
Publication Date: May 29, 2014
Carina Press
eBook; ISBN: 9781426898365
Genre: Historical/Fantasy/Paranormal/New Adult/Romance
2013 RWA Golden Heart© Finalist
2011 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award semifinalist
The power to heal is her divine gift, the fear of discovery, her mortal curse.
Selah Kilbrid is caught between two worlds. A direct descendant of the Celtic goddess Brigid, she is bound by Tuatha Dé law to help those in need. Yet as a human, she must keep her unique abilities hidden or risk being charged for a witch. In 1730 Pennsylvania, the Quaker community of Hopewell has become a haven for religious freedom—and fanaticism—and there are those who would see her hanged if the truth were revealed.
For eighteen years, Selah safely navigates the narrow gap between duty and self-preservation, until the day a prominent minister uncovers her secret. Obsessed with her power, Nathan Crowley disregards her betrothal to a distant cousin from Ireland and demands marriage in exchange for his silence. Selah stalls for time, but when news reaches the Colonies of her cousin’s death, time has run out.
Rather than submit to Nathan, Selah coerces a stranger to pose as her husband. It’s a good plan—her only plan—even though Henry Alan harbors his own dark secrets. But when she returns to Hopewell a married woman, the real fight has just begun. As unseen forces move against her, Selah doesn’t know which poses the greater danger—a malignant shadow closing in from outside or the internal fire that threatens to consume her heart.
Book Two in the Goddess Born series will be published in November 2014 and Book Three in June 2015.
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Review:
Selah Kilbrid is Goddess Born, half human and half divine descending directly from the Goddess Brigid. She is blessed with the gift to heal others, but with that gift comes the obligation to keep it a secret. Selah's grandparents were removed from their homeland and came to Pennsylvania to settle. Now Selah and her father live among the Quakers in 1730. One of the Quaker ministers, Nathan, has been hounding Selah for her hand in marriage and has turned to threatening her, but because of her gift, Selah must marry within the other descendants of Brigid. Upon his deathbed, Selah's father tells her to marry her cousin as soon as possible. Selah sets off to complete her father's wishes, but runs into trouble when she finds out that her cousin has passed on the ocean crossing. Not wanting to return home unmarried for fear of Nathan, Selah sees a handsome indentured servant for sale and convinces him to pose as her husband in return for time off his sentence. The servant, Henry, agrees, but he is hiding a secret himself.
This was the perfect blend of history, paranormal and romance. Selah's character was strong and feisty. The idea of Goddess Born was also unique, I liked that Selah was very careful with her gift of healing. She had to know to heal just enough to save a life, but leave enough to be healed with traditional means so that it did not appear to be out of the ordinary. Her gift also made her story very dangerous and suspenseful when the notion of witchcraft came into play. Henry was the perfect handsome, strong, mysterious hero; I could see where their relationship was going to go pretty early on, however it turned out to be very sweet and I couldn't guess what Henry’s secret was until the end. Another part I enjoyed was the setting; it was differed to learn about a Quaker settlement, their views, meetings and daily lives. Now, I can’t wait to see what will happen in the next two books.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

Kari Edgren did not dream of becoming a writer. Instead, she dreamed of everything else and was often made to stay inside during kindergarten recess to practice her letters. Despite doting parents and a decent school system, Ms. Edgren managed to make it through elementary school having completed only one book cover to cover – The Box Car Children, which she read approximately forty-seven times. Things improved during high school, but not until she read Gabrielle Garcia Marquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude in college, did she truly understand the power of a book.
Ms. Edgren aspires to be a Vulcan, a world-acclaimed opera singer, and two inches taller. She resides in the Pacific NW where she spends a great deal of time torturing her husband and children with strange food and random historical facts. Ms. Edgren hasn’t stopped dreaming, but has finally mastered her letters enough to put the stories on paper.
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"Believe me, Mr. Alan, marrying you was truly my last option. Why else would I willingly connect myself to a servant when half of the single men in Hopewell wanted my hand?” Well, maybe not half, but I wasn’t really going for accuracy at the moment.
“Then why didn’t you take one of them instead?” he asked, giving me a sardonic grin.
“That is none of your concern.” I lifted my chin, but he was so tall my nose barely topped his sternum, taking away from my attempt at a dignified air. “You are making such a fuss, I almost wonder if you would have preferred Mr. Fletcher’s company to my own.” I smirked at him, pleased with the insult.
The elegant curve of his mouth tensed in warning, but I was not about to back down after being so rudely insulted. It was high time he remembered who was an heiress to a great fortune and who had arrived a day before, indentured for service with nothing more than the clothes on his back. Undesirable, indeed!
“Was it him you wanted instead of me?” I asked, pushing a little bit further. His green eyes flashed dangerously as he leaned over me, bringing us almost nose to nose. “A wife should never doubt her husband’s natural desires,” he said menacingly.
Disconcerted by his closeness, I started to move away when he grabbed my upper arms and pulled me hard against him. Inhaling sharply, my rational mind scattered beneath the heady scent of soap and masculine spice. Without thinking, I drew another breath, and my eyes strayed to his mouth.
A soft chuckle vibrated deep in his chest. “So that’s why you’re angry.”
I jerked my gaze upward. “What do you—”
His fingers tightened on my arms. Then, with a dip of his head, he pressed his mouth to mine. The suddenness so startled me, I forgot to kick and scream until his hold slackened a moment later.
The floor felt strangely off-kilter as I stumbled back a step. My eyes blinked open, and Henry loomed large, looking angrier than before.
“Are you satisfied now?” he asked in a chillingly quiet voice.
Indignation roared to life inside me. “How dare you!” I cried, my hand rising in retaliation. His reflexes were snakelike, and he caught my wrist in midair.
“There’s no need for that,” he said, guiding my hand back down. “A bride is promised one kiss on her wedding day, but ask as you may, you’ll be getting no more from me.”