Saturday, December 14, 2013

A Very Paranormal Holidays Blog Hop!

http://blog.kallysten.net/2013/12/a-very-paranormal-holidays-blog-hop.html

Welcome to a Very Paranormal Holidays Blog Hop!

Authors Kallysten and Tricia Schneider organized this Very Paranormal holidays Blog Hop to share their love for paranormal romance, help you discover new authors, win books, prizes... and maybe a brand new Kindle Fire! Visit this page to participate in the Kindle giveaway, but before that make sure to enter mine!

In a few weeks, I'll release a new YA novel with vampires, demons and a very special young man trying to do the right thing in a difficult situation, but for this contest I'm giving away copies of my first YA novella, a shifter sci-fi story titled Beneath the Twin Mons of Haldae:

http://angela-yseult.blogspot.com/p/beneath-twin-moons-of-haldae.html
Trainee observer Zaren was never supposed to set foot on the fifth planet of system 59, let alone have contact with the indigenous population. In fact, any contact is grounds for her immediate dismissal from the program. Zaren has dreamed of being an observer for as long as she can remember, and she knows the rules well. But when her observation vehicle crashes, she finds herself in dire need of help.
Kris has been sent by the Elders of his village on a solo journey into the woods. He needs to choose a single animal to shape-shift into. Only then will he be recognized as a man by his people. Only then will he be allowed to return to care for the last member of his family, his gravely ill sister, Elea.
When Kris finds Zaren fighting for her life, he doesn’t hesitate for a second to save her, even though she’s a stranger, even though he can’t understand her – and even though he risks exile if she discovers he is a shifter.
As they trek through the woods in search of Zaren’s lost shuttle, they learn more than they ought to about each other, and also about themselves. But they will both have to return to their own kind eventually… How will they explain themselves to their people without losing everything? More importantly, what will they do when they have to say goodbye?

The giveaway is open internationally. 3 paperbacks are waiting for winners!

Be sure to  hop to the other blogs!


Sunday, November 10, 2013

Blogging challenge #3

# 3: Pass on some useful advice or information you learned and always remembered. 

Sometimes you're annoyed and you snap at people even though they're not the ones who annoyed you, and they have no idea what the heck just happened. They just know you snapped at them for no reason - which means in their eyes you're irrational, volatile, and maybe not worth hanging around. This is an excellent way to lose friends (or not make new ones).

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Blogging challenge #2

#2 - If you could take three months off from your current life and do anything in the world, what would you do? 

I read an article recently about a businessman who is going to spend - I think it was a month? - some time on a tiny island in the pacific I believe. He has survival gear, that is to say the means to make water drinkable, and fishing/cooking tools. He also has high tech equipment, computer and satellite connection, so he can still run his company from the middle of nowhere.

I'm not an outdoors person by any means, but if I found enough courage, I'd love to go to some remote place and just be alone, cut off from the world for a while. I wouldn't take the computer like he did - although I would have some kind of distress signal in case I got hurt or something.

Three months without checking my email, or tumblr, or facebook, or the ratings of my books online. Three months of not jumping up every time the phone rings. Three months of not wondering if what's on tv tonight is worth watching, or if I want to pay to see that movie in the theater now or just wait for it to come out on DVD. Just three months of quiet, of worrying about nothing except for basic things like food and shelter...

I think it'd help me get back a sense of what's important and what isn't.

Monday, October 21, 2013

Blogging challenge

I am such a terrible blogger... I've left this blog languish for months. On one hand, I keep thinking, 'I need to update this! I need to let the people who care (if anybody actually does care...) know that I am working on more books! Demons World is in the final edits, and I have started working on another fantasy story.'

But then... All right. I said it. What else?

So I thought I'd take on this blogging challenge with a set list of questions and just run through each one. I probably won't post every day but once in a while is better than not at all... I hope!

Let's see what the question is for day 1...

Day 1: Describe where or what you come from. The people, the places, and/or the factors that make up who you are.

I come from France, and while I've been living in the United States for a dozen years now, being French certainly is a big part of who I am. I'm not 'just' French, though. My husband teases me and calls me 'farm girl' to his 'city boy'. I don't consider myself a farm girl, but that is where my roots are.

My grandparents were farmers, and going to the farm every Sunday when I was a child is one of my fondest memories. There was always something to do to help the grown-ups, and working with my grandmother always made me feel special.

