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Friday, April 28, 2023

The Storm Darkens Demon Storm Book Three Valerie Storm

 


The Storm Darkens
Demon Storm 
Book Three
Valerie Storm

Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher: Shadow Spark Publishing
Date of Publication: 04/13/2023
ASIN: B0BY5RSVTP
Word Count: 92210
Cover Artist: Ginkahederling

Tagline: Ancient power wrapped in ancient secrets.The power to rend the world and save her loved ones, unless it devours her first.

Book Description:

Evil never really dies. It rises, again and again.  

Now—Kari knows it’s rising inside her. 
 
After barely defeating wicked Shadow Witch Raven, the wolf-demon knows her turmoil is far from over when her vanquished foe invades her dreams. And a new power stirs within her: thanks to Raven’s cunning, Kari’s potential as the Catalyst has awoken. A conduit for a terrifying, world-cracking force—one that could open at any moment. 
 
Kari has resisted this new temptation thus far. But Raven again forces her hand, unleashing a demonic abomination to draw her prey out—a deadlier foe than any Kari has faced before. If she taps into this dark new power, she could become strong enough to defend the people she cares about. But the Catalyst has bloodthirsty designs of its own…
 
If she submits, what new horrors will be inflicted on the world Kari’s come to love?
 
And when the Catalyst is finished with her at last—what will be left of Kari?

Available on Amazon https://amzn.to/3TfPTaH


Excerpt

Again, Kari thought of the purple-skinned mutation that had chased her and Vivianne.

“So there were others?”

Raven sneered. “Failures, yes.” She raised a hand, but Kari grabbed her by the wrist.

“What failures?! Did you send the long-armed mutation that killed my friend?!”

Raven’s emotionless eyes made her heart drop. “I have done so much worse than send one beast out into the world, Kari, but I did not imagine we were here to talk about that.” Raven twisted her hand, tangling Kari’s wrist in long fingers. “Shall I show you every life lost, every drop of blood spilled? Not merely for my own pleasure, but because of you?”

Captain Gorn and his men from Flatcairn, bloodied and broken. And…a field of purple-blue flowers becoming the eternal grave of a young blonde girl.

“Raven…” Kari’s voice hitched, threatening a scream.

Raven laughed, derisive and cold. “Focus, Kari. You know better than to lose yourself to grief, don’t you? You know what is at stake now, in the present.”

Kari wrenched away, eyes wild. When she did, the image of the desolate city wavered and was replaced by a shimmering vision of a dark room. Cages lined the walls, each one filled with a huddled group of monstrous beasts; neither human nor demon, they sported extra limbs or other grotesque developments. Eyeballs protruded from sockets, tongues lolled from the side of mouths, and tumors grew from faces, stomachs, and chests. Their groans and screams filled the space, echoing through a long, dank hallway.

“Stop!” Kari screamed, and the image faded to Raven standing in the middle of a body-ridden street. She stepped away from the witch before stumbling, landing hard on her backside.

“Why are you doing this?”

Raven approached, carefully stepping around the gore and bodies. “This? This is the cost of knowledge. I had to do these filthy, disgusting things to become who I am now.”

She stopped in front of Kari and knelt. Despite the darkness of her eyes, they gleamed with untold levels of cruelty. Kari had always seen such evil inside of Raven, yet she had never imagined things like this.

“I want you to ask a different question, Kari. I want you to ask yourself, what are you going to do to stop me?”


About the Author:

Valerie Storm was raised in Tucson, Arizona. Growing up, she fell in love with everything fantasy. When she wasn’t playing video games, she was writing. By age ten, she began to write her own stories as a way to escape reality. When these stories became a full-length series, she considered the path to sharing with other children and children-at/heart looking for a place to call home.








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Friday, April 21, 2023

Prophecy of a Vampire Tania Gold

 


Prophecy of a Vampire
Tania Gold

Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Date of Publication: March 29 2023
ISBN: 978-1509248247
ASIN: ‎ B0BS4JXXSS
Number of pages: 254
Word Count:66572
Cover Artist: Diana Carlile

Tagline: One prophecy, a thirst for blood, and a tangled web of lies…

Book Description:
 
It’s been almost a century since Zachary Philips was turned into a creature of the night. A brooding man with a thirst for freedom and for blood. When he hears of the prophesied Vampire Queen being reborn, he hatches a plan to gain his freedom. Soon, their lives collide and although they are opposites, their sizzling sexual chemistry binds them together.

