Series: The Talisman #6
Publication date: October 25th, 2022
Synopsis:
A skilled warrior with a life-changing task...
Every warrior needs a talisman -- but for Riley Sheridan, he cares more about partying with his buddies than finding the mate he's supposed to bond with for life. That is, until a stunning raven-haired woman steps up to the keg and asks for a beer.
A fiery beauty with untapped powers...
Lynnette Montgomery came to the festival to relax, celebrate, and take her mind off her still-undiscovered magical powers. But after fate draws her to a suave and cocky warrior, she's shocked to realize that she's his fated talisman. But finding your mate is never supposed to be this easy.
And the wrath of a goddess bent on their demise.
Drawn by a ripple in the cosmos, the infamous goddess Morrigan sets her sights on the pair. She's dead-set on stopping the next Sheridan from bonding to his talisman -- and when they retreat to a remote cabin to complete the ritual, she sees her chance to strike. After the goddess kidnaps Riley, Lynette is thrust into a deadly battle with a seemingly impossible goal: to save him from a fate worse than death.
Bursting with all the pulse-pounding action and rich worldbuilding of a riveting fantasy adventure, this gripping prequel is a must-read for fans of Tam DeRudder Jackson's Talisman Series, or as a starting point for your adventure into a world of modern-day Celtic warriors.
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Excerpt
Back on the road, she shifted in her seat, tugging at the hem of her short skirt. Riley slipped her a side-eye, and she folded her hands in her lap. With a little distance from the giddy excitement engendered by the success of his sign on her, she couldn't help the awkwardness sliding through her. This was it. Before the night was over, she was going to bond with a man who hadn't existed to her before she saw him sipping a beer near the keg of a run-of-the-mill Lammas Eve bonfire.
For the past sixteen years, her parents had trained her, prepared her for the event, hoping her warrior would discover her before the Morrigan had a chance to steal his life. Yet now that the time was upon her, she worried she wasn't ready. She worried about the two of them discovering her particular skill, the one that perfectly complemented his when they were inevitably called into battle against the war goddesses and their rogue armies. She worried about the bonding ritual and how she was going to react to a man's intimate touch for the first time.
Riley set his hand palm up on her thigh, an invitation. She set her hand on his, and he threaded his fingers through hers, giving her a tiny squeeze. "You said you're in school at MSU. What's your major?"
A weak smile tipped up the corner of her mouth. They'd only known each other a couple of hours, yet already he'd figured out when she needed reassurance -- and offered it without fanfare. "I'm a business major. You?"
"Computer programming."
She stared at his calloused hand in hers. "A desk job? Seriously?" After clearing her throat of what she implied, she quickly amended, "It's just that you're so fit, and your hands say you use them harder than typing in code on a keyboard."
"My dad runs a home security business. One day, I hope to open my own branch of it. I spend the summers running cables and power tools when we set up security systems for people." He gave her hand another squeeze. "And I train regularly with other warriors for the battles Morgan insists on waging against us at every opportunity." He paused for a second. "By fit you mean hot, right?"
Hearing the smirk in his voice, she turned her head on the headrest and attempted to dress him down with a look alone. Which was ridiculous in the darkness of the Jeep. "Please tell me you're putting me on and you're not truly so vain."
"What?" He pouted. "You don't think I'm hot?" With another squeeze of her hand, he insisted, "I'm your warrior, your fated mate. You have an obligation to think I'm hot."
His teasing tone drew a reluctant grin from her. Overexaggerating the gesture, she fanned herself. "Oh, yeah. Sooo hot. You should probably roll down the windows before you self-combust."
TAM DERUDDER JACKSON is the author of the paranormal romance Talisman Series and the contemporary romance Balefire Series. Her favorite "room" in her house is her back patio where she dreams up stories of romance and risk. When she's not writing her latest paranormal or contemporary romance, you can usually find her driving around with the top down in her convertible or carving turns on the slopes of the local ski hill. The mom of two grown sons, Tam likes to travel, attend rock concerts, watch football and soccer, and visit old car shows with her husband. She lives in the mountains of northwest Wyoming where she spends most of her free time trying to read all the books. Her TBR piles are threatening to take over her office, and she's fine with that.
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