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Defiance (The Priestess Trilogy #1)

Shiovra has been named High Priestess of the village Tara, but she quickly finds herself hunted by the Milidh, a clan born of war and vengeance. With the safety of Tara at stake, it is decided th...at she is to seek aid from her betrothed, one she considers the enemy.

At her side is Odhrán, a Milidh warrior sworn to protect her and determined to gain her trust. But their journey is fraught with peril and Shiovra learns that darkness lurks in the hearts of her own kin.

Steeped in ancient Irish myth, this tale is spun of love, war, and DEFIANCE. Born in 1982 in Cleveland, Ohio, Melissa has always been an avid lover of fantasy. In her youth she would write short stories and add artwork to them. While in high school, she decided to change her career path from graphic art to writing, though she still enjoys drawing up a random picture or two, usually of her characters. During her younger school years, she won a Young Authors Honorable Mention for a short story she had written. Melissa has also won a few Visual Arts awards during her school years and upon graduation from High School, she was given a President’s award for Outstanding Academic Achievement.

The first book she began to write seriously for publication was The Priestess. Began in 2004, the story was completed in 2008 and separated into a trilogy upon publication in 2010 (Twilight, Destiny, and Eclipse). When Melissa switched publishers, she revised the story and changed two of the titles (Defiance, Betrayal, and Eclipse).

Her current book series is The Chronicles of Midgard, which will be a five book collection once completed. *Where are you from, and where do you call home?
I am from Ohio. I was born in Cleveland and lived there till I was around eleven and then my family
moved out here to Medina. I haven’t left since.
*For those that aren’t familiar with your book, Defiance, how would you describe it?
An Irish fantasy mingled with myth, mild humor, seriousness, and adult romance.
*What research did you do while writing Defiance?
Lots and lots of research. I spent a whole year gathering  info from books and the internet.
*What are the pro’s and con’s to being an Indie Author?
Pro’s are knowing that the whole story is mine and there is no fear of a publisher wanting to change
things up. Con’s are not having a publisher to go “Hey! Check this out! Buy it! Buy it now!”
*What is the most interesting review or comment you’ve received about Defiance?
There have not been many reviews actually left on “Defiance”, mostly just stars without any comments.
*Who in your life would you say has influenced you the most?
My husband and friends. I offer all my books to them with much love.
*If you could have dinner with anyone, who would you pick?
David Tennant hands down! I love my Doctor!
*What are you reading now?
“Ashes, Ashes” by M.A. Bronson (I've included the Amazon link below for this book, it's quite good)
*Details on the next book in the series?
Well, in “Betrayal” the main character, Shiovra, learns the truth about Odhrán’s purpose as well as
discovers enemies who could be potential allies. What I loved most about this story was the way Sasina created a world you could get lost in. Her imagery was detailed and painted Tara as a fantastical place that I could envision in my mind through her writing. Shiovra is strong and driven as the priestess who's life is about protecting her people. She is hunted by a rival clan so she sets out to find allies and soon, enemies become more than friends.
The story flows well and there's lots of action and suspense to keep the reader guessing. The forbidden love affair between Shiovra and Odhran gives the romantics equal parts passion, romance and angst to keep them interested as well. The story will keep you on your toes with unusual and unique names of people, places and things while still capturing and holding your interest.
The story of Shiovra and Odhran itself is still a bit of mystery to me. At times it came across as forced, but they still conveyed a level of passion and endearment. So perhaps Sasina meant this to be more angst than uncomfortable.. or both. Either way Defiance is a must read for fans of fantasy, adventure, romance and intrigue with a strong female lead in Shiovra the priestess.
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