HUNTRESS RISING
Angel of Death, #1
by Lee Roland
December 9th 2019
Publisher: Wild Ross Press
Cover Artist: Debbie Taylor
ISBN 978-1-5092-2887-4
ISBN 978-1-5092-2888-1
ASIN: B081DR5SBJ
Number of pages: 378
Word Count: 99, 281
Tagline: The Angel of Death is no angel, but a world in ruins needs her guns more than wings.
BLURB
In a post-apocalypse world besieged by monsters, Colonel Xavier, a military man with a deadly temper, deliberately challenges Maat Ferris, a fierce, werewolf hunter. When Xavier meets Maat, he can't decide whether to shoot her or kiss her. There is no uncertainty in her. She promptly stabs him. His hot then cold attitude makes her crazy, and his tendency to protect her is even worse.
Unfortunately, the combative pair must join forces on a treacherous journey, across the bleak, barren country. Pursued by a dictator president and the vampire who holds him in thrall, they carry precious cargo that will give democracy seeking rebels a chance to remain free.
Maat and Xavier, true to their aggressive, passionate natures, must also battle their way through a most unusual courtship. Can their love grow amidst the destruction and rebuilding of a society under siege? Or will they kill each other first?
Excerpt:
Chapter One
May 18, 2085 A.D
Avalon
Agricultural Commune
Appalachian
Mountains
Christopher
worked his way down toward paradise. His tongue flicked in my navel and his
fingers had already reached the gate. The lantern’s golden light played across
our warm, flushed skin. I twisted my own fingers in his thick red hair, urging
him on to the heart of gratification. He stopped, raised his head, and stared
at me.
“What?” I didn’t
expect him to answer. Christopher never spoke. One of the other members here at
the AG Commune told me he could speak but wouldn’t because he was a Prime
Oracle. His prophecies always came true—and he hated it.
To my dismay,
Christopher rose from the bed, grabbed his robe, and drew it over his head. A
frantic knock sounded at the door. The knock came again, this time accompanied
by the voice of Julia, our leader Anolia’s young assistant.
“Maat? Maat, are
you there?”
I glanced at
Christopher, but his face remained impassive. The dark night terrified Julia.
What was she doing at my door?
“Maat? Maat,
please.”
Each word came
with a higher and more desperate note. Christopher gave me one of his sweet
smiles. Yes, I knew I had to answer.
“I’m coming,
Julia.” I rose, grabbed my own robe, tossed it on, and went to the door. Julia
jammed herself inside before it completely opened. She stood gasping, eyes
wide, and pale hands clenched tight around her lantern handle. She shivered,
even though summer had almost arrived, and it wasn’t cold outside.
“What is it,
Julia?” I touched her arm. She jerked.
She closed her
eyes and whispered a broken version of the serenity prayer. She didn’t seem any
calmer when she finished. “Anolia wants you in the chapel dining room right
now.” Julia blurted out the sentence like a single, multisyllable word.
“Why?” Anolia
often sent Julia on errands, but she wasn’t cruel. What caused her to send the
girl into the darkness she so feared? Julia shook her head, unable to continue.
She glanced over her shoulder toward the door. “I have to go.”
I wouldn’t get
anything else from her.
“Tell Anolia
I’ll be there soon.”
Julia nodded. I
opened the door and watched her lantern sway as she hurried up the path and
over the hill. After I closed the door, I turned to Christopher.
“Something’s
wrong. I better go see what she wants.”
Christopher
seized my shoulders with hands made strong by his work at the forge. His
fingers squeezed in a savage grip, and his striking face twisted in anguish.
“Take your guns,
Maat. Take your guns.”
He spoke with a
gravity that stunned me. He gave me a sweet kiss, and he too hurried out into
the night. Seconds passed while I recovered from the shock of hearing him speak
for the first time in over a year. Then I took his advice. I dragged my old
suitcase from under the bed and threw it open.
The scent of gun
oil and saddle soap filled the room. All my weapons lay there as they had for
the past two years while I’d lived in peace here at the commune. Regularly
cleaned, they patiently waited for the once familiar killing urge to strike
their mistress again. I pulled on well-worn, black denim pants and a knit
shirt, both softened with age. The supple boots that allowed me to tread softly
across most terrain still fit comfortably.
I’m tall, lean, and
have a moderately androgynous face. I’m not beautiful. Beauty is a blessing for
women who need it to survive in this dangerous post-war, post disease world.
