Blog Archives
CALL OF THE SEA Gets an Update *happy dance* On Sale NOW #Romance #Pirate #Historical #Shifter
I am OVER THE MOON excited to publicly announce my debut novel, Call of the Sea, has just been updated. Not only does the novel have a new cover for both print and eBook, Inkspell Publishing has been kind enough to include my supplemental ending chapter (Fate’s Voyage) at the end of both versions. Now the story has the ending, I feel it really should have had.
And if that isn’t enough, it is also now on sale for $.99 on Amazon for Kindle. Say what?!?
Let me share all the goodies and info with you before I burst!
CALL OF THE SEA
by Rebecca Hart
Publisher: Inkspell Publishing
Genre: Historical Romance
Keywords: Romance, Pirate, Selkie, Shifter, Historical, Sea Story
Blurb: Elysandra Winters has always yearned for a life of adventure on the rolling seas and is willing to do whatever it takes to fulfill her dream. When her Privateer father continually refuses to allow his only daughter to sail, Ellie defies him, disguises herself as a boy, and goes in search of a captain who will give her a chance to prove her worth.
Thanks to the cursed selkie blood coursing through his veins, Daniel O’Rourke needs the sea to survive. After giving up on his humanity and spending three years in seal form, he decides to give his human side another chance. Daniel goes in search of a job and a sense of normalcy, earning himself a position aboard Captain Winter’s ship, The Siren’s Call. However, his new captain’s first assignment has nothing at all to do with sailing, and everything to do with his headstrong young daughter.
Years later, when the leader of a band of bloodthirsty pirates murders Captain Winters, Daniel and Elysandra’s lives come crashing back together with the force of a hurricane. Both experts in deception, they must find a way to trust each other in order to quell the raging storm between them or have any hope of hunting down the captain’s killer.
To celebrate the “re-release”, I thought I would share a little teaser from the new ending with you all. Get you in the mood for more Ellie and her sweet hunk of a hero, Daniel.
Excerpt:
A frazzled and exhausted Daniel paced the deck and cast anxious glances at the companionway with each pass. When he’d returned to the cabin with Amelia, his mother-in-law ushered him from the room and told to go make himself useful elsewhere. Easier said than accomplished.
He spent the first two hours at the helm trying not to think about what was happening to his wife below. Another hour worrying over the possibility his child would be born cursed, like him, and how Ellie might handle learning her child wasn’t human. When the stress of his wandering thoughts became overwhelming, Daniel spent a few hours in the company of his men, a deck of cards, and a keg of rum. By hour thirteen, no amount of rum could drown out the moans of agony echoing up to him from the captain’s quarters. With each muffled groan that filters up to assault his ears, tiny needles of guilt stabbed him in the chest. If it weren’t for his weakness when she’d shown up on his doorstep dripping wet and vulnerable, she wouldn’t be in pain. She’d be safe, smiling, not screaming in agony.
How much longer could it be? Ellie might be the strongest woman he’d ever known, but even she had limits. Surely, she couldn’t take much more. He knew he couldn’t. Daniel performed a quick about face and stalked back toward the ship’s stern. As he reached the mainmast, a strangled, weak cry reached his ears. His steps halted. He tilted his head and listened.
The cries continued, grew louder, more insistent.
The babe!
He sprang into action, darting for the companionway, his feet barely touching the wide plank decking. Rounding the corner, he leapt down the stairway and traversed the length of the lower hall in three long strides. His pace didn’t slow as he crashed through the door to the cabin he shared with Ellie, and skidded to a stop in the center of the room.
His pale but smiling wife lay in the bed, knees up, a sheet covering her lower half. Exhaustion painted her features, but her sea blue eyes danced with joy.
* * * *
Get yourself a copy of CALL OF THE SEA today!
Amazon | Createspace | Barnes and Noble (Coming Soon)
Under the Sea #Giveaway Hop #CalloftheSea #selkie #pirates #seamyths
Thanks for stopping by my little part of the Under the Sea Blog Hop hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and The Musings of ALMYBNENR.
When a fellow writer of mine brought this blog hop to my attention, I was beyond excited. Considering the male lead of my recently released paranormal romance, Call of the Sea is a selkie and the female lead is a pirate.
