Showing posts with label Rebecca Belliston. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rebecca Belliston. Show all posts

Monday, December 2, 2019

Spotlight & Giveaway: Heart of Red, Blood of Blue by Rebecca Belliston #FantasyforChristmas19

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

https://amzn.to/37YTeCXHeart of Red, Blood of Blue
By Rebecca Belliston
Historical Fantasy Romance
Paperback & ebook, 404 Pages
December 7th 2018 by Gated Publishing

A girl on the run. A kingdom to save.

Princess Gisela of Steinland was born without color. Albino. To add to this curse, her betrothal to Prince Jerrik of Kronga ends in his death and starts a ten year war her father is determined to win, even if it means bringing her out of hiding to do it. Now the savage Krongon war commander, Bloodless Kristoff, seeks the hearts of the entire royal family, especially Gisela's.

Desperate, her father agrees to another alliance that involves her marrying an old brute of a king. Unwilling to be the sacrificial lamb, Gisela goes on the run. Thrown into the center of a battle between three kingdoms, she finds herself fighting for her life and the right to be truly loved.

Can the girl who started the war find a way to end it?

(Affiliate links included.)

Excerpt

Just that fast.

Just that effortlessly.

I cannot remember screaming or anything beyond the way young Jerrik fell to his knees, staring down at the dark spot staining the blue satin deep purple.

The blood.

How I wish I could forget the blood.

Or the way Jerrik looked up at me, so betrayed. As if I had killed him. As if we had attacked first.

I know now that the betrothal ceremony had been a ruse, a trap to lure us to Kronga under the guise of peace. But Jerrik had not anticipated his father’s treachery any more than we had. Had my own father not reacted so quickly, I would not be alive today.

But what I cannot fathom is that King Frederik had attacked us in a church before the altar of God—at the betrothal of children, no less. What savagery! What wicked cruelty of the northern king. But not his son. Just because Jerrik had snubbed me did not make him a barbarian like his father. After all, what boy wants to be aligned with a stupidly grinning girl from enemy lands? To this day, I hold Prince Jerrik blameless. Not that it matters. The innocent often fall with the guilty.

My last memory is watching Prince Jerrik of Kronga tumble face-first onto the stone cathedral floor, light hair spilling around him.

They tell me the Red guards whisked me away.

They tell me I was the first out of the cathedral.

Did I kick? Did I scream as they carried me to safety? I cannot even remember the long journey home.

It took a week before I knew my father had survived, and three months for his injuries to heal. By then, he had shipped me away into hiding, and we were in a full-scale war.

For ten long years, Queen Celicia has fought to finish the war her husband started.

For ten years, she has hunted me.

Because I lived.

And her son did not.

About the Author


Rebecca Belliston loves books and music. Even more, she loves to write both. As an author, she writes clean romances with heart-pounding suspense. She also composes religious and classical-style piano and vocal music. When she’s not writing, she loves to play tennis, doodle with graphic design, or cuddle up with a good book—usually not at the same time. She and her husband have five children and live in the beautiful state of Michigan, which she loves for eight months of the year (she’s a baby about cold weather).


Tour Schedule
(Posts go live on the day they're scheduled.)

December 1st: Launch
December 2nd: Rebecca Belliston - Heart of Red, Blood of Blue
December 3rd: Morgan L. Busse - Flight of the Raven
December 4thJes Drew - Tales of Parallel Worlds
December 5th: Ronie Kendig - Brand of Light
December 6th: Alisha Klapheke - Fate of Dragons
December 7th: Jessica Leake - Through the White Wood
December 8th: Belle Malory - Electric Skies
December 9th: Melissa McShane - Burning Bright
December 10th: Jennifer Silverwood - Blackbriar Cove
December 11th: Melissa Wright - Shadow and Stone
December 12th: Grand Finale

Tour Giveaway


1 winner will receive an Amazon Fire Tablet and a $50 Amazon eGift Card
Open internationally (as long as winner is eligible to receive prizes)
Ends December 16, 2019






Friday, February 15, 2019

Review: Heart of Red, Blood of Blue by Rebecca Belliston


Heidi Reads... Heart of Red, Blood of Blue by Rebecca Belliston

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

http://www.amazon.comhttp://www.amazon.comhttp://www.barnesandnoble.comhttp://www.goodreads.com

Synopsis

A girl on the run. A kingdom to save.

Princess Gisela of Steinland was born without color. Albino. To add to this curse, her betrothal to Prince Jerrik of Kronga ends in his death and starts a ten-year-war her father is determined to win, even if it means bringing her out of hiding to do it. Now the savage Krongon war commander, Bloodless Kristoff, seeks the hearts of the entire royal family, especially Gisela's.

Desperate, her father agrees to another alliance that involves her marrying an old brute of a king. Unwilling to be the sacrificial lamb, Gisela goes on the run. Thrown into the center of a battle between three kingdoms, she finds herself fighting for her life and the right to be truly loved.

Can the girl who started the war find a way to end it?


My Review

Epic, intense, full of adventure, deception, and character growth! I especially loved seeing Gisela discovering her flaws and rising to the challenges before her to realize her inner strength. The plot is strong with the politics and dynamics of kingdoms, greedy kings, evil assassins, commanders of armies, the commoners they either oppress or support, and the women who must stand strong despite the injustice running rampant. I was never confused or overwhelmed by the details, even when there is a bit of mystery or suspense because we are seeing things through Gisela's limited perspective only, which I enjoyed. I felt like there was a great balance between the relationships, the action, and revealing the big picture little by little. There is romance which of course I loved, and Gisela learns important but hard lessons about trust, loyalty, and the characteristics of genuine love. I was enthralled the entire time and was pleasantly surprised with the twists and turns on Gisela's journey from an isolated and naive princess to a powerful force that directly influences the fate of the kingdoms and the outcome of the war. I know this will be one of my favorites of the year, and *highly* recommend!

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)