Two Rivers by Zoe Saadia

Two Rivers by Zoe Saadia

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Two Rivers is the first book in a four book series. It’s a Native American historical fiction based around the Great League of the Iroquois people of upstate New York, lake Ontario and bordering Canadian areas. The year is 1141, the people live in towns with clans and are held together by councils and precious laws handed down to the people.

We meet Tekeni a 17 year old boy who has been adopted into The Wolf Clan after his capture during a raid on his own people, the People of the Falls. Although officially adopted to replace warriors lost in battle he is treated as an out-sider, a low-life and often finds himself in trouble.

Two Rivers is a 30 year old warrior, but one not afraid to speak his mind, he questions the constant war between other clans, he finds it destructive and not a long-term answer to the future of the tribes, yet his arguments are not welcome amongst the people. When Tekeni is attacked during a ball game by a thug, Two Rivers steps in to his rescue, further alienating both against the people.

Seketa is the only person to see more in Tekeni than everyone else and her faith in him gives him hope as well as his help from Two Rivers. Both men have a prophecy to fulfil and when things come to a vicious head their best hope is to leave and set out on a dangerous unknown path which we can follow in book 2.

This is a good start to a series, you get a feel for the way the characters think and how they keep to traditions whilst is also hints at reasons for their current situation, looking forward to reading more of the adventure.

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

View all my reviews on Goodreads

Romancing September #RomancingSeptember – Day 13

Welcome to Day 13 of Romancing September Across The World Tour. Today our guest is Della Connor. Catch up with more from Della in a few hours with the second part of our tour when Stephanie chats to her.

1)Where is your home town?

A small town in East Texas about 90 miles north of Houston. We call this part of Texas the “Piney-woods”. Right now it is hot and humid, a typical summer in Texas.

2)How long have you been writing romance?

I am a new author so I would have to say a short time! I have read romance novels since I was a teenager and my Grandmother would gift me her paperback Harlequins.

3)What is your favourite sub-genre of romance?

I guess since I write young adult, I would have to say young adult or new adult. I like the innocence and forever-ness of first love.

4)Tell are where your book is set.

It is set in present day Montana. I grew up in Montana and the pure beauty and majesty of that state gives you something to write about!

5)Who has been teaching the children about the Native Americans?

In my first book of the series, The Concealing, Archie who is the Native American grandfather of one of the five main characters tells the stories to the characters as they are growing up. He spends a lot of time with the kids and teaches them many things including how to build a tepee and how to do Native American dances. He also teaches them how to fight.

6)What games do the children like to play?

The characters have one game in particular that they play all the time. It is actually a re-enactment of Custer’s Last Stand or The Battle of Little Bighorn. Each of them has an assigned character that they play and of course we all know how the game ends.

7)Who is the dangerous spirit?

The machaywiw is an ancient Native American Medicine Man gone bad, so to speak. He is extremely powerful and has used his supernatural powers to exact revenge on a tribe who denied him the powers of their chief’s daughter.

8) Why does Charlie need to protect Emme?

He is Emme’s protector as he alone knows how valuable she, and her gifts, are to his people and to the future of their tribe. Charlie wants nothing more than to be with Emme for the rest of his life. But first he has to make sure that Emme lives to have the rest of her life – See more about the characters at: http://dellaconnor.com/character-bios/#sthash.mvqf3O1Q.dpuf

9)Tell us what you are working on at the moment.

I am 50,000 words into Book 3 in the series called The Burning. Here’s a teaser: “I don’t know. We didn’t get that far. I suspect she is here now because the time is drawing near to battle the machayiwiw.” I put my head in my hands. “Jack, in all likelihood I will die and possibly the others as well. Don’t you see why it just isn’t fair for me to lead you on? Do you want to spend your life like Golden Flower pining away for the love you lost? Can you imagine how hard it is to be left behind when everything you loved has left? I won’t do that to you. I can’t do that to you.” I stared at my boots. “Emme, I would gladly live what is left of my life alone to have you be mine in everyway possible for even a day or even just an hour. It would be the best hour of my life and the memory of our love could get me through the rest of my life. The thought of you waiting for me, would carry me through all the seasons of my life, until forever.” My eyes filled with tears and my voice cracked. “Oh… Jack.

