Monday, January 13, 2014

Spotlight - The Rain Trilogy by Karen-Anne Stewart


Saving Rain
The Rain Trilogy, Book One
by Karen-Anne Stewart
Genre: New Adult Romance Suspense
ISBN:  978-1491810866
ASIN:  B00FDN3RTU
Number of pages:  240
Word Count: approx. 87,000
 
Buy Links:
Amazon  BN

Book Description:
Raina has tried to forget her past, forget the pain, but when she finds herself staring straight into the fury blazing in her ex-boyfriend's eyes, her dark past comes rushing back. Furious with herself for actually having chosen someone like her father, she uses that anger to her advantage and fights for her life...and for her future that she prays will involve the man she can't seem to get out of her head.
Kas is a natural leader, a fierce fighter, the type of man you send in when you need to get the job done. He is a courageous hero who is used to risking his own life to save others, but can he save the one who has captured his heart from her horrific past and the men who are hell-bent on destroying her?
As Kas and Raina try to navigate through the twists and turns of a deviously intelligent human trafficking group, they find solace in each other's arms. Can they infiltrate the trafficker's tight ring, saving the innocent lives from imminent danger before it's too late?

Excerpt:
NO, NO, NO! How could I have let it get this far? Raina silently
screams at herself when she sees the dangerous glint in Chris’
eyes. It takes all of her strength to fight the fear from over taking
her. She takes a deep breath, trying desperately to calm herself
while she scans the room for some possible weapon, but there’s
nothing within easy reach. Pungent fear spirals through her like a
lightning bolt, and she feels a strong wave of nausea roll through
her stomach and up her dry throat. Her mind runs through the few
self-defense moves that she knows, and she wonders if the moves
even matter when someone as small as her is going up against
someone as large as Chris. His hands are so strong, her thoughts
betray her as she tries to prepare her psyche that she can escape,
no . . . . that she will escape this. 

Chris closes the distance with one step and, with harsh
accuracy, lands the back of his hand hard across Raina’s cheek.
The blow knocks her onto the ground. The salty, mineral taste of
blood spills across her tongue as the cut on her lip that he gave her
last night is split open. 

Wiping away the blood with the back of her hand, Raina tries to
ignore the throbbing pain radiating through the right side of her face.
Fury fills her as she stands up, defiantly raising her chin and glaring
straight into Chris’ cold eyes. She knows she’s no match for him, but
she will not back down anymore, not this time, not ever again!

Chris twists his lips into a cruel, taunting smile as he steps
towards Raina again, but, this time, she’s ready. Quickly, she
steps to the side and rams her elbow into his ribs as hard as she
can before kicking the side of his knee cap with so much strength
it surprises her. She can’t help but inwardly cheer as he goes down. 

Sparing no time with her triumph, Raina pushes him all of the way
over and races for the door. Her pounding heart thumps so loudly
in her ears it’s hard to hear anything else as she runs down the hall
and bursts through the front door. Relief floods through her as she
realizes that she is almost to the woods, almost to safety. 

On any other night, Raina would spend time enjoying the
ethereal light of the early April moon and the magnificent cherry
tree blossoms that only present their exquisite beauty this time
of year, but tonight she barely registers anything as she flees into
the welcoming darkness, oblivious to the bewitching spring night.
Her relief is short lived as she feels an angry hand grab her arm,
jerking her around so ferociously that Raina feels dizzy. Before
she can steady herself, Chris punches her in the stomach, causing
her to double over from the intensity of the pain. Her earlier panic
returns with a vengeance as she desperately gasps for air that
refuses to fill her lungs. 

Raina is still fighting for a sweet breath as Chris pushes her
onto her back, ripping open her shirt, causing the buttons to
go flying. Time seems to slow as she watches the buttons hit the
ground in slow motion, and she absently thinks of how mad she is
that he just ruined her favorite shirt. Chris straddles her, and she
knows his intentions. She knows that she must get him off of her. 

