Felicity Heaton's Blog, page 86

April 7, 2012

Free Paranormal Romance Ebooks and $0.99 Ebooks - This weekend only!

Just taking a break from the insanity of all my Birthday Bash fun to remind you all to grab your FREE ebooks and the discounted ebooks before the offers on them end.

FREE paranormal romance ebooks on Kindle on Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th only:

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.

genre: paranormal vampire romance
length: 126000 words

Available as a FREE ebook from the following Amazon Kindle Stores:
amazon.com | amazon.co.uk | amazon.de | amazon.fr | amazon.es | amazon.it

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?

genre: paranormal romance
length: 91000 words

Available as a FREE ebook from the following Amazon Kindle Stores:
amazon.com | amazon.co.uk | amazon.de | amazon.fr | amazon.es | amazon.it

In Heat: Mating Call
Felicity Heaton
The English winter weather has no chance of cooling Kim down when her dreams of Erik return, and this time they're hotter than ever! Having spent the past two years waiting to be in heat again so she can mate with her black panther shape-shifter lover, Erik Blackwell, Kim is excited about the prospect that she's ready at last. But there's one thing that she isn't ready for...

The handsome white tiger shape-shifter that walks into their visions and then into their life, proclaiming himself to be her potential mate too!

Torn between two lovers and unable to stop herself from joining in the carnal pleasures in their visions, will Kim be able to resist the lure of Kristian in real life? Will Erik believe everything that happens or will he see past the lies to the truth and fight for the woman he loves?

genre: paranormal shape-shifter romance
length: 63000 words

Available as a FREE ebook from the following Amazon Kindle Stores:
amazon.com | amazon.co.uk | amazon.de | amazon.fr | amazon.es | amazon.it

FREE paranormal romance ebooks for everyone:

Vampire for Christmas
Felicity Heaton
It was one last mission. Shannon, a demon hunter with the agency, is looking forward to leaving behind the small town and the vampire she's been stuck with for the past two years. Things are getting complicated fast and she wants out. A fresh start, free of her vampire partner, awaits her if she can survive their final mission and the lonely Christmas holidays.

It was one last mission. Rafe, a vampire doing time with the agency, watches it approach with dread weighing heavily in his stomach. Two years of working with Shannon has been difficult, especially since he started falling for her, but he doesn't want their partnership to end. He has barely a few days to make her face her feelings and stop her from leaving, and he intends to do just that.

When a slimy demon threatens the season of peace and goodwill, it's the chance Rafe has been waiting for and the moment Shannon secretly fears. Rafe's determination to prise open her heart and her own resolve to keep it closed clash as violently as they do with the demon, and threatens to end as messily.

Can Rafe make Shannon see that his love for her is real and that she feels something for him too? Can Shannon face her fears and her past, and stop herself from running away from both? Will a wish on a star bring her what her heart truly desires—a vampire for Christmas?

Available as a FREE direct download:
.mobi | .epub | .pdf

Or get the FREE ebook from:
Amazon Kindle Stores:
UK only

Apple Stores:
iBookstore US | iBookstore UK | iBookstore Australia | iBookstore Canada

Other Retailers:
Barnes and Noble | Sony Reader Store | Smashwords

Reunion
F E Heaton
The Law Keeper for the Venia bloodline, Marise doesn't want to return home but duty dictates that she must investigate the attempt on her lord's life by another vampire.

When she sets eyes on her lord, Marise realises that she might have been called for another reason and that the attack on her lord might not have been by a vampire after all. Her only source of information is a guard who was mortally wounded during the attack, a guard who turns out to be the man who broke her heart fifty years ago.

The sight of Jascha so close to death triggers a battle in Marise's heart that will see her struggle to turn her back on him and her family again, and maintain her sense of duty. Is fifty years enough to forgive the one you love for breaking your heart? Will Marise finally confess to everything she's held inside and kept hidden from him? And can Jascha convince Marise to listen to what he has to say and make her love him again?

Available as a FREE direct download:
.mobi | .pdf

Or get the FREE ebook from:
Amazon Kindle Stores:
US / World | UK

Apple Stores:
iBookstore US | iBookstore UK | iBookstore Australia | iBookstore Canada

Other Retailers:
Barnes and Noble | Sony Reader Store | Smashwords

Deep discounted paranormal romance ebooks (saving of $12 in total!):

Heart of Darkness - vampire romance book

Heart of Darkness
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?

(Normally $4.99)
Only $0.99 from:
Amazon Kindle Stores:
US / World | UK | Germany
France | Italy | Spain
Smashwords:
Smashwords (use code: KH62H)

Love Immortal
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 blood of her immortal protector, Julian, in order to reawaken and continue her three thousand year old mission to defeat Lycaon, the original werewolf.

With the help of Julian and an organisation of people with supernatural abilities, Lauren fights for her life, their future and the fate of mankind against Lycaon and his deadly army, but can she succeed when Lycaon has killed all of her predecessors?

Can she crack the armour around Julian's heart and seize her happily forever after with him? And can Julian bring himself to trust Lauren with the fragments of his heart after everything he's been through?

(Normally $4.99)
Only $0.99 from:
Amazon Kindle Stores:
US / World | UK | Germany
France | Italy | Spain
Smashwords:
Smashwords (use code: XA94L)

Her Dark Angel
An angel without a mission, Apollyon lives trapped in Hell guarding the bottomless pit. Surrounded by endless darkness, he longs to fly free on Earth once more but his master hasn't called him in centuries. When the call finally comes, it's to serve a new master, a beautiful woman he has often watched over, a woman who has always captivated him.

Serenity is shocked when a gorgeous black-winged angel shows up in her city of Paris claiming that she called him when she was only casting a simple vengeance spell. He's no other than the angel of death! When Apollyon offers to obey her and help her have revenge on her cheating ex-boyfriend, she can't resist the temptation, but can she resist him? Can an angel as dark as Apollyon ever fall for a mortal woman like her?

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

(Normally $2.99)
Only $0.99 from:
Amazon Kindle Stores:
US / World | UK | Germany
France | Italy | Spain
Apple iTunes Stores:
US | UK | AUS | CA
Other Retailers:
BN Nook | Sony | Smashwords

Prophecy: Child of Light - vampire romance book

Prophecy: Child of Light
A vampire unlike any other, Prophecy lives life in the dark until the night she encounters Valentine, a gorgeous vampire who is both her enemy and the man who will change her life forever.

Convinced that the prophecy about her is wrong and unable to ignore the vision of them that he saw in her blood, Valentine goes against his orders to execute Prophecy and kidnaps her instead. The attraction between them grows as they search for the truth behind the prophecy, battle a dark evil that threatens to destroy the world, and attempt to evade their families and the Law Keepers.

When the truth about her is revealed, will Prophecy be strong enough to face it? Will they discover a way to save the world from Hell? And will they finally see past the hatred bred into them by their families and surrender to their love?

The first novel in the Vampires Realm series, Prophecy: Child of Light, is part one in an epic tale of love and war that is sure to capture your heart and leave you craving more.

(Normally $2.99)
Only $0.99 from:
Amazon Kindle Stores:
US / World | UK | Germany
France | Italy | Spain
Apple iTunes Stores:
US | UK | AUS | CA
Other Retailers:
BN Nook | Sony | Smashwords

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Published on April 07, 2012 08:00

Interview with Apollyon from the Her Angel series

I have the pleasure of interviewing Apollyon today... and I'm sure many readers out there would agree that it is a pleasure to be sitting near him, basking in his dark, gorgeous glory...

