Meet Rowe from Rise of the Flame

Meet Rowe from Rise of the Flame, the kind of guy you want to have your back...

Rowe charged through the masses with untamed vigor. His ax hung low at the side of his horse. His pulse quickened as he gripped the heavy ax in his large fist, the bands on the hilt pressing hard into his roughened palm. 

Rowe lifted it slightly and with a grunt, he leaned forward, swinging the ax powerfully into the heads of the surrounding Shadow Elves. A spray of blood filled the air like a fog.

Skin split open and bone crushed beneath his ax. It glowed blue, and he knew that it stung their flesh as it cut through. The yells and noise was deafening, and so was the blood that rushed as his heart pumped with adrenaline.

Rowe’s horse wouldn’t slow. Like every other horse on the battlefield that a Tryan rode, they were connected with their rider. They could feel the same, sense their thoughts, and anticipate what the rider wanted. The horse veered right and into another group of Shadow Elves that tried to slice the horse’s belly or legs, trying anything to get the Tryan soldier to the ground. 

Rowe kicked one with his heavy booted foot and thrust the ax into the neck of another. The glowing blade sliced straight through the soft flesh of its neck and barely paused to cut through the bone. Other elves looked in horror as the head rolled off of its body to the muddy ground.

Rowe sat up and swung the blood from his blade, not stopping as he continued on to the next unfortunate being in his eyesight. 

Available on Amazon

 From international bestselling author, K.N. Lee comes Rise of the Flame, an epic beginning to the Eura Chronicles. 

There are six races, four realms, and one human girl who can bring them together in peace...or war. For centuries the races have been separated by an ancient barrier. Now that the barrier is crumbling, the races are once again pitted against one another. 

Lilae has been hunted since the night of her birth. When the Elder, Delia escapes from the Underworld to protect and train Lilae, there seems to be hope...for she is heir to a god’s throne. 

Everything Lilae’s surrogate family has done to protect her may have been for nothing. When she is enslaved by the emperor of the Mithrani, her only comfort comes from the strange young man in her dreams. 

On the other side of the world, Liam leads his army across the realm to protect the Tryans and the fairies from Shadow Elves. He sets out on a journey to find a grand weapon that can aid him in the inevitable realm war, relying only on a few close companions to aid him. The path forward seems clear, until Liam dreams of Lilae... and Lilae begins to fall for the emperor that made her his slave. 

**Bonus Material** 

Chapter One of Night of the Storm: Book Two of the Eura Chronicles 

***COVER REVEAL*** An Exclusive Excerpt from Goddess of War by, K.N. Lee

An Exclusive Excerpt 

Goddess of War 

by, K.N. Lee

There was no reply. His heart raced as he searched the cabin, turning furniture over and calling her name. The four year old was nowhere to be found. Hunt laid his mother back on the table and covered her body with a cloak that hung from a hook beside the back door.

Kellian watched him rub his eyes and open the back door. Once he stood outside, he paused.

“What is it?”

Hunt held up a hand. “I hear something,” he whispered.

Kellian stepped forward and strained to hear whatever it was that Hunt spoke of. He heard the howling of the wind, the rustling of snow covered trees, and a soft cry.

His eyes widened. He dared to hope. “Luna?”

“Papa,” a muffled voice cried.

Hunt turned to his father with wild eyes. “She’s in the chest.”

Kellian nodded. “Get the key!”

He rushed out the door to the stable and saw that it had been ransacked. The horses were gone, and all that remained intact was the secret hatch that they kept their valuables in. He wiped the top of the hatch clean of dirt and stones, revealing door. Kellian pulled the door open and looked down into a hole in the ground that was four feet deep and three feet wide. Inside the hole was a sturdy wooden chest. The chest was beautiful, adorned with intricate golden symbols engraved by the holy clerics of the west. It had been a gift to the king from the eastern clerics, and the king had then given it to Kellian when he won the War of Thorns for him several years ago.

“Use it to take care of your family,” the king had said to him in private. King Lorrian was the closest thing to a brother Kellian had ever had. They’d practically trained and fought together since their teen years, and Kellian had moved up in the ranks to be general of the five armies of the west.

Kellian had asked how, and the sly grin that had taken over King Lorrian’s face would forever remain with him.

King Lorrian had patted the chest with a hand and their eyes met. “Because it is a magic chest, my friend. It turns simple objects into gold, enchants weapons, and will store food for an eternity. Your family will never need money or food, and will always be protected by the weapons you enchant with it.”

Shaking, he pulled the chest from the ground and set it inside the stable.

“Papa?”

He stared at the chest with fear. He never asked what the chest would do to a person. He never thought he had to, for the chest was too small for a person…unless they were a child.

