Character Guest Post & Giveaway: Return by Charity Santiago

I am so excited to have Vargo on the Spine today! I hope you all enjoy learning a little about him. Don’t forget to enter the giveaway at the end of the post:)

When people ask me, “How did you become a Spartan?” I never know what to say, firstly because it’s a stupid question, and secondly because I honestly don’t know what happened. I mean, I was nicking wallets in Endro when I saw this random flyer for Spartan training. I knew the Spartans, and I definitely knew they were bad news, but all I could see was the line of script at the bottom of the page, proclaiming free room and board, paid training…guaranteed lifetime contract.
 
I guess I should have figured that the lifetime contract meant I was obligated to them- not the other way around. I honestly don’t know that it would have made much of a difference. By that point, my mom and sister were gone, killed in a house fire caused by my father’s dropped cigarette, and I had no plans to stick around Endro.
 
But I’m rambling now. Sorry.
 
Let me start over.
 
My name’s Vargo, and I’m a Spartan assassin. Three years ago, the Spartans were Lord Angelo’s most elite warriors. His henchmen, if you will. We went in to get the job done when the DEMON army couldn’t hack it. There were a few more of us then, but when a rebel group called FLD came along, our numbers dwindled pretty significantly.
 
I wasn’t exactly blind to Lord Angelo’s tyranny, but as the years went by and I got sucked in deeper, I found myself a lot more willing to turn a blind eye to what was going on around me. Lord Angelo didn’t tolerate dissension, and our job was to enforce that intolerance. I didn’t know how to get out. I didn’t know if I wanted out. No one who’d done what I’d done could be anything less than a monster. Why fight it, right?
 
By then, I was so far gone that I probably would have grasped at any sliver of possible redemption, no matter how small. Maybe Ashlyn Li, Elder Heir to the kingdom of Toryn, wasn’t the ideal choice as inspiration for my big dramatic turnaround. I’m no fool. I know it ain’t likely the princess of Toryn is gonna give me a second glance. (And she hasn’t. Outside of insults, she hasn’t even acknowledged my existence.)
 
But somehow, I guess I didn’t need her to acknowledge me. Just seeing her, and catching the occasional glimpse of her passion for life- that was enough for me to start turning things around. Well…that, and the fact that she killed my boss. Tough to stay motivated when your evil overlord is six feet under.
 
Things are different now. There are only ten of us Spartans left, and we work for Jackson, the president of the Free Lands Democracy. Ashlyn’s been gone for three years, but now she’s back- and she’s ready to challenge the reigning Lord of Toryn for leadership. I’ve been assigned to stick with her and report back to Jackson if she needs help.
 
I’m a little more hopeful that she’ll see me this time around. Being on the same side makes a difference, you know? I’m fighting for something I actually believe in, even if this whole assignment consists of watching her get her heart stomped repeatedly by someone else. She’s got a thing for vampires, apparently, even though Drake Lockhart is nothing but doom and gloom. Honestly, the guy possesses all the wit and charm of a rusty nail. What does she see in him?
 
But I’m not worried. I’ve got time. And I’ll be here when she needs me.
 
Follow Vargo, Ashlyn and Drake in “Return,” book one in the Lady of Toryn trilogy.
 

Return
Lady of Toryn trilogy
Book 1
Charity Santiago
Genre: YA fantasy
ASIN: B0052BDNWE
Number of pages: 263
Word Count: 74,459
Amazon – Goodreads
 

For the last three years, eighteen-year-old Ashlyn Li has been running from her destiny. A free-spirited ninja, Ashlyn would rather loot an abandoned city or challenge a fiend to battle than assume leadership of Toryn, her father's kingdom. However, when a series of attacks reunites Ashlyn with the friends who helped her save the sun three years ago, she discovers that her kingdom is at war and her father has presumed her dead.

Suddenly Ashlyn is faced with not only fulfilling her birthright, but also making sense of her feelings towards two very different men- Drake Lockhart, the enigmatic vampire who captured her heart three years ago, and Vargo, the charismatic assassin who was once Ashlyn's sworn enemy.
Will Ashlyn ascend the pagoda and become Lady of Toryn?

 

 

In February 2011, Charity Santiago's 7-month-old son was admitted to the hospital with severe respiratory issues. While Charity stayed at his bedside, she kept them both entertained by downloading several books on her new Kindle and reading them out loud. It was during this time that Charity learned about Kindle's self-publishing program, and realized that she had an opportunity to share her writings with the world.

 

Charity is a native of southeastern Arizona, and a writer since childhood. She wrote her first manuscript, Guinea Pig Code, at age nine. When she’s not writing books, Charity spends her time reading on her Kindle, wrangling children, watching Sylvester Stallone movies and pursuing a degree in Education.

Blog – Twitter – Facebook – Goodreads

a Rafflecopter giveaway