Of Fear and Faith is
the first book in my Death and Destiny paranormal romance trilogy. The novel
introduces readers to Sanura Williams and Assefa Berber, who are, upon first
sight, drawn to each other physically and magically. Yet Sanura, once hurt by
love, is afraid to give love another try despite the undeniable attraction she
feels when around Assefa and the emotions the man stirs in her.
I'm hiding deep in my shadow
Hoping that love won't look for me here
I know I have to keep moving
Or I could be found by the scent of my fears
Because love and I
We broke up one night
And the sad thing is it was my fault, my call
I cry late at night
Though these tears in my eyes
I know myself, I'm ready to try again
Assefa, a were-cat of immense power
and blessed by the gods, knows he was made to love Sanura.
I was made to love ya
My hands to touch ya, my arms to hold ya
My legs to stand, my time to spend
With you forever, I was made, made to love ya
With a serial killer hunting its
next prey and Sanura frightened of another broken heart, Assefa wants to know
if Sanura can stand the rain.
On a perfect day, I know that I can
count on you
When that's not possible
Tell me, can you weather a storm?
'Cause I need somebody who will stand by me
Through the good times and bad times
She will always, always be right there
Being the sexy, suave special agent
that he is, Assefa puts a move on Sanura’ heart she cannot deny.
Baby I know
I got a real thing here by my side
Someone who needs me, holding me tight
And these special feelings, won't ever fade
'Cause I knew, I knew from the start
You put a move on my heart
What about the rest of the story?
What happens between Sanura and Assefa?
Sexy. Hot. Memorable. Music is like
that, capturing our deepest emotions and replaying them back to us in high
definition. Cue mood setting music, an “Of Fear and Faith” playlist of love,
romance, and, oh yes, that first kiss and love scene. Sanura couldn’t get
enough. Most heroines wouldn’t, not with a suave badass hero like Assefa.
But who’s your special someone? You
know, the lady or guy who makes your palms sweat, pulse race, and knees weak? Well,
grab your heart-song, snuggle up, and relax with the soulful tunes of the “Of
Fear and Faith” music playlist.
Lights off.
Music down low.
Naked bodies close.
Yeah, that’s it. Just like that.
Get swept away.
Don’t fear the passion. Embrace
your lover’s faith.
In you.
In the music.
In your happily-ever-after.
Of Fear and Faith
Death and Destiny Trilogy
Book 1
N.D. Jones
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Siren-BookStrand Publishing
Date of Publication: July 22, 2014
ISBN: 1632583747
ASIN: B00MTW85Q8
Number of pages: 288
Word Count: 101,566 words
Cover Artist: Harris Channing
Book Description:
Before trust and love can take hold, grow solid roots, and blossom into a reality larger than self, fear must be conquered and faith embraced. Yet fear of an ancient prophecy, of burning magical power, and a broken heart, Sanura Williams, psychology professor, is unprepared when Special Agent Assefa Berber enters her life, hunting a preternatural serial killer. Assefa's intelligent, chocolate eyes and intoxicating aura signature stirs her fire spirit but frightens the woman.
In a world where all is not as it seems, Sanura and Assefa must battle the gods' first creations - vile predators who threaten the safety of humans. Each confrontation, each bloody clash, will bring Sanura and Assefa closer to fulfilling the prophecy of being the Fire Witch and Cat of Legend - the ones who will save humanity from the Water Witch of Legend. Death, godly magic, and physical attraction draw Sanura and Assefa to each other, but fear and faith will determine their destiny.
Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/g_QvkLjHEIo
Excerpt:
“Remember,
oral reports are due in two weeks. Check the Blackboard site for additional
resources. It’s been updated, and I expect you all to use the discussion forums
to run ideas by each other. Some of you are still trolling and need to join the
discussion before I start docking points. It isn’t much of a community if all
of you don’t participate and participate often.” Sanura smiled out at the sea
of youthful faces, hoping she’d kept the annoyance out of her voice. Her
students, while technically adults, were still young, some of them on their own
for the first time, not quite ready for the responsibility of being college
students. But the semester was nearly over, and she’d made the same
announcement and warning far too many times. Not that she would actually deduct
points, but that really wasn’t the point. With her gentle, albeit repetitive
chide, she dismissed the class, only to see a smiling Assefa at the back of the
lecture hall.
“How
long have you been standing there?”
“Long
enough,” was his playful reply, smile as broad and charming as ever. His walk
down the steps and toward her was full of a were-cat’s confidence. A confidence
that was endearing and sexy without being arrogant or manipulative. No, there
was nothing calculating about Assefa Berber. His aura radiated honesty and
integrity in equal measure. But there was also a controlled fierceness about
him that left an indelible streak of roaring energy through his aura signature.
“Long
enough for what?” Sanura asked, warming to his game, squelching her initial
surge of embarrassment at being caught in teacher mode.
“Long
enough to see you’re a woman of many talents and that ninety percent of your
students are male.” He gave her a flirtatious wink, snagged her short-sleeve
suit jacket from the back of her chair, and helped her into it.
“Are
you always so observant?” She began packing her leather satchel, storing a
heavy Introduction to Psychology text on the bottom before sliding several of
her students’ papers on Sensation and Perception on top.
Sanura
knew all about sensation and perception. Assefa’s amazing eyes and voice sent
way too many sensations through Sanura, feelings she wasn’t sure she was ready
to explore. Yet the more she was around him, the more she wanted to…well, the
more she wanted.
“You
know I am, and if I were eighteen
again I would definitely enroll in your class, Dr. Williams.”
She
gazed at the tall man in his dark-brown eyes, overtly glistening with humor and
attraction. “And you would flunk my class, Special Agent Berber, because you
prefer your own rules and like to be in charge.”
Assefa
relieved her of the satchel then gave Sanura one of his award-winning smiles.
“On the contrary, Professor Williams, I was an excellent student and always
received straight A’s. Besides, I can follow rules quite well when provided by
the right person, under the right circumstances, while wearing little to no
clothing. And”—he
leaned in to whisper—“I
don’t always have to be in charge. In fact, it’s better when the woman takes
the lead. Don’t you agree?”
His
question burned against her ear, heating her body, making a mockery of the lie
she kept telling herself. He’s just a
nice guy. I don’t want him for myself. Liar. Liar.
Sanura
gently pushed Assefa aside and walked past him, hiding a flushed smile. He had
a way of getting to her, taking obvious delight in embarrassing her with his
blatant flirting. And Sanura had a way of bashfully diverting her eyes and
nervously tucking a strand of hair behind her ear whenever he did so. This was their
game. They’d been playing it for the last two weeks while they searched for the
adze’s hideout.
But
she couldn’t bring herself to move beyond the flirting stage, no matter how her
body reacted to him. He seemed perfect, perhaps too perfect. Too good looking.
Too charming. Too intelligent. Too…Hell, Sanura was making excuses, and she
knew it. No one was perfect, and Assefa wasn’t the problem. I am. No matter how much she enjoyed his
company, Sanura used the light flirting to keep Assefa at arm’s length without
closing the door of possibility. She may have been gun-shy, but her parents
hadn’t raised a fool.
“Are
you coming, Don Juan?” Sanura reached back to grab his hand.
Assefa
happily took the offer and gave it a soft, teasing kiss. Sanura stared into his
eyes again, feeling the heat between them rise, their shared energy starting to
coalesce around them. He stepped nearer, closing the short distance between
them. By the gods, the man was handsome, a rugged body that fit enticingly into
an exquisite suit.
A
hand going to her waist, he drew her even closer, and she went, too caught up
in their shared energy to do anything but follow his lead. A large, gentle hand
rose to a shoulder, a cheek, her nape. Sanura wet her lips, unconsciously
mimicking Assefa. She stood there, frozen, mesmerized by the man. His intention
was clear—Assefa’s lips just a silent wish away.
Their
lips met, and magic whipped across her senses, flooding her aura with sweet,
hot pulses of pleasure and power. But it was just a barely-there taste, a
flirtatious tease, like the man himself. Yet that little bit made her feel—
The
doors to the lecture hall opened. Assefa pulled back, followed by an
unmistakable growl, all his sweetness and softness evaporating like an
untamable mist.
Moment
lost.
About the Author:
N. D. Jones lives in Maryland with her husband and two children. Having earned a M.A. in Political Science, she is a dedicated educator. She taught high school social studies for nine years. Currently, she is a professional development specialist with a local Maryland school system, working on increasing student achievement through teacher and administrator efficacy. N.D. is also a continuing education student who is pursuing her doctorate in education in Community College Leadership.
A desire to see more novels with positive, sexy, and three-dimensional African American characters as soul mates, friends, and lovers, inspired the author to take on the challenge of penning such romantic reads. She is the author of two paranormal romance series: Winged Warriors and Death and Destiny. N.D. likes to read historical and paranormal romance novels, as well as comics and manga.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/NDJones
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NDJones11
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/ndjones001
1 comment:
Thank you very much for hosting "Of Fear and Faith." I appreciate the opportunity to write a guest post for this wonderful site. It was a fun and rewarding experience.
Sincerely,
N.D. Jones
Post a Comment