"Mom, Dad I'm leaving.” Mandy glanced in the entry way mirror and checked her hair once more before answering the door.
"Have a good time,” her dad shouted.
"And don't stay out too late,” her mom added.
I still couldn't get over the fact that Mandy's family belonged to a wolf-shifting clan—the
Luptãs
. I'd thought I was alone in the freak-factor department after finding out about my own clan affiliation until she revealed that secret. Her mom and dad are like second parents to me. I've practically lived at Mandy's house and never knew a thing. But then again, I never had a clue my parents are vampires either. Crazy.
Mandy pulled the door open.
The breath sucked from my lungs. Could Ryan be any more gorgeous? He'd traded his Hollister t-shirt for a button-down, blue shirt and tucked it into his form fitting jeans. Talk about hot.
Brad stepped around Ryan. “Hey, birthday girl. You ready to go?"
The ga-ga look on Mandy's face was priceless. I cut my gaze to Ryan and smiled. He acknowledged my sentiment with a wink.
"Yeah, I'm ready."
Only one car was parked behind mine—Ryan's black Mustang. Apparently, they'd come together. Ryan lived across the street and a few houses over from Brad, so it made sense.
"Hope y'all don't mind cramming in my car.” Ryan looked back at us.
We shook our heads no. I loved his Mustang. It was the car I really wanted, but my parents wouldn't let me have a sports car.
I didn't realize just how little room there was in the back seat. “I'll sit in back. My legs aren't very long."
"That's okay. I think I'll sit with the birthday girl,” Brad said.
Brad folded the seat forward, and they climbed into the back. After lifting the seat back in place, I slid into the ‘shotgun’ position next to Ryan. He started the car, reached over and grasped my hand, then placed it on the gear shift under his. He put the car in gear and we drove off.
When we reached Spaghetti Warehouse, there were no parking places along the street. We had to pay for the privilege of occupying a spot in the lot across from the restaurant. For some reason, traffic was heavy, so we had to play dodge-the-cars as we crossed the two lanes. Nothing like jaywalking in downtown Austin.
True to my klutzy nature, I tripped up (yes, up) the creaky wooden steps that led to the entrance—almost knocking down Mandy in the process.
She struggled to right herself. “Dang, girl!"
I grimaced. “My bad."
Brad held the ornate glass door open and allowed us all to pass through. To the left, four squeeze handle games stood against the wall—like the one Ryan and I played the first time we met. I glanced at Ryan. He must have thought the same thing, because his lips tugged into a huge smile.
A big crystal chandelier hung above our heads. The glass teardrops tinkled with a sudden movement, yet no vent appeared to be anywhere near it. And any breeze caused by us entering would have long passed. I frowned. How weird. Something didn't feel right. I couldn't quite explain it, but the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. It was like someone was watching me. Ryan scanned the room, then cut his eyes back to me. He must have sensed it, too. Have I mentioned that Ryan's a vampire, too? That's what happens when you're
bonded
.
The scent of garlic and sourdough bread made my mouth instantly water, diverting my attention to my grumbling tummy. I was hungrier than I thought. And I bet you're thinking vampires can't be around garlic, right? Wrong!
The hostess led us to a table for four across from the trolley car that sits in the middle of the room.
Ryan pulled out my chair and motioned for me to sit. “For you, my lady."
"Why thank you.” I giggled, then sat on the padded wooden seat.
Brad did the same for Mandy. Copycat.
The waiter set a loaf of bread on the table. My stomach rumbled as I stared at the yummy hunk of sourdough. “Hi. My name's Matt. I'll be your server tonight. Can I get y'all something to drink?"
We ordered our drinks and Matt hustled off to get them. I reached for the bread and cut the loaf into pieces. Before I could set the knife down, three hands snatched all but one end piece. “Hey!"
Mandy laughed. “Hey, what? We left you one piece."
"Thanks, you bunch of oinkers."
Ryan and Brad made pig noises, drawing attention to our table. We all cracked up laughing. What a bunch of dorks. I swear.
