WordCrafter News: “Shadowblade” Re-release from Chris Barili

WordCrafter Press July Release

WordCrafter Press is proud to announce the re-release of Shadow Blade, by Chris Barili, coming July 22, 2025. Chris was in my cohort at Western State and today, he is a talented author. As an Ask the Authors series contributor, he participated in both rounds of interviews for the blog series, and the only author to contribute to both books. Chris is a contributing author to the Midnight Anthology series.

I reviewed Shadow Blade just after its release through WordFire Press, back in 2019. You can read my review of Shadow Blade here. I so enjoyed the book, that it pleases me to no end to be able to re-publish it under the WordCrafter Press label now. The WordCrafter Press edition will also include a free bonus story , the prequel to Shadow Blade, Baiting the Hook.

About Shadow Blade

Ashai Larish is an assassin from the brutal Denari Lai order. Religious zealots, Denari Lai are kept loyal through an addiction to the same magic that makes them unstoppable. They have become the primary weapon for the nation of Nishi’iti, and in a hundred years, they have never failed.

Until now. Ashai must kill Pushtani King Abadas Damar and his daughter/heir, Makari. He infiltrates the king’s inner circle, putting him in the perfect place to strike, with only Captain Bauti of the Royal Guard at all suspicious of Ashai’s intent.

Except Ashai has fallen for Makari and cannot complete the hit. When a second Denari Lai kills the King, Ashai finds himself fighting for Makari’s life instead of taking it. To make matters worse, the order cuts him off from his magic, leaving him weakened and in withdrawal.

Meanwhile, far north in the Pushtani mines that border Nishi’iti, a slave named Pachat learns that his love, a hand slave to Makari, died at the hands of a Denari Lai assassin. His grief ignites a slave rebellion, and Pachat becomes the unwilling leader of the revolt. Urged on by Nishi’iti guerrillas, the rebellion sweeps across the borderlands, threatening to erupt into all-out war. Yet all Pachat wants is to avenge his beloved’s death by killing the assassin, so he walks away from the rebellion to seek when it needs him most.

As Pachat makes off for the capital of Dar Tallus, Ashai is forced to rely on that city’s organized crime gang to hide from the second assassin, and from Bauti’s guards. Despite his best efforts to hide it, Makari discovers Ashai’s true identity, and suddenly, he finds himself without her love, without his faith, and without the Denari Lai. At rock bottom, he doubts he can do anything but cause more damage.

Can Ashai kill the second assassin and win back Makari’s love? Will Pachat gain the revenge he so lustily seeks?

About Chris Barili

Currently oppressed by his day job, Chris has his sights set on retiring after 42 years in the Intelligence Community and writing full-time. Chris Barii writes all kinds of stories, and has published fantasy, science fiction, horror, western, paranormal romance, and most recently crime, with a noir story in the inaugural print edition of Toe Six Magazine. He is author of the self-published, weird western Hell’s Butcher series, and also writes under the pen names B.T. Clearwater (Supernatural romance) and T.C. Barlow (western). Chris is a retired intelligence officer, having served over 45 years between active duty, contractor, and government employee roles. He lives in Colorado with his wife.

The WordCrafter Shadow Blade Book Blog Tour

To celebrate the re-release and launch Shadow Blade off right, the WordCrafter Shadow Blade Book Blog Tour will run July 21-25. Be sure to drop in and join us as author Chris Barili shares guest posts and readings. Enter the giveaway for a chance to win a free digital copy of this unique and original story, and its prequel.

Meanwhile Back at WordCrafter Press…2025 WordCrafter Anthologies

After making the difficult decision to let the second book in the Time Travel adventure series simmer on the back burner, for a while, it has freed me up to work on other projects, such as Chris Barili’s book above. In July, I’ll be working on the compilation of Curses and Midnight Oil. My own stories for these anthologies will be passed by my beta reader and final revisions done, as well. Curses is scheduled for release in August, and Midnight Oil is scheduled for October.

Women in the West: Marta, book 3

Also, I’ve been fine tuning my outline and completing my research for Marta, the third book in my Women in the West Adventure series. In July, I hope to begin the actual writing of the story.

Where Delilah and Sarah both did a lot of solo traveling of necessity, Marta travels in the company of others, expanding the cast of characters and the number of plot lines. And, while the first two books take place in the mining camps and towns of Colorado, Marta will be venturing into new and unexplored, at least by this author, territories with some colorful old west characters in 1890, presenting me with new challenges and a ton of research. I’m looking forward to venturing into this new story world.

However, Marta was originally scheduled for a September release. However, this is another of the projects that got pushed back when I struggled with the second Rock Star book, and I’m still working with disadvantages in the technology realm, so I’m doubtful that I’ll make the original deadlines. I’ll keep you posted.

WordCrafter Press Books on Sale on Smashwords in July

I’m excited to announce that many of the books in the WordCrafter Press catalog will be available as part of a promotion on Smashwords for the month of July as part of their Annual Summer/Winter Sale! WordCrafter Press books will be discounted at 50% or free all through the month of July, so look for all the WordCrafter books that are sitting on your TBR and take advantage of the Smashword store pricing while it lasts. This is a chance to get WordCrafter Press books, along with books from many other great authors, at a discount so you can get right to reading.

You will find the promo here starting on July 1, so save the link:
https://www.smashwords.com/shelves/promos/

Please share this promo with friends and family, and all the avid readers in your life!

Thank you for your help and support!

Happy reading!

About Kaye Lynne Booth

For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; Books 1 & 2 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah and Sarah, and her Time-Travel Adventure novel, The Rock Star & The Outlaw,as well as her poetry collection, Small Wonders and The D.I.Y. Author writing resource.

Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.

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