Showing posts with label Shona Husk. Show all posts

Sunday, November 02, 2014

Lord of the Hunt by Shona Husk

Having Shona Husk visit us during our Paranorm'All Hallow's Eve event made me realize I'm a little behind on her Court of Annwyn series. I'm really glad I decided to follow through with this series and pick up LORD OF THE HUNT because, truthfully, it has everything you want in a Paranormal Romance. Sexual tension, steamy scenes and mysterious characters are all present.

Annwyn, the land of fairy, is in trouble. The King and Queen are fighting which makes the world of Annwyn unstable and start to dwindle and die. As the Lord of the Hunt, Verden tries to do as much as he can, but ultimately he knows the only way for Annwyn to survive (and not bring an apocalypse to the mortal world), a new King needs to be appointed or the current King and Queen need to get along (impossible!). Usually, Verden wouldn't care so much but the impending doom has brought a new fairy to Court and everyone, even Verden, is intrigued. Taryn is visiting the Fairy Court for the first time with a single mission: get a pardon for her father. If he doesn't get pardoned, he would need to stay in the mortal world during the power shift and perish when the new King is appointed. Taryn is set on doing pretty much everything in order to bring back her father to Annwyn, however, she never planned on falling for the Lord of the Hunt.

Verden and Taryn are the most unlikely pair but their relationship seems to work. If it weren't for all the court politics, their love story would be a simple one, but when it comes to fairies, nothing is simple. Their doomed romantic relationship is fun to read because Verden has his duties as Lord of the Hunt, and needs to be loyal to the King, however, Taryn wants something from the King and the only way to get what she wants seems to be flirt and befriend with the King.

I wish the characters could have been a little more developed. We know Taryn is a fairy that was raised in the mortal world but we don't know much about her life in general. As for Verden, we know he dedicated his whole life to climb to the top of the fairy court but the author doesn't go into much detail on how he got there. All we know is that he went from a farm boy to the King's most trusted adviser.

If the author didn't spend much time on character development, she did however go into quite some detail about her fairy world. The world building was exceptional and the Fairy Court and world very original. There's just something about an impending apocalypse that makes to want to read more and more. As far as Fairy Courts go, this one is not overly dark. It does, however, have the political mischief and the twisted court etiquette. It's definitely not a place I would want to find myself in since the fairies always need to look over their shoulder to avoid any backstabbing. Also, everyone's looking out to acquire extra favors, in order to advance higher in the court hierarchy, and they'll stop at nothing to gain popularity.

Some of my favorites scenes are when Taryn introduces Verden to the mortal world. Verden is no stranger to the mortal world, he just never took the time to mingle with humans. Taryn introduces him to burgers, however, he doesn't eat meat so he's not too fond of those. She also introduces him to alcohol, which he takes a liking to. Obviously, the scenes in the mortal world feel more natural, because they can be themselves, but back in the Fairy Court, they are back to ignoring each other, in order to play the court games.

Since the first book of the series is held mostly in the human world, I really appreciated that LORD OF THE HUNT is held mostly in Annwyn. It's easy to compare the two worlds and see the advantages of both. I anticipate the third book will link together the human and fairy world a little better, since the heir to the Fairy throne will be looking for his human Queen. As a fan of paranormal romance, I really enjoyed this short read. There's just something special about fairies and Shona Husk has a particular gift at giving them life and making their stories delectable. I'm definitely going to dive into the next book very soon!

by Tynga at Sunday, November 02, 2014

Court of Annwyn, fairy, Library, Paranormal Romance, Review, Shona Husk, Sourcebooks Leave your mark

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

PHE - An Exclusive Short Story by Shona Husk + Giveaway

Today we get to know a little more about Shona Husk's Court of Annwyn series. Shona has written a Halloween themed short story set in her world, just for our event. She stopped by last year for the release of the first book of the series, but now she's here to promote her new book. TO LOVE A KING, is the third book in the series and it was released earlier this month. Shona is also graciously doing a giveaway so make sure to scroll down at the bottom of the post.

Again, welcome to the blog, Shona!

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The fairy court of Annwyn celebrates many festivals including Samhain, or Halloween. Samhain is an old festival and the night when the veil between the worlds is thinnest. The veil separates Annwyn from our world and while fairies can cross freely, humans can’t. Which is probably a good thing as fairies love tricking humans out of their souls.

The Making of a Spy falls before The Outcast Prince so is The Court of Annwyn #0.5. It features the Prince, Felan (hero of To Love a King), and Darah the heroine of The Darkling Lord. I hope you enjoy this taste of Halloween in Annwyn!

