Today I thought I'd give you a peek at one of my favorite books, An Unholy Embrace. This story has been published in both e-book
and print format by Aspen Mountain and Under the Moon respectively. The cover (Aspen Mountain) to the left was CAPA nominated.I've had numerous requests for a sequel. Fans want to know what happened to Sebastian and his lover, Teran after the first book ends. So, in the future you may see them in another place or another time. If you'd be interested in another story about the brooding Sebastian and the innocent, Teran, give me your opinion in the comments below.
Here's the blurb about this short story.
Sebastian is an ancient vampire who has lived in the forest for centuries living off the blood of any unwary villager who happens to cross his path.
Teran has grown up in the shadow of the great forest, unwanted and unloved. When she comes of age and her loveliness sparks the interest of the men in town, her life becomes even more difficult.
When the vampire rescues her from a near rape, he finds himself enthralled with her beauty and her quiet courage. Teran falls in love with the brooding stranger, but when he breaks his word and steals her mind, she runs from him.
But Sebastian can't forget her and vows to win her back. Will Teran forgive him? Will they have a chance at eternity forever?
*EXCERPT*
He had lived in the forest a long time. Longer than many of the trees that surrounded him. Longer than the mortals that called it their own. He used them as he needed. They were his food, his sustenance. Now, one had literally fallen into his arms.
Sebastian gazed down at the unconscious woman. He’d thought at first she was a child, but she was just small boned and very thin. Yet, he could feel her womanly curves as he held her close against him. Her clothing was threadbare and patched, but clean, with the faint scent of flowers.
He brushed the long black hair from her oval face, frowning at the marks he saw there. They did not belong on such beauty as this. Her skin was like fine porcelain with high cheekbones and a full pouting mouth. Her long black lashes fanned down over eyes he’d seen were a dark blue.
He saw the hot blood racing through her veins. His body tightened and his mouth watered. He wanted to bury his teeth into her neck and taste her living energy. Passion grabbed him in a burning fist. He wanted to bury his cock into her heat and let himself go like he hadn’t in decades.
His thoughts were pulled back by the sound of men crashing through the trees all around him. His eyes narrowed. The men were chasing this woman. Why?
He tucked the small human under his arm and moved so he was nothing more than a shadow in the darkness. One of the men blundered past him and with the speed of a striking rattlesnake; Sebastian reached out and knocked the man to his knees. Moving faster than the mortal could see, the vampire knelt and gripped the man’s head with his large hand, using his enthralling powers to keep him still.
He snarled as the reasons for the chase were made plain. These men were rapists, intent on ravaging the beauty he held in his arms. He looked down at her bloody face and his anger flared. He would not allow this.
He bent and put his mouth close to the enthralled man’s ear. “Not this time,” he whispered. “She has escaped you.” Making a fist, Sebastian clubbed the would-be rapist, sending him sprawling to the dirt.
Then lifting the woman into his arms, he melted away into the shadows.
Teran’s eyelids fluttered. She felt like she was slowly pushing up, up, up, through a thick mist. She smelled the scent of burning wood and something very soft was stroking across her cheeks. Her eyes flickered again and this time she made out the form of a man sitting beside her. It was he, who was caressing her so carefully, so gently.
“Can you hear me?” His voice was deep and rough. It stroked over her nerve endings like a soft kiss.
“Who are you? Where am I?” she croaked and then blushed at the raspy sound of her voice.
“My name is Sebastian and you are in my house. I…came upon you in the woods.”
Teran’s eyes cleared. “You rescued me.”
His lips twitched. “I spirited you away.”
She shuddered, remembering the lechery in her pursuer’s eyes. “I’m Teran. I owe you my thanks.”
“Should you not fear me as well?”
She studied the man who sat beside her. Tall, dark and definitely handsome, he had a brooding quality about him that gave her pause. His face was long and thin with sculpted cheekbones. His sensuous lips were framed by a mustache and small goatee. He had shoulder length dark hair and deep piercing brown eyes that seemed to gaze into her very soul.
Wide shoulders and muscular arms were easily seen under his tight fitting, black silk shirt. His dark slacks covered hard thighs. Teran blushed when she saw that the bulge between his legs was as big as the rest of him. Heat curled tightly in her belly.
She raised her eyes to his, struck by a longing to be closer to this man. She shook her head dazedly. She’d never felt quite this way before, but he was right. She was alone in his home and she didn’t know him. She shouldn’t trust him. She should run from him the same way she ran from those other men. Still…there was something about him. Something in his eyes that made her feel…safe. Safer that she’d felt in a long, long time.
I hope you enjoyed this new excerpt from the story. As I said, it is available in both ebook, HERE or as an autographed print anthology, HERE. In fact, the black and white drawing you saw above in the excerpt is the art for the story in the print edition.
