A journey of tortured vampires, longing, heartbreak, passion, betrayal, and redemption awaits you in the IMMORTAL KISS series. Welcome to the book tour for The Immortal Kiss Series with Silver Dagger Book Tours!!
Once We Were Witches – short excerpt
Chapter 1
A breaking news alert flashed on the TV screen as I bit into my bagel.
As the reporter stood by, the camera panned over to the lifeless body of a young woman hanging from a tree branch. “Witch” was carved into her gray, blood-stained forehead. He sighed and hung his head. “A seventh victim has been added to the list.”
I shoved my bagel aside as a sick feeling gripped my stomach. My heart ached as I stared at the girl’s lifeless face. How could someone be so cruel and sadistic? This was not just a random act of cruelty. And where were the police in all of this?
My mom walked in, grabbed the remote, and shut off the TV.
“I was watching that.”
“There’s no need to watch some sicko murder young women. Life’s too short to fixate on people like that.”
“I’m not fixated,” I clarified. “I’m concerned. There’s a difference. That’s seven girls now. Each with the word ‘witch’ carved into their foreheads. What are the police doing? Nothing?”
She blew me off. “Investigations take time. The police are doing everything they can. Your dad and I see a lot of accidents at the hospital. Sadly, crime is a real thing. But you,” she kissed my forehead, “don’t need to worry about that. Your focus should be on college and the class you need to get to.”
Mom was wrong. I had to worry. The creep pursued young women, specifically witches, a trait I shared and kept to myself. While my parents were blue-eyed and blonde-haired, I had pitch-black hair and brown eyes, and I also had strange birthmarks covering my forearms. It might seem like I have a tragic story, but I believe everything happens for a reason. Maybe I was destined to be abandoned outside the hospital where my adoptive parents worked. As they headed home after a long shift, they heard a faint cry near the emergency entrance. Rushing to investigate, they found me abandoned on the front steps, bundled in a pink blanket. As fate would have it, they immediately took me in and showered me with love.
As a baby, a toddler, a teen, and now at 19, a college student, they never saw me as anything but sweet, curious, sulky, and smart. They had no idea what I was hiding, the power I perfected, the spells I practiced, the magic I shed. In their eyes, I was like them. I knew I was someone beyond their comprehension, someone powerful. But who was I? Who were my birth parents who should have taught me how to use the gifts given to me at birth? The only information I had about my past came from visions—an image of a dark figure dropping me outside the hospital. There were no records of my birth, my parents, a location—as if I never existed. Bringing my questions to my adoptive parents wouldn’t do any good. They’d kept these secrets hidden from me. In spite of me knowing the real truth, my adoptive parents provided a birth certificate, giving me the name, Raven Sagestone. I love them, but I want answers. I wanted to know the truth, and it was clear it wouldn’t come from them. This was something I had to figure out for myself.
I put on my cropped denim jacket, kissed my mom on the cheek, and hit up Uber on my cell. My driver’s tests were a total disaster. I failed every time. It creeped me out when the instructors stared at me with their beady eyes. So…my driver’s license was out, and Uber was in. Having someone else do all the driving was a much better plan, for now anyway.
Forty minutes before class, the Uber driver dropped me off in front of the massive steps leading up to entrance of Granite Bay University. It was one of the oldest schools in Jodence, like something straight out of a fairytale. Its structure was reminiscent of a castle, with its towering columns, decorative arched windows, and cone-shaped roof; yet modern-day people dressed in jeans, T-shirts, and sneakers surrounded the ancient building—me being one of them.
In the past fourteen weeks, my daily agenda had consisted of visiting the library before class and researching its extensive collection of witchcraft, magic, and supernatural books. One of those books was certain to contain the answers to my birthright. I absorbed every word I came across about soul-bending, mental conjuring, healing rituals, protection rituals, binding magic, and the lore of fire, water, and air. One of the most fascinating things I discovered was the witch’s mark. It has likely been around for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. However, between the 15th and 18th centuries, it had a much darker history than it does now. Witches were often burned, hanged, drowned, and tortured, and those with red hair and extra fingers and toes were often suspected of witchcraft. Witch hunters used moles, birthmarks, scars, and extra digits to identify witches. It was a myth that a particular god or bloodline was associated with the presence of a mole cluster or rose-colored mark. My arms were covered in black symbols like ancient ink, and neither a cluster nor a mark applied to me. Thank goodness I wasn’t born back then.