The Making of a Spy

His mother had done an excellent job planning the celebration of Samhain. The decorations made it appear as though they had indeed crossed the river of the damned and entered the afterlife—not that any fairy knew what was really over there. Unlike humans fairies had no soul and Felan had no idea what happened when a fairy died. However mortals came to Annwyn for judgment. Tonight every fairy was dressed as a faceless soul…or as humans would say, a ghost.

He was dressed entirely in white, even his mask. Despite the masks there was no doubt who was who. Fairies loved status too much to be anonymous. Even though they had gathered at Court to celebrate, there were still deals to be made. His mother was up to something and he had no idea what. He trusted her about as much as she loved him, or his father. His parents tolerated each other at best. He hoped that he would make a better choice of queen when the time came, though his heart still ached for Jacqui and he wasn’t ready to try again so soon.

He glanced at his mother and her ladies. How much time did he have left as Prince?

A woman with skin like honey approached and Felan went on guard. Darah was married to man on his father’s Council and part of his mother’s circle…although if rumors were to be believed—and they generally were in Annwyn—Shea was favoring the Queen more than his wife.

Darah inclined her head. Her black hair was done up in intricate knots and her lips were the same blood red as her mask. All off his mother’s ladies wore red masks like hungry ghosts. Who would fall to their cruel appetites? His mother enjoyed a Court at odds too much. “We must dance my, Prince.”

“On my mother’s command?” she still saw him as easy to manipulate and he saw no reason to change her mind. Not yet anyway. He knew how to play the games the Court required.

“Perhaps…she doesn’t like to see you alone.” Her fingers slid over his chest in a calculated manner.

He knew what his mother’s plan was. She liked to know what he was doing the same way he always kept one eye on her. Unfortunately at the moment he had no one in her circle of ladies. He gave Darah the smallest smile….perhaps this was the opportunity he’d been waiting for.

“Then let us dance.” He offered Darah his hand. It was easy to play the part his mother expected he’d been doing it for years aware that she was plotting against him and hoping to place another on the throne when the time came. He had no idea what he’d done to make her hate him so much.

There was none of the expected small talk that he expected from dance partners. While Darah moved well and her smile never slipped, there was a darkness in her eyes that he didn’t like. There was something else going on besides what his mother wanted. However he wasn’t going to tip his hand first. He wanted to Darah to make the first move. The music changed and became slower. Darah used it as an excuse to move closer…for the moment he let her.

“I am to seduce you,” she murmured close to his ear.

“You will have to do better.” He’s already had several offers and turned them down. He didn’t like Halloween as it made him think of Jacqui and the time they’d gone trick or treating. Halloween was a big deal in America even though they had forgotten the old ways.

“I have no desire to sleep with you. But our enemies are the same.” Her lips brushed his ear as if they were discussing something other than dancing.

He was supposed take the bait and his mother’s spy to bed…but even the would-be-spy had other ideas. It was that that intrigued him. Darah wasn’t playing his mother’s game. Would she play his? “And who might they be?”

“My husband and your mother are in bed.” Her hands never stopped moving.

To an onlooker there was nothing extraordinary going on. None would be surprised if he left with Darah. His mother expected it. Darah could feed false news back...besides he didn’t want her to fail and face his mother’s wrath. No doubt his mother was hoping that he’d keep Darah entertained while she toyed with Shea.

“That isn’t news.” Marriages were for power and affairs were for passion. He knew that and yet after Jacqui he’d begun to question the way the Court worked—not publically of course. “Tell me something I don’t know and we might work together.”

He still couldn’t be sure that he wasn’t being played. These days there were few he trusted and it made him weary. He was tired of the endless games and power plays.

She pressed her lips together, her eyes hard like gems as she weighed him up. The small curve of her lips betrayed her decision. She pressed her body to his as if they were lovers. “They talk of finding the Window,” her voice lowered, “and of a changeling who can assist.”

It took all his years of Court training not to flinch, but his blood became ice as though death had slid into blood and was searching for a soul to steal. Not his though as he didn’t have one. His son’s.

“You know what it is,” Darah said, her breath on his skin like the caress of the most delicate silk.

Damn it he should have asked. They danced on, never stopping and giving up the pretense that they were planning anything more than an affair, while he considered his next step. A spy amongst his mother’s ladies would be useful…but could also cut him. And he had no idea what Darah really wanted, only that it wasn’t to help him. No, she had her own agenda.

