Bloodstorm

Heart of a Vampire #1

by Amber Kallyn

Praise for Bloodstorm
"Ms. Kallyn delivers a whirlwind of magic & intrigue that will have your heart racing for more" ~ Jami Gray, author of Shadow's Edge

"Loved It! Wonderfully written and with a fascinating plot, Bloodstorm will keep you wanting more" ~ Crystal

"The action and adventure kept me engaged and I enjoyed this novella" ~ Sapphyria's Book Reviews


Overview

When duty forces a shaman to stop a vampire from her revenge, love doesn't just burn... it bites.

For two hundred years, Niki DeVeraux has been tracking the monster who murdered her family and made her a vampire. She finally catches up to him only to face more than she bargained for in a too-sexy sheriff who makes her remember she's still a woman. With duties as Keeper of the peace and Sheriff, Shane Spencer must protect humanity and stop the friction between the local Arcaine races before it turns into an all out blood war.

When wolves start turning up dead, the tension between the races grows and suspicion falls on Niki. Shane knows she's not to blame, and it has nothing to do with the primal urges she stirs within him. Working together, they must stop the hostilities from going over the edge. Trouble is, the desires raging between them might prove more dangerous than the surrounding threats.



Praise for Amber Kallyn

"Ms. Kallyn takes the paranormal world and adds a dangerous twist of dragons, fires, and a mysterious past to make this an intense read..." ~ Coffee Time Romance

"if it is at all possible for a dragon to become stronger or more alpha in general then Ms Kallyn has managed it..." ~ The Romance Studio

"intense and incendiary..." ~ Whipped Cream Reviews



Miss watching Moonlight? Love The Vampire Diaries? Bloodstorm will take you on a thrilling ride of love and redemption.


And if you like your paranormal romance HOT, HOT, HOT, check out Amber Kallyn's 5 STAR Reviewed erotic romances

~ Dragos Series, Book 1: Burned What happens when a dragon falls in love with a fireman? Someone's bound to get... burned.

~ Red's Wolf An incendiary short story series. Who said Red's afraid of the big bad wolf?

Genres: Vampires, Paranormal, Romance, Paranormal Romance, Fantasy, Ebooks, Werewolves

190 pages, Paperback

First published April 2, 2012

About the author

One of those rare breeds, Amber Kallyn is an Arizona native who can trace her family's history through six generations in the state. She lives with her four very active children. Included in the menagerie are four cats (though there's always room for more) and a cute little python.

Visit me at www.AmberKallyn.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/AmberKallyn
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AmberKallyn

Sign up for my newsletter for fun & freebies: http://bit.ly/H04jPF

Reviews

[Jen Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Niki is a vampire, on the hunt for her own sire. Hundreds of years ago, Thomas killed her family, turned her into a vamp, and disappeared. Her dead family has been haunting her ever since and she won't give up her search for Thomas until she has her vengeance.

Her hunt leads her to Shane's small Arizona town. He serves not only as the sheriff there, but as Keeper. He mediates and polices problems of a supernatural natural. And he, himself, carries magic as a Shaman. When Shane and Niki come face to face, their attraction is instant and overwhelming. Once he learns Thomas is making kills in his town, Shane joins Niki on her quest to find and defeat the master vampire. Their attraction grows into something more along the way.

The story was ok, but my biggest complaint about it was that it was relatively superficial. I can understand that physical attraction can be instantaneous. But it baffles me how this can grow into love inside of a week. Especially when the couple has very little chance to get to know each other. I barely feel like I know these characters in a meaningful way. Instant love is one of my biggest peeves in romance and telling me that they're soul mates just isn't good enough to make me feel invested.