With my arms full of books, I walked beneath the library’s massive brick archways, combing its numerous aisles for books I hadn’t read. When I rounded the corner, I tripped over a guy sitting on the floor. My books flew through the air and landed with a thud. I groaned as I hit the ground, hoping I had not damaged my books. The guy on the floor, on the other hand, quickly sprang up and apologized profusely.
His hands steadied me as he blurted, “Whoa, sorry.” He helped me gather my books and ensured I was okay. An adorable smile swept along his lips as he brushed sandy-brown hair out of his hazel-colored eyes. He was probably one of those guys unaware of how cute he was, but cute or not, he’d parked his ass in the middle of the aisle, causing me to trip.
“What the hell, dude? There are tables to sit at and read.”
“Yeah, I see your point,” he grinned, revealing dimpled cheeks as he flipped through the books. “So you’re into witches? Or maybe it’s research for a paper about what’s going now right now?”
“Does it matter?”
He squished his eyebrows together and tilted his head to the side. “Do you know my sister?”
“Huh?”
“Never mind.” He tucked the books under his arm and bobbed his chin toward the tables. “Here, let me help you. It’s the least I can do.”
With a smile, I accepted his offer. “Thank you.”
He arranged the books on the table before shoving his hands into his pockets. Then he stood there, studying me.
“Stare much?”
“Has anyone told you, you’re difficult?” He didn’t wait for me to respond. “But hey, I apologize for staring.” He spread his fingers and moved them in a circular motion over my face. “You remind me of someone, Eve. She’s got the same dark hair, ivory skin, and red lip look.”
I shrugged. “I don’t know anyone named Eve.”
“Hmph.”
The sound of a distant scream sent chills down my spine. My eyes darted around, searching for the source. “Did you hear that?”
“That was definitely a scream.”
Students leapt from their seats, hurling books onto the floor as their gazes swept the room. Librarians abandoned their posts and spilled into the aisles. Panicked voices shouted, “Who screamed?” “What happened?” Me and the guy were thrown into madness by a stampede of people charging to the exits and pushing us out of the building and onto the library’s steps.
The echo of my thumping heart filled my ears as I tried to figure out what was happening around me. The once orderly campus had become a chaotic mess as hundreds of people rushed by, pushing and shoving, their faces filled with panic. As I fought my way through the crowd, I couldn’t help but wonder where everyone was going and what had happened to cause such chaos.
“There!” the guy pointed toward the sculpture of the university’s tower in the courtyard.
I gasped as my eyes landed on the bodies. Three girls hung from the white tower with their necks bound together, now covered in blood. As I looked at their lifeless eyes and saw the word “witch” carved across their foreheads, a chill ran down my spine. An eerie, tragic, and horrific scene surrounded the stained white tower. As students and teachers huddled together, whispering in disbelief, a shrill of sirens echoed in the distance, intensifying panic and fear. Police authorities were under pressure to find those responsible for these horrific acts.
“Damn, three this time,” he uttered with shock.
I couldn’t speak. My throat swelled with a huge sob as I slowly shook my head.
The police rushed in, their footsteps pounding the sidewalk as they raced toward the tower. Their faces were determined as they cautiously approached the cordoned-off area. They quickly pulled out their clipboards and meticulously documented the evidence, taking photographs of the area.
An officer, wearing an exasperated expression, yelled. “Get back! This is a crime scene.”
I flinched, staggered backward, before firmly planting my feet on the ground. I wasn’t going anywhere. This was my battle. I needed answers. Those poor girls needed answers too. My eyes grew wide as I demanded, “Why don’t you find this sick creep before we all die?”
