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Judith Sterling

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Judith Sterling

Tag Archives: Tuatha De Danann

Mary Morgan’s New Release: TRIAL OF A WARRIOR

11 Tuesday Dec 2018

Posted by Judith Sterling in Uncategorized

≈ 21 Comments

Tags

award winning author, Celtic Mythology, fantasy romance, Guardians of Erin, Ireland, Judith Sterling, Legends of the Fenian Warriors, Mary Morgan, new release, Order of the Dragon Knights, paranormal series, The Cauldron Stirred, The Stone Awakened, Trial of a Warrior, Tuatha De Danann


My dear friend, Mary Morgan, is here to celebrate tomorrow’s release of Trial of a Warrior, the third book in her Legends of the Fenian Warriors series. Yay! More Celtic mythology! You know about my Guardians of Erin series and the upcoming release of The Stone Awakened (Book 2). My love for Ireland runs deep, and Mary is definitely a kindred spirit in that respect! Let’s see what she has to say about her new release.

What inspired you to write this book/series?

Initially, you meet these warriors in my first series, Order of the Dragon Knights. I knew one day I would have to write each of their stories.

I have always been fascinated with Celtic mythology, so it only made sense that I would develop and expand the world of the Fenian Fae Warriors. Theirs was a world rich in legends, colors, and senses. I’ve based my own fictional account on the legend of the Tuatha Dé Danann—one of the invasions of Ireland. They were known as the Shining Ones or the Fae.

With my warriors, there is nothing diminutive with these heroes. They’re ancient, extremely tall, and commanding. As always, it will take a strong woman to stand beside these ancient Fae.

Absolutely! The Tuatha Dé Danann fascinate me too, which is why I’ve woven them into my young adult series. Dreams–or what appear to be dreams–play an important role in that saga, especially in the first book, The Cauldron Stirred. Speaking of dreams, have you encountered any of your characters in one? Yes, all of them! They’re usually speaking all at once, arguing over a specific plot. I never interfere, but tend to sit back and try to absorb the messages.

Awesome! If you could give your hero a word of advice, what would it be? To always maintain his humor.

Any advice for your heroine? Try to curb the stubbornness.

In general, which do you enjoy writing more: description or dialogue? Both. I love the ebb and flow of describing a scene and then adding dialogue.

So do I. What do you love most about being an author? The freedom to create stories. There’s always a tale to be told within my mind.

I’m right there with you, Mary! Thanks so much for joining me today. I’m positive the new book will be a great success.

A little more about Trial of a Warrior:

“You met them in the Order of the Dragon Knights. Now, journey to the realm of the Fae and witness their legends!”

A warrior sentenced to die.

On trial for breaking a supreme Fae law, Fenian Warrior, Liam MacGregor has no regrets. He is prepared to accept his sentence—even if it means his death. However, freedom comes in an unexpected manner, and brings with it certain dangers as he travels through the Veil of Ages.

A princess honor-bound to remain hidden.

Princess Abela might be a priestess and the daughter of royalty, but that doesn’t prevent her from doing the unimaginable. She sacrifices duty and honor to set free the man who captured her heart so many years ago. No matter the severity of his crimes, she cannot let Liam die.

A rescue that will bring about a war and divide a kingdom!

In their quest to secure a treaty to forestall Liam’s death sentence, they must fight their desires for one another, as well as the Fenian Warriors sent to capture them.

A peek inside the pages:

Taking the end of her braid, Liam wove the soft hair around his finger. Black as ebony, the lock glistened in the soft glow of the fire. She’d tempted him beyond reason. Once, he thought there might have been a destiny, but her words of rejection slammed the door on any possibility. If she had no desire to claim him, why did Abela come to his initiation?

“Why witness my ceremony?” He let out a frustrated breath and brought the braid to his lips.

“Because I never said goodbye,” she uttered softly. Lifting her head, her eyes sought his and her cheeks colored from the heat of his gaze.

Liam was unable to look away from her beauty. “No. I recall harsh words and tears.”