We've got some major points left without explanation. Why did Thomas turn Niki into a vamp when he just killed the rest of her family? Why is she haunted? Are ghosts an unremarkable thing in this world? Why would they torture her for their vengeance instead of torturing Thomas? Why did the spirits pick Shane instead of his brother? Why was Thomas keeping all the young vamps hostage? Why was he provoking unrest between the shifters and vamps? What was the deal with the pink haired woman? And didn't anyone think it was creepy that Shane was humping a woman who looked like a 17 year-old?

The story wasn't bad, it just lacked depth and introduced too many ideas that it didn't explain in a satisfactory way.

Rating: C-

*Book provided by author for review

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fast and easy read. I enjoyed learning about the paranormal community in this book. It was interesting that there was an intermediate between the werewolves and vampires called a keeper. I think this may be the first time that I have seen that in a book. I liked the idea of a peacekeeper between the paranormal races. Overall, an enjoyable quick read.

[Mya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the uniqueness of this book. It really transported me to another world.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (8/18/2020)! 🎁

[Kimberlee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a free read from AmazonKindle. I liked it from the start by chapter four I was hooked. It is taking a different twist on vampires and shifters. Niki a vampire is out to kill her sire she gets some help from a Apache shaman named Shane but the fates have a plan for these soulmates.

[Debra Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished Reading June 14, 2013

3.75 Stars

Liked it a lot.
Hot, steamy pnr.
Got the next two and plan on reading them this year.
Hope they live up to my memory.

Purchased from Amazon June 7, 2013

[Jody Reads Smut · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read

I enjoyed this book very much specially the relationship that these people had between vampires and werewolves. I have to say it was definitely a strange relationship but it seemed to work with all of them. The end was the best part of the whole book, read it and find out why.

[Suze Prescot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Niki is a vampire, Shane the local sheriff of both humans and paranormal beings. Their attraction is immediate, but she is on a mission that will lead to her death. An enjoyable book, full of magic, adventure and romance.

[Ambrosia Sullivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was first reviewed on my blog The Purple Booker

At long last here is my final review of books I read in 2016. I know it seems like I took forever and I did a bit, but here it is. Long live 2017 from now on.

This book was alright, I would not jump up and down and call this my next big vampire series to read but I also didn't hate it. It is a fast and easy read at only about 190 pages. What kept me from truly being able to fully love this book instead of just feeling lukewarm about it was that everything just felt a little bit on the surface. If the book had been longer, we may have been able to dig into it more, get more connected to the characters and their stories.

Due to the fact that so much of it was just right on the surface there were quite a few plot holes big enough to drive a mack truck through. I hate saying that, but sometimes you have to call a spade a spade. The format is there, the interesting characters and other items that could have really drawn the reader in are all there but they are only lightly touched on. Case in point Nikki is hunting down the Vampire who turned her into a vampire. His name is Thomas, when he came, he killed Nikki's entire family, but allowed her to not only live but turned her. Why? What was his motivation in doing that? Why not kill her as well, so that he was not leaving someone behind who could seek vengeance upon him? Let alone turning her into a creature like him with long life so that she could basically hold on to that grudge. What was his thinking behind that? It wasn't like she stayed around as his companion or anything.

Shane also came across as a character that was a little creepy. He was more than happy to have a sexual relationship with someone who looked much younger? I had some of the same issues with Twilight, but at least Edward was dating in his own, age pool per-say. He didn't look like an adult going out with a teenager. With all of that said, it was not the worst book I have read and even if it was superficial I did enjoy it. I would not be picking on these exact points if I didn't. I just wanted to enjoy it much more.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Niki is a vampire, but one with revenge on her mind. She was turned unwillingly and is out for revenge for her sire, the vamp who turned her, because he also killed her entire family. She is tormented by their lost and sad souls and is out to set them free by killing Thomas, the vampire who did it all! She finally tracks Thomas, but runs right into a big muscular brick wall of sorts, Shane. Shane is the Sheriff of the town Niki is in now and he also is a Keeper of peace between the paranormal beings, Arcaine. Soon after Niki coming into Shane's town there are shifters turning up dead and worse yet, they have been killed by a vampire or man vampires. Shane really doesn't think it could be Niki causing all this or doing the killing, but she is a vampire and is a rouge vampire. The problem is that Shane and Niki soon are drawn to each other for more than a common interest in who is killing the shifters and where Thomas is. They are having to put out the flames of their burning desires for each other so they can focus on working together to figure out why the crime rate between Arcaines has gone up. Who is the vampire trying to start a war between shifters and vampires? If it really is a rouge vampire, does Niki really have nothing to do with it? How can Shane do his Keeper and Sheriff duty if all he can think about it Niki, for more reasons than one?

