Hello, lovelies!! It gives me great pleasure today to host Luki Belle and her new book, “The Delicate Affair of Colonel Baquiste,” here on FAB!! For other stops on her Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tour, please click on the banner above or any of the images in this post.
Be sure to make it to the end of this post to enter to win a $25 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card!! Also, come back daily to interact with Luki and to increase your chances of winning!!
Thanks for stopping by!! Wishing you all lots of good luck in this fabulous giveaway!!
The Delicate Affair of Colonel Baquiste
by Luki Belle
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GENRE: Adult Fiction, Gothic Fiction, Paranormal Suspense, Military Thriller
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BOOK BLURB:
The setting: two fictitious nations, Hastan and Llehstanz, in a past imaginary era of colonization.
The Llehstanz Monarchy won its final battle over Hastan to colonize the nation after years of war. The battlefield charge was led by a reputable, young, ruthless, and handsome Colonel Valstohl Baquiste. Highly skilled but equally arrogant, he holds a prejudice against the people of Hastan. Tragically, Colonel Baquiste was unexpectedly attacked during the last battle leaving him physically disabled. Realizing his military life is over, the embittered Colonel Baquiste awaits his dismissal to return to Llehstanz. However, he is offered a second chance for victory.
Colonel Baquiste is called back to military duty on a secret mission. He must go alone in disguise to capture elusive thugs terrorizing the Llehstanzite regiment. In accepting the mission, Baquiste realizes he is no longer fighting an enemy on a battleground when he travels to stay at the palace of renowned Southern Hastana landowner, Sir Bojeshnomaan Yervaan. Yervaans’ sinister nature ensnares Baquiste while the delicate assignment compels him to confront his tragic past and his prejudice against Hastanas. If the ambitious Colonel wants victory, it will require him to use not just his grit but also his heart.
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EXCERPT ONE:
I would take your place if you ordered me Valstohl. You still have five hours to get on that ship and go home. Let Masim clean up this mess on his own reputation, this is not your problem. And if you fail then he will just find another officer and keep trying. Your life is not worth this! Go home, start a family, you are the only Baquiste heir. Don’t take this mission!
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GUEST POST:
Describe Your Book Cover and How It Came About
Awesome subject matter!! :)
The front cover of The Delicate Affair of Colonel Baquiste (TDACB) depicts a sunset scene upon the dangerous Ganis River, in Hastan, where on a rowboat you see the male protagonist, Colonel Valstohl Baquiste dressed in disguise of naturalist Gulaan Dasmire, looking at an elderly boatman who is focused on steering the boat because of the powerful river currents. In the backdrop is the intense setting sun over densely populated forests. In the foreground, above the scene, are a pair of delicate silver anklets and below, a pair of vector-crossed swords with regal hilts, the blade of the left sword dripping with blood.
The front cover is packed with meaning and themes that are prevalent in the book!
“Delicate Affair” is the term that was used by Ambassador General Masim Tropart to describe the mission which he literally demanded Colonel Valstohl Baquiste to accept. When one reads TDACB one will realize that these two words could also be used to describe the factors that led to the profound change that came upon the Colonel, in his heart and mind, compelling him to reconcile his tragic past and nudging him gently into self-discovery and self-healing. However, this came at a painful cost to the Colonel, starting with his attack, at the last colonization battle against Hastan, that led to his permanent disability.
The anklets and swords are both symbolic and metaphorical in the sense that they speak to the delicate and harsh elements that impact Valstohl while the objects are also part of the story; there is a reason the blood is on the left sword’s tip (when you read TDACB you will probably guess why!). Besides the symbolism, the two objects also represent male and female essences in the novel. I use these attributions quite a lot because it is part of Valstohl’s self-discovery journey, through Gulaan Dasmire, whilst knowing that both are the same person whose duty is ultimately to serve the Llehstanz Monarchy as Colonel.
