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Wednesday, July 21, 2021

Frostborn by Michael Haddad - Book Tour - Guest Post - TWO Giveaways - Enter Daily!

Hey, lovelies!!  It gives me great pleasure today to host Michael Haddad and his new book, “Frostborn,” here on FAB!!  For other stops on his 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 $15 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card!!  And NOT ONLY is there this fabulous giveaway, but there is a SECOND fabulous giveaway!!  Be sure to continue scrolling down for a chance to win an eBook copy of the featured book, “Frostborn,” on Goodreads.  See below for more details.

Also, come back daily to interact with Michael and to increase your chances of winning!!

Thanks for stopping by!!  Wishing you all lots of luck in this fabulous giveaway!!

Frostborn

by Michael Haddad

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GENRE:  Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy / General

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BLURB:

The Frostborn—the one destined to end the war, the one blessed by the magic of Aether—was supposedly nothing more than a hopeless fairytale, a myth lost to time. But as the centuries-long war between the kingdoms of Eljud and Surtrol forces Elias Jökull to evacuate his village, a run-in with the fearsome Gjallarhorn army awakens within him a dormant power long since forgotten by the people—a power signaling the existence of the Frostborn.

With such critical news, hope of victory against Surtrol becomes contagious, yet Elias's former life of slavery leaves him apprehensive about lending a hand to his own flawed kingdom. Even still, knowing the world will soon be in search of him, the newfound Frostborn must choose his allegiances quickly. And after encountering a ranked Surt captain, he does just that.

But while acting as a double agent, feeding intel to Eljud's southern enemy and working both sides of the same border, his conflicted self struggles to anchor his loyalty to a single kingdom as buried secrets begin to unearth.

The incessant clash between the north and south is soon coming to an end and Elias will have to find a side to stand on. The hard question is: which side? Everyone wants the Frostborn for themselves, but for how long can Elias let the world string him along?

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EXCERPT ONE:

She holds the child close to her chest, cradling the head with a mother’s delicate touch. The other infant is nestled in a crib only a few feet away. Winds rattle the glass panes of the cracked window and some of the winter air seeps through. The rough and tattered curtains dance with it—the only movement in the room besides the woman’s near-chattering teeth. She does her best to keep the children warm, but for some reason they sleep soundlessly, soothed by the whistling of the wind.

The woman brushes a gaunt, wrinkled finger along the pudgy cheeks of the bundle in her arms. The shackles on her wrist jangle, anchored down by a bolt at the centre of the room. The tight, unrefined metal leaves behind blisters, but to her it is worth it. The young child’s skin is stone cold to her touch, but soft and full of colour. He breathes evenly and she can feel his pulse just fine when she moves her finger to the child’s neck. He feels dead, yet is as alive as anyone.

“Freezing cold. Ah, but look at these pudgy cheeks. You remind me of those statues in the hall,” she whispers, pinching his face until it is ruddy. “I’d be scared if you weren’t so adorable.”

The woman lifts her head as the sound of rushed steps echoes in the hall outside the door. She hears the jiggle of keys and a mechanical click releasing the lock. The knob turns and the door swings open...

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GUEST POST:

Nine Reasons You Should My Latest Book, “Frostborn”

1.)  A relatable and diverse cast of characters:

a.)  Most characters in the novel have their own motivating factors that contribute to the plot, and while they work to achieve these goals, they face hardships and must overcome their very relatable flaws.

b.)  Characters also express and normalize LGBTQ+ behaviors.

c.)  There is a healthy mixture of privileged and unprivileged characters.

d.)  The cast has strong female leaders.

e.)  There is a clash of cultures as invading kingdoms drive deeper into their territory.

2.)  A developing magic system for readers to imagine being a part of:

a.)  As the story progresses, readers learn about the lore of the current magic system and how it came to be, including the three primordial energies Aether, Nether and Ether.

b.)  The magic system has limitations. This is important in forcing characters to rely on their creativity/skill and not solely their power when using “magic”.

c.)  Although the Frostborn’s magic is inherent, any human could be gifted such power. They just need something called a Relic to act as a vehicle for their inner energy.

3.)  Motifs and themes directly taken from Norse mythology:

a.)  Most names either tie directly into Nordic lore or have Nordic origins.

b.)  Aurgelmir, Eljud’s capital, is another alias for Ymir, the frost jötunn.

c.)  Surtrol, the hot southern kingdom, comes from the fire jötunn Surtr, who’s told to be a contributing factor in Ragnarök.

d.)  Gjallarhorn Army is named after the horn associated with the god Heimdallr.

e.)  Hlidskjálf is the throne that oversees all nine realms. I named Eljud’s own throne after it.