It doesn’t take too long before Ivy Litt finds herself ensnared by Zachary. She also realizes she can’t stay away from him. If only she knew about the web of lies he was spinning.

Will Zachary’s past and cry for freedom ruin his one chance of happiness, or will Ivy’s thread of humanity change the course of what could be something special?

Amazon      BN      Dymocks     AngusRobertson

 

Excerpt:

“Ivy, there is nothing you can do about it anymore. You might think that what you did was bad, but you protected yourself and it also happened to be in the natural way, for a vampire, that is. Which you are now, so you must learn to understand, and live with the knowledge that this will be a part of your future. You will get angry, you will get thirsty, and that thirst will be to kill whoever stands in your way. In this case, the mutts were advancing on you, and you did the natural thing and retaliated with fangs.”

 I give her another light squeeze, which then turns into my thumb, rubbing circles on her shoulder, just as I have done in the past. I feel her loosen up a little and all the anxiety and distress fleeing her body.



About the Author: 

Growing up with a passion for writing, Tania Gold, a wife and mother of two from Sydney, Australia, has always enjoyed delivering exciting stories to an audience. An avid reader of Fantasy and Romance novels, she had dreamed of creating her own world full of exciting and loveable characters.










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Tuesday, April 18, 2023

Gigi’s Monster Garage Ghouls and Gals Book One Loretta Kendall

 


Gigi’s Monster Garage
Ghouls and Gals 
Book One
Loretta Kendall 

Genre: Monster Romance, RomCom
Publisher: Loretta Kendall 
Date of Publication: April 16th
ASIN: B0BZJXVWZZ
Number of pages: 306
Word Count: 89,000
Cover Artist: LK Creative 

Tagline:  “I’m a rockabilly love’n, hot-to-trot mechanic with a need for speed. A little sass and not much class, but I'll keep you entertained and your car in the lane.” ~ Gigi Stein

Book Description:

Take a wild ride with Gigi, the former bride of Frank N. Stein, as she navigates the world of rat rod racing and explores the unfamiliar territory of understanding love. With a sassy rockabilly style and a lot of attitude, this stitched-up bad girl will capture your heart with lots of laughs along the way. Join her and her misfit friends, including an adorable Venus flytrap who can be a little naughty. Be careful and read the warning signs in the lobby - Molly Sue bites!

Get ready for motor-revving action as Gigi discovers the truth of the lost romance of her human past, uncovering a hidden agenda for why she’s not like others of her kind. Made for humans and monsters alike, Frank-n-people are nothing more than entertainment and sensual gratification for their owners, created by a madman. Not accepting that as her fate, this undead girl is blazing a path of her own.

With the mad scientist Victor’s decision to grant Gigi free will, she has mustered up enough strength to part ways with her abusive ex-husband, following a cataclysmic event that forces vintage horror monsters into the human realm. When she crosses paths with Fox Adams - a lonely human drifter, he wants to work alongside the beautiful, green-skinned drag racing icon in her infamous monster garage. Confused by the attraction to a man with dreams of racing stardom, it forces her to look into who her host body really is if she wants a future with Fox. Together, they form an unlikely bond that will show her she wasn’t just made to be a living Frank-n-mate doll. She was made for love.


Excerpt 2: Sweet Scene

“...It’s not good for people to have to dwell on death.”

Dropping her head to fiddle with her garage jumper’s zipper, she let out a breath.

“I worry about that. Some girls get deactivated when they remember their past. Frank-n-people can go mad when they remember how they died. They become obsessed with who they were before.”

Taking his eyes off the road for a moment, Fox wasn’t about to hear that. “Hell, no. I won’t let them de-animate you. They’ll have to kill me before I let that happen.”

In a fit of sudden anger at the thought, Fox pulled to the side of the road with tires screeching. The old truck's body shook violently as it came to a stop and dust from the roadside swirled around them.