“I’m here, Luna. Papa and Hunt are here. We’ll get you out.”

Hunt ran back with the long golden key in his hand. He fell to his knees behind the chest and handed it to Kellian.

Inserting the key into the chest, Kellian tried to steady his hand as he turned the lock. A sharp clicking sound resonated in their ears, and with a deep breath, he opened the lid.

What they saw inside made both of their faces pale. Hunt looked to his father with eyes of terror, then back to his younger sister inside.

Coming soon to Amazon.com and www.knlee.com

An ordinary child.

A magic chest from the east.

When Luna's mother puts her in the chest to protect her from discovery during a village raid, her father returns when it’s too late. Everyone in the village is dead...except for Luna. Kellian knows what that box does to objects, but questions what it can do to a human.

What did it do to his daughter?

Her fate is uncertain as her father returns to the royal army that he commands with her in tow. He cannot help but wonder if she will have a normal life when forced to grow up surrounded by violence and war. He also cannot believe what she can do when she picks up a weapon for the first time.

War will never be the same when Luna is on the field. Blood and power fuel her, and empires, kingdoms, and dynasties clamor to assassinate her. No one can stop her. Nothing can tame her…except possibly a magic she never expected to find.

The magic of love.

An Exclusive Excerpt from Lyrinian Blade: The Chronicles of Koa Book Three

An Exclusive Excerpt 

from Lyrinian Blade: 

The Chronicles of Koa Book Three

“What are you going to do with all of this power,” Tristan asked in a hushed tone as he watched Halston manipulate the air around them.

 With a bit of concentration, and a deep breath, Halston was able to make the fog of the dark alley rise above them. White mist curled between Halston and Tristan as he moved his left hand in a swaying motion.

His brows furrowed. “I am going to use it for something good.”

Tristan shook his head and sat on the sidewalk. He folded his arms and leaned against the side of the building. “I don’t know if that’s even possible.”

“And why is that?” Halston asked as he peered into the mist, hoping to see a glimpse of the Gate. The entrance into the Netherworld.

“Because there’s so much evil inside of you now,” Tristan answered after a pause of silence. His voice was laden with concern, enough to make Halston finally divert his full attention back to his oldest friend.

His arms dropped to his sides and he turned to look down at the large War-Breeder that could have easily passed for a descendant of the race of giants.

But now, even though he was so big, with muscles that could not be contained by even the jacket Halston had given him, Tristan looked oddly less imposing.

Tristan was worried.

This alarmed Halston. He slid his hands into the pockets of his pants and gazed into the night sky. The moon was shrouded by clouds, and the mist that Halston had called forth from the fog further canopied them from the purity of the sky, from his Father’s eyes.

A shiver ran up Halston’s spine. Nothing could hide him from the gaze of God. He would have wept if Tristan had not been there. He wondered if it would not be better to just be alone. To walk the world in shame for what he had done.

“I don’t know if you realize it, but I can sense their souls within you, Halston,” Tristan whispered.

Halston shot a look at him. “Are you with me, or not?”

Tristan shook his head. His eyes narrowed. “Of course I am. I’ll always be by your side. You not only helped me stay out of trouble in the Netherworld, but you are like a brother to me. It’s just that something stirs in my chest when I sense a vampire’s soul. It’s like an itch that I cannot scratch. I’ve had to deal with it all of my life, surrounded by vamps in the Netherworld, and I don’t like it. Why do you think I chose to live in the south, where vampires would never venture to?”

“Why,” Halston dared to ask.

Tristan came to his feet. He rubbed his chin with his hand and sighed. “To keep from losing my mind.”

Their eyes met and Halston saw the fury that was so well hidden behind Tristan’s thin, dark eyes. He nodded and looked away. “Because it is why you were created. War-Breeders are the only natural enemies of the vampire race. And now I walk the Earth with hundreds of their souls feeding this unnatural power to my body.” Halston’s voice cracked and he stopped talking. He wasn’t sure of what bothered him more, that he wasn’t sorry for what he’d done, or that he had to do it at all. He did it for her.

Koa’s green eyes would always glow in the back of his mind.

The silence was thick between them, with only the sound of droplets of cold water trickling from the leaky pipes onto the craggy stone sidewalk.

Halston didn’t want to say what he thought should happen, but Tristan seemed to sense what was on his mind.

“Listen, boss, I’m not going to let you go off on your own. We are a team, and together we will find Koa and free you of this evil.”

Afraid to even look at his friend, Halston turned his back on him. He closed his eyes and sighed. With a nod he gave his acquiescence to Tristan’s words.

The sound of footsteps made Halston tense. He glanced over his shoulder. Tristan must have heard the small footsteps as well. He looked past Halston, and upward.

Realization flooded Halston, and he drew his infinity gun from its holster out of instinct and spun around to point it at whatever creature dared interrupt an angel turned demon, and a top ranked War-Breeder.

To his surprise, the creature he saw was not one that would ever cause them trouble. A smile came to his face, and somehow all seemed like it would be alright.

Before them flew an angel. She bounded down the side of the building, and soared slowly to the ground.

An angel, a ray of light in that dark alley, and a friend.

Alice landed before Halston on her feet in a crouched position. Beaming, she stood before him, took two steps towards him, and threw her arms around his neck.

“I found you,” she said breathlessly.

Halston held back tears. It took everything within him to do so. Not only had he been holding them back since he had to break Koa’s neck to free her from the demon’s curse, but every day since that fateful night. Instead, he closed his eyes and put an arm around Alice’s small body, and embraced her.

She pulled back and cupped his face in her hands. Her pink hair seemed to glow even under the dim light of the street lamp outside the alley. She grinned. “You look like crap.”

That twinkle of mischief in her eyes brought a smile to Halston’s face. Somehow, he began to feel that things might turn out alright after all.

Catch up on the first two books of the Chronicles of Koa series!

Netherworld

Dark Prophet

An Interview With Author, Joann Buchanan

An Interview With Author, Joann Buchanan

Where are you from?

I grew up in San Diego California, but I currently live in Russell, KS

Why do you write?

I write what comes to mind. I have a shifter series called The Children of Nox which I am finishing my last book in. I also have a romance series called The Halo Saga. The first book in that series is called Shine. The last thing I’m working on is a steampunk fantasy series called Empires Lost. The first book in that series is finished and waiting for me to reread and rewrite it.

What inspired you to write your first book?

I wrote my first novella when I was 13 years old. I have always been a writer.

What genre do you typically write?

All kinds of genres. I just let the story tell itself and when it’s finished, then I know what genre it is. I don’t set out to write in any particular genre.

Do you feel like you have a specific writing style?

I feel I have my own voice. If that comes with a particular style, then yes. It’s not something that happened over night though. It’s something I have been developing since I was a teen.

How long does it usually take you to write a book?

The average time for a first draft is about three months. That doesn’t mean it’s finished, but the idea of the story is.

What do you do to conquer writer’s block?

I read. Sometimes stepping out of my own world into another author’s helps me take a look at my own work. I also work through writers block. Sooner or later something will happen and it will drag me out of it. I haven’t really experienced it too many times.

What can you tell us about your favorite character from your book?

In Shine, I love Elizabeth because she is a normal girl trying to make sense of this world she has been accidentally brought into.

What actor or actress would you like to see play your character in the movie adaptation

I would love to see Elizabeth played by Mila Kunis because I think she could pull off the feisty vulnerable character.

Who is your favorite author and what is it about them that inspires you?

There are too many that I love to narrow it down to one. Frank Herbert, Stephen King, David B. Coe. 

What book are you reading now?

I have recently discovered Melissa McPhail. Her book Cephrael’s Hand is like reading poetry in motion. I love how she uses the English language and how it draws me in. 

What are your current projects?

I have three chapters left to write in After Dark, and I’ve started working on Corona, book 2 of The Halo Saga. 

If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

I know this sounds weird, but I wouldn’t change anything. The reason is because from one book to another, I can see my own personal growth. Besides if I did that, nothing would ever come out…lol. 

Can you share a little of your work with us?

From AFTER DARK book 3 in The Children of Nox series.

Fire burns the ice frozen by time.  Embers made of passions flames have become the death that needs covered in the dirt from whence we came.  There are truths hidden in the darkness. They lay dormant, waiting for that single beam of light to shine on them. They are the freedoms we all long for and the balance we all seek and yet they are nevermore and almost lovers. They are the two sided coin of the bastard free will, the brother of that temptress called love.  If that poisonous spell called love danced across the meadows, I would spit on it and walk away.  I would be ignorant to the pain of endless nights and no longer would I live with a shadow over my head. Did I love him? I did and that is the shame I must endure.

The abomination I allowed to be set upon the world haunts me and now the Time of Three is here. I should have let love fall, crash to the ground and burn in the fires of my beating heart. I gave way for the abomination. I lit the flames and now I must watch and wait to see if the world will fall to darkness because of my own transgressions. If there ever was a curse for the gardens that grow in this the beating hearts of mine then it would be sewn with the weeds of regret. It would be the absence of joy and the single loneliness I must cling to in order for sanity to rein in my soul. 

I have walked the world with the hope that each night that fallacy I called my lover and husband wouldn’t be set free from the cages that surrounded him. Oh wondrous night and fate filled light, how do you greet me?  Is it with more pain or do you perhaps bring me sanctuary from the darkness of my own making?

