Book Cover is Finished

And now... the book cover...

Prologue

PROLOGUE

 

 

 

There was blood everywhere. It pooled between the gravel in the driveway and stained the ominous stone steps. Ruddy footsteps seemed to lead in all directions and a crimson hand print smeared its way down the white front door. Bits and pieces of who-knows-what were scattered among the body parts littering the ground.

A severed head lay six inches from his feet. Cohn took an instinctive step back and sighed heavily, keeping his breaths shallow to ward off the acrid smell of death that surrounded him. This had been a hell of a fight.

As he registered the sound of labored breathing beside him, he turned to face his head of security. At least that's who he thought it was- hard to tell who exactly was underneath all the gore. “Our men?"

"All alive. These guys weren't so lucky." Ryn swept his bloody sword over the carnage.

"Their luck ran out the minute they stepped foot on my property. Apparently we've just run out of time. It's moving day... again."

"This wasn't a planned attack. I'm pretty sure it was a scouting mission gone awry. If it had been Daniel patrolling instead of Jaroz, we may never have known they were here. Jaroz smelled them, attacked them first."

"Doesn't matter. We can't risk keeping her here any longer- when these bastards don't return, he'll know he’s hit the mark. She has to be gone before he comes for her. And he will come for her, I assure you of that."

Ryn raised his brows. "You have someplace in mind?"

Cohn shook his head gravely. "Not yet, but I’ll work that out. How long do you need to recover and prepare?"

"Three days, tops."

Cohn squatted to sit on one of the steps then, remembering the blood, jolted to his feet. "I won't be attending this move. I've become too easy to track."

The first few raids had been hundreds of years apart, but the gaps had closed in over time. The last assault had been only eleven years ago. "I'm calling in someone to go with you. I need the rest of the men here for round two."

Ryn exhaled and said tentatively, "Do you think it's wise to only send two, especially now that he's upping his game? No offense, but have you thought this through?"

Cohn squinted his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Ryn, for a thousand years, I've done nothing but think this through. Every soldier you take with you increases your chance for discovery, as well as slows you down. And we need defense here. You're an assassin, the best I'd dare say, and this woman is the most ruthless mercenary I've ever known."

Shocked, Ryn spat out, "Woman?"

"Yes, Ryn, a woman. A soldier who has taken the heads of gods, escaped from countless prisons and dungeons, and decimated an army of mortals by herself. Do not underestimate her simply because she wears a bra."

Ryn looked incredulous, but only nodded. "Three days, then. I'll be ready."

"Marchand!" Cohn bellowed into the house from over his shoulder. "Bring me a phone!"

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

Faetal Distraction

Released May, 2013



And a Universe was Born...

Though not technically in the story itself, I thought the creation myth for the universe Tori lives in might be something I could share.

 

Creation Myth

from the Book of Knowing

 

 

An unfathomably long time ago, before time was but an idea being casually mulled over, Knowing moved restlessly across the Great Nothing. Restlessness grew and soon swelled into a dull ache of boredom. Knowing sighed, spilling particles over the void.

Feeling, that's what would quell the never ending boredom. Experience. Duality. Physical. Another shiver.

Possibility rose up, flickered, expanded and contracted quicker than the blink of an eye. All that would come- cause, reaction, counter action- sent shivers over the void, setting particles dancing and colliding into one another. Fusing and forming... waiting.

This would be messy. Would it be worth the effort? Oh, yes.

Decision made, Knowing drew in a deep breath, closed in on itself and bared down.

Existence exploded.

Ahh.. Physical. Knowing almost flinched at the voice, full and rich, rolling sensually across the vast expanse. Thought. It was a pleasing sound.

Wait.

And with that single command, creation held it's breath. Knowing savored this moment, savored the experience of savoring, relishing the eternities that were about to play out before itself. Unbound joy swirled in a fiery spiral, reaching ever outward, alive with twinkling particles quivering with eagerness to expand and be.

Yes, this would be worth it... this was already worth it, and it had yet to begin.

Universes hovered at the brink of subsistence, anxious for their awakening. Knowing drew in upon itself once again and whispered, Now.

 

Source looked out upon itself, the once empty void now alive with light and motion, and it was pleased. Stars blinked into form, galaxies swirled and collided, universes expanded and succumbed. Source felt the friction and the fusion, the creation and the destruction, and it was good.

Knowing had never been enough, and so it had birthed itself into form, into Source. How strange and utterly delectable to create thought, shape it, name it.. make it be. So much activity, so much feeling, so much physical.

And yet...

Restlessness hovered at the fringes, threatening to spoil this triumphant coherency. Yes, it would all play out.. no stopping it now. Source thought to be content with this cyclic birthing and destroying and re-birthing of itself, but physical always demands the next step.. always demands more.

Source felt... alone? That was new. Knowing was always content with the All, but now it was more, now it was Source, and Source needed more than a unified All- Source needed the details. I filled with a great need to be We. A new thought was formed.

I will create in my own image, free of thought and free of will. I will pour myself into physical and will immerse in being. Source overflowed into the expanse.

Each time Source poured itself into physical, each time it's pure creative essence met the edges of duality, it split itself- two parts of a same whole, each whole part of the same Source. Farther and farther down it condensed, pushing through the hazy veil of separation into physical. More and more acutely it concentrated into matter- halves of wholes and wholes of All... And the Seed was born.

Pure Source, begotten from Knowing, the Seed scattered across all of creation, full of wonder and willfulness and so eager to experience. Forged in creative fire, gifted with the power of the All, splintered by the double-edged nature of duality- the Seed were the first Adams and Eves of the cosmos. The heavens were theirs to command, to create and to destroy.

Within themselves they held the powers of life and death, good and evil, love and fear. Their sole mission, to experience infinite possibilities, allowing Source to experience through them thus sharing the wonders of physical with Knowing.

They spawned worlds upon worlds, populating them with wonders and creatures of all kinds, but soon they were restless for more.. physical always wants more. So the Seed also created in their own image.

Now, gods of their own making, the Seed gifted their children with the free will they themselves so cherished, as well as boundless blessings of powerful potential, and gave them reign over all the Seed had conceived.

And thus the Tribes were forged.



Hello and welcome! Not much to see here yet, but stick around... there will be plenty of book updates, excerpts and more to come soon. In the meantime, here's a small blurb about the book. A more detailed synopsis will be posted in the next few days!


After 2000 years of fighting countless wars, escaping numerous prisons, drowning repeatedly, and even being crucified, Tori would have never thought that babysitting would be the most dangerous thing she's ever done. But when the sleeping beauty she's been hired to transport across the mortal realm wakes up, her fairytale turns into a nightmare.

To make matters worse, her tribe of Fae has triggered a Reckoning- fate's way of bringing balance to the karmic scales- that is systematically bringing Tori face to face with her past, including the man she's just been partnered with. But Ryn is no ordinary blast from the past. He's the gorgeous hunk of flesh she duped, doped and ditched over 200 years ago, and has been running from ever since.

Oh, and he's her soul mate. Unfortunately for Tori, that's not a good thing, because being with Ryn will cost her a piece of her soul- literally.

So, between paying karmic dues, the nanny gig, and battling for her soul, Tori has been pretty distracted lately. And distractions will get you killed.

Faetal Distraction

Book 1 in Blood Crown Series

by Bethany Lovell

 

available late April, 2013