Spotlight & Excerpt: Divinity’s Twilight: Remnant + Giveaway

Divinity's Twilight Remnant blog announcement

Cover - Divinity's Twilight Remnant
Divinity’s Twilight: Remnant
by Christopher Russell
Published: September 14, 2022
Series: Divinity’s Twilight #2
Genre: Epic/Steampunk/Military Fantasy
Intended Age Group: Adult
Pages: 650
Publisher: Illyrium Publishing

Divinity’s Twilight: Remnant is the much-anticipated sequel to the multi-award-winning epic fantasy novel, Divinity’s Twilight: Rebirth.

Power is a curse.

As Vallen and his fellow cadets flee fallen Darmatia, he is forced to confront the ghosts of his past. The friend who perished that he might live. The girl whose smile haunts his nightmares. Now, a third voice joins them—something dark, something ancient. And the more Vallen uses his magic, the stronger it becomes.

Tools exist to be used.

The flames of Sylette’s vengeance are all but quenched. With each passing day, the dominion of the Sarconian Empire grows, and her treacherous father’s throat drifts further from her reach. Sylette’s last hope is a coded message, one that promises a growing resistance against the Empire. But even if she gains the means to avenge her mother’s murder, one question remains: how many ‘tools’ is she willing to sacrifice to see her vengeance through?

What color is love?

Renar has learned to hide a great many things: his emotions, his art, and one truly devastating family secret. But when he must face the man who’s controlled his life from the shadows, will he choose the family he’s always known, or the dysfunctional crew he’s been shackled with?

For every ending, a beginning.

Embers of conspiracy flare in Nemare and Sarconia. A resurrected Sarcon plots to reclaim his imprisoned flesh. As the winds of war swirl and forgotten myths rise, the choices these cadets make could save their country . . .
. . . or unleash something far, far worse.

The Empire Strikes Back • Portal, Portal on the Wall, Don’t Show Me My Past, Lest I Fall • Ice Queen of Hearts

Universal Link
Amazon
Goodreads


Content/Trigger Warnings:

Shown on Page (things clearly told to the reader):

Fantasy violence and death
Mild gore
Racism
Bullying
Vomiting
Gaslighting
Child abuse
Fade to black sex
Drug/alcohol abuse
Magic-induced suicide
Sexism

Alluded to (things only mentioned in passing or hinted at):

Slavery
Genocide
Starvation
Prostitution
Eugenics
Animal cruelty (mythical creatures)


Excerpt:

Chapter 9:  “What’s Best”

 

Charkur 3, 686 ABH

Nemare, Royal Capital of the Kingdom of Darmatia

 

