I’m touring at the moment with my Winter Warmers offer and the paranormal romance books that are discounted in it. The tour started last week but I was having a terrible week so didn’t have a moment to pop online to blog about it. Each blog stop has a post about one of the paranormal romance books in the offer and also has a giveaway, so be sure to follow the tour for your chance to win some signed book swag!
Today I’ll round up the previous posts in the Winter Warmers blog tour and also talk a little about today’s stop at Fade Into Fantasy!
And today I’m over at Fade Into Fantasy chatting about the Prophecy Trilogy because I have all three books in the trilogy on offer until January 15th. I love the Prophecy Trilogy because it is the reason that the Vampires Realm series exists, and that’s one of my favourite series to write. At the moment, all three of the books are available for just $0.99 each, which is a saving of $6. At Fade Into Fantasy I talk a little about the book, the series, the offer and share one of my favourite scenes from the books, as well as offer you all a chance to win some signed book swag! Read the post here.
Tomorrow I’m at Satin’s Bookish Corner talking about Hunter’s Moon, another book in the Vampires Realm series of paranormal romances.
It’s time for the Manday Hotties Hop again! Be sure to follow the links in the list below to get your full fix of mancandy! This week I’m going back to my lasting favourite, Josh Kloss, with an amazing new photo shoot that a friend alerted me to last week! Plus an old favourite too.
I think that second picture… he’s just waiting for someone to come and run their hands over him.
Don’t you think?
Visit the other blogs in the hop:
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It’s time for the Romancing Christmas Giveaway Hop hosted by Seduced by the Book!
This wonderful hop runs from from December 10th to December 16th, so you have plenty of time to enter the hop and visit all the other amazing blogs that are involved too.
I will keep it as simple as possible to enter this blog hop since it only runs for a short period of time. I’ll offer one set of prizes but it is available internationally, and I think you’ll all like it.
PRIZE ON OFFER:
Ebook of your choice from my backlist plus signed book cover postcards, bookmarks and romance trading cards
ENTER NOW:
Make sure you follow the instructions on Rafflecopter clearly in order for your entry to count.
This is an international giveaway. Giveaway ends December 17th at 00:01 EST. Winner will be announced and contacted on December 17th. The winner has 72 hours to respond and claim their prize, otherwise a new winner will be drawn.
Remember to do the mandatory entry and leave your comment before visiting the other blogs in the hop:
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It’s time for the Naughty Not Nice Giveaway Hop hosted by Seduced by the Book!
This wonderful hop runs from from December 9th to December 12th, so you have plenty of time to enter the hop and visit all the other amazing blogs that are involved too.
I will keep it as simple as possible to enter this blog hop since it only runs for a short period of time. I’ll offer one set of prizes but it is available internationally, and I think you’ll all like it.
PRIZE ON OFFER:
Ebook of your choice from my backlist plus signed book cover postcards, bookmarks and romance trading cards.
HOP HAS ENDED:
The hop has now ended. You can see the winner below.
This is an international giveaway. Giveaway ends December 13th at 00:01 EST. Winner will be announced and contacted on December 13th. The winner has 72 hours to respond and claim their prize, otherwise a new winner will be drawn.
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It’s been a strange week so far, but an interesting one. My schedule has been all over the place due to factors beyond my control, but I’ve got things done somehow, and have managed to get Crave edited in second draft, as well as writing a whole bunch of guest posts for my Winter Warmers blog tour.
The highlight of my week was an email from a lovely lady at Amazon KDP asking if she could call me and discuss something “confidential”. Of course I said yes because curiosity is a weakness we all share with cats. When Amazon email you wanting to discuss something confidential and offering to call you whenever is good for you, how could you say no?
Being sworn to secrecy is always difficult for me but I somehow survived and at least I can talk about it now. The nice lady wanted to discuss the new Kindle Owners’ Lending Library. It’s something they’re adding for Amazon Prime customers and rather than it being Kindle users lending their books to each other, it acts more like a real library. There’s a $500,000 kitty for the month of December, and each time your book is borrowed from the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library, you get a share of that kitty. Say there are 100,000 downloaded books in that month, and your book was borrowed 1000 times, you get $5000 that month as payment for your book being in the library. Sounds great doesn’t it? They believe they’ll get a $6 million kitty for the whole of 2012, so retaining that $500,000 a month.
Of course, there’s always a flip side to everything. In order to be a part of the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library, your book has to be exclusive to Amazon for 90 days. Yep, you read that right. Amazon wants your book exclusively for three months… a quarter of a year… and if you forget to opt your book out near the end of those 90 days, it gets enrolled again.
There are added incentives to lure us indie authors into going along with our books being unavailable elsewhere for those 90 days, such as the fact that it will still be available for sale on all the Amazon Kindle Stores worldwide so you’ll continue to make money on it as you would normally too, and you get 5 days where you can have a free promotion on your book. You get to choose the days via the new look KDP, and can select either 5 consecutive days or non-consecutive. I’m interested to see whether they will promote those free books somehow so customers know about them, or whether they’ll just be free and only people who come across your book will know about it, or those you promote it to yourself.
The part I liked most about being asked by Amazon to enrol my books in the scheme was reading this on the blogs today:
Amazon says “31 of the top 50 KDP authors have already enrolled 129 titles.”
Yes, I was rather pleased to see that I had made enough progress with my life as a writer that I am considered one of the top 50 KDP authors. I shouldn’t really be surprised considering that I have sold over 110,000 books on Amazon this year as Felicity Heaton and F E Heaton, but it was nice to see it there spelled out for me. I had wondered why Amazon had chosen to contact me. Now I know.
I was honest when speaking to the lady and told her that I wouldn’t enrol any of my current releases in the library because it is the run up to the biggest retail week of the year and I’ve been working hard to promote my books over the past few weeks and get them into prime position for the Christmas period. Plus, as I said to her, I once tried to get Barnes and Noble, via Smashwords, to remove my books back when they were heavily discounting and causing me problems on Amazon, and several emails and four months later and they were still for sale on B&N. She did say that Amazon would give a two week grace period during which the author would have to remove their books, or make a very obvious effort to do so.
90 days is a very long time to have your book exclusively on one retail site. Okay, Amazon is the biggest, and the thought of getting a nice slice of the kitty plus the regular royalties for sales of the book is very alluring, but I do think it’s a long time to have your book in just one place.
Also, if you remove your books for sale on websites like Barnes and Noble, Apple iBookstore, Sony Reader Store, Kobo Books, etc then you’re going to lose rankings on those sites, as well as reviews most likely. You’re basically killing your previous marketing efforts for that book on those sites, and resetting everything. You’ll have to work doubly hard to get your book up the rankings again, and get reviews back. Of course, I’m sure Amazon knows this. The lure of a share of that pot will likely tempt people into giving it a go though.