This was an amazing read! I have been in a bit of a rut lately for books that I really loved, but this one brought me right out of that rut. The plot was interesting and amazingly complex, yet very easy to follow. This was a very fast moving book that had a lot packed into the relatively few pages of it. Action started on page one and continued until the last word of the book. I liked how it is a book one, but did have an ending to it that made me feel like it was complete, yet it could carry on to another book too. There is only one word for the characters of this book...amazing!! To say they were detailed and well developed would be an understatement. I really felt like I could understand them and felt like I got to know them even better as the book carried on. Niki is my favorite character I think, so strong and independent, yet very emotional and delicate at the same time. She had so many sides to her depending on the situation and she just knew what she needed to do and did it. She gave no regard to her needs and wants, but only focused on what needed to be done to avenge her family. I don't want to say too much because I don't want to give spoilers, so I think I will leave it all at that. Bottom line from me though? Read this book! You won't be sorry you did and you will love it!

5/5 Stars!!

[Tawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Bloodstorm. You can read the synopsis on everyone's review so I will share a few of things/characters that I really enjoyed.

I wasn't sure what to expect from the opening with the witch and dark setting. I'm not crazy about books with witches and didn't know how much magic would be in the novel, I like to stay open minded and creepiness only lasted the prologue. I just glanced over the opening again because I forgot it (that's how into the rest of the story I got)

I really like Niki, you know from the start that she's looking for Thomas and that something horrible had happened to her family, what I learned (quickly) was that she was a caring vampire. She carried her own "food source" (so, we know that she isn't a 'monster'. She finds a young vamp that hasn't been shown direction or instruction and protects him and provides for him in way. We watch her meet Shane, grow very close to him and fight her feelings (pretty much what you'd expect in any love story). It's the struggles and watching Niki fight to vindicate the ghosts of her family and see all the obstacles/supernatural fighting that are between her and Thomas that build the story. I wonder was it just age that made her so strong? Was it her will to complete her mission? Or is she powerful by a gift.

Shane is a sheriff and a Keeper. I had never read about a keeper before but it would make sense that there be a supernatural police force to keep peace between vamps/weres and whatever else might be out there. He answers to a Council. The book calls on his Apache heritage, he's a Shaman. There's family turmoil because he apparently ran away to the city (prior to Bloodstorm). He's older brother has big issues with him because the elder brother was passed over as Keeper. Shane has family issues with Glory (the baby sister) because she has a relationship with a Were. Morning Dove, his mystical grandmother is a real pip!
You want to know who I didn't like? I didn't like the alpha wolf. I suppose unless he gets his own story, someone to be the bad guy. He seems like a real jerk. Thomas, of course, was to be hated from before we "see" him. Other than being pure evil, I don't see his motivation for torturing Niki.

If you like supernatural tales or just like romance but are the adventurous type and want to read a good book, give this one a try. If you do read this, come back and we can talk about it.

[Obscured Vixen · Rating 5 out of 5]

To read this review and an interview with author Amber Kallyn, click here.

This book was awesome! The story was fast paced and action packed, just how I like it. It also had characters that were realistic; characters that felt like real people you would want to hang out with.

Niki DeVeraux shows up in town and immediately knows she isn’t wanted: the humans don’t want her around because she’s a vampire, and the vampires don’t want her around because she’s not part of their clan.

