If you saw last week's email and decided to wait until Gift of Wind hit the retailers before snagging your eBook copy, your moment has come! 🎉

As of right now, you can grab an eBook copy of Skye & Karl's love story at all major retailers—Amazon, Kobo, Nook, Apple, Google Play, Smashwords, and C.L. Carhart's book shop. Gift of Wind is starting to crop up on library apps like BorrowBox and Palace Marketplace, so I'm sure it'll hit Libby & Hoopla soon.

If you're a reader on a budget, don't forget to check out the Kobo Plus subscription program. It's the major competitor to Kindle Unlimited, and most indie authors who don't put their books in KU do have them available in Kobo Plus. Gift of Wind included.

And I've heard that Kobo Plus just expanded to Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark, so they're trying to make their affordable reading program available to readers all over the world. If Kobo Plus isn't available in your country yet, feel free to bother their support team until they expand further. 💖

Reader Reactions to Gift of Wind

Just a couple reviews have cropped up from readers on my ARC team, so if you'd rather hear what readers are saying since the author obviously has a bias 😜, here's your chance! If this story sounds like something you'd enjoy, please nab yourself a copy right now & dive in.

It warms my writerly heart every time I find out readers are enjoying Skye & Karl's story. And I'd also like to take a second to thank the 3 people who bought a copy of Gift of Wind early.

Yep. I know. 3. Perfect number for a group hug with the introverted author!

Two of you bought Gift of Wind from my shop, and one bought it from Kobo the day it released. 😱 Your support means the world to me, and I love you!

I guess I'd better be willing to expand that introverted hug to everyone else now, so if you haven't gotten Gift of Wind yet, you can do that at my shop:

https://clcarhart.com/products/gift-of-wind-ebook

Or at your favorite retailer:

https://books2read.com/ebgiftofwind

Gift of Wind Snippet #3

I've shared 2 snippets from Gift of Wind in a couple other emails this month, but so far I've been highlighting Skye's perspective. What you might not realize is that Gift of Wind takes a detour from what's become the norm in the Elemental Bloodlines series. Karl gets nearly as much page time as Skye!

So far, only 2 other books in Elemental Bloodlines have been dual perspective. Gift of Darkness featured Doro and Amira, while Gift of Light dove into the brain of a newly-cursed Black Priest and that of his radiant muse, Helena. If you haven't gotten a copy of Gift of Light yet, it's 99¢ for just one more day, so now or never...or rather, you'll have to toss me 3 bucks instead of 1. 🙃

But let's give Karl a chance to shine in today's snippet from Gift of Wind. We catch up with him shortly after he returned to his hometown of Wildertal after over four years away. A few things have changed during his absence. One of his childhood friends has earned his priestly robe and started a family with a fragile witch of energy....

***

Rolf and his family occupied a cottage beside the motel and restaurant. He opened the front door just as I stepped onto the covered porch, knocking my heels against the steps to dislodge snow from my boots. Brown beard as thick as ever, he favored me with a solemn nod, his robe swathing him in darkness. I held his gaze with interest and paused at the threshold, still astonished that this man had taken on the mantle of a Teuton priest.

Maybe Lady Ilsa demanded it of him after I left. Was that what she meant when she said Rolf earned his robe to serve others?

“About time you came back.” Rolf eyed me with a calculating expression, hardly like the amiable bartender I had once known well.

“I could say the same,” I shot back, raising an eyebrow as I remembered his unusual behavior the year before I left home. Rolf had met a witch of obscure origin that autumn, then disappeared with her into lands unknown. I had questioned his parents about it but they waved off my concerns, stating their son would be back once he deemed it safe. They evaded my attempts to learn more.

Rolf was free to do as he wished, whether I understood his motives or not. Today I hoped to gain insight on the status of our small conclave, but the judgment lurking in his hazel eyes invoked a sinking feeling in my stomach. He thinks you’re a coward for fleeing after Lori died. Just like everyone else.

“Come inside. My wife’s making Glühwein and some sort of cookies. I think they’re gingerbread.” Rolf withdrew into the parlor and opened the door wider, his stoic manner lightening a tad. I drew a steadying breath and stepped inside, forcing my element to remain confined within my spirit. At least I had worn my own robe to this rendezvous. A meeting of two priests, which meant I must keep strict control over my magic, not allow it to surface alongside my emotions.

