Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Elvenrude Trilogy by Ally Shields (VNBtM, guest post, excerpt and GIVEAWAY) GFT



It is my pleasure to have a guest post from author Ally Shields.





From Fact to Fiction
by Ally Shields

I've always loved books, intrigued by wonderful tales from all over the world, including authors like Sir Walter Scott, Agatha Christie, Elizabeth Peters, and Isak Dinesen. Eventually I discovered fantasy worlds, with Tolkien's Lord of the Rings at the epitome, and that opened a whole new avenue of adventures.

I reached a point in life where I packed my bags, climbed on a plane, and visited some of the real wonders of this world, including those in my own country. For several  years, my passport and/or travel bags were in use every vacation or extended weekend I could manage. I had a fantastic time and visited some regions and countries that aren't readily accessible in the current world situation. I carry the richness of those trips in my head, my heart, and in thousands of photos. Literally. In stacks of photo albums. That doesn't include the box of filled thumb drives or the multiple folders of brochures, maps, ticket stubs, and keepsakes.

When I began writing fiction, the advice I heard most often was "write what you know." Instead, I naturally gravitated toward fantasy and loved creating magical worlds in my imagination. But I also found a satisfying outlet for past experiences, a way to relive some of my favorite trips. It's no accident that the Black Forest of Germany, the rolling hills of Tuscany or the Egyptian Museum of Cairo, Egypt, have found their way into my stories, along with the intriguing city of New Orleans, the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, DC., and several caves, castles, and parts of other locations not identified by name. Much of the research involved refreshing and verifying what was already in my own head…and the basement storage boxes.

If you've read any of my books, you've taken both real and fantasy journeys with me. I hope I've created the right descriptions and atmosphere to make the magic of each come alive.

My real travels aren't over…if I can tear myself away from my characters that long. I have a long list of places to visit or re-visit. I bet you do too. What's at the top of your list?



**************************************



by Ally Shields

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GENRE: Paranormal romance (sweet/sensual)/urban fantasy

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:


Cross Keys (Elvenrude Book 1)


When a common elf—forbidden portal travel to the human world—is spotted in New Orleans, Kameo Ryndel is ordered by the king to bring him home. Before she can intervene, he's shot and his body inexplicably stolen. Even more puzzling is Seth Lormarc's appearance at the scene. Although he's an Elite elf from a rival guild and the sexy, arrogant heir to the centuries-old feud between their families, she'd reluctant to believe he's a murderer.

As their paths continue to cross and a deadly plot unfolds, they struggle to set aside the past, deny the growing attraction between them, and root out a conspiracy hidden deep inside Elvenrude…a conspiracy threatening their entire way of life.


Cross Keys #1 Official Trailer




Cross Keys: Revelation (Elvenrude Book 2)


Kam and Seth's romance hasn't been smooth over the past six months. She's been on too many CIA missions; he's had to shoulder more of his clan's duties. Then invisible assailants attack an elven guild worker, and Kam and Seth pull together to track down the intruders. The CIA interrupts again, and she and Seth part on angry words.

Returning from the short CIA mission, Kam is kidnapped by the mysterious intruders and taken to a place she never knew existed—beyond the Louisiana bayou. When she learns a terrible secret and the intruders' deadly plans, she's desperate to get home and warn Seth.

He's searching day and night, not sure whether she's dead or alive…but knowing he has to have her back.

Cross Keys: Revelation book trailer






Cross Keys: Unity (Elvenrude Book 3)


Despite unrest in their Elven homeland, Kam and Seth have scheduled their long-awaited promise ceremony for the night of the Winter Solstice. But once again fate intervenes in the form of an elf captured by human authorities, an escalation of the local rebellion, and a widespread theft of ancient human artifacts that forces the Elven king to break an oath thousands of years old.

When a spirit woman predicts a world-ending catastrophe, Kam and Seth set out on a worldwide hunt to stop an old enemy, while back in Elvenrude, Rhyden (Seth's cousin) and Esty (Kam's sister) have issues of their own. If any of them fail, there may be nothing left…and tomorrow might not come.


Cross Keys: Unity book trailer

 


~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXCERPT



Excerpt Two from Cross Keys: Revelation (Elvenrude Book 2):

Seth Lormarc stood on the riverbank above Jackson Square and looked out over the shadowed waters. He checked his phone screen and gave an impatient sigh. Late again. Where was she this time? The night breeze coming off the river cooled his skin from the sweltering heat of New Orleans. It did nothing for his growing restlessness.

