Tour Hosted by Bewitching Book Tours
Book One
Charles O’Keefe
Genre: Horror/Paranormal/Vampire
Publisher: Penumbra Publishing
ISBN: 978-1935563853
ASIN: B007TRWUCS
Number of pages: 224
Word Count: 86,737
EXCERPT:
‘I’ve been waiting for you,’ the stunning redhead purred, turning from
the bar to face him. She had not told him her name, but he felt as if he’d
known her all his life. Her pale beauty gave her an ethereal softness, and her
catlike eyes glowed with subtle power that drew him to her. She wanted him...
Grabbing the worn metal handle
on the heavy wooden door of Bitters Tavern, Joseph O’Reily rolled his eyes
toward the dusky fall sky and snorted at his lame fantasy. Yeah, right. Like that’s really going to happen to me, here in a pub in
St. John’s, Newfoundland.
He had replayed that familiar
scene in his mind almost every time he came to Bitters, and in the last five
years while attending Memorial University, he’d come here a lot. His little
fantasy hadn’t come true yet – not even close – and he was quite sure it never
would. But that didn’t stop him from enjoying some innocent role-playing, where
he starred opposite a beautiful redheaded woman enamored of him. He had pretty
much accepted this was the only way he was likely to get lucky – in his dreams.
He walked into Bitters and eased
the door closed behind him. The warm dark wood reminded him of a cabin deep in
the forest, and the familiar smell of beer and French fries gave him the cozy
feeling of being at home. Bitters wasn’t the typical hook-up spot that played
annoying loud music. Instead, the proprietor offered activities like movie
night that Joseph actually enjoyed. In fact, movie night was the reason he’d
come in after finishing classes and assignments this afternoon, and making a
quick trip to check on his parents’ house and take care of the cat while they
were vacationing in Florida. Now he had the rest of the evening to himself. He
sucked in a deep, satisfying breath and turned, surveying the bar. Then he saw her.
His cozy feeling disappeared,
replaced by a jolt of excitement stabbing his chest. He’d been coming to
Bitters at least once a week since he’d started school, but had never seen her before.
There she sat, alone at the bar,
stirring her drink with her index finger, her fabulous flowing red hair haloed
in the bar lights like a crown of fire. He considered just walking up to her
and saying hello, but quickly dismissed the idea. While he had become more
outgoing in the past few years, he was still shy, and previous experiences
approaching strange women in bars had consistently resulted in dismal failure.
He just wasn’t smooth enough like some other guys. Despite the allure of this
woman, he wasn’t in the mood for another rejection.
* * * * *
Even before the door opened, she
sensed his feelings rolling off him in waves – loneliness, boredom, rejection,
and inadequacy. His quaint little fantasy of meeting a ravishing redhead at the
bar was endearing ... and perhaps prophetic.
As he entered the bar and looked
around, she dipped her finger in her drink, absently stirring it. Without
looking directly at him, she saw him clearly with her superior vision. She felt
that instant when he noticed her, and she suppressed a smile.
In the last ten years that she’d
been keeping tabs on him, he’d improved tremendously, growing to be a handsome
man – tall with dark hair and dark brown eyes. But at twenty-three, he still
lacked the confidence to forge meaningful relationships with others, especially
women. He always felt different, isolated. She could certainly relate to that.
Still, she’d known for some time
there was something special about him, something that drew her to him. He had
the connection to her that the others did not, a connection to her blood and
her past. He possessed strength of character, and his behavior consistently
revealed a genteel kindness to all living things. She knew he would fall
desperately in love with her and defend her with his very life, if need be. And
it could come to that, sooner than she suspected. After nearly two hundred
years of running, she couldn’t stay safely hidden for very long before that
controlling bastard would find her again. She pressed her lips together,
dismissing thoughts of him.
Casually she sipped her drink as
Joseph walked by, pretending he didn’t see her. She smiled. Watching him for a
decade had required careful planning and effort. She didn’t want to rush things
– this was too important to be left to chance or whim – but she was running out
of time. He was the right one, and he was ready. Tonight she would give him the
incredible gift he deserved. And she would finally have the mate she deserved.
About this Author:
Charles O’Keefe lives in the beautiful province of Newfoundland, Canada, with his wife and two feline ‘children,’ Jude and Esther. He works as an inventory manager and enjoys many hobbies and activities that include writing, reading, watching fantasy/science-fiction movies and television shows, gaming, poker, walking, acting, and of course fantasizing about vampires.
www.charlesokeefe.com
http://p45crok.wordpress.com/
http://twitter.com/#!/TheNLVampire
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=826155483
Hi Christina :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for being a part of the tour, much appreciated! =)