Tuesday, May 6, 2014

BLOG TOUR: Spirit Warriors: The Concealing by D.E.L. Connor


Welcome to the Official Blog Tour for The Concealing, the first book of the Spirit Warriors series, by D.E.L. Conner!

Genre:
Young Adult Paranormal
Series:
Spirit Warriors Series
Publish Date:
November 24, 2013
Publisher:
Booktrope

Summary from Goodreads:
Sixteen-year-old Emme Belrose has it all: four best friends, a horse of her own, a hidden tepee hangout, and a blossoming romance with tall and handsome Charlie. These friends also have a secret. They can move their spirits into animal bodies: an osprey, a mustang, a grizzly, a mountain lion and a coyote.

But when Charlie, who has a gift for seeing the future, has a vision of Emme drowning in the icy Yellowstone River, the Spirit Warriors must train their animal bodies to kill an enemy they know is coming... but know nothing about. Suspenseful, romantic, and awash in Native American magic, Spirit Warriors captures the tragic enchantment of the American West---and confirms the power of friendship.


 

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The Purple Irises: A Time to Bloom

This spring for the first time in many years, my purple irises have bloomed. These irises have been with me for many years. I have moved them from one house to another, and kept them alive in flowerpots waiting to find the perfect spot to bring them back to life.

I vividly remember how the purple irises came to be a part of my life.  My husband-to-be and I were dating at the time. On our way home from a lunch date, he looked over at an old quaint, abandoned home, sitting on a big empty lot. Heavy machinery that was used to level houses and trees stood in the grass in front of it. Large NO TRESPASSING signs were all over the lot. Around the trees in front of the house were the most beautiful, magnificent purple irises. They were growing with abandon and majesty, their beautiful heads poking up from the overgrown vegetation around them. “Did you see?” We both said at the same time and looked at each other. He smiled at me. “Those are heirloom irises. You can’t buy any like that anymore. We have to get them.” I looked cautiously about. “No way. It says no trespassing. We can’t just wander in there with all this traffic and people and dig them up.” He shook his head. No, but we can tonight when it gets dark. We can return tonight and get them.”

Against my better judgment, I agreed to return with him that night. We drove to the abandoned home and parked by the huge machinery. He handed me a shovel and a flashlight. He carried a bucket. We followed the shadows to the trees. I cupped the flashlight in my hands, leaving just enough light for him to dig up the irises. He carefully placed the bulbs in the bucket. I turned off the flashlight and we raced back to the car. We placed the shovel and bucket and flashlight in the trunk and jumped in the car. We sat in the front seat of the car, breathless and excited. “We did it!” I told him. He leaned over and kissed me and I passionately kissed him back.

Suddenly a light shone on us and someone tapped on the window. I sat back in the seat and watched as he rolled down the window. It was a security guard with the excavating company. “What ya doing here? The guard gruffly asked. We looked at each other trying to come up with something to say. The guard went on. “You look old enough to get a hotel room. Mosey on down the road. NOW!”

We drove off quietly until we were about a block away and then we burst into laughter. “You look old enough to get a room.” I mimicked the guard. We laughed again. “At least he didn’t know about the irises.” I said. When we got back to my apartment, we planted the iris bulbs in pots. I handed one to him. He pushed it back to me. “You keep them, for forever. They are like me, an heirloom.” I laughed. “You wish,” I told him.
That next spring, we married. We rented a cute house that had a flowerbed and we planted the purple irises in it. Every spring they arose in purple glory, showing off their beauty. We would admire their beauty and laugh about how we acquired the “heirloom irises.”

One spring I stood looking at the irises with my mother-in-law. She looked at me. “He loved those irises. He loved you.” I nodded weakly, not even seeing their beauty, just feeling the pain in my heart. That fall, I dug them up and moved to a new home, a new beginning, a new life. They irises stayed in pots on the patio, not getting enough light or soil to grow or bloom, just enough to survive. After a couple of years, I planted them by the side of the house. For several years they stayed there, growing some but never blooming. There wasn’t enough sunlight. Then I moved them to the front yard by the mailbox. The first year they didn’t bloom, but this year they did. Everything was right for them to bloom again.

They will stay there, those purple irises. They may or may not bloom again. It doesn’t matter. If I ever move again, I will bring them with me. They will stay with me for forever, those heirloom purple irises.

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**About the Author**
Newly published author! Nature lover and bird lover. Listener of alternative bands and music. Ivan & Aloysha, Mumford & Sons, The Civil Wars, The Fossil Collective, and Ryan Star (his music seems to fit my book for some strange reason). Science fiction fan, Star Wars, Star Trek, Lord of the Rings, and the incredible Harry Potter! MAJOR coffee addict (don't even get me started)!

Stay connected with D.E.L. Connor

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***The Giveaway***





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