Welcome LM Pruitt Author of The Damned Series
Have a seat and grab an insulated mug. I’ve got hot chocolate, hot cider and coffee. Choose your pot, they’re labeled. Pick your choice of a Snicker-doodle, Chocolate Chip or Peanut butter cookie from the plate. Yep, I baked them myself. Lets see what LM Pruitt’s The Damned Series is all about. Thanks for joining us!
Damned:
Jackson.” She stuck out one hand, something in her eyes daring me to not take
it. “And you are…?”
I took her hand, making my reluctance more than obvious. The second my skin
made contact with hers, a spark of energy shot through me so violently I
couldn’t help but gasp. Swallowing, I said, “What brings you to Savannah?”
for work.” Without releasing my hand, she slipped out of her seat and slid in
to the one across from me. Leaning in, she lowered her voice and said, “I was
fully prepared for it to be another dull, routine trip but now… well, now I
think I’m glad I got assigned this route.”
fluttering in my stomach wasn’t unfamiliar—I was far from a virgin and I’d not
only done Mardi Gras and Spring Break in Miami but I’d also spent a month in
Europe after my college graduation. But this… this was something different. And
not because it was caused by a woman.
Visceral. Almost feral. Like she’d tapped in to some hunger I wasn’t even aware
I’d had and now that I did the idea it would go unfulfilled was almost too much
to bear.
work with me.” She lifted our joined hands, brushing her lips over my knuckles.
“I have a feeling you would be… amazing.”
as if all my attention was focused on the small bit of skin where she’d kissed
me, tendrils of lust spooling out through the rest of my body in lazy ribbons.
“What do you… what do you do?”
souls.” Her eyes darkened, her breath catching in her throat and I realized for
the first time I wasn’t the only one affected by our contact. “Or rather the
energy from them. The actual soul is taken up by someone else—it doesn’t
matter, the details can be explained later.”
I trailed off, part of me sure she was joking and an even larger part of me
sure she wasn’t. “Really. Why?”
She flicked her tongue over her lips and I sucked in a shallow breath. “Because
it’s fun.”
make you….”
This time when she smiled, a dimple appeared in her left cheek and I was caught
with the sudden urge to kiss it. “More specifically a succubus.” My confusion
must have shown because she laughed. “I fuck people for their energy—sometimes
to death, sometimes not. It all depends.”
do that to me?”
shook her head, her hair sliding across her shoulders, the tips curling over
the swell of her breasts. “I told you. I want you to work with me and my
sisters and Lilith.” She leaned closer and I breathed deep, the scent of her
perfume almost painfully exotic. “I want you to join the ranks of the Morning
Star and spend eternity tempting the weak and the wicked.”
suggesting was lunacy. Madness. Even if I believed her, the idea of giving up
my life to be some sort of demonic minion was ridiculous. Although….
giving up? A lifetime spent catering to David’s whims, denying myself the
things I truly enjoyed because it would be bad for his reputation or his
political chances or his weight? A lifetime attempting to please my parents and
knowing it would never happen because nothing would ever overshadow Joanne’s
sacrifice? A lifetime being nothing but the substitute?
would I be giving up?
nickname I hated hearing from David sounded and felt like a caress coming from
Lacey. Lifting our hands again, she ran her tongue over one of my fingertips
before nipping lightly. Her voice was heavy with promise when she spoke again. “Come
play with me.”
breathed out the single word before leaning over the table and crushing my
mouth to hers.
soul anyway?
When you died, what did you see? And please don’t insult us or waste our time
by claiming you saw nothing.”
for a moment, torn between doing just that and telling the truth. There was
something about meeting the be-all-end-all as far as the creation of everything
went which made me want to keep our conversation to ourselves. On the other
hand, I didn’t relish having to go through the whole dying thing again and I
had a feeling the key to my miraculous return rested in those few minutes when
I was, to quote the younger dead, all dead.
white room. And a woman.” I paused, hesitating another moment before
continuing. “She said She was the Power.” I took a deep breath, holding it a
few seconds before exhaling. “And when I asked if She was going to kill me, She
said no, it wasn’t my time to die. And then I was back here.”
enough.” Joanne shook her head, her hair sliding over her shoulders. “Michael,
it’s not enough. You know how She is. She could have been playing one of Her
fucking word games and any minute now—.”
