Felicity Heaton's Blog, page 121
April 23, 2011
Ascension excerpt - urban fantasy romance novel
Today sees the release of my new urban fantasy romance novel, Ascension. Ascension is the first story in my new Shadow & Light Trilogy. It's available now direct from my website in mobi, epub, pdf and html formats, and is also available on Amazon Kindle.
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?
ebook price: $3.99
genre: paranormal / urban fantasy romance
length: 91000 words
rating: sultry
released: April 2011
Book 1 in the Shadow and Light Trilogy series
Available in e-book from:
Author's website: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/ebooks.php?title=Ascension
Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004X6TWLK/
Amazon Kindle UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004X6TWLK/
Excerpt
Taig closed his eyes and released a long low groan of unexpected pleasure as Lealandra's warm mouth fused with his. Her tongue slid between his lips, a delicious and familiar hot velvet caress that swept across his teeth and drew another hungry moan from him. Without considering the consequences and forgetting his anger, he twisted her long black hair around his fingers and tethered her to him so this breathtaking fantasy wouldn't end before he wanted, and he wanted it to go on forever.
He tilted his head and pressed harder against her mouth, his tongue brushing hers, delving in deep to taste her. A shiver of desire and need shot through him, and his breathing turned rough as he reacquainted himself with her sweetness and warmth. He hadn't imagined things turning out this way when she had walked into the bar tonight, but he wasn't about to push her away now that she was kissing him again, rekindling passion whose embers had burned deep in his heart all the time they had been apart. She moved against him, her lips soft and grazing his, slowing the kiss until he wanted to groan and pull her against him, wanted to thrust his tongue back into her mouth and show her just how ravenous she made him. It coiled tight in his gut, pushing for control, urging him to act on his desire.
All too soon, her lips left his but she remained close. With a soft puff of air into his mouth, she spoke.
"Are they gone?" Her quiet voice trembled along with her body, telling him that the kiss hadn't only affected him. His heart pounded for more and his blood rushed through his ears, dampening his awareness of their surroundings.
Taig glanced around the dim emptying bar. The two men were gone. He stared into her eyes, refreshing his memory of every fleck of silver against stormy grey. It had been too long since he had seen her, and felt even longer since he had kissed her. A tortuous length of time and an absence he couldn't easily forgive, even when her kiss made him forget it.
"Not yet," he whispered the lie against her lips, a split-second before his mouth claimed hers, dominant now that he was ready for the kiss. Desire became a raging inferno within him, burning away the anger that blazed back into life whenever he had a moment to think. This kiss was the only thing that mattered right now.
This time, Lealandra loosed a deep breathy moan. The sound sent his blood rushing ahead of his thoughts. He hardened instantly against his tight black jeans and wrapped his fingers around the nape of her neck, pressing them in and dragging her closer still. The heat of her kiss reawakened lost passion and a need for her that could never die. Six years of separation disappeared in an instant, erased by the fact that she had finally walked back into his life. He wasn't going to let her go this time. Even if this kiss was only a decoy, it still meant something to them both. He knew it did.
Her fingertips grazed his neck and pushed into the shorter black hair at the back of his head. He groaned internally at the feel of her nails against his scalp, declaring her growing hunger, and furrowed his brow as he brought his hand forward to claim her jaw, holding her in place. He burned at the feel of her soft satin skin beneath his fingers. Her touch was still electric, sending waves of hot sparks dancing along every nerve in his body, bringing his cold flesh to life. Tilting her head back, he thrust his tongue into her mouth and slid his free hand around her waist at the same time, pulling her so close to him that her breasts pushed against his chest with each gasping breath she drew. He eased his hand lower and caressed the patch of bare warm skin between the bottom of her short black strapless corset top and the waist of her long black skirt. Lealandra tensed. Too fast.
Taig braced for impact.
The flat of her hand slammed against his chest, forcing him backwards in the curved padded seat of the booth and tearing her from his grasp. Her gelid gaze stopped him dead.
"They're gone, aren't they?" Lealandra's tone was pure venom that matched the ice in her pale grey eyes.
Taig held his hands up, surrendering with a seductive smile that confessed every sin he had been considering. Lealandra wasn't the kind of witch you lied to. With such strong power flowing in her veins, it was easy for her to read everyone. Everyone but him. His blood saw to that. Her ability to see through him didn't come from magic. It came from the divine six months they had spent locked tight in each other's embrace. Six heavenly months he would never forget followed by six hollow years he wished he couldn't remember.
Lealandra looked around the bar, flicking her straight dark hair over her bare slender shoulders. His black gaze raked over her in the same hungry way it had done when she had first appeared in front of him tonight. She had grown a little thinner in their time apart. Her partner hadn't been taking care of her. Taig curled his fingers into fists at the thought of another man touching what was his. Anger blazed in his chest, ignited by the idea that the man she had chosen over him hadn't been looking after her needs. Had the idiot failed to see what she truly craved?
The magic that inhabited her body drained her and made her hungry. She needed to feed often and he wasn't talking about food. Magic as old and potent as hers demanded the highest price and had the basest needs. If it didn't get what it wanted, it was hard for Lealandra to retain control. It only proved the point he had tried to hammer home to her when she had been on the verge of leaving him all those years ago and disproved hers.
Taig didn't give a fuck about the rules of her kind. A witch was no match for a witch, especially not one who needed blood to sustain her.
Demon blood.
The thought that Lealandra had been struggling with her power these six long years stoked his anger into blind fury. Every muscle itched with the desire to find her pathetic excuse for a man and teach him a lesson he would never forget for making her suffer. The kind of lesson that would satisfy Taig's own deep dark cravings.
"I can't believe you'd take a cheap shot like that," Lealandra muttered in his direction, her eyes meeting his. "No. Wait. Actually… I can."
With his best sexy smirk, Taig leaned back into the grotty dark brown leather seat and stretched his arms out along the top. He shrugged and held her gaze.
"You kissed me first. I just returned the favour."
Her tongue swept over her lips, as though she wanted to kiss him again and was contenting herself with the lingering taste of him. If she wanted him to kiss her, he would. He would kiss her so hard that she would forget that idiot she had left him for and her own name in the process. She would forget everything but the feel of him inside her where he belonged. He would ruin her to everyone but him.
"That's not the kind of favour I need from you." Lealandra casually rested her elbow on the back of the leather seat and propped her chin up with her hand. Her head tilted to one side, her dusky kiss-swollen lips curving into a smile. His heart thundered, beating hard with the rush of desire that flooded him.
That smile had made him want her the moment he had laid eyes on her all those years ago. He still wanted her.
He tamped down his desire and got a grip. Her kissing him hadn't changed a damn thing. Whatever they'd had, it didn't exist anymore. She had trampled it on her way out of the door and it was going to take a lot more than a kiss to get her into his good book again.
"A favour? Tell me, why should I do you any favours? Last I checked, you were shacked up with another bloke. Why don't you ask Loverboy to help you out? I'm sure he could do something… unspectacular." Taig picked up his shot of whisky from the table and necked it. The liquid burned his throat as it slid down, heating him through. Sometimes it was nice to feel something other than cold. Alcohol and hunting were the only things that did that these days. His gaze ran over Lealandra. She used to make him burn hotter than Hell on a summer's day. She still did, but he wasn't about to let her see that. "I guess that's why you're here. Loverboy just doesn't cut it when it comes to handling demons. That pair of weaklings would have him inside out and back to front before he could lift a finger to cast whatever impotent half-assed spell he could muster."
Taig held her gaze, cool and steady, watching the hurt surfacing in her eyes and feeling like a bastard for it, but on some twisted level, it satisfied him.
He narrowed his eyes and casually placed the glass down. "Well, you're shit out of luck, Lea. I'm not interested."
Her only reaction was to look away from him. She flicked the small silver bells on the ties of her long skirt and her shoulders lifted in a sigh. That was unsatisfactory. He had expected a better response than that. He had wanted her to argue with him about it. Perhaps even fight him. A good fight with her might go some way towards releasing the anger that was burning like acid in his veins, eating away at him and filling his head and heart with acrid memories.
Memories that drove him to kill.
He quirked a dark eyebrow and waited for her to say something. It wasn't like her. She looked up at him through her eyelashes.
A hint of fear surfaced in her beautiful eyes and rippled across her pale skin in a wave that only he could detect. He sat up, all sense of casual lost now that he had realised that she was frightened and it wasn't of him. His anger faded. Something was very wrong. Lealandra didn't do frightened. No witch as powerful as her did, at least not when they had their Counter-Balance, their other half, the one who could temper their magic and help them maintain control of it.
"I'll pay you... whatever you want... just name your price." She coughed to clear her throat, as though such a pathetic attempt to cover her turbulent feelings would fool him.
It was there in her body and her power, and he knew her well enough that he could easily read both. She was scared, and he was an idiot for not noticing it the second she had approached him, and the moment those thugs had walked into the joint. They had been out of place and suspicious, and he had sensed their demon blood, and then Lealandra had kissed him and he had lost track of them and her feelings. She had tasted purely of hunger and desire. All sweet with arousal. It had been enough to throw him off her underlying fear.
"You know my price." Taig's eyes narrowed on hers, intent and showing her that he was being serious for once. His voice dropped to a low whisper. "I want you, Lea."
She swallowed and blinked. Once. Twice. "No deal."
When she moved to stand, Taig grabbed her wrist, locking his fingers tightly around it. She looked down at his hand and then into his eyes. Her startled look added to her natural beauty, her eyes round and her rosy lips parted. A blush stained her pale cheeks, deep enough that he noticed it even in the low light of the bar. He wanted her more now than ever and he wasn't about to let her walk out on him again.
"You knew what I'd ask for so why come to me with your problems if you were going to refuse?"
Lealandra pried his fingers off her and frowned. "You saw those men. I need a demon hunter. You're the best I know."
Demon hunter. The job title neglected to mention the fact that his father had been one of the most powerful demons to walk the Earth. He stared into Lealandra's stormy eyes and saw the same calm acceptance that they always showed him. Had his mother looked at his father that way? She had dared to be with him after all. That union had spawned himself—half demon hidden behind the mask of man.
Taig tapped his fingers on the dark table, torn between rejecting her request unless she agreed to his terms and kissing her again. His eyebrows knitted tight together. This wasn't easy. What they had shared six years ago wasn't the kind of everyday passion that most people found at the start of a relationship. It had gone beyond that. The dark and hungry craving had consumed them both, had pushed them to the edge and had almost tipped them over it a few times. It had been unbridled passion—the sort that was rare in this world—and it still flooded him whenever he looked at her, whenever her beautiful eyes met his and dared him to make a move. He could deny it all he wanted, pretend that he no longer felt a thing for her, but she still tied him in knots and had him on his knees with only a smile. She licked her lips again, a nervous sweep of her tongue that reminded him that something was wrong.
What could be so bad that she wasn't asking her precious coven for help and was instead looking him up after six long years?
