Belega by Dianne Hartsock Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, Review & Giveaway!

Belega - Dianne Hartsock

Dianne Hartsock has a new MM fantasy romance book out, The Karthagans Book One:

Belega.

The Karthagans have regained their ancient powers of manipulating nature, but at the price of madness. In their lust for control they’ve destroyed their island and most of their race. They come now to Belega where one of them, Camron, seeks domination over the known world.

The Mage has come from the northern continent of Sennia to bring peace, but finding his strength no match for the coming struggle, he passes his abilities on to Natan, who only desires a simple life. Now only Natan has the ability to stop Camron, but the personal cost is more than he imagines.

It is only with the combined strength of his friends, his Karthagan lover, Kavi, and his deep desire to bring peace to the earth, that he finds the courage to overcome Camron and restore balance to the world. The power of the mind is immense.

In this world, mankind has learned to gather the energies of creation to use at their whim. But absolute power corrupts absolutely.

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Giveaway

Dianne is giving away a $20 Amazon gift card with this tour – enter via Rafflecopter:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b60e8d47115/?


Exclusive Excerpt

Belega meme - Dianne Hartsock
Hello! I’m Dianne, author of Belega, and today I’d like to bring you a deleted scene involving my gruff Captain Bryon. It’s not mentioned in the book, but as a youth Bryon fell in love with the daughter of the richest man in Amara. He courted her, as did all the young men of age, one day taking her to his cabin in the woods. Gathering his courage, he asked her to marry him. As you might suspect, she scorned him, laughed at him, declaring she could never call such a hovel a home.

Heartbroken, shamed, Bryon never brought another woman to his cabin. That is, until he meets Kirstin. In this scene, he’s anxious for Kirstin to visit, doubting she’ll come, knowing he and his home were not good enough for her. And yet he hopes…

~~

Bryon leaned on the handle of his scythe and looked critically at the cabin.  He’d gotten there the day before and had set his plans at once into motion.  He laughed wryly to himself, remembering the sweeping and dusting and airing out of empty rooms. His mother wouldn’t have known him for the boy she’d had to threaten to pick up after himself. 

His smile dimmed at the weather-beaten look of his home. At least it was clean.  He picked up the scythe and worked on the hillside until the sweat poured down his body and the ache had worked its way out of his heart.

            The afternoon passed into evening before he quit.  He’d reached the bottom of the slope and had even begun on the sides of the path.  He felt pleasantly tired and was thinking of supper when a step on the path startled him.  He watched in disbelief as Kirstin walked around the corner.  She stopped when she saw him and Bryon remembered to breathe.

            “What are you doing here?” were his first blunt words, but then he recalled himself and set the scythe carefully against a tree. He went to the girl and took her hands.  She smiled timidly, and it amazed him that she seemed nervous of him.  He couldn’t keep from touching her golden hair. Then he laughed, feeling ridiculous, and broke the spell.

             “Come on, girl.”  He put an arm around her and led her up the slope.  “You can tell me all about it over super.”  His steps faltered as they neared the cabin. What did he have to offer the girl after all but an old shack and a lonely heart?  He swore bitterly under his breath.

            Kirstin looked at his averted face in surprise then pressed her lips together. 

            “Bryon,” she chided and touched his cheek.  Her fingers covered his eyes.  “You’ve seen your home for far too long through her eyes.  Look with your own.” 

            She removed her hand and Bryon cried out. His mother’s flowers sprawled in a mass of color against the gleaming white walls of the cabin while pines towered in the background.  The well Father and he had dug close to the house for his mother sat in a lush field of grass. He caught a glimpse of the generous garden at the back.  He walked up the porch steps and looked in awe at a home with polished floors and hand-carved and cared for furniture.  Mother’s rugs and blankets added color everywhere. 

            “Thank you,” he whispered hoarsely.  He looked into Kirstin’s clear eyes and without thought bent his head and kissed her.  He drew back sheepishly and motioned to the open front door.  “Won’t you come in?”

~~

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Author Bio

Dianne Hartsock
Dianne grew up in one of the older homes in the middle of Los Angeles, a place of hardwood floors and secret closets and back staircases. A house where ghosts lurk in the basement and the faces in the paintings watch you walk up the front stairs. Rooms where you keep the closet doors closed tight at night. It’s where her love of the mysterious and wonderful came from. Dianne is the author of paranormal/suspense, fantasy adventure, m/m romance, the occasional thriller, and anything else that comes to mind.

She now lives in the beautiful Willamette Valley of Oregon with her incredibly patient husband, who puts up with the endless hours she spends hunched over the keyboard letting her characters play. Dianne says Oregon’s raindrops are the perfect setting in which to write. There’s something about being cooped up in the house with a fire crackling on the hearth and a cup of hot coffee in her hands, which kindles her imagination.

Currently, Dianne works as a floral designer in a locally-owned gift shop. Which is the perfect job for her. When not writing, she can express herself through the rich colors and textures of flowers and foliage.

