It's here - what you say - Release Day for RISES THE NIGHT!!!!!!!!
If you loved THE REST FALLS AWAY, then I know you've been waiting anxiously for the next book in the series. Heck, I've already read it and I've been waiting anxiously!!!
My very, talented friend, Colleen Gleason, author of the Gardella Vampire Chronicles has bestowed on my blog readers an exclusive excerpt.
So here to tease you:
(Victoria has a midnight visitor by the name of Sebastian Vioget…)
Now she could see his eyes, and the look there sent a little shiver over her shoulders. “According to Max, you would always take the opportunity to undress a woman, particularly in a carriage.”
“I have no wish to hear Maximilian’s opinions, for that is what they are, merely opinions—and most likely only indicative of his own inclinations, were he not so bound and determined to be a Venator and nothing more. A hunter, a killer…a man of violence with little left for anything—or anyone—else. I, Victoria…I am not a man of violence.” He smiled.
“A fact supported by your cowardly escape from the Silver Chalice last summer,” she reminded him.
“Grief has made you harsh. I am sorry for it. I am truly sorry for your husband’s death. If it is any consolation to you, I believed he and Maximilian would follow me when I sneaked out the back entrance of the pub.”
“This is all very enlightening, reliving the events of last summer with you in the middle of the night on my balcony, but I am having a difficult time believing you went through the trouble to trick Mr. Starcassat into entering my bedchamber in order to merely show off how well you look in the moonlight.”
“You think I look well in the moonlight? What a serendipitous happenstance!”
“I am finished with this conversation and I am past ready for you to leave.” She turned and started toward the doors, preparing to lock them behind her if he did not follow. Surely if he could escape from a group of vampires, he could find a way off the balcony on his own.
When his hand closed around her arm, she whirled and whipped off his strong grip with a snap of her wrist and a whisk of silken skirts. It felt good to release some of the tension that had been building inside her. Between them. Let him know she was still in control.“You still wear your vis bulla.” He stepped closer to her, his boot-clad feet grinding on the brick and mortar terrace.
“Does that surprise you?” She felt the knob of the door behind her, but other than closing her fingers over its cool brass, made no move to turn it. He was very, very close, but she was not unsettled. After all, she’d faced down numerous vampires, and a demon. And even the Queen of the Vampires. A mere man was no danger to her.
“I assumed since you’d left London that you’d also left your Venator days behind you. Or perhaps you wear the vis bulla in order to protect yourself from overly amorous suitors like Mr. Starcassat.”
Now she could see his eyes, and the look there sent a little shiver over her shoulders. “According to Max, you would always take the opportunity to undress a woman, particularly in a carriage.”
“I have no wish to hear Maximilian’s opinions, for that is what they are, merely opinions—and most likely only indicative of his own inclinations, were he not so bound and determined to be a Venator and nothing more. A hunter, a killer…a man of violence with little left for anything—or anyone—else. I, Victoria…I am not a man of violence.” He smiled.
“A fact supported by your cowardly escape from the Silver Chalice last summer,” she reminded him.
“Grief has made you harsh. I am sorry for it. I am truly sorry for your husband’s death. If it is any consolation to you, I believed he and Maximilian would follow me when I sneaked out the back entrance of the pub.”
“This is all very enlightening, reliving the events of last summer with you in the middle of the night on my balcony, but I am having a difficult time believing you went through the trouble to trick Mr. Starcassat into entering my bedchamber in order to merely show off how well you look in the moonlight.”
“You think I look well in the moonlight? What a serendipitous happenstance!”
“I am finished with this conversation and I am past ready for you to leave.” She turned and started toward the doors, preparing to lock them behind her if he did not follow. Surely if he could escape from a group of vampires, he could find a way off the balcony on his own.
When his hand closed around her arm, she whirled and whipped off his strong grip with a snap of her wrist and a whisk of silken skirts. It felt good to release some of the tension that had been building inside her. Between them. Let him know she was still in control.“You still wear your vis bulla.” He stepped closer to her, his boot-clad feet grinding on the brick and mortar terrace.
“Does that surprise you?” She felt the knob of the door behind her, but other than closing her fingers over its cool brass, made no move to turn it. He was very, very close, but she was not unsettled. After all, she’d faced down numerous vampires, and a demon. And even the Queen of the Vampires. A mere man was no danger to her.
