Monthly Archives: March 2015
COVER REVEAL ~ Promises to Keep by Maegan Beaumont
(Sabrina Vaughn Book #3)
Author: Maegan Beaumont
Publisher: Midnight Ink
Release Date: August 8th, 2015Add to Goodreads
“SFPD—I know you’re back there. Come out with your hands where I can see them,” she said in a tone that gave little doubt as to her intent if her command wasn’t followed.No response, just the slight flutter of the curtain that told her that who or whatever was behind it was still there.
“I said, SFPD. Come out—”
A pair of feet appeared, nothing more than the tops and toes. They were small and pale in the steady beam of her flashlight.
Holy shit. It was a kid.
She changed tactics, softened her tone but still held firm. “It’s okay, you’re safe. I’m a
police officer—it’s okay to come out now,” she said but didn’t lower her gun. There was a chance the child behind the curtain wasn’t alone.
Small feet shuffled closer and a hand peeked out from the split between the curtains. The opening was pulled wider to reveal a white face—dark, vacant eyes and a sharp nose set in a face that was painfully thin. Equally thin shoulders and torso appeared as the kid moved forward slowly. Just like the dead boy upstairs, he was naked.
“Are you alone back there?” she said. The kid didn’t answer, just stared at her with
those empty eyes. She motioned the child closer. “Come here, it’s okay.” She looked at Strickland and tipped her head in the direction of the curtain. He nodded and moved forward, gun raised.Sabrina reached out and latched onto the boy’s arm, pulling him toward her. The second her fingers made contact, he went crazy—swinging and shouting in a language she
didn’t understand.
She dragged the boy clear of the curtain. He fought against her grip, screaming and
flailing, while Strickland did a sweep of the room behind it. He came out a few seconds later. “Nothing. Just a mattress, TV and another camcorder.” he said over the din of the boy’s screaming. “What the hell is he saying?”
She shook her head and looked at the boy, saw his face, white and stretched thin with terror. He wasn’t speaking English but his fear was obvious. “Shhh, shhh—it’s okay. We’re here to help,” she said, hoping her tone would convey the message her words couldn’t.
The boy darted away from her, nothing but a pale blur as he bolted toward freedom and she started after him, pounding up the steps, Strickland two strides behind her. She reached the top of the stairs and saw him running down the darkened hallway, darting this way and that.
“Stop him,”
she shouted, hoping the uniform at the front door would be quick enough to
catch him.
The boy cut to the left and she followed, through the living room doorway. He saw the uniform, blocking his way out and he darted to the left again, cutting across the room to the other side of the house. Toward the room where the dead boy probably still lay stretched out on the floor.
“Don’t go in there,” she said, even though he didn’t understand her. He disappeared through the doorway seconds before she reached it. She skidded to a stop, blocking the
doorway. The coroner, Mandy Black, hunkered down next to the body on the floor
but the whole of her attention was concentrated on the boy who just burst into the
room. He was crouching in the corner furthest away from the doorway, knees drawn tight against his chest by arms so thin and pale they looked like twigs, bleached white by the sun.
He started rambling again, eyes, like miniature black holes, aimed at the body on the
floor. She started to cross the threshold but Mandy threw up a hand and shook her head. Sabrina stalled out mid-stride and watched as Mandy stood, crossing the room on slow and steady feet. She said something in what sounded like the same language the boy was speaking and as if Mandy had thrown a switch, he stopped talking.
Sabrina watched and listened. Mandy got closer and closer, still speaking the strange
language in a low, easy tone that seemed to sooth the boy. It sounded Slavic—maybe Russian. Strange coming from the woman crouched on the floor. She must’ve asked him a question because the boy nodded, eyes suddenly flooded with tears. He started to speak again but his speech had lost its hysterical edge. Mandy got close enough to reach out and touch him but she didn’t. She kept her hands at her sides, shaking her head as she crouched low and slow in front of him. She kept talking. The boy kept listening.
“What. The. Fuck,” Strickland said behind her. “Coroner Barbie speaks gibberish.”
“It’s not gibberish, dickhead. It’s Russian,” Mandy said without looking up.
She felt a prickle, like electricity dancing along her skin. What was a Russian boy doing in an abandoned house in San Francisco? One that had obviously been held against his will?
She looked away from the boy crouched in the corner to the one dead on the floor.
“Ask him if he knows the victim,” she said.
Mandy spoke quietly and the boy answered, shaking his head. “No. He said he’s never seen
him before.”
Sabrina studied the boy on the floor. He was small and blond. She entered the room and
squatted down next to the body. She peeled back a lid and looked at his eyes. They were milky but she could see enough of the iris to know they were light in color.
She stood. “I need some air,” she said, brushing past Strickland on her way out the door. She could feel him watching her and she silently urged him not to follow.
She didn’t need air. She needed to call Ben, because there was a very real chance that she’d just found Leo Maddox.
