Follow Me Into Darkness #Sale #Giveaway

I read this anthology when it first came out, and oh boy it was so good! I'm thrilled to have the chance to spread the love for this sale. Some of my favorite authors have written a fantastic collection of stories. Check it out!!

Follow Me Into Darkness

$0.99!!

Five of the top voices in queer romance teamed up last year to give you Follow Me Into Darkness: Five Tales of Carnivale Romance. Their stories were bold, they were decadent, they were achingly sinful. They begged you to remove your masks just once and many of you listened. Their stories looked into the heart of modern day New Orleans and its steamy past, followed an errant queen in disguise, walked through the lush streets of Rio, and then continued straight on into the lofty pages of a Shakespearean soliloquy.

Mardi Gras is coming fast and Follow Me Into Darkness is back to seduce you. It’s on sale for only 99 cents from 2/26 - 3/5 plus the authors are giving you gifts and treats along the way!

Book: Follow Me Into Darkness: Five Tales of Carnivale Romance

Authors: Santino Hassell, J.C. Lillis, J.R. Gray, Kris Ripper, and Roan Parrish

Publisher: Open Ink Press

Date of Publication: 2/4/16

Price: $3.99 (originally) | Sale Price: 99 cents

For one week only, romance writers Santino Hassell, J.R. Gray, J.C. Lillis, Roan Parrish, and Kris Ripper dare you to take off your masks again...but are you ready for what might happen if you do?

Giveaway starts 12 am on 2/26/17 and ends at 12 am on 3/6/17. Giveaway prizes: 1 of 3 (three) $5 Amazon Gift Cards and 1 of 2 (two) e-copies of a backlist book by one of the Follow Me Into Darkness authors. 

5 chances to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Carnivale is a time for decadence, for revelry, and for mischief. A time when we shed the figurative masks we wear in everyday life in favor of new ones… ones that allow us to be a little bolder, a little more adventurous, and perhaps a little truer to ourselves. Follow Me Into Darkness is a compilation of original tales of queer romance by five of the premier authors of contemporary romance.

Hurricane by Santino Hassell

Interesting things never happened to Zay. He was the wallflower everyone forgot about as soon as the booze began to flow, and Mardi Gras had never been an exception. But after a chance encounter with a devil-may-care grifter, this year's celebration brings adventure and whirlwind romance.

If We Be Friends by J.C. Lillis

Seventeen-year-old Ven should be flying high—he's playing the title role in a new TV drama about Hamlet's teen years, and tonight they're having a Mardi Gras cast party in a possibly-haunted castle. But Ven's lost all his mirth since his boyfriend suggested they "take a break," so he plans to skip the bash and brood in his trailer all night. Then the exasperating guy who plays Horatio challenges him to a Shakespearean soliloquy-off, and Ven knows his actorly honor is at stake. He says yes to the duel, trudges off to the the party to meet his fate--and finds that more awaits him onstage than a battle of wits and words.

Masked by J.R. Gray

Blistering heat and half-naked masked men as far as the eye can see, but Heath runs into the one face it’s taken him fifteen years to forget. Javier is plagued with a life of regret, but when a second chance confronts him, can he let go of his hang-ups and seize the moment? 

The Queen’s Reflection by Kris Ripper

Isah plays the role everyone expects: malleable and cautious, a true queen. But what others see as a queen’s appropriate modesty is really just a disguise for what Isah has never told anyone, the thing no one can ever know.

This body, dressed in the queen’s gowns, is a lie.

Once a year, at carnival, Isah dons someone else’s clothes and becomes them for a night. A young cook in stained whites, or a stableboy in worn breeches. As long as no one gets too close the pretense holds.

Until two strangers look past all the characters and Isah finally exposes the person behind the mask.