He smiled and let his hand wander as if he were enamored with Darah and her suggestion. Let people talk and assume he cared only about pleasure at least they weren’t watching what he was really up to. “I think we should retire to my chambers.”

The were some conversations that were best had in private. Any deals made could be sealed. No fairy dared break a vow. In Annwyn your word was sacred and oath breakers were dealt with.

She nodded. “I am your loyal servant.”

Time would tell, but she wasn’t his mother’s and that was enough for him at the moment. Finding the window and protecting his mortal son had to come first…stopping the Queen and her schemes would be a bonus.

He glanced at the Court filled with gleaming white, masked ghosts and shivered. The thinning of the veil had brought his worlds together. He knew then that he’d see his son’s soul in Annwyn too soon.

———————

Thanks for stopping by Shona! It's been a pleasure to have you here.

Here’s the scoop on TO LOVE A KING:

HE’S TRYING TO RECLAIM THE PAST

To keep the balance between good and evil at the court of Annwyn, Prince Felan ap Gwyn has two weeks to marry and take the crown. But he wants more than just power—he wants love; a love he once had but was too stubborn to hold on to.

SHE’S STRUGGLING TO FACE THE FUTURE

It took years for Jacqueline Ara to put her life back together after Felan abandoned her. She’s moved on, even if her heart still burns for him. But with war in Annwyn looming and death bleeding into the mortal world, Felan and Jacquie will need to heal old wounds and rekindle the passion that once welled between them…or face losing everything.
Amazon | Book Depository | Goodreads

Other books in the series include:

About the author

Shona Husk lives in Western Australia at the edge of the Indian Ocean. Blessed with a lively imagination she spent most of her childhood making up stories. As an adult she discovered romance novels and hasn’t looked back.

To connect with Shona Husk, check out the following links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Newsletter

Shona Husk is giving away one (1) e-copy of THE CHANGELING SOLDIER to a lucky reader.

Open internationally. Giveaway ends November 7th, 2014.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

by Tynga at Tuesday, October 21, 2014

giveaway, Paranorm'All Hallows Eve, Shona Husk 8 People left their mark

Sunday, June 23, 2013

SS: Interview with Shona Husk + Giveaway

I'm absolutely thrilled about today's guest, Shona Husk, because once I finished reading THE OUTCAST PRINCE, I became an instant fan her hers. I’ve never read any other books by Shona, but I thought this book was exactly what a paranormal romance should be. Shona graciously answered some of my question in a brief interview for SS, and she’s also offering a copy of THE OUTCAST PRINCE for giveaway. Check it out down below!

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1. THE OUTCAST PRINCE, will be out July 2nd 2013. In your own words, how would you best describe this first book of your newest series?

The Outcast Prince is a paranormal romance that has all the glamor of the fairy court as well as the danger and desire. It’s the first look at Annwyn and I hope readers find it as enticing as the hero, Caspian, does.

2. Is there a reason you decided that Caspian would be the long forgotten/unknown prince? You could have easily chosen to write about a princess. Why choose a male character for the part?

I actually had Caspian in my mind for a few years before I’d even thought up Annwyn. He was a psychometric hero who’d had his heart broken and who struggled to fit in. At the time I had no idea what his story would be. It was only after I’d started thinking about Annwyn and had plotted what would become book 2 that I realised Caspian was the hero of book 1.

I always get characters before story; sometimes it’s just a case of matching two up in my mind and seeing what plays out.

I do tend to write paranormal heroes and human heroines, that said, the heroine of book 2 is fairy and she pulls off an amazing deal ;)

3. Both Caspian and Lydia have pivotal roles in your book. Do you feel like one of them is your main character, or do you consider both of them your main characters?

They both have their own story and goals as well as mutual ones so I think they are equally main characters. I like giving the hero and heroine their own story/journey as well as one that bring them together I think it makes them better characters.

4. Psychometry seems to be Caspian true strength. Will we see him develop more powers or abilities in the future?

No, each changeling expresses their fairy blood in a different way. For Caspian it’s psychometry, for another it might be seeing the future. Another might be able to do telekinesis. I’m hoping that in future books I get to write a few more changelings.

5. Personally, I've always been interested in fairies. Did you have to do a lot of research to keep your fairy lore as authentic as possible? Or did you improvise and imagine some of the aspects of your world?

