Happy release day to Christine Rains, and her book The Oracle and the Vampire. I'm happy to be a part of the blog tour today.
Here is the book summary, which sounds fabulous.
Having
fallen for her gorgeous neighbor might not be so bad if Harriet McKay wasn't in
her hideous banshee form every time Kiral saw her. Such is her curse. True,
he's a vampire struggling with a drug addiction, but he's a good soul. Yet no
one could love a cursed witch, especially one not even her cats respect.
After having a vision of Kiral's death, Harriet makes it her mission to save
him. Never before has she attempted to change fate, but so strong is her love.
Kiral
Ozdemir struggles to make it through every day. The craving for blood laced
with drugs directs his every thought until he tastes Harriet's potent blood.
The magic immediately addicts him, but she disappears. He's desperate to find
her, racing blindly into a city in chaos.
How can
Harriet convince Kiral to see past her vile appearance and return her love? If
only she can force him to listen to reason coming from a raving crone, perhaps
she can save him from the demons hunting him and from himself.
I have another treat for you. Christine was kind enough to give us an excerpt!
“Sit down, Grandmother. I see you've had a long night.”
Kiral spoke softly. “Would you like me to fetch you something to drink?”
Once
seated, Harriet reluctantly let go of him and shook her head. “No, I'm fine.
Thank you.”
Elli
circled around the other side of the chair and growled.
“Hush now,
Elli.”
Kiral ran
his hands through his hair. It might've been sexy if he wasn't trembling so.
“All right then. I'll leave you to get some rest.”
“Are you
all right? I could help if you need—”
“No.” He
replied too quickly. He wet his lips and shook his head slowly. “There's
nothing you can help me with. I just need some fresh air. A walk will do me
some good.”
He backed
toward the door.
His
movements were jerky. Harriet recognized them as springing from desperation.
No, there was nothing she could help him with. No potion would ease his mind
tonight.
“Be careful
out there. Carmine's streets grow darker each year.”
“I don't
think I'll have anything to worry about.” Kiral flashed her a smile, showing a
bit of fang. He then slipped out of her apartment without waiting for a
good-bye and shut the door behind him.
Harriet's
body heaved with her sigh. She was in love with her neighbor who was a vampire
with an addiction. Why was life never simple?
Elli
glanced at the door and meowed as if she'd been the one to chase Kiral out. She
then pranced to Harriet and pawed at her leg.
“Yes, yes.
I know. You're hungry. Just give me a minute to rest.”
Meowing
more loudly, Elli swatted at Harriet's ankle.
Harriet
opened her mouth to tell her cat to be patient, but the vision swallowed the
words as it slammed into her.
On a
rooftop overlooking a blackened city center. Hideous gremlin-like monsters
danced around someone in bloodied chains. Kiral. Kiral in chains. He lifted his
head to the rising sun and screamed as his flesh burned. Screaming, pain, fire,
screaming, charred flesh, death, screaming.
It was
Harriet's shrieks that filled her apartment. In her mind, they mingled with
Kiral's.
Kiral. No,
not Kiral.
She sprang
from the chair and flung open the apartment door. Her screeches echoed down the
hall, somehow increasing in volume rather than diminishing it. Harriet couldn't
stop herself from running back and forth along the corridor as she cried over
the fate of the man she loved.
A man who
would never know she loved him.
Chains,
monsters, and burning.
Death.
Harriet
screamed as much for herself as she did for him.
Purchase Info:
Author Links
Author Bio
Christine
Rains is a writer, blogger, and geek mom. She has four degrees which help
nothing with motherhood, but make her a great Jeopardy player. When she's not
writing or reading, she having adventures with her son or watching cheesy
movies on Syfy Channel. She's a member of Untethered Realms and S.C.I.F.I. The
13th Floor series is her first self-published
series. She has seven novellas and twenty-one short stories published.
Want to know who else resides on the 13th floor? Check out the other books by Christine!
