Series: Darkness Rising #1
Publication date: October 31st, 2023
Synopsis:
When visions of death haunt her every move, only the darkest magic can save her.
Sarah Stone's family have always closely guarded the secrets of their witchcraft. Though they tend as healers to those that know them, few guess the truth of the family's skills.
But others have secrets too, and when Sarah finds herself caught in the grip of a terrifying curse, she fears for the fate of all she holds dear. As a dark shadow haunts the taverns and brothels of Bankside, whispers of the curse begin to spread. Then she is accused of witchcraft, and there seems to be no escape.
In a world where the those called Witch end up on the gallows, can Sarah find a way to turn the curse aside? Or will the price be too high to pay?
Content warning: strong sex scenes and the occult.
Touch of a Witch is the first standalone novel in the seductive Darkness Rising series.
An earlier version of the novel was published previously as Shakespeare's Witch.
Available at:
Excerpt
He leaned in to kiss her cheek in farewell, and briefly she closed her eyes to savour the moment of his closeness and his warmth, his lips against her face. He must have sensed the lift her heart gave at his touch because he stopped and stayed near, his mouth still brushing her cheek. "Are you jealous, gentle coz?" he murmured.
She was silent--she had not named the emotion even to herself hadn't yet recognized its provenance. Was she jealous? she wondered. Did she truly care where Tom stuck his cock? Perhaps, she realized, and the new knowledge frightened her, but in the pause of her hesitation he slipped a hand inside her cloak to cup her breast and her insides heaved with desire. Gently he took her arm and drew her to the side of the door and into the shadow of the wall. Then his lips were on hers, his body pressing close. For a moment she resisted, head battling against the desire, but the pleasure overruled the doubts and so she gave herself to the kiss, and when he took her arm again to guide her into the lane alongside the tavern and placed her back against the wall in the darkness, his hands beneath her skirts, she did not protest.
Afterwards he held her, kissing and stroking her hair, and she could feel the warmth of his juices trickling on the inside of her thigh. "Let's not tell Nick about this one," he whispered.
She lifted her hand but she could not see his face in the darkness. She cupped his jaw in her hand. "We cannot do this again," she replied. "We mustn't."
"Why not?" he asked. "Because of Nick? Where is he now? Who is he with? Do you think he'll never lie with her again? She's his wife."
"And you are my cousin."
"Ah. Yes," he agreed. "There is that, I suppose. But still," he murmured. "Who are we hurting really?"
She said nothing, his logic, impossible to argue with. He lifted her chin with his fingers and kissed her again full on the mouth, and she knew she would never have the strength to refuse him. Perhaps Nick was right, she thought. Perhaps he truly was a force for evil, bent on a course of corruption. The pleasure of him was irrefutable, and she knew beyond doubt that she would give herself to him again without a moment's hesitation. It seemed impossible that they had come so far together without it.
"I'll walk you back," he said then, stepping away, buttoning his breeches and allowing her to rearrange her skirts and smooth her hair once more into place. Then he took her arm and they walked together away from the tavern, moving slowly in spite of the wind, arm in arm, content simply to be close.
She uses the pen name S.G. Slade for her fantasy books, and also writes Historical Fiction under the name Samantha Grosser.
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