Welcome to the Release Day Extravaganza for
Unintended by Justine Alley Dowsett & Murandy Damodred
About Unintended:
Four people. Four very different lives. Four tales interwoven.
Meet Kenzie enShareed, the High Clan Chief’s daughter who is sent south to fulfill a treaty by marriage only to marry the wrong man; KadreanAuthier, the Crown Prince who must come to terms with his new bride, even if he doesn’t much like the idea; GarronD’Arbonne, a noble Lord who has been commanded to marry a cool and aloof princess he doesn’t love; and Vivianne Chappelle, a young and ambitious woman who is in love with her abusive father’s manservant and must find a way to avoid having her entire future decided for her.
Fate and wills collide in this Shakespearian-style romantic comedy about good intentions and their unintentional consequences.
Book Details:
Title: Unintended
Author Name: Justine Alley Dowsett and MurandyDamodred
Genre(s): Fantasy Romance, Romantic Comedy
Tags: Fantasy, romance, comedy, Shakespearian-style, romantic comedy.
Length: Approx. 440 pages
E-book: 978-1-987976-08-3
Paperback: 978-1-987976-07-6
Release Date: August 17, 2015
Purchase Links:
Amazon ~
Kindle = http://amzn.to/1P1GMBD
Paperback = http://amzn.to/1L0hkM4
Mirror World Publishing ~
Follow the Tour to Read Reviews, Guest Posts, and Spotlights:
Read an Excerpt:
The rolling hills and grasslands of Ismera were strange to her in the
beginning. Now, after nearly a month of riding through them, they had begun to
seem commonplace. What the High Clan Chief’s daughter was not prepared for,
however, were the high turrets of the palace she was headed towards and the
sprawling city of Ismer that surrounded it. Even more surprising than all that
was the fanfare that greeted her when at last she reached the city’s
high-walled gate.
A handsome man atop a white horse rode boldly out to greet her, without
so much as a weapon drawn or a friend to watch his back.
They are much more trusting here of strangers than they are back at
home, she noted. Unless, it’s only that they don’t consider me a stranger.
Mackenzie enShareed of Haldoram straightened her back, instinctively
preparing herself to make a good impression. She felt her breath catch in her
throat as he came closer and she realized that the man before her, with his
sunny hair, tanned skin and bright blue eyes could be none other than the man
she’d ridden all the way here to marry. She felt her usually flawlessly tanned
skin flush an uncomfortable shade of red as she watched him dismount and walk
the rest of the way to her side, a wide grin spreading across his face at the sight
of her.
I didn’t expect him to be so handsome. Kenzie found that as
much as she might want to, she couldn’t deny the pounding of her heart or the
fluttering in her stomach. I’m very fortunate to be attracted to him so
easily.
If he took notice of her discomfort he didn’t show it, bowing over her
hand and kissing it lightly. “Princess Mackenzie, let me be the first to
welcome you to the City of Ismer.”
Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, Kenzie reached for the marriage
bracelet she’d woven herself for this very occasion. Unhooking it carefully
from her belt, she caught his hand before he could take it away and swiftly
wrapped the small, white-flowered wreath about his wrist, tying it with a
practiced motion.
She could see in her husband-to-be’s eyes that he was confused, but she
didn’t have time to explain it to him now. That would come later, after they
were entwined together in their marriage bed. Right now, only the ritual
mattered.
I have to do this now, she affirmed silently. Once I enter this city of
theirs and am completely surrounded by Ismeran culture and politics it will be
too late to marry him in my own way, in front of my people and by our customs.
It’s the only way I will feel comfortable with his arrangement. I can marry him
in the Ismeran way afterwards.
The barest nod over her shoulder was enough to bring Seraphina over. Her
mentor and friend had accompanied her this far and now she played her part of
the wedding ceremony by bringing forth the wreath that Prince Kadrean would
place upon her head, sealing their arrangement and making them man and wife.
Aging Seraphina bowed before the Prince, despite the aching old bones
she always complained of, holding out the wreath before her in offering.
“Take it,” Seraphina urged him, her English much less accented than
Kenzie knew her own to be. “You must place it upon her head and say the words.”
