Excerpt
#1:
Chago
walked across the open Montana field toward the broken fence in the distance.
He lugged the heavy toolbox one-handed and glanced sideways to see his herd
while they grazed on the nearby plain. A small calf trotted in his direction
and nuzzled his hand, searching for its daily treat.
“Hola,
Ernie.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out an apple. The calf chomped
his prize and cantered away. Chago shook his head at the tiny cow’s retreating
waddle and pushed the rim of his Stetson a tad higher before he continued on
his way. After a short trek, he reached the broken section of fence and knelt
to examine the damage. Hammer in hand, he squinted into the bright light of the
rising sun, placed the first spike, and pounded away.
Domesticated
wasn’t a word most people would use to describe him. Most said he possessed
more brawn than sophistication, more muscle than grace. Chago had learned long
ago to use his bodybuilder physique and unsettling manner to his advantage. Few
knew the true extent of his intelligence or the depths of his emotions and he
intended to keep his brawn-over-brains persona intact.
The
ranch’s open expanses and fresh air suited him in a way no other place had in
eons and reminded him of his human childhood in the Pyrenees. He planned to
retire here as soon as he could figure out a way to convince Divinity. A
millennia as the Scion combat expert had taken their toll.
Finished
with his repairs, he climbed through the slats to view the other side of the
fence and stopped short. A familiar burn ignited around the sigil on his lower
abdomen. Duty called. He glanced toward the sky with exasperation. “Really?”
One
second he was standing in the field, flies buzzing around his head. The next he
was the star attraction in a white marble room. The only other occupant of the
grand hall stood dead center. Her sharp gaze assessed him from top to toe.
“Chago.”
The older woman’s expression held a hint of humor before she hid it behind a
mask of calm.
“Divinity.”
He bowed in deference and caught a whiff of fresh cow patty.
Fantastic. He
spied a telltale clump on the side of his well-worn boots and an image of the small calf flashed into his
mind. Chago chuckled and raised his gaze to hers, his wry smile accompanied by
a small shrug.
“Doing
some farming?” She surveyed his overalls, her eyes bright with suppressed
laughter.
“Ranching,”
he corrected her.
“Hmmm.
I’m afraid your recreational activities will have to wait.” She stood in front
of him and craned her neck to meet his stare. “I have work for you.”
Dammit.
What now? They’d secured the first Seal only months before and stopped the
Apocalypse. Where was his much-deserved vacation? He looked away and sighed. No
point in arguing. “Yes, ma’am.
Seal Of Surrender
Seven Seals Series: Book 2
Seven Seals Series: Book 2
Traci
Douglass
Genre: Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Crimson Romance
Number of pages: approx. 270
Word Count: 72,000
Book Description:
Love, like War, will always find a way…
War has shaped every aspect of Irena Soldan’s
life—her childhood, her work, her DNA. Unaware she is the genetic host of the
second Seal of the Apocalypse, Irena battles for those who cannot fight for
themselves. As a top human-rights operative for The Omega Consortium, her
company provides both the financial backing required to undertake her task and
a charismatic, publicity-loving boss to promote her cause. Life proceeds on
plan for Irena until a mysterious, sexy stranger arrives claiming to be her
guardian and Irena’s path takes a sudden, inauspicious turn for both the erotic
and the lethal.
Chago has always been the quiet one amongst his
warrior Scion brethren—the brooding, Spanish combat expert with a hidden soft
side. A member of Divinity’s covert
special forces, he’s protected humanity for more than a millennium. Still, his
greatest joy comes not from the battlefield, but from tending the cattle herd
on his remote Montana ranch.
Irena’s new assignment takes her straight to the
heart of a bloody civil conflict in Sub-Saharan Africa and Chago’s mission
demands he follow. Expecting a seething cauldron of female whoop-ass, he
instead discovers a harbinger of peace amidst a world of ever-increasing
violence. The explosively tense situation is further magnified by the cunning
Omega Consortium leader, his ambiguous personal agenda, and an ancient foe
whose audacious rise to power threatens the world’s very existence.
Despite the cataclysmic circumstances, an
undeniable attraction ignites between Chago and Irena. Together, they must
unravel the ancient puzzle of the Seals and discover her employer’s ulterior
plans before they both become casualties of War. Soon, both are forced to
choose between a past riddled with old torments or risk everything they
treasure on a love capable of defeating evil incarnate.
