And....at the end of the day I will pick one lucky winner who will receive a free copy of Seducing the Darkness.
I also want to say thank you to Yvonne for allowing me to spent the past three days introducing myself and my books with all of you.
EMBRACING THE DARKNESSBlurb.
Once upon a time Jonah Moore had it all. Then his wife and unborn child were taken from him, leaving his life darker than when Chaos and his evil vamps stole the sun. Now, Jonah's lost the will to face another day, which could be a problem, considering he’s just been turned into a vampire and is now destined to live for eternity.
As a nurse, Raven Moony was used to tending to the needs of others. Until an accident changes everything… When she is abducted and forced to tend to Chaos’ needs, she is more than ready to give in and willingly accepts her role as his slave. Then Jonah enters the picture and she finds herself fighting for his safety and freedom as well as her own.
Can she convince Jonah he should go on despite her own doubts? Can they open their hearts to love and learn that there is indeed life after death?
Shiela Stewart’s third novel in The Darkness series continues the heart stopping, action packed battle of light against dark. Enter a world where light shines from within and love always triumphs…even in the face of pure evil.
As a nurse, Raven Moony was used to tending to the needs of others. Until an accident changes everything… When she is abducted and forced to tend to Chaos’ needs, she is more than ready to give in and willingly accepts her role as his slave. Then Jonah enters the picture and she finds herself fighting for his safety and freedom as well as her own.
Can she convince Jonah he should go on despite her own doubts? Can they open their hearts to love and learn that there is indeed life after death?
Shiela Stewart’s third novel in The Darkness series continues the heart stopping, action packed battle of light against dark. Enter a world where light shines from within and love always triumphs…even in the face of pure evil.
EXCERPT:
“I thought we would try this again.”
Startled out of his sleep, Jonah glanced towards the door as Raven entered. He’d been peaceful in his sleep, lying in the arms of his wife and stroking her swelling belly.
And now that he was awake, he was reminded that it had just been a dream and the cruelty of reality was that he would only have her in his dreams from now on.
“Since my threat of shoving a feeding tube down your throat didn’t come to fruition, I thought I would try to persuade you to eat and drink something. Again.” She set a tray with a sandwich and a cup on the table beside his bed.
He glanced at it half heartedly then turned away. “I’m not hungry.”
“We could go with that feeding tube then. Here, I brought you more ice.” She held up the bag as she walked around his bed and lifted the covers. “Can you roll onto your side, or do I need to help you?”
“I can manage.” He hoped. Grabbing the side rails,
Jonah pulled himself over, shifting until he lay on his right side. He held onto the rail while she slipped the previous pack away and replaced it with a fresh one.
“There you go.”
He flinched when her hand touched his arm as he rolled himself back. “I can do it.” Jonah insisted and pulled the covers up to his chin.
“You’re a contradiction, Jonah. You don’t want me to help you, insisting you can do it on your own, yet you refuse to eat or drink in hopes of…what? Starving yourself to death? Seems like a cruel way to die.”
“Why would I deserve an easy death?” he muttered, folding his arms across his chest. The head of the bed rose, startling him. He needed to calm his nerves and be less jittery.
She held the button until he was sitting upright, then released it to grab the tray. “I don’t know why you want death in the first place. Here, drink.”
He glanced into the cup and saw the blood. Though his mouth watered and his body alerted him to the need for it, he rejected it with a turn of his head. “What do I have to live for?”
“You’re like a child, turning your head away from the food like it’ll deter me from forcing it into you mouth. I will, you know, because even though you think you have nothing to live for, I believe differently. Now drink.” She shoved the cup to his lips.
He slapped it away, knocking the cup onto his lap, spilling blood all over his bedding and himself.
“Now look what you’ve done. You’re worse than a child. I swear.” Shaking her head, she marched from the room.
He could literally feel his body begging for the blood that was soaking into his bedding and his clothes. It wasn't a hungry sensation, but a need so great that it called to his blood, to his body to take. Slowly, he slid his finger along the blood soaking into the fabric, pooling some onto his finger. Lifting it, his heart speed up and his pulse quickened and before he registered what he was doing, his finger was in his mouth.
