Guest Post & Giveaway: The Embers of Light Tour

The Embers of Light

The Dia Chronicles

Volume 2

Tammy Farrell

Genre: Historical Fantasy

Publisher: Tammy Farrell

Date of Publication: Jan 28th, 2015

ISBN: -13:  978-1505434989

ISBN-10: 150543498X

ASIN: B00P6KCA6G

Number of pages: 388

Word Count: 96,000

Cover Artist: Nathalia Suellen

Book Description:

The descendants of the ancient gods think they’ve found peace, but the time has come when new magic and ancient powers will collide…

Stripped of his Dia powers and left to rot, Malcolm is a prisoner of Valenia—a sentence he finds worse than death. His thoughts of revenge are the only thing keeping him sane, but when he finally manages to escape, Malcolm discovers that living as a mortal is more dangerous than he ever imagined. After stealing from the wrong man, Malcolm becomes a captive once more, only this time his punishment is one that he won’t soon forget. His only hope of survival is Seren, an enigmatic young girl with golden eyes and a malevolence to match his own.

When he’s led to Mara and Corbin, the two responsible for his fall from grace, their new faction of Dia is in chaos, infiltrated by an ancient power thought to have been banished forever. This only fuels Malcolm’s ruthless ambitions, but he soon realizes that he too is under attack, a pawn in a centuries old game of power and greed. As new battle lines are drawn, Malcolm finds himself in uncharted waters, forced to choose between helping those he’s vowed to destroy or give in to his lingering desire to settle the score.

Debts will be paid, lives will be lost, and no Dia will ever be the same.

The Perfectly Imperfect Romance

Most of us love a good romance, especially when the couple is so perfectly imperfect we can’t help but root for them. That’s what keeps readers interested in fictional couples. Sure, they can fall in love at first sight. I’m one of those people who believe in such a thing. They can even be meant for each other in some way. I also believe in that. But for readers to care about a fictional couple, their relationship has to have flaws. And I don’t mean flaws like: the woman is completely indifferent to a man’s good looks, his money, or his status. That’s just not realistic. (If I’m dating a hottie billionaire and he wants to buy me a no-strings-attached present, I’m taking the damn present). And the man doesn’t have to be a liar, cheater, or player turned devoted lover all by the grace of one woman. It’s been done, and we don’t believe it anymore.

Readers want real flaws. They want to know what happens after the love at first sight. I’m talking about things that raise the stakes. Couples fight. Couples get sick of each other. Couples disappoint each other. And couples don’t always stay together.

Some of the perfectly imperfect fictional romances that stand out to me are:

Scarlett and Rhett, Gone With the Wind. They’re too much alike to work, but we desperately want them to. Rhett loves Scarlett from the start, but by the time Scarlett realizes she loves Rhett, it’s too late, she has hardened his heart.

Noah Calhoun and Allie Hamilton, The Notebook. These two are also far too much alike to make a good match, but their deep love for one another forces them to work through their challenges.  

Jim and Pam, The Office (Okay, not a literary couple). These two are probably one of my favorite fictional couples. They are absolutely PERFECT for each other, but circumstances and their inability to express their feelings keeps them apart for so long. You know you melted a little when Jim burst into the conference room and finally asked Pam out on a date. ;)

Heathcliff and Catherine, Wuthering Heights. These two are a perfect for each other, but it never works out. THIS is why we love them. If Catherine and Heathcliff hadn’t been separated, Heathcliff would have never uttered this stunningly passionate line: “Be with me always - take any form - drive me mad! only do not leave me in this abyss, where I cannot find you!”

In my novel The Embers of Light, Mara and Corbin (the heroine and hero from book one), are in the secondary phase of their relationship. They’ve already fallen in love, they’ve survived the challenges in book one, but now they face a number of new challenges, and they don’t always manage to get along while doing it. Mara is still struggling with her own demons and starts to questions Corbin’s motivations for trying to help her. She fears he might be trying to control her. But for Corbin, that’s the furthest thing from the truth. They misunderstand each other, they doubt each other, and they will have to make some tough choices in the end.

Readers want fictional couples that manage to tug at our heartstrings without always playing into a flawlessly Happily Ever After. Readers want conflict, they want passion, sometimes they want sweetness, and they want sacrifice—even if that means sacrificing love.

What does this mean for authors? Take a good look at the romance in your story, even if it’s secondary to the main plot. If you love your couple, and you want readers love your couple, make sure both characters are three-dimensional. Have them make mistakes, have them argue (if it fits), have them make up after they argue (because who doesn’t love a good make up?), and remember, they don’t have to stay together in the end.  

About the Author:

Tammy Farrell grew up in Orangeville, Ontario Canada where she discovered her love

of writing, and all things related to Edgar Allan Poe. She now lives with her husband and six fur babies in Greenville, South Carolina, where she attempts to learn French when she isn’t busy writing.

Learn more about The Dia Chronicles and Tammy Farrell’s other works at:

www.TammyFarrell.com

www.facebook.com/thediachronicles

@tamzwrite

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