Friday, July 11, 2014

Spotlight & Giveaway - Shawndirea (Chronicle of Aetheaon, Book 1) by Leonard D. Hilley II

 
Shawndirea
Chronicles of Aetheaon, Book I
by Leonard D. Hilley II 
Genre:  Fantasy (Epic, Adventure, Sword/Sorcerer)
Publisher:  DeimosWeb Publishing
Date of Publication: June 27, 2014
ISBN: 9781310304965
Number of pages: 536 printed pages
Word Count:  148,000 

Book Description:
Often the smallest unexpected surprises garner the most demanding dilemmas, which proves to be the ordeal that entomologist Ben Whytten faces.  While netting butterflies to add to his vast collection, he mistakenly sweeps what he thinks is the most spectacular butterfly he has ever seen into his net.  Upon examining his catch, Ben is horrified to discover he has captured a faery and shredded her delicate wings into useless ribbons.
Devastated, Ben vows to take Shawndirea back to her realm, Aetheaon; but he discovers that doing so places their lives into immediate danger.  To get to Aetheaon, they must pass through a portal rift deep inside the haunted cavern, Devils Den.  
Once they cross the rift, Ben enters a world where mysteries, magic, betrayal, and power struggles await.  He must adapt quickly or die because Aetheaon is filled with enchanted creatures and numerous races where chaos often dominates order.  And since Shawndirea’s destined for the throne of Elvendale, opposing dark forces plot to prevent her from ever reaching her kingdom again.  The faery's magic isn't enough to fully protect them, so he must trust other adventurers to aid them during their journey.

Excerpt:
Ben placed the faery into the jar, turned the lid, and wrapped the jar inside a white cloth before setting it back into his pack.  No sooner had he placed it there and zipped the pack shut, Deiko’s thundering footsteps stopped beside him.
“Catch something nice?” Deiko asked.
“No,” Ben replied, looking up but not making eye contact with Deiko.  “Not much activity out here today.  I blame the heat.”
Deiko smiled broadly.  “You caught something.  Something special.”
Ben shook his head, picked up his pack, and stood.  “Look around, Isaac.  What do you see?”
Deiko glanced around but then his eyes focused on Ben’s backpack again.  “I agree.  Not much flying around.  But you got something.”
“What makes you think that?”
“Your eyes.  It’s the same with poker players who have a great hand and haven’t conditioned themselves to suppress their excitement or like kids that find money on the ground after someone drops it.  Hell, I noticed people at the gun show who bought guns from people far cheaper than the owners knew the guns were worth.”
Ben’s eyes narrowed, and he chose to change the subject.  He said, “How was the gun show?  I thought you’d be there all day.”
Deiko shrugged.  “That had been the plan.  Not much going on there, either.  Got a couple good deals though.  Like this Ruger.”
He pulled a handgun from the back of his belt.
“Nice,” Ben replied.  Carefully he slipped his pack over his shoulder and headed toward the hay field.
“Well?” Deiko said.  He tucked the gun behind his belt and stepped in front of Ben.  “Aren’t you going to show me?”
Sweat dripped from his Deiko’s black hair and beaded on his brow.  Ben studied the determination set in his colleague’s dark eyes and his firm muscular jaw.  Within seconds, Deiko’s boyish face had hardened into that of a fierce murderous villain.  Physically, he had no weight to put behind his facial threat.  He was tall and quite bony with slender arms.  And although Deiko was probably fifteen years younger, Ben had no doubt if he was forced to fight that Deiko would be the one sitting on the ground looking up and rubbing his jaw.  But, then, there was the gun issue.  Isaac was armed and all Ben had was his knife.  Even those odds didn’t stand in Isaac’s favor.
 
Available at:   Amazon

About the Author:  
Leonard D. Hilley II currently lives in the mountains of Kentucky with his wife, Christal.  He is a biologist that has also earned his MFA in creative writing.  Having a passion for books at an early age, he knew he wanted to author his own creative works.  He wrote his first novel at the age of eleven and has never lost his love for books.
Twitter: @Deimosweb Publishing
 
Tour giveaway:
5 free ebook copies of Shawndirea  via Smashwords
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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