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:
@tamzwrite
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