Book Blitz + #Giveaway: Mayan Blood (Stone Legacy #1) by Theresa DaLayne @YABoundToursPR #YABOUNDBOOKTOURS

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Reviews Blast - Spotlight: The Oncoming Storm Series by Jay Mims @JayMimsey @GHBTours

The Five Santas

The Oncoming Storm Series Book #1

By- Jay Mims

Genre- Mystery, Detective, Cozy

Dan Landis is a private investigator who makes his living peeping in windows and taking compromising photos to make a quick buck. But, even adultery has an off-season, and to make some quick cash, Dan's been hired by a department store to work as a loss prevention agent. 

Then he finds Santa stuffed behind a dumpster. One Santa leads to another, and before he knows it, Dan's up to his sugar plums in murder, intrigue and holiday cheer. It's up to Dan to save Christmas, find the Kringle Killer and choose the perfect gift for the quirky blonde in his life.

  

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Blog Tour + #Giveaway + Review: Name of Ra (Descendants of Isis #3) by Kelsey Ketch @kelseyketch @YABoundToursPR #YABOUNDBOOKTOURS

Name of Ra

(Descendants of Isis #3)

by Kelsey Ketch

Release Date: 11/02/15

Summary from Goodreads:

“Set has risen.”

After being on the run from a psychotic cult for a week, Natara “Natti” Stone has finally come to realize she and Seth are the only two people standing between the Sons of Set and the secret name of Ra. Holding a part of the key that unlocks Ra’s power, they relocate to a more isolated location in the California mountains. While laying low, Natti becomes even more determined to understand her mother’s bloodline and her blessing from the goddess, Isis. But when she starts seeing the truth behind her destiny, she begins to doubt her role in the events that are about to unfold.

Then the unthinkable happens . . .

All Seth O’Keefe wanted was to get Natti as far away from his father and the Sons of Set as possible. Unfortunately, after hearing of Natti’s destiny from Isis’s own lips, he realizes they have bigger issues to worry about. Especially when one stupid slip up leads the god of chaos himself straight to their doorstep. Now Natti is the god’s prisoner, and Set holds the key to unlocking the location of the secret name of Ra. Can Seth save Natti from her own destiny and thwart the demented god’s rise to power?

*Note: Content for Upper YA* 

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Excerpt:

There was silence, then one of the other men whispered into the lean man’s ear. “Tefen, if they are speaking the truth, then we have no choice—”

           Seth watched the man—Tefen—lower his dagger and cast a deadly glare toward his fellow guard. The man looked at his brother with fear and pity before backing down.

Tefen marched forward. “I think this is a lie. How do the followers of Set even know of the prophecy much less who it is about?”

           Set laughed. “It is obvious you have been down here too long, my friend. It’s been thousands of years since Isis and Set were even alive. Thousands of years during which Set’s men have been gathering information to find the secret name of Ra and once again raise their god.”

Seth wanted to kick Set in his thick head. Did he want all of them to die? Because that was exactly where this was going to lead if he wasn’t careful. Tefen was a loose cannon ready to explode, and Set kept burning the fuse every time he opened his mouth.

Tefen snorted. “And how do I know this is really her? For all I know, she could be just another one of your brainwashed victims. Another slave for your god’s temple. Another poor soul under the mercy of your cult.”

The tone behind his final words were filled with such heat it could have physically burned. This wasn’t just about protecting Ra’s secret name. This was personal for Tefen. He had suffered loss by the Sons’ hands, and Seth had to wonder who it was.

“Look”—Seth took a deep breath, trying to emphasize, though it was hard to feel anything toward a man who had been holding a dagger to his beloved’s throat—“we wouldn’t be here at all if Isis and Osiris didn’t entrust us with the crook and flail.” Tefen’s face became stone at Seth’s words, and the realization hit him. “But you already know that, don’t you? You know only the one marked in favor could reopen the gateway.”

“It’s the only reason they have not killed us,” Set clarified with a satisfied smile.

Tefen’s stance stiffened to the point where every muscle strained against the force. Set was right. Something was holding him back. And Seth doubted it was just about which of them was really the one marked in favor. There was more to this than appeared, yet it didn’t prevent a devilish grin from suddenly inching its way up Tefen’s lips.

