Kristina's Books & More: Cover Reveal & Giveaway: Kingdoms of War by Lisa Beth Darling!

KINGDOMS OF WAR

BOOK #5 OF WAR SERIES

LISA BETH DARLING

With nearly four billion souls lost to the ravages of anarchy and the dreaded disease Major Falls, Ares and Raven journey the Mortal World vainly reaching for a sliver of what was only to discover what will be. Unleashed by Apollo, Major Falls—a weaponized version of the flu and rabies-- has wiped out every person of watery Mortal Blood.

From the fiery wreckage a new world is slowly arising one where the descendants of Olympians, Celts, Dark Fae, and all manner of Magickal Being will rule. For the last millennium the Dark Kingdom has sent small legions of its Daughters in search of its Lost Queen. Among their number is Lenora, a sharp tongued Dark Fae who joins up with ARES hoping to get close to its leader, Raven. And she does.

The Wolf inside the God of War contracts Major Falls. As Ares and Athena wander the world hoping to curtail further damage by obliterating weapons of mass destruction he slowly succumbs to the sickness taking over his fevered rabid mind. Ares may not live to see the glory of Olympus restored nor fight to keep his Wife. If he does, how high will be the price for Ares' life? How long will Alena have to keep paying Apollo?

Sliding out from under him, Alena patted the bed next to her signaling for him to come and lay down next to her. "You can let me thank you properly, my Lord."

The idea had merit and he didn't want to stop now, he wanted to see the night through but his head was starting to spin and he felt drained. "Well, let's see now," Ares did his best to keep his cool and his balance as he strolled around the stone bed to the other side watching Alena look at him with smoky eyes. Sliding onto his side of their bed, grateful to be off his feet and feeling slightly rejuvenated because of it, Ares sat up against the pillows with his long legs stretched out in front of her. The pulsing Louisville Slugger between his legs still glistening with her musky scented oil. "Is this where you wanted me?"

"What a good boy you are," color rushed into her cheeks as she bit down on her bottom lip and her eyes openly appraised his naked body starting with his legs. Alena loved Ares' legs they were so long and lean, so powerful. Even now, as he relaxed on the bed they rippled from his calf to all the way to his hip. Crawling closer to him on her hands and knees Alena ran her palm along his outer thigh and felt her mouth water. Just as she thought he was enjoying her touching him, Ares sat up and leaned forward. He reached out and drew his thumb along the corner of her mouth.

"I don't know what it is but, you're always drooling around me," he said with a sly grin thumbing away a small trickle of saliva from her lips.

Laughing, Alena shook her head, "Maybe it's because I just want to lick you up one side and down the other."

Ares' eyes widened and gleamed, "Tempting," he intoned, "tell me more."

"Talk is so cheap," she cooed letting her fingertips circle around his flesh. Bending forward over him, she let the flat of her tongue ride the rough terrain along each of his taut rippling muscles from his hip to his shoulders. The deep rich smoky scent of him filled her with covetousness, made her heart pound, and her head tingle as she stopped to suckle his neck and whisper along the nape, "Perfect." When he shuddered and skin broke out in goose bumps her eyes sparkled brighter. "You drive me insane."

In the 4^th grade I discovered that I was a writer when we were given our first creative writing assignment. We were to write stories about a baby bird's flight and read them to the class. I put pencil to paper and was instantly whisked away by a force I couldn't explain. I knew that I had found my calling. Everyone read their happy stories to the class. I got up and told of how the baby bird flew too high, hit a plane, crashed to the ground and died. I told of how the mama bird and daddy bird cried of how even God was upset sending the rains pouring from the sky. The class was speechless when I finished they were all just staring at me. The teacher kept me after class told me my story was very good but it was different from the others. She asked me if I'd ever heard of Icarus and did I base my story on him. But I had yet to encounter Greek Mythology or hear a whisper of Icarus. As she let me leave class she again told me how good the story was but suggested I might want to write something happier next time. I asked her why and she had no answer. 40+ years, 16 novels, and some 30 short stories later and I still haven't taken her advice.

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