So when dead bodies start turning up, all eyes turn towards the newest person in town: Niki.

The local sheriff, Shane Spencer, investigates these murders and runs into Niki. He has this compulsion to be near and protect her that he’s never felt before. Unsure what to do, he ignores it for the time being.

Besides being the sheriff in town, Shane is also a Keeper for the Magic Council. He must keep the local werewolves and vampires in check. Being a Keeper, Shane has supernatural abilities and pulls energy from nature.

When Shane meets Niki and gets this intense feeling for her, he eventually realizes that she is his soul mate.

Between trying to catch rogue killers in his town and trying to keep tabs on Niki who keeps getting into trouble, Shane has his hands full.

Niki feels drawn towards Shane, but convinces herself that she can’t fall for him because he’s human. Niki has to focus on her main agenda for coming to this town: revenge on the vampire that killed her family.

You’ll have to read the book for all the awesome twists and turns along the way (don’t want to give any spoilers!), and find out how things turn out for both Niki and Shane.

I would definitely recommend this book if you’re looking for a great suspense paranormal romance with some steamy sex on the side ; )

To read this review and an interview with author Amber Kallyn, click here.

[Shirley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every once in a while I pick up a freebie that blows me away. That’s exactly what happened when I read Bloodstorm. The synopsis sounded interesting, so I decided to give it a try. It was totally worth it.

Niki and Shane were great. Most of the characters in the PNR reads that I’ve picked up recently have had a male character act as the tortured bad guy who needs saving. In this case, it was a woman and she was everything you would expect from a tortured, broken main character who was seeking vengeance and then some. Shane was the level headed (at least he thought he was) keeper of the peace determined to keep his distance from the rogue vampire in his territory or get rid of her. Granted, it was pretty evident where this story was going to end, but it’s not always the outcome, it’s the journey that’s important and this story delivered.

Not only were Shane and Niki great together, but the supporting characters were likable too. I loved Shane’s family. Even though we didn’t get to know all of them very well, the members that readers were introduced to were great. I even liked Jordan MacDougal, the king of the vampire clan. He was viscous and unforgiving on the surface, but once you got to know him… he still wasn’t someone I would trust readily, but he was fair and definitely kept things interesting.

The world that was created in Bloodstorm was unique. It wasn’t just a world full of vampires and shifters, it contained magic and Native American lure which provided a nice twist on the typical vampire/shifter story. Basically, there wasn’t much I didn’t like about Bloodstorm. What makes it even better is that it’s the first book in Amber Kallyn’s Heart of a Vampire Series and book 2, Hungerstorm has already been released. Another bonus is that it features Jordan and a character that readers met briefly in Bloodstorm. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

[Melanie Adkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Paranormal*


Shane Spencer was still adjusting to his new life. The Fates had chosen him over his older brother to follow in his father's footsteps as Shaman. He felt guilty and unsure of his new position. Adding to this, Shane is the sheriff too. Nicola DeVeraux is a reluctant vampire. Her life was set before being turned. She was engaged and happy. Thomas, her sire, killed her entire family. She wanted revenge. After tracking him for centuries, Nicola finds him in this small town. She's determined to kill him. To avenge her family's deaths. In her desperate attempt to do so, Nicola might start a blood war between the vampires and the shifters. The peace has been very strained, this might be the final blow to severe that peace for good. Shane has his hands full as a Keeper and sheriff. Now he has a rouge vampire to look out for too.


A well written, exciting paranormal book! The story is spellbinding and filled with characters who enrich the story. I enjoyed this book very much and recommend it highly. The characters are well defined. I can't wait for the next book in this series. You'll be hooked from chapter 1. It's a terrific addition to any library or TBR pile! Be sure to check this one out.


I found no issues.


I gave this one 5 out of 5 books because the action is intoxicating.

