The Bleed-Through Effect by AA DaSilva is a Salute Military Bookish Event pick #scifiromance #romance #salutemilitary #giveaway
- N. N. Light
- 1 day ago
- 6 min read
Title: The Bleed-Through Effect
Author: AA DaSilva
Genre: Science Fiction Romance
Logline: Amidst a complex web of love, betrayal, and the quest for power, morality is tested, and two soulmates must face the consequences of choices they make across multiple lives.
Book Blurb:
Charlotte and Simon are ready to move on with their lives after dismantling the black-ops agency known as Quantym. But Charlotte begins suffering from nightmares and disturbing visions, and she fears events on the Periphery—her parallel life—are impacting her via the bleed-through effect.
In a dual timeline between the main reality and the Periphery, Charlotte and Simon must confront the blurred lines between strength and weakness, love and loyalty, and their past and future.
As they struggle to regain control over their lives, a catastrophic secret is revealed, a vengeful lover on a quest for power closes in, and Charlotte must figure out a way forward...even when the past refuses to let go.
Tag line: How far would you go to save the one you love?
Excerpt:
I curled my lip. “You’re not the person I thought you were.”
He shifted in his seat. “That’s where you’re wrong. I’m consistent, if nothing else.” He inhaled sharply. “That was the night all your friends died. Except you.”
I closed my eyes at the memory. He was at the bowling alley—on leave with another soldier when he struck up conversation with me. I was just eighteen and with my date, Tyler, and a couple friends. We were celebrating graduation, the guys in the group probably more so than the rest of us, and I was uncomfortable. Jared insisted my date was drunk, and asserted he’d bring me home safely. I’d tried to tell Tyler that I was leaving, but he was already making out with another girl, and I was humiliated, angry, and hurt. I went with Jared—he was a few years older, and being in the military, he radiated responsibility and honor. Tyler lost control of the car that night, killing himself and three others.
“I didn’t think they’d… I told them not to drink and drive.”
He nodded. “But they died, and you didn’t. Kind of like our accident. Amazing how you always end up the poor little surviving victim.”
“Really? You think either accident was my fault?”
“I’m not saying that. I’m saying you have a skewed perspective of things. You always come out on top, but feel jaded.”
“You’re a narcissist,” I spat. “You think tearing me down will make you bigger? It won’t, so save it.”
He threw his head back and laughed. “A narcissist? No, you’re mistaken. My father—now, my father is a narcissist. I’m just a man who knows what he wants and knows how to get it.”
I rubbed a hand over my face, then glanced at the wall clock; my break was nearly over.
“A narcissist would belittle you, hurt you, chip away at you to get you to stay, or to do what I want. I’ve never done that. What kills you is that it was always your choice, I never had to force a thing. And, despite what you may think, I’ve never, ever cheated on you. From the moment we met, it was only you. Always only you.”
I chuckled. “You’ve always been a liar.”
“Is this what you came here to do? Accuse me of being a cheater or a liar? I’m neither. I’ll tell you what I am. Unstoppable.”
I glared at him. “Narcissist.”
He leaned forward. “That night we met? I slashed the brake lines on that asshole’s piece-of-shit car and brought you home. Even your parents liked me after that, for saving your life. Know what else I did? I snuck in through your window, night after night, talking to you, making you laugh, refusing to touch you—until you begged me to defile you.” He laughed and shook his head. “God, I wanted you, but when I ended up being your first, there was no hope for you after that. I bent the world around us to make you mine. So, if Simon sold you some shit about dying for you, just remember I sold my soul for you.”
“You’re lying.” I clenched my jaw. There was no way. No.
“You don’t want to believe me, because that validates my initial point. You knew, deep down, doll, you knew. And you loved me—married me—anyway.” He smiled. “Hiding who you are behind me doesn’t make you better. The absence of bad deeds doesn’t make you good.”
“Shut up.” My heart raced in my chest, too fast to count the fluttering beats. A memory of sliding into his passenger seat flashed through my mind, and how I’d noted the flashlight and wire-cutters on the console. How was I to know what he’d used them for?
He leaned forward over the table and held my gaze. “I never hid who I was. You just pretended not to see.”
I shook my head. “No. That’s not true.”
“Yes, it is.” He lifted his chin and smirked. “Don’t be ashamed. Morally gray suits you well.”
I sat staring at him in frozen silence, ignoring the chill that danced along my spine.
“Simon’s a good man, yeah?” He leaned back into his seat.
I stared into his dark eyes. “Yes, he is.”
“Did he ever tell you he got a purple heart? For what happened with the terrorist attack?”
“No—yes. Yes.”
“Ha! Calling me a liar? It’s okay, now you know.”
My shoulders slumped, and my heart continued its marathon in my chest. Why didn’t I know that? I should’ve known that.
“Speaking of, does Simon know you’re here?”
“Of course,” I lied again, and I swear I could feel my soul dim, feeding his assertations about me.
His eyebrows shot up. “You’ll never be a good liar, Charly.” He smiled widely. “Your secret is safe with me.” His tongue darted out and ran across his lower lip, and his eyes remained locked on mine.
I glanced at the clock. “I have to go.”
“You must have more questions for me.”
I leaned forward, horrified that the conversation veered as far off as it did. “What do you want from me?” I whispered.
“I’ll be out of here soon, Charly. And I want you to help me with something. Something for me and my father’s organization.”
Now it was my turn to laugh. “No. You’re nuts. You stabbed me—”
“Charly.” He let out a deep sigh and closed his eyes for a few seconds. “You’re hiding again. You stabbed me first, remember?” He opened his eyes and pinned me with a glare.
A wave of nausea hit me. I stood. “I have to go.”
“Back to work, huh?” His gaze went to my scrubs.
I nodded.
“Come back, we have more to discuss.”
I turned around, and the guard opened the door for me. I glanced over my shoulder one last time.
“Oh, and Charly…sweet dreams.”
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Author universal link: https://linktr.ee/aadasilva
What makes your featured book a must-read?
Thrilling. Sexy. Complex. Thought-provoking.
He was a soldier seeking purpose.
She was a widow forever changed.
After a tragedy, fate pulled them together. But when secrets from the past threatened to tear them apart, one choice changed everything.
Get ready for an unforgettable journey that will explore strength, loyalty, love, and how every single one of us is capable of being both the villain and the hero of our own life story.
How far can you go to save the one you love…before becoming the villain yourself?
Giveaway –
Enter to win a $20 Amazon gift card:
Open Internationally.
Runs May 20 – May 28, 2025.
Winner will be drawn on May 29, 2025.
Author Biography:
Born and raised in New England, AA DaSilva has a degree in clinical laboratory science and brings her love of science and writing together via science fiction. When she’s not writing or working in the lab, she can be found with a book in one hand, and a cup of iced coffee in the other. She resides in Massachusetts with her husband, two sons, and pup Didi (who looks suspiciously like an Ewok).
Her award-winning debut novel, Periphery, is a science fiction love story that explores fate, strength, and the choices that determine our destiny. Periphery’s sequel, The Bleed-Through Effect, is releasing July 2025.
For the latest updates on new releases and events, sign up for email updates at aadasilva.com and follow her on socials.
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