The almost giant next to her knelt down, kissing the side of her head before
murmuring something in her ear. Whatever he said reassured her enough to have
her letting up some of the death grip on my hand although she still didn’t let
go. Michael turned to Gabriel, standing silent and watchful in the back of the
room. “Can you speak with Her?”
less likely to lie to me?” Gabriel snorted. “You know She doesn’t play
favorites.”
that’s a lie. She was willing to sacrifice innocents to keep you whole, if not
happy.” Gideon’s gaze flicked to the tall redhead who, if I was keeping up with
the names being thrown around earlier, had to be Lucinda. “She’ll answer your
questions, even if She doesn’t want to.”
She wouldn’t answer me. I said there was a good chance She would still lie to
me.” Gabriel sighed. “But fine—as the patron saint of women and children—.”
your resume.” Joanne’s voice was so acidic every person in the room, archangel
or not, flinched. I lifted my brows but stayed silent. This Joanne wasn’t the
one I remembered. This Joanne seemed as if she could not only reduce a person
to tears with a few words but she would enjoy doing it. “Now go do your job.”
Gabriel offered a bow which was just a shade shy of mocking, his smile dying
away when he glanced at Joanne. “Right. I’ll be back as soon as possible.”
flash was enough to blind me but thankfully sulphur free. Although I was
feeling less and less like death with each passing second, I wasn’t quite ready
for the scent of brimstone.
him off, didn’t you, Mom?” Olivia widened her eyes, blinking rapidly. To be
fair, the majority of the people in the room were reacting the same way, the
only exceptions being Joanne, Barry, Raphael, and Michael. “You know how he
feels about being ordered around.”
you feel.” Joanne’s face softened ever so slightly, her lips curving upward.
“In case you wondered where you get that particular quirk from.”
on my brother.” Michael kissed her cheek again, tucking her hair behind her ear
and studying her face. Whatever he saw there had him nodding. “Why don’t we all
go in to the other room for a few minutes? Leave the two of you alone?” He
glanced over at Raphael and Gideon, standing silent and watchful with matching
looks of suspicion. “Do you think that will be a problem?”
human, hell, yes—she had multiple seizures leading up to a massive cardiac
episode and she was dead for damn near ten minutes.” Gideon paused, sighing and
shaking his head. “But I’ll admit, I don’t have a goddamn clue what’s happening
here. Even when the Power is generous enough to provide a miracle, She still
tends to make it hurt, just so you don’t mistake her kindness for weakness.”
please.” Joanne’s voice broke and once again the entire room responded,
although this time there was a definite degree of panic. People all but tripped
over themselves in an effort to exit the room, the sole exceptions once again
being Michael, Raphael, and Barry. “Just a few minutes.”
Fine.” Gideon shoved Lucinda toward the flap which apparently served as a door,
nodding rapidly. “If anything happens, yell.”
we’ll be outside.” Olivia scooped up Douglas, ignoring his whines to stay with
Nana. She paused with one hand on the flap, glancing over her shoulder. “Do you
want me to go get the others?”
Joanne shook her head, clearing her throat before continuing. “I need a few
minutes.”
shifted her gaze to Barry. “Are you coming?”
Striding across the room, he nudged his way between me and Joanne, kissing the
top of her head and then mine. “Let me know if you need anything.”
as to who his statement was directed toward and right then it didn’t matter.
Joanne nodded, stretching up and kissing his cheek. “I don’t know why you were
there but thank you.”
was a nod before he followed Olivia out of the room.
next door.” Raphael leaned across the bed, giving Joanne a hard, brief, almost
possessive kiss. Glancing at Michael and lifting his brows, he said, “Call if
you need anything.”
hero, girl.” Michael didn’t kiss her, instead simply pressing his forehead to
hers. “Call.”
