Felicity Heaton's Blog, page 59

Teaseday – Read an excerpt from Forbidden Blood, a stand alone vampire romance novel

 

Today’s tease comes from the book Forbidden Blood, which is one of my stand alone vampire romance novels, and another of my favourite books. Read on for this Tuesday’s tease… it’s a long one today because I absolutely love this scene and the one that comes after it. I might need to add a little background. Kearn, a vampire of Noble blood and a Venator (a hunter who tracks and kills other vampires who break the law), is using a human female, Amber, as bait because she has rare blood and his target hungers for a taste of her. Kearn has taken Amber to a nightclub, and is struggling with hungers of his own…

 

The sandy-haired well-dressed man behind the bar gave him a nod. Kearn didn’t grace him with one in return. The man was a Commoner, the rank of vampire far below Lesser Noble. Nothing more than a peasant. He had worked here in all the times that Kearn had visited and was the only vampire on the staff. Kearn had often wondered if the man owned the club. The Commoner walked down the length of the black glass-topped bar towards Amber. Kearn kept a close eye on the man. There was a momentary spark of red in his eyes as he took her drink order, his gaze darted down to her bandaged hand as she gave him the money, and then he moved away. Wise decision. Kearn didn’t want to have to start the evening by killing someone. The Commoner stopped at the till near Kearn and looked right into his eyes. Kearn’s switched briefly to red and he glared at the man, letting him sense his intent and making it clear that Amber belonged to him. The Commoner acknowledged him with a bow of his head and then made Amber’s drink.

She smiled at the man as he gave it to her, distracting Kearn from his dark thoughts. She did look beautiful tonight. Perhaps he should have told her that just to see her reaction. He could imagine the deep crimson blush that would have stained her cheeks and it stirred his blood.

Perhaps he should concentrate on his work.

Kearn sat several stools away from Amber. They were the only two at the bar but that soon changed.

The minutes ticked by and each one brought more people into the club. Another Noble showed up, a tall dark-haired man with three human women draped all over him. Lord Montagu. The man’s dark eyes narrowed on Kearn in contempt and then he was walking down the steps at the end of the bar area to the dance floor. Kearn shook off the irritation of such a weak-blooded man looking down on him and watched the rest of his entourage enter. All unranked Montagu men and women. The most interesting was a doe-eyed woman who watched the lord like a hawk. She was human and going through the transition judging by the scent of her blood. She had probably thought that Lord Montagu would change his ways once she had let him bite her and her dark fairytale would be complete. Humans were so gullible.

Kearn looked along the length of the bar at Amber.

Would she ever consent to becoming a vampire?



It was a ridiculous thought that he immediately shoved aside but it crept back into his head and he found himself musing it. Pondering how sweet Amber’s throat would taste under his lips as he sunk his fangs into it reignited his ardour for her, fanning it back into life until it blazed through him, hotter than the surface of the sun and equally as fierce. The deep unrelenting thirst for her constantly flowed in his blood, pleading to be sated, even though he knew it was impossible.

If Amber were a vampire, she would sense his intent as he stared at her, and would know his dark pounding lust for her. If he turned her, she wouldn’t become a weak vampire as other humans did, fit only to serve his pureblood kind. She would become the most beautiful creature on this planet, surpassing even pureblood vampires. Her power would be devastating, everything he had at his command and more, amplified by the gene in her blood. She would be as vampires had been many millennia ago. She would be a goddess.

His goddess.

He had never changed a human and had never wanted to before now.

While others treated it as nothing more than a thrilling moment, uncaring of the consequences or how the human felt, Kearn treated it with the respect that such a beautiful thing deserved. That he could give a human, Amber, the gift of immortality and the powers of his species was incredible.

But it was something he couldn’t do, no matter how much he thought about it and how enticing it sounded in his mind. Had he been his old self, had he not become a Venator and not walked the path of solitude, despised by his kind, he would have thought differently. He would have been able to give Amber the life as a vampire that she deserved. If he bit her now and turned her, they would only have each other. She would find herself hated by not only humankind but by the vampires too. He couldn’t ask her to tread the same path as him and bear the loneliness. Only he deserved to live such a life.

Amber deserved so much more.

People lined the bar between them. She ordered another drink and fiddled with the cocktail stirrer when it arrived. A man approached her. Human. She smiled politely and waved him away. Kearn focused, wanting to hear what she was telling him, but he couldn’t make it out over the noise of the music. It was louder now and using his heightened senses hurt his head.

A few minutes later, another man approached her. Human again. She excused herself and then looked around the busy club.

Someone bumped against him and Kearn growled. He hated crowds almost as much as he hated this place. How many more people were they going to let in? He could barely see Amber now through the sea of black and red clad men and women, and he needed to keep an eye on her. He leaned forwards to catch a glimpse of her.

Her eyes settled on him and she blinked slowly, a hint of a smile touching the corners of her sensual red lips. He cast his gaze downwards at the bar and touched his throat again. It ached. He wrapped his hand around it and clasped it tightly. He needed a drink but blood wouldn’t satisfy his thirst. He needed Amber.

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. She was flicking the cocktail stirrer back and forth across her half empty glass.

If she didn’t stop looking so bored, she would never catch the vampire for him.

She smiled at him again, her painted lips luring him in until his field of focus zeroed in on her. She was supposed to be attracting the other vampires in the club, not him, but he couldn’t take his eyes off her, and the more he stared, the hungrier he became.

He rubbed his throat again, wishing he could get something here to quench his thirst as easily as the humans could. The Commoner that had been behind the bar earlier was gone, replaced by two human males and one female. There was no chance of getting blood now.

“You should go speak to her.”

Kearn frowned at the male bartender.

He nodded towards Amber. “Go speak to her. You’re clearly interested. I’ve not seen her here before but she looks a little lonely… like you.”

Kearn’s expression darkened. He looked lonely? The bartender was probably putting things together from the evidence in front of him, a man sitting alone in a bar staring at a beautiful woman, but the conclusion he had drawn was too close to the mark. He was always alone but he had grown used to it and it was better than being around company who didn’t want you there.

“I am too old for her.” Kearn waved the man away.

The man didn’t leave. He leaned across the bar and smiled consolingly.

“Listen.” He crooked a finger, signalling for Kearn to come closer. Kearn didn’t. The man smelt sweaty and he had no desire to interact so closely with a human. A voice at the back of his mind said he would interact this closely with Amber given the chance. He would sink his fangs deep into her neck and drink his fill of her to slake the thirst in his heart for a connection to someone. Kearn ignored it. “You don’t look a day over thirty five and she’s no younger than twenty five. There’s an unwritten rule with men. Halve your age and add seven. That’s the youngest you can go for.”

Kearn calculated it in his head. Half of his age plus seven? He smiled. Unless Amber was really one hundred and eighty seven, he was too old for her.

Another group of vampires entered. More Nobles. This time they were higher ranking. The Marquess Montagu and Marquess Pendragon sneered at him as they passed. Kearn looked over towards Amber and held his throat again when it itched. He swallowed but it didn’t relieve the ache.

The smell of everyone in the club wasn’t even drowning out her scent. It was a good thing because he needed the vampires to smell her blood so it would lure them into speaking to her but it constantly pushed at his restraint. Since tasting her, he hadn’t stopped desiring her. His lust for her blood was strong, so much so that he had dreamed of her and nothing else. She had been in his embrace, bare breasts against his chest and her arms around him, holding him close as he kissed and licked her throat. He had drunk from her, sinking his fangs deep into her neck and marking her as eternally his. He knew that was what he had been doing. He hadn’t intended to kill her. He had wanted to make her a vampire like him. He had wanted to keep her.

Which was insane.

But her blood had tasted so good even in his dreams.

Kearn struggled for control as the memory of it assaulted him, sending an echo of the buzz he had felt through his body and fogging his mind. Something deep within him cried out for more, for another taste, another fix.

The club started to heat up as people moved and the smell of her blood grew stronger. It was a divine smell—sweet and fragrant. The voice at the back of his mind whispered that it could be his, just as it had been in his dreams.

