If you enjoy Fantasy, Paranormal, and Vampire Romance novels with plenty of story, action, love and lust, including sexy flawed heroes and beautiful spirited women that don't mind getting a little blood on their hands, you have come to the right place.
This is the second book in The Cross of Tarlis series.
What is it About?
Caught up in a prophecy…
Only by the hand of Princess Tannith of Ellenroh can the last part of the famed talisman, the Cross of Tarlis be joined to restore peace to the world. With her companions, a bastard prince, a white tiger, her bodyguard, a tiny warrior faerie, and an ancient mage, she continues the quest to uncover the remains of the only relic that can rival the Dark Sorcerer, Sernon’s power.
The journey will change them all in different ways. Will they find what they are looking for and will it be enough to save them?
Princess Tannith is given the seemingly impossible task of finding four pieces of an ancient cross that holds the magic to bring back the god, Magus. If she cannot find a way to accomplish this quest, all her people, and the entire world as she knows it, will fall to the evil sorcerer, Sernon. Luckily the gods have seen fit to send her Kaden, the warrior prince from a kingdom that is also being decimated by evil’s vast forces. Their journey takes them into the heart of danger on every turn, and the evil quickly grows faster than they can keep ahead of. However, the stakes or too high to allow defeat!
As the third book in the Tarlisian Sagas, it immediately dives into the action and suspense! Readers not familiar with the first books in the series might find it a bit difficult to immediately catch up. But it doesn’t take long until enough clues are given and one is so immersed in the story that time fades and pages fly by! The evil is gruesomely portrayed, which adds urgency to the plot, as the characters race to save their world. It is edge-of-the-seat, chew down those nails fun! The tale is expertly written and succeeds in keeping the reader smack in the middle of the action and emotion. The climactic fight between the brothers does stretch believability with a few twists and turns that don’t quite make logical sense, but one is too engaged in what the outcome will be to truly worry. And the ending is so beautifully satisfying, that one will sigh and smile as they close the book!
Hi , I would like to announce that my new release ‘THE CROSS OF TARLIS: THE AWAKENING’ published by The Wild Rose Press is now Available for pre-order. HERE
This is Book One in my The Cross of Tarlis series. Book two has received a contract and it is currently with my editor and should be released in a couple of months. 2022
EXCERPT:
Chapter One
Five-hundred summers have passed since the Great Mage War. Sernon of Asamos is dead. While his bones rest at the bottom of a glacial lake, his spirit roams forever in the Void. Tarlis is at peace. Or is it?
Somewhere deep within the depths of Lake Dalen-Gae, evil stirs…
Oblivious to her guard’s presence, Tannith of Ellenroh, Princess of Dragonbane, slammed the heavy shutters and crossed the deep Argeasian carpet. She warmed her hands at the library fire, hoping the flames would instill warmth into her body and mind. Perhaps give her peace…but there was no peace to be had. Like a caged beast—on one hand, anxious to start the quest to free her people from the siege—on the other, afraid to try should she fail.
Although trained as a warrior, she had never tasted real battle until a few days prior. She thought she was prepared. However, the blood, noise—the horror of war—it was nothing like she had imagined—it was worse.
She poured a goblet of wine, took a sip, and glanced up at the gilt-edged portrait of her grandfather hanging above her father’s chair.
Dragonbane, first king of Ellenroh, sitting astride his massive white charger, exuded power—his ash-blond hair, braided at the sides, did little to detract from the sense of strength and purpose that stamped his hawkish features—strength evident in every line of his body. If only she could be more like him.
Tannith
Her hand clenched the stem of her goblet. Had she taken on more than she could handle? Was she presumptuous to think that she could fill the boots of one so illustrious, and find the ancient icon the Council had said could end this war? All she knew was she had to try. After all, Dragonbane’s blood coursed through her veins.
She fought to conjure thoughts of more tranquil days, times of sunshine and laughter—days when her mother was alive―before the wasting sickness took her. However, those memories were receding further into the past and it was hard to focus with so much recent carnage. She ran a shaky hand across her eyes as the lifeless faces of comrades floated before her. Jakeal, Taybold and Estrial, friends she had grown up with, shared memories with, who would have died for her. Who had died for her, she amended.
She gulped down a mouthful of spiced wine to clear the taste of bile from her throat as the sweet, sickly stench of blood filled her nostrils. She could still see Taybold’s face as he dove in front of her, shielding her body, taking the spear in the side meant for her, and his agonized smile as he whispered goodbye and told her not to blame herself.
