Deception’s Web (Deizian Empire #3) by Crista McHugh
Genre: Fantasy Romance/Paranormal Romance
Date of Publication: Dec. 9, 2013
Number of Pages: 278
Cover Artist: Jaycee Delarenzo
Book Description:
A soldier looking for redemption falls into the arms of the empire’s Black Widow...
Galerius, former Captain of the Legion, is honored to be given a chance to redeem himself by discovering who is behind the failing barrier. A series of anonymous letters all point to Hostilius, governor of Lucrilia, but Galerius thinks he’ll learn more about the plot by seducing the governor’s thrice widowed daughter, Claudia. Although he warns himself not to fall into snare of the empire’s most deadly temptress, one kiss leaves him begging for more.
Claudia has spent years as a pawn in her father’s political games and longs to break free of his rule, even it means betraying him to the emperor. When Galerius arrives in Tivola, she’s not sure if he’s there to aid her father or stop him. She willingly submits to his seduction, despite their class differences, in order to find the truth. What she doesn’t expect to find is a man who indulges her secret fantasies, satisfying her in a way none of her previous husbands did, and treats her as something more than a conquest. As time runs out to thwart her father’s plans, she must decide if she can trust Galerius not only with her life, but her heart.
Excerpt
“Then how are we going to get the throne?”
“Then how are we going to get the throne?”
Her father’s chuckle caused her gut to
clench. It was too cool, too collected, too calm. “An emperor is only as safe
as his popularity. If the people fear he is placing them in danger, they will demand
his head.”
A pause filled the room, followed by
Asinius’s laughter. “The barrier.”
“It will take careful planning. Sergius
outwitted us once. And the barrier appeared stronger than ever when I was
there. This time, I will not act until I am certain I will succeed.”
Claudia bit her bottom lip to keep from
gasping. She’d heard rumors that the barrier had been weakened after the death
of the prior emperor, but she had no idea her father was behind it. Why would
he risk having the empire overrun by the Barbarians? Those creatures knew only
death and destruction. They could not be reasoned with, and if the barrier
fell, thousands of lives would be lost.
“How shall we start?”
“Slowly. I need to make sure the device
is at its maximum potential.”
“That will mean more ore.”
“What do you think I was discussing with
Minius last week? The first shipments should start arriving in less than a
month. But we must be discreet. If the emperor catches wind of our plan, we’ll
suffer the same fate as Pontus.”
“I doubt that, Father. You are far more
cunning than him.”
“As you can see, there’s no need to
bloody our hands. The masses will do it for us.”
“And when we save them from the
Barbarians, they will demand we assume the throne.” Asinius’s laughter drifted
outside again, this time with a musical note of insanity in it. “It’s perfect.”
“Would you expect otherwise from me?”
The chair creaked again, followed by footsteps. “Remember, patience is the key
here. We wait until everything is ready.” Their voices faded as they left the
study.
Claudia slid along the wall and rubbed
the chill from her arms. How long would her father allow the barrier to fall
before he restored it? Hours? Days? Weeks? How many lives would be lost in the
process? Whatever his plans included, they didn’t include her. What was to keep
him from selling her to Minius in exchange for more ore? Or worse, for him to
shift the blame on her should they fail?
I
refuse to be his pawn any longer.
She took a deep breath, cleansing her
fears from her mind. Her father had made a mistake when he called her useless,
and he would pay for it. If he feared the emperor would discover his plan, then
perhaps she should capitalize on that.
She stood, straightened her clothes, and
went to her room. In careful block letters to disguise her handwriting, she
wrote:
If you wish for the barrier to remain
intact, you should monitor the ore shipments from Gracchero.
There. Nothing too precise. A hint, and
no more. Just enough to clue the emperor in to her father’s plan and hinder his
efforts without giving everything away. No one would ever suspect the note came
from her. And when her father’s face turned red from frustration, she would
have the start of her revenge.
“Zavi,” she called to her slave, “could
you please fetch Kafi? I have a task for him that requires his unique talent
for discretion.”
Growing up in small town Alabama, Crista relied on story-telling as a natural way for her to pass the time and keep her two younger sisters entertained.
She currently lives in the Audi-filled suburbs of Seattle with her husband and two children, maintaining her alter ego of mild-mannered physician by day while she continues to pursue writing on nights and weekends.
Just for laughs, here are some of the jobs she’s had in the past to pay the bills: barista, bartender, sommelier, stagehand, actress, morgue attendant, and autopsy assistant.
And she’s also a recovering LARPer. (She blames it on her crazy college days)
For the latest updates, deleted scenes, and answers to any burning questions you have, please check out her webpage www.CristaMcHugh.com
Find Crista online at:
Twitter: twitter.com/crista_mchugh
Facebook: www.facebook.com/CristaMcHugh
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3035791.Crista_McHugh
Mythical Books http://mythicalbooks.blogspot.ro/
The Writerly Exploits of Mara Valderran http://maravalderran.blogspot.com
Laurie's Thoughts and Reviews http://lauries-interviews.blogspot.com
Book Reviews by Xunaira J. http://thesaucyreviewer.wordpress.com/
Shut Up & Read http://shutupandreadgroup.blogspot.com/
Spiced Latte Reads http://spicedlatte.blogspot.com/
Deb Sanders http://debsanders.com
Author Karen Swart http://authorkarenswart.blogspot.com
Wicca Witch 4 Book Blog http://wiccawitch4.blogspot.ca/
Mila Ramos www.jademystique.blogspot.com
Provocative Pages http://readingonthewildside.blogspot.com
Adrienne Woods books and reviews http://woodsadrienne.wordpress.com
Books & Tales http://booksandtales.blogspot.co.uk/
Extaordinaryreads http://extaordinaryreads.com
Sapphyria's Book Reviews http://saphsbookblog.blogspot.com/
Melissa Stevens http://melissastevens.us
Reviewing in Chaos http://reviewinginchaos.blogspot.com
Pembroke Sinclair. www.pembrokesinclair.blogspot.com
Crazy Book Reviewer http://crazybooksreviewer.weebly.com/index.html
Fantasy Book Addict http://www.fantasybookaddict.com/
Comments
Post a Comment