Touched by Roan Parrish

Sometimes when he touches people Philippe Rondeau sees their future. It’s erratic and inconvenient, but mostly he’s learned to deal with it. Sure he hasn’t found true love yet, but he has friends and lovers, and is kept busy running his family’s jazz club in Prohibition-era New Orleans. But now it’s Mardi Gras and all bets are off. In the space of one night, Philippe falls under the spell of jazz musician Claude and learns a terrible secret about his powers. If Philippe is certain of anything it’s that the future can be tricky, but the chance at love makes it all seem worthwhile.

Goodreads     -   Amazon     -     Kobo     -     Open Ink Press     -     B&N, Scribd, Apple

J.R. Gray

When not staying up all night writing, J.R. Gray can be found at the gym where it's half assumed he is a permanent resident to fulfill his self-inflicted masochism. A dominant and a pilot, Gray finds it hard to be in the passenger seat of any car. He frequently interrupts real life, including normal sleep patterns and conversations, to jot down notes or plot bunnies. Commas are the bane of his existence even though it's been fully acknowledged they are necessary, they continue to baffle and bewilder. If Gray wasn't writing…well, that's not possible. The buildup of untold stories would haunt Gray into an early grave, insanity or both. The idea of haunting has always appealed to him. J.R. Gray is genderqueer and prefers he/him pronouns.

newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bigxIL

website: JRGrayBooks.com

twitter: twitter.com/theoriginalgray

twitter: twitter.com/booksbygray

facebook: facebook.com/GrayBooks

tumblr: booksbygray.tumblr.com

tumblr: theoriginalgray.tumblr.com (NSFW)

pinterest: pinterest.com/JRGrayBooks/

Santino Hassell

Santino Hassell is a writer of queer romance heavily influenced by the gritty, urban landscape of New York City, his belief that human relationships are complex and flawed, and his own life experiences.

newsletter: santinohassell.com/newsletter/

website: santinohassell.com

twitter: twitter.com/santinohassell

facebook: facebook.com/theonlysonnyhassell

facebook: facebook.com/santinohassellbooks

instagram: instagram.com/santinohassell

goodreads: http://bit.ly/1yBeaqc

J.C. Lillis

J.C. Lillis writes contemporary YA novels about fandom, friendship, love, and art. Her Mardi Gras story was inspired by crazy days and nights in her college theater, where part of her heart still beats under the  floorboards. She lives in Baltimore with her patient family and a cat who intends to eat her someday.

website: jclillis.com

twitter: twitter.com/jclillis

instagram: instagram.com/jclillis

facebook: facebook.com/jclillisbooks

pinterest: pinterest.com/jclillis

Roan Parrish

Roan Parrish is currently wandering between Philadelphia and New Orleans. When not writing, she can usually be found cutting her friends’ hair, meandering through whatever city she’s in while listening to torch songs and melodic death metal, or cooking overly elaborate meals. She loves bonfires, winter beaches, minor chord harmonies, and self-tattooing. One time she may or may not have baked a six-layer chocolate cake and then thrown it out the window in a fit of pique.

newsletter: http://bit.ly/1bNCAaF

website: roanparrish.com

twitter: twitter.com/RoanParrish

facebook: facebook.com/roanparrish

instagram: instagram.com/roanparrish

pinterest: pinterest.com/ARoanParrish/

Kris Ripper

Kris Ripper lives in the great state of California and hails from the San Francisco Bay Area. Kris shares a converted garage with a toddler, can do two pull-ups in a row, and can write backwards. (No, really.) Kris is genderqueer and prefers the z-based pronouns because they’re freaking sweet. Ze has been writing fiction since ze learned how to write, and boring zir stuffed animals with stories long before that.

Find Kris at:

website: krisripper.com

facebook: facebook.com/kris.ripper

facebook:  facebook.com/krisripperbooks

twitter: twitter.com/smuttastickris

Click HERE to check out the other stops on the Follow Me Into Darkness blog adventure!!

#MySexySaturday - Sexy in Space!