“It doesn’t mean I can’t require a test of honor. Tjetet, step forth.”

A giant of a man stepped forward, reminding Seth of Dwayne Johnson from The Scorpion King. He cracked his knuckles while his dark eyes darted between Set and Seth.

“A battle to the death,” Tefen continued. “One of yours against our best man here.”

Seth swallowed, knowing full well that Set wouldn’t risk his life and Natti would be like watching a match between the Hulk and Thumbelina; it had to be him. “I will do it. I accept your challenge.”

 “No. Not you.” Tefen’s grin grew even more twisted. “The girl.”

Books in this series:

Daughter of Isis

Son of Set

Gods/Goddess Personality Quiz:

Which Egyptian God/Goddess are You?

1. Choose your favorite color from the list.

            a. Gold

            b. Blue

            c. Green/Black

            d. Yellow

            e. Red

2.  Pick a food item that most represents you.

            a. Meat

            b. Honey

            c. Pomegranate

            d. Bread

            e. Lettuce

3.  What super powers do you want?

            a. Shape shifting

            b. Healing

            c. Psychic abilities

            d. Super strength

            e. Controlling sand storms

4. What word best describes your personality?

            a. Loyal

            b. Compassionate

            c. Generous

            d. Protective

            e. Menacing

5. What is your spirit animal?

            a. Jackal

            b. Where

            c. Falcon

            d. Lion

            e. Hippo

6. Where would your godly kingdom reside?

            a. In the underworld

            b. On an island

            c. In the mountains

            d. Along the delta

            e. In the desert

7. How would you destroy your enemies?

            a. Physical strength 

            b. Magic

            c. Justice

            d. Wit

            e. Any means necessary

8. Pick your favorite song from the list?

            a. I Want It That Way by Backstreet Boys

            b. Forever May Not Be Long Enough by Live

            c. Wherever You Will Go by The Calling

            d. Somebody Like You by Adele

            e. Jessie’s Girl by Rick Springfield

9. What would your symbols of power be?

            a. Scales

            b. Throne

            c. Crown

            d. Basket

            e. Scepter

Answers:

If you got…

Mostly A’s: You are the God Anubis.

Mostly B’s: You are the Goddess Isis.

Mostly C’s: You are the God Osiris.

Mostly D’s: You are the Goddess Nephthys.

Mostly E’s: You are the God Set.

My Review:

I received a free copy of the book from the author for my honest opinion.

We are back again with Seth and Natti who are on the run and are hiding out from Seth’s father. His father wants Natti for his own. The only reason he wants her is because she is the secret keeper and is the only one who can get him want he truly wants which is the Name of Ra. He wants to raise their God Set from the dead. He wants to have more power than anyone and he also wants control of the whole world but he just might be in for a rude awakening.

Seth has been raised to believe in the God of Set and that he is to obey him no matter what. He has also been taught that he is not to have anything to do with the Daughters of Isis. He is ok with this until one of the daughters moves to his town and starts going to the same school that he does. Seth doesn’t know that she is a Daughter of Isis in the beginning but he does find out before she does so herself. Seth is a very strong and talented young man. He is a very strong charmer. He can make anyone or almost anyone do his will if he so desires. Well with the exception of Natti that is.

Natti doesn’t know anything about being a Daughter of Isis or the Sons of Set. Her family has kept all of that hidden from her, her whole life. When Natti first laid eyes on Seth she was very attractive to him. She did not know that he had any special abilities and that he could literally have any girl he wanted and did well that is except her of course. But it didn’t take her long to figure out what was going on. She found out about his powers and that was why every girl in school hung out with him. Even though she liked Seth she didn’t want anything to do with him because she wasn’t sure if she actually felt want she did or if Seth was using his powers on her like he did with all of the other girls.

