Weekend Writing Warriors ~ Through the Front Door

February 5, 2017 by Alexis Duran

Hello and welcome to another exciting round of Weekend Writing Warriors. Can I just say…..aaaaaaagh!? Thanks for letting me get that off my chest. It’s been a rough couple of weeks, the pinnacle of which was me taking on a fourth job. Yup, four part-time jobs on top of writing. At least I won’t get bored. No time!

So I’ve been sharing from my current WIP Death by Starlight, which hopefully will be sent off to my editor soon. If only I can stop getting jobs. You may remember that last time Zeke sneaked onto Alistair’s sailboat and whispered wicked nothings into the sleeping shaman’s ear. This is the result.

***

Alistair gasped, grunted and snorted, eyes flying open.

“Gaaaa!” he shouted, sitting up straight. “Holy Mother of Night, where did you come from, you sneaky bastard?”

“Through the front door. You’re going to need to up your game if you insist on parking on the steps of a portal.”

“F-you, elf, I’m doing just fine here, thank you very much.” Alistair shoved strands of hair out of his face and grabbed up the bottle. He took a big swig, sloshed it around in his mouth and swallowed. “What the hell do you want?”

“Good to see you too, Alistair.”

***

I know I promised a blurb from Death by Starlight, but it hasn’t happened yet. So to tempt your tastebuds, here’s the scoop on the first book in the Edge of Night series, Betwixt and Between:

The Blurb:

Obsessed with magical creatures since childhood, tabloid reporter Ian Evers never experiences satisfying proof that the magical realm actually exists until he falls into an entrapment spell set by a handsome but dangerous elf. Barely escaping with his soul intact, Ian is able to undo the hex, but he can’t escape the very real infatuation he’s developed for the fierce elf.

Ezekiel Stormshadow is a svarta, a dark elf who serves the queen of the dark realm. The realm of darkness needs the power of light to survive, and while hunting the last few magical beings on earth, Ezekiel discovers Ian, a light elf who’s unaware of his true nature and ripe for the plucking. Their brief encounter awakens a great hunger in Ezekiel, and he’s determined to feast on the light elf’s power and body before the queen intervenes and claims Ian for herself.

Driven apart by the ancient imbalance between the dark and light realms, an evil queen starved for power, and their fear of each other, Ian and Ezekiel are relentlessly drawn together even though their union might destroy them both.

***

Available at these retailers: Amazon Kobo Barnes & Noble

This post is part of an ongoing blog hop hosted by Weekend Writing Warriors. Every Sunday, participating authors post eight to ten sentences from a published work or perhaps their current work in progress. Then we hop to our fellow warriors’ blogs and check out all the fabulous fiction that’s happening! I heartily invite you to participate as a reader, writer, or both. It’s a great way to discover your next favorite book. Click here or use the address: http://www.wewriwa.com

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ Mischief

January 22, 2017 by Alexis Duran

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors, the blog hop where a bunch of really awesome writers share from their work in ten sentences or less. Can I just say that I am really ready for January to be over? Next Saturday is the Chinese New Year (Year of the Rooster, btw) and I can’t wait! I’m sure I’ll be so much more productive, eloquent and on the ball with the lunar shift. And I’m also sure I’ll finish Death by Starlight, my current work in progress, in record time. For now, I’m continuing to share from the first chapter. Zeke has returned from the dark realm and is seeking the help of Alistair, who lives on a sailboat. Zeke and Alistiar have a less than buddy-buddy relationship.

***

Alistair slumped over his little table, cheek pressed into the open pages of a large book. A bottle of rum with an inch of dark liquid remaining in the bottom sat by his head. Zeke quickly imagined a dozen or more tricks he could play on the snoozing shaman, his taste for mischief stronger than ever after his time in the realm.

Once again the urgency to reunite with Ian trumped all distractions. Zeke walked bent over until he reached the end of the cluttered berth where he presumed Alistair slept when he didn’t pass out at the table. He sat gingerly on the lumpy quilt within poking range of the shaman and commenced to stare.

