"I am ready to meet my maker. Whether my maker is prepared to meet me is another matter."
-Winston Churchill
Showing posts with label paranormal romance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label paranormal romance. Show all posts

Monday, June 30, 2014

Interview & Giveaway: Poison in the Blood by Robyn Bachar




Bewitching Book Tours
Interview at Immortality & Beyond

Welcome to IAB. I'm so glad you could stop in today to chat. May I offer you a beverage?

RB: Witches brew sounds intriguing. I’ll have one of those, please.



Now that we are settled in, let's get to know you better.

BK: Looking out the nearest window, describe the scene you see.

RB: I see the pine tree in my neighbor’s front yard. At least I think it’s a pine tree. It’s an evergreen of some sort.

BK: Tell us about your office. Is it a mess like mine, or is everything in its place?

RB: I like to think of it as organized chaos. I have stacks of papers and junk mail, but I know where everything is.

BK: What is a must-have, such as coffee or a favorite pen, that you need to write?

RB: Coffee is essential to life. I usually write on my laptop (it’s pink!), because my handwriting is not so legible.

BK: Do you like to write in silence, or do you need music or background noise?

RB: I need to have noise in order to work. Music is helpful as long as it doesn’t have lyrics (I have a film score Pandora channel for this reason). Usually I write with the TV on and a show in the background. I’ve written a few books to episodes of Ghost Hunters.

BK: Tell us a bit about your hero/heroine, and their development.

RB: Emily Black, her husband Michael, and his mentor Simon St. Jerome first appeared as vampires in my book Blood, Smoke and Mirrors. They completely stole every scene they were in. I wanted to go back and tell the story of how Michael and Emily fell in love and became vampires, and The Importance of Being Emily and Poison in the Blood were born. (Both books are included in the print edition of Poison in the Blood, so it’s two books in one.)

BK: As a writer myself, I'm always curious how other writers get through stumble blocks. When you find a story not flowing, or a character trying to fight you, how do you correct it?

RB: I skip it and come back to it later. I leave a placeholder for the problem scene in brackets, like [fight scene here]. If a character is being difficult I try to stop and figure out what their Goal/Motivation/Conflict is. Once I know what they want and why it’s easier to figure out how to give it to them (or take it away if I’m being mean).

BK: Using the letters of your first name as an acronym, describe your book...

RB: Light Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation. Oh wait, that’s laser, isn’t it?

BK: How did your writing journey begin?

RB: My path to publication began with the 2006 National Novel Writing Month. It was my first attempt since high school to write novel-length fiction, and it eventually became Blood, Smoke and Mirrors. Poison in the Blood was my 2011 NaNoWriMo novel. I’m a big NaNo fan, and I try to participate every year.

BK: Using the letters from the word, Summer, how would friends and family describe you?

RB: Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division. Oh wait, that’s S.H.I.E.L.D. isn’t it?

BK: What is the craziest thing you've ever written about, whether it got published or not?

RB: I have a post-zombie-apocalypse erotic F/F/M ménage romance called Bite Me coming out in March 2015. It has vampires, werewolves, demons, zombies, and gratuitous violence against helicopters.

BK: Tell us one thing you've done in life, that readers would be most surprised to know.

RB: In seventh grade I was second place in an All-American Girl competition.

BK: What can we expect from you in the future?

RB: My second spicy space opera Cy’ren Rising book, Morningstar, will be out in September. The third book in the trilogy, Sunsinger, will be out in December.


This or That...

Coke or Pepsi? Coffee.

Night Owl or Early Bird? Night Owl. I don’t do well before the crack of noon.

Fantasy or Mystery? Both! A wizard did it!

Pen/Paper or Computer? Depends on the context. D&D is better with pen, paper and 20-sided dice.

Pizza or Burger? Chicago-style deep dish pizza.

Rock or Country? Rock.

Chocolate or Vanilla? Swirled, in a waffle cone with sprinkles, please.

Beach or Mountains? Room service.


Thank you so much for having us as one of your stops today. It has been great getting to know more about you and your book, and hope you will come back when the next release is out (*hinthint*)

Wishing you much success!

