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Thursday, July 23, 2015

#NewRelease--TIES THAT BIND by Keena Kincaid--#Giveaway

Meet Aedan ap Owen from TIES THAT BIND: Mad, bad and dangerous to know (with apologies to Lord Byron)
When I first started working on ANAM CARA, the prequel to TIES THAT BIND, Aedan wasn’t part of the story. Then one day he popped into a scene, complaining about the heat and the stink. After I got over my surprise that the hero had a younger brother, I decided Aedan would be accused of murder and sent to the dungeon, which would force the hero to stay in Carlisle long enough to fall in love with the heroine.

  That is so not how the story went.

  Aedan not only refused to follow my plot, but also talked his way into being a major character. Nor would he let “The End” be the end. Instead, he began stalking me, demanding I write his story. As a descendant of druids, one of his magical abilities is the gift of words. He can talk anyone into anything—including this author.

Having been left in a monastery by his father (most likely sold to the canons), Aedan learned early how to get what he needed to survive, and then to get what he wanted. By the time we meet him, manipulating others is so ingrained into his nature he never once considers the moral implications. He also is minstrel born. Music is both his curse and his salvation. He must play, but when he does, his regrets, hopes, joys, sorrows and anger are reflected in the music for anyone to hear. Fortunately, most people don’t pay close enough attention to understand what they hear.

Unfortunately for Aedan, Tess listens and wants nothing to do with his magic—and she’s determined that not even love will change her mind.


TIES THAT BIND isn't the easiest book I've ever written, but it's one of my favorites. I loved the challenge of taking a self-centered character who always gets what he wants, thwarting him at every turn, and then using the power of love to make him a better man.

Blurb
Five years have passed since young lovers Aeden ap Owen and Tess, Lady of Bridswell, parted—ripped apart by Tess’s mother. Now they are reunited in a twist of fate that could bring ruin upon both their families, far worse than the illicit love they shared in the past.

Sent north by the Plantagenet king to investigate rumors of treason and dispatch the troublemakers, Aedan discovers someone is murdering monks and stealing saints’ relics. And all clues point to the Earl of Carlisle. But Tess is present, posing yet another problem for Aedan—her uncle has promised her to Carlisle, a man she despises—and she has agreed. Aedan must discover what sway forces her to marry a man she loathes—and learn the desperate secret she hides at all costs.

A would-be usurper to the throne uses the stolen relics to amplify his power, wielding it like a weapon against his king, his country—and anyone who seeks to thwart his ambition. Meeting the traitor's black magic with magic of his own will prevent war, but will it also destroy Aedan’s chance to protect Tess and their last chance at lost love?

The evil at work is strong, and in the final climax of his battle against the dark forces, Aedan must make a choice between the two people who are dearest to him. There are some things even his Sidhe gifts can’t change—but TIES THAT BIND are forever…

Excerpt
    The man stepped closer, peering into the coffin. After a moment, the nobleman’s anger eased, but his frown deepened. “Damn monk lied to me.”
    Jasper glanced past the feretory door to the mound of brown fabric draped over the prayer stool, and then back to the remains at his feet. “How do ye ken that, m’lord? This man died hundreds o’ years ago. He should be less than bones and bits.”
    The nobleman breathed out his impatience and worried a pair of gloves in his right hand. “This is supposed to be the crypt of Saint Cuthbert.”
    “Aye, but…”
    The nobleman sighed. “I suppose a man who kills a monk cannot be expected to remember his catechism.” He paced outside the candles’ light. “Saints do not wither and rot. That is the first sign of sainthood. If this were Cuthbert, he would be fresh as the moment he last drew breath.”
Jasper scratched at the stubby remainder of his ear. Why would a saint no’ go to dust like the rest o’ Adam’s spawn? With a shrug, he dismissed the question and reached for the gold and coins at his feet.
    “Stop. We are not here as thieves.”
    “We came to steal the saint’s cup.”
    Anger flared into the nobleman’s eyes and dimmed the glow of the tallow candles. “You have already lost one ear to thievery, do not risk your whole head. Push the slab back into place. ’Tis time for lauds, and I do not want to kill the entire brotherhood. We need the hermit’s prayer book to find Cuthbert’s true resting place, or at least learn which house pried the cup from his cold hands.”
    “I know Godric, m’lord. He is a holy man.”
    “Then we need not worry over his soul if he refuses to tell us.”
    The man’s smile would frost the sun. Turning away, Jasper reset the slab, although only the blind wouldn’t know the saint’s grave had been disturbed.
    “After we retrieve the prayer book we go to Carlisle.”
    “There is no saint in Carl—” Jasper stopped himself.
    “No, there is no saint in Carlisle, but there is someone of equal value. My bride.”

