By
D.V. Stone (Guest Blogger)
Hi,
Lisabet. Thank you for inviting me to your blog. My
name is Donna, and I write under D.V. Stone. Not for any particular
reason except that is how I sign my name. I write in different genres
depending on my mood, inspiration, and deadline. Books have always
been a significant part of my life. I’ve always enjoyed slipping
away to another world from Little Golden Books through children’s
classics like Heidi,
Black
Beauty,
and Misty
of Chincoteague.
As a high school student in Minnesota, I passed a bookshop every day
on my way from school to work. I’d pop in and grab a paperback
where I found romance books. Often my mom would get up in the morning
and ask why I was up so early. I didn’t tell her I never went to
bed. It’s incredible when you grab a reader who says, “I read
that in one sitting.”
Ideas
and inspiration are everywhere. A picture, piece of art, or maybe a
song lyric. I’m working on a story now that took a scene for a
movie. I paused the picture on the television and stared at it. One
of the characters was a stiff. Didn’t show emotion at all though
you knew he cared deeply. The other was outgoing and wasn’t afraid
to let it out. The extrovert ran to the introvert and yanked him into
a big ole bear hug. At first, Mr. Introvert froze and stiffened.
Seconds later, he relaxed into his friend. Mr. Introvert became one
of the main characters in a multiple-book, work-in-progress fantasy.
I
read it all and write the same: fantasy, romance, mystery. The common
denominator is hope and love (whether romantic, family, or friend). A
buddy once gave me a key chain that says Live
the Life You Love.
Since retiring from full-time employment last year, I have been a
full-time author. This is the life I love, and several people have
said, “I stayed up all night to finish your book.” (D.V. does an
air punch.)
Over
the years, authors and genres have made me laugh and cry. Sometimes
they scared me to death or pushed me to the edge of my seat. In
that same spirit, I hope to touch others with those emotions. Sit and
laugh, cry, scream, or quietly contemplate. To take an adventure and
visit new places. Make new friends and conquer some enemies.
A
friend once asked if I needed to be at my desk to create. The answer
was a resounding no for me. For instance, one of the songs in a work
in progress titled Kingdom
at a Crossroad
was written while I worked the lumber desk at a previous job. Love of
what you do knows no bounds. For instance, my husband, Pete, and I
purchased an RV. One of the requirements for the purchase was a place
for me to work. Taking my passion for writing on the road with me.
If
you’re traveling the highways of the USA or stopping by a
campground, look for me. Let’s sit and chat around the fire,
discussing our passion, books. And speaking of books, I have a new
one out on December 1st.
Kisa
is my second book in the Shield-Mates series and has all the love
mentioned above. Family, friends, and romance. I hope you take a
peek. And if you’re interested enough, I told Lisabet that
I would like to gift an eBook of Felice,
the first Shield-Mate
via Amazon, chosen from commenters to a US resident. (Sorry, Amazon
is a bit fussy with that.) Tell me about a book you stayed up all
night to read. Or one that changed your life.
In
a war between humans and shifters, sparks, and fur fly…Until scales
appear.
Princess
Kisa, the middle daughter in the shifter nation of Dar, is often
overlooked and underestimated. Always the devoted caregiver of family
and country, she’s come to terms with her future as a Shield-Mate
in a political marriage. Many, including Kisa, are surprised when her
father names her as heir to his throne.
Kalman,
once a privileged son of the former protectorate Sorota, is an
outcast and a man without a future. The people of Ruinae consider him
a weak, self-indulgent man. Only his trusted servant knows the heart
of the soldier beneath the veneer.
Forces
are gathering against the two countries, and now dragons, long
banished to the outland, have returned. Kisa and Kalman are charged
by King Dar to find out how entrenched the dragons are with the
enemy. Since a long-ago meeting, Kalman never forgot the spitfire
Lynx-shifter. He’s no longer the boy she’d met, but a man. One
determined to have her despite their differences. But Kisa can’t
fall in love with the enemy. Can she? Would her people accept not
only the son of Sorota but one whom her family also seeks
retribution?
ASIN
: B0BHFBLYLJ
Publication
date : December 1, 2022
https://www.amazon.com/Kisa-Shield-Mates-Dar-D-V-Stone-ebook/dp/B0BHFBLYLJ
https://www.bookbub.com/books/kisa-shield-mates-of-dar-by-d-v-stone
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61160281-kisa-shield-mates-of-dar
Excerpt
“How
may I serve you, Father?” Kisa glanced around. “It’s been long
years since I’ve been in here.”
This
was his personal lair. Darkly masculine with shelves filled with
books. Maps lined the walls and a side table with a miniature replica
of the kingdom and surrounding areas. It was where he could find
peace from all the demands of running the empire. Though no respite
from the ghosts who haunted him.
Amaya’s
portrait stared down at him with accusation I left my daughters in
your care. You’ve disappointed me, Shield-Mate.
“We
have much to discuss.” He turned from the portrait, his chest tight
with pain as he walked behind his writing table and lifted the stack
of papers he’d collected. “These are all Shield-Mate offers for
you.”
