Would You Attend a Vampire Masquerade Ball?

Courtesy of Gothic and Enchanted Music by Derek and Brandon Fiechter

The other day, while browsing online for some gothic music I could listen to while writing, I came across this beautiful and haunting melody titled, Gothic Waltz Music on youtube - Enchanted Ballroom. It reminded me of a little girl's jewellery music box, one I always wanted as a child but never received. 
(Yes, I've always had a gothic streak, and in my childish imagination the music box dancer wasn't a ballerina, but an enchanted princess waiting to be released from a curse. I guess that's where BloodGifted had some of its genesis.)
The music was so audibly mesmerising - as was the image with it  - that I stopped everything to listen. It's underlying dark tone sent visions of immaculately dressed vampires gliding across a dazzling ballroom, their faces covered in bejewelled masks hiding not only their faces, but their dark secret.
Humans enter at your own peril. 
I knew that one day I would have to include such an otherwordly setting in one of my books. And the opportunity came while writing, BloodVault, Bk 3 in my Dantonville Legacy Series. 
How could I resist? 
I simpy had to include a gothic ballroom scene - the annual New Year's Eve Masquerade Ball.

Click the youtube link above and listen while reading. I dare you :-) 

In the driveway, fairy lights blinked on the trunks and leafless branches of the trees, while a million tiny bulbs twinkled in the windows and the front doors of the chateau. The candelabras in the entrance hall had been polished to a mirror sheen, the candles' flames dancing and swaying on the ebony surface. Illuminated garlands twisted their way up the staircase that led to the ballroom.
We took our seats on the dais next to Luc and Judy. Swathes of entwined green and lavender silk - the D'Antonville colours - hung from the canopy and pooled on the floor. Five gold sashes lay draped across the arms of my chair. I knew their purpose, as Alec had briefed me earlier.
My mother, resplendent in a rich jade-green dress, acknowledged each guest as they were announced. Her silver-streaked auburn hair was caught back in a chignon and crowned with a white-gold tiara of intertwining leaves and flowers adorned with a single emerald. Her eyes shone behind her butterfly shaped mask.
She leant across and whispered in my ear. "You looking stunning, dear."
"As do you. Nice bling." I grinned at her tiara.
"Your father's gift at your birth." She beamed and placed her hand over his. Luc drew them to his lips and kissed her fingertips.
... The ballroom was a sea of colour. Elegant women in dazzling gowns of electric blue, silver-grey, apricot, sunny yellow and turquoise swept the room, greeting friends and chinking glasses. Lavender eyes glinted behind feathered, lace and rhinestone masks shaped like butterflies, cats and flowers, some covering only the eyes, others half the face. The men, likewise, many in tuxedos with long-nose masks or in traditional costume, added to the magnificence of the occasion.
... Alec led me from the dais, and we swayed to the romantic strains of a Strauss waltz, weaving in and out with the other couples. I floated on an idyllic cloud beneath the blue and gold rococo ceiling that gleamed in the light of crystal chandeliers. The troubles of the last few days forgotten as I lost myself in his arms and was drawn into the lavender depths of his eyes.

If you'd like to read more just click here.

There are some family secrets that should stay hidden.

***BLOODVAULT***

Bk 3 in The Dantonville Legacy Series

  “Battle scenes, action, adventure, mystery and a fiery romance.”

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Until next time ...

Thirsty Thursday - BloodVault Extract

It's been a while since I've added an extract from any of my books, especially from my latest release, 'BloodVault', Bk 3 in my Dantonville Legacy Series. It's been eight months since its release and since then it has sat regularly in Amazon's Top 100 in Gothic Romance. 

Thank you to all my readers who made that happen. Because of you and your enthusiasm for Dantonville, my books are doing so well. 

At the moment I'm working on Bk 4, 'BloodWish,' and hope to release that in time for Christmas. So, in the meanwhile, curl up with a little something spooky and mysterious.

Enjoy.

* * * 

EXTRACT

     That's when I heard it -  a shrill keening, like a soul in torment. It made the hairs on my arms stand on end. It didn't seem to be coming from anywhere within the chateau. A night bird? I stuffed another mini-baguette into my mouth and padded to the window. Tree branches obscured most of my view, but there appeared to be a solitary figure, in white, standing on the boundary wall at the far end of the estate.

     Mesmerised, I watched. Was it a ghost, or some local nutter who liked to climb walls in the dead of night to wail at the half moon? I peered closer, but the wind whipped up the tree branches, and I lost sight of the figure. When the wind dropped, the figure was gone. Every nerve ending tingled. If vampires existed - I'd only learnt of their existence a couple of weeks ago - then why not ghosts? This chateau was hundreds of years old, maybe more. Who knows how many more people had died here in that time? Vampires weren't the only inhabitants.

     I continued to stare out the window. There it was again - arms upraised, the same high-pitched wailing. A chill shot through me, and I jumped back drawing the curtains together, tightly bunching the folds of fabric.

* * *

Want to read more? Here's where you can find it - Amazon (US) Amazon (AU) Amazon (CA) Amazon (UK)

Until next time, 

Happy Reading

First Reviews Are In For BloodVault - And They're Brilliant.

BloodVault, book 3 in my Dantonville Legacy series, had a fantastic reception on its first day in the world. Both pre-orders and sales soared. Readers from America, Britain, Europe and Australia, and even from as far away as Brazil, raced to get their copies.
I owe a big thanks to all who attended and made the day such a grand success.
Thank you.
Now, only three days later, the reviews are coming in. As with birthing a baby, there is pain and joy and you want everyone to love and fawn over your precious offspring. And that's what my books are to me. So it's with some trepidation I peek through my fingers to view those dreaded reviews. But so far, they've been only positive.

"I loved it and I want MORE. I laughed, I cried and I was gripping my kindle with anticipation."
                                                                                                                                            Tracy

"BRILLIANT!! A whirlwind of emotions ran through me … Happy, sad, mad, heartache ugh I cried. The whole series is a must read for anyone who likes pnr."                                          afranhammond

"Tima has left me speechless with this amazing read!!! I have laughed, cried, got mad through this book. I love the other books in this series but I believe she has outdone herself with BloodVault."
                                                                                                                                               Lisa

"I absolutely love author Tima Maria Lacoba! I absolutely love her books! Especially this one. I cried, I swooned, I got upset, I swooned some more, I cried some more and LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT!"       LadyViki

And thank you to Nook Books and More Blog for this fabulous review.

Amazon US
Amazon AU
Amazon UK
Amazon CA

Until next time, happy reading :-)




                                                       

A Tasty Little BloodVault Teaser.

Yes, it's Teaser Tuesday, and what better excuse to provide my readers with another little snippet from BloodVault. My word count is growing daily, so hopefully book 3 of The Dantonville Legacy saga will be completed by the end of this month.
In the meantime, enjoy.

My stomach growled. Through the open door, I spied the tray of delicacies Madame Thierry had prepared. The mini baguette I had earlier had been delicious.

The bed bounced as I bounded toward the tray. That’s when I heard it—a shrill keening, like a soul in torment. It made the hairs on my arm stand on end. It didn’t seem to be coming from anywhere within the chateau. A night bird? I stuffed another mini-baguette into my mouth and padded over to the window. Tree branches obscured most of my view, but there appeared to be a solitary figure, in white, standing on the boundary wall at the far end of the estate.

Mesmerised, I stood there. Was it a ghost, or some local nutter who liked to climb walls in the dead of night to wail at the half moon? I peered closer but the wind whipped up the tree branches and I lost sight of the figure. When the wind dropped the figure was gone. Every nerve ending tingled. If vampires existed—I’d only learnt their existence a couple of weeks ago—then why not ghosts? This chateau was hundreds of years old, maybe more. Who knows how many people died here in that time? Vampires weren’t the only inhabitants.

I continued to stare out the window. There it was again—arms upraised, the same high pitched wailing. A chill shot through me, and I jumped back drawing the curtains together, tightly bunching the folds of the fabric.

The Serpent Ring on my finger glowed scarlet. Whatever the figure was, it posed no threat. I took a deep breath and slowly peered through the curtain again. The ghostly form was still there.

I slipped on my boots, threw on a coat and stepped out into the empty hallway. All the lights were on and I could hear voices, none familiar. It was probably the Brethren servants. I paused at Jenny’s door. She slept, her slow heartbeat and steady breathing was quiet and peaceful. I didn’t have the heart to wake her. Other human heartbeats came from different ends of the house. I assumed the sleeping one, directly above my room, belonged to Judy. But there was another, slightly faster, heartbeat also coming from above, so close to Judy’s they could’ve been in the same room. Who? One of the staff? But there were no human staff on duty yet.

If you enjoyed this snippet, catch up on the story by reading the first two books in the series before Book 3 is released later this year.  
Amazon Apple iBooks Nook  Kobo

 

I'm in Read-an-Ebook-Week at Smashwords

It's that time of the year again at Smashwords, when thousands of ebooks are heavily reduced, even free—mine included. The sale goes from March 2nd-8th.
I've been with Smashwords now six months, and they've been fantastic! My book has been distributed at some of the biggest online retailers in the world—Apple iBooks, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Sony… etc— and I couldn't be happier.
Starting today—March 2nd Pacific time—you can go to Smashwords and buy my gothic thriller, BLOODGIFTED for HALF PRICE, while my short story, LAURA'S LOCKET, remains FREE for the duration of the week.

Want a great read this weekend? Well, here it is. Just click on the links provided and use the coupon - ZA76N.

Happy reading!