Author: missjenkinsbooks

There is not much to say about me. I wish I could say with honesty that writing was a destiny that simply fell into my lap; that I was meant to do this and in the next year or so my name will be written on the skyline; that I will be sitting on Oprah’s couch on her Next Chapter; and my work will be the next block buster. But I cannot. I will not. I am a 28-no excuse me, 29 year old woman with a long list of dreams and goals that have only been recently introduced to the light. So, what is there to say about me? Well, I used to write poems that eventually turned into song lyrics back in my teen years which led me to believe that I was going to be a ghostwriter for the likes of Destiny’s Child. Clearly that never happened. Just like every other passing whim of a dreamy eyed girl those words disappeared back into the ether perhaps to be syphoned back into the third dimension by some other dreamer with the heart to pursue their vision. And then I unwillingly became an adult: and one can only guess how the cycle went; relationships, a relationship that eventually led to a child and a tumultuous road of ups and downs and disappointment. And then I got over myself and picked myself up. I put away the pen and sought more practical pursuits like giving college a final attempt. I decided to go through the for profit route: Westwood College. There, I was able to receive my Bachelors of Science in Criminal Justice in three years leaving me feeling like my victory in accomplishing something was hollow. Now what? I drifted. I did what adults have to do to take care of their families. I struggled, and in that struggle forgot about my ambitions on changing the world through some sort of activism to just hoping to land that position that would provide me with the stability that I was searching for. Throughout the pursuit of my education I was encouraged to write. “You’re an excellent story teller,” came one instructor. “Help me with my paper,” came a fellow student. I know, I know how does this relate to this particular point in my life? Looking back, I remembered. I remembered how much I enjoyed a good read. I remembered the many nights that my muse would haunt me with visions of vibrant and amazing characters begging me to bring them to life; to give them a story and a name and a purpose. I fought with myself; denying this sudden urge to become my own creator because I did not believe that I could write; and that my writing could affect someone somehow. I jotted down my ideas lest they end up forgotten and kept them safe until I was ready. So, I bought a laptop, and it could not have come at a better time because as I was struggling with a great deal of emotional conflicts, I wrote an urban drama entitled Love At Last. Once that was accomplished, I gave one of the most challenging characters I created her story in Nubia Rising. As a fan of the L.A. Banks Vampire Huntress Legends series, I was inspired after her death in 2011 to create my own heroine. A heroine that would live on long after my time on earth is complete; and in that discovery, and in all of the hours of reading and research and bible studies (yes, Bible studies), I found her path which inevitably is my path. My journey as an author and as an individual rests within that of the supernatural; the paranormal; the abnormal; the shadows behind every single myth and legend and conspiracy one could find. My goal is to blur the lines of the literary world… to challenge its fears of what most would think to be the unaccepted. So, now that I have introduced the first chapter in my life, only God can write the next.

Redemption: New Storyline Following Blind Salvation

Luther

Luther awoke to the blurry vision of the chamber of a gun pointed millimeters away from his face. The last thing he remembered was the cave of Kinatara collapsing around him after he was zapped by a werewolf before he jettisoned himself to where he is now: on the couch. The woman that glared at him with her gun pointed directly in his face made it clear that he was an unwelcomed guest in her home and one wrong move would be the end of his life. As his vision cleared, he waited for her to speak but she said nothing. She just gave him a hard stare, her perfectly arched eyebrows burrowed in a deep frown, lines perhaps from stress and countless  nights of lack of sleep became more defined when she all but snarled at him for blinking. I am going to have to change that, he thought before quickly changing his mind on that lustful thought. She was a human and whatever female that he allowed into his heart would be of Fae origins, even though at the rate his life was falling apart the latter may never happen. But still. He needed to get out of her cramped and horribly decorated place before he lost his mind.

“Are you actually going to shoot me or are you just going to continue to pretend that you are,” he finally sighed.  She lowered the gun just below his eye level and growled, “So you speak more than just two barely audible words. I wasn’t sure what to expect from a man who popped out of thin air into my living room and onto my couch.”  He almost laughed. “Put the gun away so that I may be on my way. I promise I will disturb you no further than what I already have.”  He nonchalantly pushed the gun away from his face and quickly sat up, the comforter that she used to cover him as he slept came tumbling off as he stood to his full 6’8” height. She took a few steps back, alerting him to the fact that he had overwhelmed her with his height.

He eyed her carefully, the way any man would appreciate the vision of an attractive woman, and the woman that stood before him made him…remember things he thought he had long forgotten. It was definitely time for him to depart.  “So you’re just going to pop in my house like a rabbit out of a hat and then leave? Don’t you think I deserve some sort of explanation?” She demanded as she marched right up to him and even going as far as to poke him in the ribs with her index finger. He glared at her but then once again found himself slightly amused by her response. “None of what you witnessed concerns you woman,” he stated firmly as if he were addressing one of his soldiers. “Uh yes the hell it does! And besides, how far do you think you are gonna go barefooted?” She pressed, jabbing him again with her index finger and increasing his already high level of irritation even higher. He gently grabbed both of her hands and held them in place. He fought the urge to caress the smooth texture of her dark and delicately supple skin, and when she  gasped in shock at his sudden move, he wanted to hear more of it as he pleasured her with his body. “I can get pretty far in the nude if I have to,” he said again surprising her. “So don’t you worry about that.” He released her and then walked passed her to the door, unlocked it and said nothing more before he was gone. He heard the fast pace of her footsteps behind him when in a quick wave of his palms, he opened The Veil and disappeared through it, landing right in the center of his secluded penthouse.

And strangely enough, just as quickly as he left the demanding woman in her apartment, he longed to return and fall slave to every last one of her demands.

Three Months Time

Three months ago I said I was not going to submit to anymore agents or publishers. I said I “was not going to wait for someone to tell me that I am good enough”, but three months ago I had just barely stepped into the ring, joining the legions of self-published authors swimming against the tide to claim the title for “Best Seller”. I had no idea that there was more than agreeing to the terms and conditions that Amazon required before one’s book was live and ready for purchase. Writing the book was easy. The hard part is marketing and building a platform. I am a part of Lord knows how many Facebook author/writer/blogger/editor groups my news feed is a long list of confusion. And, in each and every one of those groups that claim to offer support and advice to authors is just another place for authors to saturate news feeds with their latest works, and it makes it difficult for anyone to make any sense of it all.

Then, there are the authors who consider themselves established because they are selling more than $1.50 a week, and their noses are so up their own behinds they hardly want to offer any advice to a newbie author for reasons that are more than obvious. Self-publishing has become a cut throat swamp of authors who only think about themselves-which they should to some degree because the hard work as well as the costs fall on their shoulders, but still. Authors should support each other because who is better suited to understand the highs and lows of writing? So unless one can quit their day jobs and live lavishly off of their work, there is still much more ground to cover and it doesn’t hurt to at least throw someone who is new to the game a bone.

Three months ago I did not have anything else in completion that I could believe in again that would capture the attention of an agent or a publisher. Now I do. I finished Blind Salvation two weeks ago, spent hours working on my queries, synopsis, outline and researching potential agents and publishers that might spend less than 15 seconds on my submission and I decided to give it another go. Self-publishing is fine…its perfect for those who want 100% control over their work but I could not go another year writing something that I am in love with without trying to see if an agent would love what I had I had devoted a great portion of myself too. 11 agents and 13 publishers later, so far I have been declined by four, which is fine and I am waiting to see what the others will have to say. In three months I will know if I will be offered a contract, or if I should go back to the drawing board or just focus on developing my career in self publishing.

In the mean time I am working on four additional works to keep my mind off of sitting around checking my email every 15 seconds for a reply. In the mean time I have also created a personal website, an author page, and I have been offering my services to other independent authors to help promote their newest releases. I have also scored a book on self publishing to help me further understand what I am up against and in three months time when I reflect on this blog, I will be much more in tuned with myself as writer, as a business person (because let’s face it, the books that we authors create are our brands), and should a newbie author ask for a bone, I will give him or her a whole dinner plate. I guess I should use the quarter system to evaluate my personal growth: all I need is three months time.

BLACK GIRLS LIKE ROMANCE TOO: F*CK A THUG, GIVE ME A FAERY

Romance novels bring in millions of dollars in sales per year which is big indicator that the need for a little romantic fantasy is alive and well. Within recent years, Paranormal romance has saturated the market, taking the need for romantic fantasy up a notch and onto another level; giving vampires or werewolves the leading man roles and becoming every woman’s sexual fantasy. I was never really a fan of romance until I would say around 2009 when my mother introduced me to J.R. Ward, author of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, and let me tell you I fell in love after the first page of reading Lover Revealed and now I have the entire series and I am waiting with tremendous anxiety for her release of The Shadows. And then, in September, a close friend of mine introduced me to another author whom has been around longer than what I initially assumed with her Highlander books, Karen Marie Moning, and now I am completely hooked on her stuff and I am desperate to begin her Fever series. So, now I have a deep appreciation for the romance/paranormal romance genres and as a writer, I find myself headed over in that direction. I mean, what woman does not want to read a story that has a great plot, juicy sex scenes and a man that you pray to the stars above to grant you one wish of making him a reality? Which leads me to this:

So far, I have yet to stumble upon a series of romance/paranormal romance novels where the leading lady is black (hell, I will even take Hispanic, Asian, whatever just so I don’t just make it a “black thing”). Do interracial and/or African American romance novels just not appeal to traditional readers? Unfortunately, too many black writers are fascinated on Street Sagas: you know, the stories involving drugs, prison time, death, snitching, promiscuous and scandalous women, and the sex scenes resemble something out of a cheap porn video? Yes, those. Now I will admit in my younger years I was into it because the stories were juicy and intriguing, but now that I am older, my tastes have changed. I want something different. I want love making and not fucking. I want a chivalrous and valiant man to come to my rescue even over something as small as what am I going to eat for dinner. I am a black woman and I like romance too.

What is even worse is that after Googling (is that a word? lol) black authors of romance novels, quite a few of them used white characters. I don’t know if it is just their thing and it’s just easier for them or if they think that is the only way that they can sell their books but I did not like it one bit. Why should anyone of color feel like the only way to sell their stories is to create an all white cast? Or, the leading man is black but the leading lady is white? What is so wrong about creating a strong, sexy, intelligent female character that happens to be black? I am tired of what is labeled as “Urban” fiction. My first novel happens to be of the urban fiction genre but not because that is where I saw myself but because the story simply came to me and I had to write it down, BUT my leading man Trey, was positive. He was romantic and most importantly, he and Danielle had a happy ending. The point is, I have spoken to a number of my friends and associates who happen to be black, and they have shared an interest in reading paranormal romance/romance. White women are not the only ones who want those Fairytale happy endings with a man who is built like stallion and possesses the stamina of a god. Publishers and agents alike should see that there is a market for interracial, and African American romance/paranormal romance. Not all of us are into the street sagas.

I will conclude with this : F*ck a thug and give me a Faery (a vampire or werewolf will do ;)). I want to tap into the wild side of the supernatural and the paranormal. I want to wake up on the other side of reality where the man in the mirror is my destiny or the vampire, desperate for redemption needs only my love to save him. Yes, give it to me please. I hope that this blog simply gives you readers something to think about and I look forward to whatever comments you have to share.

Nubia Rising: The Awakening Sample Chapter

Nubia Rising: The Awakening Sample Chapter

Kitara could feel the energy from Atlantis burning through her veins as she allowed its power to fully engulf her. She was one with the pyramid now, and even as Isis sent out blasts of dark magic from her palms none of it could touch her. It was not long before Isis realized that she had no other alternative. Her plan had failed. Thousands of years of planning, scheming, and killing and it all had went down the drain. But, one thing was for sure even if tonight she and her husband could not harness the powers of the lost city of Atlantis, she was sure as shit going to get her husband back. She could feel the Osirian realms slowly opening up and it was a matter of time before the world was reintroduced to the greatest god ever created. And, Isis couldn’t wait to see Kitara’s face when Osiris came walking out of that hell hole that Naomi sent him to looking as grand as ever. And the best part of it was that even without Atlantis, the two of them together would be unstoppable.

Kitara’s natural golden stare became solid silver as the rest of her body began to illuminate that same glow. Unsheathing Oblivion from her casing she pointed the angelic sword to the sky and sent out an electric blue current that not only lit up the midnight sky with a silvery blue but sent a sonic blast that for a split second caused all of the fighting to cease. Sage gazed into the distance where Kitara  hovered over the ocean  , her thick locks sizzling and crackling with electric blue white light and her sword pointed straight into the sky, appearing to be temporarily frozen in time. And then it happened: Millions of glowing white orbs poured out from the heavens and  instantly began to take form as robed men with swords and gigantic wing spans . Angels of the warrior class had come to join them  in their fight. They scattered across the sky and spread out beyond the far reaches of the horizon. Isis had opened up hell portals with her spell all across the globe, and now evil entities and spirits of the damned are creeping through and wreaking havoc on innocent people. Dark forces are now converging, and as Sage continued to look on in amazement, she could feel the dark, shadowy presence of not one but several ancient entities rising. Isis may have thought that she was resurrecting her husband, but Sage was willing to bet that whatever else was coming, Isis surely did not bank on that being a part of the package deal.  Sage could only hope that was what the warrior angels were after; well that and everything that was coming out of the lower gates of hell.

With the power of Atlantis now fully activated inside of her archenemy there was nothing for Isis to do but flee, as she had always done. She needed just a little more time before she and her true love could be reunited, but something was off. His dimensions had opened up but he still had not manifested yet…and then it hit her: The body!  How the hell could she have missed the most important part of the ceremony? Time, she needed more time.  But it was too late to focus too much more on that because Kitara now charged at her like a missile and plunged into her, sending both of them into a free fall into the depths of the Pacific. Their collision created a tidal wave of monolithic proportions, and  just as Sage thought she was going to be swept away she was pulled through the spiritual veil by Celeste and then pushed out a second  later just as the gigantic wave crashed down and swept away several islands of the Bahamas.