Past horrors bleed into a present day nightmare
Fifteen years ago, a psychotic killer abducted seventeen year old Melissa Walker. For 83 days she was raped and tortured before being left for dead in a deserted church yard… But she was still alive.Melissa begins a new life as homicide inspector, Sabrina Vaughn. With a new face and a new name, it’s her job to hunt down murderers and it’s a job she does very well.
When Michael O’Shea, a childhood acquaintance with a suspicious past, suddenly finds her, he brings to life the nightmare Sabrina has long since buried.
Believing that his sister was recently murdered by the same monster who attacked Sabrina, Michael is dead set on getting his revenge–using Sabrina as bait.
Sacrificial Muse (Book #2)
She is his muse, and the fates require sacrifice.San Francisco Detective Sabrina Vaughn is able to shrug off the nine red roses being delivered to her office every day. But when only eight roses arrive on the same day a Berkeley student’s mutilated body is found, Sabrina fears that the killer is taunting her. Forced into a partnership with a deceitful reporter who somehow remains one step ahead of her, Sabrina discovers that she’s the object of a psychopath’s twisted delusion . . . and there may be no escape.
When she isn’t busy fulfilling her duties as Domestic Goddess for her high school sweetheart turned husband, Joe, and their four children, she is locked in her office with her computer, her coffee pot and her Rhodesian Ridgeback, and one true love, Jade.
Twitter ~ Blog ~ Goodreads ~ Website ~ Facebook
Share this:
BOOK BLITZ ~ Aberrant by Ruth Silver
Title: Aberrant
Series: Aberrant Series #1
Author: Ruth Silver
Publication Date: April 16, 2013
Genre: Y/A Dystopian
Publisher: Lazy Day Publishing
Cover: Lazy Day Publishing
Synopsis
What if your existence was illegal?
When children can no longer be conceived through natural means, a lottery is established to determine which families will conceive a child in a lab through IVF.
Eighteen year old Olivia Parker is an anomaly. She shouldn’t exist.
The government wants her dead. The rebels have their own perverted agenda. In a world filled with secrets, betrayals, and death lurking at every turn, Olivia must decide her own path and who to trust.
Adventure, mystery, and romance come together in this fast-paced Young Adult dystopian fantasy that will keep readers of all ages turning the pages. Aberrant is the first novel in the Aberrant series.
Giveaway
Rafflecopter giveaway
Trailer
Excerpt
Meet the Author
Ruth Silver is the best-selling author of the Aberrant trilogy. With a passion for writing and a love of story-telling, Ruth is actively writing two series under her name: Royal Reaper and Orenda. http://ravynrayne.com
http://facebook.com/ravynraynereads
http://twitter.com/blushingravyn
Interview
Q: Let’s start with what inspired you to write Aberrant?
Share this:
MANDAY HOTTIES ~ Morning!!!!
Morning lovelies, welcome to this weeks Manday Hotties Blog Hop
We’re back from Vegas and I’m back to checking out tattoos this week.
Hope you like the pic choices!!
I’m finding it hard to choose between these 2 today, what about you??
As ever, don’t forget to check out the other Blogs taking part in Felicity’s Hop today.
LINKS:
http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/blog/
http://flora-f-musings.blogspot.co.uk/
http://petulareadsromance.blogspot.co.uk/
Have a great week and we’ll catch you back here next Monday for more Hotties!!
~ T xx
Share this:
SPOTLIGHT ~ ETERNAL MATES Series by FELICITY HEATON
It’s no secret that we are big fans of #PNR reads and one of my recent favourites is the ETERNAL MATES series from Felicity Heaton
Reading Order:
KISSED BY A DARK PRINCE
CLAIMED BY A DEMON KING
TEMPTED BY A ROGUE PRINCE
HUNTED BY A JAGUAR
CRAVED BY AN ALPHA
BITTEN BY A HELLCAT
TAKEN BY A DRAGON
A little about the Eternal Mates – #ParanormalRomance Series
“Step out of Vampirerotique (Vampire Erotic Theatre series) and into the wider world of powerful dark elves, immortal demon kings, sexy shape-shifters, lethal fae, wicked vampires, dark sorceresses, light witches and the demon-hunting organisation, Archangel… where portals link realms both terrifying and fantastical, and men are willing to risk all to claim the hearts of their eternal mates.
The Eternal Mates romance series is set in the same world as my Vampire Erotic Theatre romance series and features cameos from characters in that series.”
Kissed by a Dark Prince ~ #1
Olivia thinks it’s her lucky night when a dangerously handsome unconscious fae ends up on her inspection table. He’s her chance to redeem herself with her employer, the demon-hunting organisation, Archangel. But when the tall, dark and deadly immortal warrior awakes, she gets much more than she bargained for…
Attacked by his enemy in the elf kingdom, the last thing Prince Loren expects when he comes around is a beautiful angel watching over him and medical technology of the mortal realm. Hazy from his injuries, all he can focus on is the pulse ticking in her throat and the sweet allure of her blood.
