Welcome to DarkTour! We’re authors Laurie London and Erin Kellison. Because our e-novellas came out on the same day (Hidden By Blood by Laurie and Shadow Touch by Erin), we thought it’d be fun to hit the blogosphere together. Besides, with two of us, we can give away more stuff.
To win, you have to read this post. There will be a test. (LOL Just kidding. Well…only about the test.)
Unbeknownst to former Army Ranger Finn McKentry of Hidden By Blood, he’s a sweetblood human—his blood is addictive to vampires. He doesn’t know they exist…just yet. Dr. Cameron Kalamos of Shadow Touch has hired Finn to take him by helicopter out to one of the San Juan Islands. Cam is conducting an investigation about… Oh well, I’ll let them tell you:
Finn finishes his preflight check just as a taxi pulls up next to the hangar. “Dr. Kalamos already?” He glances at his watch. The guy was almost twenty minutes early. Finn ducks under the tail boom and jogs across the tarmac. “Here, let me take a couple of those bags for you, Doc.”
The man smiles, looks relieved. “Call me Cam.”
Finn takes a duffel and hoists the strap over his shoulder. “Bloody hell, what do you have in this thing? A whole damn laboratory?”
Cam laughs, pays the driver. “I wish.”
With bags in hand, the two men head toward the helicopter.
“So, what kind of investigation are you conducting on Crescent Island?” Finn asks Cam.
“The kind of investigation that gets me away from my lab long enough to clear my head of a certain, maddening someone. Or else I might do something that I really won’t regret, if you know what I mean.”
“Women,” Finn mutters as he opens the door, stows the bags inside. “Life may be difficult with them, but it sure can be hell without them.”
“Sounds like you’ve got some stories of your own.” Cam climbs into the helicopter.
“In Edinburgh, I—”
“Edinburgh?” Cam interrupts, looking pleased with himself. “So that’s it. I thought I detected a slight accent.”
Finn is surprised it’s still noticeable. “I visited cousins there recently. Ended up staying longer than I’d planned. I…ah…wasn’t sure I was coming back or not.” He walks around to the other side and climbs in.
Cam narrows his eyes. “Let me guess. A woman?”
Damn. “That obvious, huh? Thought I’d found the one, you know?” Finn makes quote marks with his fingers. “But she ended up saying we needed to go our separate ways.”
Finn hands Cam a headset and remembers the last time he saw Brenna. The strange, almost eerie expression on her face. She’d fumbled with her keys and jumped out of his car like she couldn’t get away from him fast enough. Although they’d shared a lot with each other and she’d talked about her work in the medical field, there’d always been something mysterious, too. A hidden wildness, a secret bad-girl, that totally cranked his—
“Ah, bloody hell.” Finn untangles the cord of his own headset. “That’s history. Got her out of my system in Scotland, if you know what I mean. So, what’s your story, Doc? She not warming the sheets for you back home?”
Cam puts on the headset and buckles in, ready to go. “I’m working on it. Tough case.” If that wasn’t the understatement of the year.
Finn leans forward, flips a few switches on the dashboard. “Trouble, then?”
“You have no idea.” Cam grins, thinking about Ellie and her impulsive dark shadow. The two parts of the amazing woman aren’t united, as they should be—her shadow moving independently from her body. But he can’t tell Finn any of that. Not that he’d believe a word. Instead, Cam settles for a sideways kind of truth about the ‘trouble’ Ellie is. “Shots were fired the first time Ellie and I spoke.”
Finn looks over, a little startled.
Cam nods with mock gravity. “And it got more… exciting from then on.” The woman was damn hard to talk about. And for good reason.
The silky opaque body of Ellie’s nude shadow is completely unbounded by any kind of higher reason. She acts on instinct and passion alone. And Ellie bravely battles to control her.
“More exciting than gunfire?”
“Oh yeah.” The gunfire was the least of it. “But she’s worth it. No one else could possibly compare.” Cam blows out his breath, thinking of the challenge. And the rewards. The only way to deal with the situation is to admit the want that gripped him, at least to himself, and then concentrate on the puzzle of her existence. Work is his distraction.
This job to collect samples is the perfect way to clear his mind. Why, then, is he more focused on her than ever?
“She’s a little temperamental,” Cam says, mostly to himself. “Has got a gift.” Though Ellie doesn’t think of her condition that way. He’d prove her wrong though, if she’d give him the chance. “Stubborn.”
Finn laughed. “I know stubborn.”
“Then I guess we’re both in for a hell of a ride.”
