Last Friday (2/7/2020) evening I held an Author Reading from my debut fantasy/paranormal novel, Rekindled Prophecy – Book 1 of the Greylyn the Guardian Angel series.
Several lovely friends showed up to listen to me read, and asked questions, made comments and generally it was an overall good time.
So what went wrong?
I coughed throughout the entire reading!
No, I don’t have the flu, or the corona virus.
What I had was allergies to all the drywall and general construction dust from my office. The room has been under renovations for some time now, and completely unusable, but I insisted (to myself) that I should do the reading from my office (mostly to avoid any of the other people living in my house from intruding – most of the time they respect the sanctity of my office).
You’ve been warned, but if you’re interested in listening to the reading and the Q&A session, here’s a link to the video on Facebook.
Now I am a self-proclaimed non-techie so I haven’t figured out how to edit the footage yet, and I’m rather certain there wouldn’t be a lot left if I took out all the coughing. My next best alternative is to record the whole thing, but then you’d miss the discussion and Q&A.
In lieu of a teaser for this week, you may have to work for it to listen through the reading of the Prologue from Rekindled Prophecy. Now there’s a lot of controversy these days in the literary community about prologues and epilogues, but I LOVE them and use them frequently. Every book in the series will start with a prologue giving the reader a glimpse from Greylyn’s past that has significant impact on her present and future. It’s a peek behind the curtain.
But if you don’t want to wade through my coughing fits to listen to the prologue, please direct message me here or on my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/KCFreemanAuthor/ and I’ll send you a word document copy of the text.
Next month, I’ll make another attempt at a live reading from my book and hold another Q&A session. Because…why not? It was fun, despite the coughing.
So you may be a bit confused by the title of this week’s blog but here’s my logic which may or may not pass for real logic but it is what it is, folks!
I’m a huge Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan
I’m a huge Supernatural fan
When the Ghostfacers asked “WWBD?” or “What Would Buffy Do?” I squealed with delight.
There’s a somewhat similar push/pull/stalkerish vibe with my characters, Greylyn and Kael, as was between Buffy and Angelus (not really Angel, but his alter ego) and between Buffy and Spike.
Buffy was “The One” – According to buffy.fandom.com/wiki/Slayer, the definition of “Slayer” is…“Into every generation, there is a chosen one. One girl in all the world. She alone will wield the strength and skill to stand against the vampires, the demons, and the forces of darkness; To stop the spread of their evil and the swell of their numbers. She is the Slayer.”―The original prophecy of the Slayer. Well, Greylyn, was the one person who could fulfill this prophecy that the bad guy wants fulfilled. She’s “the One” but he doesn’t call her that.
Now the story of Greylyn the Guardian Angel isn’t based on Buffy. I just wanted to compel any Buffy fans out there, that if you liked Buffy, you’ll love Greylyn too!
Also, WWBD…
If you’re looking for something Twilight-esqe, Rekindled Prophecy – Book 1 of the Greylyn the Guardian Angel series is not for you. Sorry in the Greylyn universe vamps are not romantic, although they do try to fake it in the second book of the series (so maybe you’ll like this series after all if you’re a Twilight fan), Revelations which is currently with the editor.
Here’s a little excerpt to showcase just how Greylyn and Kael are a bit Buffy and Angelus (evil Angel obsessed with tormenting Buffy). And if you have no clue who Buffy is…please do yourself a favor and look up this series (I think it may be on Hulu now).
*********
A wave of heat originated from his touch, spreading out to her entire body. “Everything’s al-right now, Gr—” His voice, smooth yet husky, trailed off but with a slight accent marking him as not English.
A chill raced through her veins, freezing her in place as she watched his glowing topaz eyes morph to a deep crimson.
A demon?
No, not exactly. The hint of sulfur was missing. The way pinpricks of pain flashed out when a demon touched her skin didn’t happen. Oh, there were pinpricks of something, but definitely not the same sensation. No, he wasn’t a demon, nor was he possessed by one. Of that she was certain, but the realization something was different about this man was enough to jar her back to her senses.
