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Friday, August 12, 2011

FF–Snow White by Kendra Leigh Castle

** Today on Dark Faerie Tales, read Christina Henry’s take on the 12 Dancing Princesses and you could win a copy of Black Night**

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The hero of Dark Awakening, shapeshifting vampire Tynan MacGillivray, has spent centuries prowling the night as an outcast, valued only for his ferocious hunting skills. When a feud among the immortals escalates into all-out war, he is ordered by his ruthless queen to locate a Seer-a human woman with a special gift-who can secure victory for their clan. Ty's search leads him to a quiet New England town, but once he has the Seer in his grasp, her touch awakens within him a hunger like he's never known .  It's soon clear that Lily Quinn is much more than a Seer.  But will a vampire's vow of eternal protection stop the evil forces that hunt her...or unleash her dark destiny?

Snow White and the Vampire
By Kendra Leigh Castle

My name is Tynan MacGillivray, but in the tale of Snow White I am known only as The Huntsman.  You think you know the story—how an innocent princess was betrayed by an evil queen, how a loyal huntsman took mercy on Snow White, allowing her to live and marry her handsome prince.  But the truth, in this case, has been obscured by centuries of pixie-dust-addled dreamers.  I am the Huntsman.  And I have a far different tale to tell.

I was supposed to kill her.  That much is true.  The Queen chose me because I had always done my job well—too well.  But my kind had few choices if we didn’t want to be hunted ourselves.  The Cait Sith, vampires who prowl the night as both man and cat, were hated and feared.  But the Queen, Snow White’s stepmother, saw beauty in our darkness.  And so I became a useful tool, a loyal servant.  My quarry knew me only as Death, and in return, I was allowed to live, and to feed.  Most of my heart seemed as black as the fur I wore as a second skin.  Still, when Her Highness called me in that night, handed me that beautiful little box and told me what she wanted inside when it was returned to her, I discovered my heart wasn’t quite dead after all.  I wasn’t surprised by her wish.  The madness in her had been deeply rooted for some time by then.  But I saw, when she gave me her command, that she knew my most closely held secret after all.  Though Snow White barely looked at me, and then only with fear, what heart I had left belonged to the raven-haired princess.  The Queen knew.  And monster that she was, she savored my pain.

I agreed, of course.  The Queen would have crushed me like a bug if I’d tried to deny her.  And so it happened, the very next night, that I found myself living a cruel mockery of my long held desire.  Finally, I was alone with Snow White.

She was everything the fairy tales make her out to have been.  More.  Porcelain skin, lips as red as the blood I craved, eyes as deep and dark a blue as the ocean.  And down her back to her waist fell that midnight hair I wanted so badly to wrap around my hands while I claimed her mouth, her body, as my own.  Snow White had never seemed comfortable around me, not that I blamed her.  Not only was I one of her stepmother’s lackeys, but she seemed to sense that I was every inch a predator, and that to me, she looked like prey.  Still, she didn’t argue when I was assigned to be her escort for her evening walk.  She loved the twilight, though I think she loved the temporary escape from the increasingly violent narcissism of the Queen even more.  So we walked, she and I, into the woods surrounding the castle.  She watched the stars come out.  And I tried to prepare myself for what I had been ordered to do.

All the movies are wrong, you know.  I never even raised my dagger.  I don’t know that I could have, even if she hadn’t said anything.  But Snow White was no fainting, helpless princess, and before we’d gotten far she turned and very quietly asked me whether I was going to kill her.  There were no tears, no pleading.  I hadn’t realized, until that moment, how much steel there was in Snow White.  It wasn’t that she didn’t want to live—she did, desperately.  But she’d seen the writing on the wall, even before I had, and could see no way out.  That, as it turned out, was the one thing I could give her: her freedom.  And in return, she gave me something I never in my wildest dreams expected: a kiss.  
I don’t know how she ended up in my arms.  One moment she was staring at me while I told her to run, that I would try to make the Queen believe she was dead.  And the next, her mouth was on mine.  I won’t give you the details.  Those are private treasures, and I’m not inclined to share.  But I will say that having Snow White in my arms, being as tangled up in her as I’d only dared to dream, made all of my many fantasies pale in comparison to the reality of tasting the woman herself.  And I discovered, right then, that Snow White had her own secret.  Somehow, I hadn’t been alone in my longing.  She might fear me…in fact, I know she did.  But she wanted me even more.  I could hardly believe the words she gave me, the things she said to me, to a lowly Cait Sith.  But as I said, some memories are mine, and mine alone.

