Monday, June 10, 2013

Dark Innocence Blog Tour ~ Guest Post and Giveaway With Rahima Warren

Dark Innocence: Book One of the Star-Seer's Prophecy by Rahima Warren
The “twin-souled dark innocent,” Kyr, is a youth born and raised to blindly carry out the Soul-Drinker’s brutal commands. At first, Kyr’s one desire is death, the only escape from the Soul-Drinker’s hellish rule. Just when he is about to get his wish, the secret Circle rescues him. Now he has to choose between the familiar easy path of despair and death, or the hard path of healing, living, and a greater destiny, about which he knows nothing. How can a slave who has known only evil, pain and obedience choose to become a man of courage and compassion, and fulfill the Star Seer's Prophecy?


Guest Post on The Healing Power of Love

I loved writing about Kyr’s incandescent relationship with Jolanya, and was surprised and even a little awed by the beauty and power of the scenes with them that came forth as I wrote. I have had experiences of sacred sexuality with my husband, and have felt the deep love that allows healing to occur. But these scenes with Kyr and Jolanya go beyond what I know personally. They seem to have emerged from some hidden well of knowing in me – or from the two of them.

As I wrote, Jolanya emerged as the Kailithana, a Priestess-Healer dedicated to healing men of their wounds that led them to commit evils such as rape. The role of Kailithana has roots in what Western culture calls the “sacred prostitute” – a term I seriously object to. In some ancient cultures, women served as the Goddess in sacred sexual rituals of the Union of God and Goddess, or in archetypal terms, the Sacred Masculine and Divine Feminine. They were Priestesses, not prostitutes. With soul-deep love, Jolanya uses her skills and magic to heal Kyr of his deepest wounds.
A little bit about my book, Dark Innocence, Book 1 in the Star-Seer’s Prophecy trilogy: Having been born and raised as a slave of an evil sorcerer called the Soul-Drinker, Kyr knows nothing but torture, rape and murder. He cannot endure any human touch, nor does he know what love or love-making are, even after he’s been through much healing and reached forgiveness. Meeting Jolanya and joining her for the Kailithara, a sacred healing journey, changes all that. In a hidden chamber, she begins to teach him the subtler arts of love-making.
I hope you enjoy this moment between the two lovers.

An Excerpt with Kyr and Jolanya:
Her body, graceful and magnificent, was now clad only in the silken darkness of her knee-length hair. “You, too, Kyr.” Trying not show his eagerness, he shed all his clothing, too.
From one of the baskets against the wall, she pulled out a small drum. Tapping out a slow and sinuous rhythm, she moved in rhythm with her drumming. As she danced around the chamber, the curtain of her hair swayed, revealing and concealing her beauty.
This tantalizing vision claimed his eyes, his breath, and his manhood, and he willingly surrendered them. Fascinated and aroused by her proud, voluptuous movement, he turned on his knees to follow her dance with his eyes, bound to the sight of her. Behind her, the glittering mosaics of the Goddess and her Consort whirled, flashing with erotic power, deepening his desire.
“Dance with me, Kyr.”  
“What? No, no! I don’t know how.”
“It’s a little like the Flowing Poses, but with no set pattern. Just stand, close your eyes, and listen to the drum. Breathe and relax, breathe and relax. Let yourself sway with the beat.” 
“Gods,” he murmured. “Alright, I’ll try.” He stood and let his body rock side-to-side in time with the drum.
“Unlock your knees, shake yourself loose a little. Good. Now, let yourself move however you like. You can’t make a mistake because there is no wrong way to do this.” 
Tentatively at first, he began to move around the chamber. Then an unexpected joy of freedom, and the mesmerizing rhythm of the drum lifted him into a graceful dance. With eyes closed, he followed the beat as the Kailithana increased the tempo. Absorbed in this new pleasure, he kept moving even when the drum stopped.
Warm hands clasped his waist, and he opened his eyes to meet Jolanya’s kindling gaze. The Kailithana pulled him into her dance. He placed his hands on her shoulders to keep in rhythm with her as they swirled around the chamber.
Laughing, he abandoned himself to the delight of moving with a partner, enjoying the solid, vibrant aliveness of her muscles and bones moving under her sweat-slicked skin, breathing deeply of her musky, sweet scent, gazing into her glowing eyes. As he surrendered more into the dance, they moved faster and faster, the God and Goddess of the mosaics flashing past—kissing, touching, conjoined. He longed to clasp the Kailithana to him, caress her, enter her, but did not dare to take the lead.

Rahima Warren is the author of Dark Innocence: Book One of the Star-Seer's Prophecy, a deep, rich novel of the healing journey. With Master's degrees in Clinical and Transpersonal Psychology, she was in private practice as a licensed psychotherapist for over 20 years. In 2006, Rahima retired to focus on her expressive painting, creative writing, and spiritual studies.
In her work with clients recovering from abuse, she was awed by the human capacity to heal, and to reach new levels of forgiveness, wholeness and happiness. She also learned to trust the psyche's own process. This enabled her to allow a dark and mysterious story to flood forth unhindered: Dark Innocence: Book One of the Star-Seer's Prophecy
Rahima is a third-generation native of California and resides with her husband in Northern California, where she periodically chases squirrels off the wild bird feeders, and deer away from her roses. Her life-long love of fantasy is her parents' fault: they left sci-fi & fantasy magazines with fascinating cover art lying around the house.


********* GIVEAWAY ********  

Rahima is giving away prizes, including an e-copy of her book at each blog stop on her tour AND a Grand Prize Giveaway of aCustom Jumbo Tote Bag with your choice of fan art, chosen from here: http://www.starseersprophecy.com/fan-art/, plus other goodies, including a signed copy of Dark Innocence for one lucky winner, shipped to anywhere in the world!

1)
To win a book: Leave a comment on this blog post on the healing power of love in fiction to be entered to win a book. Be sure to leave your email address in the comments so we can contact you if you’re the lucky winner. This giveaway ends five days after the post goes live.

2)
To win the Custom Jumbo Tote Bag with Rahima’s fan art of your choice, or a signed copy of Dark Innocence, or other goodies, click the link to go to Rahima’s website here: http://www.starseersprophecy.com/blog-tour/ and enter the Rafflecopter at the bottom of the page. A winner will be selected on June 21st.

Enter for the Grand Prize on Rahima’s website here:http://www.starseersprophecy.com/blog-tour/

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

4 comments:

Linda said...

Sounds like an awesome book. I love reading; nothing makes me happier than curling up with a good book with wonderful characters & a HEA.

thumbelinda03@yahoo.com

Rahima said...

Thanks for stopping by, Linda! I've been a bookworm myself since I learned to read. Cut my reading teeth on fantasy & sci fi!

bn100 said...

Nice post and excerpt

bn100candg at hotmail dot com

Rahima said...

Thanks for your comment!