She glanced at me, her smile clearly forced. “I promise.”
exchanged another look before leaving the room, the flap dropping shut behind
him. For long minutes, there was only silence. Finally, Joanne sighed and shook
her head.
fuck have you gotten yourself in to?”
Ruin:
Cam strapped the saddle bags he’d somehow managed to stuff all my clothes in to
the little bike—not quite a motorcycle but bigger and less dorky than a
scooter. When I didn’t answer right away, he stepped over to me, grabbing my
face in his hands and squeezing. “Coniglietto. Is it done? Did you take care of
her?”
own ears my voice sounded dull and lifeless. Considering the fact I felt high
as fucking kite, I could only assume it was shock. “I took care of her.”
he meant, not exactly, but I’d taken care of her the best way I knew how.
of horrible things, on purpose and accident, and I had no doubt I would do more
horrible things still. But I’d be damned even more than I already was before I
actually killed my sister.
pressed a quick, hard kiss to my forehead before steering me toward the bike.
“I have little doubt the archangels will be here soon—so we shouldn’t be.”
going?” It didn’t matter. I had, for all intents and purposes, hooked my wagon
to his. If anyone threw doubt on my commitment to the so-called cause, all Cam
would have to do was point out what I’d done to Joanne. Sure, there might be
trouble when it came out she wasn’t actually dead but it could all be explained
away as yet another newbie mistake.
taught us how to not kill people. Not the opposite.
Prague.” He settled himself on the bike, gesturing for me to do the same. He
handed me a helmet, his lips curving upward when I stared at it blankly.
“Safety, little rabbit. And a disguise. It’s safer for us to blend in at the
moment.”
hands felt thick and clumsy as I struggled to strap on the protective headgear
and I cursed under my breath when Cam finally took pity on me and did it
himself. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”
little rabbit.” He brushed his lips over mine before flicking the tip of my
nose. “Now, let’s go take over the world, hmm?”
Torment:
longer.”
around, continuing to study the skyline. “I’m fine.”
the morning. You should be asleep.” He didn’t sound angry about the fact I
wasn’t or the fact I was standing outside in late September in sleep pants and
a thin cotton tank. If anything, his scolding sounded as if it was for form and
nothing else. “It’s been a long day for all of us.”
turn around, studying Barry with the same intensity I’d shown the various
buildings of Prague. “Why are you mad at me?”
He pulled a cigar from the pocket of his sleep pants but didn’t light it,
staring at the tip for a moment before sliding it back in his pocket. “I’m
tired, Julie. As I said, it’s been a long day. The next few days—weeks,
rather—promise to be equally long. We all need to sleep, to keep our strength
up for what lies ahead.”
touched me since we got back.” Since he stood in front of my sister and ripped her
heart out and then walked away without a backward glance. “You’ve barely said
anything all night long.”
tired.” He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out a
long sigh. “There’s been quite a bit of upheaval in the last thirty-six hours
or so. Quite a bit. Forgive me if I’m not my usual charming self. You have more
than enough people here to pay you attention if you’re feeling uncared for.”
I meant.” I turned back to the city view, widening my eyes and blinking rapidly
in an effort to keep the tears at bay. I didn’t have a problem with using tears
as a weapon when they were called for but I wouldn’t use them with him, ever.
“You’re right. It’s late. Go to sleep. I’m fine.”
I’m not going to sleep until you do.” I heard the sound of metal scraping over
concrete and glanced over my shoulder to find he’d pulled one of the patio
chairs free of the table. Sitting down and stretching out his legs, he said,
“As long as you’re here, I’m here.”
only frustrate us both, Julie Elizabeth, and we’ve had enough frustration for
the day.” He slid further down in the seat, almost slouching, and crossed his
arms. “As long as you’re here, I’m here.”
out before I even realized it was in my mind and I bit my tongue, already
regretting it. “Never mind. You don’t have to answer that.”