If you're new to the Her Angel series and haven't read any of the books, then you won't know who Apollyon is so I'll try to describe him for you. Apollyon is one of the darkest angels in the series and the oldest. He was one of the original angels and spent time as the angel of death, and he's also the Great Destroyer, an angel who will rain Hell down on Earth during the Apocalypse. On top of that he's the king of the bottomless pit and often fights the Devil to keep him imprisoned there. Apollyon is talk, dark and as deadly handsome as they come, with long black hair he often wears in a neat ponytail and sapphire blue eyes. He has stunning black wings and since he's of the division of angels of death he has beautiful black armour edged with gold, and his is decorated with gold lions to distinguish him from your average angel of death. He's phenomenally powerful and is more than happy to wreak havoc on his enemies, but his black heart has been tamed by a petite French witch called Serenity.

He is also a particularly impatient man when it comes to interviews, so I'm going to get on with it.

REMEMBER: If you want Apollyon to answer your question, leave it in a comment on the post and I'll pass it on to him and he'll answer it for you.

FH: I have Apollyon here with me today to talk about his book, Her Dark Angel. Firstly, can you tell us a little about yourself?

APOLLYON: Indeed I can. I was last reborn several thousand years ago into my usual role. I am one of the few angels who carries what is known as an eternal duty. That is a duty, or series of duties, that was given to me upon my creation. Because of my eternal duty, I am always reborn as an angel belonging to the division of death... and because of my eternal duty it is almost impossible for me to leave Heaven. Although I no longer report to them or work for them, I am still under the influence of my duty, and should need arise or events occur that trigger that duty, I will have to do the bidding of Heaven and fulfil it as only I can. Originally, I was the only angel of death, but mortals became intent on war and fighting, and so there is now a fleet of angels who carry out that responsibility. One of my main duties was to guard the Devil in the bottomless pit, and to fight him to keep him contained there. If I lose, the Devil will be free to roam Hell and then Earth.

FH: You mentioned the bottomless pit. When your story, Her Dark Angel, starts, you're in Hell guarding the Devil, and you had been down there for some time. What was that like?

APOLLYON: Horrible. I had begun to tire of my time down there and my master had not spoken to me in many long centuries. I was alone with only the pool of history there. It is a pool in which the events in the mortal realm are recorded. There are pools in Heaven that have a similar function, but the one in Hell is unique. I would watch the world from the pool and it was the only contact I had with others. I grew tired of my duty there, alone and forgotten, left to suffer the oppressive heat and stench of Hell and endure the voice of the Devil. When I first saw Serenity in the pool, it was like seeing sunlight for the first time, or breathing fresh air again. I did not even realise I was manipulating the pool so I could see her. I thought it was chance that it would keep focusing on her.

FH: How did you meet Serenity and how did you feel about them initially?
APOLLYON: I heard someone calling me. It is difficult to explain what it feels like, but it is a sense that someone is speaking directly to my heart and compelling me. It was hard at first to discern the location of the call. I thought it was my master as only his voice was strong enough to call me from Hell. I took my chance to leave and made my way up to the mortal realm. When I reached the location of the call and discovered it was not my master but Serenity who had called me, I was surprised to say the least. A mortal should not have the ability to call an angel. I was curious and wanted to meet her and discover how she had called me. She saw straight through my glamour, the spell all angels cast to hide our wings and armour from mortal eyes and make us appear human. I knew then that she was different but I had not anticipated that she was a witch. Unfortunately, she knew of my reputation and fled. When I finally convinced her that I was not going to kill her and that I did not appreciate being called the angel of death since it was no longer my role, she confessed what she had been doing when I heard her call to me... and I realised that it was not her voice that had called me but rather that her heart had called to mine. I had felt her pain over the betrayal she had suffered at the hands of her ex-lover. Without caring about the consequences, I offered to serve her and give her the vengeance she needed in order to heal her heart. I wanted to crush him for what he had done to her.

FH: Serious words from a very serious man. It must have been strange at first being around a witch considering that she can see through your glamour and see your black wings and armour. Did that cause problems between you?

APOLLYON: I believe it did at first. Serenity knew all about angels and had no problem accepting what I was in the sense of believing I was real, but she had difficulty accepting my growing feelings for her. As did I. The moment I met her, I felt as though she had cast a spell on me. I could think of only her. When we first touched and then danced, I knew I had to have her. My little French witch had entranced me. I would have done anything for her and anything to have her, and I was intent on proving that it was possible for me to love her and that we could be together.

FH: How has life been since the events that happened and brought you together?

APOLLYON: I wish I could say that is has changed in the way I had hoped it would but while Serenity's voice is strong and I am under contract with her, I still have to continue to carry out any of my duties that are intrinsically linked to me and my creation. I do live in the mortal realm now, with Serenity in Paris, and we frequently have visitors in the form of my fellow warriors and their women. I have grown to hate it when anyone calls on me to go to Hell. That place is a prison to me and I know that Serenity fears for me whenever I have to go down there. The Devil doesn't have a voice strong enough to sway me but I understand her fear.

FH: Your story, Her Dark Angel, is a book in a series about several angels from different divisions. All of them are angels you're familiar with and many would see you as their leader. Is that how you see yourself?

APOLLYON: (laughs) No. Not at all. I am the oldest and possibly the strongest, but I would never see myself as their leader. We are all on an equal footing. At least, that is what I believe. We all have different strengths too. While my power might be stronger than that which others bear, they have strength where I do not. Einar is an incredible hunter, able to track the wiliest of prey, and has the ability to heal injuries. Lukas has an amazing strength of heart and is often the one to keep a level head in a crisis and convince those of us bent on violence to look at things clearly before taking the leap, and he is an incredible warrior. Marcus is one of the strongest angels I know and his skill with his spear is unparalleled. He is also a keen strategist and uses intelligence in his battles. Of course, we all have our weaknesses, and they all seem to be the same. We have all lost our hearts to our women. No matter how level-headed we try to be, the moment our women are in danger, all hell breaks loose.

FH: Describe yourself in one word?

APOLLYON: Destructive.

FH: The Great Destroyer finally admits that he can be a touch destructive? I suppose it comes with the territory and after witnessing you in Her Guardian Angel, I can agree with that word choice. Thank you for meeting with me today and chatting. Is there anything else that you'd like to add?

APOLLYON: Only my gratitude to those reading this interview with me and my hope that this has given them better insight into myself and my fellow angels. I believe that since my story is the first in your series, that you have put a special price on it as an introduction to the series. I am not sure whether to be flattered by this or dismayed. (waves his hand dismissively) Never mind. I am sure you only desired for more mortals to read my story and fall in love with our world.

FH: Maybe I wanted them to fall in love with you. (he looks uncomfortable) You're very popular in my series, you know? Anyway, you're right and it's only a limited time offer on your book, Her Dark Angel, and I hope that readers will check it out. I'll let you get back to Paris and Serenity now.

If you want to read a little more about Apollyon and fall in love with him for yourself, his book is just $0.99 this weekend.

Her Dark Angel
Felicity Heaton
An angel without a mission, Apollyon lives trapped in Hell guarding the bottomless pit. Surrounded by endless darkness, he longs to fly free on Earth once more but his master hasn't called him in centuries. When the call finally comes, it's to serve a new master, a beautiful woman he has often watched over, a woman who has always captivated him.

Serenity is shocked when a gorgeous black-winged angel shows up in her city of Paris claiming that she called him when she was only casting a simple vengeance spell. He's no other than the angel of death! When Apollyon offers to obey her and help her have revenge on her cheating ex-boyfriend, she can't resist the temptation, but can she resist him? Can an angel as dark as Apollyon ever fall for a mortal woman like her?