When Seth found out what his father had in plan for Natti he took her and left town with her. Seth and Natti both figured out that she was immune to his powers and that he couldn’t make her like him or that she could fight off his powers. Seth gave up everything thing in his life for instance like becoming the leader of the Sons of Set after his father’s reign to keep Natti safe. Seth and Natti fell so hard and deeply in love with each so much so that they would each give their own lives for the other. They would both fight tooth and nail for the other. If they had to die and give up their life to keep the other alive then they would. Seth would do anything for Natti and Natti would do anything for Seth and the world at large. Natti had one great big heart and didn’t have a selfish bone in her body. Natti would never let Seth’s father have his way with her and she would never let him take Seth from her no matter what it cost her.  

I have enjoyed reading the Descendants of Isis and I am sad to be leaving Seth and Natti behind. I am going to miss them so much. You know you have read a good book when you start missing the characters long before you get through reading the last book. I am going to miss the love that they both had for each other and the way that they interacted with each other as well. I loved their playfulness. They are two of the best characters that I have read. I hope that we get to see more of Natti and Seth in the future. But if not I hope that Kelsey has more books and stories that is just waiting to be told. I can’t wait to read more of her work and I recommend the Descendants of Isis to anyone who just loves a good book. As the saying goes it is “off the chain.” I loved the world of the Descendants of Isis and want more of it.

About the Author:

During her high school years, Kelsey Ketch could always be found tucked away in a little corner of the hall or classroom, writing her fantasy worlds and creating illustrations and maps. Today is no different, except now she’s writing in the break room at her office building or at the tables of the Barnes and Noble Café in Cary, North Carolina. She is also an avid reader, a part-time book blogger at Ketch’s Book Nook, and lives with her two orange tabbies and awesome and humorous flat-mate.Daughter of Isis is her debut novel.

Author Links:

Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook

Giveaways:

Signed Book Set of the Descendants of Isis (paperback; INT):

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Mini Anubis Plush Toy and Ma 'at Feather Pendant and Chain (INT):

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Book Blitz + #Giveaway: Coming Home Series by Meli Raine @XpressoReads @XpressoTours #XpressoBookTour

Return 
Meli Raine
(Coming Home #1)
Publication date: July 28th 2015
Genres: New Adult, Romance, Suspense

MY HEART WANTS A KIND OF JUSTICE THE LAW CAN'T GIVE

On a dark, rainy night I drove my overstuffed junker car back to a town I never expected to see again. 

And when I needed a rescue by the side of the road, a six-foot tall piece of hot, unfinished business named Mark was what the universe sent me. 

Three years earlier I'd fled town (and Mark) to follow my wrongly-convicted father to his federal prison, working crappy jobs to stay afloat and visit him every second I could. But now Dad's dead and I'm mysteriously offered the best job of my life at the college where his life blew up when he was accused of a crime he didn't commit. 

Someone wants me here. Desperately. 

I'm hoping it's Mark. 

Because if it's not, I'm in more danger than I ever imagined. 

And if it is? 

Mark may be the most dangerous choice of all. 

RETURN is book 1 in the Coming Home romantic suspense trilogy by Meli Raine. 

The complete series:

Add to Goodreads

BUY LINKS:

Get book 1 - Return - for FREE on Amazon!
Get book 2 - Revenge - for only 99¢ on Amazon!
Get book 3 - Reunion for $2.99 today on Amazon!

EXCERPT:

It's him. Mark. My ex-boyfriend.

I can't look. I just…can't. Too many memories are in that face. That rugged, handsome face. My heart jumps up like an excited puppy, wagging in my chest, eager to be acknowledged and touched. The rest of me shoves it down.

Officer Mark Paulson stands in front of me in uniform, soaking wet, his hat making the rain fall in streaks in front of him. The curtain of water catches my eye. It's easier to watch it than to stare at him. If I did stare, though, I know what I would see.

Broad shoulders under that crisp black uniform shirt. A thin scar running under his jaw, where he was knifed in a fight when he did a tour in Afghanistan. Wet, blonde hair I used to love to stroke. Gentle hands that once cupped my face. Eyes that could draw me in with a hot breath. The tender taste of lips meant only for me.

He speaks, pulling me out of the memory. Stop it, Carrie, I think. Stop with the dreams you destroyed.