He touched his neck again, pulled at the collar of his shirt when it felt as though it was strangling him, and frowned. He couldn’t remember a time when he had felt so hungry.

“Are you okay?” Amber’s voice startled him. “You don’t look so good.”

His eyes leapt to hers and then fell to her neck. His temperature increased the moment his gaze landed on the black choker wrapped around it. Her blood was delicious. She was delicious. His throat ached at the sight of hers, his hunger rising. He tightened his hold on his neck and tried to get a grip on himself. It wasn’t just her blood doing this to him. It couldn’t be. There was something deeper at work.

He forced his eyes up, until they met her wide ones. She stepped closer and her scent grew stronger, overwhelming him. He stood and took a step back, trying to distance himself and keep control.

“I am a little thirsty.” That was an understatement. He was parched, gasping for the smooth slide of her blood down his throat and the giddy rush of it in his veins.

Like an addict.

“Come on.” She grabbed his arm.

He looked at her hand on him, slender but strong. She walked away, luring him along the length of the bar to where she had been sitting, and he followed her blindly.

Kearn’s eyes stuck like glue to the back of her neck, catching teasing glimpses of the nape of it and the black velvet choker through her dark hair. He longed to part the brown waves and kiss there, to run his tongue over her skin and taste her, and feel her shiver in pleasure. He wanted to ease his fangs in deep and slow, claiming her and her blood as his and his alone. Nothing compared to biting someone, to the incredible rush from the connection and the intense intoxicating feel of their blood in your veins. It was what he had been born to do—to take life from the blood of humans like a thief.

Like a beast.

And right now, he wanted to take all of Amber. He wanted to strip away the mask and show her just what he was underneath—a creature lost in her, thirsting for her body and blood.

For her love.

 

Did you enjoy today’s tease?

Caris Roane is also posting a Teaseday snippet, so be sure to check out her blog and read it! http://carisroane.com/

 

Forbidden Blood

Felicity Heaton

In a dark world where vampires exist and where Source Blood, a rare human blood type, can bestow godlike powers upon them, the vampire Venators of the Sovereignty fight to protect the humans by banishing those who drink it to the endless dark.

Exiled from his family and with only his duty to sustain him, Kearn has been on the trail of an elusive Source Blood abuser for three years. When he saves a beautiful human female from the vampire’s grasp, it turns out she’s the lead he’s been waiting for. Amber is a Source Blood and the perfect bait, but for who?

As they race to catch the vampire and survive the cruel games he plays, Amber is pulled deeper into Kearn’s world and discovers the painful secrets he hides behind his handsome but emotionless exterior—hurt that she has the power to heal if she is brave enough.

Forbidden Blood is a dark, sensual tale of betrayal, revenge and a love that knows no bounds.

Available in e-book from:

Author’s website

Amazon Kindle | Amazon Kindle UK | Amazon Kindle Germany | Amazon Kindle France | Amazon Kindle Canada

Apple iBookstore USA | Apple iBookstore UK | Apple iBookstore Australia | Apple iBookstore Canada | Apple iBookstore New Zealand

Barnes and Noble | Kobo Books | Sony Reader Store | Smashwords | All Romance eBooks

 

Available in paperback from:

Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | Barnes and Noble

 

Manday Hotties – Get your Monday Mancandy Fix with two new hotties

 

It’s time for the Manday Hotties Hop again and I’m continuing to bring you sexy new mancandy this year. So… here’s more new hot mancandy pictures for you…

 



 

 

Which shot is your favourite? I’m with #1 again, and I think I’ll pour chocolate sauce over him…

 

Visit the other blogs in the hop:

 

Sensual Sunday – Hot teaser from Heart of Darkness vampire romance novel

 

Sensual Sunday is brought to you today by Heart of Darkness, which is a stand alone vampire romance novel, and a book that features one of my favourite heroes, the vampire prince Aleksandr. Sensual Sunday’s always feature a hot excerpt from one of my paranormal romance books. Read on for this Sunday’s sensual snippet…

 

Aleksandr ran his thumb along her jaw and looked deep into her eyes.

“Seeing you in danger… I have never felt such fear… and then hearing you say that you desired to hunt, that you would place your mouth on another man and take his blood into you, drove me insane with a need to kill.”

Elise was silent. She wasn’t sure what she could say.

Her eyes slowly widened when he undid the buttons of his coat and removed it, dropping it down on the dry ground at their feet, and then unbuttoned his white shirt.

He bore his throat to her, tilting his chin up, and the sight of it sent hunger crashing through her.

It was unmarked. She had never noticed it before but now she couldn’t fail to. His pulse beat slowly but strongly, each minute marked by a tick just below the curve of his jaw that enticed her into biting him. She counted five before she found the strength to tear her eyes away and look into his again.

“I have fed well recently,” he whispered, keeping his chin up. “Take my blood.”

Elise wasn’t sure how to respond. He was still healing and needed the strength his blood gave him. She couldn’t take it and weaken him. Even though sense told her to refuse him, the larger part of her begged her to taste him, to sink her fangs into his throat and feel the thrill of his blood in her veins.

His look darkened, edging on disappointment.

He huffed. “You do not trust me or believe what I have told you. I will be open with you, Elise. Blood cannot lie and you will see only the truth in it, starting with this.”

He exposed his right wrist to her. There was a scar on it as though someone had slashed it. What had happened to him? Her eyes searched his.

“I have only fed one other in all of my years.” He touched his wrist, his thumb sweeping over the long scar, and his look softened. “My sister could not be revived so simply, although I prayed that she could to save my soul from darkness.”

A shiver danced down Elise’s spine and she stared at Aleksandr’s wrist and the way he was touching it. His words moved her, making her feel honoured by what he was offering her. He had never shared his blood with anyone except his beloved sister. Elise couldn’t refuse him now. He was offering her more than blood. It was proof of his feelings and his need for her.

It was everything that she wanted.

Aleksandr held his hand out to her and she didn’t hesitate. She placed hers into it and took a long slow breath to calm her growing nerves. She wasn’t sure what she would see but she would know once and for all whether he was being honest with her.

Whether he loved her.

She stepped into his embrace and looked at his throat. The strong beat of his heart lured her gaze to his jugular and she licked her lips, her stomach growling at the thought of tasting him. Would she be able to handle the strength of the blood that flowed in his veins? She hoped that she could and that she would be able to stop herself from taking too much. She had never bitten someone before. There was a chance she would go too far and she hoped that Aleksandr would have the sense to stop her. She wasn’t sure how much blood she could take or how honest he was being about his strength and how well fed he was. His injuries would have needed a large amount of blood in order to heal them.

It didn’t matter. She wasn’t going to pass up on what he was offering her. She was going to bite him.

Elise reached up and stroked the line of his throat, loving the way his eyes slipped shut as though her caress alone was bliss. She had to tiptoe to kiss his neck, her hands clutching his shoulders, his left one harder than his right.

Aleksandr lowered himself and she slipped her arms around his neck, ran her fingers through the short hair at the back of his head and kissed his throat again. He sighed against hers.

“You are torturing me, Elise,” he whispered and her canines extended, the sharp points brushing her lips.

It wasn’t fear that made her dance around biting him. It was the thought of losing control. She licked his throat, savouring the taste of his skin and the feel of it, and then eased her fangs into the curve of the left side of his neck.

He groaned and she shivered, her legs instantly going slack as the first drop of blood touched her tongue. His hands claimed her waist, holding her steady and close against his body, and he backed her into the wall, pinning her there in a way that sent a different kind of hunger spiralling through her.

She wasn’t ready for the bolt of lust that followed the bite and the taste of his blood on her tongue. It was strong and violent, seizing control until she was desperate to slake both her thirst and her desire.

 

Did you enjoy today’s hot little snippet?