“Thank God there are plenty of fresh linens. I’d hate having to go down into the basement alone to wash some.”
Pulling his finger from his mouth quickly, he tried to look nonchalant as she walked towards him.
She dragged the wheelchair to the bed after setting the fresh linens on his bed tray then began gathering the soiled bedding. “I saw you pull your finger from your mouth. Did you enjoy the taste?”
He refused to acknowledge her comment and decided instead to stare blankly at the ceiling.
“Have it your way.”
His eyes jerked down when he felt her hands on the front of his nightshirt. “What are you doing?”
“Removing the soiled shirt. I have a fresh pair of pajamas here for you.”
He slapped her hands away again and unbuttoned it himself. “I can manage it.”
“Suit yourself.” She stepped back and folded her arms across her chest, waiting. “What was your wife’s name?”
That caused him to pause, then he swallowed the misery he felt and continued. “Ariel.”
“That’s a pretty name. How long were the two of you married?”
He had the buttons open and began pulling his arms free. “Four years.”
“Still fresh. I’ll take that.” She took the shirt before he could drop it on the floor. “You’ll need to remove the bottoms as well.”
“Excuse me?”
“They’re soiled.” She pointed to his crotch and the huge blood spot soaking into the material. “You’ll probably need help removing them.”
“I can do it myself,” he insisted, refusing to allow her to undress him. He wasn’t a complete invalid. “Just give me a fresh shirt.”
Shrugging, she handed one to him in a pasty green.
He slipped his arms, one at a time, into the sleeves then quickly buttoned them. “I’m not taking the bottoms off with you watching me.”
“Do I need to remind you that I have seen you naked already?”
He clenched his jaw. So she had. He’d been stripped naked when he’d been chained to Chaos’ wall. Still… “Just turn around.”
“Whatever you say.” She turned her back to him, her arms once again folded across her chest.
He lowered the waistband, but sliding them down his hips was a little more difficult. He had some mobility in his waist and hips, enough that he could swivel back and forth to wiggle the waistband down, but when he tried to slide them down his legs, he came up against an obstacle. His legs wouldn’t bend on his command, which made it harder to slide the pants all the way down. And when he tried kicking them to shake the pants down, that too failed.
“Damn it!”
“Need a hand?”
He didn’t like the smugness in her voice. “No.” Yet here he sat, pants tangled at his knees, naked, exposed, and not able to get them all the way off. “Yes,” he finally said, deflated. “But close your eyes.”
“I can’t help you with my eyes closed, Jonah.”
He cupped himself as she turned around. She shook her head and rolled her eyes then grabbed a fresh pair of bottoms. Setting them on the foot of the bed, she grabbed the soiled ones and slid them free of his legs. “I should have thought to bring in a bowl of warm water. I’ll be right back.”
And there he was, sitting in a hospital bed, naked from the waist down and unable to do anything about it. He hated what his life had become.
“Here we go.” She set the bowl on the tray, then took the cloth from the water and squeezed out the excess before laying it on his thigh. “Since the blood stain was mostly over your crotch, I’m going to have to wash that as well.”
“I don’t think so. I’ll do it.” He took the cloth from her then waved his hand indicating he wanted her to turn around.
“You’re being ridiculous.”
“It’s called dignity.” He waited until she’d turned to wash himself off. Holding his limp member, not being able to feel his palm against the flesh was an ugly revelation he was having a hard time dealing with He was even discouraged when he washed it off and couldn’t feel the warm water. “Done.” He set the cloth in the water while cupping himself with his other hand.
She turned around and pulling the cloth out of the water, proceeded to wash his legs and waist. “You have nice muscles in your legs. Do you work out?”
“No.”
“Hm, what do you do for a living?” She washed down his leg, bending it at the knee and moving it up and down.
“I work with computers. What are you doing?” He shifted one hand to cover his now exposed balls.
“Flexing your muscles, keeping them limber. I’ll need to do this several times a day so they don’t stiffen up. What sort of computer work do you do?”
