The
Horseman is unending,
his
presence shan’t lessen.
If you
break the curse,
you
become the legend.
Washington Irving and Rip Van Winkle
had no choice but to cover up the deadly truth behind Ichabod Crane’s
disappearance. Centuries later, a Crane returns to Sleepy Hollow awakening
macabre secrets once believed to be buried deep.
What if
the monster that spawned the legend lived within you?
Now, Ireland Crane, reeling from a
break-up and seeking a fresh start, must rely on the newly awakened Rip Van
Winkle to discover the key to channeling the darkness swirling within her. Bodies
are piling high and Ireland is the only one that can save Sleepy Hollow by
embracing her own damning curse.
But is anyone truly safe when the
Horseman rides?
Excerpt 1:
The plush terry
cloth robe slipped from Ireland’s shoulders with a whispering caress before
pooling in a heap around her ankles. Marble tiles chilled her bare feet as she
stepped into the walk-in shower. The tips of her fingers slid across stainless
steel. With a flick of her wrist, the trio of shower heads flowed to life.
Welcoming heat came at her from all angles, pulsating over her curves with a
rhythmic seduction. Ireland turned, a groan escaping her as the streams massaged
all the right places. Steam rose, fogging the handle and creating a cloud of
humidity that hugged her frame. Tipping her head back, she let the droplets
rain down on her face and across her closed lids. Her lips parted, welcoming
the rush of warmth that flooded between them. Until it assaulted her tongue
with a rush of coppery warmth that clamped her throat shut with a wretched
heave. Her hands cupped to catch the droplets, her eyes widening as thick
crimson pooled in her palms, seeping between her ivory fingers. Formerly white
tiles were now smattered and smeared with blackish-red gore that sprayed from
the nozzles. Ireland threw herself from the shower, her feet slipping beneath
her. She reached out to steady herself, but found nothing to hold on to.
Nothing there to pull her back from the brink, except her own need for
self-preservation … and a shadowed silhouette in the corner. Instinctively, she
covered herself with her arms. Squinting, she craned her neck to see the figure
that was slowly turning to face her.
“Mason?” Her voice
echoed around her before she could even speak it.
He stared straight
ahead with fixed, unseeing eyes. Blood trailed down his face from various
points of origin, soaking the front of his shirt. “Cloak of night, brings Horseman’s
plight. His pricy toll, will be a soul.”
“Mason? Are you
okay?”
A hard blink and
his eyes found focus on her. A desperate panic flared his nostrils, forcing his
breath to come fast and ragged. “Help me, you have to help me,” he pleaded, his
teeth pink with the blood that streamed past his lips.
Her trembling hand
reached for him, then recoiled at her own inept state of confusion. “H-how?
What do I do?”
“You have to save
us,” Mason’s words became more garbled by the fresh rush of gore that bubbled
up the back of his throat. His once handsome face contorted in rage. Leaning
forward he balled his fists and screamed with a force that bulged the tendons
of his neck, “Save us!”
REVIEW
First, as to my normal cover obsession! HOLY SMOKES! This cover is bad @$$! I mean seriously! It's even the wallpaper on my cell phone! I really see this cover receiving lots of rewards through bloggers and page owners! LOTS!
Prior to reading Crane I had never read anything related to the Horseman story line! It just never interested me for some reason (I know, I'm strange lol) but when I found out Stacey was writing this I knew I had to give it a shot and boy am I glad! After reading Crane I am torn between reading other Horseman stories or being afraid nothing will ever come close to the love I have for this book! While this story has it's dark moments, it also has the humor from Stacey Rourke that we have all grown to love in her other series!
Pick up your copy today and follow through Stacey's past and present story telling from where the legend begins and where the legend presently stands!
Fabulous read and in my opinion it's Stacey's best book to date! I can NOT wait for book two, Raven!
BUY LINKS
BOOK TRAILER
RONE Award Winner for Best YA
Paranormal Work of 2012 for Embrace, a Gryphon Series Novel
Young Adult and Teen Reader voted
Author of the Year 2012
Turning Pages Magazine Winner for
Best YA book of 2013 & Best Teen Book of 2013
Stacey Rourke lives in Michigan
with her husband, two beautiful daughters, and two giant, dogs. She loves to
travel, has an unhealthy shoe addiction and considers herself blessed to make a
career out of talking to the imaginary people that live in her head.
Website:
http://www.staceyrourke.com
Twitter:
https://www.twitter.com/Rourkewrites
