A lot can change in a week.
Seven days ago, I was just Talia—an art school dropout with an affinity for tattoos, a hopeless crush on my boss, and a knack for finding trouble. Now, I’m a gold-blooded, magic-harnessing, Runemaster in training.
The good news is all of that has resulted in one hell of a promotion. Instead of sweeping floors, I’m sweeping swarms of venomous squatters out of castles. I’ve been enrolled in accelerated, hands-on rune lessons—super handy for those like me who are death-averse. Oh, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention my incu-boss’s upgraded benefits “package,” which has been particularly generous.
Sadly, promotions aren’t just about the perks. There are increased responsibilities as well: amassing a magical army alongside the newfound fae king, repairing centuries-old divisions among the Seelies and Unseelies, and vanquishing a completely unhinged demon lord whose ego may have gotten the teensiest bit damaged when I became the first woman with a pulse to ever spurn his advances (oh, and nearly kill him too).
But hey, when you’re the most coveted tattoo artist in two realms, it’s all in a day’s work.
Author:
Rachel Rener
Rachel Rener is a #1 Bestselling contemporary fantasy author who loves blurring the line between science and magic in all of her work. She graduated from the University of Colorado after focusing on Psychology and Neuroscience. Since then, she has lived on three continents and has traveled to more than 40 countries. When she's not engrossed in writing or reading, Rachel enjoys art of all kinds, riding her motorcycle, going to rock shows (both musical and mineralogical), Vulcanology (the lava kind as well as the pointy-eared variety), and playing D&D on the coolest podcast around, Of Dice and Friends. She lives in Colorado along with her husband and a feisty umbrella cockatoo named Terrance (a.k.a “Jungle Chicken”) that hangs out on her shoulder as she writes – whether invited or not.
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PERFORMER:
Tara Novie
Tara, a NYC native, has been performing professionally for the past 15 years, more recently beginning work as a voiceover artist, theater adjudicator, and acting coach. She is on the roster for over 10 audiobook publishers and producers, including Simon & Schuster, Scholastic, Audible Studios, Podium Audio, Audio Sorceress, Vibrance Press, and Pink Flamingo Productions. Tara holds an MFA in Acting from Brooklyn College, a BFA in Musical Theater from Pace University, and is a graduate of LaGuardia High School of Performing Arts. Favorite roles include Mimi in _Rent_, Sheila in _Hair_, Susan in _tick, tick...BOOM!,_ and Yelena in _Uncle Vanya_. She loves how her theater training has influenced and helped her embody the idiosyncrasies and intimacy of being behind the mic. She is a member of Actors' Equity and currently resides in Manhattan. Tara also has an extensive music background with various choral, a capella, studio, and band singing experience. [www.taranovie.com](http://www.taranovie.com/)
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