One single bite reveals she is his eternal mate, triggering a bond between them that will leave him weakened until it is completed… or broken, and pulling Olivia into the crossfire of his ancient feud.
To protect his people and his mate from the machinations of a madman, Loren must risk everything by working with Olivia at Archangel to find a way to break the bond blossoming between them.
But will Loren be strong enough to place duty before desire and give up the one thing he has waited millennia for and craves above all others—his eternal mate? And will Olivia be able to resist the incredible heat that burns between them and the temptation of her dark prince’s kiss?
Claimed by a Demon King ~ #2
The moment the demon King Thorne of the Third Realm set eyes on the mortal huntress Sable, he knew she was his fated one. The fiery, dangerous female awakened hungers he had never experienced before, a dark craving and passion that has consumed him in their time apart. As the lunar cycle wanes, she enters his world again and nothing will stand in the way of him claiming his forever with her—not the relentless assault from the Fifth Realm or the dark elf male determined to seduce her out of his grasp.
Intent on achieving the coveted position of commander at Archangel, Sable leads her small team into the dark underworld and the Third Realm, to a war where her allies are the very creatures she normally hunts—vampires, werewolves, and demons. Her eagerness to lead the deadly mission has everything to do with winning her promotion, and nothing to do with the kingdom’s brash, lethally seductive demon king—a king who stirred fierce desire and wildfire heat in her with just a look and an innocent touch when they first met, and has been in her wicked dreams ever since.
As the gathering storm between rivals unleashes irresistible passion that flares white-hot and the heat of the battle brings life-shattering realisations, can Sable place her duty before her heart? Or will she surrender to her deepest desires and be claimed by a demon king?
Tempted by a Rogue Prince ~ #3
An elf prince on the verge of losing himself to the darkness, Vail is maddened by the forty-two centuries he was under the control of a witch and forced to war with his brother. Now, he roams Hell seeking an escape from his terrible past and the heads of all who bear magic. When demons of the Fifth Realm capture him, he sees a chance to end his existence, but when he wakes in a cell to a beautiful female, he finds not death but his only shot at salvation—his true fated mate.
Captured by the enemy of the Third Realm when the war ended, Rosalind has spent months in the cells of the Fifth Realm with her magic bound, forced to heal the new king’s demon warriors, and haunted by the lives she has taken. When she’s brought to heal an unconscious man, she discovers her only hope of escape has come in the form of her worst nightmare and the first part of a prediction that might spell her doom—a devastatingly handsome and dangerous dark elf prince.
Unwilling to fall under the control of anyone ever again, Vail must escape before the Fifth King can use him as a pawn in a deadly game of revenge, but he cannot leave without Rosalind, the woman who looks at him with dark desire in her stunning eyes and awakens a fierce hunger in his heart. A witch who drives him mad with need even as the darkness within whispers she will enslave him too.
Can Rosalind escape her fate as they embark on a journey fraught with danger and resist the temptation of her rogue elf prince? And can Vail overcome the memories that madden him in order to seize his chance for salvation and the heart of his fated female forever?
Hunted by a Jaguar ~ #4
A jaguar shifter with a dark secret, Kyter has spent his entire life running from his demons. When a tragedy takes him back to his pride’s village, he is set on a path of vengeance that will see him collide with the terrible ghosts of his past and a beautiful vision of his future.
Iolanthe deals in finding artefacts for discerning clients, but this time her client is one of the deadliest men in Hell and her mission has the highest stakes imaginable. Failure is not an option when your life is on the line, but things take a dangerous turn when she crosses paths with a handsome and mysterious male on the hunt for the same artefact—a male who declares she is his eternal mate.
Can Iolanthe resist Kyter’s wicked allure and find the artefact before he does? Can Kyter face his demons and win the heart of his fated female? Or will this deadly game of cat and mouse claim both of their lives?
Craved by an Alpha ~ #5
Having turned his back on his snow leopard pride, Cavanaugh has been counting the days until he’s free of a role he never wanted—one that separated him from his fated female and stands between him and the future he craves with her.
Just days from the night he will finally be free to be with the low-ranking beauty who stole his heart, she walks back into his life and threatens to destroy everything he’s worked towards in the five long years they’ve been apart.
Eloise has travelled across continents searching for the male who was once her best friend and so much more to her, but was now her pride’s true alpha. Desperate to fulfil a promise to her kin to save them from the tyrant he left in charge, she convinces Cavanaugh to return to his pride, but as they journey to Bhutan, doubts bloom and old feelings resurface, tearing her between duty and her deepest desires and impossible dreams.
Will Eloise be able to resist the burning need that Cavanaugh reignites in her and remember her place in the pride? And can Cavanaugh find a way to save his kin and claim the future he craves with the woman he loves?