“Whoa there!”
With a screech of iron on cobbles, the carriage lurched forward, then settled to a stop in front of the broad steps of the Heronah mansion. Renar Iolus hurriedly hid his silver pocket knife inside the sleeve of his fine coat. He’d altered the hem just enough to conceal it against his forearm, though the resultant wad of scratchy fabric chafed miserably against his skin.
He shifted to the left on the velvet padded seat, leaning against the window and feigning that he’d been staring at the passing city sights during the ride. When the cab door opened, he favored Ral the coachman with an innocent smile.
“Here already?”
The dusky-toned, bare-scalped courtier bowed at the waist, his twinkling black eyes a match for his impeccable servant’s garb. “Yes, Young Master. Didn’t you see us pass the estate gates?”
Renar scampered down the hanging carriage steps. At the bottom, he strained skyward, standing on his tiptoes to reach the second gold button above Ral’s waistband. Ha! he thought. I’ll be taller than him in no time!
“Obviously, Ral,” Renar replied, waving the arm that didn’t hide the knife. “The jalliper berry bushes lining the drive are in full bloom, their mauve buds contrasting beautifully with the thin sheathes of ice encasing their branches.”
Ral’s dark gaze flashed concern. He ducked into the carriage, and when he reemerged a moment later, he held a lace embroidered pillow. The same pillow Renar had used to cover up the carving he’d been etching into the interior paneling of the carriage.
“What is this?” Ral asked, tone accusing.
“A pillow?”
“Indeed. A pillow which you used to cover up vandalism of the Colonel’s prized carriage.”
Renar bristled. “Vandalism? My art is an improvement on the drab ornamentation my father thinks passes for culture in military circles.” He jerked his arm toward the coursing waterfall scene he’d etched into the wood.
The wrong arm—a horrible mistake. Before he could snatch back the limb, Ral grabbed his elbow, pinched it hard enough to make Renar’s eyes water, and rolled up the sleeve to expose the outline of his knife. Two tugs at the hidden pouch sent the blade tumbling toward the ground. Graceful as a sweeping brush stroke, Ral caught it between two fingers, raising it above his head which Renar couldn’t reach even if he jumped.
“Colonel Iolus gave this to you as a gift.” Disappointment etched Ral’s hard features, but Renar heard something odd in his voice: an almost wistful sadness.
“Am I not free to do with father’s gifts as I please?”
Ral inhaled sharply. ” . . . No. This is a combat knife.” He traced the tapered blade and tapped the channel meant to drain blood away from the cutting edge. Revulsion twisted Renar’s stomach. Fighting disgusted him to the point of sickness. “You should not be using it to draw—”
Carve,” Renar insisted.
“—on the Colonel’s carriage. You know how he views your . . . hobbies.” Ral chose his final word carefully, kindly. Far kindlier than Renar’s father, Colonel Hardwick Iolus, would have.
The boy’s throat constricted, going dry as the desert wastes beyond Nemare’s walls. “Will you tell him?” he whispered. Somehow, speaking the words aloud made Renar believe they’d come true.
“No.”
Flicking his wrist, Ral tossed the knife into the air, catching it by the blade in his other hand on the way down. He passed it back to Renar—hilt first—but the wide-eyed lad was lost in thoughts of how to sketch the skilled attendant.
Charcoal for the skin, rubbing it in after application for a smooth finish. Long lines for the blade toss. Have to give the impression of motion, as Gabonni’s Ten Techniques suggests. Highlight the gleam in his gaze by making the area around the eyes darker, and . . .

Renar blinked. The mansion’s thick double doors were open before him, letting blocky shadows and the early spring chill into the grand, marble-floored foyer. Ral was at his side, and two similar servants flanked the opulent elegoras-crafted doors.
The courtier chuckled. “The Veneer took your senses again, Young Master.”
There was no reason to argue. Whenever the compulsion to draw, carve, paint—any type of creation—hit him, Renar lost all awareness of where and what he was doing. This time he’d merely pocketed his knife and climbed the estate steps in a daze, but at other times he’d disappeared from the Iolus estate or fallen down the manor stairs.
Unfortunately, his clumsiness was the least of his father’s reasons for despising the pursuits that brought him joy.
“What was it?” Renar asked. Their host, the daughter of the Heronah family, had yet to appear. “I’m curious what gave me away. Father took my last sketchbook, and you had no reason to suspect I had anything else to work with.”
Ral chuckled. “Your description of the julliper berries. Spring comes early in Nemare. There’s no ice left on the bushes.”
The colorful curse building in Renar’s throat was stilled by the sunflower bouncing down the steps. Dainty slippers on pale legs carried a beaming girl in a yellow smock down the sweeping staircase before them. Golden light, slanting from the stained glass window on the landing behind her, bathed her in a radiant glow that perfectly complemented her bouncing flaxen curls and choice of dress. Renar had scarcely a second to appreciate her radiance before she hurled herself into his arms.
“Rennie!” she cooed. “I’m so glad you could come. I have so, so much to tell you. More than is written in a library worth of books . . . probably.”
“You’re choking me, Angelie,” he managed through her tight embrace. Angelie, a name derived from the angelic Veneer themselves. Like the lilac scent of her hair, it suited her well.
“Oh! We wouldn’t want that.” She danced back with agile steps, then clutched Renar’s hands and began dragging him from the room. “Come, come! There’s something in the ballroom for you, but you must promise not to peek. Oh!” She exclaimed again, pointing a finger at Ral. “You can stay here, Ral. I know he doesn’t like to fight, so I’ll protect Renar if any bad guys attack. Have scones with Maja, or something.”
“I can’t refuse a command from my future mistress,” Ral soothed with an exaggerated bow.
“Good. We’ll call for you when we’re done.”


