Blog Tour: Loveweaver by Tracy Ann Miller ~ Author Interview

Welcome to the blog tour of Loveweaver by Tracy Ann Miller, hosted by Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours. I read Loveweaver last year and it's still one of my favorite historical romances. Today I have an interview with the author. If you want to read my review of the book click here. 

Interview with Tracy Ann Miller

1. Hi Tracy! I'm so glad I get to interview you for this tour. You know I loved Loveweaver but for those who are not familiar with your book yet, could you tell a little bit about it?

Hi Stephanie! I'm thrilled to have this interview with you! When researching the Viking era for my first book, The Maiden Seer, I discovered that women of the time used to sing blessings and prayers as they wove at their looms. Their weavings would then be imbued with  those messages. This seemed the perfect skill for my heroine, Llyrica, to have, especially since she uses it to influence the hero, Slayde. She weaves a love spell into the decorative braid that adorns his tunic. Fate then seems to conspire to keep them together even as they're at cross-purposes.  

2. What three books would you recommend to any reader?

My writing is highly influenced by Juliana Garnett, so my number one would be The Baron. But, as for non-romance, I've recently read Song of Way: story of Troy, and State of Wonder and loved them both.  In addition - all of the last six Phillipa Gregory books! 

3. Which character from Loveweaver have you enjoyed writing the most?

As female writers our heroine should be our favorite to write. But in Loveweaver I enjoyed writing my hero the most.  Slayde is so conflicted with living up to who he is supposed to be, a macho male (which he totally is!) and the gentler side of himself that he is literally split in two emotionally. Only when he sleeps and awakens as the sleepwalker can he express what he can't by day. The concept of him wooing Llyrica while he's sleepwalking really intrigued me.

4. If you could travel back in time would you travel to the era of the vikings or somewhere different, if so where?

I can't think of a time in the past when I would want to have lived. Even "simpler times" had their problems. 

5. What's next for you? Are you working on a new book? I'm dying to know. ;)

I'm working on a science fiction. My heroine is involved with two men on opposite sides of the law as they all deal with illegal imports from other planets. The fact that my heroine is an illegal import herself, and hiding it, makes things very messy. 

6. If you could jump into any book and live in it. Which book would it be?

I'm currently readying The Unsettlers: In Search of the Good Life in Today's America. There's one couple in this book who live completely off the grid and I'd love to see what that's like. For a month. :)

7. Is there anything else you'd like to add?

This is embarrassing, but I created 4 covers for Loveweaver. The current cover is here to stay!

Loveweaver
by Tracy Ann Miller

Publication Date: June 30, 2017
eBook; ASIN: B01H7M46BC

Genre: Historical Romance

The year is 895. Slayde’s job as an top military leader of Kent is to rid England of the last of the Viking raiders. But Llyrica is no ordinary Viking. She’s a beauty with a mysterious past … and a talent for weaving song spells. Even as Slayde saves her from drowning, he knows Llyrica will be a dangerous distraction.

Llyrica is now a stranger in a strange land on a mission to fulfill a deathbed promise. But she must also find her missing brother. This man, Slayde, known as The StoneHeart in his country, seems determined to block her at every turn. And yet she can’t help but be drawn to the affectionate, loving side of him that awakens when he sleeps – The sleepwalker.

Unknown to both Llyrica and Slayde, each will use the other to accomplish their quests. Both will also fall under the song spell that she wove into the braid of his tunic.

Will her Lovespell ensure a happily ever after for them? Or condemn them to a love that was never meant to be?

“When I started reading Loveweaver I never expected it to end up as one of my favorite historical romances ever. It was such a unexpected but amazing surprise. I loved everything about this book!” – Bookfever Book Blog

“Llyrica is a clever heroine who will have Slayde on her terms. Slayde, determined to resist, has not a prayer. Many secondary characters add to the story, making it a rich tapestry. And some exciting scenes will keep your heart pumping. It’s also intriguing with the spells woven into the cloth by the “songweaver”. Viking lovers will enjoy the match between a Saxon loyal to King Alfred and a Viking maiden from Denmark.” – Regan Walker, author of Regency, Georgian and Medieval romances

AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

About the Author

Although Tracy Ann Miller is primarily a graphic designer, (see her work at tracymillerdesigns.com) she has been writing novels for over 20 years.