"You okay?" he asks, looking around swiftly. He's worried. That's really touching. It's nice to know he cares. Three years is long enough for him to stop hating me, right?

And I know he hates me.

He has to. I disappeared one day and never said goodbye to him. When you do that to someone, they tend to really resent it. Especially if they love you.

"I'm, uh…" My voice fails me as I watch the water fall in sheets down his cap. "My tire blew."

He thumps his hand on the car door. "She's still around, huh?" I know he means the car, but it feels like a dig. Like he's cutting into me for leaving.

Like he's still hurt.

If he's still hurt, that means the feelings haven't faded, and if his feelings are still that strong, then mine make more sense. I thought when I left town I would shed so much damage and hurt. Because leaving town meant I could leave behind so much pain.

But leaving Mark? That meant the pain came with me.

I start to shiver. It's not from the cold and the rain. Those arms. The rain drops gather and ripple down his taut muscles, dotted with a sprinkling of dark hair. I remember when I was in those arms.

I remember every single time he touched me.


Author Bio:
Meli Raine writes romantic suspense with hot bikers, intense undercover DEA agents, bad boys turned good, and Special Ops heroes -- and the women who love them.

Meli rode her first motorcycle when she was five years old, but she played in the ocean long before that. She lives in New England with her family.

Visit her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/meliraine 

Join her New Releases and Sales newsletter at: http://eepurl.com/beV0gf

GIVEAWAY:

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Book Blitz + #Giveaway: Imparting (Ascension #3) by Heather Letto @hletto2 @XpressoReads @XpressoTours #XpressoBookTours

Imparting
Heather Letto
(Ascension #3)
Publication date: December 15th 2015
Genres: Young Adult, Dystopia

The clock is ticking. 

Chan has been chosen to deliver the good news and healing antidote… If his body doesn't reject the antibodies. 

Pete, who has been imprisoned and tortured by the Council, has been selected by Retter to be ambassador to the residents. But, does he possess the authority needed to persuade an entire city of skeptics? 

And, while in the Open Air, Fran struggles with her own failures questioning whether she'll always be an outcast living on the fringe of society. 

In this final installment of The Ascension Series, love, sacrifice, and forgiveness go head to head with evil in an effort to save a city. 

And a girl.

Goodreads / Amazon

Previous books in the series:

Ascension Series Book Trailer:

EXCERPT:

She smiled.

Although she couldn't kill an inanimate object, Fran knew she could easily take out a small lens. She glanced around, hoping to distinguish the Graphie in front her from his life-giving light source. Because of the darkened backdrop, for the first time, Fran was easily able to follow one of his beams to a nearby potted palm. She hurried to the plant and squatted low, feeling around for anything plastic or metal. Her fingers lit under a green-tinged beam, and she moved her hand along the surface. When she felt the nub, Fran smiled and stood. With the toe of her hard boot, she kicked the lens until she felt it shatter. Fran shot a glance over her shoulder to check on the guard, thrilled to see he had taken on a strange, two-dimensional shape. She scanned the area for another beam.

The gaming board.

Fran hurried to the board and ran her hand along the pole that it sat upon. With her arm fully extended overhead, she felt the nub. Too high to kick. She looked around for something to hit it with when an idea struck her. After running back to the plant, she grabbed a handful of glass stones from the pot and pulled the sling from her side. Load, swing, and release.

Although Fran couldn't hear the whistle of the stone over the Agora's white noise, the undeniable crack of the lens reached her ears as bits of plastic flew from the pole. She whipped around to face the Graphie again, but now only a single red beam of light pulsed where he had stood. She followed the red beam to the leg of a nearby bench and laughed out loud as she wound up and launched her stone. The last ray died out and as the area darkened, Fran could hear a chatter rise from the small crowd of residents now released from the Graphie's hold.

Author Bio:
Heather Letto was born in the hills of Ohio and raised in the 'burbs of Chicago yet fancies herself a stranger in a stranger world. She wears her creativity like a second skin and is immensely grateful to her heavenly Father who gives good gifts. Her debut novel, Impervious, is the first book of The Ascension series, a trilogy written for young adults.

Website / Twitter

GIVEAWAY!

