Welcome to this stop on the Fall Into Romance Blog Hop, put on by Hops With Heart! I'm Kyra Halland, and I love fantasy in my romance and romance in my fantasy. Enjoy some magical falling in love moments from my stories, and be sure to enter the giveaways further down! I'm giving away an ebook Love and Magic 3-pack (containing my novels Urdaisunia, Chosen of Azara, and Sarya's Song) and there's also a grand prize giveaway sponsored by Hops With Heart for a $75 Amazon gift card! Also make sure you check out some of the other great blogs participating in the blog hop - the Linkup list is at the bottom of the post.

And now, on with the romance!

From Chosen of Azara, a wanderer named Sevry, whom Lucie has seen in mysterious visions, takes shelter at Lucie's father's house, and Lucie makes an astonishing discovery:
* * *
Lucie moved into a foreign ballad that her mother, Rinata, had taught her. She had been told many times that she had the sweetest voice in the Lower Districts, and wasn’t shy about singing in front of people. She didn’t understand the words to this song, but she could feel the mixture of sadness and strength in them. The tune was in a minor mode, almost tragic except for a subtle thread of love and tenderness that ran through it. This was one of her best songs, and she wanted the man from her visions to hear her at her best. Not that she really cared what he thought of her, of course; she just wanted to put her best face forward for a guest.

She sang, letting the feel of the music and the lilt of the language guide her singing. After a moment, she realized that another voice had joined hers, a fine baritone though somewhat rough from disuse; it was the stranger singing quietly along with her. He knew all the words, and pronounced them with more ease and certainty than Lucie did.

Lucie’s fingers faltered on the strings. Flustered, her heart bursting with a wild mix of emotions, she managed to make it through the rest of the verses and the last chorus. “I’m sorry,” she stammered when the song was done. “I’m tired. Good night.” She fled the hall, clutching her lute in both hands, the stranger’s voice still echoing in her mind.

From The Lost Book of Anggird, after attempting to magically Heal Perarre's cold, Roric suffers the consequences, and comes to an uncomfortable realization:
* * *
He slid down along the wall to sit on the floor next to the washstand, fists clenched in frustration, tears in his eyes. The pain was bad enough, but he hated the sickness, the shame, the feeling of helplessness that came along with it. He felt like he was trapped in that dark hour twenty years ago, shortly after coming to the University, when he had crouched in a hidden corner with the point of a stolen kitchen knife pressed against his throat, trying to will himself to plunge it in, to put an end to the memories and pain and shame and to make sure that no one would ever discover what he was. The life he had painstakingly built for himself since that day, the respect and reputation he had gained, all seemed to crumble away under the onslaught of misery that Healing brought upon him. Why had he done this to himself, just for the sake of temporarily relieving a simple head cold?

Because her illness was his fault, that was why, a reproachful voice inside his head pointed out. It was disgraceful the way he had been overworking her. Had she really thought that he would dismiss her if she became ill? If he wasn’t careful, he would drive her away or wear her down completely before he even had a chance to begin the most important research he would ever do.

And, in any case, what right did he have to interfere in his employee’s personal habits? What had he been thinking, to insist that she go swimming in the frigid waters of early spring? He had been born in a place where icy winds blew unhindered for three-fourths of the year. Though he couldn’t bear pain, tolerance of the cold was bred into every particle and sinew of his body. It had been stupid of him to assume that Miss Tabrano would have the same tolerance.

He sat in misery, waiting for the pain to ebb away. As it faded, a memory of smooth, warm skin beneath his fingertips came unbidden into his mind, along with the realization that, regardless of pain, illness, and propriety, he had enjoyed having an excuse to touch her. More shame flooded through him — how could he have taken such advantage of Miss Tabrano in her illness? But he couldn’t bring himself to regret that brief moment of unexpected, unfamiliar pleasure.

And that was more alarming than any amount of pain.

And finally, here's a sneak peek inside Beneath the Canyons, book 1 of my upcoming fantasy-western series Daughter of the Wildings. Lainie Banfrey can't help feeling a little smitten with Silas Vendine, the stranger in town, even though she knows he's probably trouble (please note, this is not the final edited version!):
* * *
Lainie tied Mala to a post outside the mercantile and looked at the list she had written on a scrap of paper. It contained five or six things her father had meant to tell her to get the other day when he sent her to buy nails but had forgotten. Ever since Blake's death, he was distracted and forgetful, lost in anger and memories and grief.

