Friday 4 May 2012

Sneak Peek: Gabriel by M.A. Abraham




The blurb:

Deep in the Elven woods there lives many races of Elves. You are about to embark on a journey through the Elven Empires; there are nine of them.

We will not be visiting all nine of them in this series.  We will start first with the Light Elves and the reunification of their peoples. Book One of the Elven Chronicles – Gabriel.

In Gabriel we will meet many of the hierarchy in that realm. Here is a taste of the upcoming book Gabriel.

He has returned from the wars a hero to his people, savior of their Empire and honored as such, but his world is empty, despite the peace he has won for his people.  There is no light where he lives, no soft touch to comfort him, to push away the darkness of his memories.  He lives only to serve his King and the world he lives in.  He is the High Lord General Gabriel Eagle Claw, Commander of the Combined Elven forces   Sent into the outside world to bring their people home he travels with his troop to the valley where he has been told they await his coming.  There he is to find the Life Mate to the King and bring her safely to his side, but there is more, for there is a mystery he must solve and claim for his own.  She who will bring light and love to his soul, she is his Eden.  His one and only, his true Life Mate, his love and he vows he will bind her to him forever.

She is like a forest creature, wild and free.  Warrior trained along side her brothers. She guards the life and spirit of the forests that surround them, as well as those who live in the valley with them.  She also guards a secret, for she is more than just a simple Elven maiden tending to the care of the elements they live in.  Within her lives the talent to communicate with the very trees she treats, they tell her tales, stories, tidings of things that have passed.  To them she is their guardian.  To them she is Tratchar, she who heals their ills, beloved of the Sentinels and their salvation.  Beautiful and proud she is no man’s possession, nor shall she be, this she is determined she will never be.

“Catch,” the warning comes just in time to alert the General Gabriel to attention and warrior that he is he is quick to react just as the young Elven maiden is knocked from the tree that he has chosen to stand under, catching her as she falls.  When blue eyes meet silver each know they have met their Life Mate, but such things as not as quickly accepted as they are recognized.  He would have order in his ranks, she must be free to mark her own trail, he would bind her, tie her, control her.  She would test his patience and will to the limit, and challenge his rights to own what she would not give freely.

As he brings those he has been ordered to collect home a new world unravels for the Elves that neither has expected.  As the King claims his bride, Eden hears a different voice, for the GREAT GUARDIAN has recognized her for what she is.  TRATCHAR.  A title that has been lost in time and is said only to live in legend.  None have lived in the living memory of those who dwell in the Empire.  Embraced by the forest that surrounds her, revered by the inhabitants, Eden seeks no more than to regain the peace she knew in the valley, while Gabriel wishes no more than to hold her tight to his side.

Brought together through trickery, separated through duty, Gabriel and Eden find that their worlds have changed, for both are recognizing more and more that the bond that will make them complete will not be denied.  It is forever in her character to fight that which she cannot battle, and Gabriel will use whatever means in his arsenal of tricks to complete their bond and hold her to his side, until no longer able or willing to deny the love that haunts her, she becomes his in body, mind and soul.  It is a coming together that binds not only one, but both, as the words they share in bonding declares.  “You are mine, I am yours.  Together, we are one.”

The Sneak Peek:

Eden gave her mother the directions needed to meet up with the main body of Elves traveling towards their home territory then she melted into the forest.  It was not something her mother had approved of, but she had learned many years ago to accept.  Eden had always gone her own way and operated on a set of laws exclusive to her own world.  She offended nobody, never failed to be polite, was a hard worker, but tended to keep to herself if given the option.  She was not noted for diplomacy or mixing well with others that she was not familiar with.

That was why Eden was perched high in a towering Oak when her group of Elven women rode into the main encampment to rejoin their families and friends.  She watched as her mother and sister were reunited and noted how they were afforded special attention.  She listened in to the reports that were given to what appeared to be the commanders of the forces.  She frowned as she heard her name tossed about in all the tales relayed of their rescue and recover, and heaved a silent sigh of resignation.  She had told everyone to leave her name out of the telling, no one had listened to her it seemed.  A sudden gust of wind made the branch she was on sway and she adjusted her hold on the tree.

"Uncle," she heard a voice call to another who had been standing close to the tree.  "Catch."

