His Master’s Bride
by Claudia
Herring
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: Fantasy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TAGLINE:
A world of mysterious powers and tumultuous intrigues comes to life in
Regency England as a djinni, burdened with a dark secret, is thrown into a love
triangle fraught with subterfuge.
BLURB:
A
troubled djinni seduces his master’s young wife, forcing her to make a fateful
choice.
The
djinni Yasir, imprisoned in an urn by a jealous magician, searches the
centuries for his lost love. He finds Lavinia reborn in 1811 England, only to
discover she’s his new master’s bride.
Desperate
to have her, Yasir spell-casts Lavinia’s husband to forget he is master and
give her the urn. When she opens the ancient vessel, Yasir emerges, terrifying
in his magnificence yet somehow familiar, but she fails to recognize him. She
distrusts this djinni even though his very presence enchants her.
Yasir’s
spell is fading. Lavinia’s husband has changed. Now he’s violent as he
struggles with returning memories of when he possessed the urn. Lavinia strives
to keep the two from encountering one another, while torn between fidelity for
her husband and her increasing attraction to the djinni.
Impatient
to win Lavinia’s confidence, Yasir must convince her of her true identity so
they can reclaim their life together. He dare not reveal a deeper reason: Only
with Lavinia can he regain his freedom and exact revenge on the magician who
confined him to the urn—
If she
does not go mad from the spell to awaken her memories.
If her
husband does not escape the djinni’s magic and discover her secret.
If the
magician does not find them first.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT:
Chapter 2
I screamed silently. My body stung as though I had
been dragged through a bed of nettles. What manner of master would I encounter
this time? My skin rippled as the cool night air soothed my stinging flesh. My
feet balanced on solid ground.
I was released!
I could see through the mist, giving me an interval
to arm myself before I formally became a slave. My master stood mystified, his
intelligent eyes straining to penetrate the haze.
His chamber was spacious, furnished in opulence. A
sturdy yet ornate desk piled with documents. The urn sitting on the marble top,
lid gaping open. With my unerring sight, I sped through his papers. Lord Peter
Bramley, an antiquary. A wife, Lady Lavinia. Copious notes, cramped
handwriting, ambitious, but nothing I could use. Not yet. My gaze drifted over
a plush silk carpet of crimson, amber and verdigris, to a four-poster bed
draped with fine netting. Luxurious linens. Lion-footed bedside table crowded
with a crystal oil lamp, leather-bound books, coins of the realm and a
gold-framed portrait.
She watched me from within the frame, a beautiful
maiden. Dark curls long and thick edging porcelain skin, full lips the ripe red
of a pomegranate, eyes the deep blue of lapis lazuli encircled by the pale
azure of a clear morning sky.
Her eyes widened, quizzical, pupils dilating in
recognition. Then they relaxed and warmed with her slight smile.
Ayevalelh! I turned to my new master. Had this man
a charmed portrait? But no, this was an ordinary man, a portrait of his wife by
his bedside. This magic was for me only. It felt familiar. A favorable magic. I
steadied my trembling legs, eyes riveted to the small painting, and resisted
the urge to fall to my knees weeping.
Thalia. Was this my Thalia? I had been in the bloom
of youth, an innocent, smitten by my first love. Even now my powers raged at
their helplessness to rescue us from the clutches of Rakhshan.
Oh, Thalia. Would that he had never discovered us.
“Khak sho.” In a whisper, I cursed the cruel
magician.
He stole my beloved. He stole my life. He cursed me
to the urn.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and
Links:
Claudia
Herring aspired to be a baton twirler when she was five and an archaeologist at
thirteen. When she became a graphic designer and an author of fantasy, she
decided she'd hit upon the perfect compromise.
As
a designer and illustrator she formats the written word around visual art. As a
writer she weaves words into stories that form worlds. Her novel, "His
Master's Bride," a historical fantasy with romantic elements set in
Regency England, won first prize in the Houston Writer's Guild Novel Competition.
"Ties of Smoke," next in "The Djinn Chronicles" series, is
in its second draft.
When
she's not delving into the world of the Djinn, Claudia is practicing yoga to go
to that hushed space where she imagines and plots her next fantasy novel.
If
you like Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series, or Carol Berg, you'll love His
Master's Bride.
Links:
Website:
http://www.claudiaherring.com
Blog:
http://www.claudiaherring.com/blog
Twitter:
@claudiakherring
Facebook:
http:www.facebook.com/claudia.herring.writer
Amazon
author: http://www.amazon.com/author/claudiaherring
The Book is on
sale for $0.99 during the tour.
HIS
MASTER’S BRIDE on amazon: http://tinyurl.com/mg83vjj
• Apple ibooks: http://apple.co/21dSAru
• Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/1KZqAE4
• Scribd.: http://bit.ly/1RTkpmy
• Kobo: http://bit.ly/1LxcCnL
• Page Foundry: http://bit.ly/1RTkqqy
(comes up with the url: inktera)
• 24 Symbols: http://bit.ly/1TudUq2
Claudia will be awarding a
$15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the
tour. Use the link below to enter.
Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for hosting my novel, His Master's Bride!
ReplyDeleteLoved this excerpt as much as the first one :D... thanks for sharing! I'm looking forward to reading more.
ReplyDeleteGreat excerpt,thanks for sharing
ReplyDeleteThanks Karla, and Victoria. What do you think of the djinni?
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed the excerpt, sounds like a terrific book, thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThank you Eva, glad you liked the excerpt.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the terrific post and great giveaway!
ReplyDeleteThis book sounds great and I would love to read it. ty.
ReplyDeleteWhat is your favorite non-fiction?
ReplyDeleteThanks Bety and Bridgett—would love for you to read my novel!
ReplyDeleteFavorite non-fiction is probably reading about ancient cultures. I recently finished "Maya Cosmos" by David Friedel—an in-depth book about the Maya and explanation of their concepts of the universe. The Maya are still living in small villages in Mexico and Central America and their customs have evolved but the archaeologists can see the progression.
ReplyDeleteThe book sounds good! Thank you for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteThe book sounds good! Thank you for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteGlad you liked it. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteThanks for great blog, excerpt AND giveaway
ReplyDeleteBeautiful cover! Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteJames, Thanks for the compliments!
ReplyDeleteRee Dee, I'm so pleased you love the cover—I designed it. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this giveaway. Been a lot of snow and cold weather here in Michigan
ReplyDeleteThanks once again for this opportunity to win
ReplyDeleteYou are very welcome, James.
ReplyDeleteKids finally went back to school after 2 snow days. I could think better..lol. Thanks for this chance
ReplyDeleteHere in Texas, it's 84 today and all is well. Thanks for checking out my novel.
ReplyDeleteLast day...Happy Friday, have a great weekend and thank you again
ReplyDeleteThank you for following this tour!
ReplyDelete