Easter Blog Hop Day 3

Welcome to day 3 of the Easter Blog Hop, I’m so glad you stopped by. There are dozens of authors participating in the this year’s Hop and I’m so glad to be a part of it. To check out the other participating authors, just click on the picture on the left.

Over the 3 days, I’ll be posting excerpts from my books along with opportunities to win 1 of 3 prizes I’ll be giving away.

First Prize is a lovely necklace and bracelet set made by me. For this set, I’ve incorporated a few different types of beads: glass, pearl, seed, and glass bugle. To keep with the Easter spirit, I created these pieces using white, gold, and pink beads. It’s a lovely set that can be worn with casual clothes or even a nice dress.

Second Prize is a pdf copy of one of my books, winner’s choice. To check out my backlist, please see the right sidebar. All my book covers are listed there. Just click on a cover to find out more about the book.

Third Prize is a 4-piece set of wine charms, handmade by me. They are fashioned with Easterish colored beads and silver accents. All four are adorned with a beautiful pendant and are sure to be a lovely addition to your favorite wine glass.

How can you enter to win one of these fabulous prizes? It’s simple. Just stop by my site one or more days during the Blog Hop (April 6-8th) and leave a comment about my post for that day. The more days you visit and comment, the more chances you’ll have to win. At the end of the 3 days, I’ll draw 3 winners. See, simple. Be sure to put your email address in your comment so I can reach you if you win.

If you happen to have missed the previous days’ posts, here’s the links to them so you can be sure to enter for each day:

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3>

Okay, so let’s get on with today’s post...

Publisher: Wild Child Publishing

Purchase

Genre: Dark Fantasy/Horror

Format: ebook

BLURB:

EXCERPT:

Cursed to harbor the beast that drove the Prince of Walachia to perform unspeakable acts of cruelty upon her loved ones, Ivona Knight has spent the last five hundred years eliminating all descendants of the Dracula line. Trapped within a remote tavern by a hammering storm, she engages in a storytelling game with her fellow patrons. But as she conveys her tale, she senses a familiar presence emanating from one of the others that stirs emotions deep within her which only one other has ever evoked. Has she found her next target? Or has she become the hunted?

Romania… My homeland as well.

Lucian hid his shock as he settled into his chair and studied the intriguing woman across from him. Her curvy figure bespoke regality, perfect in form. Her delicate facial features, high cheekbones, and dainty nose resembled those of a porcelain doll. A full, sensual mouth the color of the deepest ruby completed the effect.

Shrouded in a thick cloak of long, dark lashes, her eyes startled him. They held an oddness about them; one in which he couldn’t quite put his finger on. As he stared into their mesmerizing depths, he swore he saw something…move.

Perhaps her pupils shifted, or the dance of candlelight tricked his sight. Or mayhap, one too many shots of whiskey had done the trick.

The black velvet of her oriental robe heightened the translucence of her skin, giving her a flawless look, almost ceramic in nature, like the finest of handpainted china. And her sheer, red gown clung to her shape as though one with her flesh, outlining her full breasts and narrow waist with brazen clarity.

Lucian drew in a steady breath as his gaze lingered on her generous cleavage, cleverly displayed by the parted material of her coat. He shifted his gaze to the bold slit in her gown, which revealed a good portion of her long, shapely legs.

Summing up his examination, he drew in a steadying breath as one word came to mind: dangerous.

For some strange reason, he sensed she told the truth. While the others might chalk off her forward declaration as nothing more than an elaborate fairy-tale, something within warned that this striking beauty concealed a fair share of dark secrets; her outward appearance shrouded something evasive and far more sinister.

His eyes strayed to the borders of the limited candlelight. An eerie darkness hung in the air, clinging to her aura like a demonic parasite. Even the shadows seemed to worship her presence, undulating toward her as though paying homage to an ancient queen. His instinct warned that evil lurked deep within her soul.

And yet, he felt no fear. Somehow, fate bound their destinies, their meeting more than chance. Something drew them here, albeit bizarre and unnatural. Perhaps her tale would lend some insight.

His gaze returned to hers, catching her studying him with an unnerving expression of secrecy. Lucian clenched his teeth. Whenever she dropped her chin toward her chest, her black hair slid forward around her cheeks, shrouding the guarded expression in her cold, emotionless stare.

Sleek and shiny, like two panels of the purest silk, her onyx locks shimmered with a subtle hue of blue. With her strange, malachite-green eyes and alabaster skin, she looked ethereal in the flickering candlelight. And perhaps to some of the nerve-frazzled patrons about the room, a bit surreal.

As though she’d read his thoughts, her ruby lips curled into a sensual smile.

“Humans…”

The low growl came from deep in her throat, almost inaudible within the spacious room. Lucian’s eyes narrowed as he watched her flick an imaginary speck of lint from her gown. He sensed she toyed with him, intent on frightening or intimidating him. Although he sat the farthest away, he doubted any of the others heard the unnatural rumble coming from her chest.

Her head snapped up, her piercing gaze locking with his. “Their reactions are so predictable. After all, it’s the denial of mortals and their refusal to believe that has allowed The Evil to survive for so long.”

Lucian’s breath caught in his throat. He knew she’d just spoken to him, yet, her mouth never moved. For the first time since laying eyes on her, he felt a chill of forewarning. She played no game here. While life filled this room—men, women, mortals—Ivona Knight didn’t belong amongst them.

Part of him wanted to get up from his leather armchair and walk out. Swim across the river, take his chances in the forest, whatever it took to get away. But the other part rooted him in place, refusing to budge, almost as though he had to hear her tale, had to know what manner of beast lay beneath her counterfeit exterior.

What drew him to her like the proverbial moth to a flame? Bells of alarm clamored in his head, goading him to run. Against his better judgment, he pasted on a false smile and forced himself to remain.

***

Thanks so much for stopping by today, don't forget to comment and enter for a chance to win one of my prizes!