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or more guest posts, interviews, reviews, and chances to win!
O P E N I N G H O O K:
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Prologue
1918
Jocelyn's anguished soul inspired the words of warning she'd leave behind for the man she loved. The man she believed had driven her to such madness. With cold, quivering fingers, she addressed the parchment, placed it snugly in the deep pocket of her gown, and set to work.Generous moonlight spilled over the frigid night, yet Jocelyn ignored the chill. Hatred boiled within her, heated her blood as she dragged boulders, stacked stones, and created the perfect place for the sacrifice. Her heart gave protest, yet she wouldn't stop until her work was complete--the one thing she was certain of, her destiny.
(page 10, US ebook edition)
It's hard to pin EVIE'S KNIGHT down to a specific genre. It has the title of a fantasy romance, which is a clever pun because the name of the male love interest is Calvin Knight. Calvin isn't a knight from lore long ago, nor is he reincarnated in any way. In fact, the novel is grounded in contemporary, modern-day times. There are a few scenes (such as the excerpt from the above prologue) that reflect on something that happened long ago, resulting in a curse that has carried over to now. Because of the curse, there is a fantasy (or perhaps paranormal; the line is blurred in this book, for me. I would actually lean more toward fantasy and less toward paranormal, myself) element to bring the story away from the ordinary.
While the book opens with a scene from the past, it quickly speeds up to show readers the typical everyday life of Evie Wylder, who stops to pick up her best friend on her way to classes (She's in college, so this book could also technically be considered New Adult, even though New Adult is taking on the connotation of being about smutty romance, which EVIE'S KNIGHT is not), then runs out of gas and embarrasses herself in front of Calvin Knight, a gorgeous guy from her art class. (See the scene in the above-linked excerpt!) Soon, Evie and Calvin become art critiquing partners, then friends, then boyfriend/girlfriend. The only problem? By falling in love, Calvin has opened up an age-old curse, and a scorned woman trapped between worlds is bent on revenge and about to destroy everything that Evie and Calvin have built together.
EVIE'S KNIGHT isn't your typical romance. It's blended with fantasy, revenge, and more. Watching Calvin and his wayward older brother Parker bond together in order to protect loved ones from the curse opened up new aspects of the story I hadn't expected to see as each brother gains special abilities for the ensuing fight. Parker himself is an interesting character, going from someone vile and hated to a guy who has his own story today. Since EVIE'S KNIGHT is flagging as a series despite the fact that it ended and had no cliffhanger, I'm wondering if there will be a companion novel centered around Parker. It certainly wouldn't surprise me, and I already have thoughts as to what could happen in that book. If another book is written, I do hope the supporting characters are more rounded-out. Soon after beginning to hang out with Calvin more and more, Evie falls out of touch with Kelly, the best friend we meet in the first chapter. Kelly starts hanging out with other people and excluding Evie, but Evie also excludes Kelly by spending all of her time with Calvin. Kelly comes back into the picture for a brief period later on, then disappears again, more of a convenience than a character integral to the plot. At the same time, other characters come into the story and become important as it shifts and changes once the curse becomes reality, no longer just a dream.
One of my favorite things about EVIE'S KNIGHT was the way art is brought into the story. I feel that author Kimberly Krey must be an artist herself. She'll mention pencil brands, special techniques used in paintings, the way paint looks as a brush is thrust into a cup of water... Things I don't normally think of when art comes to mind. She goes even further, and makes the place where Calvin and Parker train for battle into something artsy and new, too, as well as another place that's too spoilery to mention. There's also a fantastic scene with Calvin and Evie that's very artsy and sweet...and spoilery, so I'll leave it there. Just seeing the way art slips into the story and becomes a part of it intrigues me. I can't envision EVIE'S KNIGHT without the art, and really felt this element come alive in a way I haven't with other books featuring artists. If Krey does, in fact, come out with a sequel or companion novel, it will be interesting to see what element she'll steep into the story next.
While the book opens with a scene from the past, it quickly speeds up to show readers the typical everyday life of Evie Wylder, who stops to pick up her best friend on her way to classes (She's in college, so this book could also technically be considered New Adult, even though New Adult is taking on the connotation of being about smutty romance, which EVIE'S KNIGHT is not), then runs out of gas and embarrasses herself in front of Calvin Knight, a gorgeous guy from her art class. (See the scene in the above-linked excerpt!) Soon, Evie and Calvin become art critiquing partners, then friends, then boyfriend/girlfriend. The only problem? By falling in love, Calvin has opened up an age-old curse, and a scorned woman trapped between worlds is bent on revenge and about to destroy everything that Evie and Calvin have built together.
