It’s time to celebrate summer with a new book! And I plan to deliver! DEMONS IN THE ROUGH released today. This is the fourth book in the Realm series but it can be read as a standalone.
As usual, I am wearing my kickbutt writer princess tiara to celebrate the day. Since I wasn’t planning on writing a book four or five in the Realm series, this book is a special treat. I just couldn’t seem to let the characters go from this series and I found myself writing another story and then one more after that! I’ve included a excerpt below of the book so that you can fall in love with Marrick like I did. (Yes, authors can fall in love with their own characters).
Celebrate the day with me!
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Excerpt:
Chapter 1
Marrick was a demon without a heart. Not a full one, anyway.
Sure, the actual muscle beat in his chest to feed his body with blood and air, but not with what he really needed—love and belonging.
And since he was the leader of the demon portal guard, it was not something he would be voicing out loud.
Plus as an empath, he was constantly bombarded by the emotions of others, which was why he kept his thoughts and feelings locked away. He couldn’t possibly deal with his own needs when he was battered by the overwhelming emotions of others.
Until recently he hadn’t thought he could have more in his life. Then his best friend and fellow guard, Naya, found her mate and moved to earth. Now she had a beautiful daughter named Kara.
And when he sensed how happy she was, he dared to wonder…what if?
But that was a dangerous, dangerous thought. He had a job to do.
He’d decided to follow in the footsteps of his parents and grandparents before him and volunteered to guard the five demon factions who were banned from earth. Now, more than a millennium later, the descendants of those factions were getting a second chance.
Fates, they were all getting a second chance. Everything was changing, and yet Marrick still stood guard over this valley that never changed.
Although the same couldn’t be said of its inhabitants. The realm demons had spent centuries living in despair and hopelessness. Even the portal guards were trapped.
And being seen as the enemy, the jailer, takes a toll on anyone—especially someone who could sense others’ emotions. Marrick hadn’t realized how much until he began to help the realm demons.
Now those very demons could choose to migrate to earth. But since there were literally thousands of demons, it was not an easy task.
He would continue to guard—no, watch over—this world until all the demons who wanted to go to earth had left. And then he would finally leave as well.
The thought set the heart in question to pounding under his uniform’s armor plating. What would it be like to live on earth? He traveled back and forth to help with the daunting process of relocating demons, but he still hadn’t truly experienced what earth had to offer.
Even though Naya had left the guard, she still played a part in bringing the demons to earth, and helping her mate, Aleksei, with the leadership of the immigration bureau.
As if she sensed his thoughts—and since Naya was telepathic, maybe she did—the crystal he wore around his neck heated up, signaling that Naya was reaching out to him.
Yes, Naya?
How are you today, my friend?
Good. How is Kara?
She’s wonderful. Naya huffed. I’m good, too. Thanks for asking.
Marrick smiled. I was getting to you next.
Get that wicked grin off your face.
She was telepathic, but even this was a stretch for her. How?
I don’t need to see your face to know what you’re doing. We’ve known each other our whole lives. Aleksei wants to know if you’re coming to the immigration meeting later.
Yes, ma’am, he thought, with just the hint of sarcasm. Tell your bossy mate I’ll be there.
Naya chuckled in his mind. Smart-ass. See you soon.
Marrick laughed to himself as he walked back toward the forest. Who would ever have thought he would find himself attending meetings and planning sessions?
He hadn’t even known what a planning session was until Aleksei came to the realm and convinced the demons to work with the earthers and not against them. Not an easy feat, given the demons’ animosity after centuries of being locked away. Most of the realm demons hadn’t even been born when their clans were exiled.
Now they weren’t prisoners any longer. If they wanted—and that was the important word, if they wanted—they could go to earth.
Maybe that was the biggest gift of all. After a millennium, the realm demons were allowed to choose their future. Which meant eventually so would he.
And could he dare hope someday it would lead to his heart being nourished by much more than blood and air?
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AE Jones 
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