Book Tour: Under Realm Assassins Box Set (Books 1-3) by Amanda Greene with an excerpt

 

Box Set 1

Paranormal Romance

Date Published: 07-01-2025

A Bewitching Christmas

It has been seven years since Analette Dyson stopped practicing magic and headed to New York, where she created a new life, complete with a fabulous job, an apartment in Central Park West, and a sexy werewolf fiancé. She never planned on returning to her small home town in Maine, but when she learns her grandmother is ill, she decides to pop over for a visit and what better time than Christmas? Excited for her fiancé to meet her family, they head up a day early.

Worst idea ever!

After doing some last minute Christmas shopping, Analette returns to their hotel to find her fiancé in bed with another woman. Cursing the universe for her never ending bad luck with men and dreading telling her family about her cheating fiancé, she heads to the bar to self medicate.

Not one to celebrate the holidays, vampire and assassin, Cole McRae, has followed a lead to a rustic town in witch territory. But after a few days of research and waiting for his target to show, he begins to suspect he has wasted his time. That is, until he meets a curvaceous blonde with bewitching green eyes at the local bar. One night with the enchanting Analette could make this useless trip well worth his time.

Their passion is undeniable and unbeknownst to them, their fates are intertwined. Magic and romance will strike on Christmas, changing their lives forever.

 

Surrender to the Chase

A year after the tragic death of his close friend and fellow assassin, Ethan Halstead is ready to take up his sniper rifle once more. But his first assignment is nothing he ever expected. Ethan must hunt and retrieve a beautiful, spirited, alluring werewolf.

Knowing no other way to escape an arranged marriage, Fraya flees from her pack. As she contemplates slipping across the border and heading to South America, she is captured by a dangerously seductive vampire who plans on escorting her back to her family. Even as Fraya vows to make Ethan’s mission as difficult as possible, she can’t resist the riotous desire he sparks within her.

But Ethan isn’t the only predator that pursues Fraya. A powerful rival pack’s alpha wants to make her his mate. Will Ethan be able to keep Fraya safe and return her to her pack? Or will he surrender to temptation and claim Fraya as his own?

 

Wicked Passion

James Stonewoll is an Elite Assassin for the Under Realm Syndicate—an expert hunter and merciless killer. As a former pirate, he thrives on danger, the more perilous the mission, the better and he can't resist his newest contract: eliminate a rebel shape-shifting magic thief that stalks the border of the Under Realm kidnapping and murdering innocent Others. But never did the centuries old vampire anticipate playing hero to a mythical temptress with luscious curves, tantalizing lips, and hypnotic eyes.

Captured and held prisoner, Katya Moro was trapped in a seemingly endless loop of unimaginable agony as her magic was slowly being torn from her soul. A gasp away from death, she is rescued by a sinful kiss and awakens in the strong arms of a powerful warrior whose roguish smile, sharp fangs, and intense strength unlock dormant instincts within her, an all-consuming madness that demands complete surrender.

Gazing down at her, James knew he had to kill her. Dark Magic Wielders, like the beautiful female he’d found, were a grave threat to human society and were not permitted to roam the mortal world. But Katya’s smoky voice and sweet kisses stir a fierce hunger inside him. She is unpredictable, uncontrollable and wickedly seductive—his perfect kind of dangerous. To keep her safe, James will protect her from the magic thieves that hunt her and his fellow assassins until he can find a way to return Katya to her home in the Under Realm.

Can Katya’s passion conquer the darkness within his soul?

 

Excerpt: 

Surrender to the Chase

She felt his lips brush her ear as he said, “Run from me again and I will sink my fangs into your pretty little neck.”

Would his bite bring agonizing pain or blissful euphoria?

He took in one last deep breath, inhaling her scent before he pushed himself back. He remained on his knees, keeping her trapped beneath him. Their eyes met as lightning splintered the heavens. Fraya was struck speechless as a blistering curse fell from his lips. His piercing green eyes burned with ravenous desire. She knew his gaze mirrored her own. She wanted him. The animal inside her howled, demanding she surrender to this male. She shifted beneath him, barely resisting the urge to arch her back and roll her hips in invitation. 

What was happening to her? She was losing her mind. Yes, that must be it. She had been on the run. The constant stress, lack of sleep, and ever-present hunger must be getting to her.

“Why did you chase me?”

“Why did you run from me?” he countered.

Fraya tried to sit up, but he gently pushed her back down. With an irritated sigh, she answered, “I wasn’t running from you in particular. I was running from the alpha.”

“Stick with me and you needn’t worry about the alpha.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Really?”

