Cover Reveal: Hearts in Exile by Mysti Parker

Title: Hearts In Exile
Series: Tallenmere (stand-alone)
Author: Mysti Parker
Genre: Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance
Publisher: Melange Books
Formats Available In: All eBook formats and Print
Release Date: June 3, 2013

Dragon Necklace Giveaway: a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blurb: Somewhere, hidden in the waters of the Southern Sea, lies an island unlike any other. Within the amber glow of its pyrogem-laden cliffs, legend says the very heart of the dragon god Drae keeps the island, and its occupants, alive.

Loralee Munroviel, daughter of Leogard’s High Priestess Arianne, had no idea what she would face when she arrived by boat ten years ago and was left alone in exile. All she knew about Draekoria’s inhabitants was written in one tattered notebook. Now, her life revolves around keeping Drae’s descendants happy. Never in her life did she imagine being a Dragon Keeper.

Captain Igrorio Everlyn, known as Sir Robert to his unit of Holy Paladins, has faced his share of hell, battling the evils of Emperor Sarvonn’s tyranny and the dark god Tyr’s abominations. But none of that compares to the ten years of hell he’s been without Loralee, presumed dead. 

One freak storm changes everything. Now the two of them must fight to re-establish the delicate balance of the island before the dragons take things into their own hands. Through it all, they discover the secrets that kept them, and their hearts, exiled for a decade.

Excerpt From Chapter Three:
After a shipwreck, Sir Robert wakes up in a strange cottage, only to find Loralee, the love of his life, whom he thought had been dead for a decade…

“I don’t understand. What is this place?”

“It’s an island. Very few know of its existence.”

I shook my head, trying to clear the fog of this confusing dream come to life. “But, why would you be here, and why would you be sorry? Unless…”

The words wouldn’t come. My racing mind pitched in to help. Unless she didn’t want to marry me after all.

Wrenching pain I’d kept tucked inside broke free, and I clambered to my feet. Loralee followed suit, backing herself into the small dining table.

I tried, but could not hide the bitter anger in my words. “How could you do this to me? Do you have any idea what I’ve been through?”

Her eyes widened. She clutched the table with one hand and her robe with the other. “What you’ve been through? I didn’t want this. I was forced here.”

“What do you mean, forced here? Where are your shackles?” My voice roared through the little cottage as I gestured around me with one arm. “Where are the bars? This looks like no prison I’ve ever seen.”

Her voice cracked the air, rivaling with my own. “I was betrayed, forced into exile. Don’t you understand? I never wanted to leave you. I never wanted anything so much as I wanted you.”

Pacing away, I closed my eyes and breathed deeply. I had to calm myself, to let the weight of this discovery, the improbability of her explanation to sink into my water-logged brain.

I couldn’t bring myself to look at her just yet, so I stared at my bare feet instead. “Why didn’t you tell me, write to me?”

“I tried. I begged the supply ship crew to bring my letters to you. They always took them, but never brought one in return. I suspect they destroyed them, but I had no way of knowing.” She sucked in a shaky breath as though trying to hold back her tears. “I never stopped loving you.”

Turning back to face her, I felt like a mindless beast. Here I was, raging against the love of my life when she’d all but been brought back from the dead.

“Loralee.” I eased toward her. She cringed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Without a word, I leaned in and pressed my forehead to hers, allowing myself to breathe in her scent for the first time in a decade. We stood suspended like that for a while, lost in time, and emerging from a purgatory neither of us had imagined ten years ago. I would have been content to stand like that forever, but Loralee burst into tears and wilted to the floor.

I followed her down and opened the quilt to wrap us both inside. I held her tight while she cried.

While I cried.

I finally got enough breath to speak again. “What did you mean by forced here? They told me you were…” I couldn’t say it, not with her warm and so very alive against me.

“I know.”

The weight of it all came crashing down on me. “This is my fault, isn’t it? You’re here because of me.”

She made no attempt to wipe her cheeks, but shook her head and stared at the rafters as though entreating the gods. “No, it’s not your fault. Not at all. There is so much to explain, I don’t know where to start.”

