I
am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the WICKED DARKNESS by B.L. Callaghan Blog
Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the
giveaway!
About
The Book:
Author: B.L. Callaghan
Pub.
Date: August 12, 2020
Publisher: Bianca Callaghan
Formats: Paperback, eBook
Pages: 458
Find
it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, TBD
READ FOR FREE WITH A KINDLE UNLIMTED MEMBERSHIP!
Sometimes it isn't only villains that crave the darkness.
Sapphira Dawn had been lied to about her identity.
Now the gods agree she should never have been created in the first place.
Her very existence means that the gods aren't playing by the rules, and as they
ready their game pieces for the next battle, Sapphira must gather her allies
before they - and the entire mortal realm - are wiped from the board.
But someone close to her is hiding a deadly secret.
A secret that will make Sapphira question what she is fighting for.
As her allies vanish one by one, Sapphira spirals deeper into her unstable
magic, drawn in by the addictive high and wicked release it offers.
If Sapphira can't control the darkness within, the mortal realm will fall, and
everything she knows and loves will be nothing more than ashes and dust.
Reviews:
"Wow!
I really loved this story! This isone hundred percent worth the read." -
B.B. Palomo, author of the A Department of Vampire extermination series.
"Wicked Darkness is wicked amazing!!! Right off the bat you are thrown
into action and it never stops! The fast-pace plot had me falling off my
seat at every plot twist. B.L Callaghan knows how to steer the reader in the
wrong direction, and I loved that I fell for it every time." - Nicolette
Beebe, author of the Mar King series.
"If you enjoy action focused fantasy with a large cast of morally grey
characters, you're sure to enjoy the Goddess Incarnate series!" -
Goodreads review
"If you thought the first book had a lot of plot twists, this one is going
to blow your mind!" - Goodreads review
"I felt like I was in a movie. The constant plot twists kept me on edge
and wanting more!" - Goodreads review
About
Book 1:
Author: B.L. Callaghan
Pub.
Date: August 12, 2020
Publisher: Bianca Callaghan
Formats: Paperback, eBook
Pages: 340
Find
it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle,
B&N, TBD
READ FOR FREE WITH A KINDLE UNLIMTED MEMBERSHIP!
Sapphira Dawn was told she was the new Goddess Incarnate, the most powerful being on Earth.
At nineteen, she didn’t feel powerful
– she felt betrayed and angry.
Suddenly thrust into a world that she
knows nothing about, a world where magic and monsters actually exist, Sapphira
races to learn all she can about her magic.
And to find her place in this
dangerous new world.
Some of the monsters want to use her,
the others just want her dead.
But can she gain the knowledge needed
to stop an impending war before it spills into the human realm she once called
home.
Reviews:
"Sapphira
has got to be one the best MC's I have come across of late!... I cannot
wait to see where the rest of this story heads!" - Jade Francis,
Author of Siren Calls
"If you're wanting to dive into an excellent example of the fantasy world,
where the cruel Gods use their power over the world and its inhabitants to their
advantage this book is for you. I turned the last page and the word that came
to mind was...Excellent. I am looking forwarding to reading the next book
in the series. I highly recommend you grab a copy for yourself." - Stephanie
B. Whitfield, Author of Hidden in Roll
WICKED
DARKNESS TRAILER:
First half
of chapter 1…
I was going to die.
I saw the
dagger coming too late to get out of the way, watched it spiraling through the
air towards me with astonishing speed.
My eyes were
open wide, my mouth was too – like a fish plucked from the sea, suddenly
discovering it couldn’t breathe in the open air. It was apparent that shock was
not a good look for me; the breath in my chest caught as my muscles tensed,
waiting for the impact. Light reflected off the blade, shooting sunbursts
through the room on each spin, like a deadly disco ball.
She had
actually thrown it. Damn that heartless monster!
The monster
in question stood a few short feet from me, grinning wickedly through blood-red
lips, another dagger at the ready. Her brown eyes were bright, full of morbid
anticipation as they followed the path of the weapon. Long dark hair was tied
back in an unyielding braid that ran to her hips, beaded with sweat and blood.
Red leather armor protected the majority of her body, a striking contrast to
her flawless dark skin.
My shields
locked into place a millisecond before the dagger could embed itself in my
throat. The blade disintegrated on impact with the solid mass of jade magic,
becoming nothing more than dust that rained down at my feet. I conjured knives
of my own, willing the sharp glinting steel and silver into existence, small
double-edged and deadly. I barely felt the weight of them in my hands before I
tossed them towards her.
They didn’t
move as fast as hers had, and she quickly maneuvered out of their way, taking
cover behind a crumbling stone wall in the center of the room. No surprises
there; I was nowhere near as skilled or experienced as she was. Still, I hoped
for some luck – a miracle that gave me the upper hand I needed. I kept the
barrage of crafted magic coming, even as I stepped toward her, hoping that the
sheer number of deadly blades would beat the grinning assassin.
“Is that the
best you’ve got?” She called out, mocking laughter in her voice. I could no
longer see her, successfully hidden behind the wall, but I could sense her
power – the magic like a beacon in the dark. It was mischievous and sinister, a
wicked mix of death magic and sharp, experienced intelligence.
I called up
more of my own power, jade smoke forming in the air around me, grinning as it
coalesced and solidified into an almost exact replica of myself – a trick that
I had only learned recently.
Shoulder-length
golden blonde hair tied back in a messy bun, bright green eyes, and a curvy
figure dressed in black leather armor, both hands gripping blades– the entire
image glowing faintly with dancing green light, like an otherworldly aurora.
I sent my
magic clone towards the wall and the assassin behind it, strengthening the
mirage until the aura light vanished within it. Now it looked
exactly like me – no one would be able to tell the difference, not even the
woman I had unleashed it upon.
Her daggers
flew towards the clone as it rounded the corner, the assassin huffing a
victorious laugh as they embedded themselves into the armor protecting the
chest. The clone fell backward, landing heavily on the floor, unmoving. The
killer followed, standing over it, hands empty now. She was out of weapons at
last, just as I had hoped she would be.
I made my
move, grounding my feet and lashing out with my power, sending wave after wave
of despair into her body – the emotion appearing as a purple so dark it was
almost black. It pushed its way in, her body sagging until she could no longer
stand. As she fell to her knees beside the clone, I willed the despair to
transform, becoming barbed vines that wrapped themselves around her, holding
her tight.
I sauntered
over, a sword forming in my hand, shields coming down. The woman tilted her
head so that she could watch my approach, eyes wary. I held the sword out, the
tip of the blade under her chin.
“You’re
finished, Assassin Barbie,” I said breathlessly, a smile playing at the corner
of my lips. “This is done. Say it.”
Her eyes
narrowed, lip pulled back in a silent snarl. I pushed the sword harder, a line
of crimson running down her throat, the vines squeezing tighter. “Say it.”
“We’re
done.” The woman hissed, a little breathless now too. “Get this thing off me.”
I beamed in
triumph, watching her fall to the floor as my magic came back to me, the vines
and sword vanishing as quickly as they had appeared. I should have expected it
– should have seen her plan – should have seen her reaching
for the dagger left behind when the clone vanished. But I was too caught up in
my imagined victory, too busy gloating. So fast I barely saw her
move; the assassin had me on the floor, her body on top of mine, knees pinning
down my arms, and the blade she’d retrieved from the floor at my throat.
“Never trust
an enemy.” She hissed in my face, eyes flashing with bloodlust. “They lie.”
Shit. My eyes followed the movement of
the blade as it was raised from my throat and into the air, the woman’s grip
firm on the handle as she brought it back down again, aiming for my heart. My magic
pulsed out, sending a shockwave through the room. The assassin was lifted off
me, flung backward, and thrown into the wall. She lay there, stunned, eyes
unfocused.
I got to my
feet slowly, my body heavy. I made sure to keep my eyes on my assailant, warily
waiting for her next attack. She crawled toward her daggers, shaking her head
to clear it, her movements sluggish. Blood dripped from a gash in her forehead,
creating a red drip trail on the floor as she moved.
I couldn’t
let her reach them. Calling up my magic again, I was distressed to feel it
beginning to tire – exertion still an issue – even after months of building my
strength and stamina. I had to end this fight soon, or I would be helpless. I
willed the power within me to hold out a little longer, to keep from vanishing
and leaving me defenseless.
I
conjured a bow – feeling smoke swirling through my fingers, using the image in
my mind to create it, only for the weapon to solidify in my hand. Arrows were
next, sharp and gleaming tips of metal that connected with dark wooden shafts.
Black feathers on the ends shimmered green as they moved. They were as
beautiful as they were deadly. I nocked one, drawing back the bowstring, and
let loose, following the arrow’s progression as best I could as it sped towards
the assassin.
She was on
her feet now, daggers in hand, eyes narrowed as she, too, took in the flight of
the arrow. I readied another one, hands shaking and eyes wide, as the woman
simply knocked the bolt out of the air with the tip of her dagger. What
the actual hell?
She smirked
and started towards me, her steps confident and unhurried. Another arrow shot
toward her. Again, an effortless evade. Another and another, over and over,
until there were none left. Assassin Barbie was too close for me to conjure up
anymore anyway, barely out of arms reach. I let go of the bow; it
vanished before it hit the ground, the magic returning to me slower than it had
earlier.
A dagger
bounced off my hurriedly made shield, the magic too weak now to disintegrate it.
The assassin hissed anyway, vibrations from the contact running up her arm as
her hand shot back from the unsuccessful attack.
She eyed my
defenses critically, a leer creeping over her lips as she circled me. I turned
as she moved, keeping her from my back and making my own observations. She was
limping slightly, her right leg injured. “You’re weakened,” she said, brown
eyes gleaming. “You'll be defenseless in minutes, and then I can kill you. All
I have to do is wait it out."
I fought the
urge to roll my eyes, even as my heart pounded in my chest so hard that I was
sure she could hear it. I wasn't out of the fight yet, I reminded myself, but I
needed time. I needed a distraction to keep her busy while my energy was
replenished.
"Tick."
My shield faltered as she spoke, and the evil grin widened on my attacker's
face. "Tock."
I took a
grounding breath, digging deep within myself. I could do this.
"Tick."
Time seemed
to slow as I pulled up the last of my magic, wrapping it around myself like a
blanket. I pulled what I could from the room around us, too, the shadows
dancing like a black flame. Then, what little light there was, was
extinguished, throwing the world into suffocating darkness.
"Tock."
I dropped my
faltering shield, spinning through the gloom in silence, spinning out of reach
of the daggers that arched through the air towards my face.
The shadows
enveloped my attacker, growing heavy – heavier with each passing second. Each
breath she took thinner than the last, the shadows constricting against her on
every breath out. I wasn't going to be caught out again – I couldn't be – there
was nothing left for me to use. I couldn't declare victory until it was utterly
irrefutable. This woman had to bleed all over the floor, and it had to be now.
She was still trying to fight; I could hear her struggling against her bonds,
daggers remaining in her hands.
As she
fought for air, small gasps permeated the silence, the only way that I could
pinpoint her location. The shadows tightened again, and those daggers dropped
to the floor as her arms were pinned. I dove for them, sliding the short
distance along the floor on my knees, scooping one of the blades up with my
left hand, slashing out into the shadows. The knife stuck into something
substantial, and my firm grip on the handle, mixed with the speed of my
movements, spun me around.
I let go,
using the momentum to thrust me to my feet on the opposite side of the woman
from where I had started. I heard the other dagger clatter across the floor,
having kicked it away from her in my travels. It was in the darkness to my
right, close but not close enough. The woman wrapped in shadows screamed, the
sound full of pain and fury, dampened only by her lack of full breath.
"Bitch!"
She howled. "You fucking piece of shit!"
I searched
for the final weapon, falling back to my knees and using my hands to feel
around in the dark. My magic sputtered out entirely, the shadows and light
returning to their original forms and places.
As the light
returned to the room, I spotted the dagger, inches from my splayed hands. I
grabbed it, spinning to face the screaming woman. She was unrestricted now and
so full of fury.
The woman
was free. I had her dagger. And then… I didn't.
