Special Post: VAMPIRE MOST WANTED by Lynsay Sands - An Argeneau Series Primer

VAMPIRE MOST WANTED

by Lynsay Sands

an Argeneau Vampire novel

Take a road trip with the undead in this latest Argeneau novel by New York Timesbestselling author Lynsay Sands.

For Basha Argeneau, anything is better than facing her estranged family. Even hiding out in sweltering southern California. But when a sexy immortal in black shows up determined to bring her back to the clan, she'll do anything to keep far, far away from the past she can't outrun.

Marcus Notte isn't here to play games—especially not with someone as crazy as the infamous blonde. Asked by Lucian Argeneau to bring her back for questioning, Marcus is determined to carry out Lucian's request—no matter how the seductive little mind-reading vamp feels about it. Basha doesn't mind fighting fire with fire, especially with a hot immortal involved. But if he wants to take her away, he'll have to catch her first.

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I’m reading VAMPIRE MOST WANTED by Lynsay Sands now and I can tell you this, if you’re a fan of this series, you will not be disappointed. I’m so excited to share my thoughts with you but that will have to wait until Monday, February 17^th. In the meantime, I’d like to share a treat with you.

To celebrate 10 years of Argeneau Vampires and the soon to be released 20th book in the series, VAMPIRE MOST WANTED, Avon Romance is providing you with an Argeneau Vampire Primer and Reference Guide! These handy visuals will help newcomers to the series keep up with the goings on, and will give long time readers a fun trip down memory lane!

We hope you enjoy this little gift!

To view the Argeneau Family Tree Full Size simply Click HERE!

To view the Notte Family Tree Full Size simple Click HERE!

Join me on Monday, February 17th for my review of VAMPIRE MOST WANTED by Lynsay Sands and if you haven't tried out this amazing series, then do!

VAMPIRE MOST WANTED, an Argeneau novel by Lynsay Sands, Avon Romance, coming February 18, 2014, soon to be available in print and ebook formats at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobobooks.

                                                   ***click on links or cover below for purchasing information 

                                                                                              

   

   

Unwrapping: Reviews of FIRST DATES ARE HELL by Amanda Arista and BLOOD AND WATER by Kim Falconer, novellas from VAMPIRES GONE WILD

Monday and Wednesday, I reviewed the first two novellas in the anthology, VAMPIRES GONE WILD, an upcoming release from Avon Impulse. This anthology will be available to everyone in ebook formats on February 12, 2013 and I guarantee that if you love paranormal romance and especially vampires, you're going to love this anthology. There's not a bad one in the bunch. Today, due to time constraints and because I am only acquainted with one of the two remaining authors in the anthology, I'm going to review both of the remaining stories in one post. I hope you don't mind.

***eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest and unscripted review.

Blurb for book three in VAMPIRES GONE WILD -
FIRST DATES ARE HELL by Amanda Arista:

Valiance's first date in a hundred years is going great . . . until they're attacked in the parking lot and quiet, unassuming Esme turns out to be way more than she appears.

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Amanda Arista broke onto the paranormal scene with the Diaries of an Urban Panther series and hasn't come up for a breath since. Her heroine, Violet Jordan, is the star amidst many and proves she's still got it in Amanda's novella, FIRST DATES ARE HELL. I have followed this series since the first book, DIARIES OF AN URBAN PANTHER, and been a huge fan of Amanda's humor, snarkiness, and her excellent writing using first person - praise indeed from me who is always hesitant when I start reading first person point of view. I do have to admit that I have not read the third book in the series, NINE LIVES OF AN URBAN PANTHER, yet - but plan to whenever a hole in my reading list opens up. I absolutely loved book two, CLAWS AND EFFECT and so only expect equally great things from NINE LIVES. If you're a shifter fan, this series is a must read with Amanda's conjuring of different worlds that exist within our own, and alongside, in which all those stories about faeries, imps, werewolves, and such come to life.

FIRST DATES ARE HELL continues this realm but now Violet has stepped aside - slightly - and handed over the reins of the story to a vampire. Thomas Valmont, now known as Valiance, has not been on a date in a really, really long time - like a hundred years long! He's left his Clade or rather they left him behind in Dallas. On his own, and having teamed up with the Prima of Dallas, Violet Jordan, Val is trying to fit in. When Violet tells him to do something to relax, quilting perhaps or have some fun, go on a vacation, his thoughts go to a young woman he met while buying sheets. Violet suggests he seek her out and ask her on a date. Of course, Val thinks it's ridiculous and possibly dangerous since the girl is only human.

