Author Name: Evelyn Elliott
Book Name: Bad Magic
Series: Spell Slave
Book: One
Can be read as a standalone
Release Date: October 28, 2015
Blurb:
Morality is relative. At least that’s what young sorcerer Regis Teller convinces himself. He’s done what he must to survive: working for a witch since he was nine, helping her throw the kingdom into anarchy, and taking his only comfort in her mysterious son, Crow. And soon, Regis is going to commit his first murder.
A do-gooder named Jonathan White has information the witch needs, and it’s Regis’s job to get that information and slit Jonathan’s throat. But then Regis actually meets Jonathan. And Jonathan is perfect—a hero with a passion for justice and little regard for civility.
Lucky for Regis, Jonathan has a weakness for attractive men. Lucky for Jonathan, Regis is fast developing a conscience and a heart. But for Regis, keeping both of them alive at their adventure’s end means breaking a magical oath and surviving his ruthless boss—all without telling Jonathan the truth. Falling in love is never easy, especially when everyone involved is lying through their teeth.
Pages or Words: 161 pages, 55,000 words
Categories: Bisexual, Fantasy, M/M Romance, Romance
Excerpt:
When the sun set, Regis shrugged off his clothes and sank into the river. He scrubbed off the dirt with a palmful of sand from the bank. The water smelled like fish, but it was relatively clean, at least.
Jonathan took out a flask of oil, then began to polish and sharpen his sword. He looked up, occasionally, giving Regis long considering looks, the way a cat might watch another cat. “You’re staring,” Regis said.
“It’s nothing.”
“Look elsewhere, then.”
Jonathan set aside his oil-stained cloth. “You spent the whole day hunched in the middle of the raft, and you keep looking at the river like it’s going to bite you. You’re afraid, aren’t you? You can’t swim.”
Regis rubbed his arms self-consciously. “Lots of people can’t swim.”
“I could teach you.”
He said it casually, as if it meant nothing.
Regis tensed, but he found himself breathless—breathless—at the thought of Jonathan’s hands on him. If Jonathan got into the water, Regis thought with suddenly clarity, he might take his clothes off.
This was a bad idea. A bad idea. Regis said:
“Sure, why not?”
Jonathan grinned. He stood and stretched, then pulled his shirt off and tossed it on the shore bank. He unbuckled his sword belt and let it fall but unsheathed his knife and took it with him. “What do you need that for?” Regis asked.
“Emergencies.” Jonathan waded in and placed the knife on a nearby rock. He sank into the water, trailing an easy circle around Regis. “You have to actually be in the water,” he drawled, offering Regis a hand. Regis took it. Warm, callused, and wet. It tugged him into deeper river. “Good. Now. The first step is learning how to float. Let your feet come up. Try to balance on the surface.”
He tried, but ended up landing on his knees instead. Scowling, he tried to lift himself. It was impossible not to touch the ground. “I have to be in deeper water,” he said.
Jonathan floated by effortlessly. He righted himself, rose up, and curled an arm around Regis’s waist. Regis nearly swallowed his tongue. “You’re doing it wrong,” Jonathan said in his ear.
Jonathan’s breath was warm. It teased Regis’s neck. He jerked. “Easy now,” Jonathan said. “Here.” He picked Regis up bridal-style. Regis fidgeted and prayed no one came upon them. He felt ridiculous, swept up in Jonathan’s arms like a girl. Jonathan laid him on top of the water but didn’t let go. “Now. When I release you, just try to float.”
Regis nodded. Jonathan let go. Regis closed his eyes and waited for the water to rise over him, but that moment never came. He opened his eyes and let out a shuddering breath. To his amazement, he floated.
“See?” Jonathan said.
Regis tried to sit up, and—immediately—he sank like a stone. Water burned his mouth and nose, and he fought his way back up, sputtering.
Jonathan pounded his back. “Are you all right?”
Once Regis could breathe, he elbowed Jonathan in the gut. Jonathan doubled over, gasping. “No, I’m not all right!” Regis said. “You ass. I hate water.”
Jonathan laughed weakly.
“Why do you do that?” Regis snapped.
Jonathan blinked. “Do what?”
“You think it’s funny when I insult you.”
“It’s charming when you try to insult me.”
“You’re a freak. You know that? A freak.”
Jonathan smiled.
“Stop it,” Regis said. “Stop it now.”
Jonathan chuckled. “You know, when we first met, I thought you were in a bad mood. But you weren’t, were you? You’re always like this.”
“Like what?”
The smile widened, and Regis caught a flash of white teeth. “Strong-minded. Mouthy.”
“My mother called me forthright.”
“I’m sure she did.”
Something rippled in the water not far from Jonathan’s leg. Something scaly and sinuous. Regis gripped Jonathan’s bicep. Jonathan leaned in. He was still smiling. “You,” he murmured, then he stopped. “You—what are you staring at?”
“Are there snakes in this river?”
Jonathan laughed. “Snakes? That’s a common fear. They’re actually quite—” His sentence ended in a strangled gasp. He recoiled. Something cloudy and red swirled in the water. Regis shrieked and dove aside.
Jonathan stepped two feet back, grabbed his knife, and threw it at what appeared to be a patch of mud. Regis, already on dry land, prayed whatever beast had bitten Jonathan was poisonous, because that was the stupidest fucking thing he’d ever seen. “Get out of the water, you twit,” he said, stumbling back in to pull Jonathan out. Jonathan allowed himself to be dragged, but once he reached dry land, he fell, clutching his leg. Blood welled between his fingers.
“Water snakes can’t get on dry land, can they?” Regis asked.
Jonathan paused for a moment before he replied. “Right.”
“You filthy liar! I know they can!”
“Then why did you ask?”
Buy the book:
Meet the author:
At first glance, Evelyn Elliott seems like a perfectly normal person. Do not be deceived.
Her hobbies include watching grisly horror movies, torturing her characters, and tending to her flower garden. She enjoys long walks on the beach and collecting the souls of small children. Whenever she reads a book, she always roots for the villain.
Avoid her at all costs. Certainly do not find her on facebook or befriend her online. You have better things to do.
Where to find the author:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100011035004723
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14427929.Evelyn_Elliott
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Christine Griffin
Tour Dates & Stops:
8-Apr: Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, BFD Book Blog
11-Apr: Nephy Hart, MM Good Book Reviews
12-Apr: Havan Fellows
13-Apr: Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, The Novel Approach
14-Apr: V’s Reads, Sinfully Addicted to All Male Romance
15-Apr: A.M. Leibowitz
18-Apr: Bayou Book Junkie, Alpha Book Club
19-Apr: Kirsty Loves Books
20-Apr: Prism Book Alliance, My Fiction Nook
21-Apr: Oh My Shelves
Rafflecopter Prize: eCopy of ‘Bad Magic’ by Evelyn Elliott
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Hi Evelyn! Thanks for the post and chance to win a copy of Bad Magic. It sounds good – just added to my TBR list.
Hi Evelyn =) This sounds like a interesting read. I’ve added it to my wishlist along with book 2. Thank you for the giveaway chance and excerpt.
Pingback: Bad Magic By Evelyn Elliott | Pride-Promotions