Welcome to The October Release Party!

I'm so glad to be here to celebrate the October Release Party because my novel, Destiny Redeemed, releases on October 13.  I'll be posting throughout the day with excerpts and info about the main characters, but first let me give a little background on this erotic paranormal romance.  Leave a comment on any of my posts throughout the day for a chance to win a copy of the book!

The story is about a race of people called Aeveren.  Aeveren are descended from humans, but long ago they were chosen by the Archangel Raziel to be his people.  He gave them the gifts of reincarnation, powers beyond what humans have, and destined ones.  Aeveren live fifty lifetimes through reincarnation and carry with them their memories from their past lives.  Upon reaching their twentieth lifetimes, they receive a power, such as telepathy, teleportation, or the power of time travel.  However, some Aeveren are born with their abilities, making them far more powerful than the rest of the race.  Finally, each Aeveren soul is given destined ones, other Aeveren meant only for them.  However, Aeveren possess free will, and like humans, they don't always choose as they should.

Amon Kalins is an ancient of the Aeveren race and a very powerful one at that.  He's lived forty-seven lifetimes and has the power of time travel, teleportation, telepathy, and the ability to control what others around him are thinking.  He's been blessed, for sure, but he's squandered his gifts, preferring to use them for only his benefit and losing the love three destined ones in the process.  His actions against his fellow Aeveren have resulted in his imprisonment in Nil, Aeveren prison.

Thea Forester is also an ancient Aeveren in her forty-fifth lifetime, but unlike Amon, she's never had a destined one because she's been given the gift of healing.  Aeveren healers rarely receive the gift of a destined one, consigning them to a highly respected but lonely existence.  Thea accepts this as her destiny but can't keep from wishing that somewhere there's a destined one for her.

Sentenced to spend the rest of his three remaining lifetimes in Nil, Amon Kalins is freed with the help of his Sidhe servant, Gethen, but now he must accept his life is never to be his again as the Council won't rest until he's safely back imprisoned within Nil's cold walls. Broken and nearly dead from his time in prison, Amon is saved by an Aeveren healer named Althea Forester. As a healer, Thea has served her people for forty-five lifetimes, never having a destined one and always knowing each lifetime would ultimately end with her alone. But destiny hasn't forgotten her.

Drawn to the seductive Amon, Thea quickly becomes a pawn the Council uses to trap him. Taken prisoner by the sadistic leader of the rebel group, the Soren, Thea must survive the vicious world of the people hellbent on taking her destined one away forever, and Amon must risk everything dear to him to free her from those who would sacrifice her to claim the bigger prize and return him to Nil.

Excerpt: 

Amon looked up at the terrified woman standing over him and pity for her washed over him. As she stood frozen, he spoke to her, hoping to calm her fears.

“What’s your name?”

The woman stood as silent as a statue, her gaze fixed on the floor.

“Tell him your name,” Gethen said in a low, menacing voice.

Amon grimaced at his friend’s threatening tone and repeated his question. When she didn’t answer again, he added, “Please don’t be frightened. Gethen won’t hurt you. He’s just worried about me. I promise you’re in no danger in my home.”

Thea slowly lifted her eyes to his right leg. Without a word, she moved to the opposite side of the bed and focused intently on the injury.

Amon watched in apprehension as she stared at the main source of his pain. She seemed to forget anyone but the two of them were in the room. When she moved to touch his leg, he flinched and groaned, “No,” but she seemed oblivious to his refusal.

Gently, she touched just below his knee, and Amon waited for the searing pain to return with a vengeance. Eyes closed, holding his breath, he waited, but only relief came. His pain ebbed away, and when he was convinced it wouldn’t be back at least while she touched him, he allowed himself to exhale fully and slowly opened his eyes.

The left eye was still swollen, but through his right eye he studied the creature that had just taken his pain away. For the first time since she’d entered the room, he noticed how placid her face was. Long blond hair framed her soft face, falling in tendrils toward her waist, and pale blue eyes looked to his leg, as if she were willing him better.

Amon’s study of her was broken only by Gethen’s shifting positions against the door frame as he nervously watched her do as he’d commanded.  The noise interrupted her focus, and she looked up into Amon’s face. He winced expecting the pain to return, and she slowly moved to touch his face near his swollen eye. 

“Thea,” he heard her whisper as she gingerly placed her right hand over his left eye.

Involuntarily, he relaxed and closed both eyes as a sense of calm flowed over him. He wasn’t sure how long he lay there with her soft touch on him, but he felt the loss instantly when she moved away.

He opened his eyes in time to see her sway back toward the wall. He reached out to grab her, but in his weakened condition, he knew he’d only be able to support her for just seconds before she fell to the ground.

“Gethen!”

The man raced around the bed to catch her as she slipped from Amon’s hold. As he held her limp body in his arms, he looked to Amon with a confused look for guidance as to what to do with yet another hurt person.

“Place her next to me here,” he said pointing to the unoccupied half of the kind size bed he lay in.

As Gethen did as he requested, he asked, “What happened?”

“Aeveren healers can become overwhelmed if the person they’re healing is severely injured. Considering the amount of pain I had before she touched me and how little I have now in both my leg and my eye, it’s not surprising she found it to be too much.”

Amon inched up into a sitting position and looked down at Thea as she lay motionless next to him. He regretted Markku having to take her against her will and having to hold her there, but the effect of just her brief healing touch was wonderful.

Looking up at Gethen, he whispered, “I’m tired, friend. Dim the lights and let me rest for a while.”

“Do you think that’s wise? She may wake up and hurt you.”

“Gethen, she’s a healer.” 

“Amon, she bit Markku downstairs.”

Smiling, Amon joked, “That’s Markku. She wouldn’t be the first person to want to harm him, and certainly not the first woman. And she had the right to fight back. She’s not here of her own free will.”

Gethen continued, undeterred. “I’m just worried she may try to leave.”

“Then you can remain outside the door, if you’d like. But I’m sure downstairs would be fine and far more comfortable. There’s only one door to the outside, and it’s on the first floor.”

Gethen accepted Amon’s argument and dimmed the ceiling light until the room glowed a pale amber color. He closed the door with one last glance back at him, and Amon listened as he made his way down the stairs.

Sleep began to come over him and he welcomed it like an old friend absent from his life for what seemed like years. For the first time in almost twelve months, he was in a bed and his body didn’t ache so much it would keep him up all night. And for the first time in all those months, he wasn’t alone. He inhaled deeply and let the air out of his lungs slowly, savoring the safety he felt.

     Turning to look at the woman next to him, he watched as she lay silently still except for her breathing. Her hands seemed so small until his gaze traveled the length of her body. All of Thea was small. She’d seemed so much larger as she stood over him, but the person he saw beside him was petite. As he noticed this, sleep took over and his eyelids drooped closed.

Stop back throughout the day for more from Destiny Redeemed. Have a great one!