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

Only $0.99 from:
Amazon Kindle Stores:
US / World | UK | Germany
France | Italy | Spain
Apple iTunes Stores:
US | UK | AUS | CA
Other Retailers:
BN Nook | Sony | Smashwords

REMEMBER: If you want Apollyon to answer your question, leave it in a comment on the post and I'll pass it on to him and he'll answer it for you.

View more on Felicity Heaton's website »

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Published on April 07, 2012 07:00

My favourite scene from Her Dark Angel

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Published on April 07, 2012 05:00

Interview with Aleksandr from Heart of Darkness

Ah... one of my joint number 2 heroes is here with me today. Aleksandr from my vampire romance novel Heart of Darkness holds the spot with Julian from my other vampire romance book Love Immortal, and both of them are sexy as hell (and a little damaged)...

Now let me paint a pretty portrait of Aleksandr so you can picture him in your mind.

Aleksandr is born of royal blood, the eldest son of the Nemov bloodline that rules all vampires in Europe. At over eight hundred years old, he appears to be in his mid thirties by human standards. He's an imposing man, of broad build and tall stature, as handsome as a prince should be, and quick witted and intelligent. With his dark short hair and piercing steel-grey eyes, and sensual mouth, he can get any woman's attention but is very focused when he pursues the one he's set his sights on. He has old-world charm in spades, can waltz his way into your heart without a single misstep, and has the kind of honour that drives him to do all in his power to protect the object of his affections. He's dangerous, deadly, and has a track record of fighting vampire hunters that is four hundred years long. When provoked, his eyes burn red and his fangs emerge. It's the only warning a vampire hunter gets before he meets Death a few seconds later.

REMEMBER: If you want Aleksandr to answer your question, leave it in a comment on the post and I'll pass it on to him and he'll answer it for you.

FH: I have Aleksandr here with me today to talk about his book, Heart of Darkness. Firstly, can you tell us a little about yourself?

ALEKSANDR: I am Aleksandr Nemov, former heir prince of the Nemov household, the royal family of European vampires. I disinherited myself and abdicated the throne, leaving it to my younger brother Vasiliy to inherit upon our father's death, so I could pursue the vampire hunter who murdered my sister and wipe his progeny from the Earth. I have spent the past four centuries of my eight hundred years in this world seeking out all related to the man who took my sister's life and bestowing justice upon them.

FH: Was it really necessary to break ties with your family so permanently in order to purse her killer and his offspring?

ALEKSANDR: Absolutely. The Nemov household is responsible for leading vampire society into a brighter future. They were the ones who discovered that we could attain humanity through limiting our kills and because of them, vampires were able to slowly evolve from little more than mindless bloodthirsty beasts into people who could function socially and blend amongst humans. My family teaches pacifism. What I desired to do went against everything they stood for. I had to sever all ties with them in order to protect their cause and not bloody it with my actions. It was painful, but necessary.

FH: That seems quite sad to me. You sacrificed your life in order to pursue your sister's killer and protect your people from his entire family line. Isn't it dangerous too? You mentioned about gaining humanity through limiting kills. Surely what you're doing goes against that?

ALEKSANDR: Unfortunately it does. I have killed thousands since beginning my vendetta. Hunters from that man's bloodline as well as others. I lose a little of my humanity each year. The darkness is rising within me and sometimes I fear that I will lose myself to the black abyss within my heart and devolve into a beast.

FH: It's not all doom and gloom for you though, is it? In Heart of Darkness, you meet Elise. How did you meet and how did you feel about them initially?

ALEKSANDR: Elise came upon me in Prague after I had killed a female vampire hunter. Butchered might be a more appropriate word. The darkness had me in its grip but just the sound of her voice and the sight of her made it recede faster than it had ever done before. She fought me and I found I didn't have the heart to fight her back. I was surprised I could even bring myself to defend against her attacks. She was beautiful, breathtaking in every way. Not just looks. It was her strength, how she fought me, her skill. All of it combined to still my heart and steal my breath. I ended up beneath her, pinned against icy ground that couldn't chill me while I was looking at her. I knew then that I had to have her.

FH: Your relationship with Elise is complicated because you don't exactly start out on the right foot. You didn't exactly make it easy on her, or yourself, did you?

ALEKSANDR: No, I can see that now. I had thought of nothing but hunting for four hundred years and before then I had thought only of bedding whatever woman took my fancy at court back at the palace. I was what your readers may affectionately call a rake. A man with only the pursuit of satisfying empty lusts on his mind. I made my pursuit of Elise into a game, a hunt for her, desiring that she come to my bed and behave as the women at court had around me centuries before. It did not take me long to realise that modern women were completely at odds with the women I had known back then, and my pursuit of Elise was only made more complicated by the fact she is a guard. A strong female, with a strong mind and a strong distaste for being made to feel inferior and weak. My actions towards her just served to push her further away from me at first. Eventually I adjusted enough to modern society and learned enough about Elise that I realised my mistake and also that I needed more than just her in my bed each day. I needed her love. I wanted her to save me from the darkness within my heart.

FH: That's so sweet. I'm glad you realised in the nick of time that you were being an egotistical womanising rake. *smiles* Can you tell us about what happened in your story?

ALEKSANDR: I came to Prague pursuing the final member of the murderer's bloodline. We had chased each other for long years, clashing at times but never dealing the killing blow. When I met Elise, I wanted to stay around her. She mesmerised me and I felt compelled to know more about her, to convince her to be my lover. I did the one thing I hadn't done in the four centuries since my hunt began. I entered the house of a bloodline and sought their assistance. I had remained outside society because I didn't want to involve them. My pursuit of Elise saw me break that rule, and my presence placed her family in grave danger.

FH: How has life been since the events that happened and brought you together?

ALEKSANDR: I am learning temperance again. We have remained at the mansion in Prague and Elise has continued her duty as a guard. She walks with me sometimes in the city at night, teaching me more about it, and I learn more about her at the same time. I am fortunate to have my sweet Elise. Without her, I would not have survived the darkness. She risked everything for me. I dote on her when she lets me, which is not often. She prefers me to teach her new fighting techniques to fine jewels and dresses, but I am learning to accept that. The darkness within me is beginning to fade but it will be long decades before I have completely mastered it again. Elise fusses over me because of it and I find myself unable to stop her. In fact, I secretly enjoy it... but do not tell her that. I fear she would stop if she knew.

FH: We won't. I'll end on something a little more fun. Describe yourself in one word?

ALEKSANDR: Honourable.

FH: That does suit you. What's your favourite colour?

ALEKSANDR: Red... I like to see it emerge in Elise's eyes whenever I excite her a little too much.

FH: A little bit TMI there.

ALEKSANDR: What is this TMI?

FH: You're so antiquated sometimes. It means too much information. Favourite smell?

ALEKSANDR: Freshly fallen snow. It smells like blood.

FH: I know that. I should have guessed. Favourite city?

ALEKSANDR: It would have been my home city in Russia once, but Prague has a certain charm about it. It is beautiful and old, and I am starting to feel I do not want to leave it for a long time to come.

FH: I think Elise will be glad to hear that. Favourite past time?

ALEKSANDR: Training Elise. You have to see it for yourself. The woman is so graceful and strong, but it is her dedication that always astounds me. She will train for hours, honing skills that I have taught her and perfecting her moves. I often sit out halfway through the session and let Andrej take over. There is only so much beating a man's pride can take. It is nice to watch Andrej suffer defeat at her hands too.

