Tour Stop / Daughters of the Sea Trilogy by Kristen Day

Excerpt ~ Awaken

Daughters of the Sea Series Book #2

Directly in front of us was the quintessential haunted house of childhood nightmares and horror movies, positioned on a decrepit acre of dead leaves. The ragged branches of a lone live oak tree had been stripped of its foliage, which now lay below. No other trees on the island had begun to lose their leaves yet, and the stark contrast chilled me to the bone. Once you were able to move past the layer of brown leaves and the overgrown stone path that used to be a driveway, the main attraction took your breath away.

The Victorian style manor was extremely out of place on an island of beach homes. Its majestic wraparound porch had been warped by the destructive forces of nature, but it still looked to be intact. Ruthless vines of ivy were devouring the entire house inch by inch, and most of the light gray paint had been peeled back from the exterior from years of relentless salt, wind and sand.

Several dormer windows were perched on the third floor overlooking the dreary landscape. The suffocating darkness and mass of vines drenched the house in mystery; hiding its secrets from the world. It looked…patient. As if waiting for something. Or someone. I felt a gentle push from behind.

“Go ahead Stasia, you go first,” Carmen urged.

“The only way I’m going in that house is if every person out here goes in with me.” I stared at the drab, wooden front door that probably hadn’t been opened in eighty years, “And even then you might have to drag me inside.”

“What’s the big deal? It’s just a house. Just because an entire family was gutted inside doesn’t mean it’s haunted,” Ricker rolled his eyes.

“What are you waiting for, then?” Carmen raised an eyebrow at him and mocked him, “I mean since it’s not a big deal and all.”

Sensing a shifting movement on the road, I glanced down and followed a sheet of sand marching from the side of the road to gather at Phoebe’s feet. I met her gaze and smiled sympathetically. I knew from my own sand experience how comforting it could be.

“Yeah, man,” Ian stared at the house as if it could come alive at any moment, “That’s all you.”

“Ya’ll are pathetic.” Ricker shook his head and began to walk toward the house. Shaking out his arms and tilting his head back and forth like a boxer readying for a fight, he strode up the front steps with confidence, turned the knob and disappeared into the house. We held our breath as we waited for him to reappear.

“See?!” He popped back into the doorway with a triumphant smile shining on his face. “Ya’ll were getting all bent out of shape for no-“ Without warning, he was yanked from behind by an unknown force; leaving us with only silence and a dark empty doorway. Carmen started running first. We all followed and made it to the open door at the same time. Without hesitation, we crossed the threshold and went into the dark house.

“Ricker!” Carmen screamed with obvious desperation and fear. Any apprehension I had about the house was wiped clean the second Ricker was attacked. Now adrenaline and determination were my only driving forces. The interior of the house melted together in a cacophony of dark shapes and shadowed doorways. The dust that had settled across its depths was at least three inches thick and quickly collecting in our lungs. I grounded my feet, centered my thoughts and concentrated on the open front door. All I had to do was think about a large gust of air circulating through the house and it came to fruition. I closed my eyes, focusing on the air and picturing it swirling through each room, over the walls, and around the corners; hoping to clear the dust.

“Remind me never to piss Stasia off,” Ian whispered and I heard Phoebe snicker.

As I opened my eyes, the wind receded. What it left was a dreary (although dirt-free) vacant shell of a house void of any color. The darkness of night had erased all ability to distinguish one room from the next as we searched for Ricker. We all had the same idea of turning on our cell phones to use as flashlights; careful not to step on any old, rickety boards that could end up hurtling us into oblivion.

“Ricker!” Carmen yelled again; panic-stricken. A light scraping sound from the corner brought our attention back to what I assumed was the library. We all whirled around gasping, as a figure stepped out from behind a curtain.

“Were you worried about me?” A crooked smile washed over his features.

“Ricker!” Never has one word held so many emotions. Relief, anger, happiness, and frustration were heavy in those two syllables. “What the hell are you doing!?”