 

Caris Roane is also posting a Sensual Sunday snippet from one of her paranormal romance books, so be sure to check out her blog and read it! http://carisroane.com/

 

Heart of Darkness

Felicity Heaton

A vampire prince on a four hundred year old mission to avenge his murdered sister…

Aleksandr Nemov won’t stop until the last of the vampire hunter’s progeny is wiped from the Earth. Each kill has stolen a piece of his humanity, pushing him towards the black abyss all vampires hold within their hearts. Now he is teetering on the edge, close to devolving into a beast, and time is running out as he tracks the last hunter to Prague. There he finds a beautiful woman who could be his one chance for salvation, but is it already too late for him?

A vampire guard who will do whatever it takes to protect those she loves…

Elise is dedicated to her duty. It’s the only thing she has left. All that changes when she meets Aleksandr in Prague and her master grants him permission to stay at her bloodline’s mansion. She knows all about Aleksandr but none of it prepares her for how she feels when the legendary prince’s hunt becomes one for her heart. Elise battles him with all of her strength but can she stop herself from falling for the handsome hunter? When he reveals the depth of the corruption in his soul, will she have the strength to face the pain in her past and do whatever it takes to save him?

Available in e-book from:

Author’s website

Amazon Kindle | Amazon Kindle UK | Amazon Kindle Germany | Amazon Kindle France | Amazon Kindle Canada

Apple iBookstore USA | Apple iBookstore UK | Apple iBookstore Australia | Apple iBookstore Canada | Apple iBookstore New Zealand

Barnes and Noble | Kobo Books | Smashwords | All Romance eBooks

 

Available in paperback from:

Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | Barnes and Noble

 

Snippet Saturday – I Need A Hero – Her Guardian Angel (Her Angel romance series book 4)

It’s time for Snippet Saturday! Each week has a theme or is author’s choice. This week the theme is I Need A Hero.

This week my snippet comes from Her Guardian Angel, which is the fourth book in my Her Angel romance series.

It’s a long snippet this week because I wanted to share this scene in full. Marcus is an angel of the guardian division, and has watched over Amelia her whole life, but has no clue as to why he is meant to guard her because his superiors won’t give him much information on his mission. Amelia takes a wrong turn while lost in thoughts about her date with Marcus and how good it had felt when he had kissed her. He’s running hot and cold on her though, and she doesn’t know why… until now.

 

Amelia was so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t realise that she had gone the wrong way until she heard three men addressing her. She quickly scanned her surroundings, eyes darting around for an avenue of escape in case things took a turn for the worse.

“Lost?” The innocent expression on the face of the man in the middle didn’t fool Amelia.

It wasn’t dark yet but the sun had already set and she had wandered into the quiet side streets behind the apartment buildings. She looked around again, hoping to spot someone other than the three men, but she was alone.

“Not really.” Amelia turned to walk the other way but another man was there.

No, not another man.

The same man. His dark hair hung in messy threads across his eyes, obscuring his face enough that she wouldn’t be able to describe him well to the police if it came down to that. God, she hoped it didn’t. She hurried to get a good look at the other two men. Both around the same height as the first, tall and with slim figures, and both sporting dark jeans and jackets, clothing that seemed far too warm for such a hot summer evening. She was sweltering in her small pale blue dress.

“I don’t want any trouble.” She clutched her leather handbag closer to her, holding it in front of her stomach. Could she use it as a weapon? She kept so much junk in it that it was probably heavy enough to knock someone out if she swung it hard at their head.

Her heart accelerated at the thought of actually trying to fend off these three men. They didn’t look strong, but they had the advantage of numbers and she couldn’t tell from their clothing just how built they were. For all she knew, they could be like Marcus. His build didn’t show when he wore loose clothing like these men were.

She did have one weapon she could use without too much fear and it might be enough to deter them.

Amelia shoved her hand into her black bag, pulled out her mobile phone and flashed it around so all three men got a good look at it.

“I’ll call the police.” Not a tremble touched her voice. Brave Amelia. She held the phone out, standing her ground, unwilling to let these men get the better of her and see her scared.

The two lighter haired men smiled at her, as though her words were more amusing than threatening.

She flipped the slim black phone open and quickly punched 999 but before she could bring the phone up to her ear, she dropped it.

No. Not dropped. It had shot out of her hand and clattered along the ground to the first man, the one she presumed was the gang’s leader.

What the hell?

The dark haired man casually bent down and picked it up. He brought it to his ear, raised an eyebrow, and then snapped the phone in two as though it was made of tinder wood.

Double what the hell?

Amelia spun on the spot when one of the men behind her grabbed her bag. She swung her fist on instinct, smashing it hard into his temple, but he didn’t let go. He didn’t even flinch. Shit. This wasn’t going to go well. She opened her mouth to scream but the sound died when the man who had grabbed her suddenly levitated before her wide eyes.

Not levitating, she realised as she saw the fingers tightly grasping the man’s neck with such bruising force that they dug hard into his flesh. Her heart missed a beat when the man’s attacker threw him to one side.

Marcus stood before her, fury darkening his handsome face and rage burning in his blue eyes.

The man hit the wall with a startling bang and Marcus grabbed her hand and ran. She only had a moment to look back, but it was all she needed in order to see that the two remaining men were coming after them, and that the third lay on the tarmac just below a crater in the bricks of the building at his back.

Amelia stumbled and Marcus dragged her up, bringing her attention back to him and his fierce grip on her. How strong was Marcus? Could a human throw a man into a wall and create a dent like that? Was it the anger she had seen in his eyes that had given him the strength to do such a thing? She was being ridiculous. The buildings were old around here. Maybe it was just weak brickwork.

Or maybe there really was something different about Marcus.

“Focus,” he snapped and her mind instantly cleared, her attention shooting to her feet and to running as fast as she could.

The men were still in pursuit and she didn’t want to be responsible for Marcus having to take both of them on.

Everything else drifted to the back of her mind as she ran, her breathing loud in her ears, following Marcus as he wove through the back streets. She didn’t dare look over her shoulder to see if the men were still coming after them. Marcus kept glancing back, his silver-blue eyes either lighting on her or the path behind them. She presumed the men were still there since he kept running. Her legs were beginning to tire and her feet were aching. How much further did they have to go? Why hadn’t Marcus made a break for the busy main street where they would be safe rather than pounding through the alleys and side roads?

Amelia frowned. She had left her bag back in the alley. It had come off her shoulder when Marcus had torn the man away from her. She could remember seeing it next to him where he lay crumpled on the floor. Dead? She hoped not. She didn’t want to be linked to the man and if he were dead that would make Marcus a murderer. She glanced up at his profile. It wobbled in her vision as they ran but she didn’t miss the steely look of determination etched on his profile.

“We should go right,” she said, out of breath and desperate to reach the main roads and growing afraid that the men would catch up and Marcus would be forced to fight again.

“No,” he said without sounding at all tired or strained and looked up. “This way.”

Amelia couldn’t believe it when he kicked in a fire exit door with a single blow of his booted foot and started leading her up the back stairs of an old building. Was he insane?

“Where the hell do you think you’re going?” she ground the words out between breaths, trying to keep up with him as her legs began to flag. Running on the flat had been tiring enough. She wasn’t going to make it more than a few flights of steps without collapsing.

“The roof.”

Insane.

“Dead end,” she squeezed out. “We’ll be trapped.”

Panic sent her heart rocketing and she looked back down the dark stairwell, afraid that the men would be following them and would be faster than she was. Adrenaline kept her legs moving but each step was becoming increasingly difficult. At this rate, the men would catch her. She jogged her backside off most weekends and some weekday mornings in order to remain fit and healthy, but she had never been good at flat out running.

When she turned back to Marcus, he was looking at her, his eyes unusually bright in the low light.

“Trust me on this.” He paused on the next floor, not at all out of breath.

Amelia panted like a dog, her throat burning as she dragged in each breath, her breathing so loud that she couldn’t hear anything else. Were the men coming? She stared down the stairs and then looked across at Marcus. His eyes had to be a trick of the light but they were so vivid and bright, bluer than she had ever seen them.

“I need to get to the roof and then I can deal with the men.”

“As in, fight them?” Her expression turned to horror but Marcus just nodded.

“I said I would protect you, Amelia. I meant that.”

“You think they’re coming after me? Why? I dropped my bag. They’ve got what they’re after.”