Kitara could hear the cries of drowning innocents even as she and Isis were submerged hundreds of feet beneath the earth surface. She remembered being told by Zedkiel that the animals would respond to her command so she sent out a mental telegraph to every single pod of dolphin and orca and other forms of marine life in the neighboring areas to come and help. Isis began swimming as fast she could towards the surface, while at the same time summoning up her powers and cursed the ocean, causing the water to turn to blood. “NOOOOOO!” Kitara screamed as she could feel the sea life begin to choke and suffocate and struggle to breathe that now toxic waters. Disgusted and infuriated, Kitara spread out her hands and sent a wave of pure white light into the waters, returning it to its natural, watery blue , removing the curse, just before the sea life was permanently destroyed. She could hear the whimsical calls of dolphins and orcas closing in in response to her SOS. Go!! Help the humans, she told them as she jettisoned herself out of the water.

Isis had made it to the top steps of the pyramid. She knew there was a way inside, Osiris had told her. She still needed to retrieve his body, but she had at least four hours before daybreak. But, she needed to create a distraction  to keep Kitara busy while she went to recover her fallen husband’s body, and the best way to do that was to free whatever was inside the pyramid.  Moving quickly, she removed the amulet that she wore around her neck and placed it on top of one of the many Egyptian ankh symbols that decorated the surface of the door.  The amulet turned a bright violet color and she could hear the clicking sounds of the door unlocking itself.

Kitara, not wanting to be deterred knew that this was the last opportunity to stop Isis from accomplishing whatever it was she was now up to and  using her kinetic abilities sent a ball of white hot energy straight into Isis’ back knocking her off the steps. Isis tumbled, and  rolled, and thrashed and crashed until she bounced off the last step like a hard rock before landing again with a hard thud. Kitara took a flying leap onto the top step of the pyramid and unsheathed Oblivion once again. As Isis struggled to regain her bearings , she clumsily threw a dark energy blast that missed Kitara and chipped off some of the building structure of the pyramid.  Disoriented but nonetheless enraged the goddess summoned all of her strength and energy and out of the nothingness she constructed her own sword that closely resembled Oblivion, from the black charged energy and went racing up the steps to fully engage the waiting Kitara. Blade met blade, causing thunderous sounds of metal meeting metal. Kitara swung Oblivion hard while at the same time landing a round house kick to Isis’ abdomen. Isis’ doubled back and swung her blade, barely missing Kitara’s chest. “I will end you Destroyer!!”Isis seethed between clenched teeth. “I have been around longer than your pathetic lineage. I have witnessed the creations of kingdoms as well as built my own. I have control over the elements and I am the queen of magic and you think that you and your little sword is enough to defeat me?!!” Back flipping into a warriors’ stance, Kitara ignored the angry threat. All she needed was a split second opening…just one little flaw or distraction and this would be over. After a series of kicks, punches, and near misses Kitara finally got her chance when she kicked Isis’ blade clean out of her hands. Isis’ sensing that it was over for her proceeded to do what she did best: bargain. “I can give you your life back,” she began.  Kitara strengthened her grip on Oblivion’s handle and cautiously continued to advance towards her opponent. Beads of sweat dripped down her midnight skin, her eyes still glowing silver and narrowed in a tense gaze as the memories of her very beginnings with this she demon flooded her vision. “I can give you your life back,” she said. “Your mother Aisha and your brother Nayeem I kept safe…” “You may have built kingdoms,” Kitara began, her tone hard but barely audible. “But you were the cause of the fall of many. You may have ruled over an empire that was once noted as the greatest in human history, but you have damned countless souls…souls like my mother and brother…and you still challenge the one who sits on high by even attempting to claim something that is not rightfully yours…you hope to make a perversion of humanity just so that you and  that incestuous husband of yours can be eternally worshipped! No, you cannot give me back what you  have taken from  me you miserable, worthless bitch!!!!!” “NOOO! Please Kitar-“ Kitara plunged Oblivion deep into Isis’s chest cavity. Blue blood began to spew forth as Isis dropped to her knees. With her mouth agape in shock and disbelief, a single tear trickled down her left cheek. Kitara held Oblivion steady, not fully ready to release her, stared down at the entity whose shadow seemed to have loomed over her like a dark cloud for hundreds of years. It was finally over. The amulet that she wore, the same amulet that she used to trap her mother and brother’s spirits shattered, and Kitara could see not just her own family but hundreds of others ascending into the heavens where they belonged. Kitara’s mother, Aisha, drifted toward her as a spirit now. She radiated golden light like Zedkiel and gently touched her daughter’s face and gave a sad smile. “I am so proud of you my daughter,” she said softly. Kitara unsure of what to do, struggled to fight back tears as her mother glanced in Isis’ direction, frowned and then returned her loving gaze back to Kitara. “I love you mother,” Kitara whispered. “I love you too. I will see you on the other side of the light,” Aisha said as she gently kissed Kitara’s cheek and  continued with her ascent. Angels without wings had appeared and were guiding these spirits home with welcoming arms and loving smiles and one of them  turned and  gave Kitara a knowing smile. And in a flash, they were gone. Kitara pulled Oblivion out of Isis’ chest and watched  as the deity collapsed onto the floor in a heap. The remaining life in her still flickered in her eyes as she struggled to speak. “You and I have the same father,” she wheezed.  “He is through that door,” Isis continued  and  raised a trembling hand and pointed in the direction of the entrance to the pyramid. “Well, there won’t be any family reunions today,” Kitara added as she raised Oblivion high into the air before sending her crashing down on Isis’ neck beheading the goddess. As soon as the deity’s head was separated from her frame, her body lit up in blue white fire. The goddess’ spirit cried out as the flames consumed every inch of her until there was nothing left but her ring with her insignia on it. Kitara stared down at  what was left of Isis, not sure how to feel or what to do next. “You did it!” Oblivion shouted with joy. Kitara looked  at the angelic blade and shook her head. “No, WE did it.” Kitara  looked down at the ring and gently picked it up. “I think I will hold onto this for safe keeping. If this finds its way into the wrong hands, the world will most definitely have something to fear.” “Wise choice Kitara,” Oblivion beamed. “But there is still much to do. Osiris is waiting to be released. Naomi is on her way to his body, but she is not alone. And I have received word that Jose is alive and my brother, Raphael is guarding him in the spirit world. Reconvene with your sisters while I shall take refuge in my thoughts. There is a lot to discuss.” Kitara nodded and returned Oblivion to her casing. She sent out a mental telegraph and received an immediate response from Celeste and Sage, whom were located on the other side of the pyramid. Isis was gone and there was still much to do. This was only the beginning.

Lilith cackled with delight as she watched her arch nemesis completely obliterated by Kitara. So her sword was an angel, huh? Daddy-O would be very pleased to know that little tid bit of Intel. Lilith and her protégé had decided that it would have been conducive to their survival that they remain hidden, especially having witnessed  the warrior breeds come out. Fortunately, they were busy fighting demon emissaries and low level entities that simply had wanted to come out and play.  With Isis out of the way she can continue on with her steps in preparing the way for the Anti-Christ. Now she can find another suitor, and by the looks of it Osiris was now a widower…an available bachelor. If Durga could get to his body in time, Lilith had a few ticks in store for him. But if not, men came a dime a dozen and she still had enough time to prepare. She could now unleash her vampires, establish the NOW, the world was literally hers for the taking. And now that humanity was in a state of panick, it was time to implement plan B into action. She and Kitara would meet soon enough…and as for that Sage, what Anastasia had concocted was brilliant. Simply brilliant. Lilith really, really loved Puerto, Rico.