Looking as confused as ever, the Prince took the woven white flowers and
did as instructed.
“What words, exactly?”
“I be bhuragusthu de agamsa,” Kenzie spoke in her native tongue,
making sure to properly enunciate each syllable so he could follow along.
“I be burr…” he began, trying his hardest to stumble through the words
that were foreign to him, “a Gus who de Gamsa.”
That’s good enough, I suppose… Kenzie frowned, regarding him. Though
I thought that being the heir to these lands, he would have some knowledge of
Gaelic.
“You may call me Kenzie,” she told him, dismissing her negative thoughts
with a smile, before leaning in to kiss him, as was customary.
Seraphina and the other clanspeople who’d made the journey with her
began to cheer, but their cheers were cut short when her new husband pulled
back from her in surprise. “Whoa! I don’t know what’s expected between two
strangers in the North, but here in the South it’s customary to save that kind
of greeting for your husband.”
“Yes?”
“Yes…” he agreed, searching her eyes as if to gauge how much of the
language she understood, “so I have a fiancĂ©e and you have a Prince who’s
waiting very anxiously to meet you up at the Palace.”
Kenzie suddenly felt ill and more than a little dizzy. “You are not
Prince Kadrean…?” The golden-haired stranger she’d just married wore a look of
concern mixed with confusion. “Then who are you?”
“Uh…” He cleared his throat, made a little uncomfortable by the stares
of the clanspeople. “Lord GarronD’Arbonne…at your service, Your Highness.”
An uncomfortable silence fell over them and the clansfolk, but Kenzie
couldn’t find it in her to break it or fill it with anything meaningful. Her
entire focus was on keeping herself from hyperventilating.
I just married this GarronD’Arbonne… Not the Prince; not my intended. Kenzie was in full
panic at the gravity of the error she had just committed. How can I fix
this?! The marriage bond is forever, never able to be undone… A man can
remarry, under certain circumstances, but can a woman? Would they even allow
such a thing?
My father will be so disappointed in me. He wanted this treaty between
our lands to work. I’ve only just arrived and I’ve already ruined it. What am I
going to do?!
“Well,” Garron cleared his throat again, “we should be going. I’m sure
Prince Kadrean is eager to meet you.”
Gesturing forward, her husband held out his arm for her.
No, I mustn’t think of him that way, she admonished herself. He is my
husband, but he’s right, I’m supposed to marry Prince Kadrean. There is a
treaty; our marriage is law. It must happen…
MurandyDamodred (left) & Justine Alley Dowsett (right):
With a background in Drama and Communications from the University of Windsor, MurandyDamodred (left) enjoys fantasy fiction with strong romantic subplots. She is an avid roleplayer and is happiest when living vicariously through her characters. Though she’d rather think of herself as the heroine of her next novel, in the real world she is an expert in sales and management living in Windsor, Ontario.
From obtaining a BA in Drama at the University of Windsor to becoming an entrepreneur in video game production and later, publishing, Justine Alley Dowsett’s unswerving ambition has always led her to pursue her dreams. Today she lives in Windsor, Ontario and is still writing and publishing fiction novels. When not focusing on growing her business, she enjoys role-playing with friends and developing new ideas to write about.
Congrats to the ladies. It must take some special talent to write a book with a partner. How does that work for them?
ReplyDeleteSusan Says
I don't know if I could ever co-author a book, Susan. I admire Justine and Murandy, and it seems to work for them brilliantly! Cheers!
DeleteVery carefully, Susan! ;)
DeleteActually, we find it easy and fun for the most part! I wrote a blog about it one time, you can check it out: https://mirrorworldpublishing.wordpress.com/2015/06/24/dont-listen-to-the-nay-sayers-co-writing-is-easy/
Thanks for having us on your blog today, Sharon! Murandy and I both really appreciate it and all you do :)
ReplyDeleteYou're more than welcome, Justine! Right back atcha! Best wishes on your newest release!
DeleteHi Sharon!!! I'm so happy you were part of the release day extravaganza for Unintended. I appreciate your support :)
ReplyDeleteHappy I could help out! Cheers and high fives, Sapph!
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