Giveaway #2 -any ebook from The Shalean Moon series by J. Lilley
This giveaway is ideal for fans of young adult paranormal fiction, it is quite possibly Aurelia's favourite shifter series.
The books...
Discovered - When Rach moved to Scotland she knew there would be changes. She hadn't expected them to be quite so dramatic. Not only was there a new house, new school and new friends, there was also a secret to discover. Brios Parde was a Patriarch in waiting. When the powerful leopard shifter senses a new Shalean he is amazed to discover it's the new girl. All his senses tell him Rach will be important to him. However the Rogues try to destroy the budding relationship. Will Rach decide to side with Brios or help stage an uprising?
Renounced - For Leira, all she knew was Shalea. Shalea and Donny. Now she wanted to see life without their protection, to live without the skills passed down to her. Without her heritage. However, there were others who wanted her, didn't have goodness within them, and would stop at nothing to take her, to turn her towards them. Could she survive, and repel their evil without the protection of those who loved her, or would evil prevail? Only Leira could decide… Accepted - Andy is Shalean and in love with a human, but had no idea how to make such a relationship work. Sam has no idea that Shalea exists, only that he is fed up waiting for Andy to make the first move. Overjoyed to find his feelings reciprocated Sam starts seeing strange things. Something is afoot and Andy seems right in the middle of it. What Sam discovers rocks him to the core. But he is determined to fight for their chance of happiness. Human he may be, but as long as Andy wants him, they can face anything, can't they? United - When Shalea is in trouble can one halfling and one witch save the day? When the leaders of The Shalean Sept go missing, Troy and Ali need all their combined skills to find out what's going on. Troy is only half Shalean and part witch, and Ali is a full witch, but is that enough? As they fight to combat the evil, help comes from an unexpected source. Aibhlinn has secrets of her own, secrets that could destroy her. However she is determined to aid her new-found friends. Will her intervention be a help or a hindrance? Only time will tell in this fight for life or death. Threatened - As friends unite and enemies surge, can Shalea be saved? Shalea is in danger. The friends need to unite to face the unknown forces threatening to destroy them all. As old secrets are unveiled, and new alliances formed, will it be enough to save their Sept. Or is all going to be lost under the Shalean Moon? Resolved - When Shaleans fight Shaleans nothing is simple. With the help of true friends can good overcome evil? To save Shalea, so much depends on so few people, that nothing is certain. It's not even clear just which side some of them support, and the Sept is getting weaker. Brios and his friends must save their world, but time is running out. To make things worse, the identities of some people might just result in no resolution at all. Can everything become clear and good triumph over evil before the next Shalean Moon, or is Shalea as they know it over? Introducing J. Lilley... Click to go to website
Ever since I won not one but two, Cadbury, ‘where does chocolate come from’ competitions in primary school, I was convinced, one day I would write a book. Lots of books.
My parents encouraged me. My schoolteachers despaired of me. Evidently reading a story in your maths class was not acceptable. Even if you had finished the maths! So what happened to my grand ideas? Life got in the way-as it does. A couple of truly awful M/S were sent off and duly and rightfully rejected. I gave up on my dreams. More years later than I'm prepared to disclose (hey a woman has to have some secrets) I realized I'd been writing as I thought I should, not as I could. It was the 'eureka' moment. I dusted off my almost non-existent typing skills, and decided now was my chance. It eventually worked. The Shalean series, started as a birthday present for a friend's daughter, was accepted by Lycaon Press! I live on the edge of a Scottish Forest, and I write on my lap top in my study, watching the birds on the bird table, the strange big black fluffy ‘ I’m pretending to be a bird’ cat, sitting on it and trying to convince the many real birds he is invisible; occasionally seeing deer and red squirrel moving past. What a great place to get my ideas! The Shalean Story...In the mists of time, when Scotland was its own land, and clans loved and fought, depending on the season, the harvest, and their laws, the goddess Shalea took her place amongst them.
