STROKE OF MIDNIGHT
November 2004
Romantic Times gave STROKE OF MIDNIGHT 4 1/2 stars, and reviewer Jill Smith said, "How do you spell talent? Well, all four of these authors have it in spades. Stroke of Midnight is the perfect collection for lovers of the paranormal."
Harriet Klausner from The Best Reviews said: "These four paranormal novellas are all terrific tales starring fully developed lead couples and delightful villains. At any time of day, this is a winning anthology."
My story is titled BORN OF THE NIGHT. Following is an excerpt from Chapter 1:
Death carried a sword and rode a tall black stallion. Shanara stared up at the figure on the horse, unable to stop the tremors that wracked her from head to foot. The rider’s clothing matched the color of his mount – black boots, black trousers, black shirt, a black hooded cloak that hid most of his face. She glanced at the sword in his hand, the wicked looking blade stained crimson with the blood of her kinfolk, and felt the bile rise in her throat. Would he now add her blood to that of her slain family?
With a choked cry, she scrambled to her feet and shook off her fear. She would not die in the dirt like some sniveling coward. She was Lady Shanara of the House of Montiori and she would die in a manner befitting her station.
“Do it!” she said defiantly. “Strike me down and be done with it.”
“Eager to die, are you?” His voice was low and deep, tinged with a hint of wry with humor.
She stared at him. How, in the name of Astur and Caleron, could he find amusement at a time like this? She glanced at the field of battle, the greening grass of spring made dark and ugly with the blood that had been spilled only moments before. There were bodies everywhere, limp, lifeless, like broken dolls cast aside by a careless hand. And somewhere, lying among the dead, were the bodies of her uncle and two of her cousins. For all she knew, the hooded man had killed them. If only she had stayed home where she belonged instead of coming here! But she’d had to get away from her father and her future, if only for a little while.
Death threw back his hood and ran a hand through his hair, hair as black as ten feet down. He studied her through eyes that were the cool deep blue of a midnight sea. His brows were straight and black, his jaw roughened by thick black bristles. A thin white scar ran from the outer edge of his right eye to the curve of his jaw. With the sun setting behind him, he reminded her of a demon rising from the smoldering pit of Hel.
In a lithe motion, he swung out of the saddle and walked toward her, arrogance in every step.
With no thought save to escape, she turned and ran. It was a foolish thing to do. Far better to stand her ground than to give him a reason to chase her, something no true predator could resist. Fear gave wings to her feet and she flew over the ground, her heart pounding in her chest, her breathing labored.
She gasped when she heard a noise behind her. It might have been a harsh laugh. It might have been a howl. Whatever it was, it fueled her fear and added impetus to her flight. But like a hare trying to outrun a winter-starved wolf, there was no way to escape.
She screamed in fear and defiance when his arm snaked around her waist. His momentum carried them both to the ground, his body turning in mid-air and sliding under hers so that he took the brunt of the fall against his back. She landed on top of him, the air whooshing out of his lungs and hers.
His arms circled her body, as unyielding and confining as prison bars. Well and truly caught, she glared down at him.
“Unhand me this instant!” she demanded, her voice filled with a bravado she was far from feeling. “I am Lady Shanara of the House of Montiori.”
An emotion she could not fathom moved behind his eyes. A muscle clenched in his jaw. The arms imprisoning her grew tighter until she feared he might break her in two.
Breathless, she gazed down at him, all bravado gone as she prayed that her death would be swift, painless.
“Why were you at Castle Dunhaven?” Death demanded, his voice harsh.
“Why did you attack us?” She thought of her uncle’s keep now lying in ruins, spoiled by this man and his barbarians. She wondered if her Aunt Eugenia had survived the attack.
“Why did your father kill mine?”
She stared at him, her fear growing as his cold blue eyes raked over her. “He…he didn’t,” she replied tremulously, though, for all she knew, it could be true. Her father was an austere, cruel man, one who loved and lived for the heat of battle, the clash of swords, the bloody smell of victory.
“Did he not?” Death asked, his expression as cold as winter in the high country. He shook her until her head snapped back. “Did he not?” he asked again, a tremor in his voice. “He wears my father’s pelt to warm him.”