Perfect, right?
I completely agree. It’s almost Fate… well, maybe not quite so fortuitous as all that, but darn close.
Anyway, this is why I have decided to offer a SIGNED PRINT COPY of CALL OF THE SEA to the winner of my part of the blog hop.
All you need to do to win is comment below telling me what your favorite sea myth is, and make sure to leave a way to contact you should you be chosen as the winner.
Here is a little bit about Call of the Sea:
Back of the Book: Elysandra Winters has always yearned for a life of adventure on the rolling seas and is willing to do whatever it takes to fulfill her dream. When her Privateer father continually refuses to allow his only daughter to sail, Ellie defies him, disguises herself as a boy, and goes in search of a captain who will give her a chance to prove her worth.
Thanks to the cursed selkie blood coursing through his veins, Daniel O’Rourke needs the sea to survive. After giving up on his humanity and spending three years in seal form, he decides to give his human side another chance. Daniel goes in search of a job and a sense of normalcy, earning himself a position aboard Captain Winter’s ship, The Siren’s Call. However, his new captain’s first assignment has nothing at all to do with sailing, and everything to do with his headstrong young daughter.
Years later, when the leader of a band of bloodthirsty pirates murders Captain Winters, Daniel and Elysandra’s lives come crashing back together with the force of a hurricane. Both experts in deception, they must find a way to trust each other in order to quell the raging storm between them or have any hope of hunting down the captain’s killer.
As you can imagine, the selkie myth has always been one of my favorite sea myths. What is yours?
Remember, one lucky commentor will will a signed copy of CALL OF THE SEA at the conclusion of the blog hop.
Please be sure to visit the LINKY LINK and check out the other participating blogs. There are tons of great sea stories up for grabs!
OMG It’s really RELEASE DAY! Call of the Sea has been unleashed! #callofthesea #PNR
The months between when I got my acceptance letter from Inkspell Publishing to today have been the longest of my life, except maybe the 9 months of waiting to meet each of my three children, but FINALLY the day has arrived.
Call of the Sea is NOW AVAILABLE!! I am officially the published author of a novel! Like, for real!
Here are the links to all the places I know of where you can order or buy a copy:
I am sure there are a few more, but I don’t have all the links yet for the others – like All Romance eBooks and KOBO, but as soon as I have them, I will pass them along. I promise.
In the meantime, I thought I would give you all a little bit of a teaser to get you excited about picking up your copy.
EXCERPT:
Ellie wandered down the path to the shore, her mind rolling over all she’d learned since her bittersweet homecoming. She twisted a long piece of grass between two fingers while her teeth worried her lower lip. Her toes dug into the thick sand at the base of the bluffs, bringing a smile to her lips. For a moment, she just bathed her senses in the familiar feels and smells of the secluded inlet. Her shoulders relaxed as she let the rhythmic sounds of the surf sweep her into a cocoon of comfort, like being wrapped up in a favorite blanket.
Her eyes drank in the dark beauty of the curling waves, scanned along the moonlit sand, and froze. She squinted into the night, trying to identify the dark shape walking up the beach. Her breath caught.
Daniel. Ellie’s eyes widened. Is he nude? She hunched down, afraid he’d see her. Heat flushed her cheeks. He had something wrapped around him, something dark. Why am I hiding? From her vantage point, she could make out very little of his physique. Pity.
Ellie straightened, chiding herself for behaving like some sort of peeping tom, ogling as if he were one of Jameson’s sweet treats. Curiosity picked at her brain, urged her feet forward once more. What has he been up to?
She quickened her pace, keeping herself shielded from view by the large rock formation separating them. Concentration centered on keeping her breathing calm and slow, she stealthed closer. Ellie tiptoed around the base until she saw Daniel crouched, and still naked, just a few feet ahead.
He stuffed something between the boulders.
She pressed back against the rock wall, stifling a gasp. What’s he hiding? Why here?
Peeking around the corner, Ellie watched Daniel stepped into his breeches. The curve of his left flank caught the moonlight, drawing her attention as he pulled the pants over his lean hips. Her gaze trailed up his smooth muscular chest.
