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Albert Camus

Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend.

Monday, July 4, 2016

"What's being done?" - Blood Orchid (Night Flower #2) by Claire Warner

"Words could not salve this wound and he dropped his gaze back to the wreckage before him. The window had been broken and blood was smeared on the jagged points of glass. His gaze moved downwards and focused on the small, smudged and bloody handprints that marred the floor. Thoughts of Melissa crawling about the floor, helpless before Montjoy's advances, scored through his mind and he clenched his fists. Abandoning polite platitudes, he continued. "What's being done?""

Description:

Release Date: June 2016

Tied to Justin with bonds stronger than blood, Melissa De Vire heads into her new life with fear and anger. Anger at Emily, at Katherine and most of all, anger at Justin, fuels her resolve to find a cure for the curse. From the English court in 1752 to the fires of the French Revolution, Melissa struggles to survive her new existence and find forgiveness for Justin as clues to a cure begin to surface.

EXCERPT

"Move,” Emily's voice barked out the order and she began to run. Melissa followed as best she could. Her feet skidded on the slick messy cobbles that lined Paris' streets and she slowed her progress, trying to stay upright.

"What the hell are you stopping for?" The blonde turned to face her, blue eyes angry beneath the large hat and hastily scraped back hair. Dressed in muddy breeches, an oversized shirt and carrying a long bloody dagger at her waist, she was a far cry from the poised, seductive creature she usually portrayed. At Emily's insistence, Melissa had also ditched the long skirts and corsetry and was trying to keep pace with her lithe companion. "Come on," Reaching out a hand, she seized hold of Melissa’s wrist and dragged her forward, across the unsteady surface with the grace of a cat. From some distance behind them, they could hear the catcalls and cries of the crowd that milled through the streets. The shouts bounced off ancient stone walls and the echoes produced amplified the sound so that it appeared to surround and envelop them.

"Why are we running?" Melissa choked out as Emily pulled her along an alley. "We won't die,”

"Because I'd rather not know what decapitation feels like…" Emily's voice was terse as she released Melissa's arm and began to clamber over the wall. "You can stay and find out for me if you like,”

"Don't be ridiculous,” Melissa called as she reached up and found the first foothold. Pulling herself up the stone face she pondered how she had ended up with Emily as her companion for this mad dash through Paris.

"Then don't talk nonsense,” Emily’s hands reached the top of the wall and she levered herself to the top. "And get a move on… I don't want to get caught because you have the movement rate of a snail,”

Melissa gritted her teeth and pulled herself upward, her limbs stiff and uncoordinated since the loss of her last donor. Cold trickles of sweat rolled over her skin and she grunted with the effort of climbing. Emily reached down a hand and pulled her upwards, until they both straddled the top of the wall. Melissa stopped briefly and stared out across Paris. Fires flickered in the distance as shouts and screams echoed through the air of the ancient city. Emily had no such time for wool gathering as she began to lower herself to street level.

About the author:
When I was a child, I made up games and characters when my sister and I played with dolls. As I grew older, I would make up scenarios and scenes, fully intending to write them down but never finding the time. In my late teens, I discovered the world of role playing and settled into an avid ‘geeky’ life of D&D, comics, sci-fi and fantasy fiction. Years passed and I finally gave voice to the stories in my head. I write romance, fantasy, action and adventure. I love tales of steampunk and history, tales of magical powers and dark curses lurking in the shadows. Though The Black Lotus is not my first attempt at a novel, it is the first I have finished.

And some fun facts about me:
I sew.
My favourite Disney film is Atlantis.
I’ve been a film extra and stood 5 feet away from Sam Rockwell.
Babylon 5 is my fave sci-fi show.
I cried at the end of Toy Story 3.

Author's Giveaway
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5 comments:

Unknown said...

Thank you for the chance .

Joseph Hawkshaw said...

Looks very good thank you.

Stephanie LaPlante said...

Sounds intense and interesting.

Jan Lee said...

Wow I love the cover :) It's a very interesting excerpt and I like to find out what happens to the girls!

Danielle merkle said...

Beautiful cover, thank you for the giveaway!