Through The Veil
The Aisling Chronicles, #1
Author: Colleen Halverson
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Release Date: February 22, 2016
Publisher: Entangled
Synopsis:
Elizabeth Tanner is no Tinkerbell, and her life is no fairy tale. Broke and drowning in student loans, the one thing she wants more than anything is a scholarship from the Trinity Foundation. But after the ancient Irish text she's studying turns out to be more than just a book, she becomes their prisoner instead. And when Trinity reveals Elizabeth is half-Fae, she finds herself at the center of a plot to save the magical races of Ireland from a brutal civil war.
At the mercy of Trinity and enslaved to the Dark Fae, Elizabeth finds herself alone on the wrong side of an Irish myth thousands of years in the making. Refusing to be a pawn in their game, Elizabeth has to fight her way back to the man she loves, but to do so, she must wage her own war against the magic that binds her.
THROUGH THE VEIL will be available February 22nd 2016 through Entangled Publishing. Book 1 of the Aisling Chronicles Series
Order your copy today!
Excerpt:
It happened so
fast, I barely had time to breathe. One moment I was standing in front of Finn
and the next moment his hands gripped my shoulders, his lips pressed against
mine. The blood rushed in my ears, and my heart pounded as he deepened the
kiss. Every nerve in my body fired with desire as he drew me closer. I sank in
to him for a brief second, letting the heat of his skin draw me in, but then I
remembered who he was, his oaths, his allegiances.
With a cry of protest, I wrenched myself free, panting and heaving, trying to ignore the hot ache settling in my abdomen. God, I wanted him. Stupid Elizabeth. Stupid.
With a cry of protest, I wrenched myself free, panting and heaving, trying to ignore the hot ache settling in my abdomen. God, I wanted him. Stupid Elizabeth. Stupid.
He stared at me in shock, his fingers
on his lips, as if he wasn’t quite sure what had just happened.
I took that moment of confusion to swing my hand around and slap!
His head jerked back, and a palm print bloomed bright on his cheek.
I took that moment of confusion to swing my hand around and slap!
His head jerked back, and a palm print bloomed bright on his cheek.
“What the hell are you doing?”
He took a deep breath and paced the room. “I-I’m sorry,” Finn stammered, straightening his jacket and retreating to the door. “I don’t know what came over me, I—”
He took a deep breath and paced the room. “I-I’m sorry,” Finn stammered, straightening his jacket and retreating to the door. “I don’t know what came over me, I—”
“You should really ask first, you
know?” I bit my bottom lip. In spite of the stinging sensation in my hand, a
part of me felt drawn to Finn, a hot, spellbinding gravity luring me to him. I
took a step forward.
“I’m sorry.” Finn fumbled with the
doorknob. “I’ve made a horrible error in judgment. Please forgive me.”
I snorted. “You know, if kissing me is
so terrible, why do you keep doing it?”
Finn whirled around. “That’s not what I mean, Elizabeth. Your kiss is…perfect. You’re beautiful, you’re…”
Finn whirled around. “That’s not what I mean, Elizabeth. Your kiss is…perfect. You’re beautiful, you’re…”
Beautiful?
I took two steps forward, caging him
in. “Then what is it?”
Finn’s warm breath brushed my cheek. “I can’t…I can’t control myself around you,” he said in a strained voice.
Finn’s warm breath brushed my cheek. “I can’t…I can’t control myself around you,” he said in a strained voice.
“Is that what you want?” I raised my
eyes to meet his dark gaze. “Control?” I traced my fingers against the back of
his neck, my hands seeking his scalp. Finn’s body relaxed, his invisible armor
crumbling beneath my touch. Heat emanated from his body as I moved in closer.
“Elizabeth,” he said. “We shouldn’t.”
But his voice was soft, and his lips brushed my ear, and I tangled my hands in
his hair, silky strands running through my fingers.
“Kiss me,” I whispered against his
jaw.
“Elizabeth—!”
I pushed my hips against him, and he
groaned low in his throat.
“Do it.”
“No!”
“Ye—” But I didn’t even finish the
word as his mouth covered mine, hot, wet, and hungry. His arms slid down, and
he grabbed my waist, his fingers traveling down the whispering green silk until
he pulled my hips against him. His tongue darted between my teeth, shifting his
weight so I could feel his desire through his trousers.
“Oh, God, you’re not…you’re not dead
inside…” I said, my fingers grasping onto his suit jacket.
“Do you feel that?” He thrust again. I
gasped, my knees growing weak until I thought I would collapse to the floor.
“Yes…”
Top
Five Places that Inspired Through the
Veil
When I was twenty-two, I woke up one morning and
decided I wanted to study James Joyce and backpack through Ireland. As you can
imagine, my parents were thrilled (not really), but I went ahead anyway and enrolled
in an Irish literature class in the University County Cork. Before my first
class, I spent a couple months backpacking by myself through the west. I had no
idea what to expect when I landed in the tiny airport outside of Killarney, but
with my red backpack strapped to my shoulders and my trusty guidebook in hand,
I set off for an adventure along the western shore that would later fuel the
inspiration for the setting of my debut novel. What follows are my top five
Irish destinations up the coast.
1) Dingle
While I love Killarney, the small
town of Dingle ended up being a lot more my speed with its warm pub life and
live music. The surrounding hills feature dramatic scenery and their fair share
of fairy forts, beehive huts, and crumbling churches from the earliest years of
Christianity. You can easily ride your bike around the peninsula in a day, but
make sure to pack a picnic lunch for the beautiful beach conveniently located
in the middle of your journey.
2) Doolin
Doolin is the best place to stay to
travel to the famous Cliffs of Moher (aka The Cliffs of Insanity!), but Doolin
is world famous for its traditional Irish music sessions. Duck into any pub in
this tiny town, and you’ll find Ireland’s top musicians making incredible music
long into the night.
3) Galway
I’m not really a city person, but
Galway is my kind of town. It’s young and exciting, and every night is an
endless party with some of the best craic
in Ireland. Craic is Irish for
“good times,” and if you can’t find this in Galway city, you might want to
check your pulse. The town is also a nice launching pad for a journey to the
mysterious Aran Islands just a fun, hour-long boat ride away. In Through the Veil this is the place my
characters, Elizabeth and Finn, fall in love as they stare off into the sunset
over the Atlantic.
4) Connemara
I love the rugged hills of Connemara,
and I spent many hours hiking and climbing the sweeping, isolated landscape. WB
Yeats’s grave also isn’t very far from here, and it’s easy to see how the
dramatic scenery inspired some of his best poems.
5) Glencolmcille
Glencolmcille is my favorite place in
all of Ireland. A tiny village on the far northwestern corner of Ireland, it
features two pubs, a convenience store, and an Irish language school. According
to legend, it’s the first place the Celts sailed to in Ireland and where they
fought their first battle with the Faeries. In Through the Veil it’s the seat of government for Trinity, which, in
my world, is the organization that consists of Faeries, Druids, and the Fianna
(Celtic warriors).
Ireland
has always been a never ending source of inspiration for me, and its lovely
people and places are featured throughout the pages of Through the Veil. While many parts of Ireland are as modern and
cosmopolitan as any European city, there are still a few pockets of old world
magic left.
About The Author:
Giveaway:
Swag Pack
One signed copy of Through the Veil
One Book of Kells Coloring Book
One Tree of Life Pendant
One Tree of Life Journal
One hand-painted one-of-a-kind Tree of Life scarf
I love fairy tales. This looks good.
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