It seems as if her brain isn’t functioning, and Raina idly
wonders if maybe it’s the lack of oxygen that is causing her to feel
as if she is in her own body but out of it at the same time. As Chris
runs his tongue across her neck, Raina floats even further away,
distinctly hearing the distant roar of a plane in the night sky. The
soft night breeze blows her hair, and she becomes fully aware of
the sweet scent of the cherry blossoms as she is finally able to take
a small, ragged breath. 

As quickly as they left, Raina’s senses come rushing back, and
she pushes against Chris with all of her might as he undoes the
button of her jeans. She barely moves him from her disadvantaged
position. Panic and fury rage like a wildfire inside of her when he
laughs wickedly and forcefully grabs her bra, breaking the strap.
Her mind flashes back to that awful night four years ago, the night
she has tried to no avail to lock away, deep in the dark recesses of
her memory. 

Chris’ hot breath rasps against Raina’s neck, and her whole
body shakes in revulsion at the uninvited touch. Time plays tricks
on her again as she is thrown back and forth between the past and
the present. The familiar sickening feeling of utter helplessness is
overwhelming, and nausea rips through her again. 

Raina feels the bile rise in her throat as Chris’ hand moves
lower. She can’t let this happen, not again. DO SOMETHING, her
conscious screams at her. With every ounce of the strength she
has left, she pushes him again, and he is momentarily unbalanced.
Taking advantage of this, she knees him hard in the groin. 

Chris blanches, and now it’s his turn to try to breathe. Raina
knocks him the rest of the way off of her with her leg, then quickly
scrambles away from him. She is back on her feet and running so
fast that her lungs burn from the sheer exertion. She wants to take
a peek over her shoulder but doesn’t dare take the chance to slow
even a fraction of her momentum, so she keeps running, despite
the protest of her shaky and weak legs. 

Raina has almost made it to the woods when she hears Chris
behind her. NO! I can make it! Willing herself to go faster, she
pushes through the pain and exhaustion. Chris is faster, and she
feels the air leave her body again as she is thrown to the ground
with such force her head bounces and she slides. The abrasiveness
of the damp grass and dirt scratches against Raina’s cheek as her
slide comes to a halt. 

“You’re going to pay for that,” Chris snarls as he raises his fist.
Raina feels the sharp pain of his blow plunging all the way to
the bone in her cheek. Suddenly, everything goes out of focus as
his strike disorients her. She feels his breath on her again, this
time against her ear, as he whispers, “Let’s move this to a place a
little more private.” 

Raina tries to scream but can manage only a slight, pathetic
whimper when he roughly grabs her arms, jerking her upwards,
over his shoulder. Dazed and distracted, she notices how pretty the
grass is with the beads of the fresh dew sparkling in the moonlight.
As she bounces like a rag doll over Chris’ shoulder, Raina wonders
how it would feel lying in that dewy grass, wrapped in Kas’ arms. 

The abstract thought startles her back into focus, despite her
disorientation from his brutal punch and her humiliation from her
dangling position. Wistfully, Raina thinks of Kas, of his large size
and powerful strength, of how he’s so different from the other men
in her life. She thinks of how his laugh reaches all the way up to
his eyes and how his touch was so gentle when he examined her
bruised cheek and lip. Is this why Chris is doing this? Did he sense
that I had feelings for Kas before I realized them myself? 

Shaking her head in self-directed fury, Raina reminds herself
that it doesn’t matter if Chris sensed anything, it wouldn’t matter if
she had slept with Kas or anyone, he has no right to do this to her! 

Welcoming rage fills her again, causing her to bite and viciously
elbow Chris. Relief pours through her veins as he groans in pain
and releases her to grab his shoulder and wounded side. Once
again, Raina starts to run, but he grabs her before she can even
start her escape this time. 

AHHHHH! Frustration rips through Raina as she lashes out
with years of pent up fury. She manages to get in a few good hits
before Chris restrains her arms. Fighting back with all that she
has left, she lands a solid kick to his shin, only to be rewarded with
another hard backhand. She doesn’t fall all the way down this time,
due to his bruising grip on her right arm. Shaking her head, she
tries to clear the buzzing his last strike left ringing in her ears. 

