Whisper of Darkness (Banshee's Curse Book) Dark Fantasy Romance by Kristen Braddock ➱ Promotional Tour with Giveaway
Whisper of Darkness
Banshee's Curse Book 1
by Kristen Braddock
Genre: Dark Fantasy, Paranormal Romance
Cara Winters is cursed.
Loss has haunted her through life. A fun night out with her sister ends in disaster when she learns she's a banshee. With a chance encounter and life debt owed, she's coerced into a deadly competition in the far realm. To survive she finds an unlikely ally in Killian, a mysterious and prickly dark fae.
The only way to win and get back to Earth is using her powers, but doing so may unravel her to the point of no return.
Perfect for fans of fated mates, enemies to lovers, complicated & diverse characters, slow burn romance, and celtic folklore. Suggested for ages 15+ due to some language and violence.
**From June 7-21, 100% of my profits will go to Foundations of Divergent Minds (instead of the usual 10%), a nonprofit founded and run by autistic people for disability justice!**
“You shouldn’t be here, little rabbit,” he purrs.
His obnoxious nickname for me breaks my trance. ““I am. Not. A rabbit.” With murder in my eyes, I poke him in his hard chest with each word.
His hand envelops mine, stopping my physical assault, but not my verbal one.
“I’m not some defenseless animal that needs taking care of! Stop acting like you need to save me. I never asked for your help. In fact, I explicitly told you not to help me. So, stop it, and stop treating me like I’m some distressed, helpless pet!”
“You do not know the nightmarish creatures that live in this land.”
“Oh, yeah? Like you?” I throw the truth he admitted in the second trial in his face. I expect him to flinch, but instead he yanks my hand.
I tumble forward, using my other hand to brace myself against his muscular chest. My shocked expression meets his stern one.
“Yes, exactly like me,” he sneers. He leans forward to whisper in my ear. “I am a Púca, a fae made of your worst fears.” As he speaks he transforms.
________________
Leather clings to his large, muscular frame. He turns my way. A hood covers a majority of his face with only a frown peeking from the bottom.
I stare wide eyed at him.
The man from the bar pulls his hands from his ears and looks at his blood coated fingers. A trickle of blood dribbles from his ear to his chin.
The man in black faces my assailant. His right hand reaches over his shoulder, and metal rings through the air as he unsheathes a sword.
Who the hell casually carries a sword on their back? Is there a convention in town? I pale at the high pitched wail in my head.
With sudden awareness, my attacker lifts his face to check his surroundings. Upon seeing the new addition to the alley, he jumps, fumbling onto his back before scuttling backwards like a crab.
Frozen in place, my fingers dig into my thighs as the man with the sword takes a swing towards him. I cover my mouth in horror as blood spills from the man’s neck. His body goes limp and there’s a small thud as his back hits the tarmac.
___________________________
“I need you to look at me because I need you to hear what I have to say,”
I raise my head to see his beautiful face illuminated by the fire, only a foot away.
His eyes search mine as he speaks. “I know darkness. I am darkness. I turn into someone’s worst nightmare. But you… you’re goodness. You’re someone who understands the dark, who has walked in it, but it allows you to bring light into the world. You’re someone who stands up for the weak and those who are hurt. You find strength where others would crumble.”
“But… my powers,” I sniffle.
He leans closer to me until our breath mingles. “Your powers may be about death, but you can use them to prevent heartache before it begins. To forewarn before the end has occurred. Nothing is set in stone until it has already passed.”
______________________
Killian takes three long strides and drops to one knee in front of me.
In the distance, the battle still rages, but the sounds barely reach me.
He grips my face in his hands and pulls it up until I look at him. His amber eyes search mine. His features are hard and the scowl doesn’t leave when he speaks. “Why aren’t you fighting?”
My tongue is as useful as a lead weight in my mouth. Why was he asking me this? Why did he care? The only person in any world that cares about me is back on Earth and probably thinks I’m dead. It would be so much easier if it were true.
His eyes bore into mine, looking into my soul. It’s like he can see every thought and feeling while words fail me.
There’s a ripple in my chest, but it dissipates when Killian jumps up and leaps over my head. Metal clings together at my back, but I simply sit there while the world unfocuses around me.
