This is my stop during the blog tour for Issaura’s Claws by Katharine E Wibell. This blog tour is organized by
Lola's Blog Tours. The blog tour runs from 10 till 23 April. You can see the
tour schedule here.
Issaura's Claws (The Incarn Saga #1)
By Katharine E Wibell
Genre: Fantasy
Age category: Young Adult
Release Date: 29 November, 2016
Blurb:
According to legend, when the world was young, the goddess Issaura appeared among men. Those who treated her with kindness received the gift of the gods—the ability to transform into an animal form. This was a great honor but one that separated this race from other humans. Before Issaura departed the mortal realm, she promised to return if her people were ever at the point of destruction.
“Now a threat is rising from a land across the mists of the ocean, a threat that will push this race to the brink of extinction. Responding to the call to war, seventeen-year-old Lluava heads off to find her destiny, one that will carve her name in history.”
You can find Issaura's Claws on
Goodreads
You can buy Issaura's Claws here:
-
Amazon
-
Amazon Paperback
Except 2:
‘…Outside, she moved stealthily through the camp to the general’s barracks. The main door was unlocked. She went directly to Kentril’s office. As she had expected, it was dark and no one was there. However, just as she was about to call his name, she heard voices from the conference room at the end of the hall.
The door of the conference room was ajar and Lluava peeked inside. General Kentril and Major Ojewa sat on the far side of a large, rectangular table. Lluava recognized other officers; the frazzled nurse was there, too, as well as others whom she did not know. One man, of average build, his head completely shaved, faced away from her. When he turned, she saw a small nose in a large face, and a scar that began at his left ear and traveled downward, disappearing into his shirt collar.
Deeply involved with the conversation, the man suddenly broke in. “Explain your reasoning!” he demanded. As he spoke, Lluava blinked several times to make sure what she saw was real. All his teeth were pointed, as if he had filed them. The sight of the sharp, serrated peaks grinding on each other gave her an unsettled feeling.
“That is preposterous!” trumpeted an enormous man who sat to the left of Razor-Tooth. The huge person’s loud, booming voice echoed off the walls. More astonishingly, his voice barely began to convey the massive size of the man. Even seated, Lluava could tell he was close to seven feet tall, if not taller. His wide shoulders framed an overdeveloped, muscular body barely contained by his shirt. He had to wedge himself between the arms of the chair.
The mammoth man bellowed, “How can you think of such a thing? We have no reason to believe that! It was just a horrible accident!
Major Ojewa’s response was cool. “When we examined the bridge, we found that the ropes had been severed three-fourths of the way through. The cuts were clean, which indicates that they were caused not by natural wear but by some sharp object, like a knife or a sword.”
“What of the girl? You said that she was extremely quick to react. Could she have had something to do with the collapse? It could explain how she seemed to hold back and then move so quickly afterward.”
General Kentril spoke up at this remark. “Lluava is one of the best recruits we have. She is ambitious and curious to a fault, but I will defend her with all that I am. She had nothing to do with that incident. I called you here to discuss the possibility that the bridge was tampered with by a force outside this facility.”
“What are you insinuating, Kentril?” the burly giant gruffly asked.
“Raiders.” A powerful voice spoke from the other side of the door…’
About the Author:
Katharine Wibell’s lifelong interest in mythology includes epic poetry like the Odyssey, Ramayana, Beowulf, and the Nibelungenlied. In addition, she is interested in all things animal whether training dogs, apprenticing at a children’s zoo, or caring for injured animals as a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. After receiving degrees from Mercer University in both art and psychology with an emphasis in animal behavior, Wibell moved to New Orleans with her dog, Alli, to kick start her career as an artist and a writer. Her first literary works blend her knowledge of the animal world with the world of high fantasy.
You can find and contact Katharine here:
-
Website
-
Blog
-
Facebook
-
Twitter
-
Goodreads
-
Pinterest
Interview with Katharine E Wibell
1. What is your favorite part of this book and why?
I am going to try not to spoil anything for your readers as I answer your questions. When considering my favorite part of Issaura’s Claws, I keep returning to a particular action sequence. In addition to being a writer, I am also an artist and painter. I am very much a visual person and am drawn to images in art, film and literature that are vivid. In this book, there is a scene where my heroine, Lluava, is combating a traitor. I can picture Lluava’s platinum blonde hair whipping around as she struggles to keep away from the enemy’s weapon, the leaves of the forest’s understory scattering about during the chaos, the brilliant red of blood dripping down. I love when scenes come alive and seem to tumble haphazardly off the page to take place in front of the reader’s eyes.
2. If you could spend time with a character from your book whom would it be? And what would you do during that day?
First, I would have to decide between two characters. Lluava is the most obvious choice initially. Since she is my main character, I have a great attachment to her. On the other hand, as there is a good bit of myself in her, it might be like hanging out with a variant of my reflection. If I spent a day with her, I think I would have the most enjoyable time hanging out on the dock of her hometown of Rivendale. Spending a quiet afternoon just getting to know this young woman and her family on a more intimate level would be a wonderful experience. The other person would be Varren. He is highly knowledgeable regarding the kingdom of Elysia. Weather permitting, I feel that touring the kingdom on horseback with him would be a lot of fun!
3. If you could have been the author of any book ever written, which book would you choose?
I have a passion for ancient epic poetry. My copies of the Ramayana and Beowulf have been reread so many times that they are dog-eared. I think if I had to select one book, I would like to have “written” the Odyssey. I know the actual epic was not inscribed on paper until hundreds of years after its creation, but I have always found the story fascinating. It is filled with action, adventure, monsters and supernatural beings. Although a narrative of pure survival against the will of an angered goddess, the Odyssey is not necessarily a happy story. I respect the wit and intelligence of Odysseus as well as his endurance and commitment to continue against all odds to return to his home and family. I want to create a world as complex, harsh, and unique as Homer’s story.
4. Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?
My characters are almost entirely spawned from my imagination. Even though Lluava has a great connection to myself, she is not based off of me. At least I hope I am not as hot-tempered and rash as she is. Yet, I will have to admit, there are moments when each of my characters acts or thinks like a person I have known at a specific point in time. So in the end, the answer is a bit muddled. My characters are not actual acquaintances or myself, yet they are often a composite of experiences from my own past.
5. What made you want to become a writer?
Writing or, at the very least, storytelling is engrained in my DNA. I have always created characters with back-stories both good, bad, and the in-between. As a child, all my toys had names, personalities, and complex relationships with one another. Although I played less with those toys as I got older, I still needed to express my unhindered imagination. Fantasy writing was a natural next move. Thus Issaura’s Claws and the Incarn Saga were born.
Giveaway
There is a tour wide giveaway for the blog tour of Issaura’s Claws. Two winners will both win a signed copy of Issaura’s Claws. US Only.
For a chance to win, enter the rafflecopter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
