Roberta Writes – WordCrafter Shadow Blade Book Blog Tour Day 4 #fiction #readingcommunity

Welcome to Day 4 of the WordCrafter Shadow Blade Book Blog Tour. We want to thank Robbie Cheadle at Roberta Writes for hosting this stop and helping to support the re-release of this wonderful fantasy adventure. First released through WordFire Press, WordCrafter Press is proud to release this second edition with a free original prequel book from the same Denari Lai series, Baiting the Hook, never before published, in the back matter when you buy the book. And on this stop , we have for you an excerpt from Baiting the Hook, read by the talented Jeff Bowels.

Give Away

If you follow the tour and leave a comment at each stop to let us know you were there or share your thoughts about the book, you can win a free copy of Shadow Blade. We’re giving away three digital copies of the book, and one lucky winner will receive a print copy of the book signed by author Chris Barili. Each stop you comment on earns you an entry into the random drawing, and the winners will be announced on Writing to be Read in the “WordCrafter News” post on July 27.

Tour Schedule

July 20-25, 2025

Monday, July 21: Writing to be Read- Book Trailer

Tuesday, July 22: Robbie’s Inspiration – Guest post

Wednesday July 23: Undawnted – Interview with Chris Barili

Thursday, July 24: Roberta Writes – Reading Excerpt from Baiting the Hook, narrated by Jeff Bowles

Friday, July 25: Writing to be Read – Live appearance by Chris Barili

About Shadow Blade

Ashai Larish is an assassin from the brutal Denari Lai order. Religious zealots, Denari Lai are kept loyal through an addiction to the same magic that makes them unstoppable. They have become the primary weapon for the nation of Nishi’iti, and in a hundred years, they have never failed.

Until now. Ashai must kill Pushtani King Abadas Damar and his daughter/heir, Makari. He infiltrates the king’s inner circle, putting him in the perfect place to strike, with only Captain Bauti of the Royal Guard at all suspicious of Ashai’s intent.

Except Ashai has fallen for Makari and cannot complete the hit. When a second Denari Lai kills the King, Ashai finds himself fighting for Makari’s life instead of taking it. To make matters worse, the order cuts him off from his magic, leaving him weakened and in withdrawal.

Meanwhile, far north in the Pushtani mines that border Nishi’iti, a slave named Pachat learns that his love, a hand slave to Makari, died at the hands of a Denari Lai assassin. His grief ignites a slave rebellion, and Pachat becomes the unwilling leader of the revolt. Urged on by Nishi’iti guerrillas, the rebellion sweeps across the borderlands, threatening to erupt into all-out war. Yet all Pachat wants is to avenge his beloved’s death by killing the assassin, so he walks away from the rebellion to seek when it needs him most.

As Pachat makes off for the capital of Dar Tallus, Ashai is forced to rely on that city’s organized crime gang to hide from the second assassin, and from Bauti’s guards. Despite his best efforts to hide it, Makari discovers Ashai’s true identity, and suddenly, he finds himself without her love, without his faith, and without the Denari Lai. At rock bottom, he doubts he can do anything but cause more damage.

Can Ashai kill the second assassin and win back Makari’s love? Will Pachat gain the revenge he so lustily seeks?

Amazon US purchase link: https://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Blade-Denari-Lai-Book/dp/B089V6J4JF

Excerpt Reading from Baiting the Hook

As I mentioned, the WordCrafter edition of Shadow Blade comes with a link in the back matter for a free copy of the prolog book, Baiting the Hook. We have a real treat for you today, with the reading of an excerpt from that story, read by Jeff Bowles.

About Author Chris Barili

Currently oppressed by his day job, Chris has set sights on retiring after 42 years in the Intelligence Community and writing full-time. Chris Barili writes all kinds of stories, and has published fantasy, science fiction, horror, western, paranormal romance, and most recently crime, with a noir story in the inaugural print edition of Toe Six Magazine. He is author of the self-published, weird western Hell’s Butcher series, and also writes under the pen names B.T. Clearwater (Supernatural romance) and T.C. Barlow (western). Chris is a retired intelligence officer, having served over 45 years between active duty, contractor, and government employee roles. He lives in Colorado with his wife.

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