FH: Thank you for meeting with me today and chatting. Is there anything else that you'd like to add?

ALEKSANDR: Thank you for interviewing me. I am looking forward to seeing your interview with my sweet Elise too so I can read what she says about me. I hope that readers have enjoyed this interview as much as I have.

If you want to read a little more about Aleksandr and fall in love with him for yourself, Heart of Darkness is just $0.99 this weekend.

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?

Only $0.99 from:
Amazon Kindle Stores:
US / World | UK | Germany
France | Italy | Spain
Smashwords:
Smashwords (use code: KH62H)

REMEMBER: If you want Aleksandr to answer your question, leave it in a comment on the post and I'll pass it on to him and he'll answer it for you.

View more on Felicity Heaton's website »

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Published on April 07, 2012 04:00

Three FREE Paranormal Romance Ebooks on Amazon Kindle

I have a further three fantastic free paranormal romance ebooks for Amazon Kindle users to grab this weekend. The novels are free on Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th April only, so be sure to download your copies asap, and don't forget to tell all your friends so they can get themselves a copy of each book too.

Here are the free ebooks that I'm offering on Amazon Kindle.

View more on Felicity Heaton's website »

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Published on April 07, 2012 03:00

Birthday Bash Grand Giveaway - Win a $100 or $50 Amazon Gift Certificate and signed paperbacks!

I guess this is probably the event that everyone has been waiting for this weekend. To celebrate my birthday this year, I'm giving you all a chance to win some amazing prizes. The giveaway is open internationally and you have until 11:59pm EST Monday 9th April to enter.

Example of signed swag and bookmark thong. Prizes may differ to pictured.
PRIZES$100 Amazon Gift Certificate, plus signed paperback of your choice from my backlist, plus hand-made-by-me bookmark thong of your choice from the ones I have available, and signed book swag!$50 Amazon Gift Certificate, plus signed paperback of your choice from my backlist, plus hand-made-by-me bookmark thong of your choice from the ones I have available, and signed book swag!Signed paperback of your choice from my backlist, plus hand-made-by-me bookmark thong of your choice from the ones I have available, and signed book swag!Signed paperback of your choice from my backlist, plus hand-made-by-me bookmark thong of your choice from the ones I have available, and signed book swag!
HOW TO ENTERSubscribe to this blog using the form below. You must subscribe via FeedBurner to participate. Many people HAVE NOT been doing so in these giveaways. Your entry doesn't count unless you do this.Fill in the Rafflecopter form.Leave your name and email address in a comment.If you want to do the extra entries, feel free to do them! They're worth more points than the mandatory entry alone.
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Published on April 07, 2012 02:22

Welcome to day two of my Birthday Bash event - more competitions and free books!

Good morning everyone and welcome to the second day of my Birthday Bash weekend. I have a whole bunch of fantastic posts lined up for you today, including more free books for your Kindles, fun character interviews where you can ask the hero your questions too, my favourite scenes from Her Dark Angel and Forbidden Blood, a flash fiction, and an amazing competition where you can win a $100 Amazon Gift Certificate!

Let's catch up with yesterday's posts before I kick today's off. There's still time to enter the competition yesterday, pose your questions to Veiron and Hyperion, and shout out for which character you want me to write a drabble (100 word scene) for!

Here are all the links to yesterday's posts so you can catch up...

FRIDAY 6TH APRIL

Welcome to my Birthday Bash!FREE vampire romance book - Vampire for Christmas Fantastic paranormal romance books for only $0.99 this weekend!Character Interview - Veiron from the Her Angel series My Favourite Scene - from Love Immortal FREE vampire romance book - Reunion Match the Quotes Competition #1 - Vampires Realm Character Interview - Hyperion from the Vampires Realm series My Favourite Scene - from Heart of Darkness Drabbles - Shout Out for your Favourite Character
Also, don't forget to download the discounted books before they go back up in price on Tuesday 10th April.

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Published on April 07, 2012 01:25

April 6, 2012

Drabbles - Shout out for your favourite character!

I am going to take requests this weekend for characters who will get their own drabbles on Monday 9th April.

Basically I want you to shout out for the character you think deserves their very own 100 word scene.

A drabble has to be precisely 100 words so sometimes it can take a lot of effort and tweaking to get it just right.

Here are some examples of drabbles I've previously written:

Jascha (Reunion)Night falls. Stars explode across the heavens. Wind murmurs sweet words into his ear.

It breathes life into his immortal bones and stirs desire into his undead heart. It beckons him, lures him, begs him to hunt so he can taste the delicious ambrosia of blood. But that word alone takes him back fifty years.

To her.

Always to her.

To the woman who brought him to his knees, but taught him to stand tall. Marise, who made his heart irrevocably hers.

His head falls back, eyes track the stars. He wonders.

Will tonight be the night she comes back?

Prophecy (Prophecy Trilogy)A kiss. Feather light. Fleeting. So barely there it makes her stomach feel as light as air. Her body quivers, begs, desires his touch more than anything, yet Valentine denies her. He knows just how to torture so pleasantly she wants to die. A flick of his tongue against her throat has her biting her lip to hold herself back. This game is divine but hell all at the same time.

He draws back, smiles, and then strikes.

Fangs penetrate her neck, giving her what she needs most—the connection. She responds in kind. Savours his blood. Savours his love.

Shout out in a comment with the name of a character (or characters) you think deserves a drabble this weekend.

I'll take requests until Monday morning UK time and then I'll choose those with the most fans and write something for them and they'll be posted Monday evening. I've already had some requests over at Facebook and I'll count those too.

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Published on April 06, 2012 12:00

My favourite scene from Heart of Darkness

I have the hard task of choosing my favourite scenes from some of my books to share with you this weekend. It might sound like a lot of fun, but sometimes there is more than one scene that I really love in a book and choosing between them can be very tricky. Add to that the fact that I can't choose a scene that gives something major about the plot away and it becomes doubly tricky!

My next favourite scene is from Heart of Darkness and again it was really difficult to choose between them. It's a long scene this time, close to 6000 words, but it's one that I really love and I think it shows Aleksandr in all his beauty.

My Favourite Scene From...Heart of DarknessElise rubbed the sleep from her eyes and hurried down the dim corridor on the second floor. Was Aleksandr alright? The knock on her bedroom door had startled her but not as much as the request of the servant on the other side. The young male vampire had hastily relayed an order to join Aleksandr in his reception room and then quickly left. She couldn't blame him for being nervous when the sun was up. Or had the trace of fear she had felt in him been because of Aleksandr? She raced down the stairs to the first floor and stopped near the bottom, cautiously peering around the wall to the entrance hall. The shutters were down, blocking out the noonday sun. The sound of footsteps broke the silence, heavy on the hardwood floor below. She glanced down at the immense man dressed head-to-toe in black fatigues. One of the day guards that her family employed. The werewolves had always been more than happy to protect her kind in return for an exorbitant amount of money. He looked up at her, golden eyes sharp and curious. Elise moved on, driven by curiosity herself.

Why was Aleksandr awake and why did he need to see her?

Red spots had stained his bandages. Perhaps he was hurting again, in too much pain to sleep. She hadn't done a good enough job. He'd said that she had but she didn't believe him. If she had done her job properly, he wouldn't have bled again.

Elise cursed herself.

She should have allowed the medical staff to assist him. The thought that he might be in pain because of her twisted her stomach and made her feel sick. It had been foolish of her to try to keep him all to herself, to desire to return the favour and make him better, to look after him as he had her.

She slowed when she reached the double wooden doors to his rooms and then knocked without hesitation.

