Excerpt: Rise of the Hunter (Blood Prophecy #4) by Barb Jones

Vampires and werewolves and witches, oh my!

Happy publication day and congratulations to author Barb Jones on the release of Rise of the Hunter. Read on for more details!

Rise of the Hunter (Blood Prophecy #4)

by Barb Jones
June 15, 2023
Genre: Dark Urban Fantasy/ Supernatural Horror

🩸Deadly Romance
🩸Life-Draining Curse
🩸Prophecy
🩸Morally Grey Characters
🩸Dark Magic
🩸Deadly Creatures
🩸Multi POVs

EVIL DOES NOT DIE. IT SEEKS VENGEANCE.

The queen and her friends threw me into the dark pit three years ago, and I sought a way out, having used the power and life force of the others who were also thrown in. Today, I am free and planning my vengeance against her and the others.

In a supernatural world filled with vampires, werewolves, witches, demons, and angels, I will have my revenge against them. I am the epitome of evil and didn’t die like they thought. There’s a third prophecy with a nice little catch! This prophecy is meant for me; my revenge will turn the tables on the queen and her friends. I will turn them all against her, and according to the prophecy, the avenging angel be mine. Forever. As for the others, they will serve me.

It’s time for me to rise, beginning with the birth of a new hunter, new demons, and an angel that will be mine. Vengeance against the queen will be mine.

Rise of the Hunter is the fourth book in the Blood Prophecy series and is the first book of a new trilogy for the Tall Dark Man. It is full of dark magic and vengeance with a twist of good vs. evil but will good win this time? This supernatural book is set in the modern-day world between supernaturals to control the world and unleash evil as the world prepares for peace.

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Books 1-3

Excerpt
The Tall Dark Man called forth his witches of great power. He called upon their spirits, regardless of flesh and blood. He owned their souls, and because of that, they lived to serve only him. Thirteen powerful witches stood before him. His coven. Tapping his right fingers on the stone armrest of his throne, his left hand cradled his chin. His chin, left crooked from falling in the pit, never straightened and distorted his face. As he looked over towards his coven of dark witches, he watched them as they bowed in reverence to him.

“My coven. I call upon you to create an army of demons from that stone. It is the oldest stone and can be bent to obey my will. Create this army using that stone as it holds the strongest and hottest fire in the world. It is a volcano fire. Give this army strength, cunning, and power, for it will have to rise against the queen, the angel Zaraquel, and the witch. This army can’t be destroyed except by one word. I will give you that word when it is time.”

The witches stood whispering in front of him. One of them dared to speak.

“And what names shall we give these demons? To know one’s name is to command it.”

“When the demons are ready, I shall name them myself. This way, there is only one master. Do you remember Krieg, the Stone Demon? These need to be even more vicious. Krieg was the perfect Stone Demon, but a vampire and his witch wife destroyed him. Raise my army or suffer my wrath. When you have succeeded, I have more tasks for you in the days ahead.”

The same outspoken witch came to the Tall Dark Man and bowed to him. “Yes, lord. Your wish is our command.”

He saw all the witches standing before him, bow in servitude, and retreat to create his army. However, the Tall Dark Man summoned one witch back to him. She was a dark-skinned woman, and he admired her beauty. She was one of his favorites because, despite her physical age, he ensured her youth and beauty. The witch would lie with many men and bear their children, instructing all of them about dark magic, and causing speculations during the trials. He saved her after her time in jail by replacing her with a demon molded into her image. The Tall Dark Man wasn’t about to let anything happen to his witch after the Salem Trials. Not as strong as his sweet Elizabeth Hexham… Her loins bore him many demon sons and daughters.

She asked, “Will we create stone demons, or will there be more?”

The Tall Dark Man smiled and shifted his position on his throne. Motioning her to come forward, he grabbed her breasts and titillated them, stimulating her body in response to him. He watched her close her eyes and sway her hips, spreading herself open to him. His witches knew his needs and when to service him. This was one of those times… He grabbed her hair and pulled her head back, her back arched.

“You, my sweet Tituba, shall give birth to a hunter. A hunter whose only purpose is to kill the queen and bring me the avenging angel. He will rise from your womb. He will kill the queen and her pets and bring their lifeless bodies to me so that the coven can raise them from the dead and command them to serve me. Only the angel will be left alone.”

Tituba nodded and replied, “I am honored, master. Will this hunter succeed? The last failed miserably, and you were in a terrible rage of anger.”

