Title- Heart of War
Series- Lady & Knight Chronicles #1
By- C.L. Foster & E.R. Rada
Publication Date- June 6th, 2014
Genre- Historical Romance
Blurb:
The Hundred Years War rages around Adalira Mortimer's life and country, but she is not what is expected of a Lady; instead of dresses and tea, she dreams about weapons and war.
Bastian Kyros is not typical royalty. Being a warrior is in his blood, not paperwork and peace-keeping.
Tradition drives their families. She is expected to don her manners and win a worthy husband, and he is expected to drop his sword and do what's right for the sake of his family's name, land, and future.
Their chance meeting at the party of the season may offer them both the chance to find what they desire. Brought together by their longing for battle, their greatest fight may be in winning over their families and conquering their own pride.
A lull in battle does not mean there is peace. The greatest of wars are fought in the heart.
Excerpt:
"Hello, beautiful Adalira," she heard softly from behind her. The voice husked itself across the back of her neck sending chills down her spine.
She spun around and shoved the masked man standing behind her. "I beg your pardon, sir, but you are far too close to my person."
"Not nearly as close as I'd like to be," he responded in the same hushed, husky tone while taking a step closer to her to compensate for the shove. "You definitely do not hit like a woman. I love that about you."
Beneath his royal blue and gold ribbon embellished mask, she saw a familiar smirk. "I don't speak with men I don't know in dark corners of fancy parties. So if you will excuse me -"
"Very well, then speak to me in the center of a very well-lit dance floor," he said as he took her hand and dragged her toward the other dancers. His perfectly tailored royal tunic and gold pants matched his mask beautifully and made his body look as if it were carved from a marble slab.
She pulled her hand away from his and stepped back toward the column. "Normally, I would agree, since you asked so nicely, but I've come down with a terrible headache just this instant." Her sarcasm and tone were unmistakable.
He stepped closer to her than before. If she looked up even a fraction of an inch, his lips would meet hers. "Do you not know how to dance or are you just scared to dance with me?"
"Sir, I don't even know you and have no interest in dancing with you." She turned her head to ignore his blatant challenge.
He clutched his chest softly as he took a small step back. "You wound me, miss. And I was thinking that you would accept any challenge after how you fought the other day." He tilted the mask down slightly so she could see his face. "Or are you afraid of me outside the training field?"
"Ezra?" She stepped forward and punched him in the shoulder. "I thought you were a man."
His chuckle filled the corner they hid in. "I am a man, miss. I can show you if you like." The lecherous glimmer in his eyes warned her not to accept his very real offer.
"No, I meant, I thought you were some stranger attempting to woo the Prince's daughter." She flipped her hand indifferently at the mass of people flitting around the room.
"Ah, yes. Well, I am a stranger for now and I am trying to woo the Prince's daughter, so you weren't wrong." His smile was broad and beautiful.
She rolled her eyes at him. "You have been properly warned by my father."
"I've still not unsheathed anything in your presence, miss. He has no need to worry… yet. Also, I was simply asking you to dance. Unless you have other activities we can accomplish in this dark corner? In that case, I am happy to keep you company."
"Oh dear, wipe that silly grin off of your face. I have no activities I am interested in doing with you at this, or any other, time."
"I can get you out of that very incredible dress and toss you a sword. Would that make you feel better?"
"Yes. Well, no. Not now." She sputtered through her answers. A fight was preferable, if she had a choice, but she promised her parents that she would be social at the party. "Fine. I will dance with you once so that my parents see me being social. Keep your hands to yourself. Don't make me injure you."
"I wouldn't dream of it, miss." He bowed slightly to her and took her hand to lead her to the dance floor properly this time.
Author Inertview:
What inspired you to write Heart of War?
Love did… actually. That sounds really stupid, but one day ER and I were having a discussion about how life is and how simpler life must have been in the Middle Ages/Medieval Times then we got on a tirade about how much tougher it could be. He said something along the lines of "a girl like you would definitely be given a hard time because there's just no way you would fall into line and do what you were supposed to do" and before I got offended, I thought about it and he was very right. I am really strange with how I do things and opinionated and snarky. What would a chick like me have to deal with? And then we were like "What if she had a tie to royalty? Ooooh what is she was the Black Prince of Wales daughter? And illegitimate one would cause all kinds of drama. Let's do this!
ER sympathizes with our hero's past and feelings as well. We poured much of ourselves into these characters.
When or at what age did you know you wanted to be a writer?
