Monday, February 16, 2015

Feast of Fates by Christian A. Brown w Giveaway!


Feast of Fates (Four Feasts Till Darkness, #1)
Feast of Fates
Four Feasts Till Darkness
Book One
Christian A. Brown

Genre: Fantasy Romance

Date of Publication: September 9, 2014

ISBN: 978-1495907586
Number of pages: 540

Word Count: 212K

Book Description:

"Love is what binds us in brotherhood, blinds us from hate, and makes us soar with desire.”

Morigan lives a quiet life as the handmaiden to a fatherly old sorcerer named Thackery. But when she crosses paths with Caenith, a not wholly mortal man, her world changes forever. Their meeting sparks long buried magical powers deep within Morigan. As she attempts to understand her newfound abilities, unbidden visions begin to plague her--visions that show a devastating madness descending on one of the Immortal Kings who rules the land.

With Morigan growing more powerful each day, the leaders of the realm soon realize that this young woman could hold the key to their destruction. Suddenly, Morigan finds herself beset by enemies, and she must master her mysterious gifts if she is to survive.

Available at Amazon and Createspace

Excerpts

Feast of Fates, Excerpt #1

Morigan took the bracelet.
            “I accept your offering.” The Wolf’s face lit and she thought that he would leap at her. “Yet first, I have a request.”
            “Anything, my Fawn.”
            “I would like to see…what you are. The second body that shares your soul. Show me your fangs and claws,” she commanded.
            Perhaps it was the steadiness of her voice, how she ordered him to bare himself as if he belonged to her that made the Wolf’s heart roar to comply. He did not shed his skin but for the whitest moons of the year, and even then, so far from the city and never in front of another. In a sense, he was as much a virgin as she. With an unaccustomed shyness, he found himself undressing before the Fawn, confused for a speck as to who was the hunter. The flare of her nostrils, the intensity of her stare that ate at him for once.
            I have chosen well for a mate. She is as much a Wolf as I, he thought, kicking off his boots and then shimmying his pants down to join the rest of his clothing. No bashful maiden was Morigan, and she did not look away from his nakedness, but appreciated what she saw: every rough, hairy, huge bit of him.
            He howled and fell to all fours. Bones shifted and snapped, rearranging under his skin like skeletal gears. From his head, chest and loins, the soft black hair thickened and spread over his twisting flesh. His heaving became guttural and sloppy, and when he tossed his head up in a throe of agony or pleasure, his beard had coated his face, and she noticed nothing but white daggers of teeth. Wondrously Morigan witnessed the transformation, watched him swell with twice the muscle he had possessed as a man, saw his hands and feet shag over with fur and split the soil with black claws. Another howl and a final gristle-crunching shudder (his hindquarters snapping into place, she thought) signified the end of the change.
            Her dreams did not do Caenith justice. Here was a beast twice the size of a mare with jaws that could swallow her to the waist. Here was a monster that had stalked and ruled the Untamed. A lord of fang and claw. The birds and weaker animals vanished, knowing a deadly might was near. Around her, the Wolf paced; making the ground tremble with power; ravishing her with his cold gray gaze; huffing and blasting her with his forceful breaths. While the scent of his musk was choking, it was undeniably Caenith’s, if rawer and unwashed.
            Morigan was not afraid, and was flushed with heat and shaking as she slipped the bracelet on and knelt. She did not flinch as the Wolf lay behind and about her like a great snuffling rug and placed his boulder of a head in her lap. No, she stroked his long ears and his wrinkled snout. A maiden and her Wolf. Soon the birds returned, sensing this peace and chirping in praise of it. And neither Morigan nor the Wolf could recall a time—if ever there was one—where they had felt so complete.


My Review

Wow!! This is a fantastic book. And I found out this is a debut, so that should say something! I must say that this is a more sophisticated type of writing style, but holy batman, it's still awesome! You can tell this person loves words and the magic they can create when done right. The characters are fantastic! And even though it's a fantasy type novel, it's humorous too! And all thrown in there is love will conquer evil, always. There's also some great mythology in there too. 