The dirt that wafted in through the air vents made her choke as she looked at Fox like he’d lost his ever loven’ mind.

“Are you nuts? What is wrong with you?”

“I won’t let them do that to you. You’re not undead, Gigi. I’ve seen others like you. Those other creations are just basically walking, talking drones. You are nothing like them. You have a soul with real-life emotions and a beating heart.”

“That’s not true, Fox. I was made for Frank. He only wanted sex and a maid, so that was my design. It may not have been exactly what he ordered, but it’s how it is. Girls like me are made to serve. That’s it.”

“Really? Then why is it you have free will? Why are you not still bowing down to his every whim? And why the hell was he the only Frank-n-man to have a mate made for him since the original Frankenstein monsters? I’ve seen enough of those sex dolls to know they do whatever their masters say. You don’t call him master, nor do you ever refer to him as anything other than an abusive asshole. That, and whatever other choice word you can think of. If you were made for him, you wouldn’t hate him so much.”

“So, I’m just… stronger than the others. Maybe I’m a defective model.”

Fox nodded in agreement to that because she was right. “Yeah, you are. And for whatever reason, your creator let you be an individual, and that defect is absolute perfection. Maybe he didn’t want to see you as Frank’s slave. For whatever reason, he made you unique. Dare I say… human.”

Gigi didn’t know what to say. He was right, but no one had ever spoken to her like that. Even her friends never brought up her creator in such a way, except for Bear. She had wondered why she was different and why didn’t Victor keep to his sex doll plans.

“You’re special, stitches. And I for one, am thankful for it. You’re a kindhearted soul, and whatever you’re afraid of with Frank, I’ll fight to the death to protect you. I know Bear would too because that guy sees you like his little sister. He’s a good guy—you both are.”

“You barely know me,” she pouted.

“Yeah, but maybe I’m a man who sees you as more than just some sex toy to get off on. Others might see you that way, but I don’t. If I ever had the pleasure of making love to a woman as wonderful as you, it wouldn’t be about sex.”

“Oh yeah? Then what would it be?” she asked with a snarky tone, but still wanting to know.

Leaning in, Fox traced his finger down her lightning bolt scar, making her eyes slam shut expecting pain to come next. But it didn’t, making her curious as to why. His fingers traced her scar like it was a precious beauty mark and a soft breath escaped her lips when realizing he had no intention of hurting her.

When his lips grazed her earlobe, he answered, “It would be pure ecstasy. I’d make you feel things no man ever could. I’d show you what your heart wants, but you're too afraid to see.”



About the Author:

Loretta Kendall started her life with a dream and a story in her mind. For as long as she can remember, she was a storyteller, sharing tales with her friends from her overactive imagination.

After twenty-two years as an image consultant in the beauty and entertainment industry, the Indiana native revisited her childhood love for books while continuing working in photography and graphic arts. As a graphic designer she also spends her time creating book covers and marketing materials for advertising for clients.

She has been writing full time since 2017 following an amazing writing journey that led to the completion of several novellas, novels, serial stories on popular book apps, and anthologies. An award winning, traditional, and self-published author, Loretta has a passion for creating happily ever after romance stories with the perfect mix of steamy and slow burn moments. A hopeless romantic, she lives her own happily ever after of twenty-seven years of wedded bliss with her husband being a plant mom to her favorite Venus flytrap, Molly Sue.








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Monday, April 10, 2023

Ghosts of a Coven Past Peter J. White

 


Ghosts of a Coven Past
Peter J. White

Genre: Horror
Date of Publication: 12/12/2022
ISBN: ‎ 979-8368383125
ASIN: B0BPXD2DQN 
Number of pages: 249 
Word Count: 62,000
Cover Artist: Martina Sutter-Dalton

Tagline: A powerful witch with a mission to bring the child of Satan into the world lies dead and buried under an 1885 rowhouse. When Roger Nimanator moves in, the old witch discerns in him an open door to the spirit world.

Book Description: 

A powerful witch with a mission to bring the child of Satan into the world lies dead and buried under an 1885 rowhouse in Allentown, Pennsylvania, held in place by a combination of hex and the spirit of the young woman she had impregnated. But when Roger Nimanator and his family take possession of the house, the old witch discerns in him an open door to the spirit world.

