I was supposed to be posting a review today but due to a technical hitch this wasn't possible. The review will be posted at a slightly later date instead, but for now here's a sneak peek of the novel!
The blurb:
Welcome to Western Europe in 2020.
The International Vampire Council are in the middle
of intense negotiations with the Global 6 when a mysterious plot is revealed to
end Manon's life and thinly veiled lies Mikkel has told his wife will be
exposed once and for all.
Manon is sent into hiding with Emmerik as her
protector while a deal can be negotiated to spare her life.
As the clock ticks toward a catastrophic outbreak of
new virus which seeks to destroy not only the Lycan population but millions of
humans along with it, two ancient vampires return prematurely from their time
in the ground, and their mood is less than receptive.
What will happen? Who will live? Who will face
betrayal? Who will die? Sometimes, the most devastating secrets are better off
dead and buried.
This novel is not YA friendly, contains plenty of
snark, supernatural creatures included, but not limited to, vampires and
Lycans, not to mention a few choice scenes of sex and death. It is not for the
faint of heart.
The Sneak Peek:
Zahara
walked with the authority that her Presidential position allotted her. She
strolled past the two werewolf guards and directly to the crypt. It was the
latest in technology, made from impenetrable metal and required an iris scan
before the impossibly heavy doors would allow entry. She stared into the
iris-scan machine, which worked quietly and efficiently. Moments later, she was
inside the dark crypt which was only lit by several well placed low-wattage
bulbs meant to mimic the intimacy of candles but without the fire hazard.
She
was a beautiful woman, a representation of youth forever with her dusky
complexion, long, black hair arranged in a tasteful chignon, yellow-brown eyes,
Roman-shaped nose, cheekbones most women would murder their newborn children to
possess and a full, kissable mouth.
Dressed
to the nines as usual, she wore a vintage, pale pink Chanel suit, matching Yves
Saint Laurent Tribute stiletto pumps which made her look every inch the regal
and superior position the International Vampire Council had allotted to her. It
was currently her title now but however much longer she would hold on to it would
eventually fall under The Council’s discretion.
If
she had a beating heart, it would have pounded itself right out of her chest.
She was so close, yet so far away from her maker. Her breath caught in her
throat. Her body, however, continued onward toward her journey to the coffin.
It
was exquisite, made from Baccarat crystal and gold. The casket itself weighed a
ton but it had not been moved in centuries; not since Her Highness had been
transferred from Mikkel’s château just inside the boundaries of Ile-de-France
to one of the most exclusive banks in Geneva and one of the few which had a
crypt.
She
would be safe here, free from harm. Regardless how much it cost the IVC to
protect her and to lease this space, it was worth it. The only priority was
keeping Her Highness in one piece until the day came when she could rise to
power and claim that which belonged to her.
Zahara
looked forlornly at the mummy and felt herself grow angrier by the second. That
bitch, Manon, and that Judas of a traitor, Mikkel, ought to be dragged down
here and made to bleed out over Her Highnesses’ mouthpiece until they were
drained of every last drop of their blood. That should allow their royal Queen
the ability to become a Day Walker and when it was all said and done, she deserved the ability and power to
sit at the top of the food chain, whereas those two murderous traitors did not.
Mikkel
thought he was so intelligent and crafty; between his duplicitous behavior and
the way he acted like that whore was the best thing since sliced bread. He
should be thoroughly ashamed of himself; he’d married a blood relative, after
all.
So have you, a voice inside her
whispered but she bid it to be silent. It was true; as the maker and wife of
Kristoff Damgaard, he was a relative, albeit a distant one and they had very
little DNA in common.
Mikkel’s
sin was that much greater because Manon was closer linked to him than what was
legally sanctioned for Council members. If they only knew...but to tell would
be the death of her and after two thousand years, she still wasn’t ready to go.
She’d never been to ground because she feared death more than anything in the
world. She needed to live and to be alive, even if she was technically dead.
She needed to see life as it changed, shaped, morphed into something completely
different from her childhood, which seemed life-years away. What was she on
about? Her childhood was actually life years away and many, many lifetimes upon
that.
Zahara
knew part of her reasoning for wanting them dead was simple jealousy. Mikkel
was a fabulous lover; true, he wasn’t Kristoff, but he was very good and quite
skilled in the lovemaking department. Now that he’d taken a wife, she could no
longer sleep with him on demand. She would first have to make sure it was
copacetic with that cunt, which didn’t sit well with her. Why should she have
to ask anyone’s permission to do anything at her age?
There
was also the small technicality that Mikkel was repulsed by her. He hated to
touch her; to make love to her. Something about her turned his very stomach.
She could only deduce it was a sliver of his humanity which still resented her
for turning his brother, who in turn made him. Had that not happened, he’d have
been dead hundreds of years ago but he would always curse her and blame her for
his fate in life as a vampire.
Correction: Day Walker.
He
was no longer a mere vampire. He was superior to her in every way, as was his
bitch wife, unfortunately. Although she hated to think about this harsh fact,
it was true. She couldn’t overpower them and to be honest, she wouldn’t ever
attempt to. She had more immediate worries to think about, like her impending
suspension from the IVC, along with Geoff, Filipp and Anastasiya. They had only
been doing what was just and correct, yet they were still punished by those
Frog ass-kissers, Hervé and Irene. Well, one technical Frog…the other was just
a wannabe who had spent so many years in France she might as well be French
even if she wasn’t ethnically French.
“Madame
President, your presence is required,” a male voice announced reverentially.
Zahara
turned to see one of the werewolf guards—his name escaped her but his accent
was Swiss German, so perhaps it was Hans or Jürgen or one of those
hard-to-pronounce Teutonic names—and smiled condescendingly.
“One
moment, please. Can you wait outside? I would like to spend a few more moments
with my Highness.”
The
guard nodded affirmatively and exited the room.
Good doggy, Zahara thought coldly.
She
placed her hands on the coffin and although she had no wish to leave marks, she
couldn’t help the feeling of overwhelming desire which had swelled into the
heart of her body.
“Just
a little while longer, my Queen. I will be back for you with their heads on a
plate and soon, you will be able to feel the gentle kiss of sunlight on your
skin. It is only a matter of time.”
She
kissed the coffin, gathered her composure and walked out, followed by the
werewolf guards as the double doors closed behind her with a resounding thud.
* * *
Hervé
and Irene sat next to one another in a grand and opulent former palace in
Geneva which had been transformed into the Global Six government offices.
Although
physical opposites—Hervé with his light brown hair, alabaster skin, typical
Northern French features and steel blue eyes while Irene possessed classically
Scandinavian features despite her skin being the color of rich mocha and her
eyes, a deep amber-brown—they were more alike than different in terms of the
philosophical and political outlook on vampire life along with the powerful positions
they held within the IVC.
Though
Zahara was President, most of The Council looked toward Irene and Hervé for
moral guidance. The President, currently held under the leadership of the
volatile old vampire might as well have been a figurehead position as far as
most of the twenty-member Council was concerned.
The
G-6 Conference had yet to start but they had purposefully arrived early just to
talk shop. Something needed to be done about the rogues in their midst. The IVC
was a legitimate and civilized organization; since when did members decide to
play vigilantes and try to murder one another over silly blood feuds and
supremacy? The behavior had to be brought under control lest the whole
organization be dragged down along with it.
“Seriously,
what can we do?” Irene asked. “Zahara is President but her behavior...the
attempted murder of Mikkel and Manon. We cannot allow her to get away with such
madness. Imagine the implications if she goes unpunished.”
Hervé
sipped from his Sang Pur. “Believe me, I have thought about this and at the
moment, I truly don’t know what to do. She is so out of control. Perhaps we
should give some thought to resurrecting Kristoff. I am against it under normal
circumstances of course, but even though she is his maker he’s the only one who could truly control her.”