The look in Marcus’s eyes said different. He knew they were coming. She didn’t want to know how he knew or why they were after her, but she did know that going with Marcus was her only option. She couldn’t fight the men alone. Perhaps when they reached the roof, they would find that the men hadn’t come after her at all and could escape another way.

Marcus grabbed her hand again and started running, his footsteps heavy on the staircase. Amelia stumbled after him, keeping up as best she could, her legs cramping and threatening to give out. A warm rush of air burst against her when he kicked the door to the roof open and the brightness of the light blinded her for a moment. She kept running with him, one hand clutched in his and the other trying to pin the skirt of her dress down.

Marcus stopped.

Her eyes adjusted.

The two men were standing a few metres in front of them, near the edge of the black tarred flat roof.

Impossible.

Amelia looked back at the door she had come out of with Marcus and then around her at the roof, her heart pounding and sweat trickling down her back, sticking her blue dress to her skin.

There weren’t any other routes onto the roof. No ladder or adjoining building. How had the men reached the roof before them?

“Marcus,” she said but the rest of her sentence died when she saw him.

He stood with his back to her, the warm breeze tousling his black hair, his broad shoulders relaxed as though he wasn’t facing two dangerous men.

But what stole her breath, what made her heart flutter in her throat, was his clothing.

Gone were his jeans and shirt and boots.

In their place was something she could only describe as armour but it seemed ridiculous that he would be wearing such a thing. The deep blue back plate shone like mother of pearl in the fading light of evening, reaching only mid-way down his back, and had two long slits over each shoulder blade. She could see his tattoos through them. Strips of armour in a similar material covered his backside like a short skirt but revealed the dark material beneath. His muscular thighs were bare and taut, exuding strength as he stood firm with one hand at his side and the other still clutching hers. The armour encased his bare forearms too, brilliant blue and edged with shining silver and decorated with rearing silver unicorns.

Amelia stared at him, head light and fuzzy, confused and unable to comprehend what she was seeing.

Marcus was wearing armour.

She looked around for his clothes, convinced it was a trick of some sort and he had somehow been wearing this incredible costume beneath his clothes, but she couldn’t see them and he hadn’t once let go of her hand.

His other hand moved at his side and her eyes widened as they fell on the short sword strapped there. He removed it from the sheath, the curved steel blade around the length of his forearm and hand combined, and held it down at his side.

“Leave,” he said and she wondered if he was speaking to her until she leaned to one side and looked past him.

Her eyes popped wide.

The two men had changed appearance too and this time she decided that she was hallucinating. The fear had gone to her head or perhaps she had passed out, because rather than two humans, she was looking at two human-shaped things with pitch-black skin and glowing red eyes. They were huge, at least three feet taller than before, and built like brick shit houses and both were staring intently at Marcus, lips peeled back in a sneer that revealed sharp red teeth.

Amelia felt faint but held it together. She couldn’t pass out in her own nightmare.

Or was it a dream?

Her gaze slid back to Marcus. He turned at the waist and looked over his shoulder at her, his face a mask of calm confidence, and released her wrist. He certainly looked like something out of a dream. A warrior. Otherworldly. Elementally masculine. She resisted her temptation to look at his body again and see the way his muscles twisted with him, full of strength and power. He would look beautiful if she stepped back and took him all in. Sexy as hell.

A chill settled on her skin.

Dangerous.

Amelia stepped back on instinct, distancing herself from him without thinking, and pain flashed in his vivid silver-blue eyes before he turned away.

Had she caused it by placing more distance between them? Her heart had made her feet move, afraid of what she was looking at and the knowledge that Marcus was dangerous. He had possibly killed a man in the street and looked as though he was going to kill these two men, or whatever they were. What insane world had she fallen into? Marcus had said to trust her. He had promised to protect her.

And she believed him.

She just couldn’t bring herself to believe what she was seeing.

Amelia flinched when Marcus flicked his left hand out at his side and the handle of the blade extended into a long staff that rivalled his six foot plus frame. The silver engraving that covered it reflected the dying sunlight.

She blinked and Marcus was gone. A boom shook the ground and a hot wave of air knocked her onto her backside. She sat there with her hands pressed into the tacky tar roof on either side of her thighs, staring, unable to take her eyes off the battle happening right before her.

Marcus was fighting.

For her.

 

Did you enjoy the snippet?

 

More about the book:

Her Guardian Angel

Felicity Heaton

A love so strong it will shake Heaven and Hell.

A guardian angel dedicated to his duty, Marcus will do whatever Heaven asks of him, but even his loyalty has its limits. When his superior orders him to gain Amelia’s trust through seduction, Marcus starts to question his mission and his feelings for the beautiful woman he has watched over since her birth.

Amelia has gone from one bad relationship to another, so when a gorgeous guy moves in next door looking like Mr Right, she hopes he doesn’t turn out to be another black knight in disguise. But there’s more to Marcus than meets the eye, and when he rescues her from three demonic men, Amelia is thrust into his nightmarish world. On the run from demonic angels and the Devil himself, aided by warrior angels and their amazing women, Marcus and Amelia discover a love that will last forever.

When the strength of that love is put to the test, will Marcus and Amelia win their fight for survival against the odds or will they lose in a deadly eternal game between Heaven and Hell?

 

Available in e-book from:

Author’s website

Amazon Kindle | Amazon Kindle UK | Amazon Kindle Germany | Amazon Kindle France | Amazon Kindle Canada

Apple iBookstore USA | Apple iBookstore UK | Apple iBookstore Australia | Apple iBookstore Canada | Apple iBookstore New Zealand

Barnes and Noble | Kobo Books | Sony Reader Store | Smashwords | All Romance eBooks

 

Available in paperback from:

Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | Barnes and Noble

 

 

Don’t forget to visit the other authors who are participating to read their snippets…

Leah Braemel

Caris Roane

Eliza Gayle

McKenna Jeffries

TJ Michaels

Taige Crenshaw

Delilah Devlin

Felicity Heaton

HelenKay Dimon

TJ Michaels

Shiloh Walker

Lissa Matthews

Myla Jackson

Shelli Stevens

Mari Carr

Lauren Dane

 

Lucky in Love Giveaway Hop – win paranormal romance ebooks

 

It’s time for the Lucky in Love Giveaway Hop hosted by Carrie Ann Ryan. The hop runs from March 15th until 18th, and my giveaway is international.

 

PRIZES

1 x Ebook copy of Crave by Felicity Heaton.
1 x Ebook copy of Masquerade by F E Heaton.

 

HOW TO ENTER

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If you want to do the extra entries, feel free to do them!

 

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VISIT THE OTHER BLOGS IN THE HOP

 

 

WIP Wednesday on a Thursday – Unleash and Eternal Mates romance series – with sneak peek!

 

I’ve been working on Unleash again this week, although only for a couple of days so far as I was out of the country on Tuesday and Wednesday. Unleash is the next and final book in my Vampire Erotic Theatre romance series, and features Snow as the hero. Yes, the one everyone has been waiting for!

I announced on Tuesday in my newsletter that Unleash will come out on May 18th, and I intend to stick to that if I can. I should be able to, but the slightest hiccup could cause a delay.

I did manage to make some fantastic progress on Unleash this week though. I edited up to page 209 on Monday because I spent most of the day in a cafe where I was focused on working on it and nothing else. I managed to edit up to page 254 today, leaving me around 50 pages left to go before I reach the end and call it a day on this edit and let the book rest for a while before I begin working on it again.

I will warn everyone that Snow made me cry again today. I cried when I wrote this scene, both for the period running up to it and long after. That’s normal for me, but I never cry when I read the scene again and I certainly never cry when I’m editing. Well, Unleash is an exception. I cried during this scene when I read the book over pre-edit, and I cried again when editing it today. I’m issuing an official tissue warning for this book. It will probably make you cry. I figure I should give away free tissues with every purchase.

