Tuesday, January 06, 2015

Book Blitz: Shadow Fire by Kimberly Leigh Wheaton!


Release Date: 02/24/14
Astraea Press
310 pages

Summary from Goodreads:
Ashlyn – a free-spirited teenager whose peaceful life is shattered when the village elders honor her with a perilous quest to recover a stolen relic.

Zane – a jaded mercenary, torn by his undeniable desire for Ashlyn and the dark secret that could make her hate him forever.

Delistaire – a malevolent sorcerer driven by an insatiable lust for power.
All three are bound together by an ancient relic supposedly infused with the power of a Goddess.

Shadow Fire - adventure, passion, secrets, and betrayal

As Ashlyn and Zane race to stay one step ahead of the evil lurking in the shadows, their passions are ignited and their bond strengthens. But will they find the relic before Delistaire? Or has their entire quest been orchestrated from the very beginning by a madman in pursuit of ultimate power?



Excerpt
The village is quiet as we make our way down the main str
eet to the tavern. Brinda, Celeste and I
walk in utter silence. The chirps of the crickets seem
deafening in the unusual stillness. We plod
along, shoulders slumped, eyes downcast. To an outsider we
must appear more like a funeral
procession than a group of girls heading to a party. Parti
es are meant to celebrate something, a
birth, a marriage, completion of an apprenticeship. Who w
ould throw a party to send a maiden
off to her death? And why in the Goddess’ name did I agree
to attend this blatant absurdity?
As the tavern comes into view, I’m awed by the beauty.
Sconces full of candles flicker in the
darkness, adorning the eaves and surrounding the entry. Someo
ne took the time to make a banner
out of pink cloth. It hangs above the entrance, the
words scrawled out in black paint, ‘Good Luck
Ashlyn Silverthorne’.
I swallow around the lump forming in my throat as I sta
re at the banner. After three weeks of
sideways glances and whispers about my impending doom, the
four little words written on the
sign bring a bit of solace. Thank goodness it doesn’t read,
‘Try not to die, Ashlyn’ or even better,
‘May your death be quick and painless’. When I break out in
nervous titters from the morbid
thought, my sisters both stare at me, their faces pinc
hed with worry. I’d like to reassure them I
won’t have a breakdown tonight, but the way I’m feeling ri
ght now is far from cool and
collected. Cory made the situation worse with his assaul
t today. Dear Goddess, I hope he’s not
inside!
“ASHLYN!” a chorus of voices chant my name followed by
several minutes of cheering.
My fingers dig into the doorjamb, my nails scraping at th
e white paint. I contemplate whether
fleeing now is an option. With a furtive glance, I scan
the packed room, flushing when I locate
Zane at a small table in the corner. His sultry garne
t eyes meet mine. My breath catches in my
throat, and my heartbeat accelerates, threatening to ha
mmer right out of my chest. Before I can
find the presence of mind to move, my older brothers, Abel
and Jess, approach, each grabbing an
arm before dragging me to a chair at the head of a large
banquet table.
“There’ll be plenty of time for food and drink in a mo
ment,” Jess shouts to the boisterous crowd.
“Now it’s time for going away gifts.”
The cheer in the room is odd, making me feel as though I’m
moving to a new town rather than
leaving on a dangerous quest. When a wrapped gift is thrust into
my hands, I’m too stunned to do
anything other stare at the small box.
“This is from Jess and me,” Abel says, his lips curled i
nto a melancholy smile.
For some reason the sorrow in his dark brown eyes is s
oothing, a tiny push back into reality.
False cheer is understandable, but the festive atmosphere
in the tavern is downright creepy.
Pushing it to the back of my mind, I tear open the bright re
d wrapping and open the box. Nestled
inside is the most beautiful silver brooch I’ve ever seen
in my life. I know this piece of jewelry
quite well since I’ve been admiring it every weekend at
the merchant’s fair in the town square.
My fingers trace the head of the dragon following the sca
les down to the unfurled wings. The
eyes are twin sapphires which match the velvet cloak Brin
da and Celeste gave me.
“Thank you, I love it,” I breathe out in a whisper. Bri
nda takes the brooch from my shaking
hands and pins it to my velvet cloak. “I don’t know what to
say.”
“Just promise to take care out there,” Jess says, giving m
e a quick hug followed by a kiss on the
head.
“We’ll go with you, Ashlyn,” Abel whispers when he leans do
wn to kiss my cheek.
If only things were that easy. Jess has a wife and child,
Abel is taking over the carpentry shop
and is engaged. I could never ask them to risk their lives on
a foolhardy quest, not as happy as
both are. Besides, my parents shouldn’t lose three childr
en all at once. Such pain would be
unbearable.
“No, I’ll be fine on my own,” I whisper back through th
e lump forming in my throat. “You both
have people here who need you.” Sadness is reflected in
his soulful eyes along with worry, but
the most disturbing is relief. “Hey, at least those mar
tial arts lessons you and Jess have paid for
since I was thirteen may finally come in handy,” I say
with a fake laugh, trying to lighten the
mood.
“You’ve become a formidable woman,” Jess murmurs. “Be ca
reful out there and never let your guard down.



Buy Links:
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About the Author
Kimber Leigh Wheaton is a bestselling YA/NA author with a soft spot for sweet romance. She is married to her soul mate, has a teenage son, and shares her home with three dogs, four cats, and lots of dragons. No, she doesn’t live on a farm, she just loves animals. Kimber Leigh is addicted to romance, videogames, superheroes, villains, and chocolate—not necessarily in that order. (If she has to choose, she’ll take a chocolate covered superhero!) She currently lives in San Antonio, TX but has been somewhat a rolling stone in life, having resided in several different cities and states.


Author Links:
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