As she read the list, a shadow fell over the paper and she felt a presence beside her. She looked up to see Mr. Vendine standing there. A burst of excitement and shyness leaped up inside of her, and she tried, unsuccessfully, to keep from smiling.

He tipped his brown, flat-brimmed leather hat to her. "Good morning, Miss Banfrey."

She was being silly. She had only just met him; she couldn't be smitten with him already, and if she was, she was a fool. With an effort, she managed to respond with dignity. "Good morning, Mr. Vendine."

"More errands for your father today?"

"Yes, he always thinks of things he meant to tell me to get right when I've just made a trip to town."

"I certainly hope you have a better day for it than you did the other day."

"I hope so, too." Having someone to talk to about it, someone friendly who wasn't all wound up over the situation, made her words come spilling out in relief. "Once they've done some shooting, they usually calm down for a while before they start getting all riled up again."

"They? The miners?"

"All of them." Lainie waved a hand, encompassing the whole town. "The whole damn-fool lot of them." Suddenly she felt self-conscious of her own babbling. "Anyhow, Mr. Vendine, thank you for keeping watch over me the other day. If you'll excuse me --"

He touched her shoulder as she turned to go into the store, stopping her. "If I could speak to you privately for a few moments, Miss Banfrey, I'd appreciate it. Maybe on your way home?"

His voice and his handsome face and dark eyes were very serious. Not a trace of flirtation or even friendliness, though his manner was certainly polite. Although he had been so kind to her, she was suddenly afraid of what this stranger might have to say to her. He had a slightly dangerous air about him, as of a man who keeps his own secrets. Did he know about her power, how she had tried to protect herself with magic the other day? Or was there something else going on with him? The ranch hands had heard rumors he was a bounty hunter; did he think she knew something about a fugitive he was hunting?

"Please," he said. "I mean you no harm. It's important."

"It's a distance back to the ranch," she said. "Four leagues and some."

"My horse could use some exercise. I'll saddle him up and meet you back here by the time you're done with your business."

"My Pa don't want me riding out with men he don't know."

"It won't take long. I just have a question or two I'd like to ask you."

Just a question or two. There couldn't be any harm in that. Finally, she nodded. "All right, then."

"Thank you. I'll be waiting here for you." He tipped his hat again, then walked away towards Mundy's Boarding House. Lainie watched him go for a moment, then went into the store.

Enter to win a Love and Magic eBook 3-pack (Urdaisunia, Chosen of Azara, and Sarya's Song) from Kyra Halland/Welcome to My Worlds! (One winner)
***Winner has been notified by email***

And the grand prize giveaway from Hops With Heart!

Grand Prize Giveaway not run or sponsored by Kyra Halland/Welcome to My Worlds

Be sure to check out the other blogs in the Fall Into Romance Blog Hop, Sept. 19-22!

Introducing Haveshi Yellowcrow and Latan the Clerk:

I've been wanting a better cover for The Warrior and The Holy Man ever since I released it, so I put Mominur Rahman, the artist who did the Daughter of the Wildings and new Urdaisunia covers, on the job, and I love what he came up with. Above is the ebook version; below is the full wrap-around:

Welcome to this weekend's Sneak Peek! Today we're going back to Chosen of Azara, as Princess Juzeva meets her new husband, the man she's being married to for political purposes, for the first time (Ilvana is her mother, the queen):

“And here is Idan, Crown Prince of the Madrinan Empire,” Ilvana said. She gestured towards the young man standing between the Emperor and his advisor. “Your future husband.” Prince Idan was tall and well-built, with red hair, a strong-boned, handsome face, and clear green eyes. His clothes and armor were less elaborate and more practical-looking than his father’s. Though he was young and handsome, his expression was grim.

This was the man she was to spend the rest of her life with, the man who would be the father of the children she had never planned to have. Fighting back a sudden urge to flee from the room, Juzeva curtsied to him.

