Tuesday Tales 06 March 2012

Another Tuesday, another Tale. This week's prompt is 'Life'.  This excerpt is a continuation of last weeks prompt. To check out other brilliant stories from other authors: Tuesday Tales


Here is an excerpt from my WIP: Working Title name: Ties Unbound 


My eyes snapped open. How had we gotten to the front of the church so fast? It felt as if time was against me, and was eager to unite me with my intended husband. My fingers gripped my father’s arm tighter. He winced, and tried to pry my fingers off his arm, murmuring comforting words that flew past my ears.

My eyes darted up and to my right. Andricalle stared back, his eyes pools of silver. There was no smile in sight.

Was this the man I’ll be spending forever with? The guy didn’t even bother to smile on his wedding day. I mean, what kind of man couldn’t afford a smile on such a special day? Unless…. Unless he was either being forced, or marrying out of necessity. Somehow, I sensed the latter was the case.

My life had just taken a whole new meaning to the word ‘hopeless’. A hopeless life, a hopeless marriage.

The soft rustling of the veil whispered around me, and I glanced up. My father lowered his face and kissed me on the cheek, his eyes gentle and kind and shining.

Don’t do it, papa I begged him silently. Please don’t. I might not be able to hold it together if I see a single tear from you.

As if he understood my plea, he smiled. Lines fanned out the corner of his brown eyes. He leaned forward and brushed a soft kiss on both my cheeks, and pulled back.

“I’m proud of you, sweetheart. You are strong and beautiful in every single way.” He squeezed my arm before looking up to Andricalle’s unreadable face.

Andricalle moved to my side, his eyes holding mine for just a second, then shifted to my father.

“I put my daughter’s life in your hands, Andricalle.” His voice was stern, and rippled with power, a representation of who he was. The King of Centuan.

Andricalle gave a curt nod, unperturbed. Damn! Was this guy carved from ice?

Right before the veil fell back in place over my face, and my father walked away, my soon-to-be husband swung his grey gaze lazily back to me. His eyes glided over my face, down my neck, skimming my dress – the dress he had chosen - to my toes poking through my slippered feet, and then back up.

Oh why don’t you just toss me into the pits of hell already?

Something flickered in his eyes, animating them. But his lips remained a unmoving. The veil finally settled over my face. I exhaled gustily. From the corner of my eye, I glimpsed Andricalle, all straight-backed, calm and impassive tilted his tall body forward. He gave the aged vicar – my uncle Theon a faint nod. Yes, a complete family affair.

The vicar cleared his throat, his eyes darted from Andricalle, then to mine, and winked. My jaw hit the floor. “We are gathered here to witness –“

My mind drifted, contemplating my life from here onwards. Uncle Theon’s voice became a monotonous noise in the background. A life over four hundred kilometres from my home, from my friends and family.


Thanks for taking time to stop by and reading. As always, comments/feedback on what to improve are welcome. (The story is still WIP. There are grammar, typos etcs :) )

Blind Sight Book Tour - How both Blind Sight books work

A blind girl drawing is abnormal even on the magical island of Edaion where leaves brush themselves into piles in the middle of the night. As an immigrant, Leocardo is not biased by accepted rules of magic and determines that Odette’s drawings are premonitions. Aniela grew up with magic and knows premonitions are impossible. She determines Odette is a medium channeling voiceless spirits.

In this volume: While Aniela tries to escape a lifestyle where obligations take priority over friendships, she befriends Odette, a blind girl with the ability to draw. Almost immediately, concerns and questions arise as Aniela suspects that Odette’s gift is far stronger than any seen before. In the middle of family turmoil and a complicated romantic relationship with Odette’s brother, Aniela faces the realization that helping her comatose friend means disobeying her mother, something she has never done before

A blind girl drawing is abnormal even on the magical island of Edaion where leaves brush themselves into piles in the middle of the night. As an immigrant, Leocardo is not biased by accepted rules of magic and determines that Odette’s drawings are premonitions. Aniela grew up with magic and knows premonitions are impossible. She determines Odette is a medium channeling voiceless spirits.

In this volume: Snatched out of their life in Spain, Leocardo and his blind sister Odette find themselves on an island with no recollection of the trip. After foiled attempts to escape, Odette’s strange behavior gets worse. Even after learning the island has bestowed magic upon them both, Leocardo faces the possibility his sister is having a mental break down. Just as he thinks he is settled in, job and romantic life stable, Odette disappears.






