Promo
with author Imogene Nix
Welcome back everyone! I am excited to be
able to share a story with you all today with vampires. I love vampire stories
an always try to share them when I can. I have yet to be able to read any o Ms.
Nix’s work, but I know she has several stories out that I have come across
before. I was caught by this cover as soon as I saw it and was equally
intrigued by the title. The book blurb further garnered my attention because
this time the female lead has left the nest – literally – to break away and experience
a bit of freedom. She is back now and has to adjust both to living within the
confines of the “family” as well as the leadership of a new master. And wouldn’t
you know, the new master wants Hope. I mean right there I want to know more and
I haven’t even read the excerpt yet. I hope you all enjoy today’s post. And we
have a GIVEAWAY at the end of the post, so be sure to enter for your chance to
win! Please help me welcome to the blog:
**IMOGENE NIX**
**BIO**
A mother of two, compulsive reader and bookstore
owner. She lives in regional Queensland, Australia with her husband, 2
daughters, dog, cats and prize winning chooks. She has a particular fondness
for Vampires, Star Ship Captains and things that go bump in the night.
She is also a firm believer in writing what you
enjoy… something she strictly adheres to!
You can find out more about Ms. Nix in the
following places:
**THE BLOOD BRIDE**
Erotic Paranormal Romance
Categories: Mystery/Thriller
Publisher: Total-e-Bound
Release Date: June 21, 2013
Heat Level: Steamy
Word Count: 78,900
**BLURB**
Hope just wants to be an ordinary nestling. She
went to college and escaped, but now she’s back and there’s a secret everyone
is keeping from her.
Xavier is the new master of the nest, ready to welcome
home the daughter of the house who he has never met. He’s unprepared for the
woman who steals his breath and enchants him.
Now Hope and Xavier must fight for lives and
those of the innocents. After all, it is only by overcoming the rogues that they
will have a chance of a timeless future together. But will it be in time?
Warning: This title is intended for readers over
the age of 18 as it contains adult sexual situations and/or adult language, and
may be considered offensive to some readers.
Buy Links
**EXCERPT**
By reading any further you are stating
you are at least 18 years of age. If you are under the age of 18, it is
necessary for you to exit this site.
Copyright © Imogene Nix, 2013
All Rights Reserved, Total-E-Ntwined
Limited, T/A Total-E-Bound.
Hope hauled the
last heavy box up the stairs of the manor house, occasionally catching glimpses
of the way her midnight black hair shone in the sunlight, when she
passed the window in the living room of her apartment. "Thank heavens this
is the last one," she muttered to herself, sliding the box down to rest on
the floor, before straightening and rubbing the nagging ache in her back. She
could have had help, all she needed to do was ask, but now that she was an adult
she needed to stand on her own two feet, she reminded herself.
Straightening up,
she looked around at the mass of boxes waiting for her to delve into.
"Well, gone away and back again. Where do I start first?"
The phone trilled
and she started for an instant, before extending her hand to the receiver on
the shelf beside her. "Hope."
"Miss Hope, do
you require any help? Lisi is wondering if you require her assistance."
The muffled voice of one of her guardians flowed out of the earpiece. She had
forgotten that living at the manor meant the goldfish bowl lifestyle she had
tried her best to escape at college. Not that she’d had much opportunity to
live a free lifestyle. She’d been lodged with a guardian family within the
college grounds. Even then, her personal team of five guards had shadowed her
every move—to classes, shopping and even to the hairdresser’s.
They hadn’t escaped
her notice, the looks some of her classmates had thrown her way. Longing for
the lifestyle they’d thought she enjoyed. Little did they know, Hope would
happily have swapped, a lot of the time. Downtime had existed within a
carefully vetted group of companions, each from houses of similar status. The
cloying atmosphere she hated, but, nonetheless, she had submitted to her
parents’ will. Only a few times had she sought to do activities that they would
have deemed inappropriate, but her conscience had always kicked in, and she had
derived no enjoyment from the guilty feelings that had overcome her.
"No thanks,
Jeffrey. I have all the boxes up here and I am going to take my time going
through everything." How could she explain that she needed a freedom that
had been denied? That this small and almost insignificant rebellion was one she
embraced? But she couldn’t. It wasn’t fair to Jeffrey to share that.
"Fine, Miss
Hope. Oh, and I am supposed to remind you, the new Master has requested your
presence in his library after sundown."
