Scars of War Tour!

Salve!

Today we have a special feature for one of my best author friends – Hazel West. Hazel and I have worked together before, beta reading for several of my and her novels. So of course I offered to help her out on her book tour for her latest novel, Scars of War! It’s the 3rd novel in her Modern Tales of Na Fianna series.

In case you didn’t know about Hazel, she lives in Purgatory, er, “Florida”, with her books and her hedgehog Horatio. When she’s not writing, she’s reading other people’s books, studying folklore, or binge-watching something on Netflix—drinking coffee is also a given. You can learn more about Hazel on her website or on Twitter @artfulscribbler. Be sure to head on over there to sign up for a raffle for a copy of the book and some cool jewelry swag!

What’s this latest novel about, you ask? Well…

After the events on Samhain Eve things have calmed down for High King Eamon and his Fianna. The Unseelie Court is under new rule, and Eamon is happily married—and with an heir on the way! But just when it seems like things couldn’t be better, reports of changelings keep coming into BPAFF (Bureau of Protection Against Fair Folk). With the risk of children being changed out in their cribs, especially when a royal heir is weeks from being born, Eamon enlists the help of Aeden Mac Cool, Commander of Na Fianna, and Cassandra Whalen, Director of BPAFF, to deal with the threat before it escalates. Riots, Faerie rebels, and road trips with the King of the Unseelie—it’s just a typical day, right?

As a fan of Jim Butcher’s series – The Dresden Files, I can’t help but be reminded of how cool it can be when an author crosses modern life and classical fantasy.

Here’s one of my favorite snippets from her new novel.

“That was close.” I ducked back out the window and shot again, this time hitting one of the shooters in the shoulder. He fell and his arrow went wide, grazing me before I could pull back inside. I gritted my teeth, clapping my hand to my ribs and feeling blood seep through my fingers.

“Cass, you all right?” Aeden demanded.

“I’m gonna have to be,” I told him firmly as I loaded another bolt, cringing as it pulled on my wound. “Okay, I’m going up. Oberon, cover me!”

“Cass!” Aeden shouted but I slipped out the window and grabbed the roof rack, hauling myself onto the top of the vehicle and laying down to get a better shooting position. I aimed and shot, a lucky shot that finally took one of the truck’s tires out. It swerved and I knocked my foot onto the roof to get Aeden’s attention.

“Pull over up here and turn around,” I called.

Aeden did, and I cursed and held onto the roofrack as he spun in a neat 180 and charged back down the road at the truck full of Faeries.

“What are you doing?” Oberon demanded, voice raising several octaves.

“Stopping them permanently,” I heard Aeden yell at him.

“You can’t ram them, Mac Cool, it’s a bloody Hilux! It won’t do a thing!” Oberon screamed.

Aeden didn’t pay any heed to him, and I slung the crossbow over my back and grabbed onto the roof rack with both hands. “Hold on!” I shouted.

“For Mab’s sake!” Oberon screeched from below as we hurtled toward the other vehicle.

But just as Aeden was maneuvering toward them, they gunned the engine and swerved to the side of the road, leaving the Land Rover to launch itself over a bump in the road, bottoming out before it crashed back down with a jarring thud, nearly throwing me from the roof.

Then came the sound of a small explosion and the Land Rover swerved violently to the side. One of our tires had been blown out. Aeden must have yanked the wheel to overcorrect as the vehicle skidded on the rain wet tarmac, because I was flung from the roof, tumbling down the sloped shoulder of the road before I came to an uncomfortable stop in a ditch. I heard the sound of a crash and just barely registered the truck full of Faeries speeding down the road, blown tire and all.

Action packed? I think so! Be sure to buy her book today!  Then go grab yourself a copy of Scars of War! Available now on Smashwords and through Amazon, with both ebook and paperback ready for purchase!

BUT WAIT THERE’S MORE! (There always is!) If you’re not sure if Scars of War is right for you, download the first novel, Blood Ties, for FREE on Amazon for the duration of the blog tour! While you’re at it, pick up her second, An Earthly King for only 99 cents as well! That’s a crazy good deal! Thanks for reading, and best of luck to Hazel with her new novel!