Bitten by a Hellcat ~ #6
The sole remaining member of the most famous shifter hunter family in history, Owen Nightingale is a mercenary and a man with a secret held in his closely guarded heart, but when a beautiful rare shifter catches his eye and offers him a job, he has the feeling he’ll be the one paying for helping her—with his heart.
Cait is in a spot of trouble with a capital T. A male hellcat has set his sights on claiming her and she’s one kitty who doesn’t want a collar. When she meets a dark, alluring and mysterious hunter, she sees a chance to rid herself of the male, but the price Owen sets and the fierce passion that burns white-hot between them lures her dangerously under his seductive spell.
Can Owen discover the true intent of the male hellcat and stop Cait from falling into his hands? And can Cait retain control as the heat of desire burns between her and Owen, or will a reckless moment seal both of their fates forever?
Taken by a Dragon ~ #7
Possessed by a need to save a beautiful Amazon warrior from the vision he witnessed, Loke snatched her from the midst of the battle between the Third and Fifth realm of the demons, and carried her to his home deep in the black mountains of Hell to protect her. But as the fierce little female awakens, he finds she’s anything but grateful, and his dragon instincts roar to life to warn she might be more to him than an enemy—she might be his fated female.
Anais remembers meeting a handsome warrior in the heat of battle, a man who was her enemy but who looked at her with eyes that held dark heat and wicked promises. When she wakes to find that same dragon shifter has taken her captive, desire is the last thing on her mind, but escaping him to return to Archangel, the hunter organisation she works for, sounds less than appealing when he reveals the reason he took her—to stop her from dying.
Can Loke protect Anais from the dangers of his realm and how far will he go to save her from the future he keeps witnessing? Can Anais resist the fierce attraction that burns between them as hot as fire and stay true to Archangel or will her heart be taken by the dragon?
About Felicity Heaton 
I’m a New York Times, USA Today and international best-selling British author writing passionate paranormal romance books. In my books I create detailed worlds, twisting plots, mind-blowing action, intense emotion and heart-stopping romances with leading men that vary from dark deadly vampires to sexy shape-shifters and wicked werewolves, to sinful angels and hot demons!
If you’re a fan of paranormal romance authors Lara Adrian, Larissa Ione, J R Ward, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Gena Showalter and Christine Feehan then you will enjoy my books too.
If you love your angels a little dark and wicked, the best-selling Her Angel series is for you. If you like strong, powerful, and dark vampires then try the Vampires Realm series or any of my stand-alone vampire romance books. If you’re looking for vampire romances that are sinful, passionate and erotic then try the best-selling Vampire Erotic Theatre series. Or if you prefer huge detailed worlds filled with hot-blooded alpha males in every species, from elves to demons to dragons to shifters and angels, then take a look at the new Eternal Mates series.
My books have received Must Read / Top Pick awards from Night Owl Reviews, GraveTells, The Romance Reviews and other review websites, and have received nominations at The Romance Reviews and Epic Ebook Awards. As an author, I have received the GraveTells Author of the Year Award.
Many of my books have reached the best seller lists on Fictionwise, Amazon, Kobo Books and Apple iBookstore/iTunes, with several of them hitting the number 1 or top 10 places in paranormal romance and fantasy romance, and several of my books have reached the top 100 in the overall store rankings at Amazon.
LINKS TO FELICITY
Blog
Twitter
Facebook
Goodreads
Google
Pinterest
Share this:
SALE ~ THE STORM MC Series by Nina Levine
¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.THE STORM MC SERIES by Author Nina Levine IS ON SALE! ¸¸.•*¨*•*´¨)
** STORM (Storm MC #1) – FREE **
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1BzQt1y
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1FCy36U
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/1ouNC7H
iBooks: http://bit.ly/1m9U7Yv
B&N: http://bit.ly/1nzd75h
Google Play: http://bit.ly/1xBxZPN
** FIERCE (Storm MC #2) – 99c **
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1EsHlhp
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1Grfcd0
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/1kxd1dn
B&N: http://bit.ly/1xc1idK
iBooks: http://apple.co/1vwaYcL
Google Play: http://bit.ly/1y9NUHU
** BLAZE (Storm MC #2.5) – 99c **
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1F5Rm9r
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1Grfelf
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/1jez0XS
iBooks: http://bit.ly/1ksEHkq
B&N: http://bit.ly/QWzp6R
Google Play: http://bit.ly/1tKt0ht
** REVIVE (Storm MC #3) – 99c **
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1B2q0tA
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1Grfelf
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/1yNhC2q
iBooks: http://bit.ly/1qqEmBx
B&N: http://bit.ly/1jFrbHE
Google Play: http://bit.ly/1I0omOU
** SLAY (Storm MC #4) – $2.99 **
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/18JqXAk
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1Grfelf
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/1yNhC2q
B&N: http://bit.ly/1jFspTr
iBooks: http://bit.ly/1nUsgQ4
Google Play: http://bit.ly/1F5he5m
Share this:
LIMITED TIME SALE ~ Jake Undone (Jake #1) by Penelope Ward
Jake Undone (Jake #1) 99-cent sale:
Both books are standalones, but book two tells a different side of the story and features lots of new material.
LINKS:
JAKE UNDONE
Nina Kennedy was alive…but not living…until she met him.
Planes, trains, heights…you name it, Nina was afraid of it and led a sheltered life ruled by irrational fears and phobias. When she moves to Brooklyn for nursing school, that life is turned upside down, as she develops an intense but unwanted attraction to her gorgeous roommate, who’s pierced, tattooed and just happens to be the smartest person she’s ever met.
Behind Jake Green’s rough exterior and devilish smile, lies a heart of gold. He makes it his mission to change Nina’s outlook on life. When he agrees to tutor her, they forge a bet and the stakes are high as Jake forces Nina to face her demons. He just wasn’t expecting to fall hard for her in the process.
What Nina doesn’t realize, is that Jake has been living his own private hell. Once he drops a bombshell, will their love survive it?
Told in two parts from both Nina and Jake’s points of view, Jake Undone is a standalone story and a companion to the novel, Gemini.
JAKE UNDERSTOOD
A different side to the story: Jake’s side.
“We’re getting a new roommate,” they said.
I thought nothing of it…until she walked in the door. Her hand trembled in mine as she looked at me with fearful eyes. My entire world spun on its axis.
Nina…
It was a mismatch made in heaven: innocent girl from the boonies moves in with tattooed, pierced, badboy engineer.
I came up with a bet, a plan to tutor her in math and coach her through her phobias. What I wasn’t betting on was becoming addicted to her.
But I was living a double life on weekends, and once she found out about it, she’d be gone.
I had to protect myself and that meant one thing: I couldn’t fall in love.
In Jake Understood, pivotal scenes from Jake Undone are retold from Jake’s point of view combined with all-new material from both the past and present time where Jake Undone left off. It can stand alone but if both books are read, should follow Jake Undone. Contains graphic sexual content and harsh language. It is only appropriate for adult readers age 18+.
Links to Penelope:
Share this:
BLOG BARRAGE ~ Taken By A Dragon by Felicity Heaton
Taken by a Dragon, the seventh book in New York Times best-seller Felicity Heaton’s hot paranormal romance series, Eternal Mates, is now available in ebook and paperback. To celebrate the release, she’s holding a FANTASTIC GIVEAWAY at her website and sharing sneak peeks of the book.
BUY LINKS:
Amazon US:
Amazon UK:
Amazon DE:
Amazon CA:
Amazon AU:
iBooks US:
iBooks UK:
iBooks AU:
iBooks CA:
iBooks NZ:
Find out how to enter the Taken by a Dragon international giveaway (ends March 22nd) and be in with a shot of winning a $75, $50 or $25 gift certificate at her website, where you can also download a 5 chapter sample of the novel:
Here’s more about Taken by a Dragon, including an excerpt from this paranormal romance novel.
Possessed by a need to save a beautiful Amazon warrior from the vision he witnessed, Loke snatched her from the midst of the battle between the Third and Fifth realm of the demons, and carried her to his home deep in the black mountains of Hell to protect her. But as the fierce little female awakens, he finds she’s anything but grateful, and his dragon instincts roar to life to warn she might be more to him than an enemy—she might be his fated female.
Anais remembers meeting a handsome warrior in the heat of battle, a man who was her enemy but who looked at her with eyes that held dark heat and wicked promises. When she wakes to find that same dragon shifter has taken her captive, desire is the last thing on her mind, but escaping him to return to Archangel, the hunter organisation she works for, sounds less than appealing when he reveals the reason he took her—to stop her from dying.
Can Loke protect Anais from the dangers of his realm and how far will he go to save her from the future he keeps witnessing? Can Anais resist the fierce attraction that burns between them as hot as fire and stay true to Archangel or will her heart be taken by the dragon?
Taken by a Dragon is available from Amazon Kindle, Kobo Books, Barnes and Noble Nook, Apple iBooks stores and other retailers. Also available in paperback. Find the links to your preferred retailer.
Excerpt
Loke stared off to his right at the mouth of the cave, searching for a way to improve the relationship between him and his ward, and stop himself from surrendering to the darker instincts that were beginning to wake inside him. He wanted her and had done since first setting eyes on her, he would never deny that, but he would also never seek to possess her in the traditional ways of a dragon. She wasn’t an object to be owned or a slave to be taken against her will.
She was beautiful and fierce. She was a little Amazon. A warrior.
That side of her both fascinated and concerned him. It drew him to her but pushed him away at the same time. He had to keep reminding himself that she wasn’t strong. She was mortal. A weak species. He had proven that by hurting her without ever realising it.
He cursed himself and swiftly stood, intending to apologise to her. When he risked looking back down at her, her deep blue eyes were on the tunnels to his left again. Maybe there was a way to make her feel more comfortable in his home. She did seem very interested in the tunnels.
