L.J.K. Oliva Author of If You Were My Vampire!
New Release Spotlight from L.J.K. Oliva
A Snippet from If You Were My Vampire.
He should have left days ago.
Asher Evans hesitated at the corner of Third and South Park. If he was even half-smart, he’d turn around now. He’d go back to his shitty studio rental, toss everything he could get his hands on into a duffel bag, and get the hell out of town. San Francisco had made it pretty clear it didn’t want him anymore.
Asher jammed his hands in the pockets of his battered leather jacket and started forward again. Another half hour wouldn’t make a difference. In any case, he was already here. He was already committed.
He was going to a tea shop. At close to midnight. Looking for a girl.
It was hands-down the most ridiculous thing he’d ever done.
Asher quickened his pace. He couldn’t even say what it was that had made him notice Grace Alan in the first place. She wasn’t overly attractive, hadn’t spoken more than two words to him each time he saw her. And she worked at a place called Cross Your Teas. Cross Your Teas. That by itself should have sent him running in the opposite direction.
In fact, he might not have noticed her at all except for the single, fascinating thing she’d done the first time they met.
She’d looked at him. In the eyes.
People didn’t look him in the eyes. If they weren’t too afraid of him, they mostly weren’t looking at him at all. But Grace Alan had looked, and she’d kept looking. After the first few times, he’d started to wonder what it was she saw.
He’d tried to put it out of his mind, had told himself it probably meant nothing, but it was no use. Lately, that one simple question had grown from a simple prick of curiosity, to a gnawing fascination, to a preoccupation bordering on obsession.
Tonight, he would have his answer.
Cross Your Teas came into view up ahead. Asher quickened his pace. They would be closing soon, and the last thing he wanted was to have come all this way for nothing. He drew closer. The lights were still on; a good sign. He came to the large front window with the outline of a teapot on it, and peered inside.
Grace’s older sister, Lena Alan, was standing behind the front counter. The drawer of the register was open, and she appeared to be counting out the cash. Then she stopped, a wad of bills in one hand. She quickly swiped at her eyes. Her mouth trembled. Asher blinked.
She was crying.
Lena visibly sighed, and started over. Asher scanned the rest of the shop for Grace. There was no sign of her. He took a deep breath and listened for movement in the back kitchen. No use. There wasn’t so much as a mouse sneeze. Asher ground his teeth together.
Grace wasn’t there.
Now he really should leave. He didn’t have time to be trailing one girl all over the city. But even as the thought passed through his mind, he was already turning his nose into the air. He caught Grace’s scent almost immediately; the bitter-yet-oddly-comforting smell of patchouli. She hadn’t been gone long. Asher followed it up the street and around the next corner.
The darkness grew thicker, despite the thin light of the streetlamp overhead. A stiff wind kicked up, buffeting him with the sharp, briny aroma of the Bay. Asher pulled his jacket a little tighter and fought to hold onto Grace’s trail. Something cold and unsettling moved in his stomach. A mere block or two over, there were wider streets, streets with better light and plenty of traffic. What the hell was Grace thinking, coming this way?
What the hell was he doing, following her?
She wasn’t even his type. His type was blonde, smiling and empty-eyed. Grace Alan was the opposite of his type. Dark-haired, pensive. And her eyes were anything but empty. When she looked at him, he got the distinct feeling she could see right through him. That alone was more than enough reason to leave now.
He had almost convinced himself to do it when he heard her scream.
Asher was running before the sound even had time to register. Grace’s scent grew stronger, and with it he smelled something else: fear. Asher’s chest hardened. The unmistakable sounds of a struggle pricked his ears. A second scent mingled with Grace’s: male, a few days unwashed. Sweat. Arousal.
Asher snarled.
Suddenly, something thick and fragrant flooded his nostrils. Reflex stopped Asher in his tracks. Blood. His mouth started to water. His fangs descended from his gums. He’d come here well-fed, but fuck, whoever’s blood that was, it smelled delicious. There was a subtle bitterness to it, a smell like…
Patchouli.
Asher took off again at a dead sprint. Grace was in trouble. Grace was hurt. A small, snide voice in the back of his head questioned why he gave a shit. Asher ignored it. He slowed, ducked down a narrow, graffiti-plastered alley and took in a deep breath. The male’s scent had faded. Asher squinted. Near the end of the alley, a familiar figure sat slumped against the wall.
He drew a little closer. “Grace?”
She didn’t turn. In the semi-darkness, he could vaguely see her lips move, but no sound came out. Asher closed the distance between them, his footsteps unnaturally loud against the brick buildings on either side.
“Grace—oh, fuck.”
Asher sank to his knees in front of her. She was more than just hurt. He reached out to touch her face, at the last minute thought better of it. His fingertips hovered over the crushed area that had been her cheekbone. Blood gushed from her obviously-broken nose. Asher trailed his gaze lower, sucked in a breath.
