Cherish D'Angelo Blog Tour!

Lancelot's Lady: Coincidence vs. Paranormal

Thank you so much, Lynda, for hosting me during my Cherish the Romance Virtual Book Tour, which launches my contemporary romantic suspense Lancelot's Lady.

I have been drawn to all things paranormal ever since I was a child. From visits to psychics to Ouija boards that won't go away to prediction dreams to seeing ghosts, I've experienced some bizarre things. Not surprisingly, these weird events have inspired some of my best works. Though Lancelot's Lady is the first novel I've written that doesn't have some kind of paranormal element, it does have a strong theme of coincidence and fate. First let me tell you about my paranormal works, written under the name Cheryl Kaye Tardif.

My inspirational novel Whale Song deals with racism, abuse, bullying, death, native folklore and reincarnation. It is a "sweet and sad" tale about love and family, and the paranormal elements are beautiful, hopeful and inspiring. Because of its powerful messages, Whale Song has changed people's lives and is being used in schools (US, Canada and Europe) for novel studies and in a women's shelter in Georgia as mandatory reading for guests.

Divine Intervention is a darker paranormal thriller. It deals with psychic government agents, each with a specific gift. Agent Jasi McLellan is a Pyro-Pyschic who reads fires. One whiff of smoke and she's sent reeling into the minds of killers. Her partner Ben is a Pyschometric Empath; he reads object when he touches them. Jasi's other partner Natassia is a Victim Empath; she sees into the minds of victims, whether they're alive or dead.

My techno-thriller The River has a paranormal element that borders on sci-fi. While Del Hawthorne and her friends travel along the Nahanni River, an area known as the "Bermuda Triangle of Canada", they discover a cave with an underground river. As they venture deeper into the cave, a peculiar blue light emanates from the far end. That blue light is otherworldly, or at the very least, othertimely, and Del discovers that not everything is as it seems―not even the people she's traveling with.

In my novelette Remote Control, Harry Fielding discovers that you don't get things by wishing for them. Or do you? A freak storm sends an electrical charge through Harry's TV and remote control, and what transpires is a glimpse into the soul of a man filled with greed and selfishness. Harry learns, far too late, that greed has its own form of retribution. "Be careful what you wish for! You might just get it." Some men should never have a remote control in hand.

Skeletons in the Closet & Other Creepy Stories is a collection filled with paranormal or supernatural activities. Remember that Ouija board I mentioned? You'll find that story here―and it's based on true events. You'll find Remote Control plus twelve creepy stories, including one of my favourites, Picture Perfect. This collection is inspired by watching The Twilight Zone and The Hitchhiker television series and from all the Stephen King shorts I've read.

Lancelot's Lady, my contemporary romantic suspense, has no element of paranormal―though maybe for me that IS the paranormal element; that there isn't one. You won't find a Ouija board or skeletons in the closet or an old man with a golden tooth, but you will find a love story that begins long before our hero and heroine meet.

It starts with a chance meeting and a terrible tragedy. Coincidence and fate play a strong role as two people are brought together, each suffering from pasts filled with bad experiences. Who controls our destiny? Do we? Or is everything up to fate? Lancelot's Lady is ultimately a story about finding true love...and coming home.

~Cherish D'Angelo

Lancelot's Lady is available in ebook edition at KoboBooks, Amazon's Kindle Store, Smashwords and other ebook retailers. Help me celebrate by picking up a copy today and "Cherish the romance..."

You can learn more about Lancelot's Lady and Cherish D'Angelo (aka Cheryl Kaye Tardif) at http://www.cherishdangelo.com/ and http://www.cherylktardif.blogspot.com/ . Follow Cherish from September 27 to October 10 on her Cherish the Romance Virtual Book Tour and win prizes.

Have you read any of Stephen King's collections of short stories? Which is your favorite? Have you seen The Twilight Zone or The Hitchhiker? Why do you like these shows?

Leave a comment here, with email address, to be entered into the prize draws. You're guaranteed to receive at least 1 free ebook just for doing so. Plus you'll be entered to win a Kobo ereader. Winners will be announced after October 10th.

Excerpt Monday: Dispel the Mist by Marilyn Meredith

The winner of Marilyn's book is: tetewa. Congratulations! I'll send Marilyn your email address. Thanks to everyone who participated.

