BLOG TOUR: Thunderlight by Adrienne Woods

HELLO THERE, FELLOW READERS!

Today we are celebrating the release of Adrienne Woods' novel, Thunderlight, the second novel in The Dragonian Series.  It will wow you, amaze you, get your heart racing, leave you breathless, and have you in an emotional puddle by the end.  Hold onto your socks, because Adrienne's about to knock them off with this powerful-punch of a book.

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:::Book Details:::

Title: Thunderlight, Book Two

Author: Adrienne Woods

Series: The Dragonian Series

Publisher: Fire Quill Publishing

Release Date: 20 Nov, 2014

ISBN: 9780992244613

:::::SYNOPSIS (Back blurb):::::

Vibrant, scale swathed wings…  Abilities that can be harnessed by a chosen few… Dragons…
       All this may seem like old news, but for seventeen year-old Elena Watkins the world of Paegeia is not finished revealing all its  secrets.  During a summer break intended for  relaxation, she discovers that her harrowing adventure to retrieve the King of Lion sword wasn’t the destiny foretold by the cryptic Viden, a dragon with the ability to see a person’s true fate.  The words inked onto the page of the mysterious Book of Shadows remains black and Elena must return to Dragonia Academy to discover their true meaning.
       Upon her return to the magnificent castle she has to face a challenge of a different kind, keeping her boyfriend Lucian McKenzie, the Prince of Tith and love of her life, away from the dangerous new student, Paul Sutton. As a Wyvern, Paul has made it his mission to claim Elena as his rider but he is proving to be more perilous than at first glance.
       Everyone knew that Wyverns were bad news, and just as evil as the darkness that lurked inside Blake Leaf, the Rubicon forced to fight against his inner nature every day.  But Elena can see a small light lurking in the darkness, a destiny still unfulfilled; to prove that Wyverns can be claimed.
       Will Lucian’s dark secret about Wyverns and Elena’s need to prove their true nature cause their love to be torn apart?  And which of Elena’s friends will be sacrificed this time if She is wrong?

:::::MY THOUGHTS & REVIEWS:::::

     "For the love of blueberries..."  When I heard that Thunderlight would be released soon, that was the proverbial your-pants-are-on-fire rush that I needed to get to reading the first book, Firebolt.  Boy, did I rush!  It was so good that within hours of finishing it, I was already halfway through Thunderlight.  I even put aside studying for exams and cleaning the house because I just NEEDED to know what secrets the next chapter would reveal.  And, folks, I was not disappointed.
     Elena comes to grips with who she is and gets more confident by the chapter.  She grows as a character and person in maturity, in her relationships, and in the decisions she makes.  As the story progresses, we also get to know the secondary characters on a more personal level, along with some new faces.
   I know that Lucien is the prince and knight-in-shining-armor of the story, but I have this wicked and rebellious part of me that just LOVES Blake, so much!  I have started to envision scenes that I think will be (or should be) in the third book, and he is definitely in them.  He was not in the second book as much as I wanted him to be, but honestly, that almost adds the the allure, secretive life, and mystery that is Blake Leaf.
   I know that everyone says that Elena is not who she thinks she is, but it is so true!  I don't even know who she is!!?  It keeps changing, things come to light and secrets are revealed in this book that will keep you turning the page.  Suddenly, the last page is upon you.  When you get to the end, you just sit there for a while thinking, 'What in the world just happened?  How the heck am I going to survive not knowing what is going on, I can't possibly wait until the next book!'  That's when you'll do what I did and start predicting (and hoping) what scenes and plots will be in the next novel.
     When I read the ending, it felt like someone sucker-punched me and then stole my lunch money... so many feelings, so many times of asking myself, 'Why?!'   There are some surprises at the end, not all the happy kind.  Get your tissues ready people!  You will definitely be getting a case of the feels in this book.  Not just the lows and the feels, but the highs of all the adventure and mystery that surrounds Elena's story.  You'll feel as if you're right there in Paegeia with her.

:::::SNEAK PEAKS:::::

:::::BOOK EXCERPT:::::

Want another sneak peak at the book?  Here is an excerpt from the Warble Games scene!