The Prince stepped forward and bowed to her, then spoke in formal, carefully-pronounced Savarunan. “My lady Juzeva, I know this duty is difficult for you, as it is for me. We are both forced to give up our own desires for the sake of peace between our lands. But I promise you that from now on I will look forward, not back, in the hope that we can be, if not happy, at least content with our destiny.”

Juzeva hadn’t expected such a courtly speech. The Prince had clearly spent a great deal of time practicing it, and Juzeva found herself moved by the effort. If nothing else, she would be married to a gentleman. She bowed her head to him, grateful for his courtesy and thoughtfulness. “I thank you, Prince Idan. I too will do my best to make our union a successful one.”

She watched the Prince take his place beside his father again. Her gaze slid past Sajur Golu’s face just as the priest was hiding a look of deep contempt. Another prickle of revulsion or fear, or both, crept up her spine.

“Let us be done with this, then,” Queen Ilvana said. She and Ezdar moved to a table which stood beneath the great middle window, where a scribe waited with the marriage and peace treaties. The scribe began reading the documents out loud. Juzeva didn’t bother to pay close attention; it made no difference whether or not she knew what they said. The terms had all been worked out already. She had had no say in them, and her opinion and consent had not been asked. The essence of the agreements was that, in exchange for a marriage-link to the Savaru royal family, which would bring with it a significant voice on the Queen’s Council and a healthy portion of the profits from Savaru’s rich fishing, farming, handcraft, and mining enterprises, the Madrinan Empire promised to not run its armies over the land. A bloodless defeat for Savaru, a quick and cheap victory for the Empire.

Chosen of Azara is available at:
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Apple | Smashwords | OmniLit

For more Sneak Peeks, visit the Sneak Peek Sunday blog. #SPeekSunday on Twitter and Facebook.

Time for another weekend sneak peek. Here, in Chosen of Azara, Lucie finally meets the man of her dreams, and finds out he isn't exactly what she expected:

“Azara gave me her life, so that I would not die before my vow was fulfilled. I figure I’m close to four hundred years old.” He smiled again, a faint shadow of a grin that was quickly gone. “I’ve lost track of a few years here and there.”

Everything he was saying was pure nonsense. It had to be. Her fantasies of what it would be like to meet him crumbled away, leaving a hollow disappointment behind. Either he was playing a stupid, cruel joke on her—and there was nothing in his manner to suggest this, only absolute sincerity—or he was only a madman, a wandering beggar lost in dreams and tales of long ago and, for some reason, obsessed with her pendant.

If he was indeed mad, she realized, he might be dangerous if she refused to give him what he wanted. With a pang at giving up the gift her mother had given her, she unclasped the slender chain with the crystal vial from around her neck and held it out for him. “Here. If all you want is my pendant, you can have it. You don’t have to make up these stories to get me to give it to you. Just take it and leave.”

He took her hand in his, laid the crystal pendant on her palm, and gently closed her fingers around it. He held her closed hand for a moment—why did she have to like the feel of him holding her hand so much?—then released it. “That won’t work,” he said. “The power in that token can only be used by a daughter of Juzeva’s blood. I need you to come back to Savaru with me and use that power to restore Savaru to life.”

The outrageous request left her stunned—she wasn’t sure she could have possibly heard him correctly. “Excuse me?” she finally managed to say. “You want me to go away with you?”

“Yes.”

Chosen of Azara is available at
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For more Sneak Peeks, visit the Sneak Peek Sunday blog. #SPeekSunday on Twitter and Facebook.

Love & Magic Week continues with a peek at a magical moment from Chosen of Azara:

After this, Sevry ignored everything else he saw, all his attention focused on watching for the girl to reappear. The next time he saw her, she looked like she was fifteen or sixteen years old. She was in the same place as before, crouching next to some plants by the path. She looked around at him, then stood, her hand going to the sparkling pendant she wore. She opened her mouth as though about to say something, then cocked her head, as though hearing someone calling her from a distance. As she turned to hurry away, she waved at him.