Rolf gestured me toward the armchair near the fireplace, its natural flames crackling with abnormal vigor. The three logs upon the hearth notwithstanding, I suspected he funneled a portion of his elemental energy into the fire. Must be nice to have that sort of outlet for excess magic. Ice did not do well indoors.

He probably runs the electricity for this place by himself, I thought as I sat down and lowered my hood. My peer moved a pair of decorative pillows to the floor before seating himself on the couch across from me. The coffee table between us held a TV guide, a tissue box, and a dish of potpourri. A vaguely floral scent seemed to emanate from it, mingling with the woodsy aroma of the fireplace.

“So when exactly did you and your wife return to Wildertal? I assume she’s the witch you met before you dashed away to realms unknown.” I folded my hands beneath my robe, Rolf’s silent regard making me uncomfortable.

“Wilda and I spent sixteen months learning from a hermit who lives in the Black Forest. Away from our people’s territory and all their social constructs. He trained me for the priesthood, and I took the initiation in Lindau.”

Okay then. “So you studied under a priest who holds himself apart from our community.” That was interesting.

“Lady Ilsa recommended him. Wilda and I deemed it best to reside in close proximity to a priest with no preconceived notions about—”

“Did Lady Ilsa bring you and Wilda together?” My propriety escaped me as my curiosity intensified, Rolf’s respect for his tutor evident in his demeanor. He did not reply right away, his gaze traveling toward the kitchen doorway.

His wife entered the parlor during the pause in conversation. A black-haired witch whose essence shone with energy, she wore casual sweatpants and a scoop-necked top, her slim fingers gripping a tray with three mugs and a plate of cookies. Rolf jumped to his feet and reached her side in an instant, his element hastening his movements as he took the tray from his wife. She stood a head shorter than him and peeked at his face through dark eyelashes, a hint of crimson brightening ivory cheeks. A shy smile curled upon her lips.

“I saved you a seat next to me,” Rolf murmured to her while he set the tray onto the coffee table. “Anything Karl has to say, he can say to both of us.”

I rose to my feet as the dainty witch turned to face me, her eyes reflecting untold torment. My voice went out of me as Rolf touched the small of her back, his spiritual hands doubtless offering her devotion through their heart-bond. What horrors has this witch experienced to make her eyes look like bottomless pits? And how has Rolf managed to heal her spirit enough that they have their own family?

“I’m Wilda,” the witch said, her tone quiet and unusually reverent. “I’m glad you finally made your way back here.”

Rolf slipped his arm around her waist and led her to the couch while I shook my head slowly, bemused. “My reputation precedes me?” I managed to inject a bit of humor into my voice as I stepped forward to look at the cookies. Gingerbread with vanilla frosting and sprinkles of dried thyme. Even though I had eaten a large lunch, I took up a napkin and piled several cookies onto it.

“From more places than you’d expect.” Wilda’s soft statement glided into my ears as I laid my cookies onto the table beside the armchair, then returned to grab a mug of Glühwein. Rolf chuckled, his wife tucked against his left side where they sat on the couch. He had draped part of his outer cloak around her.

“To answer your earlier question, Teya and her husband introduced us.” Rolf fingered a star-shaped cookie with his right hand, his left secure around his wife’s waist. His hazel eyes bored into mine, as though daring me to drop a negative comment.

I took a moment to think before I responded, appreciating the flavors of a heart-shaped cookie in the process. My opinions of the Black Priest who lurked on a nearby mountaintop were not particularly positive, but his machinations seemed to have touched many of the Teutons in Wildertal at this point. That may not have happened if you hadn’t left four years ago. Without your uncle, the nearest priest is all the way in Landeck. Some people wouldn’t want to travel that far.

“What’s your opinion of Teya’s husband?” I asked Rolf after swallowing the final bite of my cookie. Reaching for my mug of Glühwein, I allowed my ice to lower the mulled wine’s temperature before I took a sip.

I nearly choked on what was in my mouth when Wilda spoke up. “He’s my Truhtein.” The fidelity in her voice was unmistakable as she spoke the Teutonic word for ‘master.’ She shut her eyes and leaned her head against Rolf’s left shoulder.

