Sarah King's Blog

They say not to judge a book by its cover but I need you to do just that. If you liked the cover of my book, Of Ash & Shadow (The Triskelion Series Book 1), please vote for it for the Cover of the Month contest on AllAuthor.com!

I’m getting closer to clinch the “Cover of the Month” contest on AllAuthor! I’d need as much support from you guys. Please take a short moment to vote for my book cover here:
Click to Vote!

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AVAILABLE NOW!

The Demon Tailor is a chilling Horror novella perfect for this Halloween Season!

After being erased from history for over 400 years, a historical serial killer returns to terrify readers.

In sixteenth-century France, seventeen-year-old Marie dreams of leaving behind her life at a rural inn for the excitement of Paris. But she grows anxious when her brother vanishes and then a girl from her village disappears. Rumors spread of a dangerous creature lurking near the city. Some say the villain is a crazed man. Most say werewolf. Marie refuses to be cowed by either.

Then she is snatched—and discovers true evil.

Marie finds herself in the grips of a ruthless monster, and giving up would be easy. Trapped in her brutal captor’s deadly game, Marie must stay strong during agonizing brutality before she becomes his next victim. Filled with supernatural twists and characters from nightmares, The Demon Tailor is a chilling horror novella. 

get it here




ABOUT THE AUTHOR



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Susan McCauley is a writer / producer of paranormal, fantasy, and horror films and fiction for adults, young adults, and middle grade audiences and readers. Susan fell in love with writing, theater, and film when she was eight-years-old. That passion inspired her to receive a B.A. in Radio-Television with a minor in Theater from the University of Houston, a M.F.A. in Professional Writing from the University of Southern California, and a M.A. in Text & Performance from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and King’s College in London. Susan also studied acting at Playhouse West with Robert Carnegie and Jeff Goldblum (Jurassic Park, Independence Day) in Los Angeles.

While living in Los Angeles, Susan wrote the story for and produced a short film, which later won awards at the Houston International Film Festival and the Seabrook Film Festival. In 2002, she moved to London to further explore professional theater. While in London, her stage adaptation of Nikolai Gogol’s “The Nose” was performed at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art’s George Bernard Shaw Theatre; and, scenes from her play The Prisoner: Princess Elizabeth were performed at HMS Tower of London. She returned home to the U.S. in 2005. In 2007, she was the line producer of the Emmy Award nominated Civil War short film Now & Forever Yours: Letters to an Old Soldier.

Susan has several short stories published, one of which, “The Cask”, was made into an award winning short film. “The Cask” was republished in the Camden Park Press anthology Quoth the Raven, which won Best Anthology of 2018 in a readers’ poll and was on the preliminary ballot for the Bram Stoker Awards. Susan has two feature length screenplays in development and her second novel will be released in February 2020.

Susan loves travel, animals (especially cats), movies, theatre, taekwondo, and books (of course!)
WEB     BOOKBUB     PATREON     FACEBOOK     TWITTER     INSTAGRAM

The post The Demon Tailor by Susan McCauley appeared first on Sarah King.

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Review of From Blood & Ash / Kingdom of Flesh & Fire…sit down, strap in, and prepare for me to SQUEEEEEEEEEE A LOT! I think this may be my favorite series I’ve read so far this year! I cannot say enough good things, but check out the blurb for book one below before I continue to flip out over Poppy & Hawke!

Blurb for From Blood & Ash:

Captivating and action-packed, From Blood and Ash is a sexy, addictive, and unexpected fantasy perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Laura Thalassa.

A Maiden…

Chosen from birth to usher in a new era, Poppy’s life has never been her own. The life of the Maiden is solitary. Never to be touched. Never to be looked upon. Never to be spoken to. Never to experience pleasure. Waiting for the day of her Ascension, she would rather be with the guards, fighting back the evil that took her family, than preparing to be found worthy by the gods. But the choice has never been hers.

A Duty…

The entire kingdom’s future rests on Poppy’s shoulders, something she’s not even quite sure she wants for herself. Because a Maiden has a heart. And a soul. And longing. And when Hawke, a golden-eyed guard honor bound to ensure her Ascension, enters her life, destiny and duty become tangled with desire and need. He incites her anger, makes her question everything she believes in, and tempts her with the forbidden.