Was it just the demons that had her scared or was there more to this than she was telling him? Witches and demons got on like a house on fire but usually they kept well clear of each other, sticking to their own world. It was unusual for a demon to go after a witch, but he couldn't deny that the two kids earlier had been looking for Lealandra.
And now she was asking him for help.
What reason could demons have for going after her?
Taig looked deep into her eyes, focusing on them as he tried to get a hold on her feelings. There was anger in her now, aimed at him, but the fear was still there too. It echoed in the unsteady beat of her heart and danced in the depths of her eyes. She was in trouble, big enough that she had sought him out even when she knew that he would be pissed off at her and that he would demand a high price for services rendered. Either she was desperate or she truly believed that he was her best choice.
Or maybe she just wanted to see him again and this was the perfect excuse for her to waltz back into his life.
Still, his ineffable charm and attractiveness aside, parts of it didn't make sense. Lealandra was powerful enough to take care of a couple of weak lower demons and her bastard Counter-Balance and dear coven should have been able to protect her if she couldn't fight them for some reason. Taig had never met them, but the coven was probably strong enough to take on a demon of his strength. Two weaklings would be nothing to them. Like swatting flies.
And why was she here anyway? Alone too. Her Counter-Balance would have a tantrum of galactic proportions if he knew that Lealandra had come to her ex-lover for help.
In fact, none of it made sense.
Taig's head ached from trying to figure it out. It was just like her to send his mind in ten directions at once. There was only one way to find out what the hell had Lealandra walking back into his life. He never had been backwards about being forwards, after all. It was one of the qualities that Lealandra had liked about him.
"Why do you need me?" Taig sensed the deep spike in her feelings, the rise in her desire that struck him hard and sent a jolt to his groin, reigniting his own hunger.
Her eyes widened and her cheeks coloured.
He hadn't considered the possibility of a second meaning to his words but now he was. His suspicions had been right. He wasn't the only one the kiss had affected. He wasn't the only one who felt this need burning deep within.
His eyes narrowed on hers in both a challenge and a command. He was damned if he was going to let her get away without answering, and damned if he was going to let her walk out on him again.
"Tell me."
Available in e-book from:
Author's website: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/ebooks.php?title=Ascension
Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004X6TWLK/
Amazon Kindle UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004X6TWLK/
AscensionFelicity 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?
ebook price: $3.99
genre: paranormal / urban fantasy romance
length: 91000 words
rating: sultry
released: April 2011
Book 1 in the Shadow and Light Trilogy series
Available in e-book from:
Author's website: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/ebooks.php?title=Ascension
Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004X6TWLK/
Amazon Kindle UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004X6TWLK/
Excerpt
Taig closed his eyes and released a long low groan of unexpected pleasure as Lealandra's warm mouth fused with his. Her tongue slid between his lips, a delicious and familiar hot velvet caress that swept across his teeth and drew another hungry moan from him. Without considering the consequences and forgetting his anger, he twisted her long black hair around his fingers and tethered her to him so this breathtaking fantasy wouldn't end before he wanted, and he wanted it to go on forever.
He tilted his head and pressed harder against her mouth, his tongue brushing hers, delving in deep to taste her. A shiver of desire and need shot through him, and his breathing turned rough as he reacquainted himself with her sweetness and warmth. He hadn't imagined things turning out this way when she had walked into the bar tonight, but he wasn't about to push her away now that she was kissing him again, rekindling passion whose embers had burned deep in his heart all the time they had been apart. She moved against him, her lips soft and grazing his, slowing the kiss until he wanted to groan and pull her against him, wanted to thrust his tongue back into her mouth and show her just how ravenous she made him. It coiled tight in his gut, pushing for control, urging him to act on his desire.
All too soon, her lips left his but she remained close. With a soft puff of air into his mouth, she spoke.
"Are they gone?" Her quiet voice trembled along with her body, telling him that the kiss hadn't only affected him. His heart pounded for more and his blood rushed through his ears, dampening his awareness of their surroundings.
Taig glanced around the dim emptying bar. The two men were gone. He stared into her eyes, refreshing his memory of every fleck of silver against stormy grey. It had been too long since he had seen her, and felt even longer since he had kissed her. A tortuous length of time and an absence he couldn't easily forgive, even when her kiss made him forget it.
"Not yet," he whispered the lie against her lips, a split-second before his mouth claimed hers, dominant now that he was ready for the kiss. Desire became a raging inferno within him, burning away the anger that blazed back into life whenever he had a moment to think. This kiss was the only thing that mattered right now.
This time, Lealandra loosed a deep breathy moan. The sound sent his blood rushing ahead of his thoughts. He hardened instantly against his tight black jeans and wrapped his fingers around the nape of her neck, pressing them in and dragging her closer still. The heat of her kiss reawakened lost passion and a need for her that could never die. Six years of separation disappeared in an instant, erased by the fact that she had finally walked back into his life. He wasn't going to let her go this time. Even if this kiss was only a decoy, it still meant something to them both. He knew it did.
Her fingertips grazed his neck and pushed into the shorter black hair at the back of his head. He groaned internally at the feel of her nails against his scalp, declaring her growing hunger, and furrowed his brow as he brought his hand forward to claim her jaw, holding her in place. He burned at the feel of her soft satin skin beneath his fingers. Her touch was still electric, sending waves of hot sparks dancing along every nerve in his body, bringing his cold flesh to life. Tilting her head back, he thrust his tongue into her mouth and slid his free hand around her waist at the same time, pulling her so close to him that her breasts pushed against his chest with each gasping breath she drew. He eased his hand lower and caressed the patch of bare warm skin between the bottom of her short black strapless corset top and the waist of her long black skirt. Lealandra tensed. Too fast.
Taig braced for impact.
The flat of her hand slammed against his chest, forcing him backwards in the curved padded seat of the booth and tearing her from his grasp. Her gelid gaze stopped him dead.
"They're gone, aren't they?" Lealandra's tone was pure venom that matched the ice in her pale grey eyes.
Taig held his hands up, surrendering with a seductive smile that confessed every sin he had been considering. Lealandra wasn't the kind of witch you lied to. With such strong power flowing in her veins, it was easy for her to read everyone. Everyone but him. His blood saw to that. Her ability to see through him didn't come from magic. It came from the divine six months they had spent locked tight in each other's embrace. Six heavenly months he would never forget followed by six hollow years he wished he couldn't remember.
Lealandra looked around the bar, flicking her straight dark hair over her bare slender shoulders. His black gaze raked over her in the same hungry way it had done when she had first appeared in front of him tonight. She had grown a little thinner in their time apart. Her partner hadn't been taking care of her. Taig curled his fingers into fists at the thought of another man touching what was his. Anger blazed in his chest, ignited by the idea that the man she had chosen over him hadn't been looking after her needs. Had the idiot failed to see what she truly craved?
The magic that inhabited her body drained her and made her hungry. She needed to feed often and he wasn't talking about food. Magic as old and potent as hers demanded the highest price and had the basest needs. If it didn't get what it wanted, it was hard for Lealandra to retain control. It only proved the point he had tried to hammer home to her when she had been on the verge of leaving him all those years ago and disproved hers.
Taig didn't give a fuck about the rules of her kind. A witch was no match for a witch, especially not one who needed blood to sustain her.
Demon blood.
The thought that Lealandra had been struggling with her power these six long years stoked his anger into blind fury. Every muscle itched with the desire to find her pathetic excuse for a man and teach him a lesson he would never forget for making her suffer. The kind of lesson that would satisfy Taig's own deep dark cravings.
"I can't believe you'd take a cheap shot like that," Lealandra muttered in his direction, her eyes meeting his. "No. Wait. Actually… I can."
With his best sexy smirk, Taig leaned back into the grotty dark brown leather seat and stretched his arms out along the top. He shrugged and held her gaze.
"You kissed me first. I just returned the favour."
Her tongue swept over her lips, as though she wanted to kiss him again and was contenting herself with the lingering taste of him. If she wanted him to kiss her, he would. He would kiss her so hard that she would forget that idiot she had left him for and her own name in the process. She would forget everything but the feel of him inside her where he belonged. He would ruin her to everyone but him.
"That's not the kind of favour I need from you." Lealandra casually rested her elbow on the back of the leather seat and propped her chin up with her hand. Her head tilted to one side, her dusky kiss-swollen lips curving into a smile. His heart thundered, beating hard with the rush of desire that flooded him.
That smile had made him want her the moment he had laid eyes on her all those years ago. He still wanted her.
He tamped down his desire and got a grip. Her kissing him hadn't changed a damn thing. Whatever they'd had, it didn't exist anymore. She had trampled it on her way out of the door and it was going to take a lot more than a kiss to get her into his good book again.
"A favour? Tell me, why should I do you any favours? Last I checked, you were shacked up with another bloke. Why don't you ask Loverboy to help you out? I'm sure he could do something… unspectacular." Taig picked up his shot of whisky from the table and necked it. The liquid burned his throat as it slid down, heating him through. Sometimes it was nice to feel something other than cold. Alcohol and hunting were the only things that did that these days. His gaze ran over Lealandra. She used to make him burn hotter than Hell on a summer's day. She still did, but he wasn't about to let her see that. "I guess that's why you're here. Loverboy just doesn't cut it when it comes to handling demons. That pair of weaklings would have him inside out and back to front before he could lift a finger to cast whatever impotent half-assed spell he could muster."
Taig held her gaze, cool and steady, watching the hurt surfacing in her eyes and feeling like a bastard for it, but on some twisted level, it satisfied him.
He narrowed his eyes and casually placed the glass down. "Well, you're shit out of luck, Lea. I'm not interested."
Her only reaction was to look away from him. She flicked the small silver bells on the ties of her long skirt and her shoulders lifted in a sigh. That was unsatisfactory. He had expected a better response than that. He had wanted her to argue with him about it. Perhaps even fight him. A good fight with her might go some way towards releasing the anger that was burning like acid in his veins, eating away at him and filling his head and heart with acrid memories.
Memories that drove him to kill.
He quirked a dark eyebrow and waited for her to say something. It wasn't like her. She looked up at him through her eyelashes.
A hint of fear surfaced in her beautiful eyes and rippled across her pale skin in a wave that only he could detect. He sat up, all sense of casual lost now that he had realised that she was frightened and it wasn't of him. His anger faded. Something was very wrong. Lealandra didn't do frightened. No witch as powerful as her did, at least not when they had their Counter-Balance, their other half, the one who could temper their magic and help them maintain control of it.
"I'll pay you... whatever you want... just name your price." She coughed to clear her throat, as though such a pathetic attempt to cover her turbulent feelings would fool him.
It was there in her body and her power, and he knew her well enough that he could easily read both. She was scared, and he was an idiot for not noticing it the second she had approached him, and the moment those thugs had walked into the joint. They had been out of place and suspicious, and he had sensed their demon blood, and then Lealandra had kissed him and he had lost track of them and her feelings. She had tasted purely of hunger and desire. All sweet with arousal. It had been enough to throw him off her underlying fear.