“He was the first to show Wilda that not all Teuton males are abusers,” Rolf explained, planting a gentle kiss on his wife’s forehead. “Since no one but Teya knows his chosen name, I take no issue with her calling him ‘Truhtein.’”

“She calls you Truhtein.” I had not yet heard Wilda say the word in reference to her husband, but her submission to him was clear.

“Of course. I’m the Truhtein who guards her heart, and Teya’s husband is the Truhtein who healed her body. And granted her heart the strength to open itself to me when the time came.” Rolf raised his own mug to his lips, his gaze holding mine as the gears turned in my brain, seeking to unveil the bleak history hanging over my peer and his fragile wife.

Wilda lifted her head and whispered something to Rolf too quietly for me to hear. Then his face hardened and he said, “My wife spent six years subjugated by Florian von Hollen, the former Old One on Innsbruck’s Teuton Council. He bound her heart and used her as his blood slave and sex slave. Many of the young priests who studied in that city were offered the chance to rape her and weave brutal spells upon her body and spirit.”

The ignorance that had blinded me the year before I left Wildertal tore into pieces, horror clasping my heart with iron. “That—that’s why Teya’s husband killed the Old One of Innsbruck?” With effort, I set my mug onto the side table, my entire body trembling with shock and dismay.

“He dragged him before Wuotan,” Wilda put in, her eyes focused on Rolf’s face as she recounted her traumatic past. “Then Teya carried me out of that place. It’s still hard to remember. When the bond broke—it—I couldn’t—”

Wilda let loose a plaintive moan, and then Rolf wrapped his arms around her, his voice crooning in her ear as his magic swirled between them. A fresh wave of guilt crashed over me along with my own memories of that year. Rumors had spread regarding a tragedy in Innsbruck. A financier’s mansion had burned to the ground, the man himself gone without a trace. Evidence surfaced that he had been involved in human trafficking, and his assets were stolen. His peers on Innsbruck’s council determined to nail the arsonist, certain of the Old One’s innocence.

Somehow they narrowed it down to the Black Priest who prowled the peaks outside of Wildertal. And they asked me to convince Lori to invite Teya to dinner, so they could interrogate her about her enigmatic husband. The priest many of us suspected was a nameless exile, an undead specter whose anger would slay anyone who got too close.

Not wanting to antagonize priests on a city’s council, I had invited one of them to dinner with my uncle, Lori, and Teya. The council member tried to poison Teya, which brought her husband’s wrath down on all of us. He killed both priests at that dinner aside from me, his reprimand echoing in my mind.

“Thank goodness the two of you went to the Black Forest before Christmas that year. The idiots from Innsbruck tried to flush the Cursed One out using Teya, and to this day I very much regret my part in that.” I cleared my throat and picked up another cookie, ordering myself to face the truth. “If Wilda had been in town when that happened, they might have recognized her magic.”

“That’s why Lady Ilsa advised us to leave. She had some nasty run-ins with the Teuton Council of Innsbruck years ago. When we told her how the Old One had abused Wilda, she said the priests on the council might hunt for her. To keep their atrocities shrouded in silence.” With a fierce expression, Rolf bent forward to grab Wilda’s mug, helping his wife take a sip. She quivered at his side, her face drenched with tears.

“The priests of Innsbruck have no authority here. The Keyholder included.” I straightened in the armchair and switched to Teutonica, my gaze moving from Rolf’s resolute countenance to Wilda’s frightened features. “Wildertal and all the surrounding mountains are under Rolf’s and my jurisdiction. Anyone who plots to exploit anyone here will pay a hefty price.”

“Agreed.” Rolf’s energy reached out to merge with my ice in the intangible realm, a solemn vow to protect our conclave from enemies within and without.

“Skye will be happy to hear that,” Wilda breathed, her haunted eyes locking with mine. “She came here because she needs a priest to help her like my Truhtein helps me. She knows what I faced. She faced it herself.”

***

Oof! That's the first time Karl got a slight inkling about the horrors Skye faced during their years apart. What Wilda said barely scratches the surface....

Will Karl be able to accept Skye for who she is, dark past included? Find out right now by getting Gift of Wind from your favorite retailer!

