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Albert Camus

Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend.

Sunday, August 16, 2015

the secrets of their broken hearts - Dragon's Guide to Slaying Virgins by Isabelle Saint-Michael

Morgan had resigned herself to death. She had been ready to follow her true love into the afterlife, if only a certain Dragon hadn’t “rescued” her. She wasn’t grateful – after all, she was a full-fledged Lady Knight and perfectly capable of making her own decisions, without the help of arrogant Dragon Lords, no matter how good-looking everyone seemed to think they were… 

Description:

Morgan had resigned herself to death. She had been ready to follow her true love into the afterlife, if only a certain Dragon hadn’t “rescued” her. She wasn’t grateful – after all, she was a full-fledged Lady Knight and perfectly capable of making her own decisions, without the help of arrogant Dragon Lords, no matter how good-looking everyone seemed to think they were… 

After dragging Lady Morgan from a Troll’s lair and dropping her off in another realm, Vallen thought he’d never see her again. But then an old member of his Knight Order betrays her oaths and begins amassing an army of thugs and highwaymen - in the same realm he’d left Morgan. 

Racing back with only his brother for a squire, Vallen finds Lady Morgan, accompanied by a teenage Werewolf, ready to take on this Dragon all by herself. But it will take all of them to defeat her, and little do they know that in this battle, the secrets of their broken hearts will rise up from the past and walk again… 

GUEST BLOOD
Why is Dragon’s Guide to Slaying Virgins so different? 

Dragon’s Guide to Slaying Virgin’s has been by far my favorite book to write but for a number of readers a tad confusing. Most go in expecting a PNR but quickly discover that the book is actually a fantasy with a love story and some sex scenes. Because of this straddling of two genre’s I’ve raised a number of brows and have had mixed reviews. 

When I set out to write my Otherworld Realms series it was because I had hit a wall with my reading. Women in many of the books I had picked up were portrayed as ditsy comedy, hard-ass bad girl, emotional train wreck, damsel in distress, or lost and loveless. These stereotypes suck! They aren’t women I want to read about. Then there are the men: muscle clad warriors, dark and broody, sun kissed playboys, oh, and we must not forget rich and powerful. If they are alphas they are assholes and they all need some form of redemption. 

I want a strong female lead that makes mistakes and knows it’s all right to do so. A heroine should inspire us to be our best in more than lingerie or witty comebacks. Alpha male heroes are fine but why do they ALL need to be jerks? There are plenty of alphas out there in the world that don’t need to peeled down with a cheese grater of love to see that they are great guys. 

Dragon’s Guide like my earlier books boarders on being a feminist fairy tale. The characters are flawed with baggage but at the same time they are good people that overcome great obstacles. They are women that can and do save themselves. They are heroes that are handsome, sexy and confident. If you’re looking for a love-conquers-all story, Dragon’s Guide to Slaying Virgins probably isn’t for you. 

If you want a story where the hero is the heroine, where the snark and sass flows wildly free, where good does conquer evil, where the leading lady is genuinely feisty from the first moment you open the book, where the hero isn’t a redeemable twit but a man owns up to his mistakes, AND a happy ending? Then you should check it out. 
PURCHASE

About the author:
Isabelle Saint-Michael currently lives abroad in Seoul, South Korea with a transition in process to the UK. Writing is now her full-time gig, but she spent a number of years working in the online media industry. (That’s when she upgraded her personality software from socialite to geek.) Her hobbies include reading, shopping, travel, and medieval shenanigans with her closest friends. She has earned such coveted nicknames as The Fighting Smurf, The Iz and Wiffle Ball Monkey Slayer.

From the author: “The Elven Life is a blog connecting a series of books and characters that I have created. So many times we buy books but then must wait a year at least to get another fix. In a world of immediate gratification I wanted to build an interactive way of storytelling for my readers. Each book, along with the blog, is a free-standing story, but they will occasionally have connecting themes, characters, and messages for our fans to catch. Check us out and keep watching! Books will be available through Amazon, Kindle, and a retailer near you.”

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