Hey everyone! I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the blog tour for LULLABYE by L. R. W. Lee!
I have an excerpt from the book to share with you today! And make sure to enter the giveaway below!
Haven't heard of LULLABYE? Check it out!
You've heard of the Sand Man. Meet his counterpart, the Sand Maiden.
Alissandra thrills to help her human charges make sense of thoughts that need refinement, problems that need solutions, worries that beg for action, and things they should or shouldn’t have said, as she weaves their dreams. She’s been doing it her entire immortal existence. But when the most powerful king in Dream realm sets his sights on her current charge, Prince Kovis Altairn, to exploit him in his quest to conquer Wake realm, Ali has no choice but to flee and pray the sovereign doesn’t hunt her down.
In this, the first in a three book series, Ali’s arrival isn’t applauded by some and she finds herself caught in a political game that may silence her before she can begin to defend Wake. All the while, she sees signs that the power-hungry Dream king is pursuing her. What will happen if he finds her?
Prince Kovis Altairn, crown prince and the most powerful sorcerer in the Altairn Empire, knows nothing about Dream realm, let alone his sand maiden. So when Ali is discovered naked in his bedroom, how will she convince him of her intentions, as well as the danger?
The Sand Maiden is a three-book NA Epic Fantasy Romance series with YA appeal. If you loved Sarah J. Maas' A Court of Thorns and Roses, Elise Kova's Air Awakens, and/or Rachel E. Carter's The Black Mage you'll definitely love this.
WARNING: Mature content including sexual abuse. Recommended for 18+.
Now on to the excerpt!
I heard him before I saw him, his power rippled about the room. And with two more steps, the most beautiful man I’d ever seen, my Dreambeam, stood before me.
He stiffened.
My breath caught.
Everything about him radiated power, refinement, and ease. His tattoo, beige at the moment, stood in contrast against his sun-bronzed skin and peaked out from where the two top buttons of his fine, white shirt hung open. Uncharacteristically, a lock of his close-cut dark-brown hair flopped on his forehead. A shadow, a sun’s worth of growth, accented his chiseled jaw. His eyes. I’d lose myself in those pools one of these suns. Dark circles marred their beauty, forming bags beneath. My fault.
With a hand to my back, Allard compelled me to bow.
“Rise. Please.” Kovis relaxed once more. His eyes started dancing as he took in my borrowed dress, golden locks, and clasp hands—a death grip seemed the only way I could control these damn appendages.
I shifted as he took a slow step toward me.
Don’t bite your lip! I reprimanded myself.
Then another.
Stand still!
Kovis opened his mouth as if to say something, then stopped. “Allard, I’ll be dining here, tonight.” He flicked his brows at me. “With a guest.” I inhaled sharply.
“Yes, my prince,” Allard replied. Another guard replaced him as he left.
Kovis continued looking me up and down, not saying a word. So different from those guards, his study sent excitement rather than revulsion through me. I felt like a fly in a spider’s web, and I couldn’t stop myself from fidgeting. Was he trying to intimidate me? He did a good job. But I couldn’t allow him to. I pulled my chin up. But his eyes, so much more beautiful in person. And their hazel centers. I tried, but failed to calm my breathing.
I stayed rooted to my spot as he took another step toward me. “You clean up well. You’re very beautiful.” His voice, a purr.
“Thank you.” I felt my cheeks warm, bringing a smile to Kovis’s lips.
“You didn’t address me when you bowed just now.”
The cut of his clothes showed off how impressive he was, and tingling erupted in my stomach.
“I’m sorry.”
He took another step toward me, and I wondered if he could hear my heart race.
“You called me by my first name. That night,” he said.
I averted my gaze to the floor. “I’m sorry. It was inappropriate of me.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Kovis tilt his head. He took another slow step forward. “No one other than my family has ever done that.”
“I’m sorry.” I wrung my hands.
Another step. I felt like prey, frozen, unable to help myself even if I tried. Which I didn’t. I’d wanted to drink in his presence since before I could remember. But utter terror gripped me. Finally. To be this close to him. In the flesh.
My stomach’s tingling increased.
“My name rolled right off your tongue, as if familiar.”
Kovis stood before me, one hand behind his back. He placed a finger under my chin and lifted my face up until our eyes met. “And you called me your ‘Dreambeam’?”
My face burned. I wanted to stare a hole in the floor, but Kovis’s hand made that impossible. “It’s a term of endearment,” I squeaked, looking anywhere but at him.
Kovis smiled. “Yes, I’m familiar with the nature of the term. But why?”
I thought I’d burn up on the spot.
A knock at the door proved my savior. The gods still cared about me!
Kovis didn’t move, but I distinctly heard him chuckle—through whatever joined us. I gasped and drew a hand over my gaping mouth.
He winked at me, then commanded, “Come in!”
L. R. W. Lee has a passion for fantasy and epic fantasy and in that genre, she credits C. S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe with its beginning in her life. Later on, she enjoyed the complex world of Middle Earth brought to life by J. R. R. Tolkien in Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.
The multiple dimensions of the worlds, especially the dragons, mixed with a layer of meaning captivated her and made her desire to invent Young Adult Fantasy and Epic Fantasy worlds others could get lost in, but also take meaning away from.
More recently, L. R. W. has taken her love of fantasy in a new direction, that of NA fantasy romance. Calling herself a fan of Sarah J. Maas, L. R. W. has begun The Sand Maiden series which promises to satisfy the most die hard romantic while giving a plot and obstacles meaty enough for the fantasy lover.
L. R. W. Lee lives in scenic Austin, TX with her husband.
The multiple dimensions of the worlds, especially the dragons, mixed with a layer of meaning captivated her and made her desire to invent Young Adult Fantasy and Epic Fantasy worlds others could get lost in, but also take meaning away from.
More recently, L. R. W. has taken her love of fantasy in a new direction, that of NA fantasy romance. Calling herself a fan of Sarah J. Maas, L. R. W. has begun The Sand Maiden series which promises to satisfy the most die hard romantic while giving a plot and obstacles meaty enough for the fantasy lover.
L. R. W. Lee lives in scenic Austin, TX with her husband.
Giveaway Details:
International
Win a Charlie Bowarter Autographed Cover
Print plus an Autographed Paperback of LULLABY!
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Tour Schedule:
Week One:
Thanks SO much for hosting Lullany today!!!
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