Blog Tour & Giveaway: Red Winter by Annette Marie

A New Series from Amazon Best-Selling Author Annette Marie, RED WINTER is coming…

“Soon all her human fears would become meaningless. Her future had been written by the kami, and her destiny awaited her.”

In the enchanting new fantasy RED WINTER by Annette Marie, Emi Kimura has been preparing her entire life to become the mortal host of a goddess. When she discovers the lies surrounding her true fate, she makes a dangerous bargain with a fox spirit to seek out the truth. As her final days as a mortal approach, she must choose whether to bow to duty ... or fight for her life.

Book Blurb:

Emi is the kamigakari. In a few short months, her life as a mortal will end and her new existence as the human host of a goddess will begin. Carefully hidden from those who would destroy her, she has prepared her mind, body, and soul to unite with the goddess—and not once has she doubted her chosen fate.

Shiro is a yokai, a spirit of the earth, an enemy of the goddess Emi will soon host. Mystery shrouds his every move and his ruby eyes shine with cunning she can’t match and dares not trust. But she saved his life, and until his debt is paid, he is hers to command—whether she wants him or not.

On the day they meet, everything Emi believes comes undone, swept away like snow upon the winter wind. For the first time, she wants to change her fate—but how can she erase a destiny already wrought in stone? Against the power of the gods, Shiro is her only hope … and hope is all she has left.

RED WINTER includes 10 full-page illustrations by artist Brittany Jackson.

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Read an excerpt from the book--

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The yokai didn’t move, just held her in place with a strength she couldn’t fight. She tipped her head back to see his face, to gauge his intent. His gaze traveled across her room, intent and analyzing. Then his eyes flicked down and he appeared almost surprised to see her staring up at him. His mouth curved into a sly grin, flashing pointed canines.

His amusement at her terror sparked a tiny surge of anger. “Let me go!”

“Ah, little miko, didn’t anyone ever tell you not to run from yokai?” His deep, purring voice sent a shiver across her skin. He leaned down as his hand on her throat forced her head back. He brushed his nose along her jaw, from her chin up to her ear. “It’s the surest way to make us pounce,” he whispered, his breath tickling her ear.

Goose bumps raced down the back of her neck and she clenched her jaw. “Get your hands off me.”

He hummed as he pushed his face into her hair, inhaling through his nose. “But didn’t you put your hands on me first?”

“I was treating your wounds.” She summoned her most commanding tone, desperately hoping her voice wouldn’t quaver. “You’re proving that your kind’s reputation is well deserved with such disrespect and ingratitude toward the person who saved your life.”

His head came up and fear shot through her that she’d offended him, that he would surely kill her now. Instead, he made a thoughtful noise, and his hands fell away, releasing her.

She almost leaped out of his lap but remembered his comment about running from yokai. With more self-control than she’d thought she had, she carefully stood, walked four steps, and turned to face him. He stayed where he was, lounging on the bed with his feet on the floor, casually propped up on one arm. His head tilted to one side as he watched her, and that slight, knowing grin played about his lips.

She sank down to kneel on the floor, mostly because her legs were shaking so badly she was afraid he’d notice. As nonchalantly as possible, she slid her hands into the opposite sleeves of her kimono and pinched her hidden ofuda between two fingers, ready to pull the paper talismans out.

“No need for that, little miko,” he remarked, each word almost caressing her. How could he have such an otherworldly yet still human voice? “I will not harm you.”

She flushed, embarrassed she’d been so obvious, but didn’t let go of the ofuda. “What was that—that assault then?”

“Assault, you call it? That little embrace?”

“You—” She broke off with a small shake of her head. If he was determined to ignore the inappropriateness of forcefully holding a woman against him and rubbing his face on her, nothing she said would change his mind. “You have the manners of a dog.”

“What did you expect? The ritual greetings of the imperial court?”

“Some respect for the person who saved your life would have been welcome.”