BK Walker



Poison in the Blood
Bad Witch:
The Emily Chronicles
Book 2
Robyn Bachar

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Samhain Publishing
E-book: June 18, 2013
Print: June 3, 2014

ISBN: E-book 978-1-61921-587-0
ISBN: Print 978-1-61921-916-8
ASIN:

Number of pages: 272
Word Count: 55,711

Cover Artist: Kanaxa

Book Description:

She is honey to his throat…but one sweet taste could part them forever…
Banished from home while her husband adjusts to life as an immortal, blood-drinking chronicler, Emily Black is homesick, heartsick and struggling under the constant sensory barrage of a city drenched in ancient magic. When an old friend asks for her aid in solving a string of murders, she welcomes the distraction, despite the danger.

Justine Dubois is grateful for a seer’s help, and more understanding than anyone of Emily’s plight. As a guardian, Justine commands respect; as a woman, her magic is considered inferior. Together, they are determined to prove their worth to London’s magicians, starting with solving these murders—with maybe a bit of matchmaking on the side.

Long before he met his soul mate, Michael Black made a commitment to join the Order of St. Jerome. He will live forever, forced to watch the woman he loves age and die. As Emily hunts the murderer, Michael struggles to protect her. But if he loses control of his hunger, the greatest threat to her safety could be Michael himself.

Warning: Contains tortured soul mates, scheming faeries, vampire debauchery, deadly parasols, illicit blood-drinker relations, and adorable plot moppets.


Readers can receive 30% off the ebook of Poison in the Blood from the Samhain Store by using the coupon code POISON14 at checkout.


Excerpt:


Normally stepping into a garden would soothe me, but we were still within London, where there was no comfort whatsoever. I looked up at the night sky and wished I were with Michael.
“You have the soul of an artist, Miss Rose. It is a rare gift.” Mr. Paris stroked my hand, and I tugged it free of his arm. I folded both hands before me primly and smiled.
“Again, that is very kind of you.”
“I consider myself a patron of the arts.”
“So you attend gatherings such as this often?” I asked.
“Of course. I am always on the lookout for new talent.”
“I see. Did you know Mrs. Harding?” I tried to examine his aura to determine his reaction, but his magic continued to be so overwhelming that my eyes watered. Mr. Paris must be unspeakably powerful, and I found myself both worried and intrigued. Perhaps he was a sorcerer? One who specialized in darkness?
“I did. Poor girl. What a terrible thing to have happened to her and her family… Tell me, are you working on a second collection of your work?” he asked, quickly changing the subject.
“I am, though I am afraid the subject matter is quite a bit darker.”
Mr. Paris smiled a predatory grin, and my pulse leapt with a thrill of fear. “I am not afraid of the dark, Miss Rose. Are you?”
He stepped closer, but I held my ground, studying him with a curious tilt to my head. “What are you?” I asked.
He blinked, startled. “I beg your pardon?”
“What sort of magic do you practice?” I clarified.
“Oh. I am a librarian, of course,” he replied, and I laughed, unable to help myself. “What’s so funny?”
“You are most certainly not a librarian. Do people truly believe that lie?”
The smile slid from Mr. Paris’s face as his expression hardened. He stepped forward and tried to grab my arm, but Miss Dubois was suddenly between us, a shining silver blur. With a snarl he turned and ran, and the guardian chased him out of the garden and into the street.
Uncertain of what to do, I followed. I stood hesitant at the garden gate, wondering which way they went. My vision shifted, and I followed Miss Dubois’s blazing footsteps. I paused next to a blur traced over the high brick wall of another garden. It was another magical doorway, rather like the one I had discovered near Mrs. Harding’s body outside the Undiscovered Country. Foolishly I raised my hand to touch it, despite knowing full well that doing so could trigger another vision, but a hand emerged from the brick wall and grabbed my wrist.
Overwhelmed with shock, I barely managed a strangled gasp as Mr. Paris stepped through the wall and glared down at me. “Who are you?” he demanded.
“You first.” My voice trembled, and Mr. Paris grinned. He tightened his grip and snapped several small bones in my wrist, and I screamed.
“Who are you?” he repeated.
Something bubbled up within me, a bright plume of prophetic magic that became my answer. “I am your end.” That time my voice did not tremble at all, but was filled with terrible certainty. I would cause Mr. Paris’s death, and I knew it with as much confidence as I knew the sun would rise in the morning.
Something in my gaze must have worried him, because he snarled. Scowling, he grabbed my forearm with both hands and twisted. The bone snapped like dry kindling, and I screamed again. Before he could torment me further Miss Dubois arrived and bashed him with a round silver shield. Mr. Paris vanished into thin air, and the guardian stood near me. One arm bore the shield, while in her other hand she held a sword. How cunning of her. I wanted a sword as well.
“Are you all right?” she asked.
My knees wobbled and began to buckle, but then two dark blurs streaked up to us, and I was suddenly swept from my feet and cradled close in Michael’s arms.
“Darling! What happened?” he asked.
“You caught me.” I blinked—however had he moved that fast? Simon sighed and shook his head at his student, and I sensed that Michael and I were both in for a scolding.
 “Of course I did. I will always catch you. Are you all right?”