Another opponent runs at me, using Killian’s distraction to take their opportunity to end me.
I imagine Shay screaming at me from the stands. I’m sure if I listen closely enough I would hear his curses for me to fight, to win. My small sword sits beside me. I don’t remember when I dropped it. All I need to do is pick it up and block. A technique he ingrained into me, something we practiced hundreds of times. I stare at it, willing my hands to move and grab it, but the need evaporates.
It’s better this way. If Cadan can’t get his wish, I don’t deserve to win either. In the end, my curse will always be what wins, and it’s about time it takes me.
A thud sounds from behind me, and within seconds Killian is upon the fae in front. In his act of desperation, he isn’t as careful this time. When he runs across their front, he slices their neck so fast the person doesn’t have time to respond. Blood gurgles from the wound as the body crumples to the ground.
Another death, but the ringing in my head hasn’t stopped.
At least it was a quick death.
“Get up,” Killians demands from above me.
My blank stare grazes his silhouette.
“Get. Up.” He grabs me from under my arm and hauls me to my feet.
I trip into him.
He catches me around the waist.
A male fae with pointed ears, battle leathers, and a long sword heads straight for us, but with Killian’s back turned he doesn’t see him.
No. I can’t lose anyone else. I may not care what happens to me, but I can’t stomach anything happening to Killian. I shove him to the side, sticking my foot behind his ankle so he falls to the ground so he can’t intervene.
Can you, for those who don't know you already, tell something about yourself and how you became an author? I have written since I was six years old, which I feel many authors find their initial interest at a young age. My two passions in life have always been writing stories and the ocean. I became a SCUBA instructor and work as a Marine Science teacher, so I figured it was time to pursue my other passion in life. Last year, I finished a novel I started in college, and after falling down an indie author rabbit hole during 2020, I committed to becoming an author. I don’t want to live my life with a “what if” hanging over my head. I have always made choices based on what I will regret the least, and I knew if I never pursued publishing a book it would be something I’d regret. So, voila! An author I became! I don’t have expectations to make millions as an author, but I know when all is said and done I will have given it my all. Talking with my readers about moments they love, characters they enjoy, or fan theories is so unbelievably exciting and something I truly relish.
What is something unique/quirky about you? After college, I sold everything I owned, paid off my student loans, and left the United States to live abroad for two years, including England, Indonesia, and Belize. The last is where I met my partner, and he loved me enough to move back to states while I attended graduate school. Also, if you were to add all my scuba dives together, I will have spent roughly 3.5-4 months of my life underwater.
Tell us something really interesting that's happened to you! Any of my “interesting” things will probably be ocean based. How about one of the many times I got to dive with wild dolphins? Or one of the times an octopus reached out its tentacle to touch my finger like a perfect rendition of E.T.? I’ve had to kick a shark in the nose before because it got a little too aggressive, but I don’t like telling this story because I already hate how fearful of sharks people are, which has led us to slaughtering 90% of them. So, perhaps the times I’ve pet sharks while they swam by me or were asleep in the sand? Sea turtles have startled me more than anything because they will swim right into you without a care in the world. Honestly, I can talk about the ocean and my experiences for hours. Feel free to find me on any social media (facebook, instagram, tiktok) and I will happily tell you all the fun stories!
Where were you born/grew up at? I was born in California, but moved to the East coast near my 2ns birthday. I spent my childhood in a rural town in Maryland with five and a half acres, horses, and running through the woods playing with the fairies that lived there. I moved back to Southern California one week before high school started, and have been on the West Coast ever since (more less, if we disclude my travel years and when I lived on Kauai), so I consider myself “bi-coastal.”
If you knew you'd die tomorrow, how would you spend your last day? SCUBA diving, spending time with loved ones, and binging on all my favorite foods.
Who is your hero and why? Sylvia Earle because she is one of the first female marine scientists who helped change the game with deep sea diving. Also, she’s a huge proponent for ocean conservation and is a general bad a**. (Am I allowed to say that?) In terms of writing, Annette Marie is an absolutely amazing indie fantasy author who creates such intricate and realistic worlds that I’m blown away by her books every time. OR Audrey Grey, another amazing indie fantasy author, and I’m obsessed with her morally grey characters, and character development is **chefs kiss**.