No ordinary ruler, but one with exceptional talents, to have and hold her own clan together, to form and change those who had talents unknown to the Clans. She drew these people together, and thus was formed The Shalean Sept. For centuries they lived peacefully and prospered, until their peace and harmony was threatened by those who understood nothing of their ways. Dion, a young boy of the countryside took a vow to protect Shalea, to ensure the goddess lived and with her, her ideals, even though he knew nothing of her world. His ideal was justice. To seek peace and prosperity for his land. To do so he risked his life for hers, and thus Shalea was saved. In appreciation, Shalea gifted him with powerful abilities, enabling him to sense other people's fears and emotions deep inside himself, and to speak to those chosen with no words passing his lips. This they called sensing or projecting. To shift. To change from human to leopard. And to pass these gifts to those he felt worthy. In time Dion met and married a young follower of Shalea, and passed his gifts to his family. In such manner was the Sept's success ensured. Peace and harmony. Until now. *** They had been called together, all young, all knowing they were different, none knowing how. "Why are we here?" Leira Parde spoke to no one in particular. "I want to be at home, under the duvet with chocolate and a good book. Not in this draughty old school, on a Saturday morning wondering if I've been caught with my phone in school or eating gum on the school bus or something, and this is the punishment." Her brother Brios laughed. He'd had much the same reaction a year or so earlier. "You'll find out soon enough, here's dad, oops Patriarch now." Marok Parde, dad or Patriarch depending who you were and where you where, entered the room, his wife and Matriarch close behind. The old school was tiny, just one room, high windows with a view to the sky and above. With them all inside, there was little room to look up at the vista, but to know it was there was comforting. "Our gods and us. " The greeting was as commonplace to each and every person in the room as 'hi'. They repeated it, and waited. "Each of you know a little of our past; today it is time to learn of your future. To rejoice in your Shalean selves, to learn soon, you will all progress to the next level of your lives. To sense and shift. "As you grow and become adult, you will become true Shaleans, to sense and project your thoughts, to shift and become your other self. To be Shalean, to be Leopard. To learn your role in life, in the Sept, and how to develop that role for the good of all. The room was filled with a silver haze. "Listen with your hearts, and hear all I say." 'This is our protection, our Shimmer Zone. For as we shift and reform our bodies, we need to give thanks. For these gifts.' The voice was in each and everyone of them, soft and loud commanding and reassuring. The mists dissolved and instead of the man stood the cat. "Watch and learn, and remember, you use your gifts wisely, for the good of Shalea." The leopard left the room silently, his fur rippling his rosettes proud. "Wow." Leira said eventually. "So that's the next step eh? So when will it happen?" "To each person, when the gods decree." Brios answered. "When thus you accept and agree our creed. *** And so it was. On the night of The Shalean Moon, they were called and accepted their fate. Shifted and ran with the Sept to celebrate their Shalean selves. One boy, not yet a man, but on the cusp, accepted his gifts with a smirk. To him they meant power. His power. To him, Struan Scott, they were a means to an end. The end of Shalea as they all knew it. |
Where to buy...Lycaon Press
Available from Nov 2nd
Paperback also available
Volume 1: Books 1-3
AmazonAmazon UK |
Excerpt from Discovered (The Shalean Moon 1)...
Rach felt an electric zap up her arm. She couldn't figure out what was going on; why Brios was looking at her the way he was.
'Can you hear me?'
Argh, why do I keep thinking I hear voices in my head? Dad definitely has to stop this foraging lark.
He might think it was fun to go and collect blackberries and mushroom and things that grew wild, but Rach could still remember the time the mushrooms sent her all giggly and silly, and gave her weird and wonderful thoughts—like now. Dad said they were magic mushrooms and he hadn't meant to pick them, but she had a feeling he'd made the same mistake again.
'You can hear voices Rach—my voice. It's me! Look at me Rach.'
