Ascension (Gryphon series #4) by Stacey Rourke ~ Blog Tour

ABOUT STACEY:

There is nothing worse than being put on the spot and asked to talk about yourself. For me it brings back that inevitable moment in a new school when the teacher would ask me to stand up, introduce myself and tell the class something about myself. I was always worried I would blurt out something stupid that I would get teased for. Something like, “My name’s Stacey and I like pickles!” Then for the rest of the school year I’d be known as the Pickle Girl and let’s be honest, no one wants that. So to avoid such a faux pas I will simply say that I love to write. It allows me to get my crazy out just enough that I can function as a normal member of society.

Best selling award winning author of the Laugh-out Loud Gryphon Series and the nonfiction book I'm Not Crazy I'm on Lupron; a Journey Through Infertility. Learn more about Stacey's books at www.staceyrourke.com or diaryofasemi-crazyauthor.blogspot.com. If you are a blogger or reviewer interested in reviewing any of Mrs. Rourke's work please contact her publicist Sara O’Connor at info@gliterarygirlmedia.com

Alaina Sketch

EXCERPT -

Somewhere between sleep and awake he came to me. The mattress shifted under his weight as he settled in beside me.

Warm breath teased against my ear. “I could ne’er leave you, lovey.”

His wandering hands gripped my waist and rolled me to face him. This warbled land governed by sleep couldn’t conjure his whole essence—too much time had passed for that. Instead it teased me with glimpses of what I’d been missing; silky hair caressing my cheek. Hot kisses traveling down my neck. Emerald eyes filled with an insatiable hunger. The sensual awakening that jolted through me when his mouth found mine.   

“I’m always with you,” Caleb whispered against my lips.

I twined my arms around his neck and pulled him closer; a move that garnered a low groan of appreciation. His hands roamed up my arms and encircled my wrists. In a sudden, shockingly violent, move he forced them down against the mattress and pinned me there.

I gaped in confusion as green eyes blinked to sapphire blue. His seductive stare twisted into visible disgust and hatred. Like ink dumped from a bottle, the black drained from Caleb’s hair. The dripping color leaked away to reveal long strawberry blond hair ponytailed at the nape of his neck. Alec. Not the latest version of him currently possessed by a three-hundred-year-old demon, but the Alec I first met whilst rolling a tire. The carefree boy I had started to fall for before fate intervened. Yet the look that darkened his gaze was more murderous than welcoming. I thrashed and bucked beneath him but couldn’t seem to summon one iota of strength. His grip on my wrists tightened to the point of pain.

“Is he worth it?” he hissed in my face. “Is he worth the blood on your hands?”

Crimson red blood bubbled up Alec’s throat. It seeped between his teeth and dribbled down his chin. “Will he still want you when he knows what you’ve done and what it cost?”  

Squeezing my eyes shut, I cringed further into the mattress as blood rained down. The warm stickiness, with its pungent rusty smell, dripped on my face and soaked my shirt. 

I risked a glance up to see Alec’s lips curl in an evil grin. “Now, how ‘bout a kiss?”

He bowed his head and crammed his blood soaked lips to mine. My muffled scream quickly turned into a gurgled gasp for air as I fought not to drown in this crimson hell.

EXCERPT - 

Blood pooling.

Seeping.

Merging.

Swirling together to form a detailed map of carnage.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk.” The Countess pursed her full lips in a mock pout. “And to think he was trying to save you. You must feel simply dreadful right now.”

Anger quickened my breath making each word come out a breathless gasp. “Shut … up.”

“Why’s that?” She rested her palms on her ample hips and let her head fall to the side in a flowing curtain of scarlet. “Don’t feel like talking about it? Can’t say that I blame you. Here he was marching over here so gallantly to protect you while you called him names and berated him. That’s evil even by my standards and I make a viable vocation out of this.” 

One stride into a forward charge toward certain death, I froze. My shocked heart lurched into an awkward stutter beat. The cause of my surprise? Rowan, rolling to his side and yanking the dagger from his gut. The Countess’s painted lips pulled back in a sneer.

Heels clicked across the floor with sharp snaps as she strode straight for him. “I hate it when people don’t have the courtesy to die the first time you kill them.”

With the stiletto heel of her boot, she pinned Rowan’s wrist to the floor … then stomped. Rowan howled and writhed as blood spurted from his wound. His injured hand loosened around the hilt. Before the blade could clank to the ground, the vile enchantress scooped it up. Flipping it in her hand, she arched back for the death blow.  

“Nooooo!!”  I channeled everything inside me. Pulling every emotion that ravaged me throughout this god-awful day into my core, I raised both hands and hit her with the full force of my telepathic fury.

The dagger flew from her hand as she pin-wheeled into the darkness.

I rushed to Rowan’s side and eased him to a sitting position. “Row? Rowan?”

It took a minute for his sleepy gaze to find me. Even then his dilated pupils hinted consciousness would be fleeting. In the distance came a soft thud. The Countess must’ve found the other side of this massive hall. My little stunt bought us seconds only.

“Row?” My fingers dug into his shoulders as I attempted to shake him awake. “Can you teleport? I don’t know any other way out of here and we need to go now!”

In place of an answer, his eyes rolled back and his head lulled to the side.

Like rapid-fire gunshots, her heels clicked closer, building around us in an ominous echo.

I slapped Rowan softly once, then a second time with more vigor. “Rowan! Come on! One little poof then you can pass out! I promise! Just get us out of here!”

He woke with a jerk, a protective passion rising on his face. His tensed features sharpened. Turquoise eyes blazed as his injured hand weaved into my hair and pulled me to him. Blood dripped down the back of my neck and dampened my hair, yet pulling away never occurred to me. His lips brushed mine with a tentative question—a plea for acceptance. I hesitated for a fraction of a second before consenting with a resounding mutual urgency. Locked in each other’s embrace, we disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

REVIEW  ~ 5 STARS

Were do I begin? For starters if you haven't read the first 3 books you need to stop reading, scroll up and buy them ALL - NOW! 

In the 4th installment of the Gryphon series Celeste is still longing for her handsome Irishman Caleb. Just when she's getting ready to pay her respect to her fallen friend, Rowan walks back into her life, ready to stand by her side till the end. Once she arrives on the Spirit Plane with her loved ones, Celeste is slapped with a shocking truth. As the story begins to unfold, will it be to much for her to handle? When Celeste gets a glimpse of the past and learns why the Countess is so full of hate, especially for the Gryphon, will it change how she views the Countess? With Gainesboro come under attack, Celeste bans together with some unlikely allies, including the Dark Army Glee Club members but has her family left her to fight this one on her own? Will Celeste be able to defeat the Countess or has her luck finally ran out?

As with every other book in the Gryphon series there are so many twist, turns, ups, downs, laughs and tears. Stacey has a natural ability to write in a way that pulls you in from the first words and keeps you entangled in the story until the very last mark on the page. You certainly won't regret buying Ascension. My only advice - grab your favorite drink, get comfy and make sure you won't have any interruptions for a few hours as you get lost in another fantastic book from Stacey!

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MHZ Book Reviews and Giveaways received a free ARC of Ascension for review purposes. All opinions are our own. We received no monetary compensation nor were we paid in any other way for a positive review.