I'll be back tomorrow with guest blogger, Rie McGaha who has a story about a truck!!!!
Hugs to all,
CJ England
Follow Your Dreams
Sebastian gazed down at the unconscious woman. He’d thought at first she was a child, but she was just small boned and very thin. Yet, he could feel her womanly curves as he held her close against him. Her clothing was threadbare and patched, but clean, with the faint scent of flowers.
He brushed the long black hair from her oval face, frowning at the marks he saw there. They did not belong on such beauty as this. Her skin was like fine porcelain with high cheekbones and a full pouting mouth. Her long black lashes fanned down over eyes he’d seen were a dark blue.
He saw the hot blood racing through her veins. His body tightened and his mouth watered. He wanted to bury his teeth into her neck and taste her living energy. Passion grabbed him in a burning fist. He wanted to bury his cock into her heat and let himself go like he hadn’t in decades.
His thoughts were pulled back by the sound of men crashing through the trees all around him. His eyes narrowed. The men were chasing this woman. Why?
He tucked the small human under his arm and moved so he was nothing more than a shadow in the darkness. One of the men blundered past him and with the speed of a striking rattlesnake; Sebastian reached out and knocked the man to his knees. Moving faster than the mortal could see, the vampire knelt and gripped the man’s head with his large hand, using his enthralling powers to keep him still.
He snarled as the reasons for the chase were made plain. These men were rapists, intent on ravaging the beauty he held in his arms. He looked down at her bloody face and his anger flared. He would not allow this.
He bent and put his mouth close to the enthralled man’s ear. “Not this time,” he whispered. “She has escaped you.” Making a fist, Sebastian clubbed the would-be rapist, sending him sprawling to the dirt.
Then lifting the woman into his arms, he melted away into the shadows.
* * * * *
Teran’s eyelids fluttered. She felt like she was slowly pushing up, up, up, through a thick mist. She smelled the scent of burning wood and something very soft was stroking across her cheeks. Her eyes flickered again and this time she made out the form of a man sitting beside her. It was he, who was caressing her so carefully, so gently.
“Can you hear me?” His voice was deep and rough. It stroked over her nerve endings like a soft kiss.
“Who are you? Where am I?” she croaked and then blushed at the raspy sound of her voice.
“My name is Sebastian and you are in my house. I…came upon you in the woods.”
Teran’s eyes cleared. “You rescued me.”
His lips twitched. “I spirited you away.”
She shuddered, remembering the lechery in her pursuer’s eyes. “I’m Teran. I owe you my thanks.”
“Should you not fear me as well?”
She studied the man who sat beside her. Tall, dark and definitely handsome, he had a brooding quality about him that gave her pause. His face was long and thin with sculpted cheekbones. His sensuous lips were framed by a mustache and small goatee. He had shoulder length dark hair and deep piercing brown eyes that seemed to gaze into her very soul.
Wide shoulders and muscular arms were easily seen under his tight fitting, black silk shirt. His dark slacks covered hard thighs. Teran blushed when she saw that the bulge between his legs was as big as the rest of him. Heat curled tightly in her belly.
She raised her eyes to his, struck by a longing to be closer to this man. She shook her head dazedly. She’d never felt quite this way before, but he was right. She was alone in his home and she didn’t know him. She shouldn’t trust him. She should run from him the same way she ran from those other men. Still…there was something about him. Something in his eyes that made her feel…safe. Safer that she’d felt in a long, long time.
I hope you enjoyed this new excerpt from the story. As I said, it is available in both ebook, HERE or as an autographed print anthology, HERE. In fact, the black and white drawing you saw above in the excerpt is the art for the story in the print edition.
I'll be back tomorrow with guest blogger, Rie McGaha who has a story about a truck!!!!
Hugs to all,
CJ England
Follow Your Dreams
http://cjengland.com/secondchances
http://cjengland.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CJsaysFollowYourDreams/
http://cjengland.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CJsaysFollowYourDreams/
6 comments:
I LOVE this story!!!!!!!
I'm with Phylis. This is a good one.
I got it in print AND it's signed, woo hoo!
Carpe Noctem,
Des
Hi CJ,
I’ve already mentioned in reviewing your new site how much I like the b&w sketches and
Sebastian sounds like my kind of guy : )! Like the song says…”How you like it, How do you like it…More, More, More! “
BTW, the name of my grade school was St. Sebastian’s, LOL. Great name for a vamp!
Sara J. ~ : - ], sjr1groups@yahoo.com
Thanks Phylis,
It is one of my stories. I loved Sebastian. When I reread the story he still makes my heart beat faster.
CJ
Thanks so much, Des. It was a pleasure to do it for you.
CJ
Hey Sara J.,
The artist of the B&W prints is a gal named Veronica and she did a lot of UTM. I loved her and she did both An Unholy Embrace and Beasthuntress for me.
CJ
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