He heard soft steps behind him and turned with a sharp sense of relief. Kam walked toward him, a dark, graceful shadow in her black clothes and long, black hair. She hadn’t taken the time to change. She tipped her head, the moonlight illuminated her face, and the look in her vivid blue eyes made his breath catch.

“I’m sorry.” Her voice was soft. She reached up and brushed her lips against his. “It took longer than I anticipated.”

Resisting the temptation to sweep her into his arms and forget everything else, he asked, “Where were you this time?”

“Mexico. Drug cartel was moving drugs and guns into the wrong hands.” “Let me guess. You ran into a problem.”

“Just a small one.”

She looked so tired he finally put an arm around her waist and kissed her. “You take too many chances. I worry that one day you won’t come back.”

“I’ll always come back.” Her voice was light, dismissive of the risks involved in her CIA activities.

“Will you?”

“I was never in real danger. It was someone else who needed rescuing.” She stepped back, as if finally sensing his mood, and looked at him. “Are you angry with me?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~



AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Ally Shields grew up in the Midwest along the Mississippi River, still considers herself "a river rat," and currently resides near Des Moines. After a career in law and juvenile justice, she turned to full-time fiction writing in 2009. Her first urban fantasy, Awakening the Fire (Guardian Witch #1) was published in 2012, and she currently has ten published novels. She loves to travel in the US and abroad and incorporates many of those settings into her books. Ms. Shields welcomes reader contact through her website and can frequently be found on Twitter.




*****************************

GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway


The tour dates can be found here



41 comments:

  1. How did you begin writing? Did you intend to become an author, or do you have a specific reason or reasons for writing each book?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Mai! Like most authors, I've written most of my life but didn't think about publishing until encouraged by a creative writing teacher in a hobby class. Every book begins with a character who pops into my head and insists on telling her or his story. I built the plot around the character. Thanks for asking!

      Delete
  2. Replies
    1. And thank you, for putting the tour together!

      Delete
  3. Sounds absolutely fascinating. I cannot wait to read these. What kind of research did you do?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A lot of research, Debby! From portals to ley lines, guns to fae legends. But the best part was a trip to New Orleans to view potential scenes and soak up the atmosphere. Our cabbie was confused at first over the strange places we wanted to see--ie the roof of a building to determine if a sniper could hide up there--but he got into the spirit of things! It was a wonderful trip! :)

      Delete
  4. Thanks so much to The Reading Addict for hosting me! What a terrific site you have!

    ReplyDelete
  5. All the stories sound wonderful. I loved the excerpt.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! These characters are fun to write.

      Delete
  6. I have enjoyed learning about the book. Thanks for sharing it.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I couldn't find the form to sign up for the newsletter.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for your interest, Rita. The newsletter I'm using at present is paper.li You should find it here: http://paper.li/ShieldsAlly/1353941420 They've recently changed their rules that limit subscriptions but if you follow me on Twitter: @ShieldsAlly it posts there every Monday! :)

      Delete
  8. Loved the excerpt, thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Mary. They have an interesting relationship that isn't always smooth. :)

      Delete
  9. I enjoyed the excerpt and I'm looking forward to reading these books. I like the covers :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you. I've very lucky to have wonderful cover artists. I'm glad you enjoy them too.

      Delete
  10. Really great trailers - thanks for sharing them :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Thanks for the giveaway; I like the excerpt. :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. sounds like a great book! Thanks for the giveaway.

    rounder9834 @yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for entering! I hope you'll check out the longer preview at one of the booksellers.

      Delete
  13. I love how your travels have made it into your books.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was certainly fun for me. I had a chance to visit all over again. :)

      Delete
  14. I really enjoyed reading the entire post, thank you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for reading...and entering the giveaway!

      Delete
  15. Love the cover and the blurbs really piqued my interest!

    Betul E.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! I'll pass that along to the cover artists. I'm really lucky to have them.

      Delete
  16. Where is your favorite place to read?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Winter - in front of the fireplace. Summer - on the deck. Or anywhere I happen to be! :) How about you?

      Delete
  17. Trilogy sounds like a great read, thank you for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  18. I really enjoyed watching the book trailers and learning more about this book trilogy. Looking forward to checking out these books!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Ally!
      Thanks for reading so carefully and watching the book trailers! I'm glad you enjoyed them. Good luck in the drawing. Thanks for stopping in three times! :)

      Delete
  19. Congrats on the new book and good luck on the book tour!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Great excerpt! Can't wait to check out these books!

    ReplyDelete
  21. I don't get to travel much so I love it when a story transports me to new and far places. Are there places you want to visit and include in your stories?

    ReplyDelete