are an awful lot of great SF/F books that have been made into terrible movies. I used to say that I never wanted to see my books made into movies. That is, until I watched George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones on HBO. It might be time to rethink the old prejudices. . . .

What is your favorite quality about yourself?

Hmm. I think I'm really hard-working.

What is your least favorite quality about yourself?

Skepticism. I loathe it and yet I value it. It keeps the mind sharp and the heart pumping.

Do your pets actually get their food on time or do they have to wait until you type just one more word?

My cats are fortunate because my husband feeds them and I'm only the backup plan. Otherwise… yikes.

What do you love most about the writer’s life?

Oh, gosh, there are so many things I love about my writer's life. After so many years working nine to five, I love the freedom of setting my own schedule, the fact that I can work in my pajamas, and the absolute satisfaction that comes from spending hours at the keyboard. I love the process of writing, the intellectual challenge and the luxury of creating without boundaries. I love my writer friends, the feel of a new book in my hands, the excitement of a new idea blooming into a story and the birth of a powerful character. I love typing "The End" at the bottom of the manuscript, even though I know it's never truly the end. But above all, I love my readers—meeting them, talking to them, reading their emails and their comments—because they are the ones riding shotgun in all my adventures.

Your favorite food is?

Cake. I know. Not a good one. I like carrots too. Does that help?

Your favorite singer/group is?

That would be a long list! I'm all over the map.

Your favorite color is?

Dusk's deep indigo blue.

What is your opinion about critique groups? What words of advice would you offer a novice writer who is joining one?

I think critique groups can be very helpful, as long as they are a good fit for the writer.  In my experience, critique groups come in all different types. Some are exclusively social groups, some offer support, encouragement and commiseration, some are very much into the mechanics of writing, others are very production oriented. There are groups that are very strict about membership and participation requirements and others that are very relaxed. I think the best thing to do is ask yourself: What is it that you are looking for in a critique group? If you have a clear goal in mind, the search will be easier.

Lurking about is a good practice to learn more about a group and get acclimated when you first join. Reading old posts and getting familiar with the members and their work will also help to establish the nature of the group that you are considering joining. Visiting is always a good idea and reciprocating is vital. Notice how members treat each other and how they approach their critiques. Make sure you are comfortable with the level of openness and respect that the group demonstrates. And if you don't like what you see, you can always try another group.

What can readers expect from you in the future?

Lots of stories, fantasy adventures with lots of twists, conflict, meaningful relationships and lots of romance. I have several different projects going, including The Misery Glutton, a romantic fantasy with a Latin twist that has been really fun to write and The Soul Chaser, a companion novel to The Curse Giver. I'm also thrilled because the Stonewiser series is coming out in audiobook. In fact, the first book of the Stonewiser series, Stonewiser: The Heart of the Stone, is now available as an audiobook at http://www.audible.com/pd/Sci-Fi-Fantasy/Stonewiser-udiobook/B00F52CJIY/ref=sr_1_1?qid=1379186069&sr=1-1. Take a listen at the sample chapters, available for free. If you enjoy a complex, beautifully narrated story, then this one's for you.

Is there anything else you would like to share?

If you haven't given fantasy romance a chance, go ahead, try it now. Whether you pick up The Curse Giver or another one of the epic stories that the genre has to offer, you are bound to be surprised and satisfied by the heart-warming combination of romance, adventure and passion.

Are your books available in audio? If so, give us more details about where we can get them.

The first book of the Stonewiser series, Stonewiser: The Heart of the Stone, has just been released as an audiobook. The entire trilogy will be available in audiobook by the end of the year. I have to tell you, listening to Stonewiser: The Heart of the Stone was one of the most powerful and joyful experiences I have ever had as an author. The narrator, Melissa Reizian, is an incredibly talented voice actress. She did an amazing job, applying a broad spectrum of accents and sounds, enriching and enlivening the story.

Even if you have already read Stonewiser: The Heart of the Stone, I encourage you to listen to the audiobook. And if you're an audiobook lover, this is one you have to hear. You can listen to a chapter sample at: http://www.audible.com/pd/Sci-Fi-Fantasy/Stonewiser-Audiobook/B00F52CJIY/ref=sr_1_1?qid=1379186069&sr=1-1

It's good, old-fashioned storytelling at its very best!

Can you share with us your current work in progress?

