Divided Fates
by Stephanie M. Allen
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GENRE: Fantasy
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BLURB:
Ten days after the battle in the north, the world of Erez has been thrown into turmoil.
Princess Isemay awakens – injured and weak – in a strange village. Branded an outcast because of her mixed heritage but forced to stay against her will, she must choose to conform to the sha’nidow way of life or face the consequences. When a mysterious stranger arrives with a heartbreaking message, Isemay’s hope abandons her to a fate far more destructive than she was prepared for.
Princess Alena finds herself the queen of the northern kingdom – powerful, adored, alone. Fighting inner demons of darkness, she travels south to visit her brother, now the king of Neilos. But fate will not allow her to find peace, and she must decide whether she will side with those she loves or the one who holds ultimate power.
Niri Flesh-cleaver, granddaughter to the elusive Choshech and heir to the nashech throne, has everything she could want – and yet her heart yearns for more. Torn between her mother’s orders and a forbidden love, she quickly realizes she cannot have both. Driven by brokenness, she will seek to destroy the one person she blames for Choshech’s demise – and find that perhaps her heart was the better guide all along.
Three women. Three separate journeys. One path to find that fate will divide even the closest of bonds.
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Excerpt One:
Niri bellowed her rage as she slammed onto the training field, her knuckles cracking into the ground, scattering the thralls asunder with the force of her landing. She stood and faced them, along with the elders, her eyes blazing with the heat of her hatred. She would use that hatred, oh yes. She would thwart it to her advantage. Jordan Allemand would die before her. She would watch his broken body bleed out over the blade of her labrys before a fortnight had passed. “Winged thralls that bear my mark, you are summoned.”
She strode across the ground, her tail flicking with adrenaline, knowing her thralls would obey without question. When she led them some distance away, she turned.
Seven of her thrall slaves took a knee before her, their wings folded neatly against their spines. “What is your bidding?” they murmured as one.
Niri spread her wings, allowing the wind to lift her a few feet above the ground. “Choshech commands.”
“And we obey.”
“We fly to the southwest to avenge his curse. We find Jordan Allemand as he searches for his lost future queen.” She parted her perfect rosebud lips, her triangular fangs bared in a snarl. “There he will meet his end.”
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Interview:
Where are you from? Tell us a little about yourself! – My name is Stephanie M. Allen. I currently live in Wyoming, but I was born and raised in Southern California. I’m married to the same man for thirteen years. He’s a tattoo artist currently. I have two kiddos, a son and a daughter, and two fur babies, a doggo and a cat. When I’m not writing, I work as a 7th grade English teacher.
Tell us about your book? How did it get started? – This story came to me in 2002. I was driving home from college, and I got a very clear picture of twin sisters. One of them had blue eyes and one of them had green eyes. They were across the continent from each other. I knew I had to tell their story. In 2015, I finished the first book, Dueling Fates. It took me another five years to get it published. With Divided Fates, I already had a foundation – characters, world, magic, etc. I also knew the basic bare bones story. However, it took me a long time to write this book. It was very emotionally draining for me, but in the end, I think this might be my favorite book I’ve ever written – especially the last chapter. It’s very special to me.
How do you create your characters? – Honestly, my characters kind of create themselves. I’m one of those authors that believes the characters tell me their stories and I just write them down. Usually, if it feels like there’s a hole in my story, it means a character is missing and I need to figure out where they fit in. For example, one of my favorite characters in this book is Niri, the nashech heir. She wasn’t even supposed to be in the story. However, as I read other books – like Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas – I realized I was missing an anti-heroine. I spent a lot of time developing her race and in the end, I’m really happy with her character and the role she plays in the story.
What inspires and what got you started in writing? – Music is my biggest inspiration. Every single book I write has a playlist on Spotify. As far as my start in writing, I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. I started with tons of stories about animals, since most of the books I read had animals as a main character. Where the Red Fern Grows and Call of the Wild were two of my favorites. As I got into high school, I got really into fan fiction. I loved writing about celebrities or characters from books that I liked. It wasn’t until I got inspired for the Dueling Fates trilogy that I found my love of fantasy writing. Before I published Dueling Fates, I self-published a four-book portal fantasy series – Harmony, Sealed Shadows, Clashing Fury, and Prevailing Light. That gave me the fire to continue writing Dueling Fates and Divided Fates.
What do you like to read? – I definitely stick to fantasy for most of the books I read. Some of my favorite authors are Sarah J. Maas, Holly Black, and Karen Marie Moning. You’ll see some inspiration from those authors in my books, for sure. I also love romance novels. Currently, I’m re-reading Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers, one of my favorite books ever, and one of the few that doesn’t fall into the fantasy genre.
What would your advice to be for authors or aspiring in regards to writing? – Never quit! It took me over ten years to publish Dueling Fates and I think over 50 publishers/agents told me “no” before I finally got a “yes”. There isn’t a right or wrong way to publish. Write what you love. Self-publish if you don’t want to go the traditional route. Send the manuscript to agents and editors if you want to. But keep writing!
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Stephanie M. Allen graduated from California Baptist University in 2009 with a B.A. in English and a desire to share her imaginative stories with the world. She loves to write fantasy, particularly centered around young adults. Aside from writing, Stephanie loves to read, ride horses, and sing. She currently lives in Wyoming with her husband and two children.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorStephanieAllen
Twitter: @StephMarieAllen
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15844466.Stephanie_M_Allen
Instagram: thestephmarieallen
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Stephanie-Allen/e/B01LZGBRKL
Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09X9PHJHF/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1
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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION
Stephanie will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
6 comments
Thanks for hosting!
Thank you so much for hosting! I really appreciate it 🙂
This sounds like a really good read. What was the hardest part about writing your book?
Divided Fates by Stephanie M. Allen sounds like a fantasy story with lots of interesting characters.
The book sounds very interesting. Love the cover!
Great interview and excerpt. I enjoyed following the tour and learning about Divided Fates, which sounds like an excellent book to read! Good luck with your book and I hope the tour was a success! Thanks for sharing it with me and have a marvelous TGIF!