Sometimes a monster really is hiding under the bed.
Welcome to another offering for Frisky Friday, where we hope you're getting as excited about the weekend as we are. This week, I'm sharing an excerpt from my 1st book, Mortal Illusions. A vampire romance published by New Concepts Publishing, Mortal Illusions is currently the first in a series of 3 books. Its sequel, Fatal Desire, is currently under production.
This snippet occurs at the beginning of Chapter 6. Germaine St. Justine and Claire Daniels are both attending the opening night festivities of Germaine's newest musical "Dracula." Claire's mother died the day before, and Germaine dedicated their opening night performance to her. Though Claire is grateful for Germaine's support, she has grown more and more convinced he is really a vampire and was once her mother's lover. So, when she begins making wild accusations Germaine is really a vampire, he suggests their backstage doctor sedate her enough to calm her down so she can complete her performance. Claire is furious with him for avoiding her questions and overriding her wishes in the matter, but finishes her performance and attends the opening night party, since she doesn't want to do anything that might ruin the occasion her mother had most wanted to see. Claire's Broadway debut. However, Claire isn't handling her grief well, and when she begins her third glass of champagne, Germaine interferes by removing the filled flute from her grasp with the warning that if she attempts to walk away again, he'll really embarrass her.
.
.
His last comment stopped her where
she stood. “Why are you doing this?”
“Because one of us needs to show an
ounce of good sense, and it clearly isn't going to be you.” He bent slightly toward her. “Now, either you eat on your own, or I feed
you.”
Whirling back to the table, she
glared at the artistically arranged medley of raw vegetables and tossed a few
radish florets, two carrot roses and three stuffed mushrooms onto her
plate. “Satisfied?”
Germaine didn't answer her, but
reclaimed the plate from her hands.
Grimly setting his teeth against the unavoidable nausea the sight and
aroma of cooked meat aroused in those of his kind, he began adding slices of
rare sirloin and filet mignon to her selections.
“First you take away my drink. Then you order me to eat, and now you take my
plate away.” When he continued to
ignore her, she asked, “Don't I even get to choose my own dinner?”
“Not tonight.”
“Why not?”
“Because, my sweet simpleton,
combining alcohol and Chlordiazepam is like playing blind man's bluff on a high
wire. Except your odds of falling flat
on your face are even greater. And it
will take more than a few nibbles of rabbit fodder to slow your stomach's
absorption rate.”
Though Germaine is concerned about Claire, he's more worried by the notion she has figured out the truth about him. Vampires do exist, and walk among us, but if an uninitiated human suspects, the vampire is supposed to clear the mortal's mind of such foolishness. Germaine finds such tactics distasteful, but he may not have a choice in Claire's case. They are too closely connected.
M/F, Contemporary vampire romance in a society based on D/s.
Read the first three chapters at: Mortal Illusions
Buy the book at NCP, Amazon, Barnes & Noble or ARe.
Thanks for visiting. I hope you enjoyed this brief excerpt and wish you and yours a very Frisky Friday.
Enjoyed this snippet Kathryn. Love how he takes charge.
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Roz