The deep wooded forests surround the one place of joy I found during my eternal night. I have no children, death and sleep are not my friends. My arms may be empty but my heart is true and loyal to my wolves. And there, upon the mountains sit the Fates who have watched and woven the tapestries. The three of them signal that now is the time and that sweet silence is no longer an option. In this, the Time of Three, the fate of the souls will be decided. The Dream Protector, the Stained one and now the Child of Light is to be born.  Will they have the same fate as my dear sweet Lillyanna?

I can still remember the way her tiny hand felt when it wrapped around my fingers. There was goodness and innocence in her. She was my light, my soul, killed in a rage by the demon Ash. And now, the regret I called my lover is free to do as he wills. That BASTARD! I know what he seeks. Am I powerless to do nothing about it? Am I not the goddess of the night? Do I not see in the darkest corners of all the universe? How then is it possible that in this time I am helpless? I know I have missed something. I feel it in the night’s bitter air. There is a piece of the puzzle that remains hidden. If I didn’t, then how could his heart have turned so cold to the embers of our love?

I sob as tears stream down my face. I know the decemberist of days are still ahead. I see the threads and long to pull just one to unravel the past and change the present. Damn the Fates for guarding the tapestries so well. If I designed my own fate, then did I also map out the fates of those I have grown to love so much?

 ~~Nox, Goddess of the Night.

From Corona book 2 of The Halo Saga

The soul remembers what the mind can’t.

Rule number 1 To become part of eternity you must be willing to sacrifice everything.

 Rule number 2 You will be tested, body, mind and soul.

Rule number 3 From this point on there is no turning back.

Prologue

When I was a little girl, I lived in the country once. Every night I would lay on a blanket under the stars and stare up at the sky. Those stars held such magic and comfort for me. I didn’t look up at them and see just a bunch of twinkling lights a billion light years away. To me, those stars were filled with people. They were my friends, my confidants and yes from time to time, they even held the love of my life. When I looked up at the night’s sky I saw nothing but the possibility that things would get better, I was not alone in the world.

 There were so few moments in my childhood where I felt safe and happy—but those nights, when the moon was full and the stars shined down on me; those were the happiest of my life. It was in those stars I made my wish—it was the same thing I wished every night—that one day I would find someone and fall in love. I didn’t want the surface kind of love that most people settled for in life, I wanted the real kind of love that lasted forever. When I was a child, I didn’t know the stars listened. I didn’t know they would send me Samuel…but I believed. And I have to think now, that’s all that mattered.

The day Samuel and I met changed my life…it changed my soul. When we met I was nothing more than a simple human woman trying to make it through life. I loved what I did for a living and I had a few friends, but I was missing that one special person in my life. Who knew the stars listened? Who knew they would send me an angel? And how did they know I would want to become one so we could spend forever together?

If the stars do listen—and I believe they do, then I would like to give them a special thanks for bringing my angel Samuel into my life. I would like to ask them what took so long. Last but not least, I would like others to believe that when you make a wish with all your heart and you believe anything is possible—then it is.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

There are some worlds I hate leaving behind. I know without a doubt The Halo Saga is going to be the hardest for me when the series ends because it is such a beautiful story about love, family and sacrifice. 

Do you have any advice for other writers?

My advice is simple, read every day and write every day, even if it’s only for half an hour, take the time to do it. 

Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

Thank you for taking the journeys with me. I have enjoyed writing every book I have out and love hearing from you as well. 

Author Bio:

Joann H. Buchanan is a mother of five children, and has a wonderful husband who supports her passion for the written word. She owns a small audiobook company named Empire voices. Empire Voices creates audiobooks.

You can stop off at www.empirevoices.com for more information.

Her upcoming releases include Shine, After Dark book 3 in The Children of Nox series, and Empires Lost book 1 Keleigh.

She is in two anthologies, Horror in Bloom and Hidden in Your World.

For more information about After Dark, or the blog tour for After Dark please visit www.joannhbuchanan.blogspot.com, or www.facebook.com/JoannHBuchanan. To arrange a book signing or interview, contact her representatives at 541-813-1113 or joannhbuchanan@charter.net

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Authors  Links

NEW blog website: https://authorjoannhbuchanan.wordpress.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoannHBuchanan

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JoannHBuchanan

Buy Links

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PBUGWG

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5157083.Joann_Buchanan

http://www.worldcastlepublishing.com/author-joann-h-buchanan.html

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EXCERPT:

After that, I took the memory card from my camera and put it into the computer to pull up the images. One by one they came up. First were the pictures of the small trees with the beautiful yellow hues of light sparkling behind them. Across the sky, grey clouds formed and rays of light shined through them. I flipped through the photos, taking a quick look at all of them. As I reached the end of the file, I was sure I had imagined everything I had witnessed. Then the last three pictures showed him coming into view. Magical, miraculous, my jaw dropped as I pressed print on the small printer. A lifetime passed while I waited for the printer to finish spitting out the photos. With a sigh, I paced back and forth a little. Waiting wasn’t something I did well.

