Thursday, October 31, 2024

Ultimate Justice

 Some truths are worth dying for.

 

Ultimate Justice

K-9 Special Ops Book 3

by Tee O’ Fallon

Genre: Thriller, Romantic Suspense


Some truths are worth dying for.

While tracking down an escaped felon, FBI Special Agent Evan McGarry and his K-9, Blue, uncover a smoking hot lead on the location of dozens of missing children―including Evan's own sister. The shocking discovery reopens cold cases throughout Colorado, along with painful wounds and the heartbreaking guilt Evan's kept buried for decades.

Three years ago, hospital custodian Marlie Foxe's world imploded, causing her to cut herself off from the world. But when one of the missing boys turns up at her hospital, he only allows Marlie to get close. Now, Evan needs her help with the boy―and he won't take no for an answer. When she finally agrees to work with him, Evan suspects there's more to the woman than she's letting on. She's hiding something. The question is what.

As Evan and Marlie unearth a cult targeting runaways, they're forced to confront not only dangerous criminals but the truths they've both been avoiding―including the blistering passion they can no longer deny. But when more children disappear, they'll have to risk more than just their hearts.

Ultimate Justice Excerpt

“Evan arched a brow. Liar. The woman looked anything but happy.

Her knuckles were white where she had her long blond braid in a

death grip, and the smooth skin over her carotid pulsed rapidly. She shot what he could

swear was a panicked look at the door. Bottom line…Marlie Foxe looked ready to bolt

faster than a deer on opening day of hunting season.

Her deep blue gaze met his, and he was struck by the sad, haunted

look in hers. He’d seen that look. It was the same one he’d seen in the mirror on his

own face and those of his parents in the days and months after Gracie disappeared. He

wondered if it would ever stop.

Now, for the first time in twenty-four years, he was, potentially, on

the verge of discovering the answer to his family’s burning question: what happened to

their daughter, his sister?

If only he wasn’t exhausted. Make that totally beat to shit. He’d

barely slept, and then only because he’d had to.

In the two days he’d been waiting to interview Noah, he’d fully

briefed his SAIC—Special Agent in Charge—the FBI director via Zoom, the U.S.

Attorney’s Office in Denver, gotten an arrest warrant for Francis Manello and served

another search warrant at the man’s house. He and a team of agents had tossed the

house from top to bottom. Forensics was dumping every scrap of information on

Manello’s computer, but all Evan could think about was that Polaroid. He still couldn’t

believe it, but it was her—Gracie—wearing the same pink shirt she’d had on the last

time he’d seen her. Guilt squeezed his heart tighter than a bank vault door.

Focus, dammit! Focus!

“Blue, come.” He hitched his head to the dog who’d been his

partner for more than four years.

As Blue trotted to the bed, Evan pointed, and his dog situated

himself between Marlie and the bed and rested his head on the edge of the mattress.

Despite Blue’s size, Marlie didn’t cringe or back away.

“Can I pet him?” Noah looked at Evan expectantly.

“You bet. That’s what I brought him for.” Pretty much every kid

Noah’s age wanted a dog. A dog’s attention and comfort were great for improving

emotional health, especially after a traumatic experience. The only thing necessary was

for the dog to be gentle and friendly, which Blue was. Except when hunting down a

homicidal felon.

It wasn’t quite a smile, but the corners of Marlie’s pink, full lips lifted

a fraction as she watched Noah pet Blue. She had the most interesting face he’d ever

seen. Heart-shaped. Yet it was her eyes that drew him in. Eyes were the windows to the

soul, and he wondered about hers.

“He likes having his ears stroked,” Evan said, casting a glance over

his shoulder. The good doctor, who looked eerily like an undertaker, would be back soon

with those extra chairs. Noah didn’t like the man. Getting him out the door, even for a

few minutes, seemed like a stellar idea.

Blue leaned into the boy’s hand and groaned like he’d just scarfed

down a meaty T-bone. The deep rumble in the back of Blue’s throat made Noah giggle.

He hadn’t quite reached adolescence and still had the high-pitched voice of youth.

