BooksChatter: ☀☄ Between the Bleeding Willows: Demon Hunters [1]

Thank you for joining us on the Virtual Book Tour for Between the Bleeding Willows, a Young Adult Paranormal Fantasy by D.A. Roach (8 March 2016, Limitless Publishing LLC, 284 pages).

This is the first book in the Demon Hunters series. Pick up your FREE copy between 29 July to 2 August 2016!

Don't miss our interview with author D.A. Roach.

PREVIEW: Check out the book's synopsis and excerpt below. Read the first four chapters with Amazon Look Inside.

Between the Bleeding Willows is FREE on Kindle Unlimited and Kindle Owner's Lending Library.

Author D.A. Roach will be awarding one $25 Amazon Gift card, and two signed copies (US only) of Between the Bleeding Willows to randomly drawn winners via Rafflecopter during the tour. Please do take part: comment on our post and follow the tour where you will be able to read other excerpts (☀), interviews (ℚ), reviews (✍) and guest blog posts (✉).

Synopsis | Trailer | Teaser | Author Q&A | About the Author | Giveaway & Tour Stops

Synopsis

At eighteen years old, Cassidy has suffered more loss than most…

At the end of her senior year, her boyfriend, Jace Peters, was killed in a car accident, and her grandmother died only weeks later of a heart attack. Emotionally lost, Cassidy desperately searches for an heirloom her boyfriend was wearing in the crash—her mother’s gold ring. But during her search, Cassidy discovers more than her ring.

She finds a gate to the Demon Realm….

A battle is brewing, and Killian—head of the Demon hunters—preps his Clan for the approaching conflict. They’ve been working to secure the gate between his realm and the mortal world. But it’s been nearly impossible since Rya—a voracious demon on a quest to expand her power—devoured the soul of his Clan’s necromancer. Now Rya is possessed with the necromancer’s powers and she may break through the gate at any moment.

Apparently Rya isn’t the only one Killian has to worry about…

When Cassidy accidentally crosses into the Demon Realm, Killian can’t understand how a human girl survived the transition. Now he has to find a way to return her to her own world, or risk her being caught in the crossfire, which is a complication he definitely doesn’t need.

Once back in the Human Realm, Cassidy readies herself for battle. She signs up for Krav Maga classes, where she meets Tyler Romaitis—a handsome, tenacious, humble guy. He seems almost perfect, but nothing is ever that easy.

And as the balance between good and evil shifts, Cassidy finds herself—and her ring—at the heart of the conflict for the survival of mankind.

Teaser: Excerpt

Chapter One

Cassidy I had no idea what you brought to a ghost hunt. Camera, pen, paper, flashlight, Jace’s picture, and a hoodie—hoodie— this would have to do. I shoved the items into my army green denim backpack, along with my cell phone and wallet.
Did I believe in ghosts? If you’d asked me two weeks ago, the answer would have been “No way.” But after last weekend— when I saw Jace, my dead boyfriend, at the Blaylock Grove cemetery— everything changed.