Scratching his chin, he thought for a moment and answered her. “Yes, because through him, all the demons and beings that serve me will follow his command while he is on his mission. He won’t be alone. Be calm. I won’t make that mistake again. Now, concentrate on something else, my sweet.” Then, he covered her with his body and implanted his seed into her womb.

About the Author
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Barb Jones is an award-winning supernatural thriller/horror author, living in Florida. While she is an accomplished IT professional by day, she fulfills her passion for writing supernatural thrillers by night. Born and raised in Hawaii, Barb deeply connects to legends, the supernatural, and all things that go bump into night. Her Hawaiian heritage plays a significant part in a lot of her writing. Her family roots return to Ancient Hawaii, involving a royal lineage and being descended from a long line of kahunas.

Twitter: @Blood_Prophecy1 @RRBookTours1 #RRBookTours

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Author Anecdote: PNR Author Barb Jones - I'm the Queen of Blind Dates!

Let’s see…. here’s a funny story. I’m the Queen of Bad Blind Dates. In a weird way, I enjoy them. But this one really took the cake. So, I’m working over in the Miami area and decided while I am here, I might as well kickstart my dating life again. I mean, after all, I’m divorced for a long time, so let’s get the show started. Well, I used one of the in-person matchmaking services. I was set up on a blind date. We decided to get together at a well-known steakhouse restaurant and dress up a bit. It started off as fun, interesting but then it got weirder. We ordered; all is going well. I mean he was cute, smart and it was like it was going to be something wonderful. Maybe we will see each other after this date.

Me – I like steak so I ordered that. He ordered his meal. Before I could even pick up my knife and fork, he took my plate and started to cut my food. Literally cut my food! I think the idea of me being 100% ladylike went out the window. I stood up, and said “What on earth do you think you are doing?” He told me that he thought it would be appropriate to cut my steak. Again, not realizing how loud my voice carried. “Do I look like I have broken arms? Or better do I look like I am two?” Finding our server, I asked them to pack my meal to go, add a dessert. Then my wonderful date (using the term lightly here) said, “I also ordered milk for you while you were in the bathroom.” I told him thank you, but I am lactose intolerant. I told the server to put my half on my own check and tried to get out of there fast. Like I said, I am the Queen of Bad Blind Dates.

I’m still waiting for the Prince Charming who won’t cut my steak!

“That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.”

Queen’s Ascension (Blood Prophecy Book Three)
by Barb Jones
August 17, 2020
Genre: Paranormal
Publisher: World Castle
ISBN: 9781953271013
ISBN: 9781953271020
ASIN: B08DKK66PM
Number of pages: 236 pages
Word Count: 86107 words
Cover Artist: Steven J. Catizone
Bloodshed. Heartbreak. Revelation.

When the darkness was compelling and the heart knew no bounds, was there really a right choice? With Michael’s life hanging in the balance, Amber had a choice: save her star-fated love or keep on the crusade to unite the magical community.

For Amber, her fate was sealed even before her birth and it was her destiny to fight the great battle ahead of her. But, when it came to her heart -- her friends, her great love -- Amber’s torn. Not only was she the Queen, but she was a human in every sense of the word. She was vulnerable. And so the very people -- Chloe and Michael -- that gave her strength, quickly became her weakness. It wasn’t her fault she loved too much, was it?

Nevertheless, the Tall Dark Man had set a plan in motion that could threaten the very existence of the Blood Prophecy. Would he gather his dark forces and succeed in destroying Amber once and for all? Or, would she assemble her powerful friends and save the world?

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Excerpt: 

Malakai, Seattle, Present Day 
With the betterment of both Michael and Rae, Malakai was glad that they were well and fine; nevertheless, he needed some time to decompress. All the magical commotions that had occurred were too overwhelming for him. He needed some sort of release. 
He enjoyed the brisk jog in the park, as he cut through the sharp wind of the cold night. But this did nothing to lift his spirits. He was happy that Amber’s smile finally met her eyes. That was all he’d ever wanted for her: happiness, that’s it. There was nothing more he could ask for—she was his priority. Yet, in the back of his mind, as in his heart, he couldn’t help but believe the ancient legend that he’d heard so long ago was the certifiable truth, as it was written in Eschmun’s scroll. 
…her fate is tied to the true alpha of the wolves. A blood drinker will stand formidable, but it is the nature of the child to call upon the true alpha and bring him to the queen’s inner heart. 
Could this be the truth? he often wondered as he traveled the world collecting artifacts and evidence supporting this notion. Yes, he’d crafted a reliquary, quite accidentally, and people assumed it was to keep the magic insulated, away from the humans. But that wasn’t the case, at least not for him. He so wanted to believe, just from the sheer fact that it was said in the scroll. But Malakai was a man of logic, driven by cold hard data. Although wanting to romanticize that his destiny was tied with Amber’s, he needed confirmation. He wanted validation for the strong emotions he was feeling. 