Her fingers coiled tighter around the hilt of her dagger—a weapon bestowed upon her as part of her initiation into the world of guardian angels. The handle, intricately carved with a Celtic symbol inter-laced with the sign of infinity and two opals of varying shades embedded in the center, now pressed into the soft skin of her palm. Months of intensive practice, it was now an extension of herself. Its sharp, jagged edges of an almost blue metal were forged specifically to kill demons, to kill anything not intended for this world. Greylyn prayed it also worked on whatever this man was.
He hadn’t moved. Just stared at her with those freaky eyes of blood. She slashed upward with the blade. He jerked away, but not in time. A gash appeared across his cheek, and his hand flew up to his face. Greylyn used his momentary surprise to push herself off the ground to run away. Not two steps later, the man grabbed her upper arm, hauling her backward into his chest with such momentum she felt, as well as heard, the cracking of her spine from the impact. The small bones of her wrist popped painfully under pressure from his much larger hand, forcing her fist to unclasp and the dagger to fall. His other hand snaked around her waist to press firmly into the small of her back.
“Going somewhere so soon?” His voice held a gruff edge to it now, no longer velvety smooth.
Every instinct screamed at her not to, but she defiantly craned her neck to stare up at her captor. Big mistake. He whipped her around to face him. Now pressed against his chest, the thumping of her own heart mixed with the sound of his own rose to a deafening level, blocking out all other sounds. His lips curled on one side, highlighting a dimple. Perfectly white teeth glinted in the dim moonlight. Warm breath caressed her face, smelling slightly of bourbon.
“Let. Me. Go,” she ground out from clenched teeth. Her body shivered, but she refused to acknowledge the fear. Although she thought she might not survive her first guardian assignment, Jasper’s mantra that he’d drilled into her head over the last year rang in her ears—Never acknowledge the fear. A guardian does not have the luxury of giving in to fear. Greylyn prayed her eyes reflected resolve and courage, not the terror coursing through her veins. Or whatever else was pulsing through her body.
A full grin broke out on the man’s face. The red flames dancing in his eyes smoldered before returning to their topaz hue that had riveted her in place earlier. His entire face relaxed. “Now, love. Why would I do that? There’s so much we have to discuss before …”
Greylyn stomped down on his foot with all her strength. Considering their significant size difference, she didn’t expect it to work, but it startled her captor enough for him to loosen his grip. She wrenched her arm away while her other fist swung up and slammed into his face. Blood gushed from his nose, flowing down to drip off his chiseled chin.
Instead of an angry shout or a return punch, he glared steadily at her with no other outward show of pain or emotion.
“So much for civility then.” The words were spoken so softly through thinned lips that she almost doubted he’d spoken at all until his fist shot out. Excruciating pain blinded her.
The jerk broke my nose!
Strong hands gripped her arms and yanked her with such force her neck snapped as her body sailed across the alleyway. Colliding with the moss-covered stone wall of the tavern, all the air whooshed out of her lungs. A coppery tinge filled her mouth.
Pain and anger boiled up, fueling a surge of adrenaline that brought everything into crystal clear focus. All sound, except for her assailant’s heavy breathing, stopped. She waited.
Why didn’t he attack?
She raised her head in defiance, blood, and muck clinging to the strands of hair covering her face.
I am a guardian angel. No evil shall pass by me.
The words were drilled into her for months by her mentor. He’d made her repeat it verbally every day before lessons and every night before sleep.
This man was obviously evil. Demon or not, evil was evil. She had no choice but to put an end to him.
“Like hitting little girls, do you? Not very gentle-manly.” She clicked her tongue behind her teeth as her arms numbly pushed her into a squatting position. Sizing him up, this time as an opponent, Greylyn saw past the fashionable attire and good looks to the dark soul underneath. A blackness exuded from his aura, so dark it mingled with the night sky. How had she not seen it before?
The man straightened to his full height, hands at his side curled into fists. “You shouldn’t be here, love.” She’d expected an angry retort or another attack, but his voice was soft and shaky.
Her eyes darted around the alley. She needed a weapon, preferably her own. Where had it gone? With the moon fully ensconced behind the clouds, it was impossible to see more than his faint outline, even with her superior nighttime vision.