Naomi hated the desert. It reminded her of her mother’s side of the family and their way of life. Even though she was of royal blood, still the desert did not bring back good memories for her. As she bypassed the city areas of modern day Lebanon and into the deserted areas of scattered trees, rocks and sparse amounts of foliage, in this midday sun, this was no walk in the park. She knew exactly where the body had  been hidden, and even after a millennia, due to his godhood and  having not met Oblivion, his body was going to be in a well preserved state.  The only thing that she had to do was retrieve it, take it back to Kitara so she could finish him off and  then they could go on with their lives.

As she approached the encampment of what is believed to be a group of the world’s oldest living trees-having survived the flood-she could sense that something was off. Just beneath the roots of one of the 16 Sisters, Naomi picked up a vaguely familiar and quickly fading trail. It had the signature of someone very old. “Oh God no!” she muttered to herself. Underneath  the root of that tree is where both she and Kitara buried Osiris’ head and it was missing! She ran another twenty five feet away to another one of the 16 Sisters and the trunk of the tree that was supposed to have been sealed was completely torn open, and his body was missing too. “Shit!” she exclaimed. “Who the fuck else would have known about-“ Naomi stopped short instantly remembering who the culprit was…Kalima, The Dark Destroyer.  But how did she get free? Naomi thought to herself.  But, why now? There was no way to answer that question right at this moment. She needed to get back to the others. It was quite clear that Osiris’ body was gone which meant that he was sure as shit about to be resurrected.  She closed her eyes and hoped  like hell that Kitara was not in the middle of fighting Isis but she needed to know immediately. Kitara, this is urgent. Osiris’ body is gone…and I picked up a very familiar energy trail, one that you wouldn’t believe. It’s Kalima, she is free and its bad Kitara…really, really bad.  Naomi didn’t bother waiting for a reply. She simply casted open a shadow and proceeded to shadow walk back to the Bahamas. It was quick and easy and Kalima, wherever she was, was not about to follow behind her.

****Nubia Rising: The Awakening is now available for download for just .99.***

http://www.amazon.com/Nubia-Rising-Awakening-Delizhia-Jenkins-ebook/dp/B00OY64L38/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420513850&sr=8-1&keywords=Nubia+Rising%3A+The+Awakening

Love At Last Sample Chapter: Trey

Love At Last Sample Chapter: Trey

Chapter 23

Trey

Trey couldn’t wait to get Danielle back to his place. He was anxious to see what her “surprise” was. But when he made the stop at her mom’s house, and all she came out with was her duffle bag, he was even more curious. The suspense made him incredibly horny. He was little disappointed that he didn’t meet her mom right then, but she wasn’t there. He was excited that she wanted him to meet her family so soon. He had originally planned on taking her out somewhere tonight but she was adamant about spending time alone at his place, which was fine with him. She said she wanted to cook for him which was a plus. He had food at the house, but she wanted to stop at the grocery store so that she wouldn’t use the food he bought for himself and Amir. Trey found himself ready to say the “L” word, but he figured now wasn’t the time.

She cooked him baked salmon, with roasted red potatoes and gravy with a Caesar salad. She even bought red wine to go with it. He helped her set up the ambiance: he lit candles, dimmed the lights and turned on Usher’s latest single, Climax to set the mood. Once the table was set, she ordered him to take a shower and get comfortable. He did as he was told. He put on some sweats and a t-shirt and sat on the couch waiting to see what she would do next. She took her duffle bag and hurried into his bathroom to shower herself, and thirty minutes later she came out looking like a breath of fresh air…and then some. She wore a blood red teddy with the matching panties and red pumps. Trey all of a sudden didn’t want to eat, at least not dinner. Those long legs of hers had him completely incoherent, and just the sight of her behind had him in a frenzy. She sashayed past him, smelling like night roses and sat at the dinner table. She had taken her hair down and had even applied some dark eye liner, giving her a sultry look. “Aren’t you going to join me?” She asked seductively. All Trey could do was nod and got up to join her at the table, not even trying to hide his arousal. She got up and served him his plate and then sat on his lap to feed him with her hands. “I hope your hands are clean, ma’” He joked. She laughed. “Of course they are…” she said. This was possibly the most sensual experience he has ever had with a woman. She said he was going to cause her to explode, shit, she didn’t know he was about to explode any minute. He finished his plate. “Ay, you haven’t touched yours,” he said. “You can feed it to me later.” She cooed. That was it. The gauntlet had been fucking dropped. He couldn’t take any more. With a quick sweeping motion Trey scooped her up in his arms and kissed her hard and passionately. She responded by wrapping her arms around his neck, kissing him back…gently biting and sucking his mouth. He almost tripped carrying her to the room.

