Tempting Fate
Phaze
Atropos, the eldest sister of the Fates, has spent her life dedicated to duty and her calling--Death. She has dolled out life-sentences and end moments without so much as a blink of an eye. It is her job, to be impartial. Yet deep down in her soul she craves connection. Can Narcissus possibly be more than a devastatingly handsome man? Can she feel but not break? Can Attie find strength through love? Join her in The Awakening part three of the Tempting Fate anthology brought to you by Phaze Publishing.


A Rogue Soul by Kara Fey: Tony had no idea that by defying death, he'd unravel the Fates perfect world and risk all mortal existence. But when beautiful Chloe shows up to end his life, this rogue is unable to resist seducing her. Once betrayed by mortal love, Chloe must decide if lust and forbidden pleasure are worth the risk not only to the humans she is cursed to protect, but to her heart.

The Fate of Lachesis by Rena Marks: Chesis has no idea her careless daydreaming can get out of hand when an angry Aaron of Arcules comes knocking. It appears mortal women can't keep up with the luscious male, and it's all her fault. A small fix would be one night with a goddess, a taste of satisfaction to cure his insatiable lust. Unfortunately, Chesis has created the perfect man...for her. His desires rival her needs, and his looks were created from her very own fantasies. She decides to keep him hidden - until Death decides it's time to snip his thread. The hand of her own sister, Atropos.

The Awakening by Kally Jo Surbeck: Atropos, the eldest sister of the Fates, has spent her life dedicated to duty and her calling--Death. She has dolled out life-sentences and end moments without so much as a blink of an eye. It is her job, to be impartial. Yet deep down in her soul she craves connection. Can Narcissus possibly be more than a devastatingly handsome man? Can she feel but not break? Can Attie find strength through love?

Chasing Luck by Melissa Schroeder: Luck is the ficklest fate, choosing where and when to dispense her work. But she's tired of being the complete outlaw, running around the world, doing as she pleases. She wants to be a normal girl, as normal as a Fate can be, so she settles into a West Texas town, hoping for normalcy. What she found was Chase Franklin.

Chase has something to hide, something he doesn't want discovered. To everyone in town, he's just the sheriff, keeping order on a Mayberry kind of town. But little does anyone know he is actually an immortal god who has been plotting his revenge for years. When Hera offers him a golden opportunity, he jumps at the chance.

He just never thought he'd fall in love with his one and only chance.


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Excerpt:
People forgot. Memories faded as generations passed. The stories of the gods, the teachings of the ancients stopped being repeated, or the tone in which they were told shifted from reverence and awe to that of some fable and flight of fancy.

Yes, the people forgot. The gods remembered.

It was the way of things, but to what end? This? Her gaze scanned the horizon taking in the honking horns of quickly moving automobiles, the absent-minded chatter of people having their inane conversations about nothing as they hurried from one busy work task to another. Attie walked among them, had for years, yet they never saw her unless she purposely showed herself to them. The gods, herself no exception, remained veiled, watching the creatures they loved and protected throw their lives away, yet not truly being of affect any longer. Effect, indeed. Affect, no.

Or more so as the case was now days, the gods gave up faith and turned their backs knowing the human's time was so much shorter than their own. Even she had been tempted to look away, to run from her decree. Time, so fleeting, slipped for those in despair. Generations could pass in the blink of an eye. If she blinked right.

But mortal's lives were lives, too. Any life demanded respect, no matter how fleeting. And over the centuries, millennia, much to her amazement Attie had witnessed those mortal lives do great things. Greater things that even those endowed with the power of Olympus. And humans, while shrouded with incredible egos, still worked for an end result. They worked for a cause and with purpose. The gods, had simply believed things should be handed to them. At least that's how it was the last time she was there, Attie amended.

Then there were the Fates. Cursed to duty, bound to honor a code long forgotten to humans of an age long passed, that was how the Fates existed. She and her three sisters were the centurions of hope. They gave life and love. They made sure there was happiness and equity. They maintained the balance and justice of the ages, yet who stood on the battlefield for them, defending them? What happened when the Fates lost hope? Those were questions that weighed heavily on Attie. They always had but each day compounded the pain, the pressure, the sadness.