Greylyn rose to stand, her fists clenched at her hips and her back against the broken stone wall. “Well, I am here. Ready to party.” She’d aimed for a daring, but jovial tone. The slight squeak at the end belied her inner fear.
“Looking for a good time, I see. Well then, how about a dance?”
He sprung at her in a blur, but Greylyn dodged just an inch to the left, and he slammed into the same wall he’d thrown her against. She pivoted to attack while he was still prone on the ground, but a sudden glint of blue caught her attention. Her dagger! Just a few yards away.
She dove to the right, her outstretched fingers grazed the hilt, but her hesitation cost her. A hand clamped down fully on the handle and wrestled it away from her grasp. He rolled her over roughly, straddled her hips with her arms trapped under-neath his knees, and smashed her face with the fist holding her own weapon.
Pain exploded as bones and tendons cracked, and blood seemed to spurt from every pore. The assault continued, punch after punch, blow after blow. Greylyn’s world turned crimson just before a blackness edged her vision.
Her first assignment as a guardian angel. Her first failure, and quite possibly, her last.
Death was inevitable. Not even her own super-natural strength could save her from this monster.
Despite the agony racing throughout her body, her mind clearly accepted her fate.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil …
Silence fell over the alley. The rain of punches stopped. Greylyn’s eyes opened to peek at her attacker. What she saw chilled her to her soul—the demonic red eyes had smoldered away, back to their original gold-flecked hue. The man’s face trans-formed from pure rage to sadness as a tear rolled down his face. A tear? “I’m … I … Oh, no …” His trembling lips continued to move, but no coherent words formed.
“What in the bloody hell …” An angry roar shocked her out of her stupor. That voice she recognized. Jasper.
A tall shadow with piercing eyes of ice jerked her assailant away from her.
“You damn …” He didn’t finish his sentence, just punched the man in the face while holding him by his lapel.
Greylyn gulped in air. She wasn’t dead, not yet. Renewed energy pulsated through her body and gave her strength to push herself up on shaky arms. She stared, turning to look at each man as they circled each other. Both men with deadly intent etched on their faces. In between getting hit and throwing jabs of his own, the stranger muttered, “Had to be you! It just had to be you!” One final uppercut to Jasper’s jaw and the guardian angel fell back.
Her mouth opened to scream for him to leave Jasper alone, but no words came out. He turned to her, his face bloodied, but with a sad smile. “Until next time, love.” Seconds later, he vanished down the alleyway.
Suddenly able to move again, Greylyn jumped up and ran over to Jasper. “Who the hell was that?”
“Oh, I’m fine, by the way.” With the indignant look he flashed her, she knew Jasper was far from being fine. Physically, yes, he was alright. But his icy-blue eyes spoke volumes of fury she could not under-stand.
“I’m so sorry …” She checked him for injuries, her hands roved over his body. His clothes were spatter-ed with blood. Other than his pride, and a black eye that would fade in an hour or two, he was in perfect shape.
Greylyn knew she looked a mess. Hell, she should be dead. Instead, the blood had already dried, and the sizzle of her bones mending underneath her skin comforted her.
I’m not going to die. At least not tonight.
Jasper cupped her chin. “Yes, I know. It’s my fault. It was too soon to send you out on your own like that. I realized my mistake and came to find you, in case you needed assistance.” A nerve twitched in his jaw. “And, I find I was correct. You certainly needed help.” Disappointment was evident in his tone.
“Oh, no! Edward? Did he escape? I came out here looking for him, but these guys,” she waved her hand toward the corpses littering the alley, “were after him and …”
“Yes, yes. I get it. You ran into the bad guys, and as a bonus, you got a bloody dark guardian your first time on your own.”
“A what?”
“A dark guardian. The exact opposite of us, darling. You are just lucky I came along when I did. That one would’ve carved you up like a porterhouse steak.” He pushed himself off the ground. At his full height of well over six feet tall, he towered above her.
“Does this dark guardian have a name?” She didn’t know why it mattered that she find out his name. Jasper narrowed his eyes at her in obvious dis-approval.
“That one in particular is Kael,” Jasper spat. “Truly nasty piece of work. Avoid him at all costs. Hopefully, you will never have to see that creature again.”
He turned toward her and grabbed her by the upper arms, leaning forward so they were nose to nose. An aroma of whiskey and tobacco wafted into her face. “Greylyn, promise me that you will stay away from Kael. If he ever crosses your path, either annihilate him completely with your dagger through his heart and then rip it out of his body while it’s still beating; or run. Just run.”
******
And one of my favorite Kael lines:
“Besides, if I want you dead, I’ll do the deed myself. No one else gets that pleasure. No one.” His tone was teasing, but she suspected it was the underlying truth.
Until next week!
When in doubt, remember to ask yourself…
Buffy would buy Rekindled Prophecy – Book 1 of the Greylyn the Guardian Angel series.
Rekindled Prophecy: Greylyn the Guardian Angel is a fantasy/paranormal novel with strong undertones of romance and sex appeal between two enemies – one working for Heaven, the other working for Hell.
Welcome to a new year, a new decade! 2020 started out a bit rough for this author. I’ve basically been sick since November 2019 but have finally recovered enough to get back to writing and editing.
What does that mean for the Greylyn the Guardian Angel series? It means forward progress on Book 2. Yesterday evening, just before the college national championship football game (Geaux Tigers!), I sent off Book 2 (working title: Revelations) to the publisher. Now on to editing Book 3 which is going to a bit more strenuous since I’ve had all these lovely ideas for plots twists and expanding the series to incorporate.
With Book 2 off to the publisher, thought I’d offer up a teaser just to whet your appetites for more Greylyn and Kael. I hope you enjoy!
***
Considering how traitorous her body reacted to the dark guardian in normal circumstances, she didn’t want to imagine what being this close would do to her over the long term. Twenty-four hours? Did the vamp expect them to do this little exercise for that long? At the very least, shouldn’t they be given potty-breaks?
Her head already throbbed with tension to fight her body for control. She couldn’t allow herself a second to relax. All it would take is one moment of weakness.
Too late. His closeness was already sending ripples of goosebumps up her arms while a delicious heat crept up her cheeks. To distract herself, she scanned the garden for signs of surveillance. Anything to avoid looking at Kael. Being here with him made her more nervous than facing down the entire throng of Olivier’s minions months ago.
Absentmindedly, she pulled out a platinum chain tucked underneath her shirt and toyed with the ring dangling it – a nervous tick she’d picked up after their first encounter. The ring had been in the pocket of the drab wool dress she’d been buried in. The one and only link to a life she didn’t remember, a normal human life.
Kael reached over to touch her face, but a voice boomed over the loud speaker again. “No touching.” He withdrew his hands, holding them up in the air as a sign of surrender.
Forcing herself to lock eyes with Kael might be the hardest thing she’d done since tearing herself away from him at Gaelic Haven. She had wanted nothing more than to lose herself in his arms. That night had haunted her ever since. She’d dreamed of melting into his strong, inviting arms, caressing the stubble along his jawline…
Great balls of fire, Greylyn! Get over it! Hasn’t even been two minutes!
Folks, the holidays have me so scatter-brained, I didn’t realize the day, thus “Teaser Tuesday” will have to be a bit late. We need a good name for Wednesday teasers… any suggestions?
How about:
Wowza Wednesday!
We’ll table that discussion and get down to business since I still have holiday shopping and wrapping…and don’t even mention holiday baking to me yet because I just can’t even right now!
So, a teaser? A teaser? What shall I tease this week from the Greylyn the Guardian Angel series? Should I stick with Book 1, Rekindled Prophecy, which by the way would make a perfect gift for the fantasy/paranormal fiction fan in your life?
Or should I leap forward and give you lovelies a taste of Book 2, Revelations? Maybe skip way ahead to Book 3, working title, Remembrance? Or way, way ahead to Book 4 (yes, I finally decided that Book 4 is definitely in order, there is no way I can fit all this story into just 3 books), working title, Redemption?
For the sake of not wanting to spill the beans too soon on future books, we’ll stick with Rekindled Prophecy for today. Although, with the working titles of the other books, I am considering renaming the first book to just Rekindled. Any opinions on the subject, please shoot me a comment here or direct message me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/KCFreemanAuthor/
Today, I’d like to introduce you to one of my all-time favorite villains — Olivier.
Olivier is a fallen archangel. It’s rumored he whispered evil tidings into Lucifer’s ear which led to his Fall. Quite honestly, it’s anyone’s guess who is the worst of the worst — Lucifer or Olivier.
Olivier wants the prophecy fulfilled, even though he’s not completely sure of what it entails. He knows enough to be dangerous. Apparently, he’s the ONLY ONE who wants this. Heaven is against it. Hell will do anything to stop it. So what will our heroine do with angels and demons fighting to keep this prophecy from reaching fruition?
How did I come up with Olivier? Well, the name is from one of my favorite actors of all time. Laurence Olivier. Actually…Sir Laurence Olivier. He was knighted by the Queen of England. Cool, huh?
But this Olivier, while debonair looking and always stylishly dressed in designer suits and power ties, is nothing like the actor who played Mr. Darcy in Pride & Prejudice nor Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights.
No, this Olivier is more Thor-looking with Loki’s sharp wit and designs for destruction.
So let me peel back the curtain a tad, and let you discover Olivier for yourselves.
***
“Well, my boy,” said the larger man in a Dolce & Gabbana suit while he slapped the other man on the shoulder. They had watched the petite guardian pick herself up and sprint away from the bloody carnage behind the bar. They had the best vantage point for the battle, hidden in the shadows atop a crumbling service station a couple blocks away. “You’ve done a fine job of keeping track of our girl over the years. I’ll admit that I’m thrilled you defied my brother so long ago and chose not to kill her. Not many can get away with such disobedience. But this gamble has really paid off.”
Smiling, Kael replied, “Always glad to be of service to you, sir.” Teaming up with one of the most notorious tyrants of Hell had been dangerous, but he wouldn’t change a thing.
“Not much longer now until we can set things in motion with our little angel. I’ve waited long enough.” Without so much as a farewell, the large, hulking man vanished into whirling tunnel of air with only the sound of his laughter continuing to resonate in stifling humidity.
***
Happy Holidays! I’ll be back next week for a Christmas Eve Tuesday Teaser!
Who is he? Well, besides sexy and hot as hell…that’s more what he is, not who though.
Jasper is one of my absolute favorite characters to write. He’s not just eye candy, but I may stare at this inspirational photo when I need my muse to help me create his lines, his expression, and his attitude.
You see, Jasper is vital to the fantasy/paranormal story I need to tell in the “Greylyn the Guardian Angel series,” starting with Book 1 “Rekindled Prophecy”.
If you’ll pay close attention to the book cover you will notice that is NOT Jasper on the cover. Must be mistake, right? How can someone THAT sexy not be on the book cover? He HAS to be the love interest, right?
Sorry…NOPE!
But don’t worry, after this series I have every intention of giving Jasper his very own story because he is absolutely fascinating.
So back to the original question…who is Jasper Moreau?
Jasper is from French royalty (many centuries ago). He’s a guardian angel with a heart of gold and a body for sin. His panty-dropping smile is legendary. A simple come hither look from his ice-blue eyes will have you in his thrall before you even have a chance to blink.
So why isn’t he the heroine’s love interest then?
No one knows exactly. It would seem to make sense that he would be, but things are a bit complicated.
What we do know about him is that he’s a guardian angel and he was the one present when our heroine, Greylyn, dug herself out of her own grave over 450 years ago in the rural fields of Ireland. He took her under his wing and talk her everything she needed to know about being a guardian angel, including who to stay clear of (dark guardians to be precise – which turns out to be much more difficult than either one of them realizes since…hmmmm…Kael is a dark guardian — much more Kael in a later posting, I promise).
Greylyn has kept things platonic between her and Jasper for centuries. Silly girl! And Jasper, being a gentlemen, respects that. After all, humans come and go but guardian angels live on and on. So he’s got all the time in the world.
So why don’t we just let Jasper introduce himself…
***
Now how to explain Jasper’s arrival and abrupt departure? She’d peeked out the window while she was on the phone. Everyone was assembled under the gazebo except for the bride and her father, the groom … and Kael. They had all seen him come inside her suite.