The old witch gets a grip on Roger and begins to move in the world again, her spirit hungry for vengeance and for the coming of the Dark Lord. But Roger has awakened to his abilities and has gained a powerful ally in a modern-day witch and healer. Together they are determined to put the old witch to rest for eternity.

But the witch is wily and she has found allies of her own—a legion of them. Including one of Roger’s twin boys.

A master of manipulation and deceit, with Satanic powers growing, the old witch is on the verge of bringing her vision to reality. All she has to do is feed Roger’s doubt and the world—and his soul—are hers and the Dark Lord’s for the taking.



Excerpt:

A cat appeared at the threshold of the doorway.

A cat? A black cat? Are you fucking kidding me? How cliché.

Roger moved to swing his legs over the side of the bed, only he didn’t.

Body won’t obey. What the fuck?

You’re dreaming. Simple. Sleep paralysis. Told you.

This is no fucking sleep paralysis. This is happening.

Nonsense.

The cat arched its back and rubbed itself against the doorjamb in a way that sent a shiver of dread through Roger.

Sexual. Can feel the lust pouring off the thing…

The cat stretched, yawned lazily, the yellow slits of its eyes glaring in the dim light coming through the gauzy curtains covering the bedroom windows.

Those eyes…

The cat seemed to grin at him as if sensing his discomfort.

It walked lazily over to the side of the bed, coiled itself, then leapt up. It sat for a moment, staring at him, tail twitching, unblinking eyes staring into his, lips turned up to reveal its sharp little teeth.

Those eyes…reaching deep into me, reading my secrets, measuring the weight of my soul…

Nonsense.

The cat stood and put a paw on Roger’s leg.

Cold shot through him and he would have gasped if his body had allowed him.

The cat grinned up at him, yellow eyes glittering, lips curled back, and took another step.

It walked up Roger’s legs, the weight of the thing tremendous, out of proportion, the cold shock of its presence icy, penetrating to the soul.

Thing weighs as much as a grown woman…

How can that be?

Dreaming. That’s how. Sleep paralysis.

Wake up!

No, this is real. The goddamn cat a familiar or whatever the fuck they call them.

Don’t be an idiot. Wake up!

The cat seemed to relish the confusion and pain Roger was suffering, lingering with its paws on each of his thighs.

Then it lowered its head and butted his breastbone.

Pain shot through his chest and for a moment he was certain his heart had stopped.

The cat headbutted his sternum again and he found himself staring at the ceiling, unable to move, shadows from the streetlamp outside making ghostly shapes as the curtains swayed from the breeze coming through the cracked open window.

The shadows began to take shape: a ring of figures, dancing, flickering as if they were shadows cast by firelight. Trees in the background.

Smoke? Wood smoke and something else…flesh and hair and…

The scene suddenly so real Roger felt he’d been transported in place and time.

Nonsense. Wake up!

The cat walked up his belly to sit on his chest.

Weight tremendous. Can’t. Breathe.

The cat stretched.

And kept stretching, growing impossibly tall, changing, morphing into…

An old woman, breasts stretched out tubes of flabby flesh hanging down to her soft, sagging stomach, swinging as she straddled Roger.

Those yellow eyes stared into his, and the creature’s mouth opened, teeth a cross between a cat’s and human, blackened, rotten, with sharp fangs intact.

A foul odor issued from her mouth and added to the sense of suffocation. Roger’s mind began to fray under the onslaught, claustrophobia claiming him, panic rising.

The thing on top of him cackled again, sending a gout of foul breath into his face.

Roger tried to buck her off. To gag. To cry for help. To breathe.

Total paralysis.

Going to suffocate. Going to die any moment now.

The deep spot in his inner self was alive with panic, yammering at him:

Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!

The thing on top of him stiffened.

At first, Roger thought it was nearing an orgasm of some sort, but no…

Another presence had arrived…


About the Author:

Peter J. White was born in Colorado and raised in SE Alaska. He has degrees in Education, French, and an MFA in Creative Writing. He taught ELL in Bangkok, Thailand for six years, and currently teaches high school English in Washington State. Hobbies, past and present, include writing, bicycling, mountain climbing, kickboxing, MMA, and yoga.


