Welcome to the book tour for upcoming fantasy, In the Midst of Magic by Christian Cura! Read on for more details and a chance to win some fantastic giveaways!
In the Midst of Magic
Expected Publication Date: June 4th, 2022
Genre: Fantasy
And if you wrong her, shall she not revenge?
Meet Kara Hartman, a photojournalist who is hiding her magic from the world. Traumatized by her brother’s death, she wants nothing more to do with magic. But just when she thought she could neglect her gift, it becomes apparent that the universe has other plans for Kara. When she discovers that an old foe has broken out of prison, hellbent on destroying her new life, Kara has no choice but to embrace the only power that can stop her.
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Excerpt
John’s gauntlet rattled as he fired into the swirling maelstrom. Dying shrieks pierced the air and corpses littered the ground. The snow beneath the carnage was streaked with crimson. His pulse pounded faster than the bullets streaming from his gauntlet. Sweat trickled down the sides of his face. Armor weighed on him like an anchor. Blood splattered his visor. Who had summoned the demons, and why was the compound under attack? The questions screamed in his mind although there was no time to ponder the answers.
Magical fire and lightning flashed in every direction. Enforcers fought on the ground, in the air, in the towers. Smoke and clouds of flame swelled into the sky.
A proximity warning whined in his helmet, and he turned just in time to see a gargoyle whirling around, its tail clearing a wide swath in its wake. Lunging over it, he aimed and fired, but his gauntlet only clicked harmlessly. He landed in the snow with a grunt. Before he could rip a fresh magazine from his belt, the gargoyle roared and stomped toward him, the ground shuddering beneath its feet. John rolled away an instant before he was trampled. Scrambling to his feet, he summoned a mace then ducked beneath a swiping claw. He bludgeoned the gargoyle’s knee, revolted by the crack of bone. The demon moaned, the disfigured leg buckling beneath its weight. He struck the other knee, and the gargoyle collapsed, its back facing him. Seizing the moment of agony, he pounded the demon’s skull, and it fell sideways with a thud.
John panted as he released his mace and slapped a fresh magazine into his gauntlet. He aimed at the nearest demon, then froze as a burst of static made his ears twitch.
“Sir, did you dispatch a unit of armored vehicles?” an enforcer asked. A cold weight sank in his gut. “No, why?”
“I have a bird’s eye view of a whole caravan leaving the compound.”
What the hell?
“Stand by,” John said.
He cast a Flight Spell and let the sky swallow him as he zoomed toward the hangar in the north. Trundling through a blasted gate, was a train of armored trucks. They were bulky vehicles with tires designed to endure any kind of terrain. The windows were made of bulletproof glass, and machine guns were mounted on the rear of every truck.
But his enforcers couldn’t be the ones driving them because they were all out here fighting. With a growing sense of dread, he muttered, “Magnify and x-ray.”
The nearest truck became nothing but a wireframe as his tactical visor identified five rogues equipped with enforcer armor and weaponry. He scanned truck after truck, all of them occupied with rogues.
His heart sank. How did they get out? Why were they driving away? Didn’t they know the ward would kill them? But ten trucks had already crossed the perimeter where the electrocution ward should have been. Tremors ran up his spine. Someone had tampered with the ward. Someone had set the rogues free while the enforcers were distracted with the demons. But why?
He splayed his fingers, interwove them, then curled them into claws as he turned his palms to face one another. “Elektrios,” he said his voice wavering.
A glowing fractal wove itself into a dome over the whole compound as an unlucky driver smashed into it, the truck exploding into flames. The caravan halted.
Within moments, auras glowed within the remaining vehicles. Although his ward held steady for now, it wouldn’t endure forever, not against the will of fifteen hundred rogues.
John commanded ten enforcers to maintain the ward at all cost, then summoned a squad of fifteen officers to his aid.
Within seconds, they were soaring in a ‘V’ formation over the wilderness, veering south as the stolen vehicles rolled through the forest. Although the enforcers were severely outnumbered, the majority of the escaped rogues hadn’t wielded magic in over a year. Which meant their stamina was gone. That’s why they stole the vehicles rather than flew. That’s why they stole the weapons and armor. That was also the reason why the rogues didn’t want a direct conflict with the enforcers.
Well, too bad. They were getting one.
With both fists punched forward, he flew toward the rear vehicle coming under instant gunfire. Sparks leaped from his armor, and cracks webbed across his visor. The dulled impact of bullets tingled his arms, shoulders, and head. He summoned lightning and struck the rogue behind the machine gun. His body convulsed as wisps of smoke curled in the air. An agonized scream tore through the sky.
The roof hatch sprang open, and a rogue took aim at him.
Evading in a tight corkscrew motion, bullets grazed John’s armor. Lightning jumped from his fingertips, and the rogue screamed. His head disappeared beneath the roof of the vehicle. John accelerated until he was directly above the roof hatch and blasted a steady stream of electricity into the cabin. Orange light flickered from the windows amid a chorus of agonized cries. Bolts of lightning slithered beneath the hood, and the engine burst into flames.
John squinted, turning his face away as a wave of heat enveloped him.
About the Author
Christian Cura is a new author who also has a background in graphic design. He graduated from George Mason University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Art and Visual Technology. Inspired by the likes of Tolkien, J.K. Rowling, and Robert Jordan, it has always been a dream of his to write and publish a novel of his own. In 2019, he achieved that goal with his first book Dreams of Fire. His most recent work, Temple of Ice, is perhaps his most notable achievement, garnering four and five-star reviews on Amazon. He currently lives in Northern Virginia where he continues to write while procrastinating on finding an actual job. When Cura is not writing he can be found creating artwork or getting beaten up at his MMA gym.
Christian Cura | Instagram | Facebook
For a chance to win a set of mounted character portraits and an iPhone case, click the link below
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Book Tour Schedule
May 16th
R&R Book Tours (Kick-Off) http://rrbooktours.com
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May 17th
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Breakeven Books (Spotlight) https://breakevenbooks.com
Sadie’s Spotlights (Spotlight) http://sadiesspotlight.com/
May 18th
Jessica Belmont (Review) https://jessicabelmont.com/
@jennlynnadams (Spotlight) https://www.instagram.com/jennlynnadams/
Reads & Reels (Spotlight) http://readsandreels.com
May 19th
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May 20th
@aliciareviewsbook (Review) https://www.instagram.com/Aliciareviewsbooks/
Liliyana Shadowlyn (Review) https://lshadowlynauthor.com/
Sophril Reads (Spotlight) http://sophrilreads.wordpress.com
The Faerie Review (Spotlight) http://www.thefaeriereview.com
Not a Bunny Blog (Spotlight) https://notanybunny.wordpress.com/blog
Book Tour Organized By:
The Storm of Storms (Juche #3)
Heir of Lies (Black Dawn #1)
Kill or Cure: Bloodlust 
Kill or Cure: Oblivion
R&R Book Tours 