Can You Believe this $hit?
Have you ever come face to face with something that you just didn’t want to believe? Did it feel kind of like getting punched in the gut? Or maybe like the ground had been swiped out from under your feet? Well here is a little scene where that happened to my heroine—literally. As a tough-as-nails NYC homicide detective, she’s used to lots of harrowing situations and always seems to come out on top. But things change when the enemy she has to face is a force of evil that she’s been reluctant to believe in… The doors swished open in front of her. She stepped out onto the pitted cement of the parking garage, squaring her shoulders. She took five steps when the first scuff of shoe announced she was not as alone as she’d thought. Trying not to look obvious, she twisted her head around.
Two men. Two sets of eyes. Watching her. Intently.
Crap.
She spun, planting her feet as she pulled her jacket back, making sure they got a good look at her Sig. “You gentlemen aren’t following me, are you?”
Instead of answering, the men spread apart, one staying between her and the way out and one flanking her.
She took a step back, and the man in front of her took his own step to follow. Her scalp prickled. Something about this seemed damn familiar.
She shook the feeling off, flicking the strap off her gun. “Come on, boys. You don’t really want to end tonight in lockup do you?”
The one in front of her smiled, his lips curling back slowly to expose a dentist’s dream set of pearlies. Nice and even and…What the hell? Something was seriously fucked up with his canines.
Probably just caps. Some sort of cosmetic dentistry. Even so, those teeth, more than the flickering lighting of the garage, or the two bulky thugs surrounding her, is what had perspiration coating the palm on the butt of her gun. Stop it, Jessica, you don’t believe in this shit.
A shiver ran over her exposed skin, sweat chilling in the cool night, but she forced herself to move, popping the gun from its holster. She hadn’t even gotten the gun level when the second thug lunged, coming in at her from the side. Still, she should’ve been able to spin into the attack, even if she didn’t get a chance at a clear shot, she should have been prepared for the impact, yet she barely blinked and he was on her, his hand slamming against her already abused wrist and sending her weapon sailing.
Fine. She could play, too.
She turned into the attack, knuckles skimming off an iron jaw. He laughed, a thick hand snaking into her hair and jerking her back against him. Jessica twisted, trying to get a good elbow into his ribs, but the action had no force and achieved nothing. She went for the instep but he released his grip on her hair, pushing her away. She stumbled, trying to spin, but a booted foot slammed into her spine sending her toward the ground. Pavement raced up to meet her, and smacked her hard in the jaw as she strained to keep her face from scrubbing the asphalt. Even that reprieve was minimal as her assailant followed her down, his weight enough to knock the air out of her lungs and send her face back into the pavement. Pain radiated across her cheekbone. The already dim garage faded out, and darkness tunneled in, contorting the edges of her vision.
“Aren’t you going to be a nice treat?” Heat seared across the nape of her neck by her ear; his words, contorted and slow as she struggled against the dark, against the heavy weight smothering her.
The reality of what was happening spiraled Jessica further into panic. Not possible. His speed, his strength. The way he tossed her around like a rag doll? None of it made sense. She was a better fighter than this. This couldn’t be happening.
And then it wasn’t. Abruptly the weight lifted off her with a ground shaking roar.
I hope you enjoyed this excerpt! Is there something that you believe in that is conventionally thought of as fantastical? If so, share your thoughts. Can’t think of anything, that’s okay, just say Hi or ask any ole question. One commenter will receive a bag of swag that I collected from RWA’s national convention plus a copy of Deliver Me from Temptation* (open to US) and a second one will receive a signed copy of Deliver Me from Temptation (*open internationally!).
Deliver Me from Temptation by Tes Hilaire Logan Screwed Up...Big Time
When things go bump in the night, Logan bumps back. Vampires, demons, succubi—you name it, he's fought it. His job as Paladin angel warrior is to protect humans. Not fall for one.
She Never Believed in Divine Intervention...Until Now
Detective Jessica Waters protects humans too-with her Glock and a good set of handcuffs. She doesn't believe in fate. But if anyone looks like a gift from the gods, it's Logan. And he clearly knows more about her case than he's letting on...
“Dark, sexy, and intense! Hilaire blazes a new path in paranormal romance.”—Sophie Jordan, New York Times bestselling author on Deliver Me From Darkness
A STRANGER IN THE NIGHT...
