In a Wolf’s Eyes
Saga of the Black Wolf
Book 1
A. Katie Rose
Genre: Epic Fantasy
Publisher: Untreed Reads Publishing
Date of Publication: April, 27, 2012
Cover Artist: Ginny Glass
Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/kSNgnzUIsTU
Book Description:
Raine is a slave, a gladiator. Known as the Bloody
Wolf, he is the champion of all champions in the Empire of Khalid. Ly’Tana is a
warrior princess of Kel’Halla and is set to wed the heir to Khalid’s throne,
Crown Prince Broughton. When Raine and his new wizard pal, Rygel, accidentally
murder the High King, they set in motion events rapidly spiraling out of
control. Ly’Tana discovers the true, and violent, nature of her betrothed, a
man nicknamed Prince Brutal for his vicious nature, and escapes her marriage.
But Brutal will stop at nothing to have her for
his wife. To entice his runaway bride into a trap, he brings down and captures
her griffin bodyguard, Bar. Ly’Tana vows to have Bar back or die trying. She
seeks the help of Raine and Rygel, and frees Bar from Brutal’s clutches. Yet,
in doing so, Raine and Ly’Tana are forced to flee for their lives, hunted by
Brutal’s secretive assassins.
Can they escape the hunters and their silent, evil
hounds? Can Ly’Tana evade Brutal’s hungry need to marry her and seize her
beloved country? Can Raine keep Ly’Tana alive and still save himself from
capture and torture? Can they stop themselves from falling in love?
Thus begins the first novel of The Saga of the Black Wolf series.
Excerpt:
Without warning, a nobleman
pushed rudely past me, striking me hard with his shoulder. From the tail of my
eye, I saw grey silk trimmed in silver. I might have kept my balance and my
royal dignity had I been wearing anything but the simple dress. In the wild
attempt to keep to my feet, I stepped on the hem of my gown. If I fell,
sprawling in a most undignified fashion, I would be humiliated before the
entire court.
If I kept my feet, and remained stoically upright, it meant
tearing the flimsy dress from my shoulders, leaving me utterly naked, and
shamed in the eyes of the High King and Queen. It appeared Lord Colvin would
have his petty revenge, by one method or another.
Starting to fall, I felt my arm
gripped tight above the elbow, blissfully saving me from the disparaging choice
of either a disgraceful headlong tumble or total nudity.
The hand, strong but gentle,
steadied me until I gained my feet and my wits about me. I turned to thank my
benefactor, words already in my throat – until I looked up into the most
incredible eyes I have ever seen.
My words died stillborn. Like the
sun on ice, the eyes were a pale, an almost translucent grey. Long lashes any
woman would murder to obtain framed those light irises ringed eerily in black.
His black pupils looked as though they peered through a hangman’s noose.
Once, long ago, I saw a shark
pulled out of the surf by a fisherman, its eyes black, wide and staring,
lifeless and yet alive, predatory and chilling. Like that shark, these eyes
lacked anything that resembled human consciousness or emotion. I, a warrior
from birth, have stared into death’s eyes without flinching, have killed men
who would have killed me, led men into battle with a warcry on my lips. Never
before have I seen eyes as cold-blooded as these eyes. I caught my breath
against the icy ruthlessness in them. Killer’s eyes, flat and inhuman.
Mesmerized, I looked long into those merciless eyes, feeling the chill of fear
creep down my spine.
Suddenly the iciness in them
vanished. Warmth and humor appeared as if by sorcery. None of his facial
muscles flexed, his lips failed to smile, his cheeks remained rock hard and
smooth. Yet, curiously, kindness and sympathy gleamed from those sinister eyes
as though he had smiled broadly. Then he winked. The lightning fast wink of a
man who looked at a woman and liked what he saw.
I gaped. He had winked. He dared
to wink at Her Royal Exalted Highness, Princess Ly’Tana, only child of King
Gareth, and heir to the throne of mighty Kel’Halla. He winked at me as though I
were any tavern slut.
I drew myself up to vent my feminine fury into his
smiling eyes -
“Move on, Wolf,” said someone
behind him.
The chill returned to his eyes
like a veil hiding the sun and he turned away. Only then did I see the leather
collar studded with jewels around his neck.
About the Author:
A. Katie Rose is a
Colorado native, and earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Western
State College in Gunnison, Colorado. She enjoys riding, teaching and learning
from horses, likes camping, reading novels, watching movies and, of course,
lives to write fantasy books. She currently works as a photographer in San
Antonio, Texas, and is a slave to her six cats and four horses. “In a Wolf’s Eyes” is her first novel.
This sounds like a really good book. Thanks for sharing it and the giveaway. evamillien at gmail dot com
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