He couldn’t get her on the bed fast enough. He laid her down, not once breaking the kiss. She was so soft and warm, her moans were like music to his ears. He took his shirt off and draped her with his body. Tonight, every question was going to be fucking answered. What she wanted he was going to deliver. Off came her teddy. Her size 36B breasts bounced free and he planted his mouth on one, latching on like a newborn baby. His hands, well let’s just say, went to work in other places. She cried out in pleasure. He took her mouth. He ripped her matching panties set clean off. Fuck it, he would buy her a million more. She opened her legs wider for him to nestle in between. Yes, tonight he was going to tattoo his name all over her body until she begged him to stop. Even if it took all night he was going to take her to the heavens and back. He was going to make her go blind with pleasure. She cried out again. Yes, goddamn it she was going to get it. He kissed her starting from her neck all the way down to her sweet spot. Damn she tasted good, he couldn’t get enough. She was going to hit a new note tonight-better yet she was going to acquire a higher octave. “OH GOD!” she cried out. Her hands gripping the sheets until they were knuckle white. “YESSSS TREEEEEEEY!” He was going to make her come so much that she was going to lose all feeling in her legs. Her cries of pleasure was his motivation. “TREY!” she screamed. Orgasm one down. Many more to go. Since he was the only one who can take her to new heights sexually, he was taking her on a trip through the universe. He was going to imprint this night in her mental rolodex, she was never going to forget it. Shit, neither was he. Her legs started to tremble. “DAMN IT TREY!” Orgasm number 2, and he still wasn’t finished. He got up and went to his Chester drawer nearest the bed to grab a gold pack, Magnum condom. She was writhing in the bed, watching him, biting her bottom lip. “Don’t worry ma’ I got you.” He said. He took of his sweats and climbed back on the bed to finish what he started. He went back to work on her sweet spot. A few minutes later, orgasm number 3. She was glistening with sweat, her lip bloodied from biting it so hard. He rolled on the condom. “You ready ma’?” She could barely speak. “Yeesssss”. He opened her legs wide and gently pushed himself inside. Good lord she was tight…almost virginal tight but she was wet as hell. As hard as it was, he remained careful but once he knew she was used to his size, he went to work. She wanted this, she needed this…said she was going to explode, well fuck it, now was the time to do so. He pushed in deeper. Again she cried out, and Trey felt her walls tighten and release as orgasm number 5 rolled through her. He kissed her neck and sped up the pace. She was everything and then some. Sensuality personified. Sexual heat magnified, and she was his. “Oh shit ma’,” he moaned as he continued to thrust. She wrapped her legs around his waist, pushing him in deeper. Shit, take her to through the universe and back? She took him with her. They both cried out as probably the best orgasm Trey ever experienced in his life stopped his heart then restarted it, an engulfing energy of heat and pleasure wrapped around him and poured into her, trapping them both and releasing them. Trey couldn’t move an inch. He could barely breathe. She didn’t say a word. She didn’t need to. Her cries told him everything he needed to know. After what seemed like hours, he managed to pull himself from on top of her, and gather her into his arms. They remained nestled in each other’s warmth, surrounded to total darkness. He could feel her heart beating his against his chest; its rhythm slowly returning to its normal beat. “Trey?” she said weakly. “Yeah ma’?” “I can’t feel my legs…” Mission accomplished. He smiled. “Is that a good thing ma’?” he asked. “Hell ya that’s a good thing.” She sat up to face him. “That was a real good thing…” he kissed her shoulder. “Are you hungry? I didn’t give you a chance to eat your food.” She laughed. “It’s ok. I don’t think I can get out the bed without falling on the floor.” He chuckled. “I was supposed to be the one giving you your surprise,” she added with a sly smile. “Oh yeah? I thought when you came out the bathroom lookin’ all sexy and shit was the surprise.” He mused. “That was part of it but not the whole thing.” “Oh yeah? Well what was it?” Trey sat up. “Now, that I think of it, I am kind of glad that we skipped it.” He raised an eyebrow. “Why?” “Because you would have laughed.” She giggled. ‘Well aren’t you going to tell me what it is?” She sighed. “For the last two weeks, after my class paralegal studies class, I have been going to a pole dancing class not far from my mom’s house…I wanted to show you what I had learned so far…” Trey laughed, not at her but the idea of her actually sliding down a pole. “See? I knew you would laugh…” she had to laugh herself. “I’m not laughing at you ma’, I think that is kinda cute that you was willing to work a pole for a nigga…” “Well see, the instructor does give pole dancing lessons, but it focuses more on strip teasing…” Trey chuckled at her embarrassment. It didn’t take much for her to get embarrassed; that was her most endearing quality. “You didn’t need a class to get me off ma’. You just being you is more than enough.” He kissed the top of her head. “So how do you feel about what we just did?” he asked. He was more than alright with it. He had no plans of going anywhere. In his mind she was the one; she was everything he dreamed about and then some…everything he dreamed about. He suddenly remembered where he had seen her from. He had a dream a few weeks ago about a woman that looked just like her. All he could recall was them meeting out in the city somewhere and sharing a kiss. He remembered waking up hard as hell and having to relieve himself twice before he could even get out of the bed. “If you are wondering if I regret anything, the answer is no.” She turned and lightly kissed his cheek. “I have never felt pleasure like that in my life,” she gushed. Trey smiled…a big ass nacho cheesy grin. He knew he broke her off something proper. All of that waiting and near misses and almosts really paid off. And as long as she would let him, she could have as much as she wanted. “I think I am going to feed you now,” he said getting out the bed. She could see the outline of his toned and hard body in the darkness as he put his sweats back on. “Trey, you don’t-“He turned to face her. “Ma’, I want you to stop it. Right now.” She sat still, shocked. He approached her, sitting on the edge of the bed. “You are so used to having to be the one doing the pleasing, but you don’t have to do that with me. I am into you, so into you that I don’t know what to do with myself. You know my history with women, especially Shyann. I never thought another woman would ever be the one for me and then I found you. If I like a woman, I do what most men will do to impress her. But, the way that you make me feel goes beyond like, and I am finding myself wanting to do more than just buy you roses and take you out to eat. Do you understand?” She nodded. “So just sit back, relax and for once let someone else do the pleasing. You fed me, right?” She nodded. “So it is only fair that I feed you. If it wasn’t for the fact that I just met you two months ago, I would have moved you in here so quick it would have made your head spin. I don’t know w;hat this is between us, but the shit is strong. Six months from now, I want us to be planning our future. A year from now, I want you wearing my ring, and if everything goes right, I want you carrying my next son or daughter. If it makes you comfortable, we can slow things down but I just want you to know where I stand.” Trey stated. So far, his relationship with Danielle had been perfect. They had their moments where they would disagree but she would always come back or he would always come back and the issue would get solved. In all actuality, what they mostly had disagreements about was who was going to pay or Danielle’s independent streak taking over. He didn’t mind an independent woman, but he also wanted an independent woman to feel secure enough to let him be the man. She was pretty good with that, but she still had her moments. He knew her past was still haunting her. Hell, his was too. He hadn’t heard from Shyann since that night she dropped Amir off. And he hadn’t bothered to look for her. He knew where she was at: with that ass-wipe King. But he did need to know if she was alright. He had already asked a few of his cousins to get the scoop on what was going on with that. But with all of this going on and more he wasn’t prepared for what was going to happen next.

Danielle’s expression had softened so he almost forgot about her food and was about to take them both on a ride to Pleasureville and back. He wondered what she was thinking, until she spoke. “I think I love you Trey…” she blurted out. Trey wasn’t sure her heard her right. “What?” he asked. “I said, I love you Trey.” Damn. He knew he had made her lose her mind, but shit…”Look ma’”…”No you look Trey,” she said. “It has nothing to do with what just happened. I know how I feel about you. You are the first thing I think about when I wake up in the morning and the last thing that is on my mind when I close my eyes to sleep at night. When you leave, even if it’s just for five minutes, I miss you like you have been gone for twenty years. I have never felt this way even for King. Ever. We had our moments when things were going right where I felt something for him, but never on this level. I love everything about you. Your smile, the way you look when you are thinking; how you care for Amir; the way that you walk; how you carry yourself…I am anxious to meet your mom and your sisters just because I know that they love you. I love the sound of your voice when you wake up in the morning. I love the fact that you are willing to go out of your way for me…I just love you Trey, and I mean that. You have been such a gentleman with me since the moment we met it kinda scared me. Any other guy would have tried to jump my bones the first night I came here, and you didn’t. Any other guy would have seen how vulnerable I was and still am and took advantage of that, and you haven’t. So don’t even think to question how I could be in love with you when you have given me so many reasons why I am. I love you Trey.” She looked down like she always did when she was worried about his reaction. She had no idea what she just did. Trey had been wanting to drop the “L” bomb for a minute now but didn’t, thinking that she might run off. But she said it first, and she said it with so much emotion that he was devoid of any thought or reason. A few minutes passed between them before she got up and went into the bathroom. He followed behind her and listened after the door shut. Was she crying? He heard soft sniffling and the shuffling of clothes from her duffle bag. He opened the door. She was wrapped in one of his towels, her nose red and her face damp. He didn’t mean to make her cry, lord knows he didn’t. He was madly in love with her; was willing to risk his freedom for her if he had to. “Come here ma’.” He said softly. Her eyes were puffy and red which broke his heart. “Come here ma’” he pleaded. She didn’t go to him. She just looked at him. He stepped inside and took her palms in gently pulled her out into an embrace. He made her look at him. “Danielle, you didn’t give me a chance to respond. Baby, I am so in love with you it hurts. I was just in shock that you were so honest and I didn’t know that you felt that way. If you don’t believe me when I say that I am in love with you, then let me prove it to you.” He went in the bathroom and cut the shower water on. She was still standing in the hall where had left her, wrapped in the towel, holding herself. When the water was just right, he stripped down and beckoned for her to come in with him and she did. She took off the towel and he helped her into the shower. It was a bit of a tight squeeze but he was able to maneuver himself around her. He held her gaze as he took the washcloth and the squeezed out the body wash onto it. He stole glances of her body, of course and what a sight it was to see. Her sun kissed brown skin was absolutely radiant under the spray. He carefully took the towel and massaged it onto her skin and made sure to wash every inch of body. Her hair went from straight to now curly which gave her a more erotic appeal. After washing each section of her body he lightly plant a kiss and by the time he was done he had literally covered her with kisses. She returned the favor, not only showering him with the soap but also with her affection and when they were done, he did what he always did and scooped her up, taking her not to the bedroom but to the kitchen. They were both wrapped in towels. He sat her down at the table, took her plate and warmed it up, then brought it back to her, only for him to return the favor and feed her with his bare hands. All of this done in silence, She didn’t need to speak and neither did he. It wasn’t until she said she was full, is when he spoke. “Now, do you believe me?” She smiled. Of course she did. “Now I want you to remember this whenever you start doubting how I feel.” “I feel like I’m in a dream.” “So do I,” Trey said. “Where I’m from what I just did would look like some sucka shit. But I told you ma’ that I would be your prince if you let me. So, are we good?” “We are more than good, Trey…until my heart stops beating there is no way I see myself ever being without you. You know how I feel.” “Until your heart stops beating?” He repeated. “Until my heart stops beating.” Trey had to smile at that. Until her heart stops beating? Shit, that wasn’t going to be until they were old and grey. But somewhere in the back of his mind, someone was going to try to change that, and that someone had made a deal with the devil.

Love At Last… Sample Chapter

Love At Last

Chapter 14

Trey

Damn she looks good, Trey thought to himself when he saw Danielle walk out from behind the elevator doors. It was as if she had stepped out of Heaven and this was one shot of meeting an angel. That skirt she wore, hugged her slender curves tight, cupping a nice handful of a perfect behind. He cocoa brown skinned glowed from underneath the fluorescent lights and this time, she wore her hair down, framing her oval face. He could have kissed her right then. She looked much taller in her heels and those long legs of hers were something to die for. Pain still shown from the depths of her eyes but only a person who knew pain could see it. But her smile is what made his heart beat fast and pray that when he hugged her, she didn’t notice his hard-on.

He had a surprise for her. As corny as it was he it would be nice for them to take a trip to Disneyland. First date at the happiest place on earth, go figure. He wanted to show her a good time but also be at ease with her and he figured a theme park was the way to do it. The tickets were ridiculous but he had not done anything like this for a woman in long time so it was worth it. He took her hand and led her to his car which was parked out front. Her eyes widened with excitement when she saw his ride. “You have a nice car.” She said. He opened the door for her to get in. “Thanks ma’. What? You thought I drove a bucket?” she smirked. “No, well? I don’t know. At the end of the day it really doesn’t matter. You thought I didn’t have a car.” Tray barked out a laugh. “Ok you got me, but you did ride three trains ma’…I’m just saying.” “Whatever.” She laughed. “You look beautiful,” Trey told her. He had already given her a dozen compliments but it just didn’t seem like it was enough, especially since each time he did it he could tell that it made her blush. “Thank you Trey. And I must say you look very nice yourself.” She said. “Good enough to eat.” Well that did it. Trey needed to get them moving lest he ruined the date before it even began by making a move on her. “Don’t talk like that ma’,” he said. “You make a nigga wanna do things and this is only our first date.” She chuckled. “I’m sorry.” “Naw, don’t be,” Trey started the engine. And with that, they were on their way.

The drive from Downtown Los Angeles to Anaheim was a breeze, despite the traffic. Fortunately, the theme park was closing late which even though they didn’t make in the gate and into the park until almost four, Trey was happy as hell that he had decided to take her. She nearly jumped out the car with excitement when she realized where they were. “Oh my God Trey!” She said. “You brought me to Disneyland? I haven’t been here in ages.” Trey had tried to play it off like it was no big deal but inside…he couldn’t explain it. Once inside the park, they held hands and what Trey was assuming was out of pure joy she surprised him with a kiss on the lips. It wasn’t a quick peck either, she lingered just long enough for him to ease his tongue into her mouth. She pulled away embarrassed at being so forward but Trey just pulled her in again and kissed her the way that he had been wanting to from the moment he saw her. Her lips were soft and full and light to the touch. Trey didn’t kiss her with too much passion or force, but just enough to where he pulled her so close to him, he could feel her heart beating through her chest. It told him she was just as nervous and scared as he was but she wanted him. A few cheers were heard in the background, and one of the theme park’s photographers had snapped a few shots of them. The moment was magical. He pulled away from her and gently slid her from his embrace and realized that they had been locked in a kiss for more than a few minutes. She looked like she was in a daze and quite frankly he was too. He still had her by the waist and when she tried to gently pull away, Trey said, “Uh ma’? Could you give me a minute to get it together? You blew a nigga’s mind so that I can’t think straight.” She looked like she didn’t know what the it was for a second but then once she caught on she hugged him so more and kissed his cheek.

Her closeness didn’t make his situation better, but after some adjusting he managed to get himself at least halfway together so that they could enjoy the park. They rode as many rides as they could; Space Mountain, the Manahorn, and Indiana Jones (twice), she even convinced him to get on Rodger Rabbits Wild Ride just for the hell of it. Trey couldn’t remember the last time he had so much fun. After two hours however, they had to stop at a gift store to buy her a pair of sandals because she had forgotten hers in the car. He was almost outraged at having to pay $22.50 for a pair of paper thin sandals-not that he couldn’t afford to, but on principles. But the annoyance quickly dissipated when he saw how relieved she looked taking off her wedged shoes and slipping her feet into something much more comfortable. Damn, even her feet was pretty. Perfectly pedicured toes, painted with a turquoise blue… “Hey ma’ let me help you with that,” Trey said stooping low to take off her left shoe and slipping on her sandal. “Dang Trey, you make me feel like Cinderella.” She gushed. Trey smiled, which was something he had been doing the whole day. “I could be your prince any day if you let me…” Trey stood up and gathered her into another embrace. She leaned in and whispered into his ear something that damn near broke his heart. “I’m scared Trey…each second that I am with you I am falling for you and I shouldn’t. I don’t want to feel this way because, I think that once I truly fall, I am going to hit the ground hard.” He pulled away and stared into her eyes which had begun to water. “I don’t know if I deserve this Trey…I have been abused, and scarred and I am still hurting. I just want you to understand that I can’t go through another round of heartache again. So if this is a game or a ruse, be honest with me now.” She wiped her face. “Aww shit I have ruined everything huh?” Trey didn’t know how to respond or what to say. He knew there was pain lying just beneath her skin and all of it having to do with King. But what moved him the most was the fact that she felt she didn’t deserve to be happy. Trey was no sucker for a woman; he had been with many and most of them had attempted to run all types of game on him but to no avail. Yet, he could not deny the fact that she wasn’t the only one who was falling. Hell, if he could he would make her his girl right now, but he figured that they needed a little more time. She looked so vulnerable and even though she was pretty tall, in her fragile state she was small. He took her hands in his and kissed them. “I’m not playing a game with you Danielle. Even if I wanted to, I can’t. There is something about you that makes me want to be there for you as your friend and hopefully one day soon, as your man. I can’t change what King did to you and what he put you through but I can tell you that I won’t hurt you. I’d leave you before I do that. Just know that I got you and…”He leaned in and whispered,” I will catch you, so feel free to fall.” Her smile slowly crept into a full grin. “You know you this is the first time you said my name since we met?” she asked. He laughed. “I do call you ma’ a lot don’t I? Well, what do you prefer?” She looked at him sheepishly. That shy smile of hers a beacon for all the wrongs that went on in his life again reappeared. She didn’t say anything, but he knew the answer. “Ma’ it is then. So what ride you want to get on next?” “I’m hungry actually,” came her reply. “Good me too. Let’s go find us some ribs or something’”, Trey said taking her hand. “Ribs?” she laughed. “Hell yeah. I aint have none in a minute. Let’s go, I think there is a restaurant over by that Dumbo ride.” She laughed some more. “Ribs it is then.”