“Act like we’re arguing but trying to be quiet about it. I’ll explain that you’re an ex- boyfriend making a last-ditch attempt to win me back and I’ve sent you packing…again.”
Jasper’s eyebrows raised inquisitively. “Now who in their right mind is going to believe that?”
The crowd under the gazebo was oddly quiet as Greylyn walked Jasper to his car. No one even tried to feign disinterest as they put their plan into action.
Taking his cue, Jasper began to gesture wildly with a pleading look on his face. Greylyn, in turn, pretended to speak softly, but firmly, hands on her hips for effect along with an occasional dramatic hand gesture. They must have been convincing because her sensitive hearing picked up the shocked comments from the young ladies of the wedding party. The buxom blonde was more than dismayed that the hunk appeared to be leaving.
“Oh, what is wrong with that girl? He’s divine!”
Jasper even audaciously glanced over at the woman and gave her a wink. Sure enough, it gained him what his ego wanted to hear, a soft gasp as she was drawn into his orbit without him even needing to take a step closer. The woman looked as if she’d swoon any second now. One of her friends reached out to grab her by the elbow.
Yes, Jasper had yet another female under this thrall.
“Works every time,” he breathlessly whispered as they reached the car.
***
If you’d like to read more about Jasper, and the other characters in Rekindled Prophecy…
Check back each week as I introduce the rest of the cast of characters from the Greylyn the Guardian Angel series, inspirations, muses, musical motivations, scene settings, and future plans for these characters.
XOXO!
KC
As a bonus, here’s some more photos of guys I used as inspiration for writing Jasper Moreau.
It’s the day after Cyber-Monday, a four days after Black Friday (hope everyone finished their holiday shopping and everyone is giving and receiving books this year), and two weeks since the release of my debut fantasy/paranormal novel, Rekindled Prophecy (Book 1 of the Greylyn the Guardian Angel series).
If by chance you haven’t finished your shopping, and the person(s) on your list enjoy reading fantasy/paranormal fiction, check out this little teaser from the above story. Regardless of the completion of your gift-giving list, check out this excerpt from the book.
***
Just as a small ray of early morning sun peeked between the slate-gray clouds, the shadowy outline of Gaelic Haven came into view. There were no lights on in the main house or the Carriage House. Breathing a sigh of relief, she tiptoed from the car to the Carriage House and opened the foyer door without so much as a creak.
“Didn’t realize you were such a partier, Greylyn. If I had known you wanted to party all night, I could’ve joined you.”
She froze in place. Despite the sarcasm, there was an underlying tension behind his words. The words were more clipped than usual. Greylyn didn’t know what to make of it and was too tired to care. Ignoring him, she reached for the door to her room.
The shadow at the top of the stairs pounced like a preying tiger to stand between her and the door. The little light that was available in the foyer from a small tabletop lantern reflected the gold in his eyes as they stood almost nose to nose, staring at each other for what seemed like an eternity. No matter how she tried, there was no looking away.
How could she be this tired and still be so affected by his closeness?
Without warning, his hand came up to her face, causing her to flinch. Instead of striking as she expected, his hand caressed the place just below her eye where she had been sliced earlier. His fingers softly moved over the now dried and crusted blood. Her skin warmed, as if she’d stepped too close to a bonfire.
His eyes strayed back to her own. The pupils enlarged, registering alarm and something else she couldn’t place. In a strained, gruff voice, he whispered through clenched teeth, “Who or what did this to you?”
It was difficult to think, much less speak or move, with Kael this close to her. His hand, still cupping her face, paralyzed her. She repeated to herself, “This is the enemy. This is the enemy,” in an effort to free herself from his hypnotic gaze.
The best she could manage was to say, “What’s the big deal? Worried that someone else might kill me before you’ve had your chance?”
She had wanted to sound sarcastic. Instead, her words came out more like a breathy whisper that ended with a pitiful squeak.
He leaned in closer, a mere inch or two from her face, his eyes locked on her own. “I don’t want to kill you, Greylyn. I would never allow anyone else to hurt you either. Haven’t you figured that out by now?”
***
If you are enticed by the above teaser, please check out the entire story. Rekindled Prophecy is available on numerous book retail sites, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Audible, Walmart eBooks, Google Play, Abebooks, Book Depository, Alibris, Better World Books, and Indie Bound.
