Top 10 Gifts for the Reader in Your Life
1- A good book, of course. If your favorite reader is a fan
of Indie Authors, many of us offer signed paperbacks through our websites at
prices that rival unsigned copies available at online retailers.
2- A lumbar pillow for their favorite chair, sitting all
that time can be stressful on the back.
3- A soft blanket to curl up with keeping them comfy and
warm while they devour their latest read.
4- Scented candle is nice to add a little atmosphere to
their reading experience.
5- A book light, the good thing about these is they're
usually inexpensive. You can get one that clips to the book or one that goes on
their head sort of like a doctor's light.
6- An e-reader, admittedly I don't own one of these but if I
did it would be a Nook or a Kobo. Adding a few books by their favorite authors
is also a nice touch.
7- If your favorite reader likes to imbibe a nice bottle of
Barefoot wine is always appreciated. My personal favorites are Moscato and
Riesling.
8- In the alternative to #7 a sampling of herbal teas or
large can of Colombian coffee for those nights when they're up late because
they just can't put down the book. The coffee can also be for the morning after
their binge when they have to get motivated and go to work!
9- Swag from their favorite writer (coffee cups, t-shirts,
bumper stickers, rack cards).
10- While a bit impersonal, a gift card to their favorite
bookstore is always nice.
The best thing about all of the above is that you can make a
lovely gift basket with as many of these items as you choose. Just put them in
a nice wicker basket from the local discount store, wrap it up with bright
cellophane, and stick a little bow on it.
OF
WAR SERIES
An
Epic Journey of Love, Lust, Betrayal,
Rage, and Redemption
Lisa
Beth Darling
The Complete no-box set.
ASIN: B00RI9I2CO
Series Description:
Fall in Love with Ares God of War
and Alena MacLeod. Together they Rock the World from the Heights of Olympus to
the Celtic Moors.
In The Heart of War, Magdalena
MacLeod has been on the run from Cernunnos, Great Horned God, for 200 years
when she mysteriously washes ashore on secluded isle of the God of War. When
the Olympians discover her presence on Ares' island, they send Apollo to the
island to retrieve her while Ares is away. Diplomatically winding her way out
of immediately going to Olympus and having nowhere to turn, Alena strikes a
bargain with the God of War--her virginity for his protection.
Ares sees a sweeter deal; her in
his bed and himself back in his rightful place on Olympus even if it means
turning Alena over to Zeus. After Alena proves herself to Ares in battle and
his bed, the God of War must choose between his Divinely Dysfunctional Family,
his pride, and Alena.
Child of War-A God is Born Ares and Alena have settled on snowy Olympus
to await the birth of their son, Raven. Before Raven is even born, Zeus
outwardly despises him for his Fey blood. With only one to keep his family safe
from his father, Zeus the God of Gods, Ares enters into a blood pact that could
cost the God of War everything he holds dear.
After a harrowing birth wherein mother
and son are nearly lost to Ares, it quickly becomes clear that Raven may be the
most powerful and cunning Olympian ever born despite his muddled bloodline.
Zeus, Apollo, and Aphrodite plot against the new family by carefully planting
the seeds of rage and doubt in Ravens' mind, they turn son against mother. It
appears as though Cernunnos' prophecy is coming to life as Raven grows to be a
very angry young man.
As the true past between the
Olympians and Celts is revealed, the battle for Ravens' mind and the ultimate
control of Olympus begins. Before it's over, the white snows of Olympus will
run red with blood.
Child of War-Rising Son sees
Raven on the verge of manhood as his rampage continues and he begins the
difficult path to Acceptance by his fellow Olympians. Out to prove he's as
good, if not better than, any of them he bests the Trials set before him by
Hades and Poseidon. This isn't enough for him, in his quest to prove to his
Father, Ares, that he is an Olympian Raven preys upon the Mortals below Olympus
in a time of great weakness. Enlisting the aid of his Uncle Apollo and settling
for nothing less than utter Chaos, together they push the Mortals to pure
anarchy. Ready to conquer the remainder of his Trials so he may take his place
at the Counsel Table, and bring Ares the glory Cernunnos once prophesized, only
one thing stands in his way; the night his Mother fell down the stairs.
