To break up the A to Z challenge madness I have an excerpt of Shadow Of The Moon and there is also a giveaway that I think you’ll be interested in.
–
The grisly murder of a diplomat’s son in Central Park draw NYPD Detective Gerald Meeker and FBI Special Agent Andee Trakes into a twisted and confusing investigation. Within hours, the evidence indicates the man was executed in the manner saved for werewolves. Andee Trakes is assigned to liaison with a history professor, who is an expert on folklore and legends.
Professor Alwyn Lloyd, handsome, articulate and successful, not only agrees the method of death was indeed an execution, he claims to be a werewolf. Andee is torn between the desire to date the man and the suspicion to arrest him.
From the initial killing in the park, a bloody spree is ignited that soon has Andee and Lloyd forced to work together to protect themselves and family members.
Shadow of the Moon explores the world of werewolves and paints a picture of what is good about them, as well as bad. The story explains what is beautiful as well as ugly about the wolf.
The story is fast paced and full of interesting characters and several twists and turns to keep both the fantasy as well as the suspense and romance enthusiasts entertained.
Amazon UK | Goodreads | Amazon US
–
–
Two of the three men broke into laughter, which was cut short at the sound of a voice outside the door. A voice that dripped sexuality.
“Oh, boys… Boys? I’m just a lost little girl looking for fun.”
“Who the hell is that?”
“Like I should know.”
One man pulled a shirt over his head and walked to the door. He peeked through the security peep hole and saw the gorgeous redhead standing outside the door.
“Come on, boys,” the woman pouted. “Let me in or I’ll huff and I’ll puff and I’ll blow your door in.”
She giggled.
The man at the door turned back to the others.
“You ain’t gonna believe this.”
“What?”
He grinned at his partners and opened the door. The woman stood framed in the doorway, the promise of a good time half lit up by dingy hotel lightbulbs and half still in shadow.
“Hi boys,” she said, “you wanna party?”
“With you, Red?”
“No, not with me, silly,” she giggled. “With my friend.”
The woman stepped aside, and a white wolf filled the doorway. It growled. The men started to back away. The one who had opened the door tried to step back, but tripped on the end of the bed. He was helped to the floor by the force of the wolf as it rammed into his chest. On his back, frozen by fear, his last thought was that he didn’t know wolves had blue eyes. The animal ripped his throat out.
The second man took two steps backwards before he remembered there was not a second exit. He had to go past the wolf, past the redhead and out the door. He lowered his head, in the manner of the running back he used to be, and charged. The wolf was scrambling over the bed after the last of the three, so only the woman stood in his way. He was going to make it. There was no way she could stop him.
Afterward, Miranda would boast to her uncle that her form had been perfect. She had watched the approach and at the exact distance, thrust forward with her entire body. Her left foot planted into the floor and turned slightly outward for maximum leverage. Her left thigh angled toward the rushing man, and she turned her body to bring the force of the planted foot and the tensed thigh into line with the right shoulder, arm, wrist and hand that ultimately struck the man’s nose.
“My entire body was on the same angle,” she bragged.
Her hand was held upright, fingers curled, so the blow struck with the heel of her hand against the base of the man’s nose. The force sheared off the cartilage and forced the tiny bone that formed the nose through the skull and into the brain. The man’s forward momentum carried him two more steps toward the door, but his head stopped at the point of impact. He ran out from under his head, fell to the floor, and landed on his back. He died so quickly, he felt no pain.
“You should have seen me,” Miranda smiled. “I was as graceful as a dancer.”
The third man was not so lucky. He watched his death approach. He had crawled into the corner of the room, curled up, and begged forgiveness. He promised, crossing himself in sincerity, he’d never hurt another person and swore he would leave the area. He had family in California.
He screamed when the white wolf bit into his lower leg, crushed the bones with a jerk of its head and pulled the man from the corner. The man lay on his back, trapped between the bed and the wall. His leg was twisted and bloody, but the ache of injury was dulled by fear. He whimpered as the wolf stood over him and looked into his eyes.
The last sound the man made was a muffled scream. It’s difficult to make sound without a throat, and his was in the white wolf’s jaws.
Miranda stole a towel from the room, wet it and gave it to her aunt after the women climbed into the car. The older woman’s hair was messed, and her face stained with blood. She twisted the rearview mirror and used it to see where to apply the washing.
“Are you guys okay?” Alwyn asked from the back seat as he squirmed to get more comfortable.
“We’re fine,” his mother answered. “You would have been proud of your niece. She was fast and accurate.”
“And you?” he asked his mother.
She turned and looked at him.
“I did what was needed to be done. Nothing more.”
Gennadiya turned back to the front, looked at Miranda and, with a nod of her head, said, “Let’s go home.”
–
–
If you are feeling lucky then you will want to enter this international giveaway to win…
–
–
Winner of Readers’ Favorite Silver Award for Historical Fiction/Western, Kwen knew he wanted to be a writer when he was fourteen years old. He felt the urge when he finished Earnest Hemingway’s masterpiece For Whom The Bell Tolls. The story touched him in a way no other book ever had. It transported a kid born and raised on a farm and ranch in Idaho to the mountains of Spain. It took him back in time forty years to witness the Spanish Civil War. Kwen knew he wanted to share that wonder with other people.
John Lennon said, “Life is what happens while you make other plans.” While Kwen lived a full and varied life, his dream of writing remained in the back of his mind.
Finally, in 2012, he wrote a novella named Dear Emma. He self-published through Amazon and asked people to read it. “The best way to see if I can write is to let people check it out,” he said. Like it, they did. Currently, Dear Emma enjoys a 4.8 out of 5 stars rating on Amazon.
Often asked what genre he writes, Kwen replies he writes stories about people and uses the genre that best fits the story. “I think of the genre, or setting as another character that interacts to help tell the story,” he says.
His most often received and constant comment is how real his characters seem. Upon the completion of his historical fiction trilogy Sam and Laura books, a reader telephoned Kwen and directed him to write more stories about the couple. When asked why the reader was so adamant about more stories, he replied he “wasn’t ready to tell Sam and Laura good bye yet.”
Kwen considers that comment one of his highest compliments.
Kwen’s books are getting some attention from the literary community. The Law of Moses, the Silver Award winner from Readers’ Favorite, and The Tenth Nail both received the Gold Award from Literary Titan Book Review. The Gold Award is given to books “found to be perfect in their delivery of original content, meticulous development of unique characters in an organic and striking setting, innovative plot that supports a fresh theme, and elegant prose that transforms words into beautifully written novels.” Many of Kwen’s books have received the Gold Award from Literary Titan. In addition, The Law of Moses was awarded five 5 Star Reviews from the reviewers of Readers’ Favorite.
Kwen’s books are available in several formats; e-Book, paperback, and audio. He invites you to check his writings out. Who knows? He might become your next favorite author.
Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter
–
–
everywhere-and-nowhere.com 
Thanks for hosting today, Kate! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person