Welcome to the Blood Betrayal blog tour! There is an exciting giveaway involved, so make sure you keep reading :) I am reading this now, and will have my review up in a day or two.
Being the world’s oldest vampire was easy for Eamon Rutherford before he decided to take a companion. Now he finds that the avalanche of problems complicating his life stems from women… his women.
In the past, women were a beautiful meal and a one-night stand for vampire Eamon Rutherford but now he wants a companion. His less than perfect choice is temperamental ballerina Lauryl Mellis. When she escapes from him in London, Eamon discovers that to find a new love he must first love someone other than himself but even if he can do that it might be short lived if Lauryl has her way.
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Prologue
The
Silly Thing Didn’t Realize She Was Going To Be Late Night Meal
Who
to eat, Eamon thought
as he studied the capacity crowd of the Marion Oliver McCaw Hall. The
marker of another vampire, a much younger vampire, in the audience
caught his attention. The mystery vampire’s energy had a quiet
dignity intertwined in it. The marker intrigued him and he scanned
the audience with greater intensity. His Blackberry vibrated in his
pocket, distracting him before he could identify him or her. He
looked down at his phone.
Irina.
That
dancer, what do you see in her? There are plenty like her here,
the text message read.
Eamon
put the phone back in his pocket without responding. “That
dancer” was
the
reason he delayed his return to New York .There were not any others
like her.
Lauryl
Mellis had been the pride and problem of the Jacqueline Kennedy
Onassis School
of
Dance at the American Ballet Theatre. Once at a cocktail benefit, the
student dancers were selling signed dance shoes of some of the
school’s notable graduates. Lauryl asked
one
patron in her Georgia twang, why he wanted a smelly shoe and did he
plan on
“jizzing”
in it when he got home? Her dismissive attitude and scorn of the
patrons
amused
Eamon but not the elite school. The powers that be often bent the
rules for her,
giving
her chance after chance because of her talent.
Her
talent and what he had seen of her stormy personality was magnetic.
She
would
back up whatever insult or harangue with a lovely smile or a toss of
her auburn
hair.
He enjoyed her from a distance, though. He’d never missed a
performance or
fundraiser,
but never approached her or introduced himself. She was young, still
in her
teens,
so he waited. Then he had lost track of her. But to his good fortune,
here she was on tour in Seattle.
Eamon
studied the crowd a few more minutes and then flipped through the
stage
bill.
He passed ads, the story synopsis for the ballet, and then found what
he was looking for, Lauryl’s picture. Gone was the teen he
remembered. Instead, he saw a radiant, young
woman
with a dazzling smile and bright eyes. Eamon’s interest increased
sharply.
The
phone in his pocket vibrated again. It was Irina but he saw no need
to
acknowledge
his former companion. He looked back at the picture of Lauryl. The
change
was
remarkable. She was stunning. The idea of a dancer for a companion
intrigued him.
All
of that beauty and grace amplified as a vampire. It was a perfect
combination. The
image
lingered in his mind for a moment and then the framework of a plan
materialized.
How
much of her adolescent, edgy personality remained after dancing
professionally for the past six years? Had she outgrown that or had
she at least learned to temper it? After the performance, he’d find
out.
The
house lights dimmed and Eamon closed his stage bill. He tossed it
onto the empty seat next to him in the box and waited as the
orchestra tuned up. The cacophony of instruments merged together into
a more harmonic air but the familiar sensation of a woman studying
him turned his gaze back to the audience.
A
young woman with light brown hair watched him. She rubbed her hand
over
her
thigh and crossed her legs. The slit in her skirt revealed a
tantalizing preview of her
legs.
Eamon followed the line of her legs back up to her ample breasts. Her
body
reinforced
the silent invitation in her expression. He nodded acceptance of her
naive
request.
The silly thing didn’t realize she was going to be a late night
meal.
******
It
took more time than Eamon expected to work his way through the
backstage crowd. He stopped twice to speak with business
acquaintances but soon found himself outside of Lauryl’s dressing
room or as close as he could get. A throng of her admirers blocked
the entry. The ones that couldn’t fit in her dressing room hovered
around the doorway, waiting for their opportunity to enter. He stood
for a moment with the crowd but became bored after few minutes. He
looked at the mass of people and focused on their collective
thoughts.
Leave,
he told them silently. One by one, they filed away and he entered the
dressing room. Other dancers, all drinking champagne and chattering,
surrounded Lauryl.
She
was seated in a chair with a blanket over her shoulders and a
champagne bottle tucked between her thighs. Eamon could smell blood
and his eyes tracked down to a bucket of ice water that her feet were
soaking in. He looked at the bucket a moment longer and then at her
face. She was lovely, even lovelier than in the program picture by
far.
Her
pale skin was flushed pink and her green eyes sparkled with
excitement. Her full lips turned in a smile for one of the dancers
before she waved at them. The mass of curly, red hair he remembered
was scraped back in a tight bun. She laughed at something a dancer
whispered to her and she pulled the pins holding her hair back out.
Auburn curls dropped down and framed her face. Eamon smiled inwardly
and took a few steps toward her.
“Lauryl
Mellis,” he said as he extended his hand to her. “It’s such an
honor to meet you.”
Lauryl
turned to him and her expression changed. Her smile withered and her
eyes narrowed as the happiness disappeared from them. She took his
hand like it was covered in filth and shook it. “Thanks.”
Her
boredom with him was apparent but he continued on, intrigued. “I’ve
followed you since you were a student at ABT. Your talent has
certainly blossomed, as well as your beauty.”
She
rolled her eyes. “Yeah, thanks again.”
“You’re
welcome.”
Suddenly
he sensed that he was just like the school patrons that she scorned
back in New York. He bristled slightly but his expression didn’t
change. As he looked into her eyes, the irritation he felt faded into
amusement. He’d play along with her. Besides, the delicious aroma
of her blood continued to drift up from the bucket of ice in front of
him. Lauryl pulled her hand away and continued to look at him with
the same disinterested expression. She even intensified her
dismissive stare. He knew that she wanted him to leave, which
fascinated him. It also excited him because this was a first for
him. Never had a woman reacted that way to him. He concentrated on
her thoughts for a moment. She thought he was a rich asshole looking
to get laid.
A
dancer kissed Lauryl’s cheeks and hugged her. Then Lauryl shifted
in the chair. She looked at him and then looked at the door.
Eamon
almost laughed. A not so subtle hint, he thought. He’d comply.
After all, he had the young woman from the audience waiting for him.
“I just wanted to tell you how talented and beautiful you are.
Thank you for the engaging conversation.” Eamon bowed his head some
and smiled.
Lauryl’s
green eyes blazed angry. “I’ll remember it always.”
“So
will I,” Eamon said before he walked out.
***********************
Find this book at the following places:
Amazon (kindle)
Amazon (paperback)
***********************
About the author:
Alison Beightol works as a registered nurse but also studied history and theatre at the University of Florida. For as long as she can remember, she has had an affinity for vampire stories, romance, and gothic tales that keep her up at night. Blood Betrayal: Book One of the Primigenio Tales is her first novel. Alison lives in a haunted house in rural north Florida where she is putting the final touches on book two of the Primigenio Tales: Blood of New Beginnings.
How would you like to win an ebook of Blood Betrayal? Or Vampire Swag, including a KINDLE???
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Loved the excerpt. This book looks good and would love to finish. Will be adding to my must buy list. this is a new author for me. Thanks for the awesome giveaway.
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thanks Christine! And thanks Tishia for hosting me!
ReplyDeleteSounds great. Thanks for sharing!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway!
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