4.)  Fun fact: Don’t worry if you can’t pronounce any of the names, I can barely pronounce half of them!

5.)  If you like trilogies, commit to this one! Frostborn is the first in the series and it’s not too long for a fantasy novel, so you’ll for sure know if you want to commit to the next books after reading the first.

6.)  Conflict! There are many flavours of conflict, for example:

a.)  Character against society: Even as the Frostborn, Elias must still face prejudices due to his history as a slave, inhibiting him from fulfilling his role as the kingdom’s alleged savior.

b.)  Character against self: Elias struggles with his own identity and making decisions given the circumstances of the ongoing war. He’s also desperate to control his newfound power.

c.)  Character against Character: We all love a villain, especially when that villain has been one step ahead of the MC every single time. But we all know, when a character is forced into a corner, they’re bound to exhibit significant changes.

7.)  Frostborn has a unique world of its own. The setting is vivid and highly developed. Characters venture through numerous cities before ending up at the capital city nested in the mountainside and closed off by a colossal wall. Although this novel focuses on the winter kingdom of Eljud, there will be more land for my characters to explore in the upcoming novels.

a.)  I’m hoping to include a map for book two because I am obsessed with them in fantasy stories. Keep an eye out! I may share sneak peeks on my social media as I continue working on it.

8.)  Profound and meaningful prose!

a.)  Ex. “There is no weakness in relying on others when the world has a knife to your throat.”

9.)  Last but certainly not least, Frostborn looks stunning on a bookshelf! I don’t know about you, but I’ve purchased books for much less.

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AUTHOR BIO:

Hardworking university student and recent John Abbott College graduate, Michael Haddad doubles as a fiction author of the fantastic who throws himself into his own writing—who can't stop imagining new worlds, new ideas, new characters. His passion for roleplaying games has earned him his fair share of teasing, but he'd be lying if he said it didn't open his imagination. When not at his computer, typing away, Michael is often with his friends and family, losing terribly at tennis, hunkering down for movie marathons, and trying to get a good night's sleep. As someone born and raised in Montreal, he is no stranger to having ice rinks for streets and snow up to the knee—but that's nothing a warm cup of coffee can't beat.

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CONNECT WITH MICHAEL:

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/Michael-Haddad-Author-106283484884430

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/mhaddad_author

Goodreads Author Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21313196.Michael_Haddad

Goodreads Book Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58158288-frostborn

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BOOK BUY LINKS:

Amazon US Kindle eBook:

http://amzn.to/3eSL5VJ

Amazon US Paperback:

http://amzn.to/2VeDZ72

Amazon CA Kindle eBook:

https://www.amazon.ca/Frostborn-Michael-Haddad-ebook/dp/B094ZN4JQL

Amazon CA Paperback:

https://www.amazon.ca/Frostborn-Michael-Haddad/dp/0228849640

Barnes and Noble Paperback:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/frostborn-michael-haddad/1139075432

The Book Depository Paperback:

https://www.bookdepository.com/Frostborn-Michael-Haddad/9780228849643

BAM! Books-A-Million Paperback:

https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Frostborn/Michael-Haddad/9780228849643

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GIVEAWAY #1 INFO:

Michael will be awarding a $15 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

And, because why have ONE giveaway when you can have TWO!!  Yep – that’s right!!  There is a SECOND Giveaway!!

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GIVEAWAY #2 INFO:

Michael is also awarding an eBook copy of his featured book, “Frostborn,” on Goodreads.

Check It Out and Enter to Win Below:

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Frostborn by Michael  Haddad

Frostborn

by Michael Haddad

Giveaway Ends June 27, 2021

See the Giveaway Details at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

**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 awesome giveaways on here**

Giveaway #1: This contest is sponsored by a third party. Fabulous and Brunette is a registered hostess 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.

Giveaway #2: This contest is sponsored by a third party. The eBook Prizes are given away by the sponsors; not Fabulous and Brunette. The featured author and Goodreads are solely responsible for the giveaway prize.

5 comments:

  1. Thank you so much for hosting my debut novel on such a wonderful Blog!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sounds like a very good book.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I like the book cover. There's something about it that just draws me in.

    ReplyDelete