The guy’s gaze burned into my flesh as he snapped his head toward me. “What are you doing?”
The officer thrust his shoulders back and barked out, “You need to step back.”
“Are you trying to get arrested?” the guy whispered in my ear.
Just as his words entered my head, I overheard someone say, “They’re ice cold; not a drop of blood in them.”
My eyes locked on the authoritative policeman. “Blood? Is that new? Were the other girls drained of blood too?”
A pair of squinted eyes glared at me. “You can retreat or go downtown and think about your actions in a jail cell.”
“Omgeez, man up much?” the guy said as he grabbed my arm and hurried me away. “You need to calm down.”
I tore my gaze away from the dead girls and locked it on him. “Don’t tell me what to do. You don’t know anything about me. I want answers for those girls.” And myself, I privately declared. “It seems nobody is fighting for them.”
“It might seem that way on the surface, but I’m sure they’re doing everything they can to help.”
“I wish I could believe that, but dead bodies keep showing up…” My voice cracked as the sob squeezing my throat broke free. My shoulders quivered, and I buried my face in my hands.
He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and softened his voice. “They’ll catch ’em. It’ll be okay.”
Sniffling, I sighed, “I can’t concentrate. I can’t be in class.”
“We can walk to The Grind, get a coffee, and just relax.”
I nodded and then hung my head as he led me away from the gruesome scene of dead girls.
Once We Were Witches
Immortal Kiss Series Book 4
by Laura Daleo
Genre: Dark Urban Fantasy
The mysterious world of witchcraft, murder, and mystery thrusts Raven Sagestone into an adventure whose main goal is to unlock the secrets of her powers. To do this, she teams up with Brandon Cass, an outsider with knowledge of the supernatural world. Raven is introduced to Eve, a psychic who reads destinies. Despite this, Raven is protected by a strong magic barrier, preventing Eve from seeing her. Brandon and Raven search for the truth at Bloodthirst, a vampire club. Visiting The Council's haven with Margarete and Caleb is Raven's chance to find answers to the questions that have plagued her.
**Only .99cents for a limited time!!**
Amazon * Apple * B&N * Kobo * Bookbub * Goodreads
Book
Links:
Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Once-Were-Witches-Immortal-Kiss-ebook/dp/B0CXJQD8XS
Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/once-we-were-witches/id6479158496
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/once-we-were-witches-laura-daleo/1145019024?ean=9781736610336
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/once-we-were-witches-3
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/once-we-were-witches-immortal-kiss-series-book-4-by-laura-daleo
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/209634671-once-we-were-witches
The Vampire Within
Immortal Kiss Series Book 3
Brandon Cass is not your average teenager. He has a taste for blood—human blood. For sixteen years, he stumbled through life without a hitch until the enigmatic aroma of blood awakened something dark within him. Visions of a beautiful young woman with chocolate brown hair and ocean blue eyes haunt his mind, yet her identity is a puzzling mystery.
His hunger for blood strengthens, and the cravings become too powerful to control. No one is safe, not even his family. To safeguard all he once found dear, Brandon sets out on a quest for answers. In an unfamiliar city, he comes face-to-face with the beautiful young woman, confronts the dark force which controls him, and learns what he must endure to reclaim his soul.
**Only .99cents April 12th and later!!**
Amazon * Apple * B&N * Kobo * Bookbub * Goodreads
Book
Links:
Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Vampire-Within-Immortal-Kiss-Book-ebook/dp/B07BFJMFNQ
Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-vampire-within/id6447715756
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-vampire-within-laura-daleo/1128189974?ean=9780997846171
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-vampire-within-1
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-vampire-within-immortal-kiss-book-3-by-laura-daleo
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/190135739-the-vampire-within
Bound By Blood
Immortal Kiss Series Book 2
Five years crawled by at a painfully slow pace for young vampire, Beth; each year more agonizing than the next. The powerful unyielding spell which masked Amon’s whereabouts showed no signs of weakening. Influenced by the binding ritual and Amon’s blood surging inside her, Beth will stop at nothing, and risk everything, to find him and turn the tables on Osiris, Isis, and Hathor. In foggy streets of London, lives are threatened by a new breed of hunter, and nothing is what it seemed. Beth once again finds herself surrounded by betrayal. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between Philippe and Amon – knowing that her decision will change one life forever. But whose?