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Blog Tour + #Giveaway: Forgive Me - Callaway Series by Kaithlin Shepherd @KaithlinS @HotTreePromos

Get caught up on the Callaway series now.
Make Me Whole is on sale for only 99 cents.

Title:  Forgive Me

Author:  Kaithlin Shepherd

Release Date:  December 11, 2015

Genre: Contemporary Romance with a hint of cowboy

Series:  Callaway Series, book 2
Cover Designer:  Claire Smith 

Publisher:  Hot Tree Publishing

Sometimes your first love is also your last.

Andrew Callaway doesn't do love - not since Amanda broke his heart and left him in a cloud of dust. Devoting himself to the family ranch, he's determined to be the man his dad would be proud of, minus the one-night stands and stream of mistakes. Five years after watching her drive away, his first love is back. Andrew finds himself wanting more than meaningless easy conquests, a lot more.

Following her dream of becoming a chef, Amanda Watkins left Montana with a beat-up pickup truck and a broken heart. Five years after watching Andrew fade away in her rear-view mirror, she's back and is dead set on avoiding the man she still dreams about. When she's hired to cater for a Callaway celebration, sparks fly and old emotions run hot. If she thought the boy she knew was dangerous, she's about to find out that the man he became is lethal. 

Blame is a dangerous game to play, but forgiveness takes courage that may just prove too difficult to reach.

On sale for $2.99. Original price $3.99

Amazon: US I UK I AU I CA
Kobo I iTunes I Barnes & Noble

    The top 10 tunes that get me in the writing mood 

by Kaithlin Shepherd

1. Sam Hunt's "Speakers"
2. SoMo's "Ride"
3. Chase Rice's "Gonna Wanna Tonight"
4. Jake Owen's "Alone with You"
5. Luke Bryan's "Home Alone Tonight"
6. Def Leppard's "Pour Some Sugar on Me"
7. Lenny Kravitz's "American Woman"
8. BB King's "Rock Me Baby"
9. Jennifer Nettles' "UnLove You"
10. Brandy Clark's "His Hands"

Book 1 in the Callaway Series
On sale now for only 99 cents

All buy links HERE

Facebook I Twitter I Website I Publisher

Kaithlin Shepherd was born and raised in Canada where she learned to figure skate and crafted a love affair with coffee. Growing up in a household filled by strong-headed women, she learned early on that life is what you make it. You've probably never met a bigger country music fan and in the words of Brooks and Dunn, she's a die-hard 'George Strait junkie.' Constructing a world away from her real life, Kaithlin loves the feeling of creating a universe where her fans can forget about everything in their life. She loves writing about hot alphas and doesn't shy away from turning up the heat with scorching hot sex scenes.

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Book Blitz + #Giveaway: They Call Me Alexandra Gastone by T.A. Maclagan @tamaclagan @YABoundToursPR #YABOUNDBOOKTOURS

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Virtual Tour + #Giveaway: Moon Dark by Patricia Barletta @GoddessFish

Moon Dark

by Patricia Barletta

GENRE:  Historical Romance

BLURB:

Lady Sabrina Dunfield is desperate. Widowed and destitute, she must rely on the dubious benevolence of her secretive uncle, an art collector living in Venice. Determined to make her way and provide for her young son, Sabrina is forced to take on clandestine and dangerous errands for her tyrannical relative. But when a mysterious shadow man saves her from an assassin’s blade, she knows she must do everything in her power to keep her son safe.

Alessandro D’Este, Prince of Auriano, is cursed. Doomed to live a life half in shadow, he is determined to free himself and his family from the evil that stalks them. When Alessandro saves the English woman’s life, he is captivated by her beauty and shocked at her ability to touch him in his shadowy form.

When Sabrina meets Alessandro in his human form, heady attraction sparks between them. She has no idea he is her shadowy savior, and she wonders what her life might be like with this charismatic man. Alessandro has never met a woman who affects him this way. Although life has taught him to trust only family, Sabrina might be the key that could deliver him from the diabolical darkness.

Lachesis Publishing

EXCERPT:

Venice, 1797

Someone—something—was following her.

