Merry Christmas from Clan Dantonville

Merry Christmas and all the blessings of the season

I wish all my lovely readers a very merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a safe and prosperous new year.

In my last newsletter I said that the next time you all hear from me will be from my brand spanking new Wordpress website. Alas, life too often has other ideas and interferes with the best laid plans.

Anyone who knows me well, laughs when using my name and technology in the same sentence. So sadly, my Wordpress website is taking a little longer to set up then I anticipated. But, it is coming together and my Home page is done. Here's the link if anyone would like to check it out and tell me what you think of it http://www.timamarialacoba.com 

And if anyone knows how to add a slider to my Book page header, please let me know. I'd be most grateful.

Until then, I'm posting from my old blogger site.

NEWS ABOUT BLOODWISH AND TERENS

I'm thrilled to announce that BloodWish will be released in time for Valentine's Day - Feb 14th 2018. I can't wait to share this final book in Laura and Alec's story. But, that's not the end. I've listened to my readers who've asked for books on the other guys in the Dantonville Can. So, the next book in the series will be on Terens, which is scheduled for Christmas 2018.

And does he have a story to tell! Let me just say that there's more to "Sexy Terry" than what you've read so far.

I hope you'll enjoy reading it.

Since Christmas is practically upon us, I've been baking. My family is originally from the Czech Republic, and the traditional seasonal cookies, cakes, buns and breads are to die for. They're also waistline killers!

But what the heck, it's only once a year, right?

Unfortunately, here in Australia, Christmas is in summer and the temperature can soar way past the hundred degree mark. Without the good old air-conditioning blasting away, there's no way anyone could have a hot oven going. And what's Christmas without turkey, pudding and cookies?

And being the sharing girl that I am (*wink*) here's a plate of my Czech Christmas cookies.

Most countries, and even individuals, celebrate Christmas with a range of traditions. One of the most famous is kissing under the mistletoe. That one's fun.

While writing BloodPledge, the second book in my Dantonville Legacy Series, I needed a particularly gruesome tradition for Terens and Sam, the once former Roman soldiers. So, it couldn't be anything soft, and being vampires, of course, there had to be some blood involved. It also had to be unique and based on something practical.

I had a ball writing it.

Here's the scene: 

‘Don’t you think it’s ironic. Nobody speaks Latin anymore, yet Frisian’s everywhere—in modern English? Maybe it’s just as well I didn’t waste my time learning to speak yours.’

Cal guffawed, reached for the decanter and poured himself another glass of wine. ‘How you gonna counter that one, Terens?’

‘Only one way I know.’ Terens rose from his seat and flexed his right arm. ‘Brand new model.’

‘By all means, test it out.’ Sam’s chair scrapped across the floor as he too, rose and began flexing his right arm. ‘Ready to lose some fingers?’ The two stood facing each other, grinning.

Kari rolled her eyes. ‘Oh no, not this stupid game.’

Alec leaned toward me and whispered, ‘Maybe we should go for a stroll around the deck.’

‘Why?’ I asked. ‘What are they going to do?’

‘Their version of an arm wrestle.’ Alec looked uncomfortable. ‘They do it every Christmas.’

‘It’s gross, Laura.’ Kari grimaced. ‘The loser must chop off a finger and hand it over. The one with the biggest collection wins.’

‘You’re kidding! At Christmas?’

‘It’s the only time they can do it—good way to test the strength of the Ingenii blood. Any lost appendage regenerates in an instant,’ Alec said.

‘Sorry boys, you know I can’t stay to watch,’ Judy said. ‘If anyone wants me I’ll be in my room.’ She wished us goodnight and kissed Luc and Marcus on the cheek. The men rose and bowed as she left the room.

‘Think I’ll do the same,’ I said when I saw Terens move one of the candelabras aside and pull a blade from beneath his trouser leg. ‘No way am I going to watch them cut off fingers, even if it is some weird Christmas tradition.’

‘Allez, ma petite, this is not for a lady’s eyes.’
‘I agree,’ Kari said, and skipped to my side of the table. ‘Let’s join Judy.’

I still had Alec’s Christmas present. This was a good time to slip away and give it to him.

‘Meet you there, Kari. There’s something I need to do.’ I mouthed the words, 'Present for Alec'.

She nodded, and gave me a knowing smile as she left.
I turned to Alec. ‘I accept your offer of a stroll around the deck.’
With his arm around my waist, Alec led me from the dining room just as Sam and Terens took up their position, elbows on the table, hands clasped, steely gazes locked. Two long, menacing-looking knives lay in the centre of the table.

I shuddered and turned away. 

Did I succeed in making your squirm? If you'd like to read the rest, assuming you haven't read BloodPledge yet, read it here: 

Amazon US   Amazon CA   Amazon AU   Amazon UK 

All books are also available on Kindle Unlimited.

Until next time, have a wonderful Christmas and New Year.

Enjoy a Deleted Scene From BloodGifted.

For all my Dantonville Legacy fans here's a deleted chapter from the first book in the series, BloodGifted. It didn't make the final cut, as the book was already well over the word limit I'd set for myself.
The scene takes place in Jenny's house right after Laura walked out on Alec and Matt in the cafe, the day after she and Alec had met.

Enjoy ☺️💕🌸

Jenny

     ‘Stupid men!’ After walking out on Matt and Alec, I made my way to Jen’s place.
     It wasn’t far, only two blocks from the cafe in a quiet, tree-lined street halfway down a steep hill. It was part of a group of lovely century-old sandstone cottages that had escaped the bulldozer in the late nineteen-sixties, when almost all suburban councils were in a frenzy to demolish the old in their haste to construct modern apartment complexes - like mine.
     They got more rates that way.
     I knocked on the familiar glossy blue front door.
     ‘I was about to call you.’ She stood back to allow me to enter, her head cocked to one side as I strode past. ‘Uh oh. I know that look. Man trouble?’
     ‘You have no idea.’
     ‘Kitchen,’ she ordered.
     We strode down the long, book-lined hallway, past the poky bedrooms and into the open living area that was Jenny’s favourite part of the house - her sunny kitchen. I knew it almost as well as my own - welcoming, comforting and far away from the strange, new and dark world Alec represented.
I went straight to the kettle and switched it on.
     ‘That bad, huh?’ She leant against the sink and watched silently as I fetched a tin of tea bags from the cupboard and slammed it on the bench. She rescued the mugs I was reaching for before they met the same fate.
     ‘Laura, hon, tell me.’
     ‘Bloody men!’
     ‘What else is new?’
     Good point. Settling me in a chair, she finished making the tea and placed a steaming cup of Earl Grey into my hands.
     ‘Matt’s angry.’ Misery coated my voice, and as much as I was able, I told Jenny about the new man who’d entered my life - Alec Munro-‘He’s … a family friend … on Aunt judy’s side’ -the meeting in the cafe and my parting words. ‘He nearly started a punch-up in the cafe.’
     Jenny whistled and gave me an incredulous stare.
     My stomach churned at having to avoid the words “vampire”, “blood”, “magic rings” or that Alec was a murder suspect. Yet how could I reveal all that? The biggest secret of my life and I couldn’t share it with my best friend.
     Life had taken a turn for the worse but I promised myself that one day she would know all.
     ‘That’s the action of a man guarding his property,’ she said shaking her head.
     ‘I’m nobody’s property!’
     ‘Men don’t think that way, hon.’
     ‘Tell me about it.’ I gulped down my tea wishing it were something stronger.
     ‘From what you told me, your aunt’s asked you to take her place at this event, this Alec guy as your escort, right?’
     ‘Uh huh.’
     ‘It has to be a Dantonville and you’re the only one available?’
     ‘Y-e-e-e-s.’ Technically true.
     ‘And Matt’s not happy.’ She leaned forward and braced her arms on the table. ‘Describe this Alexander Munro.’
     ‘About one-eighty-centimetres - taller than Matt - lean but muscular, broad shoulders, dark hair.’
     ‘Eyes?’
     I really didn’t want to answer that, but I did. ‘Violety-mauve.’
     ‘You mean lavender? Like yours? That’s incredible.’
     ‘Mmmm.’
     ‘Okay … age?’
     ‘Um … twenty-nine.’ I nearly blurted out Alec’s chronological age.
     Jenny’s eyes never left my face. ‘Laura, on a scale of one to ten, level one being, let’s say bad teeth, no lips, scrawny body, to ten being a regular hottie male-model-make-women-salivate type of guy. Where would you place this Alec Munro?’
     Because I didn’t answer straight away, Jen gave me her suspicious look: lowered head, raised eyebrows and pursed lips.
     ‘Eleven.’
     At that, she threw her hands in the air and rolled her eyes. ‘Oh hon, wake up and smell the testosterone! Of course Matt’s reacting, what did you expect? First you tell him you have to meet this guy alone, then accompany him to some plush event where he’s not invited and this morning you’re meeting him for coffee - again - alone. No wonder he bolted down there as soon as he woke up and read your note!’ She looked at me as if I was an idiot. ‘Especially if this Alec looks like, you know, a hottie from heaven.’
     ‘Oh Jen! I was hoping I was wrong, but hearing you say it….’ I buried my face in my hands.
     ‘Tell me, hon, did this guy try to come on to you, you know, hold your hand, lock eyes …? And did Matt see any of that?’
     What the??? ‘I know what coming onto me means. I’m not stupid!’
     ‘No you’re not, Laura, but you can be so naive sometimes it worries me.’
     Blame my emotional stuntedness on my weird genes. I sighed. ‘Alec did take my hand to apologise for - the inconvenience, but that was before Matt showed up.’
     ‘How soon before?’
     I chewed on my lower lip and shook my head. ‘I’m sure he didn’t see anything, and I took my hand away as soon as I could.’
     ‘Honey, Matt’s a detective. He has the eyes of a hawk.’
     I groaned. Lowered my head and banged it lightly on the table. It seemed the most sensible thing to do.
     Jenny’s hand patted the top of my head. ‘Want my advice?'
     I nodded into the table.
     ‘Reassure him. That’s what he needs to hear from you. This Alec Munro’s an unknown and Matt’s worried. Tell him you love him and that you’re only accompanying this guy to do your aunt a favour. After this, you’ll never see him again. Right? End of problem.’
     If only it was that simple. How could I tell her that I’d be seeing Alec for the next fifty years - twice a week?
     Jenny gazed at me, expectant. ‘Laura, this shouldn’t be a problem, you know, unless…?’
     ‘Unless what?’ My head shot up.
     ‘You feel something for this other guy,’ she said softly.
     In that sunny kitchen, a cold chill crept its way up my spine. I was fond of Matt, no, I loved him … I was sure of it. The fact that Alec was beyond good looking had nothing to do with it.
     Then why did my stomach flip when Jen mentioned his name?
     You’re being ridiculous, Laura. I gripped the tea cup and brought it up to my lips. Blast, it was empty. ‘No, I’m not doing that to Matt - ever.’ I rose from the table and rinsed the empty cup in the sink. Jenny’s silence sent an arrow through my heart. ‘Sorry Jen. I didn’t mean that the way it came out.’
      'S’okay, and I don’t blame you. Just don’t make the same mistake I did.’
     Jenny knew the heartache of falling for another man - two weeks before her wedding. The fact she’d broken off the engagement, married the other guy who'd then promptly left her when she found out she couldn’t have kids, was testament to her following her own heart.
     ‘Did you?’
     ‘Still can’t answer that.’ Her usually lively eyes turned sad and I couldn’t bear to see that.
     ‘Ball gown,’ I blurted out.
     ‘What?’
     ‘I need to buy a ball gown.’
     ‘You’re going then?’
     ‘I have to.’
     ‘Okay, but if I can have the last word here? Matt is crazy about you. Rang last week sussing out whether he had a chance. He was worried that you’d hold back because of the age gap between you. I told him to go for it; that he’ll always look older because of your funny DNA. That’s all he needed to know.’
     I was speechless.
     ‘And - did he?’ she asked.
     I nodded. ‘Last night - in the car - coming home.’
     ‘Well then.’ And that was it, her final word. ‘You’d better go and buy that dress. Wish I could join you. Unfortunately,’ she pointed to the pile of marking stacked high in the laundry basket next to the table, ‘got to get them done by Monday.’
     ‘No worries, Jen. I came at short notice anyway.’
     She saw me to the door, and after a peck on the cheek, ‘Make sure you tell me everything afterwards,’ I left to scour the shops to find something suitable to wear to a vampire ceremony.
     Perhaps I should ask the shop assistants? 