"Come." His voice was heavy and quiet through the doors.

Elise opened them, slipped into the room, and closed them silently behind her. The fire was the only light in the dark red room. She moved forwards, wanting to see Aleksandr. He sat shirtless in the leather armchair with its back to her and the door. There were blood canisters and an empty glass on a small round wooden side table next to the armchair. It reassured her that he was feeding well, but she still wanted proof that his injuries were healing and that she hadn't left him in pain. He had said the bleeding was his fault, and she had seen him grab his brother, but the guilt still lingered inside her, adding to her worry.

It wasn't only that he was hurt. She feared that he had seen things in her blood.

He didn't look at her as she came to stand beside him, with the small table between them and the red couch to her left. She smoothed down the loose black jogging bottoms and camisole, her hands shaking as she did so. Perhaps she should have dressed properly before coming to him. She had panicked when the servant had given her the message and had thrown on the first clothes she had found. Now she felt oddly naked around him, exposed even when she wasn't.

She felt vulnerable without her uniform to protect her. Did she hide behind her duty so much that it had become her shield, her way of keeping people from getting too close to her?

Elise wrapped her arms across her chest. Aleksandr still didn't look at her.

He stared at the flames, quiet and distant, the air around him heavy as though affected by the weight of his thoughts.

Not wanting to disturb him, she stepped back and turned to leave.

"Stay," he whispered and she looked at him over her shoulder. He was still staring at the fire.

"What are my orders?" she said, trying to draw a reaction from him. His expression didn't shift, not even to show the slightest sign of emotion.

"Orders? No orders." He slowly turned his head and looked up into her eyes. There was such fatigue in his handsome face, and so much weariness in his grey eyes, but she couldn't fathom his feelings. He was too old for her to read easily. "Sit a while. I need company."

She didn't have the heart to protest, not today, not when he looked so tired and lost. She could have considered his words to be an order but he'd made it clear that they weren't. They were a request, and she granted him it, because he looked as though he genuinely needed the company.

Elise sat in the leather armchair opposite him, her rising nerves churning her stomach. The fire was warm against her legs but she pulled them up, placing her bare feet on the seat of the chair, and wrapped her arms around them. She didn't want to be too close to the flames. Aleksandr didn't seem to care about the danger it represented. He was staring into it again, his head propped up on his right hand, his long black trouser-clad legs crossed.

He said nothing.

She took him using his arm as a good sign and took his silence as an opportunity to check the bandage. Someone had placed a new one on him and, judging by how untidy it was, they didn't have medical knowledge. Had his brother helped him?

Without thinking, she frayed the ends of the strip of bandage around her right wrist, her gaze lingering on Aleksandr's face. He was undeniably handsome, even when he was thinking so hard that there was a focused edge to his eyes, his dark eyebrows knitted tightly. His mussed dark hair told her that he had slept at some point. Why was it eluding him now?
Elise wanted to ask him what was on his mind so he would feel better for sharing it but it wasn't her place to behave in such a way, and she feared where it might lead. Instead, she stayed with a safe question but one she wanted an answer to nonetheless.

"Are you in pain, Sir?"

He turned his frown on her and she held his gaze, unafraid of the darkness in his eyes. Her use of a rank for him had annoyed him. She had no right to call him Aleksandr. She had been far too friendly with him recently and had acted out of place. Someone of her rank didn't belong with him, and they certainly didn't have the right to act so familiarly around him.

He shook his head, his frown remaining in place. His gaze fell to her wrist and his frown disappeared.

"You worry about it." He held his hand out to her. Elise placed her feet down on the rug, leaned forwards, and offered her wrist to him. He carefully unpinned the bandage and removed it. She shivered when his thumb grazed the two dark spots on her skin and ached at the memory of how it had felt to have him bite her. "You worried about it in the hall when my brother had arrived, and after in this very room when you came to enquire about my health. You worry too much, dearest Elise."

Did she? She didn't think that she did. He had bitten her and she knew that she had done a terrible job of keeping her thoughts and feelings hidden from him.

"I did see things in your blood," he whispered, his thumb continuing to stroke her wrist, sending shiver after shiver racing up her arm. He looked deep into her eyes. "I saw nothing I can use against you, if that is what you fear."

"I do not," Elise lied with ease, not wanting him to see her weakness, and took her hand away from him. What had he seen? She desired to press him into telling her but knew it was pointless. He was already staring at the fire again, his expression becoming heavy once more. "You seem tired, Sir."

"If there is anyone in this world worthy of calling me Aleksandr, it is you, Elise. I tire of your formality. I am not your commander in these long hours of day where sleep eludes me. I am a selfish man who woke you so I might not face the day alone."

Elise drew her feet back up onto the chair and hugged her legs. Nothing but a man? He was more than a man, even when it was day, and the hour didn't change her respect for him, or the fact that he was her commander. He wanted it to though. She could see that in his eyes. He wanted her to treat him as though he was only a man in need of company, something which she could give him. He didn't want to be a prince or a commander to her. She knew what he wanted, and she was too afraid to give it to him. He couldn't be her lover.

But he could be a man.

A friend for now at least.

"Why does sleep elude you?" She studied his face as he stared into the flames. They danced in his eyes, turning the grey golden, making him look like one of the werewolves even when she knew he wasn't. The werewolves didn't suffer the call of darkness as her kind did, as Aleksandr did.

"I have not had that dream in many years," he whispered to the fire and pressed his fist against his lips. "It has not shaken me in decades."

"Dream?" Elise lowered her feet again and leaned forwards, wanting him to see that she was here for him and would listen to anything he had to say if it would help him to find sleep again. He needed to rest and heal.

"Katya's death." He kept looking at the fire.

An ache settled in her chest, burning in her heart. Who was Katya? The way Aleksandr had said that name with so much pain but an edge of affection too, a spark of love in his eyes, hurt Elise. She looked away, trying to rearrange her jumbled feelings into some semblance of order. Katya. Who was this woman whom Aleksandr had loved?

She felt his eyes come to settle on her but refused to look at him when she was struggling with her emotions. Aleksandr was a prince, a vampire of the noblest bloodline, and handsome. She was under no illusion that he hadn't been with many women in his life.

But the thought that he might have loved one of them, that he loved her still, made her want to leave the room, made her want to surrender any foolish hope she had of ever claiming Aleksandr's heart, and made her want to cry.

"Elise?" he whispered and she blinked away her tears, hiding them from him. She started when his fingers grazed her cheek, a light caress that both warmed and chilled her heart.

Taking a deep breath, she brushed his hand away, switched off her feelings and looked at him.

He sat with his hand outstretched to her, an edge of pain in his stormy eyes. He was still a moment, and then curled the hand she had swept aside into a fist and withdrew into his chair, the hurt in his expression increasing. He had wanted to comfort her and she had pushed him away, even when she had been craving the contact between them and the reassurance.

"You seem to take offence at the sound of my sister's name," he said in a quiet voice and Elise felt like a fool. "Do not worry so much. There is room in my dark heart for you both."

She blushed, her cheeks burning hotter than if the sun had touched her. Room in his heart? Her gaze leapt from the flames to his, wanting to search it for the truth behind those low spoken words, but he looked away from her, staring back into the fire.

"Ekatarina Nemov." She needed to be sure that they were talking about the same person and that his sister's death was the reason he was so upset.

"Katya to myself and my brother, Vasiliy." Aleksandr was quiet a moment and then sighed. "I wish he had not come. He is too much like her. When I see him, I cannot help seeing her too."