About the Author:


Robyn Bachar was born and raised in Berwyn, Illinois, and loves all things related to Chicago, from the Cubs to the pizza. It seemed only natural to combine it with her love of fantasy, and tell stories of witches and vampires in the Chicagoland area. As a gamer, Robyn has spent many hours rolling dice, playing rock-paper-scissors and slaying creatures in MMPORGs.
















Tour giveaway

1 signed print copy of Poison in the Blood

1 $25 Amazon gift card




Monday, June 23, 2014

The Cowboy and the Vampire - Rough Trails and Shallow Graves by Hays & McFall Interview, Book Tour & Giveaway





Bewitching Book Tours

Interview at Immortality & Beyond

Welcome to IAB. I'm so glad you could stop in today to chat. May I offer you a beverage?

Vampire wine please. Two glasses.



Now that we are settled in, let's get to know you better.

BK: Looking out the nearest window, describe the scene you see.

A lovely cherry tree on a small quiet dead-end street in Portland, Oregon. There’s a squirrel racing up one of the branches.

BK: Tell us about your office. Is it a mess like mine, or is everything in its place?

A total mess. Both of us. Even when either one of us cleans it up, within hours the piles start to grow again. They must be alive. And have sinister intent.

BK: What is a must-have, such as coffee or a favorite pen, that you need to write?

No must-haves, just the will, which is not always easy to come by, especially when it’s a perfect day in Portlandia. Like today!

BK: Do you like to write in silence, or do you need music or background noise?

Clark writes with music in the background, but Kathleen needs silence (Kathleen is genetically unwired when it comes to music, it’s really weird); hence Clark’s earbuds.

BK: Tell us a bit about your hero/heroine, and their development.

Tucker is a true-blue cowboy, living out his expected life in the grasslands of Wyoming with a good dog, a few cows and a double-wide trailer. Then Lizzie, a big-city reporter enters his life and turns his world upside down. After they fall in love, they learn about her dark heritage -- she has a 2,000 year old vampiric legacy in her veins -- and Tucker brings his cowboy-ways to an epic fight with the undead. It’s a love story for the ages.

BK: As a writer myself, I'm always curious how other writers get through stumble blocks. When you find a story not flowing, or a character trying to fight you, how do you correct it?

Both of us have been writers-for-hire for a long time, and when you are paid to write on a deadline, you learn how to push through any stumbling blocks because rent is on the line. By this time, we can bring that skill -- well, not sure it is a skill as much as an outcome of a hand-to-mouth tortured existence in this neighborhood we call capitalism -- to creative writing too.

BK: Using the letters of your first name as an acronym, describe your book...

Fun! We’ll use Clark’s name .

C: Cowboys (the real ones)
L: Love (the true type)
A: Adventure (the rollicking kind)
R: Realistically scary (especially when it comes the undead bloody combat)
K: Kaleidoscopic passion (the unforgettable version)

BK: How did your writing journey begin?