I think it gave me an appreciation for hard work - and good work. My grandparents certainly didn't get rich raising cows and poultry or growing grains, but they raised three children who all have their heads on their shoulders and can take care of themselves and their families.

'What you reap is what you sow' is such a trite phrase, but there's no denying it's true. I only hope they would have been proud of what I've become.

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Tuesday Teaser - Beneath the Twin Moons of Haldae - Chapter 4

Chapter 4
Drawings on the Wall


If Kris had been alone, he would have spent the day as a panther or a wolf; he still hadn’t decided which of his forms to adopt. This journey was about spending as much time as he could in the animal form that would be his. About discovering who he was. However, it seemed more important now to discover who the strange woman he had pulled out of the river could be.

By the time night fell, he still wasn’t sure of much more than her name, but he knew what she wasn’t: an angel. In the stories from his childhood, angels were capable of great feats: they could read minds, they were stronger that the strongest men and more beautiful than the most beautiful women. The last part, in Kris’ eyes, was true, but the rest certainly wasn’t.

He had to stop several times during the day when Zaren started falling behind to let her catch her breath. He also had to show her what fruits were edible, and how to get water from the long-stemmed leaves that hung from certain trees. It was quite strange that she didn’t know how to find food or water. What did she usually eat?

With twilight falling over the forest and Zaren showing signs of fatigue, Kris pushed a little further. He wouldn’t have minded spending the night out in the forest, but he doubted she would be up to it.

“Kris,” she called, her voice weak and out of breath. “Rest?”

She had learned this word fast.

“Not much further,” he said, gesturing ahead. “Then you can rest.”

She must have caught the gist of what he was saying because she sighed softly before nodding. She had braided her hair as they walked, using a long, flexible stem to tie off the end, but it had come undone and strands framed her face, giving her a wild, untamed look. Swallowing hard, Kris forced himself to look away. After a moment, his racing heartbeat calmed down again.

A few more minutes led them to a cave in a rocky hill on the riverbank that Shifters sometimes used during their journey. The cave was about two hundred paces in length and about half that in width, with a narrower opening. A shelf had been carved inside the wall of the cave to receive some supplies, and dry firewood was piled up near the entrance. It took Kris only moments to start a fire. When he looked up, Zaren had found the blankets and wrapped one around her shoulders.

“I’ll get food,” he told her. Food was another word she had learned. “Stay here.” He patted the rock ground next to the fire. “Rest.”

She nodded her understanding and even gave him a hesitant smile. The flames cast their light over her face, making fire dance in her hair. Kris had to stop himself from reaching out and touching it. Troubled, he left the cave and shifted into his panther form as soon as he was out of sight.

He stilled for a second, allowing himself to take in the information his sharper senses were giving him. So close to the river, the ground felt damp beneath his paws. The sounds of nocturnal animals filled the night, competing with the rush of water. By the light of the twin moons, everything around him seemed clear as day.

These sensations, Kris had expected. What took him by surprise was the strength of Zaren’s scent around him. It was unmistakably human, but also undoubtedly foreign. He’d never smelled anything quite like it, though he couldn’t pinpoint what made it different.

Only half-aware of what he was doing, he started following her trail away from the cave, the image of her still swirling in his mind. Such a strange woman. He had a thousand questions for her—and no way of asking any of them. After a few minutes, he lashed out behind him with his tail; following her fading scent was getting him nowhere, only drawing him away from her. Irritated, he climbed the nearest tree and went in search of food.

When he returned to the cave, he found Zaren examining one of the tools that had been in the cache along with the blankets. He sat down next to her by the fire, and she glanced at him before running a light finger over the edge of the short knife she held. She said something that sounded like a question as she looked up at Kris again, pointing at the blade.

Kris shook his head. “I don’t know what you’re asking,” he said, a little frustrated.

She seemed just as annoyed. She looked around her, finally pointing at the pile of dry branches near the wall of the cave. She said a word, repeating it twice slowly. She then pointed at the burning wood in the fire, and said the word again. At last, she pointed at the wooden handle of the knife, and repeated the same word before looking at Kris as though urging him to understand.

He looked at what she had pointed at again, and got it. “Wood! It’s wood!”

He repeated her word for wood, stumbling a little other the pronunciation, then said his own word for it. Smiling, she repeated the word after him. Pointing at the knife again, she showed him the blade, and said “Wood” while shaking her head before raising a questioning eyebrow. Kris wanted to kick himself for not getting it sooner.

“Tooth,” he said slowly. “It’s made out of a tooth.”

