Call
of the Wolf
Dark
Blood Trilogy, Book
One
by R
Murray
Genre: Paranormal Fantasy
Date of Publication: 30/1/2018
ASIN: B078YSRNL6
Number of pages: 182
Word Count: 47250
Cover Artist: LKO Designs
Book Description:
Emilie and Melaina are the only
two immortal witches that have been chosen by the Lamia to take the gift of
eternal life. Two sisters, but two very different souls. One wields magic so
dark and evil that even the devil himself fears her. The other holds the purest
of magic with a darkness buried deep within.
When Emilie is set amongst the
wolves to find out the latest game they play she finds herself swept away by
the magic of the youngest wolf Maccon.
But Emilie holds her own dark
secret, one so enormous, it threatens to destroy all that the Lamia have
protected for centuries. A secret that could bring a new rule over all of the
Forsaken. A secret that if discovered would bring forth the ultimate war
between nature’s monsters.
Will Emilie answer the call of
the wolf or will the White Witch be consumed by the darkness threatening her world?
Loyalties will be tested. Blood
will be shed. Bonds will be formed as the war for immortality becomes its
deadliest yet.
Call
of the Wolf Excerpt:
Prologue
16th century
France
The smell of
death lingered in the air, like a foul blanket of hell as Aleron took a path
through the endless bodies that scattered the recent battle field. Bodies of
all shapes, sizes, and forms. It did not matter if they were wolves, shifters,
vampires or witches they were all still dead. Taken so cruelly from this world,
and for what? A want for eternity? A hope to live with the blood of
immortality? The blood that only a certain family of Vampires possess. That
family being his. It was world known that the Lamia were the most powerful
Vampire clan amongst all of the Forsaken. They ruled France and had done so for
many centuries, but Aleron was not ashamed to admit that he did not believe in
his brother’s visions. The want to only allow Vampires to live with the Dark
Blood of immortality. Aleron longed to have all the Forsaken live in peace, and
that should they choose eternal life then it would be granted. Although it was
rumoured that the vampires could not turn a wolf. A witch yes, that had been
proven just recently, and now the Lamia had the loyalty of the most powerful
witch sisters in all the lands. But they could not turn a shifter, a wolf, or
any of Mother Nature’s monsters for that matter. Yet Thanatos had failed to
mention this to the opposition. Then why would he? All his brother cared about
was destroying any creature who was not a vampire, or that was of no use to
him, which seemed to be a majority of their universe.
Stopping by the
mauled body of one of his fellow vampires, it was clear that a wolf had done
this damage, next to him lay the naked form of a man who had no doubt been that
wolf. The wolves came from England, it had been centuries that the English and
the French had been fighting with each other. The mortals saw it so often, just
thinking yet another political disagreement from either side, what they did not
know was that in fact it was the longest and deadliest disagreement within the
Forsaken world, that was in fact causing these wars. Luckily this particular
fight had not leaked out to the mortals, and this recent massacre would be
cleared up long before the humans heard anything of it.
Stepping over
the dead wolf, Aleron made his way quickly through the remaining carpet of
bodies, needing to get away from death. He was a vampire, yes, but unlike the
rest of his species he did not crave the smell of death, he did not long for
the blood of the humans, he preferred that of animals. He was not a killer. He
needed to devise a way to bring peace to all the Forsaken. These deaths were
not needed.
“There is a
way.” A rough voice stopped him causing Aleron to turn quickly, his fangs
pushing at his gums ready to spring into action should he need to defend
himself. Behind him stood a soul that he had never seen before and if he was
honest he hoped he never would again. The creature that stood before him was
like no other he had ever seen. Hunched over an old wooden stick, it was
cloaked in tattered rags, that just about covered a decaying body. The smell
only matched the image, that of an aging corpse, and Aleron had to stop himself
from emptying his morning meal on the ground. He was used to the smell of
rotting flesh, he had spent many hours down in the Bastille at his brother’s
side as Thanatos tortured both the mortals and the non-humans, but that smell
was nothing compared to what was in front of him. Black holes where eyes should
have been stared straight at him causing him to shiver, as he forced himself to
let his own emerald green eyes travel over the face of this thing. If a face
was what you could call it. It seemed more like a piece of dried up skin pulled
taut over a skull. Blue lips added to the effect of death and Aleron found
himself stepping back slightly, his fangs still hovering below the surface of
his gums.
