I know I am not the only one who has been looking forward to the release of Jennette Mbewe's novel, Secrets Kept! Many of you will remember her from a feature back in March, when she visited the Tales of Goldstone Wood blog to introduce us to her debut story, Desert Rose, a short story set in her exciting, fantastical world of Nälu. She offered a generous opportunity for all of us to grab her short story for free! And so we were introduced to a realm of mystery, of tragedy, of vivid characters and settings, all just waiting to be unleashed in a full-fledged adventure.

Since then, she has seen two more short stories released, Dragon Thief and Indestructible . Each more epic than the last, but still only the primer setting up for the big adventure to come.

And now the time is upon us. Secrets Kept is released, and those who have already fallen under the spell of Nälu will have a chance to dive into a novel-length adventure, encountering both new and familiar characters along the way!

Speaking of characters . . .

Jennette is with us today to briefly introduce (or re-introduce) us to some of the folks we will meet between the pages of Secrets Kept. So do enjoy!

Meet the Characters ofSecrets Kept 
Thank you so much for having me on your blog and celebrating the release of Secrets Kept with me! Today, we get to meet three characters, one of which, readers might recognize. J
Desmond is a draper of the finest silks and weaves to be had in most of Nälu, but his eyes are on the courts o

We first get a glimpse of Saeed in the short story Desert Rose. He is the High Guardian and headmaster of the Kayulm'sa Nutraadzi, the School of Nevins. The oldest living elf among the nations, he witnessed the last sacrifice that broke the tainted covenant between the queen of the underworld and her mortal lover.  He was one of the first to volunteer to become a Guardian, even if he was only five years old at the time. But he'd rather forget those memories. Aside from a dwarven civil war and the Great Fairy Rebellion, he led the Guardian Circle in relative peace until now. The end of his days are drawing near, he can feel it his soul, and he must choose his successor among the remaining Nevins to lead the Guardian Circle. Unfortunately, one of them is a traitor.

Prince Vian, son of King Valdamar of Badara, has lived a sheltered life, more so than most nobility, but his father is distant, and the servants whisper behind his back. He can’t help but wonder if they see him as a bad omen since his mother died at his birth, or is it something else? Alone, he finds friendship with Desmond and hopes to win the approval of his father when the time comes for him to take the throne.    Welcome to the World of Nälu!The Tales  Can a desert princess find love with a foreign king?Johari lives in the shadow of her beautiful sister until a foreign king notices her, but in her haste to prove herself worthy of affection she finds herself compromised and on a difficult journey to make things right.Find it on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, and Goodsread    What if all you knew had been a lie? The teaching of the Guardians has guided Semine's footsteps since her infancy. When her mentor shows up with information contrary to what she's been taught, she doubts her decision to follow in their footsteps. She must decide if there is life beyond what she has always known or embrace a new, mysterious path and reject the Guardians' legacy. Find it on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords   To what lengths would you go to save the world?Elothryn keeps the darkest secret of Nälu: The cursed dagger of Raemoja. A weapon powerful enough to release the greatest evil from the underworld. For generations, his family has lived without incident until now. The hunters have his scent and will stop at nothing to reclaim the dagger. Elothryn and his son flee, seeking help, but will they find it?Find it on Amazonand Smashwords
 Coming soon: All three Tales of Nälu in paperback!   The Novel  With a curse, she will build an army.
With the dagger, she will undo the last sacrifice.
But first the sorceress must find the secret keeper.Torn from her homeland and thrust into a betrothal against her wishes, Ayianna learns her family has a deadly secret that now has her on the run. She joins forces with Kael, an embittered half-elf, and Saeed, an elderly High Guardian, to seek answers to her father’s death, the destruction of Dagmar, and the plains people’s bizarre behavior.Ayianna discovers there is more at stake here than just her mother’s disappearance and her familial duty to her betrothed. The sorceress has cursed the plains people, and it is a race against time to release them before the sorceress resurrects an ancient evil.Find it at Amazon and Goodreads.

Writing as J. L. Mbewe, Jennette is an author, artist, mother, wife, but not always in that order. Born and raised in Minnesota, she now braves the heat of Texas, but pines for the Northern Lights and the lakes of home every autumn. She loves trying to capture the abstract and make it concrete. She has two short stories published in The Clockwork Dragonanthology, and is busily creating worlds inhabited by all sorts of fantasy creatures and characters, all questing about and discovering true love amid lots of peril. Her debut novel Secrets Kept and her short stories set in the world of Nälu: Desert Rose, Dragon Thief, and Indestructibleare now available. She is currently living her second childhood with a wonderful husband and two precious children who don’t seem to mind her eclectic collections of rocks, shells, and books, among other things. For more information about her journey as a writer mama and all things creative please visit her at http://www.jlmbewe.com/Social MediaConnect with Jennette!Website/BlogFacebook Twitter PinterestGoodsreadsGoogle+ (But I’m still learning the ropes here!) Be certain to follow the rest of this exciting Release Day Tour! October 16thJ. L. Mbewe: Release Day Kick-OffThe Writer’s Window: Meet the Characters Part 1Sitting on the Porch with Lynn: InterviewIn Darkness, There is Light: ExcerptOctober 17thThe Wonderings of One Person: Meet the VillainsLightly Salted: Guest PostAaron DeMott: ExcerptWriting without Compromise, Clare Davidson: Top Ten favorite YA novelsOctober 18thJ. L. Mbewe: Top Secret Project RevealAnne Elisabeth Stengl: Meet the Characters part 2Emerald Barnes’ Dreaming Awake Blog: InterviewPauline Creeden: Dream CastSheila Hollinghead’s Rise, Write, Shine: Review of Dragon Thief