Yay another blog tour with a giveaway for yah! Read about Byzantine Gold, a new book by author Chris Karlsen. Last year I posted a review of her book Golden Chariot, which was about sunken treasure. In Byzantine Gold, the main characters from Golden Chariot–Charlotte and Atakan–find themselves in another exciting and dangerous situation involving treasure (what else?), terrorists, and a contract killer looking for revenge! Read more about the book and find out how you can win an ebook copy of Golden Chariot and a $50 Amazon GC! Arrr!! (Wait, are we finally going to see some pirates?!?)
About the book
A sunken warship from the Byzantine Era carrying an unusual cargo of gold has been found off the coast of Northern Cyprus. News of the valuable cache has attracted the attention of a terrorist cell. They plan to attack the recovery team’s campsite and steal the artifacts. On the Black Market, the sale of the relics will buy them additional weapons.
Charlotte Dashiell, an American archaeologist, and her lover, Atakan Vadim, a Turkish government agent, are scheduled to be part of the recovery team that brings up the artifacts. While en route to Cyprus, they find themselves caught in the crosshairs of Maksym Tischenko, a Ukrainian contract killer bent on revenge. Charlotte, Atakan and Tischenko share a grim history. As a result, Tischenko is a man who will stop at nothing to achieve his goal—seeing them both dead. — Get this book on Amazon!
Read an excerpt
Charlotte answered on the fourth ring. Caller I.D. showed “restricted.”
“Hello.”
“They are called, Angelique tulips. You admired them in the hospital garden in Paris.”
Charlotte froze, holding her breath as she listened to the nightmare voice, remembering how his Eastern European accent rounded certain sounds and how he stressed the last syllables in his words. Called became cawl-d.
Tischenko.
“Everything in time,” he said and hung up.
Charlotte dropped the phone on the table. She turned to Atakan.
The shock must’ve shown on her face. “What is wrong?”
“That was Tischenko,” she said, finding her voice. “The flowers are from him. He was watching me in Paris when I was at the hospital. He—”
Atakan didn’t wait for her to finish. He rushed into the living room, grabbed his gun from the bookshelf, and ran out of the apartment.
Charlotte followed as he flew down the four flights of stairs to the street.
“Stop.” Catching up to him on the sidewalk, she hooked his elbow with her hand. Fearful an armed Tischenko hid nearby, she positioned herself in front of Atakan, thinking to shield him. “We can’t stand here. He could be anywhere taking aim at you right now.”
“Go back inside.”
“Not without you.” She tugged on his shirt, pulling him toward their building. “Atakan please, let’s leave. Call the Director.”
Atakan shoved her behind him. Silent, his eyes searched the dark doorways of neighboring apartment buildings and parked cars.
“Atakan please.”
“Get inside.”
She stepped in front of him again. “We stay here together or we leave together.”
An eternity of seconds passed. Neither moved or blinked.
They both jumped and turned at the bellow from the horn of a passing truck. Thankfully, the driver was waving to another coming the opposite direction. He never saw the man in the sling pointing a gun at him.
“Please,” she repeated.
Atakan nodded. He stopped at the building’s entry door and took a last look, surveying the street. “He moves us around like pawns in a private game.”
Giveaway
The author will award an ebook copy of Golden Chariot to one randomly drawn commenter at every tour stop, and a $50 Amazon gift card to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour.
Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning! The tour dates can be found here.
About the author
Chris is a retired police detective. She spent twenty-five years in the law enforcement with two different agencies.
The daughter of a history professor and a voracious reader, she grew up with a love for history and books.
She has traveled extensively throughout Europe, the Near East, and Northern Africa satisfying her passion for seeing the places she read about.
A Chicago native, Chris has lived in Paris, Los Angeles, and now resides with her husband, and five rescue dogs in the Pacific Northwest.
Book video:
This book sounds like such an exciting book.
strive4bst(At) yahoo(Dot) com
Thanks for the giveaway. I already have read the first book and loved it.
booksaremagicblogspot at gmail dot com
sounds like a great book. I like the cover.
pinglecoon at gmail dot com
very suspensful..awesome
This seems like a terrific read! Thanks for posting both excerpts :)
Hi Cryss,
I’m glad you enjoyed them. As I mentioned earlier, the scene in the street after Charlotte gets the call from Tischenko popped into my head. It was one of those surprise twists that come to you as you write.
