Giveaway, Guest Post & Review for Beasts of the Frozen Sun by Jill Criswell! (Ends 4/1/19}

Join me in this promotion for a new, exciting Young Adult book by talented Author, Jill Criswell! Read the Review by LAWonder10 & the Guest Post provided by Jill Criswell.
My thanks goes out to Blackstone Publishing for providing this material and for the Giveaway!

Pub date: August 6th, 2019 | Hardcover Price: $26.99
Genre: Young adult, fantasy
Format: Ebook, hardcover, audiobook | ISBN: 978-1982556273
SYNOPSIS:
Burn brightly. Love fiercely. For all else is dust.

Every child of Glasnith learns the last words of Aillira, the god-gifted mortal whose doomed love affair sparked a war of gods and men, and Lira of clan Stone knows the story better than most. As a descendant of Aillira and god-gifted in her own right, she has the power to read people's souls, to see someone's true essence with only a touch of her hand.

When a golden-haired warrior washes up on the shores of her homeland--one of the fearful marauders from the land of the Frozen Sun--Lira helps the wounded man instead of turning him in. After reading his soul, she realizes Reyker is different than his brethren who attack the coasts of Glasnith. He confides in her that he's been cursed with what his people call battle-madness, forced to fight for the warlord known as the Dragon, a powerful tyrant determined to reignite the ancient war that Aillira started.

As Lira and Reyker form a bond forbidden by both their clans, the wrath of the Dragon falls upon them and all of Glasnith, and Lira finds herself facing the same tragic fate as her ancestor. The battle for Lira's life, for Reyker's soul, and for their peoples' freedom has only just begun.
Links: Blackstone Publishing |  Amazon |  Add to Goodreads |  

---

REVIEW by LAWonder10:
        Raised from early youth to be a "killing machine", Reyker has learned to compartmentalize his brain so he will not allow this "killer" to take over his mind. Is he losing the battle within himself?
       Lira, a descendant of a God-gifted mortal, whose love affair sparked a war between Gods and man, was blessed with a special gift. She was raised to use her special gift for the good of the kingdom. When she discovers a Viking enemy on the shore, she recalls this moment from a recent dream. Using caution, she decides she must keep him a secret and save him. However, most secrets cannot be kept for long....
       This is a great fable in which several key lessons are taught, i.e.: one can grow from learning and sharing differences; one is in error when stereotyping individuals; forgiveness is for one's own good; and good and evil exists in all cultures and governments.
      This Young Adult book offers adventure, mythology, romance, suspense, intrigue, and action in one novel. There is graphic violence and suggestive phrases. 
The characters are very diverse and creatively developed. Most feel real.
The book Cover and Title are chosen well.
I offer a Five Stars rating for this novel
​^Tis was gifted me with no request for a positive review. This is my honest review

ADVANCED PRAISE for Beasts of the Frozen Sun:

“Beasts of the Frozen Sun sweeps the reader into a lush and vivid world of magic and betrayal, crowned by a heroine who captivates from the first pages and a love story powerful enough to bring time to a standstill. An amazing debut.” — Erin Beaty, author of the Traitor’s Circle trilogy

“Beasts of the Frozen Sun is a fierce saga, beautifully told, that will transport readers to a time of magic and gods, battles and clan warfare. A totally engrossing and epic adventure—I couldn’t get enough of Lira and Reyker’s story.” — Jessica Leake, author of Beyond a Darkened Shore and Through the White Wood

                                                     GUEST POST:
Jill, in your new novel, Beasts of the Frozen Sun, you provided an impressive map and created some very interesting characters.
What process did you go through is accomplishing this feat, and in creating these characters?

Hi Lu Ann,
What a great question! 

I'll start with how the map came about. I like to create elaborate worlds in my writing, but I often get so absorbed in the plot that I lose track of details like distances between places and where villages and landmarks are in relation to one another. Several readers of early drafts of Beasts of the Frozen Sun mentioned being confused about these details. That's when I realized I needed a map. I started with a hand-drawn sketch, which I later used to design a digital map using a map-making software program. I've referenced that map so many times during revisions of Beasts and in writing the sequel that it was well worth the effort of making it. Kurt Jones, my book's cover designer at Blackstone, used my digital map to make the one that ended up in the book, so I'm especially proud of it!             

As for the characters, Lira and Reyker developed first. I knew the heart of the story would be these two people from different countries and cultures, and the characters were influenced by this. I envisioned Lira's Celtic-inspired culture, and with the aid of historical research and reading books that take place in similar cultures (mainly Juliet Marillier's Sevenwaters series), I understood what Lira's role in such a world might be, and her character took shape. It was the same for Reyker's Norse-inspired culture (influenced by Juliet Marillier's Saga of the Light Isles, George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series, and the History Channel TV show Vikings). Once I understood Lira and Reyker's cultures, and some of the basic storylines I wanted to explore through them, the other characters just sprang to life around them. That's how it always works for me, as a writer--if I build an interesting, intricate world, I know the characters will show up and whisper their stories to me. 

That is very enlightening and quite astounding!
Thank you, Jill, for this insight!
Thank you for being a part of my blog and for the awesome Giveaway!

Jill Criswell is a writer of Young Adult Historical Fantasy. She was born and raised in the swamps of northeastern Florida. She earned degrees in English and Psychology and an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Central Florida. Her greatest passion, besides reading and writing, is traveling the world; she’s visited fifty countries across six continents, falling in love with places like Iceland, Namibia, and Cambodia. She works as a university English teacher and lives in South Carolina, near the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, with her husband and daughter (who is named after a volcano in Iceland).
lGoodreads |Amazon |  Website|  Twitter

---

One Lucky U.S./Can. WINNER will receive a print copy if Beasts of the Frozen Sun!

Terms & Conditions:
No purchase necessary.
Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded.  
You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent/Guardian enter for you.
The winner will be chosen by Rafflecopter and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner may be chosen.
Rockin' Book Reviews, nor any of the authors, publishers or other associates will be accountable for loss or damage of any merchandise shipped.

This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, BookBub, Instagram, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning.

VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

a Rafflecopter giveaway