Dispel the Mist by Marilyn Meredith

Blurb: In Dispel the Mist, a county supervisor with Native American and Mexican roots dies under suspicious circumstances. Because of Deputy Tempe Crabtree's own ties to the Bear Creek Indian Reservations, she’s asked to help with the investigation, which takes her to the Painted Rock site and the pictograph of the Hairy Man. Is he real or just a legend?

In Dispel the Mist, Tempe Crabtree has several dreams that seem to be warnings of things to come.

Excerpt:

Her first dream was about her grandmother. Once again, Tempe was a child, cuddling against the soft warm body. Grandma’s nut brown wrinkled face, always expressive when she told Tempe the Indian stories. Love for her granddaughter apparent in her dark eyes. Tempe smelled the lavender that grandma always sprinkled into her dresser drawers. In the dream, she told a story Tempe had never heard before.

“In the old days, women learned never to leave their acorn meal unattended. All day long they made ground acorns on the big rocks near the river. Then they took the meal down to the water to wash out the poison. They left it in the sun to dry, but when they came back it was gone. “
Grandma paused dramatically and Tempe gasped. Who could have taken the acorn meal?

“None of the women took it. None of the children took it. When they looked around they found big footprints in the sand where they left the meal, so they knew the Hairy Man had eaten it. He liked Indian food too and was smart enough to know he needed to wait until the acorn meal was leached of its bitterness before he took it. After that, they always set aside a portion of the leached meal for the Hairy Man. The women always wondered if the sound of them pounding the acorns let him know when it was time to come for his share of the food.”

Tempe wanted to ask her grandmother questions about the Hairy Man, like did he still come for the acorn meal, but she faded away.

The only reason Tempe remembered this dream was because she had an urgent need to go to the bathroom. On her way back to bed, she noticed Hutch hadn’t joined her, so it must still be evening. Still sleepy, she thought briefly about the dream deciding it had absolutely no relationship to Supervisor Quintera’s death and promptly returned to her slumber.

Her next dream was a nightmare. Tempe knew she was on the reservation, but it was different looking as familiar places often are in dreams. The buildings all seemed dilapidated and badly in need of repair though she couldn’t see them clearly because of a grayish-yellow swirling mist surrounding everything. Jagged black mountain peaks poked through the clouds. Though she was alone, a feeling of menace was so prevalent, she could almost smell it.

In fact, she did smell a sour aroma mixed with smoke, like someone was burning trash with something toxic in it. Not knowing exactly what to do or where to go, she walked down the road which instead of being paved was dirt, and filled with rocks. No vehicles were around, either moving or parked.

Without warning, a large man who resembled Cruz Murphy stepped out of the fog. He held up a hand, palm out. “Stop. Danger ahead.”

“Maybe I can help,” Tempe said, moving closer to him, but as she did, he faded into the mist.

“Chief Murphy. Cruz, wait. Tell me what’s going on. I need to know.”

He didn’t answer, but another figure appeared from the gloom, Daniel Burcena dressed all in black. His features sharp and menacing. “You should heed warnings that are given to you. You may have native blood flowing through your veins, but your heart isn’t on the reservation. Everyone who lives here can see that. Go back where you came from.”

“I loved my grandmother,” Tempe said. “I’m sorry I wasn’t proud of my Indian heritage. Let me make it up to her.”

“It’s too late. Way too late.”

A warning siren blew. People ran from the buildings, spilling out onto the road and crowding around Tempe. What was going on? The siren stopped for a moment. It sounded again. More shrill this time. It stopped and then shrieked again.

It was the phone. Tempe shook the nightmare from her mind and picked up the receiver. “Deputy Crabtree.”

A strange voice, one that sounded like it was electronically altered growled, “Stay away from Painted Rock.”

******

Marilyn Meredith is the author of nearly thirty published books. Dispel the Mist is #8 in the Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series. #9, Invisible Trail will be available this month.

From Marilyn:

The moment I stepped inside the rock shelter and spotted the pictograph of the Hairy Man and his family, I knew that my heroine, Tempe Crabtree, would not only visit this sacred place at night—which I’d been warned against doing—I also knew she would have an encounter with the Hairy Man. Dispel the Mist can be ordered through the usual places as well as from the publisher’s site at http://www.mundaniapress.com/

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Marilyn will be giving away a copy of her book to one commenter. Her winner will be selected and posted on Tuesday evening. Stop back by to see if you won.