It must have been something both our mother’s ate while we were in the womb because each one of us came out spewing words. Clark cut his teeth on cowboy poetry, inspired by the majestic and seemingly endless mountain ranges surrounding him during his Montana cattle ranch childhood. Kathleen, on the other hand, turned her words toward the microscopic and found post-womb inspiration in geology. Although, now in hindsight, we can say we were both inspired by the natural landscape, especially the American west. This reverence plays out in a big way in the setting of The Cowboy and the Vampire Collection. However, our writing journey together started as test for marriage. We had broken up -- badly -- and before we got back together, we wanted to put our relationship to an acid test. We passed. We just published the third book in the series.

BK: Using the letters from the word, Summer, how would friends and family describe you?

For Kathleen this time:

S: Sharp (intellectually)
U: Unhappy (in the tortured Russian writer way)
M: Manic (especially when it comes to planning)
M: Metaphysical (our books have a unique take on consciousness)
E: Empathetic
R: Ready

BK: What is the craziest thing you've ever written about, whether it got published or not?

Honestly, The Cowboy and the Vampire Collection is probably the craziest. A book that’s compared by readers to Louis L’Amour, Zane Grey, Anne Rice and Neil Gaiman -- well that’s a heady mix, and one that percolates out of a bit of shared insanity, or at least, a shared warped view of the world.

BK: Tell us one thing you've done in life, that readers would be most surprised to know.

Clark shot himself in the leg accidentally while wearing a sky-blue tuxedo on his high school prom night. He was fine. The tuxedo was ruined.

Kathleen had a near-death experience, the real kind.

Oddly, both of these events permeates our books.

BK: What can we expect from you in the future?

Lots more. We are working on book four of The Cowboy and Vampire Collection. We’ve promised our readers that we will quickly resolve the “issue” that occurs between Tucker and Lizzie at the end of book three. Right now, we are naming a new evil character. Any ideas for evil sounding names?


This or That...

Coke or Pepsi?

Neither. Champagne.

Night Owl or Early Bird?

Depends on the day of the week and how exhausted we are.

Fantasy or Mystery?

Clark: Fantasy
Kathleen: Mystery

Pen/Paper or Computer?

Clark: Preferably paper.
Kathleen: Only computer. She’s forgotten how to write by hand and has terrible penmanship.

Pizza or Burger?

Clark: Pizza
Kathleen: Neither. She’s vegan .

Rock or Country?

Both!!

Chocolate or Vanilla?

Chocolate, the darker the better.

Beach or Mountains?

Both. And luckily, living in Portland, Oregon, we are only an hour from both.


Thank you so much for having us as one of your stops today. It has been great getting to know more about you and your book, and hope you will come back when the next release is out (*hinthint*)

Wishing you much success!

BK Walker




Rough Trails and Shallow Graves
The Cowboy and the Vampire Collection
Book Three
Clark Hays and Kathleen McFall

Genre: Paranormal Romance/Western Romance

Publisher: Pumpjack Press

Date of Publication: May 5, 2014

ISBN: 978-0-9838200-4-8

Number of pages: 358
Word Count: 82,900

Cover Artist: Aaron Perkins

Book Description:

Say goodbye to LonePine, Wyoming, a typical small town in the American west with typical small town problems — romantic intrigues, warm beer and vampires.

When Lizzie goes missing on their wedding night, Tucker is forced to team up with his bloodthirsty Russian nemesis to find answers. Crashing through cowboy country, the vampire spirit world and wrecked salmon canneries, they confront an evil more ancient than even the undead — human greed — twisting science into something terrible.

Can there be a happily-ever-after for a cowboy and vampire, or is their unusual love just a delusion? Time to cowboy up.

This is the third book in The Cowboy and the Vampire Collection.

Available at Amazon



Reviews of the first two books….

Introducing racial issues isn’t the only adjustment the authors have made to the vampire mythos, but it’s more than just the details that set this series apart. Rather, it’s the way the authors utilize those details to create meaningful conflicts and world-altering choices for the characters...the book is first and foremost a thriller, upping the ante in every chapter as bullets fly and relationships strain under the weight of old loyalties and new revelations…with strong writing, funny characters (no irony is lost on one vampiress who takes to sporting a “Future Farmers of America” jacket) and plenty of action, it’s hard to fault the authors for keeping the focus on a story this riveting. ~ Kirkus Reviews

