Shelf Full of Books: Princess of the Light Blog Tour, Excerpt and Giveaway with N.N. Light

Princess of the Light

by N.N. Light

Release Date: August 26, 2014

Blurb:

Miriam Miller likes the simple things in life: a good book, close friends, and a healthy

relationship with God. But, destiny comes calling, and her neat, little life turns upside

down.

Ethanial, an angel of God, has been sent to reveal Miriam's true calling -– she is the

Princess of the Light, the woman chosen by God Himself to vanquish the demons intent on infusing the world with evil. And her first assignment: restore the soul of a homeless man known

only as The Walking Man.

Enter Joe Deacons, a man intent on stealing her heart. But as Miriam embarks on her

journey to save the Walking Man and fulfill her calling, it becomes clear that Joe isn’t

what he appears to be. Miriam must decide: Is she willing to risk her soul to save those she loves?

Book Links

Goodreads * Anaiah Press

Enjoy an Excerpt of Princess of the Light

Ethanial

Ethanial, archangel and Messenger of Light, watched as the Princess calmly slept. Her fiery red, curly hair framed her face, and she showed no signs of stirring.

He folded his wings and sighed.

Ethanial had been sent by the Father to announce the coming of the Princess. This was the first time he had seen her. She didn’t look like much of anything special–nothing in her outward appearance suggested that such strength resided right beneath the surface. Then again, he thought, the carrier of the Light from two thousand years ago hadn’t appeared all that extraordinary, either–and she had literally carried the Light in flesh.

Maybe the common features had been inherently within the Lord’s plan all along. As Ethanial took in this reality, he noted one striking feature that differed from many mortals: she glowed with a heavenly purple hue. Purple is the color of royalty—God’s royalty, he reflected silently. The purple-shaded essence that was normally only visible by celestial beings seemed to slightly shimmer through her skin, as well. He knew that the Light would soon shine so bright from her that the world may possibly be rejuvenated.

Ethanial knelt and bowed his head.

“Lord,” his whisper barely more than a breath of air, “I am ready to do Your will. I am ever Your humble servant, and I pray that You see fit to continue using me to spread Your Truth. In Your name, this I pray. Amen.”

Ethanial slowly rose and unfurled his wings. Light flooded the room. The woman arched her back slightly in a stretch, then she lengthened her right arm over her head. With a quiet yawn, the woman finally stirred.

Ethanial gently smiled as she opened her eyes.

“There is no reason to be afraid, Princess,” he soothed as the woman furrowed her eyes in fear. She gasped and glanced around for any escape. Seeing none, she grabbed the bedcovers and pulled them under her chin.

“Who…? Who…? Who are you?” She stammered. In an effort to gain control, she straightened her back and breathed slowly.

“I know a lot about you. My name is Ethanial, and I have a message for you from God.”

“A message for me?” Her voice squeaked, betraying the lack of fear she was beginning to put back into her demeanor.

He continued. “You will be The Lord’s bearer of the Light and His Princess.” He wanted to speak more informally, but her reaction required him to be slightly aloof. She must not question the seriousness of the message he was relaying.

The woman crossed her arms over her chest and looked at Ethanial in disbelief. “Oh, come on. This can’t be real. How can any of that be true?” She shook her head, and then continued her rant of disbelief: “I must be dreaming or something. This doesn’t happen to ordinary people. Sure, I believe what they say in the Bible is true. I have always told myself that if God chose me, I wouldn’t hesitate.”

She paused, seeming to consider the magnitude of what she had just said.

“Who are you, anyway? Why are you here telling me this? Could it really be true? Could I be the Lord’s Princess?” As she ran her fingers through her red hair, the woman took a ragged breath. She abruptly stopped and placed her hand over her chest.

“What if I can’t do it? What if I fail? Will I go to Hell? Will the Lord punish me? Oh, Lord, please help me to understand.” Before Ethanial had a chance to respond, the woman closed her eyes and simply fainted.