http://www.amazon.com/Love-Last-Delizhia-Denise-Jenkins/dp/1505376092/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1419997217&sr=8-1&keywords=love+at+last+by+delizhia+jenkins

Blind Salvation: Lucinda

Lucinda

Lucinda could not stop the tears from falling as she recanted the days when she had first taken a sip from the cup of true love; and what a sweet, addicting taste it was. Better than blood. The night that she had met Rothbart had changed her world forever; and despite all that she had been through she would gladly relive those moments again, even for just a short while so that she may remember what it was like to have her own slice of heaven. She had just been crowned future queen; her parents just having concluded one of the grandest balls in her honor featuring the most prestigious vampires from across the globe to offer their tribute. She was the bell of the ball so to speak, the envy of every vampire female and the object of every male vampire hoping to make a name for himself and claim a seat of power. Lucinda, daughter of Hadrian the Great and his darling wife Phaedra of the Draco line, was to be the first and only to be named Queen without a male consort or a king. It was a first of  blooded royals, and Hadrian would have it no other way. She had proved herself fit and capable to rule over the Draco line with fairness and brutality (if needed); she was fearless, strong, intelligent and strikingly beautiful. She was the eldest of her siblings, Damien barely being what humans would consider a teenager at the time and it would centuries before he became the male that the line would need to rule; and she commanded attention in the same manner her father: without effort. Life could have not been any better. She was a true celebrity of her time and it was during this time when she would have to choose what was more important: love or her family.

She had just dined on an aging man of middle class status and was parading down the dark foggy streets of London in one of the sapphire blue, silk gowns that covered the shoulders yet made a V shaped dip deep into her bosom before curving around the rest of her luscious body all the way down to her ankles. It was of course the 15th Century, a time that in her mind remains the highest peak of humanity, and of course she was barefoot, but who would dare notice at such a time in the darkest hour of night? She was sated, excited about her future and the plans she had for the direction she planned on taking her family in. She planned on going on the offensive with the Slayers; they would become the hunted until each and every last one of their heads were mounted on her bedchamber’s wall. She planned on seeking and rooting out the last known remaining werewolf clans and subjecting them back under vampire rule; but not before she successfully aligned her family with the most powerful wizard of the time: Merlin.

She had been frolicking childishly along, lost in her own thoughts and schemes when she noticed a man trailing behind her, and based off of his stealthy and carefully orchestrated movements, she could tell he was a Slayer. How ironic, she remembered thinking to herself as she continued to pretend like she did not notice him.

Her plan was to isolate him in the alley that was coming up ahead, and there she would use the darkness to her advantage and ambush him there. She could take him. He was a young Slayer too. Blond hair. Around Six feet. Bronzed skin, broad shoulders with thick muscular padding wearing nothing but a pair of plain brown trousers, beat up leather shoes that she assumed he robbed from a bum, and a trench coat that more than likely concealed dozens of weapons. He was only a few feet behind her, and she could feel his eyes burning on her. If he thought she would be an easy kill, he was going to be highly disappointed when he was resurrected however many years from now when he realized it was she who killed him.

“Milady,” he called from behind her, his voice raspy and cold…and tingly deep. She stopped and slowly turned to face him, offering her warmest, toothiest smile with a hint of fang. “Yes?” “You should not walk the streets barefoot,” he said coolly as he took his time approaching her. “You might catch fever.” She laughed. “Let us not play this game Slayer,” she said dangerously. “You know that my kind are not subject to fever.” “I am not trying to play a game with you vampire beauty,” he said once they were less than three feet away from each other. “I only said what I said to get your attention.” “And what kind of attention do you seek? Most Slayers only seek one kind of attention and many of them died once it was achieved.” “Only to be brought back to life to finish the job started,” he challenged looking at her straight in her eyes. She raised an eyebrow. “Then what do you want?” “I want to get to know you. You are like the night’s mystery to me and I want to solve it.” “The night’s mystery?” She snorted. “Can you blame a lad for trying? I just want to get to know you. Why would I hunt the very one who makes my heart quicken without a trace of fear or hatred? Listen. I know you can hear it.” She did not want to and told herself that she should kill him and be done with it but she listened anyways. His heart did  beat faster and when she took a moment to closely examine him, she realized that he was strikingly handsome. His features were fine and full of youth and promise. His cheeks lightly flushed, and for a man who was probably older than the city’s oldest senior his face was baby boy soft. Not a trace of hair. He stood there, without a weapon drawn, waiting for her to hear his heart beat and he smiled when she did.  “Why would you want to get to know the very thing that you love to kill?” She asked, unsure of where this was going and where it could potentially go. “Because when I look at you, I see more than the strength of a bloodline that has survived centuries of hunting and killings from Slayers. I see a woman, divinely created in search of the one thing that she has yet to find just I have searched and have been unsuccessful…” “And what is that Slayer?” “That one thing that can stop and restart time and give hope to the hopeless all at the same time: love.” She scoffed  and laughed and dematerialized quickly leaving the Slayer standing in the dark alone, baffled by his obvious sense of buffoonery. Little did she know she would see him again. And again. Always after she had finished her hunt . She knew that he was watching her, studying her, and working desperately to capture her attention…something that she began to find quite endearing.

This went on for months, her parents none the wiser. They trusted in her ability to hunt alone, without being accompanied by an escort or even going as far as to have her prey waiting for her at their castle.  Rothbart seemed to always be waiting in the shadows until one night when she lured him out. Dressed in a petticoat, her red hair free and flowing in the gentle breeze of the night, she sat on a park bench listening for her latest victim. She could sense Rothbart’s presence somewhere in one of the nearby thickets and called out to him, tired of the game. “You can come out Slayer,” she cooed. “There is no point in hiding when we both know that I know you are there.” He slowly emerged from behind the thicket, his hair damp from perhaps showering before stepping out to begin this routine of theirs. Dressed in what she noticed were new breeches with a wine colored tunic, it warmed her to know he dressed to impress her. He did not look so…ratty. As a matter of fact, he looked quite handsome. “Join me as I wait for my meal,” she said with a sly smile.