I looked at the pictures without blinking. I had captured the ray of light with Samuel in it. His body appeared like nothing more than an orb, or could even have been explained away. In the next picture, his body formed, almost ghostly in appearance. Finally, in the last one, Samuel landed on the ground. His wings had disappeared and the man I met was there.

I had seen it happen; it was real. It was proof enough to me that I wasn’t some crazed lunatic. Samuel had come from the sky. Questions still lingered in my mind. What was he doing there? How did I get to my car? There was nothing on the file after the last three images I’d printed. Fear grew inside me the more I thought about what could have happened on the way to my car. I couldn’t quite picture it, but I knew Samuel had saved me. I didn’t know what from, and I didn’t know why, but he had. Why couldn’t I remember?

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An Excerpt From Author, K.N. Lee's "A Gifted Curse"

A Gifted Curse

K.N. Lee

The Last of the Jinn

Malah rummaged through the dead guard’s clothing. Sweat dripped from her forehead onto the man’s chest as the heat of the room gained intensity. With each droplet of sweat, his bare-chested skin sizzled. Malah grew dizzy and despite the heat felt a debilitating coldness crawl under her skin as her hand searched the last pocket.

Nothing.

She pulled her dagger from the guard’s head and wiped it clean on the bottom of her nightgown. Her eyes scanned the corridor. Four dead Parthan soldiers lie on the stone floor. None of them had an antidote for whatever poison the clerics had given her. Her full belly churned. She pressed her hand to her belly and closed her eyes with a sigh. Life stirred beneath her palm.

Two innocent lives.

The Parthans may be strong and powerful, but her gifts gave her an advantage, even if Dwy and his Cleric did weaken her.

The Reen guards that patrolled the exit would not be so easy to kill. They were larger, stronger, and composed of stone. Malah wished that they’d never been created. They had kept her prisoner for too long.

Malah opened her eyes and breathed in deeply. Within moments, cold air made her golden skin tighten and her toes and fingers numb. Her arms raised and she squeezed her eyes closed as she fed power to the air around her. She peeked through one of her eyelids to see the stone guards turn from brown, to gray.

Frozen, they would not give her any trouble for the next few minutes.

Minutes. That’s all she had.

Whispers filled her head as she ran down the chilly corridor. The dark didn’t bother her, but the voices did. They’d never allow her to escape. Not when the entire planet needed her for its survival.

Malah didn’t care about them anymore. She wanted to go home. If she could rid their poisons from her body, she could finally think straight again.

She cursed herself for being so stupid. Why had she allowed herself to fall in love? She should have known better. Love never ended well. Hadn’t she seen the results of such a foolish emotion enough times before? Why hadn’t she learned from her ancestors?

Love is a curse, Malah thought with a bitter grimace. She tried to shove Dwy’s black eyes from her mind. His touch used to be so gentle. The heart-break hurt more than the betrayal.

Malah wrung her hands. The gray guards slept upright, like statues, their hands formed into daggers, but kept inside the metallic scabbards at their sides. It looked like they simply had their hands in their pockets, but she knew better. She only hoped they wouldn’t be activated before she could escape.

“One, two, three, four,” she chanted into her cold hands. Her power was weak. Her heart seemed to shake inside her chest.                 

She had neglected her practice for far too long. She rubbed her hands together and poured out a tiny burst of power. “Yolie! Please, come forth!”

A small light formed in the palm of her hand.

Malah smiled. Her heart thumped, but this time it was with hope. Perhaps her skills weren’t too rusty after all.

The light turned into a ball. She puckered her golden lips and kissed it. The ball of light began to take the form of a tiny figure. The figure uncurled itself. A pop of lightning slammed into the figure and the sound of bells filled Malah’s ears.

“Sweet Blessings,” Malah breathed with relief. She dared to let a smile appear on her lips. When was the last time I smiled, she wondered. She pursed her lips and shook her head. No time for reminiscing.

Yolie’s bright smile warmed her heart she rested on her knees. Like a doll, Malah’s favorite Blessing had returned. After years of being unable to call upon her, they were once again reunited.

Malah could have jumped for joy. Instead, she hid in a corner, with her back against the cold stone wall. She watched the tiny person look up at her with large red eyes that sparkled like rubies. Then, it tugged at its black hair, making it longer and longer, until the curling locks could be coiled around its body like a dress.