Ethanial folded his wings behind him and gently sat down beside her on the bed. His strong Light dimmed in compassion, and he carefully adjusted her head so that it was leaning back naturally. Then, he started to situate pillows behind her back for a more comfortable position, so that when she woke up, she might be calmer.

He stole a side-long look at her face again and jumped a bit. He was astonished to see that she was just quietly watching him. Now he could see the courage and strength. He decided to try again.

“You may not believe me, but you’re a very special woman. You are a daughter of the Living God, and you have been chosen. Mortals call the daughter of a king Princess. You are a daughter of the One True King.” This time she didn’t argue, but she still shook her head, nonetheless.

Ethanial silenced her by lightly pressing a finger to her lips. “No. Let me finish, please,” he said on the verge of sounding a little too sternly. “The message I have for you is very important.” When she didn’t try to interrupt, he continued. “You have been blessed, and the same Light that the Virgin Mary carried is also inside of you. That Spirit is in all those with faith, but you have a special purpose. Not only do you carry the Light, but you will be the Lord’s Warrior Princess.” A car horn trumpeted a warning outside. The woman didn’t appear to notice, but Ethanial knew he must finish delivering this message, because he would soon be needed elsewhere.

“Since the beginning of time,” he explained, “the Lord has believed in free will for His people. The Devil and his minions have always taken advantage of this. The destruction of souls has been increasing at an alarming rate. Always patient, our Lord loves His creation–you and your fellow mankind.

“The darkness has begun covering the globe and something must be done, if all is not to be lost. His children are not ready for His return. Too many would be lost. You will be used to offer the world an awakening. Through you, some will begin to see and hear what they have otherwise been closed to.”

Again, Ethanial paused. The woman was staring blankly at him, eyes intent with concentration. He continued.

“The final straw, Princess, was when a mortal named André was taken. André was the good soul that the Lord had favored. André came too close to helping spread the Light, and a group of demons successfully tempted him away from that goal. The loss of André and his desired goal tipped the balance. You are to help bring him back out of despair. Strength and resolve must defeat the tempestuous storm these demons are causing. Your faith gives you that power.”

“Wait a minute,” the woman interrupted, “Are you saying that I am going to be this Warrior Princess?” Her brown eyes widened and her mouth hung open incredulously. “No, no… No, no, no,” she argued. “This can’t be happening.” Shock and fear pulsed so strongly through her unseen Light that Ethanial could feel it as his own.

“Yes,” he tried to soothe. “You have been chosen. You are that Princess destined to lead God’s army and infuse Earth with the Light of faith and strength once again. For too long, this world has been shrouded in darkness. You are the one God wants to be His Champion and smite down the demons.”

The woman sat silently looking at him. It didn’t seem to have occurred to her that as a heavenly being, he would be able to hear her inner monologue.

How am I supposed to be God’s warrior? She questioned within her heart.I’m not the violent type. I get angry at seeing someone being bullied or an injustice done, sure, but how can I do this? I’m not strong enough. I’m just one person. Who’s this Warrior of the Light? How am I supposed to figure out who André is amongst a whole planet of people?

The red head closed her now-violet eyes and started to rub her throbbing temples.

“This is just too much,” she whispered. Her eyes settled back down to brown again.

Ethanial wished he could comfort her, but he also knew that she needed to be able to deal with her emotions in the face of this mission. That ability would only become more and more important as the journey continued.

He brushed a stray hair from her forehead. The unexpected compassion startled her. For a moment he had forgotten how disconnected and unsympathetic humans had become of late. He amended his behavior to fit the times and watched as she looked down as his large, glowing hand patted her tightly clasped hands. He sighed.

“I know this is a lot to take in, Princess. I’m here to answer all of your questions.” Ethanial closed his eyes and prayed. Strength came to those who sought it, but it was not up to him to force her. He searched her heart and mind for what she needed to hear most right now. There were so many questions and emotions that ran contrary to one another that he fought to get to the truth.

