Title:
Vampire Darcy’s Desire: A Pride and Prejudice Paranormal Vagary
Author:
Regina Jeffers
Genre:
paranormal; vampiric tale; Regency romance; pastiche literature; Scottish legends; adaptation
Book Blurb:
Vampire Darcy’s Desire presents Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice as a heart-pounding vampire romance filled with passion and danger.
Tormented by a 200-year-old curse and his fate as a half human/half vampire dhampir, Fitzwilliam Darcy vows to live a solitary life rather than inflict the horrors of his life upon an innocent wife and his first born son. However, when he encounters the captivating Elizabeth Bennet, his will is sorely tested.
As a man, Darcy yearns for Elizabeth, but as a vampire, he is also driven to possess her. Uncontrollably drawn to each other, they are forced to confront a different kind of “pride” and his enemy’s “prejudice,” while wrestling with the seductive power of forbidden love. Evil forces, led by George Wickham, the purveyor of the curse, attack from all sides, and Darcy learns his only hope to survive is to align himself with Elizabeth, who is uncannily astute in how to defeat Wickham, a demon determined to destroy each generation of Darcys.
Vampire Darcy’s Desire retells Austen’s greatest love story in a hauntingly compelling tale. Can love be the only thing that can change him?
Excerpt:
“What do we have here?” George Wickham stepped from the shadow of a statue. “Darcy, I am thunderstruck. I was unaware your powers had improved.” He walked with a defiant swagger. “Whatever you are doing differently, sir, continue it. You might prove a worthy opponent, after all.”
“Why are you here, Wickham?” Darcy reached behind him to feel Elizabeth. Her fingers trembled when he touched them.
“I followed the blue light.” Wickham nodded in the direction of the dancing rays. “I was stunned to discover the household under your spell.” He stepped to the side. “And who is with you? Ah, Miss Elizabeth Bennet. I should have recognized your preferences, Darcy.”
“I have no preferences, Wickham.” Darcy countered, blocking Elizabeth from Wickham’s view.
Wickham laughed sardonically. “Then why this private party?”
“Boredom.” Darcy sneered. “This supercilious collection of know-it-alls bores me. Thankfully, I depart tomorrow.”
“Last night here? And why Miss Elizabeth?” Wickham asked warily.
“Why not Elizabeth Bennet?” Darcy feigned indifference. “Why not take my revenge on my most vocal adversary? Miss Elizabeth does not hide her disdain for me.”
“The lady does not seem to disdain you tonight, Darcy.”
Darcy retorted, “Miss Elizabeth is under my spell.” Darcy spun Elizabeth into his embrace. “Kiss me as though you desire me,” he ordered. He pulled her to him and kissed Elizabeth in the way he always wanted to do. His mouth invaded hers, and Elizabeth’s fingers ran through his hair, as she arched into him. At length, he broke the kiss and set her from him. “Would Elizabeth Bennet kiss me in such a fashion of her own free will? Even you are not foolish enough to believe so, Wickham. She was brought up as a lady.”
“Mayhap, Darcy.” Wickham appeared amused. “When will you make her yours forever? It is so easy to do when they are under a spell.”
Darcy shielded Elizabeth once again. “I was bored, Wickham. I do not yet know depravity.”
“A pity,” Wickham returned mockingly. If I were not satisfied already, I might take the lovely Miss Elizabeth from you.” Then his tone changed and he issued a threat. “Beware, my friend, for I am coming for you.” His warning hung like icicles in the air. “By the way, Darcy, I left you a present by the servants’ entry.” Again, a gush of air wrapped them in a maelstrom of debris and swirling energy, and, in an instant, Wickham disappeared into the night.
Elizabeth sank to her knees before Darcy scooped her into his arms. “Elizabeth, please, are you well?” he asked in urgency.
“Ye-Yes,” she stammered. “But…”
“Elizabeth, we must discover what Wickham meant by ‘a present by the servants’ entry.’” He caught her hand to lead her to the garden below. They wove their way through the maze of plants until they reached the back gate. “Stay close,” he whispered. They followed the outline of the house until they came to the steps leading to the kitchen. The horror of the night stared at them: Eyes full of terror in a waxy, pale countenance. Elizabeth buried her face against his shoulder to stifle her scream. “I must examine her. Stay here,” As he suspected, Wickham had cruelly ripped open the woman’s neck. “Come, love. You must quit this place,” he said as he wrapped his arm about her. He hurried their return along the path they followed earlier. On the balcony, he asked, “Who is she?”
“Emily King,” Elizabeth spoke in regret. “I meant to tell you about her this evening, but I forgot. Lydia told me Wickham paid Miss King attention before he left for London. I should have warned you. We could have stopped this!” Elizabeth’s voice rose in self-recrimination.
“It would not have mattered.” He gave her a little shake of her shoulders. “Listen to me. You are not at fault. Miss King has been dead for many hours, likely since early this morning.”
“Oh, William, this is horrendous!”
“Yes, love, it is, but we must work fast or Miss King will join Wickham as one of the undead.”