Excerpt Monday: Lynda K. Scott

The winner of Lynda's book is: Debby. Congratulations, Debby! I'll send Lynda your email address. Thanks to everyone who participated.

Heartstone Back Cover Copy

Eric d'Ebrur is out of time. He must find the legendary Heartstone and fulfill the ancient Gar'Ja bond he shares with the Stonebearer. But when he finds her, he discovers that love can be more dangerous than the Gawan threat. Eric can defeat the mind-controlling Gawan but will it cost him the woman he loves?

After terrifying episodes of hypersensitivity, Keriam Norton thinks she's losing her mind. When handsome shapeshifter Eric d'Ebrur saves her from the monstrous Gawan, she's sure of it. But insane or not, she'll find the Heartstone and, if she's lucky, a love to last a lifetime.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter 1

Opening day.

On the sign hanging over the door, the Old English letters spelling out The Treasure Chest gleamed in the morning light. The dark green awning that would prevent the hot afternoon sun from entering the windows added to the quaintness of the store.

Keriam Norton sighed happily. She treasured the old, well-worn and well-loved items in her inventory. They had a history, a past, a connection to earlier times, and now, with her help, they'd have a future.

She wished she could say the same. For all she knew, she and her mother, Meredith, had dropped out of the sky twenty-six years ago. As for the future, she would be satisfied with the store.

In the window, her cousin, Janna, fluffed the skirt of an old ivory wedding dress. Keriam smiled, remembering how the young woman had held it up to her body and admired it in the oval mirror. A true romantic, Janna fantasized about her wedding day constantly.

At least one of them had a fantasy.

In three hours, people would come into the store and browse through the collection of lovingly worn antiques.

People. Strangers.

She swallowed and rubbed suddenly damp palms against her pants legs. She took a deep breath. Released it slowly.

She and Janna would chat with them. Point out the eighteenth century armoire, the Art Deco or the kitschy collection of farm implements gracing the walls. Everything was going to be just fine.

Her stomach took a queasy roll.

Facing people she knew, and ones she didn't, was going to be hard. It hadn't always been so, just since her parents died. She inhaled raggedly at the surge of grief. So much had changed for her since then. But today was going to be a good day. It was, she repeated.

Janna backed out of the window. A moment later, she trotted through the front door to stand at Keriam's side. Her cousin's excitement poured off her in waves.
"Well? What do you think? Is it fantastic?" Janna asked.

"Oh, yes. Seriously fantastic."

"Are you sure?"

"It's beautiful." Keriam focused on the display, on the wedding dress with its yards of lace, fighting the rush of anxiety and joyous anticipation Janna was feeling. It would be worse if Janna actually touched her, she knew, and kept a careful distance between them. "Now. Let's get ready for hordes of customers to make us filthy rich."

"In your dreams," Janna said, laughing. As she passed through the door, she added, "Mine, too."

Keriam stopped as the weight of unseen eyes danced over her skin like thorny little ant-feet. She whirled, taking in the entire street with a sweeping glance.

Roseberg’s small business district, composed of ancient brick storefronts, would soon be bustling but now was serenely quiet. And yet...

Someone was watching her.

Across the street, a large black dog sniffed a reproduction coach lamp near the curb. Keriam dismissed the animal, letting her gaze move toward the intersection. A shadow, long and sharp in the sun's slanting rays, moved and vanished before Keriam could identify it. No faces pressed against the glass of the shops lining Main Street. There was no traffic.

Her attention returned to the dog. It sat, tongue lolling, tail idly sweeping the sidewalk. It had a feral tilt to its pale eyes that made her think wolf. Which was ridiculous, there weren't any wolves in this part of Michigan.

Then...expectancy flashed through her body, heightening her perception. From the east came the scent of the pig farms and the rendering plant, faint but distinguishable to her acute senses. Automobile fumes from the highway drifted, mingling with the occasional perfume of green, growing things from the surrounding farmlands. A silent call hung in the cool, morning air and she let the door close without going inside. She shut her eyes, fighting the urge to follow the call, to abandon Janna and the store.

A single, deep bark cut through the wild sensations and, as if a door slammed shut, the scents were gone, the call silenced. Her heart skipped a beat, then skittered like a wild thing. These episodes were coming far too often. And too powerfully. How long before she could no longer fight them?

How long before she lost her mind?

"Hey," Janna spoke from the doorway. "Something wrong?"

