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Summoned by Susan Leigh Noble Guest Post and International $15 Amazon Giftcard Giveaway!

Wednesday, July 11, 2012



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Summary


Lina wants an ordinary life in the Grasslands of Zena. But she isn’t ordinary at all. At the age of four, she discovered she could start fires with a mere thought - an ability believed to have died out long ago. Cautioned by her telepathic cat, Tosh, she keeps this Elemental power a secret in fear of how the outside world would react. There is something else different about Lina - she feels a strange force compelling her to go north.




Before she can decide whether to give into this mysterious urge, she is kidnapped by gypsies and wakes in a foreign land. The desire to travel north is as strong as ever. When a strange raging fire prevents her return home, Lina realizes she must find out once and for all what or who is summoning her.




On her journey, she befriends an odd assortment of allies including the son of a High Council member, a thief, a former guardsman and a large sarcastic black dragon. Together they battle mystical creatures and unnatural forces, although such magic had ceased to exist over 800 years ago. During each battle, Lina must use her innate Elemental power as she becomes more certain that someone is using magic against her. When she discovers the shocking truth, it will change her life in ways she could never imagine.




Excerpt:

The cold surrounded her, chilling her bones. She woke slowly, rubbing the sand from her eyes. Only a thin sliver of light from the narrow window barely illuminated the small room. Lina sat up, her boots scraping across the stone floor. Where was she? She glanced around; her fingers reaching out to brush the damp stonewall. She wrinkled her nose at the musty odor. A scratching sound came from the far corner of the small room. She thought of rats and quickly pulled her feet back onto the narrow cot.




As her eyes grew accustomed to the darkness, she saw the door on the other side of the cell. She pushed the thoughts of rats out of her mind and stood up. The room spun. She grasped the wall. Her body felt weird as if it was not fully hers. She vaguely remembered a man knocking her to the ground and the sweet smell of the cloth over her face. She had a faint memory of being thrown on the back of a horse and being forced to drink something with a strange aftertaste.




She leaned against the wall until the room stopped moving and then hesitantly, Lina shuffled toward the door, her arms outstretched until she felt the cold metal door. She pushed and pulled at the handle but the door did not budge.




“Tosh?” she called. Her voice echoed in the stone cell. She pounded on the door. “Val? Anyone?” She pounded on the door again but no sounds came from the other side. “Tosh? Tosh where are you?”




There was no answer. She glanced around the tiny room. It was bare save the cot. She edged away from the dark corner where she had heard the scratching. The lone window was too high for her to reach, and even if she could, it was barely a slit. Her only exit was the door. But even as she turned to consider it, she knew that her Elemental powers couldn’t help her. Maybe if the door had been wood, then she could burn her way out, but not metal. She would incinerate herself before the door would begin to melt. The walls were made of thick stone. There was nothing she could do. Wearily, she climbed back onto the cot. Cold and hungry, she curled into a ball. She wondered where her friends were and if they had survived the battle.







Guest Post

Often times the first thing that makes a reader choose a book is the cover. The cover needs to entice the reader to pick it up - or in the case of an e-book, click on the link - to read the book description. I had a fairly specific idea about what I wanted on my front cover for Summoned. I wanted the things that would make me pick up this book, which means it needed to have a dragon, a cat and some hint of magic. Well, my cover designer did get me two out of those three items - the cat just didn’t make it. It wasn’t like I wanted a cat on the cover only to entice cat lovers. One of my main characters is a cat. But even without a cat, I really love the cover and have received numerous positive comments on it.

I knew when I started planning the cover that I wanted an image of my main character, Lina, using her Elemental power. In Summoned, she primarily uses fire so when I found artwork of a woman holding out her hand in the perfect manner and position, it was easy to decide to have her holding a fireball in her palm. To link all three books of the trilogy together, I decided to make the covers similar - mainly just change which Elemental power Lina is holding in her hand and the title color. So the cover for the second book, Quietus, uses the same artwork but a different font color and has Lina suspending a large ball of water over her hand. The cover of the third book will feature her holding a miniature twister.

Of course just as important as the cover art is the title of the novel. You want a title the represents your story, is memorable and distinct and there are not a lot of other books out there with that same title. For me choosing the titles for Summoned and Quietus were actually quite easy.

While I was writing Summoned, I actually called it The Elemental because that is who Lina is. But as I wrote the story, I realized I would need more than one book to tell Lina’s complete story. So I decided to write it as a trilogy and changed The Elemental to the name of the trilogy. Of course then I had to rename me first novel. In the book, Lina is overwhelmed by a mystical compulsion to travel north as if someone is summoning her. So the title Summoned just made perfect sense. The second book in the trilogy was also easy to name. Quietus is the name of the creature in which Lina battles. I am currently working on the final book in the trilogy but haven’t been able to decide on a title. But whatever I choose I hope it too will intrigue the potential reader to read the description and of course buy the book.