He had once been a warrior of the Light, one of the revered Paladin. A protector. But now he lives in darkness, and the shadows are his sanctuary. Every day is a struggle to overcome the bloodlust. Especially the day Karissa shows up at his doorstep.
COMES KNOCKING ON THE DOOR
She is light and bright and everything beautiful—despite her scratches and torn clothes. Every creature of the night is after her. So is every male Paladin. Because Karissa is the last female of their kind. But she is his. He may not have a soul, but he can't deny his heart.
“Dark, sexy, and intense! Hilaire blazes a new path in paranormal romance.”—Sophie Jordan, New York Times bestselling author on Deliver Me From Darkness
To Purchase Deliver Me from Temptation:
A STRANGER IN THE NIGHT...He had once been a warrior of the Light, one of the revered Paladin. A protector. But now he lives in darkness, and the shadows are his sanctuary. Every day is a struggle to overcome the bloodlust. Especially the day Karissa shows up at his doorstep.
COMES KNOCKING ON THE DOOR
She is light and bright and everything beautiful—despite her scratches and torn clothes. Every creature of the night is after her. So is every male Paladin. Because Karissa is the last female of their kind. But she is his. He may not have a soul, but he can't deny his heart.
Great Deal Alert!!
About the Author:
Daphne Award-winning author Tes Hilaire started creating whole new worlds to escape upstate New York’s harsh winters before finally fleeing to sultry North Carolina. Her stories are edgy, exciting, and bring a hint of dark fantasy to paranormal romance. And no one ever has to shovel snow. For more, visit www.teshilaire.com, like her on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/TesHilaireAuthor, and follow her on Twitter, @TesHilaire. Look for the other books in the Paladin Warriors Series: Deliver Me from Darkness (in stores now) and Prince of Shadows (November 2013).
I cannot think of anything. Sorry but I will say HI,
ReplyDeletedebby236 at gmail dot com
like that i can't think of anything...perhaps magic but that's all
ReplyDeletethank you a lot for offering a signed book to international too; man the us winner will be a lucky one^^ so many goodies/swag ( i'm curious about what some of the things shown in the pic are^^;; like the black thing is it a notebook?)
isabelle(dot)frisch(at)gmail(dot)com
You are asking me...... me? OMG I believe in a lot of amazing crap most people think of as, well let's just say many are backing away from me slowly and reaching for a)the thorazine injections or b)last springs "white" jacket. I believe in Santa Claus, seriously, he is in the white pages up here.. and I believe in wishes coming true, in stirring magic into soup with positive thoughts. I never cook angry, it spoils my food, I believe in the power of mind over matter, because if you believe you can make anything happen, well, maybe not pulling the moon closer to the earth because that woudl just screw up the polarity of the ...... but you get my drift...
ReplyDeleteKriss - I think there is a LOT to be said for positive energy. One of my dearest friends lives by that mantra and she just radiates confidence and positive vibes. Keep stirring that magic into your soup! And thanks for sharing :-D
DeleteDebby - No worries! Thanks so much for stopping by and saying HI!
ReplyDeleteMiki - I think the black thing you're looking at is a cozy (you put them around cans of soda or other beverage containers to keep them cool). There is a spiral notebook or two in there, water bottle, chap stick, lip balm, lots of excerpt booklets and other such paper swag, pens, keychain, those rubber wrist bracelets, a man-candy jar opener (or coaster if you prefer), nail file... I'm sure there is more, but that's what I remember without digging through the bag! :-) Thanks for posting! :-)
The full moon theory. There is something to it. If it can affect the waves then I think it can do the same for people as well. I worked in the medical field and the strangest things would happen and our admissions were always up at the time of a full and new moons.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to reading your books.
Thanks,
Lori
Lori,
ReplyDeleteI agree. It seems like during a full moon one of my friends or family has something strange happen to them. Eerie, huh? Thanks for sharing and good luck getting your hands on Deliver Me from Darkness and Deliver Me from Temptation :-D
Ok, the book blurb says she carries a Glock, but the long teaser has her carrying a Sig (Sauer) which is a whole other brand of weapon. WHICH IS IT?
ReplyDeleteSorry, I'm a certified handgun instructor. LOL I know a little about handguns.