Want to read the entire book? Get it here - Amazon eBook Paperback
 

Tasty Teaser from BloodWish

It's been a while since I've posted a snippet from my current Word in Progress because, let's face it, life interferes. Although I originally planned to release BloodWish by the end of this year, it's more likely to be making its appearance by April/May 2017.
So until then, enjoy.

As I searched through various drawers, my foot kicked against something solid. A black metal-rimmed trunk sat wedged between several pieces of luggage. It was heavy, and as I eased it out layers of dust made me sneeze. That was good, as it meant the previous housekeeper, whose name I couldn’t bring myself to say, hadn’t been snooping into it. She’d taken my mother’s clothes before so I wouldn’t have put it past her to have pried into all of my mother’s things.

The trunk was locked.

What was in there? What was my mother hiding that needed to be kept in a locked trunk?

I glanced around in case the key was lying somewhere close, or maybe hanging from a hook.

Nothing.

Dumb idea anyway, Laura. If you want something hidden you don’t leave the key where everyone can find it! I’d carry it with me, with my set of house and car keys where they’d blend in with the rest.

The house keys I was in possession of now, didn’t contain any extra keys – Kari and I had tested each one. That left only her handbag.

Judy had always kept it in the middle drawer of her bedside table. It was still there when I pulled it open. I hugged the black leather bag to me and inhaled its sweet leather scent as image after image paraded through my memory.

No more tears, Laura.

I began my search, shunting aside the thought that I was intruding.

For a relatively small bag, it contained so many compartments and pockets, but finally, in a side pocket, my fingers grazed a small key-shaped object.

That had to be it.

Attached was a black velvet ribbon, frayed at the edges. Traces of my mother’s perfume clung to it. Again I inhaled and let the memories assail me – if only for a little while.

Back in the closet, I knelt next to the trunk and inserted the key.

It fit.

           With a click, the lid flew open.

Bloodgifted. The Ebook Is Out.

It's taken months, but my debut novel, Bloodgifted, has finally made it onto its first online retailer - Smashwords. Although my official release date is still several weeks away, it's nice that it's already available to buy for those who'd like to purchase an early copy. Just click on the link above.
But, until then, I'll be posting a series of promo pics featuring lines and extracts from Bloodgifted in, what I'm calling, my "Bloodgifted Banners," little teasers to raise the appetite and introduce readers to the characters in my book.
And, here's my first one.

Let me know what you think. Does it work?
And for those who purchase the ebook before the release date, will have the chance to pick a favourite line and I'll include it on the next Bloodgifted Banner.
Happy Reading!