Tuesday, 31 March 2015

Stones and Finger Bones by Jessica Minyard Blog Tour and Giveaway!



Hi guys, welcome to the Stones and Finger Bones by Jessica Minyard Blog Tour. I'm so happy to be part of this and am delighted to share a wonderful Guest Post below. This book has such a cool cover and an awesome name!! Don't forget to check out the rest of the stops HERE.
Stones and Finger Bones by Jessica Minyard (The Black Towers #1) Publication date: February 10th 2015 Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Synopsis:
Aurelia Barone, Jewel of Starry Stone, harbors no illusions about the purpose of her life as heir to the throne. But after two failed betrothals, she starts to feel like nothing more than a pawn being moved aimlessly about a game board.Until the night she loses everything.
Kidnapped by a wise-cracking mercenary with more than one identity, Aurelia embarks on a mission across land and sea to avenge her father’s death.
But an evil is rising from the ashes of memory. Insidious magic is stirring. The dregs of a once-powerful nation are thirsty for blood and revenge.
They seek to harness Aurelia. To tempt her. To manipulate her.
And if necessary, to destroy her.


Purchase:
--Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/stones-and-finger-bones?utm_source=linkshare_us&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=linkshare_us&siteID=TnL5HPStwNw-HV0mBotgLnAHmCQ83yJSbA

Guest Post : 
Deleted Scene from Stones and Finger Bones
Today I get to share a deleted scene from Stones and Finger Bones!

What you are about to read wasn’t actually cut from the story until one of the final editing passes before publication. I was working on polishing the manuscript for my editor – it was the very last time she was going to see it! – when I decided this scene needed to go. It was a rather random, and short, foray into Rycen’s POV right in the middle of a chapter told from Aurelia’s POV, and didn’t serve much purpose other than to showcase my skills at writing hand-to-hand combat scenes.

I probably need to practice those skills.  


Rycen slipped into the darkness, keeping close to the deep shadows cast by the numerous trees. The bitter cold seared his exposed hands and face, but he was too devoted to the task at hand to pay trivial pain much mind.
A tingling sensation slithered up Rycen’s spine as he felt its presence in the woods. Rycen kept his body close to the ground, the muscles in his legs taut as bowstrings. He moved along in a crouch, his free hand sliding across tree trunks, boots squishing silently through the mud. He held his blade level with his chest, knuckles white from the cold and the power of his grip. Even with all his stealth and agility, he could not foresee tricks of the forest. A gnarled root protruded from a pile of dead leaves, at perfect ankle height. It snagged Rycen’s boot, and with a startled grunt he stumbled, cursing. In moments he regained his footing and the shelter of the shadows, wiping mud from his face.
And then he heard it: the hollow, rattling sound of air being drawn over bone. Rycen realized he was at the edge of a small clearing. The silver moon created a glowing pool of light, illuminating the clearing and its contents. Rycen peeked out from behind the trunk and his breath caught in his throat.
Standing in the middle of the clearing was a figure, clothed in shadows and smoke, the moonlight glinting dangerously off a long, serrated sword.
Rycen fell back behind the safety of his tree, then noticed the creature staring directly at him. He could feel the being’s eyes, though he could see nothing but the blackness of a deep hood. His back against the tree, Rycen wiped the blade of his sword on his pants. He brought the blade to his lips, relishing the icy kiss of the steel, then stood and stepped out to face the darkness.
He stood before the monster, sword at the ready. He took one cautious step forward, turning his body slightly, so that his right foot was in the lead. The creature never moved, but Rycen noticed the hand holding the perilous blade twitch, as if itching to tear soft flesh and spill warm blood. He dug his left boot heel into the ground, his grip on the sword hilt tightening, preparing.
In a sudden burst of movement, Rycen sprinted the few feet separating him and his adversary. He launched himself into the air, deftly twisting his body so that he could strike with his right hand and protect his abdomen. The creature was faster than he had predicted. Moving with inhuman speed and agility, the creature dodged Rycen’s attack and struck out with a gauntleted hand. Rycen plummeted to the ground with a bloody nose. He swung his sword over his head purely on reflex, just in time to catch the deadly blade before it ripped him in two. Blade screeched along blade. Rycen brought his legs up, pounding the creature in the chest with both feet, trying to stop it from gaining more ground above him. With his free hand, Rycen pulled a small blade from his boot, just as the creature’s free hand came toward his chest.

AUTHOR BIO

Jessica wrote and illustrated her first story in the fourth grade. “The Dragon of Grindley Grun” was about an evil wizard, a princess, and a dragon who was actually a prince. She likes to think her writing has evolved since that very first story, even though she still writes about magic and evil wizards...sometimes.
She likes to sing loudly and dance on occasion without being particularly talented at either. Her interests include reading, writing, procrastinating, animal advocacy, musicals, accessories, memes, Harry Potter, and sweet tea.
Jessica lives in Kentucky with a spoiled pitbull.

Author links:

Giveaway:


Tour-wide giveaway
--A signed paperback of Stones and Finger Bones and 4 prints of hand painted, original character portraits.


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