My Review:




When I started reading the book, I thought and still think that Blind Sight is a very original idea (I can't remember reading any book with such a concept) about an island (Edaion) hosting people with different gifts.


Story begins with a prologue introducing the Dawsons, the royal family in Edaion. Being the youngest of three children, Princess Aniela struggles to find her place in the family, and as she gets older we see how her mother favours her over her older sister, Tatiana, which creates tension between Aniela and her sister. She goes around her daily chores, doing what her mother demands of her, at the same time trying to find who she is.


She meets Odette and Leocardo, new arrivals at the island. Odette, who is blind, has an unusual gift that has both Leo and Aniela researching, uniting them in finding what kind of gift Odette possess. 


There were times some things happened and I had to go back and reread to actually see if I missed anything, enough to pull me out of the story. I would really have loved to know more about Aniela though. 




On Leocardo's story:


 He and his sister Odette are transported to Edaion. Unable to understand how they got to the island, he tries to look for means for them to leave but in the end, he grudgingly accepts they can't leave. In the meantime he is puzzled by what is happening to his sister, and in the process of investigating what is causing her behaviour he meets Aniela. He also finds more about the royal family, and some events which happened many years back. 


I enjoyed the mysterious feel around Leocardo's story. Hopefully we can get Odette's POv, learn more about her. 


I would recommend these books to fans of fantasy stories. 


How the two books work together:


I read Aniela's story first. It introduces the reader to Edaion, an island where gifted people inhabitate. It also gave us a glimpse of Aniela's royal family,  and what part they play in the story. 




Leonardo's story introduces him and his sister Odette arriving to the Edaion. He tries to adjust this his new home, meeting different characters who live in this island. Eventually while still looking for a way to take him and his sister out of the island he meets Aniela, and they unite to research about Odette mysterious gift.

I think reading I'd advice readers to begin with Leocardo's story ,that way the suspense will be maintained all through as we follow Leocardo, discovering all about the wonderous island. 

PRIZES: Did you enjoy the review? You could win a gift card and I could win one too! Just leave a comment about the review below and you're entered in the drawing.

Learn more about Blind Sight: A blind girl drawing is abnormal even on the magical island of Edaion where leaves brush themselves into piles in the middle of the night. So when Odette Reyes, a girl blind from birth, begins to experience ominous side effects of the island's "gift," her brother Leocardo and best friend Aniela must figure out what the doctors cannot. As an immigrant, Leocardo is not biased by accepted rules of magic and determines that Odette's drawings are premonitions. Aniela grew up with magic and knows premonitions are impossible. She determines Odette is a medium channeling voiceless spirits.

Who is right? Whose eyes will you read through?

Both books are "volume one" you can read one without the other and still get a complete story, but you won't see how the characters interpret the same situation differently.

Buy the book! Both volumes are available as an e-book for Kindle (Aniela's vol. / Leocardo's vol.) and Nook (Aniela's vol. / Leocardo's vol.) Don't have an e-reader, pick up a PDF on Smashwords (Aniela's vol. / Leocardo's vol.)

The paperback special edition will be available in the fall (northern hemisphere).

The authors:

Eliabeth wrote her first mini-series in second grade when the teacher told her she was not old enough to write a chapter book. Regrettably, for fear of turning into a starving artist, Eliabeth played it safe in college and is now a recent William Jewell graduate with a BA in International Business and Japanese. She now returns to what she truly loves, creating worlds for people to escape to and characters for them to fall in love with. 

  Ermisenda began writing Harry Potter fan-fiction at the age of twelve and started developing her own writing at fourteen when she joined play sites and completed her first crime novel at fifteen. Although her favorite genres were crime and fantasy, she reads a bit of everything. Driven by the desire to evoke the kaleidoscope of emotions her favorite authors are able to, she kept writing. Growing up bilingual amongst her Spanish family in Australia, she found a love and deep appreciation for language and the power it wielded. She is now a Psychology major at the University of Newcastle. Together, they write as Ermilia.

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Cover Reveal: The Carny by Brooke Moss

 

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: July 7th, 2012
Format: eBook and Paperback
Publisher: Inkspell Publishing
ISBN: Print: 978-0-9851483-1-7
Ebook: 978-0-9851483-2-4 


Yay! Finally, finally! - The cover reveal was yesterday, March 1. Don't you love that cover! Personally, I LOVE it, and I'm not ashamed to admit I'm drooling all over my desk. Book covers have the power to do that to me :D

If there's a book i'm really looking forward to this year, Brooke Moss 'The Carny' is the one. So, here's the book summary.