He bared his teeth and taped them with a finger, saying the word again. Zaren frowned. She pointed at her own teeth, said the word, then brought her thumb and index finger close together, saying a new word. Pointing at the blade again, she spread the same fingers as far as they could go and said a different word. She repeated the whole thing a second time before Kris got it.

“Small,” he said, copying her first gesture, then the second. “Big.”

She repeated the two words before pointing at the blade yet again. “Tooth small.”

He nodded. “Yes, our teeth are too small for that. But come see.”

Getting to his feet, he encouraged her with a gesture to do the same and picked up a lit branch to serve as a torch. Zaren in tow, he moved deeper into the cave and found the painting of the mountain tiger that someone from his village, long ago, had carved then painted onto the rock. He pointed at the wide, open mouth of the drawing, and the large teeth visible there.

“Tooth,” he said again. “Big enough for a knife.”

He watched her as she leaned closer to get a better look at the painting. Her eyes widened, and in the wavering light of his improvised torch, they seemed to shine with excitement. Her hand rested on his arm, squeezing lightly. Kris froze at the unexpected contact. It sent a wave of goose bumps through his entire body. Zaren looked at him, then at her hand, and snatched it back with a murmur that might have been an apology. He could even have sworn she was blushing.

“I don’t mind,” Kris assured her, hoping his forced smile would let her guess what she didn’t understand. “I was just surprised. You’ve been very careful not to get too close to me until now.”

Zaren, of course, did not reply. Instead, she gestured for him to hand her the torch, and when he did she stepped over to the next painting. Kris watched her for a moment. The intensity with which she scrutinized the drawing surprised him; it was well done, certainly, but he didn’t see what was so extraordinary about it. Maybe she liked animals a lot, he thought as he returned to the fire and started preparing dinner.

His theory also explained why, when he called her name to offer her food, she refused again to touch meat, feasting instead on the fruits he had brought back. He would try fishing the next day, he thought as he watched her eat the sweet and juicy flesh of what had quickly become her favorite fruit. Fruits were fine, but she’d need more that that if she wanted to keep up her strength.

She remained very quiet as she ate, her eyes returning every so often to the carved and painted wall of the cave. Had she never seen such representations, Kris wondered? Maybe her people didn’t know how to draw. He wasn’t very good at it himself, but Elea was. Maybe she would be able to teach Zaren.

He stopped with food halfway to his mouth and lowered it again. Up to that moment, he had had no plan beyond helping Zaren find her shuttle, whatever a shuttle may be. But already, part of him hoped she would accompany him to his village after that.

He didn’t want to part ways with her, at least not so soon. There was too much he needed to discover about her. He could feel that need on a visceral level, demanding that he stay close to this strange, attractive girl and that he continue to try to communicate with her, however hard it may be.

He must have stared at her as he thought, because she was looking back at him, an eyebrow cocked questioningly, a troubled expression marring her features. Kris pushed a smile to his lips. He hadn’t meant to worry her.

“It’s all right,” he said as he stood. “You stay here. Rest. I’ll just…” He gestured to the opening of the cave. She’d probably sleep better if he wasn’t there to stare at her and make her uncomfortable. “I’ll be out for a bit and try to clear my mind.”

The need to shift was making it hard to focus. This time, he chose his wolf form without thinking as soon as he was far enough from the cave. Zaren’s scent had started to fade; yet before he knew it, he was following its faint trail again, prowling through the forest as though tracking prey. She was no such thing, of course, yet surges of energy shot through his body every time he let himself think of her a little too long. It was the same instinct that made him turn around and retrace his steps until he was back to the cave.

As quietly as if he were hunting, he approached the opening of the cave and the fire he had built there earlier. He had expected to find Zaren asleep. Instead, she was sitting by the fire, her arms around her legs and her cheek resting on her knee, the blanket wrapped over her shoulders again.

Her eyes widened when she noticed him, and very slowly, she lifted her head to see him better. Did she recognize him? She had been very scared when he had pulled her out of the river, and she had quickly passed out, but he thought she might remember the wolf.

Very slowly, her eyes never leaving Kris, she reached for something on the ground. He sat back on his haunches, curious as to what she would do. Her scent wafted toward him even as she grasped the knife. The predator in him recognized the spicy smell easily; she was afraid. Taking care to remain very still, he waited.

He’d never known anyone who was afraid of him when he shifted. He’d never known anyone who didn’t know he was a Shifter. It was…strange to watch her react to him when she didn’t know it was him. Maybe he should have remained out of sight; too late, now.