EVIE'S KNIGHT isn't your typical romance. It's blended with fantasy, revenge, and more. Watching Calvin and his wayward older brother Parker bond together in order to protect loved ones from the curse opened up new aspects of the story I hadn't expected to see as each brother gains special abilities for the ensuing fight. Parker himself is an interesting character, going from someone vile and hated to a guy who has his own story today. Since EVIE'S KNIGHT is flagging as a series despite the fact that it ended and had no cliffhanger, I'm wondering if there will be a companion novel centered around Parker. It certainly wouldn't surprise me, and I already have thoughts as to what could happen in that book. If another book is written, I do hope the supporting characters are more rounded-out. Soon after beginning to hang out with Calvin more and more, Evie falls out of touch with Kelly, the best friend we meet in the first chapter. Kelly starts hanging out with other people and excluding Evie, but Evie also excludes Kelly by spending all of her time with Calvin. Kelly comes back into the picture for a brief period later on, then disappears again, more of a convenience than a character integral to the plot. At the same time, other characters come into the story and become important as it shifts and changes once the curse becomes reality, no longer just a dream.
One of my favorite things about EVIE'S KNIGHT was the way art is brought into the story. I feel that author Kimberly Krey must be an artist herself. She'll mention pencil brands, special techniques used in paintings, the way paint looks as a brush is thrust into a cup of water... Things I don't normally think of when art comes to mind. She goes even further, and makes the place where Calvin and Parker train for battle into something artsy and new, too, as well as another place that's too spoilery to mention. There's also a fantastic scene with Calvin and Evie that's very artsy and sweet...and spoilery, so I'll leave it there. Just seeing the way art slips into the story and becomes a part of it intrigues me. I can't envision EVIE'S KNIGHT without the art, and really felt this element come alive in a way I haven't with other books featuring artists. If Krey does, in fact, come out with a sequel or companion novel, it will be interesting to see what element she'll steep into the story next.
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C O V E R D E S I G N:
It was fun to see the evolution of this cover from its first incarnation to its current one. I love the addition of color and feel that the pink really makes everything pop. I also like the way the title/author/etc. read now. Everything is much clearer.
Choosing to go with an image of Calvin rather than a ghost also works better, though the model looks older than I envisioned Calvin to be! I do like the image of the girl, and feel that it reflects an important aspect of the story, though it might be misleading if prospective readers think it's a Sleeping Beauty fairy tale at first glance because it isn't.
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O F F I C I A L I N F O:
Title: EVIE'S KNIGHT
Author: Kimberly Krey
Author: Kimberly Krey
Release Date: Sept. 11, 2012
Publisher: Kimberly Krey
Publisher: Kimberly Krey
Received: For Review
SUMMARY:
When Evie falls in love with Calvin Knight, their young, virtuous romance conjures a truly wicked spell.
Evie always thought her eighteenth year would be magical, but so far it's not what she hoped for. Her best friend has gone wild, her love life is void, and she misses her mom more than ever. But life for Evie is about to change. Calvin Knight, the object of her fascination, is about to fall madly in love with her. Just one problem: Their love conjures a murderous woman from beyond the grave who wants Evie dead. The same demon who has haunted the Knight men for over four generations. Soon Calvin is forced to make a choice: Set Evie free and hope to evade the wrath of The Raven- haired Ghost, or use his newly gifted strengths to fight against her. If he chooses to fight and wins, Calvin will free the Knight men of this demonic witch. If he loses, Evie will become her next victim.
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Super
Swag-a-licious Giveaway
Grand
Prize: $50
Amazon gift card, a signed paperback of Evie's Knight, SoftLips chapstick, recipe
cards, E.K. calendar card, postcard of The Storm, and bookmark.
2nd
Prize: $25 Amazon
gift card,
a
signed paperback of Evie's Knight, SoftLips chapstick, recipe
cards, E.K. calendar card, postcard of The Storm, and bookmark.
3rd
Prize: $10 Amazon
gift card,
a
signed paperback of Evie's Knight, SoftLips chapstick, recipe
cards, E.K. calendar card, postcard of The Storm, and bookmark.
Five
more winners will receive an ebook version of Evie’s Knight!
Paperback
winners may choose between old cover (shown below) or the new cover, featuring
Calvin Knight (shown above).
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by Rafflecopter and announced on Colorimetry & Rafflecopter as well as emailed to winners who will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Laura, Burgandy Ice, @ www.burgandyice.blogspot.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Thank you for the awesome review, and for being a part of the blog tour! I'm thrilled you were able to join us, and I really enjoyed hearing your thoughts on the book. Good luck to all entering the contest!
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