“Come. You must be hungry. I will show you the larder.” He held his hand out to her but she didn’t take it.
She rose to her feet and he looked back at the cave mouth while she dressed, giving her some privacy.
“It’s probably just because you think I’ll run off the moment you turn your back,” she muttered.
Loke smiled. “It had crossed my mind.”
She swept her arm out towards the tunnels. “Lead the way.”
He decided that would also be unwise, so he opted for walking beside her. On her left. So she couldn’t grab his knife he had sheathed against his left hip.
When he reached the fire, he picked up the wooden torch he kept near it, lit it and held it ahead of them, illuminating the path.
“In my world, we have things called torches… but they’re powered by batteries.”
“Batteries?” He looked down at her and caught her staring at his bare chest. His heart missed a beat as fire swept through his veins and he had to battle to bring it back under control.
Her gaze leaped away from him and her cheeks darkened. “Tiny power cells. We use them to run all kinds of electronic equipment.”
“Electronic?” He tried to focus on their conversation and his curiosity about her world, using it to shut out the temptation to shift closer to her. He wouldn’t cross that line. No matter how fiercely he desired her. She was under his protection only until the time came when he received word that the battle was over and she could return to her people. He meant to keep his promises.
Perhaps his desire to understand her was too dangerous to indulge. He feared that if he came to understand the sylph beside him, he would be done for, no longer able to keep his distance from her. It was better she remained a mystery then and he interacted with her as little as possible.
His dragon instincts roared to the fore, pushing back against that idea. Leaving her as a mystery meant denying his curiosity about her. It meant not learning about her world and her life as a mortal. She was his chance to gain knowledge about a world he could never venture into, no matter how fiercely he wanted to see it. He needed to hear her tales, her first-hand accounts of everything the mortal world had to offer.
Loke scrubbed his free hand through his hair, grasping the longer lengths and tugging them back until his scalp stung.
Everything about her was impossible.
She was impossible to understand as she leaped between polar emotions in a heartbeat. Impossible to comprehend as he pitted the fact she was mortal against the knowledge she was a warrior. Impossible to ignore as she huffed beside him and he felt her gaze briefly touch on his body again.
Impossible to resist.
Loke glanced down at her, his eyes straying to her despite his attempt to keep them locked on the tunnels ahead of them.
She looked unimpressed and he was coming to hate seeing that expression on her face because it made him feel inadequate.
“You seriously don’t know what electricity is?” She rolled her eyes and sighed emphatically again. “Heaven help me.”
“I do not think the angels will help you, Little Amazon. They cannot venture into Hell as far as I know.”
She stopped dead and he walked a few steps, her gaze boring into his back, before halting too and looking over his shoulder at her. Her stunned expression drew a smile from him and lightened his mood, chasing away the ache in his head and lifting him out of the mire of his conflicting desires.
“Angels?” she whispered, a touch of fascination in her voice.
He grinned now. “Ah, it would seem it is my turn to sigh ever so dramatically.”
Her face darkened into a scowl. “Whatever. I’m sure if there were angels, Archangel would know about them.”
She had mentioned Archangel before, when she had called herself a demon-hunter. The other female he had met in the battle, the one with black hair, had called herself such a thing too. It made sense for that female. She had been powerful.
His little Amazon was not.
Yet she apparently hunted immortals. A foolish venture for a mortal. He was surprised she had survived to her current age.
He wasn’t sure what age that was, or how many cycles of the earth around the sun it took for a mortal to grow to adulthood, and he wasn’t about to ask her. She would sigh again and right now he had the upper hand and he was enjoying it.
“Angels exist.” He made it a statement, so she didn’t question it.
It didn’t stop her. “So where are they? Why haven’t I met one? I’ve been hunting for years and I’ve never met one.”
“You would most likely be dead if you met one of the breed who make Hell their home. Fallen angels are dangerous prey, Little Amazon. You must not approach or engage them.”
He must have looked serious because she didn’t argue. Instead, her eyes took on a shimmer of curiosity.
“You’ve met a fallen angel?”
He nodded. “And barely escaped with my life… but it was long ago and I am stronger now. I am confident I could hold my own against one if I ever meet another.”
She ran her gaze over him, a wave of heat following it, scalding him wherever she lingered, and then raised her eyes back to his. “How long ago?”
Loke thought about that as he began walking again, leading the way towards the tunnel. He gave up searching for a definite answer and shrugged as he made a guess. “Around four thousand years ago. Give or take a few centuries. It is difficult to remember.”
She stopped again and he sighed. If she kept stopping whenever he said something that astounded her, they were going to take hours to reach the larder.
“Four thousand years. Blimey. Prince Loren is around five thousand years old or something like that according to—”
“Prince Loren… of the elves?” Loke ignored her scowl but noted she didn’t like being interrupted. “You know him?”
She nodded and his eyebrow quirked.
He had known they had fought on the same side in the battle between the Third and Fifth realms of the demons, but he hadn’t expected her to know royalty. It surprised him that the prince of elves had worked directly with her people rather than allowing one of his commanders to do such a low and menial task in his place.
“He’s getting married to one of our scientists,” she said with a smile. “Something about Olivia being his mate.”
Olivia. He frowned at that name. The black-haired female had mentioned it, stating how Olivia would love to study him. A scientist. He knew of science in the sense they meant it. Studying. Cutting open creatures to see their insides and gain knowledge of them. He curled his lip at his little Amazon, flashing a hint of fang.
She planted her hands on her hips. “I don’t recall saying or doing anything to deserve that sort of look.”
“Speak not of scientists and mates. It is a ridiculous notion that the prince of elves would find a mate in such a weak species.”
“Well, it happened… like Sable is probably going to get hitched to King Thorne.” She stormed past him and he was the one standing still and staring at her in astonishment now.
“King Thorne has a mate too?”
She nodded and looked over her shoulder at him. “You met her. She trod on your throat.”
He rubbed the front of it and pinned her with a black look as he recalled the dark-haired huntress. “She was strong. A worthy mate for a demon king.”
Her pretty face darkened, her fair eyebrows dropping low above her deep blue eyes, and she turned on him. “Strength comes from more than the body, you know? It comes from in here too.”
She pressed her hand between her breasts.
“Strength of heart does not make you strong, Little Amazon. It does not stop a blade from slicing your throat open.” He stepped towards her, closing the gap between them, and swept his fingers in a straight line just inches from her delicate throat as he stared down into her eyes. “It does not make you a match for one of our kind. Physical weakness cannot be overcome by emotional strength. A mortal is a poor match for an immortal. It would be far too easy to harm you by mistake.”
He swept past her, leaving her to follow, and paused only when he reached the mouth of the tunnel that led to the larder.
She stood where he had left her, staring at him, a myriad of emotions crossing her face and colouring her eyes, clashing and colliding, but through them all one rose.
Defiance.
She straightened her spine, tilted her chin up, and clenched her fists at her sides as her lips compressed into a mulish line.
“You know nothing about mortals. Physical strength isn’t everything. Without emotion… without heart… you’re nothing but barbarians. But I should’ve known that you were a barbarian… after all… you act like one.” She stormed past him again and didn’t slow this time.
She marched ahead of him into the darkness and he let her, even though he wanted to argue with her. He scrubbed his free hand over his face and held back his sigh. Perhaps he had been too hard on her kind. He wasn’t sure what had possessed him to say those things to her, pointing out the differences between mortals and immortals. The thought that the prince of elves had been given a mortal female as a fated mate, and that King Thorne of the Third Realm had also received one, had set him on edge for some reason.
Loke watched her stomping towards the edge of the reach of the light from his torch.
If she kept marching blind as she was now, she was going to trip over something and hurt herself. He quickened his pace, eating up the distance between them with long-legged strides, and only slowed when he was within a few feet of her. She muttered things beneath her breath and he caught his name from time to time.
The larder came into view ahead of them and she finally slowed down, her head turning this way and that as she took it in. He had carved shelves into the black walls of the small round cave many centuries ago, allowing him to keep his food off the floor, where bugs were prone to nibble on it.
He placed the wooden torch in the diagonal shaft he had hacked into the rock near the entrance of the larder and picked up the iron cauldron he had traded from a witch in the free realm. He placed his only metal bowl and a wooden spoon down inside it, and then set about gathering the items he needed for their meal.
“Eww, what is that. Tell me you don’t eat that.”
He turned to find Anais pointing at a lump of white fat he had carved off an old Hell beast, one of the kind with horns and talons. It had been a difficult battle. He could have easily won if he had resorted to using his dragon form, but his kind preferred to hunt in their mortal appearance. They relished the challenge and the chance to test their skills against a larger foe.
Loke shook his head. “I do not eat that. I use it for fuel.”
“For the fire?” She looked back towards the exit. “And the torches I guess?”
He nodded this time. “It helps. I eat this.”
He picked up a skinned side of Hell beast, around a quarter of the original carcass, with the front left limb and ribs intact, and she looked as if she might vomit.
She swiftly covered her mouth and turned away from him.
Would he ever understand her?
She claimed to be strong, but when faced with a butchered creature, she paled and looked ready to flee. He was beginning to wonder whether she had ever taken a life during her battles. Surely a female who couldn’t look at a piece of meat was incapable of taking a life?
“I think I might be vegetarian,” she muttered into her palm.
Loke wasn’t sure what that meant but he didn’t like the sound of it. “I will make a stew from the leg.”
“What does it taste like?” She peeked over her shoulder at it. “Does it taste like beef or maybe lamb? I’m not big on lamb.”
Beef. Lamb. He presumed these were creatures of the mortal world.
He shrugged. “I am afraid I cannot compare it with something from your realm as I have never been there.”
She frowned and shifted to face him, her fear of the carcass evidently forgotten. “You haven’t left Hell?”