“Blessed One,” the creature called. She stood in Malah’s hand and looked around. “Where are we this time?”

Malah closed her eyes and sighed. She rested her head against the wall and shrugged. “Yolie, we are in big trouble. We are in Partha.”

Yolie’s big eyes widened. “No, Blessed One. We have to get out of here! This is not one of ours!”

“That’s why I summoned you. I need your help.”

Yolie nodded but pursed her thin lips. “But Blessed One, what do you need me to do?” She sprouted red wings and flew from Malah’s golden hand to hover just inches from Malah’s face.

Malah’s gaze lifted to the open air ceiling. The passing sky beckoned to her. The clouds seemed to float and dance and she remembered what it felt like to be free. Free to fly with her family. She felt a stab in her heart as she realized that she would never fly with them again. She was the last, but she would not let that stop her.

“How did you get here, Blessed One?” Yolie asked. “We are far from home.”

Malah sighed. She gave Yolie a sheepish look from beneath her golden bangs. “I was curious. I wanted to see what this new race looked like.”

Yolie frowned. “Why? I don’t understand.”

Malah shook her head. “It isn’t important. I need you to fly me out of here.”

Yolie clapped her hands. “Oh yes! Yes! I can do it! Let’s go home! Let’s play together again. I do miss our games, Blessed One.”

Malah glanced back. It was still quiet in the temple. She might have a chance. Her hands shook. She looked down at them and nearly wept. Blood covered her small golden hands. It had seeped into the crevices of her palm and dried to a dry, sticky, paste. She’d never had to kill anyone before. She’d never had a reason to.

Now, nine dead guards and a cleric would haunt her dreams for all eternity. Even if they deserved their fate, the guilt would never fade.

“Good,” Malah said and stepped back to give Yolie room. “Go on. Shift.”

Yolie made a face. “You forget, Blessed One. I need more of your blessing.”

Malah sighed. She had forgotten. Her head was so full of fuzzy thoughts that she could barely think straight. She was losing time. The poison was too strong. Her vision blurred, but she nodded and held a palm out for Yolie to sit in. “Okay, quickly.”

Yolie flew into Malah’s hand and bowed on her knees.

Gold light filled the room as Malah ignited her blessing. Her golden body levitated as she breathed soft words into her palm. “I give you love. I give you light. I give you the power to Shift and take flight.”

Yolie opened her eyes and smiled. “That was beautiful, Blessed One. Thank you.”

Malah fell to her knees and hung her head, drained. “You deserve every blessing, Yolie. Now please hurry.”

Yolie nodded quickly and flew into the air. She stretched her red wings and flexed her dangling legs. Her hair unwrapped from around her body and floated around her as she Shifted. Red feathers started to grow all over her pale naked flesh. Her face was covered, and her hair continued to float. Like a giant bird, Yolie’s nose became a red beak and her eyes grew larger. She bowed to Malah.

“Climb on, Blessed One.”

Malah leapt into the air with grace and landed onto Yolie’s smooth back. She pressed her face to Yolie’s feathers and held onto her neck.

“Take me home, Yolie,” Malah whispered. “They have hurt me, and I need to recharge.”

Yolie’s body vibrated as she purred. “Oh Blessed One. Yolie told you to be careful. Yolie is always right.”

Malah squeezed her eyes shut. Tears stung her eyes and she wiped them on Yolie’s smooth back. Life grew inside of her. Such a miracle was true power. Even as a child when Malah went through training, she never imagined she’d be able to do something so incredible.

Despite the pain of being betrayed by her husband, she was escaping, with their unborn children. The last hope for the Jinn.

A loud explosion made Malah gasp. Shards of green magic shot out towards her. Something clamped around her neck and yanked her from Yolie’s back.

Malah screamed for her friend as she was pulled from the air and sent crashing to the hard floor. Yolie fought back and was stabbed by the tip of a red bone spear. Her bird-like screech ripped through the air, sending waves of vibrations throughout the entire room.

Malah had to act quickly. She reached out and created a glowing door that hovered in the air. She could never live with the guilt of a friend’s death, and so, she banished her. “Away with you!” she cried.

Yolie obeyed, as always. She nodded. Her white body flickered and faded into the cold air. Her essence seeped into the doorway and the door vanished. 

Malah wiped the blood from her face and glared at the clerics in red cloaks that surrounded her. Protecting the clerics were Parthan soldiers with their bone spears.

Vornid peered down at her from beneath his hood. He reached a hand to Malah’s face and grabbed her by her soft cheeks.