Alistair had the compact-build and tough, weathered skin of someone who’d lived in the far north, dodging polar bears and harvesting icebergs for a living. Although ancient by human standards, strands of black hair were still woven in amongst the gray. His eyeballs were busy behind the twitching lids, fingers clutching sporadically at the table where they rested.

Zeke leaned forward and whispered in his ear, “And then the leviathan rose from the depths and swallowed your little boat whole.”

***

I know I promised a blurb from Death by Starlight, but it hasn’t happened yet. In my other life, I’m a bookkeeper, and January BITES. So to tempt your tastebuds, here’s the scoop on the first book in the Edge of Night series, Betwixt and Between:

The Blurb:

***

Available at these retailers: Amazon Kobo Barnes & Noble

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ Hiding In Plain Sight

January 15, 2017 by Alexis Duran

Greetings and welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors, the blog hop where a bunch of really awesome writers share from their published work or works-in-progress. I’ve started out the new year sharing from my new project, Death by Starlight, the sequel to Betwixt and Between. I’ve jumped ahead a little from last week, but we’re still in Zeke’s POV. He’s recently returned from the dark realm to the realm of humans, and needs a little assistance in ditching the magical creatures who might be following him.

***

Alistair lived on a thirty-foot sailboat that looked about as seaworthy as an old shoe. Next to the charming, lovingly maintained houseboats berthed alongside it, Alistair’s boat faded like an oil spill on the water; rolled sails dingy, hull crusted with barnacles, portholes obscured with mysterious netting. Much of Alistair’s magic went toward keeping his boat unnoticed and undisturbed amongst his gentrified neighbors. He was an expert at hiding in plain sight, and that’s what Zeke need now.

Alistair’s boat bobbed at end of the line. The shaman had somehow motored his dilapidated boat to this place after discovering the space beneath the bridge concealed a portal through which magic flowed. This was where Zeke and Ian, with the help of Ian’s friends, had finally defeated the dark queen Ysolde.

Zeke hopped easily onto the deck of Alistair’s boat without causing any disturbance in its subdued rocking motion. He carefully stepped through piles of junk to the little door closing off the main cabin. Brushing aside a sturdy but simple guarding spell, he opened the door and descended the few steps to the cramped quarters below deck.

***

I know I promised a blurb from Death by Starlight, but it hasn’t happened yet. In my other life, I’m a bookkeeper, and January BITES. So instead, here’s the scoop on the first book in the Edge of Night series, Betwixt and Between:

The Blurb:

***

Available at these retailers: Amazon Kobo Barnes & Noble

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ Whatever Might Fall Out of the Sky

January 8, 2017 by Alexis Duran

Hello and welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors. It’s strange here in Oregon. We’re experience this phenomena called “winter”. There’s been ice and snow, ice and snow. If you stand outside too long, your toes start to hurt. So in other words, perfect writing weather.

I’m continuing to share from my current project, Death by Starlight, the sequel to Betwixt and Between. This picks up right where we left off last week, with Ezekiel the dark elf returning to Seattle from a journey to his homeland.

***

Zeke wasn’t used to giving a second thought to what anyone might think of his comings and goings, but he knew Ian would be worried. Although Zeke’s bond with his lover was strong, Ian’s powers weren’t steady enough yet to track Zeke through the dark realm. Even if they were, Zeke wouldn’t allow Ian to expose himself by keeping open a connection. The dark realm was still full of creatures who wanted nothing more than to destroy Zeke’s half-human, half-liosa lover. Zeke wasn’t too popular himself.

Zeke hunched his shoulders, shrugging off the cool, damp air. The world of humans was colder, brighter, more porous and open to whatever might fall out of the sky. For a moment Zeke was tempted to slip back into the hot, enclosed world he’d just emerged from, but that urge was quickly swept away by an overwhelming need to see Ian, to hold him, touch him, reignite their bond.

He’d dampened his connection with Ian in order to protect him, but now that Zeke was back, his body vibrated with desire. Suddenly the air wasn’t so cold and he opened his long leather jacket, letting the breeze ruffle his silk shirt.

