Today, fellow Dreamspinner author EAB is visiting to tell us about Black Snow. It sounds fantastic and isn't that cover gorgeous?
Title: Black Snow
Author: EAB
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Genre: Fantasy
Word Count: 162,045
Prince Brier Snow has lived in the shadow of King Snow’s exalted memory. However, his fate changes when he nears his majority and Lirend’s steward queen attempts to dethrone him by exploiting an obscure requirement in the late king’s will: a yearlong sabbatical.
Brier travels to the desolate land of Aire to train under the Ceve guild, scorned refugees of war, including their guarded leader, Roland. Brier’s skillful master unlocks hidden potential, and what begins as a dutiful bond turns into ill-fated affection. When Brier returns to the capital, he’s carrying proof of his indiscretions with Roland—and his condition grows more apparent with each passing day. An affair with the huntsman is a scandal Brier’s enemies can use against him, but the birth of an heir is a burden even Brier is not sure he can bear.
Roland Archer, a man with a murky past, is skeptical of the contract to train the prince but willing to do anything for the guild’s freedom. Despite his best intentions, he is smitten by Lirend’s future king. Roland has resigned himself to solitude, but fate has other plans—for him, for Brier, and for Lirend’s oppressed subjects. Can Roland help Brier face a power-hungry queen and a country torn asunder? Either they will bring equality to a land that desperately needs it, or they’ll be thwarted by cunning enemies and an illusory curse.
Buy Black Snow at Dreamspinner.
Author: EAB
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Genre: Fantasy
Word Count: 162,045
Prince Brier Snow has lived in the shadow of King Snow’s exalted memory. However, his fate changes when he nears his majority and Lirend’s steward queen attempts to dethrone him by exploiting an obscure requirement in the late king’s will: a yearlong sabbatical.
Brier travels to the desolate land of Aire to train under the Ceve guild, scorned refugees of war, including their guarded leader, Roland. Brier’s skillful master unlocks hidden potential, and what begins as a dutiful bond turns into ill-fated affection. When Brier returns to the capital, he’s carrying proof of his indiscretions with Roland—and his condition grows more apparent with each passing day. An affair with the huntsman is a scandal Brier’s enemies can use against him, but the birth of an heir is a burden even Brier is not sure he can bear.
Roland Archer, a man with a murky past, is skeptical of the contract to train the prince but willing to do anything for the guild’s freedom. Despite his best intentions, he is smitten by Lirend’s future king. Roland has resigned himself to solitude, but fate has other plans—for him, for Brier, and for Lirend’s oppressed subjects. Can Roland help Brier face a power-hungry queen and a country torn asunder? Either they will bring equality to a land that desperately needs it, or they’ll be thwarted by cunning enemies and an illusory curse.
Buy Black Snow at Dreamspinner.
Guest Post
I want to thank Dreamspinner Press for publishing Black Snow and Antonia for hosting me here today. This is my first blog tour, but I've managed to do four blog spots without breaking down in tears. I imagine that's a good sign.
Fun fact about Black Snow, which you probably know if you've been following me on my blog tour, but it started as a role-play. I had the pleasure of playing Roland, our dominant huntsman, and Quintin our prince charming. Once it was time to rewrite Black Snow as a novel, I had to figure out how to incorporate Quintin without his point of view. At one point I even considered writing the novel with three points of view instead of just Brier and Roland. In the end I decided against it because I wanted to keep the focus on the main pairing. Here's a drafted scene from Black Snow in Quintin's POV that did not make it to the book. Meade has just asked Quintin to look after Roland and Brier after Roland falls ill:
“How can you ask such a thing of me?" Quintin stared incredulous. "How can you ask me to suffer more than I have already endured?"
"You have all suffered," Meade answered shaking his head. "All of you, in this painful triangle I have had the displeasure of witnessing. Is it Brier's fault that he fell in love with Roland? Is it all Roland's fault that he has not had the same advantages as you? Whose fault is it that you decided to reveal his deepest secret?"
Quintin stiffened his lip and Meade glared.
"If Roland dies tonight Brier will be lost.”
“You don't know that,” Quintin mumbled.
“I know that his heart has been beaten. I know that if Roland dies he will not seek you. No love can come of hatred and lies. Only pain."
That last line is a lesson Roland, Brier and Quintin all eventually learn throughout Black Snow. Quintin was a great character to play because he's very honest with his emotions. He's arrogant, but not so prideful that he won't humble himself for the man he loves. I couldn't wait to introduce his character in the novel.
Thanks again for reading!
EAB
Fun fact about Black Snow, which you probably know if you've been following me on my blog tour, but it started as a role-play. I had the pleasure of playing Roland, our dominant huntsman, and Quintin our prince charming. Once it was time to rewrite Black Snow as a novel, I had to figure out how to incorporate Quintin without his point of view. At one point I even considered writing the novel with three points of view instead of just Brier and Roland. In the end I decided against it because I wanted to keep the focus on the main pairing. Here's a drafted scene from Black Snow in Quintin's POV that did not make it to the book. Meade has just asked Quintin to look after Roland and Brier after Roland falls ill:
“How can you ask such a thing of me?" Quintin stared incredulous. "How can you ask me to suffer more than I have already endured?"
"You have all suffered," Meade answered shaking his head. "All of you, in this painful triangle I have had the displeasure of witnessing. Is it Brier's fault that he fell in love with Roland? Is it all Roland's fault that he has not had the same advantages as you? Whose fault is it that you decided to reveal his deepest secret?"
Quintin stiffened his lip and Meade glared.
"If Roland dies tonight Brier will be lost.”
“You don't know that,” Quintin mumbled.
“I know that his heart has been beaten. I know that if Roland dies he will not seek you. No love can come of hatred and lies. Only pain."
That last line is a lesson Roland, Brier and Quintin all eventually learn throughout Black Snow. Quintin was a great character to play because he's very honest with his emotions. He's arrogant, but not so prideful that he won't humble himself for the man he loves. I couldn't wait to introduce his character in the novel.
Thanks again for reading!
EAB
About EAB
EAB is an airline steward/stewardess—depending on the day—who loves writing erotic fiction. This translates to serving Wild Turkey bourbon at 38,000 feet and writing smut at 3:00 a.m. EAB spends free-time role-playing and reading. While EAB’s true passion is writing, EAB also enjoys reaching high scores in nerdism, spending time with family (cats included), and watching anime. An East Coaster at heart, EAB loves New York’s Broadway and greasy, heartburn-inducing pizza. Feel free to drop a line or recommend some good reads! Always looking for a new book to devour!
Contact EAB: Facebook / email: [email protected]
Contact EAB: Facebook / email: [email protected]
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