Malah squirmed as the abnormally tall cleric lifted her from the ground. She dangled before him like a child as his black eyes bore into hers. The grip he had on her neck made her sick. She trembled. He wanted to crush her throat, but such a thing would ruin them all. As much as he hated her.

The entire Parthan race needed her.

“Who said that you could go anywhere, Blessed One?” he snarled.

Malah felt a hot tear trail from her eye and down her cheek. Vornid watched the tear as it fell to his gloved hand. He raised a brow as it burnt through the black fabric.

His eyes flickered up to hers, the wrinkles in his forehead deepening as his brows furrowed. Malah could see much knowledge in his eyes. Too much knowledge, and still not enough.

“I will kill you, Vornid. You know this,” Malah said after sucking in a breath. “It is a promise.”

Vornid’s dry gray lips curled into a grin. She could smell milk on his breath. The milk of a nursing mother. It turned her stomach.

“No, you won’t,” he whispered.

            Malah cried out as he put his other hand on the top of her head, nearly crushing her skull. Heat filled her head and her body shook while Vornid held her. She had no choice. At this time, Vornid was more powerful than her. Too much poison filled her veins.

            Malah fought it, with all of her strength, but within seconds she met the eerie black of her own mind.

Smolder on a Slow Burn Blog Tour! Exclusive Excerpt & Giveaway!

Chapter One

Omaha, Nebraska

October 1878

Allison Webster ran out of the train station, cursing herself. How had she managed to miss the porter’s call for everyone to board? She had to catch that train. She couldn’t risk staying any longer in Omaha. Someone had followed her to the boarding house last night and even though reason told her she was being foolish, she was certain she recognized the man as Nathan Garrison, from Colton County, Georgia.

“Wait!” Allison ran as fast as heeled boots would allow. Her small carpetbag banged against her leg as she chased after the train. “Please, wait!”

She caught up to the caboose, but the train was increasing speed. Black smoke belched from the behemoth’s massive diamond stack. A man poked his head out of a boxcar just in front of the last car. Even running for all she was worth, she noticed his smirk.

“Toss that bag up here and give me your hand,” he shouted, holding his hand out to her.

Without thinking of the possible consequences, Allison tossed her little bag into the car and grabbed the offered hand. He caught her wrist, and with one pull, lifted her into the air and swung her into the livestock car. Momentum carried her forward, and she fell to her knees in the straw, presumably bedding for the two cross-tied horses. At least it was clean, she comforted herself, and she hadn’t landed in anything distasteful. She knelt for a few moments to catch her breath and gather her scattered thoughts. Goodness, she never would have thought it possible for someone to pick her up and throw her as if she was little more than a sack of feed.

After several gulping breaths, she pushed herself to stand and turned to the man who had rescued her. He stood in the open doorway, leaning a shoulder against the frame, his back to the landscape speeding by at a faster and faster pace. He wore a threadbare grey overcoat, the double row of brass buttons tarnished, the elbows patched. Fraying canary yellow overlay bordered the cuffs and stand-up collar. A single gold star graced either side of the collar, the thread in the embroidery faded to almost the same shade as the frayed overlay. Three thin stripes of age-dulled gold braid spiraled up the sleeves from the cuffs in an intricate pattern. A battered, sweat-stained cavalry styled hat covered his head and shaded half his face.

Available on Amazon

Allison Webster dreams of having an adventure like the characters in the books she loves. But there is no romance in being pursued by a man who wants her dead for educating the children of former slaves. Unlike the heroines she reads about she doesn't have a trusty companion to rescue her...until she literally runs into A.J. Adams, a former Confederate cavalry officer. Now, she just has to convince A.J. he really is the honorable man and hero depicted in the dime novel she is reading. 

Branded a "traitor" for more than ten years, scarred by harsh treatment in an inhumane prisoner of war camp, A.J. Adams wants revenge. Allison Webster's arrival into his life provides the bait to destroy the men who murdered his wife and daughters and kidnapped his little brother. The men pursuing Allison are the very same men he has sworn to kill. Falling in love and admitting he might actually be a hero means surrendering his need for vengeance. Surrender is not part of A.J.'s battle strategy. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Taming the Country Star by Margo Bond Collins **Book Blast**

Taming the Country Star by Margo Bond Collins

Blurb:

He'll do anything to win her heart. She'll do anything to keep him away.

Country star Cole Grayson is in town, and Kylie Andrews is less than thrilled. As if months of changing the radio station and tearing down his posters weren’t bad enough, now she has to deal with a town of fans swarming toward the man who deceived her the year before. But when Kylie’s eyes meet Cole’s again, she can’t deny the electric chemistry that drew her to him the first time around.

