BOOK BLITZ w/EXCERPT - URBAN FANTASY - CHASE THE DARK (Steel & Stone, 31) by Annette Marie

Chase the Dark

Steel & Stone, #1

by Annette Marie

Publication date: October 25th 2024

Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Urban Fantasy

BLURB

Piper Griffiths wants one thing in life: To become a Consul, a keeper of the peace between humans and daemons. There are three obstacles in her way.

The first is Lyre. Incubus. Hotter than hell and with a wicked streak to match. His greatest mission in life is to annoy the crap out of her, but he isn’t as harmless as he seems. The second is Ash. Draconian. Powerful. Dangerous. He knows too much and reveals nothing. Also, disturbingly attractive — and scary. Did she mention scary?

The third is the Sahar Stone. Top secret magical weapon of mass destruction. Previously hidden in her Consulate until thieves broke in, went on a murder spree, and disappeared with the weapon.

And they left Piper to take the fall for their crimes.

Now she’s on the run, her dreams of becoming a Consul shattered and every daemon in the city gunning to kill her. She’s dead on her own, but there’s no one she can trust — no one except two entirely untrustworthy daemons … See problems one and two.

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Kickstarter

About the Kickstarter campaign

Celebrate the 10th anniversary of Annette Marie’s gritty epic urban fantasy universe, Steel & Stone, with luxurious collector’s editions. The first of two campaigns, this one will feature the Spell Weaver trilogy and the first book in the Steel & Stone series, Chase the Dark.

The Steel & Stone universe encompasses the Spell Weaver Trilogy (three books) and the Steel & Stone Series (five books). These 10th anniversary special editions include:

• The first book in the Steel & Stone series: Chase the Dark including all-new scenes and POVs
• All three Spell Weaver titles: The Night Realm, The Shadow Weave, The Blood Curse
• Iridescent foil stamping on faux-leather hardcovers
• Four different double-sided and embossed dust jackets
• New interior design
• Hand-signed by Annette
• Colored & textured endpapers
• Sprayed/printed edges
• Unique metal bookmark, stickers, and more! (More via stretch goals)

EXCERPT:

Piper dropped to her knees beside the vent and listened to the sound of claws on metal. A soft thump came from the other side of the wall.

She looked up. She was sitting right outside Ash’s room. The dragonet had run straight to Daddy.

Unmoving, Piper contemplated the door. Ash was somewhere behind it. Was he asleep? What were the chances she could sneak in and retrieve the ring box without him noticing?

She considered it for half a second. Yeah, zero.

Before she could come up with a better plan, the door popped open. Framed in the threshold, Ash looked toward the sitting room. Then he glanced down, saw her sitting at his feet, and blinked.

Piper shot up, struggling to keep her gaze on his face. He wore a loose, sleeveless shirt that clung to the planes of his chest and left the sweep of heavy muscles on his arms bare, his fair skin flawlessly smooth in the shadows. The only other thing he wore was black cotton pants.

With a soft chirp, the dragonet hopped off the doorframe and landed on his shoulder, its golden eyes trained on Piper.

“What are you doing?” Ash asked, breaking the oh-so-awkward silence.

Piper shivered as his deep tones slid through her. How did his voice do that? Fear tickled her stomach, reminding her that she’d never been alone with him before.

Drawing herself up, she looked him square in the eye. “Your dragonet snuck into my room and stole something from me.”

His eyes held hers, and his gray irises dimmed to the color of storm clouds. Piper was abruptly aware of how dangerously close she was standing, barely a foot of space between their bodies. She was also aware of how much taller he was, the top of her head barely reaching his chin, and how his biceps were double the circumference of her arms.

The air felt hot and electric, the hallway darker than it’d been a moment before, and adrenaline flooded her bloodstream.

She was an idiot. Such an idiot.

 

Author Info

Annette Marie is the best-selling author of The Guild Codex, an expansive collection of interwoven urban fantasy series ranging from thrilling adventure to hilarious hijinks to heartrending romance. Her other works include YA urban fantasy series Steel & Stone, its prequel trilogy Spell Weaver, and romantic fantasy trilogy Red Winter.

Her first love is fantasy, while fast-paced adventures and tantalizing forbidden romances are her guilty pleasures. She lives in the frozen winter wasteland of Alberta, Canada (okay, it's not quite that bad) with her husband and their furry minion of darkness—sorry, cat—Caesar. When not writing, she can be found elbow-deep in one art project or another while blissfully ignoring all adult responsibilities.