She
stared first at them and then him. Barely a whisper squeezed out, “So
many?”
“Is
it love and Shield-Mate you want?” He asked with a penetrating
look. “What is your greatest desire, daughter?”
Kisa’s
mouth opened and closed as she stared at him. He had never asked her
about her dreams. Shouldn’t a father know his child? “Well, what
is it?”
“What
do you mean?” She tugged at her earlobe as she’d done since she
was a babe.
“If
I throw this pile of papers into the fire —” he grasped the stack
into his large hand and pointed to the hearth with them, “—will
it disappoint you? Or give you relief?”
She
blinked at him. “I don’t know what you are asking me.”
“It’s
simple––disappointment?” He shook the papers. “Or relief.”
Kisa
whispered, “Relief.”
Dar
threw the communiqués into the fire, where they flamed and sparked.
Neither spoke while the letters—some paper, some parchment—curled
at the edges, turning brown, then black, then nothing but ash.
When
the last cinders drifted away, his daughter sobbed, and he thought he
would too. “Someone must rule when I’m gone.”
“What?”
Her voice cracked. “I always thought you intended to bind Lansdowne
and Dar into one kingdom, and Orsolo and her Shield-Mate would
co-rule.”
“Orsolo
is shrewd and intelligent but frivolous. Before her Shield-Mating, I
informed your older sister that she would not be Queen here.” Dar
folded his arms across his chest. “Before you ask, she was
relieved.”
“I
know as children of the Darrian royal house, there is no guarantee to
ascend the throne.” Kisa hugged her arms around her waist. “Who
did you decide it would be?”
Dar
went to the matching high-backed chairs near his desk and, with a
groan, sank into the cushions. “Come, sit. This will be a lengthy
conversation.”
About
the Author
D.
V. Stone is an award-winning, multi-genre, traditionally and
independently published author. She writes books people want to read.
Whether romance or fantasy, contemporary or mid-grade, her stories
are about the importance of friends and family. About overcoming
obstacles while often with humor.
Around
the Fire is a popular weekly blog where she introduces both
established and new authors giving an insider’s look into their
lives and books as well as tidbits about her own life.
Now
retired, she is a full-time author and incorporates her life
experiences into her books.
A
former Emergency Medical Technician, she volunteered in both New
Jersey and Pennsylvania. At the same time, she worked as a
professional EMT in a women’s state prison. She was the proprietor
of a coffee shop, and a small restaurant/ice cream stand in the years
that followed. The years following were as a manager in an animal
emergency hospital, while her last position was in a human medical
office.
When
not behind the wheel of 2Hoots—a 41-foot long 13.2 feet high 5th
Wheel camper, she rambles around town in Northern New Jersey in a
white Camaro. She also loves travel and history.
D.V.
is a wife to an amazing husband, mother to one son, and not your
average grandma to three beautiful grands. A woman of faith, she
believes and trusts in God.
“My
greatest pleasures are spending time outside with friends and family,
cooking over the open fire, sipping a glass of wine, and reading.”
Hali,
her rescue dog, always reminds her to let readers know, “Woof,
woof.” Which is loosely translated as support your local animal
rescue.”
You
can learn more about D. V. by following her on social media.
Link
Tree For one-stop connections
https://www.dvstoneauthor.com/
https://t.co/MUVW91E2iB
https://www.instagram.com/d.v.stone/
https://twitter.com/donnavstone
https://www.facebook.com/dv.stone.1
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16344100.D_V_Stone
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/d-v-stone
https://www.amazon.com/D.-V.-Stone/e/B01N154Y9U
https://www.tiktok.com/@dvstoneauthor
https://mailchi.mp/3b289d8d7569/d-v-stones-peek-further-and-campfire-crew
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoWqGJB3WxpUCV2OUE2VN_w
Books
by D.
V. Stone
Independent
Releases
Shield-Mates
of Dar Series
Felice
Book
one of the Shield-Mates fantasy romance with magic, mayhem, and
family devotion.
Kisa
Book
two of the Shield-Mates A Fantasy Romance Series where a war
between humans and shifters. Sparks and fur fly…Until scales
appear.
Mid-Grade
Agent
Sam Carter Series
The
Mystery at Branch Lake https://a.co/bb0HlkS
The
Mystery at High Pointe Tower https://a.co/bb0HlkS
By
The Wild Rose Press
Impact
Series
Rock
House Grill
One
man’s choices. One woman’s Impact
https://books2read.com/u/49No0k
Jazz
House
One
woman’s choices. One man’s Impact
https://books2read.com/JazzHouse
Lake
Unami Stories
Rainbow
Sprinkles
After
the storm come the rainbows.
https://books2read.com/u/38QEoa
Sophia’s
Magic Beans
A
single mom in a small town where sometimes fairytales do come true.
Contributing
Author
Australia
Burns
Amazon
Don't forget to leave a comment if you'd like a free copy of Felice!
