Today’s Featured Author – Susan Leigh Noble

Today, I am featuring myself as my featured author. I have done this in the past when I have had an author flake out and not turn in their author interview or book excerpt. This time that isn’t the case. I just failed to fill this spot, but don’t worry, I have the rest of July filled up. August isn’t so lucky so if you are an author (self published or traditionally published, any genre) and would like to be featured on my blog in August or beyond, I urge you to contact me.

Typically when I have been the Featured Author, I have done book excerpts but today I have decided to answer some of my author interview questions. If you would like to take a look at my books, click here to find links to book excerpts from all four of my full-length novels and my short story.

Interview

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I wear many hats. I am a blogger on this website where I post four times a week. I am a fantasy author with four full-length novel and a short story published. I am currently working on another fantasy full-length novel due out in 2018.

I am a mother to two children – Lexie and Jase. I am an officer on the Parent-Teacher Associations for both their schools. I am also a wife and animal wrangler (we have 3 cats and 2 dogs). My husband and I have been married for twenty-two years. I do the bookkeeping for his small law firm. I am sure I am forgetting something else that I do but as you can see, I am one busy lady!

Where were you born and where do you call home?

I was born in Maine. My dad was in the Air Force so we moved around quite a bit until I was twelve when we settled in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I attended high school and college in New Mexico before marrying my husband and moving to Texas. We have lived in Lubbock, Brownsville and finally now San Antonio where we have lived for the past fifteen years. I feel pretty confident that we will be calling San Antonio home for many, many more years.

Do you write full-time? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

As you can see from above, I certainly am not a full-time author. I am busy so I have to squeeze in writing when I can. That might mean I spend an hour (or just a few minutes) here or there. It means sometimes I am writing at home and sometimes I am using my iPad while I am taking the kids to their activities.

Do you outline your books or just start writing?

I typically do what is called headlight outlining. That is where you plan out a few moves ahead at a time. This allows for greater flexibility than outlining the whole novel but doesn’t leave me directionless. It saves me from staring at a blank page and also cuts down on rewriting in subsequent drafts which can happen if you write without planning.

Why did you choose to write fantasy novels?

I love magic and dragons so it just seemed natural to pick a genre that incorporates those two elements.

Have you started your next project? If so, can you share a little bit about your next book?

Yes, I have just completed the first draft of my next book Blood Bond. It is a story about a man (Soren) whose life changes drastically when he meets a dragon (Dex) and becomes “linked” to him. I came up with the idea for the book because I like dragons. In fact, all of my books so far have contained a dragon. The dragons were really a big part of The Elemental trilogy, and I wanted to write another book where dragons played a crucial part of the story. In this one, man and dragon have broken off all communication until an approaching army threatens both which forces them to work together again.

Please tell us about your current release.

My last release, The Heir to Alexandria, begins with Alista, a young woman searching for her parents who abandoned her at birth. She is a bit naive and trusting but also harbors magic that she has kept secret. It is this magic that leads her to be chosen to be tested as the possible heir to the powerful Alexandria family who was murdered many years ago. There is a rumor that the youngest daughter survived and it is her descendants that the Kings are searching for. While the Kings believe the heir will restore peace to their troubled kingdoms, there are others who will do anything to stop the testing and possible return of the heir to Alexandria.

Is there a specific place in the house (or out of the house) that you like to write?

I do most of my writing in my office. Sometime if I want a change of pace, I bring out my laptop and write either on my bed or the couch. With my busy life, I can write anywhere.

Tell us a random fact about you that we never would have guessed.

I have a black belt in Aikido.

Book Blurb

Believed the descendants of the Gods themselves,
The Alexandria line ensured peace,
Until they were brutally murdered.
But rumor spread a maid escaped with the youngest daughter.

Now as the world rushes toward a period of unrest, the nations’ Kings continue their 200-year-long-search for the Heir to Alexandria – the one person who can bring peace and stability through divine power.

Alista has her own search – for the parents who abandoned her as a baby years ago. When her only lead proves to be a dead end, she heads to the capital with a reluctant escort. Grayson is just following his aunt’s order, but he would rather be on one of his solitary scouting missions for the Landra Guard. However, when Alista unintentionally curses a guard in front of the King’s court, everything changes for both of them.

Now forced to travel to Covington for testing, danger lurks at every turn as a secret society strives to prevent the return of the Alexandria line. Are Alista’s visions of the future enough to save herself and those traveling with her?