“I assumed since you’d left London that you’d also left your Venator days behind you. Or perhaps you wear the vis bulla in order to protect yourself from overly amorous suitors like Mr. Starcassat.”
“George”—she used his given name deliberately—“was not overly amorous until you poked your elegant fingers into the mess.”
“You consider my fingers elegant, then?” Sebastian’s smile flashed. “Two compliments in one evening…how completely unexpected.”
“I have not left my Venator days behind me. Why would I do that?”
His shoulders moved in a nonchalant shrug. “I thought perhaps after what transpired with Rockley, you might have decided to walk away. After all, you’d done your duty and look at the result. You lost the love of your life.”
“Walk away? The question would not be whether I would, but how could I shirk my duty? After seeing first-hand the evil of vampires, how could I?”
She realized he was closer. She could see the brush of long eyelashes and the slender line of the dimple that barely showed when he was not smiling, as now. “There’s always a choice, Victoria.”
“I made mine. I would not walk away. Nothing would make me walk away, now that Phillip is gone.”
“Nothing?” The word hung on the air between them, as though Sebastian saw the truth in her eyes and hoped to discern it. She held his gaze defiantly.
“Nothing.”
His shoulders moved as he heaved in a long breath, then exhaled as though savoring it. “You are quite an admirable woman, my dear. Perhaps even out of my league.” He reached for her again, slowly and easily, and closed his fingers around her wrist. “What is it that you have been clutching here this whole time?”
Again she pulled away, but not so harshly. His fingers were surprisingly strong; it was an effort to break his grip. And then she opened her hand so that he could see the amulet shining in her palm. “I am quite glad you asked. I believe this is yours?”
Taking it, he needed only a glance and then turned his eyes back to her, still standing close enough that she could smell cloves, see the sprinkling of golden-brown hair beyond the cuff of his shirt. “Do you know what this is?”
She shook her head and his expression eased a bit.
“Ah. So why do you attribute it to me, if you do not know what it is?”
“I found one at the Silver Chalice, and then one here tonight. You are the only common factor in both places.”
“Thus and so you came to the conclusion that this was mine. In that case, perhaps I’ll choose not to be offended.”
“You consider my fingers elegant, then?” Sebastian’s smile flashed. “Two compliments in one evening…how completely unexpected.”
“I have not left my Venator days behind me. Why would I do that?”
His shoulders moved in a nonchalant shrug. “I thought perhaps after what transpired with Rockley, you might have decided to walk away. After all, you’d done your duty and look at the result. You lost the love of your life.”
“Walk away? The question would not be whether I would, but how could I shirk my duty? After seeing first-hand the evil of vampires, how could I?”
She realized he was closer. She could see the brush of long eyelashes and the slender line of the dimple that barely showed when he was not smiling, as now. “There’s always a choice, Victoria.”
“I made mine. I would not walk away. Nothing would make me walk away, now that Phillip is gone.”
“Nothing?” The word hung on the air between them, as though Sebastian saw the truth in her eyes and hoped to discern it. She held his gaze defiantly.
“Nothing.”
His shoulders moved as he heaved in a long breath, then exhaled as though savoring it. “You are quite an admirable woman, my dear. Perhaps even out of my league.” He reached for her again, slowly and easily, and closed his fingers around her wrist. “What is it that you have been clutching here this whole time?”
Again she pulled away, but not so harshly. His fingers were surprisingly strong; it was an effort to break his grip. And then she opened her hand so that he could see the amulet shining in her palm. “I am quite glad you asked. I believe this is yours?”
Taking it, he needed only a glance and then turned his eyes back to her, still standing close enough that she could smell cloves, see the sprinkling of golden-brown hair beyond the cuff of his shirt. “Do you know what this is?”
She shook her head and his expression eased a bit.
“Ah. So why do you attribute it to me, if you do not know what it is?”
“I found one at the Silver Chalice, and then one here tonight. You are the only common factor in both places.”
“Thus and so you came to the conclusion that this was mine. In that case, perhaps I’ll choose not to be offended.”
And if perhaps you haven't read the Gardella Vampire Chronicles, here a bit of a teaser for the entire series.
2 comments:
I ordered my copy a few days ago. Now if BAM would just ship it....
I've started reading this book and I'm just in LOVE with it!!
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