Hey! Happy #MySexySaturday! The theme this week is Sexy in Space, which proved to be difficult for me, because I'm not much for science fiction. However, I do have a sexy m/m historical set in 1955 Seattle called Aqua Follies. And Seattle's known for the Space Needle. So yeah, it's loose, but there's a connection. Also, I was playing with the story this week, so the it's fresh in my mind.

This is kind of a long 7 paragraphs, in which our hero Russell sees the man of his dreams. Unfortunately, his soon-to-be fiance Susie is one of the synchronized swimmers performing at the Aqua Follies, and Russell is the coach. Yeah, there are some potential conflicts....

He pressed a kiss on the top of her head. “Yes, dear.”

Their last hurrah. They had two weeks in Seattle, then another run in Detroit. At some point, Russell would give Susie the diamond ring he had tucked in the bottom of his suitcase. He snugged her closer to his side. He’d start his new job, they’d get hitched, he’d buy the house, and she’d give him babies. More importantly, the wedding would give his parents something to be happy about.

The feeling of dread wedged under his sternum had more to do with nerves than anything else.

The director called for the Night at Club Aqua number and counted off a fast tempo. His baton flashed in the floodlights blazing from the edge of the stage. From the orchestra pit, the band hit the opening bars of In the Mood. Susie took off, diving into action with the other Aqua Dears. They spun through the water in a synchronized display, while the dancing half of their traveling troupe, the Aqua Darlings, took the stage dressed in sparkling blue skirts, white blouses, and low-heeled black shoes.

The big band, a dozen musicians playing brass and strings and percussion, romped through the verses twice, their heads silhouetted in the stage lights. Then a lone musician stood, rising into the glare like Gary Cooper on the screen at a drive-in movie. He was tall and lean and handsome, with a curled pompadour and a five o’clock shadow. Curiosity pinned Russell in place. Then the young man put a trumpet to his lips and Russell had to close his eyes.

The music rang out over the lake and bounced off the rooftops in the surrounding neighborhood. The tone was cool but the solo was hot, hitting Russell with the force of a pick-ax. The horn’s voice turned his insides to jelly, but the man – from the swoop of his hair to the curve of his bicep – swapped that jelly for lava.

He tried to tell himself his damp clothes caused the shivers chasing over his skin, but didn’t come close to believing it. He dug his fingertips into the bands of muscle running up the back of his own neck and dragged his gaze back to the swimmers, breathing slow and deep to force the flush out of his face. He’d just been surprised by the man, and exhausted from travel. He’d be fine. Everything was okay.

Seattle's Space Needle
(See? Space! It ties in!)

Russell's got some work to do before his two weeks in Seattle are over, don't you think? Hopefully I'll soon have some good news about Aqua Follies and you can read it for real. In the meantime, Irene and I have another giveaway running to celebrate the release of Bonfire, our m/m paranormal holiday story. If you want to learn more about Bonfire, jump HERE. 

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Thanks so much for visiting!!

Readers, please visit us at our new Author Central where we’ll be sharing even more from our authors besides Saturday’s snippets. We’d love to have each and every one of you there as we’re starting new things this month with fun and prizes along the way.

Spotlight: All in Fear

Want something a bit different for the holidays? Horror has never looked this enticing! New release, All in Fear, is a gorgeous collection of horror tales from some of the hottest names in queer fiction. Be prepared to be titillated...and terrified.

All in Fear

By KJ Charles, Roan Parrish, J.A. Rock,
Steve Berman, Avon Gale, and Kris Ripper

Available 12/1/16

Horror wears many faces, and its masks can be tantalizing. Some of the top names in queer fiction come together to spin their own versions of horror. Worlds rife with dark beauty and mystery, the familiar becoming terrible, creatures ethereal and alluring—and all bearing the gleam of love. Does hope lie along these grim passages or only doom? It will become clear. All in time—and all in fear.