CL ~ 33. I have always loved books but I never wanted to write one or anything. Before I started writing, I was reading upwards of 200 books a year. I just love all literature and will read just about anything. One day, I had a crazy dream, told my besties about it, and they pushed me to start writing. And I haven't been able to stop since!
ER ~ Around the age of 8, I was asked by my mother what I wanted to be when I grew up. I told her I wanted to be a famous writer like John Gardner (my uncles brother). She never discouraged me and always read my poems and stories and would constantly encourage me after reading my works.
What is the earliest age you remember reading your first book?
CL ~ I dont know if I can remember that far back to be honest. My parents instilled a love of reading in me at an early age and I haven't been able to kick the habit since. Thank God for them. They did a good job. haha
ER ~ Because of my dislexia I struggled to read books, but my earliest memory of a book I read and completed was later on, during 9th grade when I read and completed The Hobbit. It was my grandfathers childhood edition so some words were archaic, but as the word nerd I was even back then I didn't let that stop me. If I didn't know it already I looked it up!
What genre of books do you enjoy reading?
CL ~ I will truly read anything, but typically lean toward historical things, paranormal, and mysteries. I want something besides my real life.
ER ~ Fantasy has always captured my imagination, especially when swords and sorcery is involved. I can get lost into a book about a brave knight reclaiming their birthright to a kingdom or a warrior swings with a sword in one hand and casts a spell in another all in the name of power. Fantastical creatures like dragons and phoenixes are put into play that just makes my day!
What is your favorite book?
CL ~ Of all time? Ever? That's a horrible question to ask a lover of books! No seriously, I do have one - the Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. Best book ever. It has everything in it and I firmly believe it should be required reading for life.
ER ~ That's a real tough one. It's a toss up between two books and I don't choose. The first one is Grip of Mortality, by C.L. Foster, because it opened my eyes to a the world of paranormal I never knew existed and has lead to my avid interest in the paranormal genre. The other is Dragon, by Steven Brust, as it was the book that lead to my own fantasy world and characters. To very significant and amazingly well written books that I just fell into and fell in love with.
You know I think we all have a favorite author. Who is your favorite author and why?
CL ~ Starla Huchton is my new favorite author as of this year. I started reading random excerpts and things and something about her work pulled me in and now, I will read anything she writes. One-click. I don't even need to read the synopsis. She wrote it, I will like it. The end. lol
ER ~ This is going to sound silly I think, but CL Foster. Hands down! I have read everything she has every written that she's allowed me to read (sneak peaks are my fave) and I always fall into her descriptions like I'm watching a movie! I have a hard tome concentrating, but her books keep me enthralled! The worst part of her books is when they end!
If you could travel back in time here on earth to any place or time. Where would you go
CL ~ I'm such a history freak.. and a nerd in general so this is really tough for me to pick (just one! UGH!)... but… I will go with Egypt!
ER ~ That's pretty easy for me. I was would to Finland to the time of the vikings!
and why?
CL ~ Because it's my favorite country. I used to live there and have a deep-seeded love for it. I don't know what it is about that place, but its as if I NEED it. Maybe I am a reincarnated queen or slave or something. lol
ER ~ They were explorers, warriors, hardship is what they knew. I am accustomed to hardship and in my own way a battleworn warrior myself. To die on the battlefield to go to Valhalla would be an honor. :)
When writing a book do you find that writing comes easy for you or is it a difficult task?
CL ~ ER will tell you that I am a machine. When I sit down, open up a document, and go… its ON. I typically write a chapter or two in one sitting. Without distractions, I could write books in a few weeks. It plays in my head like a movie and I just write it down as I go. Works well so far!
ER ~ I have the attention span of styrophoam so I do struggle with writing, but I hit my strides and can get stuff done. I will I had Christy's gift, but I'm definitely not complaining.
Do you have any little fuzzy friends? Like a dog or a cat? Or any pets?
CL ~ No, I LOVE dogs, but can't have any. I do have a few fish, but I am sick of having a fishtank also. I'd love to have a snake.
ER ~ I have a stuffed animal, does that count? Hahaha, no I don't have any pets, but if I were to get one it would be an Emperor scorpion!
What is your "to die for", favorite food/foods to eat?
CL ~ Strawberries are OMG ALL THE TIME. I also love pizza and anything baked goods-esque (cookies, brownies, etc), but… I am staying away from the latter and eating in moderation these days. I feel much better when I do!
ER ~ MANGOES! Oh my goodness I love myself some mangoes! The best stuff on earth I'm telling you! Though I love pizza any time of day, mangoes would be my snack choice any time of day!
Do you have any advice for anyone that would like to be an author?