 

When I was away for a couple of days, I gave in to my urge to read the first Eternal Mates book. I’d had a strong hunger to read it, and the first Guardians of Hades book, and I couldn’t resist reading it during my flights and while loitering at airports. My husband teased me with things like “So, what’s this Felicity Heaton like then? Any good?”. I really like this book, and all the hot males it introduces in this world, and I think you guys will love it too. I’m buzzing about this one. I want to write the next book now, but I have this edit on Unleash to do and I am committed to writing the next Her Angel romance series book for this year. Patience is not a virtue I possess and it’s hard for me to resist and write something else when I want to write a certain book.

Because I really enjoyed reading the first Eternal Mates book, I thought I would share a sneaky snippet from it today.

Eternal Mates: Loren – Sneak Peek

Olivia’s knuckles burned.

The man she had planted on his backside didn’t look as though she had dealt much damage with her blow though. She had the feeling she had caused herself more pain than she had caused him. She stood over him, letting him see the full extent of her anger in her eyes. It was a little over two days since he had tried to take a chunk out of her throat and her fury over it hadn’t dropped from a boil to a simmer. The twin wounds on her neck were still sore, irritating her, a constant reminder of what he had done.

She had thought about how this meeting would go many times during the course of the past fifty hours, considering all the scenarios, but she had never once imagined it would actually happen and she would see him again.

She had definitely never imagined he would kidnap her from her apartment.

Where the hell was she?

Her gazed darted between him and the room, trying to take it all in without giving him a chance to attack her unawares.

If he tried anything funny, she was aiming lower and with her foot. He was anatomically similar to a human male and that meant she could deal him a blow he would definitely feel, all without causing herself a single ounce of pain.

The room around her was dark, the walls and floor made of stone that verged on black, and the ceiling made up of a rich sort of timber. The arched windows at intervals along the wall to her right and the tall arched door a few metres behind her on the same wall let in a large amount of light though. The world outside was bright. Far brighter than it should have been. He had taken her in the dead of night. Were they on the other side of the world now?

The man picked himself up off the floor and she scooted back a step, brandishing her fists in front of her. He cocked an eyebrow at her and rubbed his mouth, his purple eyes darkening. She knew that look. She had pissed him off. Not what she had aimed to do but it was satisfying nonetheless.

“You have a hell of a lot of nerve, Mister. You take liberties with my vital fluids and then you kidnap me?” She stood her ground when he rose to his full height, reminding her just how tall he was, the honed muscles of his bare torso stretching with his action.

Olivia refused to let her eyes drift down and take in that delicious body. He had hurt her. He was some kind of demon and he had bitten her, and she’d had enough damn men in her life like that. She wasn’t looking for a repeat performance with the tall, dark and deadly slice of sexy standing before her. No way.

She really wasn’t.

“Do you intend to hurt me?” She was sure that he wasn’t likely to be honest and tell her if he was, but she had to ask.

He shook his head. “No. To hurt you would be to hurt myself.”

That sounded rather noble and romantic. She glanced around the room again. It was huge, and the furniture was solid wood and very ornate. Was she in a castle? This was how she had imagined castles looked. Why did he live in a castle?

“Female, tell me everything about how we met.” That commanding tone again. He was a man used to getting his way, issuing orders and having people obey, and he seemed to live in a castle on the other side of the world to her offices in London.

Her mind supplied that perhaps he was a knight or a prince. He had a regal bearing, and was handsome enough to be someone of noble blood. He acted like a stuck up bastard too.

He took a step towards her and Olivia moved back one, keeping the distance between them steady. She wasn’t sure whether he had other powers besides the ability to teleport, but she wasn’t going to risk letting him close the gap. He had already bitten her once. There was nothing to say he wasn’t going to try that trick again and drain her dry this time. She bristled at the memory of him attacking her and clenched her fists.

He halted and quirked an eyebrow at her. Maybe he had good senses like many demons and had detected her anger.

“Listen. I’ll answer your questions but if you come near me, I won’t be held responsible for the damage done to your private parts.”

He backed off a step. It seemed that even demons had preservation instincts when it came to their balls.

 

Did you enjoy the snippet of the book? I’ll try to find one with the hero’s POV next time, but really wanted to post this part this time.

 

Teaseday – Her Dark Angel (Her Angel romance series book 1) teaser excerpt

 

Today’s tease comes from the book Her Dark Angel, which is the first book in my popular Her Angel romance series. Read on for this Tuesday’s tease…

 

Serenity’s hazel eyes went wide and she stepped back when the hulking mass of man standing before her drew the sword that hung at his waist, afraid that he had changed his mind and was going to kill her after all. She wasn’t sure what to think when he eased himself down onto one knee in front of her, lowered his head, and held his sword out to her, the hilt and tip of the beautiful blade resting on his palms.

“I am yours to command.” His French was perfect, making his deep voice so sexy that a shiver tripped over her skin whenever he spoke.

Was she supposed to do something?

People were staring again as they passed. What did they see? They certainly weren’t seeing a man offering a sword to her, that was for sure. To them, did he look as though he was kneeling with his hands raised in supplication?

Was he dressed in black and gold armour that didn’t leave much to the imagination?

Did he have huge black feathered wings?



She imagined that he didn’t. If he did, the people would probably be screaming rather than merely glancing at him as though he had gone insane.

“Erm, okay.” Serenity hesitated before touching the sword. The gleaming steel was cold beneath her fingers. She took her hand away, not liking the feel of it. “Thanks.”

He stood with grace, his muscles shifting beneath his golden skin, and she tried not to stare at his physique. Either he worked out a lot, or angels were naturally endowed with the body of a god. He was pure perfection as he stood close to her, his broad chest rising and falling, moving the beautifully decorated black breastplate. His stomach was bare, taut muscles delighting her hungry eyes, and the smallest black loincloth in the world protected his modesty.

Something that she was lacking. She lowered her gaze, taking in the toned length of his legs. They were as powerful as the rest of him. Her eyes roamed back up, over the black cuffs that covered his forearms, decorated in gold with images of lions, and over his biceps to his strong shoulders. From there, they wanted to go to his face, but his wings were too fascinating. They were large, casting a shadow across both him and her, tucked against his back.

She wanted to walk around him and investigate every delicious inch of him, taking in that he really was an angel and not a man parading as one.

An angel.

Abaddon.

Her mother had taught her gods, goddesses and mythology. She knew all about him and his kind.

Her eyes finally leapt to his face. He had a smile that could stop hearts and vivid blue eyes with icy flecks in them. They held her gaze, unwavering and strong, and her temperature rose when they narrowed slightly and his pupils widened. What was he thinking in there?

Did he like what he saw as much as she did?

The man was a god.

No, an angel.

And he was beautiful.

Breathtaking.

But he wasn’t at all as she had thought an angel would look. Everything about him spoke of darkness, right down to his aura. Whatever power he had, it was strong and it wasn’t the sort that resurrected mortals or healed them. It felt as though the opposite would happen if he unleashed it.

Abaddon. The angel of death. Although he had denied that title. What title did he claim as his then?

“So, Abaddon—”

“Apollyon,” he interjected with a charming smile that teased his sensual lips and made her heart beat a little faster.

He was an angel. No matter how good he looked and how much he was making her forget her pain just by looking at him, she couldn’t think about him like that. It was wrong of her. He had offered his assistance in getting revenge on her bastard ex and she was going to take it. Whatever dark power this gorgeous man had, she was going to let it rip in her ex’s direction.

“Apollyon?” She stopped her gaze from dropping down to take him in again. If she told him to put on something a little less distracting, would he be able to do it? She had seen through whatever spell he had used. Could he ever fool her eyes?

“I prefer my true name.” He cast a quick glance over her. His eyes lingered in all the places a mortal man’s would.

Surely, she was off limits too? Angels were asexual weren’t they?

The voice at the back of her mind said that the tall hunk of handsome standing in front of her definitely didn’t look asexual. He looked like sin incarnate, not like an angel at all.

“Serenity.” She offered her hand to him.

He took it and a jolt ran through her at the feel of his strong warm hand grasping hers. She shook his hand but he didn’t let go when she was done. He held it, his thumb resting lightly against hers.