“Forgive me. But
I do not believe we have met. My name is Aleron. I am…”
“I know who you
are Lord Aleron.” The creature interrupted, causing Aleron to bristle slightly
at being stopped mid-sentence; just who
was this monster? “I do not care for formalities. You want a way to stop this
war. To bring piece among your kind. And I am here to tell you there is a way.”
“How did you
know? I never spoke my thoughts out loud. Just who are you? I am not inclined
to take advice from a stranger who is barely hanging on to life.” Aleron
snapped, his anger boiling just below his skin, it was taking all his will power to stop himself
from becoming the full monster he could become.
“I do not need
you to speak you fool. I can step inside the mind of any being, living or dead
and read their deepest thoughts. I do not have much time, and I will not waste
what little I do have with you. You either want my advice or you do not. I see
the future, I know what can happen, should you do as I tell you young vampire,”
the creature spoke. Aleron forced a calm over himself, he wanted nothing more
than peace, and if there was a way that could be achieved then he was certain
he would listen. If he could make his visions a reality then he was going to
take the chance offered to him. What the foul being said next though was not
something he was ready for, and if anything, it only confused matters more and
made his hopes shatter.
“Seek out the
White Witch. Seek out her heart and her soul, for she is the only one that can
give you what it is that you need to bring peace amongst the Forsaken.”
The
Wings of Faith
The
Dark Blood Trilogy, Book
Two
by R
Murray
Genre: Paranormal fantasy
Date of Publication: 27/2/2018
ASIN: B07929215J
Number of pages: 172
Word Count: 45157
Cover Artist: LKO Designs
Book Description:
For a century Samantha has not
known her true purpose. She knows she possess the gift of Immortality, that she
is both a vampire and a witch, but she knows nothing else of her fate and her
future. Believing her parents are dead she has learnt to survive alone except
for the loyal companionship of the white wolf Randi, whom she saved from near
death, and the eagle shifter Talon.
When news of the discovery of
such power that it could change the world of the Forsaken comes, Samantha finds
herself the most hunted immortal amongst her kind.
With no choice but to put her
faith in those that surround her, Samantha must learn to control the power
within that she has held dormant her entire life.
With her past coming back to
haunt her, and the truth of her parentage coming to light Samantha must learn
to trust the new vampire King of France and accept his alliance as he moves the
players into place for the impending war amongst the Forsaken.
New alliances will be formed as
the vampire – witch soon learns that faith is the most powerful weapon when you
are the prize in a deadly game.
The
Wings of Faith Excerpt:
Prologue
16th Century
England
The bitter cold
bit hungrily at the girl as she made her way quickly through the busy streets
of London. She had to find the one person she knew that she could trust, that
she had been told to seek by some vile creature that had come to her mere days
after the birth of her daughter. She shuddered as the image of the monster
sprung to her mind. A rotting corpse was the only way to describe it with eyes
just black holes in a hollow face. It was what death was, and she had thought
that it had come to take her. Instead it had confused her by telling her that
she must head to London and place her daughter in the protection of a sorcerer
that she had never heard of, but for some reason she had trusted this creature
and after a rough journey to London she was now stood outside the run-down
building of the person she was meant to leave her daughter with. The very building the creature had projected
into her mind with some magic even she did not know. Bringing wary eyes up to take
in the rotting wood that just about held up the house she suddenly found
herself wondering if she was in fact doing the right thing. Taking a deep
breath, she raised her hand knocking on the splintered door. In no time at all it swung open revealing an
aging man. His long silver hair was pulled back in a loosely, and his hazel
eyes held a gentle look in them that instantly made the girl relax.