Nora! Good question :-) She carries the Sig... It was a matter of how the safeties work. I admit I'm not incredibly knowledgeable on guns so I want to a friend who told me to use the Sig which I guess is another gun often issued to NYC cops and would fit better for my needs. Of course, by then, the blurb had already been written and put out there so it stuck! LOL!
DeleteOI don't know a lot about nanotechnology and quantum physics, but it sure sounds like a lot of what is being discovered may make things possible that would seem like magic.
ReplyDeleteLisa, nanotechnology fascinates me... though I don't know enough to understand what is real and what is Hollywood! ;-) Thanks for stopping in and sharing!
DeleteHi
ReplyDeleteNora snapped up and asked the question that I was going to ask... Oh well, attention to details gets a way from me a times...
Beckey
Beckey, see my answer to Nora above :-) It's so cool that readers notice those little deets... if not a bit of a plague on us authors though! I can't tell you the number of hours I spend researching little details or trying to find people who do have the knowledge! Then I just have to cross my fingers that in the end I got it all right! ;-)
DeleteI'm not really sure about the question. Thanks for the giveaway though.
ReplyDeleteNo problem! Basically I was asking if you believed in ghosts... or the tooth fairy... or anything else that society tends to be "doubters" about. Thanks for stopping in and saying Hi!
DeleteLooks like yummy, great reads! Are there more planned? How many more?
ReplyDeletebooks4me, I am in the editing stage now for book 3, Prince of Shadows, which comes out next November. After that, I hope to keep on bring my readers more and more because I have a seemingly endless list of possible plots/pairings, etc and an overall story ARC I really would like to complete :-)
DeleteI also believe in the full moon theory. And also, if your hand is bigger than your face, then you're an alien. Funny game or truth test? You decide :)
ReplyDeleteI'm a skeptic really. I'm not a believer in much of anything out of the ordinary. My husband, however, would be much better suited to answer this question. He's a believer in the paranormal and the possibility of extraterrestrials and such.
ReplyDeleteWhat's funny about my skepticism though, is that I absolutely love the paranormal genre in books, movies, tv shows. My favorite stories involve witches, vampires, shifters, and ghosts or demons.
Thanks for the giveaway! :)
Saph
And so glad we (us paranormal writers) are that you Love them :-) I admit I'm probably more skeptical than my novels might lead you to believe, but I also firmly believe in what I call the Galileo possibility, which is that we don't fully understand half of what is out there... And to quote one of my favorite older shows: The truth is out there, right?
DeleteI would love to believe in the paranormal as described in the books I love so much, but alas, I am too skeptic. Still, there are things that go bump in the night, there is more between heaven and earth than the eye can see, I only have no idea what that more is.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway!
Aurian - agreed! Methinks there was a bit of Hamlet in that answer :-) You and Logan would get along well ;-) Thanks for stopping in!
DeleteHi Tes...me again..I really do believe in the spirits..I know when my youngest(14yrs now) was little she use to talk to my grandfather..he has been gone 21 yrs yesterday but was a big part of my life, I wish he could have meet both my girls here on earth but I know they both have met him in there dreams. I have many times I think I re lived different situations in my life and don't know if it was from a past life or maybe it was in a dream. Thanks for your great books and the giveaway!!
ReplyDeleteMy middle child is a firm believer in ghosts. I'm still not sure I want to believe all the stories she told me about the spirit in her old room at our old farmhouse! Yikes! I also have a reoccurring nightmare about not being able to stop my car. More weird is the fact that I've been terrified of cars since I was a toddler! (cue Twilight Zone music)
DeleteI believe in GOD, does that count?
ReplyDeleteChinyere - Believing in a higher power such as God always counts :-) Though if you're counting fantastical ideas, I think most people have a sense of faith. And even if a person might question, it is how we live that really matters. ;-)
Deletepretty man! would LOVE to win & read! PICK ME!!
ReplyDeleteLOL! I think raffle copter picks ;-) As far as hot covers, I can't take credit. That pretty man's picture was taken by the lovely Jenn LeBlanc and Pickyme did the graphic artistry for the cover.
DeleteCan't think of anything. Nice excerpt.
