Book Description:
In HAVEN, San Francisco nightclub owner Carina Tranquilli
survives a vicious attack by her vampire family’s longtime archenemies. Several
weeks later, as she struggles with PTSD and survivor’s guilt, supervillain
Dixon resurfaces and kidnaps two of her best friends. To save them, Carina must
comply with the evil bastard’s unusual demands. The kicker? She must tell no
one what she is up to.
Meanwhile, she has a new dance club to open for the
preternatural community, a fated soul mate acting secretive and distant, and a
sexy, new, undead friend who’d love to take Alexander’s place in her heart and
bed.
Blackmailed, betrayed, tempted…sometimes destiny has a
wicked sense of humor.
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Excerpt:
Excerpt:
My day moved from ordinary to interesting when the
deliveryman handed me a box that smelled of blood.
The scent made my mouth water. Pungent iron mixed
with, of all things, lavender. My
thoughts flew straight to Tessa, my surrogate vampire mother. When she pulled
out one of her specialty powers, the one I fondly referred to as vampire valium, this relaxing, floral
herb scented the air and reduced friend or foe to a boneless, helpless puddle.
I shut the front door on the retreating back of the
deliveryman and wiggled the box. Nothing rattled inside. Not particularly
heavy, less than ten pounds.
A peace offering, perhaps? Tessa certainly owed me
one.
She’d commanded her minion, my boyfriend Alexander, to
star in a two-month classical music tour of Italy, performing nightly for
vampire dignitaries and their lucky minions. While I, the good little
predestined, vampire apocalypse averting, Chosen One in training, remained
behind in San Francisco to learn how to kick naughty vampire ass with my latent
and rather unwieldy fire power.
“Hey boys,” I called up to the second floor where my
friend Adrian and his lover, my mentor Jonas, took their sweet time descending
for breakfast. “Bloody prezzie just arrived. And I do mean that literally.”
Silence answered my shout, followed by the whoosh of
water in the master bathroom shower and a husky laugh from Adrian. Given that
sexy sound, I could expect a delay. Jonas tended to make their showers last
forever.
A jolt of jealousy stabbed my stomach. Wish I could
enjoy some fun and sexy time with my guy. I shrugged off the sensation and
strode into the kitchen. “Fine. More for me.”
I parked my ass in a chair and slid the box onto the
table to study it. No return address or package info. Not that surprising. Vampires
tended to aim for stealth and subtlety, to fly under the radar of the general
human populace. One of Tessa’s minions probably compelled the delivery dude, or
he belonged to the circle of humans already in-the-know.
I ripped off the tape in one pull and peeked inside.
No packing peanuts, but rather a nest of lavender branches speckled with
droplets of blood, as if the branches themselves bled. Beautiful, aromatic, and
so very vampire.
A wine box large enough for two bottles rested in the
nest. Cold to the touch, indicating recent refrigeration. I lifted it out,
trailing my fingers over the gold latch, the dark, glossy wood, the Celtic
knots carved into each end, and finally over the initials on top. My initials,
C A T. Short for Carina Agostina Tranquilli.
What a well-crafted and thoughtful gift. I bet the
wine inside would be equally well-made.
I flipped the latch and opened the lid. My brows
collided. Not wine.
Nine vials of blood about the size of my ring finger
rested side by side in black velvet bedding. A stopper sealed with red wax and
stamped with my initials secured the blood inside each vessel.
I pulled one from its nest and held it up in the light
streaming through the kitchen’s bay window. The liquid glowed a rich, ruby red
like a shard in a stained glass window.
“Beautiful.” And odd.
Sure, I was a half vampire and could appreciate a fine
bit of blood, but I was still a human female
and for me, nothing says, I’m sorry for
disrupting your entire life like high-end jewelry or better yet an all-expenses
paid trip with my boyfriend somewhere secluded, luxurious, and far away from
vampire politics. Hell, I’d settle for the return of my boyfriend to San Francisco.
About the Author:
Celia
lives in California with her husband, daughter, and two feisty cats. She writes
urban fantasy and paranormal romance, and has a particular fondness for
vampires, werewolves, and the Fae. When not writing, you’ll find her
exercising, reading a good book or indulging her addiction to Joss Whedon’s TV
shows and movies.
Web site: http://www.celiabreslin.com/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/celiabreslin
Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/CeliaBreslin
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