Let’s do the math. Rather than opting one of my current releases in, I asked if I could add a new book to the site. The lady said yes so I added a book to the site before the deadline and supplied the ASIN for that book to Amazon. The book is a fantasy romance short story entitled The Night by Felicity Heaton. You can see it on Amazon.com here: http://www.amazon.com/The-Night-ebook/dp/B006IWCR5A/
When you look at the Amazon book listing page, like you see when you search for a book title, it shows like this:
So people can immediately see that the book is available free if you’re a member of Amazon Prime. That should entice people for a start.
I’m selling the book for $0.99. That means I get around $0.35 per sale. If a Christmas miracle were to happen and the book is borrowed 1000 times, and only 100,000 books are borrowed in total from the library, then I get $5000 from the library kitty.
How many $0.99 books would I need to sell to get that in normal sales? Around 14285 books.
So, if the book you’re enrolling in the library is only $0.99, it makes a little financial sense to enrol it in the library like I have and see what happens. Even a $2.99 on 70% royalty option would have to sell close to 2500 books to make the same money as a book lent 1000 times. Plus, let’s be honest, you’re more likely to get someone reading your book for free from a library than paying for it. People love free stuff.
Is it worth not having your book on all the other retailers for 90 days? I’m not sure. I guess it depends on how many you think you can sell on those sites during that period. In reality, most of us would be likely to shift on average around 600 copies a month of a $0.99 book on Amazon. I have managed to do more than 3000 of a $0.99 in a month before though. Still, it’s not the 14000 I would have to sell to make $5k. In my personal experience, sales across all other sites are substantially lower than I get on Amazon. On average totalling around 200 a month across the other sites for a $0.99 book. Lose those 200 sales and risk gaining more money through the lending library? It’s a hard call. Since I can’t enrol in Pubit because I’m not American, I don’t make that many sales through B&N. Apple is my second biggest revenue source. Even then Amazon dwarfs it.
Still, I don’t think I would rush out and remove my books from other retailers. I am tempted to use the Amazon Kindle Owners’ Lending Library in a different manner though. I often work quite a way in advance on my releases but in 2012 I’m aiming to have them completed a few months before the advertised release date. I could do a soft launch on Amazon a little over 90 days prior to the book’s release, enrol it in the library for those 90 days, and offer it exclusively on Amazon until the official release date. Promotion wise, it would have to be very minimal until the official launch, but the book should sell some copies without me crooning about it all the time or touring the blogs with it. I just don’t know how readers would react to it. Would they be annoyed that they can’t get the book at Sony or Kobo or Apple or B&N or my own website for those 90 days? Most likely. Would Amazon users feel a little privileged because they could? Most likely too. Would I do it? It depends on how readers feel really. I’m not about to start alienating my readers to gain a few extra dollars. A lot of it would depend on the opinion of my readers and on how well my initial book in the library performs. Do I think Barnes and Noble, Apple and other retailers are going to be miffed? Absolutely!
The Night Felicity Heaton A powerful seventh level wizard, the last thing Zane expected to happen in his life was being cursed, even if he did deserve it. Each night he turns into a cat and remains that way until dawn breaks. His search for a cure uncovered rumours of a powerful witch who might be the only one in the world who could save him. From the moment he set eyes on the beautiful and mysterious Celene, he was lost.
Celene took Zane in without question a year ago and since that night she has been falling for him. Fearing he will leave if he discovers the truth about her, Celene learns all that she can from books and does all in her power to help him, but nothing is working and from daybreak to nightfall she must leave him to fight on alone.
When she realises that time is running out for Zane, Celene redoubles her effort to cure him but his stubborn refusal to tell her anything about the curse only hampers her efforts. But Celene can be stubborn too, and when she finds a slip of parchment with the clue she’s been hoping for, she sets about forcing Zane to confront his past.
Will Celene be able to save the man she’s come to love? And will Zane finally discover the truth about Celene and break his curse?
During my break in Scotland, I read three books in Gena Showalter’s Lords of the Underworld series.
Over the past two weeks I have posted my four star review of The Darkest Kiss and my five star review of The Darkest Pleasure, and this week I’m posting my review of The Darkest Whisper!
So here’s my candid review of this paranormal romance book by Gena Showalter.
The Darkest Whisper Gena Showalter He is the keeper of Doubt and his entire world’s about to be rocked.
Bound by the demon of doubt, Sabin unintentionally destroys even the most confident of lovers. So the immortal warrior spends his time on the battlefield instead of the bedroom, victory his only concern…until he meets Gwendolyn the Timid. One taste of the beautiful redhead, and he craves more.
Gwen, an immortal herself, always thought she’d fall for a kind human who wouldn’t rouse her darker side. But when Sabin frees her from prison, battling their enemies for the claim to Pandora’s box turns out to be nothing compared to the battle Sabin and Gwen will wage against love…
REVIEW The Darkest Whisper, the fourth book in Gena Showalter’s Lords of the Underworld series, starts off with a bang that soon fades as the book progresses. The plot wasn’t amazing in this one, mainly focusing on the romance blossoming between the hero, Sabin, the leader of the Greece Lords and keeper of Doubt, and Gwen, a young Harpy female. There are a few fights thrown in to spice things up a bit, but they all felt a little convenient to me. There was no real hints that danger was coming or the enemy was going to launch a full-scale attack. Everything was pretty much fine one moment and total pandemonium the next. It did leave me feeling that they were tossed in there because the author felt there needed to be something happening in the book other than the romance.
We learn a few new things about the world and the overall plot arc in the book though, but it isn’t Sabin or Gwen who learn them. They’re mostly out of action dealing with each other. I think I would have preferred it if the leading couple had been more involved with the plot. Most of the time, Sabin and Gwen were busy training together or generally resisting their desire for each other, rather than moving the plot along, flimsy as it was. The Darkest Whisper was more about the romance than anything. The ending was fairly unbelievable and actually came close to ruining this book for me. Gwen’s decision would have driven the Lords to totally butcher her and I doubt they would have listened to Sabin and given her the choice when securing their fate and future is within their reach. It just seemed out of character for all of the immortal warriors that they would let it go down that way. Also, the epilogue was dire and extremely cheesy, and utterly pointless. It sort of made me cringe.