“Ah Emilie. I
have been expecting you. My name is Eli, please come in, before you catch the
death of cold.” Eli spoke, stepping aside to let her in. Emilie did not
hesitate grateful to be out of the bitter winter air. As the door closed behind
her she found herself gasping in amazement. The interior of the battered
building contradicted the outside. It was beautifully decorated in the most
elaborate colours and materials that were clearly from all over the world.
There were endless ornaments that screamed wealth, and the house had a soothing
air about it.
“Yes, I can
imagine that you are wondering why it looks like it does on the outside. It is
to ward off any unwanted guests, to the mortals it just looks like a forgotten
building, and they will not venture to close to it. To our people it is nothing
more than a rotten hell, the smell from the outside keeps them away.” He
explained as if reading her thoughts. Indicating to the chair in front of the
warm fire. “Please sit.”
Emilie did as
she was asked, her eyes falling on the little bundle in her arms. She had not
named the child, had not wanted to, she knew that she would have had to give
her up eventually and she could not bring herself to become attached to her.
But for the first time she felt a hope within her, that her daughter would grow
up safely, protected and one day find her purpose whatever that would be. She
just wished that her father had been able to see his little girl. A pang of
guilt and pain stabbed hungrily at her soul as she thought of Aleron, of her
heart and she longed to have him back in her arms again.
“She will be
safe with me. I can promise you that. I knew this day would come, that one so
powerful would be born. Her time is not yet and will not be for many years, but
when it does come. Your daughter will be the most powerful being of our kind.”
Eli spoke gently, but Emilie could not help hearing the sense of foretelling
hidden in the sorcerer’s words.
“The most
powerful? What do you mean?” Emilie asked, her sudden feeling of hope leaving
her just as quickly. Now she feared what the future would hold for her child.
“Why my dear
child. Who you hold in your arms…is the future Queen of the Forsaken…”
Queen
of the Forsaken
Dark
Blood Trilogy, Book
Three
by R
Murray
Genre: paranormal fantasy
Date of Publication: 27/3/2018
ASIN: B079276PNB
Word Count: 50149
Cover Artist: LKO Designs
Book Description:
With the rise of the Vampire lord
Aleron, long thought dead at the hands of his brother, the game of immortality
plays its deadliest hand yet.
As the plot thickens and players
take their place to defend the rightful Queen of the Forsaken, the vampires of
the Lamia build their own army to keep a hold of what they believe is
rightfully theirs.
Samantha must put aside her
emotions at the discovery that both her parents live and allow them to help her
to channel her powers, the likes of which have never been seen amongst the monsters
of nature.
As the Queen becomes more
powerful and accepts her place at the head of Forsaken the war reaches its epic
conclusion in a bloody battle between Shifters, Wolves, Witches and Vampires.
Those that survive must pick
their side. Will they stand before their new Queen or will they be consumed by
her deadly power?
The gift of immortality is Queen
Samantha’s to give, but only to those who are worthy.
Queen
of the Forsaken Excerpt:
Prologue
France: 100
years ago
The door slammed
shut behind his latest torturer, and as he dragged his battered body to the
corner of the small, cold, stone room, he allowed himself to show a little weakness.
The only audience he had was the dungeon rats, and he was certain they would
not speak of his pain. Closing his eyes briefly, he drew in a shuddering
breath, whimpering slightly from the sharp stab of pain that pulsed through his
body confirming that there were a good few broken ribs from the beatings he had
suffered. His brother, Thanatos, had certainly not held back with making sure
he suffered greatly before his death. Aleron had no regrets on what he had done
to lead him to such a fate, and as he watched the moon begin her climb to claim
her place in the sky of the night he still believed that his dream – his legacy
– would be fulfilled in time. That one day, all of nature’s forsaken creatures
would live in harmony and be given the gift of immortality should they chose
it.
