Today, welcome Karin Rita Gastreich, author of
High Maga. Gastreich has just released an audio version of the novel narrated by
Darla Middlebrook. Read about the book below and enter the rafflecopter for free prices. As a female author of heroines, I was particularly excited to learn about the blog, Heroines of Fantasy. If you lack fantasy with strong female character as much as I do, be sure to check it out.
High Maga
Sisters in magic, Eolyn and Adiana seek to revive a craft
once forbidden to women. When war strikes at the heart of the kingdom, their
fledgling community of magas is destroyed; its members killed, captured or
scattered.
In hopes of defending her people, Eolyn tries to escape the
occupied province and deliver to King Akmael a weapon that might secure their
victory. Trapped by the invading army, Adiana is taken prisoner and placed at
the mercy of the ruthless Prince Mechnes.
Even as their world is torn asunder, Eolyn and Adiana cling
to a common dream. Courage and perseverance guide them toward a future where
the Daughters of Aithne will flourish in a world set free from the violence of
men.
“War propels the book forward, and the characters are at
their best when the events engulfing them are at their worst.” –Publishers
Weekly
Purchase Links:
Amazon (audio book): http://www.amazon.com/High-Maga/dp/B00QMQLA3W/
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/high-maga-karin-rita-gastreich/1119380439
Kobo:
https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/high-maga
About the Author:
KARIN RITA GASTREICH writes tales of ordinary women and the
extraordinary paths they choose. Inspired by a lifetime of exploring lush
forests and breathtaking landscapes, Karin’s stories blend elements of epic
fantasy, historical fiction, and romance. The worlds she creates are a strange
amalgamation of medieval Europe and colonial Central America, with misty
forests, vast savannas, and steamy jungles. They are populated by brave
heroines, noble heroes, and twisted villains. From ancient woodlands to
uncharted seas, readers will experience gripping battle scenes, heart wrenching
loss, hard-won triumphs, and the ultimate magic of love. Karin’s fantasy novels
Eolyn and High Maga are available from Hadley Rille Books. Her short stories
have appeared in Zahir, 69 Flavors of
Paranoia, and World Jumping. She
runs an on-line discussion forum about women in genre fiction at Heroines of Fantasy. Follow Karin’s
adventures into fantastic worlds, both real and imagined, at krgastreich.com.
Author web links:
Twitter: @EolynChronicles
About the Narrator:
Darla’s voice is a versatile instrument used with skill. It
is a voice filled with intelligence and warmth.
Her sound can range from mature to youthful female, and she can also
produce convincing male timbres.
Narrative is presented in a conversational, down to earth,
matter-of-fact manner and also displays a broad emotional range across a large
repertoire of characters (female, male, young, old and "creature"). All of that while still conveying a sense of
wonder when telling the story.
With experience of 34+ years as a Speech-Language
Pathologist, more than 20 years as a stage & film actor and over 20 years
as a trained singer with knowledge and insight into the mechanics of the voice
and speech, Darla Middlebrook brings a wealth of experience to bear to develop
character voices (male, female, mature, extremely elderly, creepy, bright
exotic, etc) with an impressive emotional range.
Currently, Darla is one of many voice actors who narrate
podcasts for AIRS-LA (an audio internet service for individuals with visual
challenges) in addition to narrating audio books.
Narrator Web Links:
Twitter: @GypsyCatVoice
Html Code for the
Rafflecopter Giveaway:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Excerpt
The Scene That
Inspired the Cover Art for High Maga
By Karin Rita Gastreich
In developing the cover for High Maga, I had the great privilege of working with Hadley Rille
Books artist Thomas Vandenberg. Thomas took his inspiration from one of the
early chapters in the book, when Eolyn and her allies confront a Naether Demon
for the first time. Naether Demons are creatures that were banished to the
Underworld generations ago. In High Maga,
they are summoned back to the world of the living by the sorceress Rishona.
Today I’d like to share an excerpt from the chapter that
inspired the cover art. I hope you enjoy it!
High Maga, Chapter 9 (Excerpt)
Eolyn burst into the
adjacent clearing and stopped short at the sight of a beast that swayed on long
glowing limbs, a set of gaping pits where the eyes and mouth should have been.
In one ebony-clawed hand it held Sirena, her chest torn open from throat to
sternum, the shredded bodice black with blood.
Eolyn’s vision blurred.
Her heart imploded. She clutched at her ribs, breath reduced to ragged gasps,
knees buckling beneath her. Sir Borten caught one arm and hauled Eolyn to her
feet. Their eyes met.
All
your senses open.
The knight released her
and approached the monster with sword drawn.
Eolyn forced back the
grief that had scattered her thoughts.
All
your spirit focused on the task at hand.
Mariel crouched in the
shadows, clutching Eolyn’s staff. Tears streamed down the girl’s face. Her
shoulders shook like leaves on the wind.
“Mariel.” Eolyn’s voice
was calm. “Set down my staff and climb the beech behind you, as quick and high
as you can.”
“But Maga Eolyn—”
“Do as I say. If this goes
badly, you are not to come down until dawn.”
With a sob the young maga fled up the tree.
Eolyn called the staff to her. The water crystal ignited, casting an ivory
light over the dwindling fire, illuminating the creature in full. The beast
groaned, a needy howl born of insatiable hunger.
Eolyn stepped forward,
coming around to Borten’s left.
“Stay behind me,” he
ordered.
“Your sword may not be
enough,” she replied.
Sir Delric crashed out of
the woods with a warrior’s cry. Borten sprang forward and they attacked as one,
blades flashing in the silvery light. The creature reared up on hind legs and
caught Delric in its clawed arms, ripping the stocky man’s throat open and
tossing him aside.
Borten stumbled back, fear
and confusion on his face.
“The swords,” he gasped.
“The swords do nothing.”
With horror Eolyn realized
truth of his words. Their blades had left no mark, though they had cut through
its flesh many times.
The animal lifted its
flattened face toward the sky, letting go a hollow scream. It charged Borten,
who scrambled backwards, reduced to dodging blow after blow.
Ehekaht,
faeom dumae!
Energy exploded from
Eolyn’s staff. The creature stumbled away from the knight, shaking its bald
head, striking at the empty air.
Naeom
aenre!
Fire burst from her palm
and consumed the animal in red flame. It fell to its knees, emitting an
ear-piercing, torturous scream. The pressure upon Eolyn’s
ears became intolerable. Her breath failed her. The magic slipped from her
control. The flames dried up, and the creature struggled to its feet unscathed,
its jade skin as luminous as ever.
