Saturday, April 12, 2014

Air: Merlin's' Chalice ~ Excerpt from Meredith Bond



As promised, today I bring you Meredith Bond's excerpt from Air: Merlin's Chalice.  Got to tell you, I love the title.  This is book one in the Children of Avalon Series. Book two will be released shortly. Read on. 

Blurb:
In one day Scai has gone from being considered just unusual by the people of her little Welsh village to an outcast fleeing for her life. Left on the church steps as a baby, she knows nothing of her history—or her abilities. Did she really stop the rain just by wishing it to stop? But she is determined to learn all she can. Travelling alone to find her family seems to be the only way she’s going to find the answers she seeks.
Her journey leads her to the comical old knight Sir Dagonet, who tells her that she is one of a magical people called the Vallen. Together they continue on, joined by the handsome Dylan and the fiery Bridget on a new quest—to find the fabled Merlin’s Chalice, said to hold all the power of the entrapped wizard. Together, Scai, Dylan and Bridget discover that they are the long awaited Children of Avalon, destined to save the world from power-hungry Lady NimuĂ«—unless she kills them first. 
Along the way, Scai finds magic—both in the wind and air that she can control at will, and in the sweet ache of a first love that she cannot.

Excerpt: 
“Hiyah!” Galloping hooves raced toward me from behind. “Hiyah!”
I turned and stood frozen with shock. I knew I should get out of the way. I was about to get run down, but my legs wouldn’t move. My mind refused to believe that what I saw was real.
A knight in full, gleaming armor was bearing down on me, his horse coming at me at a full gallop.
I opened my mouth to scream, but nothing came out. I couldn’t breathe.
The knight continued to race toward me, his hand raised above his head clutching an enormous sword. He came closer, faster, raising his sword even higher, ready to strike me down.
I was dead. There was no point in moving because I was dead.
I just stood in the middle of the path as my death came closer and closer. At the last second, I closed my eyes and clutched my arms against my body.
The heat and the smell of horse invaded all of my senses. Galloping hooves came within inches of me. My hair flew in the gust of air. And then he was behind me.
He had gone straight past!
I spun around and watched as, with a great war cry, the knight struck his sword into the side of an oak tree. The sword wobbled up and down with the force of the blow as the knight let it go. He continued past until his horse slowed down enough to safely turn about and return.
Ignoring his sword, the knight rode straight up to me. “You all right? Tell me you aren’t hurt, wot?”
“What?”
“What, wot?” replied the knight.
“I…I’m sorry?” I looked past the knight at the tree where his sword was still waving gently.
“I’ve just saved your life; have you nothing to say?” the knight said, puffing out his chest.
“You have?”
The knight pulled up the visor on his helmet to stare at me.
Behind the shining metal were pale brown eyes crinkled with the lines of one who had spent a great deal of time smiling.
“I…I’m sorry. I didn’t…I mean, I hadn’t…er, thank you,” I said. Remembering my manners, I dipped into a deep curtsey. “Thank you, good knight, for saving my life.”
The knight gave me a small bow from atop his horse.
“Er…” I began, glancing back at the sword. “May I ask exactly what you saved me from?”
“What?”
“What was it that you saved me from?”
“Oh. Er, that, er…” The knight gestured randomly toward the tree. “That, er, oak.”
“The oak?”
“Yes. It was reaching out toward you and, er, oh, hobnobbit!”
A laugh burst out of me, releasing all the fear I’d pent up just a moment ago. For a minute there, I hadn’t been entirely certain that the knight was in his right mind, but clearly even he couldn’t keep up the pretense.
There had been nothing attacking me. 

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Bio: 
Meredith Bond is an award-winning author of a series of traditionally published Regency romances and indie-published paranormal romances. Known for her characters “who slip readily into one’s heart,” Meredith’s heart belongs to her husband and two children. She loves knitting and traveling, but isn’t too sure she’d like to actually travel back in time to the eras she writes about. She enjoys her creature comforts much too much. 


Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Author Meredith Bond Travels Back In Time


 Today, I'm pleased to bring you time traveler, Meredith Bond, and don't forget her except from Air: Merlin's Chalice on Saturday.  Welcome Merry. 

Thanks, L.A., for having me as a guest on your blog.

I love to travel. I’ve been to a good number of countries in my life—mainly in Europe and Asia. I haven’t yet been to South America or Africa, but they’re definitely on my to-do list. But even better than traveling around the world, I like to travel through time.