Leaving her there was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, even now, centuries later.  But we both knew that my returning to the Queen was her only chance at escape.  So she vanished into the dark, and I delivered a pig’s heart to her stepmother.  You all know the gist of what happened next.  The Queen was satisfied, for a time.  Her mirror slave successfully fought the compulsion to tell her the truth of Snow White’s continuing existence for an admirable length of time.  I have no idea what it must have cost him, but I’m sure it was more than even most vampires could have withstood.  Eventually, however, he broke under the strain of his binding spell.  The Queen flew into a psychotic fury the likes of which I have never again seen.  And I…well, I did the only thing I could.  I ran.

Richard3I didn’t think of it as running away.  I thought of it as running to.  All I could think of was warning Snow White, of taking her as far away as I could so that we could be together.  But the Queen was clever.  She poisoned the princess while I slept, and by the time I rose, the damage was done.  I found her, pale as a ghost, taking her final breaths, surrounded by the dwarves who’d done their best to conceal her.  I give them a lot of credit.  Dwarves are a bunch of rowdy, foul-mouthed drunkards, for the most part (and I mean that in the most complimentary of ways), but they’d loved Snow White.  They’d done their best.  It just hadn’t been enough in the face of the Queen’s darkness.  I knew of only one way to save her, though I hesitated…vampires are all cursed, in our way.  Eternal life is no gift.  But I knew, when she bared her neck to me without my having said a word, that Snow White had made her decision already.  She chose me.  And because I loved her, I gave her what the stories have all deemed “True Love’s Kiss”.

It was, indeed.  They just tend to skip over the part about the fangs.

The Queen fell not long after, her mind broken, poisoned in mind and body by what she had done to Snow White.  And I found myself husband to a queen unlike any the kingdom had ever seen, bound to the one woman who could bring peace between the Cait Sith and the humans.  It didn’t last, of course.  No peace ever does, and the day came when it was time to slip into the darkness with our kind and find a new place in the changing world.  What has lasted, however, is the love I have for my lady of the ebony hair and the skin as white as snow.  The glass coffin she once slept in is long gone, its true import lost in a sea of pretty fairy tales.  But we still have one another, the princess and her Huntsman.  And now you know the truth…that Snow White still lives, eternally, happily ever after.   

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giveaway

I have one (1) copy of Dark Awakening to offer to one of you!

 

Enter the world of the Dark Dynasties . . .

For centuries, shapeshifting vampire Tynan MacGillivray has prowled the night as an outcast, valued only for his ferocious hunting skills. When a feud among the immortals escalates into all-out war, he is ordered by his ruthless queen to locate a Seer-a human woman with a special gift-who can secure victory for their clan. Ty's search leads him to a quiet New England town, but once he has the Seer in his grasp, her touch awakens within him a hunger like he's never known . . .

Lily Quinn has always been different. Since childhood, she's had vivid nightmares and an eerie sixth sense. When a sexy, silver-eyed stranger demands her help, Lily plunges into a new world of danger and sensuality. With Ty, she discovers sizzling passions she cannot deny and powers she cannot control. Soon, it is clear that Lily is much more than a Seer-she holds the key to ancient secrets and unthinkable destruction. But will a vampire's vow of eternal protection stop these evil forces . . . or unleash her dark destiny?


Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

 

Interested in winning this book?

  • This giveaway is open to US & Canada (no PO boxes)

  • To enter, just leave a comment letting me know what you though of Tynan in this story?