"No." Keriam shook her head, forcing a smile. "No. Nothing. I was just...daydreaming. Come on. There's still a lot to do."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

HEARTSTONE is available in both print and ebook format from Mundania Press. You can find it here: http://www.mundania.com/book.php?title=Heartstone

If you buy Heartstone through the Mundania site, you can use the code LSCOTT10 at checkout and receive a 10% discount on your total purchase)

Heartstone is also available in print from Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/Heartstone-Lynda-K-Scott/dp/1606592335/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1281979082&sr=1-1

To get or stay in touch with me:
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I’d love you to go to my website and check out the prologue for Heartstone. My editor and I decided that the novel was just fine without it but I thought readers might enjoy reading it for free.

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Lynda will give away one pdf copy of Heartstone. Her winner will be selected and posted here on Tuesday night. Stop back by to see if you won.

Publishing News and a Conference

Hi, everyone. I've been terrible about posting news here, but there are a couple of things I'd like to report.

I'm working on a short story in Kismet and Devereux's world to upload to Amazon/Kindle and Smashwords. The tentative title is Bloodsucking New Year's Eve. Look for it before the holidays. If you're a fan of the series, you'll enjoy this story, not only because it's a romantic date night for my two main characters, but because pieces of the larger story arc are revealed. Things that aren't in the first two novels. I'm going to begin the search for a cover image.

I've also been slowly slogging along on an expanded version of the short story, Blood Song, I had in the print anthology, Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romance. It will be up at Amazon/Kindle in the near future.

And, I've been working on an expanded version of my first two novels. I'll likely upload the new version of The Vampire Shrink -- including previously unpublished material -- before the end of the year. That's one absolutely wonderful thing about owning the e-rights to my novels: I can add/change/expand whenever I choose! (Whenever I have any time!)

My German publisher, Droemer-Knaur, has asked to publish the third book in my Kismet series. We're talking.

Wish I could win the lottery so I could spend more time writing!

(I have another cool piece of news, but I'll hold onto that for a while. More details when I can . . .)

Stay tuned!

I'm looking forward to attending the NINC (Novelists, Inc.) conference in Florida, October 7-10. Anyone else planning to go?

Excerpt Monday: Roxanne Rhoads

Roxanne's winner is: Robin K! Congratulations, Robin. I'll give Roxanne your contact info. Thanks to everyone who participated.
Blurb and Excerpt: Eternal Desire

Eternal Desire is a hot and steamy paranormal erotic romance so finding a suitable PG excerpt was hard -not that the book is all sex- but even when LizBeth is alone she’s thinking about the vampire of her dreams and the hot blooded stranger she can’t get enough of.

The scene below is an excellent introduction to her thoughts on Quillon her vampire and Christien her sexy stranger. It also tosses in a few clues about LizBeth’s lonely life and her lack of connection to humanity.

PG Except from Eternal Desire:

I found myself going back and forth thinking about Christien and Quillon. One moment, I would be concentrating on Quillon. The next moment, I would have a flashback from the night before with Christien, and my knees would get weak. For so long, I had dreamt about Quillon, first imagining him as my guardian angel, then later imagining him in a much more carnal light. But Quillon was always so ice cold in my dreams. He was so distant, a fantasy but not flesh—at least not yet, not to me.

Christien was so warm, so non-vampirish, so human.

Christien was a man—a real man—and being with him rivaled the dreams and images I had of Quillon.

I felt myself being torn between a shadow and a stranger. Could it get any more complicated?

I was feeling run-down and my head ached. I decided I really needed some caffeine. I found the Café du Monde on Decatur, right on the edge of Jackson Square. The square was full of a variety of people: street musicians, artists, a dreaded mime, several fortune tellers and other people from all walks of life. I sat down at a small table, sipped at my pick-me-up-in-a-cup—a delicious café au lait—and people-watched.

My life was usually focused on the dead, the undead, or other strange preternatural occurrences. I often forgot about the humanity that surrounded me. They laughed, they danced, and they seemed to be having a good time. Teenagers hung out with their friends while tourists had their fortunes told and dropped money into the jars and hats of the artists and musicians. It was a beautiful slice-of-life scene. So everyday, I thought. So normal. I was lost in it.

Suddenly, I realized the sun was hanging low in the sky. It was getting late. I had to rush back to my hotel, drop off the books and get cleaned up. I was all dusty from digging around in the library, and I couldn’t meet Christien looking all disheveled.