***

Here’s the scoop on book 1 in the Edge of Night series: Betwixt and Between

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The Blurb:

***

Available at these retailers: Amazon Kobo Barnes & Noble

Weekend Writing Warrior ~ New Year, New Book

January 1, 2017 by Alexis Duran

Happy New Year! Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors. I hope 2017 finds you happy, healthy and inspired. 2016 ended on a bit of down beat, for many reasons, but I’m feeling optimistic and reenergized after a rather unproductive December. Sometimes even manic writers have to take a break.

I’m starting off the new year by sharing from my new WIP, which is nearing completion. It’s the second in the Edge of Night series, featuring Ian and Ezekiel, light and dark elves who somehow manage to form an unbreakable bond. Betwixt and Between is the first in the series. If my excerpt does the trick and intrigues you, you can click the link for more info.

These ten lines are from the opening scene of Book 2 (working title Death by Starlight):

***

The skyline of Seattle reared up in a blaze of lights, metal and chrome. Overhead, traffic clattered and roared across the Freemont Bridge, headlights and taillights a stream of silver and red. Ezekiel Stormshadow narrowed his eyes to dim the affect. After so long in the dark realm, such a garish display stabbed into his brain, slicing away the last comfortable strands of shadows linking him to his homeland.

Standing on the edge of the Ballard Locks, he breathed in the mix of gasoline fumes, fresh cut grass and a slight hint of salt water blowing in from Puget Sound. A row of houseboats creaked and bobbed in front of him.

By the position of the moon in the partly cloudy sky, he guessed it was nearly midnight. The date was a murkier thing to calculate. He’d roamed the dark realm for several nights, but time passed differently here in the world of humans, and he suspected he’d been gone much longer than a week or two.

A prickle of concern brought a scowl to his face.

***

Here’s the info on Book 1. Next week I’ll put up the blurb for Edge of Night 2:Death by Starlight.

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The Blurb:

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Available at these retailers: Amazon Kobo Barnes & Noble

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ That’s Him All Right

December 4, 2016 by Alexis Duran

Greetings and welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors! I’ve been away for awhile but I had a good reason. And here is that reason:

Yup. Best writing retreat ever!

But I’m back now and ready for business. I’m continuing with a scene from my latest release, Matthias. Dylan, a reporter, is finding out from his senior editor that the story they were doing on Matthias has been shut down, for mysterious reasons.

***

Amanda crossed her arms over her chest and took a deep breath. She glanced over her shoulder. This late on a Friday afternoon, the usually teeming newsroom was mostly empty. “If you ask me, Krall’s influence has reached this paper.”

“You think Marley killed the story because—”

“Because he was ordered to from on high. Yeah, I do.”

Despite her anger Amanda leaned over Dylan’s desk to inspect the photo he’d enlarged on his desktop.

“That’s him all right. No man should be that good-looking.”

***

Matthias: Order of the Black Knights ~

From Louisiana swamp rat to revivalist huckster to skilled con artist, Matthias Krall clawed his way out of poverty using his natural gifts of grift and manipulation to become the leader of an exclusive retreat center. Exploiting the guise of spiritual guru, Matthias seduces the rich and powerful into turning over their lives and fortunes to his control. But wealth and a small cadre of loyal followers can’t protect Matthias from the betrayal he knows is imminent. Everyone wants what Matthias has, except for one man who wants to destroy it. Dylan Connelly is a reporter who’s determined to prove the charismatic recluse is not only a fraud but a murderer.

Irresistibly drawn to Dylan despite the warnings in his gut, Matthias lures Dylan to his island retreat, determined to destroy his enemy once and for all.

Check out this great review! “I have to commend Alexis Duran because this story truly sucked me in and wouldn’t let go. As much as I wanted to put it down, I just couldn’t. ” 5 Stars from Bayou Book Junkie

Purchase at Dreamspinner Press

Purchase on Amazon

Order of the Black Knights

Every century has seen its knights, but they are not always seen. Some of them do what must be done—getting their hands dirty when no one else is willing. Assassins and antiheroes who work from the shadows, they are called the Black Knights. From the time of the society’s creation in the 1100s, these men are cursed to repeat their lives of bloodshed. But for each knight, there is one who can bring out the man that waits inside and break the cycle. The question is whether or not the knight will kill his true love before he figures it out.

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