Chaffing her elbows, she glanced into the fireplace, feeling like she would never be warm again. The flames leaped and danced in the grate in a hypnotic rhythm allowing her thoughts to wander. Weariness engulfed her, her eyes clouded with unshed tears, but she held them in check. It would not do for the future Queen of Ellenroh to cry. No. She had to stand fast, give her people strength. With her father missing, they now relied on her for guidance.
She strode to the window to push open the shutters. Wisps of blue mist floated through the open portal, filling the library. The mist was magical, a sorcerer’s breath, of that she was certain. For days now, whisps of moist blue air had seeped into every niche and corner of the castle. Even the icy wind blowing outside did nothing to disperse the mist’s insidious presence.
Evil pervaded the very air that she and her people breathed. A dense alien mist blanketed the Urakians, camouflaging them until they were almost atop her men; its icy fingers soaking through the armor and into the bones of the Elisian warriors as they fought. They had defended well, but she could understand why they were demoralized. It was hard to fight an enemy one could not see.
She sought to penetrate the fog with her night vision. She knew there must be at least ten thousand camped across the moat, but she saw nothing. She heard their animalistic chanting as it floated upward on the breeze and crossed herself in the way of her faith—shoulder to shoulder, lips to heart. They must have another prisoner. May Magus have mercy on his soul. She had seen the remains of the other prisoners the enemy had dumped at their gates.
“Father are you out there?” she whispered into the night. “Are you dead or held captive in some dark dungeon?”
Skylah
No answer came. Only silence and a gentle crackle drifting from the fire in the grate.
She sighed and slammed the shutters.
“It cannot be that bad.” A small lyrical voice spoke into her ear.
Tannith gasped and jumped, and the goblet slipped from her fingers, crashing to the floor. Wine pooled like ruby blood at her feet as she stepped aside for the guard to attend the mess, then smiled when he finished, dismissing him for the night.
A Faerie no more than a handspan tall, with red curling hair and the garb of a warrior, fluttered before her face.
“You surprised me.” Tannith stretched out her hand for the Faerie to step onto her palm.
“Forgive me, Highness.” Skylah pushed her red-gold hair from her eyes. “I have been searching for you throughout the castle.”
Settling into a padded chair by the hearth, Tannith lowered the Faerie to her knee. She glowed with eldritch light.
“What is this news that could not wait?” She smiled.
Etan
“The Urakians have reinforcements.”
“You have numbers?”
“Five thousand infantry and two hundred cavalry. Siege towers, too.” The Faerie hopped into the air and flew toward the window. Tannith hastened after her to ease open the shutters. Miraculously the fog had vanished, but what remained made her heart plummet. Thousands of campfires lined the banks of the moat and lit up the fields. They wanted her people to see them. They wanted her men to feel despair, and then while her warrior’s spirits were low, they would strike again.
“There.” The Faerie pointed to the left. “I managed to get close before I was seen. Eight war machines,” she said dismally. “How can we fight those monsters?”
Tannith grimaced. “Etan will have a plan. And if not, then one of the generals.”
“Of course,” the Faerie brightened, “Etan will know.”
Tannith noted the wistful note in her friend’s voice. “Did you see him there tonight? He led a raid on the Urakian supply wagons.”
This story deserves 6 stars! The author and the narrator make this story come alive in a way that is not often found in audiobooks. Listeners are pulled into this story from the start, and there is no escaping the fast pace until the end! The peripheral characters add interest to this story, fleshing it out beautifully. Actions are visualized easily; the narrator does an amazing job of describing everything that happens as the tension builds steadily. Listeners can almost hear the battle scenes and smell the stench of the dungeon. The action is non-stop until the end, and then listeners receive some surprising and welcome revelations. Wow! This narrator takes a wonderful story and infuses the protagonists with courage, conviction, and self-sacrifice. Keilah is a strong female lead, and is perfectly matched with the strength exhibited in Radin, and Matt Haynes makes listeners believe everything that is said by every character. The sound quality and production are both excellent. This is a story not to be missed!
Well this was certainly an experience~ actually quite a good one. I had no idea how to go about arranging to have an Audiobook made of my novel “Time of the Wolf.” I am published in eBook and Print with The Wild Rose Press, quite a large U.S based publisher. However, I own my audio rights, and first checking with my publisher to make sure they were fine with me doing it I decided I may as well join the newest rage. I for one love audiobooks!