A Kingdom…

Forsaken by the gods and feared by mortals, a fallen kingdom is rising once more, determined to take back what they believe is theirs through violence and vengeance. And as the shadow of those cursed draws closer, the line between what is forbidden and what is right becomes blurred. Poppy is not only on the verge of losing her heart and being found unworthy by the gods, but also her life when every blood-soaked thread that holds her world together begins to unravel.

^ This is me after FINALLY finishing both books in the From Blood & Ash series by Jennifer L. Armentrout!

Where do I even begin with these books? Poppy. I have to start with Poppy because she is a kickass character from beginning to end without being annoying. I have dived back into reading a lot and what I notice is strong female characters can fall into 2 categories – amazing or devastatingly annoying.

Poppy is the Maiden. What does this mean? If you believe the Ascended, she was chosen by the Gods. A symbol for her people. She is told where to go, what to eat, who she can and cannot speak to, she must constantly wear a veil so no one can ever see her face, and oh yeah – she is never to fight, which means guards 24/7.

What makes Poppy so wonderful is that throughout the first book she desperately wants the Duke and Duchess to be pleased with her, to do as she’s told, but her personality and zeal for life will never allow that. Which is why she knows how to defend herself better than most soldiers, she’s got more spunk than should be able to fit in her tiny body, and she ends up breaking every rule given to the Maiden.

I loved Poppy’s journey because she is strong from the start, but she struggles with this even until the end of book two. Breaking years of conditioning is difficult and Ms. Armentrout portrays this spectacularly with Poppy as she comes to realize that she is not the Maiden and trying to force herself into this box is killing her.

Poppy is a heroine anyone can get behind. She isn’t the false strong that we see with some female leads these days. She makes mistakes and owns up to them, she allows vulnerability for herself and others without judgment. She’s strong when she needs to be, but gentle too and caring beyond belief. She understands that courage is not the absence of fear, but overcoming that fear while still experiencing it.

She’s human. Beautifully so. And it’s refreshing.

Hawke similarly is larger than life as many YA/NA hero’s are, but despite putting on masks that make him out to be the sarcastic, macho hero there is a tenderness beneath that he displays when he can, when he doesn’t need to fool people. He and Poppy butt heads constantly between book one and two for very good reasons and when they finally explode and are actually honest with each other, the vulnerability and the beauty of their love for each other is EVERYTHING!

Moving on from just the wonderfulness that is Poppy and Hawke…not to mention the cast of side characters – Kieran I’m looking at you, you magnificent man – the story that Jennifer L. Armentrout created is:

I applaud her for bringing vampires back and making them INTERESTING! We all know what happened after Twilight. The influx of vampire stories was like a tsunami taking out the entire continental US. I swore of vampire books after Twilight and figured I’d never want to read another one, because, honestly, what else was there to do with them?

THIS! THERE WAS F-ING THIS!

I bow down to you, Jennifer Armentrout. From Blood & Ash introduces the Craven, bloodthirsty vampires who are just mindless killing machines. They’re rightfully terrifying and so poisonous/murderous that every city worth its salt in FBA has what she calls a ‘Rise,’ aka a giant wall, surrounding it.

Ah, but the genius, oh the genius, is that the Craven aren’t the only vampires in this story and the mythology as well as the lies delve so much deeper than simple bloodthirsty animals trying to rip peoples jugulars out.

I don’t want to spoil either book, so you need to go read them, but if you want a fresh take on vampires and vampire creation myths – THIS IS THE BOOK SERIES!

Between the story and the characters, Jennifer Armentrout also didn’t disappoint with the world building, clearly taking elements from our world to help ground the reader in her fantasy world, while creating amazing flora and fauna to help yank the reader under the books surface and drown them in the atmosphere of Poppy’s world!

I bought both these books on Kindle and I already plan to buy them in hardcover so I can put them on my shelves and return to Poppy & Hawke’s world whenever the fancy tickles me.

I will mention, these books are clearly more adult so there are sex scenes. If that’s not something you’re interested in, while I hate to say skip the books, well these books may not be for you.

