WeWriWa: A Deal with the Devil . . . MIDNIGHT ENCHANTMENT $0.99 SALE (just 2 more days!!) #Sale99

Long before my shapershifters tore their way through New Orleans, a different breed of dark hero haunted and hunted those streets. “Vampire” was the threat that whispered on the cold night mist. The “Touched by Midnight” series was my first foray into the supernatural, and MIDNIGHT ENCHANTMENT was the book the brought the initial trilogy back to life (so to speak!) as the sleek, deadly villain in those books is unearthed (pardon the pun!) after hiding to regain his strength . . . only to be threatened by a mere mortal – his solicitor! - who will expose what his is unless he agrees to an unholy bargain. Marry the man’s sister and thus, share access to his fortune with the schemers or be exposed for what he is. Obviously, Gerardo Pasquale does not take kindly to threats.

Through carefully parted curtains, he watched the cunning little solicitor’s scrambling climb over his front gate, and it was with supreme command of will that he didn’t swoop down with all the supernatural power of his kind to end the pompous presence of one sly mortal who dared—DARED!—impose conditions upon him, but caution and the strong will of self-preservation held him helpless for the moment. 

He, with all his abilities, was not without weakness, and the nasty little lawyer had thrust cleanly through that Achilles heel without being aware of it. 

Ordinarily, he would have laughed in the face of the man’s ploy to extort his fortune and would have gleefully drained him to death for his impertinence. But to act now in a fit of rash retribution would expose him to unnecessary dangers, forcing him out of the hiding place he’d made for himself in the gloomy mansion, because he didn’t know whom Cristobel had entrusted with the evidence against him or how to stop it from gaining public attention. That was the real hazard he sought to avoid. 

He heaved a sigh of reluctant resignation, a weariness centuries deep. True, he could leave the city without a trace come nightfall and foil Cristobel’s clever plot, but in doing so, would sacrifice much. Despite his dramatic show to scare the meddling human, he was weak, his powers at an ebb. He’d crept into New Orleans to recoup what he could and to shield himself from outside jeopardy while yet in a vulnerable state, and here in his moldy isolation, he’d wallowed in remorse, suffering for the foolhardy arrogance that had led him to this low. His only wish was to be left alone, to become inconspicuous among those who provided what he needed to survive as he grew stronger.

(. . . and the rest of the scene) 

His recovery was slow because his will to go on had been crippled almost as badly as his human form. He merely existed now, mourning his losses, chastening himself for his follies, separating from those who would care for him because he didn’t deserve their love and refused to endanger them. As long as he laid low and kept to himself, he was safe, but to have his presence announced, even in some tawdry tribune, would let those who believed him dead know they’d been deceived and that he could not afford. 

Feeling the discomfort of approaching dawn, Gerard let the curtain fall. There was nothing he could do except seek his rest away from the reach of his relentless enemy, the sun. Come dusk, he would rise up, full of vengeful purpose to meet with Cristobel and his scheming sister, and he would bow to their demands to keep his secrets secure . . . for the moment. But he would be watching, waiting, for them to make their first mistake, which would also be their last. Then he would make them suffer for their arrogant greed.

And he would enjoy the feast.

Though long-suffering Louis Radman who seeks to regain his humanity is the hero of the series, morally ambiguous, sleekly dangerous, and wearily amusing Gerardo Pasquale has always been my favorite. He’s the perfect antihero badboy who seems to have met his match in the witchy sister of the fool who dared poke a monster. MIDNIGHT ENCHANTMENT is on SALE for $0.99 through September 15th (just two more days!!) so grab it up and sink your teeth into some deliciously dark enjoyment.

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While not soaking up late summer sunshine with two of my fur friends, I’ve been feverishly putting together outlines for a couple of contemporary series in anticipation of meeting virtually with a potential agent – my first since I went self-pub. Wish me luck that it’s a good fit and just the push I need to beat the Corona Blues and become feverishly productive again. 

Enjoy the grill weather while you can and happy writing, fellow Warriors!!

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