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The Wind Whisperer by Krista Holle Blog Tour
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Hi everyone! Today is my stop on this fabulous tour for author Krista Holle's new novel, The Wind Whisperer. In this post I will be sharing all about her book, an except, a great author guest post and a giveaway for some really epic prizes! *cough* KINDLE FIRE *cough* =)
Enjoy!
The Wind Whisperer
by Krista Holle
Paperback (ebook), 309 pages
Published November 11th 2013 by Sweet River Romance
Genre: YA - Fantasy
At fifteen, Anaii is the most important member of her tribe—and the most mysterious. Ever since Anaii can remember, the spirits of the wind have whispered of fertile hunting grounds and imminent enemy attacks. But when her people are ambushed by a brother clan without any apparent cause, the spirits remain eerily silent.
As the village prepares to retaliate, Anaii is pressured by her best friend, Elan, to marry him. It’s an old plea—Elan has spent a lifetime loving her, but Anaii only sees a childhood playmate out of an imposing warrior. Stifled by Elan’s insistence, Anaii escapes into the forest where she meets Jayttin, the beautiful son of the enemy chief.
Enamored by Jayttin’s carefree spirit and hope for peace, she repeatedly sneaks away to be with him, but when her deception is discovered, Elan is devastated. Pledging his lifelong affection, Elan gives her a passionate kiss, and Anaii begins to see her friend in a new light.
While Anaii is tormented over which man she must choose, the wind whispers of a new threat that could destroy both tribes. Only a union will afford a chance at survival, but the reality of that union is based on one thing—which man Anaii chooses to die.
I looked around cautiously before freezing at the sketchy outline of a muscular man partially hidden in the grass. A man! He was sprawled on his back and golden pink from too many hours in the sun. My heart pounded to see the unfamiliar pattern of a deer on his breechcloth. I had marched myself directly into the reach of a Zennite warrior!
I gingerly took a step backwards, but to my horror, the man’s black eyes fluttered open. I turned and hurled myself back across the meadow, just as the man shot up and flew after me like a predatory bird. My muscles burned and strained to lengthen the space between us, but getting away was hopeless. I was not a challenge to even the young boys in the foot races.
After a few powerful strides, the warrior tackled me to the ground, painfully grazing the skin on my cheek. I wheezed a few times before my lungs filled with air.
“A Chippoke?” he asked between breaths.
I feverishly punched and kicked to free myself. “Get—off—me!”
“Stop! I’m not going to hurt you,” the warrior chuckled as he struggled to pin my arms and legs. His voice was calm and pleasant, but lying was no different than breathing to a Zennite.
“I cannot promise the same,” I wheezed as I fought.
“You’re a bobcat,” he said with a laugh. “A bobcat with no teeth or claws.”
“Let me go!”
“I will when you’re calm.”
Strong hands held my wrists while his full weight pinned my torso against the earth. Fighting him was as useless as running. “You are not a boy,” I spat angrily, fully taking in my attacker. It was little comfort that he didn’t look like a bloodthirsty killer. He was admittedly handsome with an angular face and sleek black hair that hung well past his shoulders. He was not as tall as Elan, but his muscles were narrow and built for speed. There was something different about his eyes too. They were as black as soot—very unlike the brown woodsy colors from our tribe.
The warrior smirked down at me. “My mother will be very surprised to hear that. All this time she’s assumed…”
My face heated, but I fiercely met his gaze. The Zenni were like wild dogs and pumas—they could smell emotions. “What I meant was, you are a man, not a boy.”
“Oh, I see, but you must understand, I’m not a man yet.”
“You must understand I’m a squirrel! Get off! You’re hurting me!” I ordered with a useless heave.
“No,” he said with a smirk.
It was then I realized I might die—right after I was lulled into a false sense of security. My chest pounded as I searched for the killer’s weapon. “Are you going to kill me?”
“I do not feel like killing you just yet,” he said as his long hair swirled in my face. Were we to play a game before he killed me?
“I am glad the mood doesn’t strike you,” I snarled. The warrior studied me with a drawn brow. Was he guessing that I was the forest witch? I didn’t think I looked like a witch, but I wasn’t certain what one should look like—evil at least.
“I don’t understand something,” the warrior said. “Your eyes are blue—the blue of an angry sky. Are you the daughter of a god?”
“Yes,” I said, heaving against his weight again. “Now get off me, or my father Achak will strike you dead with lightening.”
Two Fictional but Real Men
by Krista Holle
My dad recently returned home from the hospital after having a triple heart bypass. While he occasionally requested pain medicine, he never complained of pain. He also never missed a day of work in forty years. His grandfather ran away from home when he was seventeen so he could earn money working in the coal mines. You know, those dark cold places underground that frequently cave in. Are there any men left in the world today who aspire to work in the mines?
What happened to the John Wayne types—those rugged men who’d die to protect their honor and their family? I’m starting to think that men come from a different sort of stock today. Don’t get me wrong, I love the men of today. There are plenty of honorable and hard working men out there, but may I suggest that their hands are just a bit softer than they were fifty years ago.
One of the advantages of writing a historical story is that the author gets to write a little bit about the men who might have lived on the American continent 700 years ago—men who’d sacrifice anything for the greater good. My newest release The Wind Whisperer is centered on two such men. Both are Native American.
One is Jayttin, a jovial young man who is first introduced while he is out in the wilderness “forming his medicine”. Forming ones’ medicine is a ceremonial rite of passage from boyhood into manhood. During this perilous time, Jayttin must deprive himself of food and shelter in an effort to learn the nature of his lifelong protector (animal). When Jayttin learns the nature this animal, he must procure a symbol of the creature to wear in a pouch next to his body. The symbol may be a pelt, a tail, or even a feather. Jayttin will be very surprised to learn the nature of his protector.
Elan is another man whose honor is more important than his life. He is a formidable warrior whose arrow rarely misses. This makes him an invaluable resource to his tribe—especially when his tribe is at war with Jayttin’s. He may lack Jayttin’s charisma, but he’d do anything to protect the life of those he loves.
Anaii is the fifteen-year-old girl who must choose between these two men. It’s a tricky love triangle that must be resolved—hundreds of lives depend on it. But no matter who Anaii chooses, the victor will be courageous with the heart of a lion…or maybe even the heart of your grandfather.
About The Author: Krista Holle
Find Krista @
Krista Holle is an award winning author who stepped up her writing after reading Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight series. It occurred to Krista that there is an insatiable audience of women and girls who want to read books filled with stories about true love—not just vampires. When Krista is not writing, she loves to collect seashells, watch movies, and eat obscene amounts of pizza. Krista currently resides in Montpelier, Virginia with her husband, four daughters and an eccentric cat with a weird attachment to the family’s socks.
This is a tour wide giveaway and is open INTL.
Up for Grabs:
GRAND PRIZE: 1 Kindle Fire, $25 Amazon Gift Card and a printed copy of The Wind Whisperer
Runner-up 1: Printed copy of The Wind Whisperer
Runner-up 2: Ebook copy of The Wind Whisperer
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