“I figured it was the best way to get ya’ll in the house,” he said sheepishly. Tears rolled down Carmen’s cheeks as she walked up to Ricker and slapped him across the face.

“Scare me like that again and I’ll rip you apart piece by piece.”

“That’s my girl,” he murmured adoringly with a grin before his eyes dropped to the floor. “I’m sorry Carm, I didn’t mean to scare you.” She stepped even closer and the second slap I was expecting was replaced by a hug.

“It’s a good thing you showed yourself. Stasia was conjuring up the elements to hunt you down,” Liam said to him with a smirk.

Daughters of the Sea Trilogy  
Review

Forsaken (Daughters of the Sea Trilogy #1)
WOW! I cannot tell you how much I love this book! A pleasant surprise. Kristen Day's descriptions of the world she created are truly magical. I feel like I have been transported to the ocean and can see the sea turtles gathered before my eyes. I want to reach out and touch them. I have to say that is one of my favorite parts of the book.

Hannah has been having strange and disturbing dreams and visions. A dark mystery guy with piercing blue eyes has haunted her for most of her life. Unfortunately her adoptive family doesn't seem to handle her odd behavior very well and decide to send her to a school that deals with kids that have issues like her. The Lorelei House does deal with kids who are different, but not the way Hannah expects. This is were she finally finds a place she belongs and gets the answers she has been seeking.

Now on to FINN. Dark, mysterious, handsome and darn irresistable. I could not get enough of him. The perfect leading male character! His abilities fit his character perfectly. I can not get enough of him.

The ending is killing me. What a cliffhanger! Thank goodness I am going to start book 2 right away. Love this book!

Awaken (Daughters of the Sea Trilogy #2)
You have got to be kidding me! My heart can't take much more of this! WOW!! It is taking all I have not to throw my kindle across the room! Kristen Day has done it again with Awaken book 2 in the Daughters of the Sea Series. I honestly can't get enough of this mesmerizing world she has created.

In Awaken Stasia has to go to the Underworld to complete her transformation in becoming an immortal and Goddess. Finn tries to prepare her for this daunting task, along with her fabulous roommates. This I was prepared for, but I was not prepared for Nadia! She is pure evil and I absolutely dispise her. I also was not expecting the heartbreak I felt in Awaken. I found myself fighting back tears when Finn's secret is revealed.

I absolutely LOVE Awaken and I am starting Chosen #3 right away! I can't express how much I am enjoying this series. If you haven't read it, what on earth are you waiting for?

Chosen (Daughters of the Sea Trilogy #3)
I am so full of emotions right now. I have fallen in love with The Daughter of the Sea Series! Chosen is probably my favorite of the series.

I thoroughly enjoy watching Stasha and Finn's relationship blossom even as they continually have to endure pain and suffering from the evil Nadia. I want to scratch her eyes out and choke her with sea weed. Pure evil is all she is about, but she isn't the only one. I am still reeling from the emotional ups, downs and surprises Kristen has so expertly placed in Chosen. Wow!

I did not want this trilogy/series to end! I am anxious to see where Hearken Book 4 will lead me.

About The Author
I am a southern belle at heart with a crazy streak that desperately tries to escape at every opportunity. I love all things nostalgic, rustic, and quirky. I've been told I see the world through rose-colored glasses, but I prefer to think of them as kaleidoscope glasses - swirling and morphing reality into something I can digest (who hasn't pretended those pasty lima beans were really kiwi strawberry jelly beans?).

I am the author of the DAUGHTERS OF THE SEA trilogy, which includes FORSAKEN, AWAKEN, and CHOSEN (Winter 2012). I love all books, but really enjoy writing young adult, paranormal romances. I've loved to write for as long as I can remember. My first published work was my poem RED in second grade (you guessed it - it was a poem about the color red - life altering, I know) that won me 5 gold stars and a spot in my elementary school's poetry book. That's when my addiction to the written word officially began. I was the only kid in fifth grade that actually enjoyed diagramming sentences. Go ahead and laugh – it’s okay.