The post Review: From Blood & Ash / Kingdom of Flesh & Fire appeared first on Sarah King.

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Review: Hell & Back by Julie Rowe

Hell & Back Blurb:

Racing to lock down the CDC’s deadly virus samples from terrorists, ex-Special Forces medic Henry Lee partners with Ruby Toth on the Outbreak Task Force. But the terrorists always seem one step ahead. As they work side by side, Henry’s taken with how Ruby accepts and respects him, instead of pitying him for all he lost overseas, including his leg. Ruby’s hiding something, though, and Henry fears she’s been leaking sensitive information.

Terrorists have kidnapped her brother, and now microbiologist Ruby Toth faces a horrible choice. If she doesn’t give them a vial of Small Pox as ransom, her brother will die. She knows her prickly—yet very hot—boss, Henry, could provide the help she needs. But she joined the CDC to root out insiders plotting to unleash a bio-engineered pandemic, and she can’t trust anyone. Not even Henry.

Each book in the Outbreak Task Force series is STANDALONE:
* Viable Threat
* Smoke & Mirrors
* Sleight of Hand
* Search & Destroy
* Hell & Back

Hell & Back…just wow. Guys, you don’t know how long I’ve been waiting for Henry’s story. I picked up my first book by Julie Rowe back in February – Viable Threat, the first in the Outbreak Task Force series and I’ve been hooked ever since.

Since diving into Viable Threat I’ve wanted Henry’s story. He’s grumpy, grouchy, and all kinds of sexy. Not to mention wicked smart and the perfect amount of Alpha male while also appreciating a strong woman.

Yes, I am drooling.

I literally died when I was able to get my hands on this ARC in exchange for an honest review. And let me just say Henry and Ruby did not disappoint. Neither did Ms. Rowe with her story arc! This is the last book in her Outbreak Task Force (so sad about that) and I was wondering how Ms. Rowe was going to tie everything together! Brilliant. As always, Hell & Back was a twisting, turning adventure of edge-of-your-seat action that makes you worry for Henry and Ruby even though you know they’ll make it in the end.

Henry is a veteran with a lot of battle wounds – and I don’t just mean his lost leg. Losing his battle, as he refers them in the book, did a doozy on him, leaving him gruff and grumpy to keep people at arms length. Bring in Ruby, adorable, sweet, will claw-your-face-if-you-piss-her-off, Ruby. She’s, of course, Henry’s kryptonite and vice versa, the two working for months prior to the books start, making the bubbling tension spill over to a boil when they’re trapped, surrounded, and near death. It makes them falling for each other more believable, but even if they had just met, their lust to love story is still one I’d swoon over.

They are the yin to each others yang. Perfect for each other and the ending was the happily-ever-after I wanted for not just them, but all the characters. I’m so sad to see them go, but glad to know they all ended up happy in their own ways.

Now, to reread all of them so I can live in their world just a little bit longer!

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I’m so excited to be a part of Victoria Marswell‘s Book Tour for her recent romantic suspense release – The Counterfeiter’s Daughter!

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Blurb:

An empathetic psychologist, Madelyn Brighton trusts no one. She maintains a solitary and organized life with a serene view of the beach.

Everything changes when bad news forces her to leave sunny California and travel to Bavaria in southern Germany. Amid 19th-century castles and dark family secrets, she must deal with the repercussions of her estranged father’s shocking counterfeiting crimes when she secretly inherits a priceless artifact.

Complications ensue when Madelyn reluctantly partners with the adventurous, blue-eyed archaeologist Jake Nolan. He promises to help her evade Leon Von Füssen, a prominent and wealthy art conservator who keeps them on the run as he tries to get his hands on the valuable museum piece Madelyn hides.

Madelyn finds herself caught in the middle of a rivalry between Jake and Leon. Will she succeed at protecting the innocent victims affected by her father’s mistakes, trust Jake with her safety and open herself to love again? Or will the counterfeiter’s daughter suffer the fallout of her father’s choices?

Join Madelyn on her thrilling journey of romantic suspense—from disillusionment to faith, bitterness to forgiveness, and loneliness to the prospect of love.