She was an active member of the National Romance Writers of America with her local chapter, The Virginia Romance Writers. It was there she honed her craft by attending workshops, conferences, and by coordinating The VRW’s Fool for Love Contest.

Before being published, she entered and won numerous writing contests, including The Fool for Love Contest for Loveweaver, and the Between the Sheets best love scene contest for The Maiden Seer.

She writes to keep the hero and heroine interacting in story as much as possible (no long separations) and of course they get a spectacular happily ever after.

For more information, please visit Tracy Ann Miller’s blog. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Amazon.

Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, June 12
Interview at Bookfever <--- Me ^_^

Tuesday, June 13
Excerpt at Books, Dreams, Life

Wednesday, June 14
Review at Queen of All She Reads

Thursday, June 15
Excerpt at Romantic Historical Reviews

Friday, June 16
Spotlight at The Sassy Book Lover
Excerpt at What Is That Book About

Monday, June 19
Interview at The Book Junkie Reads

Wednesday, June 21
Spotlight at A Literary Vacation

Friday, June 23
Review at Broken Teepee

Friday, July 7
Spotlight at Passages to the Past

Review: The Maiden Seer by Tracy Ann Miller

Title: The Maiden Seer
Author: Tracy Ann Miller
Publication: October 1st 2016
Genre: Historical Romance
Purchase: Amazon
Rating: 5/5

Amber, known in her homeland of Wessex, England, as the Maiden Seer, seeks refuge from her dark foretelling dreams of war. The rune readings she gives to her followers have also become too much to bear. She hopes to find peace of mind in her new life at the convent. But this can only happen after she first fulfills her blackest dream ... one in which she sees herself killing a man.

Konnar hopes the violent memories of his life as a Viking raider and tragic losses will be quieted when he leaves England forever. This upcoming task will pay for his future and provide for the village who depends on him. But, abducting the Maiden Seer and delivering her to the wealthy client goes wildly awry.

Amber seems to know Konnar's painful secret and claims to foresee a solution. While it enrages him that she negotiates her freedom with this knowledge, Konnar dares believe the prophetess can help him.

He is her captor, but hiding behind his might and violent history, is man in need of forgiveness. It is that vulnerable side of him that she learns to love, as she enlists him on her mission to help the king of England.

The Viking and the Maiden Seer journey throughout England to carry out her prophetic vision. Yet, they struggle with their mutual passion for each other, each unsure of the others true intentions.

But what could it mean, Amber's dark dream that began it all?

I'm still trying to get my thoughts together for this so bear with me if I ramble a bit in this review but oh my gosh, this book was amazing. I read the author's other book Loveweaver back in July. That book already ended up being one of my favorite historical romances of the year so far, but then I read this book, The Maiden Seer, which I loved  more! I had of course hoped to love it as much as Loveweaver but yeah, I then The Maiden Seer turned out to be even better. I couldn't get enough of the book!

This story is about Amber who seeks refuge in a convent from her life as The Maiden Seer because the rune readings she gives people and the prophetic dreams that haunt her become too much to bear. When she gets abducted by Konnar, a Viking, who got hired by Dierk the RavenHair to deliver The Maiden Seer to him. But things definitely go not as planned...

The journey of Amber and Konnar, for both of them, was very intense, I thought, because their relationship was quite complicated. He was her captor plus a viking and meanwhile she, a Saxon, would do anything to stay alive and get back home. And she had promised to find Konnar's lost little sister. They also clearly had trust issues, especially concerning each other. But they couldn't deny the attraction they felt for one another. 

Just like in Loveweaver, the chemistry between these two main characters was off the charts and the banter between them was just so fun to read about because they didn't get along for most of the book. The only time they did get along at first was when they were in bed together. I mean, seriously... at some point I just wanted to jump in this book and tell them to just be nice to each other. But that was why I thought it was so fun.

And let's talk about Dierk the RavenHair, the villain of this story... He was vile. Really, really vile. But that was what made him such a great villain, you know. The author definitely has a knack for making me hate her villains and yet I was always wondering and interested in what his next move would be. 

The story had also a bunch of great secondary characters. Like the Five (meaning five of Konnar's men). I loved the Five. I loved their loyalty to Konnar and their admiration of Amber and how they were fascinated by her Christian stories. I adored them all. And I also loved Adonia, she was super cute!

