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Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Blog Tour: Constricted by Rae Z Ryans




“Enjoy a morbidly assortment of heartache, tears, and sadness …immediately felt connected … flow is beautiful … this book is what perfection really is!” - Toni L.
The world sundered and the demons arose, warring against those neither God nor Satan had wanted. Humanity ended. The Nephilim, Elioud, vampires, and witches inhabited the shards around the globe and rose in power, as the gates of Hell unleashed in the south. The world quickly lost technology and industry, as innovation and invention plummeted, and reverted to steam power and bio-fuel.
Korrigan trained most of her life as a courtesan, submitting to the will of men and caring for the other brothel inhabitants. Beyond the brothel walls of Hampshire House, lay a broken world torn deep into the final stages of Revelation. Beaten, used, and starved, all Korrigan understood were the rules her master enforced, and there was no escape, hope, or love for women in her situation. What she learned of the world around her wasn’t the reality.
Petre searched for the perfect woman to break his immortal curse.
Three hundred years ago, the young Baron witnessed his brother’s heinous crime. Petre’s family forced him to lie, thus spared his twin brother’s death and their family name. The warlock Hestin sought retribution, and his revenge transpired, hexing both brothers with immortality to atone for their sins. Cursed, the brothers roamed through life, slipping closer to their demonic sides, until he saw her.
Lust ruled the demons. Seven signs have come and gone. Sloth ruled the vampires. Seven angels fell to the Earth. Envy ruled the courtesans. Seven Keys lay hidden amongst the Seven Angels. Gluttony ruled the rich. Seven families rose and fell. Wrath ruled the Horsemen. One family would bring the world to its knees. Pride ruled the Morning Star. The Horsemen must seize the keys. Greed ruled the world.
Sold to Petre in Arcadia, Korrigan stumbled through her journey of love, treachery, and forgiveness. Secrets and lies whispered in the dark recesses of her mind as her past haunted her sleeping moments. What if all her master taught her proved to be wrong? The weight of her new world compounded on her shoulders. Torn between her heart and revenge, Korrigan hatched a plan to liberate the brothels and tear down the walls, but could she put her pride and wrath aside to save the one she loves?
Beyond the Brothel Walls Saga #1

Excerpt:
Instinct kicked in, and I moved away from the man, placing my body against the wall of my compartment car. Teeth chattered from the rumbled agitation, but even a hairline gap had not remained between the metal barrier and me. The ticket man stepped forward, not bothering to close the door behind him, and my heartbeat quickened. My lungs burned as he approached, and the scent of his aftershave nauseated my stomach.
“Excuse me,” a deep, accented voice called from the train car’s corridor.
I had prepared and opened my mouth to speak –to scream for help- when the gentleman had interrupted the conductor. His thick accent piqued my interest, but I did not look at either of them. My lip bled as I chewed it, hoping the stranger would distract him, and they would both be on their way. With the lights dimmed to a low dusk, I would not have had a proper look anyway. Instead, I studied the platform activities as waiting passengers now boarded the steam engine in troves. Billowing smoke blew past the window and blocked the view. My hands fell into my lap, and I inched my face toward the window willing the haze to end.
“I do hope that you are not offending the young lady,” the stranger said as my cheeks flushed hotter.
The tone held authority and command, but I was more than capable of standing up for myself. At least I had hoped I could have fended off one man. Over the years, I’d learned when to shut up, when to stand up, and how to hide behind my walls of ice. To think, though, if he knew the truth, would he bother with standing up for me? Not all women became whores even if women held no rights in the world. Jules embedded that knowledge into our heads.
I prayed for the other girls and slave women. Granted, my sale had meant nothing for bettering my situation, but better the devil I hadn’t known than the one who’d scarred me inside and out. I had two choices: cling to my hopes, dreams, and the fairytales like I had in Jules’ company or I faced the harsh reality of my situation. Until my last breath, I’d remained a whore, and my worth held only as long as my temperament did. The train whistles, startling my achy chest and chugged away from the station, heading north as the two men argued on.
“Of course not, sir. Do you have your ticket?” The rustling of fabric and paper grabbed my attention and drew my gaze toward the men at the door. The lights had flickered before growing brighter. As soon as my eyes locked with his, the air knocked from my lungs. The train hit a bump, and I averted my eyes to the floor at their feet, cheeks reaching more warmth than I’d felt in my eighteen years.
His shoes shined, but the lack of interest showed as my eyes skirted back up to his face. How he’d held such commanding authority when he’d appeared no older than my eighteen years riddled my brain. The stranger’s eyes had not moved from me, and I could not glance away as the slow, easy smile flashed white teeth. Try as I might, I could not return the gesture even though I had wanted to.
What did he see when he stared? The hand-me-down clothes and unwashed hair spoke measures of what I was.

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