After slathering my piece with garlic butter, I took a big bite. Mmmm! At times like these, I thanked the stars above I could still eat human food. But I had to make sure I took one of my supplements when I got home. I was more than hungry I now realized. And I had no desire to go into a
bloodlust
, thank you. One near experience was enough. Instead of taking blood directly from humans, our
clice
takes vitamin-like pills containing the part of the blood we need in order to survive. Thank God. No way was I going to go around biting people.
Although, I have to admit blood has its good points. But that's another story. Not to mention, snacking on Ryan had an appeal. Aaag! My face heated at the thought.
"Why is your face all red and splotchy?” Mandy just had to point out.
Ryan grinned. “Yeah, Sparkie, what are you thinking?"
Omigod! Sometimes he hit a little too close to the truth—like he could read my mind or something. We were connected, and he could feel ... oooooh. Right. He
felt
my thoughts. How freakin’ embarrassing. I'd never get used to it.
"I'm just hot.” I fanned my face.
Ryan's grin widened. “Hot, huh?"
Talk about double entendre. “Whatever."
Mandy turned to Brad. “Do you ever get the feeling like they're on a different wavelength than us?"
Brad nodded. “Yep."
"Oh, and y'all aren't?” I shot back.
They chuckled.
When I turned my head to make a snarky comment, I caught a movement in the trolley car. Only one couple sat inside, and they were farther over. Then, a little head popped up on the other side of the window. The little boy smiled and waved, then ducked back down. He must belong to the couple. He popped back up and waved again. I waved back. He giggled, then ducked back down again.
"Who are you waving to?” Mandy followed my stare.
"There's a little boy in the trolley. He keeps looking out the window and waving."
"I haven't seen a little boy,” she said.
Brad looked toward the trolley. “Me either."
"Well, he's there. I just waved to him."
"You sure you're not hallucinating, Sparkie? Too much ... bread?"
"Ha ha."
Matt placed our drinks on the table and another loaf of bread, then took our order. Since I was practically starving, I ordered the lasagna and parmesan chicken. Ryan got the Italian feast. I didn't bother listening to what Mandy and Brad ordered because I was too focused on the couple from the trolley car passing our table—with no little boy. Maybe he belonged to someone else in the restaurant who allowed him to play in the trolley. Yeah, that had to be it. I'm not crazy. I know what I saw. Absently, I grabbed a slice of bread Mandy had cut and bit off a chunk.
A strange tingle settled between my shoulder blades. I glanced behind me. Nothing.
"You okay, Sparkie?"
"Huh? Oh yeah, I'm fine.” Ryan gave me a weird look. Hiding anything from him would be near impossible. I pushed away from the table and stood. “I'll be right back."
"Where you going?” Mandy stuffed some bread in her mouth.
"To the bathroom if you must know."
"Want me to go with you?” Her voice muffled from the bread.
"I think I can manage by myself.” I rolled my eyes.
As I passed through the foyer, I heard giggling. I whipped my head around. The little boy from the trolley slipped around a corner. I followed after him, but the only thing in the corner was a coat rack. Where could he have gone?
Okay, I
was
losing my mind.
I continued on to the bathroom. I pushed open the door and out ran the little boy—terror shining bright in his eyes.
"The bad man is going to get me. Help me.” He sprinted down the hall to the men's room and disappeared through the door.
What the...? He didn't push the door open. He went
through
it.
Amber's love of romance and medieval history led her to pursue her dream of writing. She is a stay-at-home mom and now that her kids are older, she's able to spend time making her dream come true. She loves stories about Vikings, pirates, Scotland, and just about anything of the paranormal nature, especially vampires.
Amber lives in Texas with her own knight in shining armor, her high school sweetheart and husband of 22 years, along with their two teenage kids, two dogs, and two cats. Amber believes that everyone should have a happily ever after—even vampires.
In
Fate of Camelot
, Cynthia Breeding develops the Arthur-Lancelot-Gwenhwyfar relationship. In many Arthurian tales, Guinevere is a rather flat character. Cynthia Breeding gives her a depth of character as the reader sees both her love for Lancelot and her devotion to the realm as its queen. The reader feels the pull she experiences between both men. In addition, the reader feels more of the deep friendship between Arthur and Lancelot seen in Malory's Arthurian tales. In this area, Cynthia Breeding is more faithful to the medieval Arthurian tradition than a glamorized Hollywood version. She does not gloss over the difficulties of Gwenhwyfar's role as queen and as woman, but rather develops them to give the reader a vision of a woman who lives her role as queen and lover with all that she is.
