Destiny
Tranquilli
Bloodline Series
Book
2
by Celia
Breslin
Genre: Urban
Fantasy Romance
Publisher:
Champagne Books
Date of
Publication: November 3, 2014
Number of pages:
234
Word Count: 74K
Cover Artist:
Ellie Smith
Book
Description:
In HAVEN, San
Francisco nightclub owner Carina Tranquilli survives a vicious attack by her
vampire family’s longtime archenemies. Several weeks later, as she struggles
with PTSD and survivor’s guilt, supervillain Dixon resurfaces and kidnaps two
of her best friends. To save them, Carina must comply with the evil bastard’s
unusual demands. The kicker? She must tell no one what she is up to.
Meanwhile, she
has a new dance club to open for the preternatural community, a fated soul mate
acting secretive and distant, and a sexy, new, undead friend who’d love to take
Alexander’s place in her heart and bed.
Blackmailed,
betrayed, tempted…sometimes destiny has a wicked sense of humor.
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Excerpt from Destiny
My
day moved from ordinary to interesting when the deliveryman handed me a box
that smelled of blood.
The
scent made my mouth water. Pungent iron mixed with, of all things, lavender. My
thoughts flew straight to Tessa, my surrogate vampire mother. When she pulled
out one of her specialty powers, the one I fondly referred to as vampire
valium, this relaxing, floral herb scented the air and reduced friend or foe to
a boneless, helpless puddle.
I
shut the front door on the retreating back of the deliveryman and wiggled the
box. Nothing rattled inside. Not particularly heavy, less than ten pounds.
A
peace offering, perhaps? Tessa certainly owed me one.
She’d
commanded her minion, my boyfriend Alexander, to star in a two-month classical
music tour of Italy, performing nightly for vampire dignitaries and their lucky
minions. While I, the good little predestined, vampire apocalypse averting,
Chosen One in training, remained behind in San Francisco to learn how to kick
naughty vampire ass with my latent and rather unwieldy fire power.
“Hey
boys,” I called up to the second floor where my friend Adrian and his lover, my
mentor Jonas, took their sweet time descending for breakfast. “Bloody prezzie
just arrived. And I do mean that literally.”
Silence
answered my shout, followed by the whoosh of water in the master bathroom
shower and a husky laugh from Adrian. Given that sexy sound, I could expect a
delay. Jonas tended to make their showers last forever.
A
jolt of jealousy stabbed my stomach. Wish I could enjoy some fun and sexy time
with my guy. I shrugged off the sensation and strode into the kitchen. “Fine.
More for me.”
I
parked my ass in a chair and slid the box onto the table to study it. No return
address or package info. Not that surprising. Vampires tended to aim for
stealth and subtlety, to fly under the radar of the general human populace. One
of Tessa’s minions probably compelled the delivery dude, or he belonged to the
circle of humans already in-the-know.
I
ripped off the tape in one pull and peeked inside. No packing peanuts, but
rather a nest of lavender branches speckled with droplets of blood, as if the
branches themselves bled. Beautiful, aromatic, and so very vampire.
A
wine box large enough for two bottles rested in the nest. Cold to the touch,
indicating recent refrigeration. I lifted it out, trailing my fingers over the
gold latch, the dark, glossy wood, the Celtic knots carved into each end, and
finally over the initials on top. My initials, C A T. Short for Carina Agostina
Tranquilli.
What
a well-crafted and thoughtful gift. I bet the wine inside would be equally
well-made.
I
flipped the latch and opened the lid. My brows collided. Not wine.
Nine
vials of blood about the size of my ring finger rested side by side in black
velvet bedding. A stopper sealed with red wax and stamped with my initials
secured the blood inside each vessel.
I
pulled one from its nest and held it up in the light streaming through the
kitchen’s bay window. The liquid glowed a rich, ruby red like a shard in a
stained glass window.
“Beautiful.”
And odd.
Sure,
I was a half vampire and could appreciate a fine bit of blood, but I was still
a human female and for me, nothing says, I’m sorry for disrupting your entire
life like high-end jewelry or better yet an all-expenses paid trip with my
boyfriend somewhere secluded, luxurious, and far away from vampire politics.
Hell, I’d settle for the return of my boyfriend to San Francisco.
About the Author
Celia lives in
California with her husband, daughter, and two feisty cats. She writes urban
fantasy and paranormal romance, and has a particular fondness for vampires,
werewolves, and the Fae. When not writing, you’ll find her exercising, reading
a good book or indulging her addiction to Joss Whedon’s TV shows and movies.
Author Links:
***GIVEAWAY***
2 prize-packs
including:
1 e-copy Haven (series Book 1)
1 e-copy Vampire Code (series short
story 1.5)
Blog Tour Organised by:
Great cover and I love ass-kicking women! I would love to read this book, as the excerpt sounds exciting!
ReplyDeleteHi Kimberly,
DeleteGlad you enjoyed the excerpt.
best,
Celia
Hi Alecia,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for hosting DESTINY on your blog today!
cheers,
Celia