Valerie will be awarding several print copies of her book to randomly drawn commentors during her tour (US only) and a grand prize of a $25 Amazon gift card to one randomly drawn commentor during the tour. Many chances to win, so make sure to leave an e-mail address with your comment if you want a chance at the prizes. And if you'd like to increase your chances, visit other stops and leave comments there.
Blurb:
When your family, your home, and
the very land you stand on are destroyed, what do you do? If you are a shifter
of Massa, you turn around and fight. You fight, because the blood oath will
have it no other way.
The idyllic lives of four elemental shifters living in the exiled
land of Pyraan are shattered when a tour of legion duty gives witness to a
brutal enemy invasion. Despite the heroic efforts of the shifters, the land
falls to the invaders. As the only survivors, the four friends are forced to
flee south into the lands from which they were banished to warn of the
invasion. Heartbroken and weary, the shifters soon learn that the safe haven
they hoped to find is cloaked in danger. Throughout a journey fraught with
prophesy, betrayal and peril, an enduring friendship prevails, love blossoms,
and a riveting saga unravels.
Excerpt:
The three Dwarves pushed their way
back into the pitch-blackness of the palace.
“Dillon, where is the torch?” asked
Janin, and Rogan could hear her fumbling around.
Dillon sounded panicked. “I left one
right here and it is gone!”
Now that his eyes were adjusting to
the gloom, Rogan could see the outline of the two Dwarves feeling around in the
dark for the torch. He called forth a flame of light. “Does this help?”
They both looked up at him with a
gasp, a mixture of both surprise and anger on their faces. “Do not do that!”
snarled Janin.
Shaking his head in confusion, Rogan
said, “We need light, do we not? This is light.”
“It is light created from magic
which, in case you have not heard, is outlawed on this island,” retorted
Dillon.
“Yes, well, the world has changed,
Dillon. The Magical Kingdom of Pyraan has been destroyed, we are under threat
of slavery at best and annihilation at worse by a rogue Mage, and we are
running for our lives from a King who wants to murder me. Against that, you are
worried about a flame to light our way?”
“Good point,” murmured Dillon with a
shrug.
Rogan turned away from them in
frustration. “I do not understand this fear of magic. Please tell me so I
understand!”
Dillon shuffled his feet, at a loss
as to how to answer his question. Janin had no such qualms. “Have you forgotten
that you were exiled in Pyraan for a reason, shifter? Did they not teach you
anything about the legacy of magic use?”
“As a matter of fact, yes, and the
legacy of magic before three evil Mages decided to destroy the world was
inspiring. Magic was used to heal the dying, to create cures for the sick, to
defend the weak. Does having magic automatically make you an evil person? If a
Dwarf kills another, does it make all Dwarves murderers? If a dog bites a
child, does it mean all dogs bite people?” He shook his head in frustration. “You
cannot confine the legacy of magic to the Mage War, you just cannot.”
Janin gazed at him with a look he
could not identify. “No, and I will admit that there are valuable uses to
magic. But, there is also the ability to cause great harm on a very large
scale. If one Dwarf kills another, it is one person. If a dog bites a child, it
is one child. If an evil Mage decides to use magic for sinister purpose, he can
destroy the world. That, my friend, is why we are afraid.”
AUTHOR Bio
and Links:
Fantasy
author, Valerie Zambito, lives in York, New York with her husband and three
sons. After having been involved in a busy sales career for twenty years, a
passionate love for great storytelling, world building, character creation, and
all things magic have led to the release of her epic fantasy series, Island
Shifters, and young adult, paranormal romance series, Angels of the Knights.
Books:
Book
One: Island Shifters - An Oath of the Blood
Book
Two: Island Shifters - An Oath of the Mage
Book
Three: Island Shifters - An Oath of the Children
Book
Four: Island Shifters - An Oath of the Kings
Angels
of the Knights - Fallon
Angels
of the Knights - Blane
Classroom
Heroes
Website:
http://www.valeriezambito.com/
Buy
Links:
Barnes
& Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/island-shifters-an-oath-of-the-blood-valerie-zambito/1107956340
Smashwords:
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/107230
It is a very good point. I think that using magic is the least of their worries.
ReplyDeletemarypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com
Thank you so much for hosting Island Shifters! During the tour, Book One is FREE at all participating retailers. Hope you grab your copy today and enjoy. Thank you again.
ReplyDeleteThank you for hosting
ReplyDeleteWhat a great excerpt. So true.
ReplyDeleteI am really, really looking forward to reading this series!
ReplyDeletejustforswag(AT)yahoo(DOT)com
Interesting premise
ReplyDeletebn100candg at hotmail dot com
Sorry for the late post. I’m playing catch-up here so I’m just popping in to say HI and sorry I missed visiting with you on party day! Hope you all had a good time!
ReplyDeletekareninnc at gmail dot com