About the Author 

Susan  Leigh Noble has always loved dragons and magic so it is no wonder that she became an author of fantasy novels. As a cat lover, she also had to throw in a telepathic cat to the mix in her The Elemental trilogy as her short story, The Search, which features Tosh, one of the main characters from the trilogy. She published a stand-alone novel, The Heir to Alexandria, 2015, and just finished the first draft of her latest book, Blood Bond.

In addition to writing, Susan spends her days taking care of her two children, three cats, two dogs and husband in San Antonio, Texas.

You can purchase her books on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords and anywhere e-books are sold.

Today’s Featured Author: Susan Leigh Noble #excerpt

Sigh. Yes, it is another Friday, and again I have had an author flake out on me. I went over 2 years with that never happening. Now of late, I have had it happen quite often. I don’t know if it is because I am not following up with authors as diligently as I have in the past or they are just flaky (or busy) authors. When this happened in February, I ran something from my latest novel. Last month, I just posted asking for authors to sign up. (If you are an author and would like to be featured, click here.)

This time I decided to offer excerpts of my novels as my Friday Feature. These have all been on my blog before but thought new readers might enjoy them.

My first novel was Summoned: Book 1 of The Elemental. It came out August 2011. The Elemental series begins with Lina being drawn from her home by an unknown magic. She is compelled to go North and travels with an odd assortment of allies, each with their own agenda. This excerpt takes place after Lina is kidnapped. While Tosh doesn’t appear in this excerpt, I thought it might be helpful to let you know that he is Lina’s telepathic “cat.”

Escape from Stern Prison Excerpt 

The second book in the series is Quietus: Book 2 of The Elemental. Lina has now been joined by other Elementals, people who can control the elements. Lina is the strongest of the Elementals and agrees to train the others. This excerpt takes place when the Elementals first encounter something destroying the Land.

Destruction of the Land Excerpt

The conclusion on Lina’s story takes place in Destiny: Book 3 of The Elemental. The Elementals thought they saved the Land in Quietus, but danger still lurked. As they race to find an ancient magical scepter that may help restore the Land, it is stolen. In this excerpt, the opposition make their own plans for the scepter.

The opposition makes their plans Excerpt

In between writing Quietus and Destiny, I wrote a short story, The Search, about Tosh, Lina’s telepathic “cat.” The adventure takes place before The Elemental series. This excerpt is the opening scene of The Search.

The chase Excerpt

(The Search is free everywhere but Amazon where it is 99 cents. The other buy links are included on the Excerpt page but wanted to offer the Amazon link here.)

And my latest book, The Heir to Alexandria, came out this past January. It is a stand alone fantasy novel about a woman who is searching for her parents. Because she shows traces of unknown magic, she is ordered to be tested as the Heir to the Alexandria family in hopes that she may be the one destined to restore peace to the world. As she is escorted to be tested, she is abducted by a crazed man. This excerpt is where Grayson, her assigned protector, finds her at the man’s cabin.

Cabin Escape Excerpt

I hope you have enjoyed these excerpts from my books. And again, if you are an author and want to be featured, please contact me. (I have no problem featuring authors a second or third time as long as you are promoting a different book – preferably your latest one.)

 

Today’s Featured Author: Susan Leigh Noble

For the first time in the three years that I have been hosting authors on my site, I finally had one not return their information in time. So today, I decided I would be the featured author and share an excerpt from Destiny, the third book in my The Elemental trilogy.  If you are an author and interested in being featured, please contact me.

Excerpt

Selda delighted in just holding the scepter in her hand. She caressed it as one might caress a lover. She couldn’t believe she was finally holding the instrument that would restore her magic. Movement outside the window caused her to turn. It was the red dragon, Kset, gorging on a horse. She shuddered at the sight. The abandoned farm was not her choice of places to stay, though it did provide food for the dragon. She had been all for letting him go, but Slade seemed attached to the creature. She glanced at her brother and then back at the scepter.

“How do we use it?” she asked her voice breathless.

Slade held out his hand, and she reluctantly gave up the scepter. “I don’t know,” he said turning it over in his hand. “I guess we should give it a try.”

“How?”

“Well it reveals magic. I have an amulet made by a Learner. The amulet was designed to track the wearer. We can test it on that.” He looked at her. “Of course we still need the sword.”

