BooksChatter: ☀☄♫ Bound by Duty: Bound [1]

Thank you for joining us on the Virtual Book Tour for Bound by Duty, a Young Adult Coming of Age Fantasy by Stormy Smith (23 July 2014, Perfect Storm Publishing, LLC, 391 pages).

This is the first book in the Bound series.

PREVIEW: Check out the book's synopsis, trailer, author intro and excerpt below. Read the first three chapters with Amazon Look Inside.

Bound by Duty is FREE on Kindle Unlimited and Kindle Owner's Lending Library, and it is FREE to download on all ebook platforms.

Author Stormy Smith will be awarding a $25 Amazon gift card (INTL), or a signed set of the Bound trilogy (US/CAN) to randomly drawn winners via Rafflecopter during the tour.

Synopsis | Trailer | Teaser | The Series | About the Author | Giveaway & Tour Stops

Synopsis

Amelia grew up in a world of half-truths. She knows she’s an Elder but has no idea what that means. Her father reminds her daily that she must maintain control but he refuses to explain why. Even worse, she’s betrothed to the prince of the Immortals and she doesn’t even know his name.

Finally breaking free to live a few normal years at a community college, the last thing Amelia expects is to find her best friend in a cheeky Southern girl and to fall for a self-assured human who sees her for who she is and not what she’ll be.

As she learns more about herself, Amelia realizes the line between love and duty is a thin one. As her power continues to increase exponentially and her questions are slowly answered, Amelia must make the ultimate choice. The question is, will her head or her heart win the battle?

Teasers

Excerpt | Guest Post: The Bound by Duty Soundtrack |

Teaser: Excerpt

Chapter 1

Last night’s dream had been different. More vivid than normal. Even now, as I sat on the picnic table bench on campus, I couldn’t stop seeing my father’s eyes. My dreams had always been constant and the emotions I awoke with varied from anger, to sobbing, to complete fear. Waking up peaceful was a rarity for me. It was only recently that I could actually recall my dreams hours later. Before, they’d disappear as soon as I woke up. Now, they haunt me.
      My hands still ached from clutching the pillow to my chest as I tossed and turned throughout the night. I didn’t have to close my eyes to see the scene replay for the hundredth time today. There I was, standing in my living room, nine years old again, wondering which of my father’s personalities would take the five steps from his study and turn the corner to stand before me. As soon as I saw his wide eyes, his twisted scowl, and his tense, rigid posture, I knew this night wouldn’t end with bedtime stories. So few nights actually did.
      I wanted to back away but had learned it only made things worse when I showed my fear. I had to keep myself from searching the room for Rynna. I knew my nanny was gone. It was just me and my father, and he knew. He always knew when I had lost control, as I had just minutes before. Before I could react, he hoisted me off the ground, his palms cupping under my arms. He held me at eye level, his frantic stare making it hard for me to keep eye contact. I was afraid of my father in these moments; in the times where he didn’t feel at all like himself and I was nothing but a failure to him. For a split second, I thought I saw his eyes soften and an apology flit across his features, then all I saw was the flash of orange in his eyes before he dropped me to the ground and ran out the back door.
      That was the part that made no sense. My father’s power source was green. One of the many colors associated with Witch power. Orange was the power of Hunters — of killers — and I’d seen my father release his power enough times to know that he was no Hunter. I was in mid-thought, wondering why my dreams never made any sense, when Bethany plopped down beside me with a, “Hiya!”
      Her peppy, southern drawl interrupted my latest round of introspection and I was thankful for it. Bethany was one of those people you couldn’t resist talking to. Nice in the most sincere way, even though no one could imagine where all that positivity came from. In her short sundress covered in multi-colored bird silhouettes and her cardigan that she somehow managed to make look fresh and trendy, I wasn’t sure how I managed to win the lottery of college roommates. My messy top-knot, ripped Capri, and basic tee weren’t winning any fashion awards today, but she probably slept last night. I didn’t.
      “Hey B. What’s up?” I asked as I popped my ear buds out of my ears. I could tell by the look in her eyes that she was dragging me out tonight. Some guy, somewhere, was having a party that we, “Just had to go to!” College was supposed to be a non-stop party, but I didn’t drink for fear of losing control, so I generally ended up being the DD. My father had managed to make the words “lose control” into the most terrible, gut-wrenching eleven letters the alphabet could string together, and, so far, I hadn’t dared stepping out of line. Even though he was hundreds of miles away, some things just stuck.
      “Soooooo,” she started off slowly, her accent making it sound more country song and less you’re going to hate this. “There’s a party outside of town. A bunch of guys have a beach house they rented and it’s invite only,” she said. Her face was flushing, she was talking fast, and I knew what was coming next. “And… Micah’s going to be there!” She almost squealed as she smacked her palms together and looked at me with ecstatic, begging eyes.
      Bethany has had a thing for Micah Clair since classes started. I keep telling her that I don’t think he’s the best news. I get the weirdest vibe every time he’s around, but I’ve continued to listen to her go on and on about his European accent and male model looks.
      I was done for. Somehow, some way, this southern belle had become my first real friend and I couldn’t bring myself to say no even though it was the last place I wanted to be.
      I guess this means I’m going to a party.
      Great.

