Title: EMPIRE OF DUST (Blood of Gods and Royals #2)
Author: Eleanor Herman
Pub. Date: June 26, 2016
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Pages: 432
Format: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook
In Macedon, war rises like smoke, forbidden romance blooms and ancient magic tempered with rage threatens to turn an empire to dust
After winning his first battle, Prince Alexander fights to become the ruler his kingdom demands—but the line between leader and tyrant blurs with each new threat.
Meanwhile, Hephaestion, cast aside by Alexander for killing the wrong man, must conceal the devastating secret of a divine prophecy from Katerina even as the two of them are thrust together on a dangerous mission to Egypt.
The warrior, Jacob, determined to forget his first love, vows to eradicate the ancient Blood Magics and believes that royal prisoner Cynane holds the key to Macedon's undoing.
And in chains, the Persian princess Zofia still longs to find the Spirit Eaters, but first must grapple with the secrets of her handsome—and deadly—captor.
New York Times bestselling author Eleanor Herman entwines the real scandals of history with epic fantasy to reimagine the world's most brilliant ruler, Alexander the Great, in the second book of the Blood of Gods and Royals series.
Author: Eleanor Herman
Pub. Date: June 26, 2016
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Pages: 432
Format: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook
In Macedon, war rises like smoke, forbidden romance blooms and ancient magic tempered with rage threatens to turn an empire to dust
After winning his first battle, Prince Alexander fights to become the ruler his kingdom demands—but the line between leader and tyrant blurs with each new threat.
Meanwhile, Hephaestion, cast aside by Alexander for killing the wrong man, must conceal the devastating secret of a divine prophecy from Katerina even as the two of them are thrust together on a dangerous mission to Egypt.
The warrior, Jacob, determined to forget his first love, vows to eradicate the ancient Blood Magics and believes that royal prisoner Cynane holds the key to Macedon's undoing.
And in chains, the Persian princess Zofia still longs to find the Spirit Eaters, but first must grapple with the secrets of her handsome—and deadly—captor.
New York Times bestselling author Eleanor Herman entwines the real scandals of history with epic fantasy to reimagine the world's most brilliant ruler, Alexander the Great, in the second book of the Blood of Gods and Royals series.
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Title: LEGACY OF KINGSAuthor: Eleanor Herman
Pub. Date: September 1, 2015
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Pages: 432
Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook
Imagine a time when the gods turn a blind eye to the agony of men, when the last of the hellions roam the plains and evil stirs beyond the edges of the map. A time when cities burn, and in their ashes, empires rise.
Alexander, Macedonia’s sixteen-year-old heir, is on the brink of discovering his fated role in conquering the known world but finds himself drawn to newcomer Katerina, who must navigate the dark secrets of court life while hiding her own mission: kill the Queen. But Kat’s first love, Jacob, will go to unthinkable lengths to win her, even if it means competing for her heart with Hephaestion, a murderer sheltered by the prince. And far across the sea, Zofia, a Persian princess and Alexander’s unmet fiancĂ©e, wants to alter her destiny by seeking the famed and deadly Spirit Eaters.
Weaving fantasy with the salacious and fascinating details of real history, New York Times bestselling author Eleanor Herman reimagines the greatest emperor the world has ever known: Alexander the Great, in the first book of the Blood of Gods and Royals series.
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Before the Game of Thrones craze swept the nation, Eleanor Herman was hard at work entertaining readers with her extensive research on courtly intrigue and romance. She is the New York Times bestselling author of Sex with Kings, as well as three other works of nonfiction: Sex with the Queen, Mistress of the Vatican, and King Peggy.
Obsessed by all things royal and historical, she lives in McLean, Virginia with her husband and four extremely dignified cats. Legacy of Kings is her first novel.
What gave you the inspiration to write this book?
This is the second book in the series. Legacy of Kings ended with many stories up in the air so this is a continuation. I love taking my characters to different places in the ancient world: Egypt, Samothrace, Delphi, Halicarnassus, and across the vast Persian Empire.
Who is your favorite character in the book?
That’s like asking am other which of her many children is her favorite. But I suppose I enjoy writing Cynane the most. She is a very modern soul trapped in a woman’s body in a very non-woman friendly time period. I like her fierce independence, her refusal to accept a traditional life. I don’t always like the things she does but understand why she does them.
Which came first, the title or the novel?
The novel came first as it is the second in a series of four Blood of Gods and Royals books. The title Empire of Dust reflects Alexander’s realization that unless a king handles his responsibilities properly, his reign doesn’t really mean anything.
What scene in the book are you most proud of, and why?
I love writing battle scenes! I have read every ancient Greek and Roman description there is of battles and strategies; most of them involve tricking your enemies in some clever way. So my favorite scene in Empire of Dust is when Alex and his men are waiting in the tunnel with bee hives and a portable oven for the Aesarians to march toward them.
Thinking way back to the beginning, what’s the most important thing you've learned as a writer from then to now?
I’ve learned fiction takes much more skill than non-fiction, which is simply putting facts into a readable format. Fiction has to really bring the read into the moment you are creating and involves smells, sounds, textures, and tones of voice in addition to believable conversation, back stories, and moving the story forward. Too many details in the moment and lose the pace. Too few and you don’t connect with the reader. There’s a delicate balance a fiction author has to achieve.
What do you like most about the cover of the book?
I like the sense of mystery. The Pyramids in a key which is going to unlock…what? There are many mysteries in the series, and some of them are unlocked in Empire of Dust.
What new release book are you looking most forward to in 2016?
I’m really looking forward to Rae Carson’s second book in the Gold Seer Trilogy. I loved the first one, Walk the Earth a Stranger. You experience the sweat, dust, mud, hunger, and aching legs of going west in 1849, and there is a fantasy element full of surprises. Like a River Glorious will be published in September and I will probably read it in one big gulp and then cry that I have to wait another year for the next one.
What was your favorite book in 2015?
I really enjoyed Sabaa Tahir’s An Ember in the Ashes. Though set in a fantasy society, it had much in common with ancient Rome and a very realistic historical feel.
What’s up next for you?
My novella Queen of Ashes is out August 1! It tells the story of the legendary Princess Laila of Sharuna, immortal ruler of an accursed kingdom along the Nile, who has a minor part in Empire of Dust. I loved researching ancient Egypt, and there’s even a horrific battle with mummies! I’m also halfway through the sequel to Empire of Dust, Reign of Serpents and love how the characters are changing and developing.
Is there anything that you would like to add?
I would like to thank my cats Mouse, Mr. Skittles, Samantha Papooty and Miss Genevieve for sitting on my desk and helping me write every day. Without their support, I wouldn’t have been able to do it.
3 winners will receive a finished copy of EMPIRE OF DUST, US Only.
Tour Schedule:Week One:6/20/2016- The Cover Contessa- Interview6/21/2016- Zach's YA Reviews- Review6/22/2016- Fiction Fare- Guest Post6/23/2016- My So-Called Book Reviews- Review6/24/2016- Two Chicks on Books- InterviewWeek Two:6/27/2016- Lisa Loves Literature- Review6/28/2016- A Dream Within A Dream- Guest Post6/29/2016- Mundie Moms- Review6/30/2016- Once Upon A Twilight- Review7/1/2016- Curling Up With A Good Book- Interview
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