Laura Thalassa's Blog, page 8
April 11, 2016
Blood and Sin: A Paranormal Novel Coming June 15
So, I've been keeping a secret for a long while now, but I can finally share it! I've been working with my husband, author Dan Rix, on a joint book for the last month. It's called
Blood and Sin
, and it's the first novel in a paranormal romance trilogy we'll be writing together! We're planning on releasing it June 15, just a month after the final novel in my Fallen World series comes out! If you enjoy enemies-to-lovers stories, this one will be right up your alley.
Blood and Sin
Welcome to the world of the Infernari, demons who live in a realm similar to ours, but sometimes come topside to collect blood for their dark magic.
Hot-blooded, prideful, feral, Lana Malesuis is a demon. She has sworn an oath to heal her war-torn, dying species. Her method: drain human blood, use it to fuel her dark magic, reap human misfortune. She has come to the town of White Sulfur Springs to cull.
Cold-blooded, ruthless, conniving, Jame Asher is a human. He has sworn to avenge his wife and baby girl, killed by demon magic. His plan: destroy demons’ portals, deprive them of their human blood supply, exterminate them one by one. He has come to White Sulfur Springs to kill.
But when they meet, and he takes Lana as his prisoner, the last thing he expects to see in her wild violet eyes is the frightened innocence of a young girl. For her part, Lana never expects to feel anything but hate for the most feared demon hunter on Earth.
Neither of them expected it to become something more.
***
Here is a little teaser to whet your appetite:
Blood and Sin, Teaser #1
My shoulders shrank, my waist narrowed, and my hips widened.
Suddenly I wasn’t a mostly naked Brad pinned under Asher, but a topless Lana.
He hadn’t been prepared for that. Nor, for that matter, had I. There were two of us and a whole lot of skin, considering that Asher was still in just his boxer briefs. I felt my cheeks flush, pressed together as we were.
Asher reared back, getting an eyeful.
I growled and thrust my palm up against the cartilage of his nose. He cursed, reflexively releasing me.
I scrambled away from him, my skin scraping against the rocky pavement. Behind me I could hear him recovering.
A hand wrapped around my ankle. “Not so fast, demon.”
I pulled my other foot back and kicked at his face. It glanced off of his cheekbone.
Ignoring my efforts, he began dragging me backwards. I clawed at the road, grappling for purchase. I felt one fingernail rip away. Then another. I suppressed my magic even as I cried out. No use healing something that would just reinjure.
“You should’ve killed me when you had the chance, demon,” Asher gritted out.
He dragged me like that all the way back to his vehicle, scratching up the delicate skin of my stomach and chest. More fingernails ripped away. Still I fought him.
Utterly useless. He was at least two heads taller than me and twice my weight.
When we reached his vehicle, Asher pulled me roughly to my feet, and opened the car’s back doors. Once I saw where he intended to put me, I struggled anew.
I couldn’t go back into that cage. There weren’t even windows to look out of.
“Asher, please—”
He tossed me into the back of the car and slammed the doors in my face.
I cried out, less from the physical pain than from the distress of being back in this cage. I could smell my earlier sickness, and it made my nausea rise.
For once I wished I could be hardened like other Infernari. Or cold and crafty, like a human. If either were the case, Asher would be dead and I’d be on my way back home.
But I was somehow the worst of both worlds. My spirit too soft. My intentions too transparent.
And I was back in the monster’s clutches.
***
If you enjoyed that, click here to add Blood and Sin to your Goodreads TBR list! You can also join my newsletter (top right corner) to get an email when it releases!
Happy reading!
Laura
Blood and Sin
Welcome to the world of the Infernari, demons who live in a realm similar to ours, but sometimes come topside to collect blood for their dark magic.
Hot-blooded, prideful, feral, Lana Malesuis is a demon. She has sworn an oath to heal her war-torn, dying species. Her method: drain human blood, use it to fuel her dark magic, reap human misfortune. She has come to the town of White Sulfur Springs to cull.
Cold-blooded, ruthless, conniving, Jame Asher is a human. He has sworn to avenge his wife and baby girl, killed by demon magic. His plan: destroy demons’ portals, deprive them of their human blood supply, exterminate them one by one. He has come to White Sulfur Springs to kill.
But when they meet, and he takes Lana as his prisoner, the last thing he expects to see in her wild violet eyes is the frightened innocence of a young girl. For her part, Lana never expects to feel anything but hate for the most feared demon hunter on Earth.