“We will need to find out where Val is.”

“I can use the spell Ben Dar used to track Lina.”

“We don’t need her. We need Val.”

“From what you have said, I figure they will be together,” he said as he opened his book and flipped a few pages.

Selda reached into the bag at Slade’s feet. She pulled out the book she had given to him. She opened it to a marked page. “Use this one.”

Slade read it and smiled. “Perfect.”

Selda quickly fetched a bowl and filled it with water from the pitcher on the counter. Slade leaned over the bowl, murmuring the spell softly. Selda watched him with a mixture of appreciation that he was helping her and a bit of indignation at the fact he could do magic while she couldn’t. That fact burned inside her as she watched the colors swirl in the water. A picture began to form. Selda took in the campsite that was clearly in the process of being broken down. She saw Val carrying a pack over to the black dragon. He fitted it on the beast’s back and then turned and took something from Lina. The two shared a smile. Selda pushed the bowl away. Water splashed onto the table as the image disappeared.

Slade looked at her with an amused smile on his face. “They aren’t in Harmony anymore,” he said. “Or Zena for that matter with all those trees in the background.”

Selda began to pace. “Where do you think they are?”

“They could be in Carna still looking for me.” But before she could say anything, he shook his head. “No,” he said, waving his hand to dismiss what he had just suggested. “Didn’t look like Carna. The trees were not quite right.”

“That would then put them in Altron. Where would they be going?”

Slade shrugged. “At least they will be closer to us when we are ready to get his sword. But enough of this. Let’s try the scepter.”

He walked over to his pack and fished out a tarnished silver amulet. A yellow stone set in the center of a delicate looking design. It hung from a simple silver chain. Slade set it on the table beside the bowl. He picked up the scepter and waved it above the amulet. Nothing happened. Slade lightly tapped the scepter to the amulet. Again, nothing happened.

Slade picked up the amulet. “I feel its power. But the scepter made no indication of it.”

“Try releasing its power.”

Slade looked at her. “I don’t want to destroy it.”

Selda laughed. “I know you like the amulet, but we need to make sure the scepter works.”

Slade waved the scepter over the amulet in his hand. His face was tight with concentration as he again tapped the scepter to the amulet.

“Maybe there are some words you need to speak to invoke the scepter’s power,” she suggested.

Slade sat down the amulet and scepter. He picked up the book that had led them to the scepter. “Nothing in here about how to use it.” He looked around the room. “Perhaps we should try it on something else.”

Selda sighed. “Like what?”

“I don’t know. Something else magical.”

“Create something,” she suggested as she picked up the scepter. “Or use it on the dragon; it’s a creature of magic.” Slade’s outraged look caused her to laugh.

“We are not using the scepter on the dragon,” he said as he opened his spell book. “If you want to try it on a creature of magic, I can do that.” He flipped through the pages, stopping on one.  “Here we go.”

As Slade began to work, Selda turned the scepter over in her hands, wishing she knew how it worked and wishing she already had her powers back so she could hunt down Lina. She would make her pay for everything. But not before she took The Elemental’s powers.

Book Description

Destroying Quietus should have stopped the destruction to the Land. But it hadn’t. Slowly, the barren areas continue to grow destroying everything in their path. None of Lina’s Elemental powers can repair the damage while the Land remains contaminated by magic.

But there is an ancient scepter created by a Learner that they believe will lift this magical barrier. Before Lina can claim it, the scepter is stolen.  Now Lina and Val must race to find the scepter and end the destruction to the Land once and for all.

You can purchase Destiny for $.2.99 at Amazon, Smashwords or anywhere e-books are sold.

D is for Destiny #excerpt #AtoZchallenge

Today on the A to Z Challenge we are up to the letter D. I decided that I have only posted one excerpt from the conclusion of The Elemental trilogy. So here is something from Destiny.

(The words in italics are spoken telepathically to the dragons Zoot and Gre.)

The large dilapidated building had double doors beside one a dirty cracked window. One of the doors barely hung on its hinge but had been propped open with a large stone. Lina barely saw any of this as she stepped into the room; her only thoughts were of Coy. She paused for a moment to allow her eyes to adjust to the low light of the warehouse. Once they did, she immediately saw a body lying upon the floor. She ran over, the sound of her boots echoing in the large room. She knelt beside the crumpled figure.

“Coy?”