To find out more about Annette and her books, visit www.annettemarie.ca

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

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BOOK BLITZ w/EXCERPT - FANTASY - RED WINTER -- SPECIAL EDITION HARDCOVER OMNIBUS by Annette Marie

Red Winter – Special Edition Hardcover Omnibus

by Annette Marie

Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Romance

BLURB

A breathtaking fantasy romance inspired by Japanese mythology, with mischievous shape-shifters, treacherous gods, and forbidden love.

From Book 1: Emi has spent her entire life hiding from the creatures that hunt her. The savage earth spirits are determined to kill her before she can become the living host of a goddess, so she stays hidden–until the day she saves the life of one of her hunters.

Shiro isn’t the harmless fox spirit she thought he was. He’s mysterious, cunning, unpredictable … and now hers to command. He’s sworn to pay his debt to her, but he doesn’t know who she is. If he finds out, he’ll kill her.

But she can’t send him away–not yet. Her future isn’t what she thought. The lies surrounding her fate have begun to unravel, and she needs answers before time runs out–answers that lie in the spirit realm. Shiro can take her there … if she dares to trust him.

And only then will she find out how deep the gods’ treachery runs.

—
Red Winter includes 30 full-page illustrations by award-winning artist Brittany Jackson.

—
THE RED WINTER TRILOGY
Red Winter (#1)
Dark Tempest (#2)
Immortal Fire (#3)

Visit the Kickstarter Campaign Here!

This Special Edition Hardcover Omnibus includes:

• All three titles: Red Winter, Dark Tempest, and Immortal Fire
• New illustrated dust jacket by artist Brittany Jackson
• All 30 full-page illustrations from the original novels
• New interior layout & design
• Foil-stamped typography on the dust jacket and cloth cover
• Colored end-papers
• Red sprayed/stenciled edges
• Hand-signed and personalized by the author
• Etched wooden bookmark, stickers, and more! (More via stretch goals)

—

Excerpt from Red Winter:

None too gently, Yumei forced Emi’s head one way then the other, examining her. Pushing her head back, he dipped his face down to her neck and inhaled through his nose.

“Is she human?” he asked Shiro, straightening. He didn’t release her chin. “She smells of human female and you. Did you bed her?”

She gasped, outrage and embarrassment flooding her face with heat. She tried to jerk back but his fingers tightened painfully, holding her in place.

“We rolled in the snow together some,” Shiro said, mouth quirking up in that sly grin of his as he met her furious stare, “but it was an act of survival, not passion. The ogres were something of a challenge.”

Yumei turned her face to one side and back again. “Are you certain it was she who removed the first binding?”

“There was no one else.”

The Tengu studied her a moment longer, then released her chin. She had time to take in a single relieved breath before he grabbed her wrist. He pulled her hand to his face, turned her palm up, and bit the side of her hand beneath her thumb.

She cried out and tried to yank her arm away from him. His strength was like the grip of a steel vise, unmovable. He held her hand in his mouth, his gaze distant. He let her go so suddenly that she lost her balance and fell on her rump in the snow.

“Human,” Yumei said decisively. “But I can taste divine power in her blood.”

Emi turned her hand up to see a small puncture wound in her palm from his canine. A single drop of blood ran down her wrist, tracing a crimson line on her pale skin.

A shadow blocked the moon above. Shiro reached down and touched his thumb to the trail of blood. He slid his thumb up her wrist to the wound, then brought it to his lips. He grinned at her as he licked her blood off his skin. She stared at him, too shocked and appalled to speak.

“Definitely human,” he said to Yumei without breaking eye contact with her, daring her to protest their treatment of her. “Do priestesses normally taste like gods?”

“I am not certain,” Yumei admitted. “I have never tasted a true servant of a shrine.”

She clutched her chest, her hand pressed against the hidden mark over her heart. Her pulse pounded in her ears, her fear almost too much to bear. She didn’t taste like divine power because she was a dedicated priestess, but because she was a goddess’s future host. If they realized the truth, they would kill her on the spot.

 

Author Info

Annette Marie is the best-selling author of The Guild Codex, an expansive collection of interwoven urban fantasy series ranging from thrilling adventure to hilarious hijinks to heartrending romance. Her other works include YA urban fantasy series Steel & Stone, its prequel trilogy Spell Weaver, and romantic fantasy trilogy Red Winter.

Her first love is fantasy, while fast-paced adventures and tantalizing forbidden romances are her guilty pleasures. She lives in the frozen winter wasteland of Alberta, Canada (okay, it's not quite that bad) with her husband and their furry minion of darkness—sorry, cat—Caesar. When not writing, she can be found elbow-deep in one art project or another while blissfully ignoring all adult responsibilities.

