Spotlight & Giveaway: The Siren and the Deep Blue Sea by Kerrelyn Sparks

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Kerrelyn Sparks to HJ!

Hi Kerrelyn and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, The Siren and the Deep Blue Sea!

 
Thank you, Sara! Greetings to all my fabulous readers!
 

To start off, can you please tell us a little bit about this book?:

The Siren and the Deep Blue Sea is the fifth Embraced book (or book 2 of the Embraced by Magic series, published by Kensington). Finally!! Readers, who have been accumulating questions from the first four books, will finally have all their questions answered! Who is Maeve and where does she come from? Where does Brody come from? Who cursed him, and will his curse ever be lifted? Who is the Seer? Who is the Chameleon, and will he ever die? (Please!) Who are the last two remaining members of the Circle of Five? Where is the Embraced army, and can they be defeated?
 

Please share your favorite lines or quote(s) from this book:

“How the hell did you read this thing?” Nevis asked. “I can’t make out a single word.”
“It’s an ancient form of Eberoni.” She glanced over her shoulder and smiled. “Plus, you’re looking at it upside down.”

“Ha!” Nevis scoffed. “Good luck with that. The old biddy refuses to see anybody.”
The young woman glanced up at him. “Excuse me?”
Oh, he probably shouldn’t have insulted this woman’s queen. “No offense, Miss, but I’ve already tried to see Queen Esther. Three times. And she always refuses. She’s the most unfriendly monarch I’ve ever—”
“She’ll see me.” The young woman grabbed the basket’s handle and started across the meadow.
Nevis snorted. “Why would she see you when she refuses to see me? I’m an official envoy from King Leo of Eberon.”
Apparently, the young woman wasn’t impressed. She didn’t even bother to look back at him. “The queen has no interest in what is happening on the mainland.”
Nevis jogged to catch up with the woman. “How would you know? Has Her Royal Unfriendliness ever deigned to meet you?”
“Aye. Ye may accompany me if ye wish to see her.”
He rolled his eyes. “You sound awfully sure that she’ll see you.”
“Aye.” The young woman slanted him a wry look. “The old biddy is my mother. I am Princess Elinor.”
Nevis tripped and nearly fell on his face.

What inspired this book?

Visiting the aquariums in Maui and Seattle inspired me to include more sea creatures. The ponds on Isle of Secrets that are blue and green were inspired by the twin lakes in the Azores. The legend of the ancient kingdom of Aerland was a mixture of Atlantis and Pompeii. The mosaic floor in the Great Hall was based on a similar floor from a palace in St. Petersburg, Russia. And, also in the Great Hall, there was some glass art that I included after seeing the beautiful Chuhilly glass garden in Seattle.

How did you ‘get to know’ your main characters? Did they ever surprise you?

Since this is the fifth book in a series, I already knew Maeve and Brody. But even though I knew their personalities, I didn’t know all the secrets surrounding them. So I was caught by surprise a few times! I hope the readers will be, too!

What was your favorite scene to write?

The epic battle at the end. It was also the most challenging to write. It went on for several chapters and in several different POVs because the battle was being waged on three different fronts– the sea battle, the battle on the Isle of Secrets, and the battle within the castle on the Isle of Secrets. To get everything staged on three different fronts so that it would all work together was a daunting task, but I was very happy with how it all worked out.

What was the most difficult scene to write?

See above! The epic battle!!

Would you say this book showcases your writing style or is it a departure for you?

I think it will deliver what my readers are used to seeing from me.

What do you want people to take away from reading this book?

Never give up! Love will prevail and good will defeat evil.

What are you currently working on? What other releases do you have planned?

With the growing popularity of the Embraced series, Kensington was unhappy to see it finish, so they have asked me to write two more Embraced books. I have started Embraced #6, which will jump twenty years ahead and feature the children of our old heroes and heroines.

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: Three signed copies of How to Love your Elf! Open internationally.

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: Who do you think the Chameleon could be?

