Blog Tour/Giveaway!! I, Guinevere, by C.K. Brooke

Welcome to the I, Guinevere Tour,

sponsored by 

YA Bound Book Tours!!

For my stop, I'm featuring an excerpt

with mini-review!

I, Guinevere

(Mythic Maidens, Book 2)

C.K. Brooke

Trade Paperback, 213 page

C.K. Brooke, Publisher

November 25, 2018
Kindle Edition, 138 pages
October 14, 2018
Arthurian Fiction, Fantasy, Feminism, 
Arthurian Mythology, Retellings,
Young Adult Fiction

  
Your legends have it wrong. Arthur never pulled that sword out of the stone. I did. I, Guinevere.

On the winter solstice, a mysterious sword in a stone appears in the churchyard. Not even the mightiest of the village men can remove it, until fifteen-year-old Guinevere gives a try. The sword heeds the unsuspecting maiden, proclaiming the unthinkable: she is the blood of Pendrakon, heir to the vacant throne of Camylot.

Guinevere never dreamed she was born royalty. Now, between apprenticing with the eccentric wizard, Merlyn; swordplay lessons with an abrasive—albeit, attractive—boy named Lance; and clandestine, magical meetings with the formidable High Priestess of Avalon, Guinevere is swept up in a whirlwind of training and preparation for her monumental new role as future queen. But invasions by the barbarous Saxyns and visitations from mysterious dark forces constantly warn that she may be in over her head. Can Guinevere defend the kingdom from the darkness and deception that threaten to seize it? Despite her doubts and the sinister forces working against her, can she harness the power to wield Exkalibur and rule the realm? Or is Camylot already destined to fall?

From the unstoppable pen of C.K. Brooke comes a fresh and unforgettable new retelling steeped in Arthurian mythology. Queen Guinevere has her own tale to share, and it's nothing like what you thought! Experience the magic and myth of Camylot and Avalon like never before as, in the vein of Brooke's award-winning Secrets of Artemis, this legendary maiden of lore recounts her side of the story.

Note
This mini-review is of the excerpt below, and not the entire book. I have already bought the Kindle edition, and will later purchase the paperback. 
I WANT TO DEVOUR THIS BOOK!!

What an EXCITING read this obviously is!!  I have LOVED the Arthurian tales since I first came across them, around the age of 11. This retelling presents the possibility that the REAL wielder of the famous "sword in the stone" was Guinevere, and not Arthur. The scene in which she pulls the sword out is described so well, her feelings, and the crowd's contempt, so palpable, that chills ran up and down my spine as I read. This is the beginning of a tale of a powerful woman, who then becomes the iconic ruler of the fabled Camelot, here spelled "Camylot".
In this novel, Guinevere is not the despised adulterer who betrays King Arthur. Instead, she herself is the legendary heroine who pulls the sword from the stone, and becomes Queen Guinevere, she who became the stuff of legends.....

The silver sword sparkled as I approached, pleading—nay, burning—for me to reach out and touch it. An unusual, dazzling haze surrounded the artifact. I blinked, worried my vision had gone blurry. But the sword, the stone, and everything around me was in perfect focus.

I could hear the sword humming. Buzzing like a swarm of insects. It was alive.

Had any of the other contestants noticed this? If so, why weren’t they all talking about it?

Ancient runes I couldn’t decipher were carved into the hilt. Up close, I saw the pommel was forged in the shape of a dragonhead. Compelled by magnetism, my hand closed over it. The rounded dragonhead fit perfectly in my palm, as if designed for me. It vibrated fiercely, eager beneath my touch.

I brought my other hand over the hilt and heaved.

There was no need to strain. The blade slid out with ease. The stone was like churned butter, the illusion of rock. While I heard the gasps of the crowd, I was immune to it all. It was just me and the magnificent sword that claimed me.

The villagers erupted in uproarious applause.

“We’ve a champion,” bellowed the deacon. Before I could stop him, he lifted my sword-wielding arm high, and yanked down my cowl for all to see my face. The downward thrust of my hood pushed my hair ribbon along with it. My long blonde hair came tumbling past my shoulders.