“Do you like dogs?” he asked, taking the first step in his forensic

interview of the boy: establishing rapport.

He nodded.

In the interest of not towering over the bed, Evan sat in the vacant chair, leaving

Kinnemara, the FBI’s Office for Victim Assistance advocate, standing quietly by the

door.

Normally, he’d approach any interview with methodical calm, but

that Polaroid of his sister made him feel like a powder keg with a little fuse. He wanted

to trash protocol and dive right in. With children, rushing in too quickly could be

disastrous. “Did you ever have a dog before?”

Noah shook his head, his attention still focused on Blue. “I wanted

one, but Sheila and Mike—my foster parents—wouldn’t let me.”

No surprise there. Noah Lund’s background check had included his

former foster parents. Sheila and Mike Hamilton had been too busy peddling drugs out

their back door to care about anyone else. He’d bet they’d only taken Noah in to get

state money for fostering a child. The state’s screening process was seriously flawed.

More like, seriously sucked.

Evan caught Marlie scrutinizing him. The haunted look in her eyes had been

replaced by something else. Suspicion. Still drilling him with those piercing blue eyes,

she rested a hand on Noah’s shoulder, telling him something else—North Metro’s

custodian was protective of the boy. Somehow, in the span of only two days, they’d

formed a bond, one he needed to be cautious of. Perhaps, take advantage of.

“Do you like baseball?” The kid’s pjs were baseball-themed.

“Yeah.” Noah kept petting Blue.

“Me too. I played in school.”

Finally, the boy looked up. “What position?”

“Centerfield. You?”

Noah shrugged. “Don’t know. Never played on a team. Just

with Caleb.”

“Who’s Caleb?” He already knew the kid had no siblings and

no other blood relatives the state was aware of.

“My friend. I think he got caught. He—”

Caught?

Squealing came from the hallway as Dr. Strobie wheeled in

two more chairs, positioning one beside Evan’s and leaving the other at the foot of the

bed for Kinnemara.

Strobie sat and scooted his chair closer. Noah stopped

petting Blue and tugged the sheet on his lap higher, gripping it tightly in his fists, as if

forming a protective shield. The kid really didn’t like the hospital shrink. If he could eject

the doc from the room, he gladly would. The man’s presence had the same effect as

slapping a strip of duct tape over the boy’s mouth. Strobie had also procured a legal-

size notepad and sat poised with a ballpoint pen in his hand.

This guy was a pain in the ass. The best way to establish

rapport and trust with a child was to show them you were listening and that you cared.

Not by writing down every word.


Each book in the K-9 Special Ops series is STANDALONE:
* Tough Justice
* Burning Justice
* Ultimate Justice

 


 









“Ultimate Justice is romantic suspense done right! It has great characters, a riveting plot, and sizzling romance. Tee O’Fallon’s law enforcement background shines through in the realistic and suspenseful plot… The story moves at a brisk pace that will keep the pages flying… This is one of my favorite books of the year and Tee O’Fallon is an author to seek out.” – Just Another Damn Book Blog

 

 

Amazon * Apple * B&N * Audible* Kobo * Google* Bookbub * Goodreads

 

Book Links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CHQKHDZP

Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/ultimate-justice/id6466039160

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ultimate-justice-tee-ofallon/1143881825?ean=9781649376534

Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/Ultimate-Justice-Audiobook/B0DJMRJP1F

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/ultimate-justice-4

Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=BT3WEAAAQBAJ

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/ultimate-justice-by-tee-o-fallon

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/195790557-ultimate-justice

 

**Don’t miss the other books in the series! **

 

Find them on Amazon!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09GS5QN6P

 

About the Author


Tee O'Fallon is the author of the Federal K-9 Series and the NYPD Blue & Gold Series. Tee has been a federal agent for twenty-three years and is now a police investigator, giving her hands-on experience in the field of law enforcement that she combines with her love of romantic suspense. When not writing, Tee enjoys cooking, gardening, chocolate, lychee martinis, and spending time with her Belgian Sheepdogs Loki and Kyrie. Tee loves hearing from readers and can be contacted via her website https://teeofallon.com where you can also sign up for Tee’s newsletters.

 

 

Website * Facebook * X * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

 

Author Links

Website: https://teeofallon.com/

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

X: https://x.com/TeeOFallon

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teeofallonauthor

Bookbub:  https://www.bookbub.com/authors/tee-o-fallon

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Tee-OFallon/author/B01FYTINXM

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15197736.Tee_O_Fallon

  

 

https://www.facebook.com/EntangledPublishing

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https://www.instagram.com/entangled_publishing/

 

 


Giveaway

$10 Amazon

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

https://bit.ly/UltimateJusticeTour

 

 

Stone of Lust

She finds true love in the past, but is his love worth risking her future?

 

 Stone of Lust

Stones of Iona Book 3

by Margaret Izard

Genre: Time Travel, Paranormal Romance

 


She finds true love in the past, but is his love worth risking her future?

 

She dreams of a Viking warrior with Fae-blue eyes and a God-like body that makes her heart pound like no other. Trying to save her kidnapped sister-in-law, Ainslie follows her back to the Vikings of Scotland, where she faces the very man who has haunted her dreams.

 

When Jarl, Rannick MacRaghnaill meets the alluring Warrior Woman who helped steal his warship, she dresses in clothing so strange that every curve teases his senses. But is she, as she claims, a woman from the future or an irresistible lying thief?

 

She’d risk her life to save her sister-in-law. He’d risk his honor to win her heart. Can both hardened warriors save the realms from the evilest of Fae’s minds combined with the most dangerous of humans?

 EXCERPT

She placed her sword at his throat. “Yield?” The warriors gasped, then cheered for her.

Rannick’s eyebrows rose as Ainslie helped the youth to his feet and patted him on the back. Rannick rubbed his neck and looked over his warriors. He called upon another warrior. “Gunnar, come fight the She Warrior.”

A large older warrior moved from the crowd, a grin on his face. As Gunnar passed, Rannick patted his back and whispered something, but Ainslie couldn’t hear what was said. The warrior nodded as he moved toward her. No matter. She’d fight anyone.

Both took their ready stance, and Rannick signaled for them to begin.

They circled, weighing their opponent waiting on who would take the offensive first.

It was Gunnar, with a slice of his blade on her shoulder. Ainslie blocked him well, but he stepped forward and slammed his shoulder into her knocking her down. Ainslie somersaulted backward to stand, her blade out and ready to defend the next block.

Gunnar glanced at Rannick, who nodded toward Ainslie.

They circled again, waiting to see who would advance.

Ainslie led the next attack with an overhead slash. Gunnar blocked it, pushing her back. He was more substantial, but she was small, agile, and smart.

They circled, and Ainslie went for his middle.

Gunnar blocked and spun, coming around overhead.

She stopped it with her blade and allowed him to slide down hers knowing she could quickly push it aside with his forward momentum. When his sword came to the hand guard, she moved with all her might. He stumbled on a sidestep at the unexpected shift. As he flew past her, Ainslie whacked his rear with the side of her blade. The warriors laughed, and Gunnar came for her in an

off-balance rage. She sidestepped and hit his rear end again.

Gunnar leveled his eyes on her and advanced with his blade. Side-to-side attacks came at her fast, backing her into the mainmast, trapping her, obviously trying to end the fight. Knowing sailing and the rigging, Ainslie reached up and grabbed the tack line holding the sail in place and swung herself onto the keelson box beneath the main mast. She landed surefooted and, in her follow-through, swung her sword connecting with Gunnar’s disarming him. His sword flew out of his hand and clattered against the hull. He stood staring at his empty hand, then tilted his head back and laughed loudly.

He bowed to Ainslie. “Ye are Freyja, the war goddess. Her spirit lives in ye. I have never seen a woman fight. A Valkyrie, and I’m honored to fight with ye.”

Gunnar strode to Rannick whose eyebrows remained raised. “She has earned her coin. She has won the contest.”