“We were young—naïve.”

“Stubborn and set on a path of adventure,” he added.

“But our roads have led us to this fork, so to speak.”

Liam cupped her chin. “Was it destined?” He felt her tremble from his touch.

“I am not a seer,” she replied, darting her tongue out along her bottom lip.

His mind screamed at him to move away. She was a princess—a priestess. But the temptation to taste her lips once more seeped into his being. Liam bent his head and placed a feather-like kiss on the corner of her mouth.

A small breathless whisper escaped her lips, “More.”

Her invitation sparked a desire that had remained sealed. Cupping the back of her head, he continued to kiss her tenderly on the eyes, nose, and forehead. As he shifted his position, Liam brought his arms around her and dared to feast on something that was forbidden. If death was his future, he wanted one more kiss to take with him.

Buy the book:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JGMH8XS/

BN: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/trial-of-a-warrior-mary-morgan/1129784209?ean=2940161545003

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/trial-of-a-warrior/id1441254175?mt=11

The Wild Rose Press: https://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/all-titles/6349-trial-of-a-warrior.html

More about Mary:

Award-winning Celtic paranormal and fantasy romance author, Mary Morgan, resides in Northern California, with her own knight in shining armor. However, during her travels to Scotland, England, and Ireland, she left a part of her soul in one of these countries and vows to return.

Mary’s passion for books started at an early age along with an overactive imagination. Inspired by her love for history and ancient Celtic mythology, her tales are filled with powerful warriors, brave women, magic, and romance. It wasn’t until the closure of Borders Books where Mary worked that she found her true calling by writing romance. Now, the worlds she created in her mind are coming to life within her stories.

If you enjoy history, tortured heroes, and a wee bit of magic, then time-travel within the pages of her books.

Where to find her:

WEBSITE: http://www.marymorganauthor.com
BLOG: http://www.marymorganauthor.com/blog
TWITTER: http://twitter.com/m_morganauthor
FACEBOOK AUTHOR PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/MaryMorganAuthor/

GOODREADS: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8271002.Mary_Morgan
AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE: http://www.amazon.com/Mary-Morgan/e/B00KPE3NWI/
PINTEREST: www.pinterest.com/marymorgan50/
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/marymorgan2/
BOOKBUB: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/mary-morgan

The Cauldron Stirred – Giveaway!

31 Monday Jul 2017

Posted by Judith Sterling in Uncategorized

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Tags

fantasy, giveaway, Goodreads, Guardians of Erin, Ireland, Killarney, mystery, new release, paranormal, romance, The Cauldron Stirred, Tuatha De Danann, young adult

I’m doing a giveaway of my new release, The Cauldron Stirred, on Goodreads.  Enter now through August 15, and you could win one of two signed copies.  If you love Ireland, fantasy, the paranormal, romance, mystery, or all of the above, you might want to check it out.

Good luck to all who enter!  🙂

A little about The Cauldron Stirred:

Ashling Donoghue never dreamed moving to Ireland would rock her perception of reality and plunge her into a mystery that brings legend to life.

At seventeen, she’s never had a boyfriend, but she feels an immediate connection to Aengus Breasal, the son of the wealthy Irishman who’s invited her family to stay at his Killarney estate.  For the first time in her life, a guy she likes seems attracted to her.

But Aengus is secretive, with good reason.  He and his family are the Tuatha Dé Danann, ageless, mythical guardians adept at shifting between this reality and the magical dimension known as the Otherworld.  Evil forces from that world threaten the Breasals, the Donoghues, and all of Ireland.  Ashling must open her heart, face her fears, and embrace a destiny greater than she could ever have imagined.

The Guardians of Erin series is born!