My Book Tour review of The Counterfeiter’s Daughter…

Madelyn definitely gets swept away on a whirlwind adventure in the Counterfeiter’s daughter, though it does take a little time to get into the story. Thankfully a hero on a motorcycle is my kind of guy any day of the week. Unfortunately for work-focused, fatherless Madelyn, she’s thrust into a world not too unlike Indiana Jones due to her absentee-dad who got in too deep with antique smugglers.

Like any good romance you have to have a handsome hero, and Jake Nolan fits that bill. If Jake is Indiana Jones, Madelyn is his Marion. Though Madelyn and Jake’s ending is a far happier one than the aforementioned Jones & Marion. The romance in TCD is a slow sweet burn, building across the whole book to a satisfying resolution.

Europe has a host of beautiful locations which Marswell takes advantage of in her novel, taking the reader on as much of an adventure as the characters. In a time when travel is difficult or non-existent due to COVID, having an far off escape through TCD is a nice way to leave our houses behind and experience a little bit of the world without ever having to get off the couch.

TCD is a little slow to start, but once the adventure begins it picks up. My biggest difficulty while reading actually had to do more with the formatting of the ebook than the content of the story. Due to a lack of indentation the paragraphs appeared to run together, making it harder to read as the blocks of text were vast. Still, if you like a fun, jaunty romantic suspense The Counterfeiter’s Daughter by Victoria Marswell may be your cup of tea.

AMAZON US



AMAZON UK

About the Author:

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Victoria Marswell is a romantic suspense author. Victoria started writing poetry and short stories in her early teens. She majored in biblical studies at Hope International University and incorporates inspirational Christian themes into her writings. Victoria is a world traveler and sets her stories in the locations she has visited. At 17, she traveled to Germany and Austria where she was inspired to write her debut novel, The Counterfeiter’s Daughter. Victoria continues to travel the world; creating and writing romantic and thrilling adventures. She lived in Orange County, CA for 38 years and currently resides in Portsmouth, NH.

Website



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The post The Counterfeiter’s Daughter Book Tour appeared first on Sarah King.

Three reviews for the price of one…Yeah, this post is gonna look a little different ha-ha. Normally, I read one book at a time. This week, I’ve read three. All at the same time. I sort of feel like a teenager again. It’s been a while since I’ve read three novels in such close succession.

Here’s what happened.

My initial intention was to only read House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig.

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Book Blurb:

In a manor by the sea, twelve sisters are cursed.

Annaleigh lives a sheltered life at Highmoor with her sisters and their father and stepmother. Once there were twelve, but loneliness fills the grand halls now that four of the girls’ lives have been cut short. Each death was more tragic than the last–the plague, a plummeting fall, a drowning, a slippery plunge–and there are whispers throughout the surrounding villages that the family is cursed by the gods.

Disturbed by a series of ghostly visions, Annaleigh becomes increasingly suspicious that her sister’s deaths were no accidents. The girls have been sneaking out every night to attend glittering balls, dancing until dawn in silk gowns and shimmering slippers, and Annaleigh isn’t sure whether to try to stop them or to join their forbidden trysts. Because who–or what–are they really dancing with?

When Annaleigh’s involvement with a mysterious stranger who has secrets of his own intensifies, it’s a race to unravel the darkness that has fallen over her family–before it claims her next. House of Salt and Sorrows is a spellbinding novel filled with magic and the rustle of gossamer skirts down long, dark hallways. Get ready to be swept away.

So what happened?

I started reading House of Salt and Sorrows, and I’ll say up front I enjoyed it immensely. But, the problem became that my past showed up to distract me. As some of you may know, Midnight Sun by Stephanie Meyers came out this week. It’s Twilight from Edwards POV.

I was NOT going to read this book.

And then I did. Why you might ask? Well… Because nostalgia. Here’s where I fall within the Twilight reader world. There are those who absolutely love Twilight to this day. There are those who absolutely hate Twilight to this day.

I am both of those people.



At sixteen, I received Twilight for my birthday from a friend.