He nodded. 

She was skeptical. “Why should I trust you?”

“You can run as far and as fast as you like, but the alpha will eventually track you down. An unmated pureblood female werewolf without her pack,” he shook his head, “sweetheart, you’re fair game.”

Fraya couldn’t argue against that, but she wasn’t in the market for a bodyguard. She needed to travel light and fast. She needed to get to Chile like yesterday and he would just slow her down.

“Thanks for the offer, but I’ll take my chances.” 

With a shrug of his large shoulders, he stood. He held out his hand, offering to help her to her feet. She hesitated, staring at his outstretched hand for a moment before she took it. The chilled bite of metal locked around her wrist. 

Rage swept through like an inferno. Her lips pulled back, baring her own set of fangs. Her wolf was rising.

“Stay calm,” he said, his voice smooth and way too even. 

“What the hell are you doing?” she snarled.

“I politely offered you my protection, but you didn’t want it. Now, I really must insist.”

Fraya’s vision began to turn red. How dare this stranger restrain her? She should rip his throat with her teeth. “Who are you?”

He shook his head. “My name isn’t important, but I’ll be the vampire escorting you home.”

Horror twisted her stomach. “No. You can’t. I won’t go back!” She fought against the cuff, using all of her strength, but unlike normal steel, the bracelet held true. “Are you working for my father?”

He clasped the other cuff around his wrist, binding them together. “I work for no individual man.”

She grabbed his arm. Panic heightened her voice, “I’ll double whatever my father is paying you. I can’t go back. You don’t understand−”

The wind whipped around them, yet he could still smell her fear. With a frown, he asked, “You would rather test your luck against the alpha than return home?”

“Please, I can’t go back,” she begged. “I will triple your pay.”

He raised a brow. “Triple?”

“Yes!”

He captured her cuffed wrist and pulled her hard against him. Desire crashed over her, robbing her of breath. “Money doesn’t interest me.”

Oh, God. Her pulse kicked up, her heart pounded so fast she could hear it. “What does interest you?”

His alluring lips slowly lifted into a charming smile, which was made sexy by his long lethal fangs. “You’re coming with me, little wolf.” 

About the Author

Amanda J. Greene is the author of the captivating Rulers of Darkness and enticing Under Realm Assassins series. Fans of Nalini Singh’s, Gena Showalter, and J.R. Ward will fall in love with Ms. Greene’s dangerously sexy heroes and strong, kick your teeth in heroines.

Within the chaos of life she finds time to write and create detailed worlds with exciting characters for her ravenous readers.

"Amanda's vampires are seriously sexy and I can't get enough!" - Kristina's Books & More

"Fans of Nalini Singh’s Psy/Changeling series, Gena Showalter’s Lords of the Underworld, and J.R. Ward’s BDB are in for a treat..." - VampBard review of Caressed by a Crimson Moon on That's What I'm Talking About

Contact Links

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

Instagram

Purchase Link

Amazon

Nook

Kobo

Blitz: The Cardinal Code by Avery Sterling with an excerpt and a giveaway

The Cardinal Code

by Avery Sterling

Release date: June 24th 2025

Genres: New Adult, Paranormal, Romance

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/237235393-the-cardinal-code

Blurb:

Vampires are real. Powerful, organized, and nearly untouchable, they move through society under the governance of the Cardinalis Order—an ancient system built to protect their kind and punish those who defy its laws.

Michael Chamberlain is one of them. A successful entrepreneur with a carefully buried past, he returns to The Hamptons to take over his father’s elite nightclub—and to secure a contracted blood source. Cold, controlled, and emotionally detached, Michael has long accepted the rules of his world. That is, until he meets Paislee Sullivan.

A determined college student working to fund her future, Paislee doesn’t know the truth about the Order—or that her presence at the nightclub is more dangerous than she realizes. When her path collides with Michael’s, she’s pulled into the shadows of a world built on power, secrecy, and blood.

As their attraction deepens, Paislee must navigate a society where consent is contractual, love is forbidden, and ignorance offers the only safety. But some connections can’t be denied—and breaking the rules could mean losing everything.

The Cardinal Code is a seductive and high-stakes romance set in a world where the elite don’t just run society—they feed on it.

Purchase:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3J9W0fs

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-cardinal-code-avery-sterling/1147357851?ean=9798998518614

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-cardinal-code

Excerpt 

She needed to stay calm. Not provoke him. 

She nodded slowly and softened her expression. 

For a moment, he didn’t speak. Frustration and something deeper crossed his face. Regret, maybe?  

