(Redhaven Saga #1)by Victoria Barrow
New Adult Contemporary Paranormal/Fantasy Romance
Categories: Action/Adventure, Interracial/Multicultural
Publisher: Self-Published/Indie
Heat Level: Sweet
Word Count: 80,000
Summary
Winter is not exactly the ‘season of the witch’. It’s cold in Washington, and everything is covered in snow. But it doesn’t bother Lucilla Sinclair, the fiery Witch-Warden for Washington State. She’s perfectly happy performing minor enchantments at her little arcane shop in Redhaven, an old fishing town turned tourist attraction. Besides, her tall, dark-skinned elemental guardian Mishal keeps her warm at night. Her raven familiar, Irwin, helps her to pass the time in the otherwise sleepy town.
Magickal mischief in the cold, quiet state is slow for the most part, but when a freak winter storm lands a half-transformed Siren on her front porch, Lucy’s life becomes increasingly strange. Her dreams are suddenly assaulted with visions of a beautiful demon man, and her waking hours are spent warding off a cadre of mysterious shadow creatures.
With the life of the Siren in her hands, Lucy must trek through the snows of Canada in a race against time. Her mission: to find the one person with enough knowledge of forbidden black magick to fix the broken Siren Melusine before her seven days on land are up.
This is gonna be a rough week.
Reviews
“Siren Snow is the story of Lucy Sinclair, the young Witch-Warden for Washington State. She spends most of her days working in her shop and taking care of the routine magical needs of the folks under her care. Until a strange storm brings more than just a blizzard. A sea creature from the depths of the sea is just the beginning of Lucy’s troubles. When an injured siren washes up on shore, Lucy must embark upon a dangerous journey to save her.
This story is a fantastical adventure featuring mythical and magical beings, both traditional and those created by the author’s rich imagination. The characters are well drawn and engaging, and you’ll fall in love with the varied cast. From Mishal, Lucy’s hot elemental guardian (and I do mean hot!) to Mel, the stoic Siren, the author introduces the reader to characters we’ll sorely miss once we finish that last page.
Siren Snow is not without romance, though Lucy’s love life does take back seat to her heroic endeavors. Mishal, her best friend and protector, sticks by Lucy’s side, providing unwavering support. There are a few tender moments between them, but Lucy is holding back. She has a secret that involves a demon from her dreams. Twists, turns, and surprises await Lucy on her journey and the ending will leave you breathless.
I’m waiting anxiously for the next book in the series and once you read it, you will too. I highly recommend this book.”--Tricia Drammeh, author of The Claiming Words
“I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It really drew me in even in the first chapter. I couldn't help but read the entire thing in just two days!
The characters are very likeable. I already feel that I know them well, despite this being the author's first book. It's so easy to share Lucilla's triumphs, and to feel empathy for her shortcomings.
The unexpected adventure certainly kept me interested, and the surprises were enough to keep me on my toes. I don't want to say too much, but I found the motel scene to be particularly haunting, in a very good way!
The story is very well-told. A few loose ends are left untied - intentionally, I am sure - to set the stage for later entries in the saga. However, the focus of this particular book is fully realized, in a singularly satisfying manner.
I am eagerly awaiting the next installment of this series; it's really got me hooked! All in all, I would love to schedule a trip to Redhaven myself in order to meet Lucilla Sinclair and her companions!”--Phillip Anderson, Goodreads Reviewer
“Truly an amazing book. Victoria has definitely set the bar high for up and coming indie authors. Her attention to detail is not over looked as well as her genuine care and concern for her characters. I would recommend this book to any one who asks. The story line is so nicely done that you are drawn in from page one. This is a MUST READ.”--Maegan Provan, Author
Excerpt
I must have drifted off the second I got comfortable; but the moment I fell asleep, my mind was flooded with those horrible images again, those sounds, those sensations. The feeling of that dark caress returned full force and involuntarily, and I woke to the sound of my own muffled crying. I was mad then, that it had affected me this much, and I angrily wiped away at the moisture on my face with the edge of the comforter.
No matter how hard I tried to get back to sleep, those pictures wouldn't leave. I cried. I cried in frustration, cried from exhaustion, cried for the simple sake of crying, and I didn't stop until I heard the creak of my bedroom door open.
I said nothing as Mishal entered, and I just rolled over, giving my back to him. I was ashamed of my weakness, crying like a child under the covers. The bed springs creaked as he sat down, and I felt his hand on my back, the heat of him through the blankets. He just sat there with his hand on my back for a few moments, until the bed shifted as he lay down behind me.
His strong arms fell over my waist, and pulled me to him, comforter and all. He rested his cheek on my head, careful of the sore spot, and I felt the slow, strong steady beat of his heart against my back. He said nothing for the longest time, and just held me in a bundle of covers against him. The coldness inside of me started to fade away, and then I cried from relief this time.
“It's okay to be human sometimes, Lucy,” he said, his breath hot at my ear. “It just means you have a heartbeat.”
I relaxed into his embrace, and even though I was nude under the covers, the moment wasn't tense in the least. It was simply the joy and comfort of having someone you cared about touch you. There was something instinctually comforting about being close to another living being, who was warm and breathing and cared about how you felt. Mishal was my best friend, and we'd grown up together, so he was probably the person I trusted the most. He was linked to me as an elemental Guardian, yes, but our bond was so much more than that. I'd found comfort in him since I was very small.
I'd had a really bad fever once when I was about nine, the kind where you just shiver and can't get warm, even though you're burning up on the inside. I'd been in bed for almost two days straight at that point, most of it spent in a feverish sleep. I remembered waking up in the middle of it, shivering and cold and hot at the same time. I'd fallen back asleep, and the next time I woke up, little Mishal was
wrapped around me, over the covers much like now, and was using his elemental heat to burn away my fever. I'd stop shivering, and over the next few hours, my fever burned away. It was this sort of closeness I treasured. It was the very fact that I could be so close to him that I loved.
Instead of burning away my fever this time, he was burning away those horrible images, drowning them in the overwhelming sensation of warmth and comfort. I turned slightly, tucking my head under his chin and taking a deep breath of him. His familiar, sweet, wood-burning scent filled my nose, and I relaxed.
About the Author
A Texas native, Victoria currently lives in San Diego, California with her fiance and their two kitties (read: furry children.) She has a moderately unhealthy obsession with MMORPGS, and when she's not writing, spends a lot of time shooting bad guys. (Stupid Horde.)
Her bookshelf includes everything from Tolkien to plumbing (just one though... pipes are boring but nescessary). She's very fond of anything urban/paranormal fantasy, and has an entire shelf dedicated to zombies. (Never hurts to be prepared.)
Siren Snow is her debut novel, and book #1 of a 7 part series. Book #2 (Ghost Wolf) is due out May 2013.
Connect with Victoria Barrow
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