I ended up devouring it, loving it. I read it in a day before picking up the second, which I believe had just released. At the time, I was the teenager at the start of the Twilight craze. It was just launched, and the books I had before were amazing, but Twilight was a phenomena no one had ever seen before. So, it was easy to love at the time. It was also the first romance novel I’d read, considering my prior reads were Harry Potter and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Obviously, far better works of literature, but still…different.

At twenty, four years after the whole Twilight madness, I’d lost my love for the books.

I went back and tried to reread them and struggled. The writing was far from what I remembered, and nowhere near as good as what I read after Twilight released. Not to mention, having learned so much more about writing, I recognized all the reasons given for hating these books. It had major flaws.

I’m twenty-nine now. And I fall in the gray area between loving and hating Twilight.

I will never read the saga again. I maintain the same perspective I had when I was twenty, but I also came to realize that I don’t hate Twilight. How can I?

I’m a writer, in the YA genre, and Twilight is the reason YA has come so far. YA was not a well known genre before Twilight. Not to say it wasn’t there, that there were no books published under that genre. But, Twilight rocketed it into a much more prominent genre within publishing and bookshops. It went from being a tiny corner in my local borders, to taking up nearly the whole back wall of the shop after Twilight.

How can I hate those books and their author for jump starting the genre I love so much? At twenty-nine I recognize the significance of that and have a healthy respect for what she did for YA. As well as the authors who have continued to keep YA as such a prominent genre since then.

So when Midnight Sun was published I told myself I wasn’t going to read it, but then it was all over my Facebook. I am part of so many groups and each one was blowing up about this book and how excited people were to finally read it. Unable to escape it’s cover, I wound up on Amazon reading the preview. Then, I found myself purchasing the book. I mainly sped read it, which is why it only took me 2 days to get through, but being on the other side of that 670+ page behemoth I have several thoughts.

First and foremost, it wasn’t bad.

Meyers writing has clearly matured and gotten better making it easier to read MS than go back and read the original saga. Edward was still an angsty teen as he was in the original books, but being in his POV was actually more interesting. I think if Meyers had done more from his POV originally the books would have made more sense. You see a much more interesting side of both characters in this book as well as a look at all the things happening when they aren’t together. Which, reading MS reminded me that was a lot of time. Hence the thickness of MS compared to Twilight.

I’m glad I read MS. It was nostalgic. I reminded me why I loved the original at 16, while also giving me better insight into why I hated it at 20. I’ve reached a point where if you asked ‘should I read Twilight’ I’d say go for it, because my opinion may not be yours and I begrudge no one their love of a book. I can’t. Because Twilight kept me reading. It’s a stepping stone on my reader’s journey, which took me onto greater books.

So, thanks Stephanie Meyers.

That was my first detour away from House of Salt and Sorrows. At that point I was 150 pages into the novel by Ms. Craig and enjoying it, but I was also I think waiting for it to pick up a little. To see where the connection to the 12 Dancing Princesses came into play. I didn’t have to wait long. The book immediately picked up and I found myself nearing page 300 out of 405. What I realized, though, while reading is, I think, that House of Salt and Sorrows is a book I should have bought in paperback or hardcover form instead of an ebook.

There are just some books that read better in physical copy. I think this, for me, is one of them. House of Salt and Sorrows is a book to read in bed, with the lights dimmed, and the mood a little spooky. It is a Dark Fantasy/Horror after all.

So I hit about page 267, the book is moving well, the mystery is interesting, the romance is quiet in this book, but I still love it. What happened?

Remember, three reviews for the price of one…so bear with me.

Julie Rowe, a romance author I love to read and also admire, sent out her newsletter on August 4th. Not only was one of her recent novels on sale, she was also announcing when the next in her other series I adore would be released. I was ecstatic and immediately purchased Trapped with the Secret Agent. Psst, it’s still on sale today, though I believe it ends today just fyi.

Sarah King.

Welcome to my Friday Book Club! This week I read A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas.



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Blurb:

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a terrifying creature arrives to demand retribution. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she knows about only from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not truly a beast, but one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled her world.

At least, he’s not a beast all the time.