It was insane. All of it. Her chest ached with the effort to stay calm, to placate him. But something in his voice had changed. Something in his eyes burned. Every instinct she had told her she wasn'tsafe with Michael—despite the fact he'd saved her. She needed to leave. To run. Survive. 

Silence ticked by until he sighed and turned away. He was opening the fridge—for what, she didn’t care.  

She ran. 

Panic tore through her lungs. She couldn't stay there, couldn't think about whether he'd chase her. She bolted for the door, slipping slightly on the polished floor, holding her breath as adrenaline surged through her. 

But she didn’t make it far.  

Michael moved faster, and his hand caught her wrist just as she reached for the handle. He spun her around and pressed her back against the wall, his eyes blazing with anger—and something else. 

“How far did you think you’d get?” he growled, his voice low and biting. 

Paislee squirmed against his grip, but it was like trying to move a steel beam. Her heart slammed against her ribs as his eyes bored into hers, dark and unreadable. “You’re crazy, Michael!” 

“I’ve been patient, Paislee—”  

“Let me go, you fu—” 

“More patient than I’ve been with anyone. But you’re testing my reasonable nature,” he said, his tone dangerously soft. 

She snapped. “Claiming you’re a vampire and wanting to drink my blood doesn’t sound reasonable! You sound insane!”  

His jaw tightened, and he closed his eyes briefly, taking a deep breath, as if gathering his restraint. “I didn’t want it to be like this,” he murmured. 

Before she could move, he hoisted her over his shoulder. Ignoring her cries of protest, he carried her up the wide, curved staircase with infuriating ease.  

He kicked open the door at the end of the hallway and stepped into a massive bedroom. The room was just as sleek and cold as the rest of the house.  

She kicked and pounded at him. But when none of it mattered, she twisted and dug her teeth into the solid muscle of his back.  

He didn't so much as stumble or flinch. He dropped her onto the bed—not hard but not gently, either.  

"Don't do that again," he warned, voice flat with quiet menace. His expression darkened. "I bite way harder than you." 

She scrambled to her knees, her eyes darting between him and the door. 

“This is insane,” she said, her voice shaking. “Do you even hear yourself?” 

Michael’s expression looked pained as he ran a hand through his hair. “I knew you wouldn’t believe me," he said at last, his tone grim. "That’s why I need to show you.” 

He inched closer. 

“Michael, please,” she whispered. “Just let me go.” 

He stopped, merely a breath away. “I can’t,” he said, his voice breaking slightly. Before she could react, he tilted her head gently, and his lips brushed against her neck. “I’m not going to hurt you.” 

GIVEAWAY

Blitz-wide giveaway (INT) ends August 14

• $15 Amazon gift card

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/d04251235999

AUTHOR BIO:

Avery Sterling's love for the romance genre began in her teen years when she picked up her first novel. She was captivated by the sweeping scale of emotions brought about by the words. The experience catapulted her towards learning the art of wielding a breathtaking adventure, with a love that felt authentic. Wanting to inspire people with her own thoughts and words, she finished her first novel at sixteen. It was a step towards understanding the essence of what she wished to create.

Most of her youth was spent traveling, searching out the romance and beauty in her everchanging world. From the waves that crashed against the rocky shores of Downeast, Maine, to the warm breezes of the Caribbean, she discovered that love was universal, apparent in its grandest and simplest of forms. Her goal is to write novels an audience can relate to, one that conveys the truth and nature of love… with all that steamy romance. 

Author links:

https://x.com/AverySterling17

https://www.avery-sterling.com/

https://www.facebook.com/avery.sterling.125

https://www.tiktok.com/@averysterlingauthor

https://www.instagram.com/avery.sterling17/ 

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19674760.Avery_Sterling

Release: Under Realm Assassins Boxset 1 (A Bewitching Christmas, Surrender to the Chase, Wicked Passion) by Amanda Greene

Box Set 1

Paranormal Romance

Date Published: 07-01-2025

A Bewitching Christmas

It has been seven years since Analette Dyson stopped practicing magic and headed to New York, where she created a new life, complete with a fabulous job, an apartment in Central Park West, and a sexy werewolf fiancé. She never planned on returning to her small home town in Maine, but when she learns her grandmother is ill, she decides to pop over for a visit and what better time than Christmas? Excited for her fiancé to meet her family, they head up a day early.

Worst idea ever!

After doing some last minute Christmas shopping, Analette returns to their hotel to find her fiancé in bed with another woman. Cursing the universe for her never ending bad luck with men and dreading telling her family about her cheating fiancé, she heads to the bar to self medicate.