When I'm not writing I'm making jewelry, painting, drinking sweet tea, watching the discovery channel, or going on random adventures in the mountains of North Carolina with my amazing husband. I graduated from Appalachian State University and dream of becoming a full time novelist.

Author Links

Website / Twitter / Goodreads

Forsaken

Amazon Kindle

Barnes & Noble-Nook

Awaken

Amazon Kindle

Barnes & Noble- Nook

Chosen

Amazon Kindle

Barnes & Noble-Book

Giveaway Info

Author is giving away:
A Finn necklace (picture available)
assorted swag made by Cassie’s Crafty Creations
an ebook set of the entire trilogy signed paperback set of the entire trilogy

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 Forsaken

Daughters of the Sea Series - Book #1
Goodreads

Blurb

Once you’ve been touched by darkness, it never leaves you…

Abandoned by her parents as an infant; seventeen year old Hannah spent her childhood wading through countless foster families until being adopted by the Whitmans three years ago.

Unfortunately, Atlanta’s high society wasn’t quite ready for Hannah…or the strange events that plague her.

Chilling visions of murder, unexplained hallucinations, and dark, mysterious guy who haunts her nightmares all culminate to set in motion a journey of self-discovery that will challenge everything she’s ever believed; not to mention her sanity.

Sent to live at The House of Lorelei on Bald Head Island, NC for ‘kids like her’, Hannah quickly realizes things are not what they seem. Her fellow ‘disturbed’ teens are actually the descendants of mythical Sea Gods and Goddesses. And so is she.

But when Finn, the ghost from her dreams, appears in the flesh; her nightmares become reality and her dark visions begin coming true. Inexplicably drawn to him, she can’t deny the dangerous hold he has on her heart. The deadly secrets he harbors will ultimately test her courage and push the boundaries of her love.

She must decide if she is ready to embrace the ancient legend she is prophesied to be a part of. The fate of all the descendants will forever depend upon it.

Awaken
Daughters of the Sea Series Book #2
Goodreads

Blurb

The sacrifices we make have the power to shift the very fabric of who we are, and ultimately who we are meant to be…

After learning of her true destiny as the intended Leader of the Tydes, Anastasia Whitman must now embark on a perilous quest to the Underworld before the age of eighteen in order to plant the seed of immortality and complete her essence to become a true Sea Goddess. But before she can make her legendary journey, an unexpected new student transfers to Lorelei; initiating a sequence of events that will unravel Stasia’s new life, and test the boundaries of her relationship with the mysterious, dark, and sexy Finn Morrison. The line between the Underworld and the Living begins to blur as gruesome ghosts, morbid reveries, and pure evil haunt her waking hours as well as her sanity. Once the details of Finn’s own startling destiny are revealed, the dangerous secrets he’s been hiding will threaten the very love Stasia believed to be indestructible. As time begins to run out, she will be forced to choose between the one she loves and the destiny she cannot escape.

Chosen
Daughters of the Sea Series Book #3
Publication Date
 January 29, 2013 

Goodreads

Blurb

The essence of who we are lies not in what we have, but in what we are willing to give up. Because in the end, Time and Tide wait for no one.

After sacrificing all that she had, the evil princess of the Underworld is still successful in her bid to tear Finn from Stasia’s life. In the midst of her search to reclaim him, Stasia is summoned to the island nation of Cyprus to take part in an age-old ritual; unveiling the missing pieces of her ancestry and re-igniting an ancient war. As she struggles to both save Finn’s soul and free Carmen’s mind, Stasia’s bravery and determination will be pushed to its breaking point. A dark storm is forming on the horizon, and the forces who are vying to destroy her may be much closer than she thinks. Destiny weaves a sticky web of evil, betrayal, and revenge that can only be undone by the purity of love and the soul’s unyielding will to survive. In the last installment of the Daughters of the Sea trilogy, the past will collide with the present as Stasia’s future hangs in the balance. The prophecy that paved the way for her new life may indeed be the very thing that strips her of the ones she loves the most.