     The voice over the speaker introduced all the players on the team. There were four humans gliding on their raiders. Four dragons, a Copper-Horn, a Fire-Tail, a Moon-Bolt and a Night Villain, flew out from an opening in the cave wall and hovered in the air below their human team members.
     The next team, the “Yellow Hornets,”  flew in from above our heads and the crowd painted and dressed in yellow blew on their horns. Around me yellow flags flapped in the wind created by the beating of the dragons’ wings.  They came to a halt opposite the “Sapphires” and the voice introduced all of the players. One dragon blew a fire bolt into the crowd as a cheer rose, but an invisible wall blocked it before it could do any damage. The crowd rooted as the Sun-Blast dug in and dove into the air.
     Another team, this time wearing blue and black uniforms was introduced as “The Blue Raiders”. I noticed as each team received their introduction that the dragons all had abilities and almost every team had a fire-breather and a Swallow Annex.
     Two more teams, the “Red Crusaders” and “Black Leapers” were introduced to roaring cheers from the crowd. Last was the “Green Masquerades” and I was excited that it was finally our turn to cheer.
     Four humans dived out on their boards to a roar of applause. The one in front made a loop on the raider and was followed by a couple more.
     “That’s Blaze, she’s so amazing on that raider of hers!” Sammy yelled into my ear.
     “That’s a girl?” I yelled back.
     Sammy’s dimples dented deep into her cheeks. “It’s not just men participating. She’s been the captain of her team for the past four years,” she yelled. “She’s tried every year to get Blake on the team but the Council doesn’t want to budge, he can’t even participate in his human form.”
     “Why not?”
     “Multiple abilities, who knows.”
     That is so unfair. He’s not allowed to do anything. No fun. No wonder he did messed up things.
     The booming voice introduced the four humans. Blaze Trulip was the captain just as Sammy had said.She wasn’t  afraid of anything, and she played the duty of soldier,  which meant that  she could be everywhere, score, defend, attack and help keep the other team from scoring. The guy next to her was Wilson DJ, who was introduced as the keeper. Richard, the diver, was one of the scorers with Baba Johnson. He bowed on his board which made the crowd cheer the loudest. The four dragons were Kyle,the Snow Dragon, Peter, the Sun-Blast, Dez, the Copper-Horn and Fick, the Green Vapor. They were the four attackers.
     The Yellow Hornets scored next and then the Sapphires were on fire, scoring three times in a row. Each time that animated dragon would come back, announcing the total points of the team who’d just scored. I now understood why Sammy was so crazy about Luke; he was really fast and always had a smile on his face.
     As the game progressed, the crowd drew in a collective breath as a fire bolt headed for one of the human players. It was too late to block it and the fire bolt struck the player. One of his teammates caught him as his board came smashing against the shield protecting us from the action. His teammate dropped him off at a Swallow Annex standing off to the side, who I assumed was there for medical reasons.
     “This is why this game is really dangerous. You’ve got to pay attention,” Sammy said without taking her eyes of the commotion.
     The crowd cheered when the player got up, but he was way too disoriented to carry on and they had to make do without him.
     The game started again when the Yellow Hornets scored another point.
     Dragons flew in all kinds of directions, using their abilities on one another, while the scorers tried to gain extra points.
     Suddenly, the crowd went completely silent as all the dragons in the arena froze in mid-air. As if on strings, they all turned their heads in unison in our direction and came charging at us with a venomous look in their fiery eyes.

::::: BONUS EXCERPT:::::

Still can't get enough?  Here is a special bonus scene from the book!

