Title: The Vampire's Hope
Series: The Vampire's Hope Book One
Author: Danica Winters
Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance,
Suspense,
Publisher: BTGN
Ebooks
Words: 11k
Pages: 40
Purchase:
Amazon
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and Noble | All
Romance | kobo
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Book Description:
Ellie Smith,
an emotionally stunted dancer, finds more than she bargains for after her human
life is taken by the vampire, Master Liam.
Once inside the Vampire’s underground lair, the Keres Den, she meets
Ian, an immortal Viking warrior, who is infiltrating the soulless prison. (New Paragraph) As Ellie begins her training,
she learns that the dark tunnels around her are filled with even darker
secrets. As the truth of her existence
come to light, she is faced with a choice—does she let her past dictate her
future, or can she begin to feel again?
Excerpt:
CHAPTER
ONE
The
couple in front of her stood under the bar’s lopsided mistletoe, their lips
pressed against each other in a gesture of Christmas spirit. On the man’s lapel was a white rose, smashed
against the woman’s full breast.
The
sight made Ellie Smith laugh. Ellie was
the same age as the two lip-locked party goers, yet they were so much
younger. They wore the white rose of
hope—probably hope for love that would undoubtedly turn bad, or hope that the
holidays would bring them the gifts of eternal bliss… those naïve fools.
The
couple parted and their cheeks glowed with the pink twinges of arousal. The sight was more than she could handle and
she looked away. They were luckier than
they knew. They probably did not have
any idea what it was like to be without a bed for the night, without a home,
without purpose, and without hope.
To her
left a thick-set, redheaded man approached.
His shoulders were erect and he walked with a stride that conveyed
power. Catching Ellie’s eye, he smiled
the grim smile of subtle manipulation.
Whatever
he wanted, he wouldn’t get it from her.
A
blonde man with an arched smile stepped out from behind the threatening redhead
and sat down at the table. “Hello,
Elpis. Welcome to The Ravena.”
The
way he said her name made her skin crawl.
The
blonde waved his hand at the rows of booze and the surly bartender. “I hope you like the bar.”
The
bar was like any number of others, just another stop in her constant travel
through the dark world of the forgotten.
“Thanks. I have no idea how you know my given name,
but I’d rather you called me Ellie.”
“Sorry,
Ellie.”
“Are
you the owner of this place?”
The
blonde motioned to the dangerous-looking redhead behind him.
She
knew she should fear them, but there was nothing inside of her heart. “I need a job. Are you hiring? I can dance.”
The
blonde laughed. He looked over his shoulder at the red-headed man. “She doesn’t have a clue.”
He
turned back to her as if he had said nothing to the man who was clearly his
boss. “My name is Ian. And this is
Master Liam…” He pointed at the rigid
redheaded man.
“What
are you after?”
The
club’s music filled the silence between them.
Ian
smirked. “Master Liam would like a
dance.”
Ellie
gazed over Ian’s blonde hair and his features—his eyes were the same blue as
the sea, and his face was wide and rugged.
He looked like a portrait of a Viking.
Master
Liam extended his hand in a silent command to dance. She looked back at the handsome Viking. Liam was a threat, but so was Ian. Was it better to go after a powerful man who
she wasn’t attracted to in hopes of getting a job, or was it better to forget
her chance of getting hired and stay with the handsome Viking?
For
once Ellie wondered what it was like to feel something—anything. If she was
normal, would she blush? Would her lust move her nearer to him? Instead, she only felt the dull emptiness
inside of her breast. Was there truly life
without emotion?
Ellie
slipped her hand into Master Liam’s. He led her to the dance floor, but she
could sense Ian’s eyes upon her.
Master
Liam moved in a stiff, archaic way and his hands never strayed from her
waist. Not that she minded. It was nice not to be groped. What kind of dancer would Ian be?
She
looked back at her table. Ian stared at
her with a hunger in his eyes. She dropped her gaze. If he wanted her, he didn’t act the part.
Master
Liam said nothing to her as she looked up into his face. His eyes were filled with lust and they
slowly danced their way to the farthest recess of the dance floor. His cold hands forced her head back and she
stared up at the ceiling.
He
pushed her against the wall.
He
slowly bent down, taking each movement in his own unhurried time. He inhaled and blew his chilled breath against
the skin of her neck.
He
wasn’t the man she wanted, but a job was a job—however she had to get it.
Liam
leaned in, and instead of kissing her lips, he pressed his face into her neck
and caressed her skin with his icy lips.
She
drew in a breath and her pulse quickened.
His
teeth pierced her skin, and she started to shriek, but his hand clamped down
over her opening lips. She struggled but
as he drained her, weakness won. A fire
burned where his teeth dug into her flesh.
Acid filled her veins.
With
her last thought, she envisioned the white rose on the stranger’s lapel. No emotion, no hope…
About the Author:
Danica
Winters is an Amazon best-selling romance author based in
Website
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Review: Disclaimer: I received this book from the author in exchange for a review.
A short and sometimes confusing short story with vampires, interesting mythology, and insta-love.
This is a very short story and worth a read if you are a fan of vampires. This story managed to confuse me a number of times. Ellie is turned into a vampire and without even being told, knows that she is a vampire. How do you know that? There are supposedly thousands of vampires in Liam's lair and they seem to kill a lot of people. Wouldn't someone have noticed something? Also, what's the above ground world like? I did like the mythology although a number of different mythologies intertwined in this story. I didn't get the insta-love between Ellie and Ian. The basic frame work set up in this story, if expanded, would make for a book that I would find myself interested to read.
Rating:
Recommendation: I would recommend this short story to those that enjoy vampire fiction.
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