Esme has spent her life going unnoticed, unseen by everyone, and she believes it's because she's dull and unattractive. But when a tall Viking-looking man asks her out for coffee, she's caught by surprise. No one asks her out, no one even remembers her. Unsure if he'll even show up, Esme is delighted when he does. Suddenly, he decides they must leave the coffee shop - conveniently owned by Violet - and fearing this charming, handsome gentleman has decided the date was a mistake, she's almost glad to learn, instead, that he's a vampire. Now, Esme is in the midst of a battle. A battle where the bad guys (vampires from Val's Clade) can't see her, so she does what Val tell hers and leaves taking his cell phone with her. She calls Violet for help and turns to her grandmother for answers. It's then she discovers that all of those fairy tales she'd been told as a child are true and that she's not so human after all.

First dates are filled with enough angst, throw in attacking vampires and you've got the recipe for a date from hell but I love how Esme keeps thinking such things as her ever first date was officially the worst best date ever. Or as Val considered it when Violet asked him how his date was going - Maybe all first dates were like this, minus the kidnapping and bloodletting. Amanda Arista is skilled at bringing life to her characters and with FIRST DATES ARE HELL, she's turned the corner and used third person point of view so that we can experience this hellish first date from both Esme and Valiance's points of view.

If you haven't taken a walk on the shifter wild side with Amanda Arista before, FIRST DATES ARE HELL is an excellent way to venture into the world of Wanderers without risking too much. If you're already a fan of the Urban Panther series - you're going to really enjoy this novella.

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REVIEW OF BLOOD AND WATER BY KIM FALCONER

Blurb for book four in VAMPIRES GONE WILD -
BLOOD AND WATER by Kim Falconer

Beneath the waves of San Francisco Bay lives a vampire race that wants nothing to do with the "landers" except to feed on them. But when Stellan sets eyes on Angelina, everything changes.
 
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Although I'm not familiar with the works of Kim Falconer, this author is new to me but after reading this uniquely different and intriguing novella, I'm certainly going to be searching for more of her work to read. I don't know if this is part of a series or not, so I'm not going to go there but rather confine my thoughts to this wonderful fourth story in the anthology, VAMPIRES GONE WILD.

Stellan is a man of the sea - literally! He's Mar, meaning he's a merman but there's more to him than that. He's come to the surface in search of information regarding the building of a bridge across the bay but first he must stop Salila, and her hunting group, from overturning a ferry filled with dozens of humans, and the most gorgeous woman Stellan has ever seen.

Angelina Ralston is taking pictures of the shoreline for her father who is working with others to build a magnificent bridge that will finally allow crossing the bay by vehicle rather than ferry, saving time and lives, for the bay can be very unforgiving  -  especially when the fog rolls in. What Angelina doesn't know is that the Mar use the fog when hunting 'landers' on which they feed so that they might walk the earth leaving their watery world behind, for a spell.

BLOOD AND WATER by Kim Falconer is a magnificent combination of mermaid/merman myths and vampire myth. It also takes a factual event out of history and uses it as a means to an end for Teeren, the ruler of the Mar, to keep the humans from building a bridge that might destroy their underwater temples and world. It's a paranormal smörgåsbord and I delighted in every minute of it. We experience the ferry disaster and then Angelina's unknown rescue by a handsome stranger whom she only knows as Stellan Fletcher. We watch her as she fights her intense attraction to him even as she is engaged to be married to a stuffy man named Mason Blackwell. We learn the truth of what Stellan needs to walk the earth while Angelina sleeps and dreams.

In the end, we see the power these underwater dwellers can throw at the "landers" walking precariously on soil. I'm not going to say anything more because I don't want to give away any spoilers. You'll just have to read this one to experience its bold creativeness.

I sincerely hope you will read BLOOD AND WATER by Kim Falconer for this is one that I think many, even those who aren't into vampires, will thoroughly enjoy with its sci-fi fantasy paranormal theme. History buffs might get pretty excited about it, too!

In the end, after reviewing all four novellas comprising the anthology, VAMPIRES GONE WILD, I highly recommend this anthology to everyone who loves good stories, exciting themes, creative worlds, and intriguing characters that will make you laugh, make you cringe, make you cheer when they succeed, and make you reach for a tissue when you think things might fall apart. In the end, there are HEAs to be had, to be sought out, and to be worked toward with patience and possibly that second worst best date.

Happy Reading Everyone!

VAMPIRES GONE WILD, an anthology featuring novellas by Kerrelyn Sparks, Pamela Palmer, Amanda Arista, and Kim Falconer, Avon Impulse, release date - February 12, 2013, in ebook formats.

                                                                  Vampires Gone Wild (Supernatural Underground) 

Unwrapping: A Review of WICKED ROAD TO HELL by Juliana Stone

When I opened this month's goodie box from Avon, I got so excited I literally danced around. Inside, along with other delights, was a print copy of Juliana Stone's upcoming release, WICKED ROAD TO HELL, Book One of the League of Guardian series. WICKED ROAD TO HELL hits the bookshelves and ereaders on April 24, 2012 but I am very glad to give you a little insight into this incredible world created by the wickedly incredible imagination of Juliana Stone.

Blurb for WICKED ROAD TO HELL:

With the legions of the underworld gathering and chaos close at hand, Sorcerer Declan O’Hara’s deadly skills will be tested. But nothing will sway him from his duty…

Rescued from eternal darkness, vampire Ana DeLacrux owes her life to a mysterious stranger who asks for only one thing—her absolute allegiance. She serves this master without question until Declan, the one man who can make her forget her vow, returns. His magic is stronger, darker…more compelling than ever. His blood awakens a hunger she must resist, or risk deadly consequences.

As Ana and Declan join forces, the streets of New Orleans become a dangerous place for both humans and the otherworld. And the most dangerous place of all is a road Declan’s traveled before…the wicked road to hell.

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For those of you who have read Juliana's Jaguar Warrior Series, you're already familiar with Declan O'Hara and Ana DeLacrux but those who haven't let me introduce you to them.

Declan O'Hara is a sorcerer who has seen his share of trouble. He runs in the company of Angels (Seraphim), Demons, Vampires, Werewolves, Shifters (Jaguar Warriors) and other assorted otherworld creatures. Having spent too long in the depths of Hell, he's back and partnered with Nico, a Jaguar shifter (we met him in the Jaguar Warrior Series also). Declan and Nico have been given a mission by Askelon (a Seraph who insists everyone just call him Bill) to hunt down a person of interest but they've been told nothing more. Their search leads Declan to New Orleans, a city saturated with more magic than any one place deserves. Declan knows retrieving his prey may not be easy since he has learned there's a protector involved - a vampire. After recruiting the help of Ransome, an Alpha Werewolf, Declan zeroes in on the location of this stranger. The last thing he expects is to discover the vampire guarding his prey is a past associate who he had seen killed by his own father two years earlier. The vampire is the one person who could twist his heart in a million directions and leave him panting for more, Ana DeLacrux.

Ana DeLacrux died when Cormac O'Hara plunged a stake into her heart two years ago but Bill had other plans for her and so rescued her from the icy fingers of death. Now pledged to serve Bill, she's been placed in charge of a young teen named Kaden who wears a mark signifying him as one of the Mark of Seven. Her charge is incorrigible and powerful but a sweet kid who has never known a real family. Ana has come to care about him like the son she believes she'll never have since she's in love with a man she can never claim, Declan O'Hara. She's a vampire, he isn't. She's of a royal line, he's not a vampire. She can only mate with a vampire and Declan is not a vampire - yet!

Once Declan discovers what Kaden is, he decides to add his protection to Ana's and enlists Nico, Ransome and his pack of werewolves to join the cause. It's after they discover that the Demon Lord, Samael, has already taken two of the other Mark of Seven into the underworld that another Seraph, Cale, joins the cause. When Samael fails to make an aggressive move at taking Kaden, Declan with Cale's assistance meets with Samael and the Demon Lord makes Declan an offer he CANNOT afford to refuse.

Declan has no choice but to return to the last place he ever wants to see again - Hell. His old nemesis, Lilith, has stolen the two teens from Samael and is determined to gather the remaining Marks, including Kaden. Samael has agreed to give the teens over to the care of the League of Guardians which Declan has just learned exists. He discovers that Cale, Samael, and Bill are members of this group of natural enemies whose sole purpose is to keep the balance between Heaven and Hell. He's told that if the members of the Mark of Seven turn out to be good, so be it, but if they turn out to be dangerous to the world as they know it, the League will see them destroyed. Their greatest fear until that time is that either the Seraphim or the Demon Lords will obtain control of them at which time the fate of the Human world will certainly be at risk.

So Declan returns to Hell only to discover that Ana has followed. Now he's responsible for trying to get the two teens, himself and Ana back out of Hell in one piece. Samael gives him a special magick to mask his signature as a Human in Hell but Ana is unprotected even with her vampire strengths. The only solution is for her to feed on him and absorb some of that magick only she gets carried away because of her insatiable desire for him. With Declan on the verge of death she has no other choice, so against her better judgement for she knows the consequences of turning a Human, Ana turns the only man she's ever truly loved.

Declan has what he wants - Ana - but fears when she learns of his despicable past in Hell that she will not want him, vampire bond or no vampire bond. Ana is terrified that when Declan's turning is discovered by the Vampire Council that the Queen of the Vampires will have him destroyed. What will these lovers face in Hell? Will they succeed in rescuing the teens and manage to escape their dangerous journey into Hell? Even if they succeed and survive the depths of Hell, what does the future hold for them since they have broken the very rules that destroyed Ana's relationship with her own twin brother? Sorry, I'm not telling. I've probably given you more than I should but you're going to have to discover those answers on your own by reading WICKED ROAD TO HELL.

Even if you're not a fan of paranormal, Juliana Stone's writing has developed into an incredible force of which I feel everyone should experience. She's truly come into her own with this series and I expect great things to come. She writes with such depth and imagination that it's like watching an artist paint a portrait with an extensive pallet of colors and then have the portrait come to life. WICKED ROAD TO HELL is a journey into a world where the action is dark, gritty, and never-ending. The taste of the underworld that we were given a glimpse of in WRONG SIDE OF HELL is incredibly expanded and enlarged in such a way that you nearly smell the sulfur emanating from the pages.

I was worried that as a reader it would be absolutely necessary to have read at least some of the Jaguar Warrior series to grasp the complexity of the storyline in WICKED ROAD TO HELL but was happily surprised to find that it works excellently as a stand-alone novel. If you're a lover of all things paranormal or are new to it and wish to give it a try. If you love a dark, gritty, action-packed story, you're going to love this adventure into Hell. WICKED ROAD TO HELL by Juliana Stone is an incredibly well-written, expansively character driven, steamy paranormal romance that will keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. I highly recommend the wicked, sexually charged, and intense WICKED ROAD TO HELL by Juliana Stone to anyone who loves an action-packed, can't put down once you pick it up, kind of read. I'm eagerly looking forward to the rest of the series which I'm happy to say you get a taste of at the end of the book.

Happy Reading Everyone and please, come back on Wednesday when you'll get to meet the lady herself, Juliana Stone, plus have 5 chances to win in an awesome giveaway!!

WICKED ROAD TO HELL by Juliana Stone, published by Avon, release date - April 24, 2012 in both ebook and print format. Definitely a MUST READ!

                                                              

Unwrapping: Wacky Wednesday

It's November, the days are getting ever longer and a bit too cool for most of us, especially after the Tricksters of Halloween decided to bring a snowstorm to the Northeast.  Leading up to Halloween, we learned about the subgenre Paranormal Romance or Urban Fantasy as some refer to it. We met authors who use their imaginations to take us to realms of wonder that we didn't know existed but soon we'll be traveling back in history to a time when women were ladies and men were gentlemen - Regency England.

Before we delve feet first into the society of the ton, I thought we'd ease into with a little transitional fun. Jane Austen was, without a doubt, the leader in changing the way women thought, acted and eventually wrote in their world. She was a pioneer of her time writing novels when women were thought of as being beneath anything so scholarly. But what if she lived in an alternative world? How would she have behaved and reacted to a life with the Damned?

For Wacky Wednesday, I'm going to share with you an excerpt from the second of two novels that put our dear Jane into close contact with vampires, in fact she's drawn in so completely that she actually becomes one of the Damned.

Janet Mullany, with a great love and appreciation for Jane Austen, has taken the author to a new level in JANE AND THE DAMNED in which dear Jane meets the Damned and becomes enamored with their world. In JANE AUSTEN: BLOOD PERSUASION, she has pulled herself free of the Damned, or so she thought but soon finds it's not that simple to be rid of her old 'undead' friends. Banished from polite society, the Damned have appeared in her village and threaten to interrupt her work on what will surely be her greatest masterpiece. Not only that but her young niece, Anna, and another dear friend, have developed an infatuation with the Damned. What is she to do?

Enjoy the excerpt from JANE AUSTEN: BLOOD PERSUASION and perhaps you'll be inspired to read the complete novel yoursel. I hope so, it's a uniquely wonderful experience.


After dinner, Dorcas led her female guests upstairs to the parlor, where one of the handsome footmen assisted in pouring and handing out tea.

"How very polite we - you - have become," Jane said to her in a low voice, thinking of the activities in which the Damned indulged when she had last been among them.

Dorcas sighed. "I know. It is so very tedious. But tell me, Miss Jane" - in a slightly louder voice - "how long does your charming niece stary with you?"

"A month or so," Jane replied. Lay one finger, or one tooth upon her, you or any of your kind, and I shall rip out your throat.

"I am most saddened you trust us so little," Dorcas replied quietly. "But do you not see? It is your true nature as one of the Damned that makes you so very protective of your family."

"You are mistaken, ma'am. My family has always been my first loyalty."

A flicker of canine appeared at Dorcas's lip.  "William is of your family. By extension, so am I and Tom. We shall stand by you, whatever you feel, although your ingratitude pains me."

Jane bowed her head. She declined an invitation to perform at the pianoforte, a handsome instrument she envied, but encouraged Anna to do so, and was gratified at the warm applause that met the young woman's playing.

"Charming, quite charming," Tom announced, as he and William entered the drawing room. "You play exceedingly well, Miss Anna. Do you sing, too?"

Anna gazed at Tom with obvious admiration, making no effort to hide her attraction, and a small triumphant smile played over Tom's beautiful lips.

Jane clapped her hand to her mouth as pain surged through her canines. Horrified, she fought to regain control. William gave her a concerned look.

"Why, what is the matter, Jane?" Mrs. Austen asked.

"Toothache," Jane muttered from behind her hand. "Do not concern yourself, ma'am." Sure enough, her canines were aching and sensitive and sharp to her tongue. She was not quite en sanglant, but it was the nearest she had come so far.

"We really must take you to the dentist if things do not improve," Mrs. Austen said. "What do you think, Martha?"

"Dear Jane, allow me to look," Martha said, and touched Jane's hand with her own. They both wore lace mittens, and the effect of bare skin touching her own was too much. Martha's anxiety flooded her mind, overwhelmed her.

Jane leaped to her feet. "I beg of you -"

"Jane, you must drink this." William was at her side, a small glass of wine in his hand.

A drop of something dark coiled and spread in the wine, dissipating like smoke and releasing a rich scent. She reached for the glass and its precious liquid, a single drop of William's blood dissolved in wine, the first time he had ever allowed her this great privilege. A great sense of well-being and safety spread through her as she drank her Creator's gift.

"So. Do you feel better?" William took the glass from her and placed it on a tray held by a footman who lingered nearby. Jane suspected, from the gleam in his eye, that the footman might take the glass away and scoop out any last drops for himself.

"Much better, thank you." Her teeth were once more under control, and her anxiety and rage had ebbed away, leaving a peace and happiness in their wake.

"Let us repair to the Great Gallery, ladies!" Dorcas moved forward to take William's arm. "I believe I can hear our musicians tuning their instruments."

If you enjoyed this excerpt, I hope you'll find a copy of JANE AUSTEN: BLOOD PERSUASION and read it from the beginning - it's worth it.

Happy Reading Everyone!!

Unwrapping: Paranormal Romance featuring Vampires!

"The fair girl went on her knees and bent over me, fairly gloating. There was a deliberate voluptuousness which was both thrilling and repulsive, and as she arched her neck she actually licked her lips like an animal... I could feel the soft, shivering touch of the lips on the supersensitive skin of my throat, and the hard dents of two sharp teeth, just touching and pausing there." -- Bram Stoker's DRACULA

DRACULA by Bram Stoker, first published in 1897, spawn a new dimension in horror literature. It created a fascination that took hold then and still exists today - that fascination is with the Vampire!

     Books and movies based on either the original Dracula myth or on author's imaginations which have created new and sometimes more frightening vampires now fill the shelves of bookstores, the memory cards of e-readers, the local video stores and movie theaters. My personal favorite of all the movies made based on Bram Stoker's particular vampire, DRACULA, was the 1992 version starring Gary Oldman and Keanu Reeves. It carried close to the original text and made for a very enjoyable scare. 

      With the birth of Paranormal Romance Novels, it seemed only natural that Vampire figures would play heavily in the imaginations of Romance writers.  There are traditional Vampire characters that roam the countryside nightly in search of their victims. There are Vampires that can move in daylight but don't because they shimmer like diamonds in the sunlight. There are Atlantis-created Vampires who drink blood only because they are feeding nanos which give them the appearance and behavior of Vampires but they are, in fact, still Human. There are Vampires that live among Humans, act on stage, work in corporations and blend so easily that few know they are there; and then there are a myriad of Vampires that are far more unearthly as are my particular Vampires who are actually alien but more closely connected to Humans than not.  All of these Vampires have one thing in common - they are all figments of writers' imaginations and many of those talented imaginations belong to none other than writers of Romance.

     Surprised?!

     I'm not.  As I have pointed out so many times, the Romance genre is not what the average reader thinks it is. It's creatively imaginative, it's riveting, adventurous, stimulating, comedic and, in some cases, downright scary. Oh, don't get me wrong, the romance, the love, the sex - if you're reading the right author - is still there but the stories are so much more than boy meets girl, girl ignores boy, boy chases girl, girl catches boy and they live happily ever after. 

     Paranormal Romance gives an author such an opportunity to free their imaginations and explore new worlds, and create new creatures as well as old brought into modern times that the combinations are endless. Vampires have always intrigued modern readers and even with the great variety of Vampire stories available to to us, we never seem to tire of them. Thank goodness. I suspect it's the whole mystique of someone living off the lifeblood of another creature and having virtual immortality as long as they follow the rules, keep their heads and feed their blood hunger. 

     It's the eve of the release of THE BITE BEFORE CHRISTMAS, an anthology written by two of my favorite authors, Lynsay Sands and Jeaniene Frost.  Both of these authors have provided their fans with story after story of imaginative, sexy and adventurous tales of the paranormal that keep us coming back for more.

    In THE GIFT by Lynsay Sands, Katricia Argeneau knows Port Henry's best cop, Teddy Brunswick is her life mate and if there's one thing an Argeneau knows - it's when they've found their life mate. Now she just needs to convince Teddy that it's true and they belong together. Being snowbound in a secluded cabin will make this a Christmas neither of them will forget.

    It's HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS in Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress series. Cat and Bones may long to wrap presents and set up a tree, but this Christmas, an evil vampire and long-buried family secrets will threaten to take a bite out of their holiday cheer. 

   Sounds like Christmas is coming at Halloween this year!

      One of my other favorite Vampire creators is Kerrelyn Sparks. Her Love at Stake series is full of humor and never fails to draw a chuckle or two but never fear, there's always danger lurking nearby as well. We're talking Vampires here.  Her latest Love at Stake release,  SEXIEST VAMPIRE ALIVE, features playboy Gregori Holstein who we met in book one, HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE VAMPIRE. Gregori is spoiled and enjoys being the center of attention - he likes to sing, "I'm too sexy for my fangs, too sexy for my cape."   

      

     Well, to get a sense of this Vampire's story, how about an excerpt, normally I would do this on Wacky Wednesday but since Halloween is only a week away, I'll make an exception - may I present Gregori Holstein and company from SEXIEST VAMPIRE ALIVE:  

She moved forward, lowering her hand with a graceful flutter. “I need something new, something rich, robust, and sophisticat-ack!” She tripped on her nightgown and fell flat on her face.

“Cut!” The director cursed under his breath, then leaned toward Gregori and whispered, “Are you sure we have to use her?”

Gregori hid his frustration, like he normally did, and gave Gordon an encouraging smile. “She’ll be fine. She’s the most famous model in the vampire world.”

“Yeah, you’ve mentioned that about five times. But she can’t act. Hell, she can’t even walk.”

Gregori’s smile faltered slightly as he inwardly winced. He thought he’d scored a coup, convincing the famous Simone to star in his commercial introducing the latest creation in Vampire Fusion Cuisine, Blardonnay. But after three hours of shooting, there wasn’t a single successful take.

The director and film crew at the Digital Vampire Network in Brooklyn had already polished off the crate of twenty-four bottles he’d brought as a gift. The mixture of synthetic blood and Chardonnay was no longer strong enough for the director. Gordon tipped back a bottle of Blissky, then gave Gregori a sour look.

“The sun will rise in about ninety minutes,” he muttered. “I’m calling it quits before my tortured crew runs outside to fry themselves in a blaze of glory.”

“It’s not that bad,” Gregori assured him. “With some careful editing, we’ll have—” Zip. “You’ll still get paid for your time.”

Gordon snorted and took another swig of Blissky.

Gregori adjusted his tie while he considered his options. He was the one who would have to answer to his boss for spending a small fortune on a commercial that wasn’t happening. It wouldn’t help matters if he criticized Simone. She might look frail and delicate, but, enraged, she could inflict a massive amount of damage with her superior vampire strength.

There was the time she’d destroyed a dance club in Manhattan when no one had recognized her. Gregori had used a huge amount of vampire mind control to wipe the memory of every terrified mortal who had witnessed her temper tantrum. Unfortunately he hadn’t been around to clean up when a paparazzo in Paris had snapped her photo without her permission. She’d tossed the photographer clear across the Champs Elysées. Le Figaro had speculated that her odd display of strength meant she was high on PCP. She’d retaliated the next night by ripping a street lamp out of the sidewalk and crashing it through the newspaper office’s plate-glass window. Somehow, she thought she’d proved them wrong.

He adjusted his cuff links as he resigned himself to the only logical course of action: playing the role of the kind and sympathetic friend, otherwise known as major suck-up. Sheesh, the stuff he had to do for his job.

He stepped onto the set, which consisted of thick ivory carpet and an ivory satin settee. The male model sat sprawled on the settee, not even attempting to help Simone, who remained tangled in her negligee, wallowing on the carpet like a nearly starved, beached whale.

“Simone, sweetheart, are you all right?” He lifted her carefully to her feet. She was so thin, it was like propping up a broomstick in a strong wind. “It’s not like you to fall down.” Twelve times.

“It is these ridiculous shoes you made me wear. They’re too big.” She raised her voice so everyone in the studio could hear. “You know I wear a size five.”

She wore an eight. Gregori knew because she’d begged him to buy her a pair of Jimmy Choo sandals last Christmas. He’d done it, not out of any special affection for Simone, but for business reasons. As marketing director at Romatech Industries, he knew the value of staying chummy with the most influential personalities in the vampire world.

“Is your gown too long?” he suggested. “We could have it shortened a bit.”

“I like it long. It makes me look taller. And thinner.”

Good God, if she was any thinner, she’d be two-dimensional. “You look beautiful, Simone. But…I’m afraid your concentration is off just a tad. Perhaps if we—”

“It’s his fault!” She pointed a perfectly manicured pink nail at the male model who was busy taking off the shirt she’d ripped. “He’s too ugly to work with.”

Gregori glanced at the model. “He looks fine to me.”

“Why, thank you, handsome.” The male model winked.

Oh shit. “Simone, we can’t keep replacing the guy for you. This is the eighth one. The talent agency is running out of guys, and we’re running out of time, so do you think you could possibly bring yourself to work with this one?”

She stuck out her bottom lip in a pout. “He’s repulsive. I shudder when I have to touch him.”

The male model wagged a finger at her. “It’s not like I’m enjoying it either, girlfriend.”

“It’s called acting, Simone,” Gregori whispered. “You have to pretend to desire him. He could be as ugly as a turnip, but you make us believe he’s stunning.”

“But I am stunning.” The model flipped his long blond hair over his shoulders.

Gregori groaned inwardly. It was impossible to whisper around a bunch of Vamps. They could hear everything. He grasped Simone by her bony shoulders. “Let’s be honest about this, Toots. It’s not the shoes, or the gown, or the guy on the couch—”

“The name is Pennington,” the male model interrupted. “Pennington Langley, the Third. But please don’t call me Penny for short. I would hate to sound cheap.” He gave Gregori a flirtatious smile.

Suppressing a shudder, Gregori smiled back. Sheesh, the crap he put up with for his job. “Simone. I’ve seen you glide down a jillion runways as graceful as a swan. You can do this.”

She ducked her head as she pressed her hands against his chest. “All right, I’ll be honest. I—I’m afraid.”

“Afraid of what? Failure?” He winced when her steel-like nails dug into him.

“I never fail,” she hissed.

“Right. Right, I knew that.” He grabbed her hands to keep her pink claws from ripping through his best suit. “What are you afraid of, then?”

Her bottom lip trembled against her fangs. “The sun will rise soon. I’m afraid of dying.”

“Sweetcakes, we die at every sunrise.”

“I mean real death! La mort finale!" She clutched his lapels with her fists. “I heard Corky’s show tonight. Live with the Undead. She said we’re all in grave danger!”

“You’ll be fine, Simone. You’ll be staying at Roman’s townhouse where we have guards to keep us safe.”

“Then Corky is right?” Simone shrieked and gave him a hard shake. “The mortal world knows about us now?”

He pried her bony fingers loose from his lapels. “Corky ought to know. She’s the one who posted the damned video.”

Three nights earlier, Corky Courrant had filmed the Battle at Mount Rushmore that had climaxed with the death of her lover, the Malcontent leader, Casimir. While Gregori could understand why a woman might be a little miffed over the decapitation of her lover, he still thought Corky had severely overreacted. She’d posted the video on YouTube, claiming it was proof that vampires were real. That was an unforgivable, traitorous act in their world, and yet Corky was still employed at the Digital Vampire Network. Apparently her infamy was good for ratings.

Simone’s eyes filled with tears. “She said the mortals will hunt us down and slaughter us in our sleep!”

“Oh my God!” Pennington sprang to his feet. “Is that true?”

The boom operator glowered at him. “Don’t you watch the Nightly News? Stone Cauffyn said the secret is out, and it won’t be long before the mortals decide to kill us off.”

With a soft moan, Simone sank onto the carpet. Her tears, tinted with blood, left pink streaks down her gaunt cheeks. “La mort finale.”

“It’s the end for us all,” the cameraman grumbled.

“We’re doomed.” The makeup artist sniffed and wiped tears from her face.

“The Vampire Apocalypse,” Gordon muttered, then took another swig of Blissky.

Good God, no wonder the director and crew had jumped on that case of Blardonnay. “Get a grip, guys,” Gregori told them. “Just because Corky posted a video that looks like vampires getting their heads cut off and turning to dust, that doesn’t mean any mortals will believe it.”

“Right,” Gordon sneered. “Because mortals are always making home videos where they cut each other’s heads off.”

“If you look at the comments, a lot of people are calling it a hoax,” Gregori said.

“It only takes one mortal with one stake to do me in,” the boom operator mumbled.

“We’re doomed!” The makeup artist collapsed on the floor, clutching an empty bottle of Blardonnay. “Doomed!”

“No, we’re not! You guys got the official memo from Roman, right?” Gregori asked. Roman Draganesti was not only his boss and CEO of Romatech Industries, he was also Coven Master of East Coast Vampires. “He wants everyone to remain calm and go about your lives in a normal manner.”

“Yeah, we know.” Gordon upended his Blissky bottle, then scowled when he discovered it was empty. “That’s why we all showed up for work today.”

“We should be looking for some caves to hide in,” the cameraman grumbled, then his eyes lit up. “I know! We could hide in mausoleums.”

“Right.” The boom operator scoffed. “Mortals would never think about looking for us in a graveyard.”

“We’re doomed—”

“Enough!” Gregori interrupted the makeup artist. “Chillax, people. It’s going to be all right. Roman’s got a strategy meeting tonight with a bunch of Coven Masters.”

“Do they have a plan?” Pennington asked.

“I’m sure they’ll come up with something.” Gregori didn’t know much about the situation except that Roman and the head of MacKay Security and Investigation, Angus MacKay, had spent the last two nights discussing the matter with Sean Whelan-CIA operative, newly turned vampire, and Roman’s father-in-law. “The best thing for us to do is to behave normally and not bring any attention to ourselves. Just go to work, go home, drink your blood from bottles, and no one will ever suspect you’re a vampire.”

“That’s easy for you to say,” Gordon grumbled. “You and your buddies have security guards to watch over you during the day. We do our death-sleep in apartments that mortals could break into.”

“We’re doomed!” the makeup girl cried.

Gregori loosened his tie as he considered. Corky’s damned video was probably inciting panic all over the vampire world. And the more the Vamps panicked, the bigger the chance that one of them would do something really stupid that made the problem even worse. They needed to feel safe.

He retrieved his smart phone from his jacket pocket. “I’ll tell you what. I’ll ask Angus MacKay to send a day guard here. We’ll turn the building into an emergency shelter. Then Vamps can do their death-sleep here, knowing they’ll be safe and protected.”

Gordon jumped to his feet and swayed a little. “Are you serious? You can do that?”

“Of course.” Gregori smiled. “I’ll make the arrangements, so hurry up and announce it on air.”

“Great!” Gordon dashed out of the studio.

The makeup artist eased to her feet and gave Gregori a shaky smile. “Thank you.”

“Not a problem.” Gregori selected Angus’s number on his Droid while the rest of the crew thanked him. “Let’s get ready for another try at the commercial, okay?”

“Yes, sir!” the boom operator shouted with a grin.

Pennington put on a new shirt, while the makeup girl applied new powder and lipstick to Simone.

Gregori breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe they’d get the commercial done after all. Angus’s phone sent him to voice mail, so he left a short message explaining the need to turn DVN into an emergency shelter for frightened Vamps.

“Excuse me.”

Gregori glanced up from a quick look through his e-mail to see Pennington standing nearby. “Yes?”

“I’d like to thank you for keeping us all safe tonight.”

“Glad to help.”

Pennington shoved his long blond hair over his shoulders. “And I’d like to thank you for giving me the opportunity to star in a commercial.”

“No problem.” Gregori didn’t want to remind the model that he was the talent agency’s eighth choice, and he wouldn’t be here at all if Simone hadn’t sent the first seven guys packing.

Pennington sidled up closer. “What I mean is I’d like to thank you…personally.”

Yikes. Gregori stepped back. “No thanks. Sorry.”

“But you’re gay, right? I mean, you dress so well, and you were so nice and sensitive to…her.” Pennington wrinkled his nose at Simone.

“A straight guy can’t be nice?” Gregori muttered.

Simone snorted while the makeup girl brushed her hair. “Why do you continue with this charade, mon ami? You refused to have sex with me. You must be gay.”

His mouth dropped open. The crew started whispering, latching on to this tasty morsel of gossip. Shit. “Simone, have you been spreading rumors about me?”  ----




Sorry - if you want more, you'll have to get your own copy of SEXIEST VAMPIRE ALIVE by Kerrelyn Sparks. 

Join us next time for .... hmmm, trying to decide between shape shifters or angels? Any suggestions? What's your favorite Paranormal creature? 


Happy Reading Everyone!


                                         

Unwrapping: T'was the week before Halloween!

All this week, UNWRAPPING ROMANCE will continue its look at all things Paranormal Romance. 

Monday, Oct 24 - the Vampires will be visiting ... join us for a discussion of creatures that lurk in the night and perhaps an excerpt from a favorite Paranormal Romance Novel featuring a handsome bloodsucker. 



For something different - tonight, Sunday, October 23 at 8 PM EST - the premiere of ONCE UPON A TIME on ABC ... I've got a friend who has been telling me about this show since it first started shooting ... he works on the crew.  Exciting new show ... worth taking a look at it.

For a little pre-preview fun check out Ask the Mirror.

                                                  http://www.askthemagicmirror.com/




See you tomorrow for VAMPIRES!!

Happy Reading Everyone!