The applause died. I lowered my arm, bracing myself for the blowback.

“She’s but a girl.” A man scowled.

Another scratched his head. “Why was she allowed to enter?”

“Someone get that sword out of her hands,” cried the laundress, “before she hurts herself!”

I stepped back, clinging to my prize. The deacon stammered, confounded.

Arguing broke out. Although I well understood that the sword—which now hummed serenely in my hands—was exceptional, I wondered why they were so upset. It was just a contest, after all. So what if I’d won?

“Witchcraft,” shrieked the butcher’s wife.

At this, the old, bearded man advanced on his staff. “Nay.” He spoke in a firm, resounding timbre, silencing the crowd at large. “No witch could’ve enchanted that sword out of that stone.” He glanced over at a formidable-looking woman I hadn’t noticed until then was with him. Her raven hair was graying but lustrous. She wore a set of flowing, lavender robes, her posture practically regal. “Right, Vivien?”

The woman nodded sagely. But her deep, knowing eyes flitted with evident suspicion.

Morgan’s teacher. I shuddered on my best friend’s behalf. No doubt Morgan would be in high water for the stunt she’d pulled with the glamoured coin. I didn’t envy her position. Lady Vivien, High Priestess of Avalon, was the most intimidating woman I’d ever seen.

The old man drew himself to full height. “The sword,” he indicated the one I held, “Exkalibur, responds only to the blood of Pendrakon. Which means no one but a Pendrakon could have pulled it from the stone. Therefore,” he paused, the crowd held its breath collectively, and my heart began to pound before I even understood why, “the young lady is, unquestionably, the blood of Pendrakon, and heir to the throne of Camylot.”

Had it not been for the weight of the sword keeping me rooted, I would’ve tottered to the ground on the spot.

Blood of Pendrakon?

Heir to the throne?

Purchase Links
Amazon US/Amazon UK/Amazon CA

Interested in a free book from C.K. Brooke? Downloads available here:
https://ckbrooke.com/free-books/

C.K. Brooke is an award-winning author of over a dozen romance and fantasy novels. Her debut novel, The Duchess Quest (48fourteen, 2014), was selected by Shelf Unbound Magazine as a Top 100 Notable Indie Book of 2015, and her YA novel, Secrets Of Artemis, received the Indie B.R.A.G. Medallion Award in 2017. She is also the author of The Wrong Prince (48fourteen, 2016), a Global EBook Award Honorable Mention title, as well as the historical romance, Capturing The Captain (Limitless, 2016), which was a RONE Award Nominee and a Finalist in the Mid-Michigan RWA Best Banter Contest. She lives in Michigan with her family. Visit her at her website and subscribe for updates!

Website/Goodreads/Facebook
Twitter/Newsletter/YouTube
ARC Review Team
Amazon Author Page



To access the complete tour schedule, just click on the button below!

Book Tour/Giveaway!! The Amber Elixir, by Ariella Moon

Welcome to the Blog Tour for

The Amber Elixir, sponsored by

XPresso Book Tours!!

For my stop, I'm featuring a mini-review plus excerpt!

There's also a tour-wide giveaway!!

The Amber Elixir

(A Two Realms Novella, Volume 1)

Ariella Moon

Trade Paperback, 204 pages

Star Tribe Publishing

September 17, 2017

Digital Edition, 145 pages

Star Tribe Publishing

October 3, 2017

Arthurian Fiction, Fantasy, Mythology, 
Paranormal Fiction

About the Book

Viviane, the new Lady of the Lake and High Priestess of Avalon, accepts a challenge from Merlin unaware her bold actions will have tragic consequences. Two of her priestesses are turned to stone. A forbidden love deserts her. Now alone, she has six young handmaidens to train and protect.

When Morgan le Fay demands assistance with a spell that could change the balance of power in the Two Realms, Viviane refuses her. But what if Morgan’s secret knowledge could restore the stone priestesses? Will an alliance prompt Viviane’s love to return? Or will the gamble cost her all she holds dear? 

