Daughters of the Sea Series blog tour Spotlight
Author Kristen Day
Once you’ve been touched by darkness, it never leaves you…
Abandoned by her parents as an infant; seventeen year old Hannah spent her childhood wading through countless foster families until being adopted by the Whitmans three years ago.
Unfortunately, Atlanta’s high society wasn’t quite ready for Hannah…or the strange events that plague her.
Chilling visions of murder, unexplained hallucinations, and dark, mysterious guy who haunts her nightmares all culminate to set in motion a journey of self-discovery that will challenge everything she’s ever believed; not to mention her sanity.
Sent to live at The House of Lorelei on Bald Head Island, NC for ‘kids like her’, Hannah quickly realizes things are not what they seem. Her fellow ‘disturbed’ teens are actually the descendants of mythical Sea Gods and Goddesses. And so is she.
But when Finn, the ghost from her dreams, appears in the flesh; her nightmares become reality and her dark visions begin coming true. Inexplicably drawn to him, she can’t deny the dangerous hold he has on her heart. The deadly secrets he harbors will ultimately test her courage and push the boundaries of her love.
She must decide if she is ready to embrace the ancient legend she is prophesied to be a part of. The fate of all the descendants will forever depend upon it.
Goodreads: Forsaken, Daughter's of the Sea book 1
Forsaken/Amazon ~ Forsaken/ B&N
The sacrifices we make have the power to shift the very fabric of who we are, and ultimately who we are meant to be…
After learning of her true destiny as the intended Leader of the Tydes, Anastasia Whitman must now embark on a perilous quest to the Underworld before the age of eighteen in order to plant the seed of immortality and complete her essence to become a true Sea Goddess. But before she can make her legendary journey, an unexpected new student transfers to Lorelei; initiating a sequence of events that will unravel Stasia’s new life, and test the boundaries of her relationship with the mysterious, dark, and sexy Finn Morrison. The line between the Underworld and the Living begins to blur as gruesome ghosts, morbid reveries, and pure evil haunt her waking hours as well as her sanity. Once the details of Finn’s own startling destiny are revealed, the dangerous secrets he’s been hiding will threaten the very love Stasia believed to be indestructible. As time begins to run out, she will be forced to choose between the one she loves and the destiny she cannot escape.
Goodreads: Awaken, Daughter's of the Sea book 2
Awaken/Amazon ~ Awaken/ B&N
The essence of who we are lies not in what we have, but in what we are willing to give up. Because in the end, Time and Tide wait for no one.
After sacrificing all that she had, the evil princess of the Underworld is still successful in her bid to tear Finn from Stasia’s life. In the midst of her search to reclaim him, Stasia is summoned to the island nation of Cyprus to take part in an age-old ritual; unveiling the missing pieces of her ancestry and re-igniting an ancient war. As she struggles to both save Finn’s soul and free Carmen’s mind, Stasia’s bravery and determination will be pushed to its breaking point. A dark storm is forming on the horizon, and the forces who are vying to destroy her may be much closer than she thinks. Destiny weaves a sticky web of evil, betrayal, and revenge that can only be undone by the purity of love and the soul’s unyielding will to survive. In the last installment of the Daughters of the Sea trilogy, the past will collide with the present as Stasia’s future hangs in the balance. The prophecy that paved the way for her new life may indeed be the very thing that strips her of the ones she loves the most.
About The Author: I am a southern belle at heart with a crazy streak that desperately tries to escape at every opportunity. I love all things nostalgic, rustic, and quirky. I've been told I see the world through rose-colored glasses, but I prefer to think of them as kaleidoscope glasses - swirling and morphing reality into something I can digest (who hasn't pretended those pasty lima beans were really kiwi strawberry jelly beans?).
I am the author of the DAUGHTERS OF THE SEA trilogy, which includes FORSAKEN, AWAKEN, and CHOSEN (Winter 2012). I love all books, but really enjoy writing young adult, paranormal romances. I've loved to write for as long as I can remember. My first published work was my poem RED in second grade (you guessed it - it was a poem about the color red - life altering, I know) that won me 5 gold stars and a spot in my elementary school's poetry book. That's when my addiction to the written word officially began. I was the only kid in fifth grade that actually enjoyed diagramming sentences. Go ahead and laugh – it’s okay.
When I'm not writing I'm making jewelry, painting, drinking sweet tea, watching the discovery channel, or going on random adventures in the mountains of North Carolina with my amazing husband. I graduated from Appalachian State University and dream of becoming a full time novelist.
Here is an excerpt from book 3, Chosen...
The sea’s crashing waves felt like a soft blanket on a cool night, surrounding my heart
and energizing my muscles. I found the moonstone still in my hand and shoved it into my jeans
pocket before diving underwater; swimming as fast as I could. I propelled myself through the
water with incredible force and speed, surprising even myself. As the rain fell on the surface, a
frenzy of energy swirled around me. Schools of fish suddenly came alive, darting back in forth
with the cadence of the rain above. It was as if the sea was feeding off of the turbulent energy
from above. I pulled from it and let it take over, filling every fiber of my being with its strength.
As the bottom changed from sandy to rocky, I knew I was close. Allowing my instinct to
guide me, I darted toward shore. The grass covering the boulders below danced in the chaotic
rhythm of the waves and I could feel the excitement every living being fell victim to at the
falling rain. It was if the sea was celebrating. Celebrating a part of itself returning after a long
journey.