However, Sabin was delicious and I really liked Gwen, and their romance was one worth reading. Since Sabin is the keeper of Doubt, he has a tendency to drive women to lose all confidence in themselves and eventually commit suicide. He doesn’t have a great track record with the ladies, so has kept clear of them, until he finds Gwen locked in a glass cage in a Hunter lab in Egypt. Saving her becomes priority one for the man who is normally so focused on war and fighting, willing to do whatever it takes to win. It’s that side of him that makes Gwen cautious and unwilling to fall for him, even when she can’t stop herself from desiring him. Her Harpy side delights in the presence of such a strong handsome man and she’s fairly smitten from the moment he saves her. Sabin uses the excuse that he’s keeping her around because he wants to make timid little Gwen into a weapon, harnessing her Harpy side and training her to unleash it at will. As the story progresses though, he comes to admit that he’s keeping her around because as far as he’s concerned, she belongs to him now and he won’t let her go. He also realises that he can’t use her in the manner he first wanted to, and that she’s changing him and smoothing out his rough edges.
Gwen was a brilliant heroine too. I always enjoy it when we get to witness a heroine coming into her own. She goes from being afraid of her Harpy side and pretty much everything around her, scared that she’ll lose control and harm people she cares about, to being a strong confident woman in control of herself and her destiny, and determined to bring Sabin to his knees. I love how possessive she became of him, her Harpy side taking the reins whenever someone dared to just look at him the wrong way.
Read this book for the romance and just take the randomly thrown in bit of plot at the end as a bonus. It was great that the series has taken a leap forward though, the revelations coming thick and fast now, but some parts of it just didn’t fit with what we know of the Lords and how they work and react to things. I would still recommend it though. I want to give it a four because I loved the romance side of things, but I can’t get passed the fact that it just sucked a little at the end, so it’s going to have to receive a three from me. It’s really a 3.5, and I know I normally bring those up to a four, but I just can’t do it with this one without my stomach turning.
So, I’ve been meaning to put together a book trailer for my vampire romance novel, Heart of Darkness, for a while now and on Monday I finally decided to sit down and give it a go. This is only the second book trailer that I have made, both of them have been for my vampire romance books and the first was for Prophecy: Child of Light, which I might remake now that I’ve changed the covers.
I had previously spent forever tracking down the perfect music for the book trailer, and gathering a good selection of samples to play with, so at least I had done what I consider to be the hard part. It took me the best part of a day to put together the book trailer, and almost the same again to get it converted into a format for YouTube that didn’t end up with the video out of sync with the music, looking fuzzy or cutting off in weird places. At least I know exactly what to do with that side of things now. If you’re curious about what I used to make it, it was Flash CS3. I’ve done courses in Flash for work, so it was the natural choice for me.
Here’s the book trailer for my vampire romance novel, Heart of Darkness.
Here’s a little more about the book and where it’s available, including an excerpt.
Heart of Darkness Felicity Heaton A vampire prince on a four hundred year old mission to avenge his murdered sister…
Aleksandr Nemov won’t stop until the last of the vampire hunter’s progeny is wiped from the Earth. Each kill has stolen a piece of his humanity, pushing him towards the black abyss all vampires hold within their hearts. Now he is teetering on the edge, close to devolving into a beast, and time is running out as he tracks the last hunter to Prague. There he finds a beautiful woman who could be his one chance for salvation, but is it already too late for him?
A vampire guard who will do whatever it takes to protect those she loves…
Elise is dedicated to her duty. It’s the only thing she has left. All that changes when she meets Aleksandr in Prague and her master grants him permission to stay at her bloodline’s mansion. She knows all about Aleksandr but none of it prepares her for how she feels when the legendary prince’s hunt becomes one for her heart. Elise battles him with all of her strength but can she stop herself from falling for the handsome hunter? When he reveals the depth of the corruption in his soul, will she have the strength to face the pain in her past and do whatever it takes to save him?
ebook price: $3.99 paperback price: $9.99 genre: paranormal vampire romance length: 130000 words rating: sultry released: October 2011
Aleksandr Nemov stood over the body of the vampire hunter, their blood splattered across his black shirt and saturating the leather and metal vambraces that protected his forearms. It coated his fingers and the curved dagger they gripped, and the sweet scent of it heavily tainted the crisp night air. Strong moonlight caressed his back, throwing his shadow out long in front of him, across the hunter’s corpse.
A female.
She hadn’t been strong enough to fight his kind. Too young and inexperienced to best him. It had been foolish of her to try.
Aleksandr raised his hand and swallowed at the sight of the blood glistening on his fingers. It tempted him to taste it.
He dragged his eyes away and settled them back on the female laying on the grass of the small public space, her blood warming the frozen earth. He hadn’t fought a woman in a long time and hadn’t expected to find a hunter so soon after arriving in Prague.
The fountain nearby bubbled regardless of the frigid temperature, defiant of the frost that caused the grass around it to glitter.
Aleksandr glanced at his bloodied hands again and then closed his eyes against the temptation. He took no thrill in the hunt. Yet he found no calm in its aftermath. There was only the threat of unending darkness that beat within his chest and encroached upon his soul. It bled into his eyes. He could feel the jagged points of black that speared the red. He had too much blood on his hands but he couldn’t give up now, not when he was so close to attaining his vengeance.
With great effort, Aleksandr sheathed his dagger against his left hip and wiped the blood away.
The smell of it still permeated the air, taunting and filling him with the dark urge to feast on the hunter’s remains. He refused to obey the voice within that commanded him. His kind had fought hard against it and no Nemov had turned to the darkness. They were stronger than that, and he would die before it happened to him.
“You… what are you doing here?†A light female voice shattered the darkness within him.
Aleksandr glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. She stood with the fountain at her back, the cascade of water providing wings that completed the vision of beauty. Moonlight bathed her skin, turning her round eyes dark and her hair as black as the uniform she wore.
An angel.
The red bled from his eyes, returning his irises to grey, and he straightened to his full height, desiring to look his best even when he looked his worst.
She brought her right hand up to reveal the blade clutched tightly in her fingers, held backwards with the blunt edge tucked against her forearm, ready to slash at him if he made a wrong move.
“I won’t ask you twice.†Her strength surprised him.
Such a beautiful creature.
Before Aleksandr could find his voice, she was gone. He turned, blocked her attack with the metal covering his left vambrace around his forearm, and attempted to disarm her. She dodged his counter-attack with ease and came around behind him. He spun and blocked her again, and this time managed to get a hand on her before she leapt backwards, out of his reach, and bared her fangs.
His heart beat harder. She attacked again, her cry piercing the silent wintry night, and brought her blade down hard. It was difficult to block it. She was strong and skilled for a female. He strafed left and right to avoid her knife, trying to find an opening that he didn’t really want to take. She was fascinating. Beautiful and deadly. Everything a vampire should be, yet there was something more to her. She turned and brought her leg around in a swift kick. The heel of her black knee-high boot smashed into the side of his head, sending him down.
Aleksandr rolled onto his feet and blocked her again. Why couldn’t he bring himself to fight her? He could barely bring himself to defend.