     ANGER, BETRAYAL, AND HATE turned my stomach to acid. It consumed my mind and I watched as bottles, papers, and books on the desk flew off and crashed to the floor.
     A maid rushed to my side. She didn’t say anything, but her eyes reflected fear in their watery depths.The dustpan in her hand trembled as she started to sweep up the jagged shards of glass. Rising, she began to straighten the books that had fallen to the floor in a heap. Every few seconds her eyes darted nervously in my direction as if a mere breath would make me lash out at her with my outstretched hand.
     I touched her face gently until my hand reached her neck, tightening slowly as my anger began to rise once again. My grip tightened around her soft, shapely neck as I lifted her up from her position at my feet until her face was level with mine. Listening carefully I heard her heart fluttering like a bird trapped inside a cage.
     “How did I become this way?” I spoke, giving voice to my reality softly.
     She just stared at me with round, brown unblinking eyes. Her eyes were sunken deep into the surface of her face and her cheek bones were sharply defined.
     Looking at her sullen face made me feel worse.  I lifted up my other hand and struck the woman hard across her cheek.
     A cry left her mouth and I threw her from me as if she weighed nothing. She skidded across the floor landing in a heap against a wall of cold, unforgiving stone.  If I was a dragon I would blast fire, reduce this wretched place to a pile of insignificant ashes.
     Two other maids, hearing the startled cry, rushed into the room. Their eyes were wide as they took in the room and the immobile heap near  the far  wall. “Sorry,  m’lord,”  the older one said, her voice slightly trembling. “She’s new, we will train her better.”
     They picked up the maid who had come to and was sobbing. She clutched the side of her face, covering the huge, red hand print where I’d struck her.
     I nodded. The old maid knew her place well, although I still didn’t care for her name, she knew where she stood.  I plunged myself down onto the chair and closed my eyes. A silent roar growled inside of me lighting a fire of rage deep in my core.
     The girl had made it.
     The Rubicon saved her life, so a part of him was still fighting me. I could still see her eyes searching mine. They bore into my soul, seeking answers. How was this possible! The wall wouldn’t allow any human to go to the other side.
     Albert’s laughter echoed inside the castle; a startling reminder that good would always win. He would pay dearly for this. I would find a way, and I promised myself she wouldn’t live much longer.
     I pushed myself up from the chair and rubbed my face hard. The emotion of my anger escaped my lips making a sickening sound. Rage that emanated from deep within me overpowered  the  haunting laughter and echoed throughout the entire castle.
     “Master,” Cain’s voice interrupted my thoughts.
     “Speak, my loyal servant,” I said out loud. “What is the news?”
     “Everything is in place. We won’t fail you,” his voice said in my head.
     I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and let it out hard. “We’ll see.”

:::::IMPORTANT SIDE NOTES:::::

I read in the back of Thunderlight that there will be four books total in this series, but that there will be two or three additional books that will take place within The Dragonian Series... Such as Venom, which takes place in-between Firebolt and Thunderlight.

 :::::ABOUT THE AUTHOR:::::

 

     Adrienne Woods was born and raised in South Africa, where she still lives with her husband and two beautiful little girls. She always knew she was going to be a writer, but it only started to really happen about four years ago. In her free time―if she gets any because moms don’t really have free time―she loves to spend it with friends, whether it’s a girls night out, or just watching a movie. She’s a very chilled person. Her writing career started with Firebolt, book one in the Dragonian series.  There will  be four books in total,  including a further  two to three books,which will  be stories  that  take  place  within the  Dragonian series.  Her  other  series,  Dream Casters, will be released mid 2015. She also writes in different genres, and her woman’s fiction,The Pregnancy Diaries, will be published under a pseudonym. And then, she has a paranormal series by the name of the Aswang series, which will consist of about ten novels. And if thatwasn’t enough, there is another series, Guardians of Monsters, which will be released in 2016.

:::AUTHOR'S LINKS:::

Blog

 https://woodsadrienne.wordpress.com/

Facebook Book Series Page

https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Dragonian-Series/301375039891281

Twitter

 https://twitter.com/erichb3/favorites

Fire Quill Publishing

http://www.firequillpublishing.com/

:::::AUTHOR INTERVIEW Q&A:::::

Book & Writing Related Questions:

1.    What does your writing process look like?  Do you plan it all out or just start writing?

     I do plan, in my head. The easiest way to describe is day dream for a month. I work out everything in my head, who everyone is, what they are doing, etc. It's fun, but very distracting.

2.  Where do you get your creative inspiration and ideas?  Life experiences, movies, Pinterest, kids?

    In everything, from a music video to one of my hubby's PlayStation games and those are sometimes extremely dark. Hahahahaha

    Inspiration is everywhere around me, all it takes is an idea and then it's like an explosion going off in my mind.

3.  Do you have any strange writing habits or quirks (like standing on your head or writing in the shower?

     Nothing, hahahahaha. Some actually stand on their heads. Nope, I just type away after I do the daydreaming.

4.  Where does the magic happen?  Do you write at home or somewhere else?

     Right at home at my desk. 

5.  What does your writing atmosphere look like?  Any snacks, music, movies in the background?

     The T.V usually plays but it's not distracting. Once I'm inside a world, I stay there for an entire day or night.

6.  What are some of your favorite books that have inspired you to write? Favorite authors?

     I love fantasy, where you can just forget the real world and go to a place where magic or special abilities exist. But a good love story now and then does the same. So to answer your question, I love Harry Potter… who doesn't? I thought the Twilight series was good, loved those. I didn't like The Host so much, but it's not everyone's cup of tea. Loved some of Jane Austen’s books… well, when the words didn't end up giving me a headache. Mr. Darcy is still one of my favorite characters.