He wished he could have told her, shown her he was the wolf and that she had nothing to fear, but he wasn’t allowed to share his village’s secret. Unwilling to scare her even more, he remained still. Would she get used to his presence, and understand he had no intention of harming her?

It wasn’t likely, he realized after a few minutes had passed. The only thing that had changed was that the scent of fear coming off Zaren was stronger, although she didn’t show it. He had better leave or she wouldn’t sleep, and she’d be too exhausted to walk much the next day.

He stood and, after a last glance at Zaren, turned on his heel, trotting away and out of sight. Under the cover of bushes, he shifted back, then returned to the cave. Zaren almost jumped in fright when he appeared at the cave’s opening. Immediately, she ran to him and clutched his arm, babbling incomprehensibly and gesturing as though miming a cat.

He shook his head and gently took the knife from her.

“You’re safe,” he said, knowing she didn’t understand but hoping his reassuring smile and the tone of his voice would convey his meaning. “Safe. I wouldn’t hurt you.”

Her eyes darted to the entrance of the cave, and she said something—asked a question, he thought.

He shook his head again. “The wolf is not coming back tonight,” he said on the same calm tone. “The wolf is right next to you, but you don’t know that, do you?”

Zaren’s lips curved into a tentative smile. Kris wished he’d had as keen a nose as a human as he did as a wolf. Was she still scared? He hoped she wasn’t.

With a gentle hand on her shoulder, he guided her back to her makeshift bed by the fire. She lay down with a question plain on her face. Kris answered it by sitting next to the fire. Let her believe that he’d keep the animals at bay if it helped her sleep better. The truth was, he was one of the most dangerous things in the forest. He only hoped he could bring her to safety before his body settled on his final form and he forgot he was human.

* * * *

The Elders were murmuring amongst themselves. Kris glanced at the door again, wondering if Zaren was all right. She had tried to hide it, but he knew her enough by now to realize that the guards had frightened her. He had done his best to reassure her, but he didn’t think it had worked. He wished he could have asked Elea to accompany them so that she could stay with Zaren.

“Whether she’s from the stars or not,” Elder Sarly said at last, a trace of scorn in his voice, “she’s a stranger. How much of our secrets did you reveal to her?”

Kris braced himself. He had known this question would be asked. There was only one acceptable answer. “None.”

Elder Sarly’s dark eyes weighed on him, as though a simple look might draw the truth out of Kris. It might have worked when he had been a child, but he wasn’t about to let himself be intimidated now.

“Are you sure?” Elder Sarly asked, the words slow and quiet.

Kris sat up rigidly on his chair, summoning every bit of pride and honor he possessed and wrapping them around him like a coat. Members of the First Family had been known to ask for a duel when their honor was challenged, and the circle couldn’t afford to let that happen.

“Are you calling me a liar?” he asked in a dark voice, his eyes traveling over the circle of Elders before stopping on Elder Sarly again.

“He’s not,” Elder Aliana intervened. As always, her appeasing tone sought to calm heated spirits. “None of us are. We’re just trying to understand. You said you entered the Ushias territory.”

She made the statement sound like a question and raised an eyebrow at him. Kris focused on her as he answered.

“I did. Her shuttle was five hundred paces past their border.”

Another murmur passed over the circle.

“You were reckless,” Elder Pala said sharply. “If they declare war it will be your fault.”

Kris’ eyes lowered to the table in front of him. He pressed his palms against wood that hundreds of hands had rendered as smooth as the finest silk from the Western shores.

“I know. But there was nothing else I could do. She needed to contact her people, and the Ushias were standing in the way.”

“So you confronted them while in your human form?” Elder Pala asked, sounding appalled.

Kris briefly wondered what to answer. He had lied already, but the less lies he professed, the easier to keep things straight. “No.”

Elder Sarly slapped his hand over the table, startling some of the Elders. “You just said she didn’t know about the shifting! How can it be if you—”

“She thinks I am able to control animals,” Kris cut in calmly. It was only half a lie; after all, she had believed as much for a little while.

A snort showed what Elder Sarly thought of that. “Hiding behind lies? You’re playing with fire.”

Kris didn’t reply. He knew he was playing a dangerous game. By lying to them so that they wouldn’t order Zaren’s death, by placing his faith in a girl he barely knew, by trusting feelings he barely understood, he was putting his entire village in danger. Still, Zaren had made a promise to him, and it felt right to believe her. Necessary.