Not one to celebrate the holidays, vampire and assassin, Cole McRae, has followed a lead to a rustic town in witch territory. But after a few days of research and waiting for his target to show, he begins to suspect he has wasted his time. That is, until he meets a curvaceous blonde with bewitching green eyes at the local bar. One night with the enchanting Analette could make this useless trip well worth his time.

Their passion is undeniable and unbeknownst to them, their fates are intertwined. Magic and romance will strike on Christmas, changing their lives forever.

 

Surrender to the Chase

A year after the tragic death of his close friend and fellow assassin, Ethan Halstead is ready to take up his sniper rifle once more. But his first assignment is nothing he ever expected. Ethan must hunt and retrieve a beautiful, spirited, alluring werewolf.

Knowing no other way to escape an arranged marriage, Fraya flees from her pack. As she contemplates slipping across the border and heading to South America, she is captured by a dangerously seductive vampire who plans on escorting her back to her family. Even as Fraya vows to make Ethan’s mission as difficult as possible, she can’t resist the riotous desire he sparks within her.

But Ethan isn’t the only predator that pursues Fraya. A powerful rival pack’s alpha wants to make her his mate. Will Ethan be able to keep Fraya safe and return her to her pack? Or will he surrender to temptation and claim Fraya as his own?

 

Wicked Passion

James Stonewoll is an Elite Assassin for the Under Realm Syndicate—an expert hunter and merciless killer. As a former pirate, he thrives on danger, the more perilous the mission, the better and he can't resist his newest contract: eliminate a rebel shape-shifting magic thief that stalks the border of the Under Realm kidnapping and murdering innocent Others. But never did the centuries old vampire anticipate playing hero to a mythical temptress with luscious curves, tantalizing lips, and hypnotic eyes.

Captured and held prisoner, Katya Moro was trapped in a seemingly endless loop of unimaginable agony as her magic was slowly being torn from her soul. A gasp away from death, she is rescued by a sinful kiss and awakens in the strong arms of a powerful warrior whose roguish smile, sharp fangs, and intense strength unlock dormant instincts within her, an all-consuming madness that demands complete surrender.

Gazing down at her, James knew he had to kill her. Dark Magic Wielders, like the beautiful female he’d found, were a grave threat to human society and were not permitted to roam the mortal world. But Katya’s smoky voice and sweet kisses stir a fierce hunger inside him. She is unpredictable, uncontrollable and wickedly seductive—his perfect kind of dangerous. To keep her safe, James will protect her from the magic thieves that hunt her and his fellow assassins until he can find a way to return Katya to her home in the Under Realm.

Can Katya’s passion conquer the darkness within his soul?

About the Author

Amanda J. Greene is the author of the captivating Rulers of Darkness and enticing Under Realm Assassins series. Fans of Nalini Singh’s, Gena Showalter, and J.R. Ward will fall in love with Ms. Greene’s dangerously sexy heroes and strong, kick your teeth in heroines.

Within the chaos of life she finds time to write and create detailed worlds with exciting characters for her ravenous readers.

"Amanda's vampires are seriously sexy and I can't get enough!" - Kristina's Books & More

"Fans of Nalini Singh’s Psy/Changeling series, Gena Showalter’s Lords of the Underworld, and J.R. Ward’s BDB are in for a treat..." - VampBard review of Caressed by a Crimson Moon on That's What I'm Talking About

Contact Links

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

Instagram

Purchase Link

Amazon

Nook

Kobo

 

Cover Reveal: The Cardinal Code by Avery Sterling

The Cardinal Code

by Avery Sterling

Release date: June 24th, 2025

Genres: New Adult, Paranormal, Romance

Blurb:

Vampires are real. Powerful, organized, and nearly untouchable, they move through society under the governance of the Cardinalis Order—an ancient system built to protect their kind and punish those who defy its laws.

Michael Chamberlain is one of them. A successful entrepreneur with a carefully buried past, he returns to The Hamptons to take over his father’s elite nightclub—and to secure a contracted blood source. Cold, controlled, and emotionally detached, Michael has long accepted the rules of his world. That is, until he meets Paislee Sullivan.

A determined college student working to fund her future, Paislee doesn’t know the truth about the Order—or that her presence at the nightclub is more dangerous than she realizes. When her path collides with Michael’s, she’s pulled into the shadows of a world built on power, secrecy, and blood.

As their attraction deepens, Paislee must navigate a society where consent is contractual, love is forbidden, and ignorance offers the only safety. But some connections can’t be denied—and breaking the rules could mean losing everything.

The Cardinal Code is a seductive and high-stakes romance set in a world where the elite don’t just run society—they feed on it.

AUTHOR BIO:

Avery Sterling's love for the romance genre began in her teen years when she picked up her first novel. She was captivated by the sweeping scale of emotions brought about by the words. The experience catapulted her towards learning the art of wielding a breathtaking adventure, with a love that felt authentic. Wanting to inspire people with her own thoughts and words, she finished her first novel at sixteen. It was a step towards understanding the essence of what she wished to create.

Most of her youth was spent traveling, searching out the romance and beauty in her everchanging world. From the waves that crashed against the rocky shores of Downeast, Maine, to the warm breezes of the Caribbean, she discovered that love was universal, apparent in its grandest and simplest of forms. Her goal is to write novels an audience can relate to, one that conveys the truth and nature of love… with all that steamy romance. 

Author links:

https://x.com/AverySterling17

https://www.avery-sterling.com/

https://www.facebook.com/avery.sterling.125

https://www.tiktok.com/@averysterlingauthor

https://www.instagram.com/avery.sterling17/ 

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19674760.Avery_Sterling 

Book Tour: Golden Blood (A Vampire Story) by Tim Vee with an excerpt, a giveaway, and my review

GOLDEN BLOOD

by Tim Vee

GENRE:  Vampire Horror

BLURB:

In 1540, conquistador Balthazar Jiménez de Quesada embarks on a quest for gold but encounters an ancient evil in the jungles of Colombia, La Pastola, transforming him into an immortal vampire. Centuries later, as Napoleon's army clashes with the British in 1815, a brutal massacre near Walloon births a new vampire desperate to break her curse. In present-day Los Angeles, a man with the rarest blood type—Golden Blood—enters a dangerous world where the line between predator and prey blurs, as a secret society of vampires hunts for the key to their salvation…or their destruction.

Golden Blood is a gripping tale of horror, history, and the eternal struggle for redemption, spanning from the New World's blood-soaked jungles to the underbelly of modern L.A.

Golden Blood is the story about one vampire's search for Golden Blood that can reverse the vampiric curse and her need for revenge against the vampire that slaughtered her family and turned her into a vampire centuries before. Set in the jungles of Colombia in the 1500s, the Caribbean in the 1700s, Europe in the 1800s and 1900s, and present-day Los Angeles, Golden Blood is a dark, bleak, and gothic story.

EXCERPT:

The car stopped at the gates of the compound and waited. A security camera looked down at the idling car, exhaust fumes rising from the rear. And then the gates started to open, and the car pulled into the compound. The driver parked and climbed out, walking to the rear door he opened. Yvette climbed out - and she was alone. She wore a full-length crimson velvet gown, a black choker set with a large ruby around her thin throat, and red slippers. Her face was cold and pale. Her lips matched the color of her dress and the ruby sitting over her throat.

As Yvette climbed out a thunder of noise descended from the trees above, as hundreds of crows perched in the boughs and branches of the cypress trees erupted into a chaotic cacophony. Everywhere Yvette looked there were crows - along the high walls and flapping in the air. The birds seemed to have been sent into a frenzy with her arrival, and their cawing was deafening. Every set of crow’s eyes was fixed on Yvette.

Yvette studied the birds for a moment, and they stared back. Then she turned and walked toward the house. Captain Jones, dressed in a black suit and tie, opened the door. He bowed.

“The master has been most expectantly awaiting your return…” - he said, still bowing.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Tim works in digital marketing in Toronto and is well-traveled, having visited over 80 countries. When he is not working or writing, he likes to spend time with his family and German Shepherd and go cycling.

Tim has written fifteen other books: The Secret Policemen and The Secret Service, both dystopian dark comedies, and eight science fiction novels: Extinction, Annabelle, The Three Lives of Mr. Amazing, Fission, The Children of the Third Reich, The Child of Mars, The Children of Andaalwaald,  Angel, and Janus.

Tim has also written Magpie - a dark and intense journey into the world of international espionage and terrorism,  The Killer Who Loves Me, a suspenseful, thrilling detective story about the hunt for a serial killer, Golden Blood, a dark, gothic vampire story, and Christmas Inc., an anarchic, subversive, and satirical Christmas story.

Website: http://www.TimVee.com.

Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/golden-blood-a-vampire-story/id6736947021

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=Xc4dEQAAQBAJ

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Golden-Blood-Vampire-Tim-Vee-ebook/dp/B0DHW7K2X3/

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1633778

X: https://x.com/_Tim_Vee_

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21960899.Tim_Vee

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GIVEAWAY 

Tim Vee will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f5089/

My Review - 4 of 5 stars - 

This was an interesting tale. The world building was different than I am used to. The story started in the early 1500's and ended in the current century. Balthazar became a vampire, grew to be very grotesque, and vicious. Yvette was trying to find a way to return to human form. There was some science with regards to blood types and rarity within this book. Plenty of action, moments of horror, and even humanity. The ending had been foreshadowed but still left you wondering.

Check out these other blogs on this tour:

March 10:  The Avid Reader
March 10: Gina Rae MItchell
March 17: Country Mamas With Kids
March 17: Sorchia's Universe

March 17: fundinmental
March 24: Iron Canuck Reviews & More
March 24: TTC Books and more
March 31: Guatemala Paula Loves to Read
March 31: The Faerie Review

Book Review: Golden Blood: A Vampire Story by Tim Vee

 

Blurb: 

In 1540, conquistador Balthazar Jiménez de Quesada embarks on a quest for gold but encounters an ancient evil in the jungles of Colombia, La Pastola, transforming him into an immortal vampire. Centuries later, as Napoleon's army clashes with the British in 1815, a brutal massacre near Walloon births a new vampire desperate to break her curse. In present-day Los Angeles, a man with the rarest blood type—Golden Blood—enters a dangerous world where the line between predator and prey blurs, as a secret society of vampires hunts for the key to their salvation…or their destruction.

Golden Blood is a gripping tale of horror, history, and the eternal struggle for redemption, spanning from the New World's blood-soaked jungles to the underbelly of modern L.A.

Golden Blood is the story about one vampire's search for Golden Blood that can reverse the vampiric curse and her need for revenge against the vampire that slaughtered her family and turned her into a vampire centuries before. Set in the jungles of Colombia in the 1500s, the Caribbean in the 1700s, Europe in the 1800s and 1900s, and present-day Los Angeles, Golden Blood is a dark, bleak, and gothic story.

Amazon: Amazon.com: Golden Blood: A Vampire Story eBook : Vee, Tim: Books

Bookbub: Golden Blood: A Vampire Story by Tim Vee - BookBub

Goodreads: Golden Blood: A Vampire Story by Tim Vee | Goodreads

My Review - 4 of 5 stars - 

This was an interesting tale. The world building was different than I am used to. The story started in the early 1500's and ended in the current century. Balthazar became a vampire, grew to be very grotesque, and vicious. Yvette was trying to find a way to return to human form. There was some science with regards to blood types and rarity within this book. Plenty of action, moments of horror, and even humanity. The ending had been foreshadowed but still left you wondering.

I received a copy through Goddess Fish Promotions, and this is my unsolicited review.

Blitz: Seducing the Darkness by Shiela Stewart with an excerpt and a giveaway

Seducing the Darkness

by Shiela Stewart

Paranormal Romance

Date Published: 2015

Publisher: Champagne Publishing

 

Trinity was once a fragile girl. Being taken by a powerful vampire prince changed her. Discovering him in the arms of another woman changed destiny. Alone, she’s learned fast how to be tough, how to survive, and how to protect the people in her city from the evil that lurks in the dark. She was managing just fine, until Basil walked back into her life.

Basil Hawthorn has been the reigning prince of vampires since banishing his father to the Realm of Dark Mystics decades earlier. When a prophetic dream makes him realize Trinity’s life is at risk, he decides the only way to save her is to push her away. Doing so is not easy. Trinity is the only woman he has ever loved, will ever love, and he can’t seem to let her go.

When rumors arise of a plan to raise the king and blot out the sun, both Trinity and Basil know they must do everything to stop it. Even if it means working together. Despite betrayal and threats, they find themselves drawn to each other. Love has no boundaries, especially in the face of danger. But will they be able to stop the ritual before it’s too late?

Or will the darkness capture them both?

Excerpt

 That damn itch she’d been having lately was back, and it was driving her nuts. Rolling her shoulders, she watched two redheads staggering from the bar’s exit and towards a dimly lit street.

Here we go again, She kept to the shadows as she followed after them. Uneventfully, they made it to their car and drove off. She hoped the cops were out tonight and those two were hauled in to sleep off their drunk.

Turning back to the club, she waited and watched for the next two hours and was glad nothing had happened. So far. But the night was still young.

“Can you smell it?”

She didn’t jump, but slowly looked over at Basil who appeared next to her. She hated when he just appeared out of thin air, but she knew he loved that entrance the best. “Your stink? Always.”