I took an ultra-quick shower and dolled myself up as best I could with what I had available, which, unfortunately, wasn’t much. I hadn’t packed for dating. Jeans and a tight t-shirt would have to work this time.

I scurried out of the hotel and practically ran the whole way to him. I was out of breath by the time I met Christien, promptly at sunset, at the corner of Canal and Bourbon Streets. He smiled as I ran up to him. I was huffing and puffing, completely out of breath. Good job, Liz! Score another dork point for you, I thought. I could have tried for a sexier arrival and maybe sauntered up like a sex goddess a few minutes fashionably late. Instead, I was like a love struck teenager who couldn’t wait to be with him. I was just staring at him and following along with whatever he wanted. Luckily, he didn’t seem to mind.

He took me on a carriage ride around the city. He seemed very knowledgeable about New Orleans history, and he told me many stories that the tour guides had not. He also told me about all the Halloween festivities that would be going on that weekend. “I would be honored if you would attend the Vampyre Ball and Dark Masquerade Ball with me this weekend.” He sounded so formal.

Praise for Eternal Desire:

After reading Eternal Desire, I would have to call Roxanne Rhoads a master of words. Each sentence flowed into another with a nice blend of old elegance and contemporary style… ~review by author Kiki Howell

Ms. Rhoads is an artist with words. She very tastefully wove the romance with the love scenes making the reader feel as if true romance and chivalry were still here… ~review by Bertena Varney

Eternal Desire won second place in The Pen and Muse’s 2010 Short Story Competition

Eternal Desire Blurb:

Liz Beth, a paranormal researcher, is haunted by the seductive vampire, Quillon, who may or may not be real. She arrives in New Orleans the week of Halloween to search for the elusive vampire of her dreams and instead encounters a handsome stranger, Christien, with whom she begins a passionate affair with.

Soon she is torn between her dream lover and a flesh and blood man, both of whom are a mystery to her. The closer it gets to Halloween the wilder things become. LizBeth gets closer to the truth about Quillon while Christien has her under his own spell.

Will all be revealed at the Vampyre Ball or will the masks stay in place?

In New Orleans at Halloween anything is possible.

Link to book video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuJ6niYhgJg

Buy links:

ebook at Eternal Press:

http://www.eternalpress.biz/book.php?isbn=9781926704708

print at Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1926704789?ie=UTF8&tag=enchantyourse-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1926704789

Kindle version at Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1926704789?ie=UTF8&tag=enchantyourse-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1926704789

Eternal Desire is one of my favorite stories that I have written.

I love Christien, Quillon and LizBeth and have mentioned them in a few of my other works but hope to write a sequel to Eternal Desire soon, maybe a full length novel. I have the idea written down and the story slightly mapped out- it’s just on the back burner right now. One day soon I hope to get to it because there have been requests for more of these characters. I take that as a good sign.

I’d like to give away a print copy to one lucky commenter. US shipping only please. (Roxanne's winner will be selected and posted on Wednesday evening. Stop back by to see if you won.)

http://www.fang-tasticbooks.blogspot.com/

www.twitter.com/roxannerhoads

Pandora's Box Ebook/Kindle Giveaway

E-copies of The Vampire Shrink and Dark Harvest are part of the prizes in Scott Nicholson's giveaway.

Click here to find out more:

http://www.hauntedcomputer.com/pandorasbox.htm

Excerpt Monday: Rena Marks, "Kiss Me Before I Die"

The winner of Rena's book is: Rosie! Congratulations, Rosie. Give me your email address and I'll pass it along to Rena. Thanks to everyone who participated.

BLURB:
A relationship between a vampire and his Extinguisher is doomed from the very beginning. At twenty-five years of age, Afton Reis is the only living Extinguisher to make retirement. But what's the use of retirement if the only one that got away still heats your blood?

EXCERPT: Kiss Me Before I Die

It was a cave I awoke in. A darkened cave, good for improved night vision for those more than plain human. Hushed whispers all around me. Not a lot of body heat.

A vampire nest.

“It’s awake,” said a childlike voice. A tiny, fanged creature no more than six or seven, pointed at me. His father grabbed him, moving him from my reach. As if I’d harm an innocent.

I did a double take. An innocent? Surely blood loss was to blame for my brain failure.

“What are you?” the blond boy asked. “You smell like us. But you look human.”