I couldn’t comprehend any of it, so I focused on the here and now. “You found me on the shore?”

She nodded.

“The crew, Francis…did you find anyone else out there?”

“No, I had Xax-, I mean, no, I searched but didn’t find anyone else.”

The familiar weight of grief squeezed my chest, and a few more tears escaped before I could stop them.

She pulled me close and whispered, “I’m so sorry. I know how much you loved him. We all did.”

“We all grieved for you. You’ve been here…all this time?”

“Yes.”

“By the gods, Loralee, I’ve missed you so much.” I put my wet cheek against hers and pressed my lips to her soft skin. “Part of me died the day I thought you… please…just tell me how you ended up here.”

Loralee took a few deep breaths and finally pulled away from me. She caressed my cheek and smiled weakly. “I’ll make us a pot of tea. And then, I think we should start at the beginning, back to the Great Plague and when we first met. Do you remember that?”

Smiling past the sadness, I covered her hand with mine and closed my eyes. “How could I ever forget?”

About Mysti Parker:
Mysti Parker (pseudonym) is a full time wife, mother of three, and a writer. Her first novel, A Ranger’s Tale was published in January, 2011 by Melange Books, and the second in the fantasy romance series, Serenya’s Song, was published in April 2012. The highly anticipated third book, Hearts in Exile, has already received some great reviews. The Tallenmere series has been likened to Terry Goodkind’s ‘Sword of Truth’ series, but is probably closer to a spicy cross between Tolkien and Mercedes Lackey.

Mysti’s other writings have appeared in the anthologies Hearts of Tomorrow, Christmas Lites, and Christmas Lites II. Her flash fiction has appeared on the online magazine EveryDayFiction. She has also served as a class mentor in Writers Village University’s six week free course, F2K. 

Mysti reviews books for SQ Magazine, an online specfic publication, and is the proud owner of Unwritten, a blog voted #3 for eCollegeFinder’s Top Writing Blogs award. She resides in Buckner, KY with her husband and three children.

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Tallenmere Series:
A Ranger’s Tale, Tallenmere #1
Serenya’s Song, Tallenmere #2
Hearts in Exile, Tallenmere #3 

Limerence by Claire C. Riley

Publisher: CreateSpace (paperback)/Breakwater Harbor Book (e-book)
ISBN: 9781482727661 (paperback)/1482727668 (e-book)
Pages: 286 pages/529 KB
Date: March 26,2013 (paperback)/March 18, 2013 (e-book)
Rating: 4 1/2 stars

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book for review from the author. I was not compensated nor was I required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

This book starts off with a great dedication. Make sure that you don’t miss it – you may even see your name. It’s also written in the first person. Each chapter is named for the character that speaks to us.

Mia Lawrence and Oliver need to get to work but that doesn’t that stop them from loving each other. What a great way to start off a book. Rachel is Mia’s flat mate. There’s a new man in town and his name is Robert Breckt. He’s a man that knows how to use his “assets”. I’m looking forward to seeing what Claire has in store for me.

Mia and Oliver seem to be a couple that really love each other. One day Mia comes to visit Oliver at work and meets Mr. Breckt. He’s a man that can get anyone to do anything he wants. He’s a very interesting “villain” that I cannot think of him by his first name. This is when our mystery begins – strange things have started to occur around town.

One thing that makes it a great story to me is that I can’t figure it out. It has some romance in it but it’s not the main focus. But then this is one of the reasons that I have to keep turning the page – I need to figure out the mystery. I also have two actors that come to mind when I think of Mr. Breckt – Frank Langella and Colin Farrell. I’m a fan of the old vampire movies and I can picture Claire’s book made into one of them. I would buy a ticket to see how they interpreted her book.

One thing I think that makes Claire’s story a little different is that she has Mia acting like we might if we came across a person that isn’t all they seem to be. A lot of romances eventually have the heroine be accepting of people that are different from the norm. I found this story to be very realistic and believable. I do have to warn you that there is one scene that is very graphic and eating while reading may not be a great idea – let me just say that I’m glad that I didn’t have ketchup on my turkey burger.