Elizabeth trembled. “Oh, we cannot! I cannot!”
“I can, love. I know what to do. My fear is for you. I cannot release the spell on the house until I see to Miss King. I cannot send you back inside. Either you must stay here until I return or go with me. Do you understand, Elizabeth?”
“I cannot watch you . . .”
“Then you will stay here.” Darcy stood her against the wall. “Use your crucifix. I doubt if Wickham will return, but if he does, the sign of the cross will protect you. Believe in the Trinity, and you will be safe. His kind cannot come past the iron in the necklace.”
“Are you certain?”
“Absolutely.” Darcy kissed her forehead. “I have only moments to rescue Miss King’s soul. I will return as quickly as the deed is done.”
Darcy disappeared into the darkness. He made his way to the tool shed by the barn before returning to the house. Twice in one week, he thought. Twice in one week he did the unthinkable—mutilate a corpse. In resignation, he knelt beside the body. He removed his crucifix from his pocket and said the required prayers for Emily King’s soul and forgiveness for his. Then he used the ax to remove her head with four carefully placed strikes. Afterward, he positioned it in place. Returning the ax to the shed, he made his way across the lawn to the back of the garden.
When he stepped upon the balcony, Elizabeth was in his arms, clinging to him. Darcy held her until her trembling ceased. “Darling, you must return inside, and I must release the spell.” He set her from him. “We will permit the others to discover the body.”
“Did you . . .?”
“I have seen to what was necessary. She will be Emily King for eternity.” Darcy took her hand and led Elizabeth to the door. “You and I cannot be a part of finding Miss King’s body. It will throw suspicion on us, which is what Wickham wishes.” He took her in his arms. “I despise how our memory knows ruin.”
“I will remember the kiss always.” She lifted her chin in anticipation.
Darcy kissed her tenderly, as if she were the most fragile thing he owned. “Anytime you require me, send word, and I will be with you.” Then, he pulled open the door. “Go straight to the retiring room. Be certain someone sees you going in or out. I will wait one minute and release the spell.” He stepped back and spread his arms to withdraw the energy.
Buy Links (including Goodreads and BookBub):
Nook https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/vampire-darcys-desire-regina-jeffers/1140268938?ean=2940162211471
If you could dress up as anything or anyone this Halloween, what or who would it be and why?
I am not a person who generally dresses up for Halloween. I am more of a Christmas person than a Halloween one. Yet, if I had to choose someone to “dress up as,” I would choose Queen Elizabeth I. I adore how she says: “Though the sex to which I belong is considered weak you will, nevertheless, find me a rock that bends to no wind.” I adore strong women as role models. I have always had to be one in my family; therefore, I know something about the strength of character it takes. Elizabeth I was one of the most successful monarchs in British history, and under her, England became a major European power in politics, commerce, and the arts.
Explain why your featured book is a treat to read:
Featured in both the July 17, 2009, Entertainment Weekly and the August 24, 2009, People Magazine, as well as a whole evening at the Smithsonian on Austen mash-ups, Vampire Darcy’s Desire celebrates its Book Birthday this month. It enters its “teenage” years, and people still beg me to write a sequel.
When it was first released, JustJane1813 called it, “An engaging and romantic paranormal surprise.” While The Royal Reviews said, “Jeffers ups the ante even more by basing the core of the plot line on the traditional Scottish ballad.” The book was commissioned by Ulysses Press in the wake of the whole Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. One must recall Twilight was based on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, so it was only natural, at the time, to reverse the process: Meyer put modern day vampires in my Jane Austen classic, so I placed Austen’s Regency characters into my own vampire tale. (FYI: New Moon was based on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet; Eclipse on Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights; and Breaking Dawn on Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.)
Liking to mix in more than a bit of history in my stories, this tale goes back to the Scottish legend of the Baobhan sith, who appear as beautiful females who seduce their victims before attacking them and killing them. It is the Baobhan sith who determine the paths both Fitzwilliam Darcy’s and Elizabeth Bennet’s families take through the generations, colliding again in the early 1800s.
After all, how can one overlook a line such as: “The moment the blood touched his lips, something inside him changed. His eyes closed as if savoring a fine wine.”
Giveaway –
One lucky reader will win a $75 Amazon (US or Canada) gift card.
Open internationally. You must have an active Amazon US or Amazon Canada account to be eligible.
Runs October 1 – 31
Drawing will be held on November 1.
Author Biography:
Regina Jeffers is an award-winning author of Austenesque, Regency, historical mysteries, and contemporary novels. Living outside of Charlotte, North Carolina, she is a retired English teacher and an often sought after consultant for media literacy and language arts, who spends her “down time” pulling weeds from her flower beds and spoiling her “grand joys.”
Social Media Links:
Every Woman Dreams (Blog) https://reginajeffers.wordpress.com
Austen Authors (Blog) http://austenauthors.net
Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/Regina-Jeffers/e/B008G0UI0I/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1479079637&sr=8-1
Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/jeffers0306/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/darcy4ever/
You Tube Interview https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzgjdUigkkU