First, I would like to thank Sherry for
hosting me on her blog today.
I’m excited to announce that Secrets;
Promises, the fifth in the Haven’s Realm saga, has been contracted by Secret
Cravings Publishing and is scheduled for release in April, 2013! For months,
I’ve been exploring the main character, Vincent, who has been featured in my
previous works. I’ve asked him to step out of his habitually private world and
answer a few questions, and he has graciously agreed.
So,
welcome, Vincent. Let’s begin by telling our readers where you hail from.
I
was born in the city of Constantinople in the year 973, the fourth of five sons
of a Byzantine Lord. It was a barbaric time, full of battles for conquest by
the Romans. My father wanted me to join the army in my turn, follow after my
older brothers in the defense of our land. I was my mother’s son – she shared
with me her love of poetry and music, and I found I preferred that life to the
horrors of war. I ran away from home at the age of fifteen with a lute tucked under
my arm and a knapsack slung from my shoulder.
How, why and when did you become a
vampire?
This
is a long and painful story. I had fallen under a gypsy curse in 999 that
robbed me of sleep and sanity for five years. I wandered into the camp of a
band of Hungarian nomads, and fell into the care of a beautiful vampiress named
Antonia. I surrendered my mortality to her believing I’d found an end to my
torment, but instead immortality perverted my curse, placing me in an unending
cycle of love and torment.
How long have you been a member of
the Community?
I
stood among those who established the Community in the year 1412 and became a
member of the Council of Elders. This Council is comprised of seven Members
charged with upholding the seven human virtues and supporting our King.
Interesting. You stepped out of that
honorable roll in the telling of your tale, and placed your existence in
jeopardy. What would you like to share in explanation?
I
had no choice. Promises I made centuries ago required me to step in and defend
the woman who had made herself an enemy of the Community. Hers is a soul with
which I have been long acquainted, and the death my friends were designing for
her would have irreparably damaged her spiritual memories. Because I stood
against my responsibilities and the Bargain itself, my only hope lies in the
successful completion of a Reckoning, an involved ritual never before invoked.
Chari and I will work diligently to satisfy the Council’s demands in hopes of
redeeming both our lives.
Your assigned virtue is Charity, and
you have a history of exercising your gift. Is there one defining moment in the
Haven’s Realm saga you would like to share to help our readers understand you?
Yes.
In the following excerpt you’ve written in Haven’s King, I’m called upon to
provide a challenging service to Jason. It is for this reason I’ve been
somewhat secretive and enigmatic throughout the series thus far…
The instant the sun set,
Vincent took to the sky. He headed for the one place Jason would go to if he
were in trouble, Gale’s house. But Jason wasn’t there, and no one there had
heard from him. Max was sound asleep in one of the upstairs bedrooms, having
searched night and day until exhaustion took him out of the equation.
He flew to Mirissa’s
apartment to check on her. He pounded several times on her patio door before
she opened it. He saw in an instant she was dying, but hard urgency sparked in
her eyes. “Vincent!” She reached for him, caught him by the arm, and dragged
him through the apartment. As he crossed the threshold, Tobias manifested
himself. He watched with grave concern, but didn’t comment.
When he saw Jason lying on
the floor of the kitchenette, he dropped to his knees beside him. “By the
gods!”
“He didn’t wake up when the
sun set,” she explained, her voice raspy from the misuse of tears. “I tried to
make him feed. He just…”
“Did he say anything?
Anything at all?”
She nodded. “He said he
was poisoned.”
“Did he say by whom?”
“No. He only spoke three
words before he lost consciousness. The way he looked at me…”
Vincent pried Jason’s eyes
open, took in the clouded orbs with a groan, and turned his eyes on her. “He
needs blood. Without it, he’ll die.”
“I tried. He won’t take
me. He won’t even respond.”
“Then we’ll just have to
force it on him,” he said, grabbing her wrist.
“Wait! What are you
doing?”
He lifted her wrist to his
mouth. His gaze pinned her. She resisted. “Don’t fight me, Mirissa.”
She pulled her hand away.
“No. I’ll do it myself.” She reached behind her into one of the drawers and
pulled out a knife. She held it over her wrist and met his gaze. Dark
determination gleamed in hers. “I’m going to let him take all he needs,” she
declared through her clenched teeth.
“If he kills you…”
“You won’t let him. Stop
him before I’m gone. I want you to finish the job.”
“You want me to kill you?”
“I want you to turn me.”