As I made my way on shore, I realized I had lost my shoes at some point during my
swim. I clamored over the rocky shoreline that swept the area. The pouring rain made it
impossible to see and even more impossible to walk. It hadn’t been raining in my vision, but
what about when the rain let up? What about tomorrow? The next day? I strained to remember
if there was any trace of rain in my vision, but I couldn’t remember. The more time that went
by, the hazier the memory of my visions became.
My feet slipped on the slippery rocks of the beach and I tumbled sideways, landing hard
on my side and scraping my leg. I pushed myself back up and continued, only to slip again.
This time a pair of arms caught me mid-fall, securing me and softening the landing as we both
tumbled onto the rocks. I felt the pain of several more bruises as my legs slammed into a couple
sharp ones.
“Nice night for a swim,” Finn’s sarcastic voice tickled my ear, momentarily hypnotizing
me.
“Let me go, I have to find them!” I yelled back at him, attempting to stand back up.
Unfortunately, he easily overpowered my efforts.
“You’re not finding anybody in this weather.”
“I have to try!” I struggled against his strong arms to no avail.
“Stasia, calm down.”
“I’ll calm down when I figure out why the hell I keep having visions that don’t make
sense!” I yelled at him, tears burning behind my eyes. “I have to watch a bunch of people have
their souls ripped out of their bodies with no clue as to who they are, where they are, or most
importantly when they are!”
“Just because you have a vision about something doesn’t mean you are supposed to hunt
to the ends of the earth to find it and prevent it,” he said calmly. “Some things are meant to
happen. Fate and destiny are stronger than any vision, any essence, or any ability.”
“Then why do I have them? Why can’t I have a vision about something good? Why do I
have to watch people die!?”
“It just takes time-“
“I don’t have time!” I yelled back at him. “All of this! You’ve had time to figure all of
this out! I’ve had months, Finn! Months! And each day I’m closer to my eighteenth birthday.
Each day I’m closer to confronting Keto. Each day I’m closer to-“
“…fulfilling your destiny.” Finn interrupted. “Why can’t you see how special you are? If
your mother didn’t believe you could do this, she wouldn’t have Chosen you.”
“Well being Chosen isn’t as great as it’s cracked up to be, if you ask me.”
“Welcome to my life,” Finn muttered and chuckled in spite of himself. “Being Chosen
isn’t supposed to be fun or easy. It’s hard - it’s very hard…which is why it’s not given out
freely. Only those who can handle it are given the responsibilities and pressures that come along
with it.”
“I feel like my abilities work against me half the time. They distract me or backfire on
me! How can I concentrate on what I’m supposed to do when I’m having visions constantly
about people dying and horrible things happening?
supposed to do, when I know Nadia is out there, waiting for me to stumble so she can kick me
when I’m down?”
“I know you don’t want to hear this, but you’ll figure it out. Once you begin to control
and harness your abilities, it will all begin to fall into place,” Finn explained. “You have to trust
me on that. When we return to Lorelei, Mom will make sure your only priority is to practice
your abilities. I have a feeling the new Maven will not disagree.”
I gave up my fight and sagged against him, leaning my head back on his shoulder. I let
his darkness wrap around me and soothe my heart. “I don’t know what I’d do without you,” I
murmured.
“You’d probably have a broken leg,” he joked. “These rocks are no joke. Let’s get you
someplace dry.”
He helped me up and we delicately made our way across the rocky beach, toward a rock
that was shaped like a giant letter ‘n’ stepping into the ocean; one leg on the beach, while the
other was underwater. Beneath its arch the waves were slowly crawling toward the other leg, so
that the sand beneath was wet, but we were still shielded from the rain. I sat down on the wet
sand and stretched my legs out, allowing the water to slosh over them again and again.
“We could be in one of those Giorgio for Men cologne commercials right now, and not
even know it.”
“I was in a commercial like that once,” Finn contemplated.
“You were!?”
“No,” he smirked.
“I hate you,” I splashed water up at him.
“Aw, you don’t mean that,” he mewed, moving closer to me. I inched away from him
and crossed my arms.
“Oh yes I do.”
“I bet I can change your mind.”
“I doubt it,” I retorted, instantly regretting it when I saw the knowing look in his eye.
“Challenge accepted.” He grinned at me like a panther about to go in for the kill, and I
was fully aware I was the kill. What I wasn’t aware of was the fact that it had started to storm.
Lightning struck nearby, sending a shockwave across the beach that lit up the night with its flash.
I shrieked out and instinctively moved towards Finn, who pulled me close.
“I knew I could change your mind,” he chuckled. I didn’t miss the smug smile on his
face. “You didn’t know I could control lightning, did you?”
“I hope the next one hits you.” I rolled my eyes at his phony claim, inwardly relishing the
feel of his arms and the comfort of his body beside mine. As if on cue, another bolt of lightning
shot across the sky and sent the resulting thunder over the water and onto the beach; rattling
my insides with its tenor.
“Careful Pasha, you never know what you might be capable of.” He grinned, leaning
towards me and nuzzling my neck. “Burnt-to-a-crisp-Finn was not on the menu for tonight.”
“I’m pretty sure I can’t control anything that powerful,” I laughed his comment off and
shivered at the feel of his breath on my neck.
“I beg to differ,” he whispered in my ear.
A huge thank you to author Kristen Day for stopping by the blog today and sharing this excerpt from book 3 with us! Be sure to enter her kick ass giveaway via rafflecopter below....
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Emma Walker was a writer who'd lost herself to someone else's anger--who had given up on ever feeling like herself again.
