NEVER THE BRIDE BUT . . .
ALWAYS THE VAMPIRE
Berkley Trade
ISBN: 9780425240885
5/3/2011
I stopped cold. Oh, no. Oh, God, no. Saber had symptoms of the sickness. Irritability in spades, plus he’d been falling asleep by midnight instead of his usual two in the morning. Come to think of it, our lovemaking had slacked off.
Conclusion? Saber was infected or feared he was, and he couldn’t bring himself to tell me.
Every muscle trembled as I pulled myself to my feet, skirted the coffee table, and walked into his arms.
“Deke,” I whispered, using the name I reserved for our most intimate moments. “Don’t worry. If you’re infected, we’ll fix it. We’ll find the Void, kill it, and cure you. I swear. I’ll do whatever it takes.”
Maybe he knew I was talking a good game. Maybe he knew I wasn’t as confident as I made myself sound. Maybe that’s why he hesitated before he hugged me tighter.
"You’ll do whatever it takes?”
“Absolutely,” I said, leaning away to cup his cheek in my palm.
He gave me a slow smile.
“Good. Then let’s go see Triton.”
Triton? Oh, pelican poop.
~ ~ ~
Cesca Marinelli is the Oldest City’s only vampire, and you can bet your fangs she’ll be the best maid of honor ever for her friend Maggie’s Victorian wedding -- even if she has to wear a dress with a bustle. But when her mostly human honey, Saber, falls ill due to a magical construct called the Void, she’ll have to go beyond the call of bridesmaid duty to save Saber and the wedding party, too.
The Void is affecting every supernatural being Cesca knows, including her old shape-shifter pal, Triton. To counter the Void’s reign of terror and rescue her friends, she’ll need to activate ancient amulets and fully summon her vampire powers – two moves that may lead to her own doom.
~ ~ ~
NANCY HADDOCK is the national bestselling author of light paranormal mystery romances for Berkley. La Vida Vampire was released in 2008, Last Vampire Standing in 2009, and Always The Vampire in May 2011.
Nancy has been a Speech & Language pathologist, a high school teacher, and a volunteer in various organizations. She hails from northeast, Oklahoma, lived in the Dallas area for many years, and now makes her home near the beach in historic St. Augustine, Florida.
Nancy has been extremely generous with her time for many years with
Romance Writers of America and romance writers! I’ve known and worked with Nancy for a decade (wow, it really has been that long) and I can tell you that her wonderful sense of humor shows in her writing. Romantic Times BookReveiws Magazine says:“Haddock is making a name for herself by delivering novels that are wacky and humorous, populated with highly engaging characters.”
BITES & PIECES
ANGI: How often to you get lost in a story?
NANCY: That would be daily! I read an average of 2-3 books a week, and when I’m not lost in someone else’s novel, I’m (hopefully!) lost in the adventures of my own characters.
ANGI: What’s the first book you remember reading?
NANCY: The Dick & Jane titles were big on my reading list early on along with Pokey Little Puppy and Nurse Nancy. (And yes, I have a copy of Nurse Nancy!) Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, and lots of comic books followed, and then I read The Good Earth when I was about twelve. That book stills entrances me!
ANGI: What’s your favorite cartoon character?
NANCY: Oooh, Disney’s Chip and Dale are my favs!
ANGI: What turns you off like nothing else?
NANCY: Pretension and lying. I cannot abide either.
ANGI: Where do you read and how often?
NANCY: I read daily and I read everywhere – curled up on the couch, in waiting rooms, on the beach. I don’t walk and read much anymore, though. I run into things.
ANGI: What sound or noise do you love?
NANCY: I love many, but a top pick has to be the sound of breaking waves.
ANGI: Fairy Tale or Action Adventure?
NANCY: Depending on my mood, both!
ANGI: What’s your favorite movie of all time?
NANCY: Ack! I don’t have just one. Three of my all-times favs are Father Goose, What’s Up, Doc?, and Dances With Wolves.
ANGI: Be honest, when reading...do you put yourself in the heroine’s role?
NANCY: Of course I project myself into the protagonist – heroine or hero! (i.e., Jim Butcher’s Dresden) For the space of each story, I get to be spunky, smart, mysterious, magical, daring – you name it. And when I read a book such as Thor Heyerdahl’s Kon Tiki or Rachel Carson’s The Sea Around Us, I take a different journey that’s just as exciting.
ANGI: Is writing or story-telling easier for you?
NANCY: I hope I do both as I write my books!
ANGI: What’s something you’d like to tell your fans?
NANCY: My heartfelt thanks! I’m honored by each reader, and I answer every e-mail … even if it takes a few days.
ANGI’S GOTTA ASK: So, Nancy, I have to admit that the Vampire way of life is hard for me to get into. I just have a hard time with the whole “undead” thing. Can you explain the appeal? And why would someone (like me) who isn’t attracted to vampires want to read your book?
NANCY’S GOTTA ANSWER: Whoa! Cesca Marinelli, here. I’m Nancy’s vampire heroine. Nancy would wax philosophical about the mysticism of immortality as the lure of vampire novels, but I have a shorter answer. For those who aren’t into dark and broody vamps, I’m not exactly undead. I have a pulse, I breathe, and I don’t even bite people. (You never know where they’ve been!) So, while I might be underdead (or would that be under alive?), my afterlife is pretty much like yours. Except, you know, for the whole solving mysteries thing. Oh, and the surfing. In short, vampires can be fun!
ANGI: I have to admit, Cesca, that you sound EXTREMELY appealing, fun, and very much alive! Can’t wait to get my “fangs” into another one of your adventures. You’ve converted me to the “underdead” appeal.
Nancy wants to know: If you could read on any beach in the world, where would that be and why is that beach your choice?
Nancy will give away a signed copy of the Always The Vampire (trade paperback) to one lucky random commenter within North America.
PLEASE NOTE: Offer void where prohibited. Prizes will be mailed to North America addresses only. If an electronic Advanced Reading Copy (ARC) is available, the author may utilize that option for International participants. Odds of winning vary due to the number of entrants.
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Commenters are eligible for Nancy's ALWAYS A VAMPIRE. Don't forget to let Nancy know which beach is your fav !!