Elise waited for him to continue. She didn't know the full story behind his sister's death. Over the centuries it had become legend more than anything else and Aleksandr had begun to slip into legend with it. But he was here now, sitting in front of her, a man so vulnerable and in so much visible pain that she wondered what burden his heart bore because of his sister's death.

"My sister was younger than me," he whispered in a broken voice. The golden light of the fire warmed his features but all she could feel in him was cold and hurt. "She was beautiful, kind, kept away from the violence of our species because she was female. She had never killed."

He looked at her now, his grey eyes open and earnest, as though beseeching her to hear his words and know the truth in them.

"It had been her duty to maintain the peace and be seen as the example for our people to follow... delicate and like a human... not a beast inside. Not like me."

Elise didn't think he was a beast. Not yet. She moved forwards, perched on the edge of her seat. She wanted to reach across to him, to take his hand again and hold it, to comfort him.

"I was taught to fight, in case need arose, and had learned to kill. I had the skill to protect my people in war if needed, but I failed to protect her." Aleksandr looked away again, at the fire, tears lining his eyes. They were gone when he blinked, erased as easily as his emotions. She couldn't feel his hurt now, couldn't sense anything from him.

"What happened to her?"

"There was a raid on the palace. I tried to get to her but I was not fast enough. The hunter killed my sister and fled. She was defenceless, Elise. He slaughtered her maids and the guards that protected her. He butchered my sister." Aleksandr closed his eyes and clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles burned white. A wave of anger washed over Elise and her brow furrowed when she felt the sharp raw pain that laced it. "I could not save my sister and my heart could not rest until I had avenged her."

"You hunted him." It wasn't a question. The answer was in his eyes when they met hers. Violence echoed in their depths. He had looked that way when he had killed the hunters in the city.

"I soaked my hands in blood and left my family so my actions did not taint their ideals or their name."

In that moment, Elise felt as though she was looking at a different person. Not the Aleksandr she knew but the one that she feared. He was so distant as he looked at her, and as he spoke, and she was afraid that he was seeking his death and that the duty he'd undertaken weighed too heavily on him.

He had bloodied his hands and he was paying the price for it. His need to avenge his sister was turning him into a beast. How many more times could he kill before he succumbed to the darkness within him and devolved into the demon their ancestors had been? How close to the edge of the abyss was he now?

How could so noble a man have lost himself to the dark urges living within them all?

Elise knew of his time as their heir prince and that he had been a good man, one worthy of leading their people into a new era of peace. He had been strong, and had upheld the ideals of his family, preaching pacifism over violence and setting an example. The example he had become now was a cautionary tale to all vampires. Follow the rules of the monarchy or face the future Aleksandr had chosen. How could he do this to himself?

Wasn't he afraid of what his future held for him?

Aleksandr sighed and looked into the fire again, his gaze distant and thoughtful. She didn't press him to speak to her because she couldn't find her voice when she wanted to ask him things that might hurt or anger him. She wanted to know more about his sister and what had driven him to forsake his family and lead a life of danger and darkness. She wanted him to show his eyes to her so she could see the truth in them and see once and for all that he was treading the fine line between humanity and depravity.

She wanted to take his hand and promise him that she would find a way to fix him, to redeem him and stop him from slipping into the endless black within his heart and soul.

It was ridiculous to think she could do such a thing, but she wanted it with all of her heart. She would find a way to save him. He didn't deserve to become evil, not when he had only been doing something honourable and beautiful in trying to avenge his sister's needless horrible death.

"What do you think while you look at me with such intent, Elise?" He looked at her out of the corner of his eye.

"Only that it is a noble thing you have done and that your people are grateful that you have chosen to protect us and have put us before even your own safety."

He scoffed and waved her away. "Noble? Everyone believes me to be that way. I do not think it very noble to choose to bloody my hands, and I am no longer fit for the crown or to lead my people."

"I still believe you are noble, Aleksandr."

His eyes widened. Was the disbelief in their grey depths because she had used his name or because of what she had said? She did believe that he was noble. No other man she knew would do such a thing for a blood relative.

"You still think like a prince in your heart," she said and he frowned now, his eyes darkening with it. "Do not deny it, because I have seen it is true. You say that you hunt with vengeance on your mind but you go after other vampire hunters too, ones not related to the man who killed your sister. That is noble, and you do it with the intention of protecting those weaker than you."

He looked away from her, as though ashamed to hear her words about him. He deserved praise for what he had done and the sacrifices he made, even if he didn't think he did. He needed to hear that he helped his people, made their world a safer place to live in and saved many from having to resort to violence.

The monarchy, his family, had chosen their path to saving their people and Aleksandr had chosen his. Both of them did so to protect their kin from the darkness and the hunters.

"You are noble, Aleksandr. I will say it however many times it takes for you to believe it."

He rubbed his shoulder and she watched his hand, following his fingers and checking to see whether the wounds were aggravating him. He didn't look as though he was in pain.

She glanced at the blood canister and glass on the side table and then back at him, her gaze catching on his bare stomach and the mark above his right hip. No matter what he thought, he was still worthy of the name of Nemov. He still protected their kind.

"Would you do something for me, Elise... something which would help me?" he whispered and she dragged her eyes up to meet his. He looked uncertain and then held her gaze. "You may say no if you wish."

She didn't even know what he was going to ask her so she was hardly going to say no outright. There was a nervous edge to his expression. It was strange to see such a strong person so vulnerable. What did he want to ask that made him look this way?

"Speak," she said, wanting to hear what it was he had to ask of her.

He hesitated a moment, looking around the room, and then held her gaze again.

"Will you come to me?" He held his left hand out to her and her eyes fell there. "Allow me to hold you... only for a while... I only need to hold you."

Nerves skittered over her skin and her heart fluttered against her ribs. She couldn't see how it would help him and she wasn't sure if she trusted him to only hold her as he'd said. He kept his hand outstretched to her and she stared at it, feeling as though he was reaching for more than just her hand.

He was reaching for her heart and she was afraid that he would take it if she went to him, and she would never feel again when he left her.

Just as he was about to take his hand back, Elise placed hers into it and bravely stood on trembling legs. She swallowed, her throat and mouth dry. It was insane of her to do this, to place herself into his arms, but he needed her and she couldn't deny him. She wanted to comfort him and ease his pain. She wanted to take away his nightmare and give him peace.

She needed to.

Her heartbeat quickened when he drew her towards him and leaned back into the chair. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves and then eyed his lap. The look in Aleksandr's beautiful grey eyes stilled her heart. There was so much affection in them now and no trace of the pain or the loneliness that had been there before. Seeing the effect she had on him bolstered her courage and she sat on his left thigh, facing the fire, and curled her legs around so her calves rested against his shins. He looked at her as though she was an angel for coming to him, a merciful creature to have given him this moment he so clearly needed with her.

She wasn't afraid when he placed his left arm around her waist and held her side. It warmed her to feel his hand against her, his thumb lightly brushing her skin through the black camisole.

"No one will disturb us." He continued to look up at her, into her eyes, so close that she could easily kiss him if she wanted to.

And she did want to.

But this moment wasn't about such things.

She was here to offer him comfort only, to give him the reassurance he craved and to give him back his strength.

"I just need to hold you for a while, if that is alright with you?" he whispered and Elise nodded.

She swallowed again when he drew her close and rested his head against her chest and her shoulder. His breath was soft against her chest, his arm gentle around her waist. He sighed and she felt him relax, sensed the calm that washed through him and chased away his pain. This close to him, skin-on-skin, it was easier for her to sense his feelings, especially when he was letting her as she knew he was. He had opened his heart to her, allowing her to catch a glimmer of his emotions. He feared his dreams of his sister. The pain he felt was strong, buried deep in his heart, and Elise wanted to make it disappear for him even when she knew that was impossible.