 
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Excerpt from The Siren and the Deep Blue Sea:

Brody ran into the cottage to drop the journal on his bed, then dashed out again, turning into a pelican. As he flew toward the ship, he noted the red-and-black flag flapping in the wind on the mainsail. An Eberoni ship? What was it doing here? He drew closer and noticed two familiar people at the bow. Maeve and Nevis? What the hell were they doing here? And damn, but she looked more beautiful than ever.
The wind was whipping at her braid of long black hair, loosening tendrils that curled around her face. Her delicate black eyebrows always made a startling contrast to the pale creaminess of her skin. And the natural pink color of her lips.
She was stunning. She’d always been stunning. Fortunately, he was usually in dog form, so no one questioned the amount of drool coming from his mouth.
He dropped down lower and passed over the ship so he could hear them talking.
“Look! There’s another one.” Maeve pointed at the ocean where a shiny black seal had just surfaced.
“It’s not Brody,” Nevis muttered. “How many times do I have to tell you that?”
Maeve sighed. “I know. I’m just so terribly worried about him.”
Worried? She was worried about him? Brody tipped to the side and landed clumsily on deck. He hopped out of the way when a sailor nearly kicked him, then flapped his wings to lift himself up onto the railing not far from Nevis and Maeve.
“Seems to me that you’re more than worried,” Nevis mumbled. “Brody’s on your mind all the time.”
Maeve blushed. “I just hope he’s on the Isle of Mist. Or, if he isn’t, that the Seer will be able to tell me where he is.”
Brody waddled along the railing so he could get closer. Maeve had come all this way to look for him? Damn.
“And I hope the Seer can tell us where the Embraced army is hiding,” Maeve added.
Brody flinched and one of his webbed feet slipped. Splat. He hit the deck hard. Dammit to hell! What was Maeve doing? She shouldn’t be involved in this. It was too dangerous! She should be safe at Ebton Palace. Why the hell had Leo and Luciana let her come here?
Apparently, his fall had made too much noise, for Maeve and Nevis spun around and spotted him. He folded his legs under him and squatted down as if it was something he did all the time. He slanted a wary glance their way to see if they were still looking at him.
Maeve’s eyes narrowed. “Brody?”
“Oh, for Light’s sake!” Nevis shouted as he clenched his fists. “Would you please stop calling every animal you see Brody?”
Maeve shot him an annoyed look. “I have good reason to be suspicious. Brody has taken the form of a pelican before.”
With a snort, Nevis motioned toward the pelican. “That’s the scroungiest-looking bird I’ve ever seen. Brody would never look that bad. And did you see its eyes? It obviously has the intelligence of a flea.”
Brody aimed a glare at Nevis, then flapped his wings to take off.
“I think you hurt his feelings.” Maeve’s voice could barely be heard as he flew toward the island.
“It didn’t understand me!” Nevis yelled. “It’s a bloody bird!”

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

Four sisters have become queens, rulers of all that Aerthlan’s two moons embrace. The last sister will forge her own path . . .

Signs and Seals

Raised on the magic-seeped Isle of Moon, Maeve is used to unusual powers—and the way they fuel the politics of her world. But when she discovers an ability to shape-shift at will, she knows who she wants to share it with first. Brody, the enigmatic, infuriating shifter-spy has always made time for Maeve. But it’s been almost two months since she’s seen him. And though no one else believes Brody is in danger, Maeve is more than ready to rescue him herself.

The rumors Brody’s investigating are terrifying: a secret army of magic-users, in the service of the cruel Circle of Five. But when he uncovers the identity of one of the Five, the mission becomes personal. Cursed as a boy by the Sea Witch, Brody can spend only two hours a day in his human form, a restriction that limits his future and muzzles his heart. Plus Maeve teases him for being such a pretty doggy instead of appreciating his manly charms. To win his freedom, he must take on a terrible disguise. And when Maeve finds out, she’ll unleash a tempest like no other . . .

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Meet the Author:

Kerrelyn Sparks apparently has issues with reality. After writing more than a dozen books about vampires, she has now completely gone off the deep end and wound up on another planet. But how thrilling that she can share this magical new world with her readers! Although she is best known (so far) for the Love at Stake series, which has hit as high as number 5 on the New York Times list and 22 on the USA Today list, she hopes her readers will love The Embraced as much as they did her merry band of vamps and shifters. To learn more about her paranormal, historical, and upcoming out-of-this-world fantasy romances, please visit Kerrelyn on Facebook, Twitter, or her website at www.kerrelynsparks.com.
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