Her red eyes narrowed on him and she growled, exposing her extended canines again. His cheek throbbed where she’d caught him. He would bear a bruise there before the hour had passed. She lunged at him and he barely avoided her blade. If he survived the fight that was. He ducked when she swung at him and swept his leg around to take hers out. She jumped it and rewarded his effort with another hard kick to the head, sending his brain spinning out of control. The darkness threatened to return, goading him into attacking. He didn’t want to. He would not attack another vampire, especially not a female.
Definitely not her.
She huffed as though disappointed. Was it because he wasn’t fighting or wasn’t falling? Aleksandr kept his arms in front of him, blocking her swift attacks with his vambraces, and staring at her face the whole time. Fascination wasn’t the right word for what she did to him.
The warmth he felt, the intense attraction, the abject desire to look into her eyes forever, even when they only promised him a slow death. It was more than fascination.
He wanted her.
“I do not wish to fight you.†Aleksandr leapt backwards, away from her, and raised his hands.
Her grip on her blade tightened and she attacked.
He left himself open to see what she would do. Her clothing was formal—a black military-style jacket that only reached her waist and tight black trousers coupled with polished riding boots. She looked like a guard. If she were, she surely wouldn’t kill him.
If she weren’t, he was making a terrible mistake.
The moment she neared him, she sheathed the blade, threw herself forwards so her hands pressed into the dirt, twisted and launched herself at him feet first. Had he wanted to defend himself, it would have been impossible. The speed at which she locked her knees around his neck, sending him falling backwards with her momentum, and slammed him into the icy earth knocked the breath from him.
Aleksandr stared at her where she perched on his chest, straddling it with his arms trapped in the crook of her knees and her blade against his throat.
He laid beneath her, sprawled out, his back aching and freezing.
Utterly in love.
She leaned forwards. A single strand of her dark hair had fallen out of the tight bun at the back of her head and grazed her cheek. Her soft breath against his face carried the enticing scent of her blood. Her eyes went from darkness to a lighter colour that the moon stole from him. Beautiful.
Aleksandr swallowed, causing the knife to grate his Adam’s apple through his thick beard. He wished that he had cleaned up now before coming to Prague. She wasn’t exactly catching him at his best.
“You will answer for entering my bloodline’s territory.†She pressed the blade harder against his throat. “I’m taking you in.â€
“No need to be rough.†Aleksandr smiled slowly. “Unless you like it that way, of course.â€
She was off him in an instant, her weapon still held at the ready.
Clearly, she wasn’t into the rough stuff like so many of his kind. With the thrill of hunting denied them, they had to find excitement elsewhere. Dancing with death through sharing blood was the most intoxicating thing a vampire could do without risking their humanity and many of them did it often. He had never been into that sort of thing.
Aleksandr sat up, grazed his fingers over the silvery scars on his wrist, a reminder of why he was tracking and killing vampire hunters, risking his humanity, and then got to his feet.
The female backed off a step, but remained close enough that she could easily attack him if he tried to leave. He didn’t want to, but if he did, she wouldn’t be able to stop him. A woman was no match for him.
First a female hunter and then a female guard. Prague was a modern progressive city, or the world was changing faster than he realised. He had noticed it for a few years now and had been struggling to adjust ever since. He hadn’t expected the change to happen within vampire society too. The males had always been the ones to take care of the females. His gaze settled on her. Now there were females capable of taking care of themselves. It was both disturbing and intriguing.
Aleksandr went to move but she was in front of him before he could take a step.
“Can I at least gather my belongings?†He motioned towards the coat and bag that waited near the fountain.
She looked at them and her gaze tracked back and settled on the corpse. Her pupils narrowed and then she frowned. Had she only just noticed that he had killed someone? She sniffed and then looked at him, her pale eyes falling to his shirt and then his hands, carefully taking all of him in. He liked the assessing edge to her gaze, and the way it lingered on his body a moment before coming up to meet his. She stared into his eyes, long enough that he felt as though she was renewing the spell she had cast on him, and then nodded.
“I desire an audience with your master.†Aleksandr crossed her path and picked up his long heavy black coat. Her gaze remained on him, intent and focused.
He put his coat on, picked up his black bag and slung it over his shoulder. When he turned to face her, she was looking at the dead hunter again. The way she stared at it, studying it closely, made it clear that she hadn’t seen a fresh kill in a long time.
Or she hadn’t seen anything quite like the butchery that had happened tonight.
Aleksandr clenched his fists and reined in the dark hunger that the memory evoked. He was in control now, not his instincts. The hunt would continue until he had avenged her and had rid the world of her murderer’s progeny.
He would not surrender until then.
For four centuries, he had tracked and killed them, his anger still fresh in his heart, the pain of losing her still raw. He would not surrender until he had killed the last of the hunter’s line and protected his people.
The woman stepped forwards and his attention was back with her. The second his gaze locked with hers, the darkness inside him receded, washed away by the light in her eyes and her beauty. He had thought of nothing but the hunt for four hundred years, had closed himself off to society and focused on his duty, but the woman before him stole his attention away from it so easily. It drifted to the back of his mind with the darkness, unknown to him in this moment while her eyes held his. She wasn’t afraid of him. She had fought him without fear, and with strength and skill that he had never expected to find in a female. She enthralled him.
Looking into her eyes, Aleksandr realised something dreadful. He was too close to the edge. The feelings she evoked in him were ones he had long forgotten existed. It was strange to feel warmed inside by happiness to have met her, desire to make her belong to him, and hunger for the feel of her bare body against his. He had not felt such positive emotions in decades.
He was losing himself.
“Follow me,†the woman said and he did, using her as a distraction from his dark thoughts.
She was young. He placed her at barely over two hundred years old, her appearance somewhat of a human in their mid-twenties. She was at least six inches shorter than him, and slender. Her strength had surprised him because of those facts alone. Young females were often weak and needed protection. She had strong blood in her veins.
Aleksandr ran a hand over his matted long dark hair and then rubbed the several months’ worth of beard on his face. What did he look like? He felt like a mess now, both inside and out. She had definitely caught him at his worst. If he had looked as he had back in his days at court, he was sure she would be looking at him differently.
He was sure that she would recognise him for who he was.
She walked swiftly ahead of him, not once looking back to check if he was still there. She had mastered her senses then. He could feel them fixed on him. How strong were they? He had honed his to perfection through years of training and hunting, but he hadn’t sensed her approach. He had been too lost in the darkness.
His gaze slid down to her small backside and the way it moved as she walked mesmerised him.
He hadn’t really wanted to meet her master, but saying that he did seemed like the easiest way of remaining near to her.
Aleksandr lost track of how long they had been walking. He looked up when he sensed the presence of more vampires. Black wrought iron gates punctuated an endless grey stone wall ahead. Beyond them stood the extensive bleak façade of a mansion. Light emanated from many of the rectangular windows marking the three storeys, at least on the left side. On the right, they were mostly dark hollows. Two male guards at the gate saluted the woman and then eyed him with suspicion as he passed through.
