Raging Sea by Kim Iverson Headlee Book Tour and Giveaway :)
Raging
Sea
The
Dragon's Dove Chronicles Book 3
by
Kim Iverson Headlee
Genre:
Historical Fantasy
Outcast,
clanless, and but a junior officer in Arthur the Pendragon’s army,
Angusel struggles to rebuild the life stolen from him through
betrayal by the person he had held most dear. His legion allegiance
thrusts him onto the campaign trail as one of Arthur’s forward
scouts, stalking Angli troops and being among the first to clash with
these vicious enemies at every turn. But the odds loom high against
him and his sword-brothers, and they will need a miracle just to
survive.
Pressured
to make the best choice to ensure her clan’s future leadership,
Eileann struggles with her feelings for Angusel, whose outcast status
makes him forbidden to her as a mate. When Angli treachery threatens
everyone she loves, she vows to thwart their violent plan to conquer
her clan. But she is no warrior, she has no soldiers to command, and
she will need a miracle just to survive.
How
can one soldier make a difference? How can one woman save her kin and
clan? In the crucible of combat, Angusel must surrender to the will
of the gods, and Eileann must invoke divine power to forge the most
dangerous warrior the world has ever known.
**only
99 cents!!**
THE
former Exalted Heir of Clan Alban of Caledon was dead. He
was certain of it. There
existed no light, no pain, no smells, no heat, no chill, no sensation
of any kind save the most beautiful strains of harp music he’d ever
heard. The images it evoked bespoke love in its many incarnations:
the frenzied passion of the Belteine fire dance, the soaring joy of
two souls bonded by desire, a mother’s fierce protectiveness of her
children, the lament of a bereaved spouse, a lullaby for a newborn,
the rapture of a long-delayed reunion. The Otherworld wasn’t like
what he had been taught—he saw no eternal battlefield where Lord
Annaomh’s Army of the Blest fought Lord Annàm’s Samhraidhean
minions. None of the ancient tales mentioned music in the Otherworld,
but he supposed the Old Ones could have whatever they liked. Comforted
by the melody, which was jaunty and lilting and mournful and jaunty
again, he wasn’t about to complain to his sithichean hosts. The
final notes thrummed into silence. “Well done, Eileann,” spoke a
nearby male voice in Caledonaiche. “I’ll wager the Old Ones
themselves are pleased by your harping.” This won the murmured
assent of other Caledonach men. “Thank
you, Tavyn.” The female Caledonach voice sounded demure, as though
unaccustomed to hearing such praise. He
was about to add his lauds to Tavyn’s when pain battered his head
and chest. Apparently, the gods weren’t done tormenting him. He had
been housed with his people—his former people. If this group had
recognized him, they never would have allowed him into their company. Caledonaich
did not associate with those who had been stripped of honor. Dragging
a hand across his eyes, though unwilling to open them, he encountered
the folds of a bandage swathing his brow. His hand dropped to his
chest, and he found another bandage where his battle-tunic and
undertunic should have been. He probed the ache’s source and
winced. Half a handspan farther down, and the wound would have gifted
him one-way passage to the Otherworld. Where
am I? “Rest
easy, brave one.” He must have uttered the question aloud, and the
lady harper sounded much closer than before. “You’re in the field
hospital at Port Dhoo-Glass.” The
Caledonach ward. He
groaned. Someone
pressed a cool, damp cloth to his cheeks and neck. He had to admit it
did feel good. “Medics
found you with a gash on your forehead and a spear in your chest,”
the woman continued. “If you hadn’t moved when you did, they
would have left you for dead. You’re lucky to be here.” Some
luck. He wished the medics had left him to the ravens.
Morning's
Journey
The
Dragon's Dove Chronicles Book 2
“Magnificent.”
~ Kathleen Foley, author of the Faith in Uniform series
In
a violent age when enemies besiege Brydein and alliances shift as
swiftly as the wind, stand two remarkable leaders: the Caledonian
warrior-queen Gyanhumara and her consort, Arthur the Pendragon. Their
fiery love is tempered only by their conviction to forge unity
between their disparate peoples. Arthur and Gyan must create an
impenetrable front to protect Brydein and Caledonia from land-lusting
Saxons and the marauding Angli raiders who may be massing forces in
the east, near Arthur’s sister and those he has sworn to
protect.
But
their biggest threat is an enemy within: Urien, Arthur’s rival and
the man Gyan was treaty-bound to marry until she broke that promise
for Arthur’s love. When Urien becomes chieftain of his clan, his
increase in wealth and power is matched only by the magnitude of his
hatred of Arthur and Gyan—and his threat to their infant
son.
Morning’s
Journey,
sequel to the critically acclaimed Dawnflight,
propels the reader from the heights of triumph to the depths of
despair, through the struggles of some of the most fascinating
characters in all of Arthurian literature. Those struggles are
exacerbated by the characters’ own flawed choices. Gyan and Arthur
must learn that while extending forgiveness to others may be
difficult, forgiveness of self is the most excruciating—yet
ultimately the most healing—step of the entire journey.
