Bequeathed
by Melinda Terranova
Date of Publication: July 20th 2018
Cover Artist: Lee Ching at Undercover Designs
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Tagline: Could I embrace the curse bequeathed upon me?
BLURB
Katalina is haunted by graphic nightmares in which she bathes in the blood of violently murdered young girls. Sent to Rome to visit her aunt, she discovers her family’s grim past. A past that involves a secret curse that catapults the women in her family down a path of eternal darkness-a curse she wants no part of.
In the romantic surrounds of Rome, Katalina finds herself inexplicably drawn to the secretive and broody Dominic, and their holiday romance flourishes. When Katalina forms an unlikely friendship with the dangerously charismatic vampire Toby, she finds herself in a tangle of violent secrets and crossed alliances.
Now that she is exposed to a world her mom and grandmother fought hard to keep her from- a world brimming with royal vampires, powerful witches, and dangerous hunters-Katalina must choose her fate or lose her heart forever.
Excerpt:
“Have you heard the grim fairy
tale?” A deep voice from behind me echoes around the room.
I
spin on my heels and Toby is standing in the doorway, the only exit available.
I feel trapped. A sudden sense of danger saturates the darkened room.
“Yes,” I reply.
His
gaze is fixed on me, eyes glistening in the small amount of light that seeps
through the window.
“I
have heard she still roams these parts on occasion.” He takes a step through
the door.
“Did
you follow me?” I step back as he steps forward.
“Would
it bother you if I said yes?” He pauses for a moment before he stalks toward
me.
I
stand my ground knowing fully well that I shouldn’t fear him; he has saved me
twice now from other vampires.
“Would
it bother you?” he repeats.
I
stare up at him. His face truly resembles a vampire; his skin is translucent in
the dim light and his pupils are dilated.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
He leans closer to me.
“Why?
Because that’s just weird.”
“What
if I told you that I can’t stop?” he whispers.
Alarm
bells ring in my head and I look at the door behind him.
“I
won’t hurt you, Kat. Don’t be afraid.” His voice has turned to velvet.
“I’m
not afraid.” I stare up at him.
He
steps closer to me and his proximity is dizzying. I can see the vein in his
neck pulsing and the dark danger in his eyes as he stares at me through black
lashes.
“Aren’t
you? Your heart rate seems to disagree with you.”
I
swallow the lump in my throat. “I’m going back down to the festival.” I step
around him, and as I pass, he takes my hand in his. His skin is cool and
smooth. His touch alights me with anticipation. I turn to look up into his
beautiful face, confused as to where this exchange is leading. His carnal gaze
sets me on fire.
Leaning in to whisper in my ear,
he inhales. His voice changes from a purr to something deeper, more dangerous.
“Do you know what it takes for me not to taste you? Your sweet blood sings to
me. I am possessed whenever I am near you. I seek you out and resist the urge
to hunt you, like the predator I am. It is a game I play unbeknownst to you.”
His breath tickles my neck.
I
close my eyes and hold my breath waiting for something to happen. Wanting
something to happen.
“You
don’t have to be afraid of me,” Toby whispers against my cheek before I feel a
gush of wind and he is gone.
Author Info
Melinda resides on the sunny Gold Coast, Australia with her husband, two boys and two dogs. When she is not writing or reading, she works as a registered nurse. Her other loves include: coffee, tea, delicious pastries and the beach.
The Book Junkie Reads . . . Interview with Melinda Terranova . . .
How would you describe your style of writing to someone that has never read your work?
- A mix of fantasy and paranormal. Likened to the works by Sylvain Reynard and the Florentine series. A few book bloggers have said that Bequeathed has The Vampire Diaries Vibes.
What are some of your writing/publishing goals for this year?
- I hope to finish the 2nd book in this series. I’m researching different elements of my story at the moment and writing a little a little each day.
Do you feel that writing is an ingrained process or just something that flows naturally for you?
- It seems to flow naturally; the scenes play out in my mind like a movie. That’s not to say that what I write as my first draft is not rubbish, there is plenty of editing and deleting that goes on before the final draft is sent to beta readers.
Do you have a character that you have been working on for a long time that still isn't quite ready, but fills you with excitement to work on the story?
- I do have a character that I started writing a year ago. That book is not paranormal, so completely different to what I am writing at the moment. I can’t wait to get back to that story and share it with readers.
If you could spend one-week with 5 fictional character, who would they be?
- Oh wow where do I start? Jamie Fraser from Outlander. Rhysand from ACOTAR. Ross Poldark from Poldark. Eric Northman from The Sookie Stackhouse (True Blood) books and Miles Archer from Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover.
Where would you spend one full year, if you could go ANYWhere? What would you do with this time?
- I would spend it in Italy. I would read and write and drink coffee and eat all the food.
Can you share you next creative project(s)? If yes, can you give a few details?
- It’s the follow up to Bequeathed. I haven’t picked a title yet, but I feel the story is going to have quite a bit of witchcraft in it. I’ve been researching witch trials in Italy during the renaissance and the secretive world of 1600s alchemy. Safe to say, my Vampire’s better watch their backs.
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