Eden heard the sound of something speeding through the foliage, then felt the limb she was on vibrate.  A moment later she gave a slight yelp as she flew through the air to land heavily in the arms of the Elven commander.  Blue eyes met silver for a split second, followed by a gasp, almost as if of recognition.  Then, before anyone had a chance to recover from the shock, she flipped backwards out of his arms, onto the ground, and sped off.

"Stop right there."  Eden's almost captor snapped out, expecting her to come to an immediate halt.  She kept on going.  He wasted precious moments deciding whether to give chase personally, as he was tempted to do, or to order her capture.  He was quick to bark out the order for her retrieval.  It; however, was easier said than done.  Eden was nowhere to be seen.

A few hours later the pursuers returned empty handed to report their failure.  "We lost her General Gabriel."

It was not news either of the trackers wanted to report.  Gabriel tossed them a nasty look and growled.  "How and where."

"Just outside of the camp, we double tracked, we checked the trees, top and bottom.  It is as if she just disappeared."

Gabriel suppressed the urge to scream his frustration.  Up to this point everything had gone smooth. There had been no glitches to the gatherings at all, and suddenly some slip of a girl threatened to throw off the whole mission!  Not while he was in command.

"Marious," Gabriel yelled, bringing the younger Elf running.

"You bellowed uncle?"  Marious' attitude was enough to set Gabriel off.  He was amused and willing to show it, something he knew would aggravate the great General.  Gabriel was never one to put up with familiarity from his troops.  Marious hardly cared, the war was over, and he was not one of his uncle's troops.  He was a diplomat, when he chose to be, or his King ordered it.

"We are missing an Elf."

"Anyone in particular uncle?"

"You should know," Gabriel growled.  "You were the one that shot her out of the tree."

"Oh, that one," Marious laughed.  "What is the matter uncle, finding it impossible to hang onto a simple Elven maiden?  I was sure that you would have appreciated my gift better than that."

"Oh nephew but I do."  Gabriel sounded just as sweet, then added in a snarl.  "So much so that I am sending you after her with a dozen trackers to find her again."

"Me?"

"Yes you," Gabriel snipped.  "I thought it out carefully and I believe that if you could find her without any problem before, you should have no problem doing it again.  Go."

The author:
I have been writing books since before I became a teenager. Most are still hidden in the closet. I used to make up my own stories as a child, everyone used to act them out while we were playing outside. As a teenager someone issued me a challenge. I told her that her stories stunk, she told me to do better.
My job growing up was to play guardian to my little brother, keep him safe. That meant I ended up getting into more fights than enough – makes sense now that I write about warriors.

My family will try to tell you that I’m not innocent, I have a personality that keeps them on their toes. Over my lifetime and theirs I have earn several nicknames – The Godmother, The Evil Christmas Elf (comes from making my nieces wrap their own Christmas presents), Mistress of Ambush. My favorite response to them when they try to get me into trouble is just to look at them with a wide doe eyed expression and say “Moi?????”

I have a seal point Siamese cat named Snoop, named after my favorite cartoon character and hobby. I have a “healthy” but small collection of Snoopy memorabilia. He is a character alright; never met a cat who can talk back like he does. He expects daily dosages of adoration on his schedule when he wants it – not when it’s convenient for me and he HATES snow.

I come from a very large family (mostly brothers) and I could outrun the whole works of them (I’m the shortest!). It was called survival.

This book has been in the making for a long time now. Over a half a year to write it, about the same amount of time to edit it, and probably about the same amount of time to get the art work and website! I have learned you can’t control the timelines of other people – Murphy likes to step in.

So for now I am setting up good luck charms everywhere… didn’t know I had that many stuffed Snoopy’s. *Fingers, legs, toes, eyes and anything else I can crossed*


Buy the book:
Smashwords
Amazon US
Amazon UK

The rest of the blog blitz:

3 comments:

  1. Thank you so much for featuring Gabriel and the Elven Chronicles. I will be stopping in from time to time to answer questions and say hello to people!

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  2. I loved this book . One of my favorite parts was when the bond was completed between Gabriel and Eden. Great love scene very sensual. Cannot wait for the story to continue with Marious.

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  3. Great book! Loved the world you'v created. I cant wait for more. ;)

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