Company by Roan Parrish

Nick Levy’s family is falling apart and he has no friends, but at least he can escape into the world of his favorite comic book series, The Face of the Vampire. Naturally, when the vampire in question shows up one day, Nick is enthralled. After all, what could be better than his own personal fantasy made real? Except that Nick isn’t exactly sure whether Michel is real or not. And when the arrival of a new boy in school promises romance, Nick sees a side of Michel he never could have imagined. This Michel is cruel, jealous . . . and he’ll do anything to keep Nick for himself.

Love Me True by Kris Ripper

Palmer's life is as good as it gets. Well, okay, so he hates his mind-numbing office job. But he's found a hot, smart, incredibly kinky guy. The sex is explosive. The power play is off the hook. And if he gets his way, Jon will soon be his husband.

When Palmer asks, Jon says yes. For the first time ever, Palmer thinks things might be really good. Sure, bad things happen in the world—to other people. But this is all he needs: Jon at the end of the day, in their bed, arms around him.

How could he have possibly been so stupid?

The Price of Meat by KJ Charles

Johanna Oakley will do anything to save her beloved Arabella from the cruelty of Mr Fogg’s madhouse—but ‘anything’ turns out to be more than she bargained for when she finds herself working for a man suspected of worse than murder. As Johanna is plunged from the horror of Sawney Reynard’s barber shop into the foul, lawless labyrinth at the heart of London, can she or anyone get out alive?

His Mouth Will Taste of Chernobyl by Steve Berman

Joining Zeta Psi isn’t Steve’s dream, it’s his dad’s. Nevertheless his dad’s gift of the mysterious Bailey flask gets Steve an in to the frat house, and maybe his best shot at being accepted on campus. But the flask’s silver sheen may only be lighting his way into the darkness at the heart of the frat—and the darkness he’s learning is within himself. Steve wants to choose who he is, but choices are dropping like flies as he learns the true mystery of the Bailey flask. How does he give back a gift that’s also a curse?

Legion: A Love Story by Avon Gale

STAFF SERGEANT JASON ESSEX, YOU HAVE RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING ORDERS FROM THE UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS:

REPORT TO: CAIN INSTITUTE [ADDRESS REDACTED]

ACTIVE DUTY COMMITMENT: GUARD AN ENTITY CURRENTLY HELD IN AN ENCLOSURE AT THE CAIN INSTITUTE. RECORD DAILY MEASUREMENTS. KEEP ANY AND ALL PERSONS FROM ENTERING OR LEAVING THE FACILITY. ENSURE THE ENTITY REMAINS COMPLETELY INCARCERATED. OBSERVE THE ENTITY WITHOUT ENGAGING.

ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS: THIS ASSIGNMENT WILL BE CARRIED OUT IN FULL ISOLATION. PLEASE BE ADVISED.

Beauties by J.A. Rock

When Dr. Lester Usole attends an event at AI developer Carnificiality, he’s introduced to Beauties: artificial beings designed to provide tailored sexual experiences for their human owners. Lester isn’t interested in sex—but he is fascinated by Ira, a Beauty too violent to be sold.

Lester convinces Carnificiality to give Ira to him. Lester has always wanted the chance to work with an adult AI, and around Lester, Ira isn’t violent. He’s strangely innocent, uncannily perceptive, and his company does much to ease Lester’s loneliness. Except something’s not quite right: Ira roams at night, even when Lester’s sure he’s locked Ira’s door.

Soon Lester is certain of only one thing: Ira has a secret. Something that will link their pasts and change the course of their future—if Lester is willing to face what’s on the inside.

Learn more on Goodreads.
 Order it now: Publisher’s Site  |  Amazon  |  B&N  |  ARe  |   Apple  |  Kobo

“An engaging anthology of queer fiction filled with monsters, mysteries, and menace.”  — Kirkus Reviews

About the Authors:

Steve Berman

Steve Berman loves to tell stories that are both queer and weird. He was a Zeta Psi back in his college days at and remembers being hazed. He survived and graduated and even earned a Masters Degree in Liberal Studies. He has written and sold over a hundred articles, essays, and short stories. His YA novel, Vintage, was a finalist for the Andre Norton Award.

