Promo, Guest Post & Review - Daughter of the Earth & Sky

Daughter of the Earth & Sky
by Kaitlin Bevis
Book 2

Some vows can never be broken.

Persephone thought she could go back to her normal life after returning from the Underworld. She was wrong.

The goddess Aphrodite is born among the waves with more charm than she can control. Zeus is stalking Persephone and her loved ones, and Thanatos is no longer content with Persephone's silence.

He wants her soul.

Persephone can't tell anyone about Thanatos' betrayal, and it drives a wedge between her and Hades. Her mother is still keeping secrets, and Melissa's jealousy of Aphrodite threatens to tear their friendship apart.

Alone, Persephone turns to a human boy for comfort. But will their relationship put him in danger?

Sacrifices must be made, and Persephone must choose between her human life and her responsibilities as a goddess. If she doesn't, she could lose them both.

But will either life be worth choosing once Zeus is through with her?



Excerpt:

I'd been here before. My bare feet glided over the leaf-strewn path, unharmed by the rocks and twigs crunching beneath me. Massive live oaks draped with Spanish moss created a canopy above me, transforming the forest path into a tunnel of speckled sunlight. The air was heavy with humidity. The moist heat pressed against my skin and stole the breath from my lungs. By the time I reached the path’s end, my Eeyore nightshirt clung to my skin.
"Dungeoness." I came to a halt when I recognized the sprawling ruins of the ancient ivy-covered brick and stone manor.
Athens Academy took my class on a week-long trip to Georgia's coastal islands freshmen year. Cumberland Island was a major highlight because of the sea turtles, wild horses, and these ruins.
"Good job, Persephone,” I muttered, kicking at a branch. “You’ve figured out where you are, but how did you get here?"  I knelt to pick up a smooth, white stone, tucking damp tendrils of hair behind my ears so I could see better. The rock looked and felt real. I ran my hand over the smooth stone, turning it over and tracing the shape. The weight of it in my hand reassured me.
I turned, hoping the path held some answers, but it was no longer there. I stood on the grass-covered shoreline looking out to sea. In the distance, a girl stood thigh high in the ocean, clad in a gown of strategically placed sea foam.  Although her back was to me, I could tell she was perfect. The curly ringlets of hair cascading down her flawless cream skin matched the intense orange of the sky as the sun sank in the sea.
I glanced down at my sun-kissed skin, self-conscious. She was really pretty. A movement caught my attention and I glanced up as she looked over her shoulder, aquamarine eyes meeting mine. Then she spoke. I was shocked to hear Boreas' cold voice roll off her tongue. "Zeus lives."
I stumbled backward. Boreas, the god of winter. My mind flashed back to that horrible day in the clearing last winter. Boreas’ cold laughter. His fingers digging in my hair as he pulled me across the frozen ground. Melissa’s eyes widening as she choked on her last breath. The rush of power that gave me the strength to put Death himself, and Boreas, under my control.
A soul for a soul. I’d bargained with Thanatos, the god of death, and killed Boreas without a second thought, saving my best friend.
Now images shoved their way through my thoughts: Cumberland Island, two sunsets, lightning cracking in the sky. My mind screamed against the onslaught.  I gritted my teeth and forced myself to think the word that would make it all stop.
I bolted up in bed with a gasp. A weight in my hand made me look down. I unclenched my fist, revealing the white stone from Dungeoness.


Guest Post

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Ten Fun Facts about Athens, Georgia

            If you've read any of my books you know that they mostly take place in Athens, Georgia, or the Underworld.

            Well, the Underworld doesn't have a lot to offer in fun facts, and Athens is a bit more... tangible. It was easy to use Athens as a setting for the Persephone series. I live here, so that makes life simple, and come on. Greek mythology, Athens Georgia. It just works. Everyplace I mention in the story with the exception of Demeter's Garden actually exists in Athens, though I took many liberties with the actual locations.

            Here's a few other facts about the city that you might find interesting.

            1) Athens is the sixth largest city in Georgia. That just seems strange to me because it doesn't seem that big.

            2) Trees can own their own land and pass it on to their descendants. Seriously. There is a tree that was left land in a will. When it died the land passed on to one of its seedlings.

            3) The Love Shack (from the song) was on Atlanta Highway here in Athens. REM and the Indigo girls also got their start here in Athens Georgia.

            4) There are bull dog statues everywhere. Seriously. In front of every single business. We like UGA here.

            5) Until recently, UGA was the number one party school in the United States. It's also one of the most family friendly cities... ever. You should see our parks. They're kind of awesome.

            6) We have weird laws that are never enforced. For example:

                        (courtesy of weirdfacts.com)

                        - Adult bookstores may not sell alcohol.

                        - If you want to read your favorite book in public to your friends, do it                                     before 2:45 AM.

                        -In Athens-Clarke County - Massage businesses may not sell alcohol on                                     the side.

                         - Selling two beers at once for the same price is not allowed.

                         - Though being forced to close your business is bad enough, Athens-                                    Clarke County forces one to obtain a license before holding a Going-Out-                                    Of-Business sale.

                        - In Athens-Clarke County - Goldfish may not be given away to entice                                     someone to enter a game of bingo.

                         - Owners of mules may not allow their animal to roam around Athens                                     unsupervised.

                        - Persons under the age of 16 may not play pinball after 11:00 PM.

                        - It is illegal for one to make a disturbing sound at a fair.

                        -  On Mondays, it is illegal for one to whistle very loud after 11:00 PM.

                        - You may not get drunk on “The Bus?.

                        - Alabama slingshots may not be used in the city limits (for safety, you                                     should probably avoid Alabama anything, much less slingshots)

                        - No one may bathe in Sandy Creek Lake.

            7) UGA is working with scientists around the world to breed dino-chickens.                         Seriously.

            8) We like zombies. The Walking Dead is filmed in Georgia and the whole state                         has caught the zombie bug. We have zombie 5k's and obstacle courses, we                         have zombie tag on UGA's campus, a haunted zombie farm, and random                                     vehicles that drive around town decorated to look like they've been attacked by                         zombies.

            9) This isn't Athens, but it's nearby. There is a hospital where cabbage patch dolls             are grown called Babyland General Hospital.

            10) It's a hot spot for the gods of Ancient Greece. At least in my universe :)

            There you have it. Ten fun facts about the city my books are set in. With all that craziness, how could I ever write about anywhere else? 

lol, excellent, thanks Kaitlin!!

My Review 
It's been a while since I read 'Persephone', book 1 in the series but it was one of those books that had stayed with me, for as soon as I started to read this one this morning - everything came back quickly and easily and I was straight back into that world.
Persephone is recovering from the events of book 1 and wonders what else could be thrown her way. Surely she can enjoy being 'normal' for a while, right? No such luck. Once more she must battle with gods, charms and lies. 
I still really like Persephone, she powers through and even when all she wants to do is curl up and cry, she thinks of others and how everything affects them and she moves into action again.
Hades is super cool, I like him more and more and he is a great 'love' interest. Slightly mysterious and dashingly charming. 
I started this book at 10 this morning and had finished it by 1. I just didn't want to put it down, I was so totally hooked into the story again. It's fast paced and exciting, every time you think you know where the story is going something would throw it into the air and you'd be chasing something else. That doesn't mean it was haphazard, not at all, everything came together really well and all fits beautifully into the story. I cannot wait for book 3 to come out, this one ends on a real cliffhanger that had me shouting at the page. How could it end like that? What is she trying to do to me. 
This story is perfect for anyone who loves Greek Gods and myths, action, adventure, YA in general. Actually this story is great for so many types of readers, so give it a go.

My Rating