Author Info

Susan Leigh Noble has always loved dragons and magic so it is no wonder that she became an author of fantasy novels. As a cat lover, she also threw a telepathic cat into the mix for her The Elemental Series. The first two books, Summoned and Quietus, have already been released in e-book format. She is currently working on the third and final chapter of the trilogy.

When she isn’t writing, Susan is an active volunteer in her neighborhood and at her children’s schools. She lives with her husband, two children and three cats in Texas.




She loves to hear from readers: susannoble@satx.rr.com

Check out her Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Susan-Leigh-Noble/200225396700412

Follow her on Twitter: @SusanLeighNoble

Author website: http://www.independentauthornetwork.com/susan-leigh-noble.html


113 comments:

  1. Summoned has a great cover! I know I will enjoy reading this book.
    nicolesender(at)yahoo(dot)com

  1. The trilogy sounds fascinating!! The cover is extremely important.


    marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com

  1. Susan Noble said...:

    Thanks so much for hosting me today...I love the excerpt from the novel as that is one of my favorite scenes in SUMMONED.

  1. Rebecca Hipworth said...:

    Thanks for the giveaway. :)

    Becky01x@gmail.com

  1. Anonymous said...:

    Love the assortment of allies!


    JoyAnne11 at gmail dot com

  1. Unknown said...:

    Thanks for the awesome excerpt! :D

  1. Anonymous said...:

    It sounds very intriguing! Great interview...

    vitajex(at)aol(dot)com

  1. MomJane said...:

    This sounds absolutely awesome. I can hardly wait to read this story. I have written it down on my to read list.

  1. ann said...:

    Great Review . Sounds like a good book to read. Thanks

  1. Lori Thomas said...:

    Great Review!! Love the cover. Story sounds very interesting. Thx 4 the chance!!

    ctymice at gmail dot com

  1. Lmbrunken said...:

    This book sounds like a fast and fun read! I would love to win so I could buy!

    Lmbrunken at gmail dot com

  1. Kidnapped by Gypsies!! That sounds fantastic! Thanks for the post and the giveaway :D

    megnate at telus dot net

  1. Ning said...:

    The cover looks amazing! And fantasy novels are always so much fun too!
    Thanks for the post and giveaway!

    yohinachan2000@gmail.com

  1. This sounds like such a great series :D

  1. missymyt said...:

    Sounds good!

    missymyt (at) hotmail (dot) com

  1. What an awesome book cant wait to read it. butterfli262002@yahoo.com

  1. Lizzy said...:

    I enjoyed reading the excerpt. Looking forward to the book.

    knotty1tink(at)yahoo(dot)com

  1. Oh i will have to tell my sister about this one, it is right up her ally , thanks for the giveaway
    roswello at hotmail dot com

  1. Cathy C said...:

    i enjoyed the excerpt

    thanks!

  1. Unknown said...:

    I love books with elemental powers. I would love to be able to create fire. Covers definitely do attract people to the story but I also like when they actually relate to the story. Having the main character on the cover with fire give you an idea of what it will be about. I like it.

    mpg12345@aol.com

  1. sounds great! :)
    holliister at gmail dot com

  1. Steph said...:

    This book sounds really interesting - especially with that excerpt!! Thanks for putting it on my radar!

    stephward84(at)hotmail(dot)com

  1. Emmanuelle said...:

    I would love to win this! I've got nearly 50 books on my wishlist on Amazon!
    frenchcanadienne(at)hotmail(dot)com

  1. Anonymous said...:

    Loved this! The book is really intriguing. (:

  1. Nancy said...:

    This book sounds like a fun read. Thanks for the giveaway.

  1. Unknown said...:

    Sounds great! Thanks for sharing with us! Thanks for giveaway as well!
    rayptc@gmail.com

  1. Love the excerpt! I want to read more.

  1. Very cool. Thanks!
    pixelberrypie@yahoo.com

  1. I like the explanation about the title...very nice!

  1. Suz Reads said...:

    Thanks for this amazing giveaway! This book sounds great and I would love to win it!

    susanw28 (at) mindspring (dot) com

  1. Denise Z said...:

    I loved the excerpt and synopsis of Summoned. Definitely one for the wishlist. Thank you so much for sharing with us today.
    dz59001[at]gmail[dot]com

  1. Kia89 said...:

    Great Review!
    austma7@aol.com

  1. Jane said...:

    This sounds like a great read; thanks for the review!

  1. Wow! New book for me. Thanks for the review, excuse me while I dash off to add to my wishlist.

  1. sounds like a great book!
    Sabrina
    smp0804@hotmail.com

  1. This is exactly my kind of book! I can't wait to read it!

    volta2173 at sbcglobal dot net

  1. Great guest post! I agree that covers are important. I often think a book looks good or not just from looking at the cover... ridiculous, I know.