I research, but I also make decisions about what I’m going to stick to and what I’m going to put to one side. I can’t put all the good things I find in one book. On the other hand there is so much fairy lore and the names change depending on where it’s from, and some of it is contradictory, that picking what I want to use isn’t hard. I also kept in mind that the lore we have is old and subject to errors plus it was written down by humans…it’s not the tales fairies would tell about themselves and they would view history differently. This gives me license to create their world as I see it while still drawing on some of the fairy lore.

6. How many books do you plan for this series?

At the moment there are three (books 2 and 3 will be out in 2014), but I do have ideas for a few more :)

7. Do you have any teasers for us about the future books?

Book 2 is called Lord of the Hunt, and the hero is Verden, Lord of the Hunt. You meet him briefly in The Outcast Prince when Caspian gets into trouble with the Court. To Love a King is Felan’s story, who you also meet in The Outcast Prince, and as the title suggests he goes after the throne of Annwyn.

Now on to some event themed questions:

8. Have you ever taken part in a summer or winter solstice celebration?

No, but I like to know when the solstices are (especially the winter one so I can look forward to lengthening days).

9. Would you say the summer solstice is an important event in your fairy world?

Yes! The fairies celebrate the solstices and equinoxes as it is how they track time. There is a summer solstice party in Lord of the Hunt that is very pivotal.

10. What is your favorite summer treat?

Homemade ice cream. I make a choc hazelnut and a raspberry flavor. Yum!

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Thank you so much, Shona! It’s been a real pleasure having you here on the blog!

More about THE OUTCAST PRINCE:

Caspian Mort can feel the history in anything he touches, a gift he inherited from his father, the Crown Prince of Annwyn. Devastated over his ex-wife's infidelity, Caspian has withdrawn from human contact except when working as an antiques dealer.

While assessing the contents of the historic Callaway House he encounters the beautiful Lydia Callaway and senses that her home is haunted by a banished fairy. But what does the dangerous exile want? Unbeknownst to Lydia, she's the owner of the last remaining portal to Annwyn--a mirror hidden somewhere in the house. To keep Lydia safe, Caspian will have to divulge the secrets of his heritage, and risk losing his heart again.

My thoughts on the book

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

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Shona is graciously offering one (1) copy of THE OUTCAST PRINCE to a lucky reader!

To enter, obey the Rafflecopter!

Open internationally

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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About Shona Husk

Three time ARRA finalist Shona Husk lives in Western Australia at the edge of the Indian Ocean. Blessed with a lively imagination she spent most of her childhood making up stories. As an adult she discovered romance novels and hasn't looked back. Drawing on history and myth, she weaves new worlds and writes heroes who aren't afraid to get hurt while falling in love.

With stories ranging from sensual to scorching, she is published with Ellora's Cave, Samhain Publishing, Carina Press and Sourcebooks. She is represented by the Ruben Agency.

Website | Twitter | Facebook

by Unknown at Sunday, June 23, 2013

Fairies, giveaway, Shona Husk, Supernatural Solstice 20 People left their mark

The Outcast Prince by Shona Husk

The Outcast Prince by Shona Husk

Book Stats:

Reading level: Adult
Paperback: 320 pages
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Release date: July 2, 2013

Series: Court of Annwyn #1

Reviewed by: Stéphanie

Source: Netgalley

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

Caspian Mort can feel the history in anything he touches, a gift he inherited from his father, the Crown Prince of Annwyn. Devastated over his ex-wife's infidelity, Caspian has withdrawn from human contact except when working as an antiques dealer.

While assessing the contents of the historic Callaway House he encounters the beautiful Lydia Callaway and senses that her home is haunted by a banished fairy. But what does the dangerous exile want? Unbeknownst to Lydia, she's the owner of the last remaining portal to Annwyn—a mirror hidden somewhere in the house. To keep Lydia safe, Caspian will have to divulge the secrets of his heritage, and risk losing his heart again.

I really didn’t know what to expect when I started reading THE OUTCAST PRINCE. Before this, I had never heard of the author, but since I ended up really enjoying this first of her new series, I’ll probably end up reading some of her other books while I wait for book 2 to be published.

THE OUTCAST PRINCE is a great introduction to the fairy world of Annwyn, even though we don’t spend much time in it. Most of the book is spent in the mortal world while beings and fairy forces never fail to plague Caspian “normal” life. All he’s ever wanted is to live his life without being bothered by anything fairy but since politics are unstable in Annwyn, the mortal world is feeling repercussions. Caspian is more or less forced to search for a fairy mirror/portal, which in the wrong hands, could lead to some very awful things, both in Annwyn and in the mortal world. His psychometry ability to see an object’s past just by touching it is what makes him so valuable. As a changeling, a mortal being with some fairy abilities, he shouldn’t be important in this deadly game of fairy politics, but since he’s the son of the fairy prince, he does have a significant role to play.