  


  





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Mid-Flight

 



Mid-Flight
Lisa Wilkes

Genre: Sci-Fi/Thriller/Romance 
Publisher: Extasy Books 
Date of Publication: 03/31/23 
ISBN: 978-1-4874-3651-3
Number of pages: 270
Word Count: 78,451
Cover Artist: Extasy Books

Tagline: She failed to save her brother and her best friend from destructive forces. Could she topple the most sinister villain of all time?

Book Description: 

2037 was a really bad year.

Lexi Brennan’s best friend was killed in a plane crash. Two weeks later, an intergalactic crisis threatened the fate of humanity. Authorities responded by launching a genocide.

Lexi opposed this vicious attack. Then again, what could she do? An eccentric flight attendant drawn to glamorous trysts, she felt powerless to incite change. 

Until tragedy struck close to home. Suddenly, Lexi was forced to acknowledge the widespread atrocities. She uncovered a network of lies along with an opportunity to restore basic human rights. To protect others, Lexi would have to launch a movement that could destroy everything important to her, including her promising new romance.


Amazon

Excerpt:

Wordlessly, Lexi grabbed her purse and darted for the exit. She needed to see it. She had to know for sure.

The midnight sky was pierced by jagged red veins. A thousand burgundy fingers tore through the stratosphere like lightning etched in the wrong color. Puffs of smoke dotted the horizon, mushroom clouds rising toward the ominous red ether. From the descriptions and images in Lexi’s VirtuAlarms, it appeared Santa Fe had gotten off easy. Other cities looked like they’d been struck by an atomic bomb.

The world was blazing. The sky was breaking apart in pieces.

AutoScan—Jorge Rodrigues, I didn’t see your texts ‘til just now. They’re grounding all planes immediately? Scary stuff. Wish I was there with you. Where’s your plane landing?

With a rapid-fire double blink, Lexi sent the message.

Jorge’s response flitted across Lexi’s cornea. His words felt frantic. Can’t get down. Capitol Hill is burning. Dense population, nowhere to land. 80 miles from Dulles Airport. I don’t think we’ll make it.

Lexi read the last sentence and crumbled. She fell to her knees on the hot New Mexico concrete, sirens blaring in the distance and meteors crashing to the ground with a fiery scarlet vengeance.

“No,” she begged the universe. “Please, no.”

Her vision blurred. Lexi ached to rip her skin off her body, inch by inch, melting into a heap of exposed veins. It was so enticing. She wanted it so badly. It was what she deserved, truly.

She should’ve been on that airplane with Jorge. Self-reproval flitted through her mind on an endless loop. Should have, should have, should have, you worthless idiot.

She gasped for air.

AutoScan—Colin Brennan, dial right now, she instructed, calling her brother via electrical impulses connected to her cranium. Five beeps sounded in her ear, then the line went dead.

Tears rolled down Lexi’s cheeks as she mentally composed another note to her best friend at SkyLine.

AutoScan—Jorge Rodrigues, don’t talk that way. You will land safely. Reagan International probably has space for diverted aircraft. You’ll be fine. I promise.

As she waited for Jorge’s reply, she dug her nails into her leg, reopening the wound on her thigh.

She picked at it, forcing the gash to widen. It was the size of a dime, then a quarter. She kept pulling, peeling, exposing her insides. She wanted her entire soul to leak out.

“Don’t leave me, Jorge,” she whispered. “Don’t you dare leave me.”

Colin tried to leave all the time. Lexi couldn’t handle another loss. She needed Jorge. He was her partner in crime, her other half. He was the best thing about being a flight attendant.

Words appeared in front of Lexi’s eyeball. Her chest tightened.

I don’t think we— Jorge began.

“What?” Lexi murmured aloud. Her hands fell to her sides, limp. “What is it, J.R.?”

Lexi craned her neck toward the red-streaked sky. She shouted, pleaded, implored her buddy bidder to write back. She wanted to hear details about his safe landing, after the pilots found an open runway someplace in Maryland.