Neither of them expected it to become something more.
***
Here is a little teaser to whet your appetite:
Blood and Sin, Teaser #1
My shoulders shrank, my waist narrowed, and my hips widened.
Suddenly I wasn’t a mostly naked Brad pinned under Asher, but a topless Lana.
He hadn’t been prepared for that. Nor, for that matter, had I. There were two of us and a whole lot of skin, considering that Asher was still in just his boxer briefs. I felt my cheeks flush, pressed together as we were.
Asher reared back, getting an eyeful.
I growled and thrust my palm up against the cartilage of his nose. He cursed, reflexively releasing me.
I scrambled away from him, my skin scraping against the rocky pavement. Behind me I could hear him recovering.
A hand wrapped around my ankle. “Not so fast, demon.”
I pulled my other foot back and kicked at his face. It glanced off of his cheekbone.
Ignoring my efforts, he began dragging me backwards. I clawed at the road, grappling for purchase. I felt one fingernail rip away. Then another. I suppressed my magic even as I cried out. No use healing something that would just reinjure.
“You should’ve killed me when you had the chance, demon,” Asher gritted out.
He dragged me like that all the way back to his vehicle, scratching up the delicate skin of my stomach and chest. More fingernails ripped away. Still I fought him.
Utterly useless. He was at least two heads taller than me and twice my weight.
When we reached his vehicle, Asher pulled me roughly to my feet, and opened the car’s back doors. Once I saw where he intended to put me, I struggled anew.
I couldn’t go back into that cage. There weren’t even windows to look out of.
“Asher, please—”
He tossed me into the back of the car and slammed the doors in my face.
I cried out, less from the physical pain than from the distress of being back in this cage. I could smell my earlier sickness, and it made my nausea rise.
For once I wished I could be hardened like other Infernari. Or cold and crafty, like a human. If either were the case, Asher would be dead and I’d be on my way back home.
But I was somehow the worst of both worlds. My spirit too soft. My intentions too transparent.
And I was back in the monster’s clutches.
***
If you enjoyed that, click here to add Blood and Sin to your Goodreads TBR list! You can also join my newsletter (top right corner) to get an email when it releases!
Happy reading!
Laura
April 7, 2016
News on The Disappearing Act (The Vanishing Girl #3)
So this post is a long time coming, and I know many of you have been dying to get even the smallest bit of information on this third book, so here's the scoop:
Is The Disappearing Act ever coming out?
Yes, I promise I'm not trying to string you along!
Then when is it coming out, or do you plan on torturing us forever?
So I've gone back and forth on dates. The thing is, the first two books are under contract through Skyscape, and part of this contract stipulates that I must wait eighteen months after the release of the second book, The Decaying Empire , to publish this third book if I self publish it.
There are several reasons why I've decided not to publish this third book through Skyscape but the biggest two are (1) they didn't initially buy the rights to it and there's no guarantee that even once I write the manuscript they will (and if they did, that's several additional months of waiting as their publishing house processes it), and (2) time management--I'm usually working on several series at any one point in time and I haven't been willing to make readers of these other series wait more than necessary because I had contractual obligations to this one.
The Decaying Empire came out at the end of April 2015. Eighteen months following that is the end of October. Between now and then, I have three other projects that I will be writing. Knowing how fast I write, I'm guessing that I will have The Disappearing Act out at the beginning of 2017 (roughly January or February).
Can you please keep readers in the loop?!
Absolutely. I will continue to post updates about The Disappearing Act as they come you can also join my mailing list (in the top right-hand corner) to receive email on this book and others when they release!
Happy reading,
Laura
Is The Disappearing Act ever coming out?
Yes, I promise I'm not trying to string you along!
Then when is it coming out, or do you plan on torturing us forever?
So I've gone back and forth on dates. The thing is, the first two books are under contract through Skyscape, and part of this contract stipulates that I must wait eighteen months after the release of the second book, The Decaying Empire , to publish this third book if I self publish it.
There are several reasons why I've decided not to publish this third book through Skyscape but the biggest two are (1) they didn't initially buy the rights to it and there's no guarantee that even once I write the manuscript they will (and if they did, that's several additional months of waiting as their publishing house processes it), and (2) time management--I'm usually working on several series at any one point in time and I haven't been willing to make readers of these other series wait more than necessary because I had contractual obligations to this one.
The Decaying Empire came out at the end of April 2015. Eighteen months following that is the end of October. Between now and then, I have three other projects that I will be writing. Knowing how fast I write, I'm guessing that I will have The Disappearing Act out at the beginning of 2017 (roughly January or February).
Can you please keep readers in the loop?!
Absolutely. I will continue to post updates about The Disappearing Act as they come you can also join my mailing list (in the top right-hand corner) to receive email on this book and others when they release!
Happy reading,
Laura
April 1, 2016
The Queen of All That Lives Cover Reveal
The cover for
The Queen of All That Lives
is finally here, and I’m so excited to share with you! The third and final novel in The Fallen World trilogy comes out May 15! If you haven’t started reading the series, you can check out the first book,
The Queen of All That Dies
,
here
!
Of all my series, this one has been my favorite so far, probably because it’s the most challenging for me to write. The Queen of All That Lives is my longest book to date and at the moment I’m in the middle of edits. My hope is that once these are complete, I can begin sending out advanced review copies to eager readers. I send out ARCs exclusively to my newsletter subscribers, so if you want to be considered for future releases, please join my mailing list (top right hand corner).
She’s a martyr.
A myth.
A ghost.
A legend.
She’s my soulmate and my captive, my conscience and my wrath. I love her too much to let her die; I fear her too much to wake her from her slumber.
She’s mine.
And now she’s gone.
He’s unnatural.
Undying.
Unethical.
Unstoppable.
He’s the keeper of lies and lost souls. Mine slipped through his clutches.
I am his wife, his queen, the love of his very long life.
And soon, I will be his executioner.
***
Add The Queen of All that Lives on Goodreads!
Happy reading!
Laura
P.S. For those of you interested:
Want to get even more involved? Join my Street Team here !
To get more novels by similar authors, join the Fan X newsletter here .
Of all my series, this one has been my favorite so far, probably because it’s the most challenging for me to write. The Queen of All That Lives is my longest book to date and at the moment I’m in the middle of edits. My hope is that once these are complete, I can begin sending out advanced review copies to eager readers. I send out ARCs exclusively to my newsletter subscribers, so if you want to be considered for future releases, please join my mailing list (top right hand corner).
She’s a martyr.
A myth.
A ghost.
A legend.
She’s my soulmate and my captive, my conscience and my wrath. I love her too much to let her die; I fear her too much to wake her from her slumber.
She’s mine.
And now she’s gone.
He’s unnatural.
Undying.
Unethical.
Unstoppable.
He’s the keeper of lies and lost souls. Mine slipped through his clutches.
I am his wife, his queen, the love of his very long life.
And soon, I will be his executioner.
***
Add The Queen of All that Lives on Goodreads!
Happy reading!
Laura
P.S. For those of you interested:
Want to get even more involved? Join my Street Team here !
To get more novels by similar authors, join the Fan X newsletter here .
February 29, 2016
The Cut Final Scene from The Damned (The Unearthly #5)
So long time ago I mentioned that there was a final scene in
The Damned (The Unearthly #5)
that I omitted in the published version. I did this for a lot of reasons, but the main one was that I wanted to close the storyline up tightly and leave it on a happy note.
Are you worried?
You should be.
This is not an extended ending, this is an alternate one, but it is spooky. So, you've been warned. Also, I don't feel it needs to be said, but I will anyway: don't read this if you haven't yet finished the series because there probably are spoilers ahead. I'm going to insert a lot of space between this paragraph and the start of the scene, so if you want to avoid reading it, you won't accidentally see something you shouldn't. :)
Unearthly fans ... scroll on.
