Bloodstorm
Heart of a Vampire Book 1
Description:
When duty forces a
shaman to stop a vampire from her revenge, love doesn’t just burn... it bites.
For two hundred years,
Niki DeVeraux has been tracking the monster who murdered her family and made
her a vampire. She finally catches up to him in a small Arizona town, only to
face more than she bargained for. Amid an imperious vampire King, a shaky truce
between the local clan and shifter pack, and a too-sexy sheriff who makes her
remember she’s still a woman, Niki’s single-minded purpose is threatened for
the first time since her turning.
Between his duties as
Keeper of the peace for the Magic Council and heir to his tribe’s shamanistic
magic, Sheriff Shane Spencer’s job is to protect humanity and stop the friction
between the local Arcaine races before it turns into an all out blood war. To
make matters worse, there’s an irresistible rouge vampire in town enflaming his
senses.
When wolves start
turning up dead, the tension between the paranormal races grows and suspicion
falls on Niki. Shane knows she’s not to blame, and it has nothing to do with
the primal urges she stirs within him. Working together, they must find a way
to stop the hostilities from going over the edge. Trouble is, the desires
raging between Niki and Shane might prove more dangerous than the surrounding
threats.
Excerpt:
Chapter One
As Shane Spencer
finished the last of his beer, his deputy, Chase Campton, strode by, slapping
him on the back.
“Another re-election
year well done, Sheriff.”
The small crowd in the
bar cheered and the waitress, Rae, slipped another bottle onto his corner
table.
Shane tipped his
cowboy hat politely and plastered on a fake smile, unable to join in the
spirit. All day, something dark had been hanging over the town. Not that anyone
else sensed it. He needed to go to his childhood home. On the edge of town, the
house sat at the borderline of the Apache reservation and Moss Creek.
His father, head
shaman and seer, would know what the signs meant. Once again, doubt crept up
inside Shane. How did the Fates pass over the eldest in their family and choose
him as their father’s successor? It had never before happened in their tribe’s
history.
He nursed the beer,
deep in thought.
The door banged open,
a cold autumn breeze swirled the smoky air. A woman followed it in, stopping
just inside the bar. The air vibrated with unseen power. Even the deepest
shadows shivered. Everyone in the bar fell silent, turning as one to look her
way.
She held her head
high, long black hair curling over her shoulders like silk. Her bright green
gaze scanned the tables. She passed over Shane without pause, only to snap back
to him.
Magic filled the room
and the hair on his forearms rose. The other people in the bar were forgotten.
Only the two of them existed.
His heartbeat slowed,
skipped a beat, sped up like a race horse barreling down the track.
The doorframe towered
over her slight form. Yet her body was ripe, lush with curves. The tight blue
jeans emphasized her hips, the narrowness of her waist. And the sleeveless
white tank showed her breasts off to perfection.
He swallowed, though
his mouth was dry.
Her eyes widened and
even over the distance of the room, he heard her soft, feminine gasp. Palms
slick, he shakily set the bottle back on the table.
His blood screamed
primitive urges... demanding he drag her off to his cave.
It wasn’t like him.
Women, even the most
beautiful, had never affected him this way. He’d met with the rich and
beautiful, models and actresses galore during his time in the city. Gathering
the remaining shreds of his willpower, he closed his eyes calling on the magic
of his ancestors. The spirits of the earth responded and power surged through
him. Magic raised the hairs on his arms and the back of his neck as the
whispers of the spirits of the nearby forest filled him. Ignoring it to
concentrate on what was here and now, he reopened his eyes. Colorful hues surrounded
everyone in the bar.
Her aura struck him
like a punch to the gut. A deep maroon, with flecks of black, revealed exactly
what she was.
Vampire.
And not local.
He blinked again,
letting the sight fade.
The woman finally
looked away and took another step into the bar. As quickly as it had hit, the
power surging through the room dissipated. People once more talked and laughed,
raising their glasses in toasts.
What the hell kind of
vampire was she, to cause such a raging lust?
The woman strode to
the bar, her glare shouting ‘Don’t mess with me’. Though she didn’t look old
enough to drink, let alone be in a bar in the first place, the bartender
immediately poured her a shot of whiskey.
Shane would be talking
to Henry about it later.
First, he needed to
figure out what this vampire was doing in Moss Creek. Sure, the small mountain
town was a hub of paranormal activity, with the local vampire clan and the
shifter pack taking advantage of the surrounding nature. But rogues generally
tended to stay out of places dominated by orderly clans, knowing the structure
and politics were handed down by the Magic Council.
And the Council didn’t
like Rogues.
Cupping the shot glass
in her hands, the woman leaned towards Henry before the older man could move
away.
Shane tensed in his
seat. If she was looking for a meal...
Henry murmured
something. The woman nodded, downed her shot and laid some money on the bar
before turning and striding out.
Shane tried to relax,
but he still yearned for the stranger, to touch her, smell her, nearly as badly
as when she’d been staring at him, as if she could see down to his very soul.
About the Author:
One of those rare
breeds, Amber Kallyn is an Arizona native who can trace her family's history
through six generations in the state. She lives with her sexy husband, and
their four very active children. Included in the menagerie are two cats (though
there's always room for more) and two dogs. We won't count all the fish. She
also writes urban fantasy under the name Higley Browne.
Amber loves the
paranormal, from dragons to werewolves to vampires. She's currently at work on
her next book, probably running around the house acting out a fight scene with
her collection of swords and daggers. Or maybe, wishing she had claws to
practice the other fight scenes.
A voracious lover of the
written word, Amber found at an early age that she could read fast. Really
fast. She devours novels by the day, novellas by the hour, and is always
looking to get her hands on more.
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Happy Reading!
Cana
Hi Cana,
ReplyDeleteThanks for having me over today :)
Great opening to the book! I love the description Shane gives of his first meeting with Niki. And Shane with his cowboy hat? I can picture him. ;)
ReplyDeleteHey Tina,
DeleteThanks for stopping by :)
Wow! How do you find time to write with 4 kids?! I have one and he's a handful all on his own!
ReplyDeleteIt helps now that they're all in school :) Of course summer vacation starts next week, so my writing time will be limited. Thanks :)
ReplyDelete