~
Merri, Merrimon Books
Rape of the Soul
—Ms. Thompson's characters are unforgettable. Deep, promising and suspenseful this story was. I did have a little trouble getting into the book at first, but as I pushed on, I found that I couldn't put it down. Around every corner was something that you didn't know was going to happen. If you love a sense of history in a book, then I suggest reading this book!
~
Ruth Schaller, Paranormal Romance Reviews
Southern Fried Trouble
—Katherine Deauxville is at the top of her form with mayhem, sizzle and murder.
~ Nan Ryan, NY Times bestselling author
Madrigal: A Novel of Gaston Leroux's Phantom of the Opera
takes place four years after the events of the original novel. Although I have not read Leroux's novel, I can see how Madrigal captures the feel of the story very well. The classic novel aside, this book is a wonderful historical tale of life, love, and choices. However, the most impressive aspect that stands out to me is the writing. Ms. Linforth's prose is phenomenally beautiful and hauntingly breathtaking.
~
Bonnie-Lass, Coffee Time Romance
Cave of Terror
—Highly entertaining and fun,
Cave of Terror
was impossible to put down. Though at times dark and evil, Ms. Bell never failed to inject some light-hearted humor into the story. Delightfully funny with a true sense of teenagers, Cheyenne's character will appeal to many girls of that age. She is believable and her emotional struggles are on par with most teens. I found this to be an easy read; the author gave just enough background to understand the workings of her vampires without boring the reader. I truly enjoyed the male characters, Ryan and Constantine. Ryan was adorable and a teenager's dream. Constantine was deliciously dark. I look forward to reading more by this talented author. Ms. Bell has done an admirable job of telling a story suitable for young adults.
~
Dawnie, Fallen Angel Reviews
The Sense of Honor
—Ashley Kath-Bilsky has written an historical romance of the highest caliber. This reviewer was fesseled to the pages, fell in love with the hero and was cheering for the heroine all the way through. The plot is exciting and moves along at a good pace. The characters are multi-dimensional and the secondary characters bring life to the story. Sexual tension rages through this story and Ms. Kath-Bilsky gives her readers a breath-taking romance. The love scenes are sensual and very romantic. This reviewer was very pleased with how the author handled all the secrets. Sometimes it can be very frustrating for the reader when secrets keep tearing the main characters apart, but in this case, those secrets seem to bring them more together and both characters reacted very maturely when the secrets finally came to light. This reviewer is hoping that this very talented author will have another book out very soon.
~
Valerie, Love Romances and More
Highland Wishes
by Leanne Burroughs. This reviewer found that this book was a wonderful story set in a time when tension was high between England and Scotland. The storyline is a fast-paced tale with much detail to specific areas of history. The reader can feel this author's love for Scotland and its many wonderful heroes.
This reviewer was easily captivated by the story and was enthralled by it until the end. The reader will laugh and cry as you read this wonderful story. The reader feels all the pain, torment and disillusionment felt by both main characters, but also the joy and love they felt. Ms. Burroughs has crafted a well-researched story that gives a glimpse into Scotland during a time when there was upheaval and war for independence. This reviewer is anxiously awaiting her next novel in this series and commends her for a wonderful job done.
~Dawn Roberto, Love Romances
I adore this Scottish historical romance!
Blood on the Tartan
by Chris Holmes has more history than some historical romances—but never dry history in this book! Readers will find themselves completely immersed in the scene, the history and the characters. Chris Holmes creates a multi-dimensional theme of justice in his depiction of all the nuances and forces at work from the laird down to the land tenants. This intricate historical detail emanates from the story itself, heightening the suspense and the reader's understanding of the history in a vivid manner as if it were current and present. The extra historical detail just makes their life stories more memorable and lasting because the emotions were grounded in events. The ending is quite special and bridges links with Catherine's mother's story as well as opening up this romance to an expansive view of Scottish history and ancestry.
Blood On The Tartan
is a must read for romance and historical fiction lovers of Scottish heritage.