Today, I’m delighted to have fantasy romance author Marsha A Moore here,
talking about her latest release in the Enchanted Bookstore Legends: Book Five, Quintessence.
She is running a competition to win the entire e-book set of Enchanted
Bookstore Legends, plus 5 e-book copies of Book 5, Quintessence. See the Rafflecopter
Widget below!
Marsha, please tell us what your series is about.
Enchanted Bookstore Legends
(series
description):
Genre: Epic Fantasy Romance.
The Enchanted Bookstore Legends
are about Lyra McCauley, a woman destined to become one of five strong women in
her family who possess unique magical abilities and serve as Scribes in
Dragonspeir. The Scribes span a long history, dating from 1200 to present day.
Each Scribe is expected to journey through Dragonspeir, both the good and evil
factions, then draft a written account. Each book contains magic with vast
implications.
Lyra was first introduced to
Dragonspeir as a young girl, when she met the high sorcerer, Cullen Drake,
through a gift of one of those enchanted books. Using its magic, he escorted
her into the parallel world of Dragonspeir. Years later, she lost that volume
and forgot the world and Cullen. These legends begin where he finds her again—she
is thirty-five, standing in his enchanted bookstore, and Dragonspeir needs
her.
When Lyra reopens that enchanted
book, she confronts a series of quests where she is expected to save the good
Alliance from destruction by the evil Black Dragon. While learning
about her role, Lyra and Cullen fall in love. He is 220 years old and kept
alive by Dragonspeir magic. Cullen will die if Dragonspeir is taken over by the
evil faction…Lyra becomes the Scribe.
That sounds awesome. Can you give us more detail about this fifth book,
Quintessence?
Barbaric Dark Realm warfare
threatens to overtake all Dragonspeir lands, including the Alliance. Lyra
McCauley, the fifth Scribe of the Alliance, finds herself in a desperate
competition to gather four missing keystones. Those amulets of the four natural
elements guarantee victory for the side possessing them. The Dark Realm’s
alchemist, Eburscon, beats her to finding the water gem, the Pearl of Pendola.
Three more keystones remain: the fluorite containing earth energy, the
moonstone of the sky, and the fiery, dangerous Emtori Ruby.
The powerful gems, stolen
centuries ago, channel astral energies and can restore much-needed Alliance
power—the last hope. The wizard, Cullen, who is Lyra’s beloved, relies on
Alliance magic for his immortality and will perish if the land falls to the
Dark Realm.
Lyra must use her rare
magical energies of quintessence to guide her to the hidden keystones
before her opponents, who plan to destroy the Alliance, or to claim the power
of quintessence for themselves.
In my new release, Quintessence, the fifth and final
book in the Enchanted Bookstore
Legends, my heroine, Lyra, is desperate to unlock and use her power of
quintessence.
Quintessence is an
actual alchemical term, referring to the fifth essence
or element, ether,
the constituent matter of the heavenly bodies. The other four natural elements are air, fire, earth, and water. This
fifth element is superior to the others. It is the divine spark hidden in all
things, the reflection of the Celestial Fire. Quintessence is formed by the
perfect balance of the four natural elements. The harmony of the fifth power is
an exalted state. Staurolite is a real-life gemstone, considered through the
ages to correspond to the power of quintessence.
I’ll share some known lore about Staurolite.
Commonly called Fairy Cross or Fairy Stone, it was once believed to be created
by the tears of fairies. It is shaped in an actual cross, with twined crystals
that intergrow at nearly 90 degree angles.
Magically, it is a grounding stone that assists in
connecting with other worlds, including the fairy realm.
This is an excellent stone for use in widening one's inner vision and awareness
of other realms. It was believed that a person who possessed this
talisman could cause the four natural elements to do his or her bidding.
In
addition, it was believed that the 90 degree cross represented the crossing of
the spiritual and physical planes. After the arrival of Christianity, these
stones were popular with those who entered a crusade.
As the book opens, Lyra has just
found the staurolite stone in an enchanted tide pool. The function of the gem,
in reality and in Dragonspeir, is to control the other four elements. In the
story, it will allow Lyra to control four magical keystones—the Pearl of Pendola
(water), the Fluorite (earth), Moonstone (air), and the powerful Emtori Ruby
(fire). Once she learns how to use the staurolite to guide her new power of
quintessence, gathering the keystones and saving the Alliance from the Dark
Realm should be easy. Not quite.
Upon realizing Lyra has gained
control of her quintessence, the evil alchemist, Eburscon, schemes and plots to
steal that power so he may rule all of Dragonspeir. As one of the most learned
men in the land, he is a formidable adversary. If he succeeds in taking Lyra’s
quintessence for his own use, the Dark Realm will overtake the good Alliance.
