Virtual Tour: M/M ~ The Heart of All Words, Book One: The Sidhe by Charlotte Ashe ~ (Author Interview, Excerpt + Giveaway)
Book Information:
Author Name: Charlotte Ashe
Author Name: Charlotte Ashe
Book Name: The Heart of All Words, Book One: The Sidhe
Release Date: July 21, 2015
Publisher: Interlude Press
Cover Artist: Sarah Sanderson
Buy The Book:
Amazon ~ store.interludepress.com
Blurb:
Since his childhood, Brieden Lethiscir has admired The Sidhe, the beautiful and magical beings native to the Faerie world outside his homeland of Villalu. Though he grew up in a culture accepting of Sidhe enslavement by Villalu’s elite, Brieden finds that he can no longer tolerate the practice when he becomes a steward to Prince Dronyen, who is viciously abusive of his sidhe slave Sehrys. Captivated by the handsome and mysterious sidhe slave, Brieden vows to free and return Sehrys to his homeland.
As they escape the capital and navigate a treacherous path to the border, Breiden and Sehrys grow close. Breiden soon learns both the true power of The Sidhe, and that the world that he thought he knew is not what it once seemed. If they survive to reach the border, he will have to make a choice: the love of his life, or the fate of his world.
Pages or Words: 442 pages
Categories: Fantasy, Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Romance
Excerpt:
The sidhe was tall, supple and lithe, as all sidhe tended to be, with milk-pale skin that glowed like moonlight over lean, taut muscles. Like all the others before him, he was naked, giving potential buyers a full picture of what they were bidding on.
And he was extraordinary, head to toe.
His chin-length hair was violet-red and it gleamed in the afternoon sun. His lips were pink and delicate with a pronounced bow, his nose had a narrow, smooth slope and his eyes...
His eyes.
It wasn't that they were the most incredible color imaginable: a storm of deep, contrasting, impossible greens unlike any Brieden had ever seen. And it wasn't that they were large and almond- shaped beneath a fan of plum-colored lashes.
It was that they were full to the brim with life.
Never before had Brieden seen a sidhe slave with such lively and expressive eyes, even as he stood for auction. Those eyes were not dull or defeated in the slightest. Wary, yes, and utterly devoid of trust, but also blazing.
Blazing like the eyes of that sidhe Brieden had seen at the riverbank when he was twelve years old— the only free sidhe Brieden had ever had the chance to behold.
The elf stood on that platform as if he owned it. As if he were judging every human man before him, and not the other way around.
He tucked a lock of hair behind a delicately pointed elfin ear, then jutted his chin to reveal a chiseled jaw that contrasted beautifully against his tender features.
And though he knew it was insane, Brieden was quite sure that he was in love.
Author Interview:
Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing Charlotte Ashe, author of The Sidhe, the first book in The Heart of All Worlds trilogy.
Hi Charlotte, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself, your background, and your current book.
Thank you for having me! I am a social worker in Portland, Maine , and The Sidhe is my first novel. I majored in creative writing and literature way back in college, but it took me some time to find my way back to writing. I am so excited to finally write the books I’ve always wanted to write, combining elements of fantasy and romance with a focus on LGBTQ characters.
1) Do you pay attention to literary criticism? If so, how do you handle it?
So far the reviews of my book that I’ve seen have been largely positive, which feels fantastic. I am, however, well aware that every piece of creative work has its critics. I’m not opposed to constructive criticism, provided it truly is constructive. I always want to grow and improve as a writer, and I appreciate any insights that will help me to do so. That said, I don’t imagine I’ll pay much attention to it--I have books to write, and I don’t want to waste too much time second-guessing myself.
2) How do you come up with your titles?
Titles are one of the most difficult things for me! I don’t really know how I come up with them. I mostly just mull over ideas until I feel like pulling my hair out, and then something clicks.
3) What new authors have grasped your interest?
Lilah Suzanne is a really smart and witty author--she wrote Pivot and Slip and Spice, both of which are fantastic M/M romances. I also really loved Hush by Jude Sierra--a gorgeous love story with just enough magical realism to make the premise truly fascinating. I’m not really familiar with new fantasy authors, unfortunately, which is something I really should change.
4) What is the hardest part about writing?
Pushing through creative blocks and forcing myself to write when I don’t feel inspired. It’s difficult, but it’s also the only way to develop and sustain a writing career, so I’ve made it a priority to get better at it.
5) Name your four most important food groups.
The chocolate group, the tropical fruit group, the hummus group and the smoked-and-grilled-things group.
About the author:
Charlotte Ashe is a social worker by day and a writer of romantic fantasy by night. A long-time fan of speculative fiction that skews feminist and features LGBTQ characters, Charlotte loves writing stories that are sexy, heartfelt, and full of magic and adventure. She has put her B.A. in literature and creative writing to use over the years as a writer of online fan-based fiction, and her most popular work has drawn more than one million readers worldwide, been translated into several languages, and been featured in online publications including The Backlot.
Charlotte lives in Portland, Maine and can be found sleeping at the beach all summer and clomping along the cobblestones in her Bean boots all winter, writing fairytales in her head to distract from the cold.
Where to find the author:Facebook: facebook.com/pages/Charlotte-Ashe/1416233241994204Twitter: @CobwebsandAshesWebsite: www.CharlotteAshe.com
Goodreads Link: goodreads.com/user/show/32040943-charlotte-ashe#_=_
Tour Dates & Stops:
21-Jul
22-Jul
23-Jul
24-Jul
27-Jul
28-Jul
29-Jul
30-Jul
31-Jul
3-Aug
Rafflecopter Prize: Grand Prize: $25 Interlude Press gift card; also, five multi-format eBoook editions of THOAW: The Sidhe
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thank you so much for having me on your blog! Your questions were fantastic and I had a great time!
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