“Everything from computer repair to debugging or reconstruction.” He wished he felt at least something when she moved his legs up and down.
“Sounds fascinating. My guess is that it’s mostly desk work. Sitting for long periods?” She moved to the next leg.
“More or less.” Couldn’t she do this when he had the pants on?
“Yet you stay fit. And without exercise. Interesting.”
“I walk. Well…I did at least.” That was another thing he’d never do again. He’d loved walking once. Long walks with Ariel on warm summer evenings. He’d never have that with her again.
“Well, if you eat and drink it’ll help strengthen your body, which will enable it to heal faster.”
“Nice try.”
She looked up at him as she flexed his other leg. “If you’re comfortable being a lump for the rest of your very long life, so be it. Do you know what happens to a vampire if they don’t feed regularly?”
“Yes.” He knew it all, well most of it, given the fact his best friend was a vampire. He missed Trinity and he hoped she had listened to him and stopped looking for him. He didn't want anyone else harmed because of him.
“How do you know?” she inquired.
“My best friend and colleague is a vampire.” That had her pausing. “You might have heard of her. Trinity Ford?”
Her eyes went so wide that the whites nearly took over the rest. “Get out. The queen of all vampires is your friend?
The one Chaos is after?”
“Yeah. Do you think we could get me into some pants now?” He felt more than a little awkward having a conversation with her while he was partially nude.
“If you know her, why the hell aren’t you calling her to come get you?” She lifted his left leg and slipped his foot through the pant leg.
“Because I don’t want her to come for me.”
“Why not?” She slipped the other foot through then slid them up his legs.
“Because I don’t. I can manage it from here.” He pushed her hands away, then waited until she turned around before he pulled his pants all the way up.
“That’s a stupid reason. Because. What is it with men when they’re sick or injured that they revert back to being children?”
“I’m done,” he grumbled and that was the only response he was giving her.
CHARMING THE DARKNESS:BLURB:
Danny Vega had never been comfortable as a human, unlike his twin brother. When he was offered a new life, Danny took it. As a vampire. Turning his back on his family, he welcomed the darkness. But when Chaos, the one man he has always looked up to most goes missing, and Danny is shunned by his kind, he decides to leave Jacobs Cove.
That is, until he’s run off the road.
That is, until he’s run off the road.
As a witch, Starla Raine is fascinated by the ritual used to cast Jacobs Cove in darkness and decides to check it out. Entering the city she’s mesmerized by the blanket covering the city, and accidently runs someone off the road. When she discovers the man behind the wheel is connected to the spell that cast a shadow on the city, she decides to hold him captive until he agrees to help her find the spell book. And she’ll use any means possible to convince him, including seducing him.
Annoyed at being held against his will, Danny caves to Starla and agrees to help her find the ritual as long as she helps him find Chaos. He doesn’t mind using her magical abilities, or her body, for his own gain. Sex is just sex, until his heart gets in the way. But when she pushes him to make amends with his brother, or lose her, he finds letting her go isn’t that easy.
Can he open his heart to the light, or give in to the darkness once more?
EXCERPT:
“You’re a vampire?” She backed away from him, her brown eyes wide as she glared at him.
“Well…yeah. What the hell is wrong with me? Why can’t I move?” It was like his brain lost communication with the rest of his body. Yet he could feel everything.
Weird.
“I froze you. You were going to bite me.”
“Once again, yeah. Vampire here and what do you mean you froze me?” He was straining so hard to move that if he wasn't careful he was going to drop a load in his pants.
“I’m a witch.”
“A what?”
“A witch.”
At least he could use his face and, frowning at her, said, “You’re a witch?”
She folded her arms over her chest and cocked her hip to the side. He corrected his earlier thought. She wasn't just hot. She was damn hot! “Yeah, what’s wrong with being a witch?”
“Nothing wrong with it. You just don’t look like a witch.”
“Why, because I don’t have a green face and a pointy nose?” She rolled her eyes.
“No, because…well, you’re hot!” There was no denying it, the woman had curves in all the right places and that tight black v-neck t-shirt she wore teased of ample breasts. Never mind the blue jeans that looked painted on. “Only children think witches look like that. I’m not that stupid.”
