If you came for Fashionista Friday, scroll on down, but why not enjoy this post and the one below it first?
THE KALDALANGRA SERIES
by Kristi
Strong
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Note From Kristi
Hi everyone, and thank you so much to Elaine for having me
here!
The Land of Kaldalangra is a place filled with mystery,
deceit, and terror. Yet, it is also a land of unquenchable hope, filled with
people who have the ability to change their futures, if only they can remember
that they have the strength to do so.
There are many distinct areas that have developed in the
land of Kaldalangra. The court itself, home to the royal family, the wealthy,
and those who serve. Then there is Asimina, a once thriving village that has
been decimated by the tyranny of the king. Albadarl is more protected, as the
woods surrounding the village keeps intruders out, and holds magical secrets
within its depths. Then there is the village of Kylassame, a quaint and ragtag
place pieced together by people who had fallen into the realm of Kaldalangra, a
mixing of their realm and ours.
The best thing about this series is that they don't need to
be read in order. Each book has its own story, with a beginning, conclusion,
and end. While a reader will probably have more fun reading them in order (and
knowing all of the backstory and inside jokes), it's not necessary to enjoy the
story. While these books are New Adult ,
all of the books are appropriate for Young Adults, and teenaged readers tend to
enjoy Soul of Asimina the best.
The Lady of Steinbrekka started out with a very strange
dream, where I had fallen through a glass-enclosed tunnel and found myself in
the middle of a castle, where my best friend had been turned into royalty, but
not the noble kind. I started writing down this story, and it began to grow,
and grow, and grow.
Heart of Kylassame came from a need to tell the
"after" story, both in its glory and its downfall. Pure happy endings
so very rarely occur, and I wanted to show readers not only what happens when a
land recovers from great evil, but how even the most seemingly insignificant of
events can bring the strongest of individuals to their knees.
Soul of Asimina was born with the need to vindicate a
character, to tell his side of the story, as well as bring the readers twenty
years into the future. This story took on a life of its own, and my original
plot notes are completely different than what actually made it into the book.
These characters are very strong willed teenagers and young adults, and
wouldn't even let me hold them back from impacting the world.
Coming in 2015, the fourth book in the series, tentatively
titled Jewel of the Court, will take place two years after Soul of Asimina and
focus on the youngest child of the royal family. This book will take readers
deep into the court, back to the land of Albadarl, and into some places that no
one in Kaldalangra has ventured in decades. While the level of fantasy withdrew
a bit in the second and third book, it will emerge in full force as Katrina
discovers the power she has inside.
Thanks again for having me, and I hope you enjoy the Land of
Kaldalangra series!
BLURB:
Rhea Aralia lived an
uneventful life in Virginia, until the fateful night of her kidnapping. Taken
to a strange realm of destruction, despair, and mysterious people with dark
secrets, the young woman must learn a new way of life to survive.
With the help of her
new companions, Rhea discovers the courage to defy the tyrant King Verikhan and
his heir, the cleverness to deceive the court, and the power within herself to
transform this world of darkness into one of beauty and hope.
Will Rhea triumph
over those who seek her destruction, or will she be forever lost in the
darkness known as Kaldalangra?
Join Rhea as she
fights to take destiny back into her own hands.
Heart of Kylassame
It has been two years
since the reign of the tyrannical King Verikhan has ended, and the realm of
Kaldalangra flourishes.
Nyssa has taken her
place as Queen of the realm, with her secret love, Sebast, now openly at her
side. She rules with a fair hand, striving for justice and prosperity for all
of her people.
Rowan and Rhea travel
the realm, spreading peace and healing wherever they go. In Kylassame, they
have formed a strong bond with friends and spread deep roots in the community.
The people of
Kaldalangra are joyful, and life in their world is better than ever before.
But a string of
tragedies has the ability to bring Rhea to her knees, and with her, the entire
realm. While Rowan struggles to recover the village of Kylassame from a
devastating crime, Rhea’s faith in her own strength weakens, with dire
consequences.
Re-enter the world of
Kaldalangra, and join the adventure as Rhea and Rowan endeavor to continue upon
their chosen destiny.
Soul of Asimina
In the land of
Kaldalangra, one woman stands at a crossroads
Sabina de Nespa has
known a life of freedom and peace, thanks to the actions of her heroic parents.