Morigan is just a maiden, but she has powers. She didn't always know these powers were there, but now, she is learning, and trying. And her master Thule, a sorcerer is helping her. Then we meet Caenith, oh boy. And they are in the middle of a battle between the Immortal Kings. You see, Morigan can defeat the kings with her new powers. And of course our villain is the Black Queen. She needs to control the kings and to do this, Morigan must go. But Gloriatrix is a sorceress who wants the Kings gone. And all of these are going to use Morigan as a Pawn. 

This book was magic, and I quickly turned page after page. I couldn't put it down. It's full of action and adventure, and thrills. And of course there's plot twists. And I love the love between Morigan and Caenith, it's amazing. Since this is a four part series, I can't wait to see what book two will bring. This is a must read for anyone who just likes a well written, great story!! 5 WOLFY PAWS! 




Author Interview

First, tell me a little about your book ….
Feast of Fates is the first book in a series of four (Four Feasts Till Darkness). The story deals with many themes, predominantly love and hate, honor and sin, life and death. At the core of the story, we have the romance between Morigan and the Wolf.

Do you recall how your interest in writing originated or did you always just know?
I’ve had a fascination with the English language and writing for as far back as I can remember.

What inspired you to write your first book and what was it?
Feast of Fates was my first complete novel—I have several partially scribbled manuscripts that I’ve discarded through the years. I finally committed myself to writing after being inspired by my mother’s brave battle with cancer. I quit my job to be with her, and I had plenty of free time when she was either resting or in treatment. I made the most of my time and she was able to read a very rough draft of Feast of Fates before she passed away. When she’d finished reading it, she told me: “this is what you should be doing.” I’ve never questioned her since.  

Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
I think that all writers are influenced by people and events in their life. By our very nature, we are observers, chroniclers. I never could have written the epic love of Morigan and the Wolf, for example, if I hadn’t experienced great heartache and great love myself.

How do you chose when/which characters die in your books?
That’s a great question. When writing, I usually conceive a beginning and an end. That way, I ensure that events—good and bad—are as shocking, and organically occurring to me, as they will be to the reader. I rarely “plan” a death. It happens.

Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?
I find the prose of Simon J. Cambridge (British author) refreshing. It’s very old school prose—so not to everyone’s tastes. It reminds me of many of the authors who I read while growing up.  

Who do you look up to as a writer?
Timothy Findley, for his characterization. Ursula K. LeGuin is just all-around fantastic and a master of her craft.

If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your book?
Oh, a million and one things. I’m sure that all authors feel that way about their work. But there comes a point where you just have to leave a project to move onto the next.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
As mentioned above, knowing when to walk away from a manuscript can be a challenge.

What book are you reading now? Or what genre?
Nothing at the moment. I’m researching quite a bit for a project I have planned after the Four Feasts Till Darkness arc is complete.

Who designed the cover? And do you help with them?
Dane at ebooklaunch.com. I have nothing but good things to say about the fellows that work there: professional, courteous, and fast.

Did you learn anything from writing your books and what was it?
Any number of lessons. Where to start? How to be accepting of criticism—furthermore, how to use it to your advantage in bettering your craft. How to successfully plan for and execute the creative vision of your work. How to balance all the different responsibilities that come with being an author. I’d say that those were the three most valuable lessons.

If you could be one of your characters, who would you chose?
Hmmm… Either Morigan or the Wolf, ideally both—to experience her otherworldliness and his supernatural body and senses.

Are there any books you think some of us should read, just because?
The Earthsea trilogy. YA fiction from the past. Goes to show how much language and storytelling has changed—for better or worse.

Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
Well, I can’t thank all of you enough for your love and support during this launch. I could not have asked for a better response. I poured my heart and soul into Feast of Fates, and it’s incredibly validating to hear how the book has impacted so many of you. I promise more adventures, and even greater thrills from here on out. Thanks again for taking a chance on me, my world and my work. I wish you all the best.
   
About the Author
 
Christian A. Brown has written creatively since the age of six. After spending most of his career in the health and fitness industry, Brown quit his job to care for his mother when she was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma in 2010.

Having dabbled with the novel that would eventually become Feast of Fates for over a decade, Brown was finally able to finish the project. His mother, who was able to read a beginning version of the novel before she passed away, has since imbued the story with deeper sentiments of loss, love, and meaning. He is proud to now share the finished product with the world.






Tour giveaway

5 signed copies of FoF (Launch Edition) shipped anywhere within US/ Canada.

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