To find out more about Annette and her books, visit www.annettemarie.ca

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

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BOOK BLITZ w/EXCERPT - NA URBAN FANTASY - THE ONE AND ONLY CRYSTAL DRUID (The Guild Codex: Unveiled, #1) by Annette Marie

The One and Only Crystal Druid

The Guild Codex: Unveiled, #1

by Annette Marie

Publication date: September 24th 2021

Published by: Dark Owl Fantasy Inc.

Genres: New Adult, Urban Fantasy

BLURB

I’m not your average girl.

My best friend is my switchblade. My favorite hobby is using it on the cruel, the abusive, and anyone who gets on my bad side. I’m a convicted murderer with a chip on my shoulder and a dangerous lack of restraint.

And then there’s Zak.

His rap sheet makes mine look tame. The bounty on his head is worth more money than I’ll ever make, and the deadly fae that shadow his every step wield more power than I’ll ever know.

He’s the Crystal Druid, and his first mistake was setting foot on my turf.

His second was saving my life.

And his final mistake will be failing to realize that however dark, however ruthless, however broken he is…

I’m worse.

—
From the author of the best-selling Guild Codex books comes a new series that delves into the dark, dangerous world of druids and fae alongside two ravaged souls who may be exactly what the other needs…if they don’t destroy each other first.

Unveiled can be read as a standalone series or in conjunction with other Guild Codex series. For the full reading order, visit Annette Marie’s website.

—
More series in the Guild Codex world:
The Guild Codex: Spellbound
The Guild Codex: Demonized
The Guild Codex: Warped

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Amazon

EXCERPT:

When my attention landed on him, he strode toward me, his long legs eating up the ground and coat billowing out behind him. Stopping almost on top of me, he reached down as though to take my elbow—and seized the front of my jacket.

I grabbed his wrist as he roughly hauled me onto my tiptoes, bringing my face close to his. Despite the moonlight and forgotten flashlights illuminating the clearing, the interior of his hood was filled with unnatural darkness.

Ríkr watched us from his lofty perch, pale blue eyes gleaming.

“That was quite the scene I came in on,” the man rumbled in a low, dangerous tone. “What do you know about that bear fae?”

I stared into his hood.

A rough sound grated from his throat. “You don’t seem to be grasping the situation. Tell me what you know before I lose patience.”

I smiled, showing my teeth. “Was that a threat?” “What do you think?”

My smile widened, and I lifted my empty hand toward his face. “It’ll take more than a hood and a threat to scare me, especially when”—I pushed his hood back—“I’ve already seen your face.”

The shadows fell away, revealing his countenance again. Inhumanly vibrant green eyes, framed by dark lashes, fixed on mine, his eyebrows lowered with menace. A beautiful face, if I were honest. Striking cheekbones, a strong jaw, full mouth—currently pressed into a thin, angry line. By my best guess, he was in his mid-twenties, maybe a bit older.

My palm brushed against his clean-shaven cheek as I let his hood fall—and with the same motion, I flicked my hand, pulling my switchblade from my jacket sleeve. The blade sprang free, and in an instant, I had the point resting against the corner of his left eye.

But not fast enough.

A cold, thin edge pressed against my left cheek. I didn’t break eye contact to see what sort of weapon he had in my face, but the blade felt sharp—sharper than my little knife.

Neither of us moved, his fist tight around the front of my jacket. If either of our hands wobbled, we’d both bleed.

His right eyebrow arched slightly. “How do you want to play this?”
“Let go of me.”
“I don’t think so.”
“I stab you, you stab me,” I suggested frostily. “My cheek is more likely to heal than your eye.”

“Pass.”

He wouldn’t let me go and he wouldn’t play knife-chicken. What was left? “Then I’ll answer your question if you answer one of mine.”

His full mouth thinned again, green eyes raking across me. “Fine.”

His agreement surprised me until I realized he expected to win this game too. He thought I’d reveal more with my answers than he would with his.

Not likely.

“Who the hell are you?” I demanded.

“Answer my question first.”

“You first. Who are you?”

He growled under his breath. “The Crystal Druid.”

Surprise flushed through me, and I couldn’t stop my eyelids from flickering with a single, startled blink. He was a druid?

“Now,” he rumbled, “tell me what you know about that bear and the other aggressive fae in this area.” “I don’t know anything.”
His blade pressed painfully into my cheek. “This little game doesn’t work if you lie.”
“I’m not lying.”

“Then you’re an idiot. Every fae across the lower mainland is talking about the attacks and disappearances around here.”

“Fascinating, but this is the first I’ve heard of it.”

“Aren’t you a witch?”

“Yes, but a terrible one.”

His striking green eyes narrowed. “Terrible in what way?”

Ignoring his question, I shifted my blade ever so slightly, ensuring he couldn’t miss the sharp point in his peripheral vision. “My turn again. Why are you here?”

“The fae—”

“Yes, yes, the attacks. But why do you care about some aggressive fae?” I arched my eyebrows, though my bangs probably hid them. “What are you hoping to gain, Crystal Druid?”

 

Author Info

Annette Marie is the best-selling author of The Guild Codex, an expansive collection of interwoven urban fantasy series ranging from thrilling adventure to hilarious hijinks to heartrending romance. Her other works include YA urban fantasy series Steel & Stone, its prequel trilogy Spell Weaver, and romantic fantasy trilogy Red Winter.

Her first love is fantasy, but fast-paced adventures and tantalizing forbidden romances are her guilty pleasures. She lives in the frozen winter wasteland of Alberta, Canada with her husband and their furry minion of darkness. When not writing, she can be found elbow-deep in one art project or another while blissfully ignoring all adult responsibilities.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

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BOOK BLITZ w/EXCERPT - NA URBAN FANTASY - WARPING MINDS & OTHER MISDEMEANORS (The Guild Codes: Warped, #1) by Annette Marie & Rob Jacobsen

WARPING MINDS & OTHER MISDEMEANORS

The Guild Codex: Warped, #1

by Annette Marie & Rob Jacobsen

Publication date: August 7th 2020

Published by: Dark Owl Fantasy Inc.

Genres: New Adult, Urban Fantasy

BLURB
My name is Kit Morris, and welcome to my warped life.

Picture the scene: Me, an average guy with psychic powers—not that my abilities are in any way average—just trying to scrape by in a harsh world. So maybe I’ve conned a few people, but did I really deserve to be thrown in MPD jail alongside magic-wielding serial killers?

According to Agent Lienna Shen, one-hundred-percent yes.

But her hardass attitude and “Arcana prodigy” status aren’t enough to bring down my former best friend, who slipped through the MPD’s fingers and is days away from unleashing untold horrors upon the city. Or he’s going to steal something. I don’t really know.

Whatever he’s up to, that’s why I’m sitting in an interrogation room with Lienna. And that’s why I just offered myself as her temporary new partner for the purposes of thwarting my ex-accomplice.

And that’s how I’m going to escape. I might even help with the case before I cut and run.

—
Warping Minds & Other Misdemeanors is the first book in a new series set in the world of The Guild Codex. It can be read on its own or as part of a larger adventure.

More series in the Guild Codex world:
The Guild Codex: Spellbound
The Guild Codex: Demonized

Goodreads

Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

The phone beeped again. Captain Blythe sighed, reached under the table, and lifted a cell phone into view. The screen lit up as she checked her messages. Her mouth tightened, which I took to mean doom and disaster were impending and we should take shelter immediately.
Standing, she clipped the phone back to her belt and turned to Lienna. “I need to take care of something. Keep him talking, Agent Shen.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
With a sharp nod, Blythe strode out of the room and graciously slammed the door behind her.
“A little intense, isn’t she?” I observed.
Lienna took the vacated seat. “She’s a precinct captain in one of the biggest cities in the country.”
Hmm. Despite her neutral tone, her voice had a soft, caressing quality that I found surprisingly pleasant. It was a shame she wasn’t playing good cop.
“Every day, Captain Blythe deals with rampant magic, illicit guilds, arrogant guild masters who think they’re above the law, and violent criminals who use their abilities to hurt, cheat, or kill people.”
She didn’t add, “Violent criminals just like you.” Her restraint impressed me.
“And,” she continued, “all while keeping the existence of magic, guilds, and the MPD hidden from the public. A crucial mandate your guild flouted.” She cleared her throat. “But you were just an intern, weren’t you, Kit? You were doing what you were told. You don’t need to protect them.”
I grinned. “That works better without the throat-clear first. Really obvious tell that you’re about to bullshit me, I’ve gotta say.”
She stiffened in her seat.
“Oh, and try to relax more. The fake sympathy will be more convincing.”
Her glower returned full force, obliterating the remnants of her kind expression. It’d been a decent attempt at building a rapport with me. She wasn’t experienced at the technique, which seemed like an oversight in her training, but I suspected Lienna’s real role in the agency involved far more skill than mere interrogation.
According to the rumors floating through the holding cells—of which I believed maybe five percent— Agent Lienna Shen was an abjuration sorcerer, and abjuration was … anti-magic sorcery?
That concluded my knowledge on the topic. But I did know the handcuffs around my wrists were an artifact created by a sorcerer for a specific magical purpose: in this case, nullifying the magic of whoever had the unfortunate pleasure of wearing them.
When she didn’t respond to my helpful critique, I attempted a charming smile. “You’re pretty young for an agent.”
Lienna’s scowl deepened, even though it was a reasonable observation; she looked my age, which seemed like a stretch for full agenthood.
“Do you know why you’re here?” she asked coldly. “In this room?”
“Because Blythe has a thing for younger guys who can quote the entire courtroom speech from A Few
Good Men?”
“Because,” she said in that clipped tone people use when they’re silently praying for patience—or imagining what it’d feel like to strangle me, “we’re currently investigating three cases of extortion totaling two million dollars, five cases of embezzlement over five hundred thousand dollars each, and eight reports of blackmail. Your guild was behind them all, and unless you want those charges added to your already extensive list of crimes, you should strongly consider shedding some light on the inner workings of KCQ.”
Despite myself, my mood sobered. This wasn’t my first interrogation, but it was my first time in the custody of the international organization responsible for dispatching magic-wielding criminals. I had no idea what to expect as far as charges and sentencing.
“Let’s go back to the beginning,” she suggested. “Your name.” “Kit Morris.”
“How old are you?”
“Twenty-two.”
“What’s your magic class?”
“Psychica.” Which she already knew. KCQ had been a guild populated entirely by voodoo-brain psychics with wildly varying abilities—all the wilder once I’d joined the team.

Author Info
Annette Marie is the author of Amazon best-selling YA urban fantasy series Steel & Stone, its prequel trilogy Spell Weaver, and romantic fantasy trilogy Red Winter. Her first love is fantasy, but fast-paced adventures and tantalizing forbidden romances are her guilty pleasures. She lives in the frozen winter wasteland of Alberta, Canada (okay, it's not quite that bad) with her husband and their furry minion of darkness—sorry, cat—Caesar. When not writing, she can be found elbow-deep in one art project or another while blissfully ignoring all adult responsibilities.

Author links:
Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

Rob is a Canadian writer, actor, and director, who has been in a few TV shows you might watch, had a few films in festivals you might have attended, and authored some stories you might have come across. He's hoping to accomplish plenty more by the time he inevitably dies surrounded by cats while watching reruns of Mr. Robot. 

Currently, he is the Creative Director of Cave Puppet Films, as well as the co-author of the upcoming Guild Codex: Warped book series with Annette Marie.

Author links:
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COVER REVEAL - NA URBAN FANTASY - LOST TALISMANS AND A TEQUILA (The Guild Codes: Spellbound, #7) by Annette Marie

LOST TALISMANS AND A TEQUILA

The Guild Codex: Spellbound, #7

by Annette Marie

Publication date: July 10th 2020

Published by: Dark Owl Fantasy Inc.

Genres: New Adult, Urban Fantasy

BLURB
You know that squirmy sensation in your gut when you have no idea what you’re doing and you’re about to screw everything up?

Yeah, that feeling.

I thought I was a good judge of character, but recent events proved me very wrong. Now, in a brilliant demonstration of my newfound caution, I’m putting all my faith in a demon—a demon who’s tried to kill me before. The squirmy feeling is making sense, right?

Unfortunately, I don’t have any other options. Ezra’s time is almost up, which means I need answers and I need them fast. So it’s time to toughen up, pack my gear, and find me one of the most illegal, reviled, and scarce mythics out there: a demon-mage summoner.

And all I have to do is follow a demon’s instructions on where to look. How could that go wrong?

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Author Info
Annette Marie is the author of Amazon best-selling YA urban fantasy series Steel & Stone, its prequel trilogy Spell Weaver, and romantic fantasy trilogy Red Winter. Her first love is fantasy, but fast-paced adventures and tantalizing forbidden romances are her guilty pleasures. She lives in the frozen winter wasteland of Alberta, Canada (okay, it's not quite that bad) with her husband and their furry minion of darkness—sorry, cat—Caesar. When not writing, she can be found elbow-deep in one art project or another while blissfully ignoring all adult responsibilities.

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BOOK BLITZ w/EXCERPT - NA URBAN FANTASY - SLAYING MONSTERS FOR THE FEEBLE (The Guild Codex: Demonized, #2) by Annette Marie

Slaying Monsters for the Feeble

(The Guild Codex: Demonized, #2)

by Annette Marie

Publication date: November 1st 2019

Genres: New Adult, Urban Fantasy

BLURB
I’m bound to a demon.

For my entire life, I avoided magic at all costs. Now, I’m responsible for a demon who wields magic more powerful than the toughest mage or sorcerer.

Demons are evil.

That’s what my textbooks say. That’s what I see. He’s ruthless, he’s temperamental, he’s cold. But he protects me without fail. I wonder if he’s hiding a heart behind his hostility.