Who was his escort? She was strong, spirited, and these men ranked lower. If she weren’t dressed as a guard, Aleksandr would have placed her as a lady of the bloodline. A female guard. He still couldn’t quite comprehend it.
He followed her up the gravel drive to the house, walking on the left side of the wide expanse of frosty grass that stretched into the distance in both directions. It was a habit of his to mask his footfalls. It had saved his life more than once. The long grey stone front of the mansion was imposing and cold even in the moonlight. The size of it told Aleksandr that this bloodline held the power in the city, or they were the only one resident.
They crossed the large parking area in front of the house, passing a fleet of identical black Mercedes-Benz limousines. This bloodline was definitely doing well for itself. Judging by the fact that the woman had been in the city whilst wearing her uniform, it had to be masquerading as a military school of some sort. Many bloodlines bought privacy from the local government by donating large sums of money and setting up such a front. The humans never questioned them. It had been the easiest way to keep their species secret for many centuries. At least some things hadn’t changed since he had left society.
The moment she entered the house, Aleksandr’s attention was back with her. She hurriedly smoothed her warm chestnut hair back into the tight knot, fixing her appearance. In his opinion, she didn’t need to fix it at all. The slight wanton edge her messy hair gave her was alluring to say the least. His gaze drifted to her throat and he frowned when he spotted her bloodline’s mark on the back of her neck. It was an elaborate black ink crest with a stag incorporated into the design.
Černý.
They passed another pair of male guards and Aleksandr glanced at the back of their necks. The mark was visible above the collar of their short black jackets. A strong bloodline.
He had forgotten who ruled Prague. Perhaps they would be able to help him after all and his coming to their master would prove beneficial in more than one way.
His grey eyes slid back to the woman. She looked over her shoulder at him, her aquamarine eyes briefly fixing on his before she turned away again.
Aleksandr quickened his pace and fell into step beside her. She glanced at him again and then looked forwards. His gaze remained on her as they walked along the elegant gallery at the front of the house, heading towards the lit area he had seen on the left of the building. She had soft features—youthful and graceful. Her oval face, pale skin, and rosy lips set his heart racing again, quick enough that it almost matched a human heart rate. A flicker of a frown wrinkled her brow and her eyes darted to him and then away. He steadied his heart, aware that she could hear the effect she had on him. Her heart was beating at a restful pace, a soothing patter in his mind.
She moved ahead, entering a large red drawing room. The vampires relaxing in it were powerful but none of them were stronger than he was. He carried on without glancing in any of their directions, following his temptress. She turned right in the room, heading towards a guarded set of dark wooden doors. When she reached them, she faced him, her expression stern.
“Wait here,†she said and the guards stationed on either side of the doors opened them for her.
Aleksandr lowered his black holdall from his shoulder. The two dark-haired male guards eyed him. He smiled but it didn’t relieve the tension. It only made it worse. The one on his left cast a glance over him and Aleksandr was thankful that his long coat hid his dagger from view. The female’s voice drifted through the open doors to him and he looked at her. She stood in the middle of a dark green room, the back of a gilt-framed green velvet couch in front of her. A male spoke to her in Czech, his voice a lazy drawl.
Tired of waiting, Aleksandr walked into the room, his knee-high boots heavy on the polished wooden floor. The woman’s blade was at his throat again in the space of a breath. Aleksandr halted and looked at the man her body had shielded from view.
He was young to be leading a bloodline, only in his late twenties in terms of appearance, meaning he was little more than four hundred. He would have been born around the time that Aleksandr had begun his hunt.
The man leaned back into the green couch opposite the one near to Aleksandr and the woman and crossed his long black-clad legs. He smiled without any trace of charm or meaning and preened his short sandy hair back.
“This man desires an audience with you, Master,†the woman said and Aleksandr glanced down into her clear blue eyes. She looked away, towards the leader of her bloodline.
“Then allow him to introduce himself so I may know with whom I speak,†the master said in English.
Aleksandr was familiar with both English and Czech. He had understood everything the master had said to the woman. He wasn’t interested in guests and wanted him gone. His opinion would change once he knew who Aleksandr was. It always did.
Aleksandr’s gaze met the guard’s again, holding it for long minutes. Whenever he set eyes on her, he was struck by her beauty as though it was the first time he had witnessed it. He willingly accepted her blade against his throat because it meant she was near him. Soon she would be this close to him without a weapon. He was sure of it. He would ask for sanctuary and the master would grant it. It would give him time to clean up his appearance and then he would start a new hunt. One for this woman.
His gaze slid across to the master and locked with his hazel one, silently showing the younger vampire that he wasn’t the most powerful in the room by a long shot.
“I am Aleksandr Nemov,†he said in a calm measured tone.
The female’s shock rippled through the knife at his throat, which was gone an instant later. She stepped back.
“You will not mind me requesting proof of that claim,†the master said.
Aleksandr smiled behind his beard. It was to be expected. He had been absent from society so long that many probably thought him dead.
With a flourish, he unsheathed and presented his bloodstained dagger. The curved silver blade caught the warm light of the fireplace to the left of the couches. That same light made the gold handle shine brightly. Only a Nemov carried such a weapon, and it had been given to him at birth, inscribed with his name so those who died by it knew who had taken their life. When the man nodded, he sheathed the blade and took hold of his black shirt above his right hip. He pulled it free of his trousers and revealed the mark he bore there on his pale skin.
The mark of royalty.
The woman’s eyes widened, fixed on the crescent moon on the shield of his bloodline.
Aleksandr lowered his shirt and she slowly raised her eyes to his. She blinked, fumbled with her own knife, and then looked away. The shy sparkle in her blue eyes added to her beauty and his desire for her, momentarily stealing his attention away from the other occupant in the room.
“You will stay a while with my bloodline. It would do us great honour.†The master stood and crossed the room to Aleksandr.
The woman stepped to one side, her eyes still downcast.
The master grinned and held his hand out. “I am Ladislav ÄŒerný, and I welcome you to my home. I hope you will be able to enjoy our hospitality for a long time.â€
Aleksandr shook his hand. Ladislav was young but wise enough to see a way to gain more power when it was standing in front of him. Being favourable to a royal would grant him more leeway with the law and more privileges in court. It was a shame then that Aleksandr had long since surrendered such authority. No matter how many times he reminded society that he was no longer royalty, it still insisted on treating him that way. In this sort of situation, he usually reminded them that he had given up his title, but this time he couldn’t bring himself to mention it. He wanted to remain here and pursue the woman, and for that reason alone, he would tolerate Ladislav’s mistake.
“We will hold a ball tonight to celebrate,†Ladislav said, his English thickly accented.