“My mother thought I could bring peace to a chaotic world.” Her heart sped when his thumb grazed hers and then he took his hand back, his fingers brushing her palm and sending another shiver through her. “I’m not much good at it.”

“At what?” He quirked a dark eyebrow and tilted his head to one side.

Serenity sighed inside. Did he know how good he looked? Could angels be conceited? She supposed they were all beautiful so he probably didn’t realise that the reason all the women were staring as they passed wasn’t because they thought he was apprehending her or anything of the sort.

They were staring for the same reason she was.

The man was six feet plus of godliness.

“Being peaceful… I’m actually quite chaotic.” She shrugged. “Nothing I do comes out right. I mean… I thought I was casting a simple spell for vengeance and suddenly you’re here telling me that you heard me calling you. I wasn’t asking for an angel.”

“You weren’t.” He placed his palm flat against her chest and she jumped. Her pulse rocketed and she blushed from head to toe at the feel of his wrist against her breasts. “Your heart called me, not your words.”

Serenity smiled and nervously took hold of his hand and removed it from her chest before she lost control and threw herself at him.

“So you’re good with revenge?”

“Very good at it.” He stood taller, straightening to his full impressive height, looking even nobler and handsome. “I am Apollyon, the great destroyer, king of the bottomless—”

“Wait.” She cut him off and held her hands up. “Great destroyer? Maybe this isn’t such a good idea. I mean, you’re an angel and your boss-on-high would probably be a little upset if you blew up half of Paris to fulfil my wish for revenge, and I don’t want him dead… just in pain… and I can really take care of this myself. I didn’t mean to bother you.”

“It is little bother.” He frowned. “I will only do as you command. The choice of revenge will be yours and I will exact it.”

“What about your boss?” She didn’t want to piss God off. She was sure that he was already fairly angry that people like her existed on Earth, those that could use magic and make their own miracles.

Not that she had managed anything like that so far. She was better at lighting candles and the small stuff like love potions.

Serenity glanced up at Apollyon. Would a love potion work on an angel?

She cursed and told herself to get a grip. Angels probably couldn’t enter into relationships with mortals and this attraction to him was probably because she was rebounding.

“You are my master now.” The serious edge to his expression said that he wasn’t joking. “I do as you bid.”

Serenity’s eyebrows rose and she slowly absorbed the fact that she had her own personal angel.

“Then we should…” She wasn’t sure what they should do. Skulk off and plan something horrible to do to her ex because he’d cheated on her? It all felt a little cloak and dagger and not at all like her. She had never sworn revenge on anyone, had always let her anger go and just got on with her life. Not this time though. She wanted him to pay. “Do you drink coffee?”

“I have never tried it.” Apollyon smiled. “But I have been told by others that it tastes strangely bitter and sweet at the same time, and has an interesting effect on the body. I would like to try it.”

“Coffee it is.”

 

Did you enjoy today’s tease?

Caris Roane is also posting a Teaseday snippet, so be sure to check out her blog and read it! http://carisroane.com/

 

Her Dark Angel

Felicity Heaton

An angel trapped in Hell for centuries, Apollyon is tired of guarding the Devil. He longs to break free and feel the wind in his feathers, but he cannot leave the endless darkness without permission from above. When he senses someone calling him, he seizes his chance for freedom, but soon discovers the call came from a beautiful woman he has watched over from Hell, a woman who casts a spell on him and awakens the darkest desires of his heart.

Serenity is shocked when a wickedly sensual black-winged angel shows up in her city of Paris claiming that she called him when she was only casting a simple vengeance spell. He’s no other than the angel of death! When the lethally handsome warrior offers to obey her and give her revenge, Serenity can’t resist the temptation, but can she resist the forbidden hungers the dark angel stirs in her?

Intense and passionate, Her Dark Angel is a tale of desire and deepest forbidden love guaranteed to set your heart racing.

Available in e-book from:

Author’s website

Amazon Kindle | Amazon Kindle UK | Amazon Kindle Germany | Amazon Kindle France | Amazon Kindle Canada

Apple iBookstore USA | Apple iBookstore UK | Apple iBookstore Australia | Apple iBookstore Canada | Apple iBookstore New Zealand

Barnes and Noble | Kobo Books | Sony Reader Store | Smashwords | All Romance eBooks

 

Available in paperback from:

Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | Barnes and Noble

 

If you haven’t had a chance to read any of the books in the Her Angel romance series yet, they’re all available at major ebook retailers and in paperback, and you can find the links and samples of the books at my website:

Her Dark Angel (Her Angel Romance Series #1)

Her Fallen Angel (Her Angel Romance Series #2)

Her Warrior Angel (Her Angel Romance Series #3)

Her Guardian Angel (Her Angel Romance Series #4)

Her Demonic Angel (Her Angel Romance Series #5)

 

Manday Hotties – Two sexy new mancandy pictures for your Monday fix

 

It’s time for the Manday Hotties Hop again and I’m continuing to bring you sexy new mancandy this year. So… here’s two new hot mancandy pictures for you to drool over…

 



 

 

Which shot is your favourite? I’m with #1 today. Look at that smile!

 

Visit the other blogs in the hop:

 

Sensual Sunday – Hot excerpt from Prophecy: Child of Light (Vampires Realm Romance Series Book 1)

 

Sensual Sunday is brought to you today by Prophecy: Child of Light, which is the first book in my Vampires Realm romance series. Sensual Sunday’s always feature a hot excerpt from one of my paranormal romance books. Read on for this Sunday’s sensual snippet…

Valentine reached out and gently caught Prophecy’s chin, bringing her face around until their eyes met. “What are you thinking in there?”

Her eyes were wide and she swore her skin felt hot where his fingers were lightly resting against it. She shakily raised her hand and took hold of his, wrapping her fingers about it and letting the tips of them caress his palm. He frowned for a second, as though he was trying to figure out what she was up to, and then his eyes dropped to her mouth. She swallowed hard and parted her lips, letting her tongue sweep along her lower one.

She lowered his hand, holding it by her chest while she stared into his eyes. His gaze moved from her mouth to meet hers. There was fire in their green depths again, passion that she had stirred by doing nothing more than taking hold of his hand. Moving closer to him, her knee knocked against his. She smiled awkwardly, feeling clumsy. His lips reflected her smile and his eyes narrowed tenderly. She started when his hand closed around hers and pulled her closer still.

Averting her gaze, she stared at his neck and the marks she’d placed on him. They had healed, but she could still see them. Her fangs itched and tried to descend. She wanted to taste him again, wanted his strong blood flowing through her veins. Leaning towards him, she noted the way he released her hand and raised his jaw, as though he knew what she wanted and wasn’t going to refuse her.

Her stomach and chest tightened when she edged closer to his neck. She glanced up at his face and found he was watching her, but he showed no sign of stopping her. He looked down towards his shoulder and she took it as a silent giving of permission.

Darting her tongue out when she reached his throat, she ran it over the mark she’d previously placed on him and closed her eyes. His skin tasted divine and she could smell the rich scent of his blood. Her fangs descended and her eyes switched to their emerald state. She lightly scraped his skin with her right incisor, listening to his sharp intake of breath and feeling thrilled when his hand closed around her wrist and held her tightly. She licked at the small wound she’d created. The sharp metallic tang of blood filled her senses, blocking out everything but Valentine. She placed her free hand on his bicep, holding him while he held her. She nipped at him again, deeper this time, and was rewarded by another sharp intake of breath from Valentine and a droplet of blood.

Lapping it up, she inhaled deeply through her nose and savoured the taste of it. She bit her lip, barely registering the sharp stab of pain when her incisor punctured it. Looking up at Valentine, she grew a little more confident when she found blue eyes watching her. His pupils were dilated, making his eyes dangerously dark and full of intense desire. His lips parted slightly, revealing his fangs to her. She moved back to his neck and slowly, gently bit down on it. He tensed beneath her and she resisted her desire to moan into his throat when his blood flooded her mouth.