My demon is a monster.

Heartless or not, my contract with him is illegal and beyond dangerous. Together, we need to find a way to send him back to his own world before anyone discovers our secret. If that wasn’t difficult enough, there’s another problem:

My demon isn’t the only monster I should be worried about.

—

From the author of The Guild Codex: Spellbound comes a new series that will plunge an unprepared young woman into the darkest magic of the mythic world.

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Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

I cautiously reached under the neck of my sweater and closed my fingers around the cool silver pendant. Withdrawing the infernus, I settled it on my chest. Darren’s gaze followed it, his expression torn between curiosity and derision.
“Would you like to see my demon?” I asked him. “Right now?” He crossed his arms over his thick chest. “Yeah, let’s see it.”
I ran my thumb across the infernus. Let’s play the game, Zylas.
The pendant blazed with crimson light. Power spilled down, hit the floor, then pooled upward into my demon’s shape. The glow flared into solidity, then faded. Zylas stood still and silent, staring blankly at nothing in a flawless imitation of an enslaved demon with no autonomy.
Despite his ornery defiance, Zylas was nothing if not intelligent. He knew this moment was too crucial for disobedience. Both our lives depended on his acting skills.
At his appearance, gasps flew through the pub and I resisted the urge to shrink. We had everyone’s attention now. They were staring at Zylas, measuring him, judging him, and all he could do was stand there and endure it. At least no one laughed this time.
“Seriously?”
Or maybe the laughter hadn’t begun yet.
“This is your demon?” Darren planted his feet almost on Zylas’s toes, smirking into the demon’s face. “I’ve never seen such a small, pathetic demon in my life!”
The blond woman mock-whispered to the rangy guy, “Do you think she got it for cheap because it’s a runt?”
When Darius, the Crow and Hammer’s GM, had allowed me to join, I’d hoped this guild would be different from the Grand Grimoire, but maybe all guilds were the same. Maybe Zylas and I were too small and weak for anyone to respect.
The barbed tip of his tail gave the tiniest twitch, unnoticed by the watching mythics.
“Forgetting something, dumbasses?” Tori’s acidic snap cut into my thoughts. “Robin and her demon
killed the unbound one on Halloween. Obviously they’re not weak.”
She was defending us?
“Not weak?” Darren scoffed. His hand rose toward Zylas. “This thing couldn’t—” Uh-oh, not good. “Don’t touch him.”
Darren’s reach stuttered, then he boldly rammed his palm into Zylas. The demon didn’t move and Darren stumbled backward, thrown off balance. He shook his head and glanced at his hand, as though confused about how his powerful muscles had failed to affect the shorter, lighter demon.
He thought we were weak. No one here respected us. Unwelcome and disregarded … but what had Tori said? Don’t let him push you around.
I pressed my thumb against the sigil at the center of the infernus. Zylas?
I didn’t need to finish the thought—his hand was already closing around Darren’s throat. With strength
the mythic could only dream of, Zylas swung him off his feet and slammed him down on the bar.
Not too rough, I warned.
He bent Darren backward over the bar. The mythic spluttered and flailed helplessly. Everyone else had withdrawn, shock and fear on their faces. I hated that we had to prove our strength, but this was much better than last time. Zylas was making the proper impression without having to pound half the guild into the floor.
I straightened my glasses, turned toward the bartender, and forced a smile. “Could I have a water, please, Tori?”

Author Info
Annette Marie is the author of Amazon best-selling YA urban fantasy series Steel & Stone, its prequel trilogy Spell Weaver, and romantic fantasy trilogy Red Winter. Her first love is fantasy, but fast-paced adventures and tantalizing forbidden romances are her guilty pleasures. She lives in the frozen winter wasteland of Alberta, Canada (okay, it's not quite that bad) with her husband and their furry minion of darkness—sorry, cat—Caesar. When not writing, she can be found elbow-deep in one art project or another while blissfully ignoring all adult responsibilities.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

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BOOK BLITZ w/EXCERPT - NA URBAN FANTASY - The Alchemist and an Amaretto (The Guild Codex: Spellbound, #5) by Annette Marie

The Alchemist and an Amaretto 

(The Guild Codex: Spellbound, #5)

by Annette Marie

Publication date: October 11th 2019

Published by: Dark Owl Fantasy Inc.

Genres: New Adult, Urban Fantasy

BLURB
As a guild bartender, I can handle pretty much anything—mages, sorcerers, witches, the occasional demon. But show me anything family-related and I’d rather run for the hills. It doesn’t even have to be my family.

So I have no idea why I thought spending the holidays with Aaron’s mom and pop was a good idea.

