Tales of Goldstone Wood #4
Paperback, 400 pages
Published November 1st 2012 by Bethany House
Premise:
When a cursed dragon-witch kidnaps the lovely Lady Gleamdren, Eanrin sets boldly forth on a rescue mission...and a race against his rival for Gleamdren's favor. Intent upon his quest, the last thing the immortal Faerie needs is to become mixed up with the troubles of an insignificant mortal.But when he stumbles upon a maiden trapped in an enchanted sleep, he cannot leave her alone in the dangerous Wood Between. One waking kiss later, Eanrin suddenly finds his story entangled with that of young Starflower. A strange link exists between this mortal girl and the dragon-witch. Will Starflower prove the key to Lady Gleamdren's rescue? Or will the dark power from which she flees destroy both her and her rescuer?
Inspired by Cats I
by
Anne Elisabeth Stengl
Every
time I sit down to write a new story, I wonder what I'm going to say. Not about the story itself; usually
that's pretty well set in my mind. I'll have the various heroes and heroines,
their adventures, their desires, their ups, downs, and climaxes decently worked
out in outline and/or short-story form. The plot as a whole is ready to go when
I actually begin to pound out that rough draft.
But
I always wonder what I'm going to say.
Writing
fiction is about more than merely telling an entertaining story. Each book is a
new opportunity to communicate my heart to hundreds and thousands of readers.
The journey each of my characters travels is a journey my readers pursue as
well. For a writer to say "It's just a story!" is the gravest mistake
in the world. It's never just a
story. It's a life, a series of lives, caught on paper, lived vicariously
through many other lives. Every story, good or bad, matters in some way.
This
is why I believe every good story has something to say. Some truth to impart through its characters and their
adventures. Some truth that is deeply personal to me, but which also has
significance to hundreds of people whom I have never met.
Which,
when you really stop and think about it, is awfully overwhelming to a writer! I
mean, it's hard enough, isn't it, to come up with compelling characters and
surprising plot twists, breathtaking climax and a satisfying resolution. And
now, suddenly, I have to communicate a universal truth
as well? You've got to be kidding.
So
I felt when I sat down to write the first draft of Starflower. Here I had a story, a fun story involving all sorts of
things that had nothing to do with my
personal life. A story of immortals pitted against mortals, of dragons bent
upon revenge, of suns and moons personified, of rivers with voices; a story of
ritualistic sacrifice. What deeply personal bit of universal truth am I
supposed to wring out of all that?
I
struggled on with the manuscript for many months before the answer came . . .
in a most unexpected package.
...stop by tomorrow @ Bookworm Lisa for Inspired by Cats II...
Excerpt:
“Oh, Lume’s crown!” said the poet-cat, looking down at her. The next moment, an orange cat rubbed across the girl’s knees, purring noisily and flicking his tail in her ear. She sat up and, after a brief hesitation, ran a tentative hand along the cat’s head, back, and up the plumy tail. The fur was matted with mud in places, but his ears were softer than the soft skins she wore, and his body was warm and rumbling with life.Frostbite, she thought, and a tear dropped down her face.“Crown and scepter!” the cat meowled. It was strange indeed to hear the man’s voice from the animal’s mouth, though not as strange as it might have been. The two forms were both such natural extensions of Eanrin’s nature that they hardly seemed disparate; it was only her perspective that altered. “If a purr like that can’t cheer you, I don’t know what will.”The cat sat and started grooming, his ears quirked at an offended angle. The girl wiped away her tear and gave the top of Eanrin’s head a scratch. He paused, pink tongue sticking out, and she smiled.“I’m going to have to give you a name.” The cat vanished and the man sat cross-legged before her. Surprised, she pulled her hand back quickly from his head. He, with an air of disinterest, pulled a comb from the depths of his cloak and continued grooming. The comb’s teeth caught on mud tangles in his thatch of hair, and he tugged at these vigorously, all the while keeping up a steady stream of talk. “I cannot keep calling you ‘girl’ or even ‘princess.’ You are a princess, though, aren’t you?”
About the Author:
Anne Elisabeth Stengl makes her home in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she lives with her husband, Rohan, a passel of cats, and one long-suffering dog. When she's not writing, she enjoys Shakespeare, opera, and tea, and studies piano, painting, and pastry baking. She studied illustration at Grace College and English literature at Campbell University. She is the author of HEARTLESS, VEILED ROSE, MOONBLOOD & STARFLOWER, with DRAGONWITCH due to release in 2013. HEARTLESS and VEILED ROSE have each been honored with a Christy Award.
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Check out the entire December Tour!
3 - Laura @ Colorimetry - Launch!
3 - Sarah @ Letters to the Cosmos - Review
4 - Kathy @ I Am a Reader, Not a Writer - Excerpt
4 - Kari @ Kari's Crowded Bookshelf - Review
5 - Aleksandra @ Aleksandra's Corner - Guest Post - Inspired by Cats I
6 - Lisa @ Bookworm Lisa - Guest Post - Inspired by Cats II
6 - Mandy @ The Reading Diaries - Review
7 - Alicia @ Mortality Bites - Dragonwitch page REVEAL
7 - Naj @ Unputdownable Books - Guest Post - Inspired by Cats III
9 - Lissette @ Passion and Life - Guest Post - Night Terrors
10 - Laura @ Colorimetry - Review
10 - Bonnie @ A Backwards Story - Review
12 - Aimee @ Getting Your Read On - Guest Post - The Faces of Love I
12 - Kimberly Krey @ Kimberly Krey - Guest Post - Drafts
13 - Abbi @ Christian Novels - Tales of Goldstone Wood Reviews
13 - Mandy @ The Reading Diaries - Interview
14 - Ivy @ Open the Page - Guest Post - The Faces of Love II
16 - Alicia @ Mortality Bites - Review
17 - Len @ Musings of a Reader Happy - Hightlight/Excerpt - Meet Dragonwitch
17 - Jen @ Literally Jen - Review
18 - Beth @ Living a Goddess Life - Review
19 - Rach @ Stressed Rach - Guest Post - Illustrated Sneak Peak
19 - Christy @ Christy's Cozy Corners - Review
20 - Heather @ Proud Book Nerd - Review
20 - Heidi @ Geo Librarian - Guest Post - The Faces of Love III
21 - Jaime @ Goodreads - Review
21 - Finale @ Colorimetry - Giveaway winner announced.
Catch the Christmas Read-along!
Giveaway:
Grand Prize
GRAND PRIZE: The first four books of The Tales of Goldstone Wood: Heartless, Veiled Rose, Moonblood and Starflower + SWAG!
2nd place is a copy of Starflower + SWAG!
Enter to win until 12/20. Winner to be announced 12/21. Open to anyone who can legally enter. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent's permission. The winner will be chosen by Rafflecopter and announced here & on Colorimetry as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Void where prohibited by law.
Now this is an amazing giveaway :) Thanks :)
ReplyDeleteI know :D I'm actually reading the 1st book Heartless right now, and I love it, so I can imagine how wonderful are the other books!!!
DeleteThanks for stopping by!
This is a great giveaway. I'd never heard of this series before but they look like good reads.
ReplyDeleteAwesome giveaway!
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