[Katherine Owen · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Bloodstorm" by Amber Kallyn is a great read with a strong heroine in Niki DeVeraux as the beautiful vampire who comes to a mysterious small town to kill the sire vampire, Thomas, who killed her family two centuries before. A determined Niki is solely focused on revenge when she encounters the local sheriff, Shane Spencer, who appears to be more than just the keeper of the peace in town and unexpectedly captivates her attention. The author does a great job of building suspense and intrigue as Niki and Shane encounter unexpected twists and turns in this small town with unexplained vampire killings and the undeniable attraction they have for each other. I believe this is part of a series and I think readers will be riveted by this great novella, "Bloodstorm", and ready for the next one!

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love truly does conquer all.

Niki and Shane are a couple that shouldn't be together in every aspect, but the Fates have a different plan for them. At first glance they both feel that there is something more between them then just sexual tension. As time goes on and he learns her story....he falls even more for her. Along the way he says some hurtful things and fears that he's ruined everything he could have with her. They battle shifters and vampires together, both taking a beating here and there. But in the end all that matters is that they have each other. That and that Niki set her family to rest finally after 200 years.

Read Bloodstorm to read about the battle between love and the need for revenge.

[Jane Kelsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book quite a lot, I was hooked from the first page, the story of this female vampire who's n a quest to get revenge on her sire, the one who murdered her entire family. good, strong writing, but there are a few plot holes that i didn't like how they got filled. I never understood the ghost part, never got passed the soulmates idea, it's too overrated, didn't understand why the hell she was getting hot under his touch when she was basically... dead. And the sex scenes in my point of view, kind of took away that feeling that i had about the book and it was written in such a Sandra Brown way that it made me puke.

All in all, a good vampire book, much better than what I was expecting.

[Vera M. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another I got as a Kindle Freebie.
Had some interesting ideas, but mediocre implementation. I couldn't get into the characters or the relationships. The dialogue was sometimes strangely formal. It felt like the author was still trying to figure out her style/voice. Could probably use the help of an amazing editor. Wasn't terrible, but wasn't something I am raving about or wanting to see more of.

[Meiwilli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick, free read. I enjoyed the fast pace of the story and the characters were well written. Although they could have been developed a bit more. A few editing issues but overall worth the read.

[lesley dawn wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bloodstorm

Bloodstream (heart of a vampire) is a great read lots going on in this story all the paranormal is great

[Kissie Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book over a year ago. I loved it. The storyline was really good. The characters were well developed. The writing was well done.

[Mayhem-RW · Rating 5 out of 5]

Niki DeVeraux’s turning began the night of her seventeenth birthday party, the night her father announced her arranged marriage, Halloween night. That night she awoke to screams from her little sister, and upon reaching her room, she found Thomas Montgomery in her little sister’s room, blood everywhere. Same in her parent’s room, and then he caught her. She could feel his fangs enter her neck, then blackness. The next few days were the same, but when Niki awoke, she knew what she was because she found herself in their barn, and their animals were all dead, drained of blood. Niki took a day to bury her family and then ran, not knowing how or why she turned. She just knew who was responsible, which was over two hundred years ago, and now she knew she was close to killing the man she knew as Thomas Montgomery, her sire. The vampire that killed her family, the family that haunted her.

A different world is described, with the old rules of vampires mixed with some of the new rules of existence, which makes for a compelling lifestyle for the vampire characters. Then a ruling class above shifters and vamps makes it a stranger world with intermediaries between the major factions. A strange new world well thought out, with full, rich characters that populate it.

I appreciate the old legends that originally surrounded the vampire lore. While some may argue against these original myths, I find it easier to argue against the sparkly or easy cleanup of a pile of dust on aisle three versions. I’ve got to nod toward the five stars out of five stars for this nod to the original.