"You know my price." Taig's eyes narrowed on hers, intent and showing her that he was being serious for once. His voice dropped to a low whisper. "I want you, Lea."
She swallowed and blinked. Once. Twice. "No deal."
When she moved to stand, Taig grabbed her wrist, locking his fingers tightly around it. She looked down at his hand and then into his eyes. Her startled look added to her natural beauty, her eyes round and her rosy lips parted. A blush stained her pale cheeks, deep enough that he noticed it even in the low light of the bar. He wanted her more now than ever and he wasn't about to let her walk out on him again.
"You knew what I'd ask for so why come to me with your problems if you were going to refuse?"
Lealandra pried his fingers off her and frowned. "You saw those men. I need a demon hunter. You're the best I know."
Demon hunter. The job title neglected to mention the fact that his father had been one of the most powerful demons to walk the Earth. He stared into Lealandra's stormy eyes and saw the same calm acceptance that they always showed him. Had his mother looked at his father that way? She had dared to be with him after all. That union had spawned himself—half demon hidden behind the mask of man.
Taig tapped his fingers on the dark table, torn between rejecting her request unless she agreed to his terms and kissing her again. His eyebrows knitted tight together. This wasn't easy. What they had shared six years ago wasn't the kind of everyday passion that most people found at the start of a relationship. It had gone beyond that. The dark and hungry craving had consumed them both, had pushed them to the edge and had almost tipped them over it a few times. It had been unbridled passion—the sort that was rare in this world—and it still flooded him whenever he looked at her, whenever her beautiful eyes met his and dared him to make a move. He could deny it all he wanted, pretend that he no longer felt a thing for her, but she still tied him in knots and had him on his knees with only a smile. She licked her lips again, a nervous sweep of her tongue that reminded him that something was wrong.
What could be so bad that she wasn't asking her precious coven for help and was instead looking him up after six long years?
Was it just the demons that had her scared or was there more to this than she was telling him? Witches and demons got on like a house on fire but usually they kept well clear of each other, sticking to their own world. It was unusual for a demon to go after a witch, but he couldn't deny that the two kids earlier had been looking for Lealandra.
And now she was asking him for help.
What reason could demons have for going after her?
Taig looked deep into her eyes, focusing on them as he tried to get a hold on her feelings. There was anger in her now, aimed at him, but the fear was still there too. It echoed in the unsteady beat of her heart and danced in the depths of her eyes. She was in trouble, big enough that she had sought him out even when she knew that he would be pissed off at her and that he would demand a high price for services rendered. Either she was desperate or she truly believed that he was her best choice.
Or maybe she just wanted to see him again and this was the perfect excuse for her to waltz back into his life.
Still, his ineffable charm and attractiveness aside, parts of it didn't make sense. Lealandra was powerful enough to take care of a couple of weak lower demons and her bastard Counter-Balance and dear coven should have been able to protect her if she couldn't fight them for some reason. Taig had never met them, but the coven was probably strong enough to take on a demon of his strength. Two weaklings would be nothing to them. Like swatting flies.
And why was she here anyway? Alone too. Her Counter-Balance would have a tantrum of galactic proportions if he knew that Lealandra had come to her ex-lover for help.
In fact, none of it made sense.
Taig's head ached from trying to figure it out. It was just like her to send his mind in ten directions at once. There was only one way to find out what the hell had Lealandra walking back into his life. He never had been backwards about being forwards, after all. It was one of the qualities that Lealandra had liked about him.
"Why do you need me?" Taig sensed the deep spike in her feelings, the rise in her desire that struck him hard and sent a jolt to his groin, reigniting his own hunger.
Her eyes widened and her cheeks coloured.
He hadn't considered the possibility of a second meaning to his words but now he was. His suspicions had been right. He wasn't the only one the kiss had affected. He wasn't the only one who felt this need burning deep within.
His eyes narrowed on hers in both a challenge and a command. He was damned if he was going to let her get away without answering, and damned if he was going to let her walk out on him again.
"Tell me."
Available in e-book from:
Author's website: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/ebooks.php?title=Ascension
Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004X6TWLK/
Amazon Kindle UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004X6TWLK/
April 21, 2011
Ascension - urban fantasy romance novel available now for Amazon Kindle
Ascension is due for release this weekend on April 23rd, but lucky Amazon Kindle owners get to get their hands on it early as it's now available on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk for just $3.99! Here's more information about this fantastic new urban fantasy romance novel that is the first book the Shadow & Light Trilogy.
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?
ebook price: $3.99
genre: paranormal / urban fantasy romance
length: 91000 words
rating: sultry
released: April 2011
Book 1 in the Shadow and Light Trilogy series
Available in e-book from:
Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004X6TWLK/
Amazon Kindle UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004X6TWLK/
AscensionFelicity 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?
ebook price: $3.99
genre: paranormal / urban fantasy romance
length: 91000 words
rating: sultry
released: April 2011
Book 1 in the Shadow and Light Trilogy series
Available in e-book from:
Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004X6TWLK/
Amazon Kindle UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004X6TWLK/
April 20, 2011
18 & Over Couples Book Giveaway Hop
Well... I really enjoyed my last blog hop giveaway so I've gone ahead and signed up for the fantastic one that Bitten By Paranormal Romance is running in June! Now all I need to do is think up some prizes for winners and what you'll need to do to enter.
If you're a blog who is interested in participating, head over to the Bitten by Paranormal Romance blog to find out more!
If you're a blog who is interested in participating, head over to the Bitten by Paranormal Romance blog to find out more!
Review: Love Bites by Lynsay Sands
I found myself with some time last weekend after my birthday party, so I decided to indulge in some reading and ended up deciding to give Lynsay Sands a second chance and read the next book in her series. I devoured Love Bites, a paranormal vampire romance book, in one sitting. This book was made infinitely better by the fact it was the first I read on my shiny new Kindle 3, and therefore I attribute some of the rating I gave it in the end to the excitement of owning such a wicked good e-reader!
Here's my candid review:
Love Bites
Lynsay Sands
Etienne Argeneau's three hundred years of bachelorhood are at an end. He can only "turn" one human in his lifetime, and most of his kind reserved that power for creating a life mate. He has to save Rachel Garrett. He doesn't know her very well, but the beautiful coroner had saved his life. To save hers he would make her immortal. Rachel Garrett awakes surprised. All she'd wanted was to get off the night shift at the morgue; now here she is staggering to her feet naked and in a strange place. Then she sees the man of her dreams emerging from his...coffin? She just hopes he tastes as good as he looks.
Review
Love Bites is a far better offering than the first book in the series, A Quick Bite, and is probably suitable for readers looking for a lighter paranormal romance who don't mind sacrificing plot for the sake of their warm fuzzies and who can overlook some fairly glaring wrong words and poor editing (whoever missed some of these errors should be shot).
Etienne Argeneau doesn't seem to think it's a problem that a deranged psychopath is trying to kill him. In fact, he finds it quite amusing and a harmless bit of fun that he keeps ending up in the morgue. Rachel Garret is the night coroner who runs into Etienne's corpse twice throughout the story. The first time he convinces her that she's hallucinating because of her flu, and the second time she saves his life from the nutjob who, unsatisfied with the charred remains he turned Etienne into, has come to finish his work with an axe. Cue Rachel trying to save Etienne's life and having a brush with death that is only stopped by Etienne giving her his blood. Welcome to life as a vampire. The rest of the book passes pretty much in Etienne's home as he tries to keep Rachel around by giving her bad blood that she therefore can't stomach and won't leave him because she thinks she's a clutz and can't feed, rather than seeing the truth of the matter--the man who apparently loves her is poisoning her with the crappy drugdealer / homeless people blood unfit for consumption by his kind. Nice. Very romantic. To say anything else would be to give away pretty much the whole book since the plot is flimsy as usual with this series.
It's a quick read and the character development in this novel is certainly better than in the first, although the plot seemed terribly familiar towards the end. It seems Ms Sands likes to have her protagonists kidnapped in order to give a little conflict to the story. The characters are more likeable though, and I did find that the hero had a certain attractiveness about him and wasn't as flat and one dimensional as the hero in the first book. I'm not sure whether this is just because he's a vampire this time and therefore inherently more interesting to me.
I think this is a series that will improve as it progresses and hopefully the writing and editing will too. I don't really have much else to say about it. If you don't mind a flimsy plot and very little conflict, and want something that basically equates to fluff, with a hero who isn't too vapid and flat but could use his masculinity / alpha side pumping up a touch, then you'll probably enjoy this.
I'm giving it three stars because it's a vast improvement on the first book, which gained a single star from me.
It's a throwaway quick read but not wholly satisfying.
Read reviews of Love Bites by Lynsay Sands on Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38548.Love_Bites
Here's my candid review:
Love BitesLynsay Sands
Etienne Argeneau's three hundred years of bachelorhood are at an end. He can only "turn" one human in his lifetime, and most of his kind reserved that power for creating a life mate. He has to save Rachel Garrett. He doesn't know her very well, but the beautiful coroner had saved his life. To save hers he would make her immortal. Rachel Garrett awakes surprised. All she'd wanted was to get off the night shift at the morgue; now here she is staggering to her feet naked and in a strange place. Then she sees the man of her dreams emerging from his...coffin? She just hopes he tastes as good as he looks.
Review
Love Bites is a far better offering than the first book in the series, A Quick Bite, and is probably suitable for readers looking for a lighter paranormal romance who don't mind sacrificing plot for the sake of their warm fuzzies and who can overlook some fairly glaring wrong words and poor editing (whoever missed some of these errors should be shot).
Etienne Argeneau doesn't seem to think it's a problem that a deranged psychopath is trying to kill him. In fact, he finds it quite amusing and a harmless bit of fun that he keeps ending up in the morgue. Rachel Garret is the night coroner who runs into Etienne's corpse twice throughout the story. The first time he convinces her that she's hallucinating because of her flu, and the second time she saves his life from the nutjob who, unsatisfied with the charred remains he turned Etienne into, has come to finish his work with an axe. Cue Rachel trying to save Etienne's life and having a brush with death that is only stopped by Etienne giving her his blood. Welcome to life as a vampire. The rest of the book passes pretty much in Etienne's home as he tries to keep Rachel around by giving her bad blood that she therefore can't stomach and won't leave him because she thinks she's a clutz and can't feed, rather than seeing the truth of the matter--the man who apparently loves her is poisoning her with the crappy drugdealer / homeless people blood unfit for consumption by his kind. Nice. Very romantic. To say anything else would be to give away pretty much the whole book since the plot is flimsy as usual with this series.
It's a quick read and the character development in this novel is certainly better than in the first, although the plot seemed terribly familiar towards the end. It seems Ms Sands likes to have her protagonists kidnapped in order to give a little conflict to the story. The characters are more likeable though, and I did find that the hero had a certain attractiveness about him and wasn't as flat and one dimensional as the hero in the first book. I'm not sure whether this is just because he's a vampire this time and therefore inherently more interesting to me.