First I knew I needed a Narrator. I either wanted a man who could do female voices or a woman who could do male voices. I thought I would look on YouTube. I was lucky. I actually found Catherine Bilson who is also Australian, which is good because so am I. She has a set of 4 videos about the start to finish of getting an Audiobook made from your novel. Audiobook Basics for Authors 1 – 4.
From watching her videos, I learned that I needed a distributor, and also that the big one was ACX. However, ACX only takes on American Canada, Ireland and Uk.
For a moment there I felt quite dishearten, but she went went on to tell me that Findaway Voices is the place I needed to assemble and distribute my audiobook once all the files were completed.
I also found Narrator Matt Haynes on UTube. He actually teaches voice narration and how to do different accents.
So I had a decision to make. They were both very talented. So I counted how many men and how many woman and decided on that factor. My novel had three prominent females, and six male characters. So I chose Matt.
He was very professional and very helpful.
First I had to send a couple of scenes from my novel for him to do a sample.
There is no way to discribe the feeling of excitement and wonder of hearing your written words acted out in narration for the first time. It is amazing!
So we began. Each week Matt sent me 4-5 chapters to listen to and make sure I approved them. All of the chapters are sent in separate files to dropbox and I downloaded them onto my computer.
When all the files were finished he then made a sample piece that goes with the cover that people can listen to and decide if it is something they wish to purchase.
Then all I had to do was go to Findaway Voices, sign in, fill in the Metadata, and upload my files. It was so easy, even I being slightly technologically challenged found it really straight forward.
Now that is my story, but you can log into Findaway and they can help you find a narrator, some work with Findaway. You get to listen to several samples of your book and you pick the voice you like best. The staff are really great and very helpful and they will walk you through all the processes. You will pay a little extra for this but you can also ask if your narrator will do royalty share with you.
Taking Catherine’s advice I opted to pay Matt all upfront. Half just before he starts and the other half when Findaway excepts my audiobook. That way I get to keep 80% royalties.
Catharine Bilson writes beautiful Historical Romance novels as well as narrates them and she has quite a large following for her Audiobook narrations. However, she is also very versatile and could narrate any genre you wish.
This novel holds a special place in my heart as it was the first novel I wrote.
The Cross of Tarlis is now two books because of its length.
Both books will be published this year. 2021 as will the 2nd. Book, “The Cross of Tarlis: THE RECKONING.”
The Cross of Tarlis took me a little over two years to write and it was not until 2010 that it was published for the first time. Over ten years after it was written.
Back in 1997 digital printing had not yet caught on and there was very little online publishing and no print on demand.
All of the traditional publishers I submitted it to in the US and UK at that time told me the book was too long to take a chance on.
I still consider “The Cross of Tarlis” one of my best novels. It is a fast paced, Dark, Heroic, Fantasy Romance and it will be published by, The Wild Rose Press.
An Excerpt
“That is enough!” She flushed and crossed her arms over her chest. “I am certain I do not want to know.” She turned from his perusal and stared over the treetops at the mist-shrouded peaks of Dragon Spur. “Who are you?” “I am Kaden of Glen-Dorrach at your service, my lady.” He bowed with a flourish and she realized he was mocking her. She would not rise to his bait. “What are you doing out here? Alone?” His expression sobered and when he searched her face, his eyes were pale green. “I could ask you the same question.” “I asked first.” “So, you did. Traveling. I hire my sword for money.” “A mercenary?” “‘Tis honest enough work.” For several heartbeats, they remained silent, then she spoke again. “Thank you for your help.” “You handle yourself well for a woman.” She straightened to her full height, a little below his shoulder, and lifted her chin. Who did this man think he was? Did he not know she was a Warrior Princess of Ellenroh? Then she relaxed. No, he did not, nor was she about to enlighten him. “Again, thank you.” Her words sounded stiff. “I was outnumbered. Eventually they would have worn me down.” He caught her hand, pressing it to his chest. “If I can be of more service. He arched a brow.” “I am certain that will not be necessary.” His heartbeat, rapid and strong against her hand but she could not allow herself to weaken. She had a quest. She had a mission…
A supernatural tale of time travel, past lives, and insurmountable passion, “Time of the Wolf” pulls readers through a vortex of high stakes adventure and enduring romance! The plot is a suspenseful tale steeped in lore, possession, betrayal, obsession, and vengeance.
Characters are flawed, authentic, and believable beings who leap from the page as their stories unfold. Even small bit characters manage to provide imagination, sparking embers readers will relish. Vibrantly evil villains are monstrous, with hints of vulnerability that doesn’t quite offset their diabolical desires. Readers will get a rush from thrilling action-filled battles, and goosebumps from chillingly hungry fiends found within this quest to destroy evil, and put right the wrongs of yesteryear.
Ms. D’Arcy’s first instalment to this series is a howling inauguration to an enthralling saga of vendetta, sorcery, and legend in a wonderfully rich landscape of fairy tales, fantasy, and fate.–
QUOTE— ” Congratulations on the Crowned Heart of Excellence review your book received with InD’tale Magazine. What a fantastic accomplishment! It takes a lot of hard work and perseverance to write a story of such calibre and you deserve this distinction. Enjoy it!”
“Time of the Wolf” is a Fantasy Romance with lots of action. It was released 13th. January 2021.
And is available on Amazon all over the world and other major online book stores.
The Prologue is available for you to read at the bottom of the page or you may like to read it in the book preview.
Book Trailer by Julie A. D’Arcy. If you would like to share it on your Blog or share it with a friend you are quite welcome. Just push share.
Read Free Preview- Click on the Book
Prologue
Come sit by the fire lad and warm your bones. The air is chill and the night long when the heavens are without the moons. Here, take a draught of this Upland Fire. ‘Tis the finest in the land. The evening is dull now. My guests have filled themselves with good Highland whiskey and retired to their rooms. You look in need of a cot yourself, and it is to my regret that I have none to spare. For tomorrow the clans meet in celebration of the coming of the Wolf, and on such a day, every tavern within a day’s ride be full to overflowing with any man old enough to hold a tankard and wield a hefty sword. What is so special about a wolf, you ask? The Wolf be not an animal, lad, but a warrior the likes of which will never come again. He stood alone amidst a field of ten thousand warriors to fight to save this world. Or so the legend goes. What was that? Speak up, boy. I am old and my hearing is not as it should be. Do I not believe in the legend? Aye. There are stories and there are stories. Some lose something in the telling, others gain. Who can say what truly happened except someone who was really there? And would the stories be truly worth the telling if all the truth were told? You would prefer the truth. Nay, you would not want to hear it; no listener ever did. They find boredom in truth. They want shining heroes, handsome men—tall and strong—good deeds and fair damsels. There is no room for such things as human frailties and indecision in legend. Yet still you would hear it? Perhaps just this once, for in me I feel a need to release that which has been held too long. To once again free it to the air. Aye, ‘tis midnight. A good time for a story. A time for memories. A time for ghosts. You say I speak as if I was there? Well, maybe I was, and maybe I wasn’t. What is time but someone else’s dream? There have been many tales told of the man, but let it be said that I know this story as well as any man can. You are sure you wish to hear it? Aye, we do have all night. Then settle back, and I shall relate to you the story of the warrior they called the Lord of the Wolves or the Wolf, as it be, the way it truly was. The legend of Radin Hawk. For some uncanny reason you remind me of him. Same coloring—same eyes. I never have seen eyes that exact color again. The color of the moors in spring; deep blue almost purple. Well, where shall I start? I suppose the beginning is as good as any… ‘Twas a time long ago… …a time of sorcery and myth, when legends were forged and magick flowed in the land like water. Men were real men, and women more beautiful than the first rose of spring. And under a younger sun, Dros-Delnor still stood. The mightiest castle in the realm…
After the hectic rush of Christmas(Whew! I am glad that is behind us.)
My Mum
It has been a very sad time for me. My beautiful independent Mother of 87 years old has moved into an aged care facility. My sisters and brothers and myself have the job of sorting through my Mum’s belongings. So many memories are attached to just about everything I touch. I found back copies of every novel I had ever written, all signed that I had given to her over the years. I could not let them go so I brought them all home.
On to a brighter note. Time of the Wolf, was released yesterday by The Wild Rose Press. It is now available on any sort of mobile device you can think of, and the Paperback is absolutely beautiful. I received an author copy to check over and it really came up lovely. Hopeful you will all take a look. I will put up a few links at the bottom of this page.
Author Julie A. D'Arcy 