Guest Post, Excerpt, and Giveaway: The Dragon’s Eye Blog Tour with Lexi Ander

Please join us in welcoming author Lexi Ander to The Novel Approach today, on the tour for the latest installment in the Sumeria’s Sons series, Dragon’s Eye. Enjoy Lexi’s guest post and the excerpt she’s selected to share, then be sure to click on the Rafflecopter widget below for the chance to win some great prizes. Details are below.

Good luck!

What did you say? Utnap-blah—who? I can’t even guess how to say that.

Utnapishtim is the Sumerian equivalent to Noah. You say his name like [oo t-nuh–pish-tim]

When I started Sumeria’s Son, the platform I built the series on was the Epic of Gilgamesh. I built the origins and motivations from the ancient story. I know, like that was a shock. ^_^ Utnapishtim was one of the few humans who was offered immortality and a place in Dilmun.

To give you a bit of background Utnapishtim, here’s the down and dirty on the Sumerian deluge myth. King Enlil is fed up with all the noise of humanity and decided to get rid of them. If you have already read the blog post on Abzu and the Igigi War, I’m sure you recognize the common theme between the two stories.

Anyway, he sends out plagues, and famine, and drought which destroyed the world three times and yet the human race persevered. Little did Enlil know (until it was too late) that the humans had help from Enki. The humans procreated quickly and soon they were just as noisy as they were before. In a fit of frustration, Enlil calls a meeting of the gods and makes them vow not to help the humans. To get around that decree, Enki didn’t speak to Utnapishtim directly but spoke into a bed of reeds. What an old trick to tell someone without actually telling them. What do you mean? Utnapishtim over heard me musing aloud?

Utnapishtim followed the instructions and built a boat, loading his family, the village craftsmen, baby animals, and grains. The storm that Enlil caused was so awesome in power that the gods fled to Dilmun. The description of how Utnapishtim tested the lowering of the waters was very similar to that of Noah’s with the releasing of the dove, the swallow, and the raven. They left the boat and had a great party, making a sacrifice to the gods. When the gods cautiously ventured from Dilmun, they were chagrinned at Utnapishtim undying loyalty and faith in the gods and they granted him and his wife immortality and a place among the gods.

After Enkidu died, Gilgamesh went a little insane in his grief and keenly feeling his mortality he searched for his ancestor, Utnapishtim. Even though Gilgamesh was a demigod and long lived, he could die. Just as the gods Humbaba and Gugalanna had died, and his beloved Enkidu. He entered the gates of the Sun Road guarded by the scorpion men and traveled to Dilmun. Utnapishtim cautioned him to abandon his quest but still told him how to gather the plant from the riverbed. It didn’tdo  Gilgamesh any good because a sneaky snake came by while he rested and ate the plant. (Must’ve been a vegetarian snake.)

If you’re wondering if I brought Utnapishtim in as character, the answer would be no. But the story of Gilgamesh’s search is important. The story of the deluge was just for fun but gives you an idea of how the gods sometimes viewed humanity.

A huge thank you for allowing me to be a guest on the blog today! Throughout the blog tour for Dragon’s Eye, I hope you enjoy the behind the scenes look at the gods and mythos, and how they play a part in Sumeria’s Sons. For a visual representation, please visit my Pinterest page. During the tour I discuss the Sumerian pantheon, about who and what the Gods/Goddess are, and how I use them. Make sure you stop by the other blogs to get a complete look at the Gods and Goddess the Lycan’s follow.

Also, Less Than Three Press is running a special sale on Sumeria’s Sons from September 23^rd  through October 7^th (dates inclusive).

Twin Flames is $0.99: Amazon || LT3 Press ||

25% off Songs of the Earth: Amazon || LT3 Press

25% off Dreams of the Forgotten: Amazon || LT3 Press

25% off Surrounded by Crimson: Amazon || LT3 Press

Thank you for stopping by and reading!

Blurb: In the wake of birth and betrayal, Ushna takes the God Ashur to Tristan in a last desperate bid to save Tristan’s life—and is helpless to do anything but watch as Ashur instead buries him in a grave. Though he has no desire to go on living, having now lost Brian and Tristan, Ushna has no choice. Not only do their children need him, the mysterious Simurgh has come out of hiding and forces him to continue on—for there is much to do and little time to do it, especially with treachery and danger closing in on them from every side.

Excerpt: The other vehicles parked behind us. Corey spoke to my parents but I couldn’t hear what he said. My father nodded and headed towards the last vehicle, where the wounded had been loaded. Warriors surrounded our SUV before Corey opened my door. I didn’t want to leave the vehicle. If I did, then Tristan’s fate would be set in stone. Illogical, I knew, but the thought of stepping foot in that house without him was the point of no return. I’d never be able to undo anything that transpired today, as if I even had the power to accomplish something like that. Part of me knew I didn’t want to answer the questions that would eventually come.

What Saéna said kept returning to the forefront of my thoughts. Why was this not a time to grieve? The only reason could be that Tristan wasn’t lost, wasn’t dead. But I saw him buried and Ashur held onto me until there was no hope of saving Tristan from suffocating. My blood boiled at the memory and I breathed around the anger. She is tending him now. What did that mean? Who? Who was tending Tristan? How was I to look past my pain when I’d lost the brightest point in my life? When Brian was killed, even though we wouldn’t have bonded for years, I still felt the absence of his Flame. Tristan and I had bonded last night and… and… wait.

About the Author: Lexi has always been an avid reader, and at a young age started reading (secretly) her mother’s romances (the ones she was told not to touch). She was the only teenager she knew of who would be grounded from reading. Later, with a pencil and a note book, she wrote her own stories and shared them with friends because she loved to see their reactions. A Texas transplant, Lexi now kicks her boots up in the Midwest with her Yankee husband and her eighty-pound puppies named after vacuum cleaners.

Where to find Lexi Ander:

Website: http://www.lexiander.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lexi.ander.9

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/LexiAnder1

Blog: http://lexiander.blogspot.com/

E-mail: lexi.ander.author@gmail.com

THE GIVEAWAY

1. $20 Amazon Gift Card, $20 All Romance Gift Card, hard copy of Dragon’s Eye, swag (pens, bookmarks)
2. $20 All Romance Gift card, hard copy of Dragon’s Eye, swag (pens, bookmarks)
3. Hard copy of Dragon’s Eye, swag (pens, bookmarks)
4. E-book copy of Dragon’s Eye
5. E-book copy of Dragon’s Eye

The Fine Print:

*Entrants must be 18 years or older to qualify

*Some residency restrictions may apply

*All comments must be relevant to the author’s prompt to be eligible (when applicable)

*The Novel Approach will not be held liable for prize delivery unless otherwise specified

Tour Dates & Stops: