Title: Darkness Falls
Author: Erin Kellison
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Series: Reveler Series 1
Darkness Falls
REVELER, Book 1
Print Length: 120 pages
Publisher: Fire Flower
Publishing, LLC
ASIN: B00KAM07RY
JUST RELEASED: May 11, 2014
Agent Malcolm Rook is hunting
for people with the rarest of talents—the ability to master dreams. He finds
the undeniably gifted Jordan Lane, but she’s wary of mysterious Rook and
resists his pursuit as long as she can. Yet the dreamwaters they enter are too
exhilarating to resist, and attraction soon ignites electric passions. Delving
too deep stirs a nightmare, one they must defeat, or be forever lost to
darkness.
Fans of paranormal romance
and bad boys, get ready for a dark, sexy plunge into fantasy and desire. The
Reveler Series is set in a contemporary world in which people can indulge in
Rêve, or shared dreaming—a pop culture phenomenon sweeping the world. Imagine
being able to fall asleep at night, only to wake in a dream world, one in which
you are lucid and in control—where you can be anything you want to be and do
anything you like. But you must be careful…dreaming can be as dangerous as it
is seductive.
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21900249-darkness-falls
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/RBfEla
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1sGCghK
Amazon Ca: http://amzn.to/1oK0cP2
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1jApuz9
Darkness Falls Excerpt
“It’s not my first time, man.” Interview over, Rook shrugged
into his trim black wool coat. “I know what to do if I spot a likely target.”
It’d been a few years, but what to look for hadn’t changed.
Innocent, unsuspecting fools.
Yeah, he knew how to find them. And once down the rabbit hole,
there was no coming back again. Just a screaming fall into a darkness as
infinite and clutching as a nightmare. No waking up, either.
God, why couldn’t he just wake up?
“Only, it’s been a while since you went hunting,” Coll observed,
that level gaze assessing, always measuring, but giving away nothing. “Why the
sudden change?”
Rook kept his reasons for going to himself; he didn’t owe Coll
explanations. Not anymore. What did he know, anyway? Coll had an easy life
working behind a desk, occasionally flying out somewhere, and getting himself a
swank room from which to monitor at a distance. It was hard not to stare at the
wall-to-wall view of the San Diego Bay—and the ocean beyond, vast and calm, restful.
Rook wasn’t one to give in to envy, but a little peace would go a long way
right now.
“It’s a big step backward from the work you’ve been doing,” Coll
pressed.
Rook exchanged his wallet for the one waiting on the tray that
Coll had provided—time to become, let’s see, Michael Reese; at least they’d
kept his initials—and slid it in the back pocket of his jeans.
Of course, he could’ve explained to Coll that he’d been on the
inside too long. That he had to get a taste of the virgin experience again to
keep his edge. Any Chimera could relate.
But he was too far gone for easy lies.
Darkness lurked at the edges of his vision, crackling and dense
with reproach—not that he could make out anything right now, or ever—but when
he turned to confront it, the blind spot shifted, too. It was as if he had a
fringe space in the back of his mind, one in which an intruder could hide, its
presence hounding him like a constant uncertainty.
Rook had to go out or he’d lose his mind. He had to go out or
Coll would have to put him down like a mad dog.
The alternate phone on the tray was a sleek little silver thing,
the latest to hit the market, whereas his personal mobile was at least a year
behind. Both were unnecessary. He had other ways of keeping current—other, more
intimate ways to track his marks.
“You could shave, at least. Make yourself pretty.” Coll’s idea
of a joke.
Since he’d decided to back off, Rook offered a dry one of his
own. “Girls like me rough. Guys, too, actually.”
***
“Okay, but what if I show up to the party completely naked?”
Jordan Lane hissed ahead to Maisie as they navigated down the dock to the water
taxi that would take them out to the Envoi, their destination for the
evening.
The naked thing had been a nightmare since childhood, most
recently the night before her big sales pitch to get the Medea account. Account
secured. Promotion pending. But the fear was alive and well. Thriving.
Maisie cocked her head over her shoulder. “Can you at least try
to have fun?”