As a vampire novel, The Cowboy and the Vampire is sure to satisfy Dracula fans’ expectations. However, this book has a little something extra to offer readers. A little something that harkens back to the days when man fought against the wild in the name of civilization. Hays and McFall have succeeded in mixing the Western genre tropes with the Gothic conventions to create a zany grey romance.
~ Writastic Thoughts from the Thinking Realm

One of the weirdest stories I have ever read. It’s right up there with Neil Gaiman’s man-swallowing woman parts and talking tents. Instead, here we have rocket-launching, womb-sucking, Bible-bending, non-pointy-toothed vampires. And love. And cowboys. Depending on what you are looking for, that might be a good thing. If I had to liken this book to a movie, it would either be to Tucker & Dale vs. Evil, or maybe more appropriately, Quentin Tarantino’s From Dusk to Dawn.
~ The Avid Reader

The Cowboy and the Vampire: A Very Unusual Romance is one of the funniest and most engaging books I have read in a long time. Jam-packed with adventure, vampires, true love, and a cast of characters you will not soon forget, you find yourself turning the pages thinking, “What more could possibly happen to these two?” And then, you find out. I never imagined the melding of a contemporary western and a paranormal romance could ever be so seamless or so much fun.
~ Bitten by Books

A choice and very much recommended read, not to be missed. Relationships are tumultuous when they may only last a few decades, but when they last eternity, it can get more difficult. “Blood and Whiskey” is a novel of adventure, horror, and cowboys as a follow up to previous novel ‘The Cowboy and the Vampire’, as couple Tucker and Lizzie retreat to a tiny town to of LonePine, hoping to settle down, but the reality of the Vampires on their trail may make that an impossibility. A riveting read that explores many concepts on top of the intrigue of vampires in the lawless lands of the west, “Blood and Whiskey” is a choice and very much recommended read, not to be missed. ~ Midwest Book Review, Micah Andrew, Reviewer

If you’re looking for a combination of sex, blood and Western romance, pour yourself a shot of the good stuff and settle in for a wickedly good read.
~ Renee Struthers, Eastern Oregonian Newspaper
About the Authors:

Between the two of them, Clark Hays and Kathleen McFall have worked in writing jobs
ranging from cowboy-poet to energy journalist to restaurant reviewer to university press officer. After they met, their writing career took center stage when they wrote the first book in The Cowboy and the Vampire Collection as a test for marriage. They passed. Clark and Kathleen now live in Portland, Oregon.



@cowboyvamp (Twitter)

@cowboyvampire (Instagram)


















Tour giveaway

$50 Amazon or BN Gift Card- winner’s choice






Monday, June 2, 2014

Interview with Carla Susan Smith - A Vampire's Promise Book Tour & Giveaway



A Vampire’s Promise

The Vampire’s Promise Series
Book One
Carla Susan Smith



Welcome to IAB. I'm so glad you could stop in today to chat. May I offer you a beverage? (Please choose Vampire Wine, Witches Brew, Zombie Blast, or Magic Margarita)
Oh, Vampire Wine of course!

Now that we are settled in, let's get to know you better.

BK: Looking out the nearest window, describe the scene you see.
Crows walking across my front yard. Have you ever noticed how crows always seem to travel in threes? (You’re going to be looking - and counting - from now on, right?) I don’t know why, but I love crows. They’re very intelligent birds, and always look to me like they know something we don’t … but should.

BK: Tell us about your office. Is it a mess like mine, or is everything in its place?
Hah! I think the best description is “organized chaos”. The amazing thing is I kind of sort of know where to find most anything I’m looking for.

BK: What is a must-have, such as coffee or a favorite pen, that you need to write?
It’s a small plastic toy that my husband gave to me. An orange stegosaurus - Steggie - that sits on my laptop as I write.

BK: Do you like to write in silence, or do you need music or background noise?
Mostly silence because I get distracted too easily. The one time I wrote with music playing I found I had incorporated song lyrics into my story! I think it’s my brain telling me I suck at multi-tasking.