This man was no fool. He would serve Aleksandr well. His gaze slid back to the woman. Her eyes were on him again but darted away when his met them. How well would she serve him?
“Then I will need to freshen up.†Aleksandr removed his hand from Ladislav’s grip.
“Any room in the guest wing you desire, and I will arrange whatever you need.†Ladislav motioned to the woman. Her expression blackened for a moment, as though escorting a guest was beneath her, and then she saluted.
Aleksandr picked up his bag and smiled at the woman. She answered it with a frown and then walked out of the room. His smile widened and his gaze raked over her.
Today’s Daily Dozen dose comes from Prophecy: Child of Light, a vampire romance book and the first book in the Prophecy Trilogy.
Valentine still couldn’t believe what he’d done. Deep inside he hoped that none of this would be in vain and that his instincts were right about her. Whenever he thought about everything he was risking in order to take her to England, his stomach turned and a part of him wanted to kill her.
Her jaw tensed and she made a small noise of pain.
He could sense how frightened she was. It wasn’t just the pain of the Hunger. It was what lay ahead of her and the prophecy. It was what lay behind her.
She was leaving her life behind too, but she’d never been out in the world. It probably all seemed so overwhelming.
He sighed and resisted the temptation to clear her red hair from her face as it slipped out from behind her ear. Instead, he ran his fingers through his dark locks, loosening them.
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To find out more about this vampire romance book, read on…
Prophecy: Child of Light [book 1] F E Heaton A vampire unlike any other, Prophecy lives life in the dark until the night she encounters Valentine, a gorgeous vampire who is both her enemy and the man who will change her life forever.
Convinced that the prophecy about her is wrong and unable to ignore the vision of them that he saw in her blood, Valentine goes against his orders to execute Prophecy and kidnaps her instead. The attraction between them grows as they search for the truth behind the prophecy, battle a dark evil that threatens to destroy the world, and attempt to evade their families and the Law Keepers.
When the truth about her is revealed, will Prophecy be strong enough to face it? Will they discover a way to save the world from Hell? And will they finally see past the hatred bred into them by their families and surrender to their love?
The first novel in the Vampires Realm series, Prophecy: Child of Light, is part one in an epic tale of love and war that is sure to capture your heart and leave you craving more.
ebook price: $0.99 genre: paranormal vampire romance length: 135000 words rating: sultry released: March 2007 Book 1 in the Vampires Realm series
Today my Teaseday post comes from another of my current books on offer – Her Dark Angel – which is the first book in my best selling Her Angel romance series. It’s the second chapter of the book, but you can read the first chapter at my website by following the link with the blurb below.
At the moment, I have a fantastic offer on a selection of my ebooks. There are plenty of fantastic reads to choose from, all priced between $0.99 and $2.99 and in a range of lengths between novella and long novels, and a variety of paranormal romance sub-genres including sinful angels, sexy vampires, seductive werewolves, and even a super-hot demon and sassy witch pairing. Offers end 15th January 2012.
Her Dark Angel is on offer for just $0.99 on Amazon Kindle, Barnes and Noble Nook, Sony Reader, Smashwords and other retailers.
Her Dark Angel Felicity Heaton An angel without a mission, Apollyon lives trapped in Hell guarding the bottomless pit. Surrounded by endless darkness, he longs to fly free on Earth once more but his master hasn’t called him in centuries. When the call finally comes, it’s to serve a new master, a beautiful woman he has often watched over, a woman who has always captivated him.
Serenity is shocked when a gorgeous black-winged angel shows up in her city of Paris claiming that she called him when she was only casting a simple vengeance spell. He’s no other than the angel of death! When Apollyon offers to obey her and help her have revenge on her cheating ex-boyfriend, she can’t resist the temptation, but can she resist him? Can an angel as dark as Apollyon ever fall for a mortal woman like her?
Dark, passionate and erotic, Her Dark Angel is a tale of intense desire and deepest forbidden love guaranteed to get your heart racing.
ALL OF THE STORIES IN THE HER ANGEL SERIES STAND ALONE, JOINED BY CHARACTER AND WORLD ONLY, AND DO NOT NEED TO BE READ IN ORDER.
Serenity’s hazel eyes went wide and she stepped back when the hulking mass of man standing before her drew the sword that hung at his waist, afraid that he had changed his mind and was going to kill her after all. She wasn’t sure what to think when he eased himself down onto one knee in front of her, lowered his head, and held his sword out to her, the hilt and tip of the beautiful blade resting on his palms.
“I am yours to command.†His French was perfect, making his deep voice so sexy that a shiver tripped over her skin whenever he spoke.
Was she supposed to do something?
People were staring again as they passed. What did they see? They certainly weren’t seeing a man offering a sword to her, that was for sure. To them, did he look as though he was kneeling with his hands raised in supplication?
Was he dressed in black and gold armour that didn’t leave much to the imagination?
Did he have huge black feathered wings?
She imagined that he didn’t. If he did, the people would probably be screaming rather than merely glancing at him as though he had gone insane.
“Erm, okay.†Serenity hesitated before touching the sword. The gleaming steel was cold beneath her fingers. She took her hand away, not liking the feel of it. “Thanks.â€
He stood with grace, his muscles shifting beneath his golden skin, and she tried not to stare at his physique. Either he worked out a lot, or angels were naturally endowed with the body of a god. He was pure perfection as he stood close to her, his broad chest rising and falling, moving the beautifully decorated black breastplate. His stomach was bare, taut muscles delighting her hungry eyes, and the smallest black loincloth in the world protected his modesty.
Something that she was lacking. She lowered her gaze, taking in the toned length of his legs. They were as powerful as the rest of him. Her eyes roamed back up, over the black cuffs that covered his forearms, decorated in gold with images of lions, and over his biceps to his strong shoulders. From there, they wanted to go to his face, but his wings were too fascinating. They were large, casting a shadow across both him and her, tucked against his back.
She wanted to walk around him and investigate every delicious inch of him, taking in that he really was an angel and not a man parading as one.
An angel.
Abaddon.
Her mother had taught her gods, goddesses and mythology. She knew all about him and his kind.
Her eyes finally leapt to his face. He had a smile that could stop hearts and vivid blue eyes with icy flecks in them. They held her gaze, unwavering and strong, and her temperature rose when they narrowed slightly and his pupils widened. What was he thinking in there?
Did he like what he saw as much as she did?
The man was a god.
No, an angel.
And he was beautiful.
Breathtaking.
But he wasn’t at all as she had thought an angel would look. Everything about him spoke of darkness, right down to his aura. Whatever power he had, it was strong and it wasn’t the sort that resurrected mortals or healed them. It felt as though the opposite would happen if he unleashed it.
Abaddon. The angel of death. Although he had denied that title. What title did he claim as his then?