Not even the death of the hunter that he sought or the achievement of his vengeance would erase the hurt Aleksandr felt when he thought about his sister. The way that he had spoken of her, with so much affection and so much pain, made that clear. He would never forgive the hunter's bloodline for what it had done to her. Elise could understand his feelings, felt a similar way about someone she had lost. That pain would never go away. It would haunt her for the rest of her life and she had to live with it.

He sighed again and his head became heavy against her shoulder. He wasn't sleeping but it felt as though he might be. He was a dead weight on her chest but Elise didn't mind. She was only glad that she was making him feel better.

It was strange to be this close to him and not have him try something with her. A fragment of her heart had been convinced that he would attempt to touch her or kiss her. She started to relax too, glad that he wasn't going to push her into doing anything. She was too weak for him. If he kissed her, she wouldn't be able to resist him, no matter how much sense told her to. Her heart would always overrule her head.

Aleksandr's breathing slowed, becoming deep and gentle. She liked the feel of him against her, holding her close and sharing a quiet moment with her.

Elise placed her arms around him and stroked the bandages covering his right shoulder and arm. She placed her hand against his back, trying to sense whether he was healing again now.

"Do not worry so much," he sighed against her skin and raised his right hand and caught hold of her left. He brought it away from his shoulder and, for a moment, she feared he was going to kiss it but then he held it against his chest, over his heart. "You are disturbing me with it."

She didn't mean to. It was difficult to control her emotions when they were in each other's arms, as though they were lovers. Aleksandr wanted them to be that. She was tempted to probe his feelings for her and see what they were, but resisted and pushed away her worry instead. He would be able to sense her feelings clearly, far more easily than she could sense his. To him, it would be as though he was feeling everything that she was. His age granted him such power over her, one that he would always hold because of the difference in their years. If she lived to be his age, he would still be able to sense things more easily than her. His power would never stop growing stronger.

He sighed when she touched his neck with her right hand and before she could stop herself, she was stroking the soft short hair at the back of his head to soothe him.

The flames mesmerised her along with the feel of his hair beneath her fingers and his arm around her waist. It was quiet and peaceful, and she wasn't afraid. She felt so incredibly comfortable with him and a part of her wished it wouldn't end.

It was nice to have such a strong man need her and rely on her. It made her feel strong too.

She liked how he held her, and how he felt against her, and that he genuinely seemed to need her. She ran her fingers through his hair and cradled his head to her, wishing he could find in her arms the sleep that eluded him. She would watch over him and keep the bad dreams away if she could. She would make them stay away forever.

Elise lowered her lips and barely stopped herself from kissing the top of his head. She breathed him in instead, taking his warm scent down into her lungs and holding it there. There was power in his scent, strength that she had sensed the moment they had met. He had let her defeat him then and she wasn't sure why. She had never thought to ask him and now didn't seem like the right time.

She sighed, tilted her head to one side, and rested her right cheek on her fingers where they held the top of his head. He moaned softly and held her closer. Elise smiled and stared into the fire, losing track of the minutes as they held each other.

Just as she was beginning to have to fight off the urge to fall asleep, Aleksandr stirred and released her. She blinked several times and focused her drowsy senses.

"I am sorry, I have kept you here all day," he said in a gravelly voice that betrayed his fatigue.

Elise shrugged and then rubbed her eyes. She looked down at his right hand where it rested over her left knee. It was strange how quickly she had grown used to being so intimate with him. She had been ready to sleep this way, curled up on his lap and in his arms. It had felt like the safest place in the world.

"Thank you." He reached up and swept the backs of his right fingers across her cheek, a slight frown marring his brow. "You are tired. Sleep. I will take a different guard tonight."

Those words forced any shred of tiredness from her. "I don't understand. You said we were off duty tonight. You're not hunting?"

He nodded. "I must."

The thought of him going into the city with the other females in his guard tightened her insides.

"I'm not tired," she said so fast that it was almost one word. "It is my duty to guard you."

"That will not do. You are tired." He stroked her face and smiled at her, his grey eyes brightening with it. "You forget I can see straight through you."

She hadn't forgotten, just as she hadn't forgotten that he had seen things in her blood too, things that he wouldn't tell her about. Did he know her feelings for him and her fears? She wasn't sure whether she wanted him to know them or not. If he did, would he treat her differently, would he be more careful with the heart that he was stealing from her?

"You are tired too, Sir." She quickly corrected herself when he glared at her. "Aleksandr."

"We are far too intimate now for such formal terms." He smiled, his hand falling to her knee again, a not so subtle reminder that she was still perched on his thigh. His gaze held hers. "Elise."

She blushed at the way he'd whispered her name, saying it with such force and passion that her mind raced to imagine him speaking it against her skin between kisses and into her ear as he made love with her.

"You must rest. I have told the guard that we are off duty tonight and they are excited because of the ball our master is arranging for your brother and you... you must rest..." Elise placed her hand against his injured shoulder, looked at it and then back into his eyes. "You are not healed yet."

Aleksandr took hold of her hand, curling his fingers around so their tips grazed her palm. His grip was strong but gentle. The hard look in his eyes softened and he nodded.

"I will rest, but only because you have asked me to."

It shocked Elise that he would take such a command from her and she couldn't make out whether he was being genuine and had accepted it to ease her mind, or whether he had done so only to get into her good book and make her surrender to him. She didn't want it to be the latter. Couldn't he see that she hated the thought of him making her weak like the other females? She had never been reliant on the males of her species and it wasn't going to be any different now that Aleksandr was in her heart. She could take care of herself. She didn't want to change. She didn't want him to make her into something that she wasn't and could never be.

"Come," he said and she stood, leaving the comfort of his lap and quickly distancing herself. The look he gave her said that he'd noticed her change in attitude towards him.

He looked as though he was going to say something about it and then picked up his white shirt where it lay crumpled on the couch. He slipped his arms into it but didn't bother to do up the buttons.

Elise wasn't sure what to do. She considered apologising for hitting him before he had left for Budapest, but now wasn't the right time. It would have to wait, and the longer it did the worse she felt about it.

She would return to the second floor, shower and dress, and think about everything before finding the right point at which to apologise to him. She couldn't do it now, not when she was wrestling with her desire to kiss him. She couldn't let that happen again, at least not until she was sure of a few things and could no longer resist the temptation.

Elise went to back towards the door but Aleksandr closed the gap between them and took hold of her shoulder. Her gaze immediately fell to his lips, taking in their sensual curves and she was unable to ignore her growing desire. Who was she kidding? If he tried to kiss her, she would be all over him.

"Get some sleep. The sun is only just setting. There is time before the ball." His hand slipped from her shoulder.

Elise nodded and her gaze tracked him across the room. He went into his bedroom and closed the door.

Now she was confused. He had held her without trying anything, had shown a side of himself that she was sure no one else saw, and now he had left her in his reception room and had gone to bed alone.

What had happened to the Aleksandr who had pursued her relentlessly, who had let the entire world know that he wanted her, and who had kissed her in this room?

If it hadn't been for the events of today, she would have been convinced that he didn't want her anymore. But he did. His desire was unchanged, so what was different?

A quiet voice said that it was what he'd seen in her blood.

Elise stared at the dark wooden double doors, trying to sense him on the other side.

What had he seen?

She had half a mind to knock on the doors and demand to know. It wouldn't get her anywhere though. He wasn't going to tell her.

