A breathtaking fantasy romance inspired by Japanese mythology, with mischievous shape-shifters, treacherous gods, and forbidden love.
From Book 1: Emi has spent her entire life hiding from the creatures that hunt her. The savage earth spirits are determined to kill her before she can become the living host of a goddess, so she stays hidden–until the day she saves the life of one of her hunters.
Shiro isn’t the harmless fox spirit she thought he was. He’s mysterious, cunning, unpredictable … and now hers to command. He’s sworn to pay his debt to her, but he doesn’t know who she is. If he finds out, he’ll kill her.
But she can’t send him away–not yet. Her future isn’t what she thought. The lies surrounding her fate have begun to unravel, and she needs answers before time runs out–answers that lie in the spirit realm. Shiro can take her there … if she dares to trust him.
And only then will she find out how deep the gods’ treachery runs.
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Red Winter includes 30 full-page illustrations by award-winning artist Brittany Jackson.—
THE RED WINTER TRILOGY
Red Winter (#1)
Dark Tempest (#2)
Immortal Fire (#3)
Visit the Kickstarter Campaign Here!
This Special Edition Hardcover Omnibus includes:
- All three titles: Red Winter, Dark Tempest, and Immortal Fire
- New illustrated dust jacket by artist Brittany Jackson
- All 30 full-page illustrations from the original novels
- New interior layout & design
- Foil-stamped typography on the dust jacket and cloth cover
- Colored end-papers
- Red sprayed/stenciled edges
- Hand-signed and personalized by the author
- Etched wooden bookmark, stickers, and more! (More via stretch goals)
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Excerpt from Red Winter:
She cautiously approached the barrier and stretched out her hand. As her fingers neared the shimmering light, it glowed brighter and a strange chill emanated from it. A flare of red power as cold as liquid ice lashed at her. She snatched her hand back.
“Yumei?” she called. “Let me through.”
The crows watched her mutely. The barrier didn’t change.
She frowned. He’d known she was coming and had plenty of time to open his barrier to let her through. Was he taunting her? Her jaw clenched. Spinning on her heel, she stalked a dozen paces away and turned back. She pushed her hair off her shoulders, unslung her bow, and pulled an arrow out of her obi.
If he wouldn’t let her in, then she would take matters into her own hands.
She nocked the arrow and lifted the bow. Drawing the fletching back to her cheek, she summoned her concentration and focused on the barrier of yokai magic. A soft warmth spread through her chest.
“Shukusei no tama!”
She let the arrow fly. It raced through the air and struck the barrier in a blinding flash. Hot air blasted outward, blowing her hair back, and a rush of cold followed. The barrier crackled and spat, then dissolved, the Tengu’s magic eaten away by her purification spell.
Slinging the bow over her shoulder, she strode past the fallen barrier and into the forest beyond. Wings beat at the air as the crows glided after her, some following while others flew ahead, leading the way.
As she moved through the trees, her skin tingled. Strange, alien power thrummed along her nerves and spiked in her heels with every step. She shivered at the bizarre feeling of magic tasting her, the same sensation she’d felt from Yumei’s blood magic. The forest grew more silent and still but for her steps crunching in the snow and the beating wings of the crows. She glanced back. Tornado hadn’t followed her. She wrapped her arms around herself, feeling painfully alone.
The trees thinned, and ahead, a single huge oak stood in solitary glory, its great branches reaching for the sky and merging with the darkness. In a flurry of wings, all the crows soared upward, vanishing amongst the tangled boughs until she stood alone. Swallowing hard, she approached the massive oak and looked up.
High in the branches, a figure stood upon a thick bough, one shoulder leaned against the trunk. Yumei’s silver eyes gleamed.
Author Bio:
Annette Marie is the best-selling author of The Guild Codex, an expansive collection of interwoven urban fantasy series ranging from thrilling adventure to hilarious hijinks to heartrending romance. Her other works include YA urban fantasy series Steel & Stone, its prequel trilogy Spell Weaver, and romantic fantasy trilogy Red Winter.
Her first love is fantasy, while fast-paced adventures and tantalizing forbidden romances are her guilty pleasures. She lives in the frozen winter wasteland of Alberta, Canada (okay, it's not quite that bad) with her husband and their furry minion of darkness—sorry, cat—Caesar. When not writing, she can be found elbow-deep in one art project or another while blissfully ignoring all adult responsibilities.
To find out more about Annette and her books, visit www.annettemarie.ca
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