Again he sought for her, and again he saw her, standing on the hillside path, holding a wide, shallow basket with both hands, and facing him, almost as though she had expected to see him. She was fully grown now, perhaps twenty years old. Sevry noticed the neckline of her pale green dress first; he couldn’t help it, any man would have. The dress was cut low, exposing a generous amount of fair, full, lightly freckled bosom. Then, for the first time, Sevry saw the object that dangled from a fine silver chain around her neck, resting just above the cleft between her breasts: a small crystal vial, crafted in a style that had been lost when Savaru was destroyed.

Savarunan crystal. And, Sevry now realized, despite the red hair, green eyes, and softly rounded features, the young woman had a fine-boned Savarunan face. She could only be the granddaughter or great-granddaughter of Juzeva and the red-haired Madrinan prince.

Sevry stepped towards the young woman, and into nothingness.

Available at:
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Next up for Love & Magic Week: Get to know more about Sevry and Lucie from Chosen of Azara:

1. How did you meet?
Sevry: I had been searching for a very long time for a magical talisman that would help me restore my destroyed land, Savaru. I was carrying out the search through magical means that I'm not at liberty to describe when I saw her. We actually met in person some months later when I took refuge from a storm at her father's house.
Lucie: He's never told me exactly what he was doing when we saw each other by magic. I guess he can't, or isn't supposed to. And then it was a huge surprise when he showed up at my father's house! I'd never imagined I'd really get to meet him in person.

2. What was the first thing you noticed about the other person?
L: He wasn't wearing very many clothes - I don't mean like that! [blushes] I mean, I noticed how many scars he has, and wondered how hard his life must have been, for him to have that many scars.
S: I noticed her hair, curls of fire and copper glowing in the sun. And I noticed that she was wearing the talisman I was looking for on a chain around her neck.
L: Now, dear, that isn't all you noticed, is it?
S: [blushes] Well, um, I did also happen to notice that the neckline of her dress was fairly low-cut and that she had a fine figure... But the talisman. That was the important thing.

3. Did you know when you met that you would end up together?
S: No. My options for my life were severely limited by the duty I'd been given, to find the talisman that would restore Savaru to life. Falling in love and marrying were not among those options.
L: I was engaged to someone else at the time, so, no.

4. What do you like best about the other person?
L: He treats me with kindness and respect, and even though he's had such a hard life he's still determined to always do the right thing. And he's very handsome and has a beautiful singing voice and tells wonderful stories from Savaru from long ago.
S: I love her voice, and how she sings the old songs from Savaru that she's learned. And the way she makes me feel young and hopeful again. And her courage and gentleness.

5. What is something you enjoy doing together? (Besides the obvious!)
L: We both love music, so we like to sing together.
S: And she's teaching me how to play the lute. I wanted to become a bard when I was a child, but the war prevented it. So now she's helping my dream to finally come true.

6. How has the other person changed you?
S: She made me feel loved, and gave me something to love and live for besides Savaru.
L: He helped me learn to see beyond myself and my own little world, and to have courage to do the right thing even when it's hard.

7. What are the biggest differences between you? How important are these differences?
S: Well, there's the age difference. I'm considerably older than I look.
L: Although, when the difference is more than a few hundred years, I don't think it really matters any more.
S: If the difference in our ages doesn't bother her, it doesn't bother me.
L: He also had a very hard life, and I had a very easy life up until I met him and things... happened. We saw the world in very different ways and our priorities were very different because of that. But I think what happened is he took the good things from his hard life and I took the good things from my easy life and we put them together to make our new life better. Does that make any sense?

8. What do the two of you have in common?
S: We both love music.
L: And we both want to make Savaru a beautiful place to live again.

9. What does your family think of your partner, and what do you think of your partner's family?
L: My brothers didn't like Sevry at first, because my fiance at the time was a good friend of theirs. But then Estefan showed his true colors, and my brothers realized that Sevry was much better for me. Now they like him very much. My father, he just wants me to be happy, so whatever makes me happy is fine with him. I think he thinks well of Sevry, too. As for my grandmama...
S: Lucie and I are actually distantly related, and her grandmother is my closest living relative. Lady Lillia didn't think much of me at first, because I was trying to take Lucie away from her secure, comfortable life and the good marriage that was planned for her.
L: I think grandmama has finally come around, though. She lets Sevry call her "cousin."

