Daughter of Destiny GUINEVERE'S TALE...BOOK ONE

                                      

Daughter of Destiny (Guinevere's Tale, Book One) By Nicole Evelina

Publication Date: January 1, 2016 Lawson Gartner Publishing eBook & Paperback; 326 Pages Genre:

Historical Fantasy

 

  Before queenship and Camelot, Guinevere was a priestess of Avalon. She loved another before Arthur, a warrior who would one day betray her. In the war-torn world of late fifth century Britain, young Guinevere faces a choice: stay with her family to defend her home at Northgallis from the Irish, or go to Avalon to seek help for the horrific visions that haunt her. The Sight calls her to Avalon, where she meets Morgan, a woman of questionable parentage who is destined to become her rival. As Guinevere matures to womanhood, she gains the powers of a priestess, and falls in love with a man who will be both her deepest love and her greatest mistake. Just when Guinevere is able to envision a future in Avalon, tragedy forces her back home, into a world she barely recognizes, one in which her pagan faith, outspokenness, and proficiency in the magical and military arts are liabilities. When a chance reunion with her lover leads to disaster, she is cast out of Northgallis and into an uncertain future. As a new High King comes to power, Guinevere must navigate a world of political intrigue where unmarried women are valuable commodities and seemingly innocent actions can have life-altering consequences. You may think you know the story of Guinevere, but you've never heard it like this: in her own words. Listen and you will hear the true story of Camelot and its queen. Fans of Arthurian legend and the Mists of Avalon will love Daughter of Destiny, the first book in a historical fantasy trilogy that gives Guinevere back her voice and traces her life from an uncertain eleven year old girl to a wise queen in her fifth decade of life.

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Praise

"A gripping read that brings a wonderfully depicted Guinevere tumbling out of the shadows of myth." - Anna Belfrage, author of The Graham Saga

 "Nicole Evelina shows a deep and passionate love for the Arthurian world, and her re-weaving of the story of Guinevere and Arthur makes for enjoyable reading. With more volumes to come, if you like stories of Camelot, ancient priesthoods, magical Avalonian dreams and embattled romance, this is for you." - John Matthews, author of 'Arthur of Albion' and 'The Camelot Oracle'.

 "Colorful and exciting...love all the characters. You will have a ball with this book." - Serena Scott Thomas, actress and audio book narrator


my thoughts:
The King Arthur story is one most recognizable, from Disney movies to tales of a sword, from wizards to a certain lady of the lake. This is the story of Guinevere, prior to Arthur. Yes, he makes an appearance but not until late in the book. This is the first in a series. We meet Guinevere as a very young child, she is just arriving at Avalon on her way to becoming an Avalonian Priestess. 

This is a well written, fascinating book. Guinevere is young, innocent and full of life. Morgan, her arch nemesis, is also at Avalon. The perfect antithesis to Guinevere. We all know what will happen, however, reading this book makes the trip enjoyable.

About the Author

                          

Nicole Evelina is St. Louis-born historical fiction and romantic comedy writer. Her first four books are coming out in 2016: 1. Daughter of Destiny (January 1 ñ This is the first book of an Arthurian legend trilogy that tells Guinevere's life story from her point of view) 2. Camelotís Queen (March 23 ñ The second book in the trilogy) 3. Been Searching for You (May 23 ñ a contemporary romantic comedy that won in the single title romance category of the 2015 Great Expectations Contest (sponsored by North Texas RWA) and the 2015 Gold Rose Contest (sponsored by Portland RWA) and is a finalist in five others. 4. Madame Presidentess (July 25 ñ Historical fiction about 19th century American Presidential candidate Victoria Woodhull, the first American woman to run for President) She hopes to have the final book in Guinevere's Tale available in late 2016 or early 2017. Nicole is a member of and book reviewer for the Historical Novel Society, and Sirens, a group supporting female fantasy authors, as well as a member of the Romance Writers of America, Women Fiction Writers Association, the St. Louis Writer's Guild, Women Writing the West and the Alliance of Independent Authors. She is one of only six authors who completed the first week-long writing intensive taught by #1 New York Times bestselling author Deborah Harkness in 2014. Nicole has traveled to England twice to research the Guinevere trilogy, where she consulted with internationally acclaimed author and historian Geoffrey Ashe, as well as Arthurian/Glastonbury expert Jaime George, the man who helped Marion Zimmer Bradley research The Mists of Avalon. Her website/blog is http://nicoleevelina.com and she can be found on Twitter as well as on Pinterest, Facebook, Goodreads, Instagram and Tumblr.

Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, February 8 Review at The Mad Reviewer Spotlight at Unshelfish Tuesday, February 9 Review at Bookish Guest Post at Let Them Read Books Wednesday, February 10 Review at Curling up by the Fire Guest Post at To Read, or Not to Read Thursday, February 11 Review at Just One More Chapter Friday, February 12 Review at Broken Teepee Interview at Author Dianne Ascroft's Blog Monday, February 15 Review at Laura's Interests Review at Puddletown Reviews Tuesday, February 16 Interview at Flashlight Commentary Wednesday, February 17 Review at Eclectic Ramblings of Author Heather Osborne Spotlight at Passages to the Past Thursday, February 18 Review & Interview at Singing Librarian Books Friday, February 19 Review at Book Nerd Monday, February 22 Review at Seize the Words: Books in Review Tuesday, February 23 Review at The Baking Bookworm Review at The Hive at Black Tea & Milk Wednesday, February 24 Review at Book Lovers Paradise Thursday, February 25 Review at A Literary Vacation Review at One Book Shy of a Full Shelf Friday, February 26 Review at History From a Woman's Perspective Guest Post at One Book Shy of a Full Shelf

Giveaway

To win a paperback copy of Daughter of Destiny (Guinevere's Tale, Book One) by Nicole Evelina please enter the giveaway via the GLEAM form below. Two copies are up for grabs! RulesGiveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on February 26th. You must be 18 or older to enter.  Giveaway is open to US residents only.  Only one entry per household.  All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion  Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen. Daughter of Destiny