He didn’t sneer at her but slowly lifted his hand and lit the cigarette between his fingers. “The blood of a human. Does it still draw you in, make you hunger, make you want?”

“I’ve got a strong will.” Deliberately, she shifted away from him. It wasn’t only the smoke that bothered her—and always had—but his scent. It pissed her off that he could still make her ache.

She waved the smoke away annoyingly and shifted just a bit farther away. “Why are you skulking, Basil? Because if you’re following me, I am going to so kick your ass.”

“I was in the neighborhood.”

She glared at him and growled her response. “If you’re here to drink, let me warn you now that I won’t allow it.”

“Who am I supposed to drink from now that I no longer am nourished by your blood?”

She chose not to answer that. “Why does it seem that you’re always around, lurking in the dark, around places that aren’t your usual hangouts? Unless….there’s a reason?” The thought stabbed into her, and though she didn’t want to believe it, she had to ask. “Are you trying to take more females of your own? Are you the one abducting young girls?”

With one quick and easy flick, he tossed the cigarette into the darkness. The red tip glowed as it flew through the air before landing on the gravel to bounce and spit out a cloud of red sparkling fireworks. “I will not even dignify that with an answer.”

“It’s so obvious, now that I think about it. I was young when you took me, made me yours. Is that what you’re doing, Basil, making another mate?”

His icy blue eyes narrowed dangerously as he stepped closer. “I have a mate and to think you would even have such a thought sickens me.”

“You don’t have me, Basil.” Her voice grew dangerous. “If I’m so wrong, then do explain to me why you’re always out in the darkness, skulking near all these young girls?”

“The very same reason you are, my dear.” He ran a finger along her face, making her scowl.

She snorted, stepping away from him before he decided to do something stupid, like kiss her. “Please, I hardly think you’re out here looking to find the person or persons responsible for taking four innocent girls.”

Leaning against the building behind them, Basil looked off into the direction of the bar and the people waiting in line to be allowed inside. “You think so little of me and that’s a shame. But I suppose I’ve done it to myself. Yes, Trinity, I am looking to find out who took those young girls, as you are. And why you might ask?” He shifted towards her, sliding in nice and close and making her pulse speed up. He laid his fingers on her cheek, then slowly slid them along her face. “Because I have a feeling I am connected to the reason they’ve been taken.”

She had all but a moment to open her mouth to respond when he closed it with a mind numbing kiss, then pulling away, turned into a dog and scampered away.

Now what the hell did he mean by that?

About the Author

Shiela Stewart is a paranormal suspense author with a writing history that stems back to her youth.  Always a dreamer, wondering if her stories would ever reach an audience, she was finally published in 2006 and hasn’t stopped since.  It is rare to find a stand-alone book as she prefers series stories. Her longest running series to date is her Darkness series, which is a vampire romance.

Her joy for scary suspense is evident in each of her books. She has had several accomplishments, including fighting for the top spot in the rankings with author Stephanie Myers, receiving glowing reviews as well as interviews on local television and reviews and interviews in The Romantic Times Magazine.

When not writing, Shiela spends her time with the love of her life, William, and their children and grandchildren.. Her strong affection for animals is evident in the many cats she cares for.

Her favorite time of the day is at sunset.

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Teaser: Taken by the Necromancer (Taken #7) by Megan Slayer with an excerpt

 

Taken by the Necromancer

by Megan Slayer

Paranormal Women’s Fiction, Urban Fantasy, Vampires

Date Published: September 20, 2024

 

Briley Reed never expected to be a vampire or thought she’d find herself heading to Eerie, but a brutal attack changes everything. When a mystery man sends her to Eerie to find Atticus, she realizes just how much her life has changed.

But could it be for the better?

Atticus Maguire wants to be left alone. He’s had his heart broken and he’s done with love. Then Briley shows up in his life and it’s turned upside down. He wasn’t planning to fall in love, but the magic never lies.

Right?

 

EXCERPT

 Atticus stood on his front porch and stared out at the water. He’d lived in Eerie his entire life and loved his place on the edge of the lake. The waves calmed him. He could think here. Could let his magic languish. Not be forced to use it or help someone who wasn’t interested in being helped.

He could be the old man yelling at kids running on his lawn.

He snorted. He had a lawn, but it wasn’t much -- mostly sand and rocks with a little grass mixed in. Kids didn’t venture to his side of the lake, so no one trespassed on his property.

He’d accepted that he’d be alone. Who wanted to be with someone who manipulated magic? Who could read the future and the past, and could animate the dead? No one he knew.