Apollo, ever the Man Behind the
Curtain, pulls Raven's strings like a true puppet master. It's far too late
when Raven realizes all he's done in hopes of pleasing his Father actually
makes Ares look guilty of destroying the Mortal World. A little Chaos and a
little Anarchy aren't enough for the Golden God, in his on-going quest to
destroy Ares, Apollo sets a plague loose upon the embroiled Earth. By the time
the Olympians discover what's going on twenty million people are dead with the
number multiplying exponentially every day.
Women of War gives us a brief
reprieve from the death and darkness as we journey backward in time spanning
four generations of women in Alena's family. From her great-grandmother, Shar
Draiocht the last known Queen of the Dark Kingdom to her tortured daughter
Morrowind, to Maven Alena's free-spirited mother and through the lonely life of
Alena MacLeod ending where The Heart of War begins with the night Alena washes
up on Ares' shore. With intensity, lust, fear, and strength these Women of War
make their way in the world revealing the hidden truths of the past and Ares
true connection to his beloved Wife, Alena.
Kingdoms of War, the OF WAR
Series Finale, sees nearly four billion souls lost to the ravages of Anarchy
and the dreaded disease Major Falls.
Ares, Athena, and Raven journey the Mortal World vainly reaching for a
sliver of what was only to discover what will be. From the fiery wreckage a new
world is slowly arising one where the descendants of Olympians, Celts, Dark
Fae, and all manner of Magickal Being will rule.
Ares and Athena wander the world,
hoping to curtail further damage by obliterating weapons of mass destruction
the Wolf inside the God of War slowly succumbs to Major Falls. A rabid God of
War is not a pretty sight. Soon it becomes clear that Ares may not live to see
the glory of Olympus restored.
By the time Ares' fevered body is
brought to Olympus, Apollo's descent into madness is utterly complete. The Gold
God is quite insane as he expertly kills off the members of his Divinely
Dysfunctional Family. Yet, Alena's greatest nemesis holds the key to saving
Ares' life. The price is high and, should she pay it, Alena can't be sure Ares
would ever be able to forgive her.
Trailer: https://youtu.be/T8v8DdXqwDM
Available at Amazon
Price Reduced 40% from $9.99 to $5.99 until
January 7, 2016
The
Heart of War
Book
One
Lisa
Beth Darling
Genre: Mythological/paranormal,
dark romance/erotica,
suspense/action/drama,
contemporary
Publisher: Moon Mistress
Publishing
Date of Publication: December 2010
ISBN: 978-0615424682
ASIN: B004DCB3CA
Number of pages: 597
Word Count: 200,000
Book Description:
Inside the Heart of every Warrior
breathes the Soul of a Hero--even within The Heart of War.
Meet Ares God of War, the
greatest Warrior the world has ever known. He's moody, grumpy, dominant,
ravenously sexual, and above all, built like a Greek God.
Suspected of killing his Daughter
in-Law, Psyche, and long in exile from Olympus, the solitude of Ares' island is
interrupted when Magdalena MacLeod a brash and sometimes manipulative Fey
washes up on Ares' island after believing she's been shipwrecked. It's not mere
fate that has brought the unlikely couple together yet it may be what tears
them apart.
Branded with a golden chastity
belt bearing the mark of Cernunnos, Celtic God of the Forest and Death, Alena
has been on the run from her husband the Great Horned God for 200 years. When
the Olympians discover her presence on Ares' island, they send Apollo to the
island while Ares is away with orders to bring her to Olympus. Diplomatically
winding her way out of immediately going to Olympus, when Ares returns and with
nowhere to turn, Alena strikes a bargain with the God of War--her virginity for
his protection.
Ares sees a sweeter deal; her in
his bed and himself back in his rightful place on Olympus even if it means
turning Alena over to Zeus. After Alena proves herself to Ares in battle and
his bed, the God of War must choose between his Divinely Dysfunctional Family,
his pride, and Alena. Get lost in this sweeping dark saga battling Ancient Gods
while falling in love with Ares God of War and Alena MacLeod. Ares and Alena
share a love that will rock the world from the heights of Olympus to the Celtic
moors but; will it be enough? Will love triumph, or will revenge and rage win
the battle for the Heart of War?
Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ai8maYw89s
Excerpt
The Heart of War
Ares was in a
foul mood and suffering from a splitting headache when he arrived back on the
island with Alena. "Go inside." He said gruffly and pointed toward
the cliffs and the cave above.
