Author Name: Lexi
Ander
Book Name: Surrounded
by Crimson
Series: Sumeria’s
Sons
Book: Four
Series should be
read in order for maximum enjoyment.
Release
Date: July 1, 2015
Blurb:
Tristan
has agreed to bond with Ushna but there is still much to do and returning to
Tribe Enkidu puts everyone on edge. Tristan is being stalked like prey all the
while fighting depression as he mourns the loss of Nikita and enduring a battle
of wills with the Elder Council over his birthright. The pleading of his
adoptive daughter only adds still more stress to the situation.
Stumbling
onto a secret prison while searching for Ushna leads Tristan to risk everything
to free a lost God. But breaking the tie to his Flame has more repercussions than
Tristan knew and the assistance of a forgotten Goddess and a centuries old
lover may not be enough to save him.
Excerpt:
Ushna was out of the car and greeting his
parents before I unbuckled the seatbelt. Hami wasn't as tall as his son but he
was wide, very wide, barrel-chested with a set of deltoids on him the size of
small children. His dark hair was cut above the ears and I'd never seen the man
without at least three days growth of facial hair. It looked good on him. That
kind of scruff made me resemble a bum.
Donya was tall and lean, one of those
women who had a natural sway when she walked. Her blue-black hair fell to her
waist in thick glossy waves. Her skin was a deep almond, darker than her
husband's or son's, and her bright, emerald-green eyes were large and
expressive.
They both greeted Ushna with festive
exuberance, and why not? I'd kept him away from them for a very long time. I
observed them for a moment over the hood of the SUV. Hami picked his son up in
a bear hug, laughing loud and boisterous. Donya took his face between her palms
as she gazed deeply into his bi-colored eyes—eyes that were forever changed by
me. At that thought, I wondered how they truly perceived me. My stomach rolled
with anxiety-induced queasiness.
With all the grace of someone my size, I
made my way into the house, leaving Ushna to his family reunion. I had hoped we
wouldn't see them until after the children were born. I'd entered the home
stretch of my pregnancy. Even with the ring of illusion, I had a hard time
hiding my condition. Early in my pregnancy, Gregori had fashioned a ring of
magic, creating the illusion that hid my continually growing stomach and
constructed a normal appearance.
A pregnant male wasn't something we wanted
to explain to humans. With the looming threat of assassination, if my identity
was discovered, we thought it best to continue to keep my birthright a secret
until after the children were born. So I'd continue to wear the illusion even
though the ring wasn't much help now. The giveaway was in the walk and the way
I stood. People could see there was something different by how I held my body
and it couldn't be helped. I was able to hurry, in spurts, and then I lumbered
like an elephant—very National Geographic.
Neesie followed me into the kitchen. She
was dressed differently than what I'd become accustomed to. Gone were the
combat boots, black jeans, and white tees. She wore a pale blue silk blouse, a
pinstriped pencil skirt, and knee-high black stiletto boots. She appeared
fierce in a whole new way.
"Why didn't you wait and greet
Ushna's parents?" she asked.
With a plate in hand, I inspected the cold
cuts tray that sat on the kitchen counter. I was starved and wanted something
quick to eat before everyone came in. When I didn't answer Neesie, she took the
plate from me and started placing fresh vegetables on it.
"I thought I'd give them some time to
catch up," I finally replied. It wasn't a complete lie. "They haven't
had their son to themselves in quite some time. They don't need me hanging out
in the background."
Neesie pinned me with her golden-brown
gaze. "That is such bullshit and you know it. What's the real issue?"
I quirked a smile at her. "You know I
love ya?"
"Yes, and you're the one who called
me for dating advice because you suck at subtle. Your 'hey moron, get your hands off my sister' ranked right up
there."
"I can't help it if Mr. Octopus Arms
was oblivious to his audience."
"Go ahead and keep playing that song
because I know you still refer to him as Lonnie Fucking-Fowler. Before you
walked into the house, your face turned green and you practically sprinted in
here."
"Ahh, stampede!" I gave mock
crowd screams. Neesie was not impressed.
"Spill, jackass." She shoved a
full plate into my hands and a chair under my ass. Neesie glared at me but her
expression was filled with concern.
"Fine, you tyrant. I wanted to make a
good impression. I wanted to be able to show them that I am a strong partner
and worthy of their son's love and devotion. But right now I'm huge, and
miserable, and swollen, and hungry. Why did you give me carrots? You know I
hate carrots. You're trying to torture me, aren't you? I'm an elephant, not a
rabbit. I get like peanuts or something, not Bugs Bunny hand-me-downs." I
threw the carrot at my cackling sister. The woman was not remorseful.
"Tristan."
I threw another carrot at Neesie before
turning to see who called for me. I swallowed a curse as I faced Donya. She
stood in the doorway, her large green eyes soft and liquid as she searched my
expression.
"Ma'am?" Embarrassingly, my
voice cracked like I was fourteen years old.
"How can we not be proud of you,
son?" Donya crossed the room in a smooth glide and gently took me in her
arms. "We've always been proud of you, Tristan, don't ever believe
differently." Tentatively I embraced her in return and ignored Neesie's
sniffles.
Sales
Links: http://www.lessthanthreepress.com/books/index.php?main_page=product_bookx_info&cPath=116&products_id=922
About
the author:
Lexi
has always been an avid reader, and at a young age started reading (secretly)
her mother’s romances (the ones she was told not to touch). She was the only
teenager she knew of who would be grounded from reading. Later, with a pencil
and a note book, she wrote her own stories and shared them with friends because
she loved to see their reactions. A Texas transplant, Lexi now kicks her boots
up in the Midwest with her Yankee husband and her eighty-pound puppies named
after vacuum cleaners.
Where to find the author:
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