Hard
Boiled: The Dragon Born Academy
Author:
T.L. Christianson
Title: Hard Boiled
Series: The Dragon Born Academy
Release
Date: February 24, 2020
Main
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Secondary
Genres: Contemporary Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Sweet
Romance, New Adult, Urban Fantasy, Mystery
Tropes: Love triangle, age gap, stuck together, coming of age
Spotify
Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0z9I1pZAvx4WLiHSXgddfZ
BOOK LINKS: (Although
this book will be available through Amazon, Kobo, Apple, Google, B&N,
Radish, Overdrive, Hoopla and many more, those links are unavailable at this
time.)
Universal:
https://books2read.com/HardBoiled
Amazon eBook: US
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08MCJH5XR
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55853812-hard-boiled
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:
Website
https://www.tlchristianson.com
Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/TLChristiansonpage/
Facebook Group Moroi Society:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/MoroiSociety/
Twitter
https://twitter.com/christianson_tl
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/tlchristiansonwrites/
BLURB:
A hidden world, secrets, love, betrayal…
and dragons.
Sydney Miller—Almost seventeen, unschooled
world traveler until the you-know-what hit the fan. Reality? Gone... yanked out from under me
like a cheap Ikea rug.
Here are the doozies I've learned since
coming to the Dragon Born Academy: Dragons exist in this whole other world! My
dad… not my dad. Also, bondmates exist. Yeah... I'm now bound to a heart-throb
Prince to the Dragonborn—Ashe Carrick. The only downside? He won't touch me,
and now he's told me to 'go live my life' - whatever that means!
I plan to forget him when I'm shipped off
to my grandparents at Briony, the Dragonborn base. But how can I forget Ashe
when he's right in front of me? I'm trying to resist his gorgeous baby blues
and focus on other more important things. Like George! The man who raised me is
here in the dungeon and he's the only one who has the answers I need about my
mom, her research and the dragon realm. According to him, she might be alive!
So this is my new obsession and I won't stop until I get to the bottom of it
all!
*
Ashe Carrick—Twenty-three, Lieutenant for
the Dragonborn Guard and the Elibera's hope to become Prime Leader of the
Dragonborn. I have a whole host of problems, but I can't stop thinking of
Sydney, the girl I'm bonded to. I've done my best to keep her at arm's length
but she's like a siren. One look from her heats my blood… rousing something
ancient and primal within me.
When our dragons bonded, I thought it was
fate. Then I found out how old she was! For the love of the ancestors! How did
I let this happen? Logic and reason ruled my life. I was a numbers guy—always
in control, but when it came to Syd… not so much. That's why I had to end
things.
Besides, I have a whole host of other
problems I'm dealing with at the Dragonborn base, Briony. The PL has gone
entirely off the rails and when George Miller is brought into lockdown, he
might have the evidence to bring PL Lambert down—if we can keep him alive.
EXCERPT – romance
I should've told Logan no, that there could
be no us.
Yes, we had a connection.
Yes, I was falling for him…
But Ashe was already living in my heart and
Logan was just a tourist.
EXCERPT - Ashe
I poured water over the long dragon scratch, trying to clean
away the rest of the dried blood and dirt. "What do I need to do to heal
you?"
"We need to face each other," Sydney said, twisting
around, keeping her makeshift covering in place.
Sitting between my bent legs, she looked so small and fragile. I
grabbed her feet and pulled them around my hips before drawing her closer. She
started to fall back with a cry, but I caught her arm, encircling her in my
arms.
"Okay," she whispered, gazing up at me, her shoulders
heaving with quickened breaths. "Put your hands on the sides of my face,
and…" she pulled my head down until our foreheads touched.
"Now what?" I breathed, my body aching at her
proximity, frustration boiling within me. My thoughts were all on her and none
of them were about healing.
"Keep your eyes closed and focus on pushing it into me."
"Oh, for the love of the ancestors!" I murmured under
my breath as I leaned away to meet her eye.
"Healing. Push healing through our connection!" She
said exacerbated.
I tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, "You're killing me,
you know that right?"
Her body heaved in an exacerbated sigh. "Are you going to
do it or not?"
I groaned, "Yes. I am… just stop saying things like that. You're
doing it on purpose."
She leaned back, "I am not! You're just all wound up! Maybe
I should've given you some alone time first."
"Shhhh…" I ordered, pulling her back in, half hoping she'd
drop her shirt, which she didn't. "I'm trying to heal you."
EXCERPT - Sydney
My mind zoned in and out of reality as wave after wave crashed
over me from the dragons.
I gazed up into the calm blue sky, vaguely aware when a shadow
blotted out the sun.
"Don't touch her!" This was Durand's voice, but I couldn't
understand why he would say that. "No! Corbin! No! Grab him! Hold him
down!"
Ashe was near. I felt him. Turning my head, I met his eyes as he
was forced down into the pine needles by three other soldiers in black.
"I was just trying to help…" Came the unfamiliar
voice.
Durand's snarl vaguely entered my thoughts, "Did I say to
pick him up and bring him to the girl? No. This is a dangerous situation. Look
at them. They're both wrapped up in the mating."
"Get off of me!" Ashe roared as he clawed at the dry
pine needle covered ground toward me.
"Hold him!" My uncle ordered again.
A wave of bliss washed over m,e and I moaned shifting in the
dirt.
"Ummm…. I feel like we shouldn't be watching this,"
one of the soldiers commented.