The cave was so silent you could hear a pin drop. Until the voice of Ethan rang strong. “She’s an Extinguisher.”

There was hissing from the shadowed corners. “You brought one here? You should have let her die.”

“You will not harm her,” Ethan said.

“How dare you bring an Extinguisher into our midst?”

“You forget who rules?” Ethan’s voice was deadly. Silence was his answer.
“I’m an ex-Extinguisher,” I said soothingly. To justify Ethan’s actions. For if I were one of the vampires, I’d take me out in a heartbeat.

“She’s a female. Is she the one?” I heard from the corner.

The same child inched toward me. His father reached to pull him away but Ethan interrupted. “Let him. Trust must begin. Jordan, go on.”

The boy tentatively moved forward. “You don’t have fangs,” he said.

“You do.”

He looked at me like I was an idiot. “How else would I eat? Hey,” he continued as it dawned on him. “What do you eat?”

“Food.”

“Like a human?” he asked, eyes wide.

I simply nodded.

“But you can morph, like we do. Right?”

To this child, this…Jordan, I was a scary urban legend. A nightmare parents whispered about in the dark.

“Yes,” I said.

“Where’s your mommy and daddy?” he asked suddenly.

I shifted uncomfortably. “I don’t know anymore.”

“Why not?”

Ethan answered for me. “Because Extinguishers are taken from their parents before they are even eight years of age.”

The looks on the faces of the evil creatures around me were incredulous. As if we, the humans, were the monsters.

“We are trained daily in order to have the strength to extinguish,” I justified.

“I thought you gained strength by drinking the blood of a captured vampire. One of us,” someone said, bitterness brewing in his voice.

I had no answer. I certainly didn’t ask for the benefit back then.

“At what age were you stricken, Afton?” Ethan asked quietly. He was smart. Had he demanded an answer, I would have clammed.

“Three.”

Silence reigned in the aftermath yet again.

“Why so young? If they are normally taken at eight?” another of the voices asked.

“I was one of the Originals.”

“Originals?”

“The first crew.”

“An experiment,” Ethan countered. “You were an experiment.”

“One that worked well,” I reminded him curtly.

“Yet one that has not been able to be recreated. They don’t know what happened differently with you.”

“Apparently they figured it out. I’m lying here wounded, aren’t I?”

“They knew exactly how to wound you. Don’t you find it curious?”

“Oh, do share with me, Ethan. I’m too tired for games.”

“They have your blood. They must have infected the assassin with it, instead of blood from a vampire. You are not used to sensing your own blood morphing in and out. Vampires are—shared blood runs rampant throughout our lines. This has been planned for years, Afton. The Extinguisher in the park? He wasn’t sent for me. He was there for you.”

A shiver ran down my spine, icy cold and making my fingers and toes tingle. Here I thought I had been saving Ethan. Here I thought they’d let me retire.

Instead, I was being hunted like an animal.

I guess it was beneficial that I’d spent the last year underground hiding from my lover. It kept the government from finding me also.

I should have known. There was never any intention of allowing my departure. Not after all the years of training. The inhumane conditions. But I’d earned retirement, dammit.

I was one of the lucky few who stayed alive.

“And how are we to feed her?” asked a female. “We have no human food.”
“We should turn her loose.”

Ethan tore his gaze from mine long enough to glare in the general vicinity of the voice.

Dead silence once again reigned in the cave. The tension thickened, the beginnings of a catastrophic tantrum from Ethan. Minds around us would go insane with rage, or at least they should. I wondered if his fits worked on vampires the same way they did on humans?

“Ethan,” I whispered gently.

At first, he didn’t hear.

“Ethan,” I said again, careful to keep any urgency from my voice. When he cut his attention to me, something softened in his eyes.

There was the key to averting a disaster. Ethan was all-out male, needing to be needed. Frustrated because his twisted mind thought I was his but I was a female born and bred not to need anything or anyone.

“You know I can take care of myself,” I said softly, “but I am a little weakened right now. I don’t know any of these people. Maybe just you and I can head out to find me something to eat?”

The air was thinning, becoming easier to breathe. Drier, as though the humidity was evaporating quickly.

“You shouldn’t be up and about, bella,” he chided gently.

I could almost see the relief that swept through the inhabitants of the cave.

http://www.renamarks.com/

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Rena will give away a copy of Kiss Me Before I Die to one commenter. Her winner will be selected and posted on Tuesday evening. Stop back by to see if you won.