Friday, September 25, 2015

Virtual Tour: M/M ~ Dragon's Eye by Lexi Ander ~ (Author Note, Excerpt + Giveaway)

Virtual Tour: M/M ~ Dragon's Eye by Lexi Ander ~ (Author Note, Excerpt + Giveaway)
Author Name: Lexi Ander
Book Name: Dragon’s Eye
Series: Sumeria’s Sons
Book Number: 5
Series should be read in order.
Release Date: October 7, 2015


Buy The Book:


Blurb:

In the wake of birth and betrayal, Ushna takes the God Ashur to Tristan in a last desperate bid to save Tristan's life—and is helpless to do anything but watch as Ashur instead buries him in a grave. Though he has no desire to go on living, having now lost Brian and Tristan, Ushna has no choice. Not only do their children need him, the mysterious Simurgh has come out of hiding and forces him to continue on—for there is much to do and little time to do it, especially with treachery and danger closing in on them from every side.

Pages or Words: 98,000 words

Categories: Fantasy, M/M Romance, Menage/Poly, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy

Excerpt:
Chapter One

**Ushna**

The God Ashur followed behind me carrying Tristan, whose body was battered and broken. The cry of our newborn pups preceded me. Their birth was supposed to be a wondrous occasion, but through treachery and lies, that was stolen from us. Instead of enjoying the happy moment, I feared Tristan was dying.

There was so much blood. The damage to his body overwhelmed my senses. I was afraid if I didn't keep my eyes on him, if I turned my back for a second too long, his Flame would slip away. We ran through the cursed caverns that wouldn't allow me to touch my wolf or feel the song of the earth. Ashur's harsh commands to hurry spurred me on faster but I had to look behind me, I had to see with my own eyes that Tristan was still with us, still fighting.

The scars… I couldn't care less but Tristan might. I vowed I would spend the rest of my life showing him how beautiful he was to me—but first we had to get him out into the open.

I glanced back. "Hurry, Ashur."

The corridor seemed much longer than when we'd come in. Glancing over my shoulder again to ensure Ashur followed closely, my impatience caused a snarl to rumble in my throat. Tristan's skin was a gray-blue, stark and sickly against Ashur's rich mahogany tone. With every passing moment, we were losing him.

"Please." I don't know if I begged Ashur to go faster or if it was a plea to the Gods to spare Tristan's life.

When we entered the darkened corridor carved from the bedrock, I heard Tristan sigh. For months, he'd been teaching me how to listen to the Earth and I could practically feel her rush to him. I climbed the stairs, my foot slipping on the wet step in my hurry to get outside.

The open air had never smelled so good, filling my lungs with the scents of life. My wolf stirred, frantic for our mate. I reached to take Tristan from Ashur, but he dodged my grasp, moving off to the side. His low voice had a musical tone as he chanted in a language I didn't recognize and next to him, a hole formed in the ground.

"What are you doing? You said all we had to do was get him outside!" Why was Ashur not singing the song for healing? I reached again to take Tristan from Ashur's arms. Tristan was teaching me the complex chant, but Ashur was Tristan's tutelary. He knew what to ask the Earth for and how. Why was he not begging her to save Tristan's life? She wouldn't say no. She'd never say no to Tristan because she adored him.

It took a moment for the haze of my frantic thoughts to subside enough to realize Ashur was talking and then another for me to process the meaning of his words. What did he mean he couldn't restore Tristan's health?

With rising alarm, I said, "You've been teaching him how to sing to the Earth. Why can't you do that now?"

Ashur dodged me, laying Tristan in the hole atop the dark loamy soil. Something eased in me seeing Tristan in contact with the ground, although the Earth didn't rush up to him as I'd expected. She never missed an opportunity to touch him… until now. Instead, I felt power build until my bones ached and the snakes on my chest writhed in discomfort.

Staring down, I searched for the source of the energy, sure that at any moment, whatever it was would show itself. My gaze continued to return to Tristan with his ruined eyed, his torso ravaged and gaping. Never had I seen him so vulnerable, so small, the very sight calling to the caretaker within me.

Tearing my gaze away, I confronted Ashur who was pleading with me. "I teach him the songs but She doesn't respond to me."

An ancient sadness shone in Ashur's visage but I didn't care. I had trusted him to save Tristan. Never before had I been filled with such useless rage. I didn't understand what Ashur was saying. Who was he talking about? The Earth? He was the king's tutelary, so why wouldn't the Earth answer his call?

Desperation rose up and I barked, "Why the fuck not?"

"Because I took the wrong side in a war, now I'm forever separated from Her."

What did that have to do with the here and now? What did it matter he'd lost something or someone? My Tristan was dying and all he could do was talk. Ashur's pleading gaze held mine and I suddenly understood. I glanced back down at Tristan, lying in a bed of fresh dark soil.

A grave.

"No! You cannot mean to do this. He's not dead!" I jumped into the hole; Tristan's single eye stared at me with clarity, despite the state of his body. His chest rose and fell with each labored breath. There was still time. I could save him.

With the strength of the God he was, Ashur wound his arms around my waist and easily hauled me away from Tristan.

I went mad.

I fought, screamed and begged. First Brian and now Tristan. How was I to stay behind? I pleaded with Ashur to allow me to go with Tristan. We'd travelled through the Earth together before, we could do it again. I could sing to the Earth and beg for Her help.