She nodded, knowing
it was expected that she would take her oath of fealty. "Oh. Right. I’ll
be down for sunset." She laid down the receiver. It’s one thing to owe
your continued safety to a vampire nest Master, but quite another to be at his
beck and call all the time, just as her parents had been. Her temper spiked
momentarily. The emotion coiled through her then she shuddered, pushing away
the negative thought, while absently reaching for the boxes she needed to
stack, store or unpack. The rough exterior of some of them brushed against her
hands. For now, she had time. Lots of time.
Ripping the tape
off the first box, she then started to root through it, unwrapping reminders of
her slightly more free college life, formulating arguments to put to her
parents, knowing that the dice were stacked against her. Her life had been
mapped out since her birth, but perhaps she could find a way around some of the
roadblocks. At least she hoped so. With that thought, she set to work.
* * * *
He stretched in the
bed, feeling the cool sheets around his body, savouring the experience of
knowing he could rise when he wanted to. Luxuriating as he came to full
awareness of his surroundings. His bed. His home. His nest. A feeling of
exultation swept through him. One he had experienced several times in the last
six months since he had become Master.
Xavier had only
recently been transferred to this nest, after Cyrus had been called to ascend
to a seat on the Council with his predecessor Cressida, the most senior of the
vampires on the Council.
A new Master had
been required for the nest, a situation arising from the ascension of Cressida
who had saved the child Hope from the rogues. The death of another of the
Council meant that Cyrus had answered a call to accept a seat. It was an almost
unheard of event for a nest to have two new Masters in under a hundred years,
but Xavier had accepted his unexpected promotion. Not that he would take it for
granted—no, he worked beside his vampires as required, so they knew he would
ensure their safety while they ensured his.
The household he
had taken over was well run, and he had no fears for the financial status, even
though they had lost the manor and many assets during the dark days of clearing
the rogues who had attacked the house. Indeed, he had been with Cyrus the night
he had ascended and had seen the great strides Cyrus had made during his
Mastership.
He swiped a hand
over his stubbled face and a voice to his left said quietly, "Master,
refreshments for you." A crystal goblet appeared in a white hand at the
edge of his vision. He accepted it with a grunt, the ruby red liquid inside
calling to him on a primal level. Blood wine. Sustenance that would ease the
clawing hunger he always felt on awakening.
His teeth extended
and his mouth opened. The first drop touched his tongue and a frisson moved
through him, the ecstasy of drinking flowing into his body. He took his time,
savouring the flavours.
Young.
Full bodied.
Tart aftertaste.
The wine, the only human sustenance he could now enjoy. Food was relegated to a
memory of things long past.
He closed his eyes
as the last drop flowed, and breathed deep. Yes, a Master could very quickly
become accustomed to this lifestyle, but not now and not today. He needed to
meet this Hope, the one who had turned their entire world upside down. James
had told him little about his daughter, save that she would need to remain
within the house, protected from the world. That someday she would assume the
mantle of leading the house from within, while her brother oversaw the legal
and financial affairs of the nest.
He pushed the bed
covers away, unconcerned about nudity as he padded to the bathroom. He might be
a vampire, but he still bathed and shaved, a thought that made him chuckle.
Even after all these years, when vampires had made their entry into the human
world, humans outside nests thought vampires had no need for those daily
rituals.
He moved through
his ablutions. She would be waiting for him, but he would present himself to
her in his most urbane incarnation. She would take her oath of fealty, then he
would meet with his advisers, James and David leading the human contingent.
**TOUR WIDE GIVEAWAY**
Oh yeah. Nice intro. I love it when authors share excerpt
that grab a reader’s attention. What better way to hook someone? It worked for
me anyway. What about you guys? Have you read Ms. Nix before? If not, would you?
And are you a fan of paranormal, or do you tend to stick to other genres? Your
feedback is always welcome so feel free to share your thoughts.
I want to thank Ms. Nix for being here with us today and
spending a bit of time. I hope that you all enjoyed learning a bit about Ms.
Nix and her book. And don’t forget to buy yourself a copy if your interest was
snagged. We all love to support our authors and this is one way to do just
that. Be sure to enter the giveaway for your chance to win! Best of luck to you all and I will see you
very soon. Until then …
HAPPY READING!!!
Great excerpt. Thanks for the post and giveaway.
ReplyDeleteEva, You are more than welcome. Sorry for my delay in response. Best of luck to you in the giveaway! And thanks very much for stopping by!
DeleteThanks for hosting me :)
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely! Feel free to come back anytime!
DeleteLove the excerpt this is a must read for me .
ReplyDeleteflanagan@mebtel.net
Wanda,
DeleteFabulous! I absolutely love reading those kinds of comments. Best of luck to you in the giveaway and thanks so much for stopping by!