When I didn’t move, he uncrossed his arms and held out one hand. “Please.”
balcony, I took his hand, curling up in his lap and resting my head on his
shoulder. We sat in silence for a few minutes before he cleared his throat. “I
don’t know any other way to say it. I can simply say as long as you’re here,
I’m here. When you want to leave, we’ll leave.”
we go?” Joanne’s face in the instant after Barry verbally sucker punched her,
Asmodeus’s face the second after I shot him, flashed through my mind and I
hunched my shoulders as if the memory carried a physical blow. “There’s no
place left. We burned all those bridges today.”
bridges is they can always be rebuilt and when they are, they’re stronger than
before they burned.” He brushed my hair away from my face, stroking one hand
down my back and pulling me tighter against him. “But since you don’t want to
leave, the discussion is moot.”
right thing.”
done the wrong way is no longer the right thing.”
way to do this differently, we would have taken it.” We’d tried to take it.
We’d tried to meet the others halfway. Nobody—Lilith, Asmodeus, the Power,
Morning Star—wanted to bend.
to break them.
begin today, there is no turning back. You and your supporters will be branded
traitors. There will be bounties on your heads.” He pressed his lips to my
hair, breathing deep. “On all our heads. You’ve never lived through a war.”
question but I answered anyway. “No, I haven’t.”
through more than my fair share, even considering my age. When it’s impossible
to die from manmade weapons, you tend to fight in wars simply to alleviate the
boredom.” He turned, pressing his face in to my hair. “And they’re nothing
compared to supernatural wars. So far you’ve only seen the pretty side of Hell.
There are things which will be unleashed which should never exist out of
nightmares.”
us?”
shook as he stroked my back and I wasn’t sure if he was trying to comfort me or
himself. “Some things can’t be unseen or unfelt. You’ll carry it with you until
the day you die.”
to scare me?”
warn you. Up until now, everything about this war has been theoretical. Until
today, no true shots were fired.” He drew back, his face unnaturally somber,
even for him. “I know you did what you had to do and I don’t fault you for that
decision.”
officially started the war.” I nodded. “I know. I’ll live with it.”
worse.” He pressed a kiss to my forehead. “They always do.”
get better.” I had to believe that. If I didn’t, then there was a good chance I
was wrecking and ruining lives for no reason at all. I pressed my lips to his,
lightly, for comfort more than anything else. “Things will be better. We’re
going to make them better.”
We didn’t have any other choice.
It was wonderful having you with us today LM Pruitt. Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with The Damned Series!
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Damned, LM Pruitt, Paranormal Romance, Ruin, Torment, Wicked by Tena Stetler with comments disabled.
Alexandrea Weis, Author of Damned
Give a warm welcome to Alexandrea Weis, author of Damned, book one of the Blackwell series released October 3, 2017!
Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cauldron, a Bat Wing Chocolate Chip, Pumpkin or Peanut Butter cookie from the plate, and let’s find out a little about Alezandrea and her book Damned!
Alexandrea, what is the paranormal lure of New Orleans?
There are cities that conjure tingles when referenced for their mystique and romance. London, Paris, and New York all bring a smile to the faces of many, but for me, nothing can compare to the sultry breezes and intriguing architecture of New Orleans. Steeped in history, mystery, and a whole lot of sin, it is one of the most original spots on earth. Where old-world blends with modern day, the people, atmosphere, and culture are like no place else. It’s this exotic blend that makes the town such a worthy backdrop for my novel Blackwell. Despite time and the advent of technology, there is a rhythm in New Orleans that seems impervious to change. What was true in the time of Magnus Blackwell is still true today.
However, it’s the darker side of the Big Easy that makes it a pivotal part of Magnus Blackwell’s world. Ghosts, voodoo, and eclectic people have persisted in New Orleans almost as long as the city has been in existence. Murky myths add to its allure and make it a thrilling spot to set any literary adventure.