The surrounding warriors cheered as Ainslie stood over them, proud of her accomplishment. She’d battled and won against a trained, skilled Viking warrior. Her da would be so proud. Some warriors grumbled as they settled on the bets made, bringing her out of her musings. Ainslie jumped down and approached Rannick. She grinned at him and held out her hand. “Time to settle up.”

Rannick dropped a gold coin in it, then glanced behind her. “Disarm her. She is still our guest.” Her guard Ivor must be back. The sword pulled in her hand, and she let him take it. He wasn’t who she focused on.

She stared at Rannick, her being so tall that they stood almost eye to eye. “I bested yer best. Admit it. A woman can fight.”

Rannick’s smile grew. “Oh, my sweet, he wasn’t my best. He was the one who wouldn’t hurt

ye.”

Ainslie gripped the coin and raised an eyebrow. “I’ll take on yer best any day, anytime, and I’d still win.”

She flipped the coin and caught it. “I’d even wager the gold coin on it.”

She flipped the coin again, and Rannick stepped toward her, catching the coin. They stood close as their breaths mingled. His sweet woodsy scent wafted over her, sandalwood and citrus. He glanced over her face and hair, then trailed to her chest.

His eyes returned to her eyes, and she raised an eyebrow as he spoke. “Warrior woman from another time or another land, my best would do ye harm. I have vowed never to harm a woman.”

Ainslie gazed back into his eyes. “That’s all right. Ye’d never get close enough with yer sword to harm me. But I may harm ye.”

Rannick stood there a moment, staring into her eyes. She glowered back with the glare of a challenge. She held out her hand for the coin. He took it in his, the rough callouses brushing her skin, sending goose bumps up her arm. He placed her coin in her palm and closed his hands over hers, holding her hand in an embrace.

Without taking his eyes off her, he said, “Ivor, find a second guard. The She Warrior might need more than one.”

He winked at her, released her hand, and turned, moving away.

 


Amazon * Apple * B&N * Google * Kobo * Bookbub * Goodreads

 

Book Links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0DCZVVR9T

Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/stone-of-lust/id6633440516

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/stone-of-lust-margaret-izard/1146105374?ean=2940186102274

Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?_bbid=237696810&_bbreg=us&_bbtype=blog&id=b34pEQAAQBAJ

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/stone-of-lust

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/stone-of-lust-stones-of-iona-book-3-by-margaret-izard

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/217439887-stone-of-lust

 

Book Trailer:

https://youtu.be/qXAJQ47Djkc

 

**Don’t miss the other books in the series!**

Find them on Amazon

 

About the Author


Margaret Izard is an award-winning author of historical fantasy and paranormal romance novels. She spent her early years through college to adulthood dedicated to dance, theater, and performing. Over the years, she developed a love for great storytelling in different mediums. She does not waste a good story, be it movement, the spoken, or the written word. She discovered historical romance novels in middle school, which combined her passion for romance, drama, and fantasy. She writes exciting plot lines, steamy love scenes and always falls for a strong male with a soft heart. She lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband and adult triplets and loves to hear from readers.

 

 

Website * Facebook * X * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

 

Author Links

Website: https://www.margaretizardauthor.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100074957055613

X: https://twitter.com/mizardauthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mizardauthor

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/margaret-izard

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Margaret-Izard/author/B0CQDBFHKB

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/47374644.Margaret_Izard

  

 


 

Giveaway

Stone of Lust Swag Pack (US only),

$20 Amazon giftcard (WW)

- 1 winner each!

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

https://bit.ly/StoneOfLustTour

 

Wednesday, October 30, 2024

COME FILL ME

 COME FILL ME

BOOK ONE – THE PROPHECY

Erotic Urban Fantasy Romance

AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DL3T3JBF


Blurb:

She can heal the dying…

Two men—enemies of her people—will stop at nothing to have her gift, her desire and love

The Prophecy, Book 1

Trapped in a blood feud, Liz uses her healing power to bring Zeke Neekoma from the brink of death so her clan can exploit his prophecies. During the ceremony, she drapes her nudity over his, experiencing his building strength, the stunning pleasure of his caress as he takes her without warning, using her as he wills.