*** 

Zaraquel, Seattle, Present Day 
Walking the cemetery grounds as she so often did without the knowledge of her parents, Zaraquel wandered at a leisurely pace. She whipped out her phone and checked the time, which read midnight. Her brow quirked in confusion, as she had expected Loquiel some time ago. With her long hair styled in two braids and her bright red coat to keep her warm, she sat down on a bench. 
She was elated that her best friend, other than the one that was currently running late, was alive and breathing. Rae had given Zaraquel a terrible fright, for she had never known the death of someone close to her heart. She shook, not from the cold, but from remembering the tragic vision she had of Rae’s demise. 
A throaty growl awoke her from her thoughts. She heard the fast footfalls of someone, something, running toward her, and she put her fight training to use. Zaraquel spun around, so much so that her wings unfurled. But that did not deter the undead man from attacking her. His decaying flesh was a sight she instantly wished she could unsee, but she had to fulfill her duty and protect the people, which meant ridding the world of this monster. 
She punched him in the stomach as her father had taught her, but that did nothing to stop him from throwing his fists at her. She dodged his poor attempts at aiming for her and grabbed his arm, twisting him around so he fell to his knees. Her weight on his back caused the corpse to fall to the ground. It growled in anger, shaking its head savagely, as if it couldn’t wait to get back to its feet. Zaraquel, however, had plans of her own. She stood briefly to step on his neck to keep him from moving, and whispered a spell she’d learned from a book. 
“Capite obtruncato intestinisque extractis.” 
She heard the cracking of his bones, the stretching of his skin; with a pop! his head flew off, gore spattering in every direction. His body went limp, as it was before he had risen from the ground. 
Zaraquel sighed in frustration as she walked off, disappointed from another unnecessary and unjustified kill. She continued to walk the grounds and felt a rush of warm wind, the kind she felt every time Loquiel was near. She turned and there he was, right behind her.

About the Author:
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Barb Jones was born in Hawaii, a place rich with culture and storytellers. As a little girl, scary tales about vampires, werewolves, angels, demons, and witches were her favorite kind — much to her mother's dismay. Her love for the supernatural never went away, even after moving to Seattle, far from Hawaii's majestic beaches with unusual colors. Despite the unmatched beauty in Hawaii, Seattle stole Barb’s heart and it’s here where her stories took on a new form, in a book of her own: The Adventures of Little Arthur and Merlin the Magnificent.

Then, the idea for The Blood Prophecy came while she was sleeping. In a dream, Barb saw a unique storyline involving all the races and an epic battle of good versus evil. It was a modern-day plot with a three-thousand-year-old prophecy, The Blood Prophecy. Barb finished the first book in 2014, The Queen's Destiny. Two years later, she released The Queen's Enemy, and the third book in the series, The Queen's Ascension, arrives on August 17, 2020.

She is not only a paranormal thriller author but an IT professional and mother of two fantastic children. Today, she resides in Florida but is still a Seattle girl at heart.

Top 10 quotes from Blood Prophecy Two: Queen’s Enemy by Barb Jones (Book Tour)

Thank you I Smell Sheep for having me on your blog today. I am pretty excited about being here and being able to share with my fans and future fans, my top ten quotes from Blood Prophecy Two: Queen’s Enemy.

My favorite quotes from the book all have a special meaning to me. Each quote shows a vigilance in character, such as lust, strength, justice, vengeance and purpose to say the list. In addition, each quote is from one of the strong characters, whether it be Amber, Michael, Chloe, Kabos, Malakai, Marcus or any of the others. Together, they possess the feelings that we only dream of.

