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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.

Monday, January 14, 2019

her choice – or her fate - Two Thousand Years (The Empire Saga #1) by M. Dalto

"If you are a fan of fantasy romance, and you are looking for a great new adult fantasy novel, you need to check out Two Thousand Years. This book has an excellent world set up and a fantastic plot. It is one of my favorite books of the year, and I can't wait to continue on with this series! I need book 2 in my hands right now." Michelle, Goodreads

Description:

Published: December 11th 2018

Two thousand years ago, the Prophecy of Fire and Light foretold the coming of the Queen Empress who would lead the Empire into a time of peace and tranquility. But instead of the coming of a prosperous world, a forbidden love for the Empress waged a war that ravaged the land, creating a chasm between the factions, raising the death toll of innocent lives until the final, bloody battle.

Centuries later, Alexandra, a twenty-two-year-old barista living in Boston, is taken to an unfamiliar realm of mystery and magic where her life is threatened by Reylor, its banished Lord Steward. She crosses paths with Treyan, the arrogant and seductive Crown Prince of the Empire, and together they discover how their lives, and their love, are so intricately intertwined by a Prophecy set in motion so many years ago.

Alex, now the predestined Queen Empress Alexstrayna, whose arrival was foretold by the Annals of the Empire, controls the fate of her new home as war rages between the Crown Prince and Lord Steward. Either choice could tear her world apart as she attempts to keep the Empire’s torrid history from repeating itself. In a realm where betrayal and revenge will be as crucial to her survival as love and honor, Alex must discover whether it is her choice – or her fate – that determines how she survives the Empire’s rising conflicts.

GUEST POST

I never started to take writing seriously until I was in my thirties, and even then I never considered being published. It was always something I did just for fun, even when I was younger. I remember keeping diaries when I was little, journals when I was older, and when my best friend and I used to play pretend and create imaginary worlds, I was the one that would always record our adventures so that we could read them later.

So it wasn’t any surprise when I was in school and I was able to do well enough on my papers that I discovered I may have actually had a talent. Of course, those papers were ones that I waited to write until the night before they were due, and however I was able to weave my words together was enough for me to earn high enough grades with very little effort. Not that that’s a habit I condone or anything I encourage… but I digress.

When I first drafted TWO THOUSAND YEARS, having it published was never my intention. I wrote it for fun during NaNoWriMo in 2014 because I was looking for the challenge and excuse to finally get this particular story idea out. And it was fun- for the most part. I was able to share a piece of my craft with people I knew and trusted for the first time, and I learned that nothing made me feel better than giving people something to read, and potentially enjoy.

At the suggestion of a friend, I decided to edit my draft and post it on Wattpad with hope for feedback from a greater audience. And it worked- I was able to get an amazing amount of feedback from so many different readers from all over the world, and learn to accept commentary and critiques better than I would have if I’d never shared it with strangers before.

In 2016, when TWO THOUSAND YEARS won one of Wattpad’s Watty Awards, I began to seriously consider moving forward with my publishing journey. It showed me that more than just friends and acquaintances I’ve come to meet through forums believed I had something worth reading. That my story was one of a hundred chosen from hundreds of thousands to win its award made me take my art seriously and take the next step. 


A step I never thought I’d make when I was just writing in my diary or recounting imaginary stories.

At the end of the day, my publishing journey is far from over, but it needed to start somewhere. I never expected it to come to this, but I never would have tried without putting myself out there. The moral of the story is this: don’t ever limit yourself because you’ll never know how far you’ll get without taking that first step forward.


About the author:
M. Dalto is a fiction author of adventurous romantic fantasy and her debut novel, Two Thousand Years, won one of Wattpad’s Watty Awards in 2016. She continues to volunteer her time as an Ambassador, where she hopes to engage and inspire new writers. She spends her days as a full-time residential real estate paralegal, using her evenings to pursue her literary agenda. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading fantasy novels, playing video games, and drinking coffee. She currently lives in Massachusetts with her husband, their daughter, and their corgi named Loki.

Author's Giveaway: 
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1 comment:

Giselle said...

Thanks for being on the tour! :)