His hunger for a woman he’s supposed to hate isn’t what Zeke expected, nor does he intend to deny himself. Kidnapping Liz, he’s resolved that she heal his brother Jacob ambushed by her people. At his stronghold, Zeke keeps Liz captive to his and Jacob’s desires. The brothers pleasure her without restraint and in ways she’s never known. Before, her life was filled with loneliness and wanting. Now…

Used by two powerful men, threatened by her clan’s determination to get her back, Liz risks all as she surrenders to Zeke’s and Jacob’s lust, the ecstasy of their touch and her most traitorous needs.


EXCERPT 

(Adult)

Her lips brushed his in striking tenderness, her pleasantly scented breath filling his mouth.

Zeke stiffened, expecting another blaze of pain from the blood flow. Instead, each ache receded beneath soothing warmth, the kind delivered by a slug of booze or a potent narcotic.

She blew into his mouth again, her fingers stroking his biceps. Tingles dashed up Zeke’s arms. On instinct, he reacted, wrapping them around her, one hand on her smooth back, the other gripping her ass, meaty and plush, pulling her into his embrace.

Her breath caught. She tensed in what appeared to be surprise or dread, and yet her lips remained submissive against his, trembling as she parted them, yielding even more.

Bursts of heat, wondrous not painful, worked their way from Zeke’s chest to his groin, his thickening cock. It nuzzled against her cunt, dewy with arousal.

Again, she stiffened but didn’t leave him.

Her name drifted close, one Zeke knew from his visions, but couldn’t retrieve. Thinking proved too difficult, the journey from near death to health leaving him with little at the moment except raw instinct.

Tilting his head, he fitted his mouth to hers and thrust his tongue inside. She whimpered at the intimate invasion. Losing whatever restraint he’d owned, Zeke burrowed his fingers into her thick, fragrant mane to keep her from retreat as he deepened the kiss, not caring how savage it became, wanting it to be.

She’d brought him back against his will. Now, she’d pay for that transgression and would see to his pleasure.

Her back arched at his hand sliding down the silky furrow between her cheeks, his fingers reaching her anus. She wiggled when he stroked the tight circle, and then she moaned as he dipped his hand lower, touching her cleft, her vaginal lips glutted with desire, damp with need.

Pleased, he kissed her with a right he’d taken, one she had no say in. The same as he’d had no choice in her bringing him back. With one hand, he held her head to his. With the other, he teased her clit. Delicately. Ruthlessly.

A new gasp escaped her, opening her mouth even more to his tongue. Zeke used it to his advantage, thrusting deeper, taking all he could, all she owed him, tasting a hint of the coffee she’d drunk.

And the saltiness of her tears.

His strokes paused.

Tempering his kiss, Zeke forced himself to be gentle and tender with this woman. He drew his thumb over her cheekbone and stroked her clit lazily.

Her body, so tense a moment ago, weakened against his. A wanting growl tore from the back of her throat. She suckled his tongue, wanting it deeper now, not content to have them apart. Cradling the side of his face, she tunneled her fingers through his hair, using it to hold him to her.

They kissed with the wonder of new lovers, yearning in each sigh and every moan. It proved too little. With his caring touch, her passion grew. Pushing his tongue aside, she filled his mouth with hers, grunting in what appeared to be pride at what she’d accomplished.

Not about to let her outdo him, Zeke rolled them over, their mouths still joined despite her faint squeal. Allowing her no chance to recover, taking what he knew she was offering, he used his knees to push her thighs apart. Holding his stiffened cock, he bathed the crown in her silky juices and plunged inside.

Teasers:













About Tina:


Tina’s an Amazon and international bestselling novelist who writes passionate romance for every taste – ‘heat with heart’ – for traditional publishers and indie. Booklist, Publisher’s Weekly, Romantic Times and numerous online sites have praised her work. She’s won Readers’ Choice Awards, was named a finalist in the EPIC competition, received a Book of the Year award, The Golden Nib Award, awards of merit in the RWA Holt Medallion competitions, and second place in the NEC RWA contests. She’s featured in the Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market. Before penning romances, she worked at a major Hollywood production company in Story Direction.

