GUEST POST and GIVEAWAY
Malevolent
(A Kendra Spark Novel Book 2)
(A Kendra Spark Novel Book 2)
by S. Peters-Davis
Malevolent is the second Kendra Spark Novel by S. Peters-Davis. Also available: Unorthodox (read my blog post).
Malevolent is currently on tour with Bewitching Book Tours. The tour stops here today for a guest post by the author, an excerpt and a giveaway. Please be sure to visit the other tour stops as well.
Description
Kendra Spark, suspense-mystery writer and communicator with the dead, signs on to the next FBI Special Task Force case, trafficked girls that are marked to lose their souls.
Jenna Powers, ghostified criminal analyst, sticks close to the case as she and Kendra are also marked by the same malevolent supernatural force.
Derek Knight, lead FBI Agent on this case, learns of the malevolent entity and the deeper paranormal realm of danger.
Kendra’s unfiltered feelings for Derek struggle to take a backseat, and as the menacing threat grows more intense, so does her passion for Derek.
Derek faces uncertainties he’s never dealt with in his past, like malicious entities and the loss of his heart to love. How can he protect Kendra against forces he can’t see?
As boundless supernatural danger intertwines with the future reality of the trafficked teens, Kendra and Jenna realize only they can shoulder the rescue by calling in a voodoo priestess …
Excerpt
I expected Derek to grab the suitcase. Instead, his arms wrapped around my waist. His spicy-wood scent filled the air around me as he drew my body into his. I rose on my toes to meet his gaze, and his lips gently touched mine, turning into a crush of passion that sent sparks of pleasure to every part of me. His moan slipped between my lips followed by the tip of his tongue. A tremor quaked downward, to the bottom of my belly, his lips trembled as our breaths meshed.
Vanilla sweetened the air, indicating Jenna was back. “Good grief, Sparky. You’re steaming up the windows.”
I opened my eyes. Jenna stood beside us. With a regretful groan and shaken with emotions, I pressed my palms to Derek’s chest to gain some distance. A distance I should have been compelled to follow for a working relationship. Our kiss hinted at something greater, and I wasn’t ready to dive that deep. At least, not yet. “Jenna thinks we’re steaming up the windows.”
Derek sighed. “Jenna, your timing is impeccable. Or, rather it stinks.” He looked around the room as if attempting to hone in on where she might be standing. Our communication improved ten-fold with Derek’s knowledge and acceptance of Jenna’s spirit still being earthbound.
I pointed. “She’s beside you.”
He shook his head, face flushed, as he took a deep man-breath. “I’ll get this loaded in the car while you finish packing your carry-on.” He lifted the suitcase off the bed and instead of allowing it to roll on its wheels, he carried it outside.
I looked at Jenna. “We’re headed back to D.C. Two dead Hispanic girls were found on a North Carolina beach, one washed up two weeks ago and another this morning. FBI task force called in to investigate. They believe it’s related to the container truck of girls found on Friday…or was that Saturday?”
“I know Merretti has something to do with this. Let’s go prove it.” Jenna sashayed to the bedroom window facing the roadside of the house, where Derek loaded the suitcase. “Told you he’d get animated if you kissed him. You two are sexy together, you know that?” Her belly laugh echoed in the room, even after she shimmered out of sight. Hearing her after she’d disappeared was a new ability, something to ask her about.
I shuffled through my carry-on, discarded a few things I didn’t need and added new items I might want. Not knowing the length of time I’d be staying in D.C. made packing a bit difficult, plus the fact I needed to include my laptop and notebooks for novel writing. I committed to a new series of books and the first one was due the end of August, but the publicist wanted the cover and blurb at least a month earlier. Not an easy feat when I hadn’t even started character sketches or plotting.
“Is this it then?” Derek slung the strap of the laptop storage bag over his shoulder, along with my carry-on. “Is Jenna still here?”
“No, she’s gone.” I looked around, thinking of anything I might have missed, but my mind kept skittering between Derek, the new case, Jenna, and my writing commitments.
Derek’s brows drew inward as he eyed my face. “You haven’t caught up on your sleep, have you?” He grabbed my upper arm to lead me along.
“Not really. Have you?” I clicked off lights and locked the lakeside door as we made our way out the driveway entry. His fingers remained around my arm as he guided me to the SUV, reminding me of all the times we were together in D.C. and North Carolina.
He opened the passenger door. “I’ve slept, but probably not enough. Climb in while I set this in the back.”
I settled in the seat and sent a quick text off to Denise and Lexi, telling them I was leaving and not sure when I’d be back. I asked if they would mind doing what they did last week for me. I sent another one off to Sharon, my writing accountability partner. I’d sent her the details of my contract with Knixton, so she had a good idea of how pinched for time I would be if this case took too long.
Derek started the vehicle and headed toward the main road. “We’re booked on a flight to D.C. There may be a few other agents on the plane, not more than ten people, so you should be able to catch a couple hours of sleep.”
Like I would get any sleep with Derek sitting next to me. Being near him seemed more of a challenge, deflecting his magnetic draw. I wondered if being away from him had something to do with it like absence makes the heart grow fonder.
[Want more? Click below to read a longer excerpt.]