Amazon:

US - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP425LCG

UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CP425LCG

Canada - https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0CP425LCG

Australia - https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0CP425LCG

Other retailers:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/gift-of-wind-c-l-carhart/1144419728?ean=2940186156901

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/gift-of-wind

https://books.apple.com/us/book/gift-of-wind/id6473271148

https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=Dv3lEAAAQBAJ

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1485629

My book shop:

https://clcarhart.com/products/gift-of-wind-ebook

Book Fairs & Giveaways

This is your reminder to check out the 4 free books hanging out at LoveBite Books from now until early next month. I might have to snag a couple of them myself. Whether you're a fan of aliens, shifters, lotsa men 😝, or mysterious paranormal romance, LoveBite Books has got you covered! Don't forget to browse the other book fairs & giveaways below.

Fabulous Fantasy & Sizzling Sci-fi - ends December 1st

Paranormal Bookfair - ends December 14th

C.L. Cannon's Black Friday Book Fair

Michelle Bailey's Fated Mates Fan Giveaway

Other Books You Might Like

I found 2 intriguing stories for you to check out today, both of which are available on most online retailers. Both offer different twists to vampires & immortal love—something I'll admit I have a weakness for, considering how often I put Black Priests into my stories. 😉 (Hmm, maybe I shouldn't have admitted that....)

In the heart of vibrant New Orleans, Scarlett's once-ordinary life takes a thrilling twist with the arrival of Tristan, a powerful and enigmatic vampire who's as ancient as he is irresistible. Suddenly, her world isn't just quiet—it's electrifyingly supernatural.

But wait, destiny has some wild plans. Tristan insists Scarlett is his eternal soulmate and destined bride. Sounds romantic, right? Not for Scarlett. She's not buying into the whole dark and mysterious vampire thing. She's determined to keep her life normal, and Tristan is not part of the plan.

Yet fate has other ideas. The unbreakable bond between them is more than just intense—it's downright excruciating when they're apart. As Scarlett is pulled into the hidden world of vampires, she discovers Tristan's chilling role as the formidable vampire governor. Sparks fly between them, but it's not all moonlit walks and sweet nothings. Their connection is a rollercoaster ride of hurt and betrayal.

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Nineteen-year-old Helena’s life changes when her spirit enters the Angel Realm in search of her father. But, things don’t go as planned. Against her guardian angel’s warnings, she binds her soul to a vampire—a creature she thought only existed in horror movies.

Lucious has spent his immortality looking for the monsters who killed his sire. The last thing he needs is to be vulnerable because of a bond with a reckless girl. Yet, he sees how he can turn this to his advantage. Believing that Helena possesses great power, he plans to use her against the Council as a bargaining chip.

When Helena meets the gorgeous and also terrifying vampire with whom she’s now stuck sharing an emotional bond, she realizes that her life will never be the same. Despite fighting against Lucious’ manipulative ways, she can’t deny their attraction. As their desire for each other intensifies, she needs to know if she can trust him. After all, her life and soul are on the line.

✨ FREE On All Retailers ✨

Welp, that's all for me, as I slowly emerge from the madness of writing & polishing yet another full-length novel at the last second. I'm seriously hoping I'll manage to start writing Gift of Wind's sequel long before that "last second" arrives. The next tale in Elemental Bloodlines should be out in February, and if you read Gift of Wind, you'll get a hint about where that story is going to go. 😉

In the meantime, I've got loads of quarterly goals that have been languishing on the sidelines while I scrambled to get Gift of Wind out there for you. So I might want to get started on some of those items...along with a potential surprise story with a Christmas-type setting. 🎄

Yeah, now that I admitted to it, I might be publicly locked in to making it happen. So I'd better start brainstorming while you enjoy the spicy ride in Gift of Wind.

Talk to you soon,

C.L. Carhart

Get Gift of Wind:

https://clcarhart.com/products/gift-of-wind-ebook

Get Gift of Light for 99¢ (ends December 1st!):

https://clcarhart.com/products/gift-of-light-ebook

Get Gift of Air for free:

https://books2read.com/ebgiftofair

4 free stories at LoveBite Books:

https://geni.us/LoveBiteBooks20