Name of Book: Split
Author: Louise Herman
Date of Publication: December 14,
2012
(Kindle)
Publisher: Mystical Media Publications
Pages: 333
Genre: YA, Urban Fantasy
Paperback or Kindle: Both
Book Description
When Faith’s mother starts organising the second stage of
her arranged marriage to wizard, Damien, Faith knew she needed to escape, so
she used her school as a place to retreat.
Throughout her after school duties, she meets the intense,
alluring Rohan, who changes her life forever.
With his ice cold skin, transfixing eyes and enchanting
voice, Rohan took hold of Faith’s heart and soul as soon as they looked at each
other.
She knew it was wrong.
They were from two different circles and if the Elder’s
found out, the consequences would be catastrophic for all involved, but the
more time they spent together, the stronger they’re love grew, until one day
someone sees them...
Will their love be strong enough to combat their
conflicting mythical needs? And what will they do when Faith is dealt a life
threatening blow that forces her to make a heartbreaking decision?
INTENSELY PASSIONATE WITH EXTRAORDINARY
TWISTS AND TURNS, SPLIT
Excerpt:
This is a section from Chapter Two of 'Split
"We were helping put away the paints Mrs Baxter had
used in her last lesson to express how colours can change the mood, appearance
and message of a piece of art, when Dara walked in to get some pencils. ‘Hi
ladies - slogging away as usual, I see! Are you doing this to get a higher
grade? If you are, move over and let me get in on it!’ she joked as she pushed
Lily aside and started helping to tidy her section. As Lily nearly fell to the
floor, we all started laughing and Dara helped her up.
Mrs Baxter came in and gave Dara an extra task to do before
she went back to her own classroom; with that she bade us farewell and we
continued to clean the room.
Busying myself washing the pots, I almost didn’t notice
Lily’s bright red face as her gaze seemingly froze, focused on the door. ‘Did
you hurt yourself?’ I asked, concerned that maybe Dara had nudged her too hard.
‘No, no. I’m okay,’ Lily responded as she snapped out of her daydream and
started to look for something else to clean. I tried to ignore it, but her
manner had changed.
She was quieter than usual and she seemed distant and
slightly upset. ‘Lily, it’s clear that something’s not quite right,’ I broached
the subject as I sat her down and cupped her hands in mine. ‘We’re supposed to
be friends. You know you can tell me anything,’ I added quietly, just in case
we weren’t alone.
She looked around the room to check she was safe but just
as she was about to speak out, she shook her head and responded, ‘Really it’s
nothing.’
Sensing she was lying, I continued to question. I followed
her around the room and refused to let it go until I saw a slightly brighter
Lily - the Lily that I knew and enjoyed being around. ‘I won’t let this rest
until you tell me. Maybe I can help?’ I supposed as I spun her round to face
me. This was my big mistake.
The room went dark and the once-clear skies turned gloomy
and sinister. Wind began to howl at the now shaking windows of the room and her
face immediately morphed from that of a young, beautiful, dainty girl to that
of a red-eyed hag with veins pulsing, radiating electrical bolts with her every
move. The room began to shake and the door was slammed shut as I tried to
escape.
The rage seemed to be very specifically limited to the
classroom; no one came to help me when I screamed, so I sat down on the floor
and thought whether I could possibly use my own powers to save me from this
banshee.
She came towards me, firing bolts at the tables,
disintegrating everything in her path, and was finally stood face to face, in
front of me.
With my head between my knees, I could feel the energy
pulsing from her as I raised my arms to create a force field around myself.
I stood up, ready to fight back, but was distracted when I
found she wasn’t attacking me. Instead, she just stood there and began to cry.
Without moving or speaking, I watched, waiting for her fry me; she merely fell
to the floor and with her crying, she began to flood the floor around her.
The torrent of tears showed no sign of ceasing and I
realised that if I didn’t do something quickly, we would drown with minutes.
‘Please don’t cry. What’s wrong, Lily?’ I begged as she finally started to
resemble the pretty teenager I remembered.
I went over to hug her and was relieved she responded in
kind and didn’t try to attack me.
She looked round and assessed the damage, as if reading my
mind. ‘Don’t worry about it. That was one of the first spells I learned - mum
is always trying to get me to clean my room when I really just want to go out,’
I joked, as I convinced her I could use magic to put the room back to normal
before anyone came back.
