CHARLATAN'S MAGIC
by Patrick
Bran
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB
Love, Trickery, Murder. All are abundant in
the Jewel City. Ben is a schemer and a pickpocket. He knows the city well...and
he is torn. Does he betray the woman he loves? Does he have a choice? Will he
follow his heart, firmly in the grasp of the beautiful Athena, or give in to
the unsavory life he knows?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT
Athena reached for Ben’s hand before he could draw it away.
His knuckles were scraped and bleeding. She shot an angry glance at Nikolas and
pulled Ben to a stool by the bar. “You sit down. I’ll get something for it.”
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Niki said. “You
assume it’s my fault?”
“Of course I do.”
“Well, I told you, Ben got me out of a little scrape. What
did you think?”
“Oh, please...” Athena began, but Ben stopped her with a
quiet word.
“It’s true. It wasn’t your brother. That man wouldn’t have
let it go.”
Athena studied his face. It was a pleasant face under the
weathered creases and the soft swelling of his eye. She read sincerity in his
look and it made her smile. She wanted to be cross. She abhorred violence and
it was all too common. But hadn’t this man stuck up for her little brother? No
doubt he was a victim of Niki’s charms.
Athena shook her head but couldn’t help a smile. Ben was
smiling too. He began to look more at ease.
“I have a salve in the back. Wait here and I’ll get it.”
“Thank you.”
She felt his gaze follow her as she passed through the
doorway. She was used to the attention. She was also used to the beer-sodden
whistles that usually came with it. But Ben was nice. He seemed sweet...like
her father. Yes, a sweet man. She could tell.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Bio:
Patrick Bran
spent much of his early life moving around. He traveled from the Middle East to
Antarctica by way of the US Army. When he returned home to Washington State,
Patrick quickly began what would become a lifelong involvement in theatre. His
work in stagecraft eventually took him to Washington DC, where he built scenery
for a nationally-renowned regional theatre. When progress demanded it, Patrick
left the scene shop and took the reins of the theatre's young web presence, a
job he has been doing for more than a decade. Patrick still lives in Washington
DC with his wife and two daughters. He writes fiction and gets his best ideas
from ancient history, myth and the legends of the past.
Links:
Website:http://PatrickBran.com
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/PtkBran
Twitter:
@PtkBran
Amazon Buy
Link: http://amzn.to/1BxFHOu
GIVEAWAY
$15 Amazon/BN GC
Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the chance!!
DeleteGlad to share my book with your readers.
ReplyDeleteHi, Patrick! Thanks for sharing, Congrats!! Your book sounds great!!
DeleteThank you for the post and giveaway! I would like to read a little more about the book to really hook me into the story but thanks for the little bit.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the interest. I hope you will consider trying out the first few chapters at Amazon.
DeleteJewel City? Is that a real place or based on a real place?
ReplyDeleteGood question, Cathy!
Delete