“I
think that will lead to nothing but trouble. Kristoff knows too much about
Manon’s true heritage. He’s always been a live wire. It is not our place to
interfere with a matter that has nothing to do with the IVC.”
“You
don’t think Manon’s paternity has anything to do with the IVC? My God...”
“It’s
a bit too late to be asking for His
help.” Irene stood and grabbed her second Sang Pur. She was particularly
thirsty today. “Right or wrong, that truly is Mikkel and Manon’s issue to work
out. He must have his reasons for not telling her and who are we to second
guess his motives? It’s obvious he loves her very much and they are truly
perfect for one another.”
“Good
grief, Irene, they are prototypes and we can never forget that. Manon needs to be studied and that is going to
be an outright mess. Mengele will begin his testing and Mikkel will blow a
gasket. He will hate for her to be in
pain. These kinds of emotions—we as vampires were never supposed to feel them. I don’t know which is
worse...the fact that they are Day Walkers or their emotions. They are much
closer to human beings in an emotional capacity than we are. Hasn’t that ever
given you food for thought?”
“Of
course it has, Hervé. Their range of emotions is a bit frightening as we are
supposed to be so cold and detached. I sometimes miss that aspect of my
humanity, but at the same time, it colors the situation and takes away from the
big picture. We will be asked to do something very barbaric today and I don’t
think either one of them truly has the capacity to stand it. That is not only a
problem but an issue. This isn’t about how we feel about humanity...this is
merely about shedding the herd and making room for vampire growth...cementing
our hold on the mortals and letting them know who’s in charge of whom.”
“True.
The big picture is all that matters. Humans and slaughter have been synonymous
for decades, centuries. We cannot change this; we can only make it that much
more humane. It isn’t like we’re sending anyone to the gas chamber. Regardless,
we will hear them out and pretend to contemplate our answer. It is never a good
idea to show our hand right away. We can never allow letting our guard down
around the humans.”
“Agreed,”
Irene mused softly, “but in the meantime, we will gauge their behavior. If
Geoff, Anastasiya, Filipp and Zahara can control themselves and show an air of
leadership, we shan’t punish them too harshly. After all, they were only doing
what all of us were thinking but were too chickenshit to act upon due to our own fears.”
“’Tis
true but I would have never pulled a
stunt like that. I have known from the beginning they were both stronger than
we could ever be. I treasure my life as much as you treasure yours. I have no
wish to meet my maker at this point in my life.”
Irene
turned toward Hervé and laughed out loud. “Neither do I, my love. Neither do
I.”
The author:
Danielle Blanchard Benson is
a world traveler and author of several different series.
Ms. Blanchard Benson is the
author of Beginnings: Book I (The Plague), Death Wish: Book I, Better off Dead: Book II and Death
Lair: A Novella (all from The Vamp Saga), The
Catalyst: Book One (The Pop Stars) and The Beautiful People series.
She is currently working
on Love Voodoo: Book I (DeGeneration), Apocalypse 2012: Book II (The Plague), Hart Attack: Book I (The Hart Family Saga), The
Making of a Star: Book Two (The
Pop Stars) and Queen of
the Undead: Book III (The
Vamp Saga).
Ms. Blanchard Benson has
lived abroad in Stockholm (Sweden), Manchester (England), Los Angeles, the San Francisco
Bay Area and Portland. She currently resides in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Ten Things About Danielle
1. Your genre(s)?
My genre will always be romance or some
form thereof though I have been known to do contemporary, erotic (not erotica
as there is a difference), paranormal, dystopian and even -- grasp! -- horror.
I am an artist so I don't limit myself and as a reader you don't have to buy
everything I write. I assume most of y'all will cherry-pick anyway.