10. What role does magic play in your relationship?
S: It was through magic that we were able to find each other across time and space.
L: [sighs] Isn't that romantic?

11. What are your plans for the future?
S: Raising our family, and restoring Savaru to the beautiful, prosperous land it once was.
L: And learning to play the lute.

12. "The whole is greater than the sum of the parts" How is this true for the two of you?
L: We brought a dead land back to life, and now we're working to give it a future. How awesome is that?
S: I was the last king of the old Savaru, and I'm the first king of the new Savaru. I couldn't do it without my queen.

Here's a peek at a romantic moment in Chosen of Azara:

“Lucie, you have to decide now. What will you do?” His voice was quiet but firm.

“I can’t go with you. Don’t you understand that? I’m to be married in six weeks!”

“If we traveled quickly, you could be back here by then.”

Lucie gave a despairing laugh. She was tired of trying to explain herself to him—and to herself. “And do you think Estefan would still want me then? He’s already jealous, and that was just because I was talking to you. What do you think he would do if I disappeared with you for a month and a half? A broken engagement would be the least of my problems!”

“Has he threatened you?” A dangerous edge entered his voice.

It would be too humiliating to admit that she was afraid of her own fiancé. “No, he’s just very angry. But don’t you see? If I leave with you, I would be cutting myself off from my family and friends, I would have no home to come back to, no one who cared about me. No one would want me. My life would be over.”

She tried to turn away, but Sevry caught her arm and she couldn’t pull free. “Lucie—”

“Don’t you understand what you’re asking of me? What I would have to give up? What I’d lose?”

“I know, Lucie. Believe me, I know what it’s like to lose everything.” She looked up at him, and caught her breath at the genuine sorrow and compassion on his face. “Fate, the gods, history, other people’s decisions can all leave our lives in ruins, and there’s nothing we can do about it,” he said. “I wish your family wouldn’t choose to deal so harshly with you. I wish their love and concern for you was more steadfast. If I could—” He stopped speaking and stepped closer to her. She was powerless to move away. His free hand brushed her cheek, as though he was trying to comfort her, then moved to the back of her head, tangling in her hair. He tilted her face up towards his, and his mouth pressed down on hers.

As part of Love & Magic Week, Chosen of Azara is on sale at a special low price through Feb. 16:
Amazon | Smashwords (coupon code ZU89J)

Meet Latan, the "holy man" from The Warrior and the Holy Man, a pair of stories set in the same world as Chosen of Azara:

1. What is your full name? Is there anything significant about your name?
My name is Latan. I gave up my family name when I entered the order of Source Tiati.

2. How old are you?
I am thirty-two years old.

3. Tell us about your family. What do you like and not like about them?
I have a mother and father, and a number of older brothers and sisters. My father is a farmer, not poor, but after providing inheritances for my older brothers and dowries for my sisters, there wasn't going to be anything left for me. So when I was twelve my parents brought me to Source Tiati and had me sworn into service here. I know they did what they thought was best for me, but at times I've felt as if I was unwanted and cast off. I know that wasn't the case, my parents just wanted to make sure I was provided for, but sometimes I wonder what it would be like to have the kind of life my older brothers are able to have.

I know my parents are still living and doing well, and that my brothers and sisters have successful livings and good families, because from time to time they send donations to the monastery of Source Tiati, along with a short letter to me. But I haven't seen them in twenty years.

4. Who was your first kiss, and what did you think of it?
As I said, I was brought to Source Tiati and sworn into its service at the age of twelve, before I had much interest in kissing anyone, or the opportunity. Celibacy is a requirement of those sworn to Source Tiati, so I haven't had the opportunity to kiss anyone since then, either.

5. What is your occupation?
I am the Clerk of the order of Source Tiati. I keep the records and history of the order. The record-keeping includes such things as those who enter the Source's service, those who pass away, the order's supplies, receipts, and expenditures, the daily weather, and any events of note. I don't have the ability to use Source power, so I can't be a priest. But my temperament and talents seem to be well-suited to being a clerk.

6. What are your best and worst qualities?
I'm meticulous in my record-keeping. I also have something of a talent for languages. And I'm very loyal. As for my worst qualities, I tend to be a bit distracted sometimes, and I'm also rather timid.