She planted her fists on her hips and gave him an indignant look. “I don’t like your attitude.”
“No problem. Unfreeze me or whatever you need to do to give me back the power of my body and I can be on my merry way. Killer, hurry your ass in there already!” Where was that cat anyway?
“Killer? There are more of you in here?” She spun around, facing towards the entryway to the kitchen.
Oh, this was too perfect. “Oh yeah, there’s a whole bunch of us here and we are all going to take turns sucking the life right out of you.”
She narrowed her eyes as she turned to face him. Maybe he should have used less sarcasm. “I don’t believe you.”
“Suit yourself. Come on out, guys!” This was too much fun.
Then Killer walked in, meowed, and wound his body around Danny’s legs. How was he supposed to pretend to be mean when the cat was cuddling up to him?
“There’s no one else here, is there?”
“Sure there are.” He was losing her rapidly.
“I don’t think so.” Daringly, she inched towards the doorway, peering around the corner.
Danny just couldn’t resist. “Get her!”
She jumped, spun around in some sort of karate kick, her fists raised and ready.
It was the hottest thing he’d ever seen.
“I knew it! There is no one else here.” She spun back towards Danny. “You lied.”
“Can’t blame a guy for trying. All right already, Killer, go lay down on the sofa or something.” The cat was annoying him only because he was tickling Danny’s shins and there was nothing he could do to stop it, being frozen and all.
“Killer? That’s Killer?” she chuckled as she made her way to the cat, scooping him up. “You don’t look so fierce.
Come here pretty girl.”
“He’s a guy.” The nerve of her assuming Killer was a girl.
“Aren’t you a sweetie pie?” She nuzzled her face into the cat’s fur. “Yes, you are.”
Killer was loving every minute of it. “You wanna unfreeze me now?”
“Right, because I look stupid.”
“Well—”
“Don’t.”
“You walked into it, toots.”
She narrowed those big, brown eyes at him. “Don’t call me that. If I let you go the first thing you’ll do is jump me and bite my neck.”
“Doesn’t have to be the neck and I’d probably do more than just jump you.”
Her eyes narrowed a little more. “What does that mean?”
“Just forget it. If I promise I won’t bite you, will you let me go?”
“Sure. NOT!!” She laughed at him then took a seat on the sofa with the cat. “What’s a pretty kitty like you doing with a big bad vampire?” Her head jerked up and her eyes went wide making them look even bigger than they already were. “Oh my Goddess! You don't drink from him, do you?”
That was just the most appalling thing he’d ever heard. “What? No way. Killer and I are tight. We’re pals.”
“You’re pals?”
“Yeah, I saved him from a bunch of hungry dogs a few weeks ago and we’ve been roomies ever since.”
“You’re roomies?” Her lips twitch with a grin.
He wasn't impressed. “What’s wrong with that?”
“That’s sweet. You have a kitty as a pet.” Snuggling the cat to her face, she flashed a huge smile at him.
“Wanna release me now?” He didn’t like the way she was looking at him or being called sweet. He was anything but.
She leaned back and Killer made himself right at home on her lap. “Not yet. So why were you leaving—I don’t even know your name.”
“Danny.”
“Cool. I’m Starla Raine. So why were you leaving?”
“Starla Raine? What kind of name is that?”
“It’s a perfectly fine name. Starla was my grandmother’s name.”
“So Raine is your last name?”
“Yes. Why were you leaving?” she repeated, gently stroking the cat’s head.
Maybe if he played nice and gave her what she wanted she’d release him and then he and Killer could go on their merry way. “I’m tired of this town.”
“I would think someone like you would love living here where there’s no sun to burn you up.”
“The sun doesn’t kill us. That’s just a myth. But it does give us a nasty third degree burn. I’ve spent twenty years learning to live with the sun, doing so now won’t be any different.”
“Twenty years?” She frowned. “How old are you?”
“Thirty-three.”
“Get out? Wow, how old were you when you were taken?”
