Character Interview and Review. Awakened by Author D.C. Gambel **Excerpt - Giveaway **



Awakened
The Horsemen Chronicles
Book One
D.C. Gambel
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Date of Publication: March 16, 2018
ISBN: 1981137491
ASIN: B079FRN2WQ
Number of pages: 391
Word Count: 96k


My vulnerability, that’s kept me secluded from the world, is now the one thing that can save it.


Evie has lived most of her life as a recluse, terrified that she might hurt someone. On her twenty-first birthday she meets Derek who informs her there’s a reason behind her gifts.

As someone that had to spend her entire life avoiding human contact, learning the truth about her origins as one of the Four Horsemen was a hard pill to swallow. Especially once she realizes that her fellow Horsemen are the only people she’d ever met that can withstand her touch.

The struggle to overcome her seclusion becomes very real when Evie discovers an attraction has sprung up between herself and one of her fellow Horsemen. Nothing good can come from pursuing the allure, especially when she knows that it not only would jeopardize her team, but her heart as well.




Character interview with Evie Claire 

Horseman from Awakend, by D.C. Gambel


Thank you for being with us today Evie.

How does it feel to be the only female in the horsemen group?


Honestly a little overwhelming. I think they were just as shocked to find out that I wasn’t a guy. When I think of the horsemen I see a creepy looking group of men dead set on destroying the world, not a bunch of man candy and me.


How did you feel discovering you were a horseman?

Scared. Inadequate. I spent my life in hiding. Suddenly the reason was handed to me after all those years. It was definitely a pleasant turn of events to learn that we weren’t going to destroy the world the way the bible predicted.


So in less than a year you go from being a shut-in to defender of the world. That had to be a huge change.
It was. If I didn’t have the guys there helping me, I doubt the change would have been as seamless as it was.


What about a love interest? I heard there were a few potentials.

The story isn’t really about my love life. Yes there are potentials, one particular that catches my eye, but the story is about trying to stop the one breaking the seals.


So before finding out you were a horsemen you had no idea there was an actual supernatural world?

None. I’d always had a taste for the paranormal in shows I watched and books I read. I guess that’s why it wasn’t so hard to grasp that there was this huge world that was going on right under my nose.


This was your first time working with D.C. Gambel. How was that?

Great. One of the wonderful things about her is she doesn’t force us to do anything we don’t want to do. I still have my own mind. So if she feels the story would go better one way, but my response is different that what would allow for that to happen, she’s more than happy to change the scene in my favor and allow us to lead.


Awakened is the first book in The Horsemen Chronicles. Can you give us a little summary?

Sure. Awakened follows me on my journey where I discover that this curse I’ve had my entire life is actual a gift, one of four that were given to the horsemen when the seal began breaking over twenty years ago. The story is about trying to stop the final seals from being broken and in so doing, saving to world.


What can we expect from the upcoming books?

There’s always going to be evil lurking around the corner for the horsemen. We are there to prevent it from spilling out into the world. In the books to come you’ll see us trying to make sure the supernatural world stays hidden behind the veil while we each struggle with finding the balance between our calling as horsemen and the lives we wish to lead.



My Review

⭐⭐⭐⭐

I was given an unedited copy of Awakened for an honest review

When asked if I wanted to review this, my mind said, too bad, I don't have time, and then I jumped on it. Who could resist a paranormal premise with the four horseman? And one of them being a woman?  I couldn't wait to read it.

I did say unedited, so you're on your own on that issue, but the manuscript was pretty clean, so I wouldn't expect that to be a problem. 

The prose in Awakened flows nicely, but there are some minor issues I had when reading. The first is that I sometimes felt like the main character was in a room, telling me the story. While that is an issue with stories written in first point of view sometimes, it doesn't have to be. 

I liked the characters in Awakened, but they don't have too many weaknesses. I had the sense that if something happened to them, no big deal, because they would heal. At least that's true of the main characters. While there were moments that were threatening, the fact that they heal is pretty much solidified. Here's a little more about the character break-down.