As a child of royalty, she has kept her intentions pure and her heart guarded,
always aware that the crown of the realm may one day rest upon her brow.
When two strangers
stumble across her path, she finds her peace shattered as dangerous family
secrets begin to emerge, along with a malignant force that threatens to destroy
her entire world. These men have the ability to help her rise to brilliant
heights, or cause a devastating plunge into darkness.
It is now up to
Sabina to continue her parents’ legacy of honor, courage, and strength through
adversity. With the fate of Kaldalangra upon her shoulders, she has vowed to follow
the path of righteousness, or die trying.
EXCERPT:
The Lady of Steinbrekka
Rhea threw up
her hands in defense as she saw the man smile. “Hello, little mouse.”
She bolted
out of her hole, too frightened to know if she was heading away from the door
or towards safety. Direction did not matter; all that mattered was getting away
from the person who pursued her. The un-swept floors threatened to betray her
as her sneaker soles slid on the years of sand and dirt. She turned the corner
as the second man stepped into the aisle, then tripped over a box as she
quickly backed up.
“What do you
want? I have money, take it, it’s yours.”
The man gave
a hollow laugh that echoed off the walls of the basement. Rhea grabbed an old
volume off the shelf and threw it at him, using the precious seconds of
confusion to force her feet to move and run down the next aisle. She could see
the main aisle, could see freedom streaming through the door and took a precious
second to inhale for a scream of help. A large hand clamped across her mouth,
an arm lifted her from the ground and took that precious freedom away.
“It is not
worth it to struggle, little one. You have no chance of winning.”
Rhea caught a
finger between her teeth and bit down hard, wildly kicking her feet out to try
to contact any body part of her assailant. She growled, “It’s always worth
trying.”
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Fixing broken
computers, wrangling a very spirited little toddler, and creating a world with
a tyrant king, are all parts of the average day for Kristi Strong. While she
has called Virginia her home for two decades, her head has rested in two
countries, three states, and far too many houses to count. She was more than
happy to give up her nomadic lifestyle and settle down with her husband,
daughter, cat and chinchilla.
While
attending James Madison University, she was given the rare opportunity to work
as part of an archaeological team on a variety of dig sites in Virginia,
including the homes of former Presidents, James Madison and George Washington,
civil war sites such as The Stevens’ House and Fort Evans Mississippian
Encampment, and a variety of pre-historic hunting sites and camps.
Kristi now
uses her extensive studies in human cultures to create her own world in her
fantasy novels, beginning with her debut novel, The Lady of Steinbrekka, and
continuing with Heart of Kylassame and Soul of Asimina.
Connect with
Kristi
Blog:
http://strongnovels.blogspot.com
Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/strongnovels
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/strongnovels
Email:
Strongnovels@live.com
The Lady of
Steinbrekka
Buy Links
Kindle:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Lady-of-Steinbrekka-ebook/dp/B008TVP1J2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345485115&sr=8-1&keywords=steinbrekka
Nook:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-lady-of-steinbrekka-kristi-strong/1112378336?ean=2940014961905
Paperback: https://www.createspace.com/3820074
Heart of
Kylassame
Buy Links
Kindle:
http://www.amazon.com/Heart-Kylassame-Kaldalangra-Kristi-Strong-ebook/dp/B00DJTZ2RK
Paperback:
http://www.amazon.com/Heart-Kylassame-Kristi-R-Strong/dp/0615821928
Nook:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/heart-of-kylassame-kristi-strong/1115800646
Soul of
Asimina
Buy Links
Paperback:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0615938957
Kindle:
http://www.amazon.com/Soul-Asimina-Kaldalangra-Kristi-Strong-ebook/dp/B00HIQBW56
Nook:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/soul-of-asimina-kristi-strong/1117886122
Kristi is giving away a signed paperback copy of The Lady of Steinbrekkaeinbrekka, along with a Land of Kaldalangra bookmark prize pack. Use the Rafflecopter link to enter.
You can find her schedule at http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2014/07/nbtm-land-of-kaldalangra-series-by.html.
Thank you for sharing your book and excerpt.
ReplyDeleteInteresting books
ReplyDeleteYou have a chinchilla? COOL!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing your blog!
ReplyDeleteCatherine Lee, Yep! She is totally spastic and super cute.
ReplyDelete