Lady Sabrina Barclay hurried between the close-set houses of the humble sestiere of Santa Croce. She caught movement from the corner of her eye—down that narrow alley to the right, another to the left, even across the slippery tile rooftops. The motion was too quick, too nimble for a human. A shuddery twinge tiptoed down her back.

The alley opened into the Campo di Rigali, ringed by the plain stucco walls and dark windows of the houses. She halted in the shadows. Her destination was the chapel across the tiny square. Anxiety gripped her as she thought about crossing the open space to get there.

She peered into the deepening twilight. Nothing moved in the dusk. A line of laundry strung between two windows hung motionless. She could see no one lurking in the shadows. Of course she was alone. Everyone was out on the canals or celebrating in the Piazza San Marco. This was the time of the spring Carnevale.

Sabrina picked up her satin skirts and hurried across the cobbles, past the carved stone well. At the chapel’s wooden door, she glanced over her shoulder. As she did, her half mask caught on the hood of her black wool cape. She wanted to pull off the frippery of green velvet and yellow feathers, but instead, she pushed her hood back. No one went unmasked during Carnevale, and she had been told to remain anonymous. If anyone learned her identity or discovered the purpose of her errand, her son’s safety, her entire world, would be in peril.

Something skittered in a dark corner. Her hand tightened on the door pull of the chapel, the decorative ridges digging into her palm. She peered into the shadows. Only a rat. She grimaced in distaste.

An olive oil lamp flickered on in one of the small windows. Its pale light cast the animal carvings on the stone well into relief and threw the well’s shadow across the paving stones. She pressed back against the door and hoped no one could see her. With a click, shutters closed over the light. Stillness. Gloom. Yet she sensed eyes watching. Not from the windows. From somewhere else. She glanced up to the roofline of the houses but saw no silhouette against the dark, ethereal blue of the Venetian sky. An owl winged silently away into the night. The distant snap of a Carnevale firecracker startled her, prompting her to move.

Uneasy, she slipped into the chapel and leaned against the plain wood of the closed door. The sense of watching eyes receded, and she forced a breath into her lungs.

The chapel was small and dim and appeared to be deserted. The backless benches marched in formation to the sanctuary, where the carved white marble altar and the altarpiece behind it seemed to be waiting in holy repose. The sanctuary light glowed like a benevolent red eye. But she felt no sense of peace.

Gathering her courage, she pulled up her hood and hastened to a bench halfway down the aisle. Her soft dancing slippers made no noise on the marble floor. The muted swish of her satin skirt and petticoat sounded loud in the quiet. She had dressed as if she were attending a ball. Instead, she was here in this dark chapel on an errand that she had to complete.

The scent of incense and beeswax hung heavy in the air, still chilly despite the warming days of early summer. She shivered and hugged her woolen cloak closer as she sat. Pulling off her gloves, she folded her hands in her lap, bowed her head, and pretended to pray.

Her errand was to be conducted in secret. If someone followed her . . . No, she would not think of that. She must focus on what she had to do: Retrieve the note. Deliver it.

But first she needed to be sure she was alone. She listened for a footstep, a whisper, a breath—anything that would indicate another’s presence in the shadows. She heard nothing.

Sabrina glanced around in the dim light. The chapel was tucked into a quiet, working-class corner of Venice. No songs of gondoliers, no greetings of acquaintances passing on the canals, no shouts of Carnevale merrymakers reached her here. The silence was unnerving, but it assured her of solitude. A bank of votive candles cast a soft glow to the left of the altar. Shadows flickered along the frescoed walls and made the saintly figures portrayed there appear to dance. The stained glass windows, which would have sparkled like jewels during the day, were dull and dark, foreboding. Instead of safety and refuge, the dim chapel held an air of menace.

She turned from those unsettling walls and windows to the altar and the crucifix hanging there as if she were beseeching the Almighty, but no prayer formed on her lips. She waited, forcing herself to be patient, her fingers curling into her skirt. She just wanted to be done with her errand. Furtively, she glanced left and right. She saw no one.

