As part of the 'Carry On The Flame: Destiny's Call' book blog tour hosted by The Bookish Snob Promotions, I have an excerpt from Jodine Turner to share with you all. You can find my review and links to where to purchase the book here.
Blurb: Carry on the Flame: Destiny’s Call Book One is a YA/adult magical urban fantasy, paranormal romance novel.
Carry on the Flame: Ultimate Magic Book Two releases October 31, 2011.
In Carry on the Flame, humanity is in the midst of the greatest crisis in their evolution. Sharay is the one chosen to show the way forward and help humankind move through the fear and dark times of today’s world. Born into a lineage of priestesses in modern day Glastonbury, England, Sharay’s way is blocked by her jealous Aunt Phoebe, who uses black magic against her to steal her fortune and magical power. When Phoebe commits Sharay to a psychiatric ward and accuses her of murder, Sharay struggles with the temptation to fight Phoebe’s vengeance with her own. Through the ancient Celtic ceremony of Beltaine, Sharay experiences profound sacred union with the Welshman Guethyn, who shows her how to open her heart. But Sharay must learn to transform her hatred for her aunt in order to claim the mystery held deep within her cells that will allow her to fulfill her destiny and prove that the ultimate magic is the power of love.
Excerpt
"Dillon’s knobby hands scratched his scrubby gray beard. Index finger curled, he motioned for Sharay to join him at his table.
Sharay hesitated. The old man pointed to the spread of cards before him and chuckled. He held one up for her to see, and furtively laid it back down again. Curious, Sharay stood and scuffled across the room, the closest she could come to walking while on her medicine, making her way past the vacant gaze of a middle aged female patient. She sat in a worn wooden chair across from the old man, the table and mysterious cards between them.
“Dillon.” He proffered his weather beaten hand in welcome. “Dillon Emrys. Born in the North of Wales, high in the mountains in a town no one has ever heard of. Born and raised there.” His voice was deep but carried the musical lilt of a heavy Welsh accent.
Sharay extended her hand and watched it tremor. Another side-effect of her medicine. She quickly withdrew it, embarrassed.
“The shaking is nothing to be ashamed of. Easy to remedy. Here, try again.” Dillon’s hand hung over the cards, waiting for hers.
Timidly, Sharay offered her hand again. She was surprised at the strength of the old man’s grip. He pressed his thumb against the top of her index finger and held on as if he awaited a return gesture.
“Ah, I thought perhaps you remembered the greeting of the ancients, but sadly not.”
Sharay leaned her head to the side, wiped the drool from her mouth against her shoulder, leaving a wet stain on her sweater. The old man must be crazy, she thought.
“Sure, some call me crazy. Others call me wise.” Dillon smiled, a full grin this time. Two dimples appeared in his deeply creviced face.
Sharay pulled her hand away, her eyes opened wide. How did he know what she was thinking?
“Nothing to be afraid of. Anyone can learn to read another’s thoughts. You’ve done it sometimes, too.”
Sharay didn’t answer. She wondered if she could get away from Dillon without creating a scene.
“All right, I’ll give you this piece of advice, and then maybe you’ll trust me.” Dillon leaned in close to Sharay. “Cheek your medicine,” he whispered.
“What?”
“Cheek it. Take the medicine in your mouth, roll it with your tongue to the back of your cheek, near to your gums. Nurse will check your mouth but won’t see it. Then spit it out when she leaves.” Dillon leaned back, obviously pleased with himself.
“Nurse won’t see it?”
“No. Just do it. It will stop that silly drooling of yours.”
Sharay giggled nervously. Of course. It was so simple. “How did you learn to do that?”
Dillon shrugged and stroked his beard. “I know many things. Take this card for example.” He held up the card he had tried to show her before.
“Tarot cards,” Sharay said, recognizing the trump from a similar deck her mother had allowed her to play with as a child.
The cards were divinatory. When shuffled and laid out in a pattern, they could be interpreted, often giving readings that made accurate and profound pronouncements about one’s life situation.
Sharay took the card he offered her. Its edges were worn, the colors faded. It showed the picture of a young man and woman facing each other with hands clasped, standing under a rose trellis and being blessed by a hooded figure of a Goddess. The word LOVERS was printed across the bottom of the card. Sharay felt a fluttering in her womb, as if the card fanned the flames of the burnt out embers of her inner strength there. She had almost forgotten about this power spot in her body, hadn’t felt its heat since the day she met Dr. Deluth a full six months ago.
“Yes, Tarot. But this is a very old deck, a special deck. That card is for you. Keep it with you. Sleep with it under your pillow.” Dillon lowered his voice. “Don’t show it to anyone else.”
Sharay touched the outline of the figures with her fingers, inexplicably intrigued by the faded picture.
Dillon coughed. Sharay looked up to see Dr. Deluth walk toward her, clip board in hand, two interns following obediently behind. She shoved the card under her sweater and tucked it inside her bra. Dillon laid a magazine across the top of his card spread, his movements betraying none of the anxiety Sharay felt whenever she saw Dr. Deluth."
I love this scene. I think Dillon has got to be one of my favourite characters from this book after reading this excerpt. Reminds me how funny Dillon was in the book and how he made Sharay feel sane.
About Jodine Turner
Jodine Turner is an author of YA/adult fantasy, paranormal romance, and magical realism. She is also a therapist, and a consecrated priestess. While living in Glastonbury, England, the ancient Isle of Avalon, Jodine began writing the Goddess of the Stars and the Sea series about priestesses who had lived in Avalon throughout the ages and today.
Jodine’s series is a dark and edgy saga of a young priestess who's reborn during three different critical junctions in history in order to help humankind move through fearful and bleak times - the demise of Atlantis, the Dark Age's suppression of the feminine, and today's turbulent world.
Each novel in the series is a standalone read. First in the series is the highly acclaimed The Awakening: Rebirth of Atlantis. The second novel is the award winning The Keys to Remember. The third novel, Carry on the Flame: Book One Destiny’s Call, is already award winning. The story of Carry on the Flame concludes in Book Two, Carry on the Flame: Ultimate Magic, which comes out October 31, 2011.
Here is a link to the book trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_G3Jst5VHQo
2 comments:
Thanks for the excerpt!
You're very welcome! thanks for following along with the tour!
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