(Cutlass
Series #1)
Publication
date: April 23rd 2014
Genres: Fantasy, Young
Adult
Synopsis
Notorious
pirate Barren Reed has one thing on his mind: Revenge against the man who killed
his father. So kidnapping his enemy’s fiancé seems a perfect plan…until he
actually does it.
Larkin
Lee is more than a pretty face and fiancé to a powerful man. Her fierce
personality is enough to make any pirate want to push her overboard.
But
when the King of the Orient comes to Barren with a task—to find the Bloodstone,
a powerful gem thought only to exist in legend, Barren sees another opportunity
to destroy his enemy. Together, Barren, Larkin and a crew of pirates set off to
find the stone, only to discover it caused the death of Barren’s own mother and
Larkin’s, too. As his strongest allies turn into his greatest enemies, and the
life of the girl he kidnapped becomes more important than he ever dreamed,
Barren’s quest for revenge becomes a fight to save the Orient.
Excerpt
Larkin
had a hard time trudging through the mushy path of water, rocks and mud wearing
a ball gown. She tripped several times on the too long skirt, only to be caught
up in the ever-present arms of her kidnapper.
It was infuriating. She would prefer being covered in mud, rather than
allowing Barren’s constant attempts to keep her on her feet.
She
couldn’t really figure out how to feel—she was scared, yes, but also strangely
intrigued. She knew why they’d taken her: as bait to lure William to sea. Her
father had warned her that she might be targeted, and she felt stupid having
been taken. Every time she looked at Barren, anger flared in her chest.
She’d
decided to leave the engagement party after spotting Barren. She’d gone through
her options—returning home meant signaling a carriage and drawing attention,
and while the castle might offer safety, it didn’t offer her peace. That’s why
she’d chosen to head to shore—why would a pirate ever suspect she’d go there?
She was a lady, after all. She’d thought she had been discreet on her way out,
even escaping Barren Reed’s notice…but, instead, she’d drawn it.
She
fell again and jerked away when she felt his hand on her arm.
“I
am perfectly capable of standing on my own,” she spat.
Barren
gave a short laugh. “Really? Because you’ve been stumbling all over since we
left the ship.”
Larkin
reached down and gathered her dress up as much as she could and continued
forward. “If it is too bothersome for you, we can cut the skirt away.”
Larkin
twisted, almost slipping as she did. Her eyes fell upon Barren, narrow and
unkind.
“You
will not touch me.”
Barren
held up his hands. “I was just offering an option to ease your struggling.”
“I’m
not struggling!”
She
turned around and to her great annoyance, fell again as the rocks and mud gave
way beneath her feet. This time, Barren stood aside as she got to her feet
again. She refused to look at him, her face burning with embarrassment.
Purchase
Cutlass
will be FREE on the day of the blitz, and Flintlock (book 2) will be 0.99c
AUTHOR BIO
Ashley
was born and raised in Oklahoma, where the wind really does sweep down the
plains, and horses and carriages aren't used as much as she'd like.
When she's not writing, she's hard at work on her Master's degree in
Library Science and Information Technology, working out, or pretending
she's Sherlock Holmes. Her obsession with writing began after reading
the Lord of the Rings in the eighth grade. Since then, she's loved
everything Fantasy--resulting in an unhealthy obsession with the 'geek'
tab on Pinterest, where all things awesome go.
Author Links
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