She ran her fingers beneath the rough wood of the bench until she touched a small piece of folded parchment affixed to the underside. Prying the small square from the wax, she rolled it into the palm of her hand. Her errand was almost complete. She released a silent breath.

About to bow her head again, she saw the candle flames jump from a draft. The hair on the back of her neck prickled. Someone else was here. She sensed a presence that curled icy tentacles around her heart. A presence that triggered a frail wraith of memory: Evil.

Run. The word exploded in her brain.

She gasped, snapped her head to the right. A shadowy black figure stood beside her. Before she could move or think, it lunged and shoved her off the bench. She cried out as she landed with a teeth-jarring thud on the marble floor. The breath in her lungs whooshed away.

A stiletto skimmed past her ear and thunked into the bench before her. It quivered in the wood, mere inches from her nose. The metal blade gleamed black and menacing. She scuttled back, only to be blocked by the bench behind her.

The dark figure had moved to the aisle and seemed to hover inches above the floor. It was a human-shaped shadow, but more—denser, blacker, canceling all light within its outline. Its eyes glowed like molten gold. They stared directly at her, and for a moment, she could not move. Could not breathe. Those eyes were frightening. Beautiful. Hypnotic.

She tried to suck in enough air to scream. Only a whimper emerged from her throat.

The figure pointed to the door. Run. There is danger here. The words growled loudly inside her head.

With a leap, the figure rose into the darkness of the vaulted ceiling and disappeared.

Sabrina gaped up and blinked. Shock froze her. She tried to gather her wits, blinked again. That shadow thing had pushed her aside, saving her from the deadly blade and certain death. Her blood went cold.

Run. The shadow’s voice jabbed through her head again.

As she scrambled up, she realized she had dropped the message. Frantically, she searched for the little white square. She had to retrieve it. She shook out her skirts, skimmed her shaking fingers beneath the bench, over the cold marble of the floor.

Nothing. The note was gone.

Abandoning her search, she picked up her skirts and fled to the door. Behind her, she heard a strangled cry and a sickening thud, like a body hitting the floor from a great height. Then silence. The sense of evil snuffed out.

She escaped into the deep twilight of Venice. The sky still glowed cobalt, but the city was dark. The sliver of moon shed little light. Shadows were deeper, blacker. Sabrina rushed back across the square and entered an alley so narrow that the stucco walls of the houses were barely far enough apart to allow two people to pass each other. She checked over her shoulder. Someone could easily trap her. She hurried on, wanting only to reach her gondola.

In this modest part of the city there was little Carnevale celebration, so no one strolled the alleys, no old men sat outside to chat. She was alone. The solitary patter of her footsteps seemed much too loud as she hastened to the canal where her gondolier waited. The relative safety felt very far away.  

Somehow, someone had learned of her errand. The errand that was to be performed in secret—to collect the note and deliver it to the uncle of her late husband. She had failed him. He would be displeased. Sabrina didn’t want to imagine what form that displeasure might take, but she would do everything she could to protect her son from him, the man who allowed her to live beneath his roof.

And she would protect her son from the person—the evil—who had tried to kill her.

But someone—something—had saved her life. A shadow with eyes of molten gold who could speak to her inside her head. The creature intrigued her, awed her, captivated her. Frightened her with its strangeness.

Her stomach lurched. Fear from what was behind her overcame her apprehension of the scalding reprimand that lay ahead. Damning her voluminous skirt and petticoats, she raced the rest of the way to her gondola.

AUTHOR BIO:

Patricia Barletta always wanted to be a writer. That was right after she realized that becoming a fairy ballerina or a princess wasn’t going to happen. But being a writer meant she could go places in her head and be other people as much as she wanted. She could even be a fairy ballerina or a princess!

As a native of the Boston area, Patricia has been inspired by its history, which influenced her stories, and probably had an impact on her decision to become a high school British Literature teacher so she could pay the bills. She received a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing degree at the fabulous Stonecoast program in Maine. And now she’s an author writing about dark heroes, feisty heroines, magic, and other fantastical things.

Find out more about Patricia Barletta and her books on her website.

Connect with Patricia Barletta on Facebook

Giveaway:

An ebook from Lachesis Publishing (winner’s choice)

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