“So, Abaddon—â€
“Apollyon,†he interjected with a charming smile that teased his sensual lips and made her heart beat a little faster.
He was an angel. No matter how good he looked and how much he was making her forget her pain just by looking at him, she couldn’t think about him like that. It was wrong of her. He had offered his assistance in getting revenge on her bastard ex and she was going to take it. Whatever dark power this gorgeous man had, she was going to let it rip in her ex’s direction.
“Apollyon?†She stopped her gaze from dropping down to take him in again. If she told him to put on something a little less distracting, would he be able to do it? She had seen through whatever spell he had used. Could he ever fool her eyes?
“I prefer my true name.†He cast a quick glance over her. His eyes lingered in all the places a mortal man’s would.
Surely, she was off limits too? Angels were asexual weren’t they?
The voice at the back of her mind said that the tall hunk of handsome standing in front of her definitely didn’t look asexual. He looked like sin incarnate, not like an angel at all.
“Serenity.†She offered her hand to him.
He took it and a jolt ran through her at the feel of his strong warm hand grasping hers. She shook his hand but he didn’t let go when she was done. He held it, his thumb resting lightly against hers.
“My mother thought I could bring peace to a chaotic world.†Her heart sped when his thumb grazed hers and then he took his hand back, his fingers brushing her palm and sending another shiver through her. “I’m not much good at it.â€
“At what?†He quirked a dark eyebrow and tilted his head to one side.
Serenity sighed inside. Did he know how good he looked? Could angels be conceited? She supposed they were all beautiful so he probably didn’t realise that the reason all the women were staring as they passed wasn’t because they thought he was apprehending her or anything of the sort.
They were staring for the same reason she was.
The man was six feet plus of godliness.
“Being peaceful… I’m actually quite chaotic.†She shrugged. “Nothing I do comes out right. I mean… I thought I was casting a simple spell for vengeance and suddenly you’re here telling me that you heard me calling you. I wasn’t asking for an angel.â€
“You weren’t.†He placed his palm flat against her chest and she jumped. Her pulse rocketed and she blushed from head to toe at the feel of his wrist against her breasts. “Your heart called me, not your words.â€
Serenity smiled and nervously took hold of his hand and removed it from her chest before she lost control and threw herself at him.
“So you’re good with revenge?â€
“Very good at it.†He stood taller, straightening to his full impressive height, looking even nobler and handsome. “I am Apollyon, the great destroyer, king of the bottomless—â€
“Wait.†She cut him off and held her hands up. “Great destroyer? Maybe this isn’t such a good idea. I mean, you’re an angel and your boss-on-high would probably be a little upset if you blew up half of Paris to fulfil my wish for revenge, and I don’t want him dead… just in pain… and I can really take care of this myself. I didn’t mean to bother you.â€
“It is little bother.†He frowned. “I will only do as you command. The choice of revenge will be yours and I will exact it.â€
“What about your boss?†She didn’t want to piss God off. She was sure that he was already fairly angry that people like her existed on Earth, those that could use magic and make their own miracles.
Not that she had managed anything like that so far. She was better at lighting candles and the small stuff like love potions.
Serenity glanced up at Apollyon. Would a love potion work on an angel?
She cursed and told herself to get a grip. Angels probably couldn’t enter into relationships with mortals and this attraction to him was probably because she was rebounding.
“You are my master now.†The serious edge to his expression said that he wasn’t joking. “I do as you bid.â€
Serenity’s eyebrows rose and she slowly absorbed the fact that she had her own personal angel.
“Then we should…†She wasn’t sure what they should do. Skulk off and plan something horrible to do to her ex because he’d cheated on her? It all felt a little cloak and dagger and not at all like her. She had never sworn revenge on anyone, had always let her anger go and just got on with her life. Not this time though. She wanted him to pay. “Do you drink coffee?â€
“I have never tried it.†Apollyon smiled. “But I have been told by others that it tastes strangely bitter and sweet at the same time, and has an interesting effect on the body. I would like to try it.â€
“Coffee it is.†Serenity led the way towards the fountains and Apollyon came up to walk beside her.
She really hoped that people weren’t seeing him as she was.
“What do you look like to them?†She looked at a few people to make her point.
“A man dressed in a black suit.â€
“No wings?â€
He shook his head. “Do not worry. It is only you who are unaffected by the image I project.â€
“Can it affect me?â€
He stopped and looked at her. The breeze tousled his fine long black hair, teasing the strands of his ponytail.
“You wish not to see me as I am?â€
When he said it like that, it made her feel bad. His blue eyes darted between hers, as though he wanted to see the answer in them before she said it.
“No.†She stepped towards him. Her heart beat faster again and her palms sweated. She took a deep breath and smiled up at him. “You’re fine just the way you are.â€
The wind blew again, catching her blonde hair and sweeping it across her face. She started when he brushed the strands from her face, smoothing them behind her ear, and his fingertips caressed her cheek as he trailed his hand off her. Did he know what he did to her with that touch? What just looking at him did to her on the inside? She kept telling herself that he was an angel and he was off limits, but her body wasn’t getting the message. It burned to feel his hands on her, to feel his lips against hers and have him hold her close.
It was insane. She had only just met him and she wasn’t usually the sort who threw herself at men. Her ex, Edward, had pursued her for months before she’d finally given in and agreed to a date with him, let alone anything else.
Now she was ready to throw herself into the arms of an angel and pray that he caught her and kissed her just as she wanted him to.
“He really hurt you,†Apollyon whispered.
Serenity blinked and her desire deflated at the thought of what Edward had done to her. She really had to clear her head of whatever ridiculous attraction she felt to Apollyon because it wasn’t going to happen.
She started walking again, not waiting for him to follow. She needed a moment to breathe. Since setting eyes on him, her head and heart had been at war and she had to give them both a reality check. Apollyon was here to help her get revenge and that was all. She couldn’t throw herself at him, or make a move, or do anything that would only end in her getting her heart broken again or winding up as miserable as Edward had made her.
“I said something wrong?†Apollyon strode beside her, his long lithe legs making easy work of her hurried pace.
She was quiet a moment, lost in her thoughts, her gaze drifting over the white stone buildings that lined the narrow street.
He stood a few paces behind her, his black wings still tucked against his back and the gold decoration on his black armour reflecting the sun.
She nodded.
He walked up to her and looked into her eyes. “I can feel it. It is part of the reason I agreed to help you. You do not deserve such pain. You always seemed so happy until recently.â€
“You’ve been spying on me?†It came out louder than she’d meant it to.
“I am an ang—†He frowned when she slapped her hand over his mouth. His warm breath bathed her skin, tickling her and sending a shiver dancing up her arm.
