Author: Kate
Evangelista
Publisher:
Omnific Publishing
Release: September
17, 2013
Genre:
Paranormal
Age Group:
Young Adult
Event organized by:
AToMR Tours;
Book Description:
When Death is stabbed with
a dagger that sucks out his powers, Balthazar is roped into helping
him find the Redeemer, the only one who can remove the dagger. But
nothing is free in the Underverse. For travelling to the most
dangerous places in the Underverse, Balthazar asks Death for control
of the Crossroads.
Arianne was ready to pay
Death’s price to save Niko. She was ready to be blind with no
memory of the boy she loves. Instead, she wakes up in a strange room,
still able to see and with Niko in a deep sleep. She agrees to work
with Balthazar on the condition: Death needs to wake Niko. But
Arianne soon finds out that helping the bad guy means having to do
lots of bad things.
EXCERPT
“I bet
you’re completely regretting saying yes to this now.”
She shook
her head. “I shouldn’t have.”
“Yes, you
shouldn’t have.” She’d backed herself into a wall and Balthazar
reached her in two steps. She flinched when Balthazar spread one
hand on the wall beside her head. He shifted his weight there as he
leaned over her and whispered, “You smell like roses.”
“I-i-it’s
the bath water. They used rose oil,” she stammered. Having
Balthazar so close frazzled her brain. He seemed bigger somehow. Like
he’d grown ten feet since she'd last seen him. And so broad too.
When did his shoulders and chest get so broad?
Balthazar
touched the tip of his nose to the base of her neck and traced a line
up to her jaw, inhaling as he went. The move sent Arianne slumping
against the wall for support, her knees threatening to give way
beneath her. She raised her shackled hands until they spread over the
center of his chest. She clutched at the buckles there, the cool
metal digging in to her palms. Balthazar tsked after he’d pulled
away far enough to stare into her eyes—eyes now lined with kohl.
She found herself shaking her head along with him.
“You
shouldn’t have spoken over me the way you did,” he said with the
softest threat. The kind that sent tingles down her spine.
“I
didn’t.” At least she didn’t stammer anymore. Instead, her
voice sounded breathy, which seemed so much worse.
He touched
her lips with the tip of his finger. “Oh, but you did. I'd pretty
much convinced Solara that you didn’t need to change for the
Underball, but you had to go and ruin it by agreeing without my
consent. Not that I’m complaining.” He raked his gaze over her
body again. Like a bomb exploding, Arianne felt all her blood rise to
the surface. “But something has to be done about this master/slave
relationship we have here.”
“W-w-what
do you mean?” Great, the stammering returned. The muscles in her
abdomen quivered in the most delicious way. Arianne tried to ignore
it and focus, but her body betrayed her more and more the longer
Balthazar stood this close to her. She only noticed now, so close to
him, that he smelled like sandalwood. The spicy earth scent brought
her back to the time her mother burned incense around the house. She
went through a whole New Age-y phase before Carrie got sick. Standing
a nose away from Balthazar sent a sense of comfort surging through
her body with a hint of something more. A feeling Arianne didn’t
care to acknowledge. Hot. Drugging. Dangerous. She knew if she let
herself cross the line she wouldn’t find her way back.
Balthazar
moved his hand from the wall to her cheek. Arianne fought against
leaning in to the touch. Even with the fingerless gloves, she could
feel the warmth of his hand. The calluses on his exposed skin didn’t
feel rough on her face at all.
“You put
us both in danger if you don’t act like an obedient slave, Ari.”
He whispered her name like the sweetest candy on the tongue. A part
of her wished he’d say it again. The other part of her struggled to
continue the conversation.
“I won’t
disobey you. I promise.” And she meant it too.
“Remember
when I said you shouldn’t force me into teaching you a lesson about
what it means to have a master?”
She nodded.
They’d had that conversation right before they entered the Voyeur
mansion. Balthazar had warned her, yet she’d forgotten all about it
the second Solara came into the room with her demons. Arianne thought
she’d done something good by agreeing. Unfortunately, her good deed
backfired in the most frightening yet insanely delicious way.
She hardly
recognized the guy standing before her. The sarcasm and gruff nature
had disappeared, leaving behind someone who oozed sex appeal like
some cologne he’d sprayed on. Heat pooled inside her stomach,
causing every muscle below it to clench. If Balthazar didn’t step
away now, she’d find herself flat on the floor.
“You know
what happens now, don’t you?” His eyes locked with hers again.
His voice grew even softer.
She shook
her head into his touch.
“I punish
you.”
The way he
said punish blew the last of her knees’ power to support her body
weight. The second she began to slide down the wall, Balthazar’s
other arm snaked around her waist and pulled her forward until her
body fused against his. Every buckle that touched her skin made her
shiver.
She looked
up and Balthazar’s lips descended.
About the Author
When Kate
Evangelista was told she had a knack for writing stories, she did the
next best thing: entered medical school. After realizing she wasn't
going to be the next Doogie Howser, M.D., Kate wandered into the
Literature department of her university and never looked back. Today,
she is in possession of a piece of paper that says to the world she
owns a Literature degree. To make matters worse, she took Master's
courses in creative writing. In the end, she realized to be a writer,
none of what she had mattered. What really mattered? Writing. Plain
and simple, honest to God, sitting in front of her computer, writing.
Today, she has four completed Young Adult novels.
Author social media
links:
Event
Giveaway:
- Swag Pack – US
OR click here
- Per blog Giveaway:
(1) eBook copy of Reaping Me Soflty (Book, #1) - (ePacks with all electronic formats will be provided by the publisher) – International –
or click here
Hi, everyone!
ReplyDeleteJust popping into the party to share the news. First 20 readers to email me their Unreap My Heart receipt gets pretty bookmarks of Balthazar and Ari. ;-)
Thank you for participating in the release day blitz, Abby!
Kate
Hi Kate,
DeleteThanks for dropping by and thanks for that info.. I hope I'llbe one of the first 20 :D
and it's my pleasure to be part of this event :)
Sounds like an amazing story!!! (signed up as Amber M)
ReplyDeleteI have to say I never heard of this book before but man does it sound good, both mysterious but also sexy. I put it on my TBR list right away so now I have a new author to follow, thanks.
ReplyDeleteSaying Hi! to Bookshelf Confessions!
ReplyDeleteHi Kari :D
DeleteThanks for stopping by :D
Sounds really interesting... I wonder what will happen since it seems like Arianne loves Niko but is falling in love with Balthzar. Can't wait to read this!
ReplyDeleteIt's a wonderfully complicated story Adelynne, i hope you like it too :D
DeleteAmazing giveaway, WOW!!!! And the book is now on my to buy list!!!!!
ReplyDelete