[Evelyn Dotson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Niki is a vampire who is a little over two hundred years young. Her mission in life is to kill the vampire who sired her and killed her family. She can see ghosts, and her families follows her everywhere. Thomas is the vampire who killed her family and her…he is now killing at random across the United States. Shane is a sheriff in a small town in Arizona. He is also the shaman of the family, currently. He is a Keeper, the one who keeps the peace between supernatural factions at any cost. He possesses magical abilities that helps him defend his area. Niki and him run across one another from the start and a strong attraction makes it hard for them to keep their hands off one another. Since she has shown up, fights break out amongst the vampires and werewolves, murders are occurring and the local Master Vampire has given her a time limit to get her business done. And she only wants one thing…correct?! This is a new series that starts out with a BANG~ The tension between the two main characters will have you laughing and rooting for them. The journey to take down one master vamp and his henchmen leaves you at the edge of your seat! I received this as an ARC and am leaving a voluntary review.

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

A Good Paranormal Romance To Start A New Series.

I think that this story is OK but I won't be following the series. This book isn't marketed as a YA which was why I downloaded it (it's currently free) but our heroine was turned into a vampire a couple of centuries ago when she was only 17 and with hindsight, I feel that this has a great impact on the story.

I really enjoyed the first half a dozen chapters; it was action-packed, well written and starred a heroine who was resilient, self-reliant and could kick arse! Perfect!

However, I didn't connect with our main characters as I was hoping; I wasn't emotionally engaged. It all became a lot less sophisticated; the personalities, their actions and how the plot developed which meant that I wasn't gripped.

I know that many readers loved this book and have rated it 5 stars, what can I say, it just didn't live up to my adult expectations and in the end it felt too YA/New Adult in the simplicity of the plot, emotional angst and naive misunderstandings.

[Chloe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the mystery/thriller part of this but nott so much the romance. A lot of their arguments were just misunderstandings and the ending with how Shane convinced Nikki to stay just made me feel a little uncomfortable.

Other than that, the writing was okay. I can see how people would enjoy the romance a lot more than I did, it was overall just kindd of okay.

The only major problem I had with this book was how often it changes perspective from Nikki to Shane and back again. It got annoying, especially when they were being romantic and nearer the end it was getting a little annoying but overall, it's an okay book.

[Lauren · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars rounded down

This was a bit of a disappointment. Which is odd as I didn't have any idea as to what this book was before I started but there were a few off-putting things within the story and the writing choices. Unfortunately, this won't be a series I will be continuing.

This focused on a vampire on a revenge quest to kill her sire and a Keeper of the council, sworn to keep peace between the Arcaine races. It was very insta-lusty story but it seemed to take up too much focus of the book. The overall plot was very lacking as the aim was more in teasing the potential sex scenes between the two main characters.

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Niki was made vampire when she was 17 years old. She lived in New Orleans. The vampire that turned her and killed her family was evil, sadistic, vile creature named Thomas. She has been chasing him for over 200 years. She plans to kill him and set the spirits of her family free. If she kills her sire the Council will send Keeper and kill her. Shane is the sham, Keeper and the sheriff of Moss Creek.
Really exciting and fast paced book. Couldn't put it down.

[T.M. Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read

I love the tension between Shane and Niki. The backstory is a bit cliche but the intensity of the reaction is extreme. Add the haunting, and the shaman aspects and is an intriguing read. It was one I could put down but only for short periods and always went back to. Adding the swiss to my TBR list.

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good

Loved the story. A new twist on an age old story. She was turned and her family killed. She has searched for their killer for hundreds of years. He was never supposed to be the Shaman. But, the power came to him and his duty as a Keeper was to keep the peace. Two souls to become one if they can live through the danger and violence to come.

[L. J. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Alright, so, apparently, I have owned this eBook since 2019 and never actually bothered reading it until now and I am deleting it; and I am definitely sure I got it for free back then, so, lucky me.

This was a waste of my time but, thankfully, I only read a few chapters and not the whole thing. That was enough for me to realize that the writing wasn’t that compelling to me.