Featuring Arden Blue from Awakened
Welcome to Character Cafe, Arden! It’s so great to meet you. What an exciting life you live as the daughter of the High Guardian of the Barrier Banks.
It’s been a wonderful life. When inside our home, I’ve been able to fling my windows wide any time I wanted to feel the wind on my skin. My father has always granted me freedom to run over the dunes and plunge into the sea.
That’s why you were so nervous about having to spend two days at the Sea King’s palace. You hate dressing up and being cooped up, don’t you.
[Laughs] Yes, as much as Papa loves me, I think he is terrified that I’ll show up to meet King Seidon stinking of brine and fish, with a bird’s nest of a hairdo, and in a gown older than the king himself.
Speaking of the king’s age. Isn’t he over 200 years old?
Yes, because he’s half mer, you see. But one would never think him old to see him. From what I hear, he’s spectacularly handsome. Which means he would be a good match for my beautiful sister Jade. With her beauty, she is bound to receive much power during the Awakening Ceremony.
It would seem so. I mean, isn’t that the way it works in your realm? The most beautiful people receive the most supernatural ability during these ceremonies?
Yes. Plus, she already shows signs of power. No one else has a fleet of giant sea hawks that trail them around. The Great Golden Sea Hawk seems to be always near at hand. Watching over us — her in particular.
So you aren’t excited about meeting the king at all?
[Huffs] I know it may be sinful, but I resent the fact that when he sees how beautiful my sister is, and then when she comes into her power, he will claim her as the next queen. There is no doubt in my mind. King Seidon is going to take my sister away from all of us who love her–including Storm, who has been in love with my sister for as long as I can remember.
Well, I don’t want to give anything away, but I have a feeling that you will get along with the king much better than you imagine. He is a remarkable man, I mean creature. Not just his appearance [fans herself with her hand] and his appearance is swoooonnnyyy, but he is dedicated to the one true God of your realm — Triada. His conversion experience brought tears to my eyes.
Umm… I honestly didn’t know his faith in Triada was that strong.
Something for you to ponder. Well, I don’t want to keep you, Arden. I know you want to have a last morning of freedom before you have to go to the palace. How about you pick something from our menu before you go. I have a feeling you are going to need some nourishment.
Do you have any cake? I don’t often get to eat cake, so that might put me into a better frame of mind about spending time at the palace.
We sure do! We have a Strawberry Almond Pound Cake from Ree Drummond that is to die for. (Not literally. I know you have to be more careful about saying things like that in your world. Especially with battles for power between mer and men.) Here is the recipe: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/strawberry-almond-pound-cake-9815456
I am going to pair that with an herbal tea that you will love — and it will keep you hydrated. Sea Chai herbal tea is an invigorating mix made exclusively with star anise, dulce seaweed, watermint, cardamon, juniper, spearmint, cinnamon, cloves and nettle. Here is the purchase link for our readers in the UK: https://www.seatea.co.uk/shop/luk7dt25mivqgm045q0bxw24yvg71y
Thank you for your hospitality, Amy. I will eat and drink this breakfast cake and tea, and then I want to spend as much time as I can with my sister Jade. Who knows how much time I have with her, should the king fall in love with her at first sight.
What do you think, readers? I have a feeling Arden is in for some big surprises — how she will feel about handsome and powerful King Seidon is just one of many.
Where sea and land meet, two worlds clash in a fury of wind and waves.
Arden Bleu has always known that her stepsister, Jade, was destined for great things. In a world where beauty follows magic, she has no doubt that their upcoming Awakening Ceremony will reveal that gorgeous Jade is far more than a mere mortal. But when Jade is kidnapped by a mysterious sect of mer on the eve of the newly-returned king’s ball, Arden will do anything to save her sister. Even face down the man she’s always dreaded meeting because of the power he holds over her family, the man to whom her father swore loyalty long before she was born. The Sea King.
Seidon, the Sea King of Daryatla, has grown only more powerful as the centuries have gone by, but lifetime after lifetime has failed to give him what he most yearns for: a family. He knows that it will take a woman of extraordinary power to match him enough to create a child, and no such woman seems to exist…until he feels her magic calling to his one day in the water. And when Arden Bleu, daughter of his most trusted official, arrives to tell him about her missing stepsister, he knows this Jade, with a new magic so coveted that the mer would risk war with his kingdom to steal her away, may be the one he’s waited centuries for. But how can he and the determined Arden ever hope to find one young woman trapped beneath the waves? Perhaps the Great Golden Sea Hawk who has guarded the sisters all their lives holds the key.
In a world on the brink of war between the mer and the land-dwellers, friendship, faith, and love demand the ultimate sacrifice as both kingdoms seek to unlock the prophesied magic waiting to spring forth: the magic of wind and sky. To the mer, it would mean the freedom to return to the land. To Seidon’s court, it would mean safety from every storm. But how can any human hand wield the wind?
Here is the purchase link for this wonderful inspirational romantasy: https://www.amazon.com/Awakened-Roseanna-M-White/dp/B0F9B9C74M/
Here is my review:
What an incredible world Roseanna has created. I was captivated by the characters. There was just the right amount of action, suspense, unexpected twists, and romance. I highly recommend this book for teens and adults.
To learn more about the author or Awakened, Roseanna White, here is her website: https://www.roseannamwhite.com/ She is such a talented author and wonderful human being!
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