We have a guest! Make room for her in front of the fireplace!
Hello! My name is Melissa Snark,
Welcome Melissa. Grab a cup of hot tea or coffee and tell us about yourself.
I'm a fantasy and romance author. If I could have
a moment of your time, I'd like to ask for your help as a reader. Please
consider nominating my Norse folklore fantasy novel Battle Cry on Kindle Scout.
Amazon's
new publishing program is called Kindle
Scout, an innovative platform that provides readers with a sneak peek at
unreleased books as well as the opportunity to have a say in what gets chosen.
The timing of Scout was amazing. The
announcement came just as I neared completion of my novel. The terms being
offered are attractive. As a publisher, Amazon has as much clout as one of the
traditional publishers. This simply seemed like too good of an opportunity to
pass on, so I submitted Battle Cry for
consideration.
Per
the FAQ: How
does Kindle Scout benefit readers?
Kindle Scout readers get to preview new, never-before-published books and influence which ones are made available to millions of readers on Amazon. In addition, any time a reader's nomination gets published, they will receive a free copy.
Kindle Scout readers get to preview new, never-before-published books and influence which ones are made available to millions of readers on Amazon. In addition, any time a reader's nomination gets published, they will receive a free copy.
I
appreciate your support! To
nominate Battle Cry, you only need to
be logged into your Amazon account. You can head over to the Kindle Scout
website and view Battle Cry's profile
page.
If you like what you see, please consider voting for Battle Cry. Thank you
so much!
Book #2 in the Loki's
Wolves series
Melissa Snark
Genre: Norse folklore
fantasy
Number of pages: 375
approx.
Word Count: 95,000
Cover Artist: Farah
Evers
Tags: #Fantasy #Amreading #Kindle @MelissaSnark
Promo Tweet: One man dares
defy Fate. Please nominate BATTLE CRY on #KindleScout. #Fantasy #Norse #amreading @MelissaSnark
Logline:
One man dares defy Fate.
Survival demands sacrifices; healing requires forgiveness.
Men revere him; monsters fear him. Jake Barrett, the notorious
Hunter King, values loyalty to family and followers above all else. When the
daughter of his closest ally murders Daniel, his oldest son, it sets off a
chain reaction of violence and destruction that claims the lives of both wolves
and hunters. Determined to avenge his son, Jake seeks the truth at any cost.
After losing her lover
and then her mate, Victoria Storm simply wants to get on with building a new
life in Sierra Pines, California. A vengeful Jake Barrett and his organization
aren't going to make that easy, especially with the unwelcome attraction
between her and the Hunter King's second son. Perils beyond the mortal coil
plague Victoria.
When the Norse Fates
predict Victoria will destroy the world, her duties as a priestess of Freya
come into conflict with her responsibilities as a Valkyrie of Odin. When they
tell her she will do it to save her unborn child, she's not so sure they are
wrong.
Sawyer Barrett has been
trying to kill Victoria for so long, he doesn't know whether he loves her or
hates her. Desperate to end the war, he's willing to take chances with
everything–except his heart. The hunter harbors a deadly secret he can't reveal
without risking the ceasefire and his life.
At Sawyer's urging,
Victoria agrees to peace talks with Jake. All the while, an ancient vampire
plots the destruction of wolves and hunters alike. If the embittered rivalry
between hunters and wolves doesn't end—and fast—there is no hope for Victoria's
pack... or for their world.
Attribution:
Norns weaving destiny, by Arthur Rackham (1912). Public domain.
Short excerpt (PG):
Shade enshrouded Skuld,
and her voice manifested upon the air, thick and oppressive, closing in from
all sides. "Your daughter will not grow to adulthood in Midgard."
Victoria's heart slammed
against her breastbone. Her breath expelled in a horrified gust. The bowl
dropped from her hands and flew to protect her abdomen. "What do you
mean?"
"Your daughter will
be taken from you on the eve of her third birthday," Skuld said. "The
one you trust most, a member of your own pack, will give the child over to your
greatest enemy."
A growl trembled in
Victoria's throat, and her entire body shook under the dual assault of fear and
rage. The suggestion of betrayal from within her own pack filled her with
disbelief to the core of her being. It was unthinkable. Gritting her teeth, she
sought a solution, refusing to dwell on it. "How am I to prevent
this?"
"We speak of what
will come to pass," Verðandi said in a sympathetic tone.
"Your predictions
are not carved in stone," Victoria said. Arguing with Fate was a foolish
endeavor, but she refused to accept their prophecy.
The old woman, Urðr,
smiled with a frightening gleam in her eyes. "Predictions, carved into the
trunk of the World Tree, carved into the spiritual fabric of the world."
Stubborn determination
settled over Victoria like armor. Her mother had taught her there was no
absolute fate, just as there was no absolute free will. Life consisted of a
wide range of possibilities between the two extremes. She refused to allow her
daughter to die at three years of age. She would move worlds, alter fate, slay
gods.
Whatever it took.
"Do you wish to
save your child?" Skuld asked.
Victoria answered
without thought. "Yes. I'll do anything. Tell me. Please."
"The final days are
upon us," Verðandi said.
Skuld took over
speaking. "To save your daughter, you will side with Loki against the
Aesir. You will use your enchanted dagger to cut the binding of the great wolf
Fenrir. You will be responsible for freeing the beast that kills Odin."
Victoria's stomach
turned. Her head shook in automatic denial. "When the gods imprisoned
Fenrir, my people pledged fealty to the Aesir. We have served them loyally ever
since. Even when we were driven from the homeland, almost a millennium ago, we
remained faithful. I will never cut Fenrir's bonds. To do so would end the world
we live in and doom us all."
Skuld's gaze held
steady. "You will."
Victoria snarled her
denial. "No. I will never become the servant of the Trickster or willingly
take part in bringing about Odin's death."
Skuld turned her head
and pinned Victoria with one black eye that rolled in its socket like a liquid
marble. "To save your daughter, you will."
· Melissa Snark is
published with The Wild Rose Press & as an Indie author with five unique
titles: A CAT'S TALE, THE MATING GAME, LEARNING TO FLY, THE CHILD THIEF, and
HUNGER MOON.
· Her Loki's Wolves
series includes THE CHILD THIEF, HUNGER MOON and BATTLE CRY.
· She lives in the San
Francisco bay area with her husband, three children and a glaring of cats.
· She is a professional
cat herder and unrepentant satirist who blogs about books and writing on The Snarkology.
Connect with
Melissa Snark:
Email: melissasnark@gmail.com
Twitter: @MelissaSnark
Hi Mary,
Thank you so much for hosting today! I appreciate your help in getting the word out about Battle Cry and Kindle Scout. :)
Wow. Great excerpt! Good luck on Kindle Scout. :)
Hi Melissa! Beth waving. So good to have you with us on the Fuzzies!
Barbara,
Thank you so much! :-)
Hi Beth! Thank you! I love the name of your blog. Makes me want to go buy some warm fuzzy slippers now that cold weather is settling in. LOL
So glad you made it, Melissa!
Wrap up and stay warm!
Way to go Melissa!
Great blog Melissa, I love nordic tales, sounds like a great read...and I'm all entered.
I am, in fact, sitting at my desk reading your post with a hot cup of coffee.
I hadn't heard about Amazon Scout, so thanks for the info. And, I nominated your book. Best wishes!