Harleigh Sinclair and the Ice Crusade

Author: Tamara Grantham
Series: Harleigh Sinclair, #2
Publication date: March 5th 2024
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Finding lost artifacts is my specialty, but when an Inuit artifact is hidden in the wilds of Alaska, finding it could be more difficult than I’ve bargained for.
My name is Harleigh Sinclair. I’ve been using my abilities as a Neotact to find ancient relics with special powers. After teaming up with a man named Jagg Ransom—a Crimson Knight with a mysterious past—we’re on the search for five lost artifacts with immense powers.
Our current quest takes us to a remote village in the Alaskan wilderness. But when we arrive, we’re greeted by angry villagers who blame us for the disappearance of one of their trackers. He’s been kidnapped by my former coworker, and the two are on the path to find the relic before us.
If we can’t find the relic first, the object will fall into the hands of an evil organization called the Blood Raiders. Worse, we’re not alone. The Inuit artifact is guarded by a giant beast of lore—one that would rather see us dead than accomplish our mission.
But failure isn’t an option. If the Blood Raiders succeed in obtaining the relic, they’ll use it in a plot to destroy the world as we know it.
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an excerpt
Stray sunbeams had just crested the horizon when I spotted Jagg. You would’ve been blind not to notice him. He wore a bomber jacket over a white T-shirt, Hawaiian shorts, and flipflops. And Lexi accused me of having no fashion sense. His bleached blond cornrows were highlighted in the early rays of the morning sun. The strands of his unruly hair fell past his shoulders and were in desperate need of a trim. His large frame barely fit into one of the metal chairs.
A surge of pure, heady excitement spiked straight through me at the sight of him. I was forced to stop walking, take a deep breath, and recenter myself.
“Just keep it together,” I said under my breath.
He sat reading a menu and hadn’t looked up yet. I could turn around right now and walk away. I’d tell him I’d suddenly gotten sick. He could tell me whatever he needed over the phone. No need to meet in person. No need to actually look at him and be forced to admit that whatever feelings I had for him were not only real, but impossible to ignore.
“Hey, Blossom,” he said without looking up. How’d he know I was here? He hadn’t taken his eyes off the menu.
“Oh, hey,” I answered shakily.
He lowered the menu a fraction of an inch and gave me a once-over, and I nearly choked at his overbearing gaze, as if he were sizing me up. I casually cleared my throat and closed the distance between us. The chair squeaked loudly as I pulled it out, and I sat awkwardly across from him with a straight back and my fingers threaded together.
“Chips?” He scooted the basket to me.
“Oh.” I swallowed. “Thanks.”
He arched a dark eyebrow that perfectly accentuated his Caribbean blue eyes, and there wasn’t a thing I could do to stop the onslaught of butterflies from attacking my insides. “Everything okay?” he asked casually as he took a bite.
I stuffed a handful of tortilla chips in my mouth. “Yesh…” I muttered. “Fine.”
“Right,” he answered unconvinced. A glass of water sat on the table, and I grabbed it and took a drink, managing to choke a bit before sputtering and clearing my throat.
“You seem flustered,” he added.
“I—I’m…” Deep breaths, I thought to myself. He’s just an ordinary person. No need to lose your head. “I didn’t get much sleep,” I admitted. “Stayed up late working a case for Greyson.”
A smile tugged at the corner of his too-perfect lips. “Oh yeah. That. The skull, huh? I heard about it. Dad’s furious. Nice work.”
I grabbed another chip. “How’d you know it was me?”
“Lucky guess,” he answered. “You’re the best when it comes to stealing Neotact objects. Figured it was you who did it.”
“Thanks, I guess,” I said sheepishly. “Does your dad know it was me?”
“No, and I won’t be the one to tell him, either. Although I’m sure he suspects Greyson was involved. Those two are always at each other’s throats.”
“Yeah. I’ve noticed.” I tapped my fingers on the tabletop. “So, what are we discussing that’s so urgent?”
“This.” He reached into the pocket to retrieve a folded piece of yellowed parchment with torn edges. He moved the menu aside and unfolded the paper, then smoothed it over the tabletop.
Dozens of islands were inked onto the page, and letters written in looping calligraphy denoted a few of the landmarks.
“What’s this?” I asked, turning the map so I could read a few of the names. Montague Island, Akuliak, Knight Island.
“It’s a map I found in the Templar vaults beneath Dunmoor Castle,” he explained. “I’ve been in Scotland for the past week and a half doing some research.”
“Really?” I asked incredulously. “You went to Scotland and didn’t tell me? And you got into the vaults?”
“Yes and yes,” he answered, an edge of finality to his voice, as if he didn’t want me to press the issue. “If you must know, the Crimson Knights are panicked about the Blood Raiders potentially finding the five artifacts. They knew I was helping find them, so they allowed access.”
“Fine. What did you find out?” I was bothered that he’d gone without me. Made me feel like he was hiding things from me. It shouldn’t have come as a surprise. I already knew full well that Crimson Knights prided themselves on keeping secrets. Still, weren’t we supposed to be working as a team?
about the author

Tamara Grantham is the award-winning author of more than a dozen books and novellas, including the Olive Kennedy: Fairy World MD series, the Shine novellas, and the Twisted Ever After trilogy. Dreamthief, the first book of her Fairy World MD series, won first place for fantasy in INDIEFAB’S Book of the Year Awards, a RONE award for best New Adult Romance, and is a #1 bestseller on Amazon with over 200 five-star reviews.
Tamara holds a Bachelor’s degree in English from Lamar University. She has been a featured speaker at multiple writing conferences, and she has been a panelist at Comic Con Wizard World speaking on the topic of female leads. For her first published project, she collaborated with New York-Times bestselling author, William Bernhardt, in writing the Shine series.
Born and raised in Texas, Tamara now lives with her husband and five children in Wichita, Kansas. She rarely has any free time, but when the stars align and she gets a moment to relax, she enjoys reading fantasy novels, taking nature walks–which fuel her inspiration for creating fantastical worlds–and watching every Star Wars or Star Trek movie ever made. You can find her online at www.TamaraGrantham.com.
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