Fun was not crossing a picket line of vehement protesters for a
simple girls’ night out. The rhythmic shouts—“Wake up to the truth!”—were
audible this far down the pier. The protesters stayed behind the pylons, but
Jordan carried their message with her nevertheless: Danger. And, um, what
the hell are you doing?
And then there was the opposing throng, who’d come down to the
docks in hopes of buying a ticket secondhand for ten times its value. Holy
hell, she could really use that kind of money right now and would easily give
up one night of girl bonding to get it.
But this wasn’t any old GNO. First, the girlfriend was her
little sis (all grown up), and second, the activity was insane, hence the
protesters and their waggling signs. But Maisie-Maze had to try everything, had
to leap with all her heart into every new game that came along. Irresponsible
was what her teachers and bosses called her. But really it was more like irrepressible.
There was no stopping her, no reasoning with enthusiasm—what could a big sis do
but go with her and make sure she came home all right?
Not that Jordan had any objection to Rêve in theory. She just
didn’t want either of them to be part of the practice.
A gust of bitter coastal wind whipped at Jordan’s hair and
clothes, and she wrapped her mini tuxedo jacket across her waist, folding her
arms over it to keep the cold air off her skin. Didn’t help much; the bluster
still stole up the skirt of her little black dress as she waited with the group
on the pier, everybody outfitted for a night out and buzzing with excitement.
Ages ranged from Maze’s bouncy twenty-one to—Jordan glanced at a wrinkled and
shrunken little woman—what had to be close to a hundred. The age spread aligned
with the cross-cutting demographics that characterized the Rêve enthusiasm
overtaking the world.
Just ahead, Maze accepted the hand of some guy already inside
the boat to help her navigate the big, awkward step into the taxi. He reached
for Jordan next, and with equal parts reluctance and gratitude, she took his
hand—strong, steady—to make sure she didn’t pitch herself ass-up into the
ocean. The heels had been a mistake, too.
Who needed to be dressed up only to go to sleep?
“Thanks,” she breathed to him. No going back now.
Petrol-tinged air replaced the slightly funky smell of the
water, with its ocean stew of salt, fish, and subtle rot. Taking the big step,
she caught a flash of the guy’s dark eyes, dark hair. Strong jaw with a two-day
shadow. Once in the boat, she discovered he was tall and built, too. Damn it.
Maze’s eyes were shining with glee, as if saying, See?
Little sis wanted to hook her up. Very sweet, but not happening.
Timothy Oliphant from Justified was just fine for her—even if she did
have to watch him through her TV screen.
But this guy?
Okay, Jordan argued silently back at her, but there are cute guys
lotsa places. She didn’t need to go to such lengths to get a date.
“Nothing to worry about,” he said, noting her nerves.
Of course he had a good, low voice. Didn’t mean he wasn’t crazy.
Rêve attracted all sorts. Cults were forming around it. Biggest thing
since the Internet. Global phenomenon. Major paradigm shift. And all that.
The wind gusted again and Jordan shivered violently, but she
didn’t want to pass up the opportunity to ask questions. She had about a
thousand of them. “You’ve done this before, then?”
She’d scoured message boards online for info, but the reactions
varied from ecstatic testimonials of transcendent experiences to claims of
migraines, sleeplessness, fatigue, and impotence, all basically leading to an
inability to return to normal life. Then there were the posts—both academic and
hysterical—that warned people not to make gods of themselves. Heh. Too late.
The bottom line? Studies demonstrated conclusively that Rêve
itself was safe; whatever side effects did manifest reflected an individual’s
psychology. Basically, if a person had issues, maybe they should pass.
At the moment, she had a lot of issues.
“I’ve done it a few times.” The guy glanced between her and her
little sister. “Better than drugs. Not as good as sex.”
Hmm. “Anyone ever get hurt?”
“Not that I know of.” Damn if he didn’t seem to settle his
interest on her baby sister, his gaze lingering, little wheels of thought
turning in his eyes.
Umm…no. He was too…rough for Maze, so he’d just better step
back.
Jordan poked his shoulder. Hard. “Did you have side effects?”