I think this is a series that will improve as it progresses and hopefully the writing and editing will too. I don't really have much else to say about it. If you don't mind a flimsy plot and very little conflict, and want something that basically equates to fluff, with a hero who isn't too vapid and flat but could use his masculinity / alpha side pumping up a touch, then you'll probably enjoy this.
I'm giving it three stars because it's a vast improvement on the first book, which gained a single star from me.
It's a throwaway quick read but not wholly satisfying.
Read reviews of Love Bites by Lynsay Sands on Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38548.Love_Bites
April 14, 2011
Easter Blog Hop Giveaway!
It's the Easter Hoppin' Blog Hop this weekend and I'm excited to say that I'm giving away two fantastic bundles of ebooks as part of my international giveaway!
Here's what you could get your hands on!
There are two prizes on offer. Both bundles include an e-book copy of my upcoming urban fantasy romance novel, Ascension, which will be sent to winners on the release day, April 23rd 2011
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?
BUNDLE ONE
Bundle One consists of an e-book copy of Ascension and one e-book copy of each of the following novellas:
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...
Read More / Read an Excerpt
Her Fallen Angel
Felicity Heaton
Annelie fell for Lukas the moment he walked into her pub three years ago. He's stunning, his vivid green eyes lending to his otherworldly beauty, but he's seriously out of her league. When he tells her that she's beautiful and confesses that he...
Read More / Read an Excerpt
Her Warrior Angel
Felicity Heaton
Einar is one of Heaven's best hunters and he's on a mission to uncover why an angel was working with demons. When he finds the first demon fighting a beautiful woman named Taylor, he intervenes and saves her life. Taylor has spent her whole life...
Read More / Read an Excerpt
BUNDLE TWO
Bundle Two consists of an e-book copy of Ascension and one e-book copy of each of the following novels:
Love Immortal
Felicity Heaton
Rescued from werewolves by the most breathtaking man she's ever seen, Lauren is dragged into the fight of her life and a dark world she never knew existed. There, she discovers that she's the latest reincarnation of a goddess and must drink the...
Read More / Read an Excerpt
Hunter's Moon
F E Heaton
The horror of the night he failed to save his werewolf pack from the cruelty of their vampire masters has haunted Nicolae for one hundred years, driving him deep into the Canadian wilderness in search of peace. That peace is threatened when...
Read More / Read an Excerpt
HOW TO ENTER
Here's the rules and they're pretty simple!
To enter, leave a comment on this post about why you think you should get your hands on these goodies, including your name and email address.
The two winning entries will be drawn at random on April 18th and posted on my blog, and winners will be notified via email. If a winner doesn't respond within 48 hours, I'll choose a new winner. Fair's fair.
Ascension is available from April 23rd 2011, so copies of that e-book will be sent out that day.
Don't forget to visit the other fantastic blogs involved in this hop!
Here's what you could get your hands on!
There are two prizes on offer. Both bundles include an e-book copy of my upcoming urban fantasy romance novel, Ascension, which will be sent to winners on the release day, April 23rd 2011
Ascension
Felicity HeatonA 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?
BUNDLE ONE
Bundle One consists of an e-book copy of Ascension and one e-book copy of each of the following novellas:
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...
Read More / Read an Excerpt
Her Fallen Angel
Felicity Heaton
Annelie fell for Lukas the moment he walked into her pub three years ago. He's stunning, his vivid green eyes lending to his otherworldly beauty, but he's seriously out of her league. When he tells her that she's beautiful and confesses that he...
Read More / Read an Excerpt
Her Warrior Angel
Felicity Heaton
Einar is one of Heaven's best hunters and he's on a mission to uncover why an angel was working with demons. When he finds the first demon fighting a beautiful woman named Taylor, he intervenes and saves her life. Taylor has spent her whole life...
Read More / Read an Excerpt
BUNDLE TWO
Bundle Two consists of an e-book copy of Ascension and one e-book copy of each of the following novels:
Love Immortal
Felicity Heaton
Rescued from werewolves by the most breathtaking man she's ever seen, Lauren is dragged into the fight of her life and a dark world she never knew existed. There, she discovers that she's the latest reincarnation of a goddess and must drink the...
Read More / Read an Excerpt
Hunter's Moon
F E Heaton
The horror of the night he failed to save his werewolf pack from the cruelty of their vampire masters has haunted Nicolae for one hundred years, driving him deep into the Canadian wilderness in search of peace. That peace is threatened when...
Read More / Read an Excerpt
HOW TO ENTER
Here's the rules and they're pretty simple!
To enter, leave a comment on this post about why you think you should get your hands on these goodies, including your name and email address.
The two winning entries will be drawn at random on April 18th and posted on my blog, and winners will be notified via email. If a winner doesn't respond within 48 hours, I'll choose a new winner. Fair's fair.
Ascension is available from April 23rd 2011, so copies of that e-book will be sent out that day.
Don't forget to visit the other fantastic blogs involved in this hop!
April 10, 2011
Review: A Quick Bite by Lynsay Sands
I had a hospital appointment on Wednesday and they always run late, so I ended up reading A Quick Bite by Lynsay Sands, a paranormal vampire romance book, and decided to finish it when I got home. Here's my candid review:
A Quick Bite
Lynsay Sands
That hot guy tied to Lissianna Argeneau's bed? He's not dessert—he's the main course!
Lissianna has been spending her centuries pining for Mr. Right, not just a quick snack, and this sexy guy she finds in her bed looks like he might be a candidate. But there's another, more pressing issue: her tendency to faint at the sight of blood . . . an especially annoying quirk for a vampire. Of course it doesn't hurt that this man has a delicious-looking neck. What kind of cold-blooded vampire woman could resist a bite of that?
Dr. Gregory Hewitt recovers from the shock of waking up in a stranger's bedroom pretty quickly—once he sees a gorgeous woman about to treat him to a wild night of passion. But is it possible for the good doctor to find true love with a vampire vixen, or will he be just a good meal? That's a question Dr. Greg might be willing to sink his teeth into . . . if he can just get Lissianna to bite.
Review
Okay, so I've read a later book in the series and it was good enough (borderline) to make me want to read the series from the start, but now I'm not so sure.
A Quick Bite is the story of Lissi, a vampire with hemaphobia, and Greg, a psychiatrist kidnapped by her mother to help her overcome her fear as some sort of twisted birthday present, although I wasn't quite sure throughout the whole book why she couldn't have just made some appointments for her daughter instead since the family is supposed to be oh-so-normal and not vampire-like at all.
I have to admit now that I was skipping parts of this book because it wasn't holding my attention, and the reason for that is as follows.
The story in A Quick Bite was very flat, the writing was childish and in DIRE need of a good editor and perhaps a few lessons in plotting and character creation, and I just couldn't get past the fact that a psychiatrist who was apparently a genius was acting completely idiotic about what sort of people he was suddenly kidnapped by, and later in the story accepted life as a vampire far too easily. Kudos for having him suffer great pain as part of the transformation, but post-transformation he was perfectly at ease with his new self, happy to bite away and drink blood without any trace of revulsion, and seemed fine with everything that was happening to him. I have great suspension of disbelief but not when characters can do everything without a bit of fight or fear involved and take it all in their stride.
Everything happened far too easily in this book. There was minimal conflict, and minimal fear on the side of the hero. I spotted an insane amount of errors, so much so I was questioning whether I had the wrong version of the book, like an ARC or something rather than the proper release. I scanned my later book, the one I had originally read, and that had errors too, including calling the hero by the WRONG name. It's unacceptable to get your Hero / Heroine's name wrong.
I'm still going to read the next one because I have the whole series, but I'm seriously hoping it's better than this one and that the characters and writing dramatically improves, and the author dumps a hefty dose of conflict and plot into the book!
I don't recommend this book at all though.
Read reviews of A Quick Bite by Lynsay Sands on Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38568.A_Quick_Bite
A Quick BiteLynsay Sands
That hot guy tied to Lissianna Argeneau's bed? He's not dessert—he's the main course!
Lissianna has been spending her centuries pining for Mr. Right, not just a quick snack, and this sexy guy she finds in her bed looks like he might be a candidate. But there's another, more pressing issue: her tendency to faint at the sight of blood . . . an especially annoying quirk for a vampire. Of course it doesn't hurt that this man has a delicious-looking neck. What kind of cold-blooded vampire woman could resist a bite of that?
Dr. Gregory Hewitt recovers from the shock of waking up in a stranger's bedroom pretty quickly—once he sees a gorgeous woman about to treat him to a wild night of passion. But is it possible for the good doctor to find true love with a vampire vixen, or will he be just a good meal? That's a question Dr. Greg might be willing to sink his teeth into . . . if he can just get Lissianna to bite.
Review
Okay, so I've read a later book in the series and it was good enough (borderline) to make me want to read the series from the start, but now I'm not so sure.
A Quick Bite is the story of Lissi, a vampire with hemaphobia, and Greg, a psychiatrist kidnapped by her mother to help her overcome her fear as some sort of twisted birthday present, although I wasn't quite sure throughout the whole book why she couldn't have just made some appointments for her daughter instead since the family is supposed to be oh-so-normal and not vampire-like at all.
I have to admit now that I was skipping parts of this book because it wasn't holding my attention, and the reason for that is as follows.
The story in A Quick Bite was very flat, the writing was childish and in DIRE need of a good editor and perhaps a few lessons in plotting and character creation, and I just couldn't get past the fact that a psychiatrist who was apparently a genius was acting completely idiotic about what sort of people he was suddenly kidnapped by, and later in the story accepted life as a vampire far too easily. Kudos for having him suffer great pain as part of the transformation, but post-transformation he was perfectly at ease with his new self, happy to bite away and drink blood without any trace of revulsion, and seemed fine with everything that was happening to him. I have great suspension of disbelief but not when characters can do everything without a bit of fight or fear involved and take it all in their stride.
Everything happened far too easily in this book. There was minimal conflict, and minimal fear on the side of the hero. I spotted an insane amount of errors, so much so I was questioning whether I had the wrong version of the book, like an ARC or something rather than the proper release. I scanned my later book, the one I had originally read, and that had errors too, including calling the hero by the WRONG name. It's unacceptable to get your Hero / Heroine's name wrong.
I'm still going to read the next one because I have the whole series, but I'm seriously hoping it's better than this one and that the characters and writing dramatically improves, and the author dumps a hefty dose of conflict and plot into the book!
I don't recommend this book at all though.
Read reviews of A Quick Bite by Lynsay Sands on Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38568.A_Quick_Bite
April 6, 2011
Harris Channing - Guest Blogger
Today I welcome the lovely Harris Channing to my blog to introduce you all to herself and her book!
The Demon is in the Details
Harris Channing
Stella Campbell has come back to Silverton, Georgia to bury her wicked witch of an aunt. But is she strong enough to endure what's to come?
Zane Weathers has been around a long time, like, two thousand years. But he's never met anyone who touches his warrior soul, like Stella.
Together they must face not only personal obstacles, but obstacles straight from hell!