“I will help you,” he comforted. “Others need you, but you are not alone.”

She sighed heavily and said after a moment, “Why me?”

“The Lord never makes a mistake. He sees a faithful, strong woman who will be His instrument for good. You will restore the Light in many and will crush the darkness. You were destined to be God’s Princess.”

The woman, now fully awake and appearing to calm down, reached over and pulled open a drawer next to her bed. The lamp above illuminated a single brush, a litany of hair clips, and what appeared to be a well-worn Bible. Ethanial smiled to himself.

“How am I,” her words broke as she yanked and pulled her thick red hair into a ponytail “going to restore… the Light… and crush the darkness?” She tossed the brush back into the drawer and slid it closed with a little thud.

“The Lord has given you many gifts. Most of which are still untapped, Pr–”

“Miriam. Please call me Miriam.”

“Okay. Miriam, with this calling, the gifts will help you to be the embodiment of the Light. Some include your ability to see spirits, visions, and other phenomenon. The Lord left you a letter that gives you guidance and warning with these abilities.” He motioned to the nightstand. “Your heart must remain pure, Miriam. In His Word, he warns that even Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.”[i]

Ethanial watched as she took it all in. The Light within her glowed brighter and her eyes gleamed with a violet hue again. The Light was taking control and she was becoming the vessel the Lord needed.

“Your Light must remain true. The true Light that Christ left. Through your compassion, you will have the strength to bring the Light into the darkness. You will be tempted through your compassion. Choices have been made, Miriam.” He couldn’t say more. The rest would be left to God’s Will.

“Am I going to face the darkness alone?” She trembled as she said the word darkness.

He sensed her fear returning and frowned.

“You have nothing to fear. You have the power of the Lord within you. You are never alone. The Lord is always with you–you have His ear and will remain the pupil of His eye. I will always be near.” Ethanial realized that some of what he was saying she may not be ready for yet. “Think of me like your coach,” he explained. “I’m here to help train you for whatever comes. I will teach you how to use your Light to help others and I will never be further away than the side lines. All you need to do is focus on the goal: André.”

“Who is André anyway?” Miriam glanced at her Bible. She appeared fearful that it was a story she had forgotten.

“André is a man without a place to call home.”

“What’s so special about him? Just the fact that he’s homeless?”

“The Lord favored André and thought him to be a good soul. He had aims and goals in life that pleased God. Unfortunately, André became strongly tempted by an evil one. Mortals must all make the choice to come to Christ on their own. The love for God cannot be forced.” He paused. “That’s where you come in, Pr– Miriam. Plant the seed and God will help it grow. You must defeat the chaff so the wheat can grow.”

“Oh.” Confusion and resolve fought each other across Miriam’s face. Ethanial had said enough.

“I will explain in more detail tomorrow. For now, all you need to know is that you are the Princess and the Lord knows you can do this. I know this is a lot to deal with. All the Lord asks is that you continue to be faithful and put your trust in Him. Listen to His voice. Trust Him to guide your footsteps.”

Miriam asked simply, “Tomorrow?”

“Yes, I will meet you tomorrow afternoon and we will have our first training lesson. Get some rest and listen for the Lord’s commands. Everything you need to know is in that book beside you.”

Ethanial stood and unfurled his wings. “If you need my help, you only need to say my name, and I will appear.” He took her hands in his and looked her squarely in the eyes. “You will encounter many ups and downs, Miriam, but know that the universe is filled with angels–angels that follow and worship the true Light of Christ. You are truly not alone.”

Ethanial bowed his head, like in prayer, extended his wings, and seemed to glide effortlessly up to Heaven.

Miriam fell back on her bed and wept.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Author Bio:

N.N. Light was born in Minnesota, lived in Southern California only to move to chilly Ontario, Canada to marry her beloved husband, Mr. N. She is blissfully happy and loves all things chocolate, books, music, movies, art, sports and baking.