Aerenden Series (The Child Returns, The
Gildonae Alliance and The Zeiihbu Master)
by Kristen
Taber
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
Book
One: The Child Returns
Seventeen-year-old
Meaghan has no idea her perfect life has been a lie — until she witnesses her
parents’ brutal murders at the hands of red-eyed creatures.
After
nearly sharing their fate, she escapes with her best friend, Nick, who tells
her the creatures are called Mardróch. They come from another world, and so
does she. Now that the Mardróch have found her, she must return to her homeland
of Ærenden or face death.
Left
with little choice, she follows Nick into a strange world both similar to Earth
and drastically different. Vines have the ability to attack. Monkeys freeze
their victims with a glare. Men create bombs from thin air. Even Meaghan’s
newly discovered empath power turns into a danger she cannot control.
But
control becomes the least of her worries once the Mardróch begin targeting her.
When Nick confesses he knows the reason they want her, she learns the truth
behind the kingdom's fifteen-year civil war — a long-buried secret that could
cost Meaghan her life.
Book
Two: The Gildonae Alliance
Several
months after Meaghan’s return to Ærenden, the kingdom’s war has taken a turn
for the worse. The Mardróch army hunts the new King and Queen, destroying
villages in its wake. And Meaghan and Nick, training for battle in their remote
section of wilderness, are far from safe. Danger hides in shadows and behind
innocent faces. Allies become foes. Each day is a fight to survive. But in the
end, only one threat matters. And it’s a threat they never see coming.
Book
Three: The Zeiihbu Master
Separated
and on opposite sides of the kingdom, Nick and Meaghan face different pursuits
which could change the balance of power in Ærenden forever.
While
Nick trains the villagers to be soldiers, Meaghan and a small rescue party
venture into Zeiihbu to find Faillen's young son, before Garon can use the
boy's power to destroy those still fighting against his rule.
Everyone
knows Meaghan could be on a suicide mission, but when Nick stumbles upon a
secret concealed in one of the southern villages, he realizes that Garon might
not be Meaghan's greatest foe. The enemy most likely to kill her is someone who
has also promised to keep her safe.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE CHILD RETURNS:
Excerpt One:
THE WALLS
fell in first. A flash of light and smoke came next. Or could it have been the
other way around? It happened so fast, she could not remember. The air smelled
funny, like when Papa put out the fire before bed. It filled her mouth and her
nose. It stuffed her lungs and clogged her breathing. Then it turned thick and
black so she could not see. She coughed. She tried to stand, to run, but her
legs sagged beneath her. Tugging on a curtain, she pulled three times before
she grew tired of toppling over, and crawled toward her bedroom. She called for
her mama, but heard only the sound of distant screams through the smoke. None
of them was Mama.
“Mama? Mama?”
she cried again, feeling her way along the floor. Her fingers brushed a rug,
soft and cool compared to the stone floor. A glowing fire consumed part of the
room, heating the stone. It crept toward her. Fires hurt. Papa had told her she
should not touch them. Sometimes she thought about trying to see if he was
right, but she did not want to try with this one. It seemed angry. Its flames
popped and snarled.
The couch
began to glow, and then disappeared as the fire swept over it. It folded in
half, crashing to the floor with a loud bang. She yelped. Tears stung her eyes
and wet her cheeks. Her arms shook. Her legs trembled. She backed away, and
found the table that usually stood in the middle of the living room. It must
have toppled over too. It lay on its side next to a body that looked like Mama.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Kristen
spent her childhood at the feet of an Irish storytelling grandfather, learning
to blend fact with fiction and imagination with reality. She lived within the
realm of the tales that captivated her, breathing life into characters and
crafting stories even before she could read. Those stories have since turned
into over a hundred poems, several short tales, and five manuscripts in both
the Young Adult and Adult genres. Currently, Kristen is completing the
five-part Ærenden series from her home office in the suburbs of Washington D.C.
Interview:
Where are you from?
I grew up in Bangor, Maine, not far from Stephen King. Half-way
through my junior year of high school, I moved to Central Florida, where I
lived for 15 years before moving to the suburbs of Washington D.C. I’ve also
lived in Southern California, so I guess you can say I’ve had my fair share of
experiences with different areas of the United States. Witnessing and living in
such varying cultures has been a fascinating experience; it’s definitely shaped
me and the way I write about cultures in my books. It doesn’t take a huge
geographical change to alter what matters to people and how their priorities
are formed.
Tell us your latest news?
My third book in the Ærenden series, The Zeiihbu Master, released March 25th to a wonderful reader reception.
I also attended my first Book Festival on April 5th at the
University of Central Florida where I sat on a fantasy panel and met a lot of
amazing fans and some truly awe-inspiring authors. I definitely don’t want that
festival to be my last. On the writing front, I’m finishing my first
Contemporary Romance novel and working on the fourth book in the Ærenden
series. I can’t wait to share what happens next. There are so many surprises
coming up in the war, including an attack on the castle in an attempt to
reclaim it from Garon. I’m excited!
When and why did you begin writing?
I’ve been writing since Kindergarten (well, before, but I
technically couldn’t write then). Mostly, I invented plays for my friends to
act out or wrote short stories for class assignments or because I was bored and
couldn’t find anything on TV. As I grew older, my focus moved to novels. I
developed ideas in several genres over the years, but discarded writing as
frivolous until I came face-to-face with my own mortality. Within three months,
I was diagnosed with two brain aneurysms and cancer. Although I survived
without any lasting effects, it rattled me. I started assessing what truly mattered
in my life and came to the conclusion writing remained my true passion. I
decided to follow my dream and began writing novels again, which is how I wound
up releasing my fantasy series.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
Technically, I realize anyone who writes (blogs, books, poetry,
etc.) is a writer by definition, but somewhere in the back of my head, I don’t
feel like I can claim that title. Perhaps my “wow, I can’t believe I’m a
writer” moment will come soon. As I sell more books and talk to fans who love
my stories, I feel more like I’m accomplishing something worthwhile, but I can’t
help thinking of myself as a fellow reader and lover of books who also happens
to tell stories. For now, I’m happy with that classification. Maybe I’ll always
feel that way. Or maybe I’ll wake up tomorrow and decide I finally meet that
unknown definition. Who knows? Either way, it’s a fantastic adventure and I
love it.
What inspired you to write your first book?
The first full manuscript I wrote is called Her Song, which is the second book in my unreleased Contemporary
Romance series. While I was falling asleep one night, I dreamed about a woman
and a man arguing. At the end of the argument, they had broken up, both still
deeply in love with each other and I had to know why they felt the need to be
apart and what their deeper stories meant. The next day, I wrote out the scene.
Then another one popped into my head and a third. It took me about three weeks
to learn everything they had to tell me and a lot longer to realize other
characters in the book had stories to tell (which is how it wound up as a
series), but that’s how it all started in a nutshell.
What would you like my
readers to know?
Writing isn’t simply about making a living for me and my
characters aren’t just about the stories I share with whoever wants to read
them. Writing is a passion; my characters are real. Because of that, I love
building relationships with readers and hearing about how they react to my
books. Love certain characters or hate them? I honestly want to know. I’ve made
some truly wonderful friends as a result of my books and reading in general, so
feel free to reach out to me. Let me know what you think. Start a dialogue.
Have fun. Reading is an amazing equalizer, the perfect escape, and it’s always
what this journey is about.
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/kristentaberauthor
Twitter:
www.twitter.com/kristentaber
Google
+: plus.google.com/+KristenTaber
Pinterest:
http://www.pinterest.com/kristentaber/
Buy
Links for Book 1
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0084UZ5GM/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0084UZ5GM&linkCode=as2&tag=sad06-20
BN:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/aerenden-kristen-taber/1111767014?ean=2940044899988
Buy
Links for Book 2
Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BQ5BEFI/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00BQ5BEFI&linkCode=as2&tag=sad06-20
BN:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/aerenden-kristen-taber/1114843982?ean=2940044371811
