Black Friday: O Come, All Ye Horsemen (and Angels) by Larissa Ione (+Contest)

Larissa Ione

Black Friday 2013Black Friday is here and we’re discussing the season with Larissa Ione’s Reaver from Reaver.

WARRIOR OF HEAVEN
Reaver is an angel with a past, a record, and a less-than-heavenly attitude. Powerful enough to fight alongside the fiercest battle angels-and crazy enough to risk his wings on a one-way mission to hell-he’s agreed to go where no angel has ever gone before . . . to steal the most seductive and dangerous prize of Satan himself.

ANGEL OF HELL
Harvester is one of the Fallen, a once-heroic angel who sacrificed her wings to work as an undercover agent in hell. But now her cover has been blown, and she’s doomed to an eternity of agonizing torture. Even if Reaver can snatch her away from Satan’s lair, even if they can fight their way out of the underworld’s darkest depths, there is one thing Harvester can never escape-her newfound thirst for an angel’s blood . . .

Make sure you stick around to the end. We’ll be giving away a tote bag full of swag and goodies.
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O Come, All Ye Horsemen (and Angels)

LIone-ReaverReaver had watched every modern holiday evolve from their very beginnings in primitive times to their current traditions and peculiarities, but he’d never celebrated the one known as Christmas.

Oh, he’d been to holiday parties and he’d been invited to gatherings held by his friends, but he’d always felt like an intruder. Even last year, after learning that the legendary beings known as the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse were his offspring, he’d avoided spending much time with them at Christmas. He didn’t have a clue how he was supposed to act. What he was supposed to do.

How he could make up for five thousand years of being absent on every birthday, every holiday, every freaking important event in their lives?

But this year something inside him craved closeness. And forgiveness.

Because what if he never had the chance to celebrate with his children — and grandchildren — again?

He strode through the fourth insanely chaotic shopping mall of the day, his head spinning at the noise, the lights, the crowds of people who wouldn’t get out of his way. It was as if they were intentionally running into him and blocking his path.

This was just stupid. He had no idea what to buy people who had everything — or, at least, access to everything. Ares, Limos, Thanatos, and Reseph were all wealthy beyond wealthy, so what could Reaver possibly buy them that they didn’t already have?

Shit.

He entered a clothing store, ducked behind a rack of coats, and flashed to Eidolon’s apartment. Which was almost as bad as the malls.

Holiday music played from inside the living room, and the scent of pine trees and gingerbread wafted through the air. Stockings, garland, and various cheery decor took up nearly every inch of wall and floor space. Reaver figured that if Santa Clause exploded, the result would look like…this.

Not that Reaver could blame Tayla for her enthusiastic decorating style; she’d grown up in foster homes and had never truly had a Christmas until she mated Eidolon. Now she made sure their son would never have anything but a happy, fun-filled holiday.

The Seminus demon was in the kitchen, his hands encased by surgical gloves as he carefully put together a ham and cheese sandwich with surgical precision. The doctor performed every task as if it were a vital operation.

“You going to cut that with a scalpel?” Reaver asked.

Startled, Eidolon fumbled the mayonnaise lid. “Damn you, Reaver,” he muttered. “Stop doing that. We have a door. With a knocker and everything.”

“Angels don’t use doors.” Sure, he could have knocked, but…nah. “And why are you wearing gloves?”

“Because I love horseradish, but it melts my fingernails.” He smashed a piece of wheat bread on top of his sandwich.

Huh. He learned something new about Eidolon’s species every day. “Where’s Tayla?”

“She took Sabre to do some last minute shopping. Apparently, toddlers need elf suits for pictures.”

Reaver wished her luck with that. The malls were like corrals, the shoppers like stampeding bulls. “That’s sort of why I’m here. The shopping.”

Eidolon plucked a beer from the fridge and offered one to Reaver, which he refused. “Let me guess. You’re clueless what to get people who have everything.”

Reaver didn’t bother asking E how he’d known that. The doctor had always been freakishly astute. “Yep.”

“Then give them something only you can give them.”

Okay, he supposed he could bring them something from the Heavenly realm, but that seemed too easy. After five thousand years of being an absentee parent, his kids deserved something better. Something more meaningful.

Something they could keep to remember him if someday he was no longer around. Not that he was planning to leave.

But he had a grim feeling that soon, leaving might be out of his control. He had unfinished business, and her name was Harvester.

The fact that Harvester was being held for eternity in Satan’s dungeons complicated that business and left Reaver unsure about his future.

So for now, in the immediate present, he had to dedicate every moment to his family. A family he wished he could have gotten to know a long time ago.

A long time ago…the answer to his gifting problem knocked him upside the head. Grinning, he thanked Eidolon, who just shrugged and bit into his sandwich as Reaver flashed to the one person who could help him.

