Thank you for joining us on the Virtual Book Tour for Curses & Ash, a YA Urban Fantasy by Tiffany Daune (20 January 2016, Jester Ink Press, 248 pages). This is the second book in the Coral & Bone series.
Don't miss our interview with author Tiffany Daune.PREVIEW: Check out the book's synopsis and excerpt below.
Read the first three chapters with Amazon Look Inside.
Curses & Ash is FREE on Kindle Unlimited and Kindle Owner's Lending Library.
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Synopsis | Teaser | The Series | Author Q&A | About the Author | Tour Stops
Synopsis
Discover the spellbinding sequel to Coral & Bone…A demented twin sister, a demon hijacking her powers, and a mysterious journal filled with more questions than answers—Halen needs her Guardian Dax more than ever. But if she confides in Dax, she fears he will never forgive her, not after all he sacrificed to help her vanquish Asair.
Halen drowned Asair in a tornado of wings—at least, she thought she killed him. Why then does his mocking voice snake through her thoughts, enticing her to surrender her power? Maybe she screwed up—big time—but she will never allow Asair to control her magick.
And when Etils' fires threaten the Earth, suspicions surrounding Asair's death rise, igniting restlessness within the realms. Her life in balance, Halen must race time, purge the demon's soul before flames consume the Earth or the Tari strike first.
Teaser: Excerpt
“I don’t think he’s dead,” Tage said.
Halen shrank back, shooting her a dagger death-ray glare.
“What do you mean?” Daspar’s eyebrow rose on one side.
“Tage thinks Asair’s soul is inside Halen, same as Pura’s soul is inside your body,” Dax said.
“Is this true?” Daspar’s voice held an inflection of hope.
Her mom nudged her back, ever so slightly away from Daspar.
Did she believe he would harm her?
“I’m not feeling anyone else,” Dax said.
“I’m not feeling anything from her,” Tage blurted. “It’s like her emotions are turned off. That’s not natural.”
“And do you feel him?” Daspar asked Halen.
Halen shook her head. “I have flashbacks of his memories. It’s like
I’m seeing his life through his eyes.”
“That’s normal.” Lina too stepped in front of Halen.
No one felt Halen’s emotions, but she sure sensed everyone else’s.
The tension was a tautly strung wire ready to snap at any moment.
“She entered his seam.” Lina shrugged. “She’s bound to have residual memories. We can fix this in Etlis.”
The outer corners of Daspar’s eyes sprouted with lines as he studied her. He had Dax’s same haunting stare, the fiery stare that melted away self-confidence.
Lina reached back, soft green light emanating from the center of her palm, jumping with static energy. Halen’s senses awoke with tingly fear. What was Lina up to? Was she preparing to strike? And at whom—Daspar? They were all on the same side here.
“Corinne, perform the test.” Daspar’s stern tone alarmed Halen.
“I don’t think that’s necessary.” Her mom’s smile was tight. “I’m sure Halen would know. Remember how sick you were when Pura entered your body? It took you months to adjust to her memories while they merged with yours, and then when her soul took root, you vomited for days. You couldn’t even get out of bed.”
“I was human. My lungs, my blood, my heart, even my brain changed. Halen is a siren already. Do the test.”
Halen looked at Tage, ready to ream her out for tattling, but her head was down-turned. Ezra sat silent by her side with his hand on her shoulder.
“None of this is necessary,” Tasar said. “We all know Halen killed
Asair.” He nodded toward Lina. The green glow in her palm spun to turquoise.
“It’s all right.” Corinne touched Lina’s shoulder. “I’ll perform the test.”
Lina’s hand balled and the glow extinguished. She stepped aside, leaving Halen in the open.
Her mom couldn’t perform a test in front of everyone! What would they do to her when they found out? “Mom, I’m fine. I don’t need a test.” Her gaze drifted to Daspar. His jaw was tight, his arms crossed.
“Mom, really.”
Without saying a word, her mom grasped her by the back of the neck, yanking her forward. Her hot palm sent a chill down Halen’s spine. She squirmed, trying to break free.
“Be still.” Her mom’s fingers curled on her neck.
“Mom, I—”
“Shh.” She all but hissed. Then with her free hand, she wedged her thumb and index finger against Halen’s left eyelid, prying it open so she couldn’t blink. Halen’s eye watered. With the tip of her nail, her mom scraped out a tear. When she let go, Halen rubbed her eye and then the back of her neck where she was sure her mom’s nails had left an impression.
Heat flushed her cheeks as everyone watched her mom bring the tear to her tongue, her back to the room, so only Halen saw the shock flicker in her eyes when she tasted the tear. She had seen the same stricken look in her mother’s eyes when Halen was nine—after she set their beach house on fire. Her mom no longer looked at her as a daughter, but as something to fear.
Halen shrank back, shooting her a dagger death-ray glare.
“What do you mean?” Daspar’s eyebrow rose on one side.
“Tage thinks Asair’s soul is inside Halen, same as Pura’s soul is inside your body,” Dax said.
“Is this true?” Daspar’s voice held an inflection of hope.
Her mom nudged her back, ever so slightly away from Daspar.
Did she believe he would harm her?
“I’m not feeling anyone else,” Dax said.
“I’m not feeling anything from her,” Tage blurted. “It’s like her emotions are turned off. That’s not natural.”
