Zoe and the Demon Slayer by Neel Kay
Publication date: October 6th 2014
Genres: Fantasy, New Adult
Synopsis:
Twenty-four year old book worm and blogger Zoe Graves was looking forward to the fourth and final instalment of her favourite book saga – The Augustin Chronicles. The evening was meant to be spent in line at the local bookstore with hundreds of other fans, getting the book, maybe even meeting the author, and ultimately spending the night with the dreamiest hero of them all, Lucien de Forest and the love of his life Noomi Augustin.
But somewhere someone thought otherwise.
Confused and hurt after a mugging by the bookstore, Zoe is somehow transported to another world, and suddenly finds herself in a snow-covered landscape witnessing a bloody fight far away from the English summer, and is left to rely on the help from the rather reluctant Matis, who just happen to be out to kill none other than Zoe’s favourite hero and heroine, Lucien and Noomi.
Although convinced she might be in some sort of limbo or maybe even in a coma, Zoe figures that her role in the story is to prevent Matis from killing her all-time favourite fictional couple.
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EXCERPT
Zoe and Thora found a pocket right of the entrance
shielded by a few large rocks that protected them from straying eyes. There,
Thora washed and re-dressed, and now it was Zoe’s turn.
Zoe stepped out of her dress with a relieved sigh.
Finally, she was free of the nagging, coarse wool, and even though it was only
temporary, it felt so good.
“I know,” Thora said as she brought Zoe a pot of
water, warm from the fire. “They itch like crazy, don’t they? But they keep you
warm in the winter cold.” When she put the pot down on the ground, she gasped
as her eyes trailed over Zoe’s back. “My goodness, you’ve got bruises all over.
Are you sure there’s nothing broken, like a couple of ribs or something?”
“I’m alright.”
“But Zoe…?” Thora brushed her fingertips over a
particularly nasty-looking black bruise above Zoe’s left hipbone. Zoe twitched,
and Thora quickly retracted her hand. “I’m sorry,” she said. “She really wanted
to kill you, didn’t she?”
“No need to feel guilty then,” Matis’ voice sounded
from the fireplace.
“It’s not nice to eavesdrop, Matis,” Thora shouted
back, laughing. But when Zoe shot her a tight smile, her laugh quickly died
down. “What’s wrong?”
“This is not my world,” Zoe whispered.
Thora nodded. “I’m sure you can go back as soon as we
find Olander and the book.” Her eyes flickered and she had trouble remaining
eye contact. Apparently, even Thora had a feeling that that would take a while.
“I have a family,” Zoe said. “They’ll be wondering
where I am.” She crouched down to the pot and filled her palms with the
lukewarm water, splashing it against her face, rubbing her neck, and dipping
her hands back into the pot.
“Husband?” Thora inquired tentatively.
“I’m not married. I have parents, though, and a
sister.”
“What’s her name?”
Zoe glanced up at Thora who looked genuinely
interested.
“Um, her name is Emma.”
“Older or younger?”
“Older. She’s married and has twin boys.”
“So you have nephews.” Thora smiled. “Any suitors?”
Zoe scoffed. “You sound just like my sister.” She
splashed some water on her shoulders allowing it to trickle down her back. “No,
no suitors. And you? Do you have any family? Any brothers and sisters?”
“No. I’m an only child. It’s very rare, actually.” She
winked and shot Zoe a naughty smile, making Zoe see flashes of rabbits humping
vigorously in her mind’s eye. “But my mother was very small and weak, and she
wouldn’t have survived a second pregnancy.” Thora laughed. “You’re finding it
hard to believe that I come from the womb of such a woman, but my father was a
big man, and all of this, this is pure muscle that I’ve worked really hard
for.” She flexed her biceps and flashed Zoe her strong white teeth.
“I imagined all Kraquars were strong.”
“Well, how could you think otherwise, when the only
Kraquar people you’ve met are the three of us? No, my mother was a
potion-maker. She didn’t need the muscle power.”
“Your parents aren’t alive anymore?”
“No. I only have remote relatives like the ones living
in Eldgaard. The ones we never made it to before you got yourself caught by
Noomi’s guards.” She smiled. “No, Silas and Matis’ family is my family now.”
Zoe gaped at Thora, pointed a discreet finger in the
general direction of the other inhabitants of the cave, and lowered her voice
to a whisper. “Wait? Those two are related?”
“Not by blood, no. But they grew up together. Silas’
family took in Matis and his brother when their parents died just a few months
apart. It was a long time ago, though. If you ask them, they are brothers.”
Thora shook Zoe’s dress, before offering it back to
her. “You’re shivering. Here, put this back on.”
Zoe
sighed, her eyes fixed on the purple dress. She stroked the coarse fabric with
her fingertips. “Oh well, I suppose it’s better than freezing to death.”
Ten random thoughts while
writing Zoe + the Demon Slayer
1. I’ll have this book
ready by July, of course I will.
2. I love this story.
I want to live in this story. This story is so freaking awesome.
3. Yeah, no, this
probably won’t be ready before August. August 6th – yes, August 6th.
Definitely August 6th.
4. Oh hey, look! What
a pretty *insert distraction*.
5. Wait a minute…! Was
that another deadline that just whooshed by? Hey, where do you think you are
going?
6. What the hell is
this? I can’t publish this. I suck like no one has ever sucked before, maybe
even worse than that.
7. September?
8. You know, this
might not be half bad. I think. Maybe.
9. I love Zoe and
Matis so much! I should write a book about their son. He’d probably have
gorgeous dark hair and the most dazzling green eyes ever.
10.
Fine! October it is. I’m booking a blitz, damn it!
AUTHOR BIO
Introvert, creative, awkward.
Neel Kay lives with her husband and two kids in rural surroundings in the south of Denmark, not far from the German border. She’s a trained milliner, studied English at university, and now works a day job as a web editor. But she’s been writing always.
Love coffee, scarves and sea views. Oh, and butt-kicking heroines who know how to swing a sword and aren’t afraid to get a little dirty.
Author Links
GIVEAWAY
A pair of book earrings
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