He bent and grabbed his shirt. Turning so his back faced her, Daniel pulled it over his head, blocking her appreciative view of the contours of his strapping shoulders and molded back.
Ellie bit into the heel of her hand, and tried to disappear into the rock face. No man should be allowed to look that good in the buff. Especially one I don’t like.
Dressed again, Daniel ran fingers through his damp hair, looked around.
Ellie held her breath and waited for him to see her. He went swimming? Who swims in the middle of the night? She’d seen no signs of a ship in the bay–no voices bouncing across the water, and no lights floating in the distance. Besides, the bright moonlight would reveal any ship anchored off shore. She stole another look around the giant boulder.
Let me know what you think about the snipit. To celebrate release day, I will give away an eBook copy and a signed Call of the Sea bookmark to one lucky commenter. (Open to US and Canada residents only. Sorry.)
Call of the Sea Blog Tour Schedule #callofthesea #PNR
I am just a bit behind in posting this, but below is the tour schedule for Call of the Sea. I want to take a quick moment to thank all the great blogs participating. It means the world to me to have such fantastic support.
Oh, and this list wouldn’t be near as packed as it is if it weren’t for my fearless Publicist, Kelly Simmon (Inkslinger PR). She is just amazing. If you find you have a need for one, I would highly recommend her.
Splash Into Summer Giveaway Hop: Win a copy of Call of the Sea #PNR #CalloftheSea
Welcome to my little corner of the world wide web. Let me start by thanking you for deciding to give my link a click. I’m happy to have you here and just as happy summer is almost here!! Memorial Day Weekend is right around the corner — one of my favorites of the year. Picnics, BBQs, camping, the un-official start to summer. Love it all!
As a way to kick off the summer season and celebrate the impending release of my debut novel (on June 21, 2012) I decided for my part in the giveaway hop, I’m would offer up an eBook copy (your choice of .epub .mobi or pdf) of my debut novel, CALL OF THE SEA. Win it before you can buy it, as they say. 🙂
Back of the Book:
There is no denying the call of the sea.
Elysandra Winters has always yearned for a life of adventure on the rolling seas and is willing to do whatever it takes to fulfill her dream. When her Privateer father continually refuses to allow his only daughter to sail, Ellie defies him, disguises herself as a boy, and goes in search of a captain who will give her a chance to prove her worth.
Thanks to the cursed selkie blood coursing through his veins, Daniel O’Rourke needs the sea to survive. After giving up on his humanity and spending three years in seal form, he decides to give his human side another chance. Daniel goes in search of a job and a sense of normalcy, earning himself a position aboard Captain Winter’s ship, The Siren’s Call. However, his new captain’s first assignment has nothing at all to do with sailing, and everything to do with his headstrong young daughter.
Years later, when the leader of a band of bloodthirsty pirates murders Captain Winters, Daniel and Elysandra’s lives come crashing back together with the force of a hurricane. Both experts in deception, they must find a way to trust each other in order to quell the raging storm between them or have any hope of hunting down the captain’s killer.
So, about now you are probably wondering what you need to do to qualify to win this fantastic prize. I’m an easy going gal, so I have made things super simple.
All you need to do to qualify to win is:
1. Like my Facebook page. You can like it by clicking the LIKE button on the Facebook widget found in the sidebar or you can visit the page at http://facebook.com/rebeccahartwriting
2. Comment below and tell me what your “calling” is. Maybe you’ve been called to teach, or you’re the mother to three great kids. Or perhaps you’re more like me, and think you were meant to write. Whatever it may be, share it with me below. Please also provide a valid email address so I can get in touch with you and send you the prize should you win.
The winner will be selected at random from all qualified entries made before Midnite EST on May 31, 2012.
Make sure you Click the banner at the top of this post or here: Linky list to visit with the other participating sites offering giveaways today. I’ll probably see you there 🙂
My thanks to I am a Reader Not a Writer and Page Turner for hosting this Blog Hop.
Happy Summer!!
Rebecca
Selkie: What the heck is that? #atozchallenge #blogging #writing #myths
While my debut novel, Call of the Sea has not yet been released to the general public, there are a few ARC copies floating around and a few reviews have come in (all good so far – YAY). That being said, one of the comments that has come up a few times from readers are: What is a selkie? and I didn’t know what a selkie was when I started reading.