Her throat had been slashed wide open.
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged If You Were My Vampire, L.J.K. Oliva, Paranormal, Romance, Vampire by Tena Stetler with comments disabled.
Exciting New Release From Lynsay Sands – IMMORTAL UNCHAINED!
Author’s Secrets welcomes New York Times Best Selling Author, Lynsay Sands and her new release Immortal Unchained!
Pull up a chair, grab a drink out of the cooler, a chocolate chip or peanut butter cookie off the tray and lets talk a little about Lynsay and Immortal Unchained. Be sure to read all the way through, so you don’t miss the Rafflecopter giveaway!
the Author:
She had reached the age her life mate, Domitian felt comfortable approaching her. The scientist wants to lure him to the island in his quest to discover Domitian’s secret.
This is my first Lynsay Sands read. The characters sucked me in, the descriptions were graphic, but the first part of the story moved slower than I like. Once it got going there were unexpected twists and turns and the book moved right along. Happily ever after is a must for me and this book didn’t disappoint, but there were a few loose ends left at the end of the book.
Over all I enjoyed this book and give it a solid four stars.
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Argeneau, gene splicing, Immortal Unchained, Lynsay Sands, Vampire by Tena Stetler with 2 comments.
Author’s Secrets Welcomes Linda Nightingale
Give a warm welcome to Linda Nightingale, author of A Vampyre Rhapsody a collection of short stories detailing Morgan D’Arcy.
Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the blue cooler, a Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter cookie from the plate, and let’s find out a little about Linda and Morgan D’Arcy. I believe Isabeau will be by later.
Born in South Carolina, Linda has lived in England, Canada, Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Atlanta and Houston. She’s seen a lot of this country from the windshield of a truck pulling a horse trailer, having bred, trained and showed Andalusian horses for many years.
Linda has won several writing awards, including the Georgia Romance Writers Magnolia Award. She is the mother of two wonderful sons, a retired legal assistant, member of the Houston Symphony League, and enjoys events with her car club. Among her favorite things are her two marvelous sons, a snazzy black convertible, and her parlor grand piano. She loves to dress up and host formal dinner parties.
Contact Linda at:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LNightingale – @Lnightingale
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LindaNightingaleAuthor
Web Site: http://www.lindanightingale.com – Visit and look around. There’s a free continuing vampire story.
Blog: https://lindanightingale.wordpress.com/ – Lots of interesting guests & prizes
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4839311.Linda_Nightingale
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/lbnightingale1/
Now Mr. D’Arcy a few questions for you. Thank you for patiently waiting. Did you get a bottled blood from the red cooler?
I did. Thank you.
Tells us about the real you— My name is Morgan Gabriel D’Arcy. I was born in Devon, England, in 1632. I am an Earl, a concert pianist, and have been a vampire since 1659, the year before Charles II returned to the throne of England.
What event in your past has left the most indelible impression on you? The years I spent wandering the continent with then Prince Charles after he escaped Crowell. As a Royalist, I accompanied my King first to France, but thereafter, we were at the mercy of different European Courts. I wouldn’t say we were paupers, but we were, in essence, beggars.
What do you most value? These are difficult questions. I value many things, but I suppose at the heart of them all is my desire to find one woman to love, who loves me as I am, and sire an heir to my title. I have found that woman.
What is the type of woman you want to spend the rest of your life with? Isabeau is beautiful, intelligent, and kind. I appeared to her as the Angel Gabriel when she was a child, influencing her career choice. She is a talented geneticist. She will need more than intelligence and talent to save our child, but I am here to guide her every step of the way to solving a genetic fault with the offspring of mortals and vampires.
What do you consider most important in life? Love.
What is your biggest secret? Isabeau. What I plan flies in the face of Vampyre Law. Isabeau, the child, and I could easily stand before a Tribunal, our lives forfeit for my sins…and dream of a race of immortals with human morals and vampire powers.
Thank you Morgan. I know you have places to be, so we won’t hold you up anymore. Morgan stands and exits through the rear door, as Isabeau is waiting at the front.
Isabeau, thanks so much for stopping by, have a seat. You just missed Morgan.
I like to start an interview with the question, who are you really? I’m a geneticist, an avid reader. I know what you want. (She smiles) To peel back my skin and see the woman inside. I’m not sure I know her, but I’ll try to answer your question. I am, and have always been, in love with Morgan D’Arcy, even though he manipulated my entire life. I am a woman in love.
Who were the biggest role models in your life? My mother and father. And I guess Morgan.
What kind of man do you want to spend the rest of your life with? A vampire, but only one of them…Morgan.
What kind of man would you never choose? Almost anyone. I am already in love, but I could never live with a man who wasn’t affectionate and kind.
What is most important to you in life? To love wholeheartedly—the kind of love that comes only once in a lifetime because no one is strong enough to bear it twice.