 Two people from opposite worlds, one unforgettable kiss. You can't judge a carny by its cover.

At a town fair on the coast of Oregon, handsome Native American carny, Vincent Youngblood, bestows an unforgettable kiss on shy, awkward teenager, Charlotte Davenport. Then disappears without another word, leaving her baffled and enamored.

Ten years later, Charlotte is still living in the small fishing town of Astoria, while being trained to--reluctantly--take over for her philandering hotelier father when he retires. After all, who else will do it? Her two perfect sisters are busy being married to their flawless husbands and having cookie cutter children, while Charlotte remains single, childless, and every bit as mousy as she was a decade ago.

As Charlotte struggles to climb out from underneath her judgmental parents thumb, the carnival rolls back into town, and Charlotte finds herself face to face with Vin again. He's back to run his father's carnival, walking away from a promising career in medicine he started in Chicago. Will her biased and judgmental family accept her relationship with a man who is not only a Native American, but works as a carny for a living? And what unsavory secrets bind the well-educated and seemingly superlative Vin to that ramshackle carnival? After all, you can’t judge a carny by its cover.

What do you think of the cover?

Winners of Flirting WIth Love Blog Hop

So I finally managed to randomize the names. Below, please find the winners.

Truly Madly Deeply You Winners: 

1. marybelle
2. Kathryn Merkel
3. Gena Robertson

2 Winners Amazon Gift cards worth each  $5

1. Tina B
2. catherine

Congratulations! please expect an email from me.

I'd like to thank everyone for participating in the hop and commenting. I enjoyed reading all the comments. I do agree with every single one of them, there are pros and cons of a Friends to lovers realtionship. 

Thanks again!

Got Monday Blues? Here's how I'm taking care of mine....

Sometimes Mondays can be dreary, it is the beginning of the week after all. Instead of counting the days till Friday, I decided to concentrate on finding something to kick Monday Blues out the proverbial window. *rubbing hands together* So, these are some books I received  from Amazon *picks one from the desk and sniffs* aaah, there's nothing like a new book. I bought some Kindle as well, and got some for free. (Kindle), Netgalley, ARC, and from the library.


5 book  set of J.R. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series. (My! isn't that enough to chase the blues away?) Since I have a feeling I am the only one who hasn't read these books, I'll just go hide somwhere.. *scampers off and hides behind the sofa*

            
Copyright: Amazon.de                                                        copyright: Goodreads


*Crawls back and hops back on the seat* 


So where was I? Oh yeah...


Kindle Books bought:


                   

Copyright: Goodreads

Free Kindle Books:

                      

                                             copyright Goodreads

ARC from the publisher :

From the Library:


                    

copyright Goodreads.

Netgalley:

                

copyright: Goodreads                                 copyright: Netgalley

Phew! And my reading pile jsut keeps growing, but I love it! I just can't resist adding more to the pile. :D

How is your Monday fairing on? Got any books to share, ideas or just anything to help chase the blues away? 

Flirting with Love Blog hop

Hiya Friends! 




Hope you had a gr8t weekend! 


I will be posting the winners of the blog hop later on today. Good luck to you all! :)


Cecilia

Tuesday Tales 28th Feb

Another Tuesday, another Tale. This week's prompt is 'Dress'.  To check out other brilliant stories from other authors: Tuesday Tales


Here is an excerpt from my WIP: Working Title name: Ties Unbound 

If anyone would have told me that I’d be getting married on the eve of my twentieth birthday, I’d have scoffed at them. But here I was in my room, getting ready for just that. My wedding to one of the most feared men in the world. And the most loathed. I wiped my balmy palm over my forehead.

“I don’t understand why I have to put on this dress!” I scowled, unable to shift my eyes from the dress lying on my bed. Not only did it look heavy, it had a plunging back and the fabric so sheer I was sure no one would need to squint their eyes to see through it. Only one word sprang in mind: Scandalous. I shuddered at the thought of everyone gawking at my back all the way to my butt, while I walked down the aisle.

My mother sighed, and wrapped her arms around me. “You must. He chose it. He chose you. It’s the custom for the groom to choose his bride’s dress.”

I pressed my face on my mother’s shoulder, and fisted my hands on my her chest, caring less that my make up would be smudged.

Why me? Why now? And most of all, why marry him? I had seen him around the court a few times. According to mother, he’d been evaluating his future wife.

More like shopping for a wife!