You can to earn an extra entry (1) by spreading the word, please provide link in a second comment

Tweet: #FantasticFables Read @KendraLCastle 's take on Snow White | Win Dark Awakening http://www.tyngasreviews.com/2011/08/ffsnow-white-by-kendra-leigh-castle.html #giveaway PLZ RT

Ends September 7th, 2011.

More books by Kendra Leigh Castle

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Kendra Leigh Castle writes dark paranormal romance and lives in Soutehrn Maryland with her husband, three kids, and menagerie of pets.  You can find her on facebook, Twitter (@KendraLCastle), and at www.kendraleighcastle.com.

More books by Kendra Liegh Castle

Call of the Highland Moon (The... Dark Highland Fire (The MacInn... Wild Highland Magic (The MacIn... Renegade Angel (Harlequin Noct...

Tynga is a 32 years old mom of two, from Montreal, working as a lab technician in an hospital specialized in heart disease. In her free time, she enjoys reading all things Paranormal and photography.

Follow Tynga on: Facebook | Twitter

47 People left their mark' :

  1. I haven't read the story yet, so I don't know much about him. From the blurb he sounds fierce and passionate.

    Good reading ~ Escape by Fiction :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Interesting take on Snow White.


    sgiden at verizon.net

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  3. Nice take on Snow White. Thank you for the giveaway!

    jnmt3@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. Tweet

    https://mobile.twitter.com/rainmaidenjen/status/102047217111662592

    ReplyDelete
  5. He sounds interesting I would love a chance to read more about him
    audie@wickerness.com

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  6. Tynan sounds great. I would love to read this book.
    Thanks for the giveaway.
    Crystal816[at]hotmail[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
  7. I loved this version of Snow White and how he saved her with True Love's kiss. I love Tynan as the huntsman then I know I am going to love him in the book.

    vampiremistress2010(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  8. Ty makes a pretty dashing Huntsman. I'm looking forward to his story in Dark Awakening.

    Cambonified(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  9. I loved Tynan in the story and it was a nice change to Snow White. The book sound great, they combine two favorite things of mine vampires and shape shifters.

    rachaelmccully@yahoo.com

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  10. I really really want to win this book!!! I keep trying everywhere. I loved the twist on Snow White it was awesome.

    eckstein99@comcast.net

    ReplyDelete
  11. Tynan is a vamp AND a shapeshifter, a cat to boot, what's not to like! He's so tortured in the fairy tale. What to do, what to do, save myself from the queen or give into my heart? I need HEAs so I'm glad he gave into his heart :-)

    glittergirl54[at]ymail[dot]com

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  12. Completely plausible and entertaining spin on Snow White. I liked that it was more Tynan's story than Snow White's. It gave it a fresh spin. Loved it and can't wait to check out the book.

    mljfoland AT hotmail DOT com

    ReplyDelete
  13. +1 Tweet: http://twitter.com/#!/Rogue237/status/102153122167787521

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  14. Tynan sounds dark and sexy in this story. He seems to really appreciate his queen, Snow White, and is a good man. I'd love to know him LOL

    angeldream3[AT]gmail[DOT]com

    ReplyDelete
  15. This story was fantastic. I love Tynan - a shapeshifting vampire, how awesome. I can't wait to read Dark Awakening to get to know all about these characters.

    Barbed1951 at aol dot com

    ReplyDelete
  16. I think it is a great story. I hope I win it so I can read it. Thanks for the giveaway.

    truebloodfan AT rock.com

    ReplyDelete
  17. Tweeted: http://twitter.com/#!/Vamper_Fan/status/102221509862494208

    truebloodfan AT rock.com

    ReplyDelete
  18. Ty seems like a very complex and captivating character. I'd love to find out more.

    https://mobile.twitter.com/#!/itzKelseyD/status/102225431540936704

    Poisnivyred AT gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  19. Wow, Tynan sounds like just my kind of hero. Tortured and having done lots of things that he regrets in the past, but still capable of goodness. I'd love to win this book.

