Book & Author Details:
Cornerstone by Kelly
Walker
(Souls of the Stones #1)
Publication date: November 30th 2013
Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult
(Souls of the Stones #1)
Publication date: November 30th 2013
Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult
Synopsis:
Epic Fantasy combines with
Young Adult romance in this stunning new adventure set in a richly
developed medieval world. Second Stone and Broken Stone are now
available! Also be sure to look for Jaded Stone, the thrilling prequel to
the
Souls of the Stones series.
When Emariya Warren learns enemy forces have captured her father, she’ll do anything to save him. Anything. Even marry a mysterious prince she knows nothing about in order to rally the strength to arrange a rescue. During her journey to Torian’s foreign castle, Emariya comes face to face with her mother’s killers–and a deadly secret.
Not only does Emariya possess a powerful but unexpected magical gift passed down through each of her families, the prince she’s promised to marry possesses a third, and an ominous prophecy has warned the three gifts must never be combined.
If she breaks her promise to marry Torian, she won’t be able to save her father and if she keeps it, she may bring a curse upon everything she holds dear. Determining which choice is best won’t be easy, but when she meets the gorgeous prince who may desire more than just her heart, she realizes she will have to fight just to have a choice at all.
Her heart wants him desperately. Her head begs her to run. If she doesn’t want to share her mother’s fate, she’ll have to find a way to untangle the truth from the lies in time to save herself.
Discover the heartbreaking betrayals, fascinating magic and fated love of Cornerstone.
Souls of the Stones series.
When Emariya Warren learns enemy forces have captured her father, she’ll do anything to save him. Anything. Even marry a mysterious prince she knows nothing about in order to rally the strength to arrange a rescue. During her journey to Torian’s foreign castle, Emariya comes face to face with her mother’s killers–and a deadly secret.
Not only does Emariya possess a powerful but unexpected magical gift passed down through each of her families, the prince she’s promised to marry possesses a third, and an ominous prophecy has warned the three gifts must never be combined.
If she breaks her promise to marry Torian, she won’t be able to save her father and if she keeps it, she may bring a curse upon everything she holds dear. Determining which choice is best won’t be easy, but when she meets the gorgeous prince who may desire more than just her heart, she realizes she will have to fight just to have a choice at all.
Her heart wants him desperately. Her head begs her to run. If she doesn’t want to share her mother’s fate, she’ll have to find a way to untangle the truth from the lies in time to save herself.
Discover the heartbreaking betrayals, fascinating magic and fated love of Cornerstone.
Purchase:
Excerpt:
Strong arms
scooped her up off of the cold ground. The warmth of his body radiated through
her. She'd been lying on the ground for so long that the wet had infiltrated
every layer of her clothing. She was so cold, and he was so warm. Emariya
snuggled in against him without thinking about it, and then opened her eyes.
Looking down at
her worriedly were the purest gray eyes she had ever seen. If someone had told
her they were made of the snow and stone that surrounded them, she would have
believed them. Then he smiled at her. Her breath caught in her chest.
His dark hair
curled wickedly every which way, despite his attempts to brush it back. She
couldn't help thinking that he could have been carved out of rock. He had high
cheekbones and an angled chin, which added to the carven look. Several days’
worth of stubble decorated his jawline, but instead of making him look unkempt
it only punctuated his deeply handsome dark looks.
“Are you all
right, my Lady?” His voice was tense, worried, but strangely lyrical. She
smiled reassuringly at him. She was instantly rewarded with his returned smile.
She had thought
for sure she heard Garith's voice, but she didn't see him. “Garith?” she
inquired, trying to lift her head to look around for him. The man's smile
dimmed, although it was no less captivating. He turned her so she could see the
other side of the camp. She saw Garith off to the side, working to put out the
fire. This handsome, kind stranger must have helped Garith rescue her.
“Who?” she
managed to croak out. Her throat was raw and the words ached as they passed
through her dry lips. What had happened? She'd been running for Raina when…she
remembered then. She'd gotten the oil of the Hellebore on her when Leil touched
her. She shuddered involuntarily, remembering the things the hypnotic herb had
made her envision while she was under its spell. But that didn't matter
anymore.
The smile was
back, although it was more guarded now. “Allow me to introduce myself, my Lady.
My name is Torian Ahlen.”
AUTHOR INTERVIEW:
Q: Why did you
choose to write a YA Fantasy book instead of other young adult sub-genres such
as contemporary, paranormal, dystopian, etc.?
I don’t think I really had a choice. I had
to tell this story. Sure, I filled in some details, but mostly Riya wrote her
own story and I just had to try and keep up. Once it took shape, I had to find
a good genre to put it in. The only genre I intentionally stuck to was YA. I
like to read YA books, and also because of the age range, I was pretty sure
most would want to classify it as YA, so I tried to keep it appropriate.
Q: What distracts
you the most while you’re writing?
Everything! The kids, the dogs, facebook,
email, you name it. I've had to learn to go into my home office, shut the door
and block the internet when I really want to get a good chunk of writing done.
Otherwise I get sidetracked.
Q: What is your
all time favorite fantasy book?
That’s like asking me to pick a favorite
type of chocolate! Hmm, let’s see. Well, I consider fantasy a pretty broad
category. I mean, you are asking me to chose between all the Harry Potter books
and Twilight books and Outlander and A Song of Ice and Fire. And let's not
forget Throne of Glass and Crown of Midnight. There is so much awesome fantasy
out there, I can't simply pick a favorite.
Q: What comes
first, character or plot?
Definitely
character! For me, characters and maybe a small tidbit about their situation
wheedle their way into my head, and then I have to work to figure out exactly
who they are, and what their story is. That's not to say I've never
intentionally created a character to fill a plot need, but for the most part,
especially for my main characters, they are what drive the story.
Q: What advice(s) would you give to
writers whose dream is to publish a book?
Do it! Do it right, and do it
professionally, but do it. In today’s volcanic publishing landscape, fulfilling
those dreams is entirely possible and plausible. Do your research because there
are a lot of less than scrupulous people who prey on the uneducated, but if you
want to publish a book and you are willing to put in the time and energy and
effort, the sky is the limit.
AUTHOR
BIO
Kelly
Walker is a YA and NA author of several romantic titles, including the
Souls of the Stones series. She has an unhealthy appreciation for
chocolate, and a soft spot for rescued animals. Her best lessons on
writing came from a lifetime of reading. She loves the fantastical,
and the magical, and believes a captivating romance can be the most
realistic magic of all. Kelly, her husband and her two children share
their Virginia home with three dogs who walk her, and two cats who permit
her to occasionally share their couch.
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