I thoroughly enjoyed Mia’s story and was happy to see that Claire has a second book, Limerence II, coming out soon – Mia has me hooked. In the meantime if you still need a little push to get this book, stop by her site and watch the book trailer (http://www.clairecriley.com/limerence-trailer.html).

Dream Nights with the CEO by Kathy Lyons

Book 1, A Secret Desires Novel
Publisher: Entangled Publishing, LLC (Brazen)
ISBN: 9781622667802
Publication Date: May 27, 2013
Pages: 262 KB/275 pages (e-book)
Rating: 4 ½ stars

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book for review from the publisher and the author. I was not compensated nor was I required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”.

A bit about Dream Nights with the CEO:
 
Hotel chain CEO and millionaire Wyatt Monroe is a stick in the mud. Sure, he’s hot as sin, even with the tie, but free-spirited assistant Megan Bradford refuses to jeopardize their perfect working relationship. Why mess that up with sex? She knows he’s the love ‘em and leave ‘em type, and she’s determined to find a family man.
Wyatt would never cross the line between boss and employee with Megan, no matter how hard it might be to resist the temptation. But when they visit a mysterious B&B in a bid to acquire the property, he starts having erotic dreams about the sexy brunette that make it hard to resist her in daylight.
The line between reality and dreams further blurs when they learn they’re sharing the same erotic dreams…
 
Kathy’s Links:
You can visit Kathy on her website, Facebook, Goodreads and/or twitter.

My Thoughts:

Megan Bradford is having an interesting dream – what an interesting way to start the book. It certainly caught my attention. My dreams aren’t as interesting as Megan’s. Wyatt Monroe is her boss and he is having the same problem as Megan.

As I’m reading the book we find out that Megan and Wyatt are staying at the Miranda’s Place B & B. It’s run by a young woman named Bethany. I found that Bethany has an interesting story of her own. I would love to know if Kathy will be writing her story.

Megan and Wyatt have an intriguing connection that comes at an interesting time of day. Makes me wish that I had that type of connection with my partner. How about you? Kathy has given her readers dreaming with a twist. It also makes you wonder if we can control our dreams so that we get the outcome we want.

This is a book that you will find that you just can’t put it down until you reach the end. Kathy grabs your attention starting with the first dream. If you’re a paranormal romance junkie you could pick up a copy of this book because there is some unexplained reason for the connection between Megan and Wyatt. I’m looking forward to seeing what Kathy has in store for her readers in the next Dream Nights series. With all the dream sequences that she wrote in this book, I’m all set with my dreams until her next book comes out.

Writer’s Workshop of Science Fiction and Fantasy edited by Michael Knost

Publisher: Seventh Star Press, LLC
ISBN: 9781937929619 (paperback)/9781937929626 (e-book)
Publication Date: May 14, 2013
Pages: 276 pages (paperback)/1214 KB (e-book)
Rating: 5 stars

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book for review from Jitterbug PR and from the author as part of a virtual book tour. I was not compensated nor was I required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

About the Book

Writers Workshop of Science Fiction and Fantasy is a collection of essays and interviews by and with many of the movers-and-shakers in the industry.  Each contributor covers the specific element of craft he or she excels in.  Expect to find varying perspectives and viewpoints, which is why you many find differing opinions on any particular subject.
This is, after all, a collection of advice from professional storytellers.  And no two writers have made it to the stage via the same journey-each has made his or her own path to success.  And that’s one of the strengths of this book.  The reader is afforded the luxury of discovering various approaches and then is allowed to choose what works best for him or her.

With interviews and essays from the following authors:

Neil Gaiman
Orson Scott Card
Ursula K. Le Guin
Alan Dean Foster
James Gunn
Tim Powers
Harry Turtledove
Larry Niven
Joe Haldeman
Kevin J. Anderson
Elizabeth Bear
Jay Lake
Nancy Kress
George Zebrowski
Pamela Sargent
Mike Resnick
Ellen Datlow
James Patrick Kelly
Jo Fletcher
Stanley Schmidt
Gordon Van Gelder
Lou Anders
Peter Crowther
Ann VanderMeer
John Joseph Adams
Nick Mamatas
Lucy A. Snyder
Alethea Kontis
Nisi Shawl
Jude-Marie Green
Nayad A. Monroe
G. Cameron Fuller
Jackie Gamber
Amanda DeBord
Max Miller
Jason Sizemore

Writers Workshop Excerpt

“Nothing fills a page faster than dialogue,” the writer said.

