Blurb
Dutiful soldier Callum Renwick
wakes up in the underground laboratory of a mercenary organization. He learns
he was the sole survivor of an attack that destroyed his unit, his hometown,
and his family. In addition to the loss of his loved ones, he discovers that
due to his injuries, half his body has been supplanted by artificial skin and
cybernetic parts. Once he has recovered, he is assigned to the care of Ro
Bernard, who leads the effort to turn him into a powerful assassin. She is
outspoken, yet secretive, and uses unconventional means to mold him into a
depraved killer. Mind games and rough sex are in her repertoire of training
tactics, and Callum is both infuriated and fascinated by her. As he comes to
terms with his grief and his new role, many of his biological body parts fail
and must be replaced. Will he adapt to survive in Ro’s world and exact
vengeance on the woman who ordered the attack that changed his life?
Warning: This title is intended for readers over the age of 18 as it
contains explicit sex scenes and/or situations and adult language, and may be
considered offensive to some readers.
A
picture of a woman filled the screen. She wore a navy blue uniform, adorned
with badges of all different colors. Her bright red hair was twisted and
secured on top of her head in a tidy bun. Green eyes peeked out from behind a
smattering of freckles, which gave her the illusion of being younger than
Callum initially thought. The corners of her mouth turned up slightly, hinting
at a smile that would be inappropriate for an official portrait.
“Do
you know who this is?” Zedek asked.
He
shook his head. “She doesn’t look familiar.”
Zedek’s
gaze flicked back to the screen. “Tanith Vaile,” he stated. “Executive Director
of Charytar Intelligence. A very efficient, very capable woman who showed
promise from her earliest days at their military academy. She does her job well
and deserves her title.”
Callum
finished his thought for him. “And you want her dead.”
“Yes.”
So much
for answers. “I suppose it’s not my place to ask
why you want me to kill her.”
“Normally,
it wouldn’t be.” Zedek sighed. “But there are a number of reasons I’d prefer to
see Ms. Vaile taken out of commission. Some of them are relevant to you,
personally.”
He’d
succeeded in further piquing Callum’s interest. “Oh?”
“Let’s
start with the bigger picture first. She has long decried the existence of the
Midnight Scorpions and has tried, albeit unsuccessfully, to shut us down in the
past. It seems she has forgotten that her superiors have relied on us for
intelligence and other resources. Without us, the wars they waged could have
had a much different outcome, even if they don’t care to openly admit it.”
“I
don’t see the personal relevance you mentioned.”
Zedek
sighed again. “Are we forgetting where our loyalties lie already? She wants us
gone. You’re one of us. Think of it as self-defense, if you must.” The
irritated expression disappeared from his face, yet his ice blue gaze never
wavered. “And if that’s not enough for you, there’s nothing quite like a good
old-fashioned revenge killing.”
A
knot formed in Callum’s stomach. He had his suspicions about what the doctor
implied, but he needed to ask the question. “Revenge for what?”
“She’s
a high-ranked government official. Haven’t you figured it out yet?”
He
clenched his jaw. “Tell me what you know.”
“It
goes without saying that she was involved in planning the attack that nearly
killed you. It is her job, after all.”
“And…?”
Zedek’s
tone was casual, as if he were reciting a weather report. “Our sources say it
was Ms. Vaile who set up the temporary alliance between her country and
Palavia. She offered some intel she had on the Tektani forces to make the deal
sound more enticing.”
“I’d
figured out by now that the cease-fire was a ruse, but—”
“Also
her idea, from what I’ve been told.”
Callum
studied the image on the screen. Tanith didn’t resemble his notion of a
ruthless murderer, someone who treated life and death as nothing more than
objectives in her game. As he stared, the portrait shifted and twisted before
his eyes. The serene, fresh-faced woman morphed into something darker,
something more sinister. The sparkle in her eyes revealed her malicious
intentions. Rosy lips mocked him with their prim smile, moments away from
laughing at his misfortune. Her cruelty seeped into his blood, sending pure
hatred flowing throughout his body.
Zedek
stood behind him and followed his gaze. “She took from you. She tried to destroy
you. Your daughter will never have the opportunities this woman had. She erased
that.”
He
glanced to the side. Ro sat in the corner, silent and unmoving. The light from
the screen illuminated her face, tingeing her pale skin with a viridian hue. If
she was affected by anything she saw or heard, he couldn’t tell based on her
blank expression.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Thea Landen lives in New York with her
husband and a variety of houseplants. A former educator, she strives to
encourage creativity and passion in all those around her, and uses writing to
help inspire. Though she reads and writes in nearly all genres, she has a
special fondness for science fiction and fantasy and anything that pushes the
imagination beyond its usual limits. When she’s not writing, or thinking about
writing, her hands and mind are occupied by either yarn crafts or role-playing
games.
Connect with Thea Landen
Website/Blog: http://thealanden.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thealanden
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheaLanden
Disintegration
by Thea Landen
Erotic Fantasy/Futuristic Romance
Categories: Action/Adventure
Publisher: Carnal
Desires/Double Dragon Publishing
Release Date: January 28, 2013
Heat Level: Sizzling
Word Count: 53,000
Buy Links
Double Dragon
Publishing: http://double-dragon-publishing.com/single.php?ISBN=1-77115-060-2
GIVEAWAY
Prize is 5 eBooks copies of any title from author's back list (winner's choice; 1 each to 5 winners) PLUS swag (magnets). Contest is tour-wide, open internationally and ends Apr
13. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.
http://www.rafflecopter.
Thanks so much, Tawania, for featuring me today! If readers aren't sure about committing to a full-length novel, I have a set of erotic prequels available for FREE at Smashwords.
ReplyDeleteThanks again!