Hi, there! Rebecca Hamilton here to tell you how SUPER excited we are to bring you this MEGA giveaway! First place prize is a $1,000 Amazon Gift Card, but we also have 12 runner up ebook and paperback prizes! Entering will connect you with 21 paranormal romance and urban fantasy authors for more great deals, freebies, and giveaway, so in a way, everyone wins!
Before you enter the giveaway (which is at the very bottom of this post), check out an excerpt of BEFORE THE EDGE By Kallysten, one of the authors sponsoring the giveaway!
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“That’s how he knew, in case you’re wondering,” she said as Brett took the seat on her left.
“I’m sorry?” Brett said, unsure what she meant.
She raised her glass toward the mirror. The reflected wine seemed to hover magically in the air.
“That guy. He was trying to hit on me. Until he looked at the mirror up there and decided a lack of reflection means I am not a person.”
Her words remained even, almost toneless, but when he looked away from the mirror and back at her Brett had no trouble seeing that she was upset. If the angle of her lips, pressed tightly together, had not given it away, then her eyes might have, sparks of gold flickering in dark depths. Brett had never been this close to a vampire before, at least not as far as he knew, but he had heard about those strange eyes, and that they were a warning of sorts.
“I’m sorry,” he said again, his discomfort flaring anew. His instinct was to pull away, and only the certainty that she would take it badly kept him still on his seat. Picking up his glass, he took a small sip that did little to soothe his nerves.
The vampire sighed softly. “You’re not sorry,” she said, turning on her seat to face Brett. “You’re scared. Of me. Which is rather insulting because I haven’t given you any reason to be scared, have I?”
“I’m not—”
Brett stopped mid lie when his eyes met hers. The sparks were gone, replaced by a dull weariness. She was right, on all counts. He was just as prejudiced as that man he had kicked out. The only difference was, he had made a split second decision and taken her side rather than asked her to leave. He liked to think of himself as open-minded; maybe he ought to truly try to be so.
“I’m not used to having polite conversations with vampires,” he said, and that, at least, was true. “I’m not used to having any kind of conversations with vampires, to be honest. I’m sorry but I just don’t know how to act.”
She observed him for a long moment before setting her glass down.
“Act like you just met a reasonably attractive woman,” she said. “What would you do if you didn’t know what I am?”
Brett wanted to protest; he did know, and it wasn’t the kind of information he could choose to forget. But she was waiting for his answer—and she was a lot more than ‘reasonably attractive.’
Holding his hand out to her, he tried to offer a genuine smile. “Hi. I’m Brett. What’s your name?”
She laughed quietly as she took his hand and shook it. “I’m Lisa. And if that’s the best you can come up with to pick up a girl, you’re either gay or totally hopeless.”
Behind the bar, Wallace snorted as he refilled the vampire’s—Lisa’s—glass. “Definitely hopeless,” he commented. “Poor guy hasn’t had a date in months.”
Brett’s mouth fell open and he stared at Wallace in shock.
“What?” Wallace said, wiping the counter with a towel as though he hadn’t said anything out of the ordinary. “It’s true. You spend all your time running the bar so when would you find the time to date?”
His face burning in embarrassment, Brett glared at Wallace. “And it’s not going to get any better,” he said. “Because when I fire you I’ll lose plenty of time interviewing new bartenders.”
Wallace laughed. “Or you could just join me behind the bar for good instead of once in a while. Bartending might help your dating life.”
He winked at Lisa and went to the other end of the counter to help another customer. Brett continued to glare, already plotting a suitable revenge. If Wallace thought saying such things in front of a woman was appropriate, a good prank might teach him otherwise.
“You know,” Lisa said, laughter edging her words like silver, “I can’t remember the last time I saw a grown man blush. It looks pretty good on you, too.”
Groaning, Brett picked up his wine and drank deep. “Yeah,” he said when he set the empty glass down again. “Nothing more charming than to be embarrassed in front of a woman.”
“At least now you’re thinking of me as a woman,” she said, raising her own glass to toast him. “Cheers!”
Don't forget to also check out the complete list of books included in this promotion! Some of the authors have even put their books on sale just for you! Click any book to check it out on Amazon!
Labels: fantasy, giveaway, paranormal