Chris tries to pull her towards the cabin, but Raina twists and
turns and kicks again. He mercilessly punches her in the stomach,
and she collapses onto her hands and knees. Before she can even
focus on the searing pain and loss of breath, he kicks her viciously
in her ribs, landing her flat on her back, sending fire burning the
length of her torso. 

Vaguely, Raina feels Chris on top of her again, before darkness
starts to slowly sweep over her. Faintly, she hears the squeal of
tires in the distance and a voice yelling her name. As the voice
screams her name again, Raina realizes that she recognizes it, just
as the darkness totally consumes her, and she sinks into a deep
oblivion . . . .

******************
Healing Rain
The Rain Trilogy, Book Two
by Karen-Anne Stewart
Genre:  New Adult Romance Suspense
ISBN:  978-1481770477
ASIN:  B00EESE4V0
Number of pages:  236
Word Count:   approx 87,000
 
Buy Links:

Book Description:
Shattered when Raina runs after his marriage proposal, Kas is hell-bent to find her and bring her home, where she belongs. He will bend every law necessary to do so, willing to do anything to protect Raina from her demons and the men who haunt her, going as far as placing his career and life on the line to save hers. Raina will give up everything she has worked so hard to achieve, even flee the country to keep Kas from the wrath and powerful reach of her abusive father.

In the midst of the FBI team closing in on the Ghost, another ghost from Raina's past taunts her, promising that she will be his. Meanwhile, a different trafficking ring is gaining strength in New Jersey. Michael solicits Raina's help, needing her smooth, sultry voice to win the audition for the new singer in the ring leader's swanky night club. Raina knows her life is in jeopardy with the dangers of being undercover, but she is blindsided when she discovers that it's her heart that is threatened with a mortal blow.

Raina tries to heal from the nightmares of her dark past as the grisly bodies of innocent victims surface when the team gets closer to discovering the identity of the man responsible for the infuriatingly clever and powerful slavery ring. When Raina finally comes face to face with the Ghost, he quickly engulfs her in a twisted game of cat and mouse, delivering a veiled threat as he slips through her fingers. As the ghosts of her past and present ensnare her in their deadly web, Raina realizes the danger has just begun.

Excerpt:
 

Kas exits the large doors of the Boston Logan International
Airport. The bitter cold and blowing snow is barely noticed as he
hails a cab, doing his best to quench the nagging feeling of deception
tugging at him relentlessly. Honesty is a huge deal with him, and he is
struggling with by passing his beliefs in this instance, lying to Raina
about needing to go into work today instead of telling her the truth.

He glances at his watch, thinking of the engraving Raina had
put on the back. She is his life, and there is no way he will allow
Waterford to get by with hurting her. He’s going to make it perfectly
clear that he is to never lay a hand on Raina again. Leaning against
the headrest, their argument last night replays in his mind. He had
tried to reason with her to press charges against her father this time.

He had rationalized, yelled, begged, then, flat-out ordered her to.
He hated the sadness in her eyes when she had refused, her
gaze leaving his when she softly shook her head and whispered she
was sorry. He had pulled her into his arms, knowing her father has
brainwashed her, sickly twisting everything around, making her
feel guilty when she owns no blame for what he has done to her.

Frustration had bitten straight through him when he thought of how
she immediately pressed charges against Chris, but won’t against
Waterford. He fears her father’s threat is a large part of her refusal,
and he plans on deflating that threat so Waterford can’t hold it over
her head any longer. He had called Henry after she fell asleep, only to
be discouraged by the angry regret in his words that there isn’t much
they can do without the physical proof being on her anymore and her
refusal to contact the authorities.

Kas had taken pictures of her stomach in Italy while she slept,
and he was tempted to press charges himself, but knew the outcome
probably wouldn’t be to his liking. So, now, he is back to his original
plan, going straight to the source, hoping he can maintain enough
self-control to not cause lasting damage. He checks the address as the
cab pulls to the curb. Quickly, he pays the driver and steps onto the
damp sidewalk, his breath leaving puffs of white clouds as he leans
against the brick wall at the edge of the alley, scanning everyone’s face
before they enter the bar.