Here’s a link to the ebook at Amazon, but the hard cover is also available.
Also, I’m trying to build up my newsletter. If you believe you’d enjoy regular updates about the book, the series, general discussion of all things related to guardian angels, my silly rants and ravings on a myriad of topics, please check out my newsletter signup at http://www.eepurl.com/gDp4Jr
As an added enticement, I’ve joined with 9 other authors in a December Reader Appreciation/Newsletter Buildup campaign. Leann Ryans, L.P. Dillon, Becca Dawn, Nora Nolan, L.V. Lane, Krya Fox, Rowan Thalia, KC Freeman. V.T. Bonds, and Mandi Konesni have joined together to offer 24 days worth of prizes in December.
From December 1st through the 23rd, one person on our newsletter subscriber list will be chosen each day to win a prize leading up to the grand prize drawing on the 24th. The grand prize winner will receive 15 ebooks, an audiobook, 3 paperbacks, and Amazon gift cards totaling $50.
You must sign up for all 10 newsletters to qualify to win a prize. The winner each day will be notified and announced on Facebook once their subscriptions are verified. Each author is responsible for delivery of their book and prizes to the winner.
In the spirit of the holidays, and to celebrate the excitement of publishing my debut fantasy/paranormal novel, Rekindled Prophecy (Book 1 of the Greylyn the Guardian Angel series), I’ve arranged to gift some lucky reader with a free Kindle copy of the book. The winner will be announced Cyber-Monday (12/2/19)!
But that’s not all…
Even if you don’t win the book, a second winner will receive a $10 Amazon gift card. The winner of the gift card will be announced the next day (12/3/19).
How to enter the contest to win either the Kindle version of Rekindled Prophecy, or the $10 Amazon gift card?
Simple!
Follow the author (That’s me!) on social media and then let me know you’ve done so with a quick comment here on my author webpage or by sending me a direct message to me on my author FB page @KCFreemanAuthor.
This Thanksgiving I have a lot to be thankful for…including the publication of my debut fantasy/paranormal novel, Rekindled Prophecy (Book 1 of the Greylyn the Guardian Angel series) which launched exactly one week ago.
To celebrate I am offering a giveaway (please see yesterday’s post) for a free Kindle version of the book. All you have to do in order to qualify to be included in the drawing is to follow me on:
Now you don’t have to do all the above to enter, but it does improve your odds of winning. The winner will be announced Cyber-Monday (12/2/2019). PM me on FB or leave a comment here with the simple phrase “Done”. An alternate winner will be chosen the following day for a $10 Amazon gift card!
Now to deliver on that teaser I promised in the title of this article.
***
Just as a small ray of early morning sun peeked between the slate-gray clouds, the shadowy outline of Gaelic Haven came into view. There were no lights on in the main house or the Carriage House. Breathing a sigh of relief, she tiptoed from the car to the Carriage House and opened the foyer door without so much as a creak.
“Didn’t realize you were such a partier, Greylyn. If I had known you wanted to party all night, I could’ve joined you.”
She froze in place. Despite the sarcasm, there was an underlying tension behind his words, more clipped than usual. Greylyn didn’t know what to make of it and was too tired to care. Ignoring him, she reached for the door to her room.
The shadow at the top of the stairs pounced like a preying tiger to stand between her and the door. The little light that was available in the foyer from a small tabletop lantern reflected the gold in his eyes. No matter how she tried, there was no looking away.
How could she be this exhausted and still be so affected by his closeness?
Without warning, his hand came up to her face. She flinched. Instead of striking as she expected, his hand caressed the place just below her eye where she had been sliced earlier. His fingers softly moved over the now dried and crusted blood. Her skin warmed as if she’d stepped too close to a bonfire.
His eyes strayed back to her own. The pupils enlarged, registering alarm and something else she couldn’t place. In a strained, gruff voice, he whisper-ed through clenched teeth, “Who or what did this to you?”
It was difficult to think, much less speak, with Kael this close to her. His hand, still cupping her face, paralyzed her. She repeated to herself, “This is the enemy. This is the enemy,” in an effort to free herself from his hypnotic gaze. It didn’t work.