Website: www.steveberman.com

KJ Charles

KJ Charles is a writer and freelance editor. She lives in London with her husband, two kids, and a cat with murder management issues. KJ writes mostly historical romance, mostly queer, often with fantasy or horror in there.

Find her on Twitter @kj_charles, pick up book info and free reads on her website at kjcharleswriter.com, get the infrequent newsletter at kjcharleswriter.com/newsletter, or join her Facebook group, KJ Charles Chat, for sneak peeks and exclusives.

Avon Gale

Avon Gale wrote her first story at the age of seven, about a “Space Hat” hanging on a rack and waiting for that special person to come along and purchase it — even if it was a bit weirder than the other, more normal hats. Like all of Avon’s characters, the space hat did get its happily ever after — though she’s pretty sure it was with a unicorn. She likes to think her vocabulary has improved since then, but the theme of quirky people waiting for their perfect match is still one of her favorites.

Avon grew up in the southern United States, and now lives with her very patient husband in a liberal midwestern college town. When she’s not writing, she’s either doing some kind of craft project that makes a huge mess, reading, watching horror movies, listening to music or yelling at her favorite hockey team to get it together, already. Avon is always up for a road trip, adores Kentucky bourbon, thinks nothing is as stress relieving as a good rock concert and will never say no to candy.

At one point, Avon was the mayor of both Jazzercise and Lollicup on Foursquare. This tells you basically all you need to know about her as a person.

Connect with Avon:

Website: www.avongalewrites.com/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/avongalewrites

Twitter: @avongalewrites

Sign up for Avon’s Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bOXXp9

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/14237686.Avon_Gale

Roan Parrish

Roan Parrish lives in Philadelphia where she is gradually attempting to write love stories in every genre.

When not writing, she can usually be found cutting her friends’ hair, meandering through whatever city she’s in while listening to torch songs and melodic death metal, or cooking overly elaborate meals. She loves bonfires, winter beaches, minor chord harmonies, and self-tattooing. One time she may or may not have baked a six-layer chocolate cake and then thrown it out the window in a fit of pique.

Sign up for her Newsletter to receive updates about new releases, works-in-progress, and bonus materials like sneak peeks and extra scenes! eepurl.com/bmJUbr

Website: www.roanparrish.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/roanparrish

Twitter: @RoanParrish

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/ARoanParrish

Instagram: www.instagram.com/roanparrish

Kris Ripper

Kris Ripper lives in the great state of California and hails from the San Francisco Bay Area. Kris shares a converted garage with a little kid, can do two pull-ups in a row, and can write backwards. (No, really.) Kris is genderqueer and prefers the z-based pronouns because they’re freaking sweet. Ze has been writing fiction since ze learned how to write, and boring zir stuffed animals with stories long before that.

Links:
The site: krisripper.com

The Facebook group: Ripper's Irregulars: https://www.facebook.com/groups/405062456366636/
The Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/SmutTasticKris

 J.A. Rock

J.A. Rock is the author or coauthor of over twenty LGBTQ romance, suspense, and horror novels, as well as an occasional contributor to HuffPo Queer Voices. J.A. has received Lambda Literary and INDIEFAB Award nominations for Minotaur, and The Subs Club received the 2016 National Leather Association-International Pauline Reage Novel Award. J.A. lives in Chicago with an extremely judgmental dog, Professor Anne Studebaker.

Website: www.jarockauthor.com

Blog: http://jarockauthor.blogspot.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jarockauthor

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ja.rock.39

VESPERS. It's HERE. And HERE. And HERE.

It's time...

Yep, VESPERS is here, or it will be soon. This project has been many things: a huge opportunity for learning,  an off-hand comment that turned into a long-term commitment, an evolution in friendship, and whole lot of fun. 

Did I mention fun? 