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Guest Post: The Bound by Duty Soundtrack

Hi everyone! Stormy Smith here.
      Music is a HUGE part of my life. I am addicted to Spotify and adore finding new artists. I spend a lot of time getting to know local artists and live shows are among my favorite places to be. When I wrote Bound by Duty I knew it would have a soundtrack. Every significant moment in my life has a song associated with it and the book I spent a year pouring myself into would be no different!
      I’m a little bit of an odd duck in that I can’t actually write listening to music that has words. So, I spend my writing hours listening to classical music that helps distract my mind just enough to keep the creativity flowing without stopping the lovely voices in my head from telling me their stories. But, once I’m in the car, cleaning, or doing anything else, I’ve always got an ear out for songs. I find that the lyrics often inspire new plot lines, emotions or authentic reactions in characters.
      You can check out the full Spotify soundtrack for BBD here, but here are my top ten in no particular order!

It was really important to me to not only cover the storyline with my choices, but also the emotions of the characters. Music is really important to Amelia, my heroine, and she often lets herself get lost in it. I didn’t want to date my story by announcing the songs and artists in the book, but in my head I always knew what she was listening to.
      Bound by Duty is truly a coming of age story. It’s a paranormal fantasy that explores the many layers of what makes a person themselves. Is it your family, your duty, the ones you love, the pieces of you that you can’t control or the family (i.e. friends) you choose for yourself? How do you balance the person you are with the life you want? Amelia faces all of these questions as she finds herself with her first-ever best friend – a sassy Southern girl – and her first dose of young love. But there are situations out there bigger than she ever imagined and she has to decide who she’s going to be and what she’s made of.
      Synopsis for Bound by Duty: Amelia grew up in a world of half-truths. She knows she's an Elder, but has no idea what that means. Her father reminds her daily that she must maintain control, but he refuses to explain why. Even worse, she's betrothed to the prince of the Immortals and doesn't even know his name.
      Finally breaking free to live a few normal years at a community college, the last thing Amelia expects is to find her best friend in a cheeky southern girl, or fall for a self-assured human who sees her for who she is, not what she will become.
      As she learns more about herself, Amelia realizes the line between love and duty is a thin one. As her power continues to increase exponentially and her questions are slowly answered, Amelia must make the ultimate choice. The question is, will her head win the battle, or her heart?
      If you decide to give Bound by Duty a shot, I’d love to hear the songs it brought to mind for you! Hook up with me at www.facebook.com/authorstormysmith or @stormysmith on twitter.

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Bound by Duty
Download it FREE on all ebook platforms!

The Series: Bound

|| [2] || [3] || [3.5] || [1-3.5] ||

Click on the book cover to Look Inside the book on Amazon and read an excerpt.

Bound by Spells [2]

Aidan Montgomery hadn’t been prepared for Amelia Bradbury to walk in and then out of his life. He also hadn’t expected to find the powerful magic hidden deep within him for the last nineteen years, but he’s embracing it — finding more control and more answers every day. Now, with the help of Amelia’s best friend, Bethany, Aidan is on a quest to understand his destiny and find Amelia.

Amelia decided to stand by her duty, which meant walking away from her first chance at love. Trapped in Cresthaven at the Queen’s mercy, she spends her days with Micah — an ally she still holds at arm’s length — struggling to manage her heartbreak while keeping her mind focused on the task at hand. As she continues to unlock the secrets of the Keeper power, Queen Julia’s true motives reveal themselves, forcing Amelia to decide, yet again, how much she’s willing to sacrifice.

Will Aidan get to Amelia before it's too late, or will the very power that sustains them keep them apart?

[Published 19 March 2015, 345 pages]

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Bound by Prophecy [3]

Amelia Bradbury is finally free from Queen Julia and Cresthaven, but she isn’t safe. The Keeper power runs rampant inside her, and only an ultimate act of selflessness will be able to contain the darkness threatening Amelia’s sanity and the future of the Immortal race.

Aidan Montgomery refuses to give up on Amelia. Once she’s rescued from the Keeper’s hold, he intends to prove his love is more than a side effect of the prophecy, even if doing so leads him away from his pack on a journey that will irrevocably change them both.

When the past and present collide, and the shocking origin of the Immortals is revealed, Amelia and Aidan are forced back to Cresthaven to end a war that never should have started.

[Published 12 November 2015, 348 pages]

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Bound Together: A Holiday Novella [3.5]

Enjoy this short novella (40 pages) and celebrate the holidays with your favorite characters from the Bound series. **Make sure you have read Bound by Prophecy before you read this or there will be spoilers.**

After weeks spent on the road tracking down Immortals still in hiding, Amelia and Aidan are finally ready for some down time. Holed up in a cabin at the base of Mt. Shasta, they prepare to celebrate their first Christmas together.

While Aidan makes secret plans for the celebration, he and Amelia create their own holiday traditions, finding surprises around every corner as they embrace each other and their future together.

[Published (1 December 2015, 40 pages]

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Bound Series Box Set: Books 1 - 3.5

“These books are chock full of fabulous, complex characters and a beautifully-detailed world of magic like you've never read before.” – Reviewer

“Each book keeps you guessing and will blow your mind with new revelations and twists you didn't see coming. A fantastic group of characters that are three-dimensional and grow as people throughout the series.” -- Reviewer

[Published 30 January 2016, 800 pages]

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About the Author

Stormy Smith calls Iowa's capital home now, but was raised in a tiny town in the Southeast corner of the state. She grew to love books honestly, having a mom that read voraciously and instilled that same love in her. She knew quickly that stories of fantasy were her favorite, and even as an adult gravitates toward paranormal stories in any form.

Writing a book had never been an aspiration, but suddenly the story was there and couldn't be stopped. When she isn't working on, or thinking about, her books, Stormy's favorite places include bar patios, live music shows, her yoga mat or anywhere she can relax with her husband or girlfriends.

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