Its residents will be killed or enslaved, Lyra will be left comatose without
her aura, and her beloved Cullen will perish without the Alliance magic he relies
upon to maintain his immortality. The risks are huge. Find out if Lyra will be
able to master her new power in time to block the attacks of evil on her,
Cullen, and the Alliance—in Quintessence: Enchanted Bookstore Legend
Five.
References:
Real Alchemy by Robert Allen Bartlett, Ibis Press, 2007.
Photo credit of Staurolite: By Elade53 (Kolekcja - Lech
Darski) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
That
sounds fascinating, Marsha! Do you have an excerpt you could share with us?
Excerpt from Chapter
One: The Evil Tidal Pool
Jaw clenched
and arm muscles tensed, Lyra pumped aura into her fist, which was closed around
the Staurolite. The cross-shaped crystal at its center pulsed red hot in her
palm. Power from her ancestors—four female Scribes—pressed hard against her
fingers, begging to be set into motion against the evil alchemist. Aura flooded
Lyra’s senses, bringing keen perception. She studied Eburscon, watching for the
slightest movement.
His gaze fixed
on her and the Unicorn Guardian in the surf below. He sat motionless on the
back of a cimafa stealth dragon, hand cupping the iolite pendant outside of his
dark purple cloak. The gem lay quiet. Only the graying braid at Eburscon’s back
swept from side to side with the impatient contortions of the cimafa.
Inky clouds
billowed around the members of the Dark Realm. The three cimafa were well
camouflaged, visible only when they snorted through fiery nostrils and their
sleek, long tails undulated.
The Black
Dragon’s scales irridesced with light reflected off whitecaps riding on fierce
waves across the Sea of Cogadh. Acid drool from his snout peppered the water,
sizzling upon impact. His wings moved almost imperceptibly to maintain an
aerial position, while his gaze locked on his nemesis, the Alliance’s leader.
Behind Lyra,
the huge golden dragon, twice the size of his opponent, stood on the shore. The
Imperial Dragon’s thigh muscles bulged and his wings extended, ready for
flight. Muffled guttural noises escaped his throat, apparently still burning
from the Black Dragon’s acid attack.
Lyra wanted to
empower the golden sapphire apex of her wizard’s staff, but feared the display
of power might initiate more strikes from the Dark Realm.
Behind her on
the Unicorn’s wide rump, Kenzo’s aura shifted. The owl followed the Imperial
Dragon’s cue and partially unfolded his silver-striped wings.
Wisps of the
Unicorn’s white aura danced in the twisting, turning surf.
Nearby, the
sea nymph watched the Pearl of Pendola she had protected for centuries. Its
white nacre shined between the fingers of Eburscon’s fist. Before he stole it
from her hand, she intended it as a gift for Lyra. The pearl would strengthen
the power of the Alliance that protected the nymph and all kind dwellers in the
Sea of Cogadh. Tears rolled down her pale cheeks. She slipped off the rocky
outcropping into the churning waters now overtaken with evil. Her long blue
hair briefly swirled at the surface before she dove deep.
A tremor of
power moved along the Unicorn’s spine beneath Lyra. Pulsations of his aura
pushed her nerves over the edge. Her own aura spilled reflexively into her
staff, and she clutched his mane, preparing for the consequences of an
onslaught of strikes from the enemy.
The partially
eroded skin of the Black Dragon’s upper lip curled back to reveal rows of
snaggled, dark teeth. “If you will not concede, then come into my land and try
to get what you need.” He reared his long neck high, then coiled it behind him
and snaked his body into a sharp turn in the direction of the Dark Realm.
Eburscon released
a wicked laugh and leaned toward Lyra from his seat on the cimafa.
The Imperial
Dragon responded and soared to a position between them. His tremendous wings,
connecting far beyond his hind legs, completely shielded Lyra.
Warlord Oasth
took an aerial position beside his leader. He spread his smaller drake-sized
wings but snarled viciously, a mouthful of flames swirling between his teeth.
A violet
laser, the color of Eburscon’s aura, shot to the shoreline and pelted the evil
tide pool. The surface reflected purple rays at all angles, but no one dared to
move toward it.
At last, wing
beats sounded behind the wall of the two dragons protecting Lyra. Although
breeze from dragon flight lifted strands of her hair, no flames or acid shots
cut the airspace.
The
alchemist’s laugh grew more distant.
Lyra turned to
face the tide pool and noticed an image on its surface. “Move closer to the
enchanted pool,” she urged the Unicorn.
“I don’t trust
the strength of my ward against Eburscon,” the Guardian whispered over his
shoulder to Lyra. He peered cautiously from behind the dragons’ wings, his aura
heightened into a swirling cloud.
Kenzo hovered
a short distance beyond them and motioned with the tip of his wing. “They are
leaving.”
The Unicorn
faced the Dark Realm’s border while stepping toward the basin. His dark eyes
widened, and his nostrils flared, he tested the trails of evil hanging on air
currents.