I'm currently working on several different projects, including a contemporary dark fantasy with a Latin twist and another standalone fantasy romance that takes place in the world of The Curse Giver. It's not a sequel, not exactly, but rather a related novel. It's currently called The Soul Chaser.  Also, the Stonewiser series is coming out in audiobook. The first book of the trilogy, Stonewiser: The Heart of the Stone, is already available at http://www.audible.com/pd/Sci-Fi-Fantasy/Stonewiser-Audiobook/B00F52CJIY/ref=sr_1_1?qid=1379186069&sr=1-1. Take a listen. It's good, old-fashioned storytelling at its very best.

Anything else you’d like to tell my readers?

Give a new writer a try today. Try something different that you hadn't considered reading before. Try fantasy, for example, and open your senses to the idea of new and different worlds. Reading is the fastest, most convenient way of traveling, and our minds really need to travel.

Do you have a website/blog where readers may learn more about you and your work?

I do and I'd love to welcome your readers to http://www.doramachado.com. I can also be contacted through email at Dora@doramachado.com, Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/DoraMachado101, my blog, http://www.doramachado.com/blog/ or https://twitter.com/DoraMachado on Twitter.

Thank you so much for this interview, Dora. We wish you much success!

Thank you for chatting with me. Best wishes for you and all your readers.

Lusielle's bleak but orderly life as a remedy mixer is shattered when she is sentenced to die for a crime she didn't commit. She's on the pyre, about to be burned, when a stranger breaks through the crowd and rescues her from the flames. Brennus, Lord of Laonia is the last of his line. He is caught in the grip of a mysterious curse that has murdered his kin, doomed his people and embittered his life. To defeat the curse, he must hunt a birthmark and kill the woman who bears it in the foulest of ways. Lusielle bears such a mark. Stalked by intrigue and confounded by the forbidden passion flaring between them, predator and prey must come together to defeat not only the vile curse, but also the curse giver who has already conjured their demise.

Award-Winning Finalist in the fantasy category of The 2013 USA Best Book Awards, sponsored by USA Book News

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Fantasy/Dark Fantasy

Rating – PG-18

More details about the author

Connect with Dora Machado on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://www.doramachado.com/

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The Curse Giver by Dora Machado @DoraMachado

Chapter Eight

PROPELLED BY SHEER WILL, BREN GRABBED his saddlebags and made it to the top of the stairs. His blood pounded in his temples. The scar on his face burned like a glowing chunk of coal.

Eleanor had a way of stirring his angry blood into a rapid boil. He was tired of listening to her complaints. No matter how much he allotted to Tolone, it was never enough.

Even so, he was used to enduring her gripes. It was her daring that perturbed him most. She should be smart enough to refrain from tempting him, but she had always been even bolder than all of her audacious ancestors put together. If it would have been in his power, he would have released her from her obligations years ago.

He shouldn’t have come, but a man was entitled to a dry bed and a warm meal, especially if he was paying generously for it. The rainy season had made a mess of his camps and his men deserved a proper roof and a dry pallet every once in a while.

There was also the matter of the woman. She shouldn’t have to spend her last days on a wet horse and her last nights on the soggy ground. She didn’t deserve to be murdered coldly in a back alley among paupers and whores or in the forgotten wilderness of a wind-swept ridge.

There he went again, trying to justify the absurd delay. But he was done delaying. Eleanor’s lewd dance had stirred up his wrath. Wrath was good, the ultimate motivator. A stoked up man was the most efficient killer, a hunter worthy of Laonia and the house of Uras.

He had to do it, now, before he changed his mind.

He entered the room he kept at the seed house of Tolone and dropped his saddlebags by the door. The chamber was still warm, but the fire had died down into a pile of glowing embers. The chamber’s gloom matched his bleakness.

Not for the first time, Bren wondered what type of weakness had earned his father the curse that plagued his house. He might never know, because his father was dead and so was the rest of his line.

He wasn’t feeling very merciful tonight, a change that was bound to help. He came upon the bed in two strides. There was no point in explaining, no benefit to warning, coaxing or compelling. He was angry—at himself, at his fate. He clutched the hilt of his sword and ripped off the blankets from the bed.

The woman was gone.

He stared at the empty mattress in disbelief. A most improbable line was neatly written on the sheet, a flowing trail of ink on white linen.

Whether it was kindness, courage or charity, I thank you, my lord. Farewell. L.

Award-Winning Finalist in the fantasy category of The 2013 USA Best Book Awards, sponsored by USA Book News

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Genre – Fantasy/Dark Fantasy

Rating – PG-18

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Connect with Dora Machado on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://www.doramachado.com/