Friday, July 8, 2011

Blog Tour: Warrior Reborn by K.H. LeMoyne

Welcome to day one of the Warrior Reborn Blog Tour!
The blog tour is being hosted by The Bookish Snob Promotions!
You can read my review HERE - you can buy your own copy HERE and HERE.
Please help me welcome KH LeMoyne!!!
KH LeMoyne was born into a naval family, experiencing total emersion in Spanish kindergarten in Rota, Spain. Her childhood of migrating up and down the eastern US seaboard, with hops from California to Arizona to Virginia, inspired her love of stories and myth. After fifteen years as an Information Systems professional, she now writes full time in romance: fantasy, futuristic and paranormal and straight urban fantasy under another pseudonym. She lives in Maryland with her wonderful husband and a pair of corgis. Much to her dismay, she rarely encounters supernatural beings other than on paper.


KH Lemoyne’s current series books Betrayal’s Shadow, Warrior Reborn, XX, and Return of the Legacy are available in eBook, with paperback editions coming later in August and September. She is currently finishing the second in the Phoenix series of stories, Shepherd, (due for release later this summer).  


Now for your reading pleasure: 
A guest post and book excerpt from KH LeMoyne!
A Brief Intro to the Guardians of Eden series and Warrior Reborn



When I first started on the Guardians of Eden series my biggest concern was making sure that the first book profiled a race of semi-immortals derailed for over two hundred years from their destiny by internal sabotage and betrayal. In book one, Betrayal’s Shadow, the plot revolved around the Guardian conflict and the first of the Guardian mates to break free of deceit.

My intent with book two, Warrior Reborn, was to shift the focus and highlight the individual struggle for one Guardian, Briet Hyden, leaving the Guardian mystery in the background. Two hundred years is a long time to wait for a mate and Briet hasn’t been sitting around on her you-know-what waiting for Mr. Right. When he finally does come along, she frankly is a little conflicted and reluctant to set aside the goals and life-purpose she’s created. Her unique power, the ability to see at the molecular level, finds an outlet in her role as a doctor in pediatric medical trials. She adds value to mankind and keeps a low profile, neither of which she’s prepared to give up.

Not that this is going to be any bed of roses for her unsuspecting mate, Jason Ballard. There are many intricacies to being a Guardian, with a steep learning curve for a mate who never considered himself capable of super powers. One can hardly blame him. Especially when he so determined to help Briet succeed.

(Excerpt)

Feel the air. Isolate your surroundings. Air in. Air out.

The staff swung and flipped from one hand to the other, around Briet’s back to her front. A quick click connected at every hit.

Clarity of mind. Fluidity of motion. Focus for…Damn it.

She let the staff in her hand dissipate, bent forward to suck in air and rubbed the rib she had left exposed to Tsu’s attack as she glared at him from under her bangs. Someday she would surprise that calm, tolerant look right off his face. Okay, probably when she could blow snowflakes out her ass. It wasn’t the most respectful way to treat her teacher. But Tsu encouraged all of his Guardian pupils to use whatever mental images they could muster to inspire precision. If she had no hope then what was the point?

“I’m leaving my left side open.”

“And?” He waited. Head tilted, his own staff rested in his hands like a walking stick, planted on the stone floor between their bodies.

She rolled her eyes and sighed. “And I’m not focusing.”

He glanced over her shoulder, but remained quiet.

“And?” At the sound of her brother’s deep voice, she let out an audible snort.

“And between the two of you I’m never going to make it in time for the Clinical Trial launch.” Fists on her hips, she looked Ansgar square in the eyes.

He didn’t give an inch. “If you don’t get better at deflecting an opponent you aren’t going to survive long enough to finish the Trials with the humans.”

Tsu backed gracefully away and left Briet to take on her brother alone.

“I can’t treat everything like a threat.”

“You can’t afford not to.” Ansgar wrapped his arms across his chest and stared down at her.

Intimidation wasn’t going to work on her. He may have raised her, but that was all the leeway she’d give. Just because she only came to his chin and had the misfortune to have been born second, did not make her a coward.