  1. Cricket said...:

    This seems like it may be a good read

  1. Kelly said...:

    I think covers make a huge impact on my book buying. I sometimes will pass it up if it doesn't interest me. The cat probably wouldn't have made a difference to me either way. THanks for the insight into covers!

  1. Kelly said...:

    I forgot to add my email to my comment.
    delivery.RN at gmail dot com

  1. As much as I hate to admit to this, covers definitely have a huge impact on whether I pick a book up or pass it by. That has lead to some wonderful surprises, but it has also led me down some roads I would much prefer to have never walked. Seriously, just bad sometimes. And yet, yep. They still grab me sometimes and I just can't walk away. Thank goodness for the Goodreads app on my phone, because it has helped steer me clear of some, but not all, literary woe is mes. Thanks for the post!

  1. Forgot to leave email on my comment. Sorry. jeepgirl529 at yahoo dot com

  1. Anonymous said...:

    thanks for the giveaway!!

    Fanpireextreme@gmail.com

  1. susan1215 said...:

    Sounds like a good book

    s2s2 at comcast dot net

  1. Thank you for sharing sounds like a great book! Thank you for the great giveaway!
    tishajean@ charter.net

  1. Anonymous said...:

    Sounds very interesting.
    gardnerad@juno.com

  1. Sounds like a great read, very intriguing. Thanks for the giveaway!

    maneeshaharoon(at)hotmail(dot)com

  1. Cayce said...:

    I agree a good cover is very important! I love the cover of Summoned. The designer did a great job.

    cayce006 at yahoo dot com

  1. This book has a great cover! Sounds very intriguing:)

    BIGLucyFan@yahoo.com
    BookJunkieMom.blogspot.com @ Rainy Day Reviews

  1. Lili said...:

    Ugh, if a cover doesn't catch ones eye, how does anyone expect the book to be pulled off a shelf? A good cover is beyond important!

    I love any book having to do with Elemental power. They always seem to be the most interesting books because an author can do so much with a power like that!

    My e-mail is reflectionsbylili@gmail.com

  1. slehan said...:

    A telepathic cat & a sarcastic black dragon. Sounds like a winner to me.
    Thanks for the contest.

    slehan at juno dot com

  1. This book sounds fantastic. I wish I had a telepathic cat and abilities like the main character.

    dakotagirl16AThotmailDOTcom

  1. I`m totally adding this book to TBR list :D
    maijasteinbrika(at)gmail(dot)com

  1. Rachel said...:

    I love the cover! It reminds me a bit of Hunger Games... maybe it's the color? I don't know. Can't wait to read it!

  1. Alyssa Susanna said...:

    Interesting! Elemental power... I like that sort of fiction. And dragons ooo!!! I love books that involve (of any amount) dragons. I'm not sure what I think of the cover (covers make a huge difference for me), or the protagonist, but I think this book is worth the shot.
    Thanks for the post and giveaway!

    Alyssa Susanna
    lilleetleet(at)verizon(dot)net

  1. Julie S said...:

    Ooh pyro powers sound kinda neat! Thanks for the guest post.
    juliecookies(at)gmail.com

  1. SarahS. said...:

    The book sounds great, I'll be adding it to my to be read pile.

  1. This book sounds interesting and your main character's magical powers are different. Thanks for sharing.

    rmarma2@yahoo.com

  1. Jessica said...:

    I love when books have animals in them in some way!
    sagegiveaway@yahoo.com

  1. Kristen said...:

    Love the synopsis of this book. Will have to check it out! Thanks for the giveaway as well! :)

  1. Rachel said...:

    oops! Forgot my email:

    silberman.rachel@gmail.com

  1. Starting fires with your mind! A telephatic cat! Sound like an awesome read. TY for the giveaway!

    readingawaythedays@yahoo.co.uk

  1. sounds like a very interesting book!

    smp0804@hotmail.com

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.
  1. Telepathic cat?! Gypsies?! Count me in!
    lexiboo202(at)gmail(dot)com

  1. Unknown said...:

    I love books about kidnapping and magic. I wonder if Lina will discover who is summoning her and defeat all scary creatures!

    mpg12345@aol.com

  1. Leocadia said...:

    this sounds fascinating!
    maric1993(at)gmail(dot)com

  1. startung fires with your mind and a talking cat?! Amazing! I'm in!
    sarah(dot)elizabeth(dot)bookworm(at)gmail(dot)com

  1. Kara D. said...:

    Thanks for hosting!!
    supersonic182(at)gmail(dot)com

  1. JennH said...:

    This book sounds AWESOME, I so want to read it now! :D

  1. Sounds awesome. Thanks for the giveaway.
    autumnflower6ATaolDOTcom

  1. Liese2 said...:

    This sounds like a great story! I will definitely be ordering it as soon as funds allow it!
    sqwalker2@hotmail.com