ReplyDeleteThank you, bn100! So glad you could stop by :-)
DeleteI believe the full moon somehow influences emotions-- my husband worked in the ER as an RN and now he's in the Cath Lab and it's always crazy during the full moon. I don't feel crazier on the full moon, but I always feel peaceful looking at it:)
ReplyDeleteI want to believe in shifters because damn...wouldn't that be fricking awesome!
I just read Deliver Me From Darkness and LOVED it-- seriously loved it. I read nonstop and ahem...let a few things go by the wayside because I didn't want to stop. LOL
Brenda - you know... it's okay to let things go by the wayside when you're reading... reading is like a free pass to all things that can be done later. At least that's what I tell my hubby! ;-) Thanks so much for stopping in. I'm so glad you love Deliver Me from Darkness and hope you'll love Logan and Jessica's story as well!
Deleteisn't Roland fabulous?! you'll love DMFT too :)
Delete(Now Sharon... we've covered this, Roland is taken already. ;-))
DeleteCan I say that I would like to believe in magic? But unfortunately my realistic streak is just too strong.
ReplyDeleteThanks for a great giveaway!
Judy-Ree, Tell you what, I'll send my little one your way. She has enough belief to share! Thanks so much for stopping in!
DeleteI can't think of anything weird that ever happened to me, but I really do wish shifters were real sometimes!
ReplyDeleteIrene, would you want to be a shifter or just be a shifters mate? ;-) Thanks for saying Hi!
Delete*Raises hand* mate please!
DeleteI believe there is definitely power in Ley Lines in the earth, as in their is magic or spiritual forces that pull in certain places in the earth that are more powerful than other places. Like where water meets the land (the beach) the power there is undeniable, and you can feel the earths energy. If you combine that with the moon's (full, especially) how can you doubt it? sdylion(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteVery cool observation, SdyLion! My dear friend always tells me to go to the beach when I'm in need of therapy. I wish I lived closer! Thanks for sharing and saying Hi!
ReplyDeletecan't think of anything that I believe in that is fantastical, but I try to keep an open mind about everything
ReplyDeleteDi, having an open mind is key to enjoying the spice in life... including books :-D Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteI can't think of anything. The book covers are fantastic! When you wrote the first book, did you know it was going to be part of a series? How many books are you planning?
ReplyDeleteluvfuzzzeeefaces at yahoo dot com
Julianne,
DeleteYes and no. While writing those first few chapters I didn't know if Deliver Me from Darkness was going to be stand-alone or a series, but once I got into the meat of the book, I knew for sure it was. Right now I have as many books planned as my readers and publisher will let me write!
Oh this is a great topic! lol I am a Paranormal Investigator and a practicing witch. So there is A LOT that I believe in that most people question or downright deny. I have seen or experienced so much in the years I have investigated places. From demonic to resudial I have seen almost every type of haunting and some places I have had the fortune of having documented the events. So I don't discount anything as being completely fake unless I, myself can give proof of how it can be duplicated or shown that it wasn't what you thought.
ReplyDeletefantasy_angel381 (at) yahoo (dot) com
Penni, I'd love to pick your brain sometime! What a neat job to have ;-) what would you say the ratio is of unexplainable verses more tangible reasons for things you encounter?
DeleteThanks for stopping in and sharing!
that is cool! Many authors are paranormal investigators too.
DeletePenni, what an exciting job! I would love to hear about some of the things you have seen or experienced! Too cool!
Deletedarkworld_cutie(atyahoo(dot)com
ReplyDeletei believe in aswang ( philippine mythical creature/monster that eat humans, has super human strength and can change forms, usually a pretty maiden at day, and an ugly monster at night)..
but urban filipinos don't believe in that anymore..:D
Abby,
DeleteOh! Shapeshifter! Sounds like a bad one though, yikes! Have you or someone you know seen evidence of the aswang? Bet that could be a hair raising tale! Thanks so much for sharing.
Since I live in a suburban place.. some people I know claimed they've seen or felt it.. I don't wish the same to me..lol
DeleteI believe we are not the only beings alive. I believe that every legend is based on a truth. And I believe that Santa is real....LOL Also so are shapeshifters.