I’ve never envied them, those lovely things with their smiles and sparkling
eyes. All I needed was a gun, a blade, and a little luck. I may even run out of
luck, but I kept my blade sharp, and my well-oiled guns didn’t age. The bullets
retained their devastating punch.
I pinned my mass
of unruly and not so lovely brown curls at the nape of my neck and wedged a
small sheathed knife into the knot. The .44 Magnum Rudra, loaded with high
impact silvers, the only ammunition I used, went into the unwieldy and
uncomfortable holster at the small of my back. A more accessible shoulder
holster carried a .45 caliber Aries under my left arm. I strapped a leather
knife sheath to my left forearm, so I could grab the hilt with my right hand.
I’d seen sheaths that buckled to the thigh, but I preferred my legs free, so I
could run better. Knowing when to run had saved me more than once.
I pinned my mass
of unruly and not so lovely brown curls at the nape of my neck and wedged a
small sheathed knife into the knot. The .44 Magnum Rudra, loaded with high
impact silvers, the only ammunition I used, went into the unwieldy and
uncomfortable holster at the small of my back. A more accessible shoulder
holster carried a .45 caliber Aries under my left arm. I strapped a leather
knife sheath to my left forearm, so I could grab the hilt with my right hand.
I’d seen sheaths that buckled to the thigh, but I preferred my legs free, so I
could run better. Knowing when to run had saved me more than once.
Author Info
After twenty years in public service, Lee Roland retired to become a full-time paranormal romance and urban fantasy writer. Her first three published novels, the Earth Witches, series tells the stories of strong men and women who battle the evil hiding under the surface of the modern world. Lee hasn't always been a writer, but has always been a daydreamer, constantly making up stories and noted for rewriting her school day into happy endings when telling her mother. Winner of numerous literary contests and a Golden Heart nominee, she currently lives and writes with her beloved dogs and cats in North Central Florida.
The Book Junkie Reads . . . Interview with Lee Roland . . .
How would you describe you style of writing to someone that has never read your work?I have a strong voice with no wasted words. Prepare for a wild ride, too. Protagonist relationships can be volatile and the worlds I’ve built for them are often violent. Dangerous adventures abound.
Do you feel that writing is an ingrained process or just something that flows naturally for you?
Ingrained, I think, though training helps. I started writing when I was twelve. I made up stories in my mind before that. I grew up in the relatively boring 1950’s and I had to use books and daydreams for any excitement in my life. Try thinking of a world without cell phones and cable TV.
What mindset or routine do you feel the need to set when preparing to write (in general whether you are working on a project or just free writing)?
I need silence to write so I plan for that time. Silence keeps me focused. Sometimes I wish I could do the coffee shop or group writing but that’s not me. I always have a project. There’s no such thing as free writing for me.
Do you take your character prep to heart? Do you nurture the growth of each character all the way through to the page? Do you people watch to help with development? Or do you build upon your character during story creation?
I write urban fantasy. I make up worlds in which my characters struggle to live. I find my story, make up a character, build a world around them, then let them loose to make their way through chaos. I try to nurture each character so they will grow, but they must grow or decline with the story line. I’m don’t outline or make charts. I don’t watch people unless I come across a really dynamic personality that sets that person apart from the crowd.
Do you have a character that you have been working on for a long time that still isn't quite ready, but fills you with excitement to work on the story?
My stories all feature a dynamic female character. The books available when I grew up had mostly male characters in action. I sometimes had to change the gender in my mind to fit my daydream narrative. Yes, I’ve nurtured her through various times and situations for years.
Have you found yourself bonding with any particular character(s)? If so which one(s)?
The character of Maat Ferris, the werewolf hunter in Huntress Rising has been around for years, even though the book was published in 2019. Maat is the original role model for many other characters in different worlds and adventures.
Do you have a character that you have been working on that you can't wait to put to paper?
Yes. Her name is Phaedra and she’s a recovering addict in a dystopian future. Her drug has destroyed her life and changed her in many ways.
Can you share your next creative project(s)? If yes, can you give a few details?
Details: He tried to beat her to death. She survived—barely. Shouldn’t months in a hospital, a year in agonizing rehab redeem her, mitigate some of her sins? The archaic elemental goddess who designates her an official heroine wants more.
What are some of your writing/publishing goals for this year?
Finish books I’ve started.
Website https://www.leeroland.com/
Twitter https://twitter.com/LeeRolandM
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