WORDS THAT BIND by Ash Krafton
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Chapter One
Damn, but this was a miserable city.
A miserable city, in a miserable season, with a miserable
chilly dampness oppressive enough to put out the hottest of fires. If he didn’t
have to be here, he’d be reclining on a low couch surrounded by silken-clad
women and the open sands of the high desert.
If he didn’t have to be here, he wouldn’t be standing in
a cramped parking lot in an East Coast city (really. East Coast. The very
thought made him curl his lips in disdain) staring up at a balcony three floors
up.
If he didn’t have to be here, he wouldn’t. But it was here, and it was close, and he
wouldn’t have to put up with this permeating on-again off-again rain much
longer.
The thought of it being so close made him dizzy enough to
sway on his feet. Ah, well. Wearing a human form had so many limitations. Take
skin, for instance. And this ridiculous human obsession with trousers.
A loud argument erupted on the balcony above, catching
his attention.
Women. Of course. Emotional, volatile, dangerous,
loud…sometimes, good qualities. Especially where low couches could be found.
On balconies, peppered with vulgar language…just
annoying.
Still. It was
here, its presence burning like a dull itch in the back of his brain. That
particular sensation, too, was annoying, but after so many decades of not
feeling it all, it was a good kind of annoying. One that soon would be
quenched.
Forever.
Suddenly, the sensation brightened, became sharper,
clearer, like the full moon sliding free of the clouds. The argument stopped.
Ah. Finally. He turned up the collar of his overcoat
against the nip of a sudden breeze and tilted his head, scanning the balcony,
watching. Waiting.
A young female with tousled purple hair hunched over the
railing, resting on her elbows, trying to light a cigarette.
Repulsive things, cigarettes. Lacked elegance. Why not a
hookah, or even a slender golden pipe? This modern age was all substance. No
style.
He unfocused his gaze and looked through the girl.
Nothing remarkable about that female whatsoever. She had nothing to do with the
object of his desire and so was of no consequence to him. He disregarded her
completely.
Another figure appeared at the rail. Another female. This
one seized his notice, snapping his spine ram-rod straight.
Long chestnut hair swept in waves over her shoulder,
hiding her face. He zoomed in on her and almost fell flat backwards, buckling
under the smacking impact upon his heart.
Her. She had it.
Suddenly, the low gray clouds burned off in a blaze of
summer brilliance, so great was the feeling in his chest.
Hope. Hope eclipsed centuries of despair in that single
moment.
She had it!
He side-stepped the BMW behind him, wanting a better
angle, wishing to see her face. So intent was he upon the other woman that he
nearly missed the cigarette that sailed past his cheek to land on the car. He
curled his fists, an oath on his lips. He should be used to the crude behaviors
of mortals, but still, how it bristled against his insides.
Obviously, they’d been raised by very different mothers.
But then woman turned, and his scowl melted from his
face. Her dark eyes met his, a split-second connection that felt like the bite
of an electric current. His heart tripped on a beat and he gaped.
Remarkable. This noisy, chaotic city where all was a
tangle of technology and confusion and those odd diagonal streets—she stood
out: a straight line, a calm constancy, the eye within the storm. He was
confounded by the impression of her psyche. Unique
was too commonplace a word.
A place to sit. He rubbed his mouth, staring up at her.
To sit would be good right now. He didn’t want to end up on his knees, not here
amidst the puddles and wet leaves.
The young girl twisted around and hopped up on the rail.
Odd. The railing didn’t look wide enough to make a comfortable seat. Well.
Considering her choice of hair color, he wasn’t surprised by her action.
Obviously, she was a little off.
He thumbed the edge of the business card in his hand, one
that bore the address and the name of the counselling center to which the
balcony belonged. Of course, she was. Why else would she be visiting a
therapist?
Apparently, the bird reconsidered her perch, because she
disappeared in the next moment. A piercing shriek sounded, loud enough that he
had to cover his ears. It only lasted a few seconds, however, followed by a few
more desperate shouts.
And then there came no sound at all, except for the
traffic and the sparrows making a racket in the hedges bordering the parking
lot. The women and the mental itch had retreated back into the building.
He stood a few moments longer, watching the balcony,
hoping for another glimpse of her. But the remarkable woman and that wonderful
sensation did not return.
He brushed his fingers together and tugged his suit
jacket straight. No matter. She may have that which he sought, but she did not
need to come back out.
Because he was going in after it.
And this time, he was going to get it.
AUTHOR BIO
Ash Krafton
Ash Krafton is a speculative fiction author from
northeastern Pennsylvania. Krafton’s first novel, Bleeding Hearts was published in 2012 as part of an urban fantasy trilogy
The Books of the Demimonde (Pink
Narcissus Press). An urban fantasy novella, Strangers
at the Hell Gate, was published by Wild Rose Press in 2013. Her newest
release, Words That Bind, won first
place in the HeRA RWA “Show Me the Spark” 2013 competition as well as a Zebulon
award in 2014.
Krafton also writes New Adult speculative fiction novels
under the pen name AJ Krafton. Upcoming titles include The Heartbeat Thief, Face of
the Enemy, and the award-winning Takin’
It Back. She is part of a YA/NA collective known as the Infinite Ink
Authors.
In addition to novel-length fiction, Krafton enjoys writing
poetry and short prose, some of which earned distinctions in various writing
competitions. One of her poems was also nominated for the Pushcart Prize. She’s
a proud member of Pennwriters, Romance Writers of America, and Pikes Peak
Writers. Krafton also writes for the Query Tracker Blog and the Prose and Cons
blog.
She resides with her family in northeast Pennsylvania.
Facebook: http://facebook.com/ashkraftonauthor
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Some
wishes should be Forbidden... WORDS THAT BIND by @AshKrafton Award-winning #fantasy #romance #ebook on sale $.99 #genie #WildRosePress
4.7/5 stars
WORDS
THAT BIND is a love story about a genie and his therapist.
Calm,
cool, collected... it's not just a professional veneer. It's the way social
worker Tam Kerish has always gone through life.
Emotionally
detached. Clinically non-emotive. She's never known what it means to truly feel
what others take for granted. Not a smile. Not a tear. Not a single moment
of exhilaration.
That all changes the day he
walks into her office. He's her polar opposite--and the ideal case study.
Burns is consumed by emotion, his fiery temper, his passionate drive to
achieve his desires. Born of fire centuries before Christ, he is the last of
Solomon's mighty djinni. Seething and smoldering, he is keenly
interested in Tam, and the treasure she hides from him. It's only a matter of
time until he gets what he wants.
He'll get so much more than he bargained for…because she’s willing to give it
all.
Some of the reviews...
“From the first page, the author pens a tale of mystery
speckled with witty humor and intense (although initially denied) attraction…”
“Ash Krafton handles this potentially absurd story with
such aplomb and demonstrates she has done her homework about psychotherapy to
the point that after a few chapters the attraction she has nurtured between Tam
and Burns makes terrific sense - and it is just fine that Burns is a djinn of
ancient years. Such a clever idea for a story and Ash carries it off
exceedingly well.”
“Ash Krafton was able to weave a story that wonderfully
blended mystery, humor and romance…[she] respectfully and sensitively deal[s]
with mental health issues without adding to the stigma of mental health.”
“An intelligently told story of love with a supernatural
bent.”
From
the author:
As a
fantasy writer, I am thrilled that readers are loving my new romance novel. I'm
a huge fan of paranormal and fantasy stories and this was a book I truly
enjoyed writing--for the love of my own guilty pleasures.
As a
health care professional, I am grateful for the praise the clinical
aspects of the story have received, because accurately portraying the
complex issues faced by therapists is extremely important to me.
A
huge part of me went into this novel. That's why I'm tickled that a reader
titled their review "A Unique Paranormal Romance You Will Love"
About
WORDS THAT BIND:
Ranked
4.7/5 stars on Amazon
Social worker Tam Kerish can’t keep her cool professionalism when steamy
client Mr. Burns kindles a desire for more than a client-therapist
relationship—so she drops him. However, they discover she’s the talisman to
which Burns, an immortal djinn, has been bound since the days of King
Solomon…and that makes it difficult.
Ethical guidelines are unequivocal when it comes to personal relationships
with clients. However, the djinn has a thawing effect on the usually
non-emotive Tam, who begins to feel true emotion whenever he is near. Tam has
to make a difficult choice: to stay on the outside, forever looking in…or to
turn her back on her entire world, just for the chance to finally experience
what it means to fall in love.
OTHER INFORMATION:
SubGenre(s): Contemporary,
Paranormal, Fantasy
Publisher: Wild Rose Press
Imprint: Faery
Length: Rose
Rating: Sensual (PG-PG13)
Keywords: romance, paranormal, genie, djinn, magic, Philadelphia, counselor,
therapist, social worker
Page Count: 314
Word Count: 75270
Digital Price: 4.99
Print Price: 15.99
Release Date: 2014-10-10
ISBN(s):
978-1-62830-560-9 Paperback
978-1-62830-561-6 Digital