BK: Tell us a bit about your hero/heroine, and their development.
I wanted Rowan to be the girlfriend we either wanted to be, or wished we had. She’s fiercely loyal, non-judgmental and has a wicked sense of humor. I hope my readers will relate to her (understand and sympathize with her anxieties!) as she deals with the unexpected twists in her life. As for Gabriel, well, let’s just say he’s a gorgeous gift of seduction waiting to be unwrapped, but there’s definitely more to him than meets the eye.

BK: As a writer myself, I'm always curious how other writers get through stumble blocks. When you find a story not flowing, or a character trying to fight you, how do you correct it?
I close my laptop and get drunk! No, seriously if I’m stuck or something just isn’t flowing, then the best thing for me to do is to walk away from it or else I’m liable to delete the entire novel out of frustration. When I can go back and read everything with a new perspective - usually the next day - then there’s a good chance I can fix whatever I was having a problem with. But there are times when I have to say “Carla, this is absolute crap.” The only solution then is the delete key.

BK: Using the letters of your first name as an acronym, describe your book...
Oh, that’s hard, and right now I’m wishing my name was something other than Carla. Um… how about Compellingly Addictive Romantic Literary Appeal?
Too pretentious? Guess I should be thankful my parents didn’t give me a name that was ten letters long!

BK: How did your writing journey begin?
It was all because of a really bad romance novel doing the rounds in the office where I worked. I told my BFF that I could write something better, and she dared me to do just that. Never one to back down from a challenge, I wrote three chapters that night, brought them into work where they promptly got passed around before being returned to me at the end of the day with “Okay, what happens next?” scrawled in the margin. In the end I wrote a whopping “corsets & carriages” saga that was over 250 thousand words - and I still have it!

BK: Using the letters from the word, Summer, how would friends and family describe you?
Hahaha! I learned a long time ago not to put words in the mouths of those nearest and dearest to me. It can lead to all sorts of trouble!

BK: What is the craziest thing you've ever written about, whether it got published or not?
A story about gun-toting hedgehogs! (I’d just read ‘Watership Down’)

BK: Tell us one thing you've done in life, that readers would be most surprised to know.
I did a breakfast cereal commercial for English TV when I was about eight years old, and I hated every minute of it. Thank God my parents never made me do another one.

BK: What can we expect from you in the future?
I’m currently working on a third book for the Vampire’s Promise series (which I never thought was a series until my editor told me it was) and while I have ideas for other paranormal novels, I may just see where Rowan and Gabriel decide to take me. I have the feeling it’s going to be a great ride.


This or That...

Coke or Pepsi? Pepsi

Night Owl or Early Bird? Sadly my Night Owl has morphed into an Early Bird!

Fantasy or Mystery? Ooooh, definitely fantasy

Pen/Paper or Computer? Love the romance of pen & paper, but gotta accept the practicality of the computer.

Pizza or Burger? Both - but not at the same time!

Rock or Country? I have to choose? Aw, c’mon - can’t I love Hinder and Garth Brooks at the same time?

Chocolate or Vanilla? Vanilla ‘cause you can add so much more to it!

Beach or Mountains? Beach - for the sea not the sand.

Thank you so much for having us as one of your stops today. It has been great getting to know more about you and your book, and hope you will come back when the next release is out (*hinthint*)

Thank you for allowing me to introduce myself, and my work to you. It’s been great and I would love to come back.

Wishing you much success!

BK Walker




                 

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Publisher: eKensington

Date of Publication: June 5th 2014

ISBN: 978-1-60183-289-4
ASIN: B00HRFWQ2Q

Number of pages: 271
Word Count: 92,500

Book Description:

Trust Your Instincts

Rowan Harper is nothing but a smart-mouthed bookstore clerk with a crappy love life on the night she walks into Rosie’s Bar. Most of the drama in her life is borrowed from her best friend’s adventures. But when she meets Gabriel—tall and movie star gorgeous—everything changes. Never mind that she turns down the drink he offers, or that he brims with secrets she can’t begin to guess at. He ignites a desire in her she never suspected—and shows a fascination with her she can’t explain.

He has no family, no job, no bank account; he knows where she lives and her favorite flower. An aura of mystery cloaks him, even as Rowan grasps for facts, even as she fears an answer that could destroy her happiness. Gabriel can guide her through a wonderland of new sensations. But only if Rowan trusts him enough to follow…

Winner of the OKRWA “Finally a Bride” contest.