Author Bio & Information:

Author Photo - Christopher RussellChristopher Russell (native of Williamsburg, VA) is a 29-year-old mechanical and aerospace engineer (graduate of the University of Virginia) who has loved reading since the day he picked up a book and writing since he could scrawl his first letters. After voraciously consuming titles from every genre—ranging from Star Wars to Lord of the Rings—he decided to combine the expertise from his professional education, passions, and Christian faith into a fantasy epic bridging the gap between magic and science. He currently resides in Charlottesville, Virginia, with his loyal dog, Vallen, named after the protagonist of his first work. For behind-the-scenes information on all of Christopher Russell’s works, visit christopherrussellauthor.com.

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Giveaway

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Starts: September 22, 2022 at 12:00am EST
Ends: September 28, 2022 at 11:59pm EST


Tour Schedule

Spotlight & Excerpt: Believed + Freebie

BELIEVED

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the BELIEVED by Michael James Emberger Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

 

Title: BELIEVED

Author: Michael James Emberger

Pub. Date: October 4, 2021

Publisher: Michael James Emberger

Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook, Audiobook(FREE)

Pages: 429

Find it: Goodreadsbooks2read
(find all FREE audiobook links here and other purchase links), Free eBook download here

 

Kelsea Jones is like a lot of girls at the University of Northern Minnesota. She has a boyfriend, she works at a coffee shop, and she’s on the swim team. But she’s not a girl. She’s a mermaid. Trouble brews when star hockey player Chad Andersen takes an interest in her. She tries to avoid him, but he won’t leave her alone. A son of wealth and privilege, he takes what he wants, and he gets away with it. He wants Kelsea, she says no, and so he rapes her. Kelsea stands on a tail and two fins to fight the most painful trial of her life. Despite her trauma and a crisis of faith, she speaks the truth of what Chad did, but will she be believed?

A note from the author:
1 out of 4 college girls experiences rape or sexual assault. That breaks my heart. It’s a crime that has affected people I love, and it has to stop. This novel is my way of raising awareness and showing survivors that someone hears them.

Believed is a product of my friendship with a survivor who is an author and advocate. She opened my eyes to a world of trauma and PTSD that had been largely invisible to me before I met her, and it was life-changing. I needed to share that with others. The burden on my heart was too great to not say something, and fiction is the method I know best to convey the thoughts, truths, pains, and struggles that I see.

Sexual assault is not my story. I haven’t experienced it, I don’t live with the resulting trauma, and I do not wish to profit from the pain of survivors. This is a book for them. It’s a book for those who love them. It’s a book to encourage readers to think and to empathize and to consider the realities of so many whose lives have been affected by this crime. If you purchase a copy here, know that the prices are the minimum allowed. I make no royalty on print copies. If you would like to read for free, you can download the book at my website.

If you find value in this work, please consider donating to an organization that fights against sexual violence or offers support to survivors. Tell your family and friends about the book. Review it online. Let the survivors in your life know that you care, that you believe them, and that you are there for them.


Excerpt:

Mr. Johnson and his wife stop by our pew. “Merry Christmas,” he says. He exchanges greetings with my parents, but he doesn’t make an effort to extend his good will much beyond them. He doesn’t understand why I’ve shut him out. He doesn’t get how his words were hurtful. But that’s not my problem, and I shouldn’t have to explain it to him. It shouldn’t be my responsibility to educate him. That burden shouldn’t rest on my shoulders. Even if he has his doubts, would it kill him to show some compassion and kindness? Would it really be so hard to have some empathy?