It left my
hand, flying end over end towards her, moving so quickly that she hardly even
noticed it – too intent on pulling the other one from her thigh, hissing and
throwing curses at me. It hit her in the chest, dead center. The loud thump as
it entered the leather armor amplified in the silence that followed it.
We both froze,
looking at it in disbelief. The quiet stretched out as I stared, my mind
struggling to comprehend what I was seeing.
"You're
dead, Valdis." A laugh bubbled up from my chest and escaped my lips as I
spoke. The shock and exhaustion were making me giddy.
"Well,
fuck me, Sapphira." She huffed incredulously, eyes alight. "What
an epic throw. Who knew you had that in
you?"
I giggled
again, all of my muscles jumping while my head spun. "I hate to admit that
it was a fluke. I doubt I could do it again."
"Yes,
well. Don't try and cut my leg off again, either. That fucking hurt."
Slow
clapping interrupted us from nearby, a whisper of mocking laughter. We both
turned to see a monster standing in the doorway. Black hair matched her eyes,
brown leathery, semi-translucent skin, and long claw-like nails on skinny
fingers. Murky fog billowed around her skeletal feet—a creature of darkness –
of nightmares and fear.
"And so
now our savior can fight," the Night Hag stated impassively, black eyes
burrowing into my soul. "At last."
"I told
you she could learn, Mora," Valdis said, grunting as she yanked the
daggers from her body, watching her own blood drip onto the floor. "Just
like I did."
I swayed
where I stood, the room spinning as they spoke. Now that the fight was over,
the adrenaline left me, nothing but fatigue running through my body. My mind
struggled to follow the sudden shift – from battle mode back
to everything is okay, it was only training.
"Except
you practiced on your creatures," Mora hissed, turning her
deep gaze on her. "Not on the King's Second."
"All is
well, I didn't die, and Sapphira learned a few new tricks. Our King will be
pleased."
The Night
Hag scoffed, pointing a devilishly sharp nail at her. "Your arrogance will
be the death of you, Necromancer."
"Yes,
but not today." Valdis shrugged, smiling at Mora sweetly and moving to
stand beside me. "It seems that you will be stuck with me for a while
yet."
I wasn't
sure how Valdis was still standing; her blood was running down her leg from the
wound I had inflicted – the cuts on her head and throat too. Yet, she stood
firm, as though we hadn't just tried to kill each other – as though it had been
nothing at all.
About B.L.:
B.L. Callaghan is an
Australian Foster Carer and Early years Educator with over a decade of industry
experience.
She runs the Facebook page “More Than A Foster Carer”, where she shares her experience working with the foster system.
B.L. lives in rural
New South Wales with her husband, a changing number of children, a dog and some
chickens.
As a self proclaimed
creative soul, she has had a passion for writing fiction from an early age.
When not wrangling chickens, children, or dogs, B.L. loves tagging along on
epic quests, and being whisked off on magical adventures.
B.L. Callaghan writes
children’s books, as well as YA and NA titles.
Some of her favorite authors
include L.K Hamilton, S.J Maas, G.R.R Martin, Lynette Noni, Isobelle Carmody,
J.K Rowling, and J.R.R Tolkien.
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub
Giveaway
Details:
1 winner will win a $10 Amazon GC, International.
Tour
Schedule:
Week
One:
|
9/13/2021 |
Excerpt |
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|
9/13/2021 |
Excerpt |
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|
9/14/2021 |
Excerpt |
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9/14/2021 |
Excerpt |
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9/15/2021 |
Review |
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9/15/2021 |
Excerpt |
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9/16/2021 |
Review |
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9/16/2021 |
Excerpt |
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9/17/2021 |
Excerpt |
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9/17/2021 |
Excerpt |
Week Two:
|
9/20/2021 |
Review |
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|
9/20/2021 |
Excerpt |
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9/21/2021 |
Review |
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9/21/2021 |
Excerpt |
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9/22/2021 |
Review |
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9/22/2021 |
Excerpt |
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9/23/2021 |
Excerpt |
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9/23/2021 |
Review |
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9/24/2021 |
Excerpt |
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9/24/2021 |
IG
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