Mini-Review

Note
This mini-review is of the excerpt below, and not of the entire book. I only do this kind of thing 
when I come across a book I REALLY want to read,
and that's DEFINITELY the case here!!

When I saw this book on the XPresso Book Tours site, I signed up RIGHT AWAY!! I ADORE the original tales of King Arthur, so ANY Arthurian retelling will ALWAYS make me sit up and take notice! This one sure sounds fascinating, too!
I love how the two characters in the excerpt below are presented. Their dialogue lets the reader know that all is not exactly well in Avalon, and the Lady of the Lake has had to deal with Merlin, who turns out to have been her teacher in the ways of spellcraft. Interestingly, they have been at odds with each other, and he has taken drastic measures to ensure Viviane never forgets who is the master....
These fascinating glimpses into the fabled world of King Arthur and Merlin make me eager to read more! And I am absolutely planning to do so!!

Book Excerpt

Glynis, a priestess of Avalon, Viviane’s handmaiden and more, shook her head. “All this because you stole Merlin’s spell book.”

“Merlin challenged me to steal the tome, remember? I bested him, and he retaliated by imprisoning me in ice!”

Glynis’s knuckles whitened as she tightened her grip on the cloth bundle she carried. “Challenged? We are no longer nine years old, nor Merlin eleven. He is King Arthur’s Mage now, and you are the Lady of the Lake. The time for childish games has long passed.”

“I—”

“Merlin encased you in ice! You could have died.” Hurt and fury tinged Glynis’s words. “For all I knew, you had died.”

“Had I not cast a spell forward in time, and brought back the one person who could free me—”

“Lady Fenella paid a high price for helping you. We all did.”

“Glynis, I—” She stepped towards Glynis, but the priestess backed away, rocking the barge. Rebuffed, Viviane breathed in the cold acrid air then rubbed her arms inside her heavy cloak. In a softened voice she said, “My remorse knows no bounds.”

“You appear unharmed.” Glynis brushed back an errant lock of her pale blond hair. “Merlin’s spell must have protected you from the cold.”

“He cast it so I would suffer…just enough to remind me he is the master, and I, the apprentice.” The memory of Merlin’s cruel punishment—his betrayal—still shivered her core.

Glynis shook her head. “After three years of formal apprenticeship—”

“Each dark moon.”

“It has come to this. Why did Merlin imprison you here? Surely he knew your sanctuary would be ruined.”

“Spite. Revenge. Jealousy.” She frowned at the water’s unnatural green bloom.

“Mayhap.” Glynis’s eyebrows pinched together.

“’Tis the only explanation.” Viviane fumed.

“Merlin is impulsive, but he acts with purpose.” Glynis adjusted the sack. “Mayhap he wondered why you needed a sanctuary on another isle. Was Avalon not enough? Were your priestesses such disappointments, that even Avalon’s lake provided inadequate escape?”

Viviane stepped closer. “You never disappointed me.”

Glynis averted her gaze.

“No lessons, no rituals fully prepared me for becoming Lady of the Lake. I came to the sanctuary to remember my roots.” She frowned as she spied a scorched stump, the sad remains of an ancient pine she used to sit beneath. Viviane’s voice fell to a husky whisper. “I clung to the part of me that is still human.”

“But your one true desire had been to become a goddess—the Lady of the Lake.”

Viviane uttered a harsh laugh. “As usual, I had not fully thought through the consequences—such as outliving the people I love.”

Purchase Links
Print & Digital Editions
Amazon US/Amazon UK/Amazon CA
Barnes & Noble

Digital Edition Only
Barnes & Noble



Giveaway!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author

Ariella Moon draws upon her experiences as a shaman to create magical Young Adult Fiction. Her Two Realms Trilogy is a medieval fantasy adventure series. The Teen Wytche Saga is a series of sweet contemporary paranormal romances.