Men like him must think this is just some minor annoyance that girls deal with. It’s something we blow out of proportion. We. Girls. Women. Mer. As much as we’re different, we’re also not. We all face this part of being a woman, and Mr. Johnson is not one, so it’s not something he has to think about. He didn’t rape anyone, so it’s not his concern. It wasn’t his daughter, so it’s not important. It’s a female issue that we should handle on our own without bothering anyone.

I watch as he greets one of the elders. They shake hands and laugh. But would they act differently if they realized how much I need them? Would they understand if they could truly see how it feels? I need them to believe me. I need them to care. I need them to make this their issue, not just mine. I’m sure other women and girls and Mer carrying similar wounds would agree. We need to know that we’re not alone. We need them by our side. We need them to talk to their friends—to other men—so that guys like Chad don’t think their actions are okay. We need them to say that it’s wrong, out loud, and not only after the fact. It’s the only way things will change.


 

About Michael James Emberger:

Michael James Emberger is an author of thrillers and suspense residing in Wilton, NH. He enjoys weaving narratives of conspiracy and misguided intentions around divisive topics. Where there is debate, there is always room for a villain with goals far out of alignment from either side. Michael is a graduate of Messiah College, where he studied Engineering and met his wife racing solar cars cross-country. When he’s not working on home renovations or writing, he enjoys visiting the ocean and exploring the majesty of God’s creation on the summits of New Hampshire’s mountains.

Michael wrote Believed, a heartbreaking and inspirational tale of a Mermaid in college in Minnesota. It was the most difficult book he’s ever written, but also the most important. He’s made it available for free in audiobook and e-book formats, and he hopes it will encourage and inform.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub

There isn’t a giveaway for this tour. Instead Michael is giving away the audiobook and ebook! You can download a FREE copy of the audiobook here OR a FREE copy of the eBook HERE!  and if you love the book please help spread the word with a review or share the links with your friends!


 

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

9/1/2022

Viviana MacKade

Excerpt 2

9/2/2022

BookHounds

Guest Post/IG Post

9/3/2022

A Dream Within A Dream

Guest Post/IG Post

Week Two:

9/4/2022

Jazzy Book Reviews

Excerpt 1/IG Post

9/5/2022

#BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog

Excerpt 2

9/6/2022

Epic Book Society

Guest Post/IG Post

9/7/2022

pick a good book

Excerpt 1/IG Post

9/8/2022

@allyluvsbooksalatte

IG Spotlight

9/9/2022

Rajiv’s Reviews

Review/IG Post

9/10/2022

A Blue Box Full of Books

IG Spotlight

Week Three:

9/11/2022

Two Chicks on Books

Excerpt 1/IG Post

9/12/2022

Nerdophiles

Review/IG Post

9/13/2022

Lady Hawkeye

Excerpt 2/IG Post

9/14/2022

@jaimerockstarbooktours

IG Spotlight

9/15/2022

Beersbooksandboos

Review/IG Post

9/16/2022

Wanderingwitchreads

TikTok Review/IG Post

9/17/2022

GryffindorBookishNerd

Review/IG Post

Week Four:

9/18/2022

OneMoreExclamation

Review/IG Post

9/19/2022

Book Reviews by Taylor

Review/IG Post

9/20/2022

Write. Read. Live

Excerpt 1/IG Post

9/21/2022

Books With A Chance of Traveling

Review/IG Post

9/22/2022

The Momma Spot

Review/IG Post

9/23/2022

I’m Shelf-ish

Review/IG Post

9/24/2022

Brandi Danielle Davis

Review/IG Post

Week Five:

9/25/2022

Sadie’s Spotlight

Excerpt 2

9/26/2022

@jypsylynn

Review/IG Post

9/27/2022

More Books Please blog

Review/IG Post

9/28/2022

@enjoyingbooksagain

Review/IG Post

9/29/2022

RavenzReviewz

Review/IG Post

9/30/2022

hodophile_z

Review/IG Post

 

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