"Ares?"
"Please,
Alena, just do as I ask. Go."
She didn't want
to leave him here, alone, on the beach but it didn't appear Ares was wanted
company, not hers anyway. In the face of his Father and the other Olympians,
Ares stood tall and strong. He'd come to her aid just as he said he would and
kept his promise. Alena was stunned. When Zeus said he would return Ares'
property and his station to him, she felt sure the God of War would sell her
down the river. She wanted to thank him, wanted to ask why he had done it but
she held her tongue. "Yes, my Lord." Hiking up the hem of the dress,
she turned to make her way up the long strange stairs leading from the beach to
the top of the cliff. With a heavy heart, she walked a few steps until she got
to the base of the stairs and there she turned around. Ares was sitting on the sand
facing the water and the setting sun. He had thrown off the belt with the heavy
sword and his thick leather vest; they were in the sand next to him as he sat
there with his head down in his hands. She could not leave him there. Quietly
coming up behind him, Alena sat down, wrapped one arm over his left shoulder
and the other under his right lacing her fingers together and pulling him
backward. Alena expected him to balk or to fight but, instead, Ares settled
backward into her arms, rested his head in the crook between her neck and
shoulder as he let out an exhausted sigh. "I'm sorry I'm so much trouble,
my Lord." She whispered as she nestled her face into his hair.
Letting the
softness of her touch and the warmth of her body comfort him, Ares closed his
eyes and drew in the peaceful shelter she offered. "It's not you. It's
Them."
The Olympians
were quite the Divinely Dysfunctional Family. Alena had never seen or heard so
much bitter bickering from one clan. If that was her Family, she might be damn
happy that she lived in Exile on a beautiful island such as this. "They're
awful." She whispered in his ear careful not to let any prying ears
overhear. Ares gave out a deep chuckle and then another sigh as his hand rose
up to caress her arm. She thought of how brave, how daring, and even dashing,
Ares had been as he stood there telling all of them they could not have her.
When she listened to him speak of Artemis, Alena nearly cried. Then she had
been stunned into silence having expected the God of War to hand her over,
maybe not with ease but readily enough, in return for his crown and scepter.
"Thank you for keeping your promise."
"You
expected this chauvinistic pig to do less." Ares mused still with his eyes
closed. "Everyone does."
Child
of War-A God is Born
Book
Two
Lisa
Beth Darling
Genre: Mythological/paranormal,
dark romance/erotica,
suspense/action/drama,
contemporary
Publisher: Moon Mistress
Publishing
Date of Publication: November, 2011
ISBN: 978-0615523460
ASIN: B0063I60HU
Number of pages: 386
Word Count: 150,000
Book Description:
Do you remember Damien? Raven
makes that kid look like an angel.
In book #2 of the OF WAR Series,
Ares settles down with his wife, Alena, to await the birth of their son, Raven.
As Alena struggles to enjoy what should be a blessed event, prophetic visions
of an adult Raven haunt her dreams. Are they true visions or false ones
implanted by Cernunnos who told her the boy would bring glory to Ares but only
pain and agony to her? The strong but delicate Fey is relentlessly bombarded by
hostility from the Olympians making her yearn to be back on Ares' secluded
island home, far away from all the bickering and backstabbing that makes up
Life on mighty Mount Olympus.
Before Raven is even born, Zeus
outwardly despises him for his Fey blood given to him by his filthy Celtic
mother. With no way out and no way to keep his family safe from his father,
Zeus the God of Gods, Ares enters into a blood pact that could cost the God of
War everything he holds dear.
After a harrowing birth wherein
mother and son are nearly lost to Ares, it quickly becomes clear that Raven may
be the most powerful and cunning Olympian ever born despite his muddled
bloodline.
As Zeus, Apollo, and Aphrodite
plot against the new family by carefully planting the seeds of rage and doubt
in Ravens' mind, they turn son against mother. It appears as though Alenas'
visions and Cernunnos' prophecy are coming to life as Raven grows to be a very
angry young man.
As the true past between the
Olympians and Celts is revealed, the battle for Ravens; mind and the ultimate
control of Olympus begins. Before its over, the white snows of Olympus will run
red with blood.