Author Website: http://diannehartsock.wordpress.com/

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Author Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Dianne-Hartsock/e/B005106SYQ/

Review

Dianne Hartsock - Belega COVER - Belega 3445Title: Belega

Series: The Karthagans 01

Author: Dianne Hartsock

Genre: Fantasy

Length: Novel (288pgs)

Publisher: Solstice Publishing (February 10, 2020)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: 3 1/2 Hearts

Blurb: .The Karthagans have regained their ancient powers of manipulating nature, but at the price of madness. In their lust for control they’ve destroyed their island and most of their race. They come now to Belega where one of them, Camron, seeks domination over the known world. The Mage has come from the northern continent of Sennia to bring peace, but finding his strength no match for the coming struggle, he passes his abilities on to Natan, who only desires a simple life. Now only Natan has the ability to stop Camron, but the personal cost is more than he imagines. It is only with the combined strength of his friends, his Karthagan lover, Kavi, and his deep desire to bring peace to the earth, that he finds the courage to overcome Camron and restore balance to the world. The power of the mind is immense. In this world, mankind has learned to gather the energies of creation to use at their whim. But absolute power corrupts absolutely.

ISBN: B084P7NJFR

Product Link: Amazon US | Amazon UK

Reviewer: Shorty

Review: Belega is a story about the Karthagan people with great powers who were forced out of their homes by others were terrified of them to the isle of mist. But the isle causes strife between them splitting them into two groups and war. They are all but decimated until Natan, who I really never understood who he was, retrieves them.

This story starts out fast with hardly any descriptions or background of who the many characters are throughout. I found myself lost trying to figure out who was who and what exactly was going on. It was not until almost halfway through that I understood.

Kavi was a very confusing character to me. He ran hot and cold through the story which irritated me immensely. I honestly didn’t like most of the characters in this book. I will say the powers the Karthagans had were intriguing.

Fast paced, action packed with twists and turns but not enough character details. The reader is thrown into the story without any lead ins. I felt like i was missing something from start to finish.

O.k. read for me.

LOGO - Other Worlds Ink

The Shed by Dianne Hartsock

81a0T5g6AZL._SL1500_Title: The Shed
Series: N/A
Author: Dianne Hartsock
Genre: Contemporary/ Thriller
Length: Novel (260 pages)
Publisher: Solstice Publishing (Published June 12th 2014)
Heat Level: Low
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥ 3.5 Hearts
Reviewer: Aerin
Blurb: As a Certified Mental Health Therapist, Scott Reid has his share of interesting experiences, though nothing compares with the time he spends with the psychic, Alex Elson. Plagued by terrifying images and dreams, Alex turns to Doctor Reid in the hopes of learning to control his visions.

Instead, Scott is pulled into Alex’s world, where dreams and reality mix and nightmares are real. Two young men, brothers, have been abducted from the lake outside of Oakton without a trace of who took them.

That is, until Alex receives a silver pocket watch in the mail belonging to the elder brother, a taunt from the kidnapper for Alex to come find them. Alex’s visions turn at once into nightmares. Images flash in his mind of an abandoned well and a terrified, lonely boy slowly dying at the bottom. The shed looms close by, holding a horrifying secret, a dark place Alex’s frightened mind refuses to go.

With the help of Scott Reid, Alex endeavors to control his visions and find he brutalized victims before death claims them. But the watch is ticking away and time’s running out

ISBN: 9781625260819

Product Link: http://www.amazon.com/The-Shed-Dianne-Hartsock-ebook/dp/B00KXH186K

Review: Wow, this book was different from any other MM book I’ve read so far. This is not exactly a romance book, even though love and support from the loved ones are what help the characters thrive. This is mostly about the relationship between a psychic, Alex, who’s known for his visions that have been helpful to police in the past, and his mental therapist, Scott.

This story is told from the POVs of both Alex and Scott, which helps us understand the characters better, it gives us a better understanding of the plot, but it also showcases the amazing secondary characters that all play a very important role in this book. This book is a thriller with a very light romance subplot. The paranormal touch made the whole book very fascinating to me.

Alex is plagued by visions about two boys that have gone missing, Caleb and Christian. One of them is slowly dying, stuck in a well, while the other is somehow connected to the shed that makes an appearance in most of Alex’s visions. Unfortunately, only one of the boys will have a happy(ish) ending. Alex’s wonderful relationship with his wife is one of the main points in this book, and I loved the support and strength Alex got from it.

Scott is trying to help Alex control his visions, but this book isn’t only about Scott’s professional career. The relationship between Scott and Arthur, Scott’s love interest, is pretty much an insta-love, but it didn’t bother me in this book. There is no sex on page, not even a blowjob…*pouts*, but the progress of their love affair is a nice, light touch to a story that’s dark and somewhat creepy.

While I liked this book a lot, I didn’t really love it. The plot itself was intense enough; there were so many flashbacks that both Alex and Scott experience, it seemed a little overdone to me. And most of the characters in this book had fucked-up parents. I understand Scott’s past was the reason he chose to become a mental health therapist, but the other characters that were physically and/or psychologically abused by their parents made this book more dramatic than it already was.

If you like, a fast-paced book with solid, well-written characters, a mystery/crime based plot with a paranormal touch and a romance (both mf and mm) subplot that manage to soften the chaotic and violent actions, than this book is for you.
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *