Roxanne Rhoads's Blog, page 56

Truth in Blue by Mirai Amell #HighFantasy

Truth in BlueAll that Matters Book OneMirai Amell
Genre: High FantasyPublisher: Shadow Spark PublishingDate of Publication: March 20, 2023ASIN: B0BWNFMMFTNumber of pages: 379Word Count: 102KCover Artist: MiblArt
Tagline: Sometimes life is better as a lie.
Book Description:
Malakai wanted to protect his kingdom from threats beyond its borders. Instead, stripped of his magic and on the run, he now needs to save it from his brother, the king himself.
Amaryllis wanted to have nothing to do with humans. Instead, stranded in the wrong realm, she now needs to retrieve a lost fae relic with powers no one comprehends.
Una wanted to be a knight in shining armor. Instead, haunted by the memories of a life she never lived, Una now needs to find answers from someone she doesn’t remember meeting. 
When their paths cross, each must decide what matters to them the most.Or risk losing everything they hold dear.
In a world where Angels and Shades battle for souls while the Devil sips his tea, the fate of one country, two races, and four realms hangs in the balance when love and loyalties are tested to their limits. 
Amazon

Excerpt - Chapter 1

No place like home

The palacewas too quiet.

It shouldhave been abuzz with many familiar noises: gardeners tending the plants, cooksclanging the utensils, and servants running errands. Instead, the rhythmicclip-clop of the hooves from Ciaran’s horse was the only sound echoing acrossthe palace courtyard. The perfectly manicured shrubs and flowers bloomingduring peak summer looked exhausted, having to keep the facade of theirexpected sunny disposition. In contrast, barricaded in a garden corner, rootedyet lifeless, the prana plants glinted cunningly. With the sunlight bouncingoff their amber-colored crystalline form, it was as if they were watching him.

As if theyknew something he didn’t.

Thetrained senses of a King’s Knight warned him, but Ciaran dismounted,nevertheless. How could he be wary of a place he had called home for so long?After a few moments of deliberation, Ciaran decided to tie his horse to one ofthe pillars near the doorway, just in case. 

He had practically grown up at the palace, having arrived there at thirteen tolive and train as an apprentice knight. His father, Oswald—a Bender and theLord of Korbridge—had still been alive then to watch with pride when Ciaran hadreceived the royal crest that declared him a King’s Knight five years later.The metal emblem, carved with a golden sun rising from behind a jeweled dagger,was pinned to the chest of Ciaran’s black coat when Oswald passed away a fewmonths after the ceremony. That had been six years ago. Malakai had stayed byhis side through the ups and downs, the triumphs and losses. He was a friend, arival, a comrade, and the closest thing to a family Ciaran had left.

He wouldgladly walk into a raging fire if it were for Malakai.

Now,Ciaran walked into the decidedly frosty palace.

No onegreeted him in the main hall. The throne room, offices, and foyer were alleerily deserted.

He couldsense people around, hear their hushed whispers and the echoes of theirfootsteps, yet it seemed they were deliberately avoiding him. Ignoring thestrange stillness in the air, he resolutely walked toward his sleeping chambersin the north wing. Of all the knights in the country, only ten were chosen tobe King’s Knights, the ones who lived in the palace, attending to the rulingKing of Castellon.

Halfway tohis destination, he stopped at the edge of the winding stairs. The stairsdiverged here: one set of steps went up to the royal residence, and the otherwent down to the palace dungeons, a place that brought back haunting memoriesfor him. He tried to shake them off and turned to take the stairs goingupwards.

“I seeyou’re back already.” The hostility in the voice of General Atkins standingbefore him startled Ciaran. The five knights, who had crept up behind him inthe meantime, didn’t appear any friendlier. Reva, Lucia, Feris, Goran, and Jahirall held weapons. To make things worse, they knew each other too well.

“General,where is he?” Ciaran could not stop panic from rising in his heart. The agingGeneral had gray in his hair, but his height and breadth made him a mountain ofa man. The formidable presence of this experienced warrior was enough to makegrown men wet themselves (most grown men). Still, Ciaran did not break eyecontact with his mentor, his emerald eyes demanding answers.

TheGeneral winced almost imperceptibly before replying, “The king sent him toLasceraz.” Ciaran’s blood froze in his veins; he was too late for his friend.

“They’dsuch a shouting match that the stewards had to call me from my home in thecity,” Atkins said. “I found Malakai unconscious on the floor, and the onlything I got from the king was the order to transport him to the dungeons inLasceraz. In chains. Ciaran, what’s going on?”

TheGeneral implored him for some explanation.

“How longago?” Ciaran ignored the General’s question to ask his own.

“Nearlythree days now. What are you guys keeping from us? Answer me!”

Ciarandidn’t reply, his mind already calculating his next steps. Lasceraz, theinfamous prison, was in the southernmost corner of the country. It would takeseveral months to reach it on horseback unless he secured the service of aspace-Bender mage—like the General, for sure, had. Fortunately, he knew one whoused to work for his father, but Bender Farley lived in Ciaran’s hometownKorbridge, and it would take a few days to reach there from Castle. The longerhe delayed, the more time Malakai would rot in Lasceraz.

Just asCiaran turned around to leave, the knights readied their weapons: two sets ofdaunting daggers, two shining swords, and one menacing mace pointed straight athim. The General himself did not carry anything, standing with his arms crossedin front of him. Not to mention that Ciaran was not a mage, but two of theknights and the General were. Taking a deep breath, he brushed his sandy hairback with his right hand; a few locks strayed back over his green eyes.

“You trulybelieve you can stop me from leaving?” he asked, smiling for the first time sinceentering the palace grounds.

Theknights looked highly uncomfortable, for they were well aware of who they wereup against. People in the kingdom might not know his name, but every knight inthe country knew of Ciaran’s reputation.

“No. Idon’t believe we can manage that…” The General replied truthfully, “But I needto say that we tried our best regardless.”

Ciarangave his mentor a quick nod, steadied his sword, and took his stance. “Iunderstand.”
***

Hecouldn’t understand how he was still alive.

His entirebeing ached; his muscles and even his bones were sore.

Malakaitried to turn on his bed to find an angle where it would hurt slightly less,and a pained yelp escaped his mouth. The cold iron bit his wrists, sinking itsunyielding teeth into his joints. He opened his eyes to find himself chained tothe walls.

Lasceraz.A wave of despair overtook him, making it hard to breathe. Was the air alwaysso stale and thick here? Malakai had toured the prison many times but nevernoticed how dark it was. The cells were made of thick granite, without even atiny window to allow light to peek through. With some effort, he turned hishead upwards and regretted it immediately. Everything swam before his eyes, anda sharp pain made him retch, only to realize he had nothing left to vomit apartfrom his blood.

After hisbody stopped shaking from the shock, Malakai felt a strange emptiness insidehim; the warmth and comfort of his magic were barely there anymore. The panicthat rose through him was worse than the bile he tasted in his mouth. He triedhis best to calm himself, to convince himself that it could not be gone, formagic was made of prana: the life energy coursing through every living being.It had to be somewhere if he was here. But the more he searched, the more itbecame evident that it was dying.

And he wasdying with it.

Malakai’seyes blurred once more. Were they tears of sadness, knowing he had losteverything he held dear, or tears from the burning torment his body experiencedwith the slightest movement? He couldn’t tell them apart.

As hiseyes focused again, Malakai remembered there used to be a window in every cellonce upon a time. The first king of Castellon knew light was a beacon of hope;it kept the fight alive in people. His descendant, the current king, alsounderstood what it meant to the prisoners. So, five years ago, he ordered all thewindows to be boarded up. Malakai was the one who had supervised the projectand seen the dejected looks on their faces, caked with dirt and grime, yet henever fully comprehended. Until now.

Many ofthem were murderers, kidnappers, and swindlers, but there were others whocouldn’t pay the ever-increasing taxes; people who had no reason to be in theinfamous jail of Lasceraz.

Yet, theywere.

So was he.

“Get 'imto eat somethin’.” The metallic tinkle of keys alerted him as the room dooropened. A guard dressed in red and yellow placed a bowl of soup in front of himwhile another held a lantern in his hand. Malakai wondered how many days hadpassed since he was sent here and if Ciaran knew his fate yet. It was nocoincidence that he was incarcerated when each of his allies within the King’sKnights happened to be out of the capital.

“Threedays. You’ve eaten nothin’.” The guard brought a spoon with the soup near hismouth.

“Please!”the man nearly pleaded and added, “Yer Highness.”

The otherguard looked equally awkward. Malakai understood how disturbing it must be totreat the second prince of their kingdom as a mere prisoner—torn between theirabsolute loyalty to the orders issued by the king and their instinct to protecta member of the royal family. His older brother might be the ruler of Castellon(and he made sure to remind people of that constantly!), but Malakai was asoldier, first and foremost. He had spent time with guards, trained them, andinspected prisons as part of his duties, something the pampered king neverbothered himself with.

He openedhis mouth to let the guard feed him. Under no circumstance was he allowed to befree of his manacles. Such was the rule in Lasceraz, where every prisoner waskept in maximum-security solitary confinement. Sip by sip, he finished the bowlof soup, and the guards released simultaneous breaths of gratitude, likelybecause they had half-expected him to protest, or worse. Malakai didn’t want tomake it any harder on them than necessary, considering they would have a toughenough time when he escaped. His weak stomach rebelled despite his nobleintentions not to trouble the guards; a dull ache radiated from his core,spreading out like a volcano spewing lava, and Malakai keeled over in pain.

After theyhelped him throw up everything he had just ingested in the chamber pot, one ofthe guards tried to say something but couldn’t. Ignoring the grip of fatiguethreatening to suffocate him, Malakai smiled and said, “It’s not your fault.”He meant it, but they hung their heads in shame and left the room withoutchecking the chains, forgetting that they’d loosened the shackles slightly tolet him clean up earlier.

He didn’tdoubt that Ciaran would find a way to get him out of here.

But maybeMalakai could beat him to it.
***

Beingbeaten in a battle wasn’t something Ciaran ever worried about.

However,victory always comes with a price.

As he rode his tired horse away from Castle, thecapital city of Castellon, Ciaran had to admit that while he’d managed to getout of the palace in one piece, thankfully without killing any of them, ithadn’t been easy. Every hesitation, every indecision from one side was used bythe other. It was a wonder he’d made it this far.

About the Author: Mirai Amell is the pen name of a neuroscientist who believes in myths and magic as much as she trusts molecules and microscopes. When she is not doing science, or reading fantasy books, or watching anime, Mirai scribbles poems published in anthologies like From One Line Vol(s) 1-3, Wounds I Healed, and The Crow’s Quill magazine. 
Currently, Mirai lives in Seattle, where she researches various brain things.
https://twitter.com/AmellMirai
https://shadowsparkpub.com/mirai-amell
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/123013881

A Bewitching Tuesday

A Round-Up of Daily Tour Stops

Interview with Marcella Kroll - The Roast Iconic Oracle Deck #OracleDeck #OracleCards #bewitchingbooktours https://buff.ly/420hsHQ

SCROOGE'S FOLLY_SAVING JACOB MARLEY by DAVID WIENBERG #bewitchingbooktours https://buff.ly/43n8J3g

Caio by LS Delorme #Paranormal #Romantic #Thriller #PNR #bewitchingbooktours https://buff.ly/3Wt7qO8

Scrooge’s Folly – Saving Jacob Marley by David Weinberg #RomCom #PNR #bewitchingbooktours https://buff.ly/420N93y

Truth in Blue
Sometimes life is better as a lie. #bewitchingbooktours https://buff.ly/3MtS7jJ

INTERVIEW - PNR THRILLER - CAIO (Limerent, #1) by LS Delorme #bewitchingbooktours https://buff.ly/452nXMV

Character Confession - Scrooge’s Folly – Saving Jacob Marley by David Weinberg #RomCom #PNR #bewitchingbooktours https://buff.ly/3q4VSV0

INTERVIEW WITH MIRAI AMELL (Truth in Blue)
http://supernaturalcentral.blogspot.c...

A Bewitching Monday

A Round-Up of Daily Tour Stops

Character Confession - Scrooge’s Folly – Saving Jacob Marley by David Weinberg #RomCom #PNR #bewitchingbooktours https://buff.ly/3q4VSV0

Truth in Blue
Sometimes life is better as a lie. #bewitchingbooktours https://buff.ly/3MtS7jJ

Scrooge’s Folly – Saving Jacob Marley by David Weinberg #bewitchingbooktours https://buff.ly/3ofEPPP

Book Spotlight: Caio (Limerent Series Book One) by LS Delorme ~ Paranormal, Romantic, Thriller #BewitchingBookTours https://buff.ly/43ch9KO

Interview with Marcella Kroll - The Roast Iconic Oracle Deck #OracleDeck #OracleCards #bewitchingbooktours https://buff.ly/3q0Z4AY

INTERVIEW - PNR THRILLER - CAIO (Limerent, #1) by LS Delorme #bewitchingbooktours https://buff.ly/452nXMV

A Bewitching Friday

A Round-Up of Daily Tour Stops

Author Interview- Truth in Blue by Mirai Amell #HighFantasy #bewitchingbooktours https://buff.ly/3OryviU

Interview with Marcella Kroll - The Roast Iconic Oracle Deck #OracleDeck #OracleCards #bewitchingbooktours https://buff.ly/3q0Z4AY

Caio by LS Delorme #Paranormal #Romantic #Thriller #PNR #bewitchingbooktours https://buff.ly/3q0YZxa

Behind the Scenes of Writing Chapter 5
Sex, Lies, and A Junkyard Murder
Ghosts and Legends of Genesee & Lapeer Counties
https://www.patreon.com/posts/behind-...

Bonus Scene from Caio by LS Delorme #Paranormal #Romantic #Thriller #PNR
https://paranormalists.blogspot.com/2...

Excerpt: Truth in Blue (All That Matters Book One) by Mirai Amell #bewitchingbooktours https://buff.ly/3ojehgk

INTERVIEW - PNR THRILLER - CAIO (Limerent, #1) by LS Delorme #bewitchingbooktours https://buff.ly/452nXMV

Caio by LS Delorme #Paranormal #Romantic #Thriller #PNR

CaioLimerent SeriesBook OneLS Delorme
Genre: Paranormal, Romantic, ThrillerPublisher: Limerent PublishingDate of Publication: Feb 11, 2023ISBN: 979-8-9874880-1-3 PaperbackISBN: 979-8-9874880-1-0  ebookASIN: BOBSGR1VB7Number of pages: 294Word Count: 114030Cover Artist: Brittany Wilson
Book Description:
Sarah Baker is a paralegal in a law firm in modern-day Brooklyn. Her life is bouncing between her abusive lawyer boyfriend, the voices she hears in her head and her soul sucking work at the law firm. On a New York spring day, she meets Caio as he plays basketball on a street court. He is alluring, intriguing and young. Yet that���s the least of his mystery, for Caio was beaten, thrown into a hole and left to die. In 1905.
Sarah tries to understand this enigmatic stranger while juggling the dubious ethics of her law firm and the ghosts in her head. As she struggles with loss, grief, love, beauty and lawyers, she will need to summon the strength to break all of society���s rules, save several lives and step into a new and potentially magical life.
Caio is the opening book of a new series of supernatural romantic thrillers that will pull on your heart (strings), challenge your perceptions and lead you on a singular journey of discovery and revelation.
Books2Read       Amazon     

Excerpt:

How can you be as smart as you are and have no backbone,girl? or You���re not pretty enough to be able to expect a man to take care ofyou, so you better find an administrative job so you can support yourself, orSelf-consciousness is just another form of vanity. It���s just you thinking aboutyourself too much.

That simply scratched the surface of what Sarah heard on adaily basis growing up. On the positive side, she could take criticism with thebest of them. She had also learned to channel her sensitivity into an awarenessof people���s motivations that coworkers called ���uncanny.��� On the negative side,when her parents died, she had absorbed their voices into those that alreadyspoke inside her head, and now they were the loudest ones.

It was her heightened awareness that told her that somethingwas not quite right with the Davies case. She wasn���t sure what, and she wouldneed to be careful about how she researched, but it tickled her curiosity.

Sarah was lost in these thoughts as she left the grocerystore and made her way home, past the park and toward the basketball courts.When she realized where she was, her heart started to race a little bit at thethought of seeing the boy she had seen last week.
There were some boys playing on the court. Shescanned them for someone in grungy clothes, but from a distance, they alllooked like they were wearing appropriate attire.

Sarah���s heart sank a little.

Don���t be ridiculous, she told herself. Although she wasn���texactly sure what she was chiding herself about, it was nice when the voicedoing the talking was her own.

As she got closer, she saw the tall, red-haired boy miss ashot and retake the ball. He was one of the regulars. When the red-haired boylanded, he jostled one of the other boys near him. That boy staggered, regainedhis footing, and in the process deftly stole the ball. When she saw his face,Sarah actually heard herself gasp. The boy who had been pushed, the one who nowhad the basketball, was the boy she had seen before. She hadn���t noticed himbecause his appearance was quite different. His shoulder-length dark hair hadbeen cut. He had on a red-and-black striped shirt that didn���t look expensive,but did look brand new, as did the matching shorts. His sneakers were blackwith pristine white soles. And right at the moment, he was dribbling the balldown the court���straight at her.

Sarah froze. She was standing on the sidewalk behind thebasket on the other side of the chain-link fence. She felt like her feet hadgrown roots as she watched him set up, jump, and make the basket. He came downright in front of her. As he landed, before turning to run back down the court,he stopped and caught her eye. His eyes widened ever so slightly, and hesmiled.

For a moment, helooked directly in her eyes and she felt a strange dizzy feeling in seeing himand being seen by him. No one in her life ever seemed to actually see her. Noone ever had.

About the Author: 
Lexy has lived an eclectic life.  As a 'navy brat', she grew up in various US states until her father retired to North Carolina when she was 14.   As an adult, she has continued this "tumbleweed" life, having since lived in 3 countries, 9 US states, and 21 cities around the world.  She has been a musician, scientist and attorney, and was one of the first employees at 23andMe.  But, through all this change, her love of writing has been the one constant whether it be songs, scientific writing, legal briefs, travel blogs or fiction.  Writing the Limerent Series allows her to combine all of this to help her create new worlds.  Lexy lives in Paris with her husband and two very cool sons.  
Caio is book one of 8 in the upcoming Limerent Series
Author link: https://www.lsdelorme.com 
Newsletter Sign Up: https://www.lsdelorme.com/subscribe 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lsdelormeauthor 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lsdelormeauthor 
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lsdelormeauthor 

The Roast Iconic Oracle Deck by Marcella Kroll #OracleDeck #OracleCards

The Roast Iconic Oracle DeckMarcella Kroll
Genre: Body/Mind/Spirit / TarotPublisher: Sterling EthosDate of Publication: May 9, 2023ISBN: 9781454948759ASIN: 1-4549-4875-2Number of pages: Kit: 64 pages, 30 illustrated cards + bookletCover Artist: Marcella Kroll
Tagline: Sassy, snarky, and hilariously harsh, this oracle deck will tell it like it is.
Book Description:
When you do your one-card draw for the day, looking for a sign from the cards, what happens when you pull Fashion Witch? Bitch? Influencer? Red Flag? 
This intentionally sassy 30-card deck from well-known witch Marcella Kroll is a great way to get real talk from the Universe. 
Don’t settle for being coddled by the Rider-Waite-Smith. This deck will not hesitate to throw shade or tell you you’re trying too hard. If you’re tired of the mystic limitations of the Lenormand, get wrecked by Kroll’s hilarious hand-drawn illustrations.  
Direct, full of salt, and contemporary in its presentation and affect, The Roast Iconic is just what you need for days when you need your intuitive messages to be as direct as possible. Whether used alone or as a fun party game with friends, The Roast Iconic will deliver blunt truths that make you laugh just as much as they make you think.
Amazon       BN      Bookshop




About the Author:
Marcella Kroll is a professional artist, intuitive, and workshop facilitator. She has been practicing her gifts since 1995. 
Marcella works in private practice with clients all over the world and was a program presenter for the Los Angeles Public Library for 14 years, leading public classes for teens on tarot and other divination subjects. 
She regularly holds healing circles, guided meditation groups, and empowering workshops for men and women in the greater Los Angeles area and around the United States, and hosts a podcast, Saved by the Spell. She is also the co-author of Tarot in the Library Esoterica series from Taschen. She lives in Los Angeles, CA.
Website: https://www.marcellakroll.com/ 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marcellakroll/
Saved by the Spell: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/saved-by-the-spell/id1540136953

A Bewitching Wednesday

A Round-Up of Daily Tour Stops

Review- The Roast Iconic Oracle Deck by Marcella Kroll
https://thebookcountess.wordpress.com...

Truth in Blue by Mirai Amell #HighFantasy
https://bewitchingbooktours.tumblr.co...

The Roast Iconic Oracle Deck: A great Tarot addition to any deck! #bewitchingbooktours https://buff.ly/457zZoc

Caio by LS Delorme #bewitchingbooktours https://buff.ly/41DQ3Lu

INTERVIEW - PNR THRILLER - CAIO (Limerent, #1) by LS Delorme #bewitchingbooktours https://buff.ly/452nXMV

A Bewitching Tuesday

A Round-Up of Daily Tour Stops

INTERVIEW - PNR THRILLER - CAIO (Limerent, #1) by LS Delorme #bewitchingbooktours https://buff.ly/452nXMV

Truth in Blue All that Matters Book One by Mirai Amell - High Fantasy - #bewitchingbooktours https://buff.ly/42GuKKx

THE ROAST ICONIC ORACLE DECK by MARCELLA KROLL #bewitchingbooktours https://buff.ly/42Du8FG

TRUTH IN BLUE TOUR #bewitchingbooktours https://buff.ly/45g98GK

Caio is the first book in a new series of supernatural romantic thrillers that will pull on your heartstrings, challenge your perceptions & lead you on a journey of discovery and revelation. https://books2read.com/caio
#bookstagram #paranormalromance #romanticthriller #romanticsuspense #paranormalsuspense #legalsuspense

Tired of the mystic limitations of Lenormand? Don’t want to be coddled by the Rider-Waite-Smith? Get wrecked with The Roast Iconic Oracle Deck by Marcella Kroll. Direct, full of salt, and hilariously harsh, this deck will deliver blunt truths that make you laugh just as much as they make you think. Order today! https://amzn.to/3mW04oL #roasticonicoracle #oraclecard #oracledeck #modernoracle

Truth in Blue by Mirai Amell #bewitchingbooktours https://buff.ly/3BuO8OE

A Bewitching Monday

A Round-Up of Daily Tour Stops

INTERVIEW WITH MIRAI AMELL (Truth in Blue) #bewitchingbooktours https://buff.ly/41RWDON

Caio is the first book in a new series of supernatural romantic thrillers that will pull on your heartstrings, challenge your perceptions & lead you on a journey of discovery and revelation. https://buff.ly/3pK090g

Bittersouls
A Shade. A Storm. A Soul. #bewitchingbooktours https://buff.ly/3nZCQif

Truth in Blue (All that Matters, Book One) by Mirai Amell ~ @AmellMirai ~ High Fantasy #bewitchingbooktours https://buff.ly/3BnsL1T

Review The Roast Oracle Deck:
As for the cards themselves, I was concerned that I might be too old to enjoy the ideas that are VERY based in the present tense of social media and popular culture social/political parlance. There is nothing of a prediction-style messaging happening here. It’s all here-and-now. The only instructions are to shuffle and ask “What do I need to know right now?” and pull a single card, so there are no deep layout diagrams or other guidelines. This free reign might feel really nice to experienced card readers, many of whom tend to ditch the book and jump right in with their intuition or create their own spreads, but for a beginner, I’m on the fence as to how these would feel. ~Samantha

Forged In Lies by Raven Dark and Jenna Stirling #DarkDystopian #WhyChoose #MCRomance

Forged In LiesThe Monarch Series Book OneRaven Dark and Jenna Stirling
Genre: Dark Dystopian, Why Choose MC RomancePublisher: Raven DarkDate of Publication: April 23, 2023ASIN:  B0C3CYFH5BNumber of pages: 348Word Count: 106,428 wordsCover Artist: Raven Dark
Tagline: This world is full of deadly beasts. And I might be worse than any of them…
Book Description:
This world is full of deadly beasts. And I might be worse than any of them…
I remember life before the solar flare destroyed society. And I remember pieces of the dystopian hellscape that followed.
But my memories are fractured. Full of holes and inconsistencies.
How I managed to slit the throat of a biker twice my size is a complete mystery.
But I did. Easily and without thought.
Now, the dead man’s four ruthless MC brothers want me as their captive plaything in the bedroom, and their assassin in the outside world.
I should hate them. Fear them. But I don’t.
My attraction to these sexy savages is as inexplicable as my nagging feeling that something—or someone—is coming for me.
All I can do now is hope the sleeping beast inside me is ready to kill when I need it…and that the brutal men I’m falling for don’t get caught in the crossfire.
“Forged in Lies, book 1 in the Monarch series, is a dark, post-apocalypse why choose romance featuring a strong heroine, and the merciless alpha males who love her. (Think The Handmaid’s Tale meets Sons of Anarchy, mixed with a dash of Firefly, but with more happy endings and spicy times.) Download today and hope your e-reader doesn’t go up in smoke.
***WARNING***This book contains sexual situations and dark scenes that may upset some readers. If you have triggers, please do not buy this book. Cliff-hanger ahead. HEA at end of series.
Amazon

Excerpt:

Havoc’sgrip tightens, unmistakably possessive. His eyes gleam down at me. “Back off,Twig. I choose who she’s with. And you won’t be on the list.”

Twig’sbrows go up in surprise.

Havoclooks at me and blinks, apparently caught off guard by his own words. “Relax,pretty girl,” he adds, pushing past Twig. “You belong to me now. No one willtouch you unless I say so.”

“Is thatsupposed to make me feel better?” I mutter.

And yet mysex slicks at his sheer possessiveness.

“Not surehow you’re getting to me, but you’ll pay for it later.” His voice is suddenlygruff.

“You bettercount on a rough night.”

My pulsestutters. What’s with this guy? One minute he sounds as if he wants to keep meall to himself, and the next he wants to pass me around. How many guys are wetalking here?

Trying todistract myself from Havoc’s effect on me, I dig the bread out of my pocket andnibble on it. I look at Sage. Not sure what I’m hoping for, but his expressiontells me nothing. It’s as if I’m frozen out, and something between us hasevaporated.

“Havoc,Sage,” a guy shouts, striding over to us. He’s tall and athletic-looking likeSage, but with blond hair pulled into a ponytail. “What the fuck took you twoso long? Venom’s pissed.”

“That’snothing new.” Havoc grabs a beer from a barrel near him, and Sage does thesame.

“Whathappened at Gore’s?” Ponytail smirks, watching me eat. I don’t like the wayhe’s looking at me. “And what’s up with the strange?” he adds.

My gazezeros in on the patch on his cut. I take in the acronym, committing his rank tomemory. Second In Command.

At histone, Havoc’s hand moves to my nape. I could swear Sage stepped closer.Ponytail’s smile widens.

“Gore’sdead,” Havoc says, guzzling his beer. “Couldn’t pay his dues.”

“Fuck.Another one? This’ll put the Keep in a hell of a mood. What about his women?”

“Deadtoo,” Sage says. “They were gone by the time H found them.”

“Shit.They would have fixed a lot of problems. All right, Sage, send a couple guysout there to scavenge.”

“You gotit, Hutch.” Sage heads over to a group of guys standing with Twig.

“So, who’sthe bitch?” Ponytail—Hutch—asks, nodding to me.

 “Goretried to hide her when we showed up,” Havoc says. “She wasn’t his, though.”

“Straypussy, is it?” Hutch’s eyes narrow on me. “I’ll take first crack at her.”

Havocpushes me behind him. I think I actually hear him growl.

Hutchgrins and lifts his shoulders. “Fuck, what’s with you? You’re like a dog withhis food.

Well, youbetter bring her to Keep first before you stick your dick in her.” He’slaughing as he

turns andheads for the house.

I scrunchmy brows at his retreating back, then glance up at Havoc. He knows I’m MC. Whydidn’t he report it to his Second?

“Thisway,” Havoc orders me, heading after Hutch. “Wait until Venom sees you. He’sprobably gonna want your ass first.” He pauses and leans down, lowering hisvoice to that growl that makes my blood heat. “And I’ll eat up every second,pretty girl. I bet watching would be almost as good as fucking you.”

Alarmbells ring in my head. I gotta get out of here now before this gets any worse.And I have to get to Charlie. As long as I’m here, I can’t do that.

Heart inmy throat, I lower my eyes, searching for an escape route. Some of the bikessit without men near them, keys dangling from ignitions. One’s a few feet away.Even if I could get Havoc to let go, he’d catch me before I reached it.

Still...

We’reclosing in on the front doors, Havoc’s long strides eating up the grass. If I’mgoing to act, it has to be now.

I lurch,pretending to stumble. Havoc loses his grip. I whip around and sprint towardthe nearest bike.

Havoccurses. Shouts ring out. Panting, I swing onto the bike, kick the stand up, andfire up the engine.

“Stupidbitch,” Havoc roars.

Out ofnowhere, a strong arm snakes around my neck and I’m yanked off the bike. I landon my ass with a yell before I’m pulled to my feet and spun around.

I have about a half a second to see silver-blond hair beforethe guy swings his fist right at my face.

 

About the Author:
As a young girl Raven Dark dreamed of being abducted by a savage alien warrior, whisked away by a brutal pirate, or rescued by a cape-bearing hero. When none of these men came to claim her, she brought them to life in her stories. Then twelve years ago she met the man of her dreams. He doesn't wear a cape, fly a spaceship, or wield a sword, but sometimes she swears they've mind melded.
Raven lives with her dream man and their one cat that thinks she's a dog in the Mundane world's version of Ontario, Canada. When she isn't working on her latest erotic romance novels and crafting interesting worlds in which to set them, she's spending too much time with friends, feeding her Youtube addiction, or curled up on a couch watching favorite shows with her future husband.
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