21 Friday Jul 2017

Posted by Judith Sterling in Uncategorized

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Tags

Amazon, Guardians of Erin, Ireland, Judith Sterling, Otherworld, paranormal fantasy, The Cauldron Stirred, The Wild Rose Press, Tuatha De Danann, worldwide release, YA series, young adult

Today’s the day!  It’s the worldwide release of The Cauldron Stirred (Guardians of Erin, Book One).  A big thanks to everyone at The Wild Rose Press–especially my editor, Nicole D’Arienzo, cover artist, RJ Morris, and marketing director, Lisa Dawn–for all their efforts.

I hope you’ll check it out.  Here’s the blurb:

Ashling Donoghue never dreamed moving to Ireland would rock her perception of reality and plunge her into a mystery that brings legend to life.

At seventeen, she’s never had a boyfriend, but she feels an immediate connection to Aengus Breasal, the son of the wealthy Irishman who’s invited her family to stay at his Killarney estate.  For the first time in her life, a guy she likes seems attracted to her.

But Aengus is secretive, with good reason.  He and his family are the Tuatha Dé Danann, ageless, mythical guardians adept at shifting between this reality and the magical dimension known as the Otherworld.  Evil forces from that world threaten the Breasals, the Donoghues, and all of Ireland.  Ashling must open her heart, face her fears, and embrace a destiny greater than she could ever have imagined.

Here’s an excerpt:

The night air was deliciously cool. Moonlight and darkness held equal sway over the backyard thanks to the shifting clouds. I dashed across the lawn and halted in the exact spot where Aengus had stood. Panting, I looked around, willing some kind of clue to materialize.

The ruins in front of me darkened as large, heavy clouds swallowed the moon whole. The wind tugged at my long, loose hair and pajamas. Tiny raindrops spattered on my nose and cheeks. I turned my palms to the sky, and cold rain pelted them.

“Great.” Intending to return to the house, I swiveled around.

I gasped. My right hand flew to my chest. “Aengus?!”

The man himself stood an arm’s length in front of me. “Why are you here?”

“You scared the crap out of me!”

“Whisht!”

“What?”

“Shush!”

Pop!

The strident sound came from the ruins. I whirled around and stared at the dark keep.
Aengus grabbed me from behind. He pulled me to him and wrapped his arms around me. I reveled in the feel of his taut body, of his warm flesh against mine.

Suddenly, everything changed. The rain stopped. The wind died. The entire landscape was bathed in the soft hue of twilight. Breasal Castle looked brand spanking new, just as it had during the bizarre dream in which I brought Aengus to the cottage. But this time, I knew I was awake.

Dumbfounded, I gawked at the medieval magnificence before me. I had no idea what had happened and no desire to pull away from his embrace.

His lips brushed my right ear, sending a shiver down my spine. “This way.”

His right arm released me, and his left slid down to my waist. Maintaining body contact the entire time, he steered me toward the stand of oaks on our right.

Once sheltered by the trees, he turned us around so we faced the castle.

“Are we hiding?” I whispered.

“We are.”

“Why? And what just happened?”

“I can’t say.”

“Can’t or won’t?”

“Both.”

Until that moment, I’d forgotten I wore pajamas. Now I was acutely aware of it. Satin was pleasing to the touch, but something told me my attire had nothing to do with his grip on me.

I looked up at him. “Not that I mind, but why are you holding me so close?”

His hand tightened on my waist. “It’s necessary.”

“I don’t suppose you can explain that, either.”

With his gaze locked on the castle, he shook his head. He pressed his right forefinger against his mouth in a silencing gesture. Then he pointed up at the keep.

High on the battlements, the black-haired woman from my dream—and from Branna’s painting—paced back and forth. Her hair whipped about her pale face and slender frame.

She paused beside a gap in the crenelated wall and glared down at the fairy mound. Her colorless lips curled into a sneer. Then her human form morphed into a dark shadow, which fragmented into what seemed a million black particles. They swarmed into the air and shot across the twilit sky, disappearing into the distance.

I took a deep breath. “So she’s real.”

He nodded. “She’s real, to be sure. Come.” With his arm still hooked around me, he led me out of the woods and toward the fairy mound.

Available on Amazon at https://amzn.com/B072C1CG5D and other online retailers.

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