Between
the Bleeding Willows
Demon
Hunters Series
Book
One
D.A.
Roach
Genre:
YA Paranormal/Fantasy
Publisher:
Limitless Publishing
Date
of Publication: March 8, 2016
ISBN:
1680585274
ASIN:
B01C4VVPII
Number
of pages: 282
Word
Count: about 64,000
Cover
Artist: Deranged Doctor Design
Book
Description:
At
eighteen years old, Cassidy has suffered more loss than most…
At
the end of her senior year, her boyfriend, Jace Peters, was killed in
a car accident, and her grandmother died only weeks later of a heart
attack. Emotionally lost, Cassidy desperately searches for an
heirloom her boyfriend was wearing in the crash—her mother’s gold
ring. But during her search, Cassidy discovers more than her ring.
She
finds a gate to the Demon Realm….
A
battle is brewing, and Killian—head of the Demon hunters—preps
his Clan for the approaching conflict. They’ve been working to
secure the gate between his realm and the mortal world. But it’s
been nearly impossible since Rya—a voracious demon on a quest to
expand her power—devoured the soul of his Clan’s necromancer. Now
Rya is possessed with the necromancer’s powers and she may break
through the gate at any moment.
Apparently
Rya isn’t the only one Killian has to worry about…
When
Cassidy accidentally crosses into the Demon Realm, Killian can’t
understand how a human girl survived the transition. Now he has to
find a way to return her to her own world, or risk her being caught
in the crossfire, which is a complication he definitely doesn’t
need. Once back in the Human Realm, Cassidy readies herself for
battle. She signs up for Krav Maga classes, where she meets Tyler
Romaitis—a handsome, tenacious, humble guy. He seems almost
perfect, but nothing is ever that easy.
And
as the balance between good and evil shifts, Cassidy finds
herself—and her ring—at the heart of the conflict for the
survival of mankind.
Book
Trailer: https://youtu.be/gBICLCIVERw
Excerpt:
I
had no idea where the path would lead me, but I told myself I’d be
fine as long as I did not veer from it. The insects hiding in the
foliage sang their quiet night songs, and fireflies began to twinkle
in the shadows, trying to convince me I made the right choice and
would be safe. On the contrary, the trees seemed to reach out for me,
unashamed of their menacing appearance. I walked carefully to keep my
noise down, not wanting to draw attention to myself or scare off the
voice I heard.
The
path continued some ways before it joined with a clearing dotted with
headstones. Blaylock Grove Cemetery. The headstones were in ruins,
kicked over by vandals, no longer marking where the dead were buried.
Weeds grew around the grave markers, and fallen branches cluttered
the ground. What the hell was the deal with this place? There was a
bad vibe here.
I
crouched next to a headstone and Googled Blaylock Grove Cemetery.
Wikipedia said it was a small abandoned cemetery that was known for
its ghost sightings and haunted reputation. My arms got goosebumps,
but I continued reading through a few sites. Some believed that the
spirits were restless and angry because of the disrespect for their
final resting place. In the 1950s, it became a place where couples
would come to make out. There was also an increase in vandalism, and
it was around this time when the burial ground became known as
“haunted.” In the early 1900’s a mob boss and his goons were
rumored to have dumped their victims’ bodies into the lagoon at the
edge of the cemetery. I looked around and saw a clearing in the
treeline ahead; the moon shimmered off of what must be
the
lagoon. The image gallery showed photos of the grounds in daytime and
with infrared film. Looking at the images only made me feel even more
unsettled.
“Jace,”
the female voice whispered to my right in a seductive tone. I stood
frozen in one spot, staring in the direction of the voice, staying as
silent and statuelike as I could. In my periphery, I saw a
shadowy figure walk across the clearing toward the voice. I couldn’t
make out a face so I stood and followed it, hoping for a closer look.
In my haste, I snapped a branch beneath my foot.
Crap!
The
figure turned toward me. His mouth twisted in a snarl, and his eyes
were solid black. Despite these deformities, the face was familiar.
My heart and mind warred with each other. Instinct told me to get the
hell out of there, but my heart still thrummed for the guy who had
captured it four years ago.
Seeing
him like this, though…
Jace
Peters was a good guy, not evil like the demon before me.
The
sound of fast footsteps and cracking branches gained on Jace. I
looked to the sound. In the dim moonlight, I could only see a large,
dark figure running at full speed. Jace took off and darted between
two giant willows at the edge of the cemetery. The dark figure dove
at him—and they both vanished before they hit the ground.
What
the…?
I
grabbed my backpack and ran to the willows, but there was no sign of
them. I ducked under the weeping branches and studied the base of the
tree, searching for any clue. I grabbed the trunk to steady myself,
but quickly retracted my hand when I felt the wet sticky liquid.
Using my phone light to illuminate, I found the willow trunk coated
in a dark sap. Putting my soiled fingers to my nose, I could not
smell a thing. I touched my tongue to it, and tasted the metallic
warmth of blood. Shining the light up the tree top showed me the
streaks started as high as I could see and ran down to the roots. I
walked to the other willow and found it also oozed blood. The leaves
and branches were unremarkable; only the trunks were affected.
Trees
didn’t bleed, so what was going on here? Maybe this place really
was haunted. Had I witnessed two apparitions tonight, one being my
dead exboyfriend?
Why
was I blaming this on mystical things? I had never believed in ghosts
and I always thought those Ghosthunters shows preyed on gullible
people. Well, I wasn’t a gullible person, but I sure as hell saw
two figures disappear right before my eyes tonight.
I
needed to get out of there and get home. After I wiped the blood on
the weeds below, I grabbed my backpack. Stepping out from beneath the
branches onto the path between the bleeding willows, I began
falling…down…down…down…
About
the Author:
D.A.
Roach has been telling stories since she was a young girl in the
suburbs of Chicago. In college she met the man of her dreams, her
happily ever after, and married him 2 weeks after graduating. They
have 3 kids together and a pet cockatiel named Gimli. D.A. did not
find a love for books until after college. Her parents were
immigrants from Lithuania and found tv and radio easier ways to hear
stories so they did not do much reading or encourage it. But once she
finished college and D.A. had free time, she discovered how amazing
it was to get lost in a story.
D.A.
is a full time mom and wife. When she is not doing domestic things
(laundry, bills, etc) she is writing, reading, creating mixed media
art, and helping beautify her kids' school landscape. Oh, and she is
ALWAYS listening to music. Her favorite authors include Rebecca
Donovan, Richelle Mead, Larissa Ione, Stephanie Meyer, E.L. James,
and Sylvia Day. Reading great works from authors like these has
motivated D.A. to write her own stories. She hopes to make positive
changes in the world with her art and writing.
"Life
isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself."
— George
Bernard Shaw
WEBSITE:
http://daroachbooks.blogspot.com/
TWITTER:
https://twitter.com/daroach12books
BOOK
GORILLA: http://www.bookgorilla.com/author/B00AQNBVH2/daroach
AMAZON
AUTHOR PG: http://www.amazon.com/author/daroach
Tour giveaway 1 Amazon Gift card $25 2 signed copies (US only) of Between the Bleeding Willows
a Rafflecopter giveaway
How did you come up with the title? Did it come to you first?
ReplyDeleteSherry Compton
savewish@yahoo.com
sounds like a good read!
ReplyDeleteI liked reading the book description, the excerpt, and About the Author. I think that Between the Bleeding Willows, Demon Hunters Series, Book One, by D.A. Roach sounds like a paranormal fantasy thriller that my daughter & I would enjoy reading. Thank you for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteLooks like a really good book!
ReplyDeleteLove paranormal. Looking forward to reading this.
ReplyDelete