**Only .99cents April 12th and later!!**
Amazon * Apple * B&N * Kobo * Bookbub * Goodreads
Book
Links:
Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Bound-Blood-Laura-Daleo-ebook/dp/B06XKYF5PJ
Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/bound-by-blood/id6447714602
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bound-by-blood-laura-daleo/1125978658?ean=9780997846157
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/bound-by-blood-61
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/bound-by-blood-by-laura-daleo
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/190135588-bound-by-blood
Bound by Blood continues Beth’s and Philippe’s story. In book one, readers got to watch Beth and Philippe lead a whirlwind romance and Beth go from being a human to a vampire. Secrets were revealed, and Beth’s true love was revealed – Amon, the being of mist who visited her frequently and whom she gave her heart to. The problem? Well, Beth believed the lies that Philippe lead her to believe, and so she married him. But Amon is who she truly cares for. Book one, Immortal Kiss, ended with Amon being tricked, and Philippe left to deal with Beth as she mourned his loss.
Bound by Blood’s cover showcases a young woman with blond hair holding a goblet and her hands are dripping with blood. It’s a scene that will feel familiar as a similar scene played out in book one. Is this image a prediction of what is to come in this story as well? Well, only time will tell.
Bound by Blood picks up where book one, Immortal Kiss, left off. Amon has been “taken” from Beth and she mourns his loss. This has created quite a lot of tension between Beth and Philippe. Beth is struggling and Philippe resents her ultimately for it. In his mind? She should be thrilled that Amon has been out of the picture for this past few years. Meanwhile, on the anniversary of the loss, Beth gets ridiculously drunk.
Beth has been a vampire for five years, and this story will, overall, showcase some maturity compared to book one. We get to see Beth struggle with her binding to Amon, but knowing that he is off, against his will, with another. You’d honestly think that since Philippe agreed to share her that he’d be more considerate of her feelings.
Instead, the author routinely has Beth feeling bad for having an emotional attachment to Amon. She frequently feels guilt for caring about Amon and not putting Philippe first. Yes, they are married, but in the vampire world, that holds little to no weight in their eyes. Yet, you have Philippe routinely being a jerk in one form or another. It’s a touch bizarre. But then again it goes to the point that with Amon’s appearance in book one, Philippe now has no reason to continue to wear the mask of deception he used to lure Beth to love him.
Readers are definitely going to get another side of Philippe in this book. He’s far from the sweet “Mr. Perfect” guy that he showed to Beth. Instead, there is a darker side to him that comes out quite frequently. Author Daleo writes Philippe as routinely either playing victim in an attempt to manipulate Beth, or simply looking to control her to keep her away from Amon. You’d think that Beth would try to stand up for herself when it comes to Philippe’s attempts at controlling her. Yeah, that’s a no. Which is disappointing.
Does Beth show some backbone in Bound by Blood? Yes, there are a couple of moments, but we wanted and needed more. She wants to seem like a fierce and fiery character, but when a situation truly calls for her to show that backbone...she wilts. Honestly, we got tired of her basically catering to Philippe so much. How often does he cater to her? It’s few and far between for the amount of back bending that she does for him in an attempt to spare his feelings.
There is a lot of transitioning in this book. Beth and Amon finally come together, but the way that things play out between Beth and Philippe is a touch of a head scratcher. It doesn’t really make sense. She does nothing to merit the emotional trauma that he puts her through. It’s simply about his bruised ego and so he does what he can to hurt her the most.
Author Daleo writes Beth as an overly forgiving character. When we say overly forgiving we mean exactly that. If someone can cheat on you, and you managed to flip it all around and say that it was your fault for them having a temper tantrum and hooking up with the first piece of tail they could grab...yeah, you’re over thinking it. The same when someone learns you don’t want to be in a relationship with you, and they decide to go join a group of homicidal maniacs.