As she adapts to her new home, her feelings for the faerie, Tamlin, transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie she’s been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But something is not right in the faerie lands. An ancient, wicked shadow is growing, and Feyre must find a way to stop it, or doom Tamlin-and his world-forever.

From bestselling author Sarah J. Maas comes a seductive, breathtaking book that blends romance, adventure, and faerie lore into an unforgettable read.

Promises & Payoffs.

Promises and payoffs were something I learned about in Graduate school. As writers we set promises at the start of a novel, which we must then pay out by the end. As readers of ACOTAR, we are promised romance and adventure told through the lens of faerie lore in a way that is both seductive and breathtaking. That’s a big promise! In some ways, it held up to those promises, the romance was seductive as Feyre and Tamlin came together. In other ways, I don’t think it held up to it’s promises.

I do wish that the Faerie world was given more life throughout the novel. While I loved hearing about pools of starlight, there was less of that than I would have liked – though I will say that I am a reader who enjoys more description than some others. I also appreciated Feyre’s reunion with her sisters, who I thoroughly hated in the beginning, and came to understand by the end. And, as often happens with me, a side character was my favorite – Lucien’s snark and sad backstory made me feel for him deeply.

In the end, I liked ACOTAR.



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Welcome to the Friday Book Club: The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones,

Okay, so I know it isn’t actually Friday. Wishful thinking. But, normally I’d have posted this review on a Friday so I’m going to keep the name and try and do better in the future. The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones is a YA novel I started weeks ago. My intention was to be done weeks ago. It is no fault of the book though that my plans went awry. It’s life. Between having family over for July 4th and then a week of dog puke, dog poop, and dog escapes, there was little time left for reading. Thankfully, Kita is doing better on a diet of rice and chicken, and we’re hoping that whatever upset her tummy won’t continue once we switch her back onto her normal food. But, enough about pups and life.

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The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones

Seventeen-year-old Aderyn (“Ryn”) only cares about two things: her family and her family’s graveyard. And right now, both are in dire straits. Since the death of their parents, Ryn and her siblings have been scraping together a meager existence as gravediggers in the remote village of Colbren, which sits at the foot of a harsh and deadly mountain range that was once home to the fae. The problem with being a gravedigger in Colbren, though, is that the dead don’t always stay dead.

The risen corpses are known as “bone houses,” and legend says that they’re the result of a decades-old curse. When Ellis, an apprentice mapmaker with a mysterious past, arrives in town, the bone houses attack with new ferocity. What is it that draws them near? And more importantly, how can they be stopped for good?

Together, Ellis and Ryn embark on a journey that will take them into the heart of the mountains, where they will have to face both the curse and the deeply-buried truths about themselves. Equal parts classic horror novel and original fairytale, The Bone Houses will have you spellbound from the very first page. (From Amazon)

First off, I will start by saying I am glad I read this tale. My friend Michelle, an avid reader, recommended it knowing what she does about my own novel, Of Ash & Shadow, and it’s background in Celtic mythology. Whereas I delve heavily into the Irish lore, Ms. Lloyd-Jones uses Welsh mythology for the cultural background of her story.

Aderyn, Ryn for short, is a fun heroine to follow. She is everything a proper lady isn’t and for that, she is quite endearing. She’s not the best in social situations and yet I know I’d want her as a friend. Ellis is her exact opposite, better trained for high society, and entirely out of place within the small town of Colbren. Due to an old injury, Ellis is less suited to fighting, though he holds his own when he must, it makes their teaming up a fun flip on old tropes.

While both protagonists are easy to like for their flaws and their strengths, the secondary characters too are filled with life – even the Bone Houses, the risen dead. I think, funnily enough, my favorite secondary character would have to be the family goat. She is thoroughly amusing throughout and I honestly looked forward to her every appearance.

The Bone Houses does read like a classic fairytale, though I don’t really count it as horror. Though I enjoyed the tale, it did not make my heart clench or my pulse race in the manner I would expect from a horror novel. Of course, that could just be me, and just because I don’t believe it isn’t horror doesn’t mean it isn’t still a great story.