With her head in my arms, we sat on the floor in silence
for a few minutes, waiting. When I could bear it no longer, I delicately
broached the topic again. ‘So, do you want to tell me why you went psycho-fairy
on me?’ I laughed, attempting to lighten the mood. She chuckled in response,
and lifted her head to look at me.
I backed away slightly as I nervously waited for her
answer. ‘I’m sorry I’m just finding this fairy stuff really hard. Sometimes
when I’m stressed I can’t control it. Normally I’m fine, but-’ she confessed,
leaving me with more questions than when I started.
I paced myself and allowed her to get herself back together
before I continued. ‘What made you so stressed? Was it me?’ I asked as I
quickly whispered my spell. I prayed it had worked and the room was back in
order.
She shook her head and came over to give me a hug and
apologise for scaring me.
After confirming I was okay (I said that I just cared about
her wellbeing), she looked me in the eye, cupped her hands around my head and
said gravely, ‘You are my best friend. I’m so happy to have met you - but you
cannot help me with this. I don’t want to get you involved.’
I looked at her with a puzzled expression and tried to
assure her I would always be there for her, at which she turned away from me:
‘We are from different circles and have different problems. You want to get out
of your circle because you are sick of your life revolving around marriage. I
can’t cope with being in my circle because they won’t accept me for being the
person I am’.
Sick of the riddles, I began to get annoyed and didn’t
realise that I’d snapped slightly at her. ‘And who are you?’
Before I could apologise for my tone, she spun round and
faced me with a stony, determined glare, and went on: ‘I’m a gay fairy. I’ll be
sent away - or worse - if I express my feelings for Dara.’
Before I could wipe the shocked expression from my face,
Mrs Baxter entered the classroom, thanked us for our hard work and dismissed
us. Stunned, shaken and dazed at my best friend’s revelation, I silently walked
out a pace or two ahead of Lily, leading us straight into a group of foreboding
vampires.
A group of four boys stood in our path, refusing to move. I
could sense this wasn’t going to be an easy one to escape. ‘So, what are you
two doing alone together? Are you the rebels of your circles?’ one of the boys
mocked glancing at the other three. They all started to edge closer.
I looked at Lily and was surprised to see her standing her
ground and refusing to move back. Feeling considerably less confident than my
compatriot, I grabbed her hand and prayed for Mrs Baxter to come out and ask us
to help her with something she had forgotten to do.
But there was nothing.
The boys continued to ridicule us for being without our
circle members. With every word, they edged closer to us until our backs were
tight against the hallway wall and I could feel the breath of the ringleader on
my cheek. ‘What do you want from us?’ Lily asked boldly, as the ringleader
opened his mouth - we both saw the shine of the daggers.
They all laughed as the fear began to show on our faces;
they poked and jibed at us like we were pieces of meat from their latest kill.
Seeing the ringleader’s eyes glow an intimidating yellow, I
knew at this point I would never see my family again. I closed my eyes and
began to sob helplessly; I had missed the new drama that was occurring around
me.
Prying myself from my blind, fearful state, I felt a flurry
of air and slowly opened my eyes just in time to see the ringleader go flying,
as if in slow-motion, through the air and clatter into the row of lockers on
the opposite side of the hallway.
He lay there for a few minutes, dazed and confused, as his
followers went to help him up.
Unable to see the cause, I grabbed Lily and took advantage
of our release from these blood-suckers and, trying to ignore the sounds of
battle behind us; we kept our heads firmly down and ran towards the main exit.
Just as I put my hand on the door handle to make our break
for freedom, all went silent.
I simply couldn’t go through the door without looking over
my shoulder.
‘Don’t look back! Open the door!’ Lily screamed frantically
as tried to drag me through the exit. Nevertheless, I turned my head slowly to
catch a glimpse.
It looked like a battleground.
I could not see the casualties through all the blood but I
knew from my research of vampires in ‘The Ancient Codex’, it would take a lot
more than tears of the skin, deep wounds or even oceans of blood to kill such
resilient beings.
I was satisfied that we were out of harm’s way but somehow
my mind jolted back to self-defence as I felt something on my shoulder.