He shook his head. “No dragons leave Hell… so you see I cannot offer you a comparison to ease your mind… but it tastes good.”
“I think I’ll have to be the judge of that. If it does, I’ll tell the world… there’s a bachelor in Hell who can cook.” She paused and ran another glance over him, rekindling the fire in his veins. “You are a bachelor? I figured you were since this cave doesn’t look like the sort of place where a lady dragon would live. It lacks a female’s touch.”
Loke bit back a groan.
His cave wasn’t the only thing that lacked a female’s touch. He had been lacking that for a long time.
His gaze fell to her hands and he was wondering what her touch would feel like before he could stop himself. He tried to shake away the image of her running her palms over his bare chest, making him burn with a soft caress, but it was impossible. He had invited the images into his mind, had opened himself to them, and they flooded him, refusing to go away.
He was vaguely aware that he was standing in the larder, staring at her like a complete dolt and asking for another kick to the groin.
Anais snapped her fingers in front of his face and he jerked backwards, blinking at her.
“I don’t want to know what you were thinking, but your eyes were being weird.” She shuffled away from him, to such a distance that it was clear she had lied and knew what he had been thinking about and knew the reason his eyes had brightened, verging on glowing.
He was hungry, but not for food.
He wanted a taste of something far more dangerous and alluring.
The fascinating little Amazon diligently keeping her eyes off him.
As if that would stop him from desiring her.
Taken by a Dragon is available from Amazon Kindle, Kobo Books, Barnes and Noble Nook, Apple iBooks stores and other retailers. Also available in paperback.
Find all the links, a fantastic 6 chapter downloadable sample of the book, and also how to enter the giveaway and be in with a shot of winning a $75, $50 or $25 gift certificate at her website:
BLP REVIEW ~ TRACY
When I heard that Felicity was writing a book about a Dragon shifter I was delighted…… of all the PNR species, dragons are my favourite!!!
We first met Loke during the battle between the Third and Fifth realms when he spotted Anais, just before he grabbed her and flew off with her.
In Taken by a Dragon, we are transported to Loke’s home in the Dragon kingdom where he has taken Anais where we find out his reasons behind his actions. As time passes they get to know each other, feelings grow and we see the develovment of their relationship.
Being a hunter for Archangel and wanting back to her friends in the human realm, Anais starts out trying to find a way to escape from Loke while the big sexy blue Dragon, having had a vision of her demise and now in full-on protection mode, is hell bent on keeping her – at least until he can find a way to save her (well, that’s his initial intention!!)
Both characters are stubborn, bloody minded and determined which leads to clashes and a battle of wills until Anais begins to understand Loke’s concern and what the visions could mean for her.
As we have come to expect with this series, things are never straightforward and more than a couple of spanners are thrown into the works that cause trouble, upset, distrust and hurt between the pair.
Once again we are introduced to new characters that I am itching to meet and we catch up on some of our favourites from earlier in the series.
The Eternal Mates series is well written, interesting and action packed and in Taken By A Dragon Felicity has expanded the paranormal world that the stories take place in and has given us another fantastic read.
If you are already familiar with these books, Taken By A Dragon will be another hit with you. If you are yet to try the series, do yourself a favour and start it now.
Books in the Eternal Mates paranormal romance series:
- Book 1: Kissed by a Dark Prince
- Book 2: Claimed by a Demon King
- Book 3: Tempted by a Rogue Prince
- Book 4: Hunted by a Jaguar
- Book 5: Craved by an Alpha
- Book 6: Bitten by a Hellcat
- Book 7: Taken by a Dragon
- Book 8: Marked by an Assassin – Coming in spring 2015!
Author Bio |
If you love your angels a little dark and wicked, the best-selling Her Angel series is for you. If you like strong, powerful, and dark vampires then try the Vampires Realm series or any of her stand-alone vampire romance books. If you’re looking for vampire romances that are sinful, passionate and erotic then try the best-selling Vampire Erotic Theatre series. Or if you prefer huge detailed worlds filled with hot-blooded alpha males in every species, from elves to demons to dragons to shifters and angels, then take a look at the new Eternal Mates series. If you want to know more about Felicity, or want to get in touch, you can find her at the following places: Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Tsu | Pinterest | GoodReads | Amazon
|
Follow The Tour!
|
|
| Mar 10:
Monlatable Book Reviews Kimmie Sue’s Book Review Book Lovin’ Mamas Night Owl ReviewsIsalovesbooks Mar 11: Mar 12: Mar 13: Mar 14: Mar 15: Lisa’s Loves (Books Of Course) Mar 16: |
Booked & Loaded The Delighted Reader Warrior Woman Winmill Captain Swan Mar 17: The Reading Cafe Reading Between the Wines Book Club Mar 18: Mar 19: Mar 20: Mar 21: Paranormal Romance and Authors That Rock Mar 22: |
Book Loving Pixies 