He shot her a quick, weird look to the effect of, Would I be
back if I did?
“Right.” Jordan ducked her chin out of the wind and headed for
Maze, who’d seated herself on the long bench on the far side of the boat. Maze
had ironed her hair into a glossy straight sheet that looked like stretched
fuchsia taffy. She was a junior at the U, but dressed like a cartoon character
from when they’d been kids. She attracted friendly attention everywhere. Here,
too.
Jordan joined her on the bench and cut a look back at the man.
“Stay away from that one.”
Maze lit up and sang under her breath, “Ooooh?”
No. Jordan wasn’t interested in him, but she couldn’t bring
herself to argue with Maze while the swaying of the boat was making her sick.
She did manage to reiterate, “If I end up naked in public, I swear I’ll kill
you.”
Maze took her hand. “You need this. You need this so bad.”
Her sister referred to the life Jordan spent in the office; what
Maze didn’t seem to understand was that her big sis liked her job.
Shocking, yes, but true. So this wasn’t about her. It was all Maisie, major
still undeclared.
“People have gotten along just fine without Rêve thus far,”
Jordan said. “All the way back to the dawn of man.”
Maze’s baby blues opened wide. “Beg to differ, Jor. Theories
abound that it is not unique to our time.”
God, baby sis had been drinking the Rêve punch.
“Theories, not facts.” While Jordan had volunteered to go along
for the ride, she wasn’t going to get conned into the hype. One of them had to
stay grounded.
Her sister smiled and repeated by rote, as she had a thousand
times today, “It’s safe. It’s legal.”
Jordan gave a derisive laugh. “Then why are we about to taxi
twelve nautical miles into international waters to get on a Finnish ship in
order to try it?”
Title: Lay Me Down
Author: Erin Kellison
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Series: Reveler Series 2
Lay Me Down
REVELER, Book 2
Print Length: 121 pages
Publisher: Fire Flower
Publishing, LLC
ASIN: B00K9V6B94
JUST RELEASED: May 11, 2014
Able to navigate sleep’s vast
dreamwaters, wild child Maisie Lane makes easy money as a courier delivering
packages from one dream to another. So what if her employers are on the shadier
side of the law? Her sister thinks she’s living for the pleasure of the moment.
Pleasure is involved—why shouldn’t it be?—but every step Maisie takes is part
of a careful plan. That is, until she crosses into a dream so evil, she has no
choice but to run.
Special Agent Steve Coll is
tasked to recruit Maisie for Chimera, the organization that polices shared
dreams. At first he’s taken with her funny and carefree spirit, then brought to
his knees by her tough and passionate soul. Touching her is forbidden ecstasy,
but Steve can’t resist breaking the rules with Maisie. A darkness is gathering,
evil preparing to strike, and only Maisie stands between it and innocent lives.
No matter what happens, Steve won’t let her stand alone—he’ll die before he
leaves her side.
Fans of paranormal romance
and bad boys, get ready for a dark, sexy plunge into fantasy and desire. The
Reveler Series is set in a contemporary world in which people can indulge in
Rêve, or shared dreaming—a popculture phenomenon sweeping the world. Imagine
being able to fall asleep at night, only to wake in a dream world, one in which
you are lucid and in control—where you can be anything you want to be and do
anything you like. But you must be careful…dreaming can be as dangerous as it
is seductive.
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1nDpEWz
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1hGHFhO
Amazon Ca: http://amzn.to/1jApq2i
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1qxC1Ig
Lay Me Down Excerpt:
Steve Coll hit his left-turn signal and checked for traffic,
but most of his attention was focused on the woman half sitting, half kneeling
on the passenger seat beside him. She hadn't yet decided if she was going to
cooperate (the least likely), stage a getaway (her usual way of coping), or try
to kill him (on direct orders from her boss).
Her predicament was the most fun he'd had in a long time,
especially since it was the woman herself who was gnawing her thumbnail in
suspense. Even she didn't know what she was going to do.
What a way to live.
Maisie Louise Lane wasn't just another Reveler whom Chimera
wanted to recruit. She was the ultimate recruit, the critical talent. And it
was Steve's job to secure her cooperation and loyalty.
