WeWriWa: Some Enchanted Evening . . . MIDNIGHT ENCHANTMENT. . . Now on S*A*L*E!
We, as writing parents, try not to have any favorites when it comes to our characters. But, as we all know, that’s an impossible task. There are always one or two we can’t bear to part with. Those heroes/heroines are the heart and soul that make a great series come to life. Or, in my case, NOT. You see, my hero is a vampire. And he’s a baaaad boy! Meet Gerard Pascale, the anti-hero of my “Touched by Midnight” vampire series as our heroine meets this handsome devil for the first time . . . during their evening wedding. A forced marriage is never a good way to begin a relationship. Note to heroine: Girl, who insists upon a wedding AFTER the sun goes down!?
“Ahhhh, here she is, my lovely bride. Buona sera.”His voice slid over her senses like an intimate caress—soft, smooth, and silkily accented, stirring goose flesh in its wake. Before she could react, Percy placed her hand within her future husband’s. His palm was cool. His fingers curled possessively about hers to press with surprising strength as he lifted her whitened knuckles to receive his courtly kiss. That contact, too, held a distinct chill as he continued to smile with a secret amusement down upon her. A smile that held no warmth or welcome.“Shall we get on with this little drama now that we are all here?”And there was no mistaking the displeasure edging beneath his languid words.( . . . and another little nibble . . .)Confused, both by the situation and his mood, Laure tried to draw back from his intense stare, from his intimidating presence, but his grip grew commanding, anchoring her hand in the crook of his arm as he turned to face the priest.“Father, you may begin.”The ceremony was in Latin. In a daze, Laure managed to nod when the ancient priest looked to her for confirmation. The feeling of unreality continued to swell until it all but engulfed her. The intonation of vows she couldn’t comprehend bound her to the man beside her, a man she didn’t know and didn’t love. Was she making a good match or a huge mistake?The suspicion that she was a mere pawn in some bigger scheme brought a dryness to her mouth and a tremor of panic to her rapidly beating heart. Her hand shook as a signet ring was pushed upon her finger to weigh as heavily as this stranger’s claim upon her.
Gerard has been and always will be my favorite character. He sprang to “life” as the ill-fated best friend of the hero in MIDNIGHT KISS, the first book in a vampire romance series that began in 1994 and ended eight more books later in 2002. While the tragic Louis is technically the main protagonist, the minute the irresistibly cynical and faintly sinister Gerardo appeared, he ruled as my favorite bad boy in need of redemption. So when the original three book series was brought back to life by a new publisher, I knew who I’d “unearth” as Book 4’s (anti) hero. Please let him introduce himself as a man of wealth and (unusual) taste . . . for only $0.99!
Pardon my previous absence as I snuck out for a writers’ Retreat. I’m escaping my COVID home prison again tomorrow to spend a week or two at the keyboard with one of my critique partners to get the creative spark ablaze again on my romantic suspense. Writing and binge watching will ensue! And while I’m there, I’m thrilled to hype that she and I both have books from our publisher, ImaJinn Books ON SALE for only $0.99!! So if vampires keep you up at night, settle in with Lora Lee’s cozy mystery (or have one for day and one for night reading!).
I may be late checking in on your snippets. My D-in-L and grandguy are visiting today (squee!!) and we’re sitting down to a meal I didn’t have to make! WooHoo!!
Happy (almost) Spring!
Weekend Writing Warriors is a weekly hop for everyone who loves to write! Share an 8 to 10 sentence snippet of your writing on Sunday. Visit other participants on the list and read, critique, and comment on their #8sunday posts.
It's too late for her to change her mind now! Intriguing snippet!
ReplyDeleteHind sight a little too late.
DeleteI think I know the answer to her question--a horrible mistake? She's getting more than she bargained for, I'll bet. Great snippet! Tweeted.
ReplyDeleteBut is it a bargain they both can live with?
DeleteEnjoyed the snippet although of course now I'm wildly curious to know all the backstory of how the heroine ended up there! And what will happen next. Love bad boys!
ReplyDeleteBad boys rule!
DeleteGood gracious. How did she get herself in this situation? And why can't she just dump him at the altar? This snippet raises all kinds of questions. Guess I'll have to reread this story. :) Enjoy the grandguy. We had the twins all day Saturday. Exhausting but so much fun.
ReplyDeleteDesperation breeds strange (and dangerous) bedfellows. The best of two evils.She and her scheming brother may be rethinking that soon!
ReplyDeleteOkay, vampires, I'm so in! Just purchased it! Fantastic snippet!
ReplyDelete