Meeting his famous parents is already terrifying enough, but I’ve got a bigger problem. Students of his family’s renowned mage academy are being attacked on the grounds—and somehow no one has seen a single assailant? Unexplained tracks litter the nearby woods, rumors of forbidden alchemy are circulating the campus…and Ezra has been acting strangely since we arrived.

Something deadly is brewing in the shadow of Sinclair Academy, and the longer we take to uncover it, the more dangerous it becomes. But no matter the risk, we’ll protect the students.

And Aaron’s parents too, I suppose. If we have to.

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EXCERPT:

Ezra stopped, hands on his hips as he surveyed the lazy slope that swept up to the towering manor. “All right. Time for our final sprint.”
I snorted. “Yeah, uh-huh.”
“I’m serious. We always finish our workouts with something competitive.”
Like competitive pushups. I shivered at the reminder.
“This is the starting line. That tree is the finish. First one there wins.”
“What’s the prize?” I folded my arms, eyeing the distance. Not that far but not twenty yards either. “You, Aaron, and Kai always bet something.”
He rubbed the hint of shadow along his jaw. “Winner’s choice, I guess.”
Ooh, I liked the sound of that. Grinning, I got into a starting position. “You’re on.”
He took the same position. Clearing his throat, he deepened his voice to mimic a sports announcer. “On your mark. Get set. G—”
“What’s that?” I gasped, pointing behind him.
He snapped around to look—and I launched into a mad sprint, arms pumping. Ezra swore and took off after me, but I had a head start. I would reach the finish first and totally win this.
Right as I drew level with the target tree, hands caught my waist. Ezra swept me off the ground, still running—an impossible feat if not for his inhuman strength. He stopped just past the tree, laughing too hard to hold me up. My back slid down his chest and my feet landed in the grass.
“I can’t believe I fell for that,” he said breathlessly. “You’re such a cheater.”
Whirling to face him, I smirked. “I was manufacturing a combat advantage, not cheating. Kai’s been teaching me.”
“A race isn’t combat.”
“Maybe I was running for my life.”
“From me?” He arched a playful eyebrow. “Does that mean you don’t like being chased?” “Depends who’s doing the chasing,” I shot back teasingly.
“Oh? So is it the chase you prefer, or the catch?”
I tossed my hair with pretend haughtiness. “You think you could catch me?”
“Pretty sure I already did.”
My heart did a crazy tumble through my chest and a grin stretched my mouth. I couldn’t hold it back any more than I could stop the blush heating my cheeks.
“Well,” I began dramatically, spreading my arms as I stepped backward, “do I look—”
My heel caught on a tree root hidden in the grass. Squealing, I pitched over, arms wind-milling. My back hit the ground, the air punched from my chest, and I blinked dazedly at the overcast sky.
Damn it.
Ezra’s face appeared above mine. He crouched at my side, his expression drawn into grave concern. “Tori, are you still with me?”
I choked on a laugh and whispered, “Ezra? Is that you?”
“I’m here.” He took my hand and patted it gently. “Just hang in there.”
I fluttered my fingers. “Everything is growing dark.”
“Go toward the light, Tori.”
My eyebrows quirked. “Shouldn’t I go away from the light?”
“It doesn’t have the same ring,” he decided. “You’ll have to go toward the light.”
“Toward the light it is.” I waited a moment. “Now what?”
He took my hands and folded them on my chest in the classic body-in-casket pose—and I lost it. Cackling with laughter, I sat up and checked the grass stain on my elbow.
“Next time, I’ll make you laugh first,” I promised. He grinned as he stood. “You can try.”

Author Bio:
Annette Marie is the author of Amazon best-selling YA urban fantasy series Steel & Stone, its prequel trilogy Spell Weaver, and romantic fantasy trilogy Red Winter. Her first love is fantasy, but fast-paced adventures and tantalizing forbidden romances are her guilty pleasures. She lives in the frozen winter wasteland of Alberta, Canada (okay, it's not quite that bad) with her husband and their furry minion of darkness—sorry, cat—Caesar. When not writing, she can be found elbow-deep in one art project or another while blissfully ignoring all adult responsibilities.

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BOOK BLITZ w/EXCERPT - NA URBAN FANTASY - TAMING DEMONS FOR BEGINNERS (The Guild Codes: Demonized, #1) by Annette Marie

Taming Demons for Beginners

(The Guild Codex: Demonized, #1)

by Annette Marie 

Publication date: September 13th 2019

Published by: Dark Owl Fantasy Inc.

Genres: New Adult, Urban Fantasy

BLURB
Rule one: Don’t look at the demon.
When I arrived at my uncle’s house, I expected my relatives to be like me—outcast sorcerers who don’t practice magic. I was right about the sorcery, but wrong about everything else.