On a less serious note: she’s an admitted and unrepentant chocoholic, brakes for Mexican restaurants, and has been known to moan like Meg Ryan in When Harry Met Sally while wolfing down tostadas. She’s flown a single-engine airplane (freaking scary), rewired an old house using an ‘electricity for dummies’ book, and is horribly shy despite the hot romances she writes.

MeWe: https://mewe.com/i/tinadonahue

Website/Blog: https://tinadonahuebooks.blogspot.com/

Newsletter: https://tinadonahuebooks.blogspot.com/p/newsletter.html

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/tina-donahue

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/146988.Tina_Donahue

Twitter: https://twitter.com/tinadonahue

Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/tinadonahue

Amazon author page: https://amzn.to/1ChWFkO

Sweet ‘n Sexy Divas: https://sweetnsexydivas.blogspot.com/

Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/user/AuthorTinaDonahue 



The Brittle Riders

After humans circumvented anti-AI laws and made new species to fulfill roles of menial laborers, sex slaves, and shock troops those creations eventually rose up and killed every man, woman, and child on the planet. This is the world if Frankenstein's monsters ruled the Earth.

 

The Brittle Riders

Book One

by Bill McCormick

Genre: Science Fiction Fantasy

 


In a far future, Earth had already been visited by an alien race called the Sominids, who came here for the express purpose of drinking and having sex with everyone they could. When one of their infamous parties resulted in the moon being cut in half and killing everyone who happened to live there, they quietly left. Their encounter with the Sominids had taught the human race many things, primarily that faster-than-light travel did not exist. Denied the stars, the human race began to dwindle in numbers and terminate all of their space programs.

 

A thousand years later, a scientist named Edward Q. Rohta circumvented anti-AI laws, laws which had been on the books for millennia, by creating organic creatures to provide manual labor. Instead of dying after ten years, as promised in the company brochure, they would develop flu-like symptoms and go into hiding. Eventually, fed up with the mistreatment they suffered at the hands of humans, they rose up and killed every man, woman, and child on the planet. This is the story of what happens next. The Brittle Riders; Apocalypses are funny that way.

 

A very unique tone and world, reminiscent of GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY meets a MAGNIFICENT SEVEN/DIRTY DOZEN - type setup, but with a look, flavor, and lexicon all its own. In a world where studios and streamers are looking for IP that's expansive, both narratively and in terms of ancillary possibilities (prequels, offshoots, video games, etc.), (The Brittle Riders) certainly seems to offer up a number of possibilities. - Garrick Dion – Producer

 

 GUEST POST

What inspired you to write this book?

I used to tour with a lot of bands. No matter the genre, we spent a lot of time on buses traveling through farmland. After a while, I began to wonder what would happen if the animals I saw could talk. Then what would happen if they had access to weapons? I initially wrote a twelve-hundred-page book about all this, and to be fair, it sucked. Even the cliches were wrapped in cliches. Think Sword of Truth, Shield of Valor kind of crap. Years later, I found my notes, decided the characters were interesting, even if my original story wasn’t, and took another swipe at it. I’m glad I did.

Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in The Brittle Riders?

Absolutely. One of the things I tried to do was create diverse characters with little or nothing in common other than their status as outcasts. I figured that way, the backstories for each would keep readers interested and allow the characters to develop along paths that readers might not expect.

