Lust
by Jas T. Ward
Publication Date: November 17, 2015
The Second Book in the Wildly Popular Shadow-Keepers Series!
** The Introduction of the New Keeper - McKenzie Miller**
Can a heart that is walled away never to love or trust find its beat in one that is needing someone to save it? And what happens when that salvation is blurred?
McKenzie Miller had never needed anyone. Not since she lost both her parents to a crime of passion at a young age. Shuffled from foster home to foster home, Kenzie finally took control of her own life and lived on the streets.
Now she's an adult and she has a hard-wired survivalist core to never be used or abused again. She's strong and no one will ever hurt her--because no one will ever be let inside of the part of her that can still feel--her heart.
Lana had everything that her parent's money could buy and until they lost it all in the economy crash, the young ballet dancer had a bright future with the San Francisco Ballet Company. Now she struggles to reach for her dream and still survive. Until one night...
Welcome to the world of the Grid. Where heroes and Eaters of souls walk among us. And a war rages with the prize being the existence of mankind, or its loss.
Title: LUST – Book Two of
the Shadow-Keepers Series
Author:
Jas T. Ward
Release Date: 11/17/15
Reference: Chapter Seven – McKenzie & Reno
Kenzie was curled up on her side in the corner of her cell when the door opened. Not the small envelope sized one in the bottom of the thick metal and glass door they slid food she didn't eat through, but the whole door. She scrambled to sit, putting her back against the wall and held the plastic fork from the meal tray like a weapon. Her fingers shook as did her arm but was about all that she could pull off so it would have to do.
Reno paused as the door was locked behind him, his eyes going to the woman who was looking better but not completely healed. Madness did this ticklish sort of purr that vibrated inside him at the sight of her and that was bit discerning. But that seemed to be a constant—until this woman had been found, Reno had thought he was the only Shadow-Keeper too. Now, there were two.
Damn, that bastard did a real job on her. Take it easy, Candyman. I personally wasn’t planning on getting forked today. One has to prepare for sudden forkings. Now, if she had a spork? Whole ‘nother ballgame.
He whispered back to Sundown, “I know. Hush.”
Going to his haunches, he rubbed his hand along his jaw as he watched her from a distance as she stared him down, her eyes full of fear but also rebellion—not too surprising considering everything they knew about her now.
He had been surprised when Bounce had agreed to give him the next 36 hours alone with the woman, without interruption, to see if he could help her level and learn her powers. It had taken Reno months to figure those two items on the Keeper to-do list (remember that part about worse decision maker…ever?)
In exchange, Reno was to be a guinea pig—to answer questions, give lab samples and tell all he knew of being a Keeper. Heck, that wasn’t going to take long since he had only been one for a few months, but it was all he could come up with to buy the shaking, brave woman in front of him more time—a woman he was desperate to help survive. He wasn't even sure if he fully understood why, but he knew that he had to prove to Bounce and the others that Keepers had value to the Grid. That both he and now Kenzie deserved a place in the war to fight for the good side; even more so now that one of them was slated to be destroyed. And maybe, if he really asked himself, it might be nice to have another kindred being.
Even if that other being was looking at him like he needed to be destroyed too.
Jas T. Ward has always used writing as a necessary escape. With a past that is marred with a difficult childhood and domestic violence as well as being homeless as an adult, Ward lost her creative voice when she lost her soul mate to suicide.
Finding that creative voice once again in writing in social media via blogs and creative writing groups, it was the fans that encouraged her to put her literary weavings to paper for them to enjoy.
Ward lives in Texas with her dog and cat- Author Dog Pumkin and Writer Kitty Orleans and is the proud parent of three independent children.
When asked why she writes, Ward answers simply:
Reading saved me. It was my salvation and my haven. I now strive to pay that gift back by writing books that can give the same to others. And to keep myself sane.
Extra Excerpt
Title: LUST – Book Two of
the Shadow-Keepers Series
Author:
Jas T. Ward
Release Date: 11/17/15
Reference: Chapter 14 – Lana & Kenzie
Lana stepped closer and found it cute that the woman stepped back as if she was the predator. It didn’t take much to see who the dangerous one was between the two of them. She let out a slow breath and briefly wondered if there was an air freshener or something close by, for the breeze seemed to be infused with the scent of some exotic orchid. “I do remember your eyes and your face. But it’s like a photograph that’s been wallpapered to my brain. It’s weird. Why is that?” She took a step closer until she and the woman were just inches apart, Lana once again looking into those incredible eyes. “Who are you? And why did you come here to check on me?”
Kenzie’s back hit the wall and she became fish-faced at the barrage of questions from Lana, causing her to look around even more frantically for an escape. Now the somewhat decent sized space felt even more like a strange box for two with no room to move or breathe—like a coffin.
Take it easy, sugar. Relax. She’s not a threat. In fact, I like her. Maybe you should too…
Kenzie shook her head in denial to Lust’s advice as she commanded her eyes to nail still to Lana’s light brown ones. “Who I am doesn't matter. And if I’m pasted all over your brain…” she brought a finger up to circle a few inches above Lana’s forehead, “un-paste me. Trust me. You’re better off.” She went to move to the side since she had what she needed—Bounce could be told Lana remembered nothing and The Grid’s existence and that of the war with the Eaters had remained a secret.
“No. That’s not going to cut it. What’s your name?”
Kenzie looked down at the small hand on her arm as Lana spoke and eyes lifted to hers once again. “That too you’re better off not knowing. Don’t make me have to be mean. You’ve been through enough shit because of me.” Kenzie went to move again but then Lana stepped right up against her. That caused Kenzie to back into the wall behind her fast once more in a panic.
Lana stabbed a finger in her chest and stood on toes to get eye-to-eye with her. “Look, I don’t know what happened but you seem to know. Why did you just say because of you? I get it, you aren’t going to share that information, but the least you could do is give me a name to go on. Something…” her bravado failed her and she seemed to sag with her head dropping down to look at the floor as her hand splayed on Kenzie’s chest, “because I don’t remember anything. Just your face. And that has to be important for some reason. I just want a name to go along with it. That’s all.”
Kenzie blinked with concern at how small and lost Lana’s voice become and that guilt slammed into her brain like a Hulk smash on a baddie. But that scurried away when her heart started to thump into beating from Lana’s touch, pleasurable warmth flushing through her—Reno was right, it was like nothing she had felt before and it was like a drug. Before she could even give it any thought she caved and croaked out, “McKenzie. Kenzie Miller.”
Lana smiled as she let out a slow sigh as if she had just fought and won a battle to say softly, “Hi Kenzie. I’m Lana.”
And with that, Kenzie knew she was screwed.
Oh, this is getting good…
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