Chris
That’s quite an intense excerpt.
marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com
Hi Mary,
I’m glad you like it. It’s a tense scene for Charlotte for sure!
Chris
Im curious about everything, if I had the book,i’d check it out.But I’ts God that is worth seeking,To God be the Glory and to our Lord Jesus Christ.
Hi Anonymous,
Thank you for taking the time to visit and comment.
Chris
I’d be curious to read this book, especially as she speaks about Eastern Europe!
Hi Cip,
The man who’s hunting Atakan is Ukranian. Atakan, his friend Iskender, and another female, Rana, and some of the dive team are Turkish. There’s not a tremendous mention of Eastern Europe except in relation to Tischenko, the contract killer.
Chris
Hi again,
I’m so glad you like the historicals. You’ve been with me for awhile and know about both series:) I’m working on book 3 of my Knights in Time series now. Later this year I will start book 3 in this, my Dangerous Waters series.
I have to say Byzantine Gold is my favorite trailer. I liked them all but I loved the cover and trailer for this book the most. I worked closely with both my editor on the trailer and the cover designer.
If you get a chance, visit my pinterest page: http://pinterest/chriskarlsen and look at my book boards, where I get to use my “dream cast” which I cannot on my trailers.
Chris K.
Hi Chris,
I’m glad to see Byzantine Gold has been released. This is the first time I have seen the trailer and it’s a fantastic one. I’ve enjoyed the historicals by you.
Cambonified(at)yahoo(dot)com
Sounds really good!!
Thanks for the chance to win!
natasha_donohoo_8 at hotmail dot com
Hi Natasha,
You’re welcome. I hope you enjoyed the excerpts. Thank you for taking the time to read about my new book and comment.
Chris K.
This sounds good.
bn100candg(at)hotmail(Dot)com
Hi bn,
Nice to hear from you again. Thank you for coming to visit and for the good words. I hoped the excerpts and blurb would intrigue.
Chris K.
Hi D,
Thank you for the compliment on the story. I’m happy you like the second excerpt as well. Charlotte was not having a good day:)
Chris K.
The synopsis had me, and then that excerpt…this book sounds amazing! One I could sink my teeth into for sure. Congratulations on your book tour, and thanks for the second excerpt :D
oddball2003 at hotmail dot com
Here goes: this is a second excerpt from Byzantine Gold.
Chris K.
Excerpt #2
Charlotte’s worries regarding telling Atakan the truth and the negative dive with Nassor pressed on her mind. Tired to the bone, she headed for the women’s dorm to drop her backpack. From there, she couldn’t wait to shower. Maybe standing under the hot water would clear her head and she’d know how to approach Atakan.
She was almost at the dorm when the cook’s truck came to a quick stop next to her. Atakan was behind the wheel. He leaned across the cab of the truck and flung open the passenger door.
“Get in.”
“Now? I wanted to take a shower. How about I meet you in twenty minutes?”
“Get in,” he said, flatly.
Charlotte tossed her backpack in the truck bed and climbed into the passenger seat. He pulled away before she had the door completely closed.
“Where are we going?” she asked, shutting the door.
Atakan didn’t answer as he sped out of camp, spraying dirt and stones behind them.
“What’s going on? Why are you in such a hurry?”
He stared straight ahead, silent.
“Atakan?”
Tight-jawed, he continued down the side road that paralleled the beach, ramming the stick shift into place as he went through the gears and ignoring her questions. She’d never seen him this tense, not with her at least. A bad feeling crept over her. She had a sick sense his mood involved her plan to leave.
They’d gone a kilometer from the camp when he came to a stop. He hopped out, slammed the driver’s door shut and came to her side.
Opening her door, he said, “Get out.”
She did.
“Atakan,” Charlotte started to ask the same questions again, but he was already turned and walking toward the sea.
She followed. He finally stopped near the water’s edge with his back to the surf and faced her. She stopped a couple of yards away.
“When were you going to tell me?”
She knew exactly what he was asking about. Who told him? It wasn’t Nick. He’d honor the twenty-four hour rule.
“Who told you?”
“That’s not an answer.” He stood still as a statue, arms crossed, feet apart.
She hesitated, trying to choose her words so he’d understand and not be hurt. She gazed out at the incoming tide. The blue-green waves, effervescent with bubbles, rushed toward shore in rapid succession. White foam droplets filled the air as they crested, framing him like a new, angry version of Poseidon.