"Brios? What..." She didn't know what to say, how did you ask someone if they were messing about with your mind?'
"It's a gift, and it's not messing." At least that was real and out loud.
"Um, what do you mean?" Rach asked cautiously, not really sure she wanted to hear his explanation.
"I can send messages to you."
Ri-i-ight.
But, Brios looked sane, like a normal, hot-bod boy in a boring school uniform. But shoot—his face was solemn and he didn't look as if he was ready for the funny farm.
She began to fumble with the door handle.
'I'm sane, stop worrying.'
"Hells bells Brios, what the heck is this all about? How can I hear you when you're not speaking?"
"It's complicated. It's a gift given to certain people. Who can project and receive thoughts."
Rach thought about that. She figured she'd just smile and go along with it; just until she was back at school and away from him. One day she might just listen to her dad!
Then she looked closely at his face and realized he wasn't joking.
'Believe it Rach.'
Oh great! One more reason not to like it up here; a mind reading hottie … Ahh!
"So, I can hear you, or whatever you call it? Can you hear me?' Brios nodded with a smile, and Rach felt her face go red. "Oh shit."
Brios laughed out loud at that. Rach felt like hitting him. What if there was something in it? Did that mean she had to not think anything even slightly dodgy? She waited for some smart-ass comment to fill her mind, but nothing did.
"So, er, you don't sense everything I say then?" She really wanted to know the answer to that.
To her relief, Brios shook his head.
"Rach I would never do that, it goes against our creed."
"Creed?"
To her disappointment, Brios looked at his watch and groaned. "Look we've got to get back to school. Rach, there's so much I need to ask, to tell you about … to explain. We need to meet up somehow. You tell me how and when, and I'll be there."
'Can you hear me?'
Argh, why do I keep thinking I hear voices in my head? Dad definitely has to stop this foraging lark.
He might think it was fun to go and collect blackberries and mushroom and things that grew wild, but Rach could still remember the time the mushrooms sent her all giggly and silly, and gave her weird and wonderful thoughts—like now. Dad said they were magic mushrooms and he hadn't meant to pick them, but she had a feeling he'd made the same mistake again.
'You can hear voices Rach—my voice. It's me! Look at me Rach.'
"Brios? What..." She didn't know what to say, how did you ask someone if they were messing about with your mind?'
"It's a gift, and it's not messing." At least that was real and out loud.
"Um, what do you mean?" Rach asked cautiously, not really sure she wanted to hear his explanation.
"I can send messages to you."
Ri-i-ight.
But, Brios looked sane, like a normal, hot-bod boy in a boring school uniform. But shoot—his face was solemn and he didn't look as if he was ready for the funny farm.
She began to fumble with the door handle.
'I'm sane, stop worrying.'
"Hells bells Brios, what the heck is this all about? How can I hear you when you're not speaking?"
"It's complicated. It's a gift given to certain people. Who can project and receive thoughts."
Rach thought about that. She figured she'd just smile and go along with it; just until she was back at school and away from him. One day she might just listen to her dad!
Then she looked closely at his face and realized he wasn't joking.
'Believe it Rach.'
Oh great! One more reason not to like it up here; a mind reading hottie … Ahh!
"So, I can hear you, or whatever you call it? Can you hear me?' Brios nodded with a smile, and Rach felt her face go red. "Oh shit."
Brios laughed out loud at that. Rach felt like hitting him. What if there was something in it? Did that mean she had to not think anything even slightly dodgy? She waited for some smart-ass comment to fill her mind, but nothing did.
"So, er, you don't sense everything I say then?" She really wanted to know the answer to that.
To her relief, Brios shook his head.
"Rach I would never do that, it goes against our creed."
"Creed?"
To her disappointment, Brios looked at his watch and groaned. "Look we've got to get back to school. Rach, there's so much I need to ask, to tell you about … to explain. We need to meet up somehow. You tell me how and when, and I'll be there."