It surely has been that, and I hope you give VESPERS a read. While I'll put the blurb and buy links below, first I want to point you at some unbiased sources. Irene and I have been fairly well pleased with the reviews on VESPERS so far, so check them out!

VESPERS REVIEWS

(Will add to these as reviews come in.)

See Sadie Read's review!

Bonkers About Books' review!

Just Love: Romance Novels Reviews - Release Day Review!

Convergence Book Reviews - Release Day Review!

The Novel Approach - Release Day Review!

Diverse Readers - Release Day Review!

Molly Lolly's review!

All About Romance's review!

The Jeep Diva's review!

Magnolia Reviews!

Love Bytes Reviews!

It's About the Book review!

Metaphors & Moonlight review!

V's Reads review!

JoyfullyJay review!

Rainbow Gold Reviews!

Gay Guy/Straight Girl Reviews!

You can check out ALL the reviews on Goodreads HERE.

You can check out ALL the reviews on Amazon HERE.

VESPERS BLOG POSTS

We've also been running around the interwebs, sharing info and insights, excerpts and - oh yeah - the widget for our giveaway. Here's a list of where we'll be (or where we've been) and when...also, most every one of these has our rafflecopter widget or a link to it. (There, um, also might be a link at the bottom of this post.) You can enter our giveaway until 9/24/16, and I hope you do. We'd be nothing without readers, and this is our way of showing appreciation!

Binge on Books - What's On My Kindle Podcast - 8/15/16

Bayou Book Junkie - Promo Post + Excerpt - 8/21/16

Gay Guys Reading - Guest Post "Why Vespers" + Excerpt - 8/31/16

The Novel Approach - Guest Post "The Accidental Partnership" + Excerpt - 9/9/16

Because Two Men Are Better Than One - Guest Post "Another New Orleans Vampire" + Excerpt - 9/9/16

Jr Gray - Damsels Not In Distress - "New Book Buzz" - 9/10/16

Bonkers About Books - Promo Post + Excerpt -  9/12/16

Molly Lolly - Guest Post "The Naughty Bits" + Excerpt - 9/14/16

It's About The Book - Guest Post "How Did We Come Up With Thaddeus & Sara" + Excerpt - 9/14/16

Boy Meets Boy Reviews - Guest Post "Falling in Love is Hard at Any Age..." + Excerpt -  9/14/16

Joyfully Jay - Guest Post "Brainstorming" + Exclusive Excerpt - 9/15/16

The Jeep Diva - Guest Post "Five Things I Like About Writing with a Partner" + Excerpt - 9/15/16

Zipper Rippers - Interview + Excerpt - 9/15/16

Love Bytes Reviews - Guest Post "Religion in Romance: Why Go There?" + Exclusive Excerpt - 9/16/16

And for those of you who like to plan ahead, we've got a guest shot on Herding Cats & Burning Soup on 10/27/16, and Crystal's Many Reviewers on HALLOWEEN! Because what better time of year is there to read a vampire story, right?

Thaddeus Dupont has had over eighty years to forget…

The vampire spends his nights chanting the Liturgy of the Hours and ruthlessly disciplines those unnatural urges he’s vowed never again to indulge. He is at the command of the White Monks, who summon him at will to destroy demons. In return, the monks provide for his sustenance and promise the return of his immortal soul.

Sarasija Mishra’s most compelling job qualification might be his type O blood…

The 22-year-old college grad just moved across the country to work for some recluse he can’t even find on the internet. Sounds sketchy, but the salary is awesome and he can’t afford to be picky.  On arrival he discovers a few details his contract neglected to mention, like the alligator-infested swamp, the demon attacks, and the nature of his employer’s “special diet”. A smart guy would leave, but after one look into Dupont’s mesmerizing eyes, Sarasija can’t seem to walk away. Too bad his boss expected “Sara” to be a girl.

Falling in love is hard at any age…

The vampire can’t fight his hungers forever, especially since Sara’s brought him light, laughter and a very masculine heat. After yielding to temptation, Thaddeus must make a choice.  Killing demons may save his soul, but keeping the faith will cost him his heart.

