HUGE Fantasy Giveaway + Mini Interview with Abby Arthur!

Happy August lovlies!

We’re going to kick off August by sharing a mega fantasy giveaway that’s hosted by author Abby Arthur! Seriously, this is a pretty awesome giveaway; there’s 17 books and the kindle fire 7 on the table here and 4 winners! It’ll run for most of August, with a new winner chosen each week, so you don’t want to miss these details (in due time, in due time, patience)!

But first, I want to introduce you to Abby Arthur, author of Twins of Shadow — which is a book that I have added to my TBR list FOR SURE.

A crown prince and his twin brother are secretly skilled assassins…

…killing for a cause they both despise.

Bound to a dragon by a powerful spell, Tarrek and Albree are sent on their deadliest mission yet: Overcome an archangel, capture an innocent snake whisperer and smuggle him across foreign soil, alive. If they fail to comply with the spell’s demand, it will drive them to insanity. Yet a deadlier force commands their attention when an ice-wielding slave trader freezes several civilians in a local village, ensnaring Albree’s love interest in the process. Will the twins choose to complete their near-suicide mission or fight insanity to save innocent lives?

About Abby Arthur:

Abby Arthur spends the majority of her time lost in an imaginary world of glowing magic and dastardly dragons. She started winning writing contests and getting published in newspapers when she was just sixteen. She loves giving readers an escape from reality and is constantly creating new stories. Her magic portal is located in small town Iowa, protected by herself, her husband, and their son. Her first book is Twins of Shadow.

Mini-Interview

Your stories seem to push the boundaries of light and dark, taking on more of a gray tone. Can you explain why this is?

I’ll be honest here. I grew up in the church. I’ve seen a lot—people thinking they’re “good” but doing so much evil. Then people who don’t do what those people think is “good” but are actually pure in heart. It’s caused me to realize that I, and anyone else, can’t judge what is good and what is evil. I have characters who are assassins, but not by choice. Characters who are predominantly thought as good but are hiding something dark. I do this because it adds depth to the stories, and I think it makes them more real.

Who are the authors you’d fan girl over upon meeting?

O goodness. If I had the chance to meet Cassandra Clare, author of all things Shadowhunter, I’d be so giddy. She was my biggest inspiration because of how beautiful her worlds are and the way she writes them.

I’d also love to meet Sabaa Tahir, author of An Ember in the Ashes series. If she’d accept a hug from me and a cup of coffee so we can talk about her books, I’d be thrilled. (And do my best to keep my glee held inside so that I didn’t annoy her. (Smiley face))

Regarding Twins of Shadow specifically, what do you hope your readers walk away with? Whether it be a lesson, a feeling, or just a better understanding of something.

Wow, this question goes deep for me.

I hope readers will walk away with knowing that life isn’t black and white—as in one thing isn’t just good and another evil. Tarrek and Albree are forced to do things they don’t want to do, but in their hearts, they aren’t evil.

As such, I feel the same goes for people. We are different colors, different religions—so many ideas to keep us separated. If we let ourselves sink too deeply into one mindset, I’ve realized it’s easy to forget that we are ALL people. We all have hearts. We all have dreams.

Sometimes it’s as if we are controlled by an evil dragon’s spell and start to do things we know are wrong. Yet, we struggle to break free of that spell.

So, I would love for the readers to walk away with a more open mind to life and people. I’d love for them to start seeing others for their hearts. I’d love for each of us individually to evaluate our beliefs—the spells we are under—and decide if we are safe, or if we are doing what an evil dragon commands and need to break free.