    jen at delux dot com

    ReplyDelete
  20. Tynan makes a perfect hero. He has the bad, the torture and the love all rolled up in one.
    re-tweeted: http://twitter.com/#!/Tynga/status/102114795045654528

    vsloboda(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  21. I loved Tynan as the woodsman! He's got everything it takes to be a hero: a dark past, someone who has turned their heart off to survive in their violent world, a secret love for someone pure, and then he risked his own life to save Snow White. Perfect!! I can't wait to read the book and find out if my thoughts about him are true:)
    jwitt33 at live dot com

    ReplyDelete
  22. I haven't read the story yet either so I don't know much about him. I would love to read it though. Please enter me in contest. Tore923@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  23. This sound like a really good read. Thanks for the giveaway.
    juliecookies(at)gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  24. I liked Tynan. Hope to snag a copy for my shelf

    Chllybrd(at)gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  25. Interesting take on Snow White.I liked it.
    elaing8(at)netscape(dot)net

    ReplyDelete
  26. http://twitter.com/#!/elaing8/status/102822544909934592

    elaing8(at)netscape(dot)net

    ReplyDelete
  27. i would love to read more about Tynan. thanks for the giveaway

    Terri
    oklahomamommy0306@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  28. Wow....what a fangtastic ending to that tale! Loved it! Please enter me into the drawing!
    Viajeradelmar @aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  29. I loved reading it from Tynan's POV.
    He can star in my fairy tales any day!.
    (\___/)
    (='.'=)
    (")_(")

    alterlisa AT yahoo DOT com
    http://lisaslovesbooksofcourse.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  30. http://twitter.com/#!/alterlisa/status/103578115518889984
    (\___/)
    (='.'=)
    (")_(")

    alterlisa AT yahoo DOT com
    http://lisaslovesbooksofcourse.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  31. I absolutely adored Tynan as the Huntsman (as I have always admittedly had a soft spot for the Huntsman).

    Thank you so much for the fable and giveaway!

    twiztidsharkie@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  32. Tynan is my kind of hero. He is in a bad situation, forced into things he cannot control but rescued through love and it's magic. Definitely a tortured hero which I enjoy reading about.

    LadyVampire2u AT gmail DOT com

    ReplyDelete
  33. My tweet: http://twitter.com/#!/LadyVampire2u/status/104847493967257600

    LadyVampire2u AT gmail DOT com

    ReplyDelete
  34. Tynan was great in this story! He is a hero I would like to read more about!

    mmafsmit at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  35. Tweet:
    http://twitter.com/#!/Maria_Smith_76/status/105001571422711808

    mmafsmith at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  36. Wow I love Tynan as a tortured hero Huntsman, very nice.

    miss.smileygirlie@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  37. Great story I really liked it thanks for sharing! Great giveaway thank you so much!
    tishajean@ charter.net

    ReplyDelete
  38. Tweeted too
    http://twitter.com/#!/latishajean/status/106924798482972674
    tishajean@ charter.net

    ReplyDelete
  39. Interesting take! I'm really liking all these stories! tjotjoc at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  40. Tynan sounds like a very interesting and complex character! Would love to read more about him!

    chibipooh(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  41. What a cool take on Snow White. Tynan makes a great Huntsman.
    marlenebreakfield(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  42. Tweeted http://twitter.com/#!/mbreakfield/status/108373042199138304
    marlenebreakfield(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  43. Having Tynan narrate his version of Snow White made it achingly beautiful.

    little lamb lst at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  44. I must win this one. I read all her books and loved them!

    email: jazzwolf44(at)gmail(dot)com

    http://twitter.com/#!/Gothical17/status/110227929560137728

    ReplyDelete
  45. Hi Tynan, Thia sure is the story for me. It is different and i like the{ different}thanks for the chance to win. Joannie jscddmj[at]aol[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
  46. Thanks i twitter for you joannie jscddmj at aol cot com
    http://twitter.com/#!/joannie1956/status/110496278483439616

    ReplyDelete
  47. Snow White was awesome! I cannot wait to read more from this author.

    Thank you!

    terilhack at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete