Welcome to the book tour for award-winning novel, The Shepherd’s Burden by Ryan Young. Read on for more info and a chance to win a signed copy of the book (North America) or a digital edition if your are international!
The Shepherd’s Burden
Publication Date: June 18th, 2020
Genre: Paranormal Thriller
1st Place Winner, 2020 Chanticleer International Book Awards, Paranormal Awards for Supernatural Fiction Category
Staff Sergeant Daniel Jefferies has returned home to upstate NY after nearly being killed in an ambush in Iraq. Plagued by the trauma of war, he struggles to find his place in a world that he no longer recognizes. He feels disconnected from his family and friends. But, none of his burdens are heavier than the terrifying secret that he has kept about a mysterious encounter from his youth. When a suspicious murder occurs, he will discover that he has been chosen for a purpose that transcends life and death, forcing him to confront his past. In order to stop the killer, he will have to make choices that will change the fate of the people he loves the most. Can Daniel summon the strength of mind and body, that he once had as a soldier, to face the most profound and consequential challenge of his life?
Excerpt
Daniel took the main route out of town. It took them through the city center and back to the site of Nella’s murder. As they approached the site, they saw a man and his young son crossing the road with their donkey. The donkey was towing a wooden cart full of produce. There was an open-air market in the city center. People traveled there to sell their goods. For many of them, it was their only source of income. The boy was four or five years old and the cart was fully loaded, so they were moving slowly. Daniel pulled to a complete stop to allow them to cross.
“Keep an eye out,” Keith yelled up to Aashirya.
It was always dangerous to be stopped in the middle of a road in Iraq. Instead of the vehicle being a moving target, which could be hard to hit, it became a stationary target, which was much easier to hit. The chances of an ambush greatly increased.
It was Keith’s job to keep his team on alert, but the heightened state of awareness didn’t change his demeanor. He was perfectly calm. He pulled out another cigarette and lit it while they waited for the man and his son to cross the road. He offered one to Daniel, but he turned it down.
“I can’t understand how nothing seems to bother you. I’ve been doing this just as long as you have. No matter how many times I’m out here, I still get nervous. I wish I knew your secret,” Daniel said.
Keith laughed it off.
“There is no secret, Danny. I told you before, nothing lasts forever. Everyone dies at some point. It’s a foregone conclusion. It’s not a question of if, but when. What’s the difference if we die now or fifty years from now? We shouldn’t fear death. We should embrace it.”
“I think you have been out here too long. You are really starting to trip me out. I think you need a long nap and a cold beer. After that, you need to get laid and seriously rethink that no-fear, embrace death bullshit. Personally, I would much rather be afraid and alive than calm and dead.”
Daniel turned his attention back towards the road. The man and his son were now directly in front of the vehicle. The boy stopped walking and turned to look at him. When they made eye contact, Daniel got an eerie feeling that something was wrong. Before he could react, a large explosion went off underneath the Humvee. The blast tossed the vehicle fifteen feet into the air, landing it on its side.
About the Author
Ryan Young is a former Army Captain and Iraq War Veteran. He is a lover of all things fantasy and sci-fi. A native of Utica, NY, he now calls New England home.
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Giveaway: Signed Copy for North American Winner or Digital Copy for International Winner!
Book Tour Organized By:
Need a new haunting book to read?
Try out Emily’s Lair! It is a witch themed thriller novel.
Synopsis: Investigating a grisly murder, detective Will Heller finds himself drawn to person of interest Emily Kostova, the owner of a local bookstore. Emily’s broad knowledge of the Whitechapel murders, and of Jack the Ripper, persuade Will that his conversations with her might help him catch his killer. It is through these discussions that Will learns of Liesbeth Janssen, a woman accused of witchcraft in the seventeenth century.
When additional murders bearing the same bizarre characteristics provide enough evidence to clear Emily, Will is finally free to act on his powerful attraction to her. As they grow close, however, what he discovers about Emily, and about Liesbeth, convince Will that the woman he loves may be harboring a terrible secret.
Giving the reader a harrowing ride between the infamous witch hunts of the 17th century and the present day, Emily’s Lair is a suspenseful page-turner of speculative fiction by Cary Grossman.
Buy the book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B097TQ1Q86
About the Author
Cary Grossman got the idea for his first book after spending two decades in retail management, a career in which he found little to inspire him. It took him over ten years to write his first novel, creating a story and with painstaking care learning the craft of turning it into a novel. His goal was to make page-turners; books that would get the reader involved from the first page. Two years ago, he abandoned retail for good and became the caretaker of a church, a career that leaves him plenty of time to write!
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I did the Truth or Dare Book Tag and was it ever intense. I was so nervous every time I flipped that coin! Thanks to the The Roomies’ Digest for tagging me to do this one because it was loads of fun.
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