Ariella spent her childhood searching for a magical wardrobe that would transport her to Narnia. Extreme math anxiety and taller students that mistook her for a leaning post marred her youth. Despite these horrors, she graduated summa cum laude from the University of California at Davis. She lives a nearly normal life doting on her extraordinary daughter, two shamelessly spoiled dogs, and a media-shy dragon.


Website/Blog/Goodreads
Facebook

To access the complete tour schedule, just click on the banner below!

Stacking The Shelves #43

Welcome to

Stacking The Shelves!!

This is a weekly event hosted by 

Tynga's Reviews!!

As the title implies, this is all about

sharing the books you're adding

to your shelves, be they physical or virtual.

For the complete rules, and to link up,

just click on the link above.

Here's this week's haul!!   

Kindle Freebies!!
(And one Cheapie!!)
 

 Click on each cover to link up to each
book's Amazon page.

FREE!!

Drawn into a world she thought impossible, Lexia’s innocent night of partying leaves her dazed, confused and asking questions she’s not sure she wishes to know the answers to. Attacked by vampires, Lexia’s ability to defend herself triggers events she can't escape. Before long, she struggles to keep up a façade around her friends and family.
Then, there is Lincoln. Finding herself irresistibly drawn to him, Lexia senses he desires something more dangerous than a simple romance. Lincoln has secrets and what she learns changes her life forever.
A story of love, loss, and, betrayal, Lexia and Lincoln’s lives will never be the same again.

FREE!!
Constantly moving as she grew up, Taylor had learned the hard way how to blend in wherever she went. But when she moves to VanCamp University for her freshman year of college, she immediately finds herself as the center of attention of nearly everyone she encounters. From the charismatic and mysterious Evans twins, to her quirky, clingy roommate Hannah, it seems that the people in Taylor's new college life have no intention of letting her be the wallflower.

It's not just blending in that Taylor has to worry about, though. At VanCamp University, there is more to the staff and students than meets the eye. While trying to adjust to her new life on campus, she finds herself in a world where fairy tales and reality collide, where gargoyles and leprechauns mingle with humans and vampires, and where nothing is as it first appears.

And as she discovers the truth of her own unusual heritage, Taylor learns that fairy tales are just the beginning.

FREE!!

Isolated because of what she is—because of the power she holds inside—Astrid longs for contact with another human being. Her well-intentioned mother locks her away from society in order to protect her from an evil that seeks to use Astrid's abilities for his own means. But the resulting loneliness drives Astrid deeper into the shadowwalk—a power she is forbidden to use, a magic that lands her directly into the arms of the Shadow.

This short prequel to the ShadowLight Saga offers a revealing glimpse into the history of the beautiful and mysterious warrior maiden known as Swan, called Astrid in this prequel. It takes place a few moons before Bonded begins and is a self-contained novelette of approximately 10,000 words.

Includes bonus chapter preview of Bonded, Book One of the ShadowLight Saga.

 

FREE!!

** Resounding Truth is number 2.5 in The Resounding Series, a novella to give the readers a glimpse into the world of the Resounding Lycans. The prequel that started it all released in late spring 2015, kicking off the 8-book (plus multiple novellas) series. ***

Derik has been the Alpha of the Graybacks since the death of Drucilia’s father, his murder still weighing heavy upon Dru. With fierce determination and an iron fist, the new Alpha has successfully kept them alive and fed, but the threat of Hunters and Vampires creeps ever so close. With his eye on Dru as a prime candidate for his mate, he demands more than she’s willing to give and blazes a trail of rage across the pack at her denial.

They have waited for a savior, for someone to come and take power from Derik and the time draws near. Dru’s sister Karis can see deep into the future and makes it known that a white wolf will be their redeemer, but will he be too late? With the Queen of the vampires thirsty for an accord in blood and the head Huntress of the Circle of Elders seeking the white wolf with fever, things get tense and complicated far before the resounding truth is uncovered.

FREE!!

Seventeen-year-old Lady Guinevere holds the crown to an ancient kingdom. Without brothers to ascend the throne, marriage to her will assure any man the right to rule.