What kind of world ruler would you be? A terrible one, I’m sure. I have no interest in being a world ruler. I am NOT the chosen one and I’m perfectly fine with that.
What are you passionate about these days? Writing, teaching, the ocean, traveling. Not much has changed since I was a kid it seems. When it comes to pure passion, to where I feel it deep in my gut of something I want to do…
For writing, it’s bringing diversity to the fantasy genre. I’m not only talking about racial diversity, but neurodiveristy, gender diversity, physical diversity, sexual orientation diversity. We live in a complex world where humans greatly differ from one another in so many ways, so why should a fantasy world be any different? On top of that, I want to give back to these communities I aim to represent in my novels, so not only do I hire sensitivity readers for narratives I am not familiar with, but I donate 10% of my profits to various non-profits. For Banshee’s Curse, since one of the main side characters has autism, I am donating to Foundations of Divergent Minds. It’s run by autistic people, not parents of autistic people, and has a staff highly composed of BIPOC and LGBTQ+ people too.
In teaching, my other profession when I’m not writing books, I’m passionate about getting teachers training beyond the subjects they teach or classroom management. I truly believe teachers are not only there to teach a topic, but often wind up as mentors and are on the forefront if a student is having a rough time. I want to know teachers have the right tools to handle those difficult situations in order to best support students, and I want to be sure students are getting the correct initial support too.
What do you do to unwind and relax? Read. Watch movies/tv shows/anime. Anything that is story telling I love. Otherwise I’m fairly outdoorsy. Hiking with my pups, camping, fishing, diving are all activities I love too.
Describe yourself in 5 words or less! Empathetic. Driven. Oddball. Loyal. Mermaid.
When did you first consider yourself a writer? Probably in college. I was initially a Creative Writing major before I changed to a Biology major. Sometimes it can be hard to consider yourself a writer, but I made a distinction between “writer” and “author”, and it helped me embrace the former.
Which of your novels can you imagine made into a movie? Any of them! Although, my YA mermaid novel may be difficult without the entire thing being CGI. But you never know with today’s technology!
As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal? First, I wouldn’t use the word ‘spirit animal’ due to cultural appropriation and I’m not Native. However, my mascot/avatar would most likely be a dolphin. It sounds cliche with my love for the ocean, but I’m generally energetic, I would fight for my family/loved ones, and my brain is always running on full power. These are all characteristics I associate with dolphins. Fun fact! Dolphins sleep with only half of their brain at a time. In Hawaii, if you find spinner dolphins close to shore, with only a couple of dolphins spinning on the outskirts of the pod, they are actually sleeping and the ones jumping out of the water are trying to herd the others. Also, they’ll twist to the side to watch underneath them with the side that’s “on” in order to look for predators, and being over sandy bottoms it’s easier to do this because the predators will stick out more. I worked as a SCUBA instructor in Kauai before moving back to California to teach high school science, thus the random knowledge.
Characters and their worlds have inundated Kristen's mind since she was a kid. Traveling to far off places and having words on a piece of paper transform into entire scenes pulling at her emotions is an obsession.
Her goal as a fantasy author isn't solely to relish in her imagination, but to bring representation to this genre. She wants stories with characters who are diverse inside and out. Their differences are not the focal point of the story, but rather a natural part of their being. Due to this, you will often not only find characters of varying ethnicities, but of the LGBTQ+ community, who battle diseases, are neuroatypical, and plenty of other areas that make us all so different from each other. These are not their defining qualities. It's simply a part of who they are. To further support these communities, Kristen donates 10% of her profits to various organizations.
When Kristen isn't cooped up on her computer or curled up with a book, she is often outdoors-- hiking, snorkeling, diving, camping, etc.
Currently, she resides in California with her husband and fur babies (two dogs and a cat).
Signed paperback + Swag Pack (1 winner, US only),
$15 Amazon giftcard (1 winner, WW),
ebook of Whisper of Darkness (5 winners, WW)
Join us for the Promotional Tour with Guest Post & #Giveaway
#whisperofdarkness #dark #fantasy #paranormal #romance #kindleunlimted #kristenbraddock
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