Available in e-book from:
Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004OL2LBM/
Amazon Kindle UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004OL2LBM/
Barnes and Noble: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Demon-Is-In-The-Details/Harris-Channing/e/2940012255266/
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/43059
EXCERPT
Zane stood firm for a moment and looked at Stella. The soft yellow rays from the porch light cast her in an ethereal glow. Stella Campbell sure was pretty with her wild dark auburn locks and gorgeous green eyes. Still, the sorrow that lurked in those jade orbs touched him. God, he hoped he could help her.
Still, when their gazes met, there was no denying the pop of electricity between them and despite the pleasant warmth that spread across his body and reminded him he was a man, he knew better than to make her more than just a client. He reined in his physical reaction and took a step back, ready to escape. " Seven a.m. too early?"
The question went unanswered at the sound of spinning gravel and the beams from a set of headlights cut through the canopy of darkness. He turned. A police car pulled to a stop beside his pick-up. Zane slid Stella a glance. Her face had gone white; even her soft, pouty mouth seemed to blanch. This time when he reached out and placed what he hoped was a reassuring hand on the small of her back, she didn't pull away from the contact. In fact, she leaned into him and damn it, he liked it.
A portly cop rounded the car. His large belly hung over his gun belt, hiding the buckle from all except those with supernatural, x-ray vision. "Evenin'" the officer said, his pudgy face tinged red with the effort it took to climb the stairs. Silverton's finest certainly needed to lay off the Moon Pies and R.C. Colas.
"Evening," Zane said, sliding his arm around Stella's waist, savoring the feel of the trim arc beneath his hand.
"Officer Lankford," Stella said, her voice quaking. "What can I do for you?"
Lankford ran stubby fingers through his graying hair. "Sorry about Ms. Lou," he said eyeing the house.
"Thank you," she managed and looked away. Was that shame he sensed? Silence echoed through the still evening air.
"Is there a problem?" Zane asked, hoping to ease the tension that racked her soft, curvy body. Damn it, he needed to stop.
"Not really," Lankford remarked shifting his weight on stout legs. "There's just been a rash of-" He looked over his shoulder as if he feared the shadows in the nearby woods listened to his every word. "…a rash of animal sacrifices."
At Stella's sharp intake of breath, Zane glanced her way. If possible her face grew paler, her skin almost transparent. "A-Animal sacrifices?" Her voice was weak and her fear apparent by the trembling of her delicate jaw.
"Yes. I wanted to advise you that what with the solstice and all coming up, you know them silly kids pretending to be pagans and devil worshippers…well, you might want to keep your eyes peeled."
She nodded. "Are they happening here? On Lou's property?"
"Nope, but real close." He pointed south. "Over by Paulson's farm."
"Oh, that is close," she whispered.
"What sort of sacrifice? Cat, dog?" Zane asked. He glanced at Stella and saw by her expression she thought he was a freakin' ghoul. The truth was you could tell a lot about a devil worshipper by the animal he chose. God, he hoped Lankford didn't say goat.
"Some chickens, a cow, but mostly goats."
"Damn," Zane mumbled.
"Those poor animals," Stella said, her hand coming to rest on her chest.
Lankford nodded. "Well, just wanted to give you a heads up. Call dispatch if you see anything at all strange, all right? And Ms. Campbell, try not to get into any trouble."
"Oh, yeah. Okay," she replied but her words sounded weak, her breathing heavy. The warning apparently lost on her as she stared past the fat cop and toward the direction of Paulson's farm.
"Good." The officer tilted his head toward them and ambled off leaving Zane to wonder just what sort of evil had brought him to this place.
Biography:
An Army brat, Harris Channing traveled around the Southern US and Europe as a child before settling in Tennessee as an adult. Married with two children, she enjoys her family, reading, writing, and gardening.
Website: http://www.harrischanning.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/harrischanning
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/harris.channing
Blog: http://harrischanningauthor.blogspot.com/
The Demon is in the DetailsHarris Channing
Stella Campbell has come back to Silverton, Georgia to bury her wicked witch of an aunt. But is she strong enough to endure what's to come?
Zane Weathers has been around a long time, like, two thousand years. But he's never met anyone who touches his warrior soul, like Stella.
Together they must face not only personal obstacles, but obstacles straight from hell!
Available in e-book from:
Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004OL2LBM/
Amazon Kindle UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004OL2LBM/
Barnes and Noble: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Demon-Is-In-The-Details/Harris-Channing/e/2940012255266/
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/43059
EXCERPT
Zane stood firm for a moment and looked at Stella. The soft yellow rays from the porch light cast her in an ethereal glow. Stella Campbell sure was pretty with her wild dark auburn locks and gorgeous green eyes. Still, the sorrow that lurked in those jade orbs touched him. God, he hoped he could help her.
Still, when their gazes met, there was no denying the pop of electricity between them and despite the pleasant warmth that spread across his body and reminded him he was a man, he knew better than to make her more than just a client. He reined in his physical reaction and took a step back, ready to escape. " Seven a.m. too early?"
The question went unanswered at the sound of spinning gravel and the beams from a set of headlights cut through the canopy of darkness. He turned. A police car pulled to a stop beside his pick-up. Zane slid Stella a glance. Her face had gone white; even her soft, pouty mouth seemed to blanch. This time when he reached out and placed what he hoped was a reassuring hand on the small of her back, she didn't pull away from the contact. In fact, she leaned into him and damn it, he liked it.
A portly cop rounded the car. His large belly hung over his gun belt, hiding the buckle from all except those with supernatural, x-ray vision. "Evenin'" the officer said, his pudgy face tinged red with the effort it took to climb the stairs. Silverton's finest certainly needed to lay off the Moon Pies and R.C. Colas.
"Evening," Zane said, sliding his arm around Stella's waist, savoring the feel of the trim arc beneath his hand.
"Officer Lankford," Stella said, her voice quaking. "What can I do for you?"
Lankford ran stubby fingers through his graying hair. "Sorry about Ms. Lou," he said eyeing the house.
"Thank you," she managed and looked away. Was that shame he sensed? Silence echoed through the still evening air.
"Is there a problem?" Zane asked, hoping to ease the tension that racked her soft, curvy body. Damn it, he needed to stop.
"Not really," Lankford remarked shifting his weight on stout legs. "There's just been a rash of-" He looked over his shoulder as if he feared the shadows in the nearby woods listened to his every word. "…a rash of animal sacrifices."
At Stella's sharp intake of breath, Zane glanced her way. If possible her face grew paler, her skin almost transparent. "A-Animal sacrifices?" Her voice was weak and her fear apparent by the trembling of her delicate jaw.
"Yes. I wanted to advise you that what with the solstice and all coming up, you know them silly kids pretending to be pagans and devil worshippers…well, you might want to keep your eyes peeled."
She nodded. "Are they happening here? On Lou's property?"
"Nope, but real close." He pointed south. "Over by Paulson's farm."
"Oh, that is close," she whispered.
"What sort of sacrifice? Cat, dog?" Zane asked. He glanced at Stella and saw by her expression she thought he was a freakin' ghoul. The truth was you could tell a lot about a devil worshipper by the animal he chose. God, he hoped Lankford didn't say goat.
"Some chickens, a cow, but mostly goats."
"Damn," Zane mumbled.
"Those poor animals," Stella said, her hand coming to rest on her chest.
Lankford nodded. "Well, just wanted to give you a heads up. Call dispatch if you see anything at all strange, all right? And Ms. Campbell, try not to get into any trouble."
"Oh, yeah. Okay," she replied but her words sounded weak, her breathing heavy. The warning apparently lost on her as she stared past the fat cop and toward the direction of Paulson's farm.
"Good." The officer tilted his head toward them and ambled off leaving Zane to wonder just what sort of evil had brought him to this place.
Biography:
An Army brat, Harris Channing traveled around the Southern US and Europe as a child before settling in Tennessee as an adult. Married with two children, she enjoys her family, reading, writing, and gardening.
Website: http://www.harrischanning.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/harrischanning
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/harris.channing
Blog: http://harrischanningauthor.blogspot.com/
April 4, 2011
Werewolf / Vampire Romance Paperback out now!
The paperback of my recent werewolf / vampire romance novel release is now available. You can get Hunter's Moon in physical form for only $6.99 from Amazon. It should slowly work its way onto Barnes and Noble too.
Hunter's Moon
F E Heaton
The horror of the night he failed to save his werewolf pack from the cruelty of their vampire masters has haunted Nicolae for one hundred years, driving him deep into the Canadian wilderness in search of peace. That peace is threatened when unfamiliar hunters and the scent of blood lead him to a beautiful woman and a hard decision—face his past and help her or risk losing everyone he cares about again.
Bearing a heart filled with grief and with vengeance on her mind, Tatyana is intent on killing the hunters she's tracking and returning to her vampire bloodline, but her plan didn't include being shot with poisoned arrows or rescued by a glowering alpha werewolf who stirs forbidden hunger in her.
When the hunters make their move, will Nicolae be able to stop them before it's too late? Will he be able to overcome the darkness in his heart and embrace his desire for a vampire? And can Tatyana face her fears and risk her life for the sake of forbidden love?
Available in paperback for only $6.99 from:
Amazon.co.uk: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1460978544/
Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1460978544/
Or get it in e-book for only $2.99 from:
Author's website: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/ebooks.php?title=Hunter's%20Moon
Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004P5NQ0W/
Amazon Kindle UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004P5NQ0W/
Barnes and Noble: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Hunters-Moon/F-E-Heaton/e/2940011207600/
Sony Reader Store: http://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/f-e-heaton/hunter-s-moon/_/R-400000000000000351166
Happy reading!
Hunter's MoonF E Heaton
The horror of the night he failed to save his werewolf pack from the cruelty of their vampire masters has haunted Nicolae for one hundred years, driving him deep into the Canadian wilderness in search of peace. That peace is threatened when unfamiliar hunters and the scent of blood lead him to a beautiful woman and a hard decision—face his past and help her or risk losing everyone he cares about again.
Bearing a heart filled with grief and with vengeance on her mind, Tatyana is intent on killing the hunters she's tracking and returning to her vampire bloodline, but her plan didn't include being shot with poisoned arrows or rescued by a glowering alpha werewolf who stirs forbidden hunger in her.
When the hunters make their move, will Nicolae be able to stop them before it's too late? Will he be able to overcome the darkness in his heart and embrace his desire for a vampire? And can Tatyana face her fears and risk her life for the sake of forbidden love?
Available in paperback for only $6.99 from:
Amazon.co.uk: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1460978544/
Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1460978544/
Or get it in e-book for only $2.99 from:
Author's website: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/ebooks.php?title=Hunter's%20Moon
Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004P5NQ0W/
Amazon Kindle UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004P5NQ0W/
Barnes and Noble: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Hunters-Moon/F-E-Heaton/e/2940011207600/
Sony Reader Store: http://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/f-e-heaton/hunter-s-moon/_/R-400000000000000351166
Happy reading!
April 3, 2011
Science Fiction Romance Series in Paperback!
I'm pleased to announce that you can now get my Science Fiction Romance series Sons of Lyra and Daughters of Lyra as two paperback anthologies!
