Bound by Oath and Honour NBtM

Today, I have the pleasure of hosting Debbi Peterson who agreed to party with us by sharing a mythical take on birthdays! Hope you find her post as interesting and informative as I did.

Blurb:

Fresh from her photo shoot in Northern England, wildlife photographer Tala Westbrook makes a promised stop at the family manor in Staffordshire, desperately in need of renovation. Though she didn’t plan to stay longer than it took to find a contractor, she is caught up in an ancient paranormal war. Despite the danger all around, she finds herself falling for the handsome, enigmatic man assigned to protect her.

Micah Berrington, elite guardian from the realm of the Bewitan Fierd, is used to protecting men of strength in the greatest of peril, not a female looking for someone to repair her home. Yet the assignment is far more than it seems and so is the beautiful woman destined to capture his heart, regardless of the cost.

Excerpt:

“You expect me to believe I said my name in my sleep?”

Finally, he turned around and faced her. The moment his dark brown eyes connected with hers, her heart spun in wild circles. A swarm of bothersome butterflies, buried deep within her belly, took flight. Handsome. Dark. Mysterious. The words swirled around inside her mind as the man, dressed in black from head to toe, took a couple of slow steps toward her. All the while, her inside churned in a simple response to his mere presence. In an irrational way she couldn’t explain, that increased her level of irritation as well.

“Believe whatever you wish.”

She ignored the comment. “If you don’t mind my asking, just where am I?”

“Not all that far from Westbrook Manor.”

“How very informative.”

In a show of exasperation, he took in a deep breath. Then with a bit of force, he blew it out again. “You’re sitting on my sofa, inside my home—or, at least you’re inside the residence I use when I’m in the area.” He sounded bored again.

She gave him a nod and then turned her gaze toward the door. “Good enough. If you’ll point me in the proper direction, I’ll get out of your way and leave you to what’s left of your evening.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m not about to let you go out there all by yourself. By now your friends have regrouped. They’re probably waiting for you to show up so they can have another go at you.”

Tala narrowed her eyes. “You think you can hold me here against my will?”

I am really excited to kick off the Bound by Oath and Honour book tour here at Sharing Links and Wisdom! So thank you very much Emily, for the invitation. I am honored.

In as much as Emily celebrates her birthday this week, she thought it would be fun if, in some form or another, we talk about—well—birthdays.

Because I have a love for folklore and mythology, I thought I would incorporate the two by talking about one of my favorite birthday stories in Greek (Roman) legend—or at least one of the many versions of it.

Once upon a time Zeus, the supreme Ruler of Olympia carried on a secret dalliance with Leto, a Titan Goddess. This liaison resulted in the pregnancy of not one, but two children. As you can imagine, Hera, the wife of Zeus was not pleased over the impending births even if the affair happened before they were wed. Anyway, in a fit of rage, jealousy, vengeance or whatever her mood at the time, she sent a python to devour the hapless woman. While fleeing for her life, Artemis (or Diana according to Roman lore) was born. As one legend goes, Artemis—though newly born— assisted Leto with the birth of her twin brother Apollo. Yes, indeed, she’s all that! (Don’t you just love mythological stories?)

Anyway, on her third birthday--according to the poet Callimachus—the precocious child sat at the knee of her famous father and asked for six specific gifts:

First and foremost, Artemis wanted to live a chaste life.

Second, she didn’t ever want to marry anyone. Ever. (I am not making this up.)

Third, she asked for a bow and arrow—a really, really nice one, please.

Fourth, she wanted some hunting dogs to assist her when she went hunting—a thing she did often.

Fifth, she would need, of course, some fine-looking stags to lead her chariot.

Sixth, she asked for hunting companions, because, well it was boring to go out all by herself. Eighty companions would do quite nicely, and she wanted all of them to be virgin nymphs. (Don’t ask.)

That, she said, should just about do it.

Ever the indulgent and adoring father, Zeus, highly amused, granted each childish wish. Yet, with these gifts, Artemis went on to have countless adventures. So in effect, the gifts she received on her 3rd birthday not only lasted an entire lifetime, but also helped shape the unique Goddess she would become:

She is: The Greek Goddess of Chastity, Virginity, Hunting, Forests and hills, the Moon, and Archery.

And those, my friends, are some pretty fine accomplishments. So here’s my question. If Zeus happened to be your father, what birthday gifts would you ask for?

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April 27: Sharing Links and Wisdom
May 4: Christine Young
May 4: Wendi Zwaduk ~ Romance to Make Your Heart Race
May 11: Louise Lyndon Romance Author Hear Me Roar
May 18: The Reading Addict
May 25: Natural Bri - review only
June 1: Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books! - review
June 1: Two Ends of the Pen
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June 15: Lisa Haselton's Reviews and Interviews
June 22: The Avid Reader
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Author Bio and Links:

Debbie is an author of paranormal and fantasy romance because she has a soft spot for fairy tales, the joy of falling in love, making an impossible love possible, and happily ever after endings. She loves animals of every persuasion, music, art, beautiful sunrises, sunsets, the smell of rain, and thunder storms.

When she is not busy conjuring her latest novel, Debbie spends time with the members of her very large family in the lovely, arid deserts of southern Nevada, where some of those spectacular sunsets occur. She also pursues her interests in genealogy—which she also teaches—mythology, and history.

Connect with Debbie:

Website     |     Blog     |     Twitter     |     Pinterest

Facebook     |     Amazon Author Page     |     Goodreads  

Buy Links:

Amazon     |     The Wild Rose Press