Elise went to the door that led onto the corridor, opened it, and paused. The moment she was dressed, she was going to come back and apologise for hitting him and she was going to find out why he was different.

She had to know.

Because the new Aleksandr had her falling for him faster than ever.

In fact, she was in love with him.

This weekend, Heart of Darkness is available for only $0.99 / £0.99 / EUR 0,99 from Amazon Kindle and from Smashwords (using a code). That's a $4 saving.

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Published on April 06, 2012 11:00

Interview with Hyperion from my Vampires Realm series

It's time to bring in a vampire who has captured the hearts of many readers despite not being the hero of any of my books yet... that's right... one of my two great and wonderfully mysterious vampires is here to chat with me.

Hyperion is probably the most popular vampire in my Vampires Realm series. I get a lot of people asking about him and when he's going to get his own story. It's so tempting to just keep having him appear in other heroes and heroines novels in the series because I don't want his quirky personality to change due to him finally having his love by his side. I'm not sure his personality would change, but he might be a little distracted by her and not amuse himself with everyone else's love lives as much. lol.

As I've said above, Hyperion doesn't have his own love story yet. I did write a short piece about his origins and you can read it on my Vampires Realm website: http://www.vampiresrealm.com/freestory_eternitythebeginning.php

Now, I've been waiting to interview this man for a long time, so on with the show...

REMEMBER: If you want Hyperion to answer your question, leave it in a comment on the post and I'll pass it on to him and he'll answer it for you.

(It feels as though I've been waiting forever for this moment, and that I'm going to have to wait a little longer. Minutes tick by. I tap my pen against the clipboard with my notes on it. Maybe he's going be a no-show. The door creaks open and the man himself enters, casually dressed in a loose black shirt that has the top few buttons undone, revealing bronzed skin and the valley between his chest muscles. He saunters across the room to the black velvet armchair and drapes himself in it, crosses his black-clad legs and smiles at me, revealing slightly extended canines. His purple eyes are beautiful in the firelight, mesmerising, but I know better than to fall into their trap)

HYPERION: When will you write my story, little lady? (the mixture of accents in his voice make his birth nationality hard to place but I know he was born over three thousand years ago in Egypt)

FH: Soon, I think. A few people want to read it. Every appearance you make in the series intrigues them a little more. I think you have a fan club. I'm tempted to change that to 'fang club' as I think these readers are just longing to imagine they're your heroine.

HYPERION: (smiles slowly) It can be arranged. I am always looking for fresh entertainment. The days can feel so long when I have so much on my mind and cannot sleep. I wouldn't say no to a little midday snack.

FH: Hmm, but I have the impression that's all they would be to you. You flirt so well with everyone but would you ever go further than a quick bite?

HYPERION: (his eyes darken and he looks away to the fireplace on his right, causing his irises to reflect silver in the light) Perhaps once upon a time I would have. I am afraid I would have to disappoint any ladies looking for more than just the pleasure of my bite now. My heart belongs to another.

FH: Tell me something I don't know. Things have certainly been busy for you recently though, so that must have occupied you to some degree?

HYPERION: (he turns back to me and smiles again) Most entertaining. It does amuse me when these vampire hunters believe they are any kind of match for my kind. I am still disputing certain outcomes of the event at the Venia mansion with Winter though. I am sure he is lying. There isn't the slightest possibility that he beat me.

FH: You're a sore loser. Does that come with age?

HYPERION: (laughs) No... my cavalier attitude and the right to pry into others' relationships came with age. I have to amuse myself somehow. If you lived for three thousand years, you would likely end up the same. I do not think any would dare dispute my right either.

FH: They're all scared of you. You could probably kill most of the vampires in the seven bloodlines with just a flick of your finger. There aren't any who can stand against your strength.

HYPERION: Now, there you are wrong. There is my beloved sister.

FH: That is true. Ineru is probably the one vampire in the world who could kill you with only a few words.

HYPERION: Not the only vampire. There is another. Women... they are man's only weakness.

FH: Very true. We can destroy men without flinching. Your sex isn't as strong as you think.

HYPERION: Your species isn't as strong as it thinks.

FH: Touché. I'll give you that one. So, do you have any other adventures planned?

HYPERION: I do indeed, and I think I shall need you to write them down for me. It is high time that my story was told. I grow tired of waiting... you are the only human in the world who can keep me waiting... perhaps the only person too. No vampire would dare. Not even Ineru.

FH: I'll write it. Don't worry. I do need to write your sister's story and also Lilith's sister's story too, and I think those should come first.

HYPERION: You place two stories before mine. I grant you leave to write my sister's story first, but to write Lilith's sister's story before mine... sheer madness, my little human. Why does she get precedence over me?

FH: Because her story came first. So shush, behave yourself. I know that your story sort of started shortly after Winter's story, but it hasn't ended yet and it's easier to write a story when it has ended and I have both hero and heroine present to recount it for me. Win your heroine and then we'll talk about writing your story, okay?

HYPERION: (frowns) Fine, if you insist it be that way, then I will do all in my power to make it happen. It will certainly be an adventure worth writing down though. I can promise you that.

FH: I'm sure readers are glad to hear it. They probably expect nothing less from you and I think every time you appear in a book, they're secretly hoping you've found someone to love and they'll get to read about it.

HYPERION: It isn't a case of finding someone to love. I have already found her, but I thought she was lost to me. It is more a case of finding where my love has gone.

FH: Either way, people want to read about it. I'm sure your 'fang club' will be desperate to read it when I've written it.

HYPERION: Then perhaps we should move things along and I can see about making my story happen.

FH: All of you vampires are so impatient. I have a few silly questions that I like to ask the people I'm interviewing. Firstly, what's your favourite colour?

HYPERION: Purple. It wasn't a colour I was familiar with when human. The first time I saw it in Ineru's eyes, it became my favourite colour. She has beautifully clear purple eyes.

FH: Sometimes you sound a little too in love with your sister. (he scowls at me) And moving swiftly on... your favourite smell?

HYPERION: The desert at night when the sand is cooling and the wind carries the faint scent of water and greenery. It has stayed with me for three millennia.

FH: Your favourite possession?

HYPERION: My ravens.

FH: Favourite thing to do?

HYPERION: Stargaze with my sister. We often did it back in Egypt. There you could see so many stars. I think we used to do it because it made us both feel that not everything had changed. The world was still the same and the stars were still the same. It made it easier to cope with what happened to me, and what I had done to Ineru.

FH: And finally, what's your favourite time of year?

HYPERION: Winter. The nights are longer in Russia then and very clear. Ineru finds it easier to get away from her place of exile too because the guards are less inclined to leave their houses and check on her.

FH: You really do care a lot about your sister. I can understand it though. She's been with you for three thousand years and was your only companion until you found your bloodline. Do you still feel bad about turning her?

HYPERION: (shakes his head) No. It is what she wanted and I don't think I could have coped with watching her wither and die. I don't think I would have made it past my first decade as a vampire without her at my side.

FH: That's very sweet. You're a good brother to her. Now, I'll let you get on with that business of finding the woman you love. Good luck!

HYPERION: (nods) Thank you. I shall bring back a story worthy of your skill with words.

FH: Get on with you. Compliments get you nowhere.

(Hyperion smiles, rises from the seat, and bows in a way that has me staring down his half-open shirt. Whoever has captured this man's heart is one lucky lady!)

Ah, I think I'm more in love with him than ever. What about you?

REMEMBER: If you want Hyperion to answer your question, leave it in a comment on the post and I'll pass it on to him and he'll answer it for you.

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Published on April 06, 2012 10:00

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