99 Days by Keith Ward

They stole everything he had. Big mistake. Kertram is a contented man with a simple life. He likes the dangerous, but rewarding work of shepherding baby dragons. He loves his wife. The day his children are born make him happier than he ever thought he could be. That life is destroyed when his village is attacked in a raid between warring regions. His wife is murdered. His babies kidnapped. Kertram's first thought is suicide, and he nearly gives in. But he learns his newborns will be ritually sacrificed on the 99th day of their lives to satisfy the hideous appetites of others -- unless he can get there first. Thus begins a desperate journey that will end a continent away, and a revelation that will shake the world. Kertram is not alone on his quest. Those who risk their lives to help him include a Span Seer -- a powerful witch who questions the morality of her calling; an ex-soldier with a fatal secret; and a guide whose mind is so warped he can’t remember his own name day to day. His mission to save his children may cost Kertram his life. He’s imprisoned, stabbed and viciously betrayed along the way. The pressure builds as he presses on, knowing that each sunrise brings his newborns closer to death. Day 99 is coming. The countdown to death -- or life -- has begun.

The Anointed by Keith Ward

SPFBO Finalist

**Finalist in the Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off Contest!** He's a jerk. She knows it. Can they save the world anyway? Xinlas’s life goal is modest: he wants to be a living legend, revered in song and story. And he’s off to a good start. He faced death once, and won. His legend grew -- at least in his own mind. Fame comes calling on Xinlas again, or so he thinks, when he’s flying a dragon one afternoon and stumbles on a hidden village. The village has a resource that no one’s ever seen before, something that can enable invasions of foreign lands. It is a force so powerful that a ruthless king will kill for it. Along the way, Xinlas meets a mysterious orange-haired girl on a river. Greengrass is like no one he’s ever met. He tries to woo her, and can’t understand why she doesn’t fall for his charms like every other girl. But Greengrass is not every other girl. She is, in fact, the key to stopping the ruler who would enslave millions and crush the world under his throne. Xinlas can’t let that happen, but he'll need help. Help from Greengrass. The problem is that she can’t stand him. Will Xinlas become the hero he believes he can be, or will he break under the weight of his destiny -- and his own arrogance? The fate of civilization rests on his choices. Click to buy, or read free with Kindle Unlimited. NOTE: “The Anointed” is chronologically the third book in the “Red Proxy” series, but can be read and enjoyed without having read the others. Book 1: The Blood King Book 2: 99 Days Book 3: The Anointed

The Blood King by Keith Ward

He's 278 years old. And just getting started. Lord Fathim, ruler of Walkland, has used the magic of Proxies to live a long time. But he wants more -- more life, more power, more slaves. He’s ruled his country for centuries, and his plot to take over the rest of the world is ripening. He has one small problem, though: he's going insane. The Proxy system which has lengthened his life is also breaking his mind. There is a cure. He knows one person -- Mavel, a powerful and famous Span Seer -- who can help restore his sanity. Her dark magic can do that. When his mind is restored, he can put his plan in motion. Mavel knows it, too. She also knows something Lord Fathim doesn’t -- a secret that could end his reign forever. But only if she can find the courage to risk it all. You see, she has failures in her past. Innocents once died while Mavel hid, and her cowardice gnaws at her like an animal digging into a fresh kill. This ancient Span Seer holds the key to Lord Fathim's future, and thus the future of all. Will her own fears block her? Can she stop the Blood King's reign of death?