7.  Is there a popular book that you wish you wrote?

   Plenty. The Fault In Our Stars for one, loved that book and it wasn't a complicated story at all, it was so beautifully written and what you see is what you get. Love, love stories like that.

8.  Did you always want to be an author?  What got you started?

   Since I was thirteen I told my mom I'm going to be the next Danielle Steele, I had no idea who she was at that time, but my mom loved her stories and I saw the joy it brought to her and wanted to do that. But it only became a reality at the age of 29, five years ago, don't say my age out loud. Hahahahahaha

8.  Any songs that inspired you while writing Thunderlight?

   No, I don't listen to songs or anything while I write. I think it's amazing how some authors have songs, I don't. I feel so left out. But if I have to put some sort of genre music to them, I would go with bands like 30 seconds to mars, hard rock.

10.  If you could be a character from one of your books, who would you be and why?

   At the moment I have plenty of characters they are just not known to the world. If I have to choose, I would be Calista Emerald. She is hip, strong, feisty, and got a very sleek mouth. So what you see is what you get, no hidden agenda's. She is a guardian, in my upcoming series Guardians of Monsters, and she can transform into a crow. So if I could choose, it would be her, but Elena is awesome too, I mean who doesn't want to live in a world where dragons exist?

11.  If you could be a dragon from your books, what kind would you be?

   I think I would go for the Swallow Annex, Like Constance, if I didn't become an author, I'm sure I would like to be a doctor. Hahahaha. And to fly fast. Yes.

12. What was your favorite chapter to write in Thunderlight and why?

   Chapter thirty six and seven. It was an emotional roller coaster. I'm not going to tell you what happened, as I would give everything away but it was my favorite.

13.  I’ve already starting fantasizing about scenes that will be in book three.  Can you share any hints or secrets?

   For your readers, let's think. Elena is not what she seems to be and I'm going to leave it at that. Sorry, there are just too many things and any one of them will give it away, so I'm leaving it at that.

14.  What inspired you to write Firebolt and Thunderlight?

   My love for dragons. I always loved them. I don't think this world would understand them if they do pop up somewhere, humans, well most of them, are scared of things they don't understand and it would probably turn into them destroying this earth, but I do love the good stories about them. Like there are some of them that are kind and gracious.

15.  Any writing tips for us wannabe authors?

   Plenty, no author is alike. If you have an idea about a book, make sure the plot line is amazing, even if it's done before, make it your own. You don't need to be excellent at writing, there are plenty of amazing people out there that can perfect your writing style but keep your voice, they are called editors and I have like four, so don't ever let anyone tell you that you suck. Just write down what you feel, even if it makes you sad or happy, that is what writing is all about.

Just-For-Kicks-and-Giggles Questions:

1.  If you were stuck on an island, what three things would you bring with you?

   My laptop, to write otherwise it's going to be so boring, my family to enjoy this wonderful experience with me, where ever it may be, Islands are always beautiful, and music. The world would be so boring if there wasn't music.

2.  If you could visit any country in the world (or three), where would you go?

   I've been to so many to be honest with you. But I would still like to go to Ireland and Scotland. Castles remember, and Hungary so I can visit my friend I haven't seen in years.

3.  If you could have any accents from anywhere in the world, what would you choose?

   Scottish, love that accent.

4.  What are your favorite movies or television shows?

   Oooh, I have so many. Grey's Anatomy, Teen Wolf, Outlander, love outlander, Mistresses, can't get enough of those girls, Criminal minds, a lot of novel ideas came from one or two episodes, and Supernatural which inspired me to write Guardian of Monsters. So yeah, I got plenty of shows, these are just a couple that pop up.

5.  Tea or Coffee?

   Coffeeeeee.

6.  If your life was turned into a movie, who would you want to play you?

   I have absolutely no idea. 

7.  Would you rather… not eat your favorite food for an entire year or not read a book for an entire year?

   Easy, not eat my favorite food, but thank Heavens nobody is going to ask me that question as it would be very hard.

8.  What are some of your favorite things to do or hobbies?

   I like to be creative. So making my own book marks, or doing art with the kids has become really fun for me lately. 

9.  Do you have any pets?

   Yes, he's name is Mila and he has one blue eye and one brown eye. He's a Siberian Husky.

10.  Do you have any favorite quotes or sayings?

    For the love of blueberries, hahahaha, no, uhm, I used to say oh my soul a lot of times but I somehow got rid of it.

Thank you so much for having me, I really enjoyed answering your questions. If any of you have more, please leave them in the comments and I'll pop in to answer them.

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