Sons of Lyra
Felicity Heaton
Sons of Lyra is an anthology of four science fiction romance stories.
In Slave Princess, Captain Lyra II is one of the sons of Lyra, the handsome princes with passionate hearts. The second eldest son, he's content with the adventure that life with the Lyran Imperial Army offers him. What he isn't content with is his current situation. Not only has he been forced to stop at a backwater port for supplies, but he's leaving with more than he expected-a beautiful and spirited slave woman!
In Runaway Hearts, Heir Prince Lyra I hates his life, and it's only getting worse. His parents have gone and arranged his marriage. Unable to stand the thought of getting married before he's seen the stars and tasted adventure, he decides to run away. When he meets a beautiful woman with the same agenda, he agrees to go with her, not realising just what twist their future is about to take.
In Fight For Love, Lieutenant Lyra IV is as sinfully handsome as his brothers, but the one woman he wants is immune to his charm. Every man in his squadron is falling over themselves to win her. Literally. When the reward is getting to see her, he can't stop himself from getting hurt in training. Losing feels like winning when he ends up on her inspection table, and the pain means nothing when she touches him.
In Stranded, Captain Lyra III is known for his vicious attitude and brilliance in battle. Second youngest of the infamously handsome sons of Lyra, he's a born leader and doesn't take no for an answer. Except this time. Acer is facing a future that seems like a nightmare, a future that has made him realise that the one thing he truly wanted in life may have just slipped through his grasp-his engineer, Stella.
Available in paperback for only $6.99 from:
Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1460987985/
Amazon.co.uk: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1460987985/
Also available individually as e-books for only $0.99 each:
http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/ebookseries.php?series=Sons%20of%20Lyra
Daughters of Lyra
Felicity Heaton
Daughters of Lyra is an anthology of five science fiction romance stories.
In Heart of an Emperor, beautiful Princess Sophia has had it with suitors. When the latest one turns out to be the emperor of Varka, a species known for their lack of emotions, nocturnal lifestyle and bloodlust, Sophia wants little to do with him. But when she greets the emperor and his two attendants, Sophia realises that a Varkan might just win her after all. Only, it isn't the emperor who has caught her eye.
In Heart of a Mercenary, Princess Miali is an ambassador for Lyra. Her true identity is kept secret to protect her but it's her beauty that puts her in danger when slavers attack her ship. Heading for the slave market, her only company is the ship's handsome young Minervan doctor. Kosen makes Miali's body react like no man before him and she can't help wondering if she might just be falling for her captor.
In Heart of a Prince, Princess Renie loves exploring space with her twin brother, Rezic, but when they venture too close to the Black Zone things turn from exploration to a fight for their lives. Captured by Vegans, Renie isn't sure what she's going to do... until she meets a man in the cells, the most unusual and gorgeous male she has ever seen, a man who seems to be willing to do anything to protect her.
In Heart of a Commander, Lieutenant Amerii wants nothing more than to prove herself to her captain and the army without her father's help... except maybe one thing. Van, Count of Aeris and attendant to Emperor Varka. Meeting the Varkan first fleet at Varka Two, Amerii is pleasantly surprised when the commander turns out to be Van, and he invites her onto his ship to sign the contract between Varka and Lyra.
In Heart of an Assassin, Princess Natalia has spent her whole life on Lyra Five behaving just as a princess should, except for one thing. After her daily duties she sneaks out at night to sing in the bars of Lyra Five, pretending to be someone else. Natalia loves to sing, more than anything else in the galaxy, until the night that Ixion, the handsome commander of the royal assassins, comes to the bar to bring her home.
Available in paperback for $10.99 from:
Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1460987977/
Amazon.co.uk: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1460987977/
Also available individually as e-book for $1.99 each:
http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/ebookseries.php?series=Daughters%20of%20Lyra
Sons of LyraFelicity Heaton
Sons of Lyra is an anthology of four science fiction romance stories.
In Slave Princess, Captain Lyra II is one of the sons of Lyra, the handsome princes with passionate hearts. The second eldest son, he's content with the adventure that life with the Lyran Imperial Army offers him. What he isn't content with is his current situation. Not only has he been forced to stop at a backwater port for supplies, but he's leaving with more than he expected-a beautiful and spirited slave woman!
In Runaway Hearts, Heir Prince Lyra I hates his life, and it's only getting worse. His parents have gone and arranged his marriage. Unable to stand the thought of getting married before he's seen the stars and tasted adventure, he decides to run away. When he meets a beautiful woman with the same agenda, he agrees to go with her, not realising just what twist their future is about to take.
In Fight For Love, Lieutenant Lyra IV is as sinfully handsome as his brothers, but the one woman he wants is immune to his charm. Every man in his squadron is falling over themselves to win her. Literally. When the reward is getting to see her, he can't stop himself from getting hurt in training. Losing feels like winning when he ends up on her inspection table, and the pain means nothing when she touches him.
In Stranded, Captain Lyra III is known for his vicious attitude and brilliance in battle. Second youngest of the infamously handsome sons of Lyra, he's a born leader and doesn't take no for an answer. Except this time. Acer is facing a future that seems like a nightmare, a future that has made him realise that the one thing he truly wanted in life may have just slipped through his grasp-his engineer, Stella.
Available in paperback for only $6.99 from:
Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1460987985/
Amazon.co.uk: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1460987985/
Also available individually as e-books for only $0.99 each:
http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/ebookseries.php?series=Sons%20of%20Lyra
Daughters of LyraFelicity Heaton
Daughters of Lyra is an anthology of five science fiction romance stories.
In Heart of an Emperor, beautiful Princess Sophia has had it with suitors. When the latest one turns out to be the emperor of Varka, a species known for their lack of emotions, nocturnal lifestyle and bloodlust, Sophia wants little to do with him. But when she greets the emperor and his two attendants, Sophia realises that a Varkan might just win her after all. Only, it isn't the emperor who has caught her eye.
In Heart of a Mercenary, Princess Miali is an ambassador for Lyra. Her true identity is kept secret to protect her but it's her beauty that puts her in danger when slavers attack her ship. Heading for the slave market, her only company is the ship's handsome young Minervan doctor. Kosen makes Miali's body react like no man before him and she can't help wondering if she might just be falling for her captor.
In Heart of a Prince, Princess Renie loves exploring space with her twin brother, Rezic, but when they venture too close to the Black Zone things turn from exploration to a fight for their lives. Captured by Vegans, Renie isn't sure what she's going to do... until she meets a man in the cells, the most unusual and gorgeous male she has ever seen, a man who seems to be willing to do anything to protect her.
In Heart of a Commander, Lieutenant Amerii wants nothing more than to prove herself to her captain and the army without her father's help... except maybe one thing. Van, Count of Aeris and attendant to Emperor Varka. Meeting the Varkan first fleet at Varka Two, Amerii is pleasantly surprised when the commander turns out to be Van, and he invites her onto his ship to sign the contract between Varka and Lyra.
In Heart of an Assassin, Princess Natalia has spent her whole life on Lyra Five behaving just as a princess should, except for one thing. After her daily duties she sneaks out at night to sing in the bars of Lyra Five, pretending to be someone else. Natalia loves to sing, more than anything else in the galaxy, until the night that Ixion, the handsome commander of the royal assassins, comes to the bar to bring her home.
Available in paperback for $10.99 from:
Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1460987977/
Amazon.co.uk: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1460987977/
Also available individually as e-book for $1.99 each:
http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/ebookseries.php?series=Daughters%20of%20Lyra
April 1, 2011
Urban Fantasy Romance Novel - Teaser Excerpt for Ascension!
I asked people on my Facebook whether they wanted to see a teaser for my upcoming urban fantasy romance novel, Ascension, and the resounding answer was "yes, please!" so here's my teaser excerpt for the book. It's available on April 23rd! Not long now to wait.
DISCLAIMER: Ascension is awaiting final proofing so please forgive any errors!
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?
EXCERPT
Taig closed his eyes and released a long low groan of unexpected pleasure as Lealandra's warm mouth fused with his. Her tongue slid between his lips, a delicious and familiar hot velvet caress that swept across his teeth and drew another moan of hunger from him. Without considering the consequences and forgetting his anger, he twisted her long black hair around his fingers and tethered her to him so this breathtaking fantasy wouldn't end before he wanted, and he wanted it to go on forever.
He tilted his head and pressed harder against her mouth, his tongue brushing hers, delving in deep to taste her. A shiver of desire and need shot through him, and his breathing turned rough as he reacquainted himself with her sweetness and warmth. He hadn't imagined things turning out this way when she had walked into the bar tonight, but he wasn't about to push her away now that she was kissing him again, rekindling passion whose embers had burned deep in his heart all the time they had been apart. She moved against him, her lips soft and grazing his, slowing the kiss until he wanted to groan and pull her against him, wanted to thrust his tongue back into her mouth and show her just how hungry she made him. It coiled tight in his gut, pushing for control, urging him to act on his desire.
All too soon, her lips left his but she remained close. With a soft puff of air into his mouth, she spoke.
"Are they gone?" Her quiet voice trembled along with her body, telling him that the kiss hadn't only affected him. His heart pounded for more and his blood rushed through his ears, dampening his awareness of their surroundings.
Taig glanced around the dim emptying bar. The two men were gone. He stared into her eyes, refreshing his memory of every fleck of silver against stormy grey. It had been too long since he had seen her, and felt even longer since he had kissed her. A tortuous length of time and an absence he couldn't easily forgive, even when her kiss made him forget it.
"Not yet," he whispered the lie against her lips, a split-second before his mouth claimed hers, dominant now that he was ready for the kiss. Desire became a raging inferno within him, burning away the anger that blazed back into life whenever he had a moment to think. This kiss was the only thing that mattered right now.
This time, Lealandra loosed a deep breathy moan. The sound sent his blood rushing ahead of his thoughts. He hardened instantly against his tight black jeans and wrapped his fingers around the nape of her neck, pressing them in and dragging her closer still. The heat of her kiss reawakened lost passion and a need for her that could never die. Six years of separation disappeared in an instant, erased by the fact that she had finally walked back into his life. He wasn't going to let her go this time. Even if this kiss was only a decoy, it still meant something to them both. He knew it did.
Her fingertips grazed his neck and pushed into the shorter black hair at the back of his head. He groaned internally at the feel of her nails against his scalp, declaring her growing hunger, and furrowed his brow as he brought his hand forward to claim her jaw, holding her in place. He burned at the feel of her soft satin skin beneath his fingers. Her touch was still electric, sending waves of hot sparks dancing along every nerve in his body, bringing his cold flesh to life. Tilting her head back, he thrust his tongue into her mouth and slid his free hand around her waist at the same time, pulling her so close to him that her breasts pushed against his chest with each gasping breath she drew. He eased his hand lower and caressed the patch of bare warm skin between the bottom of her short black strapless corset top and the waist of her long black skirt. Lealandra tensed. Too fast.
Taig braced for impact.