Be sure and leave a comment to be entered in a drawing for a free ecopy of Keena Kincaid's TIES THAT BIND.

Buy Links                    Barnes and Noble Nook        Smashwords

18 comments:

  1. Oh how fun. I love it when characters just won't let you go, even when they are causing all kinds of havoc. I've always enjoyed stories from the medieval time period, especially the Ellis Peters 'Brother Cadfael' mysteries. ( Of course I love mysteries, period).
    From the blurb and the excert, I'm glad Aeden kept after you. The best to you on this one! Doris McCraw/Angela Raines

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  2. Thanks for stopping by, Doris. I love the Cadfael Mysteries, too.

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  3. Isn't that just the way it goes? You have the story all plotted out and then a character just refuses to obey.
    I wish you every success and happiness, Keena. (Love your name. It's so unique.)

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  4. Thanks, Sarah. I'll pass your compliment along to my mom.

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  5. Well, Keena, you know how much I absolutely LOVE your writing and your characters. You really had me going in this one--I had NO idea how in the world you were going to make it all come out but what a fantastic FINISH--and one that was completely unexpected! And I couldn't help it--I adored Aedan in Anam Cara when I first met him, and even more so in Ties That Bind. SO looking forward to seeing what you do in Enthralled! LOL

    Cheryl

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    1. Thanks, Cheryl. This is one of my favorite books, too. Enthralled wraps it all up. p.s. Adan shows up in that book, too.

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  6. Anytime I find "mad, bad, and dangerous" describing the hero in the first sentence, I'm there. :-D

    Congrats on the new release, Keena! You've made a medieval convert out of me -- at least on the reading side. I always wondered what all the fuss about medieval romances was about...

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    1. I guess my job here is done, Kathleen. LOL! I hope you enjoy Ties that Bind as much as Cheryl did. I love writing medievals because the obstacles to love and happiness were so different than those our modern couples face. It's a challenge I relish.

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  7. Got to love when your characters speak to you. The difference between dreaming up what can happen, to the reality of what must happen, can bring a tale to life.
    Congratulations. Sounds like a gripping story.

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    1. A lot of things happened in this story that I didn't want to happen. I eventually dubbed it: "a sweet little love story with a high body count."

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  8. Don't you love it when characters speaks to you? I do. You're a new author for me, Keena, and judging from what I've seen here, you're one worth discovering. And any time I see the words: Mad, Bad and Dangerous... it triggers something in my mind. Need this book (but first, need to get the first one). :) Congrats Keena.

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    1. Thanks, Liette. I do like it when the characters finally start talking. That's when I finally feel good about a story.

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  9. I love books taking place in this era. It looks like this will be a book you won't want to put down. I need to get the first so I can enjoy the whole series.

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    1. Thanks, Betty. It's a fun era.

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  10. This book is going to be a nice change of pace for me. I read medieval stories when I first started reading romances. Lately it has been mostly westerns and intrigues. I miss the time period and need to get back to it. I like the touch of paranormal you have added to the books. There is magic in the world but we don't often see it. It was more a part of the people's lives hundreds of years ago. A good villain (or is it a bad villain?) makes for a good story. By the sound of the excerpt you have presented us an evil force for our hero to deal with.
    Best wishes for the success of TIES THAT BIND.

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    1. I love a good villain, too. There's a big bad behind the villain in this story, and we really get to see her in the next book.

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  11. Congratulations, Keena! I'm ordering it asap. Although my main love is Westerns, my second fave is the time of the Plantegenets. Best wishes for tons of success!

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  12. Keena, I can feel your pain and/or excitement as Aeden tormented you. Darn it if those characters don't want it their way somethimes. LOL. I crave reading Medievals and hope to someday write one of my own. In the meantime, I'm finishing up some westerns and then I'll take the leap. I absolutely adored ANAM CARA and I was drawn to Aeden right from the start. I so look forward to seeing how he will win Tess's heart. Can't wait to sit back and see shat lies ahead. Wishing you much success. And thank you for such delightful, and intriguing stories.

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