He had gone on his journey looking for a sign, and he had found it. It just wasn’t the sign he, or anyone else, had ever expected to find.


Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Tuesday Teaser - Beneath the Twin Moons of Haldae - Chapter 3

Chapter 3
First Words


Another fit of coughing shook Zaren’s body. Covering her mouth, she turned away from the man—Kris, she thought his name was—and took the opportunity to look around her. She was sitting a few paces from the river, beneath the cover of the trees. To her relief, the large, wolf-like animal that had swum with her in the river was nowhere to be seen.

Reassured about her immediate safety, she turned her attention again to Kris. Kneeling by her side, he was observing her with a slightly expectant look, though she had no idea what he could want from her. Her observer training kicked in and she unconsciously started cataloguing details.

Monday, January 28, 2013

Reviews

I have been delighted since Beneath the Twin Moons of Haldae came out to receive some lovely review on Amazon and Goodreads. Today, Gaele posted hers on her blog, I am, Indeed.

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who takes a few minutes to write their thoughts - good or bad, by theway. It's not so much about the number of 'stars' as it is about hearing readers' thoughts.

Free for 2 days only!


Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Tuesday Teaser - Beneath the Twin Moons of Haldae - Chapter 2


Chapter 2
Seeking Signs



After leaving the village, Kris ran for three hours before allowing himself to think back on the parting words of the Elders. Only after he had exhausted himself crossing the plain to enter the forest did it feel safe to let his anger rise.

His low growl startled a handful of blue and green birds into flight, and his eyes followed them for a second, his ears flattening over his head. Small and graceful, the birds rose through the branches, reaching for the gray-blue sky above. He could have shifted now, and joined them—joined them in freedom. His bird form wasn’t as elegant or colorful as theirs, but his size gave him the speed they lacked. Since his first shift, he had always loved flying.

He growled again, lashing out with his tail behind him in irritation. As much as he loved to fly, he had to try not to shift to his bird form. It would only make everything more difficult if he did. Springing up to a low branch, he barely touched the tree limb before jumping higher, using branches as so many steps toward the top of the forest.

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Tuesday Teaser - Beneath the Twin Moons of Haldae - Chapter 1

Chapter 1
The Waters of the River F’ryn





“Zaren Hall speaking. Request immediate assistance. I lost control of observation vehicle seven-seven-B-eight above the fifth planet of System fifty-nine. I repeat. I need immediate assistance. My OV is about to crash on—damn it!”

The last thing Zaren saw before the automatic safeguard ejected her from the cockpit was the blinking line on the transmitter screen.

No signal.

The two words echoed in her mind as her seat fell freely through the air, leaving her struggling for breath. She had been ejected too high in the atmosphere. She gasped and fought back the black dots that were threatening to take away her vision, hanging on to one thought. She couldn’t faint, not now. She had to watch and see where the shuttle crashed. She would need to be able to find it again if she ever wanted to leave this planet.

Friday, January 11, 2013

Beneath The Twin Moons of Haldae

Trainee observer Zaren was never supposed to set foot on the fifth planet of system 59, let alone have contact with the indigenous population. In fact, any contact is grounds for her immediate dismissal from the program. Zaren has dreamed of being an observer for as long as she can remember, and she knows the rules well. But when her observation vehicle crashes, she finds herself in dire need of help.

Kris has been sent by the Elders of his village on a solo journey into the woods. He needs to choose a single animal to shape-shift into. Only then will he be recognized as a man by his people. Only then will he be allowed to return to care for the last member of his family, his gravely ill sister, Elea.

When Kris finds Zaren fighting for her life, he doesn’t hesitate for a second to save her, even though she’s a stranger, even though he can’t understand her – and even though he risks exile if she discovers he is a shifter.

As they trek through the woods in search of Zaren’s lost shuttle, they learn more than they ought to about each other, and also about themselves. But they will both have to return to their own kind eventually… How will they explain themselves to their people without losing everything? More importantly, what will they do when they have to say goodbye?

~~~

 Sample chapters: Chapter 1- Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4

~~~


Available as ebook from
>> Amazon Kindle - Amazon UK - Amazon CA - Amazon FR 
>> Barnes & Noble 
>> Smashwords 

Available as paperback from Amazon (US and Europe) and Createspace

If you purchase a paperback, you can request a free bookplate, personalized to your name and signed by the author. Just email Angela a copy of your receipt along with your shipping address.


Beneath the Twin Moons of Haldae