ReplyDeleteI also think we aren't the only beings in the universe! of course I am not to keen on being found by any others unless they are sexy shifters
DeleteI agree with Sharon!!! No freaky alien invasions... just sexy shifter invasions :-) Oh that sounds bad, doesn't it? :-D
Deleteswag - oh GIMME!!!
ReplyDeletePICK ME!! PIK ME!!
picardsmom at yahoo dot com
I should change -- I lost picard this year :(
I shall tell the rafflecopter gods to pick thee... though be forewarned I never have much pull with them. Sigh...
DeleteI believe that what goes around, comes around. I believe if you make a wish when the clock is 1:11, 2:22, 3:33... it will come true, if not immediately. I believe it's bad luck not to hold your breath when you drive under a tunnell. Wow... I didn't know I had so many :-)
ReplyDeletemy teenager believes 12:34 is special :) I grew up holding my breath when I passed a cemetary
DeleteI always hated 11:11 ... too many slumber parties when I was young. I hope you never have to go through a long tunnel, Chelsea!
DeleteI believe Big Foot and the Loch Ness monster are real, along with ghosts and shapeshifters.
ReplyDeleteGreat covers.
I really want to see Nessy... not too sure I want to see Big Foot though!
DeleteI am a fairly new follower and I love you guys!!! Thank you for this amazing giveaway :)
ReplyDeletesandersknc@yahoo.com
Glad to have you! Make sure you grab some moonpies and kool aid from the welcome table. If you go to the FB group... stay.away.from.the.dungeon. :)
DeleteThanks goes to Tes! She is offering the RT swag bag. If I had it... no one else would I am such a swag ho!
Cheryl- thanks for staying Hi! I smell sheep is an amazeballs blog! Enjoy your visits here ;-)
DeleteI believe in ghosts.
ReplyDeleteYou and my daughter! Sometimes I do too, but I really don't want to as I freak myself out when I start thinking about it! LOL!
DeleteOww these books sound great! They are on my TBB list. Thank you for the great giveaway and for keeping me informed on the best books!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Gail! And thanks for saying HI!
DeleteHi Sharon! Thanks for opportunity to participate in your giveaway.
ReplyDeleteSharon runs the most awesomest blog! Thanks for stopping in Tiziana!
DeleteLoved the excerpt... I wanna read it now **prays to book gods** let it be me ;)
ReplyDeleteThe book gods are a wonderful set of gods to worship ;-) Check out my website and facebook page for more giveaways too! ;-)
DeleteThanks for the excerpt and giveaway!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome! thanks for stopping in :-)
DeleteHello! Thanks for the Giveaway!
ReplyDeleteHeather ~ Books Books and More Books
Heather, love your blog name: books, books and more books! Sounds like my kinda place ;-)
DeleteHi, thanks for the great giveaway.
ReplyDeletemagic5905 at embarqmail dot com
Thanks for saying Hi, Joy :-)
DeleteI believe that there are so many things in this world that cannot be explained. As Shakespeare once wrote, "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy." The magic in this world is all around is, if we just look.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great giveaway!
Lisa ~ londonandlisa@gmail.com
Lisa, you and Logan need to meet. He has a tendency to quote Shakespeare too ;-)
DeleteHi, I believe 'bout things unexplainable. And if you asking about the magic or ghost thing well I believe they're exist. Even experience the ghost things myself, and it was totally scared the hell out of me.
ReplyDeletethx for the giveaway
Adis! YIKES! I need to hear that story...though, maybe not, I probably wouldn't sleep afterward!
DeleteI can't say that I believe in the fantastical but I'm fascinated by them.
ReplyDeletebituin76 at hotmail dot com
I can't think of anything right now. Thanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDeletemillen.margareta@gmail.com
All my beliefs are fantastical! No, sorry, =) can´t think of anything atm.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway & Happy Thursday!
//Linda
Book sounds great! I can't wait to check it out. Thanks for the awesome giveaway :)
ReplyDeleteI believe in God. I also believe in angels and demons and truly believe that there is an ongoing battle between the two that is just outside of our field of vision/understanding.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the awesome giveaway! Your books sound like something I would really enjoy reading and can't wait to have a chance to dive in! I have added them to my TBR list!!
joellaelbert@gmail.com
I believe in angels I've ask to protect or help me through difficult times and well it worked.
ReplyDeleteThanks for giving us the chance to win!