“And do you feel him?” Daspar asked Halen.
Halen shook her head. “I have flashbacks of his memories. It’s like
I’m seeing his life through his eyes.”
“That’s normal.” Lina too stepped in front of Halen.
No one felt Halen’s emotions, but she sure sensed everyone else’s.
The tension was a tautly strung wire ready to snap at any moment.
“She entered his seam.” Lina shrugged. “She’s bound to have residual memories. We can fix this in Etlis.”
The outer corners of Daspar’s eyes sprouted with lines as he studied her. He had Dax’s same haunting stare, the fiery stare that melted away self-confidence.
Lina reached back, soft green light emanating from the center of her palm, jumping with static energy. Halen’s senses awoke with tingly fear. What was Lina up to? Was she preparing to strike? And at whom—Daspar? They were all on the same side here.
“Corinne, perform the test.” Daspar’s stern tone alarmed Halen.
“I don’t think that’s necessary.” Her mom’s smile was tight. “I’m sure Halen would know. Remember how sick you were when Pura entered your body? It took you months to adjust to her memories while they merged with yours, and then when her soul took root, you vomited for days. You couldn’t even get out of bed.”
“I was human. My lungs, my blood, my heart, even my brain changed. Halen is a siren already. Do the test.”
Halen looked at Tage, ready to ream her out for tattling, but her head was down-turned. Ezra sat silent by her side with his hand on her shoulder.
“None of this is necessary,” Tasar said. “We all know Halen killed
Asair.” He nodded toward Lina. The green glow in her palm spun to turquoise.
“It’s all right.” Corinne touched Lina’s shoulder. “I’ll perform the test.”
Lina’s hand balled and the glow extinguished. She stepped aside, leaving Halen in the open.
Her mom couldn’t perform a test in front of everyone! What would they do to her when they found out? “Mom, I’m fine. I don’t need a test.” Her gaze drifted to Daspar. His jaw was tight, his arms crossed.
“Mom, really.”
Without saying a word, her mom grasped her by the back of the neck, yanking her forward. Her hot palm sent a chill down Halen’s spine. She squirmed, trying to break free.
“Be still.” Her mom’s fingers curled on her neck.
“Mom, I—”
“Shh.” She all but hissed. Then with her free hand, she wedged her thumb and index finger against Halen’s left eyelid, prying it open so she couldn’t blink. Halen’s eye watered. With the tip of her nail, her mom scraped out a tear. When she let go, Halen rubbed her eye and then the back of her neck where she was sure her mom’s nails had left an impression.
Heat flushed her cheeks as everyone watched her mom bring the tear to her tongue, her back to the room, so only Halen saw the shock flicker in her eyes when she tasted the tear. She had seen the same stricken look in her mother’s eyes when Halen was nine—after she set their beach house on fire. Her mom no longer looked at her as a daughter, but as something to fear.
Curses & Ash
Available NOW!
The Series: Coral & Bone
Click on the book cover to Look Inside the book on Amazon and read an excerpt.
Coral & Bone [1]
Halen knows the sparks igniting under her fingertips are dangerous. She has spent her entire life trying to quell the tingly feelings that make her destroy things, but now that she is back in Rockaway Beach, where she watched her father drown, the flames have become impossible to tame. Halen is trying to hold on, but when she is thrust into a mysterious new world, the underwater realm of Elosia, she unravels the secrets of her past and can't help but ignite. As she explores Elosia, she realizes her life has been a lie. And when those who have deceived her come to her for help, Halen must choose—walk away or unleash the magick that could destroy them all.
[Published 3 July 2014, 284 pages]
About the Author
Tiffany Daune writes stories about magick, love and dark creatures lurking in the shadows. She is the author of Surface and the Coral & Bone series. When she's not lost in Editland, you can find her reading a book from her towering TBR pile or kicking back and watching movies with her family.
She lives on an island in the Pacific Northwest surrounded by mermaids that are much nicer than the ones found in her books.
Follow Tiffany Daune:
Tour Stops
Follow Curses & Ash's tour at:
Mar 8 - Read Between The Lines
Mar 10 - Becka Marsch ☀Ch 1
Mar 13 - Ramblings of a Book Nerd
Mar 15 - Between the Pages ✉
Mar 16 - Fabulous and Fun ☀ Ch 2}
Mar 18 - Dante Eternal's Virtual Bookshelf ✉
Mar 10 - Becka Marsch ☀Ch 1
Mar 13 - Ramblings of a Book Nerd
Mar 15 - Between the Pages ✉
Mar 16 - Fabulous and Fun ☀ Ch 2}
Mar 18 - Dante Eternal's Virtual Bookshelf ✉
Mar 21 - BooksChatter ℚ
Mar 22 - Jody's Book Reviews
Mar 24 - Schadoh's Ramblings & Other Chaotic Mess ✉ Top 10
Mar 28 - My World
Mar 29 - The Book Quarry ☀ Ch3 & ✉ Fortunes Told Post
Mar 22 - Jody's Book Reviews
Mar 24 - Schadoh's Ramblings & Other Chaotic Mess ✉ Top 10
Mar 28 - My World
Mar 29 - The Book Quarry ☀ Ch3 & ✉ Fortunes Told Post
What a gorgeous cover, and that premise is really intriguing.
ReplyDeleteMajanka @ I Heart Reading