“Thirteen. I answered your questions, so you wanna let me go now.” His body was starting to cramp up and it was not a good feeling, especially since he couldn’t rub the tightening muscles.
“The response you gave to my question was lame. Now tell me the real reason you and Killer,” she smiled down at the cat on her lap, “were leaving.”
“Why does it matter to you?” She was pissing him off now.
“Just curious. What’s the real reason?”
She just wasn't giving up. “If I tell you the truth, will you please release me?”
“You bet.” She kicked her legs up onto the couch and
Killer stretched out, placing his paws and his face on her knees.
“You are just loving this,” he growled at Killer. “Okay,
I’m kind of an outcast here. I used to be part of the group of vamps that started this whole darkness crap, but I disobeyed the leader and so he kicked me out. Now no one wants to hang out with me even though Chaos has been taken hostage and is hidden somewhere. So why stay where I’m not wanted?”
“Chaos was the leader?”
“Yeah. Now you know the truth you can let me go.”
She stood up holding the cat in her arms. “I don’t think so.”
“What? You said you would?” This was bullshit!
“Yes I did, but that was before I knew you were connected to the darkness.” She walked right up to him, her face a breath away. “I came to Jacob’s Cove to find out everything I can about the ritual that cast the city in darkness. I’m thinking you might come in handy.”
She walked off towards the kitchen, cat in her arms.
“What? No fucking way! Get back here. Did you hear me, Starla? Get your ass back here now!” If he had the ability to chase after her she would so be on her face right now. “Damn it, Starla. Let me go!”
“Well…yeah. What the hell is wrong with me? Why can’t I move?” It was like his brain lost communication with the rest of his body. Yet he could feel everything.
Weird.
“I froze you. You were going to bite me.”
“Once again, yeah. Vampire here and what do you mean you froze me?” He was straining so hard to move that if he wasn't careful he was going to drop a load in his pants.
“I’m a witch.”
“A what?”
“A witch.”
At least he could use his face and, frowning at her, said, “You’re a witch?”
She folded her arms over her chest and cocked her hip to the side. He corrected his earlier thought. She wasn't just hot. She was damn hot! “Yeah, what’s wrong with being a witch?”
“Nothing wrong with it. You just don’t look like a witch.”
“Why, because I don’t have a green face and a pointy nose?” She rolled her eyes.
“No, because…well, you’re hot!” There was no denying it, the woman had curves in all the right places and that tight black v-neck t-shirt she wore teased of ample breasts. Never mind the blue jeans that looked painted on. “Only children think witches look like that. I’m not that stupid.”
She planted her fists on her hips and gave him an indignant look. “I don’t like your attitude.”
“No problem. Unfreeze me or whatever you need to do to give me back the power of my body and I can be on my merry way. Killer, hurry your ass in there already!” Where was that cat anyway?
“Killer? There are more of you in here?” She spun around, facing towards the entryway to the kitchen.
Oh, this was too perfect. “Oh yeah, there’s a whole bunch of us here and we are all going to take turns sucking the life right out of you.”
She narrowed her eyes as she turned to face him. Maybe he should have used less sarcasm. “I don’t believe you.”
“Suit yourself. Come on out, guys!” This was too much fun.
Then Killer walked in, meowed, and wound his body around Danny’s legs. How was he supposed to pretend to be mean when the cat was cuddling up to him?
“There’s no one else here, is there?”
“Sure there are.” He was losing her rapidly.
“I don’t think so.” Daringly, she inched towards the doorway, peering around the corner.
Danny just couldn’t resist. “Get her!”
She jumped, spun around in some sort of karate kick, her fists raised and ready.
It was the hottest thing he’d ever seen.
“I knew it! There is no one else here.” She spun back towards Danny. “You lied.”
“Can’t blame a guy for trying. All right already, Killer, go lay down on the sofa or something.” The cat was annoying him only because he was tickling Danny’s shins and there was nothing he could do to stop it, being frozen and all.
“Killer? That’s Killer?” she chuckled as she made her way to the cat, scooping him up. “You don’t look so fierce.
Come here pretty girl.”