“I looked out for myself for the last two centuries. I didn’t have any problem before and I won’t now.”

Ansgar’s brows pulled together until they formed one long, reddish blond line. “You are in Salvatore’s playground now, Briet, not safely hidden any more. I won’t be there to watch out for your ass all the time. Since you insist on interacting in the human world he will have every advantage over you. You need to be prepared.”

She closed her eyes, took a breath, and then opened them again. Yep, he was still there, in her face with worry etched in lines around his mouth and the edges of his eyes. She wished she couldn’t see his fear, but he was her brother, her blood.

“I’m working on this. Ask Tsu. Even so, I’ll never evolve into you and some things just take time.” Her hand grasped his arm. “Training isn’t the only thing in life. If I let Salvatore suck all the purpose from my existence, then he wins. His intent was to keep us from aiding humanity, remember?”

The tension between his eyebrows eased, but not the worry lines.

“Besides, it’s not like you aren’t five steps away from me all the time. Or are you going to let me have a life now?” She tried a smile on for size, it seemed to only deepen his frown.

“She has improved.” Tsu’s comment floated over her shoulder, but it had no impact on Ansgar. “If she continues to practice daily...” Briet winced at his pause. “…and spars a few times a week, repelling singular assaults will become instinctual.”

Ansgar shook his head. “He won’t come after you alone. You could only be so lucky to have him launch a predictable attack.”

Gripping his arms, she stepped closer. “I know you’re worried about me, but I’m not reckless. I take precautions.” She tried another tactic, a more honest one. “The trial is all children, terminally sick kids, Ansgar. I will make the difference for some of them. A difference their human doctors can’t. That is worth the risk to me. This is what I need to do. Please.”

When he closed his eyes and pulled her against him, she knew she’d won. Then again, he had always supported her choices.

As a victory, it was a bit hollow. He was right. Salvatore had spent the last several decades weaving a fabric of deceit, murder and fear around their people—a path no leader should have ever taken. He had succeeded. He’d killed Maitea and her child and driven Maitea’s mate, Xavier insane. He’d killed Isa and her mate and drugged the rest of the warrior’s to quell the natural call of their matings. Their race was small and damaged. Each individual killed accounted for another unique skill lost forever and ensured hundreds of human souls would never be healed. All for Salvatore’s goal of domination and greed.

He hadn’t gone quietly, and Briet had been one of the most outspoken against him before he’d been forced to flee for his life. She understood the risks and credited Ansgar’s fears as fact. It still wasn’t going to stop her.

His cheek rested on top of her head with a sigh. “I’ll go with you to the hospital campus, Pip.”

She smiled. “Give me just twenty minutes.”

Ansgar watched her walk out of the training chamber with more vigor in her stride than he’d seen in the moves during her session and frowned.

“She has improved.” Tsu’s quiet voice didn’t penetrate the cloud of concern. “But she shouldn’t be alone. We can cover her activities and provide her additional safety.”

“She’ll know.”

“She’ll understand. It is a valid point she raises.”

“It always is.” He looked back to Tsu with a sad smile.

Tsu looked at the floor as he moved the tip of his staff across the stone in patterns. “She won’t find her mate sequestered here, either.”

Ansgar let out a growl at that thought. “Have you seen what passes for human men these days?”

“I’ve seen Turen with his mate, Mia. Compared to many women, human or otherwise, she seems exceptionally worthy. I trust Briet’s mate will embody similar qualities.”

“He damn well better.”

Tsu had turned his head, but Ansgar could see his brethren bite back a smile at his expense.

The next stop on the tour is: July 9 – Books R Us – Guest Post / Giveaway

Thanks for stopping by The Wormhole! 
Happy reading!

3 comments:

Belinda said...

What an excellent way to start the tour! You guys rock!

Anonymous said...

Awesome excerpt and I love the cover for Warrior Reborn :)

KH LeMoyne said...

Belinda, Thanks for stopping by. Bev has made me feel right at home launching the tour - really nice!.

Krysykat - Thank you, on the cover and excerpt. If you read the book feel free to drop me an email and let me know if you think the cover captured the character of Briet. Cheers.
~KH