Unlike some other YA where the story moves you speedily along, racing for the end, The Bone Houses read more like a leisurely stroll. I found myself wanting to read slower, not because the story was boring or the writing hard to understand, but because the natural pace is like Ryn and Ellis’s journey – winding and carefully measured. The read felt much like how Ellis makes his maps, it takes a little longer, but in the end, it’s worth the extra time.

Ultimately, I’d recommend The Bone Houses to anyone who just wants a fun read.

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Updates…my update is more a question – is it September 15th yet?

I know we’re all looking to get out of 2020 and fast, but right now I’ll settle for making it to release day! Life has been stressful. I’m still as excited today for Of Ash & Shadow’s release as I was last month when I announced the publication date. But, the build up to the release requires a lot of work, which I am willing to do, but was not aware of when diving into this endeavor.

Rewrites I mentioned in my previous update are complete and final edits are under way. I’m excited by the revised ending of the book and hope it resonates with readers the way I hope. A big shout out to my critique partner Nina. She is tirelessly chugging through my chapters so OAAS is perfect on publication day! Also, for coining the term Faebies aka Fae babies aka Wyn and Keir. She’s terrified I’m going to hurt them haha. Glad to know she’s invested in their lives as much as I am invested in her characters lives. Nina, if you’re reading this, you know what you did

Of Ash & Shadow debuts on September 15th which is SO FAR AWAY! At least, with the way 2020 is going right now, it feels that way. Which is why I thought it would be fun to post a little sneak peek!

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Exclusive Excerpt: 
Advance Excerpt From Of Ash & Shadow

As always, please don’t copy and paste exclusive material online.
Thanks!

Sneak Peak at Of Ash & Shadow

By Sarah King

Cyrus, gun drawn, led the pack. “Explain.”

Wyn’s head drooped, chin hitting her chest, shoulders slumped. Muttering under her breath, she collapsed onto the walkway lining the tunnel. Her hands braced her back against the wall, which was cool, but clean. Deep enough into their encampment, the walls and floors were power washed with disinfectant looted from the rundown Walmart near US-7. A sewer did not a home make, but everyone worked hard to transform the only safe place in town.

Keir remained close, half shielding her. She decided to ignore the significance of his stance to focus on Cyrus. Hard gray eyes were laser focused on Keir. The threat. Cyrus lived by his teachings. Never let your guard down around the enemy. It kept them all alive. At his temple, beneath his midnight skin, throbbed a vein she saw only in times of tremendous stress.

Usually, those times were caused by her.

“Summer Prince, lost stone, stupid-fucking quest, and Mr. We’re-Taking-The-Hobbits-To-Isengard as my guide.”

Throb, throb, throb.

A group of younger trainees, clustered behind the mob of twenty mercs, giggled. Their voices were like a chorus of birds twittering in the trees. Wyn didn’t hide her grin. Cyrus made all active duty soldiers work with their youngest recruits. A mental health measure, to keep them all from sinking into the darkness and despair of their savaged world. Though she’d never admit it, Wyn found spare moments of peace with their littles.

Cyrus sighed, the sound heavier than the weight of her quest. After two years under his tutelage and numerous broken bones on both their accounts and hundreds of suicidal fae-killing missions, Wyn wanted a pat on the back for such an accomplishment. No one frustrated Cyrus more than she. This was a badge she’d wear with pride.

He rubbed his eyes with thumb and forefinger then pegged her with his steely-gray gaze.

“Why did I take you in?” he asked of no one in particular, muttering under his breath while waving off the group at his back. “Reckless. Stubborn. No self-worth. A walking time bomb. My own damn fault. Dang soft spot for the broken ones. Fine, let me see.”

Wyn let Cyrus haul her onto her feet and support her. “Best merc you ever trained.”

“Lucky you survived this long.”

“Trained by the best.”

“Kiss ass.”

“Love you too.”

Wyn’s words rang hollow, even to her ears. No doubt Cyrus heard the echo in them too. Inside her chest, her heart didn’t swell or squeeze or beat faster or slower. This was their norm. A ritual. Two years fighting side by side. They had a routine.

Read more on September 15, 2020 when Of Ash & Shadows, the first book in my Triskelion Series, debuts!



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Copyright 2020 Sarah King

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