  1. Nice excerpt! Thanks for the giveaway :)
    ilovebooksblog(at)gmail(dot)com

  1. London Judge said...:

    Thanks for the giveaway :)

    londonjudge@verizon.net

  1. Unknown said...:

    Thanks for the chance to win!
    brainytex@gmail

  1. Anonymous said...:

    Thanks for this giveaway!

    dogears @ gmx.com

  1. Unknown said...:

    Wow, sounds like a very interesting book! Thanks for the giveaway!

    snhoveln At gmail Dot com

  1. Darlene said...:

    I would love to have a telepathic cat! Thanks for the giveaway!

    GFC Darlene
    darlenesbooknook at gmail dot com

  1. Carol M said...:

    I enjoyed the excerpt and would love to read this book! Thank you for the giveaway!
    mittens0831 at aol dot com

  1. Inguze said...:

    Thanks for hosting this giveaway!

    ingau2@gmail.com

  1. Katsura said...:

    Thanks for the giveaway :)

    lavendelzimmer@yahoo.de

  1. ann said...:

    Hopefully she will use her power of fire for the benefit of goodness. It seems when one has these powers they always try to hide them from people. And Im sure there will always be the ones who want her to use it in the bad ways to.
    amhengst at verizon dot net

  1. Definitely going on my to-read list. Cannot wait to read it!

    vadeluna07(at)yahoo(dot)com

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.
  1. Thanks for the great giveaway!!
    The excerpt sounds promising!

    maneeshaharoon(at)hotmail(dot)com

  1. Anonymous said...:

    Sounds like something some of my kids would be interested in. I would love to enter this contest.
    maxie ( mac262@me.com )

  1. sounds like a page turner.
    Jennifer Rote
    wildnmild4u at yahoo dot com

  1. Thanks!
    holliister at gmail dot com

  1. Unknown said...:

    This book looks like a great read. Thanks for the opportunity
    email: sweetsindy93 at gmail dot com

  1. donnas said...:

    Sounds interesting. Thanks for sharing!

    bacchus76 at myself dot com

  1. Suz said...:

    I love cats so a character of a telepathic cat really appeals to me! I loved reading this post! Thanks for the great info!

    susanw28 (at) mindspring (dot) com

  1. Anonymous said...:

    Thank you!
    its_me124(at)yahoo(dot)com

  1. Thanks for the giveaway. DebP
    r.d1@myfairpoint.net

  1. Evelyn said...:

    Thank you for the contest!

    evelynmoly@yahoo.com

  1. Christina K. said...:

    Great excerpt! I really got caught up in it:)

    I always like hearing about how covers are designed:)

    Thanks so much:)

    ccfioriole at gmail dot com

  1. wow! this is awesome!

    xgirl.wni@gmail.com

  1. Anonymous said...:

    Nice blog!

    JoyAnne11 at gmail dot com

  1. This book sounds amazing :) Right up my alley!
    Thanks for the giveaway also.
    wilsonre09@students.ecu.edu

  1. What an intriguing excerpt!

    Thanks,
    Dani
    ellepaulette@gmail.com

  1. Steph said...:

    Great excerpt! This sounds like an interesting book!

    stephward84(at)hotmail(dot)com

  1. Ruth said...:

    Indeed--something a little different. Thanks for the chance.
    ruthaw_1974@yahoo.com

  1. Sena said...:

    Thanks for the giveaway!
    sena.sagani at gmail dot com

  1. Tosh sounds cool! And Lina reminds me of a young Drew Barrymore!

    Thanks for the giveaway too

    reviewsbyabby at gmail dot com

  1. Thanks for this chance to win!
    michelleshoutsrandom.blog@gmail.com

  1. Cover is the first impression of a book. But I've read some books that have beautiful covers, but it wasn't for me. The blurb helps, too! I liked the excerpt and your book cover. She's gorgeous. Thanks
    lissette_125(AT)hotmail(DOT)es

  1. Kristen said...:

    Thanks for the awesome giveaway! :))

    kristen10horses[at]yahoo[dot]com

  1. Kara D. said...:

    Beautiful cover! Thanks for the giveaway.

    supersonic182(at)gmail(dot)com

  1. Unknown said...:

    Great book summary and cover! Thanks for the great giveaway!
    red_tigergirl2(at)hotmail(dot)com

  1. Dinda said...:

    Thanks for the giveaway!

    dl(dot)love(dot)freedom(at)gmail(dot)com

  1. Cayce said...:

    This books sounds a little like Carrie. I loved that book :) *adding this to my whislist*

    cayce006 at yahoo dot com

  1. katayoun said...:

    sound very, very interesting, thanks for the giveaway!