Book
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Et3HZTTVJno
Excerpt
Child of War-A God is Born
Alena, daughter
of a warrior and wife to one as well, had no objections and she joined them in
the basement daily. Ares wholeheartedly approved, as he believed it was high
time Alena worked with her own powers and skills. Even though she was the boy's
mother, since her powers were bound for so long, they were very evenly matched
and sparred well together, Raven with spear and she with the staff Ares made
for her.
Having the
complete run of the cavernous basement, they sparred and chased each other
around as Ares shouted out encouragement and strategies to them. Alena was only
a few inches taller than Raven but his arms were already longer than hers, and
that gave him an advantage when thrusting and swinging out with the spear.
Alena almost always seemed to sense such moves and jumped over the spear as
though she were playing double-dutch. The smacking of wood on wood clattered
throughout the Fortress. Raven gave it his all but Alena treated the matches
more like a game; when she struck out it wasn't with all of her force and a few
times Ares caught her letting Raven best her. He took great exception to that.
An opponent either won or lost in battle; there was no mercy. A few times, late
at night in their bed, Alena told him it was good for Raven's self-esteem if
she let him win once or twice, but that only made him angrier as he told her
self-esteem was earned and not given like a toy. Raven would learn nothing if
she let him win; he had to learn how to be victorious on his own, or when it
came time for a real battle he would be unprepared.
From that night
on, Alena won every match between her and Raven, though the last few had been
very close and Raven was catching on to his mother's moves and strategies. It
turned sour yesterday as they sparred and Raven chased his mother into the
small meat locker where their meat was either cured by smoking or roasted in
the huge stone pit. The pit was five feet deep and seven feet across,
surrounded on three sides by stone four feet high that came together in an arch
at the center. A drop from the top to the bottom wouldn't prove fatal, but it
was certainly deterrent enough when Raven cornered his mother up there. Alena
was going to jump to the top and then down the other side to use the stone
walls as cover, but Raven was faster than she thought. By the time her foot
landed on the uppermost stone, Raven was already waiting for her on the other
side, sharp point of the spear thrust upward toward her throat.
"Yield!" Raven commanded, feeling victory in his fingertips for the
first time.
Ares still
didn't know just how she managed it. Alena swung out with one foot as she
pivoted on the other, knocking the spear safely away from her as she turned,
silver hair flying out behind her like the mane of a steed, to make the jump to
the other side and safety. When she came around the corner with her staff at
the ready, Raven, angry at having been cheated, let an ice ball five inches
thick fly from the palm of his hand to hit her squarely in the jaw. Alena was
knocked back by the force, her lips split open, gums bleeding, nose broken.
Raven loomed over her, his eyes vacant and empty as he held the sharp spear to
her throat. "Yield, bitch." It was no command-it was a threat.
Before Ares
could shout to his Son that was enough, a great gust of wind swirled around in
the small room. It blew back his hair and then pushed against him with such
force he had to fight to stand his place. Alena's beautiful gray eyes closed as
her arms splayed out at her sides, one with the palm open and the other choking
the staff. The point of the spear wavered in the strong wind as Raven struggled
to stay pitched forward as the growing gale threatened to lift him off his
knees and toss him across the room. Raven countered, his young hands glowing
with an eerie blue light as they began freezing to the staff, the new ice ball
growing between them. This one was twice the size of the other and if he hit
her with it at this close range, Raven might well kill his mother.
Without any
warning, the wind seemed to turn on Alena; it lifted her body upward from the
small of her back to her shoulders, bringing her throat dangerously close to
the tip of the spear. Suddenly her eyes opened to reveal only the whites. As
though she could see through them, they shifted to Raven's hands and then back
to his face. Amazingly, Alena's lips turned into a cold grin that fixed Raven's
stare to her face while she lifted the staff and then brought it crashing down
to the marble floor with such force the echo was deafening. Raven flew off her.
The staff left his stunned hand, the ice ball retreated, and he hit the stones
of the fire pit with such force that they shattered. Before the boy or his
Father knew what was happening, Alena, her eyes still showing only the whites,
was standing over Raven with her staff pointing at his throat and her foot on
his heart. "Yield," she whispered as the wind whipped around them,
tossing bits of dust into Ares' eyes.
Angry at having
had victory snatched so cruelly from his grasp, Raven stared up her as he
shielded his eyes from the biting wind. "Uncle," he spat.
It took a few
moments but the wind subsided, Alena stumbled backward on unsteady feet before
the whites of her eyes rolled down and she looked out at the world through
those luminescent pearls of gray.