10)Where can readers find out more about you?

On my new and improved blog. As you can tell I am proud of it! Come have a look. http://www.dellaconnor.com

Find a copy of Spirit Warriors: The Concealing here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

Find out more about Della from Stephanie Hurts blog and all our Romance writers http://stephanie-hurt.com

 

 

 

Spirit Warriors: The Scarring by D.E.L. Connor

Spirit Warriors: The Scarring by D.E.L. Connor

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the second book in the YA Spirit Warriors series set in Montana. We meet the characters from the last book; Charlie and Archie, descents from native American Indians, Jack, Ollie, Bets and Em. They’re Charlie’s friends and he and Em have a special relationship which will be tested to the core.

These children have learnt the ability to join their spirits with those of animals in a battle against the Machayiwiw an evil medicine man spirit escaped and running a muck in the world today. Em has already had one close call with him at the end of the last book and nearly drowned.

In this book Em finds that her destiny is not with Charlie and both of them find this really hard to accept. Em has her own special gifts which she must learn to control and which will help them defeat the evil Machayiwiw. Others on the reservation help Em to prepare her for future battles. Meanwhile the children’s animals that they join spirits with are in danger from poachers and the children must move them to safety.

Other relationships move on too, Bets no longer wants to hang out with Em and her little brother Ben goes to LA to pursue his music career taking their Mum with him and putting extra strain on Em and her Dad.

This is another great book from Della and it left me tingling with the spiritual tensions at the end. I do think you need to read the first book in the series to fully appreciate this book and the story will continue on as well into the next book in the series. The setting is beautiful and the storyline really makes it a good read.

View all my reviews on Goodreads.

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

Guest Author Della Connor (7 Feb)

Today I’d like you to join in and welcome Della Connor to the blog, author of Spirit Warriors, yesterday’s book review. If you missed the post here is the link. http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-4po

Let’s Find out more about Della.

1) Where is your home town?

My hometown is Lufkin, Texas about 100 miles north of Houston, Texas. It is a small town surrounded by towering pine trees. Hotter than Hades in the summer, wonderful in the winter!

2) How long have you been writing?

I have been writing something all my life. I have stories that run constantly through my mind. I just don’t have the time I need to write them all down. I finally stopped writing on bits of paper and actually wrote them down on the computer. That action started the Spirit Warriors Series.

3) What was the best bit about growing up on a farm in Montana?

Well at the time I thought nothing was good about it. I was a typical teenager, ready to get the hell out of there and live in a big city. Now looking back at it, I miss the summers. I miss the smell of warm alfalfa grass and wildflowers, the cool breezes, the turquoise blue of the Montana skies. I miss riding horseback on my pony Silver and lying on my back watching the clouds in the sky. I learned the value of hard work and the love for land and animals in the beauty of Montana.

4) What was the worst bit?

The winters! They last forever. The sun is gone by 4:00 in the afternoon. It seems to be dark more of the day than it is light. Recently, my parents had a temperature of -30 degrees at the ranch. I don’t miss Montana then.

5) Tell us about the Native Americans who lived in Montana.

The Native Americans in Montana are of varied tribes. In the part of Montana that I was raised, they include the Northern Cheyenne, the Sioux, the Crow, and the Flatheads. Each tribe is distinct with their cultural practices. The tribe in my book is not a particular Native American tribe but rather a fictional tribe based on several tribes practices and beliefs.

6) Can you tell the readers who or what the Machayiwiw was?

He is an evil spirit who has been around for centuries. He was once a powerful medicine man and took the path of power and hatred. He has a huge score to settle with this tribe and he will not stop until it is completed.