I grabbed Lily, pulled her close towards me and without
warning a force field formed around us, expelling the hand - and the person it
was attached to - to the back of the hallway, ‘GO!’ Lily screamed. This time, I
didn’t look back and we ran all the way home.
My priority was to make sure Lily got home first. To avoid
being seen together, I dropped her to the edge of the woods and left her to
walk the rest of the way, casting a protection spell over her to ensure she
arrived safely. ‘You won’t say anything about what I told you, will you?’ she
pleaded as I gave her a hug and reminded her of the strength of our friendship.
Walking the rest of the journey alone, I was nervous -
cautious and suspicious of the slightest sound or movement.
Not only was I shocked that I could form a force field more
than once, but that it had the power to kill whatever tried to attack me.
With this realisation, I began to feel a smugness come over
me. I let down my guard and focused on what new spells I could try when I got
home. With my mind distracted for a minute, the next thing I knew, I was off my
feet and thrown to the side of the road.
I hit my head on a tree and was left unconscious for a few
minutes. After using my other senses to force my way back into consciousness, I
assessed my new surroundings. I could feel the crunching of leaves beneath my
hands and the sound of running water in the far distance.
My eyes were gradually focusing on a tall, black figure in
front of me, splashing water on my face. The water shocked me back into reality
and I could see the cause of my disorientation.
He was 5 feet 11 inches, of a muscular build, with short
jet black hair and a creamy white complexion.
He helped me sit up, seemingly very concerned for my health
as he assessed my eyes and limbs for damage. ‘I’m so sorry if I hurt you, but I
guess we’re even now,’ he joked as my sight came back to normal and I saw this
beautiful vision before me.
‘We’re even?’ I mumbled as I got back to my feet and looked
around to see if there was anyone else nearby.
I raised my hands to defend myself, which seemed to amuse
him even more. ‘Whoa there!’ he continued, ‘Put those guns down. I’m not here
to get blasted by you again. I just wanted to check you were okay.’ I looked at
him, still apprehensive of his kindness. When I finally felt happy there was no
one else waiting to pounce, I lowered my hands. ‘Who are you?’ I asked,
watching his every move like a hawk.
He walked towards me, put his hand on the lower area of my
back and ushered me to walk through the woods with him. ‘I’m the one who helped
you out back there. Is that how you thank all your rescuers?’ he joked as I
looked at him with a scowl on my face.
‘I didn’t need rescuing. I could have sorted them out
myself,’ I retorted as I batted his hand away and picked up my pace slightly.
My walk got ever faster and I soon broke into a run.
I ran so fast I could no longer see this mysterious
stranger; I only slowed down when I saw my house ahead.
Walking through the undergrowth, I was tripped by a branch
wrapped around my ankle and as I tugged and pulled at the vine, I was lifted in
the air and freed from its grasp. ‘Why are you making it so hard to get to know
you?’ he asked as he smiled at my attempts to push him away.
‘Maybe it’s because you sweep in, try to rescue me - even
though I had it under control - and now you’re stalking me without even telling
me your name. Excuse me for being a bit apprehensive,’ I spat as he laughed,
and I realised who or what he was … Why was he fighting his own kind?
This thought swept through my brain for a second before he
read my mind and he confessed, ‘Sorry. My name is Rohan and, yes, I’m one of
them - in appearance only. I just want to get to know you because I remember
seeing you at school a few years ago and you seemed pretty cool back then. I
wondered if you were still the same!’
I couldn’t believe this was the boy who risked his kind
being exposed when we first started school by using his powers on that Namuh. I
was intrigued, desperate to know more. I needed to know where he’d been and why
this vampire wanted to risk it all to speak to me.
It was overwhelming, stupid of him but as much as my mind
screamed its disapproval, I was curious about this mystifying being. I nodded
my agreement and, with that, he kissed my hand and we vowed to find a way of
spending time getting to know each other without getting caught or putting our
families at risk.
Without admitting it, the sheer touch of his lips on my
shaking hands made me shiver from head to toe and I knew, no matter how much I
denied it, I was starting to develop more than just a thirst for knowledge
about this unusual vampire.
I knew I was in trouble."
What inspired you to write this book?