Rule two: Don’t listen to the demon.
My uncle chose a far deadlier power. He calls creatures of darkness into our world, binds them into service contracts, and sells them to the highest bidder. And I’m supposed to act like I don’t know how illegal and dangerous it is.

Rule three: Don’t talk to the demon.
All I had to do was keep my nose out of it. Pretend I didn’t find the summoning circle in the basement. Pretend I didn’t notice the shadowy being trapped inside it. Pretend I didn’t break the rules.

But I did, and now it’s too late.

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From the author of The Guild Codex: Spellbound comes a new series that will plunge an unprepared young woman into the darkest magic of the mythic world.

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EXCERPT:

I snapped the Demonica guide shut and replaced it under the table, then scooped up my remaining cookies and walked across the hardwood floor. I stopped two long steps from the summoning circle, the dome-shape interior filled with inky, impenetrable shadows.
I held up a cookie.
“This,” I announced, “is a double-chocolate brownie cookie. It’s delicious, and I’ll give it to you if you answer a question for me.”
Silence from within the darkness.
“I answered your question,” I added accusingly.
Quiet lay upon the room—then a soft, husky laugh.
“A question, hh’ainun?” the demon crooned. “What would you ask?”
Doubts trickled through me. This was a bad idea, but I plowed on. “Do demons lie?”
“Ch,” it replied, a sound of cold amusement. “Zh’ūltis question. Ask another.”
I frowned. “What does zhuh-ool … what does that word mean?”
“Stupid. Stupid question.”
My frown deepened into a scowl. I rephrased. “If it’s true that demons don’t lie, why is that?”
A long pause, but it wasn’t the same silence as before. My skin prickled, instinct warning that a predator’s attention was locked on me.
“Tell me truths and lies, hh’ainun.”
“What?” I asked blankly.
The demon said nothing, waiting.
Brow furrowed, I searched for harmless things to say. “I moved here six days ago. I miss my college classes. My favorite class was biology. I enjoy baking for my family.”
“Moved here,” the demon repeated in its swirling accent. “True. Miss your … college,” it enunciated carefully, as though unfamiliar with the word, “true. Biology … lie.”
My eyes widened.
“Your family.” It rolled the last word as though tasting it. “Lie.” “No,” I said. “That one is true.”
“Lie,” the demon repeated with certainty.
“You’re wrong. I love baking for my family.”
“Zh’ūltis.”
“Did you just call me stupid?” I clenched my jaw, then relaxed. “You didn’t answer my question.”
“I did.”
“No, you didn’t.” Glaring, I took a deep breath. “Fine. Whatever. If that’s your idea of answering a question, I won’t bother asking any more.”
I stepped closer to the circle, knelt, and carefully set the paper towel of cookies on the floor. Keeping my body as far away as possible, I nudged a corner of the paper across the silver inlay, then snatched my hand back. This was the closest I’d ever come to the circle.
A soft scuff against the hardwood emanated from the darkness. The paper towel twitched, then slid into the black dome.
Icy blades of fear cut through me. Suddenly, the demon was no longer a voice—it was a physical being. Something alive and solid and real that could pull the cookies into its prison cell. My gaze rose from the floor where the treats had disappeared to the curved black wall.
A spark of red in the darkness.
Flames burst to life and shot upward in a hungry blaze. I flung myself back. As I landed on my butt, the brief flare lit a shape within the black—the dark outline of shoulders, the edge of a jaw, the plane of a cheekbone.
Burning crimson eyes caught the light and glowed.
The fire died as quickly as it had appeared, and the dome was once again filled with impenetrable darkness, the demon hidden within. Gray fluff fluttered out of the circle—ash. Flakes of ash. The demon had burned the paper towel.
I scooted across the floor, then pushed onto trembling legs. Without a word or a backward glance, I ran through the door and pushed it shut behind me, swearing never to return.
An hour later, as I lay in bed, trying to sleep, all I could see was the demon’s dim outline—and those eyes that had glowed like hot coals, like magma erupting from a volcano’s heart.

Author Info
Annette Marie is the author of Amazon best-selling YA urban fantasy series Steel & Stone, its prequel trilogy Spell Weaver, and romantic fantasy trilogy Red Winter. Her first love is fantasy, but fast-paced adventures and tantalizing forbidden romances are her guilty pleasures. She lives in the frozen winter wasteland of Alberta, Canada (okay, it's not quite that bad) with her husband and their furry minion of darkness—sorry, cat—Caesar. When not writing, she can be found elbow-deep in one art project or another while blissfully ignoring all adult responsibilities.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

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