The best she could manage was to say, “What’s the big deal? Worried that someone else might kill me before you had your chance?”
***
Hope you enjoyed the teaser and will check out Rekindled Prophecy for yourself. Don’t forget your chance to win a free Kindle version of the book!
My debut novel, Rekindled Prophecy (Book 1 of the Greylyn the Guardian Angel series), released last week (11/19/2019)! To say I was ecstatic would be an understatement.
The story bounced around in my head for years while I dealt with life (went to college, worked my @$$ off for years to make it in the corporate world, got married, had kids, raised and still raising kids, moved, etc, etc, etc…). Took about a year to write the first draft as I only had a couple hours here, few minutes there, weeks where I had no time to write, and sometimes just general procrastination and making up excuses. Writer’s block may have occurred from time to time, but mostly I got in my own way. A couple dozen draft revisions later and it was ready to leave my hands and get some honest feedback.
Writing is scary. For me, it’s like pouring out your soul onto paper. That part is fine, but then giving it over to someone else to read? That’s terrifying. But I finally did it! I joined a wonderful group online through Scribophile where authors critique each other’s work in exchange for critiques of their own work. I found an amazing community of authors/reviewers within Scribophile who I love and adore for their honesty, their knowledge, their friendship, and their support. If not for them I would never have gathered up the courage to take the next step…querying.
Querying agents and publishers is a mind and soul numbing experience. Well, eventually numbing. At first, terrifying and heartbreaking as rejection emails come in and no responses from others. Some asked for full manuscripts and then I’d wait weeks, months. There were even a couple agents I waited for over a year to hear back from. Heart-wrenching process. Thankfully, I had my author friends from Scrib to bolster my mood and confidence so I kept going.
Now, where as I? Oh yes, the process! While querying I remained busy. I drafted Books 2 and 3 of the series. I edited and proofread for other authors (and some high school seniors looking for help crafting their college application essays). During this time I was asked to join with other amazing romance authors for two short story anthologies. While my series is more of a PG-13 rating (some cussing, violence, and some romance but nothing explicit), there stories were definitely more for mature audiences. If you’d like (and your over 18 years of age), please check out the anthologies. One even introduces one of the characters from the Greylyn series, but we won’t truly meet her until Book 2.
Finally, I had just about decided to punch the Amazon publish button myself or archive the files for the series and walk away from it for awhile when I received the most blessed news. A publisher was interested and asked for the full manuscript. Next thing I know they called me (yes, an actual phone call, not email) and they wanted to publish my book! Thank you Zimbell House Publishing for believing in me and my story. (side note: The day after I signed with Zimbell, a literary agent I had queried several months back emailed me and was interested in signing me! After a desert of interest, all of a sudden…people wanted my story!)
Moral of the story — authors, keep on writing, keep on querying, keep on keeping on, and keep on believing!
That brings us to last Tuesday, 11/19/2019 when Rekindled Prophecy released in hard cover and ebook! To say it was one of the best days of my life, would be an understatement (I think I’m repeating myself now). It was also one of the scariest days of my life. For now, the story is no longer just mine. It belongs to the fantasy and paranormal reading world now! It belongs to you! It is my gift to you, as I believe every author who writes even one line gifts the world with their talent.
Speaking of gifts, you are probably wondering about that giveaway mentioned in the title of this article.
I will giveaway a free Kindle version of Rekindled Prophecy (or if you already have the book, you can choose one of the anthologies referenced above).
What do you have to do to enter for your chance to win?
Sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/gDp4Jr (there’s also a button on my FB page that links to the newsletter signup)
Let me know you’ve done the above by sending me a PM through FB or this page.
Cyber-Monday I will select a winner and announce it here and on my social media pages.
But that’s not all!
If you’re not chosen for the grand prize, your name will go back into the hat for a consolation prize…a $10 Amazon gift card! The winner of the gift card will be announced the following day.
So please help me celebrate the release of my debut novel, Rekindled Prophecy by entering the Giveaway contest.
If you have already purchased the book and read it, please do an author a huge favor and leave an honest review on Amazon, GoodReads, and any other book retail sites.