Arthur Pendragon has won his power through battle. His legions have elected him their king and protector but he seeks to legitimize his claim to High King through marrying Guinevere.

Lancelot, a valiant knight with a broken past, is driven by his desire to protect those in need. He’s joined Arthur’s forces because he believes in Arthur’s dream of peace for a war-torn country.

But Lancelot possesses something that Arthur can never win…Guinevere’s heart.

QUEEN’S HONOR is told from the point of view of a young Guinevere as she is caught between the responsibility of her crown and the desires of her heart. This fantasy romance is imbued with Celtic lore and magic, as Guinevere discovers she holds an ancient power--a power of the old ones, the Druids. But without anyone to guide her to develop her power, she finds herself caught in a web of the ambitions of those more powerful than her. Queen's Honor puts a fresh spin on an age-old tale of love and honor.

Betrothal is a novella (about ½ the length of a novel). Queen’s Honor will be told in episodic books meant to be read in a few hours each. What’s an episodic book? It’s formatted like your favorite television show or a miniseries where an overall story is broken down into smaller, self-contained stories. Each novella is a story by itself, yet the continuing characters will return for new stories that tie to an overall story-line. For those who don’t have time for longer books, this is a great shorter read, while those who love longer books will get the benefit of more episodes and a deepening story through multiple episodes.

 
 

 

$0.99!!

Some werewolves walk the world forever in search of their mates. Gabriel Danes was one of the lucky ones--Joy Sutton appeared in his path one night six years earlier. Unfortunately, she came along too soon, leaving him with a painful choice: succumb to temptation and rob a young girl of her innocence, or suffer through season after season until she'd experienced enough of the world to know what she would have to give up if she decided to accept his bite.

Joy didn't need four years at a university in Miami to teach her anything about the world, but she went anyway because Gabriel Danes wanted a woman, not a girl...and because it was just too painful to watch him live his life around her while she yearned helplessly for what he wouldn't give. Now she's home, and she's done. Just done.

But when Joy tracks Gabriel down to let him know she's moving to Florida for good, his tightly-leashed control snaps--and Joy realizes she did learn something during four years of college.

She learned how to claim her mate.

**This bbw paranormal romance novella is a complete story with a happy ending!**

What do you think of my haul

this week?

Please leave your link in

the comments so I can come over

to your blog and see yours!! 

Shelf Candy Saturday #42: The Boy's King Arthur, by Thomas Malory (edited by Sidney Lanier)

 

 

 

Welcome to

Shelf Candy Saturday!!

This weekly meme/blog hop, hosted here,

features beautiful book covers!

It was originally hosted by

Stephanie @

Five Alarm Book Reviews,

a blog I really miss...

 

 

If you'd like to participate, just grab my button (or create your own), write your own post, and link up in the Linky widget at the bottom of this post. Just be sure to click on "Read more" so that the entire post will open up.

 

As a bonus, you can include information on the artist, designer, and/or photographer in your post, but it's not required. You can simply feature a cover and explain why you love it!

 

 

 

 

Here's my choice for this week!

 

 

 

 

 

The Boy's King Arthur

Thomas Malory

(edited by Sidney Lanier)

Hardcover, 321 pages

Charles Scribner's Sons

1917

(Reprinted 1989)

Fantasy, Arthurian Fiction

 

 

Why do I love this cover?

 

 

I've been a fan of the tales of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table since I was around 11 or so.  I found it thrilling to read about these knights going on quests and engaging in battles.  Magic was involved as well, which I also found fascinating!   My favorite magical character was Merlin, of course.

 

This cover is so rich in detail and brilliant color!  I especially love the thick red and gold cloth that covers most of the horse in the foreground.  I feel as if I could almost touch it!  The ornate saddle on this horse is also beautiful, as is the intricately-worked chain mail worn by the knight mounted on the horse.  The green of his tunic, with the fleur-de-lis pattern, and that royal blue handkerchief attached to his helmet (probably belonging to the princess crying in the background) -- all these things are so exquisitely depicted!