There it is, the blank page or screen, the intimidating and recurring challenge every writer must face. The temptation is to fill that page as quickly as possible, to advance the narrative however you can. Often the easiest way to do that, even for writers who are not masters of dialogue, is to get the characters talking. A few A few writers are even bold enough to begin novels or stories with a line of dialogue, something I don’t recommend unless you possess the skills of the early Robert A Heinlein, who began his story “Blowups Happen” with the suspenseful line: “Put down that wrench!” Orson Scott Card also opened his popular novel Ender’s Game with a piece of dialogue that immediately rouses the reader’s curiosity: “‘I’ve watched through his eyes, I’ve listened through his ears, and I tell you he’s the one.” Writing good and convincing dialogue is usually enough of a challenge without relying on it to hook a reader right at the beginning of one’s story. Writing dialogue, whatever the difficulties, is generally easier than, for example, crafting descriptive passages, offering insights into a character’s
psychology, creating vigorous and absorbing action scenes, or presenting necessary exposition in a graceful way.

Writers who harbor dreams of scriptwriting may be especially prone to fill pages with dialogue, but others also succumb, partly because dialogue is a shortcut and a very useful one. Sometimes a few well-chosen words of conversation can accomplish as much in a story as pages of description and exposition. There are also a fair number of readers who are more absorbed by stretches of repartee than by beautifully and poetically rendered descriptions. (Writers meet these people all the time; they’re the ones who tell you they skip all the dull parts, often meaning those carefully wrought passages that cost you so much effort.) Better just to cut to the chase, or in this case, drop in on the conversation.

The strength of dialogue—namely that it can be a useful shortcut—is also its weakness. Writers who rely too much on dialogue risk leaving too much out. The writer may hear the characters clearly and easily envision the scene, but that doesn’t mean that the reader will. (In a review of a novel some years back, Joanna Russ wrote that passages in that book seemed to be largely about names drinking cups of coffee, noticing the designs of ashtrays, or riffing on the furnishings in a room, the characters were so indistinguishable.) The beginning writer is likely to produce dialogue in which the reader will find it hard to tell one character from another. The useful shortcut can produce a story that is sketchy, in which too much has been left out

Buy Link:

Writers Workshop of Science Fiction & Fantasy

My Thoughts:
I’m not an author but a reader and review blogger. When I started my review journey it was all about romance. But I have expanded my horizons and this is one such case.

This may be a book for those that are looking for tips on how to write for the sci fi and fantasy genres but that doesn’t mean that a reader or reviewer can’t take something away that they can use as well. English students may also learn something – especially if they want to make this their life’s work. The reader gets a peek into the world of an author.

There is lots of information from an assortment of authors that write science fiction or fantasy. But some authors also write children’s books and even poetry. Neil Gaiman discusses sub genres which can be a help to even readers – especially if you don’t know what a sub genre is. You will also notice that there are female authors included in Michael’s book. It’s great to see a book that has all different perspectives.

You will also see that there are those authors that have won awards. There is the Hugo award, the Nebula award, and even the Tiptree award. I’ll let you research as to what these awards are. One thing I find fascinating is that we see how many award shows on TV but none of the literary awards seem to be televised – at least on channels that I get.

For those that like the paranormal, G. Cameron Fuller talks about creating an alien. He made me wish I was more creative. English was not my strong suit when I was in high school and try to connect my sentences into a story – I’ll leave that to the experts.

I found that I learned so much and I didn’t use any of that in writing this review. I also hope that Michael won’t critique me too harshly. This is a book that will give you all the tools you will need to help you write your book. And it will help you look differently at the books you read to review. This is a must read.

Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway (Follow link)