Her whole body trembled when Valentine leaned towards her, one of his arms wrapping about her waist while the other cleared her hair from her neck. Her brows furrowed when his incisors penetrated her. She dug her fingernails into his side and focused on the dual sensations of pleasure and pain that were racing through her. The feel of his fangs in her, his tongue drawing blood from her, and his own blood flowing into her, was like nothing she’d ever felt before. The intensity of it was overwhelming. All she could feel, all she could sense, was him. She felt as though she was a part of him and he was a part of her.

She slowly ran her tongue over his neck and the wounds she’d created, sealing them at the same time as he sealed the marks he’d placed on her. When she drew back, she could see nervousness in his eyes. Raising her hand, she went to wipe her lip clean with her thumb but he caught hold of her wrist before she could reach it. His hands were shaking as they held her. She frowned into his eyes and saw the uncertainty swimming there.

She noticed the blood on his lip. Her blood.

She didn’t have time to say anything before her breath was stolen from her by him.

He leaned towards her, his eyes dropping to her mouth and his hand still tightly clutching her wrist. She watched his eyes close as he neared her. She couldn’t breathe when his tongue darted out and swept gently along her lower lip, capturing the blood that lingered there. A shiver ran through her, making the stars on her skin tingle, and her eyelids dropped, hooding her eyes. She frowned when he pulled back and she realised that it was over when she didn’t want it to be. Finding her courage, she held his wrist tight, holding him fast. She moved closer to him, edging her mouth towards his, and slowly licked the blood off his lips.

She tensed when her tongue touched his and then relaxed into him, letting him hold her in his arms. She felt drowsy, lost in a sea of pleasure and willing to drown. She felt sure that she would if he kissed her. If the simple act of their tongues barely brushing each other’s made her feel like this, she couldn’t imagine how good it would feel to have him kiss her.

 

Did you enjoy today’s hot little snippet?

 

is also posting a Sensual Sunday snippet from one of her paranormal romance books, so be sure to check out her blog and read it!

 

Prophecy: Child of Light

F E Heaton

A vampire unlike any other, Prophecy lives life in the dark until the night she encounters a sensual dark-haired vampire who is both her enemy and the man who will change her world forever.

A loyal hunter for the Aurorea bloodline, Valentine is bound by duty to report her as the vampire of the prophecy, but he cannot shake the vision of them he saw in her blood. Torn between duty and desire, and determined to uncover the truth, Valentine goes against his order to execute her and kidnaps the beautiful Caelestis female instead.

Thrust into a terrifying world where the seven bloodlines and the Law Keepers are hunting her and her only hope for survival is Valentine, Prophecy battles her temptation to surrender to her illicit attraction to him and fights for her future.

When she discovers her extraordinary destiny, will she be strong enough to embrace it and stop a deadly war from igniting?

Available in e-book from:

Author’s website

Amazon Kindle | Amazon Kindle UK | Amazon Kindle Germany | Amazon Kindle France | Amazon Kindle Canada

Apple iBookstore USA | Apple iBookstore UK | Apple iBookstore Australia | Apple iBookstore Canada | Apple iBookstore New Zealand

Barnes and Noble | Kobo Books | Smashwords | All Romance eBooks

 

If you haven’t had a chance to read any of the books in the Vampires Realm romance series yet, they’re all available at major ebook retailers and some are available in paperback, and you can find the links and samples of the books at my website:

Prophecy: Child of Light (Vampires Realm Romance Series #1)

Prophecy: Caelestis & Aurorea (Vampires Realm Romance Series #2)

Prophecy: Dark Moon Rising (Vampires Realm Romance Series #3)

Eternity: The Beginning (Vampires Realm Romance Series #4)

Spellbound (Vampires Realm Romance Series #5)

Reunion (Vampires Realm Romance Series #6)

Seventh Circle (Vampires Realm Romance Series #7)

Winter’s Kiss (Vampires Realm Romance Series #8)

Hunter’s Moon (Vampires Realm Romance Series #9)

Masquerade (Vampires Realm Romance Series #10)

Snippet Saturday – City as a Setting – Heart of Darkness (a vampire romance novel)

It’s time for Snippet Saturday! Each week has a theme or is author’s choice. This week the theme is I Need A Hero.

This week my snippet comes from Heart of Darkness, which a stand alone vampire romance novel, and one of my favourite stories.

I don’t seem to be able to get my snippets to short scenes this month. It’s another long one and a scene I really like in the book. Aleksandr, a vampire prince and a skilled hunter on a mission of vengeance, has tracked his prey to Prague, where he meets a beautiful female vampire guard, Elise, and begins a different sort of hunt, one for her. Elise isn’t interested in becoming another of Aleksandr’s legendary conquests but whenever they’re alone together, she finds it hard to deny her attraction to him…

 

“You are to show me the city tonight.”

Her gaze shot to Aleksandr. He smiled at her, all charm and sweetness.

She didn’t want to show him the city. He already knew it. He had been to Prague before.

Had he asked for her to be his guide tonight? She shrugged that question away. There was no reason for him to ask for her specifically. Then again, he’d had no reason to be so intent on dancing with her either. The look in his grey eyes unsettled her. Whenever he looked at her, he looked like a raptor eyeing its prey. She didn’t like it, and she hadn’t seen him look at anyone else that way.

Elise bit her tongue to hold in the refusal that tried to spring from her lips and saluted her commander again, stiffly this time and with anger burning in her gut.

She turned on the spot, took a deep breath, and led the way out of the garrison. A quick tour of the city wouldn’t kill her. It was an honour to serve their prince and she was sure that she was imagining everything about Aleksandr. He didn’t know any of the guards besides her and the commander, and he had met her in the city. Perhaps he merely thought her a suitable guide, one who would be able to give him information he needed.

Perhaps he was out to seduce her.

Elise would have laughed at that had she not feared it so much.

Aleksandr was quiet as they walked into the heart of the city. His eyes constantly scanned over the old buildings lining the narrow roads. She brought him to the Old Town quarter first, entering the main square from an alley at the bridge end, away from the open square itself.

“It’s a terrible place for hunting,” Elise said to break the silence.

Aleksandr glanced at her and then looked at their surroundings. He tensed and turned the second the astronomical clock mounted near the base of the tall stone tower in front of them began to chime the hour. With a frown, he walked forwards, towards the beautiful gold and blue dial that the tourists loved, studying it and the gold and painted circular calendar below. Elise went with him, her gaze seeking the model of death chiming a bell. She loved the clock too. Sometimes when she was here scouting for a suitable source of blood she became distracted by the way the models on the clock came alive on the hour.

The cobbled area in front of the clock was empty save for her and Aleksandr. The city was so cold in winter that few tourists came. Those who did rarely ventured out at night to watch the clock.

“It’s a good place for scouting for blood.” She hoped for a response this time. “We often come here and then follow a selected tourist to see if they venture somewhere quiet we can deal with them.”

“It seems like a very inefficient way to hunt.” His eyes didn’t leave the clock. “Why not simply lure them away? Or wait for someone to pass a quiet street and kill them?”

“It is not our way. Taking the occasional tourist is less conspicuous than killing the people of Prague. That way we risk the humans learning of our existence. We do as the Nemov line wishes, to protect our species from discovery.” She paused to reflect on his questions. “Luring someone could be considered taking pleasure from the hunt.”

His broad shoulders shifted in a shrug. “Some could say that.”

Elise wanted to ask him if he lured his victims or took any pleasure from what he did when hunting, but the sight of him caught her off guard. The light from the astronomical clock bathed his skin, warming it and making his steely eyes darker. He had a regal profile that matched his classically handsome face. The strong line of his jaw led her gaze down to his throat and the slow steady pulse that ticked there. She dropped it lower, to his waist, hidden behind his long black coat. She had been shocked when he had revealed his bloodline’s mark, and not only because she had discovered that he was royalty. He had shown no reserve about flashing his body and there had been a pleased look in his eyes when he had caught her staring. Just as she was now. She forced her eyes back up to his face. His bowed lips tugged into a smile.

“I like your city.” He turned on the spot, scanning the cluster of buildings at this end of the square, and then stopped and faced her, his smile widening. “It has many beauties.”