She reached out to touch him. The instant her hand closed around his arm, the cloudy feeling that had filled her mind upon touching Coy’s bag lifted.

“How predictable.”

The woman’s voice came from behind her. Lina rose and spun around. A young woman stepped out of the shadows. Her dark hair was pulled back and tied with a red scarf at the nape of her neck. Her shirt matched the scarf and was tucked into black pants. Her boots clicked on the floor as she stepped forward.

Lina raised her hand instinctively, shooting a fireball at Selda. The young woman easily deflected it into the wall near Coy. Bits of fire sprayed in all directions.

“Now, Lina, you don’t want to use fire here,” Selda said gesturing around at the wooden floor and walls. “You could burn the whole place down.”

Lina looked around at the dry, rotting walls. She glanced to where a few bits of fire from her fireball still burned. They were dangerously close to the unmoving form of Coy. She quickly used her Elemental power to put the flames out.

“Zoot, Gre, I need your help,” she called as a thin, transparent film rose quickly from the ground in front of her. “You were right. It was a trap. Selda is here.” 

 

Announcing #NewRelease – DESTINY by Susan Leigh Noble

Today I usually write about publishing or marketing, but instead I want to take this time to announce the release of Destiny: Book 3 of The Elemental.

Destiny is the conclusion to my The Elemental trilogy. You can purchase it for $.2.99 at Amazon, Smashwords and wherever e-books are sold. For a limited time, get Summoned (Book 1) and Quietus (Book 2) for only 99 cents.

Destiny: Book Description

Destroying Quietus should have stopped the destruction to the Land. But it hadn’t. Slowly, the barren areas continue to grow destroying everything in their path. None of Lina’s Elemental powers can repair the damage while the Land remains contaminated by magic.

But there is an ancient scepter created by a Learner that they believe will lift this magical barrier. Before Lina can claim it, the scepter is stolen.  Now Lina and Val must race to find the scepter and end the destruction to the Land once and for all.

Destiny: Excerpt

Prologue

He ran a soft cloth over the crystal-like blade. The sword was the finest he had ever crafted. He had infused it with magic he had never done before. Powerful magic that he hoped would be enough. But the future was so unclear; there were too many variables to plan for every contingency.

Ever since Elden had the vision of the Land in despair, the rest of the Order of the Guardians had done what they could to ensure what he saw would not happen. At first when Elias, Elden’s brother, had come to him, Barton hadn’t believed Elden had seen the future. However, he and the other members were able to use a spell to share Elden’s vision. In it, the Land became a barren, desolate wasteland. It had glittered with the traces of magic. Barton had been shocked. How could a Learner have allowed this to happen?

He shook his head as he thought about it. As impossible as it was to believe, he had seen it and knew it clearly would come to pass if they did nothing. The Order had spent many hours discussing it, and now they had their plan: a plan they hoped would save the Land from this destruction. There were so many things that could go wrong. If any part of the plan failed, then the Elden’s vision might become reality.

Barton ran through the checklist in his head: Thane had already sent a vision to Lars, the Last Elemental; Kiana had contacted the dragons; and Reed had worked on the spell that would be cast when all the preparations were in place. It was the spell that would be the end of the Learners; it would suppress their desire to Learn magic.

In case the spell failed to work, they had scattered hints in their journals of how to reverse the magic. Now with the sword crafted, and the spell that would allow Elias to pass on the message already infused into the blade, he had one more thing to do.

“Barton, it is late,” Rena said, her hands running across his shoulders.

He hadn’t heard her come in. “Not yet,” he said as he turned to look at her. His hands instantly went to caress her swollen abdomen. He could feel the baby moved inside her. His son, he thought, his son who would pass the sword on down through his line.

“Barton Lonce, it can wait until morning.”

He shook his head. “I have one more thing to do,” he said as he turned back to the table. He picked up the quill as Rena sighed. She kissed his cheek. He heard her soft footsteps as she crossed the room. She closed the door softly behind her.

He began to write: The barrier must be lifted. Any magic done on the Land can only be reversed with magic. Use the tool provided. The two that are separate must be together in order to work. Only after the magic is removed can The Elemental become one with the Land. For this is the only way to stop the destruction and return the Land to its former glory.

Barton took the paper and folded it in half and then in half again. He slipped it into a small pocket on the inside cover of his journal. Then with a whisper, he sealed it up. Now he only hoped it would reach his descendent when the peril the Land would face had come to pass.