Geldish, the leader, lost his flesh in a battle centuries ago and is only now strong enough to seek revenge. While his species was once numerous, there are now only four left, and there is no way for that number to increase. BraarB, part centaur, part armadillo, watched her family and friends get killed and then ended up being a queen’s assistant. While raised in a land of peace, she became a skilled killer and ambassador. R’yune, a wolfen, was born with a deformed tongue and couldn’t speak. His pack cared for him but treated him as something lesser, even though his grades and weapons skills were above average. He left his pack to become a hunter for the ruling class after deciding if he couldn’t get respect, money would suffice. N’leah, a succubus, was kidnapped around her fifteenth birthday and sold to be a sex slave for indolent members of the ruling class. By her fortieth birthday, her sharp tongue and sharper claws had worn out her welcome, and she was scheduled to be killed. R’yune discovered this, killed her assassins, and escaped with her into the wilderness. Sland was the son of a clan leader of the Badgebeth. Looked down on because he was perceived to be stupid, he attempted to prove his worth by leading a hunt for a dangerous predator. However, because he accepted money from outsiders, his father banished him. Also, by accepting that money, he exposed his clan to the ruling warlord, who hunted them down and killed many.

Also, since they were living on the fringes of society, I modeled their social mores after modern societies that are estranged from our contemporary civilizations. Basically, they are capable of extreme violence when needed and wear only the clothing necessary to survive. An early scene in the book sets the tone when N’leah helps BraarB wipe the evening’s moisture off her breasts while they’re sitting in a bar drinking skank. They don’t care what outsiders think; they look out for each other.

What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

Given the nature of my job and affiliation with a FOX-attached radio station, I had to watch what I said about politics and so on. But when writing, I could do a deep dive into anything I wanted. With The Brittle Riders, I was able to assign a type of society to each culture, ranging from agrarian to technologically advanced, and then pick apart how each society could interact with the others. It also allowed me to look at how each society affected the citizens living in them.

Moreover, it allowed me to create a benign, for now, system of banking and finance. One that benefited society but still held practical approaches to loans and so on. Since I’m inherently lazy, it was originally conceived as a way for me to avoid creating multiple banking systems, one for each society. However, based on emails I’ve gotten, it’s spurred a lot of serious thought from people who are smarter than me.

Who designed your book covers?

Funny story. The first cover was designed by me and everyone, even me, hated it. So I hired Jiba Molei Andreson, a world-renowned artist from Liberia currently teaching in Chicago, to come up with something new. His cover, featuring N’leah knelling in the wilderness, got me a ton of Internet likes but, eventually, was deemed porn by Amazon’s ethics cretins. Attempts to argue that were met with derision, so I hired Bhri Stokes to take a stab at it. Her cover, of an apocalyptic landscape, color matched for each book, was well received. Then, when the series started getting interest from film companies, my publisher decided to up the ante by re-editing the series and hiring Ian Bristow to create the tinted and twisted lab setting. That is the cover you have now.

Did you learn anything during the writing of your recent book?

Yeah, I learned to be terrified of theoretical geneticists. While the mutant creations in my books exist thousands of years in our future, these maniacs are thinking about how to create them now. Granted, they claim their research is for information purposes only, I am baffled to think what beneficial information can be gleaned from learning how to splice a cow’s DNA into a human’s.

How did you come up with the name of this book?

I wanted it to be the anti-fantasy name. No screaming testosterone, no fragile femmes, no magic swords, nothing that would suggest “more of the same.” That same philosophy is why we did the cover sideways in every iteration. The image is as bent as the story.

Do your characters seem to hijack the story, or do you feel like you have the reigns of the story?

Since I never plot or outline, other than specific scenes where I need a desired outcome, the characters don’t hijack my story as much as they co-author it.

One of my wife’s favorite stories involves us sitting on my porch while I described a lengthy argument I’d had with a character who felt I was stunting their development and how, when all was said and done, the character won.

Convince us why you feel your book is a must-read.

I figured out a biologically feasible way for lesbians to get pregnant without men. I’ll admit, it can’t be done now, but it has given several readers goals in their careers.

EXCERPT

In the village of Go-Chi, an unusual clan gathers. They will not draw stares. They will not get acknowledged. To do so would invite death or worse. When five of the wastelands' unrumored show up for drinks, you do exactly what the innkeeper did. You serve them drinks and hope, like Zanubi, they pay. He's in luck; they will... later.