URIEN
MAP Dumarec of Clan Moray of Dalriada watched the departure of the
Argyll cavalry team through narrowed eyes. Overbearing Ogryvan and
his pet, Peredur. Rhys the Rat. And youngest and smallest in stature
but the biggest troublemaker of the lot, Angusel. To
think he might have become kin-by-marriage to those Picti vermin.
Well, Arthur could have the whole bloody lot. He
rubbed the woad Picti betrothal tattoo encircling his left wrist, one
bitter reminder of the woman who had broken that betrothal so she
could marry Arthur. The other reminder he didn’t have to see. He
felt its shameful sting whenever he wrinkled his brow. Reliving
the fight soured his mood. He’d lost more than Gyanhumara at the
point of Arthur’s sword. Arthur had removed him from command of the
Manx Cohort—a thousand foot and horse—and recalled him here, to
Caer Lugubalion, to lead the only all-horse cohort. This amounted to
about the same number of soldiers, but the Manx unit because of its
diversity had been a more challenging command and a logical
stepping-stone to greater power. Now, Urien commanded a unit composed
almost entirely of accursed Picts; of the eight alae, only First
Ala’s roster contained Brytons. It
wouldn’t surprise him to learn that Gyanhumara was agitating for
Arthur to put one of her clansmen in command of the Horse Cohort. The
bastard probably was itching for such an excuse to discharge Urien
altogether. He considered resigning his commission; if he left the
army, it damned well would be on his terms, not anyone else’s.
Dawnflight
The
Dragon's Dove Chronicles Book 1
What
if King Arthur’s queen was every bit as heroic as he was? Find out
by immersing yourself in this epic story of the power couple whose
courage and conviction would shape the destiny of a nation.
Gyan
is a Caledonian chieftainess by birth, a warrior and leader of
warriors by training, and she is betrothed to Urien, a son of her
clan’s deadliest enemy, by right of Arthur the Pendragon’s
conquest of her people. For the sake of peace, Gyan is willing to
sacrifice everything...perhaps even her very life, if her foreboding
about Urien proves true.
Roman
by his father, Brytoni by his mother, and denied hereditary rulership
of his mother's clan because of his mixed blood, Arthur has followed
his father's path to become Dux Britanniarum, the Pendragon: supreme
commander of the northern Brytoni army. The Caledonians, Scots,
Saxons, and Angles keep him too busy to dwell upon his
loneliness...most of the time.
When
Gyan and Arthur meet, each recognize within the other their soul’s
mate. The treaty has preserved Gyan’s ancient right to marry any
man, providing he is a Brytoni nobleman—but Arthur does not
qualify. And the ambitious Urien, Arthur’s greatest political
rival, shall not be so easily denied. If Gyan and Arthur cannot
prevent Urien from plunging the Caledonians and Brytons back into
war, their love will be doomed to remain unfulfilled forever.
But
there is an even greater threat looming. The Laird of the Scots wants
their land and will kill all who stand in his way. Gyan, Arthur, and
Urien must unite to defeat this merciless enemy who threatens
everyone they hold dear.
Arthur
said, “I advise caution.”
“Caution,
indeed.” Urien’s look adopted a hard edge as he ground fist to
palm. “I don’t trust these Picts. In fact, I don’t understand
why you didn’t obliterate them with Caledfwlch when I”—he
stabbed a thumb at his chest—“gave you the chance.” With
effort, Arthur resisted the impulse to touch his sword’s
ruby-pommeled hilt, the smith’s inspiration for naming it
Caleberyllus,
Latin for “Burning Jewel.” After Abar-Gleann, Cai had coined a
Brytoni name for Wyllan’s finest creation: Caledfwlch,
“Caledonia’s Bane.” It was perfectly apt, and it had almost
caused a diplomatic disaster. He
spared a glance for his friends and was thankful they were too far
away—and too engrossed with flirting with two more serving women—to
have overheard the exchange. Two months was enough time to heal flesh
wounds but not enough time to salve Cai’s pride for having to
endure Arthur’s public rebuke in order to preserve the fragile
peace. He returned his attention to Urien. “Do not forget that your
charge was carried out under my orders.” Urien
glared but let the remark pass. “The Picts have been a menace to
our borders for time out of mind. Why didn’t you—” “The
same can be said about the Saxons, Angles, and Scots.” These last
two Arthur spat like the curses they were to him. The Angli had
killed his father. And the Scots… he banished a grisly memory with
a long blink. “None of them have demonstrated a willingness to
negotiate with us for peace. The Caledonians were willing, and
Brydein will be getting a much stronger cavalry as a result.”
Arthur grinned. “You should thank them for your promotion.”
Kim Headlee lives on a farm in southwestern Virginia with her family, cats, goats, Great Pyrenees goat guards, and assorted wildlife. People and creatures come and go, but the cave and the 250-year-old house ruins--the latter having been occupied as recently as the mid-twentieth century--seem to be sticking around for a while yet.
Kim has been a published novelist since 1999 with the
first edition of Dawnflight (Sonnet Books, Simon & Schuster) and
has been studying the Arthurian legends for nigh on half a century.
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