I won’t dive into all the ten quotes, unless you really want me to but let’s talk about some of them. The first quote about how Amber’s lips hypnotize Michael. All women want to hear that from their man, no doubt about it. It brings a sense of lust and love that happens between a man and a woman. The second quote on the list describes the child coming to the Queen. That only signifies purpose. We all have a purpose whether we realize it or not. Every member of the human race has a purpose to play or serve in our existence. Nursing mothers serve a purpose for the baby to eat, right? It’s all about your life having meaning and purpose. I just tied it to a prophecy involving the supernatural.

As you can tell, each quote means something. And really, I write the books to have their own interpretation or meaning to each person. I hope you enjoy reading the quotes and let the words’ meanings come to you. Each character can be someone you relate to or even all of them! That’s the beauty of Blood Prophecy!

1. “You know, Amber, I cannot imagine a world without you. You have become the Queen we need, yet you are still a young vampire. Your lips hypnotize me,” he said in a low whisper as his lips brushed her ear.

2. “The child will come to the Queen once the blood path of birth has been chosen. She will either undo the Queen or be the sceptre of all reconciliation. The child will be born when the yellow moon turns to the color of blood. Hear and mark the words of the Queen. The child’s path is predestined upon the choice of the Chosen Witch. The hour of reconciliation is coming and the path needs to be chosen. Now.”

3. Son, there is a prophecy that has been wielded. A foretelling of events to come. I was a young boy before my birthmark made me take my true place. I am to make the one who will start the revelation that will lead the True One to find the Queen. I learned to read the stars and the stars pointed me to you. You are the True One. And now you must learn to be who you were meant to be.

4. “The girl with the red hair is coming. She’s a lady and very pretty. She’s the one I am going to be friends with.”

5. This Child of Prophecy is no ordinary child, as you know, her birth was foretold many centuries ago, she came into this world a great force for good against the powers of evil. Zaraquel,” and then he nodded at Marcus, “an apt name for such a precious child is an Avenging Angel.

Her destiny is to destroy the powers of evil, and she’ll never rest until they are destroyed. She has been reincarnated many times, and has always battled evil, this time she reincarnated with her full powers. When she comes to maturity there will be nothing on Earth that can stop her.

6. “They will face the red werewolves of hell,” said Jacob.

7. In a low, deep voice he said, “Let’s go back. The night was just getting lively.” He said. “What are we? We’ve got an armored tank practically, full of vampires. What do we look like? I’m not running from no zombies,” he said in a thick Russian accent. “They just took us by surprise. Let’s take them by surprise.” He said with a dark glower on his face.

8. “As an Avenging Angel, Zaraquel’s role is to bring justice to this world. While she is a baby her wings will remain pure and white, but in her role as an Avenging Angel, with her first justified kill, and she will kill to bring balance to an imbalanced world, her wings will become blood-red after her first kill. After her tenth kill, they will become midnight-black. This will indicate that she has become an Executioner of the Highest Order, a true Avenging Angel, bent on bringing justice to the world.”

9. “You are my witch, my One. Through you, the ages will pass. A line of witches will disembark on the earth.”

10. “Chloe, I Love You. You are my Heart and Soul and I Pledge to Keep You and Our Baby Safe for Eternity.”

Blood Prophecy Two: Queen's Enemy
By Barb Jones

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When you are in love with the one you fear and hate the most, it leaves you no options. How can you fight her, protect her, when all it would do is leave you in pieces?

Amber and Chloe are pulled deeper in the Prophecy that revealed itself at the moment they became friends. Michael is pulled into different directions. One to love and protect his Queen or to join forces with the Vampire Hunter and kill the Queen before the Blood Prophecy is revealed. His choie along with the birth of the Child from a vampire and witch marks the intensity of the Blood Prophecy. Once the child is born, the path of the prophecy is laid out and Amber must obey that path.

Could she unite the races or destroy them all with the child?

About the Author:

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Barb wrote her first paranormal novel when she discovered that it was time to create a new novel that would bring vampires back to their true glory and grace of drinking blood. Since then, her love for vampires spread across witches, werewolves, and zombies and she likes to think that her storytelling ability has helped redeem the race. After earning her Bachelors' degree in Political Science at Central Washington University and her Master's degree in Information Technology with Keller Graduate School, she continues to utilize those skills as an IT Manager. Her true passion is through her writing of various novels including the Blood Prophecy Series, Little Arthur and Merlin the Magnificent Series, Dingy the Dinosaur Series, a new series involving Zombies, and poetry. Though Barb was born and raised in Hawaii, she will always be a Seattle girl at heart. She currently resides in FL with her two biggest fans, her children.