New Update!

Hello everyone. All of my Reviews, that I have yet to write, will be posted sporadically during the summer. After the end of this summer, I will not be posting on here anymore, as you will see the info on the right side of the blog.
Thanks for your understanding.

Monday, April 1, 2013

E.M. Havens - Fate War: Alliance - Virtual Book Tour


Sci Fi Romance / Steampunk
Date Published: 2/25/13

Prince Cole meets Samantha when she walks down the aisle. Though she seems like the polished women he is familiar with, there is something different. She is complicated and full of mystery. Her dowry comes with a promise of air ships and mech capable of defense against their common enemy and for his country to survive, he must unravel her secrets. It is only when each accepts their destinies can they save their people from the plans of the Fate Sovereign.



Book Excerpt

Family Breakfast

“King Arnold, a pleasure.”
Samantha curtsied low, holding the layers of her blue, lace trimmed dress up from the floor. The handmaid had done a tremendous job of tightening her corset. Multi-colored stars popped before her eyes with the movement.
“None of that now. We’re family.” The King’s kind voice and hand guiding her back up put her at ease. He stood in the doorway of her and Cole’s bedchambers. Images of him in red coattails flashed into her mind, and she pushed them back. Today, he wore a grey morning coat, complete with a red striped waistcoat and ascot. The ruby eyes and toothy grin of a gold dragon head peaked at her from the crook of his arm where his cane rested.
He took her hand, kissing the gloved fingers, then wrapped them around his elbow to lead her to the balcony. “And how are you this morning daughter-in-law?”
“I’m well. Thank you for asking, King Arnold. And you?”
“Doing well, my dear.” He patted her hand as they reached the balcony where Cole stood, fidgeting with his tawny waistcoat. Under her fingers, Samantha felt the King tense. He and Cole nodded to each other, but no words were exchanged in salutation. Cole pulled out her chair, and both men helped her settle for their family breakfast. As the men took their seats, they continually eyed each other, like one expecting a tame tiger to turn man eater at any moment.
Thankfully, the servants began uncovering today’s dishes, and the men were distracted by bacon.


Author's Guest Post

How to Cuss…In Fate War-ese

It’s very important when you enter a new land to understand the colloquialisms of the culture. This is no different in fiction than it is in real life.  The two main kingdoms in Fate War, Arborea and Perspicia, share similar curses. Understanding how to use them properly will greatly enhance your experience.

The first word you need to know is “clinker”. Clinker is the waste from burning coal. It’s also a curse word that means “something foul”.  One might use this word as a standalone curse when the situation is unpleasant. For instance, if the wind catches your parasol and it flies away, you might yell: “Clinker!”  It can also be used as an adjective. While describing someone of little intelligence you might refer to them as a “clinker head” or possibly “clinker for brains”.

A related word is “ashpan”.  An ashpan collects clinker, and in the case of cursing, is used as a descriptive noun for someone distasteful.  If a carriage driver splashes mud on your freshly pressed waist coat, you might refer to him as an “ashpan’”. You will also probably feel “steamed” at him.

A rather distasteful curse is, “piston pumper”.  This curse refers to a person who indulges in self pleasure. It is specifically used to describe someone who is self-absorbed and treats others unfairly. 

The last and most frequently used curse is, “slag”. Slag is the useless byproduct of smelting ore. I have been informed by my British friends that this word has a different connotation in England.  However, in Fate War, “slag” refers a very distressing situation. For instance, if the entirety of the Fate Army is advancing toward you and you are unarmed, you might utter the singular, “Slag!”  You could also use the verb form and yell, “I’m slagged!” If your mother-in-law is berating your wife, you could tell her to, “Shut the slag up.”

All of the above can be combined.  If a person really irritates you, you can call them a “slagging ashpan”. If you are really, really upset, you might combine them all with a little improvisation.  It would be something like this. “You mother-slagging-ashpan-clinker-faced-bastard!”

Whichever curses you choose to employ, remember to use them sparingly. Curses used too often lose the impact which they are intended. Every word, in all languages, is important. But using the right word in the right situation makes them meaningful. Congratulations on learning Fate War curses and good luck using them as you enter my world.


Author Bio: 
Who is E.M. Havens? I’m a lot of things. The word that seems to define me most at the moment is mom.
It can be all consuming. Not only am I a mom of three (one of them is a teenager…pity me), but I also
home-school (pity me more). I share this awesome responsibility with the love of my life, best friend,
and soul-mate husband.

Add to that, the twenty-five chickens, twelve turkeys, ten guineas, nine pigs, three barn cats, two
Great Pyrenees guardian dogs, a Chihuahua, a house cat, and a goose, it makes for one crazy, full, and
certainly entertaining life.

Somewhere in there I find the time to write. I started out young writing poems, then moved on to
songs. I actually have a Bachelor in Music with a secondary in Science because I can’t stand English. Yes,
the writer hates English. I like to read the story for the experience of reading the story, not to nitpick
each letter and comma. But I digress.

I eventually found blogging and really enjoyed sharing my life that way. When an unfortunate turn of
events separated me from my music equipment, I decided to use my overactive imagination, my love
of reading, and my new found hobby, prose writing, to release some of my creative energy. I wrote my
first novel and loved the experience. Fate War: Alliance is actually the second novel I wrote and the first
to be published. Now I’m working on my third and several sequels to Fate War!

So that’s pretty much me, sitting in the Arbuckle Mountains of Oklahoma, reading, writing, collecting
eggs from the coop, and being a schoolmarm. It’s a pretty great life.



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2 comments:

I love to read what you have to write and I like to write back, so feel free to comment :)

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