“He’s a guy.” The nerve of her assuming Killer was a girl.
“Aren’t you a sweetie pie?” She nuzzled her face into the cat’s fur. “Yes, you are.”
Killer was loving every minute of it. “You wanna unfreeze me now?”
“Right, because I look stupid.”
“Well—”
“Don’t.”
“You walked into it, toots.”
She narrowed those big, brown eyes at him. “Don’t call me that. If I let you go the first thing you’ll do is jump me and bite my neck.”
“Doesn’t have to be the neck and I’d probably do more than just jump you.”
Her eyes narrowed a little more. “What does that mean?”
“Just forget it. If I promise I won’t bite you, will you let me go?”
“Sure. NOT!!” She laughed at him then took a seat on the sofa with the cat. “What’s a pretty kitty like you doing with a big bad vampire?” Her head jerked up and her eyes went wide making them look even bigger than they already were. “Oh my Goddess! You don't drink from him, do you?”
That was just the most appalling thing he’d ever heard. “What? No way. Killer and I are tight. We’re pals.”
“You’re pals?”
“Yeah, I saved him from a bunch of hungry dogs a few weeks ago and we’ve been roomies ever since.”
“You’re roomies?” Her lips twitch with a grin.
He wasn't impressed. “What’s wrong with that?”
“That’s sweet. You have a kitty as a pet.” Snuggling the cat to her face, she flashed a huge smile at him.
“Wanna release me now?” He didn’t like the way she was looking at him or being called sweet. He was anything but.
She leaned back and Killer made himself right at home on her lap. “Not yet. So why were you leaving—I don’t even know your name.”
“Danny.”
“Cool. I’m Starla Raine. So why were you leaving?”
“Starla Raine? What kind of name is that?”
“It’s a perfectly fine name. Starla was my grandmother’s name.”
“So Raine is your last name?”
“Yes. Why were you leaving?” she repeated, gently stroking the cat’s head.
Maybe if he played nice and gave her what she wanted she’d release him and then he and Killer could go on their merry way. “I’m tired of this town.”
“I would think someone like you would love living here where there’s no sun to burn you up.”
“The sun doesn’t kill us. That’s just a myth. But it does give us a nasty third degree burn. I’ve spent twenty years learning to live with the sun, doing so now won’t be any different.”
“Twenty years?” She frowned. “How old are you?”
“Thirty-three.”
“Get out? Wow, how old were you when you were taken?”
“Thirteen. I answered your questions, so you wanna let me go now.” His body was starting to cramp up and it was not a good feeling, especially since he couldn’t rub the tightening muscles.
“The response you gave to my question was lame. Now tell me the real reason you and Killer,” she smiled down at the cat on her lap, “were leaving.”
“Why does it matter to you?” She was pissing him off now.
“Just curious. What’s the real reason?”
She just wasn't giving up. “If I tell you the truth, will you please release me?”
“You bet.” She kicked her legs up onto the couch and
Killer stretched out, placing his paws and his face on her knees.
“You are just loving this,” he growled at Killer. “Okay,
I’m kind of an outcast here. I used to be part of the group of vamps that started this whole darkness crap, but I disobeyed the leader and so he kicked me out. Now no one wants to hang out with me even though Chaos has been taken hostage and is hidden somewhere. So why stay where I’m not wanted?”
“Chaos was the leader?”
“Yeah. Now you know the truth you can let me go.”
She stood up holding the cat in her arms. “I don’t think so.”
“What? You said you would?” This was bullshit!
“Yes I did, but that was before I knew you were connected to the darkness.” She walked right up to him, her face a breath away. “I came to Jacob’s Cove to find out everything I can about the ritual that cast the city in darkness. I’m thinking you might come in handy.”
She walked off towards the kitchen, cat in her arms.
“What? No fucking way! Get back here. Did you hear me, Starla? Get your ass back here now!” If he had the ability to chase after her she would so be on her face right now. “Damn it, Starla. Let me go!”
3 comments:
Great and exciting excerpts! :)
Thank you Umea!!
Very good! I'm looking forward to reading the entire books.
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