Evie, our heroine, is a strong woman, I loved that. She steps up to the plate when necessary to get a job done, even if the probability of getting hurt is high. Her best friend, Charlie, is strong, but a bit of a lush. Most of us have a friend or two like that over the years. Her redemption is that she's loyal, but she doesn't have much of a place in the plot, except for cheering Evie on. We all need someone to talk to, but even when something terrible happens, Charlie just takes it in stride. Sometimes I had trouble buying that. 

Cam, the beautiful player that every woman wants is the strongest character outside of Evie, and like her, he steps up to the plate when neccesary. I'm not going to share more about him, because that would bring too many spoilers. I'll just say that Evie is his weakness.

Ty, another horseman, seems to be in charge of most things. He's most level headed, but outside of being part of the group, shows little to no weakness, and doesn't really have a life of his own. Derek is strong, and smart, but except for some jealousy, also has no life of his own, so the story has room for growth.

I would love to have seen more of the vampire, Asher. We know he's scary, but don't see that much of his deadly side as the story progresses. Everything about him, except that he's scary, is told at the end.

There is some adult content. I thought it was well written, and not overdone, although it is always in the forefront of the main character minds. It adds some tension to the mix as the story moves forward.

The story itself is tight. The beginning, middle and end are solid, but some scenes I think should have been included are missing. Again, I can't elaborate without spoilers.

My final conclusion is that while the story could have been stronger, it's still a good read. While it's not edge of your seat, the characters are likeable and the storyline is tight. I'm curious to see what D.C. Gambel will do with them in book two.

Keep scrolling for an excerpt from Awakened, by D.C. Gambel.


Excerpt

“Break it down for us, Cam.”

“I met my informant last night,” he said, leaning between the opening of the front seats. I angled myself to face him so I could hear him better. “He claims that Axel Reese, pack alpha of Summery, was contacted by Asmodeus.”

There was a swirl of profanities, but I was clueless to why. So I asked.

“Asmodeus is one of the seven princes of hell. He’s also the prince of lust. Apparently they were rumored to have met the night the succubus attacked the fraternity party,” Cam went on to explain.

“I’m sure that was no coincidence,” Tyler muttered. “I thought the succubi broke off from Asmodeus decades ago when he started demanding that they worship him as a god.”

“They did, but with the seals being broken the demons of lust are returning to their master in hopes he can protect them from the apocalypse. They don’t even realize that he’ll use them a cannon fodder to save his ass. If Axel really did meet with Asmodeus we need to be prepared for a shift in the packs loyalty.”

“Why not just go to Asmodeus first?” Derek asked keeping his eyes forward.

“Axel would be a lot easier to handle then walking in to Phoenix.”

“Phoenix?” I asked.

“It’s a demon club,” Tyler answered. “We don’t get the warmest reception. Asmodeus owns it.”

“Stole it is more like it,” Derek chimed in. He glanced at me. Seeing the quizzical look he elaborated. “It used to be a safe haven for the powers of good. Demons attacked it as a distraction for whoever is breaking the seals. The club has been in demon hands for almost three decades after two centuries of it being in the hands of good. Only positive thing is the demons can’t put up their wards to keep us out.”

“They’ve tried,” Tyler announced.

“Yes they have,” Cam agreed. All three men chuckled and I felt like I was being left out of the joke.

“Hair of the dog?” I asked when we pulled up outside the dive bar. “I thought you were joking.”

Cam chuckled. “They’re not the most creative bunch.” His hand found the small of my back as we headed to the door. I could feel its warmth seeping though the fabric of my shirt almost like it was melting it away until his skin touched mine. I shook my head subtly clearing those thoughts. “You stay near one of us and we’ll make sure no one touches you. What skin is exposed no one should be touching anyways unless they’re looking for trouble.” The other two nodded in agreement.



About the Author

D.C. Gambel is a mother, army wife, and a hopeless romantic. Romance has always been her genre of choice whether it’s contemporary, historical, paranormal, or even pushing towards erotica in both reading and writing. When she first decided to try her hand at writing, romance was the obvious choice. Getting lost in a different world, living unimaginable lives is something she strives for, even if it’s just a temporary enjoyment.

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Comments

  1. Tell us a little bit about your cover art. Who designed it? Why did you go with that particular image? Best of luck with the book and book tour!

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