The next morning, he filled a duffel with wrapped presents — most of them for Thanatos’s son, Logan, and Cara and Ares’ adopted Ramreel son, Rath — and popped over to Thanatos’s Greenland castle. Like Eidolon’s apartment, the massive keep was a winter wonderland, complete with a twenty-foot tall blue spruce loaded with ornaments and lights.

Limos, Cara, and Regan were on the floor with the kids, Jillian and Reseph were feeding a two-hundred-pound hellhound puppy a cookie, and Ares, Thanatos, and Arik were standing around a bowl of eggnog, their glasses overflowing.

“Aw, Reavie-weavie brought presents!” Limos scrambled to her feet — as well as she could, considering she was pregnant — and threw her arms around him. He’d always loved when she called him that, even if he rolled his eyes and muttered obscenities.

“Whatcha got in the bag?” Reseph asked.

“You’ll see in a second.” Reaver waited until Limos detached herself from him, and then he dumped the contents of his bag into a pile on the floor near the tree. He gave Logan and Rath each a package, and then dug through the rest of the gifts until he found the four boxes he’d been looking for.

While the two little ones ripped enthusiastically into the paper, Reaver passed out a present to each of the Horsemen.

Just like the children, Limos, Ares, Reseph, and Thanatos tore into their packages. And then they looked as confused as hell.

Limos looked down at her crudely-made gold pendant, while Ares stared, baffled, at the primitive copper-bladed dagger lying in the box he held. Thanatos ran a finger along the edge of his flintstone spearhead, and just as Reaver anticipated, it was Reseph who spoke first.

“Cool. I got a cereal bowl made out of mud.” He glanced over at Reaver. “Ah…thank you?”

Reaver inclined his head. “You’re welcome.”

“This is—” Limos broke off with a strangled wheeze. “Oh my God,” she breathed. “These are ancient, but they’re not…old. They’re new.”

Thanatos frowned. “Wait. What? They’re replicas?” He held his arrowhead up to the light. “This looks like something my clan would have used when I was a kid.”

“It is,” Reaver said softly. “They’re not replicas.” Every pair of eyes in the room locked onto him, and he suddenly wondered if he’d screwed up. His gifts were lame, weren’t they? Shit. Feeling like a fool, he sighed. “I didn’t know what to get you, so I went to a friend named Lilliana. She’s one of only a handful of angels who can — and is allowed to — time travel. I asked her to get you the kinds of things I would have given you if I’d known you back when you were young.” Regret sat in his belly like a lump of fruitcake. “It was dumb, I know.”

“No,” Limos whispered, her amethyst eyes glistening. “It’s amazing.”

Ares whistled. “No shit. I haven’t seen one of these in, well, eons.”

Duuuuude.” Reseph looked down at his bowl with new appreciation, and Reaver swore he cradled it more carefully.

A moment later, Thanatos, who rarely expressed affection, strode over and embraced Reaver hard enough to knock the air from his lungs. As he pulled away, he was replaced by Ares, and then Reseph, and finally, Limos.

“Best present ever,” she murmured against his chest. “Thank you. I’m so glad it was you. Of everyone in the universe, we got you for a dad.”

Reaver’s eyes burned and his throat clogged solid with emotion. So this…this was Christmas.

He’d never celebrated before, but now he knew he didn’t want to miss another one.

And if he could help it, he never would.
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Meet Larissa Ione!

Air Force veteran Larissa Ione traded in a career as a meteorologist to pursue her passion of writing. She now spends her days in pajamas with her computer, strong coffee, and supernatural worlds. She believes in celebrating everything, and would never be caught without a bottle of Champagne chilling in the fridge…just in case. She currently lives in Wisconsin with her U.S. Coast Guard husband, her teenage son, a rescue cat named Vegas, and her very own hellhound, a King Shepherd named Hexe.

Larissa IoneContact Info: Website | Blog | Facebook | TwitterGoodReads | Pinterest

Want to purchase Larissa’s novels?
Demonica / Lords of Deliverance

  1. Pleasure Unbound
  2. Desire Unchained
  3. Passion Unleashed
  4. Ecstasy Unveiled
  5. Sin Undone
  6. Eternal Rider
  7. Immortal Rider
  8. Lethal Rider
  9. Rogue Rider
  10. Reaver

Apocalypse: The Lords of Deliverance Compendium

Moonbound Clan Vampires

  1. Bound By Night
  2. Chained by Night (Aug 1, 2014)

Please help spread the word: Tweet: #BlackFriday is here. Celebrate the chaos with #holiday #stories and #contests by 26 authors (Nov29-Dec24) http://wp.me/p3SIUp-atz
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Contest Time!