Leaning his head
back against the wall, gingerly stretching out his scared legs, green eyes,
that were so rare on a vampire, scanned the burnt flesh that patterned them.
Blood meant nothing to Thanatos, it was all about power and greed, and this
meant that should family betray him or go against his plans for the Lamia then
he would stop at nothing to have them removed. He did not care about what his
eldest brother thought of him, but the pain that filled his heart when he
thought of his youngest brother Lorcan was almost unbearable. He had thought
that Lorcan at least would have been on his side, understood his reasoning, but
it seemed that he had been brainwashed by Thanatos. He supposed he should not
have been surprised at such a betrayal –Thanatos was a force to be reckoned
with when he wanted something.
He allowed his
mind to wander to his love, the white witch, as she was known. Her beautiful
hazel curls that brushed against her waist, those piercing sapphire blue eyes
that seemed to look so deep into the soul. She was his everything, his heart,
and he did not blame her for the fact that he had been captured. She had been
tricked to reveal his hiding place, and he knew that the threat of their unborn
child’s life had been her downfall. Again, he did not blame her, he had told
her that the child would have to be protected no matter what the outcome would
be for him, that the small miracle would one day be more powerful than any
other being that walked the earth, and that they would be the future, the end
of the long war for immortality that had plagued them all for many years. He
had made Emilie promise that as soon as the child was born she would place a
spell on her that would keep her hidden from the eyes of the Lamia and the Silent
Walkers until such a time came that the child would be able to take their
rightful place amongst the forsaken. He just hoped that Emilie would not allow
the guilt that would no doubt be consuming her to cloud her judgement and make
her forget about her promise. Shaking his head slightly, he cursed himself for
doubting such. Emilie was strong and powerful in her own right, and he knew
that the child’s safety would be at the forefront of her mind and that she
would do as he had asked of her. He knew that their unborn child would survive
the world and they would take their place as the rightful heir to the throne of
the forsaken. It was this thought alone that made his lips twitch into a dark
smirk as he envisioned his brother’s downfall – one he would have loved to have
seen.
Question: What makes this series unique?
This whole series has been through the mill
to get where it is. To be able to say I have released the whole set is a huge
achievement and one I didn’t think I would ever get to. That alone makes it
special.
The characters, especially the white witch
Emilie, have been a huge journey with me. Emilie has been in my head for nearly
5 years. I used to be in a role play group on Twitter, and she was the first
every character I wrote, and one who grew with me through my years with that
group. When it ended I knew she had more to say, and I wanted to tell her
story. So, I did. It started off as a historical romance, but that wasn’t
working, so I took her and her sister and placed them in paranormal 17th
century France. The fun then began, and the Dark Blood Trilogy was born.
The story itself is unique in the sense
that it tells the true battle between the English and the French, but with the
battle of immortality between the French vampires and the English wolves. With
shifters and hybrids added into the mix to make the twists and turns so much
darker.
This series will always be special to me
because it gave me the confidence to step into the self-publishing world and be
brave enough to let people read my crazy musings. Not only that but Call of the
wolf was my first ever published book. So that will always be special to me.
About
the Author :
Rebecca is a London born self-confessed
book addict now living on the shore of Auckland city.
Having spent most of her
childhood and teen years dreaming up fanfictions based on her favourite TV
shows, she has now decided to actually write her musings down.
A huge fan of anything fantasy
and paranormal her writing style can be found to reflect these made up worlds.
The love of creating a reality away from reality is the thrill she finds every
time she sits down to pen the latest scene in her books.
When she is not writing you can
find her at her day job supervising dogs of all shapes and sizes at a dog day
care in Auckland. A few of them actually being the inspiration behind some of
the wolves in her paranormal series, due to epic characters.
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