“Answer me.”
“Today.”
“You weren’t going to tell me until today, although you’ve been planning to leave me for awhile.”
“Not awhile.”
“Long enough to send job inquiries to several museums.”
So that was how he knew. One of the museums contacted MIAR and they must’ve sent the questionnaire to Refik and he told Atakan. She hadn’t considered the possibility. She’d thought any contact from the museums would be handled by MIAR’s headquarters.
“I’m so sorry you had to find out this way. I intended to tell you if it looked like I’d definitely leave. If none of the museums showed interest, then you never had to know what I’d done.”
“And you believe that is acceptable?”
It killed her to see the look of disgust on his face with the question. “Yes…” she said low.
“Why?”
“Because I’m bad luck for you—everyone can see it, even your–, it’s obvious. There’s something about me, and God knows, I don’t know what, but I’m like a magnet for Tischenko.”
She never cried and she wouldn’t cry now, but she was close. “I can’t bear to see you hurt again, or worse. There are people that bad luck follows, even Iskender thinks so.”
Atakan inhaled deeply and let out a slow breath. Uncrossing his arms, he closed the short distance to where she stood.
“It’s not forever,” she offered, “I’ll return.”
He shook his head. “If you go, you cannot return. You’re either in my life or out of my life. There’s no in between.”
Hi Anne,
Glad everyone is enjoying the excerpt. I will see if I can copy and paste a second excerpt, I think you will like it too. It is another exchange between Atakan and Charlotte.
Chris K.
Great excerpt! I would like to read more! This looks like an incredible thriller.
anne.j2 (at) gmail.com
Ohhh… INTENSE!
justforswag(AT)yahoo(DOT)com
Hi Chelsea,
Thank you, I’m glad you liked the tension. That scene evolved as I wrote. It wasn’t in my original outline. In a previous scene, she’s walking around a hospital garden and sees these pretty tulips. While writing that scene I knew I had to make the flowers mean something more, have more purpose.
Chris K.
Great excerpt!
anasmithblue@gmail.com
Hi Mimi,
Thank you. That part followed a funny scene in the kitchen while Charlotte and Atakan are making dinner. I enjoyed the contrast between the two back to back scenes.
Chris K.
Hi Ami and MomJane and Lena,
You don’t have to have read Golden Chariot as Byzantine Gold is a stand alone. What is nice about reading the first book is you get to see how Charlotte and Atakan became a couple. Theirs was not a case of love at first sight:)
Chris K.
Good morning,
I’d like to thank Leah for inviting me today and for remembering me from my fall tour:)
Hi to Lena, MomJane, and Ami,
Thank you for joining me again.
I’m thrilled everyone is enjoying the excerpts. Those are sometimes a poser for authors to select, IMO. You want to generate interest but you can’t reveal an outcome.
Chris Karlsen
The excerpt is pretty brilliant, but I have to agree with MomJane, I probably should read the first book as well.
shadowrunner1987 at gmail dot com
I want to read the first book and then this one. What a thrilling and exciting excerpt.
Thank you for hosting today
I’ve looked at your “Dreamcast” interesting choices, you didn’t go for the most famous guys or the most popular. Why did you select the ones you did for the roles?
lennascloud(at)gmail(dot)com
HI Lena,
I picked Oded Fehr because I always thought him a good looking man. He has the right build for Atakan, who is not a super buffed, workout animal. He is very fit and has a toned, diver’s more slender build. He’s also in his late 30’s. Fehr is a tad older but overall has the professional, sharp appearance I wanted with a touch of grey to the hair:)
As for Stana Katic, I think she is so lovely. I am a huge Castle fan. The first time I saw the show, I thought wow, she’d make a good Charlotte. She’s not the typical, Hollywood starlet type with big bosom and flashy looks. Charlotte isn’t flashy either but she’s attractive. Katic’s character on the show is professional and wants to be taken seriously as does Charlotte.
Hope you like my choices.
Chris K.
Whoa! That excerpt was suspenseful! Heyyy! Speaking of giveaways..have you entered mine..Check the PS!
♥Janette
Janette Lane Blog
PS. I’m currently giving away a new HTC One X+! Brand new SMARTPHONE! WOO! Closes soon! Check it out!
PPS Happy New Year Leah!
Heyyy thanks for dropping by! I see you have a new blog!! :D