Thank you Larissa for taking part in Literary Escapism’s Black Friday!

Here’s the a Rafflecopter widget for the $25 giftcard giveaway.

Larissa is giving away a tote bag full of swag and goodies. To enter, all you have to do is answer this one question: What gift would you give Reaver for the holidays? Remember, you must answer the question in order to be entered.

Even though I’m not giving the additional entries any more, you can still help support the author by sharing their article, and this contest, on your blog, Twitter, Facebook, or anywhere you can. After all, the more people who are aware of this fabulous author ensures we get more fabulous stories.

The winner must post a review of the novel someplace. Whether it is on their own blog, Amazon, GoodReads, LibraryThing or wherever, it doesn’t matter. Just help get the word out.

All Black Friday contests will remain open until December 31st at which time I’ll determine the winner with help from the snazzy new plug-in I have. Have you checked out the other Black Friday contests yet? Check out the Master List to see all the Black Friday giveaways

I have not been contacting winners, so you will need to check back to see if you’ve won.

About Jackie 3282 Articles
I am a 30-something SAHM with two adorable boys and a supportive husband who is very tolerant of my reading addiction. I love to read and easily go through about a dozen books a month – well I did before I had kids. Now, not so much. After my first son was born, I began to take my hobby of reviewing a little more serious and started Literary Escapism to help with my sanity. I love to discuss the fabulous novels I’ve read and meeting all the wonderful people in the book blogging community has been amazing.

25 Comments

  1. I would give Reaver pictures of his kids throughout the years. Since he isn’t allowed to go back in time and see for himself.

  2. Larissa is always amazing! Even with just a few short paragraphs she’s given us a fabulous treat.
    Reaver the only gift I could see for you…time with your family.

  3. Hmm I think I would get him a rustic bow and arrow set… Or maybe a dagger made of pure silver with the hilt engraved with rubies. Or both :) I don’t know. LOL I just think those things would be cool and special just for him. Love the story! It’s beautiful! Can’t wait until “Reaver” is released next week. :D

  4. I would give reaver access to all of his memories , even if I couldn’t give them back I would at least let him have access for a little while.

  5. This was cool. Loved the exchange at the end. What could I possibly give Reaver that he hasn’t already received from his long time friend? His children’s happiness meant everything in the world to him. He might not have been there for them in the past, but he is now and that’s what matters. But I love Melanie Simmons idea.

  6. I LOVE Larissa Ione’s books! Thank You for this Christmas story. I feel for Reaver. Gift giving is stressful and I wish there was a way for him to get to go back to one of their Christmas as children and spend it with them as a gift for him.

  7. Wow that is a hard one, what to give Reaver, I have 3 ideas so I will list them all. 1. A talisman to help protect him in his journeys. 2. See if there is a way he could glimpse the happy moments of his children growing up. 3. Give him a glimpse of his Happily Ever After that he can have if he does what he needs to do.

  8. What would I give Reaver for Xmas? Time with his family , his children and grandchildren. Time to make up for not being there when they were growing.

    What did you think about this characters experience during their holiday shopping? It was wonderful and made me smile. I love Reaver. Can’t wait for his book next week.

  9. Have read everything Larissa has written and have all of the paperbacks, Nona Croft, too. Loved the shopping excerpt. Cannot wait for Reaver. I empathized with his shopping issues….for sure!

  10. I would love to give Reaver , time that he missed with his family. Time together now to spend with is children and grandchildren.

    I love this story , it warmed my heart to see Reaver there for his family and that he was able to make their christmas a happy one.

    My comment didn’t show up said it was spam so if this one goes through delete the other one.

  11. Have read all of her books and on them all. I empathized with Reaver and shopping, for sure! Loved the story, thx!

  12. Reaver’s experience kind of sounds like how I would feel trying to go Black Friday shopping.

    I’d get Reaver one of those electronic picture frame that scrolls through digital pictures and it would be full of his kids and grandkids.

  13. I would love to time travel to shop… I think a few items from medival Scotland would make my day! :)
    I love Melanie’s idea of a trip back in time to visit each of the horseman as a child, but my idea would be kind of like a “mother’s ring” only it would be a dagger with a birthstone for each of them in the hilt!

  14. I would give Reaver the joy of being with his family and not having to worry about shopping for presents.

  15. This book sounds great from the excerpt. Ive never read your work before but Im most certainly interested now!!!!

  16. Each of his children give him a special object from there past along with a Reason to give him insight into his children’s lives

  17. I like Melanie’s idea except I would have a Christmas party for them to all get together and share stories and them make it where they could go back in time to those moments and see it together. So it would be like they shared special memories with Reaver.

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