#BookTour: Rise & Fall by @CharlieCochet

Rise & Fall by Charlie Cochet
Series: THIRDS Series #4

Blurb:

After an attack by the Coalition leaves THIRDS Team Leader Sloane Brodie critically injured, agent Dexter J. Daley swears to make Beck Hogan pay for what he’s done. But Dex’s plans for retribution are short-lived. With Ash still on leave with his own injuries, Sloane in the hospital, and Destructive Delta in the Coalition’s crosshairs, Lieutenant Sparks isn’t taking any chances. Dex’s team is pulled from the case, with the investigation handed to Team Leader Sebastian Hobbs. Dex refuses to stand by while another team goes after Hogan, and decides to put his old HPF detective skills to work to find Hogan before Theta Destructive, no matter the cost.

With a lengthy and painful recovery ahead of him, the last thing Sloane needs is his partner out scouring the city, especially when the lies—however well intentioned—begin to spiral out of control. Sloane is all too familiar with the desire to retaliate, but some things are more important, like the man who’s pledged to stand beside him. As Dex starts down a dark path, it’s up to Sloane to show him what’s at stake, and finally put a name to what’s in his heart.

Available for purchase at

I want you to know the characters of this novel, so for that what if we meet the hot male of this book? Let's me introduce you to to Dexter J. Daley:

Name: Dexter J. Daley

Nickname: Dex

Gender: Male

Species: Human

Age: 34

Date of birth: August 18th, 1980

General physical description:

Hair Color: Dirty Blond

Eye Color: Pale blue

Height: 6’

Weight: 145 lbs

Scars/Marks/Tattoos: Faint cheetah Therian claw marks on his left calf from childhood. His little brother Cael had his first shift and accidently scratched him. Bullet wound scar on his left thigh. After Rise & Fall, he ends up with a few more scars.

Hometown: Manhattan, NYC

Type of home/ neighborhood: Lives in a brownstone in Manhattan, NYC that he owns. His neighborhood is quiet and residential.

Relationship status: As of Rise & Fall, Dex has been in a steady relationship with his jaguar Therian boyfriend and Destructive Delta partner Sloane Brodie nearly a year.

Current family: Adoptive Human father, Anthony Maddock “Tony”, adoptive cheetah Therian brother, Cael Maddock.

Family background (parents, previous marriages, etc.): Never married. Parents were killed when he was five years old during the riots of the eighties. He was adopted by his father’s best friend and then detective partner, Anthony Maddock. Not long after, Tony adopted a sixth month old Therian child named Cael who became Dex’s adoptive brother.

Other close relationships: Dex is close to his boyfriend Sloane, his family, and his teammates who he’s embraced as his second family.

Job: Dex is an ex-HPF (Human Police Force) detective and has now been with the THIRDS over a year as a Defense Agent for Destructive Delta. He works from THIRDS NYC headquarters in Manhattan.

Dress style: Dex has a casual but trendy style. He can usually be found in jeans, his black and white Converse sneakers, a T-shirt, and leather jacket with his THIRDS dog tags around his neck. When he goes out with Sloane he dresses up a little, usually a preppy shirt, sometimes with a vest and tie.

Favorite pastimes/ Hobbies: Does annoying the bejesus out of Ash count as a hobby? Dex loves music, especially of the cheesy eighties variety. He loves singing Karaoke at his favorite bar Dekatria. He’s a big movie buff. He also enjoys food. A lot. He likes to hang out with his friends and family. He enjoys driving his Challenger out of the city. Sexy times with his boyfriend.

Favorite foods: Cheesy Doodles. Gummy Bears. Anything that’s unhealthy and most likely to cause serious health issues just by looking at it. Cakes, cookies, candy. Enjoys pretty much all types of food.

Strongest positive personality trait: Dex is strong-willed. He will always do his best to remain positive and forge ahead. No matter how many times he’s knocked down, he’ll keep getting back up and give it his all. And always with his sense of humor intact.

Strongest negative personality trait: His stubbornness. When he feels he’s in the right, he will move heaven and earth to try and see things through, even if it means putting himself in danger, or disobeying orders.