***

Jace was my high school boyfriend for the past four years. We met freshman year in gym class when his poor aim pelted me in the back of the head with a volleyball. At the time, I wasn’t able to tell if it was an accident. I mean, if I hit someone on accident, I wouldn’t have the nerve to laugh about it. I was so angry at him for weeks, but his persistent apologies finally had worn me down. In fact, they were rather endearing.
      I began to notice him more. His sandy blond hair had a little bit of a wave to it that was more noticeable when it was longer. He had faint freckles on his cheeks and the bluest eyes. He looked trim with a small waist and muscular upper body, much like swimmers had.
      One day during passing period, he leaned against the locker next to me, looking at the people passing in the hall. He had his thumb hooked in his belt loop, as he always had, and he looked amazing in his tight jeans and fitted tee.
      “So I have the perfect idea. Clearly it is not enough to apologize to you.” He paused. "So… you need to meet me in the gym after school today."
      “Why?”
      “I can’t tell you anything more. Just promise you’ll come.” He turned to face me now, his face changed from serious to a smile.
      “Okay. I’ll be there.”
      “Good. I promise it will be good.” He looked so pleased with my answer. He turned and walked casually away, whistling “Pretty Women” from <i>Sweeney Todd</i>. It was an earworm that he regularly had stuck in his head. I watched him till he turned the corner. Persistent guy. Although it was kinda fun to play with Jace, I felt bad for dragging it on for so long. It was time to let him off the hook. After classes, I walked to the gym. Jace was already there, whistling “Pretty Women” again and pouring a hopper of tennis balls into a Lobster Ball Machine.
      I cleared my throat.
      “Hey, you’re here. Thanks for coming.”
      “What is this?” There was no one else there— just Jace and I. “Revenge. Come on, let me show you how to turn this baby on.” He pointed out how to adjust the angle and the on/ off switch.
      “You want me to pelt you with tennis balls?”
      “I do.” He’d walked away from me and stood in direct aim of the Lobster.
      “Well, I’m not sure I want to do this.”
      “You need to. It’s only fair, and then we can put the past behind us.”
      “Are you sure?” He nodded, and I turned on the machine. Standing still, he took the first few hits without flinching. Then he began backing up and wincing with some of the hits. “Want me to stop?”
      “Not till it’s empty, babe.”
      Oh God, I had to watch this? I peeked into the machine; it looked like we were halfway through. “Maybe turn around and give your front a break,” I suggested.
      “Good idea.” He turned around and held still till the flinching and moving away from the machine began again.
      “Flip again.”
      “God, how many are left?”
      I had to stifle my laugh. “Umm, about seven.” There really were about twenty left in the machine but I decided to turn it off after seven.
      “That’s it? All of them?”
      I looked in the machine to act like I was double checking. “Every last one.” Quickly, I grabbed a few balls that had rolled my way and threw them in to disguise the ones I hadn’t launched.
      “Good.” He walked over to me with a handful of balls he’d collected along the way. Some noticeable red circles marked his arms from hits. Once the balls fell from his arms into the machine, he turned to me and closed the space between us. “Cassidy Kavanaugh, I am so, so sorry I laughed when I accidentally hit you with the volleyball. I should have apologized right away instead of laughing. Can you please forgive me?” His measurable sincerity took my breath away.
      “Yes, I forgive you, Jace Peters. Don’t you dare do it again.”
      He raised one hand. “I swear.” Then he stepped closer so he was in my personal space. It made me uncomfortable. “Now, I think you owe me.”
      I raised an eyebrow, wondering how I could owe him.
      “You see, I only hit you with one ball. But you shot about seventy balls at me. I’m feeling attacked and vulnerable.” His mouth twisted into a coy smile, and it was contagious.
      “Oh really? Do you need me to apologize?”
      “No. I need you to help me feel better. I’m thinking dinner and a movie tomorrow night.”
      “Are you asking me out?”
      “Call it what you want, babe.” He looked at me with a serious face. “Say yes.”
      “Yes.”
      “Woo hoo!” He picked me up in huge hug. “I think half my pelt marks went away with that answer.”
      [...]

Between the Bleeding Willows
FREE between 29 July to 2 August 2016!

About the Author

D.A. Roach has been telling stories since she was a young girl in the suburbs of Chicago. In college she met the man of her dreams, her happily ever after, and married him 2 weeks after graduating. They have 3 kids together and a pet cockatiel named Gimli. D.A. did not find a love for books until after college. Her parents were immigrants from Lithuania and found tv and radio easier ways to hear stories so they did not do much reading or encourage it. But once she finished college and D.A. had free time, she discovered how amazing it was to get lost in a story.

D.A. is a full time mom and wife. When she is not doing domestic things (laundry, bills, etc) she is writing, reading, creating mixed media art, and helping beautify her kids' school landscape. Oh, and she is ALWAYS listening to music. Her favorite authors include Rebecca Donovan, Richelle Mead, Larissa Ione, Stephanie Meyer, E.L. James, and Sylvia Day. Reading great works from authors like these has motivated D.A. to write her own stories. She hopes to make positive changes in the world with her art and writing.

"Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself." — George Bernard Shaw

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