The Damned (The Unearthly #5) Final Scene
Much later, I lay sprawled on Andre’s chest, our legs intertwined. He adjusted us so that he could stare down at me. He touched my hair, then my cheek. A thumb brushed my lower lip. “We did it, soulmate,” he said. “We survived the devil, a near-apocalypse, and—most insidious of all—a wedding.”A surprised laugh slipped out at that.Andre’s eyes fixated on my mouth, and then he leaned in, capturing my laughter between his lips. With a moan, I fell into the kiss, pulling his head closer to me. He rolled over me, one of his hands splayed at my waist. By the time our mouths parted, we were both breathing heavy. He leaned his forehead against mine. “My wife is so distracting,” he said, a twinkle in his eye. “I was going to say that I think this moment deserves some celebratory champagne. Now however …” His fingers pressed in at my side.I laughed and pushed against him. “Champagne was a good idea.”“Now that I’ve been tormented by a siren, it doesn’t seem like it.” But as he spoke, he pushed himself away from me.Andre got out of bed and ran a hand through his hair, casting one last longing glance at the bed. “I’m a damn fool,” he muttered.“Hurry, the sooner you get the alch-y, the sooner you can get back in.”He sighed. “I can deny you nothing.” Under his breath he murmured, “So whipped.”I smiled as he left, but like him, I wasn’t super eager to part, even for a few moments. The day had kept us separated long enough. Shortly after the door clicked shut, I rubbed my arms. I hadn’t realized how cold it had gotten. Then again, now that Andre was human(ish), he was like a living, breathing heater. I wouldn’t have noticed the temperature enfolded in his arms as I had been. A chilly draft brushed through the room, making the flames of a hundred different candles flicker and shiver before resettling. Phantom fingertips caressed my cheek. I sat up, goosebumps breaking out along my arms. I touched my cheek, then rubbed the sensation away.Slipping out of bed, I slid on the revealing nightie someone had set out earlier for me. In Andre’s and my rush to get undressed, I hadn’t had time to put it on. I stretched and headed to the bathroom to freshen up. When I returned, I stopped in my tracks.At the foot of the bed, a rose waited for me, the tips of its petals smoldering. I waved my hand to dissipate the cloying floral scent and lifted the rose. Fingerprints singed the stem, and a small note dangled from it.Not just a note, I realized as I lifted the flower up. A dainty chain had been wrapped around the stem. At the end of it a familiar locket swung like a pendulum.My heart pounded between my ears. The obsidian rose embedded into its surface glinted in the dim candlelight. I unwound the necklace from the stem and with trembling fingers opened it up. Immediately I snapped the locket shut, fisting my hand around it. I brought the hand to my lips, my brows knitted. The images were just as I remembered them.My mouth had gone dry. This could only be the work of one person, though person was perhaps the wrong word.A god, a malevolent, twisted god. One who tricked me, captured me, and tried to enslave my soul to his. A god that redeemed himself somewhere along the way, but not before I betrayed him. Against my better judgment, I read the rose’s attached note.
Mea regina,
Your heart once belonged to me. I never gave it all back. Protect your soul, if you can. The moment it tarnishes, I will come for you. And this time, it will be for good.
Eternally yours,Rex Inferno
Are you worried?
You should be.
This is not an extended ending, this is an alternate one, but it is spooky. So, you've been warned. Also, I don't feel it needs to be said, but I will anyway: don't read this if you haven't yet finished the series because there probably are spoilers ahead. I'm going to insert a lot of space between this paragraph and the start of the scene, so if you want to avoid reading it, you won't accidentally see something you shouldn't. :)
Unearthly fans ... scroll on.
The Damned (The Unearthly #5) Final Scene
Much later, I lay sprawled on Andre’s chest, our legs intertwined. He adjusted us so that he could stare down at me. He touched my hair, then my cheek. A thumb brushed my lower lip. “We did it, soulmate,” he said. “We survived the devil, a near-apocalypse, and—most insidious of all—a wedding.”A surprised laugh slipped out at that.Andre’s eyes fixated on my mouth, and then he leaned in, capturing my laughter between his lips. With a moan, I fell into the kiss, pulling his head closer to me. He rolled over me, one of his hands splayed at my waist. By the time our mouths parted, we were both breathing heavy. He leaned his forehead against mine. “My wife is so distracting,” he said, a twinkle in his eye. “I was going to say that I think this moment deserves some celebratory champagne. Now however …” His fingers pressed in at my side.I laughed and pushed against him. “Champagne was a good idea.”“Now that I’ve been tormented by a siren, it doesn’t seem like it.” But as he spoke, he pushed himself away from me.Andre got out of bed and ran a hand through his hair, casting one last longing glance at the bed. “I’m a damn fool,” he muttered.“Hurry, the sooner you get the alch-y, the sooner you can get back in.”He sighed. “I can deny you nothing.” Under his breath he murmured, “So whipped.”I smiled as he left, but like him, I wasn’t super eager to part, even for a few moments. The day had kept us separated long enough. Shortly after the door clicked shut, I rubbed my arms. I hadn’t realized how cold it had gotten. Then again, now that Andre was human(ish), he was like a living, breathing heater. I wouldn’t have noticed the temperature enfolded in his arms as I had been. A chilly draft brushed through the room, making the flames of a hundred different candles flicker and shiver before resettling. Phantom fingertips caressed my cheek. I sat up, goosebumps breaking out along my arms. I touched my cheek, then rubbed the sensation away.Slipping out of bed, I slid on the revealing nightie someone had set out earlier for me. In Andre’s and my rush to get undressed, I hadn’t had time to put it on. I stretched and headed to the bathroom to freshen up. When I returned, I stopped in my tracks.At the foot of the bed, a rose waited for me, the tips of its petals smoldering. I waved my hand to dissipate the cloying floral scent and lifted the rose. Fingerprints singed the stem, and a small note dangled from it.Not just a note, I realized as I lifted the flower up. A dainty chain had been wrapped around the stem. At the end of it a familiar locket swung like a pendulum.My heart pounded between my ears. The obsidian rose embedded into its surface glinted in the dim candlelight. I unwound the necklace from the stem and with trembling fingers opened it up. Immediately I snapped the locket shut, fisting my hand around it. I brought the hand to my lips, my brows knitted. The images were just as I remembered them.My mouth had gone dry. This could only be the work of one person, though person was perhaps the wrong word.A god, a malevolent, twisted god. One who tricked me, captured me, and tried to enslave my soul to his. A god that redeemed himself somewhere along the way, but not before I betrayed him. Against my better judgment, I read the rose’s attached note.