When Kas sees Waterford exit his vehicle, he takes a deep breath,
forcing himself not to maim him. He steps in front of the arrogant
man before he reaches the bar entrance, his gaze determined,
unnerving, even to a seasoned cut-throat lawyer like Raina’s father.

His fists coil at his side, his jaw clenching as he almost growls, “I’m
Kas Pierce, Raina’s husband.”

The shocked expression on William Waterford’s face doesn’t last
long, he subconsciously steps back, feeling the raw force behind Kas’
current state of barely controlled wrath. “Well, I guess congratulations
are in order.”

Kas squeezes his fingers tighter into his fist at the veiled sarcasm
in his voice. His blazing glare unwaveringly penetrates Waterford’s
until her father shifts his gaze, looking away. With that bit of male
dominance out of the way, he decides to not waste time mincing words
as he grabs his jacket, hauling him into the alley, roughly slamming
his back against the cold, wet brick wall. “If you ever touch her again,
I will take my time ripping you apart, piece by pathetic piece, making
sure you have plenty of time to digest the pain and the knowledge of
what I’m going to do to you next.”

“Do you have any idea who I am?” William spits out, trying to
keep the fear out of his voice, “you just threw your career straight into
the toilet, son.”

“Do you honestly think my career is more important to me than
Raina?” Kas asks incredulously, wanting to really damage him, cause
significant bodily harm, but he holds back. He’s not the same kind of
man as Waterford, and if Raina ever found out it would devastate her.

He reins in his murderous thoughts enough to only knock the air from
his lungs as he punches Waterford in the ribs, being sure to hit him
hard enough to leave him good and bruised.

Waterford gasps for breath as Kas tries to control his urge to
kick him, knowing he has kicked Raina. The photos of her badly
battered body flash in his head, and he makes himself take a step
back, the urge to mercilessly beat Waterford becoming dangerously
uncontrollable. He stares down at the spineless coward in front of
him, fury filling him when he takes in the considerable size of Raina’s
father. He finds it nearly impossible to walk away as he thinks of how
Waterford has repeatedly used his large, firm frame to terrorize and
inflict serious pain on his daughter since she was only five years old.

The only saving grace for Waterford is the sudden image of Raina’s
face, her innocence, her love, and her willingness to forgive, burning
in his mind, slowly calming the blinding rage.

Kas gives one last look to the malevolent reprobate slumped on
his knees before he kneels down, roughly yanking Waterford’s hair so
he’s facing him. “Stay away from my wife!” his voice as lethal as drops
of deadly poison.
 

William leans against the damp bricks after Kas is gone, air finally
filling his lungs as he holds his burning ribs. He is outraged by the
knowledge that Raina is married. Thoughts of Beth cripple him, and
tears run down his face. Hatred sears him from Raina’s happiness and
the audacity of her husband scoffing at his threat. Let’s see which one
he decides to choose after I’m done with him.

******************
After the Rain
The Rain Trilogy, Book Three
by Karen-Anne Stewart
Genre:  New Adult Romance Suspense
ISBN: 978-1491824719
ASIN:   B00G3DMY3Y
Number of pages: 243
Word Count:  approx 87,000
 
Buy Link:

Amazon

Book Description: 
Finally able to put her harrowing past to rest, Raina looks forward to her future with Kas, but the Ghost has other plans. As the FBI team gets closer to taking down the largest human trafficking ring in the modern world, the Ghost begins a wicked game, making Raina the pawn and the target. Never before encountering a worthy adversary, he’s fascinated by Raina and is enjoying the refreshing challenge of her intellect.