Praise for the Book
“Love the spunky, psychic novelist! Murder, spiritual intuition, and romance bound this captivating, little tale. This was definitely an interesting case of a soul-stealing, malevolent force trafficking children.” ~ Sandra’s Book Reviews
“S. Peters Davis shows her writing talent by keeping her reader engaged and even though this is the second in the series you could read it first and not feel lost. You will want to follow this author and read everything she has to offer.” ~ Sharon
Guest Post (a Halloween short story by S. Peters-Davis)
All Hallows’ Eve Silent Night
“I gotta make a quick trip to the restroom. Can I use the flashlight?” I asked, glancing at Rory as he tilted his head. “Oops.” We’d made a pact not to talk, experience the night of stargazing with each other in silence.
Rory handed me the flashlight. “Remember, no talking when you come out. Sasha?”
“Got it.” I nodded, grabbed the flashlight, and then rushed into the dimly lit park restroom. Rory and I had come to the Haggerset Lake Park for the last four years to stargaze on Halloween night, ever since we’d graduated high school. We loved our creep-night, the one night we dropped whatever we were doing and wherever we were to come back to each other on this one night.
A rustle outside, like something heavy falling on the ground, startled me. I hurried with my business and ran out to check on Rory. He stood waiting for me. I slid the light beam his way, and he smiled, pointing toward the ground.
I didn’t say a word at the blanket and cooler strewn over the dewy grass, assuming he’d tripped over something. We both picked up the stuff and headed down the hill away from the tree line to the beach by the lake. The perfect place to lay for an open view of the star-ridden sky.
We spread the blanket and sat. I dropped the flashlight on the blanket, and then pulled the wine and glasses from the cooler. Rory grabbed my hand so I looked at him. He shook his head. I set the bottle next to me, thinking we’d open it later.
He stretched out on the blanket and patted the spot next to him. The moon cast enough light to see his shadowed face and body. I bent down, knees on the blanket, and then flipped to my backside, sliding close to him. His hand found mine and our fingers intertwined.
A spike of electricity charged through me, like what always happened when Rory touched me. I missed him during the long months we’d attended separate colleges, and this would be our last semester apart.
His breath sucked in as he pointed upward. A falling star streaked across the sky.
I gasped, but remained silent as per our pact. An owl hooted in a tree on top of the hill. Crickets set a rhythm, adding to the croaking bull frogs all around us. I adored the sounds and smells of the night, just like Rory had admitted the first time we’d done this.
He squeezed my fingers, raised my hand to his warm moist lips, and kissed my palm. His tongue slithered up and down my wrist, making me giggle. Then his lips attached to my skin and he sucked. My whole insides melted and fluttered at the same time. I panted, wanting more.
His body flipped over mine, his moist lips kissing, nipping, and sucking over my neck. Every cell in my body responded, zinging sparks spiked through my veins. His tongue slathered my skin. My eyelids closed on automatic.
“Sasha!” Rory? His voice came from on top of the hill.
I opened my eyes wide and pushed against the body on top of me. He sat on top of me and covered my mouth with his hand, his other hand held both of mine above my head. The skin on his face shimmered and blurred. He leaned over me, close to my face. A thin forked tongue slithered from his mouth, licking my face.
“Sasha, are you there?” Rory shouted again from a distance.
I bucked, but to no avail. The thing’s skin turned to scales, his eyes…glowed amber, their pupils narrowed into slits like a snake. Fins grew along his forearms.
I fought, hard, struggling to free a hand and bucking to throw him off. My hand came free and I reached for the wine bottle.
Footfalls pounded down the hill, the monster glanced up. I wrapped my fingers around the neck of the wine bottle and swung. The monster’s head snapped sideways and his body fell from on top of me.
Rory stood over us. “My gods, what the hell is that thing? It attacked me and I woke up in the middle of the woods, afraid of what that thing had done to you.” He gave me a hand up.
A rancid odor burst through the air and the creature’s body sizzled, like brats on a grill.
We stepped back as it turned into bright embers and then dust. Rory pulled me into his arms as the night breeze carried the smoky particles over the water.
“That thing looked just like you. It licked me.” I yanked the bottom of my T-shirt up to wipe my face and neck.
“You couldn’t tell that thing wasn’t me?”
“It never kissed me on the lips.” And I couldn’t help but wonder what it had planned on doing with me. “What do you think its end game was with me?”
Rory took a knee and extracted a small box from his shirt pocket. “Not this.” He turned so the moonlight shone on the box and then flipped it open. A diamond sparkled. His gaze melded into mine as he asked, “Sasha, monster-slayer of All Hallow’s Eve, will you marry me?” He grinned, and then added, “Before some scary creature sweeps you off your feet?”
About the Author
S. Peters-Davis writes multi-genre stories but loves penning a good page-turning suspense-thriller, especially when it’s a ghost story and a romance. When she’s not writing, editing, or reading, she’s hiking, RVing, fishing, playing with grandchildren, or enjoying time with her favorite muse (her husband) in Southwest Michigan.
Giveaway
Enter the Bewitching Book Tour’s Haunted Halloween Spooktacular for a chance to win some amazing prizes.
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