ReBirth
Zodiac, #1
by Azshure Raine
Date of Publication: July 25th 2023
Publisher: Shadow Spark Publishing
Cover Artist: Azshure Raine
Genre: Romantic Fantasy, Sword and Sorcery, Mythological
ISBN: 979-8853443730
ASIN: B0C97CSLTJ
Number of pages: 389 pages
Word Count: 103k
Tagline: One more, one last time
BLURB
Time is something we all have too much of and too little. Our world turns at the mercy of the clock. Gaea is one of those worlds. The world has been reset Twelve times.
ReBirth: Zodiac Book One is a romantic fantasy novel with “Final Fantasy” level storytelling. It tells the tale of the Gaea’s thirteenth cycle through multiple POVs, energetic prose, and deep world-building.
If Titans, Zodiac, Star-Crossed lovers, and villains you love to hate are your thing, then grab an apple, pick up a copy, and may Fate smile upon you.
Threads of gold, ancient and dangerous, pull them together; a bond neither can deny.
Jase Raion receives an unexpected assignment—locate and retrieve a girl he was certain was dead.
Expecting nothing, he goes to Brighton—a port town on the island of Aria—and finds her.
The girl who escaped the fall of Aria.
The girl who bears the symbol of Eternity.
The girl whose blood the Titan of Time thirsts for.
Liya Fairaway, the Princess of Aria, and his target.
The moment he sees her, he knows she is not safe, from the Zodiac meant to protect her, the Titan of Time, nor his father—the King of Chall.
Excerpt:
Time gripped the spear’s shaft in her chest until her hand bled. A thousand years of being left pinned to the roots of the Mother Tree by Fate gnawed at her.
Groaning, she threw her head back, her long white hair dingy from the dirt and overgrowth. It stuck to the bark and pulled, causing stinging to roll through her skull.
Her chest heaved in frustration as she let out a primal scream before releasing the blood-red metal of the weapon. The tips pierced between her navel and breasts. She drew up the length of the captured arm with her free hand, tracing the tattoos with her blood. The red contrasted magnificently with the pale blue of her skin.
Throughout the twisted root cave, slivers of her power, thin golden threads, glittered across everything, waiting to catch prey in its nets.
Light at the end of the tunnel flickered, causing Time’s lips to curl into a devilish smile. Come to me. I could use the entertainment.
A rush of wind filled the hollow space, feathers scattering toward her in a kaleidoscope of black and white.
Time chuckled, low and deep. It’s her.
Her ex-lover stepped into the curtained sunlight and took slow, purposeful steps forward. Fate held her head high. Long black and white hair hung over her shoulders; the two colors parted directly down the middle. Time’s lip quivered as Fate ran her hand through her hair. Irresistible as ever. Her still gorgeous wings—one white, one black—spread behind her shoulders. Fate paused in the cavern and dismissed her wings with a flick of her wrist. Feathers rained down, disappearing into dust.
Time moved, her joints popping and her face twisting into a sinister grin. “Fate, my love, you’ve finally come,” she paused as a cloaked man peered into the cave, “to visit.”
So, she brought the rabble. How quaint.
Fate squared her shoulders. “I came to end this.”
“Is that so?” Time went slack; resting her free hand on the shaft of the Spear of Souls, tracing the metal with her gaze, she recalled the betrayal. How Fate and the Keepers cornered her, impaled her to the Mother Tree, and how the look of fear in the Keeper of Stars’ eyes when she sought her revenge before succumbing to the weapon and shattering him into twelve still gave her satisfaction. Like Mother Urth and Father Sky, he would never walk Gaea again. Time’s neck cracked as she focused on the man huddled at the entrance. The threads stretching through the darkness shifted as he entered. Time’s lips parted as she slid her tongue behind her teeth. “Then why did you bring him?”
The Prophet.
He was the key to her chains, as foretold by the Eternal Clock. The Prophet flinched at her low chuckle.
“Stay back,” Fate snapped before he could push past. “Whatever you do, don’t touch her.”
“Oh, please?” Time moaned, running her hand over her throat. “It has been so long.”
“Silence.” Fate placed her hand on the spear’s shaft, remaining out of Time’s reach. Thin wisps of charcoal smoke rolled over Fate’s shoulder, cascading down to the weapon, the ends darkening as death’s power inched toward Time. Resting her head on the bark, Time stared at the stray white hairs caressing her breasts. Slow, agonizing death was in her future.
The flash of blues and reds of the Prophet’s cloak caught her gaze as he paced uneasily behind Fate, his hand worrying at his chin.
Letting her head roll to the side, Time said, “I felt it, you know. When your daughter was born.”
Author Info
Azshure Raine is a mostly stay-at-home mom of 3. She and her husband, Ryan, have been happily married for 13+ years and originally met in a MMO.
Her day job is sticking things to newborns, and by sticking things to newborns, she means hearing screens.
In her free time, she hangs out with her black cat, Luna, and keeps three small humans from killing each other. To maintain her sanity, she now writes. And she may or may not have a thing for apples.
The Book Junkie Reads . . . Interview with . . . Azshure Raine . . .
How would you describe your style of writing to someone that has never read your work?
My style of writing is flowing. I use words that are familiar and easy to understand. I hope for emotional impact and to get your heart racing.
Do you feel that writing is an ingrained process or just something that flows naturally for you?
I’ve learned a lot over the years, and at first I thought it was natural, but I soon learned that it was stiff and unfeeling. So I had to learn more about how to craft words that please, and words that harm.
What mindset or routine do you feel the need to set when preparing to write (in general whether you are working on a project or just free writing)?
I usually put on video game music to get the juices flowing as they say. Something without words that still convey an emotion can help with my focus.
Do you take your character prep to heart? Do you nurture the growth of each character all the way through to the page? Do you people watch to help with development? Or do you build upon your character during story creation?
Most of my characters are born fully clothed and with personalities. I do learn more about them throughout the story, they have secrets, hopes and dreams that aren’t always apparent from the start. But who they are, and what they look like is usually right up front.
Do you have a character that you have been working on for a long time that still isn't quite ready, but fills you with excitement to work on the story?
I’ve been working on Nathan from The Drowned Prince for a few months now, and I’m still learning about him. I knew he was stubborn and selfish, but apparently he’s also very horny and very unsure about himself. I look forward to seeing how he grows as a person.
Have you found yourself bonding with any particular character(s)? If so, which one(s)?
I probably bonded the most with Jase and Liya. They have been with me since I was in High school. For 20 years I learned who they were as people and as a couple. I will be sad to see their story finished.
Do you have a character that you have been working on that you can't wait to put to paper?
I’m eager to learn more about the Titan of Time before she was twisted. Who she once was, how she loved. How she hurt. I know her as scorned and angry, yet calculating. To see her before the betrayal is going to be interesting.
Can you share your next creative project(s)? If yes, can you give a few details?
I’m releasing Dreamtaker: Zodiac Book Two within this next month and working on final edits for the Series Finale: Shattered Fate. After that, I have 3 prequels to put together regarding the Zodiac series, a spin-off series and a few standalones, including The Drowned Prince and Winter’s Mistress.
Where would you spend one full year, if you could go ANYWhere, money is not a concern? What would you do with this time?
I would love to go back to Japan. I went when I was in 10th grade and missed out on a lot.
Thank you Azshure Raine for joining and giving a little insight to you and your process. Your work is appreciated.
Website: http://www.azshurerainenovels.com
Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/Azshure13
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/azshure/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/180486735-rebirth
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