Guest Blog & Giveaway with Hailey Edwards

Second Chance Romance

          In life, second chances are rare. In romance novels, they come around a bit more often. No complaints here. I love second chance romances. There’s something about the clash of wills of a couple who knows each other intimately. When they share a dark and painful past? It’s delicious.

          Of course, there are several variations on the second chance trope. For A Cast of Shadows, it’s the hero, Brynmor, who gets a second chance at finding love. He was married before, to Isolde. They have a son together and share one of those dark and painful pasts I mentioned earlier. Brynmor is also, well, dead. When he’s given a unique second chance at life, he dares to hope a second chance at love might follow.

          Enter the heroine, Daraja. She’s young, headstrong and determined to make her own way in the world. Then she meets Brynmor. She doesn’t know he’s a spirit with the ability to manifest flesh. When she finds out, she’s understandably furious and hurt by his betrayal.

          Ultimately, I think that’s what attracts me to second chance romances. Sort of like in The Neverending Story when Urgl says, “It has to hurt if it’s to heal.” There’s something healing about following a character’s journey while they triumph over their past. The reward is even sweeter since they suffered for so long before obtaining it.

       ***   What about you? Do you like stories where the heroine and hero share a past? Or do you prefer to witness that first meeting? If you do enjoy those types of books, do you have any recommendations?

Let me know and you’ll be entered to win a title from my backlist in any digital format.
To enter answer the questions above and leave your email address. Open to everyone. The winner will be announced on February 20th.
________________________________________________________

A Cast of Shadows

Araneae Nation, Book 2.5

By Hailey Edwards
February 12, 2013

The strongest net is no match for destiny.

Daraja has grown up watching her brothers journey down the river on the traditional Deinopidae rite of passage. Each returned with riches from their travels, and lovers with whom to share their lives.

Now she has reached the age where she would strike out on her own to seek her fortune—if she were male. Instead, she is expected to sit patiently, weave her nets and wait for the river to bring a husband to her.

Patience, however, has never been her strong suit.

Brynmor haunts the forest surrounding the city of Cathis, his disembodied spirit inextricably bound to the wild canis roaming his lands. Until the day he stumbles across a brazen trespasser in his woods.

Compelled to step in when the canis suspect her of poaching one of their own, Brynmor fears he has lost a piece of his ragged soul to the feisty, adventure-seeking female. And when the canis confront the real poachers, he is forced to choose which life to sacrifice. Hers…or his own.

 Warning: This book contains one heroine with a knack for weaving nets and one hero who relishes getting caught. Expect singing, some howling, ghostly shenanigans, and the start of a love that transcends death.

Author Links:
Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter

A Cast of Shadows can be purchased at these stores:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBook | Samhain Publishing