I tend to forget not everyone is as obsessed with myths and legends as I am, especially the Celtic ones. So, in an effort to clarify for those who may be interested, I decided to take the opportunity of S day to explain what a selkie is.
Let’s start with a definition:
From Wikipedia: Selkies (also known as silkies or selchies) are mythological creatures found in Faroese, Icelandic, Irish[1], and Scottish folklore. The word derives from earlier Scots selich, (from Old English seolh meaning seal).[2] Selkies are said to live as seals in the sea but shed their skin to become human on land. The legend apparently originated on the Orkney and Shetland Islands.
Doesn’t help a lot, does it? I mean sure, it gives you a basic idea, but not much else. This is what I ran into when researching as well. While they are an oceanic mythical creature, much like a mermaid or siren, little has been written about the selkie myth.
The section regarding the legend does help some (also from Wiki):
Stories concerning selkies are generally romantic tragedies. Sometimes the human will not know that their lover is a selkie, and wakes to find them gone. In other stories the human will hide the selkie’s skin, thus preventing it from returning to its seal form. A selkie can only make contact with one human for a short amount of time before they must return to the sea. They are not able to make contact with that human again for seven years, unless the human is to steal their selkie’s skin and hide it or burn it.
In the Faroe Islands there are two versions of the story of the Selkie or Seal Wife. A young farmer from the town of Mikladalur on Kalsoy island goes to the beach to watch the selkies dance. He hides the skin of a beautiful selkie maid, so she can’t go back to sea, and forces her to marry him. He keeps her skin in a chest, and keeps the key with him both day and night. One day when out fishing, he discovers that he has forgotten to bring his key. When he returns home, the selkie wife has escaped back to sea, leaving their children behind. Later, when the farmer is out on a hunt, he kills both her selkie husband and two selkie sons, she promises to take revenge upon the men of Mikladalur. Some shall be drowned, some shall fall from cliffs and slopes, and this shall continue, until so many men have been lost that they will be able to link arms around the whole island of Kallsoy.
Male selkies are very handsome in their human form, and have great seductive powers over human women. They typically seek those who are dissatisfied with their life, such as married women waiting for their fishermen husbands. If a woman wishes to make contact with a selkie male, she has to go to a beach and shed seven tears into the sea.
If a man steals a female selkie’s skin she is in his power and is forced to become his wife. Female selkies are said to make excellent wives, but because their true home is the sea, they will often be seen gazing longingly at the ocean. If she finds her skin she will immediately return to her true home, and sometimes to her selkie husband, in the sea.
Sometimes, a selkie maiden is taken as a wife by a human man and she has several children by him. In these stories, it is one of her children who discovers her sealskin (often unwitting of its significance) and she soon returns to the sea. The selkie woman usually avoids seeing her human husband again but is sometimes shown visiting her children and playing with them in the waves.
Selkies are not always faithless lovers. One tale tells of the fisherman Cagan who married a seal-woman. Against his wife’s wishes he set sail dangerously late in the year, and was trapped battling a terrible storm, unable to return home. His wife shifted to her seal form and saved him, even though this meant she could never return to her human body and hence her happy home.
Some stories from Shetland have selkies luring islanders into the sea at midsummer, the lovelorn humans never returning to dry land.
As you can see, there is tons of room for play within the confines of this sparse information. In Call of the Sea, I took some liberties with respect to the rules. For instance, in my novel, selkies have to change form at least once a year for a full lunar cycle (full moon to full moon) to satisfy the requirements of their curse. Of course, the shedding of the skins part plays nicely into my plot, so I left that little factoid alone.
In addition, while researching references and mentions of selkies in literature, I learned that the large majority of such tales feature a female selkie, not a male one. With my gender twist on the pirate in my story being a female, it worked out perfectly to make the mythical selkie creature a male. Gender twists all around — love it.
Do you feel mythically educated now? Me either, really, but I managed to find an S topic, so I can live with that 😛
Happy Saturday, folks!
The Machenwood Chronicles and Other Tales 