Mea regina,
Your heart once belonged to me. I never gave it all back. Protect your soul, if you can. The moment it tarnishes, I will come for you. And this time, it will be for good.
Eternally yours,Rex Inferno
February 1, 2016
Vlog Post: News on the Fallen World and Book Signing
Hey hey readers!
I made a vlog post this week to give you some announcements! Included is information on my Fallen World series and the book signing I'll be doing on Valentine's Day weekend.
Book Signing
Hugs and happy reading!
Laura
I made a vlog post this week to give you some announcements! Included is information on my Fallen World series and the book signing I'll be doing on Valentine's Day weekend.
Book Signing
Hugs and happy reading!
Laura
January 28, 2016
The Queen of Traitors: Playlist and Paperbacks
For those of you who want a little more of
The Queen of Traitors (The Fallen World, #2)
, I've got some news for you!
The paperback is now available here!
Apologies for the delay getting it up on Amazon!In addition to paperbacks, I also have posted below The Queen of Traitors playlist! These are all the songs that inspired me while writing the book, and I felt most of them reminded me of Serenity and Montes and the fallen world they inhabit. I hope you enjoy them!
Hugs and happy reading,Laura
January 12, 2016
The Queen of Traitors (The Fallen World, #2) is Out Now!
Hi readers,I can’t believe the day is finally here! It’s been a long, agonizing year, but TheQueen of Traitors (The Fallen World, #2) is finally available! You can find it here. The print version should be out by the end of January.
So, what can you expect in book two? More action, more tension, more romance, and more danger. The Queen of Traitors is a bit darker than the first, but you probably guessed that from the cover alone. For those of you who haven’t heard, there will be a final book in this series, and I will be releasing it May 15, 2016. Yay for not waiting a year again! (Sorry about that!)
I hope you enjoy serenity and Montes’s love/hate story. I had wicked fun writing it!!
"Even now I want to wrap myself up in her and make her the air I breathe and the earth I stand on. But she’s not earth or air.
She has been and always will be fire. She’s my light and my death, and I couldn’t escape her unscathed even if I tried."
—The Queen of Traitors
December 14, 2015
The Queen of Traitors Cover Reveal
On January 15, 2016,
The Queen of Traitors (The Fallen World #2)
will hit shelves, and today I get to share the cover with you all! Eek! I might love this one even more than the last! I am so excited to share the second book in the trilogy! For those of you who are unfamiliar with the series, you can check out
The Queen of All that Dies
, the first book in this NA post-apocalyptic series,
here
.
Additionally, the final installment of the trilogy will hit shelves in April, so no long wait for the final book in the series!
The Queen of TraitorsJanuary 15, 2016
They say I am a queen.
They say I married a monster. That I did so willingly.
They say he cannot die, that he does not age. That together, we rule a ravaged world.
They say I used to be one of them, but now I am a traitor.
They say many things, all which I cannot remember, but …
I fear what they say is true.
Then there is what they don’t say, what I see in their eyes—
The king terrifies them. He cannot be stopped. And, most worrisome of all …
He is coming for me.
Click here to add The Queen of Traitors on Goodreads!