"Wow,"
Ares muttered, stroking his beard trying to digest everything he'd seen. Magick
was not normally part of Alena and Raven's sparring routine; she was afraid to
use it even though he'd tried to tell her that he could counter any damage she
might do. No matter what he did he couldn't coax her into it, so magick was
off-limits when they sparred. Today when Raven unexpectedly threatened her with
it, Alena didn't hesitate to answer the call.
Catching her
breath and feeling a wave of nausea wash over her, Alena looked down at Raven,
who looked up her angry and afraid. "Are you ok?" She reached out a
hand to him but Raven batted it away.
"Fine,
mom." Jumping to his feet in a quick move, he brushed off the dirt and debris
from his bare skin. Instead of stepping up and congratulating his mother, when
she turned her back to him to look at Ares, Raven let an ice ball fly from his
hand to strike her in the back of the head, splitting it open as it brought her
to her knees. "Take that, you whore."
Ares didn't
hesitate, he didn't even know he was doing it; all he did know was that one
moment Raven was standing there with that snide smug look on his face and the
next he was screaming as flames surrounded him. He stumbled in the fire a few
moments before turning his whole body to ice and putting out the flames. When
Raven returned to normal, he was lightly singed but otherwise unharmed.
"Don't ever do that again, boy."
Christmas
Eve on Olympus
Book
Three
Lisa
Beth Darling
Genre: Holiday, Romance, Fluff
Publisher: Moon Mistress
Publishing
Date of Publication: December, 2011
ASIN: B006HUECGA
Number of pages: 20
Word Count: 10,000
Book Description:
This holiday themed short story
is meant as an enhancement to the OF WAR Series. Join Ares, Alena, and Raven as
she brings Christmas and Yuletide to Olympus. This bit of romantic happiness
contains graphic adult material.
Excerpt
Christmas Eve on Olympus:
As her mind
feverishly searched for what she'd missed, a small bit of fluffy white and
green came into her view and she felt relief as a smile broke out on her pretty
face. "What's that?"
"Mistletoe,
I believe there's some Mortal custom about standing beneath it and then being
forced into kissing."
Alena glanced
upward over her shoulder to take him in and marveled at how handsome he was.
"Forced? How terrible."
"Awful,"
Ares held the mistletoe over their heads with one hand and pulled her in close
with the other. He lowered his head for the kiss he'd been waiting for all
night. When their lips he was not disappointed but encouraged to probe deeper
with his tongue and grasp the soft red velvet surrounding her tighter as the
mistletoe fell to the marble floor and he grabbed her with both arms turning
her fully around to face him. Her heart raced against his stomach, even through
the velvet, he felt it as she pressed against him and reached up to grab
handfuls of midnight hair. "You know, if you're lucky," Ares said
breathlessly as their lips parted, "I think I might have a candy cane
around here for you to suck on."
"Oh,
really? I love candy canes," she winked up at him as she bit down on her
lower lip, "where oh where could it be? Over there by the tree?"
Ares shook his
head as he ran a hand through her silky silver tresses, "No. Guess
again."
"Did you
put it in my stocking?"
"Not
yet." Ares crooned making Alena giggle like a schoolgirl.
Child
of War-Rising Son
Book
Four
Lisa
Beth Darling
Genre: Mythological/paranormal,
dark romance/erotica,
suspense/action/drama,
contemporary
Publisher: Moon Mistress
Publishing
Date of Publication: November,
2012
ISBN: 978-0615721422
ASIN: B00ADAWTSS
Number of pages: 396
Word Count: 151,000
Book Description:
On the Verge of manhood, Raven's
rampage continues
as he begins the difficult path
to Acceptance by his fellow Olympians. Out to prove he's as good, if not better
than, any of them he bests the Trials set before him by Hades and Poseidon.
This isn't enough for him, in his quest to prove to his Father, Ares, that he
is an Olympian Raven preys upon the Mortals below Olympus in a time of great
weakness. Settling for nothing less than Chaos, he enlists the aid of his Uncle
Apollo and pushes the Mortals to pure anarchy when a global financial crisis
leaves the entire world destitute, in ruins, and at each other's throats. Ready
to conquer his Trials, take his place at the Counsel Table, and bring Ares the
glory Cernunnos once prophesized, only one thing stands in his way; the night
his Mother fell down the stairs.