Serenity snatched her hand back. “I don’t think that’s a good word to use in public.â€
“We all watch. It is what we do.â€
She grimaced. That had probably sounded even worse. The two women were deep in conversation now, furtively glancing at her and Apollyon. They probably thought she had a harem of stalkers.
“Wait here,†she said and hoped that he would.
What had she gotten herself into?
Serenity ordered the coffees and looked over at Apollyon while she waited for them to come. He was sitting looking out of the window. Watching the world go by? Did angels really do that? If he said they did, then they probably did all watch over the mortals.
He shifted his shoulders, frowned and then his black wings unfurled, sending a breeze through the room that had people grabbing their papers, napkins and anything else that had tried to escape in the wind.
Serenity stared open-mouthed at the sight of him. He sat with his black feathered wings outstretched behind him, almost reaching back to the other side of the room. How big was his wingspan? Each wing was at least eight feet long.
She grabbed the coffees when they arrived, went back to him, and sat in a daze in the armchair opposite him, staring at his wings.
Apollyon shifted his shoulders and his wings furled again, the longest feathers curling around and grazing his boots.
“I needed to stretch,†he said with an apologetic look and then smiled. “It has been a long time since I have had so much freedom. It feels good to stretch my wings.â€
She bet it did. He looked like the cat that got the cream, smiling ear to ear, a twinkle in his blue eyes.
“What does it feel like to fly?†she said before she could even consider what she was asking.
His smile widened. “Bliss. The wind on my face, the feel of it in my feathers, and the way I can see everything and go anywhere. There is no feeling like it.â€
“It sounds nice. I’ve flown… in a plane… but it’s still flying, right? Something in common.â€
“Would you like to fly?â€
Was he offering to take her up? The thought made her stomach feel tight but something inside her made her nod.
“I am sure we can do something about it.â€
He picked up the white mug of coffee and raised a dark eyebrow at it. He sniffed it first, peered at the frothy top, and then took a sip.
His feathers quivered and his eyes widened, darting to hers. “What drug is in this?â€
Serenity picked up her own mug of latte and sipped. “It’s not really a drug. It’s caffeine, a natural stimulant. Humans are addicted to it.â€
He eyed the mug suspiciously. “A stimulant?â€
He looked as though he was going to take another sip and then set it back down on the round table between them. His gaze met hers again and his pupils dilated until his irises were almost as black as them. He shifted uncomfortably and crossed his legs, settling his hands in his lap.
“I do not think I should drink any more. It would be unwise.†His voice was tight and the unmistakable spark of desire in his eyes wasn’t going anywhere. “I will be having words with my fellow warriors when we next meet. They did not explain the effects well enough.â€
Effects? She looked down at his hands in his lap and then back into his dark eyes.
Viagra for angels?
“I thought you were all asexual,†she blurted and then covered her mouth when he turned horrified eyes on her. She blushed ten shades of crimson and tried to think of a spell that would take back what she’d said. It probably wouldn’t work on him anyway. Magic didn’t affect gods and goddesses, so it was unlikely to affect other supernatural beings.
“I am not asexual.†The way he said it made it clear that he would be happy to prove it to her right now in the coffee shop.
Serenity gulped her drink and kept her focus on it, avoiding the smouldering look he was giving her and wanting to crawl under the table and hide.
“I have not had a woman in many centuries but I am in no way an impotent creature.â€
Did he have to say it loud enough for the whole coffee shop to hear? She sunk into her chair, trying to avoid the looks she was getting.
“I take it back,†she whispered into her mug and peered at him over the rim of it.
He glowered, passion no longer reigning in his eyes. A dark malevolence shone there and the sense that he wasn’t exactly a good angel in the way she had imagined them returned.
“Some people say you’re the Devil.â€
He leaned back into his chair and sighed. “First I am the angel of death, and now the Devil? The rumours do spread and stick, don’t they?â€
“What are you then?†She emerged from her mug, sat forwards on the edge of the armchair seat and looked him over. He was sin made flesh, luscious in every way imaginable, and she was sure that angels weren’t supposed to be so tempting.
“I told you. Apollyon, the great destroyer… angel of the Apocalypse, responsible for raining hell down on Earth when everything comes to an end.â€
That wasn’t comforting at all.
“You’re not a good angel then?â€
He smiled and there was a sexy sort of darkness in his look. “I am good, if by that you mean I do not work for the Devil, but I can be very bad.â€
She could imagine. She shouldn’t be, but she was picturing him in every position possible and he looked wicked from every angle.
“So what does my mistress command?†His smile held. Something about it made her feel as though he was encouraging her to say the things that were raging through her head.
What didn’t she want to command? She couldn’t though. She was sure that it was wrong to order an angel to commit sin. For now, while her conscience was still functioning and she could resist the temptation sitting across from her, she would focus on getting her revenge.
“Nothing involving death. I want him to suffer. I want him to feel jealous and hurt and unloved… as though he doesn’t matter to me.â€
Apollyon smiled as though he liked the sound of that.
She held his blue gaze. What she was going to propose was crazy, and would shatter what little restraint she had around him, but she was going to do it.
Today’s Daily Dozen dose comes from Ascension, a hot paranormal romance book.
Lealandra looked over her shoulder at him. He stood halfway between the bedroom door and her, shirtless and perfect, as beautiful as she remembered him. Bronzed skin stretched taut over the powerful muscles of his torso, the sight of them rekindling the desire he had stirred with his kiss in the bar. Her gaze wandered upwards, over hard pectorals and strong collarbones to the tense corded muscles of his neck, and then to his face. All sense of desire fell away when she saw his lost look and the way he was staring at the picture.
Her heart went out to him.
Taig turned away and pulled a black t-shirt on over his head, and her eyes betrayed her. They dropped to his back, watching the delightful way his muscles shifted with his movements. The mark on his left shoulder blade was barely visible, a shade or two darker than his skin. His lineage. A symbol so intricate and beautiful that it outshone any witch’s mark. She had traced it with her fingers in the past, following the swirling lines and trying to distinguish their path. The whole symbol looked almost like a heart. Taig didn’t see it, but then he never had liked to talk about his mark.
He never liked to talk about himself at all.
Did you enjoy today’s Daily Dozen?
To find out more about this paranormal romance book, read on…
Ascension Felicity Heaton A witch on the verge of achieving phenomenal power, Lealandra must turn to her half-breed demon ex-lover Taig for protection from the dark force that is after her and also from her own magic.
With her Counter-Balance dead and her coven against her, Taig’s blood and power is the only thing that can help her control her magic and survive the ascension and gain the strength to defeat her enemy.
Old feelings come flooding back as Taig allows her into his world and Lealandra finds herself fighting not only for survival but to win his broken heart again and heal the pain in their past. Can he forgive her for walking out on him all those years ago and will he ever believe her when she tells him that he’s not a monster but the man that she loves?