The danger ignites to a blazing new level, and Kas struggles between the need to finally exorcise the Ghost and his need to protect his wife. Tension mounts as an internal battle wages, tormenting Kas as he watches Raina put her all into taking down the man responsible for horrific sex slavery and gruesome deaths. When a new player takes control, Jefferson orders the end of the Ghost’s game with Raina, which results in one final, devastating act, leaving Kas desperate and willing to do whatever it takes to save her…by whatever means necessary. 

Excerpt:

Evan only looks surprised for a second when Raina reenters the
room. His cool façade returns, and he leans against the table, his
elbows resting casually on the hard metal. “This is the second time
you’ve interrupted my day, dragging me down here trying to pin
something on me, but you still don’t have any damning evidence.
Since you seem so hell-bent on my being guilty, I’ve been thinking
about contacting another lawyer. The one I’ve been considering is
notorious for putting up a helluva fight, always mercilessly beating
the opponent,” he leers, a cruel smile curving his lips. His green eyes
gleam with amusement as he slides his fingertips just millimeters
from Raina’s, “What do you say? Do you think I should call William
Waterford?”

Kas watches his wife stiffen but not lose her composure.
His regret of allowing her near the evil trafficker again reaches
monumental heights as he closely watches through the mirror, his
back rigid and his hands clenched into tight fists.

“You can call any lawyer you want, that’s your right,” Raina
replies calmly, forcing herself to show no emotion.

Evan leans back, a twisted appreciation joining his amusement.

“Then again, I heard his partner was arrested for child pornography.
There are also rumors that he covered up the rape of his own
daughter, who I heard he recently beat the hell out of. Maybe that’s
not such a good image for someone who represents me, especially
since his daughter was a minor at the time of the sexual assault.
Yeah, on second thought, due to you accusing me of the same heinous
crimes, maybe I don’t need a lawyer with such a tainted history.”

Kas leaps to his feet; the force of his movement knocks his
chair back several feet. Chase steps in front of the door, “She’s
handling it, Kas.”

Lawson’s confused gaze darts between the two men and the
interrogation room.

Kas glares through the two-way, “He’s passed a line that I’m not
willing to let Raina cross.”

“She’s holding her own, if you pull her out, you will be crossing
a line, and she’s already made it clear that she doesn’t like her lines
messed with.”

The flaming look in Kas’ eyes is unmistakable and is now directed
at his best friend, “He’s taunting her.”

“Of course he is, and he would be doing the same thing to anyone
else. Let her handle this.”

Lawson’s trying to catch up to where everyone else seems to be.
Shifting his gaze to Raina, Kas considers Chase’s advice. It takes
less than two seconds to discard it. Yanking open the door, he storms
towards interrogation.

Chase steps into the hall behind him, “You’re going to do her
more harm by pulling her out of there!”

Kas stops, his shoulders stiff and fists clenched. Chase knows he’s
trying to calm down before turning around. “You know I’m right,” he
offers calmly, “give her a chance, she’s strong enough.”

Spinning around, his eyes burn with scorching intensity, “You
don’t have to tell me how strong Raina is, I know her strength
better than anyone!” Hanging his head, he presses his hands against
the wall, desperately trying to tame his fury, “He’s looking for her
weakness.”

“She won’t give it to him, not after earlier.”

Lawson steps into the hall, fed up with being left in the dark, “You
going to fill me in here?”

The agonizing look on Kas’ face is clue enough when Lawson
meets his gaze. Dropping his head, he lets out a long breath, the
pieces finally fitting together. “Pierce, I’m sorry,” he mumbles, not
knowing anything else to say. He makes his way back into the viewing
room and steps next to Frank.

“She’s had a taste of hell,” Frank begins, never taking his eyes off
the infuriating banter in the next room, “she’ll do whatever it takes to
keep others from experiencing the same inferno.”

Lawson remains silent, his eyes glued to the woman in the next
room. He watches how she stands her ground, never flinching when
Parker throws all he’s got at her. His respect just multiplied.

It’s been almost an hour. Raina’s emotional exhaustion fuels
Evan’s degenerate temperament. He wants to dance, laugh out loud
with pure glee, at the tenacious determination from the extraordinary
woman in front of him. She’s good, remarkable even, matching his wit
closer than anyone ever has, and he’s never enjoyed himself more.

