*Book Tour & Giveaway* Blood Curse-GUEST POST

 

 War makes monsters of all men, and love alone can conquer it.  

Blood Curse

Cully Beinn Wolves Book 1

by Brekke Elle

Genre: Historical Paranormal Fantasy Romance  

An untrained healer’s apprentice.
A shifter pack forced to go to war.
And a curse that could swallow all of them whole.

Rini MacIllroy chafes at the responsibilities of being an apprentice healer to her shifter wolf pack. They have stayed safe by keeping separate from humankind, but the American Civil War encroaches on their village, and Rini’s friends and lover are sent down the mountain to fight, while Rini must stay behind.

When a deserting soldier attacks a young girl, Rini jumps into action with tooth and claw. But her rage unknowing unlocks an ancient curse that feeds on bloodshed and violence. Now Rini is hunted through her dreams by a shadow made of nightmares and midnight. Even her steadfast friends and mentor, the ancient priestess Sedna, are unable to help her quell the lust for blood that threatens to consume Rini from the inside out.

When one of her Pack returns from the battlefield, he is broken in body and spirit. Even Sedna’s considerable power cannot heal him. Rini must sing back his soul, using her healer’s magic to heal the wounds that go beyond flesh. While the curse tightens its hold, calling not just for bloodlust but to claim souls, Rini struggles to keep her own inner wolf at bay. Neighbors turn against neighbors, friends betray friends, and the Pack threatens to rip itself apart at the seams.

Can Rini defeat the curse in her own blood, or will she and the Pack she loves be consumed by the beast within?

Blood Curse is a lush historical paranormal fantasy set gainst the backdrop of the American Civil War, weaving the folklore of the Scottish Highlands with New World magic. Perfect for fans of strong female friendships,coming-of-age adventure, and slow burn, fated mates romance. It ends in a mild cliffhanger.

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Brekke Elle is a word tinker, coffee drinker, and has clumsy thumbs (or so she claims to excuse typos!). A Georgia peach living in the heart of North Carolina, Brekke has traveled and lived around the world – including attending the University of Cambridge in England, interning for an NGO in rural Cambodia, and working at a university in Northern California. Along the way she has collected stories (and a bit of bad poetry too). Her first real desire to become a writer (more than just wanting to be Jo March when she was 9) was after reading SABRIEL by Garth Nix. It was the first world she ever wanted to fall sideways into, and she has been recreating those lush worlds for readers ever since.

When she’s not losing herself in her imaginary universes, Brekke spends most of her time chasing her four kids (including twin toddlers!), canning up homecooked chicken broth, and volunteering at a neighborhood community garden. Her favorite color is black (no, really), her favorite fairy tale is Beauty and the Beast (preferable one of Robin McKinley’s retellings), and her favorite drink is coffee until 3pm, then it’s a full bodied Pinot Noir.

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GUEST POST

Hello people of the internet!

I’m Brekke Elle (Rhymes with Becky Bell!), author of Blood Curse, the first in the

Cully Beinn Wolves historical paranormal fantasy series.

Yes, you read that correctly– historical, paranormal, fantasy. Also romance. And female

friendship. And coming of age. Whew!

Being an indie author means I can do what I want!

I’ve been writing seriously for more than twelve years, the first ten of which were spent

trying to break into the traditionally published space. After my fourth manuscript was

turned down because the agent “already had a chronic illness rep” in his catalog, I

decided that I wanted to go my own way. And it’s been a wild and wonderful ride!

Blood Curse is my debut, a historical fantasy romance about wolf shifters amid the

turmoil of the American Civil War. The idea first came to me in high school, actually. I

am a living history reenactor (surprise! I know a lot about muzzleloaders and cooking

over a campfire), and I wondered about the stories of all the families who were left to

survive the impact of the war around them. I watched as my own friends were deployed

to Iraq and Afghanistan in “War on Terror” and slowly the idea grew.

Take those very human questions, mix in my undying love for Shifter stories and all

things magic, and Blood Curse was born! Originally, this was a contemporary fantasy

novel that took place in my hometown of Atlanta. But that didn’t quite fit.

So I listened to my characters, like Aunt Sedna, the wizened priestess who was born in

Scotland, and who knew a bit about old world magic. She reminded me this was a story

about war, and loss, and the many forms and flavors of love.

So we moved from modern day, to the mid-1860s, and from the Deep South, to the

craggy peaks of Appalachia. Most of Blood Curse was completed in the years I lived

and worked in rural West Virginia, and the stunning landscape shows up on the page.

Lots changed from the first concept, but 2 things stayed the same: Rini and Gabriel, two

of the main characters. Their personalities, Rini as curious, stubborn red-head, and

Gabriel as a moody, blue-eyed protector, have always been clear.

Rini McIllroy has a lot of my younger self– she constantly struggles with both wanting

to be an adult and be respected, but also wants freedom and escape from the

responsibilities of adulthood. She cherishes her friends and family, even when they

annoy her (can’t we all relate?). Gabriel is your classic brooding hero, scarred from

losing his family at an early age, he’s the perfect moody blacksmith. He’s lived rent-free

in my brain for more than twenty years, so it’s about time to share him with others.

I think one of my favorite aspects of writing a series like the Cully Beinn Wolves, is that

I get to create a lush world full of my own myths and legends. These wolf shifters are

surrounded by lore– by their own heroes and heroines of Old. And far from being just

myths, this lore shows up in magic, and in the rituals of their wolf pack, (and in later

books!). There is Angus the Mighty, first chieftain of the Shifter packs, and Daria, the

first high priestess. We even have legendary curses (which may or may not get broken!).

I even adapted some contemporary Scots-Gaelic for key concepts in the pack, too. For

example, the Cully Beinn pack calls their priestess the Bennachadh (Ben-AUCH-ag,

“blessing”), and the magical dreams sent by the Moon are called Aislings (ASH-link,

“dream”). These little snippets of world building were so fun to create and integrate into

the overarching story.

I’m beyond excited to share Blood Curse with all of you! It’s out now, and Blood Bond

the second book in the Cully Beinn Wolves series comes out September 3rd!

If your readers want an exclusive prequel story about Rini’s ritual Marking into

adulthood, they can grab it here: http://subscribepage.io/Uc1Sor

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

 Signed Copy of Blood Curse,

$10 Amazon giftcard

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