2. How many books have you completed?
I love serials and series so I have
completed one long damn serial, The Beautiful People (which consisted of eight novellas), Death Wish and Better Off Dead in The
Vamp Saga (and a novella, Death Lair), Beginnings inThe Plague series, Love Voodoo in the DeGeneration series, The
Catalyst in my other serial, The Pop Stars,
and Forever 27, a novelette in The 27 Club series.
3. How many books are you working on now?
*Breathe* Okay, I am almost finished writing Queen
of the Undead in The Vamp Saga (72k and counting),Hart
Attack, the first novel in The Hart Family Saga (another
paranormal series), Apocalypse 2012 in The Plague series, The
Making of a Star in The Pop Stars serial and Love
Game in the DeGeneration series. Plus, I am
co-writing a novel with a writer friend of mine, a horror-thriller, Ties
That Unbind. I'm tired just thinking about my year...
4. Are you a linear or chunk writer?
I try to work on one project at a time so
it makes it easier for me to maintain consistency. That list above, that is the
order of the books with the exception of the one I am co-writing. I write that
one when I get it back from my co-author, write my part and then send it to him
via email and Drop Box.
5. The POV (= Point of View) you’re most partial to?
I'm not. I love first person though it can definitely have
its limitations. I usually stick with third person though. The HUGE exception
to this rule is The Vamp Saga. The first novel is written in first
person but the rest are a mix of first and third person. There are some people
out there this irks but what can I say? I love Manon and I *can't* write her in
third but I also love some of the other characters and thought they should get
a word in too. Hence the bastard project it has become involving both POVs.
6. The themes that keep cropping up in your books?
Female empowerment, strength, change and
staying true to one's self. None of these are ever easy but nothing in life
worth fighting for ever is so there you have it.
7. How many days a week do you write?
Everyday. There is no such thing as
writer's block for me. I began Apocalypse 2012 but my Vamp
Saga muse didn't want to let go so I
began the third novel. Due to my schedule, I write at least 2k each day and can
finish a first draft in anywhere between four and six weeks.
8. What time of day do you get your best writing done?
The evening. I have two children under the age of ten so
when they are sleeping or are about to go down, I find myself most creative.
Plus, I can have a glass of wine while I write... yes, I sometimes write
toasted but I do all my revisions dead sober and I have an editor just to make
sure she catches all the mistakes I don't. Plus, I have some great writers who
act as beta readers and guinea pigs for those other pesky mistakes neither of
us catch. I will upload and re-do a book that isn't perfect countless times. I
do it all the time as it is a bit easier with the e-books than print but there
is no such thing as "done" for me if mistakes are found.
9. What kind of music do you listen to when you write?
I'm a child of Generation X and I listen to
everything but when I write paranormal/horror, I need some hard rocking music.
My favorites: Deftones (Diamond Eyes and Best Of albums
are classics), Marilyn Manson (Mechanical Animals, and Eat Me, Drink Me are two of my faves but I have every album ever made),
Nine Inch Nails, Rammstein...I also listen to a lot of French hip-hop (Sinik,
Diam's, MC Solaar) and French music in general (too many artists to count!).
And I love some good pop music so Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Britney Spears, and
Madonna are never far away...neither is Mylene Farmer for the matter, my
favorite French pop star.
10. What the hell is up with your love affair with France?
Yeah, la Belle France gets mentioned a lot in a myriad of my
novels. Better Off Dead and Queen of the Undead take
place there as does most of Beginnings and Apocalypse
2012 will be a revisit (yet again). TheDeGeneration series
takes place almost entirely in France. My other love affair is French
influenced even if it is in the States. Hart Attack takes
place in New Orleans.
I just love France, French culture, the language and
desperately can't wait until I can live there for a couple of years and write.
I have lots of French friends and am partial to the Ile-de-France area of the
country (though it is often cold, rainy and overcast). Plus, who wouldn't want
their children to be bi-lingual? And did I mention the wine and the cheese and
the food? Everything is better with a French accent! ;-)