Alena, her body asleep in Ares'
bed for four long years, is lost deep in the clutches of a never-ending dream
induced by Morpheus. After years of living an illusion and becoming Morpheus
Wife, Alena discovers his deception and struggles to escape her prison.
Morpheus has no intentions of ever letting her go. He'll fight to the death to
keep her.
Apollo, ever the Man Behind the
Curtain, pulls Raven's strings like a true puppet master. It's far too late
when Raven realizes all he's done to please his Father actually makes Ares look
guilty of destroying the Mortal World. A little Chaos and a little Anarchy
aren't enough for the Golden God, in his on-going quest to destroy Ares, Apollo
sets a plague loose upon the Earth. A bio-chemical weapon stolen from the
United States Government at Area 51, known commonly as Major Falls. By the time
the Olympians discover what's going on twenty million people are dead with the
number multiplying exponentially every day.
With only one option left to each
of them, Raven and Alena turn to their unlikeliest of enemies-- Aphrodite and
Apollo for help. One night in the bed of the Goddess of Love can be painful but
one night in the bed of the Golden God can kill and destroy all that Ares and
Alena have built and endured. To ensure that her beloved Husband and her Son
are not put to death she may have no other choice.
Book
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-hhoBlX3_k
Excerpt
Child of War-Rising Son:
"Trinity?"
He called out.
"HERE!"
They all called back.
"No, not
you. Her! Trinity! Look at me I want to help you. I want to get you out of here
but you have to help me do it. Turn around, please. Turn around."
In the cage near
the middle of them all, the girl who sat still and quite with her head resting
unnaturally on her shoulder turned around and watched him gasp.
"What?" Trinity asked through lips nothing more than shredded meat.
She stared him, her head on her shoulder, her face smashed in, and one eyeball
bulging out of its socket. When he flinched, she gave a smile nearly hideous
enough to freeze the raging river below her.
Raven found it
very hard to look at her, he wanted to turn away, wanted to run away. There was
nowhere to go and nothing to do but stand back and fully appreciate his handy
work all over her face. What a jagged little pill, but Raven swallowed it the
best he could before he opened his mouth. "I'm gonna throw this to you,
you catch it, you tie it around the bars and then I'm going to swing you this
way and pull you down, got it?"
"Why? What
do you care? Why should I trust you?"
"You're
gonna burn in that river," Raven warned.
"So
what?" She turned away from him again.
"So what?
What...so....so you don't deserve that, do you? You didn't do anything. Let me
help you, I'll take you back to the Fields where you'll be happy."
"I was
happy on Olympus," she mumbled. "You were my Brother, you were
supposed to protect me, look out for me not kill me. You're only doing this so
you can rule Olympus one day."
"I want to
help you, please, Trin, I'm gonna throw this, we'll only get one shot if the
rope lands in the river it's gone. So get up and catch it. Let me help, let me
get you out of that cage." Raven waited but she didn't turn around and she
didn't say anything. "I'm sorry," he muttered looking down at the
rope in his hands and feeling the nasty sensation of guilt run through him.
"I never should have…I'm sorry, Trin." Words he never thought he
would utter fell out of his lips, "Please forgive me."
Women
of War
Book
5
Lisa
Beth Darling
Genre: Mythological/paranormal,
dark romance/erotica,
suspense/action/drama,
contemporary
Publisher: Moon Mistress
Publishing
Date of Publication: February,
2013
ISBN: 978-0615767611
ASIN: B00BEJPA3S
Number of pages: 206
Word Count: 58,000
Book Description:
Venture on a Mystical Journey
through Time and Secrets Past This story spans four generations of women in
Alena's family from her great-grandmother, Shar Draïocht the last known Queen
of the Dark Kingdom. Morrowind, her tortured daughter. Maven, Alena's free
spirited mother. And ends the night Alena washed up on Ares' shore. With
intensity, lust, fear, and strength these Women of War make their way in the
world revealing the hidden truths of the past and Ares true connection to his beloved
Wife, Alena.
Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02WcvnLy8-8
Excerpt
Women of War:
Sitting in the
dank cell hour after hour and day after day, time lost all meaning. Not even
the rancid food came to him on anything that resembled a steady basis. All Ares
knew for sure was that one moment he'd been doing his best to sleep on the
tilting cot with his knees hanging over the foot of it when the cell door burst
open and a full battalion of the Queen's Guard rushed him. Wrestling him to the
ground, they clasped him in chains and dragged him to the center of their
little underground village. The whole town gathered to witness, torches,
staffs, and readily available throwing items in hand. They hissed at him,
cursed him, and tossed their stones while guards led him up to a round platform
with a pillar of granite jutting out of the middle. Ares needed no introduction
to the structure or to learn its intended purpose, after all he invented the
whipping post.
Understanding
their intention, Ares fought as mightily as he could with his ankles and wrists
bound together. "I'm a GOD! How dare you try to whip me?" he railed
as he threw off the guards to deliver double axe handle blows upon them, but
they were so damn small and agile that he kept missing them. This infuriated
him mostly because he was so large they couldn't help but land their return
blows on his half-naked frame. It wasn't long before the Queen's Guards knocked
his legs out from under him with a heavy blow of a study staff. Once on his
knees, blows landed on his head, shoulders, and jaw. Ares discovered that tiny
fists hurt a great deal. Bloody and dazed, they shoved him down on all fours
and attached the chains on his wrists to the post.
Looking out at
the crowd with seething eyes, he cursed them. "You're going to regret
this."
"I think
not," replied a soft but stern voice from behind him.
Ares looked back
over his shoulder to see Shar Draiocht standing there, whip in hand, ready to
dole out the punishment they thought he so rightly deserved. "Unusual for
a Queen to get her hands so dirty," he snarled.
"It's a
special occasion," she hissed back as she brought the whip forward with a
practiced wrist. It licked between his shoulder blades and split open a wide
swatch of his olive flesh.
Each time the
whip sliced through his perfect flesh, Ares snarled, "You bitch!"
With every crack
of the whip the crowd shouted out, "Hazzar!" They raised their staffs
in victory.
Queen Shar gave
Ares God of War fifty lashes before she dropped it to the floor and took her
leave in silence. The guards left him tied to the post, sweating, bleeding and
in agony for the next five days.
Kingdoms
of War
Book
6
Lisa
Beth Darling
Genre: Mythological/paranormal,
dark romance/erotica,
suspense/action/drama,
contemporary
Publisher: Moon Mistress
Publishing
Date of Publication: June, 2014
ISBN: 978-0692248409
ASIN: B00LEVJAJ6
Number of pages: 496
Word Count: 190,000
Book Description:
With nearly four billion souls
lost to the ravages of anarchy and the dreaded disease Major Falls, Ares and
Raven journey the Mortal World vainly reaching for a sliver of what was only to
discover what will be. Unleashed by Apollo, Major Falls—a weaponized version of
the flu and rabies-- has wiped out every person of watery Mortal Blood.
From the fiery wreckage a new
world is slowly arising one where the descendants of Olympians, Celts, Dark
Fae, and all manner of Magickal Being will rule. For the last millennium the
Dark Kingdom has sent small legions of its Daughters in search of its Lost
Queen. Among their number is Lenora, a sharp tongued Dark Fae who joins up with
ARES hoping to get close to its leader, Raven. And she does.
The Wolf inside the God of War
contracts Major Falls. As Ares and Athena wander the world hoping to curtail
further damage by obliterating weapons of mass destruction he slowly succumbs
to the sickness taking over his fevered rabid mind. Ares may not live to see
the glory of Olympus restored nor fight to keep his Wife. If he does, how high
will be the price for Ares' life? How long will Alena have to keep paying
Apollo even once Ares is crowned King of Olympus?
With devastating consequences
shattering their lives will Ares ever be able to swallow his pride and forgive
Alena when the truth is revealed or will she take her place on the Throne of
the Dark Kingdom leaving Olympus and Ares behind forever?
Excerpt
Kingdoms of War:
Apollo looked
off into the distance and to the glittering reflection of stars dancing on the
ocean surface. "Just thought I'd check in and see how things are
going." He glanced back to the opening of the cave. "I take it
they're not going well."
"A hundred
million dead aren't enough for you? You have to come here and watch three more
die?"
Apollo looked
down at his feet and kicked his feet around a little. "Actually, we're closer
to two hundred million-left alive that is," Apollo proudly crooned before
raising his golden eyes back to the sea to wonder aloud.
