About the Book
Rogue Souls
Author: Chelsea Muller
Publisher: JGLM
Released: July 9, 2018
Series: Soul Charmer #2
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Purchase links:
Rogue Souls is on Sale this week for only $2.99. Get your copy today!
Snippet:
Callie Delgado was familiar with poor choices. She’d made plenty.
She’d eaten only Hostess products for a solid month when she was twelve. She’d cold-cocked one of her mom’s boyfriends when she’d caught him raiding the pantry. She hadn’t turned her brother in when he’d stolen drugs from a hospital where she’d worked. She lost her job and career path because she chose family first. Always. She didn’t regret those decisions. Not really. Not in the keep-you-up-at-night way. Not in the wonder-who-you’ve-become way.
But this?
Tiny beetles burrowed beneath her skin. Instead of grinding a palm down her arm to still the sensation, she had to “embrace the magic.” Whatever the hell that meant. The black stone flask was buzzing hard enough to make her question if her fingers had gone numb. She squeezed the flask, and the heated thrum of the container now pulsed beneath her palm. The flask was ready, even if Callie wasn’t.
The woman standing before Callie stomped her foot. “Can we get this over with? My husband will be home soon, and we are attending the seven o’clock services.”
Services. Callie was about to pull a soul out of this woman’s body, and she wanted to pretend that faith was a priority. F**king Gem City. “You could have come to the shop if you wanted an appointment.”
The woman reeled back like Callie had swiped at her gaudy pearls. “The children…need me.”
Three kiddos ran around in the next room oblivious to the fact mommy was doubled up on souls so she could sin without feeling dirty. “What’d you need the soul for anyway?” Callie asked. She popped the cap of the flask, and then keened her head to the right until her neck cracked. Like she needed to be limber for this sh*t.
“With this?” She gestured to the three kids, all too young for school. “I need a little thrill. So I pick up a thing or two I don’t pay for, and thanks to your boss the Church doesn’t need to worry about it.”
This lady had no shame. Maybe that’s what renting souls did for you. It took away your shame. Your guilt. Your honor. Callie wasn’t certain. She’d only had an extra soul in her once and it didn’t make her feel protected or powerful or prideful. It’d squicked her out, and mostly she just appreciated that it’d concealed her fingerprints, because she’d also done some illegal sh*t while using a borrowed soul. Unlike this woman, though, Callie had zero desire for a repeat.
This conversation was pointless. Callie extended her arm until the metal mouth of the flask pressed against the woman’s sternum, beneath the trio of druzy pendants that cost more than Callie’s rent. Heat blossomed and wilted beneath her palm. She capped the flask, and tucked in her back jean pocket.
Book Blurb:
Get ready for more magic, murder, and rented souls in the Soul Charmer series, which Booklist calls a “fresh take” on urban fantasy.
Callie Delgado volunteered to apprentice to Gem City’s Soul Charmer. He’d forced the soul magic ability into her, but now it was hers. She’d learn to control her body’s reaction to rented souls or go up in flames. Literally.
She exchanged her chance to escape the darker side of Gem City to save her brother. Now she needs to keep him sober and safe, try to mend family ties, and avoid the mobsters who have too much interest in the magic of borrowing souls.
But when bodies begin dropping at the Soul Charmer’s door, it’s up to Callie and her partner Derek to track down the person killing soul renters. The Charmer wants retribution, but Callie is determined to get justice even if it means putting herself directly in the sights of the murderer.
If she wants to stay on the Soul Charmer’s good side, Callie must confront her enemies head-on and learn to command rogue souls…and hope someone she loves doesn’t become the next victim.
Rogue Souls on Amazon | Rogue Souls on Goodreads
About the Author:
Chelsea Mueller writes gritty contemporary fantasy. She founded the speculative fiction website Vampire Book Club, blogs about TV and romance novels for numerous websites, and is co-chair of SF/F charity Geeky Giving. She loves bad cover songs, dramatic movies, and TV vampires. Chelsea lives in Texas, and has been known to say y’all.
For the latest updates, visit ChelseaMueller.net, like facebook.com/ChelseaMuellerAuthor, or follow @ChelseaVBC on Twitter and Instagram.