I absolutely love YA Fantasy novels but recently found that
many stories were quite similar to the more popular books on the market and it
bored me slightly so I thought about how I would write a YA Urban Fantasy novel
which was different to the ones I have read but not too distant from the
original characteristics of the popular characters in these books.
I was a little annoyed that most of these books had female
leads who were always being rescued by a broody hero, so that was the first
thing I wanted to change in my book but I also wanted to set myself a challenge
to see if I could mix more than one magical circle in with the human world,
with each character from these individual circles having their own emotional
issues and deadly secrets.
Can you give us an interesting fact about your book that
isn't in the blurb?
Many people who have read this book have stated that they
did not expect to read the African or Gypsy magical aspects due to the genre of
book. They also stated that these elements made it more unique as the magic
described by these two separate cultures were explained well giving it a fresh
new edge, which is a fantastic compliment as my aim was to create a different
type of YA Urban Fantasy novel which challenged certain areas of these genres.
What do you consider the most important part of a good
story?
Everyone’s needs from a good story are different but for
myself, I would be happy if I was reading a book which surprises me by drifting
away from the ‘norm’. Also, I love it when there is an overall message to a
story, as I think it makes the storyline deeper and draws you in further, which
in turn (for myself) makes me remember the book.
Are you a plotter or a pantser?
Unfortunately I am a plotter. I cannot just write a chapter
as I go along as I do get writer’s block a lot and need something to bring my
creative juices back to me and keep me focused on the storyline.
What part of the writing process is the hardest for you?
I find the beginning the hardest part of the writing process
as I have so many ideas that sometimes even when I try to plan each chapter, I
can get overwhelmed and have to read back each page numerous times to make sure
I am happy with what I have written.
What tips can you give on how to get through writers
block?
My advice would be step away for a few days, do anything
that will take your focus away from your book and then go back to it when you
are relaxed and ready to welcome new ideas to the page.
What kind of music do you like to listen to while you
write?
I am a bit of a music magpie as I love all types of music
but it depends on my mood and the mood I am trying to create with the
particular character, situation or chapter. I love anything from classic to
rock music and especially love posting my stories on Wattpad (username:
FantasyFairy) as I can post music videos on each chapter which enhances the
reader’s experience whilst reading the scene.
Who is your favorite character from a book?
It would be hard to choose just one as I think some of the
characters in the book have elements of my own personality throughout the
years, however if I had to choose I would say my favorite character is Faith
the Witch because she is sassy, curious and is a strong heroine who isn’t
afraid to speak her mind or go against the rules for the bigger picture.
Have you had anything else published?
In February 2013, I published the prequel novella trilogy,
‘The Orcus Games’ which tells the story of the trials and tribulations the
‘Split Blood’ character’s parents dealt with when the ‘Split Blood’ beings were
younger.
The deadly drama’s set the path for the ‘Split Blood’
individuals as the events in these three books show how these experiences help
shape each character’s personalities, issues with the demands their circles
inflict upon them and also provides a backdrop to their magical world in more detail.
What's your next project?
I am currently working on the second book in the ‘Split
Blood’ series, which will be published on 31st November 2013 and
after this I will take a little break as I will be working on my paranormal
story which will be published on Wattpad Only.
For more information on my work please go to my website:
www.split-blood.com or if you are a member of Wattpad, please Follow Me
(FantasyFairy) and join me on this magical journey!
About the Author
I currently live in Yorkshire ,
England
Along with writing, I also love to indulge in my
confectionery addiction - pear drop sweets and am a fan of 80s Fantasy films
such as 'Legend', 'Dark Crystal' and 'Labyrinth'.
I also adore Guillermo del Toro for his direction on
the fantasy film, 'Pan's Labyrinth', which epitomises the theme of my books -
fantasy escapism, strong female heroines, unique magical side characters with
their own explosive, taboo secrets and deliciously dark situations, which have
a new style of distinctive paranormal conclusions.
I use my passion for fantasy films, and music, to help me
create my unique YA, Fantasy stories and I have been able to use these passions
to enhance my stories even further by attaching music onto my stories on
Wattpad, which helps the reader be further immersed into my fantasy worlds.
Other Information
Book two in the Split
Blood Series will be on Amazon and Smashwords on 30 NOVEMBER 2013 !
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