Each of her sisters' faces flashed before her. Briefly, Attie's heart warmed. The sisters. The sisters stood together and helped each other. They always had. They were all they had. There was solace in her sisters and their solidarity. And they had managed. Pretty damn well in fact. Just look at them now. Cloe and Chesie had found love. And not just heart-beating, twitterpaited lust, but full in head over heels love. Once again, the mountain fairly sizzled with their enthusiasm for life. That was good. That was enough. Maybe Lu and she were the balance of not having love. Maybe that was how the scales equalized life beyond the Fates. Half 'n half.

It wasn't that Attie didn't want it. Actually, she craved love, but was scared of it as well. As the death dealer, she witnessed death and loss every day. How many people would understand her occupation or the struggles she dealt with on a regular basis? It was a hard, solitary life. Being a god was hard enough for mortals to accept, to comprehend, but the fact that she was Death, Attie figured might be a little much. Attie tried not to complain. As a matter of fact, she kept to herself. She had her sisters.

At times like this, when she stood in the world but not of the world, she acknowledged she had created the world she lived in. She was alone by choice, not force. She had always been attractive. When she didn't like her eye color, or hair, or weight, she modified it. She could change her voice and her height, but she could not change who she was on a core level. The Attie of old. Daughter of Zeus. Sister of the famed Moirai. It meant nothing. She was, after all was said and done, just Attie. Her life, excluding the fancy little spin bawl thrown her by Zeus when he condemned her to be a Fate forever, was shaped by her choice alone. The Fates were above reproach. Their decisions were not allowed to be questioned. That had always meant a great deal to Attie. Even if people had forgotten about the gods and their ways, she had not. She knew her job and how important her role was to the world and therefore she held herself to a high standard. In that vein, she felt she had to be truthful. Alone, in the alley, she solemnly acknowledged how she had pushed away almost every single immortal and mortal alike because of a single truth. It hurt too much to lose.


Reviews:
The Awakening is a refreshing read. Kally Jo Surbeck writes splendidly.

The Tempting Fate anthology is one of the best anthologies out there. The four stories flow almost flawlessly with each other. They compliment each other very well. Kara Fey, Rena Marks, Kally Jo Surbeck, Melissa Schroder are very talented authors. I recommend this book for anyone seeking a bit of magic in their books.

Zoë Knighton @ Sensual Reads

Atropos, the eldest of the Fates is responsible for deciding when someone should die. She deals out death impartially, uncaring, a duty that has to be done and she gets it done. One thing she craves for is a connection. She feels she is dying emotionally. Then Narcissus comes along with an offer. Can he be more than a stunningly handsome man? Can she feel without shattering? Attie learns that with love comes strength. Here we have the tortured heroine. In Attie, we see a woman with a duty that is threatening to take her very soul. Kally Jo Surbeck writes a gripping story about such a woman and her awakening. Ms. Surbeck gives her readers a sexually, sensual read. And readers, Narcissus has his own story too, and you may be very surprised about what really happened between him and Echo. A very enjoyable read.

A unique anthology that this reviewer can highly recommend, TEMPTING FATE will warm up any cold winter night!

5 Hearts
Valerie @ Love Romance

As the death dealer Atropos is used to being alone. Just once though she would like someone to understand who she truly is. When Narcissus comes to tease her during an evening among humans, has she finally found someone who can look beneath the surface?

Atropos' tale is darkly beautiful. Within her isolation, readers come to understand how much she truly cares for her charges and at what personal cost she does her job. When Narcissus finds her, the story shifts slightly and readers will relish the momentary joy tempting Atropos. Within the rich imagery and emotions of the story, readers are reminded that life is a precious gift and should be relished.

Tempting Fate is a rich, modern take on the Fates. The stories carry the distinct voices of each of the authors, yet there is a unity within the stories. The loves depicted are as diverse and pleasing as the Fates themselves. Together, they combine to create a work that tells a story in its entirety.

4 Angels
Amanda @ Fallen Angel Reviews

Feeling the full weight of the ordeal of deciding how long a mortal lives, Attie struggles with finding peace. Her sisters think she is unfeeling but the truth is she feels too much and it had left her numb. While she searches for a way to accept her burden will she find love?

The Awakening is a refreshing read. Kally Jo Surbeck writes splendidly.

5 Roses
Zoë Knighton @ Sensual Reads & Reviews