When he’d visited the bars, he’d been given a wide berth. Women didn’t approach him. He shouldn’t be annoyed by the actions, but he was. He didn’t want to be alone.

Who did?

But he couldn’t find anyone who wanted to be with a being imbued with magic. His former fiancée couldn’t handle his power or his unintended ability to read the future. He knew the moment he’d met her that she’d leave him, but he’d fallen in love with her anyway. He’d given his heart, knowing it’d get broken.

She’d been a fun, vibrant light in his life -- until she decided he wasn’t good enough. She hadn’t been thrilled with his abilities or his decision to live on the lake. She wanted life and noise and someone who couldn’t read the future in her eyes.

When she left, despite him knowing it would happen, he retreated into himself.

He rested his hands on his hips and watched the water move. The ripples lulled him. Nothing mattered right now. Just the water moving, the chirp of the birds and the flecks of sunlight through the trees. The warmth of the sun danced on his skin.

His thoughts turned to Lydia. She’d been the first woman he’d wanted to live with. The one he’d thought he’d love forever. He’d never been good with women. He tended to be too shy and didn’t say much. Lydia had claimed his silence was cute. She liked when he brooded because she never quite knew what he was thinking. Except when she wanted to know what he had on his mind, and he didn’t say anything. She wanted him to open up. To talk more. To be more social and take her out.

He didn’t mind going out, but he couldn’t dance and his ability to see the future tended to get him into trouble. Lydia didn’t want him reading her mind and got angry when he clammed up. She’d chew him out for not talking, then when he did talk and it wasn’t what she wanted to hear, she chewed him out again.

His skin tingled. A vision formed in his mind. A woman approaching and his brother warning her to find him. He frowned. Who was this woman, and why would his brother appear in his vision? He tipped his head. Who was she? He wasn’t sure. The vision wasn’t clear enough.

He glanced over his shoulder. The woman wasn’t even in Eerie, but he felt her. Another vision formed in his mind. This time, the woman stood in his living room and wore nothing.

A nude woman in his home.

What was he getting himself involved in?

He’d figure it out when she arrived. If he knew one thing more than anything else, fighting the future wasn’t smart. The future would happen no matter what he did.

Still, he wished he knew more about this person trying to locate him. She might end up hating him. The nudity might be because she was getting revenge… on him? Someone else?

The more he thought about this woman, the more the vision of her nude in his living room came into focus. Slender, curly brown hair down to her shoulders, wide eyes, blushing from her hairline to her chest, breasts just right for his hands and curves to make his mouth water. He longed to touch her. He hadn’t even met her yet, and she’d stirred his magic.

He wondered what her kiss would taste like.

He shook his head. Her kiss! She might not even want to kiss him.

The water sloshed against the bank and tore his attention from the woman. His woodland oasis would be invaded. Did he mind?

Not really.

He headed back to the house as a shiver ran the length of his spine. The woman hadn’t reached Eerie, but she was on the outskirts. She also needed his help.

He grabbed his keys, then tucked his phone into his front pocket. Once he locked up the cabin, he rushed out to his motorcycle. He sped out of the shed toward the gravel path, then the road. Living on the far side of the lake meant he’d waste precious minutes rounding the body of water to get to her, but his magic swore she was closer than he’d thought.

Atticus sped down the back road to the edge of town. Her car wasn’t broken down, but she had a follower. He couldn’t see the person in the truck tailing her. Didn’t matter. He’d use a cloaking spell to hide her from the other driver. He spotted her little car, and his heart skipped a beat. He’d never met her, but he had a connection to her.

He pulled out onto the main road between her and the truck, blocking the following vehicle from getting to her. At the same time, he spoke the words to the spell and enveloped her in the invisible cloak. She’d never know he was behind her, but she would know the truck was gone.

Now he could deal with the truck.

About the Author

Megan Slayer, aka Wendi Zwaduk, is a multi-published, award-winning author of more than one-hundred short stories and novels. She’s been writing since 2008 and published since 2009. Her stories range from the contemporary and paranormal to LGBTQ and white hot themes. No matter what the length, her works are always hot, but with a lot of heart. She enjoys giving her characters a second chance at love, no matter what the form. She’s been nominated at the LRC for Best Author, Best Contemporary, Best Ménage, Best BDSM and Best Anthology. Her books have made it to the bestseller lists on various e-tailer sites.

When she’s not writing, Megan spends time with her husband and son as well as three dogs and three cats. She enjoys art, music and racing, but football is her sport of choice. She’s an active member of the Friends of the Keystone-LaGrange Public library.

 

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