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Stalled Descent book blitz includes a giveaway and an exclusive excerpt. Share, comment, subscribe, shop.
Book & Author Details:
Stalled Descent
by Kel O’Connor
(DAG Team Series, #4)
Publication date: August 25th 2025
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense, Thriller
Synopsis:
A man forced to work for the enemy and a woman on the run from her past…
For years, ace pilot Archie McKinley has been living a double life. Now that his role as a mole within DAG has been exposed, he has one chance to make things right: take down Elliot Essa, the man who’s held him captive with threats and manipulation for over a decade.
To infiltrate the impenetrable Red Winter compound, Archie needs help from the team he deceived and the one person who truly knows him—Meret Shahid, his childhood partner-in-crime turned photographer. The girl who once earned the nickname “the Imp” in their small Iranian village might be his only shot at redemption. But Meret has her own demons from Red Winter, and returning to the organization she barely escaped could cost her everything.
As Archie grapples with guilt over his betrayal and his growing feelings for Meret, they must navigate new threats, uneasy alliances, and shocking revelations. The mission is clear: destroy Red Winter’s empire and free the innocent families trapped within it.
But the price of redemption may be higher than either of them is willing to pay.
This book is a full-length romance with a happy ending. It is part of a 4-book interconnected series where each book features a different couple.
This is a steamy romance for readers 18+
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/239669102-stalled-descent
Purchase:
Amazon: https://amzn.to/468JDcG
AUTHOR BIO:
Winner of the Pencraft Award and The Chill Award and a finalist for The Book Buyers Best Award, The Maggie Award for Excellence and The Carolyn Reader’s Choice Award, Kel lives with her family in the mountains of North Carolina. In addition to reading and writing, she loves coffee, loud rock music, subversive humor and the smell of old books. You can find her online on Instagram, Facebook and at keloconnor.com.
3 Random Facts about Kel:
* She will buy almost anything if it is a hot pink color
* She watches any and every show/movie about crime-fighting, spies, detective work or secret agents
* She and her husband once owned a humor store
Author links:
https://www.instagram.com/keloconnorwriting
https://www.facebook.com/keloconnorwriter
https://twitter.com/kelwriting
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15735050.Kel_O_Connor
Excerpt
They ordered non-alcoholic drinks, a charcuterie board, and a spread of fresh fruit.
They snacked their fill and then Archie said, “Here’s the best part.”
He pressed a button on the loveseat arm and his half changed into a lounger. Meret
squealed and did the same to her side. Lying back, he turned his head to her, and she caught a
glint of metal caught in his sweater collar.
She gestured. “You have something snagged. A necklace?”
His mouth became firm, suppressing a smile or a frown, she wasn’t sure. But he reached
under his neckline, found the catch and carefully freed the chain. He handed the charm at the end
over to her. She had to lean close to touch it, but she recognized it immediately. The chain was an
improvement over the frazzled yarn it dangled from years ago.
Meret gasped. “You still have it?”
The coin had smoothed out with age and wear, the man’s profile on one side now only an
outline. It was a silver 1965 dime from the United States. She remembered how Bakari would
rub his thumb over the surface whenever he spoke of his father.
“He would bring me any foreign coins he found. This was the last one he gave me.
Fitting it’s a fucking American one.” As always, he spat out the word “American,” like it left a
nasty taste in his mouth. She never doubted it did.
He kept it in his pocket, always. One day, it wasn’t there, and he’d almost cried. She’d
never seen him in such a panic. After a frantic search, it was finally found between his pallet bed
and the wall. They’d paid a jeweler to punch a hole in it, and she’d swiped a length of yarn so he
could wear it close to his heart.
As special as the token was, she was surprised he still wore it. But considering he had
been out for vengeance for his father and his most recent realization, it was fitting.
“I’m glad you still have it,” she whispered, passing the necklace back to him.
He didn’t reply, simply attached the clasp behind his neck and tucked it back under his
sweater. Meret took the hint. No bringing up his parents right now.
“I wish I had a token for my grandfather,” she said. “But I do have this.”
She pulled the loafer off her right foot and contorted so he could see the tattoo running
across the outside of her foot: hakbang na may layunin.
“Damn.” Archie shook his head. “I thought I knew languages, but I don’t recognize any
of those words.”
She grinned. “I picked Filipino because it would be difficult for an average person to
translate. It means ‘step with purpose.’ My Jaddi’s favorite saying.”
“Good one,” he agreed with a subdued smile. “Very unlike you as a child.”
She laughed. “Exactly. It’s there to remind me. Although, I think I’ve been too cautious
for the past few years. I need to find a happy medium. Thanks for helping me reclaim some of
my courage,” she finished with a pat on his arm.
His blush was so charming, she waited until finally giving him an out. “I can’t believe we
did it. We freed everyone.”
“Yeah.” The ghost smile was back.
GIVEAWAY
Blitz-wide giveaway (INT)
Prize: Ebook set of the DAG Team Series
Stalled Descent Blitz