It wasn't too late.

Then Ashur chanted and the soil covered Tristan, taking him from my sight. I roared with fury, thrashing and clawing at Ashur's hands. I vowed vengeance for this act of betrayal. Silently, Ashur held me as I beat and wailed upon him, trying to free myself from his steely grasp. He whispered continuously, "I am sorry but this had to be done," in my ear. Tears of grief stained my cheeks and I hated him all the more because it didn't have to be like this. He had no right to take Tristan from me.




From The Author:

Who is Adapa?

Every creation myth there is always the first human. Adapa was Sumeria's first human and once again the god Enki had a hand in creating him. After the conclusion of the Igigi War, Enki woke from his healing sleep and he was not happy with what happened to Tiamat. Even though he could've easily taken the title of king of the gods from Enlil, Enki didn't, instead acknowledging Enlil's right to rule. After Tiamat's general, Kingu, was caught and taken prisoner there was another rebellion. I'm not sure how long it was in between the two wars. The second battle was over the lesser gods toiling. The picture given was one in which the gods worked the earth and built dam, bridges, and cities. Feeling the labor was below them, they demanded that Enki create beings to do the work for them. The gods killed Kingu and gave Enki his blood to use to fashion the first humans. Enki wasn't totally on board with the plan, but ended up doing what he was asked and Adapa was born.

Reading through the accounts of Adapa from Enki's POV, Enki and Adapa were great friends. Instead of being called Kingu's son, Enki claimed Adapa as his own and Adapa became the first of the seven sages (Apkallū) who brought the arts and moral code to civilization (call the Me) to mankind. He was one of the few humans to see the gods' heaven, Dilmun, not that he was taken there for a vacation. Being fashioned from the blood of a god, Adapa was a demigod with strength enough to tear the wings (accidentally) form the God Ninlil, the South Wind. Impressed by his sincerity, the God Enlil offered him the food of immortality and Adapa turned it down not knowing what was being offered to him.

Sometimes depicted as half-fish and half-man, Adapa wasn't only an advisor and priest to Enki, but a councilor to the Sumer kings. Even though he won over the God Enlil, in Sumeria's Sons Tristan's opinion of him was not so fond. I admit that I had fun with Tristan and Adapa in Surrounded by Crimson. I tried to pull in that sage wisdom and mixed it with him tweaking Tristan's nose—like a cantankerous grandfather would. I could imagine the grandfather humor when it came to Adapa because after living so long and seeing all he did, he had to have some fun otherwise existence would be completely boring. In Dragon's Eye, a contrasting view of Adapa was given through Brian's eyes. Adapa isn't a major side character, but one who adds value to the life experiences of the other characters.

A huge thank you for allowing me to be a guest on the blog today! Throughout the blog tour for Dragon's Eye, I hope you enjoy the behind the scenes look at the gods and mythos, and how they play a part in Sumeria's Sons. For a visual representation, please visit my Pinterest page. (https://www.pinterest.com/lexiander1/sumeria-sons-inspirations/) During the tour I discuss the Sumerian pantheon, about who and what the Gods/Goddess are, and how I use them. Make sure you stop by the other blogs to get a complete look at the Gods and Goddess the Lycan's follow.

Also, Less Than Three Press is running a special sale on Sumeria's Sons from September 23rd  through October 7th (dates inclusive).

Twin Flames is $0.99.



25% off Songs of the Earth



25% off Dreams of the Forgotten



25% off Surrounded by Crimson



Thank you for stopping by and reading!

Meet Lexi Ander:
Lexi has always been an avid reader, and at a young age started reading (secretly) her mother’s romances (the ones she was told not to touch). She was the only teenager she knew of who would be grounded from reading. Later, with a pencil and a note book, she wrote her own stories and shared them with friends because she loved to see their reactions. A Texas transplant, Lexi now kicks her boots up in the Midwest with her Yankee husband and her eighty-pound puppies named after vacuum cleaners.

Where to find Lexi Ander:

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6521302.Lexi_Ander
Publisher: LT3 Press - http://www.lessthanthreepress.com/books/
Cover Artist: London Burden

Tour Dates & Stops:

Rafflecopter Prize:
  1. Prize offered: Prize offered: $20 Amazon Gift card, $20 All Romance Gift card, hard copy of Dragon's Eye, swag (pens, bookmarks)
  2. $20 All Romance Gift card, hard copy of Dragon's Eye, swag (pens, bookmarks)
  3. hard copy of Dragon's Eye, swag (pens, bookmarks)
  4. e-book copy of Dragon's Eye
  5. e-book copy of Dragon's Eye


a Rafflecopter giveaway


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6 comments:

  1. jodi marinichSeptember 25, 2015 at 1:02 PM

    hi lexi and congrats

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnnMarieFSeptember 27, 2015 at 10:04 AM

    Congratulations on the new book!

    ReplyDelete
  3. SuhelyOctober 3, 2015 at 5:45 PM

    I can't wait for this book... I've been following this series since the previous publisher and I've anxtiously waited for what's next in Tristan, Ushna and Brian/Nikita's story... And btw, I'm a huge fan (and I also love Valespia :D)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LexiOctober 4, 2015 at 7:33 AM

      Hey Suhely! Thank you so much for not giving up on the series and I hope you enjoy this next installment to their story. ^_^ (And, Yay! for the Valespian Pact.)

      Delete

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