Laura Thalassa's Street TeamI'm very excited to welcome any and all interested readers to my street team! If you like free, signed copies of my print books, swag, and Amazon gift cards (let's be real--that last one's a no brainer) and you'd like to take a more active role in promoting my books, this is for you! If you want to know more about my street team and what goes into it, you can read more here ! If you already know you want to join, then:
Sign Up for Laura Thalassa's Street Team Here!
Quiz Time: Tell Me What You Like in a BookI have about a million different book ideas saved onto my computer, and I'm excited to start each of them. It totally helps me to know what you look for in my novels so that I can prioritize those stories. Take a quick quiz (7 questions and it's multiple choice!) to let me know your thoughts!
Take the Quiz!
Additionally, the final installment of the trilogy will hit shelves in April, so no long wait for the final book in the series!
The Queen of TraitorsJanuary 15, 2016
They say I am a queen.
They say I married a monster. That I did so willingly.
They say he cannot die, that he does not age. That together, we rule a ravaged world.
They say I used to be one of them, but now I am a traitor.
They say many things, all which I cannot remember, but …
I fear what they say is true.
Then there is what they don’t say, what I see in their eyes—
The king terrifies them. He cannot be stopped. And, most worrisome of all …
He is coming for me.
Click here to add The Queen of Traitors on Goodreads!
Laura Thalassa's Street TeamI'm very excited to welcome any and all interested readers to my street team! If you like free, signed copies of my print books, swag, and Amazon gift cards (let's be real--that last one's a no brainer) and you'd like to take a more active role in promoting my books, this is for you! If you want to know more about my street team and what goes into it, you can read more here ! If you already know you want to join, then:
Sign Up for Laura Thalassa's Street Team Here!
Quiz Time: Tell Me What You Like in a BookI have about a million different book ideas saved onto my computer, and I'm excited to start each of them. It totally helps me to know what you look for in my novels so that I can prioritize those stories. Take a quick quiz (7 questions and it's multiple choice!) to let me know your thoughts!
Take the Quiz!
November 24, 2015
The Queen of Traitors, Teaser #3
Teaser time! I'm working on the cover of
The Queen of Traitors (The Fallen World #2)
at the moment, and I'm hoping I can share that with you in another few weeks! For now, here's another teaser from
The Queen of Traitors
!
The Queen of Traitors, Teaser #3
Serenity leaves me a trail of expensive breadcrumbs to follow. A satin shoe here, a diamond bracelet there. I follow them to the edge of the palace grounds. She’s several feet away from the wrought iron fence, and she’s staring up at it like she’s considering the best way to scale it.“And here I was hoping that you might consider shedding your dress along with the jewelry.”She doesn’t flinch at my voice, nor does she turn around. “How do you live with yourself?”For one instant I fear that if I ever let her go, she’d disappear into the land, never to return. God, she’d want that. And I probably just caught her as she was tasting the possibility on her tongue.I’ve been vacillating between anger and arousal since she stormed out of the palace. I settle on anger. “You make a fool out of me and now you insult me?” Finally she turns. Her wild eyes search mine, and it doesn’t matter that she’s broken in all the right places and whole in all the wrong ones. Or that out here with her bare feet and windblown hair, I catch a hint of the woman she should’ve been. That soul of hers, tempered by the hottest of forges, has been and will always be mine. And it is probably the evilest thought I’ve ever had, but I’d ruin the world all over again just to be brought back to this very moment. “You set yourself up for failure the second you decided to pursue me,” she says. “I’m never going to be one of them.” She gestures to the palace.“No, you’re not.” And I’m glad for it.“Then why bother making me try?”“Serenity,” I chastise. “I’d think you more than anyone would know the answer to that.”Her dress flaps in the breeze as she waits for me to explain myself.“Ruling,” I say, “isn’t always about getting to be who you want to be. It’s about sacrifices.”“And what sacrifices have you made? Bombing innocents? Taking a hostage wife?” Usually I like the chase, but not like this, not when she’s deriding me while eyeing my perimeter walls like she’s considering escape.“I am still your king, and you will not speak to me that way.” My voice resonates in the evening air.“Then kill me already, or let me go.” She has the audacity to look exasperated. Don’t yell at her. Don’t threaten her. Don’t rip off her dress and fuck her.I should just walk away. I have before when I wanted to shake her. She doesn’t realize she’s the not only one being tormented here. Instead I take her hand.She tries to jerk away, but when I don’t release her, she relaxes.She steps in closer, and I only realize what she’s about to do the moment before her fist slams into my face. Those scarred knuckles of hers that I admired only days ago now smash into my skin and teeth.I stumble back at the impact, and she uses the distraction throw me against the fence. Her hand goes to my neck. “I am not something you can control, Montes,” she says, and the way the shadows play on her face make her appear downright sinister. “I’ll do many things for you—”I raise an eyebrow, though I doubt she can see it out here.