Which meant she was probably going to try to kill him.
At least he'd get a kick out of watching her work up to it.
She might just pull it off, too. Maisie could do anything; it was potentially
deadly to think otherwise.
"If we're going to Vegas," she said, "I need
to pick up some things from my place."
Steve checked his rearview mirror. Still clear. "Not an
option. It was ransacked after you left. Nothing much remains but the scum
waiting to grab you."
"Well, I've got some clothes at my sister's and my laptop
is there, too."
"Your associates have that place covered as well, and
since your sister had to drown one of them so that she could get to safety,
it's not an option, either."
Maisie was standing on the only bridge she hadn't burned, an
empty gallon of gas in one hand, lit match in the other.
He flicked a gaze her way for a quick assessment. Her
magenta-dyed hair was showing blond roots. The black makeup around her big gray
eyes was smudged. And yeah, she was wearing the same outfit—tight, dark-green
jeans with a slouchy black tank on top—that she'd been wearing when she'd
escaped his companionship on the UCSD campus yesterday. The several narrow
leather bands around her wrist hid scars from wounds she'd inflicted herself.
She had her sister to thank for keeping her alive this long,
but the company Maisie kept was now more dangerous. Big sis had done as much as
she could. Time for someone who didn't love Maisie to take over.
"Well, I have to shower and change. I stink," she
said.
Strangely, he really didn't mind the sharp edge to her usual
feminine scent. And at the moment, he wouldn't put it past her to crawl out a
bathroom window, dripping and naked, to escape him. So she could just wait.
"When we get settled, you can have first dibs on the
shower."
Another glance in the rearview. A black car edged into their
lane, some five car-lengths behind them.
"You mean in Vegas? That's like an eight-hour
drive."
"Five," he corrected. "And new clothes will
be waiting there as well."
"I choose my own clothes, thanks."
"Your call."
"This is torture," she said.
"Agreed."
The black car kept its distance, which Steve didn't like. It
should've pulled up a bit by now. Its front window reflected a bright glaring
spot of the sun, whiting out the rest, so no driver was visible, even if Steve
could make him out from this far away.
He debated letting the car continue its pursuit to find out
for certain if it was deliberately tailing them. He'd been eluding her business
associates for the past few days while attempting to win Maisie's cooperation.
That her sister Jordan had become a Chimera was helpful. That those same
associates had gone after Jordan had forced a choice on Maisie: family, or
wealth and power?
Family had won, which was how Maisie had come to be sitting
next to him, regardless of her mood.
Steve cruised through a late yellow light; the black car ran
the red that followed.
Damn. Better to lose them now than to chance an incident on
the road before he and Maisie reached their destination.
He hated to do it while driving, but fine.
Steve let his vision blur slightly so that his darksight
could sharpen, and he imposed a simple waking dream on the real world. He
showed the occupants of the black car that his car was turning to the right,
down an intersecting street, while in reality he continued straight ahead.
The black car turned down the street, following the dream.
Which meant that yes, the car had probably been following
them, and the driver didn't have the darksight to recognize a waking dream for
the illusion it was.
Steve glanced at Maisie again, the other immediate threat to
his life.
She was staring at him, unblinking and wary. "What was
that?"
Maisie, however, did have darksight, though still
undeveloped.
Chimera agents each had talents, most of which were awakened
during lucid dreaming, the revolution taking over the world. Maisie, should she
prove loyal enough to join them, could also cross between one dream and another
effortlessly.
Steve gave her a friendly smile. It was the only answer she
was going to get. He didn't even share what he could do, what he really was,
with people he trusted. They'd be afraid.
"Fine. Whatever." She folded her arms and hunkered
down in her seat. "Wake me when we get there."
Steve had to stop himself from laughing out loud. The humor
felt good, though, lodged in his throat and warm across his chest. As if he
would let her escape him that way. Her associates could catch up to her
Darkside, too.
No. Not happening. She had no idea whom she was dealing
with.
Maisie Lane was about to be afflicted with an extreme case
of insomnia.