Excerpt 2:
Irena
dropped her gaze and took a sudden interest in her shoes. Funny. She’d been
asking herself the same question all night. “And Drake is not my boyfriend.”
“Oh,
so he’s just your sex buddy then?”
“He
is not my sex buddy!” Her sexual affairs were none of this man’s damn business
anyway. Why should he care who she slept with? Still, she couldn’t seem to stop
the excuses. “He was ... available.”
Cringe.
Her overloud pronouncement echoed through the vacant lobby. The words sounded
crass, cheap. Things she’d never meant to imply. How could she tell a man she’d
met only hours before about the terror of the bombing raids? About the deep,
gnawing loss she’d experienced when the Burmese school had been struck by mortar
fire. About the unquenchable need to reaffirm life. Those were things he
couldn’t possibly comprehend.
The
elevator arrived and they both hustled inside. Chago reached to push the button
then returned to his corner, his arms crossed and gaze averted. Irena shuffled
uncomfortably in her own space and tried to pretend his presence didn’t disturb
the hell out of her.
“Look,
I’m not easy with my affections, okay?” Shit. There went her mouth again. She
didn’t owe this man any explanation for her behavior. So why couldn’t she stop
talking? “When you’ve seen the things I have, you need some kind of life
affirmation to keep going.”
“Hmmm.
Is that what they’re calling it these days?”
Irena glanced up to find him
focused on the ceiling. She returned to studying the carpet.
“Look. I’m a man of war.
I understand the need to affirm life.” Chago sighed, stepping closer to rest his hand
on the wall beside her head. “But what occurred in that office was not
affirming anything except the fact Drake Benedict is a supreme ... douchebag.”
Her
bottled-up stress erupted into a catharsis of giggles. To hear such an
intimidating guy call her boss a douchebag had been the highlight of Irena’s
disastrous evening. His poleaxed expression only made Irena laugh harder. Soon
helpless tears streamed down her cheeks. “I—I’m sorry. I can’t stop thinking
about the look on Drake’s face when you came out of the closet. Priceless!”
He
studied her for several moments before cracking a smile of his own. “You really
do have shitty taste in men.”
“Beware,
mister.” She chucked him on the arm, her giggles subsiding. “For a minute
downstairs, I thought you were pretty hot too.”
His
gaze narrowed. “Hot?”
“Don’t worry. The minute has now passed.” “Maybe your
taste is improving, querida.”
Chago
moved closer and grasped her chin, raising her gaze to his. His thumb traced
over her lips and incited a tingle that nosedived straight between her legs.
Irena’s
pulse raced and her throat went arid. The scent of his aftershave, cassis and
vanilla, surrounded her. He hovered, allowing her an opportunity to break free.
When she didn’t move, Chago closed the miniscule gap between them and his lips
brushed softly over hers.
Dustykatt's Thoughts:
Chago is the quite one who also happens to be one of Divinity’s warriors, a member of the Scion brethren. He has protected humanity for thousands of years and lost everything in the process. Now all he wants is to retire to his ranch, and tend his herd. When he is given the assignment of protecting the second seal, he strikes a deal with Divinity to make this his last job.
Dustykatt's Thoughts:
Chago is the quite one who also happens to be one of Divinity’s warriors, a member of the Scion brethren. He has protected humanity for thousands of years and lost everything in the process. Now all he wants is to retire to his ranch, and tend his herd. When he is given the assignment of protecting the second seal, he strikes a deal with Divinity to make this his last job.
Irena Soldan is a human-rights activist
who also happens to be the host of the Seal of War. With war
having always been a part of her world, her push for peace is understandable. Even
though her boss is as slimy as they come, she truly believes in the work she is
doing. Although extremely tough, determined and can kick some ass, she is still
feminine.
Archon is Lucifer’s son and also
happens to be Chago’s archenemy. He has escaped from Sheol (demon
prison) and puts Irena’s life in even further danger. Archon was responsible for the death
of Chago's mate, so now it’s payback time. “Bring it on!”
Everything
comes together in the middle of a civil war with the two of them fighting Archon,
warlords, the militia and a mysterious villain that no one suspects. The heat
is intense and it’s not just from the fighting.