He cautiously inched his way to the park bench and took a seat, less than a breath of a hair away from Lucinda. The instant that their elbows brushed each other, the connection was breathtaking. She hissed slightly as he jerked. “What is this magic you bring Slayer?” She demanded, rubbing her elbow. “The magic I bring to you princess is that of my heart,” He responded calmly. “How do you know my station?” Rothbart sighed and shook his head. “I tire of these games. Ye be Hadrian’s daughter. How could a Slayer not know that?” When she did not answer immediately, he continued. “Are you mated?” Her eyes narrowed but she answered, “No.” “But you are to be queen and you have found no mate befitting of such station?” “You ask dangerous questions Slayer,” she hissed. “Indeed. Have you a fear of the male species?” She growled. “I fear nothing!” “Then, why do you push me away?” She turned her head, debating on simply dematerializing but then changed her mind. “Do you not find me attractive?” He asked innocently. She tried to maintain the resolve to not look at him but he pressed her again. “Lucinda, tell me you do not find yourself attracted to me and I will leave you alone forever.”  That made her turn her eyes to meet his, and the moment she did her heart began to beat erratically and her breathing slowed. His mouth, lush and pink and full-how she wanted to press her mouth against his and taste the sweet nectar that she knew he had to offer. He stared at her in a way she had never experienced, not even from her own kind that made her body crave something much more carnal than blood. “What do you do to me?” She questioned as she lost herself in his hypnotic stare. “Nothing. Yet.” His last statement shocked and aroused her, and being a virgin vampire she could only imagine the things that he would do to her. “I am a Royal Vampire in all manners. My bite is-“ “I am immune to your bite,” he said. “My father would not approve,” she said, thinking about the punishment she would face if her father found out about their brewing forbidden relationship. “Does your father make the final decision in everything?” If his question was meant to provoke her, he succeeded. Her nostrils flared and her face turned beet red. “No. If I am to be queen then I am free to make my own decisions.” He smiled, displaying a perfect set of white teeth on a strong, chiseled face. “Then are you saying that you are free to choose me vampire?” For the first time in her 200 years of living, she smiled genuinely. “I am. But the question is do I choose you Slayer?” He held his grin, his eyes twinkling at her question. “Then choose me vampire,” he whispered. “Choose me and I can show you what the love of a man is like. You vampires are so cold and calculating. Let me warm you with my love and you will never regret it.”

Since that meeting on the park bench they stole whatever moment they could with each other and a few weeks later, Rothbart made love to the virgin vampire; opening her up to all of her secrets and mysteries that came with a female-human or not, and she gave him her heart. He even surprised her with a small cottage that he purchased on one of the more secluded areas of London. Their affair lasted a good five years before its discovery, and once it reached Hadrian’s ears he launched an attack on the Catholic church of London, nearly razing it to the ground. He stripped Lucinda of her title before the courts, humiliating her in the worse possible way and sent her to live across the seas to Romania for a time being. Hadrian almost lost his life to Rothbart, had one of his men not sacrificed his own. Her father had sent her away so quickly that she did not have time to send word to Rothbart her whereabouts and by the time she had discovered the nature of the results of her affair, Rothbart had all but disappeared. She was under close guard for a good decade before she was trusted to be on her own once again, only for her to find herself forced to marry Alexander and what was once her throne handed over to Damien. She lost everything all because of what the man she chose to love was: a Slayer. And now, this same Slayer, sought vengeance against her family because he too suffered a broken heart.

She concluded her story with a sob and once she was done she dematerialized to her room where she could finish morning the loss of something she knew in her heart she would never experience again. A part of her hoped that the saying about vampires only loving once was false; she wanted to love again and she hoped that if such a second chance existed, that it would not end tragically and that she too could look forward to a happily mated life filled with babies and dreams for the future. Damien simply did not understand his blessing.

Halfway Point

The time is drawing close for me to wrap up Blind Salvation and begin the query process all over again. Fortunately this time I feel much more prepared on the “How to” process, what I should look for and how to implement my strategy in seeking representation. This time, I am not worried. I feel as if they like it, then they  like it. But if they don’t then I have options. I believe that 2015 will be a good year not just for myself but for any author who has suffered a series of rejections, lack of support from family and friends and just the feelings of defeat that come with being a creative individual with a vision no one understands.

I am at the halfway point in my journey as an author. Now, I just have to make my way to the finish line.

Blind Salvation: Final Damien Excerpt

Damien

She saw him– that was all he could think about as he carried his woman into the closest room with a bed. His parents were right behind him and when Lucinda had emerged from wherever it was she had been taking refuge and joined them. He kicked down the door and forced himself into one of the servant quarters, which was no bigger than a walk in closet with a single bed, and a sink. The room looked a lot like the prison cells seen on the show Locked Up but he didn’t care. He needed to get her on a hard and flat surface; at least he thought that was what he needed to do. Her scent, that citrusy fragrance of hers had thickened; not the same scent that indicated her arousal but that single identifying smell that separated her from the rest…the Fae. “What happened?” He asked his father, his mind racing with worry. “I don’t know. I have never seen a Fae/Seer mixture before…never seen a Fae mixed with anything combo. I wish I knew son.” “She saw me…” Damien whispered awestruck. “She did. She saw all of us.” Hadrian replied as he leaned his muscled frame against the doorway. “What triggered it?” Damien asked as he gently brushed a stray hair away from her face. Phaedra frowned and glanced up at her husband who simply shrugged,” Fear.” Kennedy moaned and before groggily sitting up. Damien glared at his father who again simply shrugged before turning around and walking away dismissing everyone as if that were in fact a kingly thing to do.

He helped her rise, and she rubbed her eyes and he could tell she was trying to force whatever it was that happened to happen again and when it did not, she hung her head in disappointment.  “Are you alright?” Phaedra said softly, her voice filled with concern. “Yes, I am. Thank you,” Kennedy nodded. “I will have the staff prepare you a meal,” Phaedra continued. “What will you like?” “Uh…” “She doesn’t like fish or anything sea food.” Damien answered. “Ok, well how about a turkey sub on wheat? Rodger makes a sandwich so divine that if I were to allow him he could put Subway out of business.” Phaedra bragged. Lucinda, who had been peaking from the other side of the door way the entire time, chuckled. “What do you know about places like Subway mother? You hardly leave the house.” “Who needs to leave the house when you have cable and a culinary genius at your beck and call?” Phaedra said playfully. “Bring her to the kitchen so that she may eat. Hunger may be the cause for some of the fluctuations that she is experiencing,” Phaedra ordered right before she poofed herself out of the doorway.  “I don’t know what happened Damien,” Kennedy said sadly. “I saw you-“”-I know.”  “What’s wrong with me?” Damien glanced over to where his sister was standing and clearly taking in the moment. Her grey eyes were filled with unshed tears that she quickly wiped her way, her pale cheeks red and her expression sullen. He mouthed, “What’s wrong?” And Lucinda’s response was her disappearing into the nothingness. Damien sighed. “We are trying to figure that out love,” he said cupping Kennedy’s face. “You know what I wish I could see once more?” Kennedy said, her mouth brushing the tips of his fingers, sending an erotic chill throughout his body. “What’s that?” She raised her eyes to meet his. “Your eyes. I love your eyes. The blue is deep and unfathomable, like you.” Well what could he say to that? Nothing. He placed a gentle kiss on her lips before helping her to her feet.

And so the light fell in love with the dark, even though it was the light that could not see and it was the dark that bathed in the sun.

He held her hand in his and once their fingers were intertwined, a sense of peace flooded his senses. And somehow, he knew that this was meant to be.