Please welcome one of Bewitching Book Tours Clients: Coral Moore.
She brings with her today her book Elements of Rebellion.
Elements of
Rebellion
Coral Moore
Coral Moore
Genre:
Fantasy Romance
Publisher:
Bared Teeth Publishing
ISBN:061564841X
ASIN:B0084V2V04
Number of
pages:284
Word Count:
85,000
Cover
Artist: Amanda Kelsey
Book
Description:
After
spending most of her life an unwilling captive in a brothel, Sindari is sold to
Lord Devin, a man with a reputation for unspeakable cruelty. In the arms of
this man who must pretend he cares nothing for her, Sindari finds compassion,
making the journey through her barren homeland all the more perilous. Along the
way she discovers she can channel elemental forces that compliment Devin’s
ability to manipulate fire.
Harnessing
this power, she battles the Dominion, an unrelenting foe that has broken the
spirit of the Eldari people through twenty years of savagery. Trapped by the
brutal empire that has enslaved millions, Sindari and Devin fight against
hopeless odds.
Warnings:
Graphic Violence and Sexual Situations
Short Excerpt Elements of Rebellion
Coral Moore
I don’t belong to him, and nothing he can do will change
that. I repeated that in my head while I sobbed. I lay face down along the
length of the heavy, familiar bench, my wrists secured to the legs on either
side. The bindings held me so I couldn’t move more than a tiny bit in any
direction
.
Between my hitching breaths, I heard Master Mitchell’s belt
threading back through the loops of his trousers. He stood next to me without
saying a word.
When the last of my tears had flowed, he pulled my hair away
from my face with gentle fingers. “Aren’t you tired of fighting me after all
this time? You know it won’t do you any good.”
I didn’t bother to answer. He reached over me to his
dresser, then gave me a whack on the backside. I stifled a groan. The pain was
nothing compared to the welts that burned across my back from his belt’s
attentions, but I knew what he held from that one touch. The wooden back he had
just slapped me with was by no means the worst that coarse brush had to offer.
He paused to rub his knuckles over my bare bottom in a
mocking caress. “With your uncooperative attitude, I can only place you with
the roughest of my clients. Wouldn’t you prefer to serve men who won’t treat
you so badly?”
“Then who would you offer up to those swine?”
He flipped the brush around and hit me with the stiff
bristles until I squirmed from the cutting bite of it scratching my skin.
“That’s none of your concern.”
How wrong he was. I’d been making that decision for years by
being difficult with every man he put in a room with me. Keeping the worst of
them away from the other girls seemed worth it, most of the time.
Merciful spirits, I hated that brush.
He sat down on the bench above my head and lightly placed
his hand on the back of my neck. “I can think of more pleasant ways to spend
our time.”
I had little interest in his clumsy seduction, a fact which
he knew by then. “Let’s just skip ahead to the part where you force yourself on
me and pretend that I enjoy it.”
With an angry hiss, he peppered my back with the brush. The
bristles tore at my broken skin and sent agony radiating in every direction. I
started screaming after the third strike and lost count soon afterward.
When I ran out of breath and could scream no longer, he stopped.
My entire back throbbed. I gulped for air. He tugged the strap around my knees
loose while humming quietly. I rested my face against the bench and took a few
shuddering breaths.
He scratched the bristles of the brush up the back of my
right thigh to get my attention. Though my legs were free, I was too exhausted
to move away from the uncomfortable sensation.
“Your defiance is not without its charm. The quiet moments
after are always so enjoyable. I’ll miss you when you’re gone.” He’d threatened
to sell me to a labor camp as a breeder so often that it had ceased to frighten
me long ago.
I swallowed to steady my voice, my throat raw from
screaming. “Am I going somewhere? I hear Garza is nice this time of year.”
He laughed, but there was little humor in the sound.
“Tristan will be here in a few weeks to take a batch of girls to sale in
Rochelle.” He put down the brush and ran his fingers over the curve of my ass.
“You don’t bring in as much as you used to. I can no longer justify keeping you
for what little amusement you offer me when there is no profit in it. You’re
going in the next group.”
I turned my head to look at him, not believing a word of it.
When I saw his expression, though, I knew he was telling the truth. His graying
hair clung to the sides of his face, framing a sad smile that was not at home
on his handsome features. I held his gaze for longer than could be considered
appropriate. Neither of us spoke.
I had wished myself free of his House more times than I
could remember, but with the prospect of getting out before me, fear crept into
my throat and choked me. With Mitchell, I knew where I stood and which lines he
wouldn’t cross. As much as I hated him, there was a measure of trust there that
I couldn’t deny. After I was auctioned, there was no telling where I would end
up.
“Nothing to say?” His hand slid over the torn skin of my
back with a light touch that brought an absurd amount of pain. I gritted my
teeth.
He crouched next to my head and worked at the binding on my
right wrist. “If you ask me nicely, I’ll consider keeping you.” His blue eyes
searched my face as he caressed my cheek. The unspoken promise of tenderness
was a familiar lie. I no longer wondered who that lie was supposed to convince.
How easy it would be to beg him to keep me. For a brief
moment, I almost wished I could do it. I despised the weak part of myself that
wanted his approval.
“Never.” I turned my face away from him and closed my eyes.
Tears overflowed and spilled down my cheeks. I didn’t want him to see how much
he had hurt me because I knew that pain was what he sought, an indicator that
he’d broken me at last.
With a contemptuous growl, he stood and kicked the bottom of
the bench under my head, jarring my teeth with the force. The sound of his belt
being pulled free again rasped in my ears.
Author Bio:
Coral Moore
has always been the kind of girl who makes up stories. Fortunately, she never
quite grew out of that. She writes because she loves to invent characters and
the desire to find out what happens to her creations drives the tales she
tells.
Prompted by
a general interest in how life works, her undergraduate schooling was in
biology. She follows science news and enjoys conversations about genetics and
microbiology as much as those about vampires and werewolves. Coral writes
speculative fiction and is pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in Writing at
Albertus Magnus College.
Currently
she lives in Connecticut with the love of her life, who offers both
encouragement and kicks in the tail when necessary. Also in residence are two
mammals of the families Canidae and Felidae.
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/coralm
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorCoralMoore
Posts
1 comment:
Two timezones later, thank you for coming Coral!!!!
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