Arms clasped around Lexi’s waist, dragging her back into the restaurant. She kicked and screamed, fighting to stay outside. She wanted the sky to collapse on her and drag her into the deep black unknown. She didn’t deserve the safety of four solid walls and a roof. She didn’t deserve to be in a city that had received minimal damage from the celestial hellfire.

Lexi began to chuckle as she was forced back inside the restaurant. She could barely breathe from laughing so hard. Through narrowed eyelids, Lexi saw customers and staff staring at her in disbelief. She continued flailing her limbs. She laughed with all her might, a deep guttural guffaw that echoed through the bar.

When a VirtuAlarm informed Lexi that two planes in the Northeast had been struck down, she was convinced she’d dreamt the whole thing. The aircraft she was supposed to be on that night had not burst into flames. No way, no how. Jorge was not dead. Lexi would wake up soon, she knew. She would call him. They’d talk about her silly nightmare, her tendency to imagine the worst possible scenario, her bizarre fear of erupting into laughter during a moment of crisis.

Lexi would wake up and chat with Jorge for hours. And she would not swap out of their next scheduled airline trip.



About the Author:

Lisa Wilkes has spent 13 years as a flight attendant, jetting across the globe and collecting inspiration for her writings. Her debut novel, Flight Path, is a fast-paced romance laced with serendipitous encounters. This book follows a daydreaming stewardess as she learns to navigate a new terrain: unconditional love.

In her second novel, Mid-Flight, Lisa transports readers to the year 2038. A flight attendant begins to unravel after her best friend is killed in a plane crash. In the throes of unspeakable grief, she uncovers a political ploy to decimate one-fifth of the population. To combat this sinister plan, she must risk everything. Including her breathtaking new romance.

Lisa’s writing is provocative and timely, with a focus on societal issues and powerful internal conflict. Flight Path’s readers will appreciate Mid-Flight's emphasis on hope and redemption, while newcomers to Lisa’s work will be drawn to the power of her storytelling.



 






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Beginning of Arrogance A Paladin’s Journey Book One Bryan Cole

 


Beginning of Arrogance
A Paladin’s Journey
Book One
Bryan Cole

Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Fat Paladin Incorporated
Date of Publication: June 30th, 2022
ISBN: 9780228868682
ASIN: B0B5JJ338K
Number of pages: 410
Word Count: 125,476
Cover Artist: Vilenko Vujicevic

Tagline: Paladins are nothing but trouble

Book Description:

Paladins are nothing but trouble. Stories about paladins are everywhere, noble warriors riding magic steeds into battle against terrible foes. Champions of their gods. Heroes to everyone, except those who already have everything. Paladins are notorious for upsetting the balance of power, to the detriment of any who don't worship their deity.

So when Krell is called to service by the capricious god of the seas and skies, ReckNor, those with wealth and power can't help but be concerned. ReckNor hasn't called a paladin in years, and his nature is ever-changing and erratic. The fact that Krell is also an uneducated nobody with a stubborn streak as wide as the sea turns their concerns into fear.

All of which matters less than the threat clawing its way from the waves, ready to turn the ocean red with spilled blood...

Amazon      AmazonCA     AmazonUK     AmazonAU 

BN     Book Depository     Apple     Smashwords      Wal-Mart


Excerpt:

Gerrard fell back and walked beside Krell for a moment.

“So, Krell, how do you know about the Forge Father and all that? Never heard you say anything like that before, you know?” Gerrard smiled up at him.

Krell laughed. “It’s true enough, Gerrard, that my education could best be described as lacking. Most people say I don’t know anything. I grew up alone, you see, so nobody taught me anything useful. I had to learn it all myself.”

Gerrard looked at him questioningly. “Alone how? I can’t see humans, even as insane as they often are, abandoning a youngling to grow up alone.”

“Oh, I had a family. Still might, somewhere, maybe. But I was lost at sea when I was young. Not sure how young. Washed up on an island somewhere and spent a bunch of years surviving.” Krell looked up at the sky. “My memories there are… poor. Can’t remember much, but I remember the cold, the loneliness, and the hunger. Those stand out in my mind.” Krell shook his head and frowned.

