Title: Flowers and Fangs, Book 2 (standalone tale)
Author: Karen Michelle Nutt
Genre: Paranormal romance, vampires, vampire hunter
Book Blurb:
The Hayeses stake and dust preternatural beings. They do not fall in love with such creatures or so Derek believes until his heart tells him the vampire destined to be staked by one of his siblings, is the only woman for him.
Derek Hayes and his family are preternatural hunters. Stake and Dust is their motto, but Derek has a difficult time accepting his sworn duty when Sloane McBride, his ex-girlfriend from high school, is the one he's been sent to eliminate. Once infected from a Nosferatu bite, there is no turning back. Sloane has been bitten and she will eventually change. It proves a race against time when Derek puts aside his core beliefs and teams up with Sloane. The Nosferatu wants Sloane for his own, Derek's brothers are hunting her, and every second brings Sloane closer to changing into the very fiend they want to kill.
Excerpt:
(Sloane’s POV. Sloane and Derek’s first encounter.)
She opened her fast-food bag and grabbed the hamburger. The scent of the cook meat hit her nostrils, making them flare in protest. She opened the wrapper and sniffed cautiously. Her stomach rebelled at the thought of taking a bite. She better play it safe and just go with the tea tonight despite how her stomach rumbled with hunger.
While the water boiled, she would change into a pair of sweats. She was all about comfort when she arrived home from work. She was halfway up the stairs when someone knocked at her front door.
Lad's ears perked up and a low growl vibrated from the back of his throat. Her gaze landed on her lab with a frown. Lad usually loved everyone. Who could be at her front door that had him agitated? She strode over to it and peeked out the peephole. She half expected Freddy Kruger to be standing there by the way Lad's fur stood up on end, and the snarl he produced to go along with his bad fur day. She sighed in relief when she recognized her visitor. She threw opened the door with a smile.
Lad came bounding to the door, snarling in rapid barks. She'd never seen him act like that—ever. "Lad, sit. It's only Tim." She didn't understand her dog's weird behavior.
Lad backed up, but his stance clearly indicated he would take out Tim's throat if she only gave the word. She turned toward Tim who gave her a nonchalant shrug. "Maybe it's my new aftershave."
She pursed her lips. "Give me a sec. I'll put him out back."
"Sure."
It took her a few minutes. Lad didn't want to obey her. She had to drag him outside and sprint for the door, slamming it shut, just to keep him outside. He continued to bark and snarl, but she would have to ignore him for now.
She hurried to the front door. Tim still stood there, leaning casually against the doorframe. He stood up straight when he caught sight of her. For a brief second, she could have sworn his eyes had an eerie glow to them, like a pair of eyes looking back from a thicket, warning her of danger, but she blinked and his eyes were the same soft brown color she'd remembered.
"Are you going to ask me in?" His brows lifted in question. He must be feeling better. He looked a little pale, not feverish. It was good to know the flu would only last twenty-four hours.
"Sure, but I must warn you I think I caught what you had a few days ago."
"I've already been exposed and I doubt I'll catch it twice," he said.
She opened the screen and stepped aside. She frowned when he didn't move. "Well, come in already."
His lips slid into a grin, but the smile made her uneasy. Something was off with him, had been for a few days.
Before she could shut the door, he pulled her flush against him. She gasped in surprise and he chuckled. "Don't be scared."
Funny, how those words sent a chill down her spine. "I'm not scared."
"Your heart is beating fast."
Her brows drew together. "How do—" She didn't have a chance to finish her question. He captured her lips and her words were swallowed into a passionate caress. His tongue swept inside her mouth and she met his passion, but something pricked her lip and she drew back in alarm. Her hand flew to her mouth. When she looked at her fingers, she spotted drops of blood coloring the tips. "You bit me." Again, she thought the last to herself.
"You say it as if it is a bad, thing." He stalked toward her. This time there was no mistake; his eyes gleamed with a weird sheen before turning red. Red? What the heck was going on? When he grinned she caught sight of two pointed incisors. Vampire came to mind, but that was insane. Self-consciously, she touched the side of her neck where he had bitten her the other night and stumbled back a few steps.
Tim's mouth quirked and a low menacing chuckle greeted her. "I can see your wheels are turning inside that pretty little head of yours, but I'll make it simple, unlike how my brother did for me. I'm a vampire. You know—the kind that drinks blood and all that."
The kind that drank blood—was there another kind? She shook her head. "That's impossible. You've been ill. You must be…running a fever."
"I've never felt better." He shook his head and kept grinning like he'd given her the best news. He took another step toward her. "I can make you feel good, too."
"Stay back." She bumped into the wall, separating the kitchen from the living room and quickly sidestepped.
"But I can't stay away from you. You invited me in and I'm soooo hungry." His gaze roved over her like she was a delectable treat he'd been anticipating sinking his teeth into.
She whirled away from him, attempting to run, but it was useless. He was upon her in a second, spinning her around to face him and slamming her against the kitchen counter. She ignored the sudden jar to her body and pushed at his chest, but he was so strong…so very strong. "Let me go, Tim." His fangs lengthened. "Oh God, no!" She would have screamed but a deep baritone voice, from somewhere behind Tim, halted her cries.
"I believe the lady asked you to let her go."
Tim's body went rigid as if rigor mortis had set in and turned his body to stone.
Curiosity proved too strong and she chanced a peek around Tim's shoulder. A man with dark reddish-brown hair and eyes as green as a cat's stood there in the archway of her kitchen with a medieval crossbow aimed at Tim's back.
This time she did scream.
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What makes your featured book a must-read?
Prepare for a wildly wicked ride where emotions run high in this paranormal romance where forbidden love proves highly contagious
Giveaway –
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Runs October 26 – November 3, 2022.
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Author Biography:
Karen Michelle Nutt resides in California with her husband. Though her three children are grown and starting their own adventures, she still has a houseful of demanding pets.
When she's not time traveling, fighting outlaws, or otherworldly creatures, she creates book covers at Gillian's Book Covers, "Judge Your Book By Its Cover".
Whether your reading fancy is paranormal, time travel or contemporary romances, all her stories capture the rich array of emotions that accompany the most fabulous human phenomena—falling in love.
Social Media Links:
Visit the author at her website: http://www.kmnbooks.com
Gillian’s Book Covers, “Judge Your Book By Its Cover”
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