Excerpt:

I don’t want you to leave,” I told him, my voice a barely audible, husky whisper.
The shadow in his eyes vanished, replaced by something else. Whether it was relief or hope, I couldn’t say.
“Are you sure?” he murmured, taking a step toward me. “I need you to be certain that this – that I – am what you want.”
I had the sense that he was asking me something that went deeper, was more meaningful, but my brain had been through enough for one night. My ability to search for hidden meanings was temporarily lost, and it was more than ready to hitch a ride to Clueless Land. I wasn’t sure about anything, but I trusted my instincts. And they told me this was right. I belonged with Gabriel.
“The only things you can be certain about are death and taxes,” I said, giving him a wry grin, “but if you’re asking me to take a chance, then yes, I will – only,” I paused, “why would you think I wouldn’t want you?” He might not be able to pick up on every emotion I was throwing his way, but surely he could still read how I felt about him?
“Because I wonder,” he said, taking my hand, “if you went back to the very beginning, would you have come searching for me again?”
The silence between us was deafening, and the feeling of déjà vu returned. Only it didn’t feel so strange this time. Whatever Gabriel was referring to was hidden somewhere inside that feeling.
“I wish I knew what you were talking about,” I told him, “because I think it’s important, but I have to tell you that right now you’re making absolutely no sense.” Clueless Land was rapidly expanding into the continent of the Completely Lost in the Dark.
“You need to know the truth about me, Rowan, what I am -”
“No, I don’t, not right now.” I held up my hand and stopped him. I was balanced on a razor-thin wire, and it took all I had not to fall off. “There’s only one issue that’s important right now, and I need you to be truthful with me.”
“Of course, ask me anything.”
“Wife, girlfriend, or significant other?”
The sudden, utter confusion on his face made me want to laugh aloud.
“I don’t understand.”
“Do you have one?”
Gabriel shook his head of glorious white hair. “No, of course not.”
“Positive?”
He looked hurt that I was questioning his integrity. “Rowan, I’ve not wanted another woman since the first time I saw you. I never have.”
“That’s good to know,” I whispered.
He let go of my hand and clutched his forehead as though he’d just been afflicted with a brain freeze. Pursing his lips, he blew out a breath. For all intents and purposes, he looked like a man who desperately wanted to speak but was afraid his words would be the wrong ones.
Welcome to the club.
I didn’t want to waste any more time in pointless conversation. It would be an exercise in futility that accomplished nothing. What was about to happen between us right here, right now, was not going to be achieved with words. Unless they were all single syllables used for instructional purposes along with some heavy-duty physical contact. My hands literally itched to get beneath his wet clothing and touch his body.
Something in my life, my luckless romantic aspirations, my failure to successfully seduce a man, had all been pushing me toward this moment. Gabriel was to be my first, perhaps my only lover. I don’t know how I knew this or what turn of fate’s cosmic wheel made it so, but it was true. I had known it eighty-seven nights ago on my front porch, and the conviction was even stronger now. I made it to the staircase before Gabriel’s voice stopped me.
“Give yourself to me, Rowan, and you will take no other.”
I don’t know if other girls have experienced such a declaration, but it didn’t surprise me coming from him. I was almost expecting it, even if I wasn’t completely sure I understood all the implications. Gabriel was telling me exactly what was going to happen. What his intentions were, just in case I hadn’t been paying attention.
I heard myself reply, saying the words that would change my life forever. I just had no idea to what extent.
“Then make me want no other.”






About the Author:

Carla Susan Smith owes her love of literature to her mother, who, after catching her pre-teen daughter reading by flashlight beneath the bed covers, calmly replaced the romance book she had “borrowed” with one that was far less risqué, and much more appropriate! Though she was encouraged to include different genres in her reading tastes, romance - paranormal romance in particular - has always been her first love.

Born and raised in England, she now calls South Carolina home, where she lives with her wonderfully supportive husband, awesome son, and a canine critique group (if tails aren’t wagging then the story isn’t working!) When not writing, she can usually be found in the kitchen trying out any recipe that calls for rhubarb, working on her latest tapestry project or playing catch-up with her reading list.













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