“—but don’t try to make me become one of you.”Had I thought I was angry or aroused before? It doesn’t hold a candle to the way my blood now heats at her presumptions. She thinks she has me in more ways than one. I swipe her feet out from under her. I may not have the combat experience she does, but I’ve had plenty of military training. A moment later, it’s me that has her pinned. My legs straddle her torso, and I capture her hands in one of my own, pulling them high over her head.She glares at me as I press my other hand gently to her throat, noticing the way her hair spills across the lawn. For a woman who has little time for appearances, she takes awfully good care of those golden locks.“My queen,” I say, “you’re seriously misguided if you think you have any agency outside of what I give you. I will allow you some measure of control over our empire, and in return you will attend every dinner party I host. I’ll chain you to my side if I have to.” She’s moving beneath me, trying to pry my hold from her. It’s only serving to display every pleasing angle of hers.“Now,” I say, “about those many things you’ll do for me …”“Give me a knife and I’ll show you.”I let out a husky laugh and move one of my legs to the inside of her thighs. “Still uncomfortable with sex, I see. I’m taking that as a challenge.”I remove my hand from her throat to grasp her freed leg. Her skirts pool around her waist. She looks indecent, and on Serenity, indecent is a good look. She’s no longer trying to free herself from my grip, and her chest’s rising and falling faster and faster. From what I can make out of her expression, I’m thinking she has no idea what to make of intimacy in all its forms.A spark of protectiveness flares in me. Despite everything this world’s thrown at her, Serenity still maintains a shred of innocence when it comes to things between a man and a woman. That’s going to disappear eventually—marriage will force her hand—but I’m not too keen on rushing her in this.I’m a wicked man. I’ve never made bones about that. So I don’t readily recognize myself when get off of Serenity and extend a hand towards her. I’m not sure I like this side of me, either.Slowly she sits up. I can feel her gaze on me. We’ve been here before. She doesn’t take my hand, but she does stand. She turns her head to the blazing lights of the palace. “We should probably go back.”I stick my hands in my pockets and study her. This is her peace offering. She’ll go back inside what she sees as a beacon of depravity. “Alright,” I say. And together we return to the castle.
***
Enjoyed what you read? Click here to add The Queen of Traitors on Goodreads! For an announcement on release day, consider joining my mailing list (top right hand corner).
Hugs and happy reading!
Laura
The Queen of Traitors, Teaser #3
Serenity leaves me a trail of expensive breadcrumbs to follow. A satin shoe here, a diamond bracelet there. I follow them to the edge of the palace grounds. She’s several feet away from the wrought iron fence, and she’s staring up at it like she’s considering the best way to scale it.“And here I was hoping that you might consider shedding your dress along with the jewelry.”She doesn’t flinch at my voice, nor does she turn around. “How do you live with yourself?”For one instant I fear that if I ever let her go, she’d disappear into the land, never to return. God, she’d want that. And I probably just caught her as she was tasting the possibility on her tongue.I’ve been vacillating between anger and arousal since she stormed out of the palace. I settle on anger. “You make a fool out of me and now you insult me?” Finally she turns. Her wild eyes search mine, and it doesn’t matter that she’s broken in all the right places and whole in all the wrong ones. Or that out here with her bare feet and windblown hair, I catch a hint of the woman she should’ve been. That soul of hers, tempered by the hottest of forges, has been and will always be mine. And it is probably the evilest thought I’ve ever had, but I’d ruin the world all over again just to be brought back to this very moment. “You set yourself up for failure the second you decided to pursue me,” she says. “I’m never going to be one of them.” She gestures to the palace.“No, you’re not.” And I’m glad for it.“Then why bother making me try?”“Serenity,” I chastise. “I’d think you more than anyone would know the answer to that.”Her dress flaps in the breeze as she waits for me to explain myself.“Ruling,” I say, “isn’t always about getting to be who you want to be. It’s about sacrifices.”“And what sacrifices have you made? Bombing innocents? Taking a hostage wife?” Usually I like the chase, but not like this, not when she’s deriding me while eyeing my perimeter walls like she’s considering escape.“I am still your king, and you will not speak to me that way.” My voice resonates in the evening air.“Then kill me already, or let me go.” She has the audacity to look exasperated. Don’t yell at her. Don’t threaten her. Don’t rip off her dress and fuck her.I should just walk away. I have before when I wanted to shake her. She doesn’t realize she’s the not only one being tormented here. Instead I take her hand.She tries to jerk away, but when I don’t release her, she relaxes.She steps in closer, and I only realize what she’s about to do the moment before her fist slams into my face. Those scarred knuckles of hers that I admired only days ago now smash into my skin and teeth.I stumble back at the impact, and she uses the distraction throw me against the fence. Her hand goes to my neck. “I am not something you can control, Montes,” she says, and the way the shadows play on her face make her appear downright sinister. “I’ll do many things for you—”I raise an eyebrow, though I doubt she can see it out here.“—but don’t try to make me become one of you.”Had I thought I was angry or aroused before? It doesn’t hold a candle to the way my blood now heats at her presumptions. She thinks she has me in more ways than one. I swipe her feet out from under her. I may not have the combat experience she does, but I’ve had plenty of military training. A moment later, it’s me that has her pinned. My legs straddle her torso, and I capture her hands in one of my own, pulling them high over her head.She glares at me as I press my other hand gently to her throat, noticing the way her hair spills across the lawn. For a woman who has little time for appearances, she takes awfully good care of those golden locks.“My queen,” I say, “you’re seriously misguided if you think you have any agency outside of what I give you. I will allow you some measure of control over our empire, and in return you will attend every dinner party I host. I’ll chain you to my side if I have to.” She’s moving beneath me, trying to pry my hold from her. It’s only serving to display every pleasing angle of hers.“Now,” I say, “about those many things you’ll do for me …”“Give me a knife and I’ll show you.”I let out a husky laugh and move one of my legs to the inside of her thighs. “Still uncomfortable with sex, I see. I’m taking that as a challenge.”I remove my hand from her throat to grasp her freed leg. Her skirts pool around her waist. She looks indecent, and on Serenity, indecent is a good look. She’s no longer trying to free herself from my grip, and her chest’s rising and falling faster and faster. From what I can make out of her expression, I’m thinking she has no idea what to make of intimacy in all its forms.A spark of protectiveness flares in me. Despite everything this world’s thrown at her, Serenity still maintains a shred of innocence when it comes to things between a man and a woman. That’s going to disappear eventually—marriage will force her hand—but I’m not too keen on rushing her in this.I’m a wicked man. I’ve never made bones about that. So I don’t readily recognize myself when get off of Serenity and extend a hand towards her. I’m not sure I like this side of me, either.Slowly she sits up. I can feel her gaze on me. We’ve been here before. She doesn’t take my hand, but she does stand. She turns her head to the blazing lights of the palace. “We should probably go back.”I stick my hands in my pockets and study her. This is her peace offering. She’ll go back inside what she sees as a beacon of depravity. “Alright,” I say. And together we return to the castle.
***
Enjoyed what you read? Click here to add The Queen of Traitors on Goodreads! For an announcement on release day, consider joining my mailing list (top right hand corner).
Hugs and happy reading!
Laura
November 23, 2015
Fan X: A Group Newsletter
Some of you might've noticed that one of my tabs is labeled "Fan X". What is this? Today I wanted to talk about it.Fan X is a collabrative newsletter. In English: a bunch of us authors got together and decided we wanted to send out emails with all of our new releases. The five authors include myself, Scarlett Dawn, Amber Lynn Natusch, Stacey Marie Brown, and Ashley Stoyanoff.
How Does it Work?
We will be sending out a single, monthly newsletter (separate from our personal newsletters) announcing our new releases that month (provided we have a release). I think it's important to clarify that you won't get spammed. It's twelve emails over the course of a year, and it's meant to allow you to keep up with multiple authors and discover new books as they come out.
Why it's Worth Signing Up
The most obvious reason is because these women write some bada$$ stories! If you're a fan of YA and NA paranormal, all of them are worth checking out! Even if you're not a fan of paranormal, I think most if not all of us write outside the genre as well!
OMG, there are dozens turkeys walking across my front yard! They have no idea what holiday is fast approaching ... Okay, sorry, getting back on track. So, Fan X. Doooooo it. You know you want to.
Check it out: http://eepurl.com/bBFVlX
Happy reading,
Laura
P.S. Updates on The Queen of Traitors and the cover reveal are coming soon!