“Ah, yes, you did save me, and I am very grateful.” He idly tugged at a lock of his hair as his gaze slid down her and back up again. “I am in your debt. Tell me your desire and I will fulfill it.”

“My—my desire?” she choked.

He smirked again. “A favor, little miko. I am saying I owe you a favor.”

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My Review:

4 Out Of 5 Stars

Genre: Another-World, Mystery, Royal-Court, Supernatural--

Emi has spent her whole life preparing for when her body will be joined with the Gods. She has missed out on so many experiences that others her age have had, as well as having a strict diet, tons of training and being constantly in danger from evil spirits. But Emi believes that it is all worth it, to be able to become part of something much bigger than herself. Until she discovers she has been lied to, her path is not what her mentors led her to believe. Emi will seek answers to the questions that will change her life forever.

I was really excited to get my hands on this book because I am in love with the Steel and Stone series by this same author, which is a fast paced urban fantasy full of adventure with a very strong female character and wonderful side characters. I will admit that I was a little let down when I first started this book, and it was mostly my fault (and a little the authors fault for creating such a great series previously) because my expectations were way high. The story begins a little slow, with a lot of things I am not familiar with, such as Japanese customs, attire, words, Gods, hierarchy... just to name a few obstacles that were in my path to learn about before I could enjoy the book. (there was a glossary in the back of the book, but I lacked interest in using it because it was inconvenient in the pdf I was reading.) There was a supernatural element that was alluded to, but I did not encounter anything to make me think it was more than a myth...at first. It was a slow going 80ish pages to trudge through to end up setting the stage for what I can see will be an epic quest where Emi will learn who she really is. I am so glad that I kept reading (which I always do because I am not a quitter) because the story became complex and intriguing, full of adventure and danger.

I found Emi to be more timid than I like my female protagonists to be. I am sure that her sheltered life where she was literally not allowed to do anything that could potentially be found to be dangerous played a big part in shaping her. At times in the beginning of the book, it felt like she lacked a personality, more a puppet to the greater good than a real person. As the story progressed, I realized that she was strong in her own way, willing to do whatever was needed for the greater good.

Shiro was interesting and kept me on my toes trying to guess his motivations and I loved how he was depicted in human and fox form. Is it inappropriate to find a fox man attractive, because if it is I am in big trouble. He was a mix of mischief, humor, sincerity and fierceness that I could not help but be lured in by this character (in case you can't tell, he was my favorite).

I loved that there were random illustrations included in the book and I think it would be worth it to get the physical book to see the finished images and how they help the story. Overall this was a great first book to set the tone and the world building for the rest of the series. I can't wait to see what will come next for Emi.

I received this title in return for my honest review.

Author Bio:

Annette Marie is the author of the Amazon best-selling YA urban fantasy series Steel & Stone, which includes the 2015 Goodreads Choice Award nominee Yield the Night. Her first love is fantasy, a limitless realm of creativity where she can break all the boring rules of real life, but fast-paced urban fantasy, bold heroines, and tantalizing forbidden romances are her guilty pleasures. She proudly admits she has a thing for dragons, and her editor has politely inquired as to whether she intends to include them in every book.

Annette lives in the frozen winter wasteland of northern Alberta, Canada (okay, it’s not quite that bad). She shares her life with her remarkably patient, comparatively sensible husband and their furry minion of darkness—sorry, cat—Caesar. When not writing, she can be found elbow-deep in one art project or another while blissfully ignoring all adult responsibilities.

To find out more about Annette and her books, visit her website at www.authorannettemarie.com

You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, Amazon and Goodreads

Celebrate the Release of RED WINTER with a Giveaway!

Grand Prize: 1 Winner will Receive a $25 Amazon Gift Card

Runner-Ups: 3 Winners will Each Receive one $10 Amazon Gift Card Each

a Rafflecopter giveaway Blog Tour provided by Barclay Publicity