The flat of her hand slammed against his chest, forcing him backwards in the curved padded seat of the booth and tearing her from his grasp. Her gelid gaze stopped him dead.
"They're gone, aren't they?" Lealandra's tone was pure venom that matched the ice in her pale grey eyes.
Taig held his hands up, surrendering with a seductive smile that confessed every sin he had been considering. Lealandra wasn't the kind of witch you lied to. With such strong power flowing in her veins, it was easy for her to read everyone. Everyone but him. His blood saw to that. Her ability to see through him didn't come from magic. It came from the divine six months they had spent locked tight in each other's embrace. Six heavenly months he would never forget followed by six hollow years he wished he couldn't remember.
Lealandra looked around the bar, flicking her straight dark hair over her bare slender shoulders. His black gaze raked over her in the same hungry way it had done when she had first appeared in front of him tonight. She had grown a little thinner in their time apart. Her partner hadn't been taking care of her. Taig curled his fingers into fists at the thought of another man touching what was his. Anger blazed in his chest, ignited by the idea that the man she had chosen over him hadn't been looking after her needs. Had the idiot failed to see what she truly craved?
The magic that inhabited her body drained her and made her hungry. She needed to feed often, and he wasn't talking about food. Magic as old and potent as hers demanded the highest price and had the basest needs. If it didn't get what it wanted, it was hard for Lealandra to retain control. It only proved the point he had tried to hammer home to her when she had been on the verge of leaving him all those years ago, and disproved hers.
Taig didn't give a fuck about the rules of her kind. A witch was no match for a witch, especially not one who needed blood to sustain her.
Demon blood.
The thought that Lealandra had been struggling with her power these six long years stoked his anger into blind fury. Every muscle itched with the desire to find her pathetic excuse for a man and teach him a lesson he would never forget for making her suffer. The kind of lesson that would satisfy Taig's own deep dark cravings.
"I can't believe you'd take a cheap shot like that," Lealandra muttered in his direction, her eyes meeting his. "No. Wait. Actually… I can."
With his best sexy smirk, Taig leaned back into the grotty dark brown leather seat and stretched his arms out along the top. He shrugged and held her gaze.
"You kissed me first. I just returned the favour."
Her tongue swept over her lips, as though she wanted to kiss him again and was contenting herself with the lingering taste of him. If she wanted him to kiss her, he would. He would kiss her so hard that she would forget that idiot she had left him for and her own name in the process. She would forget everything but the feel of him inside her where he belonged. He would ruin her to everyone but him.
"That's not the kind of favour I need from you." Lealandra casually rested her elbow on the back of the leather seat and propped her chin up with her hand. Her head tilted to one side, her dusky kiss-swollen lips curving into a smile. His heart thundered, beating hard with the rush of desire that flooded him.
That smile had made him want her the moment he had laid eyes on her all those years ago. He still wanted her.
He tamped down his desire and got a grip. Her kissing him hadn't changed a damn thing. Whatever they'd had, it didn't exist anymore. She had trampled it on her way out of the door and it was going to take a lot more than a kiss to get her into his good book again.
"A favour? Tell me, why should I do you any favours? Last I checked, you were shacked up with another bloke. Why don't you ask Loverboy to help you out? I'm sure he could do something… unspectacular." Taig picked up his shot of whisky from the table and necked it. The liquid burned his throat as it slid down, heating him through. Sometimes it was nice to feel something other than cold. Alcohol and hunting were the only things that did that these days. His gaze ran over Lealandra. She used to make him burn hotter than Hell on a summer's day. She still did, but he wasn't about to let her see that. "I guess that's why you're here. Loverboy just doesn't cut it when it comes to handling demons. That pair of weaklings would have him inside out and back to front before he could lift a finger to cast whatever impotent half-assed spell he could muster."
Taig held her gaze, cool and steady, watching the hurt surfacing in her eyes and feeling like a bastard for it, but on some twisted level, it satisfied him.
He narrowed his eyes and casually placed the glass down. "Well, you're shit out of luck, Lea. I'm not interested."
Her only reaction was to look away from him. She flicked the small silver bells on the ties of her long skirt and her shoulders lifted in a sigh. That was unsatisfactory. He had expected a better response than that. He had wanted her to argue with him about it. Perhaps even fight him. A good fight with her might go some way towards releasing the anger that was burning like acid in his veins, eating away at him and filling his head and heart with acrid memories.
Memories that drove him to kill.
He quirked a dark eyebrow and waited for her to say something. It wasn't like her. She looked up at him through her eyelashes.
A hint of fear surfaced in her beautiful eyes and rippled across her pale skin in a wave that only he could detect. He sat up, all sense of casual lost now that he had realised that she was frightened and it wasn't of him. His anger faded. Something was very wrong. Lealandra didn't do frightened. No witch as powerful as her did, at least not when they had their Counter-Balance, their other half, the one who could temper their magic and help them maintain control of it.
"I'll pay you... whatever you want... just name your price." She coughed to clear her throat, as though such a pathetic attempt to cover her turbulent feelings would fool him.
It was there in her body and her power, and he knew her well enough that he could easily read both. She was scared, and he was an idiot for not noticing it the second she had approached him, and the moment those thugs had walked into the joint. They had been out of place and suspicious, and he had sensed their demon blood, and then Lealandra had kissed him and he had lost track of them and her feelings. She had tasted purely of hunger and desire. All sweet with arousal. It had been enough to throw him off her underlying fear.
"You know my price." Taig's eyes narrowed on hers, intent and showing her that he was being serious for once. His voice dropped to a low whisper. "I want you, Lea."
She swallowed and blinked. Once. Twice. "No deal."
When she moved to stand, Taig grabbed her wrist, locking his fingers tightly around it. She looked down at his hand and then into his eyes. Her startled look added to her natural beauty, her eyes round and her rosy lips parted. A blush stained her pale cheeks, deep enough that he noticed it even in the low light of the bar. He wanted her more now than ever, and he wasn't about to let her walk out on him again.
"You knew what I'd ask for so why come to me with your problems if you were going to refuse?"
Lealandra pried his fingers off her and frowned. "You saw those men. I needed a demon hunter. You're the best I know."
Demon hunter. The job title neglected to mention the fact that his father had been one of the most powerful demons to walk the Earth. He stared into Lealandra's stormy eyes and saw the same calm acceptance that they always showed him. Had his mother looked at his father that way? She had dared to be with him after all. That union had spawned himself—half demon hidden behind the mask of man.
Taig tapped his fingers on the dark table, torn between rejecting her request unless she agreed to his terms and kissing her again. His eyebrows knitted tight together. This wasn't easy. What they had shared six years ago wasn't the kind of everyday passion that most people found at the start of a relationship. It had gone beyond that. The dark and hungry craving had consumed them both, had pushed them to the edge and had almost tipped them over it a few times. It had been unbridled passion—the sort that was rare in this world—and it still flooded him whenever he looked at her, whenever her beautiful eyes met his and dared him to make a move. He could deny it all he wanted, pretend that he no longer felt a thing for her, but she still tied him in knots and had him on his knees with only a smile. She licked her lips again, a nervous sweep of her tongue that reminded him that something was wrong.
What could be so bad that she wasn't asking her precious coven for help and was instead looking him up after six long years?
Was it just the demons that had her scared or was there more to this than she was telling him? Witches and demons got on like a house on fire but usually they kept well clear of each other, sticking to their own world. It was unusual for a demon to go after a witch, but he couldn't deny that the two kids earlier had been looking for Lealandra.
And now she was asking him for help.
What reason could demons have for going after her?
Taig looked deep into her eyes, focusing on them as he tried to get a hold on her feelings. There was anger in her now, aimed at him, but the fear was still there too. It echoed in the unsteady beat of her heart and danced in the depths of her eyes. She was in trouble, big enough that she had sought him out even when she knew that he would be pissed off at her and that he would demand a high price for services rendered. Either she was desperate or she truly believed that he was her best choice.
Or maybe she just wanted to see him again and this was the perfect excuse for her to waltz back into his life.
Still, his ineffable charm and attractiveness aside, parts of it didn't make sense. Lealandra was powerful enough to take care of a couple of weak lower demons and her bastard Counter-Balance and dear coven should have been able to protect her from them if she couldn't fight them for some reason. Taig had never met them, but the coven was probably strong enough to take on a demon of his strength. Two weaklings would be nothing to them. Like swatting flies.
And why was she here anyway? Alone too. Her Counter-Balance would have a tantrum of galactic proportions if he knew that Lealandra had come to her ex-lover for help.
In fact, none of it made sense.
Taig's head ached from trying to figure it out. It was just like her to send his mind in ten directions at once. There was only one way to find out what the hell had Lealandra walking back into his life. He never had been backwards about being forwards, after all. It was one of the qualities that Lealandra had liked about him.
"Why do you need me?" Taig sensed the deep spike in her feelings, the rise in her desire that struck him hard and sent a jolt to his groin, reigniting his own hunger.
Her eyes widened and her cheeks coloured.
He hadn't considered the possibility of a second meaning to his words but now he was. His suspicions had been right. He wasn't the only one the kiss had affected. He wasn't the only one who felt this need burning deep within.
His eyes narrowed on hers in both a challenge and a command. He was damned if he was going to let her get away without answering, and damned if he was going to let her walk out on him again.
"Tell me."
Did you all enjoy it? Don't be shy about commenting. I don't bite unless you beg.
Ascension will be released on April 23rd 2011.
DISCLAIMER: Ascension is awaiting final proofing so please forgive any errors!
AscensionFelicity 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?
EXCERPT
Taig closed his eyes and released a long low groan of unexpected pleasure as Lealandra's warm mouth fused with his. Her tongue slid between his lips, a delicious and familiar hot velvet caress that swept across his teeth and drew another moan of hunger from him. Without considering the consequences and forgetting his anger, he twisted her long black hair around his fingers and tethered her to him so this breathtaking fantasy wouldn't end before he wanted, and he wanted it to go on forever.
He tilted his head and pressed harder against her mouth, his tongue brushing hers, delving in deep to taste her. A shiver of desire and need shot through him, and his breathing turned rough as he reacquainted himself with her sweetness and warmth. He hadn't imagined things turning out this way when she had walked into the bar tonight, but he wasn't about to push her away now that she was kissing him again, rekindling passion whose embers had burned deep in his heart all the time they had been apart. She moved against him, her lips soft and grazing his, slowing the kiss until he wanted to groan and pull her against him, wanted to thrust his tongue back into her mouth and show her just how hungry she made him. It coiled tight in his gut, pushing for control, urging him to act on his desire.
All too soon, her lips left his but she remained close. With a soft puff of air into his mouth, she spoke.
"Are they gone?" Her quiet voice trembled along with her body, telling him that the kiss hadn't only affected him. His heart pounded for more and his blood rushed through his ears, dampening his awareness of their surroundings.
Taig glanced around the dim emptying bar. The two men were gone. He stared into her eyes, refreshing his memory of every fleck of silver against stormy grey. It had been too long since he had seen her, and felt even longer since he had kissed her. A tortuous length of time and an absence he couldn't easily forgive, even when her kiss made him forget it.