“Do you like Chess, Raina?” Evan inquires casually, leaning back
in his chair and folding one ankle over the other.

Raina softly nods.

“I do as well, it’s such an intriguing game, don’t you think?”

“Yes, I do,” she replies as a small smile tilts the corners of her
mouth, “and it’s a game I never lose.”

“Never?”

“Never,” she affirms, leaning a little closer, some of the snuffed
light shining brightly in her eyes again now that the daunting
conversation has turned to a topic in which she can hold her own.

“I’m impressed. I’ve never lost, myself. What’re the odds of
having two Grandmaster’s in the same room?” he licks his lips again,
leaning towards her, “I have so many moves that I love, it’s hard to
say which is my favorite, but do you know what really gets me every
time?”

Not wanting to know, Raina asks what it is anyway.

“Going after the king. When I lay that piece down at the end, it
fills me with the greatest satisfaction.” His eyes sparkle as he looks at
her, studying her reaction, “Man, I absolutely love that part!”

Raina leans close to Parker, and Jake steps towards her.

Returning his chilling smile, her jade eyes glint dangerously, fully
aware of his intended meaning, “There’s something you need to
know. I’m a very good, very aggressive player. If someone threatens
my king, I take out their pathetic ass, one by one, until there’s nothing
left on the board. I turn into one extremely determined opponent,
relentless to the end, and viciously ruthless, I don’t hesitate to go for
the kill by whatever means necessary.”

Evan’s aroused laugh fills the room, “I like how you play.” His
need to touch her is unbearable; he would kill for just one minute to
feel her in his hands. He wants to tame her, break her to his will so
badly he can taste the potent desire bursting on his tongue. Forcing
himself to regain control, he lets out a commending chuckle, “The
way the queen protects her king, there’s just something hopelessly
poetic about that.”

Kas’ grip on the windowsill tightens furiously until all of his
knuckles turn white. He’s a toxic mix of pride and rage as he watches
his wife throw Parker’s threat to harm him back in his pretentious
face. Sheer terror joins the poison seeping through his veins at the
thought of what Parker will try to do to Raina if he thinks he might
actually lose.

Evan slides his fingertips to where they make the slightest brush
against hers, his dark eyes brimming with the savagery of untold sins.

“You love to hate me don’t you? It’s a very complicated thing we have
here isn’t it, Raina? I would enjoy playing with you very much,” he
whispers, “there are so many moves I could introduce you to.”

Jake grabs the back of Parker’s chair and roughly jerks it
backwards as Kas uses all his willpower to not shatter the mirror and
rip Parker to shreds. Evan throws his head back in pleased laughter.

Taking his time to compose himself, his salacious smile penetrates
Raina to the core, “It seems like the queen is carefully protected as
well.” Raising his cruel eyes to the mirror, his lips curve as he winks.
******************
About the Author:
Karen-Anne Stewart has always adored reading and has now fallen in love with writing. Her written works are The Rain Trilogy: Saving Rain, Healing Rain, and After the Rain. Her debut novel, Saving Rain: The First Novel in The Rain Trilogy, was a nominee for the Book Junkie’s Choice Awards and is a nominee for the 2013 RONE Awards. 

When Karen-Anne isn’t writing, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, hiking, and visiting new places. She fuels her addiction of creating new stories by her only other addiction, caffeine, and listening to a myriad of musical genres. Tucked away near the Blue Ridge Mountains, Karen-Anne lives with her husband, daughter, two dogs, and their cat. She plans on writing new adult romance as long as her fingers maintain dexterity. 

The Rain Trilogy is a powerful story of abuse, human trafficking, and beautiful, redeeming love (intended for readers 18+). 
 



1 comment:

  1. Thank you for allowing me to stop by your amazing site today for a spotlight and excerpts for The Rain Trilogy. Have a wonderful New Year :)

    Karen-Anne

    ReplyDelete