Beth is made to shoulder too much of the blame and believe that everything is her fault. We don’t know if the intent is to make her look like a truly “caring” or make her look overly forgiving. Either way, it makes her look too soft. We wanted more from Beth, and it just fails to deliver. Author Daleo focuses heavily on Beth “maintaining” her “humanity.” But it just feels like it gets overly done and detracts from her development as a character.
When it comes to the overall storyline, we have to admit that book two was leaps and bounds better than book one. While book one had some good elements, Bound by Blood exceeds it by really captivating the reader into plunging through this book to learn whether Beth and Amon are reunited, and what exactly will be the fall out for all the swirling relationship drama and much more.
The ending of this book appears to give the characters a HEA moment, so it’s safe to say that this will be the conclusion of Beth’s and Amon’s story. It’s an okay ending with basically all the loose ends being tied up rather neatly and leaving most of the characters to pursue their paths as they see fit.
Pros:
- Storyline is engaging
- Twists
- Interesting elements
- Nicely paced
- Good character development overall
Cons:
- FMC still clings to her naivety
- FMC is made to shoulder too much blame and responsibility for other’s actions and choices.
4 out of 5 stars
Immortal Kiss
Immortal Kiss Series Book 1
Centuries ago ten powerful vampire gods first walked the earth; their blood thirst knew no boundaries. The destruction of mankind was inevitable. Recognizing their weakness, they selected twelve wise human beings to transform with their godly blood. These twelve, known as The Old Ones and The Council, govern The Ten. A blood lottery appeasing The Ten’s hunger was set forth into the human world and passed down every fifth generation, continuing into the present day.
All of Beth Ryan’s life a mysterious mist has watched over her; a mist she believed to be a vampire. On a cold winter night, Philippe Delon, a 700-year-old vampire walks into Beth’s life. She is drawn to him, certain he is the vampire behind the mist...but is he?
Beth and Philippe cannot deny their love for each other, nor do they try to fight it. Within days of their encounter, Beth accepts Philippe’s invitation to move into his mansion. The mansion unlocks the door to the vampire world and exposes secrets from Beth’s past. Within its walls, she learns the true identity of the mist, her link to the blood lottery, and betrayal of her loved ones. Surrounded by lies, Beth stands before The Council begging for resolution.
**Only .99cents April 12th and later!!**
Amazon * B&N * Kobo * Bookbub * Goodreads
Book
Links:
Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Immortal-Kiss-Laura-Daleo-ebook/dp/B071V88HTL
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/immortal-kiss-laura-daleo/1126292648?ean=9780997846133
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/immortal-kiss-7
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/immortal-kiss-by-laura-daleo
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/190135243-immortal-kiss
About the Author
LAURA DALEO has been writing for over 20 years and has published 7 books. In addition to advocating for reading and writing, she is a strong supporter of the Indie author community. She is well known for her Immortal Kiss series which captures vampiric persuasion. The Egyptian pantheon, which gave rise to vampires, is explored in this series in an interesting way.
Laura has a passion for writing stories that explore the supernatural realm and bring her characters to life. Her published works include Immortal Kiss, Bound by Blood, The Vampire Within, Once We Were Witches, The Vow, The Soul Collector, and The Doll.
With her Facebook group, The BOOKLounge For Readers and Authors, she has created a community for readers and authors. It is home to over 65k active members. In addition, Laura is contributing to a short story anthology with four other authors from The BOOKLounge for Readers and Authors. The anthology is scheduled for release in October 2023.
A native of San Diego, California, Laura now lives in Tucson, Arizona with her two dogs, Rose and Cooper.
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads
Author Links
Website: https://www.lauradaleobooks.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLauraDaleo
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AutLauraDaleo
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/author_laura_daleo
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/laura-daleo
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Laura-Daleo/author/B00WP8F514
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13162897.Laura_Daleo
Giveaway
$10 Amazon
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
No comments:
Post a Comment