Cole Grayson is on a mission. Ever since Kylie left him, he hasn’t been able to forget her sweet country smile. After writing a song just for her, he sets off for her hometown to prove he’s not the player she thinks he is. But as much as Cole can’t forget her, Kylie wonders if she can forgive him…

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Excerpt:

            Kylie Andrews’s Texas-themed gift shop, Cowbelles, sat on the very outer edge of Fort Worth’s Stockyards District, not far from Jimmy’s Honky Tonk. And much to her dismay, no matter how often she cleared it, the wall adjacent to her store remained covered with announcements for local events.

Like, for example, concerts.

She stared at the latest layer of advertisements.

From the topmost poster, Cole Grayson stared out at her, leaning against the edge of an old barn door, guitar at his feet. One booted foot was kicked up against the wooden wall behind him. His dark-blond hair curled around behind one ear and fell down across his eye on the other side. A cowboy hat rested on the ground next to the guitar.

Her hand drifted up toward the image, hovering several inches from the picture of his face. She glanced around. None of the other shopkeepers were outside. No one was watching.

“Bastard,” she whispered to herself, and ripped the poster off the wall.

At least, she tried to. It was thicker than she had expected, attached more firmly, and it resisted her pull.

Chewing on her lip, she took another look around, dropped her bag to the ground, and reached up to grasp the edge with both fists, jerking at it in opposite directions. A tiny tear opened up along the side, and she yanked harder. Finally, the poster ripped—right across Cole Grayson’s lying eyes.

She tugged at the image some more, glancing around surreptitiously every few moments and dropping ragged pieces of paper on the ground at her feet, until there was nothing left on the wall but a few fluttering strips.

Gathering the mutilated shreds together, she opened her bag and shoved them inside until they overflowed, bright ribbons of color in the morning light.

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Book Trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGro1xb2sPk

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Buy Links

Kindle US: http://www.amazon.com/Taming-Country-Star-Hometown-Entangled-ebook/dp/B00KK4DORC/

Nook US: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/taming-the-country-star-margo-bond-collins/1119610297?ean=9781622661664

Kindle Worldwide: http://bookShow.me/B00KK4DORC

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About the Author

Margo Bond Collins is the author of contemporary romance, urban fantasy, and paranormal mysteries. She has published a number of novels, including Taming the Country Star, Legally Undead, Waking Up Dead, and Fairy, Texas. She lives in Texas with her husband, their daughter, and several spoiled pets. Although writing fiction is her first love, she also teaches college-level English courses online. She enjoys reading romance and paranormal fiction of any genre and spends most of her free time daydreaming about heroes, monsters, cowboys, and villains, and the strong women who love them. She currently writes for Entangled’s Red-Hot Bliss line.

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Connect with Margo

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/margobondcollins

Email: MargoBondCollins@gmail.com

Website: http://www.MargoBondCollins.net

Blog: http://www.MargoBondCollins.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MargoBondCollin  @MargoBondCollin

Google+: https://plus.google.com/116484555448104519902

Goodreads Author Page: http://www.goodreads.com/vampirarchy

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/MargoBondCollins

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/mbondcollins/

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5-star reviews:

What a super story! Just as their romance was getting started, events tore them apart. She wants a quiet hometown life, he's a country singing star. Incredibly written with characters that come to life. Very well done! I highly recommend this one. ~Bette Lutz, Amazon reader

If I had one complaint about Taming the Country Star: A Hometown Heroes Novella by Margo Bond Collins, it would be that it is just too short. After I read Legally Undead by Ms. Collins, I pretty much knew that I would love anything she writes. And she proved me right with this little book. I just loved it. Even though it is short, I was drawn in and completely fell in love with the two main characters.

You could say that Kylie Andrews has trust issues. Her Daddy was a rodeo star and lived the high life. Which included being photographed in the tabloids numerous times with various other women. Eventually he abandoned Kylie and her Mom and Kylie knew that if she ever married, it would be someone safe and stable, the complete opposite of her father. That didn’t work out so well either, though. She was supposed to marry her childhood sweetheart but was left at the altar. She decided to take her honeymoon by herself and it is there she met the handsome Cole, no last name, and had a sexy, romantic, time with him. It wasn’t until she was at the airport on the way home that she spied her own photo, kissing Cole, in a tabloid magazine. She then realized the true identity of the man she just spent the last few days with. It was Cole Grayson, the huge country music star!

A year has passed since Cole Grayson met Kylie on that beach in Mexico. And a day hasn’t gone by that he didn’t think of her. He is doing a concert in Fort Worth, where Kylie lives and has a little shop, and he is determined to find her. But will she give him a second chance now that she knows who he really is?

~ Carol [Goodreads addict], a top 100 Goodreads