Today I am hosting guest author Lisa Kumar with her latest novel, “The Fae Lord’s Mistress”. This is the first book in her dark fantasy romance series, The New Earth Chronicles. Be aware this novel has a dark hero and deals with sensitive issues such as violence and slavery.
BLURB
Ever since the day a fae raid stole away my parents, poverty and scavenging have been two constants in my life. Home is the human slums of Chimra, though it was once known as the great city of Chicago. The fae rule over New Earth and humanity with a neglectful and ruthless fist. But everything changes when Gabreon, the fae lord who led that raid six years ago, finds me in the forbidden dumping grounds and claims me as his own. Which leads to anger, confusion, and heartache – on my side and his.
Lina. The human Gabreon couldn’t forget. When he sees her in the dumping grounds, he no longer can ignore the pull between them. Though claiming her goes against everything he was brought up to believe, he takes her as his companion. During the day, she holds herself away from him, but at night, she sparks to life in his arms. As a human revolution ferments and his growing relationship with Lina becomes even more perilous, he discovers that he and his society have much to make amends for. Earning her forgiveness will be hard, but keeping both of them alive in the meantime might prove impossible.
EXCERPT
I pocketed the fae statue and patted my pouch, loving the weighty feeling that the item created against my hand. Now I could go home. Gran and Grandpa would be so-”
The baying of a hound tore through the quietness like a blade. My heart froze solid before exploding into a pounding rhythm. Oh, God, no.
I knew that otherworldly sound, and that was no human hound but a Sidhe one. Shit, shit, shit!
The impulse to flee nearly overpowered me, but a smidgeon of sense won out at the end. I clenched my arms to my sides and pressed my feet against the littered ground as hard as I could so I didn’t give in to the dangerous urge. Yes, I had to move, but I had to do so wisely. It wouldn’t do to go in the direction of the hound – or hounds. The realization there could be more than one caused another dose of fear to leech into my bones. There could very well be a multitude of the beasts around. And if there were hounds, their handlers had to be about as well.
Worse, I had no idea where they could be in relation to me. Why were they even here? Surely, the threat of a few human poachers was nothing to the Sidhe. Though running into a patrol had always been a possibility, the likelihood had seemed a remote one – until now. The fae punished human thieves quite severely when the mood hit – and it hit often – but guarding the trash yard had never been a top priority for them.
As I listened carefully, only the beating of my heart sounded in my ears. Beads of sweat wove trails down my back, and the cool air suddenly stifled me. I couldn’t remain here, yet going elsewhere didn’t seem any wiser. Indecision gnawed at my insides. Every choice felt wrong and potentially deadly. But if I stayed in one place, they’d catch my scent all that much faster. Maybe if I moved around, that would confuse them? Something, though, told me that they probably could differentiate between a fresh trail and an older one. Damn, what should I do?
I couldn’t search for Rachel or the others that were here, either. To do so might cause more harm than good. In a situation like this, we all understood that it was a race for our own survival.
Taking in a shuddering breath, I scrubbed a hand over my face. What a horrific mess. What could I-”
The pounding of feet – no, paws – sliced into my consciousness. Growling and baying followed. This time, pure instinct propelled me from my hiding place. Though I kept as low as possible, my steps rang out like a blaring alarm. I didn’t know which way to look. The sounds came at me from every direction, disorienting and confusing my panicked mind. The once familiar dumping grounds turned into a foreign landscape of blurred color. My feet carried me blindly through mazes of garbage until I found myself hemmed in by a towering mountain of broken furniture.
I spun around, my heart threatening to implode as I looked for an escape route. The baying and growling had become deafening, which could only mean one thing. Suddenly, my frantic gaze alighted on a narrow corridor between the heaps. I raced toward the exit and turned sideways to squeeze through it.
“Halt, human!” a clear, accented voice rang out.
As I skidded to a stop before the corridor, something leaped onto my back and sent me crashing to the ground. Air whooshed out of my lungs, and pain ricocheted through my ribs. A growl came from above me, and two huge paws pushed into my back. Hot, wet air blasted next my ear before the snapping of teeth caused me to flinch.
Terror exploded through my veins like a searing shot of alcohol. Oh, God. Let me faint before I’m mauled. I closed my eyes, awaiting the slash of claws and teeth.
Buy “The Fae Lord’s Mistress”. Now available at these retailers.
About the Author:
Lisa Kumar is a wife, mother, and romance writer who grew up in small-town Indiana. She now resides in the suburbs of Chicago with her husband and two sons. When not spinning tales of romance and fantasy, she can often be found with her nose buried in a book. Her scholastic background is in psychology, which enabled her to get low-paying jobs in the human services sector. Needless to say, she’s now writing full-time.
Discover other titles by Lisa Kumar at Lisa’s website and Goodreads.
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