Author: Liz Long
Release Date: October 30th, 2014
Synopsis:
Grace had finally gotten used to her new afterlife as a “Made” – a Reaper who used to be human. When Made Reapers and souls begin disappearing, however, Grace and her mentor Tully suspect demons. Grace’s worst fears are confirmed when her living family is threatened.
She’ll have to break every rule in the Reaper book to save them, including using a little magic to become temporarily human. With the help of Tully and her witchy friend Tessa, Grace goes undercover to save the fates of kidnapped souls – only to discover that demons aren’t working alone. Betrayal and distrust runs deep and Grace discovers that sometimes even Reapers are prone to humanity.
The book will be released on October 30th and will be available for purchase in paperback and on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iBooks.
Add it to your shelf on GoodReads!
About the Author
Liz Long is
a ridiculously proud graduate of Longwood University with a BA in English. Her
inspiration comes from action and thriller genres and she spends entirely too
much time watching superhero movies. Her fabulous day job as a Social Media
& PR Strategist includes writing for LeisureMedia360 (Roanoker, bridebook,
Blue Ridge Country magazines) in Roanoke, VA.
She
currently has four books out. The Donovan Circus series has best
been described as "X-Men meets the circus with a murder mystery thrown
in." Her second book Witch Hearts, is a story about a serial killer
hunting witches for their powers. Her newest title, A Reaper Made, is a
fantasy about a Reaper who must work a little magic to save her family's souls
from demons. All titles are available for paperback or ebook on Amazon, Barnes
& Noble, and iBooks.
To learn more about Liz, visit her website: http://lizclong.com.
Connect with Liz:
Special Excerpt from A Reaper Made:
Death created Reapers to collect
souls. My mentor told me most of these Reapers have been around since the dawn
of time, watching over humans and ensuring their souls are appropriately
handled. As the population increased, the number of souls needing help to pass
over became too great. Because Reapers can’t procreate, however, Death gave his
first Reapers - “the Trues” - the ability to create new Reapers. We were called
“the Mades,” and originally began as humans. We are born, then we live, and
when we die, some of us are chosen (offered, really) to carry on with these
immortal duties.
I was still relatively new to the
whole Reaper gig, so I’d been assigned the older souls at a retirement home. In
life, I’d been in nursing school and spent most of my free time volunteering at
the hospital, so working with those who were already expecting death was easier
than say, those who fought against leaving this earth. In time, I would learn
how to calm those souls and help them pass over, but until then, I was happy to
help with the souls who already had their bags packed.
I’ve always felt I was one of the
lucky ones, being asked to be a Reaper - I think being chosen for such an
important duty says that I did well in my short human life. It’s not to say
Mades were unusual, because we’re not. My mentor said the increasing population
in the last few centuries had led Reapers to regain control and bring Mades to
our world. Mades and Trues alike could select humans who would be worthy of
helping with their purpose. With more of us around, we could be sure souls were
cared for and passed on rather than left to hang around the earth - or worse.
I was nineteen when I died; a drunk
driver hit me while I headed home one evening after a volunteer shift. The
drunk driver walked away without a scratch. I, on the other hand, died
instantly upon impact, my soul jerked from my body to wander around the scene
and wonder what the hell happened. I screamed for help, trying to reason with
every deity I knew as I watched the blood trickle down my still face.
“No one can hear you screaming,
child,” a voice had sounded from behind me.
I’d whirled around to see a strange
looking man standing there. He was stout, with a boxer’s build, but his gentle
expression gave no hint of aggression. His attire, while not unusual, still
seemed from a different era: his shoes worn, pants that stopped short at the
ankles, thin white shirt, and black suspenders. Perhaps in his mid-thirties, he
had a shock of messy ginger hair and a thick, wiry beard to match. His bright
blue eyes popped against a ruddy complexion.
I couldn’t hide the waver of fear in
my voice when I asked, “Who are you?”
He took another step toward me, a
slow, fluid movement that I hardly noticed. “My name is Tully.”
“I don’t want to die, Tully.”
“You weren’t supposed to go this
soon,” he’d said. His voice had an Irish lilt that almost sang to me as he
spoke. “But I’ve seen you at the hospital, watched you with the patients. You
have a way about you.”
“Doesn’t help me much now, I’m
afraid,” I’d responded. His calm demeanor somehow put me at ease despite the
situation.
“Oh, but it does, child. You have a
gift. Do you know what I am?”
“I was sort of hoping you were an
angel.”
He had shaken his head, an amused
smile on his face. “No, I am what’s called a Reaper.”
“You’re Death?”
“Reapers are not Death, nor do we
carry it wherever we go, according to certain tales. We appear to the dead and
take their souls home.”
“To Heaven?”
“That I cannot say; only they will
know once they pass into the afterlife. We are, however, allowed to make
certain…offers to those we deem worthy.”
I’d crossed my arms over my chest
and given my body another stricken glance. “You can bring me back to life?”
“No, child, you are no longer meant
for that life. Do you want to continue helping others?”
“How?”
“You could be a Reaper, like me.”
I’d scoffed. “How does that even
work?”
“There’s a whole world out there you
don’t know about, child. I can show you, teach you how to be one of us.”
“What’s the other option?”
He shrugged. “To move on.”
That was three years ago.
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