N'leah and R'yune are the first to arrive at the haven bar. She spins a chair around, so her wings won't get caught. R'yune grabs a couple of more chairs as Sland enters. He screams an order for three flagons of skank and sits down. N'leah smiles at the uneasy innkeeper. It is not the kind of smile that will endear her to him. It is, however, the kind of smile that makes him check his purse. R'yune growls loudly. Of course, being mute, that's about all he can do.

As the innkeeper, a small furry haven-lord delivers their drinks, Geldish rides in on BraarB, holds up two bony fingers, and waves them in the poor Brand's face. The innkeeper quickly moves to retrieve two more flagons. When he returns, BraarB grabs his bar rag, wipes the even mists from her breasts, and hands it to N'leah so she can do the same. The innkeeper wisely holds his tongue. He needed a new bar rag anyway. He does not want his bar rag to need a new innkeeper. Besides, it will make a great souvenir if he gets it back. Novelty items have never hurt the innkeeping business.

Geldish grins inwardly at the scene. He is enjoying the discomfort. They know it is rare for the fringe to enter Go-Chi. It is still rarer for a Rangka to join them. However, it is now time to get this meeting underway. Before he can begin, Sland shifts uncomfortably.

"Speak, you fucking sack of bones," he decides to get this over with so he can get back to the hunt. "I have traveled far to be here. Why have you summoned us? And for what reason?"

N'leah glances over at her new skank companion and smiles. This smile would endear her to anyone. She turns to face Geldish.

"What he lacks in subtlety, he makes up for in truth. Why are we here?"

He lets the question hang unanswered for a moment. So he answers. He wants them to see the flame in his eyes. He wants them to contemplate who and what they are questioning. He wants them to think—to think long and hard about the flames. To think long and hard about how those flames came to take the place of eyes and what it means now that they have. His pause has accomplished its goal.

"To kill Xhaknar's army, bring water to Go-Chi, and to make many goldens."

Each of them looks like they are trapped in a tiny room with an extremely large problem. Truth be known, they are. Most of their skank ends up on the floor, either from oral and nasal projection or dropped flagons.

Any hope this is some sick, elaborate joke dies in the flames of Geldish's eyes. Quite a lot could die in those eyes. Humor is definitely on that long list. Two full epi-cliks go by without a

muscle being twitched. It's almost as if the air had been sucked from the room. It could have been, and Geldish wouldn't have cared one bit.

Of course, it would absolutely ruin everyone else's turn.

The innkeeper sees what has happened and runs over with a round of new drinks. These are finished in one gulp by everyone except Geldish. He sips his slowly.

BraarB inhales deeply, "Well, okay, anything else?"

"Well, it seems we could do with more skank." Geldish grins outwardly. It is not the type of grin which inspires humor or warmth.

Amazon * Bookbub * Goodreads

 

Book Links:
Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Brittle-Riders-Book-One-ebook/dp/B0BK9TPM67

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-brittle-riders-by-bill-mccormick

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63127274-the-brittle-riders-book-one

 

Book Trailer:

https://youtu.be/Mjo7TDWXPWg

 

About the Author


BILL McCORMICK is an award-winning and critically acclaimed author of several novels, graphic novels, and comic book series, and has appeared in numerous anthologies. He began writing professionally in 1986 for the Chicago Rocker Magazine in conjunction with his radio show on Z-95 (ABC-FM) and went on to write for several other magazines and blogs. He wrote a twisted news & science blog at WorldNewsCenter.org. It provided source material for his weekly radio show on WBIG 1280 AM, FOX!, which aired from 10/2010 to 8/2022. Bill is a big fan of music and this rainbow-haired goddess who married him just for fun. You can find out more about him at BillMcSciFi.com.

 

Website * Facebook * X * Instagram * Amazon * Goodreads

 

Author Links

Website:  https://billmcscifi.com/

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

X: https://x.com/billmcscifi

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bigbadbillmcscifi

Amazon:   https://www.amazon.com/stores/Bill-McCormick/author/B01N4R4EP9

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1486747.Bill_McCormick

  

 


 

Giveaway

$10 Amazon

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

https://bit.ly/BrittleRidersTour

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