If we look at the center scene of the imagery on the front cover, one tends to feel the essence of an intense sunset and the quiet silhouetted figures on the boat. Unlike sunrise that lightens the sky, a sunset turns to night which to me represents veiling, hiding or concealing or disguising, danger or threat, and heightened anticipation. All things which have meaning in TDACB, especially the influence of a veil and the outcomes of being in disguise. The concept of seeing things in silhouette intrigued me when writing TDACB because only in disguise could the persona of the Colonel see the shadows of Valstohl and Gulaan, to begin to reconcile one with the other as a subconscious journey to self-discovery and self-healing. Dusk is also the time when the roads leading to Daikalin city and to the Yervaan palace become treacherous for travel because of the danger of attacks from the Hastana thugs. The sky colors of dusk tend to be vibrant, harsh, striking, hot, dynamic, and energetic, all the characteristics that apply to the overall mood of Southern Hastan where Daikalin city and the Yervaan palace are located. It is the place where Valstohl must go under the disguise of naturalist Gulaan Dasmire.
When you look at the two characters on the front cover’s scene, you will see Colonel Valstohl Baquiste not in his Llehstanzite military uniform, rather he is in the disguise of naturalist Gulaan Dasmire. Gulaan is quietly observing the elderly Hastana boatman. Observation is a key element that repeatedly shows up throughout TDACB and is the trigger of key events. I use it to show that when one observes, it not only impacts oneself but also the person being observed. People observe the Colonel (Valstohl) and the naturalist (Gulaan) while he too observes others as both Colonel and naturalist. Most importantly the Colonel is able to observe himself as Valstohl and Gulaan which has its own impact.
The boatman is an elderly man being shown focused intently on navigating the vessel through the dangerous river Ganis. He is not however detached from his passenger (Gulaan) even though the boatman is focused on his task at hand. Elderly men play an important role in the Colonel’s life as described in TDACB, men who are strictly duty bound to the Llehstanz Monarchy while having lasting impact on Valstohl Baquiste.
The river journey scene that is ultimately depicted on the cover is the initial place of identity change and identity collision for the Colonel as he begins to embody the persona of the naturalist while recalling his tragic past. The dangerous rapids on the river Ganis threatens the life of Valstohl but he is reassured of his safety by the gentle, elderly Hastana boatman, and this reminds the Colonel of his father. It is at this point that Valstohl looks back at his life, for the very first time since coming to Hastan to fight the colonization battle for the Monarchy of Llehstanz. This scene in the Delicate Affair of Colonel Baquiste is the first moment of a silent transformation in the Colonel, consciously and subconsciously!
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AUTHOR BIO:
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Luki Belle works in the media industry. Storytelling was a fixture from childhood when she would listen to stories told by her grandparents, parents, sisters, and cousins who would read to her from diverse cultural fiction books. Growing up, Luki was fortunate to live in various parts of the world and experience beautiful cultures. During this time, she embraced and appreciated diversity among people while recognizing through love, overcoming pain, or grief, one can truly bond with others leading to unimaginable positive outcomes.
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CONNECT WITH LUKI:
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/people/Luki-Belle/100090188427853
Twitter:
https://www.twitter.com/lukibelleauthor
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/lukibelletheauthor
BookBub Author Page:
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/luki-belle
BookBub Book Page:
https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-delicate-affair-of-colonel-baquiste-by-luki-belle
Goodreads Author Page:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/29703323.Luki_Belle
Goodreads Book Page:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/123095819-the-delicate-affair-of-colonel-baquiste
Amazon Author Page:
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BOOK BUY LINKS:
Amazon US Kindle eBook:
Amazon US Paperback:
Amazon CA Kindle eBook:
https://www.amazon.ca/Delicate-Affair-Colonel-Baquiste-ebook/dp/B0BWLFTW6R
Amazon CA Paperback:
https://www.amazon.ca/Delicate-Affair-Colonel-Baquiste/dp/166293534X
Barnes and Noble NOOK eBook:
Barnes and Noble Paperback:
Kobo US eBook:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-delicate-affair-of-colonel-baquiste
Kobo CA eBook:
https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/the-delicate-affair-of-colonel-baquiste
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GIVEAWAY INFO:
Luki will be awarding a $25 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card (Winner’s Choice!!!) to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.**This post contains affiliate links and if clicked and a purchase is made, I may receive a small commission to help support this blog. This does not cost you anything, it just helps pay for all those fabulous community outreach projects and awesome giveaways on here**
This contest is sponsored by a third party. Fabulous and Brunette is a registered host of Goddess Fish Promotions. Prizes are given away by the sponsors and not Fabulous and Brunette. The featured author and Goddess Fish Promotions are solely responsible for the giveaway prize.
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