7. What quality do you value most in a romantic partner?
The option of having a sweetheart or wife was taken away from me when my parents brought me to Source Tiati. Mostly I don't think about it; my life here is busy and I do appreciate the security of being a member of the order. But sometimes I do wonder what it would be like to have a nice wife, some fine children, and a home of my own like my brothers do.

If I had the opportunity to marry, I don't think I'd be too picky in my choice of wife, as long as she was willing to put up with me. I would work as hard for my family and be as loyal to them as I am in the service of Source Tiati.

8. What is your favorite thing to do?
In my spare time, I enjoy translating and studying historical documents. I'm not a scholar, by any means; there are much more intelligent and learned men here at Source Tiati than I. But I do have a bit of a knack for languages, and I find old documents fascinating - a glimpse into other times and other places, a small piece of the wide world beyond the bounds of Source Tiati which I have never had the chance to see and probably never will. I receive a very small stipend for my services as Clerk, and I save up most of it for when a trader or other traveler comes by who happens to have an old book or document for sale. In fact, there are a couple of traders who come through regularly who make a point of keeping an eye out for old documents that might interest me.

9. What is your greatest fear?
I've spent my entire youth and adult life in the service of Source Tiati. Because of this, some things have been denied to me, but I've done my best to serve faithfully and well, and it's now the only home, the only life, I know. So my greatest fear is that for some reason I would be cast out of the order and sent away.

10. What is your most treasured possession?
As a member of an order devoted to a Source, material possessions aren't very important to me. But I do enjoy the small collection of historical documents I've amassed over the years, and I treasure the time I'm able to spend studying them.

The Warrior and the Holy Man, available for Kindle from Amazon.

Introducing Haveshi Yellowcrow, from The Warrior and the Holy Man. This is Haveshi as she is at the beginning of the second story, "The Path of Latan the Clerk."

1. What is your full name? Is there anything significant about your name?
My name is Haveshi Yellowcrow. The Yellowcrow is the god of the clanless and outcasts.

2. How old are you?
I am thirty years old.

3. Tell us about your family. What do you like and not like about them?
I had a husband, Tirn, a son, Bebir, and a daughter, Leshi. They are no longer part of my life. My children were the cleverest, best-behaved, and most beautiful children ever born. I miss them every day, but they were very young when we were forced apart and so would not remember me. As for my husband, I loved him very much, but if he ever truly loved me, he stopped a long time ago.

The two guards who work with me, Jokun and Aday, are like brothers to me. Although they are much larger than I am, and I am a foreign woman, they treat me with great respect and loyalty.

4. Who was your first kiss, and what did you think of it?
Tirn. I liked it enough to turn my back on the warrior's path and marry him.

5. What is your occupation?
Before I married Tirn, I was one of the few women invited to become one of my clan's warriors. All Krunabashai women are taught to fight, to defend our homes, our children, and ourselves, but only the most skillful are invited to enter upon the warrior's path. Now I am a guard for hire, and the leader of a team of three guards.

6. What are your best and worst qualities?
My fighting skills are as good as any man's; better than most men's, in truth. Although I have a man's job and a man's skills, and although I live a very rough life, I do take great care and pride in always looking my best. I also strive to do my very best to fulfill my responsibilities to the people I'm hired to guard. If necessary, I would even give up my life to protect them.

As for my worst qualities, I sometimes have a sharp tongue.

7. What quality do you value most in a romantic partner?
I would like a husband who will stand up for me. I'm able to take care of myself and protect myself, but I dream of one day finding a man who will love me and stand by me no matter what.

8. What is your favorite thing to do?
When I had lost everything else, my skills as a warrior were all that were left to me. Perhaps it sounds unwomanly, but I enjoy a good, hard-fought battle with skilled and honorable opponents.

9. What is your greatest fear?
The thing I feared most already happened - No, that's not quite true. More than being separated from my children, I fear my children dying. But the last I knew, they were well and being cared for.

10. What is your most treasured possession?
Besides my fighting skills and my memories of my children, I treasure the yellow feather that I was given by the Yellowcrow when I left my homeland, the Krunabashi Desert, to begin my new life.

The Warrior and the Holy Man, available for Kindle from Amazon.