So this review turned out way longer than I had planned it to be but I just had so much love for this book. I can't decide what was better in this book. The writing, the characters, the relationship between Amber and Konnar, the steamy romance scenes or the story in general? Obviously all of these things put together made it one hell of a story. The Maiden Seer by Tracy Ann Miller is now my favorite historical romance of this year. 

         About the Author:

              Website | Blog | Facebook | Amazon

Although Tracy Ann Miller is primarily a graphic designer, (see her work at tracymillerdesigns.com) she has been writing novels for over 20 years.

She was an active member of the National Romance Writers of America with her local chapter, The Virginia Romance Writers. It was there she honed her craft by attending workshops, conferences, and by coordinating The VRW's Fool for Love Contest. But most of all, she learned to write by sitting at the computer and sticking with it.

Also don't forget to check out my review of Loveweaver! ♥

Review: Loveweaver by Tracy Ann Miller

Title: Loveweaver
Author: Tracy Ann Miller
Publication: June 30th 2016
Genre: Historical Romance
Purchase: Amazon
Rating: 5/5

Review copy received in exchange for an honest review.

When Slayde pulls Llyrica from the ocean off the shores of Kent, how she arrived there from Denmark becomes the first of many questions. Her beauty and alluring voice evoke a deep and troubling need in him, but he must stay focused on the job at hand: Ridding England of the last of the Viking raiders.

Llyrica is now a stranger in a strange land, on a mission to fulfill a deathbed promise. But, she must now also find her missing brother. This man, Slayde, known as The StoneHeart in his country, seems determined to block her at every turn. And yet she can't help but be drawn to the sad and lonely side of him that awakens when he sleeps, the sleepwalker.

Unknown to both Llyrica and Slayde, each will use the other to accomplish their quests. Both will also fall under Llyrica's love spell, that of the Songweaver.

Set in the year 895, the story of Loveweaver happens among actual events. It was a time when many Vikings were settling peacefully in England while other would-be conquerors still sought to overtake the country. A romance between a Viking woman and English (Saxon) man was certainly not unheard of, but might still raise eyebrows.

The fact that Llyrica makes a living as a weaver appeals to those who value the importance of feminine creativity, cultural arts, and using those talents to carve out a place in the world.

Slayde depicts a man struggling to live up to a character of military might, while denying a life he would rather live, that of an inventor, a dreamer, a builder.

Llyrica's presence reignites in Slayde a reason to be done with war, to open the way for peace and his love for the beguiling weaver.

When I started reading Loveweaver I never expected it to end up as one of my favorite historical romances ever. It was such a unexpected but amazing surprise. I loved everything about this book!

Llyrica and Slayde sure had an interesting relationship, being a Viking woman and a Saxon man. They had loads of chemistry and also a lot of banter between them. I really enjoyed reading about them and how they struggled with their feelings to be together.

At first Slayde (a.k.a. StoneHeart) doesn't want anything to do with Llyrica when he rescues her from the ocean, although she brings out feelings in himself that he doesn't want to give in it.  At night, though, Slayde comes in his sleep (unbeknownst to himself) to Llyrica as "the sleepwalker" seemingly so different from the cold StoneHeart that she knows during the day. 

There were actually a lot of plot twists in this book that I hadn't seen coming. It also seemed like a very well-researched book and absolutely loved the writing. The romance especially was amazing and steamy. I also enjoyed reading about the various secondary characters like Llyrica's younger brother Broder, who Llyrica searches for in the story and father Byrnstan, who stood behind Slayde and Llyrica right away.

This book also featured Haesten, a Viking chieftain who has actually excisted, so this book was based on some real events, which as a total history nerd I loved so much. He was greatly written as the antagonist of this story, who was also connected to Llyrica and Broder

Loveweaver by Tracy Ann Miller takes its reader back to the year of 895. It made me feel as if I actually traveled back in time (if only!) to this era. The amazing writing combined with the hot-as-hell romance and the way the characters gripped me, made it one of my favorite books of 2016 (and ever). I would highly recommended it to anyone, especially fans of historical romance.

       About the Author:

       Website | Blog | Facebook | Amazon

Although Tracy Ann Miller is primarily a graphic designer, (see her work at tracymillerdesigns.com) she has been writing novels for over 20 years.

She was an active member of the National Romance Writers of America with her local chapter, The Virginia Romance Writers. It was there she honed her craft by attending workshops, conferences, and by coordinating The VRW's Fool for Love Contest. But most of all, she learned to write by sitting at the computer and sticking with it.