CL ~ Write. Simple. Sit down, think about what you want to say and who you want to say it to and write it. The end. You won't be perfect right out of the gates and you will struggle with things and your sentence structure may suck (mine did!), but that can all be fixed later. Get those thoughts out of your brain and onto paper or a document of some sort. Trust me on this one!
ER ~ Never give up. Never lost faith in your dream of writing. If you struggle at a scene or with writing then write for 45 minutes then go take a break for 15-30 minutes. Also, make sure you have a work place. An office or a spot that is designated for writing only. No the bedroom or the living room where you play games or watch tv. The mind like patterns and consistency, when you have a place where you go to work when you go there often enough your brain will go into "writing mode".
Character Bios:
Our main heroine is Adalira Mortimer who is the illegitimate daughter of Edward, the Prince of Wales' with his unclaimed bride, Malinda. At 18, she knows she doesn't want to just sit around and wait to take a husband and live a privileged life. She's not like other girls and prefers weapons, battle, and hard word as opposed to dresses and holding herself to the same standards as all other women that she's accustomed to. Earning her place and making her own mark on the world are her goals.
Adalira's companion, Nyota, comes from an African tribe who was sold into slavery. After Adalira rescued her from her captors, she was made a free woman by the Mortimer family, but she chose to live with and work for the family out of love and respect. She is often Adalira's sounding board for stress and sidekick for handling it as well.
Bastian Kyros is the son Duke Kyros of Winchester. At 24 years old, his family is starting to wonder if he will ever get married, settle down, and do what is right as the heir to his family's throne. Business and running lands isn't what entices him, battle does. He simply wants to be useful with his sword and mind and not be tied down.
Bastian's right hand man, Iason, is a snarky, tawdry fellow who is both brave soldier and suave businessman. For a 24 year old man, he forgets that he has responsibilities ahead of him as well. He tends to keep Bastian from creating more problems than necessary for himself and is the peacekeeper of the family. Though not born of blood, they are brothers by choice.
Ryland's "left hand man" is also like a brother. They fought many battles together and formed a solid bond. Ryland is the exact opposite of Iason in every way and tries to talk Bastian into following his heart instead of plotting the destruction of mankind. He's the definitive angel to Iason's devil side.
Book Soundtrack:
E.R. and I have a very eclectic balance of music in our repertoire. One moment we can be listening to Vivalid, the next Daft Punk, and then Alter Bridge. Truly, one could never guess what will come on next if we have things on random.
For this book, we each decided to go mostly with instrumental soundtracks with epic highs and lows so fuel our creative juices and, man, did it EVER work! We listened to mostly the Lord of the Rings soundtracks/scores, Lindsey Stirling songs, and a lot of Piano Guys. Music truly breathes life into my world and I want it to always do the same for my work. I certainly hope that shines through.
Some specific instrumental/dubstep/amazing songs we both liked while writing were:
Guardians at the Gate - Audiomachine
the Narnia Battle song
Desert Symphony - Piano Guys
Moonlight (Electric Cello) - Piano Guys
Beautiful - Apocalyptica
Everyday - Carly Comando
About the Authors:
C.L. Foster-
CL is eclectic, geeky, positive, nature-loving and completely non-"normal" (just the way she likes to be). She has been a fan of literature since she was a small child and finally decided to take her dreams (both waking and sleeping!) and do something positive with them.
CL has lived all over the world and has a Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice, minoring in Psychology and Forensics. Which means you don't want to cross her because she knows how and where to hide a body so it's never found! She proudly admits to hearing voices in her head, but at times, her characters' impromptu visits can be rude and annoying. Thankfully, she has adequate patience for their shenanigans and can out ninja them any day of the week.
CL's voice is boisterous, sassy, and not finished yet! Stay tuned!
E.R. Rada-
E.R. Rada is a NY native who's mind is in a constant battle with reality and fiction. He's been penning his tales while expressing his inner most demons and heartfelt wishes since he was able to rhyme.
Poetry and fantasy are his weapons of choice as his inner-most wish to be a dragon-riding, sword-wielding warrior has yet to come to fruition. E.R. knows there is no time limit on greatness, so he continues to float on his constant state of flux; learning, growing, and improving as time goes on.
E.R. is a battle worn soldier who will quickly compare apples and oranges, simply because he's told he can't. Never one to conform, he embraces his nerdy/geek tendencies and is well known for creating new and interesting ways to do things (see: stubborn/the hard way). In doing things his own way, he has earned his way through life with plenty of battle scars, knowledge, and memories.
Giveaway:
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