In honor of Halloween (my favorite holiday!) I’ve been reading through my “Touched by Midnight” vampire romances . . . and loving them! It’s been decades since I wrote them and a long while since a reread, so it’s like discovering my favorite characters all over again. One of them is Nick Flynn. The flawed, down on his luck Louisiana attorney, who nabbed a too-good-to-be-true job in an exclusive D.C. firm, is discovering a dark layer beneath the glittering surface of their offer of employment. There’s something just not right about his bosses and the company they keep as he discovers on this night out with his employers . . .
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Published: May 4, 2011
Length: 234 Pages
Can they escape the shadows of the past?
This time, he could lose his soul . . .
An invitation to join an exclusive D.C. law firm seems like a chance for Nick Flynn to leave his mistakes behind. But it's his shadowy past and unrealized inheritance that attracted his mysterious employers. Once embroiled in their dark schemes, his struggle for success becomes a battle for his salvation.
And she could lose her life . . .
Loner detective Rae Borden goes undercover as a call girl to discover the truth about her best friend's death. Her carefully laid plan of revenge and personal redemption becomes a crusade against an unbelievable evil . . . with Nick Flynn in the middle.
"Nancy Gideon is one of the best supernatural writers on the market today!" — Midwest Book Review/BookWire
The Excerpt
Nick wasn’t sure what it was about the Noir. There was something about this place, these people, that put the hair up on the back of his neck. He recognized many of the politicians . . . none of his business if they wanted to be seen with a gorgeous creature on their arm while they drank and lost money on cards and dice . . . and the women were spectacular, each unique, each exquisite, each eager to please. Even though he wasn’t a man of any particular influence or power, the women noticed him as all women noticed him and he probably could have gotten more than his share of on-the-house entertainments.But the truth of it was, the Noir women gave him the creeps: They were too perfect, too good to be true, too aggressively sexual, and blatant in their appetites. Hungry. That described them. Hungry as wolves circling through plump fowl seeking whom they could devour. Not him, thank you very much. If he got a yen for companionship, he could tune in a ball game or flirt with a counter girl from the deli down the block. These man-eaters were out of his league, and he didn’t mind admitting it.Until he saw her.. . . And a bit more . . .The surprise of it stopped him dead in his tracks.The woman from the Grover’s house. How could he mistake those incredible green eyes?He hadn’t thought her particularly glamorous at their first meeting. At the Grovers’s she’d looked like a long night on the Red-Eye. But here, under the muted pseudo-candle glow of the Noir, she sparkled like a jewel reflecting flame.He hadn’t remembered her as being particularly tall. Perhaps it was the dress, a sheath of liquid bronze cut to the navel and slit up to the hip bone, in combination with stiletto heels, or the unashamedly broad shoulders bared and equal to carrying any burden, or the blazing glory of her hair, teased up to the envy of any country singer and highlighted with a dusting of winking glitter. But despite the statuesque build, the eye-popping display of bosom, the legs that went on longer than most new television series and the glam clothes, there was a hint of vulnerability in the pale shade she’d chosen to shape the refined line of her lips, a fragility to the porcelain fairness of her skin even as it soothed over nicely defined muscle. And there was a glint of the dangerous in those constantly moving emerald eyes.Here was a woman he wanted to know.
I’ve only got a few chapter left to read of MIDNIGHT MASQUERADE and then one more book, MIDNIGHT CRUSADER, to go. Sigh . . . Not only have I gotten to reconnect with the characters but also with the settings, most of which I’ve enjoyed visiting during writers’ conference over the years: New York, Seattle, D.C., and New Orleans, as well as places I’d never want to go, i.e. the spooky Catacombs in France and after-dark cemeteries anywhere! Now, I’m thinking I might want to sink my teeth into writing more in this series. What do you think?
I’ve been dragging plastic tubs up and down the basement stairs for two days unloading goodies to decorate the house for Halloween. Here’s my favorite over indulgence ready to plug in and light up the scary night to come . . . complete with creepy sounds.
After shaking off the spooky vibes by spending some quality time outside in the spectacular Michigan weather with cats and fam, I’m ready to plunge back into the MIDNIGHT world, right after checking in with what’s up with you all.
Happy Fall, y’all! And a safe and ghoulishly good Halloween!
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.
LOL - looking like a long night on the red-eye - is not the most complimentary of descriptions. But I know how that feels. Tweeted.
ReplyDeleteThinking of that time it took me 14 hours in airports to get from Michigan to Arizona . . . yah, it's like that.
DeleteFabulous description of all the women--but especially "the one." Love the description of that dress especially. This sounds like a wonderful series--I don't blame you for wanting to continue it. When you reread your works do you ever want to go back and change stuff? That's one reason why I don't reread my works. I'd never get anything new written--I'd want to re-do every book! LOL
ReplyDeleteI don't want to change things, I want to expand them into MORE books! The worst is finding those typographic errors.
DeleteSounds like he's going to have a hard time saying no to her if she heads his way. Great snippet!
ReplyDeleteLOL! Ain't that the truth.
DeleteWow. What a description! The fact that she stands out could be dangerous. Nick better help keep her safe. And he may have to get close to do that. :D
ReplyDeleteShe's trying to get attention - his in particular. Job accomplished, I'd say.
DeleteEnjoyed the snippet. I have the feeling he's about to get into some very dangerous situations! Love it...
ReplyDeleteThey both are very, very quickly. Getting out of them is where the fun comes in.
DeleteAmazing character description. She stands out, and that could be bad or good depending on the circumstances.
ReplyDeleteShe's there to be noticed . . . especially by him. And she's hooked him.
Delete