What is your biggest fear? To end up never finding that kind of love.
Linda, a couple of questions for you.
Tell us a little about writing this story. These stories simply told themselves. It is always like that when it is a Morgan story. He isn’t shy about telling me the tale. Was it fun or difficult? They were fun and not difficult. A Vampyre Rhapsody is a collection of short stories detailing Morgan’s earlier affections. Do your characters always act as you expect? Absolutely not, particularly Isabeau and Morgan. Are you a plotter, or fly (write) by the seat of your pants? I’m a pantster all the way.
Me too, I can’t plot my way out of a paper bag. When I’ve tried, the characters merely thumbed their noses at me and went there own way. So I gave up. LOL
Tell us a little about A Vampyre Rhapsody .
The greatest enemy of a vampire is boredom. Four centuries of existence have taught Lord Morgan Gabriel D’Arcy to fear nothing and no one. Humans and their weapons have little chance against his preternatural speed and arcane powers. Vampires are viral mutations of human DNA. Still, the Vampyre code requires secrecy, and he has learned to hide his nature from the world. The lure of mortality, of a life in the sun, puts Morgan again and again at the mercy of calculating human women though they fail to consider his charm and determination into the equation. However, even grooming a future bride from infancy proves to be fraught with heartbreak. And second chances are not always what they seem unless… you are Morgan. Immortality and beauty, aren’t they grand?
Wonderful how about an excerpt from the book?
Never Goodbye
Isabeau, my Isabeau.
Isabeau with blonde-streaked brown hair and the most beautiful purple eyes. How could she forget me so quickly and return to that bastard? Dark-haired, dark-eyed John Payne—my complete opposite—was my sworn enemy. One day soon, he’d die.
The Grim Reaper—with fangs—would teach him that Isabeau was mine.
I’d been present at her birth, had chosen her to be my wife in that moment, and had watched over her as her guardian angel. She’d been the most exquisite blonde child.
I’d influenced her career choice and financed her education by grants through anonymous foundations. I’d even bought her a white Andalusian horse. These things I’d given her. She’d given me more than I’d ever dreamed. To this unknown bargain, Isabeau had brought beauty, grace, and a vast intelligence. As a geneticist, she could find a cure for the fatal gene of madness that all progeny of vampires and mortals suffered. She had the required vampire DNA, mine in fact, but she didn’t know about the flawed chromosome. It was tragedy that she’d driven me away before I could confess.
Isabeau had been born in Beaufort, South Carolina. Her parents were friends that I’d chosen carefully to breed my future bride. She’d attended the College of Charleston, one of the finest Ivy League universities, and returned to Charleston when LifeGen, a genetics firm, offered her a position.
I’d given her my heart, unconditionally, and she’d broken it. After she banished me from her life, she returned my letters, deleted my emails, and refused my phone calls. Why? She’d discovered how I shaped her life and accused me of manipulating her.
For the thousandth time, I lifted a phone to my ear to make a hopeless call. This time, I was in Charleston. She wouldn’t recognize the number as I was ringing her from my hotel room.
“Hello.” Her voice! Music to my ears.
For a moment, I couldn’t speak, then I took a deep breath, and plunged. “Isabeau, you must talk with me.”
“Morgan, I’ve made it perfectly clear that I never want to hear from you again.” Anger stained her voice a shade deeper.
I imagined her in her sunshine yellow kitchen, leaning against the granite counter, coffee brewing and filling the room with its rich scent. Isabeau was tall and beautiful with a captivating smile. At the moment, unfortunately, she’d be frowning.
God, how I missed her! She was my light—I her dark—two pieces of a soul.
“Please, don’t ring off.” I paced the confines of my hotel room. “I’m in Charleston. I want to see you.”
“I have a date,” she said coolly.
A vision of Isabeau dressed for a night out on the town blinded me. Was she wearing one of the lovely dresses I’d given her while we lived our idyll in my house on the Battery? The Rover House overlooked the ocean. She’d left her Orange Street home to come to me. For five short months, we’d lived in a dreamlike state of bliss…together at last.
“A date with that bastard John Payne.” My hand fisted at my side. I wanted to strike something or someone. Tonight, the Royal Pain would join his ancestors.
“It’s none of your business.”
“You’re carrying my child, Isabeau. That makes it my business.” I washed to a halt by the bed. “You love me.”
You can get your own copy of Vampyre Rhapsody by clicking on the link below.
Morgan D’Arcy: A Vampyre Rhapsody
Wow, I can wait to read Vampyre Rhapsody. It’s on my ipad as we speak. Thanks so much for arranging for Isabeau and Morgan to meet with me. And for taking time out of your busy schedule to visit with me. Please feel free to stop by anytime.
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Historical Romance, Paranormal, Romance, Vampire by Tena Stetler with 11 comments.