“Olgar taught me basically everything I know, aside from how to survive alone. Whatever knowledge I have is thanks to him, and one thing he made sure I knew well was who all the gods and their followers are. Paladins apparently spend a lot of time in conflict with faiths other than their own.”

“Ah,” said Gerrard, nodding in agreement.

Krell shrugged and looked back at Gerrard. “Whatever else I am, Gerrard, I’m a survivor. Maybe that’s why ReckNor chose me to be a paladin. Maybe he wrecked the ship on purpose to see if I had what it took. Maybe he didn’t. Either way, I hear the call. My blade is in his service, my will is his will. His voice thunders in my head, making his will known to me.”

“Wow. You know, Kraven’s right, you are intense!” Gerrard walked along in silence for a few minutes next to him. Then he turned and said, “That sounds really hard, having another voice in your head all the time.”

Krell laughed. “Nah, it’s really easy. When he tells me something, I do it. When he doesn’t say anything, I do whatever I want.”

Gerrard frowned. “I thought paladins had all sorts of rules they had to follow.”

Krell grinned at him. “You’re thinking of followers of Hieron the Honorable, lord of justice. There’s a big temple of his in Heaford, just up the coast, where the duke holds court. I’ve never met one of his followers, but apparently he loves calling paladins, and they’re pretty common in that faith. Most paladin stories are about paladins of Hieron.”

“Not common in ReckNor’s faith, though?”

“Not remotely. Apparently, Olgar can’t remember the last time ReckNor called one. He’s… well, most people think he’s insane, and that if you don’t appease him, he’ll destroy you. A cult of sailors and the mad. That he’s temperamental enough that even if you appease him, he still might destroy you. Which is all… somewhat true, I’d say.”

Ahead, Tristan laughed. “You’re telling me you think your god is insane?”

Krell shook his head. “No, but temperamental? Absolutely. Appease him or else, which is how his faith works. Sailors and those who live and work on the sea pay homage, though for many, it is out of fear. He’s often thought of as a survival-of-the-fittest sort of god.”

Krell noticed they were all looking at him now. Orca looked unhappy, Kraven appeared to be controlling his laughter, and Tristan and Gerrard were looking at him like he was dangerous.

“So… what does ReckNor teach, then?” asked Gerrard. Krell thought about it, and Tristan looked like he was dreading an explanation. Better to keep things simple for now, he thought.

“Basically two things. The first is that the seas and skies are his, so make offerings when you use them and he’s happy. The second is that he takes joy in the freedom of choice.” Krell went silent, and they walked on for a few moments before anyone said anything.

“I thought you were going to drone on incessantly about your god and how great he is all the time,” said Tristan. Krell looked at him and smiled.

“I’m a paladin. If you want that, go talk to Olgar. I’m here to show the faith of ReckNor through action, not through words.” Thunder rumbled in the distance as if on cue, adding ominous weight to his words.

Gerrard snorted. “Did ReckNor just add some thunder in the background to make you sound more intimidating or dramatic or something?”

Kraven laughed, and Krell joined him. Orca said, “That’s ridiculous!” at the same time Krell said, “Probably!”



About the Author:

Bryan Cole is the author of the Paladin’s Journey series. New to the writing world, he spent years working in the enterprise software space, focused on quality assurance and delivery of software applications. Which is weird, because that has nothing to do with writing fiction.

For that, we need to go back – way back – to his first experience with Dungeons and Dragons. His friend Chris brought over the box set for Myth Drannor, eager to play. Together, they realized they had no idea what they were doing, because neither of them owned a copy of the Players Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, or the Monster Manual.

From those incredibly awkward beginnings, a lifelong passion for epic science fiction and high fantasy adventure was born. Everything from his grade 4 teacher letting him stay after school to play a video game where you were the wizard on a quest, defeating monsters by answering math problems, to some truly memorable movies like Willow that showed him a world bigger and more exciting than the real one.

Of course, Star Wars and Star Trek have had a major influence on him. Want to get in good with Bryan? Lead with a Star Wars meme.

From one of the good movies. Otherwise, your plan will backfire.

Bryan is also an avid gamer, and enjoys video games, board games, and tabletop roleplaying games.

These days, he lives in Toronto with his wife and daughter, and his adorable cat.










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