The Druid Series 9: Baird by Marata Eros
(The Druid Series #9)
Publication date: August 22nd 2014
Genres: Adult, Erotica,
Siana has disappeared. As an Exotic and Druid warrior queen, she is not fully beholden to the magick call of sex slavery as her sister Druid witches. She does not realize as she runs, Baird and Kael follow with opposing agendas.
Now that Jessamine is within the subjugation of the undead, the Druid females will be ruled by the fair hand of Imogen and her Reaper mates, Carrig and Quinn.
Altho, and the gifted Druid female Seraphina, cannot reconcile the inception of their relationship, and her promise to be his as payment. Altho seeks shelter from the Reaper leader, Maghnus… only to discover what is important was not as he thought.
Can Siana obtain the freedom she wishes and the love she denies? Will the new kingdom of Reapers succeed in the protection of their Druid females? Do Altho and Maghnus hold the key to revolutionizing the power structure of both Druid and Reaper?
Now that Jessamine is within the subjugation of the undead, the Druid females will be ruled by the fair hand of Imogen and her Reaper mates, Carrig and Quinn.
Altho, and the gifted Druid female Seraphina, cannot reconcile the inception of their relationship, and her promise to be his as payment. Altho seeks shelter from the Reaper leader, Maghnus… only to discover what is important was not as he thought.
Can Siana obtain the freedom she wishes and the love she denies? Will the new kingdom of Reapers succeed in the protection of their Druid females? Do Altho and Maghnus hold the key to revolutionizing the power structure of both Druid and Reaper?
EXCERPT
“Baird.” He tosses his chin toward Carrig and the
introductions stall.
Carrig is more amiable than Baird. “What blood are you?”
Titus moves swiftly beside them though he carries Siana’s
dead weight. “I am blood of the demonic, and also Exotic.”
“Obviously vampire,” Carrig replies.
“Aye, I am, though I have enough Exotic blood to shadow
skip.”
Baird frowns.
“Baird,” Carrig says, but Baird sprints ahead.
He smells the wetness from the hot spring, musty yet
sweet. Baird zeroes in on it as he runs, and Titus follows.
They arrive at the water's edge, and all of them slip off
their clothes.
Carrig nudges the edge of his rucksack open and plucks out
soap.
Siana moans, flopping an elegant arm over her eyes.
She gasps as hot water slides over her body. Every scratch,
wound, and piece of filth responds with a biting sting.
“What?” Siana asks, her voice thick.
“We are bathing then seeking shelter nearby,” Carrig
explains.
Baird takes Siana from Titus, and he resists.
Their eyes lock.
“I will not harm the Druid queen, Faction,” Baird says.
Siana holds an arm around Titus's waist as she half floats
in the warm water. “He does not believe you.” She looks up at Titus through
half-closed lids.
Carrig snorts, and Baird frowns.
Her naked shoulders lift. “What assurance does he have,
based on your rabid behavior?”
Baird casts his eyes to the ground, properly shamed.
When he lifts them, he is more himself. “I wish to have
some time to speak alone with you.”
“Ah,” Siana says, “you need but ask. We're obviously on
intimate terms.”
She says her words with mirth. They are barbs sinking into
his flesh, and he deserves it.
Siana lets herself be pulled through the water by Baird.
Something tight and hard eases within Baird's chest when
she is beside him.
He kisses the top of her head, wrapping her tightly
against himself.
They float away while the other men clean. Only the sounds
of splashing can be heard.
GUEST POST
A Slice of Sin
How do you want your romance served up? Cold, like day old
pizza? You know exactly what you're getting, without surprises and it's a
no-fix easy edible?
Doesn't sound yummy?
You're not alone. Romance is almost always great. It's
proven to be the fastest, most-sold genre of those available to the demographic
who reads the most: women.
Did you cut your teeth on the speedy and short Harlequin
romances of the 1980s? Or was it Danielle Steel? Possibly Twilight
sucked you in. Or more recently, Fifty Shades. See—I don't even have to say the
entire title. It's so widely known a half title reference works just as well.
What kind of romance is hot right now? Well, I don't have
a statistician at-the-ready but if reader and writer buzz is spot-on, it's the
dark stuff.
I recently read, The Decimation of Mae by UK
author, DH Sidebottom. It was so disturbing, I just couldn't help but finish
it.
That sounds wrong. But when there's compelling writing,
I'm gone. Done. Finito. I crave it. The subject matter is almost second to the
compulsion the author throws at me. Is it better when there's an element of
romance? Yes. Do I need it to feel compelled to read the book? No.
My work is dark. All of it. And I'm certainly not the
first author to write dark fiction. There's been plenty before me. It's just
now, women are beginning to expect the unexpected. Reader demand at its finest.
BDSM? Not off limits anymore. Non-consent? Depends. There's a entire new branch
of romantic erotica falling under the “taboo” sector. What is that? Well,
anything that delivers non-vanilla fare. Erotica is so widespread now Amazon
took steps at the first of the year and fractured the erotica genre into over a
dozen categories. Want erotic horror? Romance? It's there.
So how does that change things for the better? For
starters: readers get to broaden their inventory. It's not that mainstream
isn't great (I like mac & cheese like everyone else). But there's something
about having literary options that pleases the avid reader to almost zealot
proportions. I read 2-4 books per week, depending on my ability to
sleep-deprive myself. I get excited when Pixel of Ink appears in my inbox and a
book I've been salivating over comes on sale. Or, a reader says I have
to read such and such. As was the case with TDoM. Three different readers of my
work said I had to read that work. So I did. I even paid full price at
around $3. It took me 6+ hours to finish TDoM and it only cost me the price of
a large coffee. Awesome value. Lots of bang for that buck.
I just need the next slice of dark. Like a decadent
dessert that never disappoints, I want to read something for guilty pleasure,
to look forward to each night, until the last, metaphorical bite.
If you're just breaking into dark fiction, there are a few
great reads out there. Start with the one above. Or, if you're unsure, look in
the “also-bought” section to find other dark “desserts.”
They won't expand your waistline, just your mind.
I'm always up for that.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Marata Eros (a pen name for Tamara Rose Blodgett), is the NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY bestselling author of A Terrible Love. Marata has more than thirty-five titles in multiple genres including Dark Fantasy, Dark Romance as well as her highly successful Dark Erotica series.
Marata lives in South Dakota with her husband, children and fur kids. She is an ardent reader of many genres. Tamara enjoys interacting with her readers via Twitter, blog and newsletter as often as possible. Please stop by and say hi :)
Website: http://
Twitter: @MarataErosFaceBook: http://tinyurl.com/
GIVEAWAY
Blitz-wide giveaway
--25$ Amazon Gift Card + signed copy of The Druid Series 9: Baird
Open to US/CA/AU/GB/UK; ends September 2nd