The party from
the Dark Realm flew slowly but steadily back to their land. When they
disappeared into the shadowy forest of Silva Nocens, Lyra and the Unicorn
turned their attention toward the pool. Violet haze of Eburscon’s aura hung
above the water. The calm surface beneath reflected an image.
Kenzo circled
the pool, while Lyra dismounted and kneeled on the bank in order to see under
the mist. She secured her heavy wool riding cloak behind her shoulders, but the
golden tip of her braid nearly fell into the evil water before she pushed it
onto her back.
In the vision,
the thin frame of Kessa, the young seer, huddled in a corner against a rough
stone wall. The ten-year-old child wore shackles on her ankles. Her leg braces
had been removed, revealing long scars above and below her knees. She hid her
face in her folded arms and a cascading curtain of matted, dark blond hair.
A heavily
muscled Qumeli man sat cross-legged beside her, a stoic expression on his
bearded face. Two thick, coiled horns grew from either side of his forehead and
spiraled backward past his shoulders. Their size revealed his mature age. Red
beaded decorations strung in his long peppered black hair and between the horns
indicated his status as a tribal chief.
On the other
side of Kessa, a plump old woman puffed calmly on a hand-carved pipe, allowing
the smoke to trickle out in ribbons through her wide nose. Horns spiraled from
high on her head of wiry gray hair, coiling around her ears one turn more than
the man’s. Beaded dangles and charms festooned the bottom of each spiral.
Weather-beaten, deep wrinkles marred her olive complexion. Lyra recognized the
woman as the sibyl star reader, Stella, who had tricked her. During a lesson in
mystic astronomy, Stella had positioned Lyra near the edge of a cliff, where a
waiting cimafa attacked and fought fiercely to steal her aura. Recalling the
experience, her first with a stealth dragon, Lyra shivered.
A heaving lump
of clothing next to the sibyl raised a scarf-covered head and choked on a sob.
Nillea’s swollen face turned to the Qumeli woman. Nillea’s eyes were bloodshot
and her clothing ripped. She crawled a foot in the direction of her daughter.
The sibyl
glared at Nillea, and the chief sent his fist into Kessa’s outer knee.
Kessa
whimpered and curled tighter against the wall, while her mother wailed
inaudible words with a hoarse voice.
“Stop
begging,” the sibyl snapped. “Such a slow learner. More you do, more pain
she’ll get.” One corner of the old woman’s mouth curved into a grin. “Only when
she tells where the other keystones are to be found, we stop and let you both
free.”
“She’s only a
small girl. Please.” Nillea shuddered. Upon receiving no response, she faced
Kessa. “Kinchin, please do this one bit of Great Gramaema Heilia’s magic for
these people.” Her voice cracked. “Then we’ll leave here and no more magic
ever. It brings too much hurt.”
The sibyl
cackled and blew a puff of smoke in Nillea’s face. “You hurt the child, not her seeing.”
Nillea coughed
and fell back. Her foot caught in torn layers of her full skirt, and she
writhed helplessly, while the sibyl enjoyed a resounding belly laugh.
A dense violet
film clouded the vision. Lyra looked at the Unicorn and Imperial Dragon. With
white knuckles, she clamped onto the shaft of her wizard’s staff. “If this is
true—”
End
of Excerpt
Thank you, Cas, for inviting me to be your guest today!
As
a note to your readers, the second Enchanted
Bookstore Legend, Heritage Avenged, will be on sale January 9th - 12th for
99 cents on Amazon.
You
are very welcome, Marsha. I loved reading that excerpt, many thanks for
sharing. Now, where can we get hold of your books?
Here are the purchase links for the
series:
Seeking a Scribe: Enchanted Bookstore Legend One
Heritage Avenged: Enchanted Bookstore Legend Two
Lost Volumes: Enchanted Bookstore Legend Three
Staurolite: Enchanted Bookstore Legend Four
Now,
people, check out that Rafflecopter Giveaway for an entire e-book set of
Enchanted Bookstore Legends, plus 5 e-book copies of Quintessence!
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Direct link for Rafflecopter:
Author Bio:
Marsha A. Moore is an author of
fantasy romance. Much of her life feeds the creative flow she uses to weave
highly imaginative tales.
The magic of art and nature
often spark life into her writing, as well as watercolor painting and drawing.
After a move from Toledo to Tampa in 2008, she’s happily transformed into a
Floridian, in love with the outdoors. Marsha is crazy about cycling. She lives
with her husband on a large saltwater lagoon, where taking her kayak out for an
hour or more is a real treat. She never has enough days spent at the beach,
usually scribbling away at stories with toes wiggling in the sand. Every day at
the beach is magical! She’s been a yoga enthusiast for over a decade and
recently completed a year-long Kripalu-affiliated yoga teacher training
program. The spiritual quest of her yoga studies helps her explore the mystical
side of fantasy.
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