That couldn't
possibly be right. There was no way nearly six billion people dropped dead in a
few short months. Apollo was playing her. "You're lying, you always
lie."
"Awww,
Maggie, you wound me." The Golden God hung his golden head but his eyes
didn't stop shining as they stayed fixed on her. Holding her stormy stare
firmly Apollo let his head roll up on his long neck as he wondered aloud.
"Maybe those women in there don't have to die? Maybe I can help."
Ragging flooded
through Alena's small frame. The fine tea cup in her hand tumbled to the ground
at her feet and shattered as she reached out for his throat. "There is a
cure? You son of a bitch!"
Apollo stood
there unflinchingly but at the last second he batted away her angry talons as
though she were no more than a fly. "Maybe, but you won't find out that
way."
Knowing he
couldn't be trusted, Alena took a step back and away from him, a step toward
the edge of the cliff. "You're still lying! You're trying to get into my
head, that's all. You don't have a cure. This is just another mind game of
yours."
"Is
it?" Apollo muttered thoughtfully. "Hmmmmm. Maybe. Maybe not."
Surely there was
some pact with the devil to be made here and Alena wasn't interested in signing
on the dotted line. "Get out of here. Nothing that comes from your
venomous lips is the truth. You're just a nasty little boy with a wide cruel
streak."
Apollo kept his
voice tight as he bit back the sting of her barb. "Look into my eyes
little Fae then tell me I'm lying," Apollo challenged as he took a
purposeful step toward her. "As for my cruel streak, you haven't seen the
worst of it yet." He glanced down at her hip hidden below the tight
fitting blue jeans. "What did you tell my Brother about the scar? I know
you didn't tell him it was me or I'd be dead. Is that because you dream of me
in the night? This…nasty little boy," Apollo whispered seductively.
"Now that the belt is no longer between us do you lay awake aching to know
how I'd feel inside you?"
Instinct took
over and Alena's little hand curled up into a tight little fist as she landed a
right hook across Apollo's smug face. "You're a pig!" Alena spat and
took another step away from him, another step closer to plunging off the cliff.
"Get out!"
Apollo rubbed
his cheek and ran his tongue along the inside to catch the salty taste of his
Ichor. His golden eyes rolled in her direction, the rage in them unveiled. He
wanted to hit her back but that wouldn't get him what he wanted. It wouldn't do
him any good if she fell off the cliff either still he ventured one more step.
Alena backed up, lost her footing and began to topple just as he slipped his
arm around her waist to catch her. "Fine," he whispered, holding her
close, "but when their eyes are glazed and the fever hits their brains,
when they're foaming at the mouth, snarling, trying to bite everything that
comes into view as they twist and turn in agony, " he glanced off toward
the cave's opening and then smiled slyly, "don't say I didn't offer."
Twirling her swiftly back to safety, Apollo chuckled and then disappeared from
the cliff.
About
the Author:
It was in the 4th grade when Lisa
discovered she was a naturally gifted writer. The teacher asked the class to
pen a story about a baby bird's first flight and read them to the class.
Putting pencil to paper, Lisa was instantly whisked away by a force she
couldn't explain. When they were finished, all of the children read their happy
stories to the class.
Not Lisa. She got up and told of
how the baby bird flew too high, hit a plane, crashed to the ground and died.
She told of how the mama bird and daddy bird cried of how even God was upset
sending the rains pouring from the sky. The class was speechless when she
finished all they could do was stare at her. The teacher kept her after class
told her the story was very good but it was different from the others. She
asked Lisa if she'd ever heard of Icarus and did she base her story on him.
Lisa had yet to encounter Greek Mythology or hear a whisper of Icarus. As Lisa
left the classroom the teacher again told her how good the story was but
suggested she might want to write something happier next time. When Lisa asked
her teacher why she had no answer. Luckily for us, Lisa I never took her
advice.
Lisa Beth Darling is 49
years-old, lives in her hometown of New London, CT with her husband of nearly
30 years, Roy. She is the author of more
than fifteen novels along with several short stories and non-fiction books.
Website: http://www.moonsmusings.com
Twitter: @lb_darling
Facebook: http://facebook.com/lbdarling
Posts
1 comment:
Thanks for the excerpts.I do love this series and have to catch up. Thanks for theawesome giveaway.
Carol L
Lucky4750 (at) aol (dot) com
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