In an unseen world that lurks in the shadows, they roam the night - feral, passionate, and dangerous. And when their world touches ours, a primitive desire takes hold, leaving mere mortals powerless in its wake…
Four of romance’s most intriguing authors have come together to create a mesmerizing anthology - unforgettable tales of vampires, shapeshifters, and werewolves. At the heart of these deeply sensual tales are everyday people facing extraordinary events - men and women thrown together by fate and an irresistible desire. In this world, your eyes can betray you as myth becomes reality, curses are vanquished, and love is the only weapon that can stand in the face of evil. In this world, there is a moment when passion and forbidden desire collide at the…STROKE OF MIDNIGHT
STROKE OF MIDNIGHT gives us four tales of creatures who roam the night and those who hunt them. From story to story, the creatures can be cursed or evil -- the good guys or the bad guys.
Under A Dark Moon – Amanda Ashley
The spurned witch of the Montiori family cursed the Lord of Black Dragon Keep and all his male heirs. When the former Lord Reyes tried to break the curse, he was killed by Lord Montiori, and now his son, Alexandar Reyes, has vowed vengeance on all Montiori. During an attack on one of the Montiori keeps, Reyes stumbles across the perfect means of revenge in Lady Shanara, Montiori’s youngest daughter.
Learning that the rumors of the curse are true, Lady Shanara is more determined than ever to escape her captor. Reyes is a handsome man, and even Shanara admits that his feud with her father is justified, but she knows her father will never give himself up to save her. During one of her escape attempts, she finds an injured Reyes and nurses his wounds. She knows that returning to her father is not what she wants, but is Shanara willing to stay with a man who, during a full moon, runs with the wolves?
Reyes is a tortured hero who learned from his father never to tick off a woman scorned. Knowing himself to be cursed, the only thing that Reyes is interested in is gaining revenge on Montiori. He’s a strong character who accepts his lot in life, and despite her sheltered upbringing, Shanara is just what he needs. UNDER A DARK MOON is a captivating story of love conquering all.
Jennifer Bishop
Romance Readers Today
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Stroke of Midnight
Paranormal/Futuristic
Nicolehulst@romancejunkies.com
4 Blue Ribbons
WINTERBORN by Sherrilyn Kenyon brings us to the world of werepanthers. Pandora, an Arcadian Were-Panther, has come to Dragon*Con to find the ancient and legendary Acheron. She hopes that he will protect her from those who seek to take her now that she is going into heat. Instead, she meets Dante and his brothers. Unfortunately for her, they are Katagarian Were-Panthers and her scent will drive them wild. Fate, however, is determined to bring Dante and Pandora together, despite the odds against them.
Sherrilyn Kenyon has once again written an exceptional tale. She’s added to her immense world, giving us glimpses of other characters and stories to come. Pandora and Dante are sizzling hot together and watch out for those sparks! New and old fans will want to read WINTERBORN as soon as possible. You won’t be disappointed!
Amanda Ashley’s BORN OF THE NIGHT gives us a fascinating tale with a historical feel. Lady Shanara Montiori, after the slaying of her relatives, is held hostage by her family’s greatest enemy. Reyes, Lord of Black Dragon Keep wants revenge against Lord Montiori, the man who wears Reyes’ father’s pelt around his shoulders. Can the love that grows between Reyes and Shanara break the curse that hangs over his family?
Amanda Ashley has written a fascinating historical entry. Reyes has no desire to pass on his curse like his father did with him, yet can’t help his attraction to his beautiful hostage. Shanara also grapples with her feelings toward the man she has always known as her enemy. This wouldn’t be a romance, though, without the feeling that love will somehow seize the day.
MAKE IT LAST FOREVER by L.A. Banks is the darkest tale in this anthology. Tara is on her way to her grandmother’s reservation in New Mexico and salvation from a terrible mistake. Help arrives along her journey in the form of Rider, a biker who loves the freedom of the road, and one who she instinctively knows she can trust. The passion that flares between them might be the end of them both, though.
MAKE IT LAST FOREVER takes place in an intriguing contemporary setting, although a few decades in the past. Readers of L.A. Banks’ previous books will be familiar as this tells the back-story of one of her characters. Dark and passionate, this is a compelling and bittersweet tale.
RED MOON RISING is Lori Handeland’s addition to this great group of stories. Author Maya Alexander has escaped to Arizona for some peace and quiet. When she becomes the object of a Navaho skinwalker’s obsession. Clay Phillips, a strange and compelling man who is armed to the teeth, is the only one who can save her.
This is a fantastic addition to the series Lori Handeland has started with her previous publication BLUE MOON. Maya is understandably freaked out when she’s suddenly under attack and saved by a man who says he’s from a mysterious government agency, yet she holds her own and stays strong. Clay is so intriguing and strong that one can't help but fall for him. I can’t wait to read more from Lori Handeland. She’s definitely a new paranormal author to watch.