Famous as the most haunted destination in the United States, residents of New Orleans are as accustomed to ghosts as those in Los Angeles might be to smog, traffic, and noise. The ethereal is woven into the fabric of the dreamy iron balconies and shuttered doorways. Complaints of unintelligible voices, screams, footsteps, and unexplained knocking are as common in early morning banter between neighbors as cordial greetings. When you live in the French Quarter, hearing, “my ghost kept me up all night,” is the norm. Perhaps this is why spectral visitors are just as much a facet of life as red beans and rice on Mondays. And with the rise of haunted tours, ghosts are now big business. Taking what was once an inconvenience and turning it into a cash cow. But ask any of the locals if they would be happier relieved of their supernatural visitors, every single one of them would say no. New Orleans wouldn’t be the same without its ghosts. For those who love the city, it’s reassuring to know you never have to leave it.
Unlike other cities where the topic of voodoo was spoken in hushed whispers, New Orleans readily embraced the religion. The blending of the African and Catholic customs reached its zenith along the Mississippi River. Because of voodoo’s influence in the Crescent City, words such as gris-gris, ju-ju, and voodoo doll were introduced into the American vocabulary. Even famous practitioners of the art became legends. Marie Laveau is still regarded by many as the queen of voodoo. Her annual St. John’s Eve ritual performed on the banks of Bayou St. John continues to this day. And even though her religion has become more commercial that practical, the essence of it adds an air of enchantment to those tightly packed Creole cottages along St. Anne Street. And some insist, on a cold day when the light is right, you can see the regal figure of Ms. Marie strolling along the cracked sidewalks of The Quarter and keeping an eye on her hometown.
Probably the most memorable part of any visit to The Big Easy is the numerous encounters with its Bohemian inhabitants. Their unique character embodies all that is inviting about New Orleans. From quirky traditions to flamboyant celebrations, everything this town encompasses comes alive in its citizens. When life and death are celebrated with the same exuberance, one can’t help but be enchanted. There is something about the people that gets under your skin. A haven for writers, poets, artists, and musicians, the creative pulse resonates through every cobblestone of Jackson Square. Maybe this is why New Orleans has been the setting for so many great stories. Like a heady gumbo, it stirs the soul. Reason enough to make it one of the settings in my book.
There are many delights and a few dangers in New Orleans, but despite everything, it is a place where the impossible can seem probable. I can think of nowhere else to set the dark and sinister tale of Blackwell. It is a bastion where lost souls can find rest, forbidden religions can influence a culture, and people are encouraged to march to a different drum. All that is extraordinary defines this fabulous city, and all who embrace it are touched by magic.
Lexie awoke with a start from a sound sleep. Gaping into the blackness of the strange bedroom, she discovered the storm had abated and she detected the creaks and groans of the old house. Then a crack from the floorboards made her flinch.It came from Will’s side of the bed. She reached out to shake him, but he didn’t move.
“Will?”
She received a muffled grunt.
Another crack in the floor, but this time it happened right next to her side of the bed. An odor lingered in the air.
Is that coffee?
A column of light glittering to her left made Lexie’s mouth go dry. The oddity soon took on the shape of a man.
His strong frame, long arms, and tapered hands came into view. Good-looking, despite the cruel curl of his lips, his chiseled features, and engaging eyes, made her insides tingle. But when the cut of his old-fashioned red vest, long black coat, and white ascot tie took shape, Lexie understood this wasn’t some hazy fantasy. She didn’t fantasize about men from another century.
Lexie clutched her bedsheet as a fearful scream rose in her throat.
“Please, my dear, don’t bore me with your petty shrieks,” the figure said, his tone condescending.
Like a lightbulb getting enough electricity to reach its wattage, his image brightened, bringing out his details. Lexie scrutinized the buttons on his coat, the fine craftsmanship of his high black boots, and grasped the identity of her visitor.
Then a loud pop rang out, and he was gone. It happened so fast, Lexie questioned if it had happened at all.
“Welcome to Altmover Manor, Ms. Arden.” She recognized the voice of the apparition. “I hope you enjoy your stay.”
This time, Lexie did not hold back her scream, and as she opened her mouth …
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Alexandrea Weis, Damned, Paranormal, Romance, Supernatural Thriller by Tena Stetler with comments disabled.