Overall, I loved Caspian as a character. His generosity and selflessness when it comes to protect those who matter to him is respectable and admirable. In my opinion, him and Lydia might have fallen in love a little too quickly since after just a couple of days, it seemed like they were already in love and were thinking of moving in together. But who wouldn’t want to live together, especially in such a historical house like the Callaway House Lydia inherited from her deceased grandmother.

Lydia has a history of her own and while she’s a well developed character, there’s just something submissive about her that I’m not too crazy about. While I like that she had an open mind and was able to accept Caspian’s parentage and abilities so easily, it just seemed like she could have been a little bit bolder in her thoughts and actions. After just a couple of days, she started to depend and rely on Caspian way to much for my taste, and while I understand she was still grieving her grandmother’s death, she could have made some decisions without relying so much on Caspian’s opinion. Otherwise, I find Caspian and Lydia make a great pair, and they found each other at the perfect time. I think, because they both have their own eccentric history, they are able to understand and accept each other rather nicely.

THE OUTCAST PRINCE is before all a romance book with some supernatural action included. I was sad to leave Lydia and Caspian behind because they had such a great relationship going on. I hope we hear more about them in the future books because from what I understand, the next books will have different main characters. I also hope we get to spend more time in Annwyn. THE OUTCAST PRINCE and its fairy world is very enticing. This first book feels like a tease because while we learn a lot about Annwyn, there seems to be so much we don’t know about it. Shona Husk created a wonderful world and populated it not only with great main character but also with entertaining secondary characters. I look forward to the continuation of the series and I hope book two will be a page-turner, much like this one was.

by Unknown at Sunday, June 23, 2013

Fairies, Review, Shona Husk, Sourcebooks Leave your mark

SS: Interview with Shona Husk + Giveaway

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1. THE OUTCAST PRINCE, will be out July 2nd 2013. In your own words, how would you best describe this first book of your newest series?

2. Is there a reason you decided that Caspian would be the long forgotten/unknown prince? You could have easily chosen to write about a princess. Why choose a male character for the part?

I always get characters before story; sometimes it’s just a case of matching two up in my mind and seeing what plays out.

I do tend to write paranormal heroes and human heroines, that said, the heroine of book 2 is fairy and she pulls off an amazing deal ;)

3. Both Caspian and Lydia have pivotal roles in your book. Do you feel like one of them is your main character, or do you consider both of them your main characters?

4. Psychometry seems to be Caspian true strength. Will we see him develop more powers or abilities in the future?

6. How many books do you plan for this series?

At the moment there are three (books 2 and 3 will be out in 2014), but I do have ideas for a few more :)

7. Do you have any teasers for us about the future books?

Now on to some event themed questions:

8. Have you ever taken part in a summer or winter solstice celebration?

No, but I like to know when the solstices are (especially the winter one so I can look forward to lengthening days).

9. Would you say the summer solstice is an important event in your fairy world?

Yes! The fairies celebrate the solstices and equinoxes as it is how they track time. There is a summer solstice party in Lord of the Hunt that is very pivotal.

10. What is your favorite summer treat?

Homemade ice cream. I make a choc hazelnut and a raspberry flavor. Yum!

------------------------

Thank you so much, Shona! It’s been a real pleasure having you here on the blog!

More about THE OUTCAST PRINCE:

Caspian Mort can feel the history in anything he touches, a gift he inherited from his father, the Crown Prince of Annwyn. Devastated over his ex-wife's infidelity, Caspian has withdrawn from human contact except when working as an antiques dealer.

While assessing the contents of the historic Callaway House he encounters the beautiful Lydia Callaway and senses that her home is haunted by a banished fairy. But what does the dangerous exile want? Unbeknownst to Lydia, she's the owner of the last remaining portal to Annwyn--a mirror hidden somewhere in the house. To keep Lydia safe, Caspian will have to divulge the secrets of his heritage, and risk losing his heart again.

My thoughts on the book

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

------------------------

Shona is graciously offering one (1) copy of THE OUTCAST PRINCE to a lucky reader!

To enter, obey the Rafflecopter!

Open internationally

a Rafflecopter giveaway

------------------------

About Shona Husk

With stories ranging from sensual to scorching, she is published with Ellora's Cave, Samhain Publishing, Carina Press and Sourcebooks. She is represented by the Ruben Agency.

Website | Twitter | Facebook