He was keeping her high and dry until it suited him for her
to sleep, yet another one of his abilities. She'd sleep when he did.
Beside him, she sighed and modulated her breathing so that
it was deep and slow. Eyes closed, the tension dropped out of her. She went
quiet, studiously so, as she sought refuge.
It was cute, really.
Steve banked onto the I-15 exit and climbed onto the
freeway, heading north. Traffic mid-morning moved fast along the ten-lane
stretch. If they made good time, maybe they could get there before rush hour.
A colorful billboard advertising a new Rêve—the term used
for commercial shared dreams—rose above the graying buildings below. The
billboard depicted a black door with a fanlight above and a knob in the middle.
The number 221B gleamed in brass above a subtly ornate knocker. Doors led the
way into Rêves, and this door led the dreamer to 221B Baker Street, Sherlock's
home. Stories and adventures were the rage, far exceeding the thrills a theme
park could offer. Rêve was a fully immersive experience for which people would
pay anything.
Of course, just as Rêves offered unlimited worlds to
explore, they also offered innumerable ways to exploit and/or threaten
dreamers. It was Chimera's job to police Rêves and to venture (or track) beyond
Rêve into the waters where natural dreaming occurred. A certain kind of talent
was required, and it was Steve's job to recruit the personnel who had it.
Like Maisie here, who'd been playing in illegal Rêves for at
least a year now and had gotten in a little too deep with the criminal element.
The minutes ticked by. He changed to the far left lane and
accelerated.
Any second now she'd realize she was trapped in the waking
world.
She huffed a little. Squirmed.
He restrained a grin, but glanced her way to see if she'd
figured it out yet.
He found her looking back at him, a bad mood wrinkling her
forehead. Then her forehead smoothed as understanding dawned. A glimmer of
horror darkened her eyes. She's got it now. The realization finished with a
steady glare of hate.
"You bastard."
Steve looked at the road ahead. "Just as long as we
understand each other."
About The Author:
Erin Kellison
is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling and award-winning
author of the Shadow series and Shadow Kissed series, which share the same
world, where dark fantasy meets modern fairy tale. Delve into dreamscapes in
her new Reveler series, releasing Summer 2014.
Follow Erin online at:
Website
/ Mailing
List / Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest / Amazon
Author Page / GoodReads
My Review of Darkness Falls
Sexy, dark, and edgy. Just my cup of tea. I really enjoyed this story. It took me by surprise, but I was hooked right from the beginning. I was immediately swept up in the world Ms. Kellison has created and absolutely loved the concept. The premise is fresh and original and kept me totally involved from beginning to end. The idea of dream sharing sounds so cool. That's what happens in Darkness Falls. Jordan only wants to protect her sister, Maze, so she agrees to go to the Reve with her and enter into the dreamscape. I won't go into any more than that you'll have to read to find out what it's like.
The descriptions were great, and just so you know, like the real world, the dream world needs policing. That's where our mysteriously sexy Malcom Rook comes in as he hunts for the perfect talents for recruiting to work for the Chimera when he encounters the beautifully gifted Jordan Lane.
As a side note, I must admit I found myself crushing on Rook from the very beginning. I recommend this book to lovers of paranormal and stories about dreams. You won't be disappointed. Darkness Falls gets 5 stars from me.
My Review of Lay Me Down
So I was so hooked on the concept of this series I had to rush to read the second book even though I only signed up for the first for this tour. LOL. I must admit I wasn't exactly that taken with Steve Coll as much as Malcom Rook in the first book, but he did grow on me as I continued to read. Lay Me Down picks up immediately right where Darkness Falls leaves off and continues with that story. Maze got on my nerves a bit maybe because she was a bit immature compared to her sister, but I'm sure that's they way Ms. Kellison intended her to be.
Once I got into this book, I couldn't put it down. I don't have time to read the newest and third book in the series before this post is scheduled, but I assure you I will be reading it as soon as time permits. I'm giving this 2nd book 4 stars because of my initial reaction toward Steve, but other than that it was a terrific read and I can't wait to see what's next. Oh and next time you dream, pay close attention and try thinking about where you are and who you are with. I know I will.