Elise’s cheeks heated at the suggestion in his voice. She walked past him towards the square, ignoring his charm. He caught up with her, walking close beside her, and touched her elbow to make her walk in another direction. He had done that several times now, each one feeling like an intimate caress rather than a mere suggestion of an order.

She moved a step away from him and walked past the tower and into the heart of the expansive square, heading for the tall row of coloured buildings opposite. Cafés and restaurants lined the square, spilling out from the arched walkway beneath the buildings in front and to her right. Behind the buildings in front of her, one of Prague’s most impressive sights rose. The twin spiked towers of the church and warmly lit façade captivated tourists even more than the clock. There were a few gathered in the square, their camera flashes puncturing the darkness.

“This is another good place to scout for tourists in summer,” she said and Aleksandr looked towards them. “In winter it is too conspicuous, but in summer there are often a large number of people here. It is easy to blend amongst them.”

Elise led Aleksandr towards the line of restaurants. The tables set out beneath the large white square umbrellas and heat lamps were mostly unoccupied.

“Another good place to scout?” His gaze scanned the people.

“Sometimes we come here in winter late at night, when the bars are turning out.”

He moved closer to her again and his voice dropped to a whisper. “You are far more talkative when you are not dancing.”

Elise looked away from him, towards the other side of the square and the restaurants there. She was thankful when Aleksandr’s attention left her and returned to the square. She needed space to breathe for a moment. She wasn’t used to so much attention, especially not from men, and she was starting to feel suffocated.

She glanced at Aleksandr. His focus was on the people, studying them closely. He seemed like a different person, colder and calculating, as she had expected him to be from the tales that she had heard and read in their society’s papers.

“The vampire hunters don’t come here.” She looked around the square. “At least not often anyway. They know how we work. They know we won’t kill the humans openly, and that we will follow them away from here. Most hunters gather over the river to wait for us.”

Aleksandr’s gaze returned to her along with his focus. She could feel his eyes on her, burning into the side of her face. She kept her gaze away from his, not wanting to see how he was looking at her now. He touched her elbow again, his fingers lingering longer this time, almost a caress.

“Show me where the hunters are.” His voice was low still, a soothing sound that felt like a physical touch over her body.

She nodded and led the way, quickening her pace to gain a little distance from him. Alarm bells were ringing loudly in the back of her mind. Aleksandr was too attentive, too charming, and too close to her. All of it made her feel as though he wanted something and she knew what that something was.

It wasn’t going to happen.

To keep him distracted from her, she talked to him about the city. She gave him all the information he might need about how the police operated, her family’s methods of disposing of bodies, how they acted as a military academy to avoid rousing suspicion when they were in the city, and the small number of hunters that passed through each month, heading deeper into Europe from Asia or vice versa. With each piece of information, Aleksandr moved closer, until their hands brushed occasionally, sending shivers dancing up her arm. She tried to distance herself again but whenever she moved away, he moved closer. It felt too intimate.

She passed under the arch beneath the dark stone tower that stood at one end of the Charles Bridge and out the other side, stopping a short way onto it. The tall antique lamps that lined the wide pedestrian bridge glowed softly, lighting the stone statues standing on the walls of it in warm sepia hues. The brightly lit gothic cathedral on the hill across the wide black river, and the buildings that clustered around it, cast twinkling lights on the rippling water. It was beautiful, and she hoped it would keep Aleksandr’s attention off her.

Aleksandr moved away from her at last, going to lean on the wall and peer over the edge at the river. He looked along the bridge in the direction of the other gate tower. A couple were walking towards them.

He glanced over his shoulder at her, his eyes almost black in the low light, and then looked back at the couple. She hoped he wasn’t considering killing them. Her family still had enough blood in storage to last them a week and another murder in the city so close to the death of the hunter would rouse too much suspicion amongst the local police.

Aleksandr turned slowly as the couple passed, his eyes tracking them, and relief eased her tension away when they passed her and walked through the gate tower behind her.

He leaned back against the wall at an angle, propping himself up on his elbows. His long black coat fell back to reveal his body and the dagger sheathed at his hip. The black trousers and shirt did nothing to hide the toned planes of his physique. Elise tore her gaze away and looked left, up the dark river towards the fountain and the small park where they had first met. Since then, her entire world had been falling apart. Aleksandr had shaken it to its foundations and she was still spinning, unable to get her head straight.

Aleksandr came over to her, close again, near enough that his breath caressed her face. It felt as though he didn’t want to let her get her head straight, as though he wanted to confuse her and send her mind and heart in circles.

“The hunters favour the other side of the bridge, where the streets are narrow and quieter. It is easier for them to fight us unhindered there. It is also our favoured hunting ground.” Elise cast her gaze down when Aleksandr’s arm grazed hers.

When she eventually looked at him, he was staring at the cathedral but his focus wasn’t there. It was on her. He leaned down, bringing his mouth so close to her ear that his lips brushed it as he spoke.

“Can we see there?” he whispered and she stared wide-eyed at the cathedral across the broad glittering black river. “I would like to take you there.”

Elise sidestepped and cleared her throat, flustered by the connotation in his words. “It’s best we don’t. There have been many hunters entering the city recently.”

His dark eyebrows rose. “I can handle them.”

The smile he gave her was stunning. She looked away and fought for composure. Anger coiled in her stomach, turning her blood to flame. She had been right. He didn’t want a tour guide, just as he hadn’t merely wanted a dance partner last night. That was why he had looked so disappointed.

“Come, Elise, show me the other side and the narrow dark streets.” He held his hand out to her.

Her eyes jumped to the gate tower at the other end of the bridge near the area he spoke of and then to his, and she tried to look away again but failed. The look in them left her in no doubt of his intentions. He moved closer, his broad frame imposing, and dipped down, lowering his mouth to her ear.

“You will take me there.”

Elise stared at his ear, the tufts of his dark hair behind it, and the tall, sloped flat-topped dark grey roof of the tower beyond. She couldn’t breathe. His proximity, his persistence, his attention, it all smothered her. She couldn’t take it. She didn’t want it.

“You are a poor dancer, but a skilled fighter,” he murmured against her cheek, his breath teasing her skin and her throat. Another shiver cascaded through her, tumbling down her spine and urging her to close her eyes. She refused. He pressed his body against hers, his hands claiming her upper arms. “Your strength, your skill in the fight last night, it was astounding and graceful, almost as enthralling as your beauty.”

Elise broke free of him and backed away. “Leave me alone.”

Aleksandr laughed softly. “No, I cannot do that. Not yet.”

She glared at him, seeing in his eyes that he intended to pursue her. She wanted to tell him again to leave her alone but couldn’t find her voice or the conviction to refuse his advances.

Elise shook her head and ran away instead, storming through the arch back into the city, intent on returning to the mansion and finding solitude there, away from the madness of Aleksandr.

She didn’t understand why he wanted her.

Or why the thought of becoming nothing more than a conquest to him hurt her.

Elise stared wide-eyed at the pavement. Dismay swept through her.

No.

Her heart said it was true.

She wanted him too.

 

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More about the book:

Heart of Darkness

Felicity Heaton

A vampire prince on a four hundred year old mission to avenge his murdered sister…

Aleksandr Nemov won’t stop until the last of the vampire hunter’s progeny is wiped from the Earth. Each kill has stolen a piece of his humanity, pushing him towards the black abyss all vampires hold within their hearts. Now he is teetering on the edge, close to devolving into a beast, and time is running out as he tracks the last hunter to Prague. There he finds a beautiful woman who could be his one chance for salvation, but is it already too late for him?

A vampire guard who will do whatever it takes to protect those she loves…

Elise is dedicated to her duty. It’s the only thing she has left. All that changes when she meets Aleksandr in Prague and her master grants him permission to stay at her bloodline’s mansion. She knows all about Aleksandr but none of it prepares her for how she feels when the legendary prince’s hunt becomes one for her heart. Elise battles him with all of her strength but can she stop herself from falling for the handsome hunter? When he reveals the depth of the corruption in his soul, will she have the strength to face the pain in her past and do whatever it takes to save him?

 

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