Yup, that’s right, I have figured out a way to travel back in time and into the future. No, I don’t have a Delorean tricked out with a nuclear time machine—I’ve got my books. All I have to do is to walk over to my bookshelf or turn on my tablet and within minutes I can be anywhere, anytime, from ancient Greece to the Regency to a post-apocalyptic world or soaring through space and time with Captain Kirk (oops, sorry, that was supposed to be my little secret, but, yes, I have read some Star Trek books). Not only that, but I can enjoy staying in the present—with a vampire, a Vallen (magical people of my own invention), a werewolf, or in a world where people can jump in and out of books at will.

I love going places in my mind. I love to live vicariously where magic really can happen. I love the dresses, the food and the dancing. I want to solve the mystery or fight the bad guys and protect those who need protection. I love hiding in plain sight and running through the forest feeling the wind ruffling through my fur. I love it all, all that I find in my books. As I said, I love to travel.

For the past few years I’ve been travelling to medieval England and hobnobbing with the descendants of Morgan le Fey and Merlin. In mid-March I released the first of my Children of Avalon series, Air: Merlin’s Chalice about a young woman named Scai who is most definitely not a witch. But she is magical. The second book Water: Excalibur’s Return will be released on April 16th, and the third book of the trilogy will be released on my birthday (a little gift to myself to have all these books published, which I’ve been working on so hard for so long), May 12th.




Blurb:
In one day Scai has gone from being considered just unusual by the people of her little Welsh village to an outcast fleeing for her life. Left on the church steps as a baby, she knows nothing of her history—or her abilities. Did she really stop the rain just by wishing it to stop? But she is determined to learn all she can. Travelling alone to find her family seems to be the only way she’s going to find the answers she seeks.
Her journey leads her to the comical old knight Sir Dagonet, who tells her that she is one of a magical people called the Vallen. Together they continue on, joined by the handsome Dylan and the fiery Bridget on a new quest—to find the fabled Merlin’s Chalice, said to hold all the power of the entrapped wizard. Together, Scai, Dylan and Bridget discover that they are the long awaited Children of Avalon, destined to save the world from power-hungry Lady NimuĂ«—unless she kills them first. 
Along the way, Scai finds magic—both in the wind and air that she can control at will, and in the sweet ache of a first love that she cannot. 

Bio:  Meredith Bond is an award-winning author of a series of traditionally published Regency romances and indie-published paranormal romances. Known for her characters “who slip readily into one’s heart,” Meredith’s heart belongs to her husband and two children. She loves knitting and traveling, but isn’t too sure she’d like to actually travel back in time to the eras she writes about. She enjoys her creature comforts much too much. 

Don't forget Meredith's excerpt on Saturday.

Monday, April 7, 2014

Growing Hibiscus in Colorado? You Bet...Authors In Bloom Blog Hop

PRIZE INFO BELOW FOR AUTHORS IN BLOOM BLOG HOP
APRIL 7-16

TISTA RAY won my $20 Amazon Gift Card. 

The hop's grand prize winner is Savannah Miller 
and
Mary Preston won the secondary $25 gift card.

Colorado is tricky for gardeners, I can't tell you how many times I've shed tears over the perfect spring blooms or fall color or summer veggies, when I wake up to snow.  

Fall, Winter and Summer.  
Yes, we've had snow July 4th.

But as with most things in life, hope springs and I think for gardeners and writers alike, we keep trying.

I'm attempting  to create a lush, almost tropical look.  So when I found a cold hardy hibiscus, I thought I'd give them a try.  This bloom was year #2. The first year wasn't as good or as big. The plant is almost 6' tall by the time it blooms.  AND you have to cut it to the ground in the fall.  It emerges late, but grows extremely fast.  

I got my two at Lowe's. Turn of the Century Hibiscus.  Hibiscus moscheutos "Turn of the Century."  At the time I bought them they were $14.00 a piece.  

I'm hooked.  

My Gardening Tip:  Mulch and mulch more. I can't believe what a difference it makes.  In the fall we used shredded leaves which protect from the cold and then when I weed, them composted leaves get turned under.

And I use bark topper for the spring.  Smaller shreds, the big stuff, just gets old and tired looking.  And the smaller pieces compost faster.

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION

For 10 days, you have a chance to win a grand prize from the hop creator Dianne, of an e-reader along with a gift card to fill it!!


BUT in order to be eligible, you need to visit each author and leave a comment. Dianne is also giving away a second prize of a $25 gift cert for your ereader!! You have plenty of time to visit the sites, do a few every day and enjoy them.

I'm also giving away a $20 Amazon Gift card if you comment, and double chances for you if you sign up for my mailing list (on the side bar.) It's easy and I don't flood your mail boxes. That's a promise.

So COMMENT and leave contact info for a chance at prizes here, and most of the blogs you'll be visiting, as well as the Grand Prize.

Happy Gardening and Happy Reading.

Welcome Spring
~ L.A.