Unable to hold back any longer, I sniffled. Mother held me at arm’s length, her brown eyes filling with tears, as well as what I recognised as sadness.

“You’ll do fine, Cynthia. Of all my five daughters, he choose you. He saw something special in you. And you are special. You are my daughter.” She brushed a thumb along my cheek, my eyes slipped shut, savouring the feel of her comfort. For all I know, it was the last time, and I had no idea what lay ahead.

“Mother, I can’t – I can’t get married to him. I don’t know him. I don’t love him.”

Mother grabbed my shoulders and pulled me fiercely to her.“Oh my poor baby. You will love him. Andricalle is a good man. And a well, loved king.”

I blinked rapidly, finally let the tears fall and focused on the pain on my palms where my fingernails bit.

How could they let this happen? Weren’t the older girls supposed to get married first, and not the third down the line?

What my mother wasn’t saying was, I was the glue that would seal the compact between two groups. Last night I eavesdropped on a conversation between my father and mother. They spoke about compacts and agreements, and marriage. If I had known the marriage involved me, I wouldn’t be here at this moment.

This was my fate. Already sealed, and I couldn’t say a word. Everything seemed to be hanging on my marriage.

Taking a deep, trembling breath, I lifted my head and pulled myself away from my mother’s shoulder. I slipped the dress on, and as soon it’s weight settled around me, I breathed out. The back wasn’t as dipping as I had initially thought. From the mirror, I saw my mother brush her hand at her eyes discreetly. I averted my eyes quickly as she raised her head and came to stand behind me.

After piling my hair up and pining the tight curls with pins, I took a deep breath and turned to face my mother. Her lashes were still wet, and as much as she was trying to look happy, her lips were clamped together. They quivered slightly.

I lifted my dress and stepped forward, embracing her. “You always told us every one is born for purpose. Perhaps this is mine.” I wanted to swallow my tongue after the words passed through my lips.  But I continued. “I’ll be fine.”

She sniffled and pulled back, dabbing her eyes with a white cloth handkerchief. “If you ever feel you need to come home, for any particular reason, you are always welcome.”

And embarrass my family? Besides, from what I heard, The Leonians never gave up easily on what they considered theirs.

I nodded, forcing my lips to lift in a smile. 

The Ochestra struck the traditional wedding tune, As I stepped through the door’s threshold, heads turned towards me, and I froze. My fingers clutched on my father’s arm.

“Relax, Cynthia sweetheart. It’s only a wedding.”

It wasn’t only a wedding. This was an event that was going to change my life. I'd be a wife, with responsibilities. Man, I had never been kissed on the lips yet! My current boyfriend, soon to be ex-boyfriend, Bren, seemed to think if he kissed me, I’d become pregnant. We made-do with chaste kisses on the cheek or on the forehead. Even our youngest sister Gilde had already been kissed hundred times - or so she bragged.

Glancing through my veil, I searched for Bren. He was sitting next to the aisle. His usually smooth, cheerful expression was like a dark storm waiting to happen, his full lips a thin line on his mouth. He held my gaze for a moment, then shifted and turned around to face in front of the chapel. It was enough for me to see the hurt, pain and betrayal in his hazel eyes.

At the front, my sisters and mother stared at us as we walked down the aisle. Pity, uncertainty and envy on their faces. Magda, our eldest sister dropped her gaze. We had often joked about the kind of men we’d like to get married to when we grew up. She had hopped to be the first. My eyes burned and I blinked back tears. I was glad for the veil.

Swinging my eyes forward, I saw him. Andricalle. My future husband. He stood straight with held his head high, unsmiling and his face unreadable. Dark hair was meticulously swept back. Intense hazel/green eyes focussed on me. I stumbled.
 Today he’d done away with his customary black shirt and trousers, and honoured the occasion with a black suit, a white button up shirt and a silver grey tie. As my eyes lifted to meet his, something flashed in his expression. Interest? Irritation? Contempt?Before I could process its meaning, it vanished. I swallowed trying to dislodge the lump stuck in my throat. Possibly my heart. Since the beginning of this wedding affair, my heart seemed to be displaced, alternating between racing in my chest, and rising high in my throat.

My father must have seen my face through the veil, or sensed my need to flee, because his hand tightened around my arm, urging me on towards the front of the church to meet my husband.


Thanks for taking time to stop by and reading. As always, comments/feedback on what to improve are welcome. (The story is still WIP. There are bound to be grammar, typos. :) )


check out other wonderful entries @ Tuesday Tales