7) I’m from the UK can you explain the type of Rodeo racing that Lilly took part in.

She was a barrel racer. It is a competition for women, based on the speed of the horse and rider completing an obstacle course of 3 barrels. The horses are specially trained to take tight corners around the barrels with great speed. It is very exciting to watch. Rodeos here include several events for the ladies, including barrel racing, goat tying, and pole riding. The men ride the bucking horses and bulls, and calf rope.

8) I loved the emotion in the writing, how much work did it take to get right?

Oh my gosh! So much work! I always think it is perfect until my wonderful editor gets a hold of it. She tells me, “We are not mind readers. We don’t live the world in your brain. Spell it out.” I just wish I could let everyone into the world in my mind. It would be easier than trying to write it down. The characters are all there playing over and over like a movie. I just eavesdrop in their world.

9) The Spirit Warriors begs for a second in the series, are you writing one?

It is already written and in editing right now. It will be called Spirit Warriors:The Scarring. It will take off from where we left the kids. This book includes the history of the machayiwiw and more insight into the personalities of the kids, especially Bets. Did you notice the first book had Lilly and Arion on the cover? The second book will have Bets and Electra on the cover.

Here’s a teaser:

Jack walked back to the mangled bodies. He stood there with his head bowed and his hands folded. I knew he was worried for us. We were killers. Charlie, Ollie, Bets, and I had each killed. It didn’t matter that they would have killed us. What mattered was that we were killers. That was the first time I had ever felt a tiny part of my humanity die. It wasn’t a nice feeling.

10) Do you have an expected publication date?

April or May 2014! Sooner if I can get through editing.

Thank you Rosie, for the interview and review of my book Spirit Warriors: The Concealing. You rock my world!

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

Thank you Della, it’s been great hearing more about your work.

 

Spirit Warriors by D.E.L.Connor (Feb 6th)

Spirit Warriors: The Concealing by D E L Connor

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Spirit Warriors is a Young Adult story set in Montana, USA. It is an extremely well written tale about a group of friends growing up in the freedom of the wild landscape. The group have grown up re-enacting battle scenes with General Custer and Chief Crazy Horse. The story is narrated by 16 year old Emme, the daughter of a Montana Rancher. Her group of friends include Charlie the love of her life and the descendant of local Native Americans. Under the watchful eye of Archie, the foreman on the Flying A Ranch and Charlie’s Grandpa, the teenagers camp out in Tepees and learn the stories of The Native American ancestors.

Charlie believes his destiny is to protect Emme and that all the teenagers will need to join together as spirit warriors to fight an evil spirit. Machayiwiw will come soon and threaten the lives of the group, to be at their strongest for battle they must join with animal spirits and use their strengths for the coming battle.

Lilly is Emme’s best friend, but she spends her time with her friends, avoiding going home to a father who constantly abuses her. She is thrown a life line by Oscar Hines who leaves his ranch to her upon his death. She is wiser to her own destiny than Emme can believe, and her cheerful character humbles those who know her.

When Jack Arrington arrives to live with his uncle on the Flying A Ranch he befriends the group instantly. They must trust him and let him in on their secret lives. The group have a very close and supportive friendship which would be the envy of many teenagers, their dress code for the school prom is a prime example. Meanwhile the evil is drawing closer.

The author captures some great emotional moments between the teenagers and the events which surround Lilly. It brought tears to my own eyes on more than one occasion. This book deals with social issues which face many teenagers in todays society. I liked the setting where the children grew up in the countryside with horses, farms and native traditions. The historical lessons involving the spirits of the ancestors brought great meaning to the story and the interactions with the adults in the story worked well. I know I’ve read a good book when it stays with me for several days and I keep thinking about it. This book is not just for the YA market, adults can enjoy it too.

This review is based on a free copy of the book sent to me by Booktrope.com

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

View all my reviews on Goodreads

Della Connor will also be our guest author on the blog tomorrow, come back and read more about her book and her writing.