"Not yet," he whispered the lie against her lips, a split-second before his mouth claimed hers, dominant now that he was ready for the kiss. Desire became a raging inferno within him, burning away the anger that blazed back into life whenever he had a moment to think. This kiss was the only thing that mattered right now.
This time, Lealandra loosed a deep breathy moan. The sound sent his blood rushing ahead of his thoughts. He hardened instantly against his tight black jeans and wrapped his fingers around the nape of her neck, pressing them in and dragging her closer still. The heat of her kiss reawakened lost passion and a need for her that could never die. Six years of separation disappeared in an instant, erased by the fact that she had finally walked back into his life. He wasn't going to let her go this time. Even if this kiss was only a decoy, it still meant something to them both. He knew it did.
Her fingertips grazed his neck and pushed into the shorter black hair at the back of his head. He groaned internally at the feel of her nails against his scalp, declaring her growing hunger, and furrowed his brow as he brought his hand forward to claim her jaw, holding her in place. He burned at the feel of her soft satin skin beneath his fingers. Her touch was still electric, sending waves of hot sparks dancing along every nerve in his body, bringing his cold flesh to life. Tilting her head back, he thrust his tongue into her mouth and slid his free hand around her waist at the same time, pulling her so close to him that her breasts pushed against his chest with each gasping breath she drew. He eased his hand lower and caressed the patch of bare warm skin between the bottom of her short black strapless corset top and the waist of her long black skirt. Lealandra tensed. Too fast.
Taig braced for impact.
The flat of her hand slammed against his chest, forcing him backwards in the curved padded seat of the booth and tearing her from his grasp. Her gelid gaze stopped him dead.
"They're gone, aren't they?" Lealandra's tone was pure venom that matched the ice in her pale grey eyes.
Taig held his hands up, surrendering with a seductive smile that confessed every sin he had been considering. Lealandra wasn't the kind of witch you lied to. With such strong power flowing in her veins, it was easy for her to read everyone. Everyone but him. His blood saw to that. Her ability to see through him didn't come from magic. It came from the divine six months they had spent locked tight in each other's embrace. Six heavenly months he would never forget followed by six hollow years he wished he couldn't remember.
Lealandra looked around the bar, flicking her straight dark hair over her bare slender shoulders. His black gaze raked over her in the same hungry way it had done when she had first appeared in front of him tonight. She had grown a little thinner in their time apart. Her partner hadn't been taking care of her. Taig curled his fingers into fists at the thought of another man touching what was his. Anger blazed in his chest, ignited by the idea that the man she had chosen over him hadn't been looking after her needs. Had the idiot failed to see what she truly craved?
The magic that inhabited her body drained her and made her hungry. She needed to feed often, and he wasn't talking about food. Magic as old and potent as hers demanded the highest price and had the basest needs. If it didn't get what it wanted, it was hard for Lealandra to retain control. It only proved the point he had tried to hammer home to her when she had been on the verge of leaving him all those years ago, and disproved hers.
Taig didn't give a fuck about the rules of her kind. A witch was no match for a witch, especially not one who needed blood to sustain her.
Demon blood.
The thought that Lealandra had been struggling with her power these six long years stoked his anger into blind fury. Every muscle itched with the desire to find her pathetic excuse for a man and teach him a lesson he would never forget for making her suffer. The kind of lesson that would satisfy Taig's own deep dark cravings.
"I can't believe you'd take a cheap shot like that," Lealandra muttered in his direction, her eyes meeting his. "No. Wait. Actually… I can."
With his best sexy smirk, Taig leaned back into the grotty dark brown leather seat and stretched his arms out along the top. He shrugged and held her gaze.
"You kissed me first. I just returned the favour."
Her tongue swept over her lips, as though she wanted to kiss him again and was contenting herself with the lingering taste of him. If she wanted him to kiss her, he would. He would kiss her so hard that she would forget that idiot she had left him for and her own name in the process. She would forget everything but the feel of him inside her where he belonged. He would ruin her to everyone but him.
"That's not the kind of favour I need from you." Lealandra casually rested her elbow on the back of the leather seat and propped her chin up with her hand. Her head tilted to one side, her dusky kiss-swollen lips curving into a smile. His heart thundered, beating hard with the rush of desire that flooded him.
That smile had made him want her the moment he had laid eyes on her all those years ago. He still wanted her.
He tamped down his desire and got a grip. Her kissing him hadn't changed a damn thing. Whatever they'd had, it didn't exist anymore. She had trampled it on her way out of the door and it was going to take a lot more than a kiss to get her into his good book again.
"A favour? Tell me, why should I do you any favours? Last I checked, you were shacked up with another bloke. Why don't you ask Loverboy to help you out? I'm sure he could do something… unspectacular." Taig picked up his shot of whisky from the table and necked it. The liquid burned his throat as it slid down, heating him through. Sometimes it was nice to feel something other than cold. Alcohol and hunting were the only things that did that these days. His gaze ran over Lealandra. She used to make him burn hotter than Hell on a summer's day. She still did, but he wasn't about to let her see that. "I guess that's why you're here. Loverboy just doesn't cut it when it comes to handling demons. That pair of weaklings would have him inside out and back to front before he could lift a finger to cast whatever impotent half-assed spell he could muster."
Taig held her gaze, cool and steady, watching the hurt surfacing in her eyes and feeling like a bastard for it, but on some twisted level, it satisfied him.
He narrowed his eyes and casually placed the glass down. "Well, you're shit out of luck, Lea. I'm not interested."
Her only reaction was to look away from him. She flicked the small silver bells on the ties of her long skirt and her shoulders lifted in a sigh. That was unsatisfactory. He had expected a better response than that. He had wanted her to argue with him about it. Perhaps even fight him. A good fight with her might go some way towards releasing the anger that was burning like acid in his veins, eating away at him and filling his head and heart with acrid memories.
Memories that drove him to kill.
He quirked a dark eyebrow and waited for her to say something. It wasn't like her. She looked up at him through her eyelashes.
A hint of fear surfaced in her beautiful eyes and rippled across her pale skin in a wave that only he could detect. He sat up, all sense of casual lost now that he had realised that she was frightened and it wasn't of him. His anger faded. Something was very wrong. Lealandra didn't do frightened. No witch as powerful as her did, at least not when they had their Counter-Balance, their other half, the one who could temper their magic and help them maintain control of it.
"I'll pay you... whatever you want... just name your price." She coughed to clear her throat, as though such a pathetic attempt to cover her turbulent feelings would fool him.
It was there in her body and her power, and he knew her well enough that he could easily read both. She was scared, and he was an idiot for not noticing it the second she had approached him, and the moment those thugs had walked into the joint. They had been out of place and suspicious, and he had sensed their demon blood, and then Lealandra had kissed him and he had lost track of them and her feelings. She had tasted purely of hunger and desire. All sweet with arousal. It had been enough to throw him off her underlying fear.
"You know my price." Taig's eyes narrowed on hers, intent and showing her that he was being serious for once. His voice dropped to a low whisper. "I want you, Lea."
She swallowed and blinked. Once. Twice. "No deal."
When she moved to stand, Taig grabbed her wrist, locking his fingers tightly around it. She looked down at his hand and then into his eyes. Her startled look added to her natural beauty, her eyes round and her rosy lips parted. A blush stained her pale cheeks, deep enough that he noticed it even in the low light of the bar. He wanted her more now than ever, and he wasn't about to let her walk out on him again.
"You knew what I'd ask for so why come to me with your problems if you were going to refuse?"
Lealandra pried his fingers off her and frowned. "You saw those men. I needed a demon hunter. You're the best I know."
Demon hunter. The job title neglected to mention the fact that his father had been one of the most powerful demons to walk the Earth. He stared into Lealandra's stormy eyes and saw the same calm acceptance that they always showed him. Had his mother looked at his father that way? She had dared to be with him after all. That union had spawned himself—half demon hidden behind the mask of man.
Taig tapped his fingers on the dark table, torn between rejecting her request unless she agreed to his terms and kissing her again. His eyebrows knitted tight together. This wasn't easy. What they had shared six years ago wasn't the kind of everyday passion that most people found at the start of a relationship. It had gone beyond that. The dark and hungry craving had consumed them both, had pushed them to the edge and had almost tipped them over it a few times. It had been unbridled passion—the sort that was rare in this world—and it still flooded him whenever he looked at her, whenever her beautiful eyes met his and dared him to make a move. He could deny it all he wanted, pretend that he no longer felt a thing for her, but she still tied him in knots and had him on his knees with only a smile. She licked her lips again, a nervous sweep of her tongue that reminded him that something was wrong.
What could be so bad that she wasn't asking her precious coven for help and was instead looking him up after six long years?
Was it just the demons that had her scared or was there more to this than she was telling him? Witches and demons got on like a house on fire but usually they kept well clear of each other, sticking to their own world. It was unusual for a demon to go after a witch, but he couldn't deny that the two kids earlier had been looking for Lealandra.
And now she was asking him for help.
What reason could demons have for going after her?
Taig looked deep into her eyes, focusing on them as he tried to get a hold on her feelings. There was anger in her now, aimed at him, but the fear was still there too. It echoed in the unsteady beat of her heart and danced in the depths of her eyes. She was in trouble, big enough that she had sought him out even when she knew that he would be pissed off at her and that he would demand a high price for services rendered. Either she was desperate or she truly believed that he was her best choice.
Or maybe she just wanted to see him again and this was the perfect excuse for her to waltz back into his life.
Still, his ineffable charm and attractiveness aside, parts of it didn't make sense. Lealandra was powerful enough to take care of a couple of weak lower demons and her bastard Counter-Balance and dear coven should have been able to protect her from them if she couldn't fight them for some reason. Taig had never met them, but the coven was probably strong enough to take on a demon of his strength. Two weaklings would be nothing to them. Like swatting flies.
And why was she here anyway? Alone too. Her Counter-Balance would have a tantrum of galactic proportions if he knew that Lealandra had come to her ex-lover for help.
In fact, none of it made sense.
Taig's head ached from trying to figure it out. It was just like her to send his mind in ten directions at once. There was only one way to find out what the hell had Lealandra walking back into his life. He never had been backwards about being forwards, after all. It was one of the qualities that Lealandra had liked about him.
"Why do you need me?" Taig sensed the deep spike in her feelings, the rise in her desire that struck him hard and sent a jolt to his groin, reigniting his own hunger.
Her eyes widened and her cheeks coloured.
He hadn't considered the possibility of a second meaning to his words but now he was. His suspicions had been right. He wasn't the only one the kiss had affected. He wasn't the only one who felt this need burning deep within.
His eyes narrowed on hers in both a challenge and a command. He was damned if he was going to let her get away without answering, and damned if he was going to let her walk out on him again.
"Tell me."
Did you all enjoy it? Don't be shy about commenting. I don't bite unless you beg.
Ascension will be released on April 23rd 2011.