I
enjoyed this book so much that I’m off to buy the first one now and am eagerly
awaiting the next one.
A
five star read for me.
Excerpt
3:
Something
rustled in the nearby bushes, commanding Chago’s attention. “Show yourself!”
A
figure broke through the brush, looming just beyond of reach of the torch.
Chago inched closer and leaned into the blackness.
Inhuman
snarls shredded the silence. Decay and moist earth reeked from the unwelcome
intruder. Torchlight glinted off rows of impossibly long teeth shoved sardine-
tight into a gaping, circular mouth reminiscent of a pool drain. Archon.
Chago
focused on the abomination before him and struggled to keep his tone calm.
“Innocent, get everyone together and leave.”
Innocent
hesitated.
Goddammit.
He stepped closer and speared his host a furious glare, his patience at an end.
He’d not allow Archon anywhere near Irena. “Now!”
Innocent
handed over the shotgun and rushed inside to herd the others out the backdoor.
Equipped
with a weapon in each hand and an endless supply of vengeance, Chago stepped
off the porch. “C’mon, you sack of shit! Fight me!”
Archon
swung at him and Chago took a reflexive step back. Fangs were the only sharp
feature on his opponent’s face. The rest of the bastard’s mug resembled a crazy
quilt of purplish-gray scars and bulging yellow eyes. Whatever other terrors
Lucifer fashioned, his son was a whole mess of ugly. Killing him would be an
act of mercy.
He
raised the shotgun and fired. The bullet ricocheted off Archon’s thick hide,
ineffective. Aimed for the head and tried again. This time, Chago clipped what
appeared to be an already mangled ear. Smelly, greenish slime oozed forth.
Archon grunted but continued advancing.
Shit.
He tossed the gun aside and sliced ahead with his dagger. Archon parried with
razor-sharp claws. Together, they circled in a macabre recital of the death
ballet. A mottled hand
swung close and Chago ducked then thrust his blade up toward what he hoped was
his opponent’s chest. Missed. Fuck. He’s miscalculated Archon. Again.
Archon’s
massive arm struck Chago on the side of the head and knocked him to the ground.
Pain exploded through his nervous system as a scalpel-sharp claw cleaved across
his thigh. Archon roared, his breath a putrid cocktail of human waste.
Santo
Cristo. He struggled against his opponent’s overwhelming grip. Numerous
assaults slashed his chest, his neck and soon the blood loss made him easy
quarry. Death called to Chago for the second time in twenty-four hours and once
again it promised to hurt like hell.
Into
the silent pause before his demise came a soft echo of reprieve—the snick of a
cocked gun.
“Move
away or I’ll blow your head off, asshole!” Irena’s ironclad tone carried across
the humid air.
Archon
turned and she shot. Green slime splattered, falling from his wounded mouth as
he stumbled, tripping in his rush to escape. He gave a final shout of defiance
before disappearing into the brush.
Through
a pain-induced haze, Chago marveled at the precision of Irena’s strike. She’d
hit the abomination square in its soft spot. Maybe he’d underestimated her.
About the Author:
Traci is the author of paranormal/urban fantasy and contemporary romances featuring a sly, urban edge, including her current Seven Seals series. Her stories feature sizzling alpha-male heroes full of dark humor, quick wits and major attitudes; smart, independent heroines who always give as good as they get; and scrumptiously evil villains who are—more often than not—bent on world destruction. She enjoys weaving ancient curses and mythology, modern science and old religion, and great dialogue together to build red-hot, sizzling chemistry between her main characters.
Traci
is an active member of Romance Writers of America (RWA), Indiana Romance
Writers of America (IRWA) and Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal Writers
(FF&P) and is pursing a Masters of Fine Arts degree in Writing Popular
Fiction through Seton Hill University. Her stories have made the final rounds
in several RWA chapter contests, including the 2012 Duel on the Delta, the 2012
Molly Awards, and the 2012 Catherine Awards. An earlier draft of Seal of
Destiny won the paranormal category of the 2012 Marlene Awards sponsored by the
Washington Romance Writers.
Other
current projects include upcoming books in the Seven Seals series and a new
futuristic suspense series with hints of the paranormal and plenty of romance.
She loves hearing
from readers! Connect with Traci here:
I received a Copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