Temperament: Dex is pretty laid back. He’s usually causing some kind of mischief or cracking a joke. It takes a lot to get to him, but when something does, he explodes. He’s always hiding behind his smile. It’s his defense mechanism, but occasionally someone rubs him the wrong way or really pisses him off and his humor is quickly replaced by something a little darker.

How other people see him/her: Depends on who’s looking. A lot of people see him as this happy go lucky guy who’s always cracking a joke. Ash sees him as a pain in his booty, Dex’s brother, Cael, sees him as a hero and someone he looks up to, Sloane sees him as someone who he could see spending the rest of his life with, someone he always wants around, and someone who’s changed his life. Sloane sees Dex as his best friend, lover, and everything he’s ever hoped for.

Opinion of him/herself: Dex often expresses how awesome he is, but deep down he’s actually not as secure as he pretends to be. He worries about letting his family down, about not being good enough for the THIRDS, of messing things up with Sloane. Most of the time no one even realizes he’s feeling any kind of insecurity because he’s learned to hide it well.

Ambitions: Dex is moving out of Rookie status and is looking forward to being up to par with his partner Sloane. Although he’s Human, he’s training hard and eager to take things to the next level. He looks forward to a long career, retirement, and perhaps a family with the man he loves. After he’s done kicking butt.

Philosophy of life: Always do your best. No one can ask for more than that.

Most important thing to know about this character: There’s a lot more to Dex than his sense of humor. He’s a genuinely good guy who cares about those around him and will do whatever he has to in order to keep them happy and safe. At times his drive to do the right thing can get him into trouble.

Will readers like or dislike this character, and why? I think readers will like him. His humor might be a bit much for some folks, but that’s the type of guy Dex is. He’s cheerful, full glass “because who wants half of anything?”, kind of guy. He enjoys life and isn’t afraid to show it. Bring on the Karaoke. - Author, Charlie Cochet.

Excerpt

Dex sorted out all of Sloane’s pillows, fluffing them up and arranging them before bringing the tray over.

Once Sloane was settled, Dex placed the tray over his lap and kissed him, tasting a faint hint of minty freshness.

Sloane stared down at the tray.

“Is it okay?” Dex asked. Had he forgotten something? “Eggs benedict and pancakes are your favorite,

right?”

Sloane nodded.

“What’s wrong?”

“You made heart-shaped pancakes.”

Dex held back a smile. “Are they too unmanly? Should I have made them grenade-shaped? I’m sure

Letty’s got a mold for those.”

Sloane chuckled. “No, hearts are fine. It’s real sweet. Thank you.”

Dex sat down on the edge of the bed beside him. He ran his fingers through Sloane’s hair feeling guilty

for having left him on his own last night. Sloane could take care of himself, even if he was injured, but

his partner was drugged up and obviously feeling a little out of it, considering his reaction to the heart

shaped pancakes. Maybe it was time he took care of his partner like he’d promised he would.

“Why don’t you eat your breakfast while I shower, and we’ll watch a movie or something together?”

Sloane gave him a wide smile. “I’d like that.”

Dex left Sloane to his breakfast and went off to shower as quickly as he could. Showering wasn’t as

much fun without his partner. As he lathered himself up, a naughty thought occurred to him. He’d also

promised he’d make his partner purr. Finishing up, he could barely hold back his smile or the heat

spreading through him. Easy there, Daley. Don’t get yourself worked up yet. He dressed in his comfy

cotton pajama bottoms and a loose faded Back to the Future T-shirt before heading out into the

bedroom. Sloane was smiling, his plate devoid of any evidence food had ever been on there. Wow, his

partner had been hungry. Really hungry. Starving. Sort of like after….

“Please tell me you didn’t.” Dex removed the tray and put it on the floor against the wall. He pulled the

blanket back and tried to lift Sloane’s T-shirt, but his partner slapped his hand away. “Sloane, let me see,

damn it.” He grabbed Sloane’s wrist with one hand and managed to pull up the cotton shirt, cursing

under his breath at the tiny beads of blood seeping through the bandage. “For fuck’s sake, did you try to

shift?” When Sloane looked away, Dex had his answer. No wonder his partner was out of it. It wasn’t

just the meds. Sloane hadn’t recuperated from postshift. Dex opened the minifridge and found it empty.

“When?” He slammed the fridge door shut.

“Last night. After you called,” Sloane mumbled.

“Last night?” Dex put a hand to his head. Veggies and hummus were all well and good for Sloane’s

Human side, but not for the Felid inside him. He needed meat, protein, and more than the packet of

sliced chicken Dex had left him in the fridge. “Fuck. Sloane, you know you’re not supposed to attempt

shifting. The doctor said so, and it’s in the packet. To make matters worse, you do it when there’s no

one here to perform postshift trauma care? With no access to the right foods? What were you

thinking?”

“I’m thinking I need to fucking heal, and if that’s the quickest way to do it, then it’s a risk I’m willing to

take!”

Sloane’s ferocity surprised Dex, and he took a step back. His partner’s pupils were dilated and his fangs

slightly elongated. Fuck, what the hell was going on? It was like Sloane was having trouble controlling his

feral side. Dex could see it. He could see the Felid inside Sloane staring back at him from behind glowing

amber eyes. Could the meds be doing this? The recovery packet the doctor had given them specifically

instructed Sloane not shift while he was healing, especially while on his meds.

“Okay, take it easy. It’s me.” Dex held his hands up in front of him and swallowed hard, aware of the

telltale signs. “There’s no hurry for you to heal, Sloane. It’s okay.”

“It’s not okay,” Sloane snarled, his fingers flexing against the sheets and his nails starting to grow. Fuck.

Oh fuck.

“Sloane, you need to breathe. Calm down.” Dex slowly edged away from the bed. Why was this

happening? Sloane had never lost his grip on his Felid side. Not to mention he’d yet to fully recover from

his first attempt. “Please, Sloane. Your body’s not healed from the first try. Who knows what asecond

attempt will do?”

There was no reply from Sloane. He was gritting his teeth, his face red, and his muscles straining.

“Sloane, you need to stop.”

“I can’t.” Sloane lowered his head, his fierce gaze on Dex.

“Why?”

“To protect you!”

Dex gasped as Sloane let out a roar, his body starting to shift. What the hell was Dex supposed to do?

He’d never faced a Therian who’d lost control of his Human side, much less an Apex predator. Quickly,

he backed up against the far wall, cringing as Sloane’s cries of agony filled the room. Sloane tore at his

clothes, pulling his T-shirt and pajama bottoms off before his mass shifted, bones popped, and fur

pierced his skin. Dex reached into his pocket and with shaky hands placed a call.

A gruff voice answered. “What do you want?”

“Ash, you have to help me.” The panic in his voice must have been clear, because Ash’s tone instantly

transformed from its usual gruffness to concern.

“What’s going on, Dex? Talk to me.”

“It’s Sloane. He’s shifting, but it’s not… not normal. He tried last night but couldn’t complete the transformation. Then we got into an argument, and it’s like he’s lost it. I don’t think he’s in control. How

is that possible?”

“Hide.”

“What?”

“Hide somewhere he can’t get to you. I’m on my way. I’ve still got my key to your place.”

Ash hung up, and Dex shoved his phone in his pocket. Where the fuck was he supposed to hide? When

he moved his gaze to the bed, he stilled. There was no time for hiding. The huge black jaguar lay in the

center of the bed, his tail thumping against the headboard. He sniffed the sheets, then the air before his

gaze landed on Dex.

About the Author

Charlie Cochet is an author by day and artist by night. Always quick to succumb to the whispers of her wayward muse, no star is out of reach when following her passion. From Historical to Fantasy, Contemporary to Science Fiction, there’s bound to be plenty of mischief for her heroes to find themselves in, and plenty of romance, too!

Currently residing in South Florida, Charlie looks forward to migrating to a land where the weather includes seasons other than hot, hotter, and boy, it’s hot! When she isn't writing, she can usually be found reading, drawing, or watching movies. She runs on coffee, thrives on music, and loves to hear from readers.

You can find Charlie at