Vespers is a complete novel with no cliffhanger. It can be enjoyed as a standalone or read as the first book in the Hours of the Night series.

Amazon | ARe | B&N | iBooks | Kobo | More Stores

Later in the afternoon, they kicked back in the den while they waited for Dupont to wake up. Nohea had showered and changed into clean clothes from one of the other spare bedrooms. She flicked absently through the channels on the TV while Sara made up fun anecdotes about his new job to email to his mom. He really does want me to set up his Facebook page, he finished up. Tonight we’re meeting a client at a local historic church, so stop worrying. What could be safer than a church? (And don’t worry, I’m not converting.)

Okay. He’d have to remember to set up some kind of Facebook page to show Ma. He hit Send.

“Hey, does Mr. Dupont show up on camera?” Because Ma would want to see a profile picture.

“Yes, he shows up on camera. You can ignore most of what you think you know about vampires. Most of that Hollywood stuff is bogus.”

“But he can’t go in the sun. That’s real?”

“He doesn’t burst into flames or anything, but he starts turning red pretty quick, and it hurts him. I’m not sure how long he could last before he got to a point he couldn’t heal. And it’s almost impossible to wake him up during full daylight.”

“Ha! See—this is the kind of thing I expected from my Renfield training.”

Nohea choked on her Coke mid-swallow. “Renfield training? Jesus, Sara.”

“Yeah, I mean, one-year contract. Seems like it would be easier to just have a manual to get us up to speed. You ought to be used to all the…” He trailed off as something she had said earlier came back to him. “Wait a minute. Why don’t assistants need training?”

Nohea evaded his eyes. “What did Mr. Dupont tell you?”

“Dupont hasn’t told me diddly. He just… Oh. My. God. He does the whammy on them, doesn’t he?”

Nohea remained silent, which was answer enough.

“That’s just…” He shook his head. “So not cool.”

“Look, Sara, he’s trying to protect them. For the most part, the less they knew, the safer they were.”

“Yeah, but…” It sounded good, but something about the explanation was off. “If they don’t know anything, how can they, you know, assist him?” Vampire Assistant seemed like a job requiring full knowledge of…vampires.

“Well, he doesn’t have them do much. I mean, they take his daytime messages and…stuff.”

“Because he can’t work voice mail?”

And the salary. No one paid eighty grand for someone to take messages. Not even a vampire.

His heart started pounding. Not racing, not yet. Just pounding until it was the only sound he could hear.

He was an idiot. Because vampire.

Pound.

“How often does he need to eat?”

Nohea didn’t answer.

Pound. Pound.

“I’m not his assistant, am I?”

Pound. Pound. Pound.

A rush of saliva.

“Sara.”

He turned to Dupont, who had appeared in the doorway as though summoned by his thoughts.

Pound-pound. Pound-pound. Pound-pound.

He was hungry again. And, and… He shook his head, trying to clear the rush of sensation. He pointed a finger at his boss, pleased when it didn’t shake.

“I. Am. Not. Food.”

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About Irene Preston

Irene Preston has to write romances, after all she is living one.  As a starving college student, she met her dream man who whisked her away on a romantic honeymoon across Europe.  Today they live in the beautiful hill country outside of Austin, Texas where Dream Man is still working hard to make sure she never has to take off her rose-colored glasses.

Where to find Irene

IrenePreston.com

Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Mailing List | Goodreads

About Liv Rancourt
I write romance: m/f, m/m, and v/h, where the h is for human and the v is for vampire … or sometimes demon … I lean more towards funny than angst. When I’m not writing I take care of tiny premature babies or teenagers, depending on whether I’m at home or at work. My husband is a soul of patience, my dog’s cuteness is legendary, and we share the homestead with three ferrets. Who steal things. Because they’re brats.

Where to find Liv

LivRancourt.com

Facebook | Twitter | Mailing List | Goodreads