GET MORE
To check out Cam and Ellie’s story, find Shadow Touch at Amazonor B&N.
To check out Finn and Brenna’s story, find Hidden By Blood free on several sites: B&N, Harlequin or Amazon
You can find, follow and friend us both here:
Erin: website | Facebook | Twitter
Laurie: website | Facebook | Twitter
Okay, so here’s the prize package: Bonded By Blood (book 1 in Laurie’s Sweetblood series), Shadow Bound (book 1 in the Erin’s Shadow series), and a bonus book, Sins of the Soul by Eve Silver (read VBC’s review). We’ll also be adding bookmarks and romance trading cards.
Just comment and tell us if you like books where the paranormal world is secret from humans or if you like everything out in the open and you’ll be entered to win.
CONTEST DETAILS AND RULES
1. You must leave a comment on this post to enter. This contest is now closed. Big congrats to our winner, Joel!
2. You do not need to follow Vampire Book Club to be entered, but we sure do like it.
3. This contest is open to U.S. and Canadian residents only.
4. Contest closes at 11:59 p.m. CST on Friday, June 17.
5. The winner will be selected using Random.org. Then she will be contacted via email and given 48 hours to claim her prizes. If we do not hear from the winner(s) within that time, a new winner will be selected.
6. Entrants must be at least 18 years old or have their parent’s permission to enter. Please review our privacy policy, if you have any questions as to how Vampire Book Club uses your information. (Short version: we’ll only use it to contact you for this contest.)
7. Though unlikely, Vampire Book Club has the right to change or cancel any giveaway at any time without prior notice.
8. Vampire Book Club is not responsible for prizes lost or damage in transit.
9. Thanks to Laurie London and Erin Kellison for providing the books (and giving us a fun guest post).
I like either or both.
All depending on the story and how exactly it’s done…and things.
I think when everything’s a secret, it really can make for some truly interesting situations, but it’s kind of an obvious way to achieve things sometimes…whereas, when things are in the open, it kind of has to work a little harder to make things really interesting… So; each way has its own appeals//it’s own pros and cons. = And I like exploring it all! without [much] discrimination. lol ^_^
kuroshiroda [at] aim [dot] com
Decliousness!
I think that hidden worlds or out in the open worlds can both work. For example I love the fact that Anita Blake world is out in the open but then I love the fact that worlds are hidden such as the Wicked Lovely series. Sometime is the discovery of those hidden worlds that is so exciting. Then there are books that cover all bases such as teh Fever series in which the world starts hidden then is revealed. I love them either way.
Both of these books look awesome. Fingers crossed.
I prefer the books where the paranormal world is secret from humans. those seem to be the better ones (for me) for the dirty & trilling maybe because of the lies who knows but that’s my vote!
This is a tuff question, I swing both ways sometimes. I enjoy both, but I find I like it where things are out in the open. Seems more relatable, or understandable sometimes. But I’m allowed to change my mind!! 🙂
I like all paranormal situations but my favorite is when the world is a secret.it adds a bit of danger to the mix. Thanks
Hollybwright at comcast dot net
I like both kinds of books. It all depends on the author and their story. In Ilona Andrews’ Kate Daniels series, the supernatural are in the open and there are still secrets and mysteries and it’s a great series. I also love Jeaniene Frost’s Night Huntress series where the supernaturals are secret.
Why oh why lord? I remember my gateway…Fright Night..omg it opened doors of Lost Boys, Dracula & Braum Stockers Dracula. I knew I was addicted but I was alone, at night watching even the suckiest blackula and eddie murphys version(that of which we dont speak)! after that downfall…I chilled and detoxed myself…but the rush, the lust Vampire Hunter D & omg BOOKS??? her highness ANNE RICE…THIS IS my limitless…I’m forever hooked…so many so little time, & im paying the price I rant TRUEBLOOd I Rave the epic(oh my)CAT & BONES(chapter 32!!!)with swollen red eyes I know care what others think i AM A FANGBANGER THRU & THRU (37 & YES JACOB WAS HOT.FORGIVE MY IN THE MOMENT “OH MY” AT THE THEATER)….I BOW AS IHAVE (LATE AS EVER) DISCOVER YOU!! BLOGS, FANSITES, APPS, OH…MI FAMILIA…
I like it best when the paranormal world is secret, but I like plenty of the other ones, as well.
I like both, I really don’t have a preference between either, they are both awesome 🙂
Morganlafey86(at)aol(dot)com
I like both types of books. it’s really dependent on the writing, but I like that sometimes the supernatural is just a part of daily life and other times how it’s a secret from most people.