He stared at her for a few
moments in silence. Tobias remained stoically observant. “I can’t do that.”
“You vowed your life to
me, Vincent. You promised to protect me.”
“I didn’t think I’d have
to protect you from yourself.”
“Jason could be down for a
while. That’s if he lives at all. I don’t want to be an old woman or dead in my
grave when he wakes up. Please. Promise me you’ll do this.”
“Are you sure this is what
you want?” Tobias asked her, his voice thick and tight.
She lifted pleading eyes
to her guardian. “I’m sorry, Tobias. I’m too deeply committed to just let him
go. I want to be here to help him though this.”
Vincent shook his head.
“This goes against my better judgment.”
“I’m asking you,” she
whispered, desperation evident in her voice and in her eyes.
“Very well, Mirissa. I vow
I will not let Jason end your life.”
She nodded, clenched her
teeth, and drove the point of the blade deep into the underside of her wrist.
Blood instantly spurted from the wound. She dropped the knife and applied
pressure to the cut until it touched Jason’s lips. Vincent held his head up and
back, allowing the blood to pour down his throat.
Jason woke with a start.
His fangs drove deep into her flesh. She cried out in pain, but didn’t
withdraw. He clenched her arm tightly and drew from her hard and fast. She lost
consciousness very quickly.
Vincent wrestled her away
from Jason’s grasp. He lay on the floor on his back, sweating profusely, his
body convulsing. Vincent put a hand on his head and ordered him to sleep. Then
he lifted her wounded wrist to his lips and prepared to drain her.
“No, Vincent,” a soft
voice filled with power said from behind. He spun around in surprise and stared
at the beautiful woman standing in the open space between the kitchen and
living room. She was dressed in shimmering white silk. A gold crown rested
among mountains of golden curls that tumbled down in front of one shoulder.
“Her time has not yet come.”
“Who are you?”
“I am the one whom the
Greeks named Athena.”
He felt himself shrinking
back in awe. “Athena!”
“Mirissa has a destiny to
fulfill. It is not yet time for her mortal life to end.”
“She’s bound to Jason,” he
argued. “He will drain her life force if I don’t turn her.”
“You must bind yourself to
her, Vincent. You vowed your life for her, now your life force must sustain
her.” She extended her hand, and when he held his out, she dropped a golden
pendant into it. He recognized the figure of an owl for its cultural
significance. “This charm holds my favor. Warn her she must never be without
it. It will protect her from supernatural forces.” She knelt to the floor and
placed a kiss on Mirissa’s forehead. “You are to be his perfect mate,” she said
to the unconscious Mirissa. “Remember this, if you remember nothing else.” With
that, she vanished.
Vincent indulged in a
relieved sigh, lifted Mirissa’s open wrist to his lips and drank only as much
as he needed before sealing the wounds, then carried her to her bed. After
securing the pendant to her neck, he sank his fangs into his own wrist. While
his blood flowed down her throat, he felt the bond form. She drank weakly while
he carefully kept her mind at rest.
Once he made it past her
mental block, he issued the instructions required of him by the Bargain.
“Vampires do not exist. Forget all you know about the Community, and anyone you
know connected with them. Jason, your…your husband, had to leave suddenly to
offer his talents to the aid of his homeland’s financial crisis. He…” He choked
back a sob and swallowed hard. “He may be gone for quite a while, but he will
return for you just as soon as he’s able. Hold on to that hope. For now, you
must go on with your life as though everything is normal. You’ll keep the fact
of your marriage secret until Jason returns.
“A trust will be opened
for you at Freedom National Bank in case of emergency. Wear this pendant close
to your heart. Never be without it. Think of it as a magic charm that will
protect you from evil.” He stroked her cheek softly. “I will always be near,
Miri. Though you cannot know it, I will support you to the end of my strength,
and when the time is right, I’ll come for you.” He placed a soft kiss on her
forehead and left her room.
He lifted Jason and cradled
him in his arms. Once on the balcony, he paused, looked into the now empty
living room, and said, “I charge you with her protection now, Tobias. The
Community will have no contact with her from this moment on. She is your
responsibility alone until Jason wakes.” A faint shimmer flashed for an instant
across her threshold before the doors closed and the lock engaged, Tobias’
nonverbal way of acknowledging his control. With a nod, Vincent soared silently
into the night and carried Haven’s King home.
Thank you, Vincent, for sharing with us.
Readers, below is a list of links to learn more about Haven’s Realm and where
to buy. Thank you again, Sherry, for having us on your site!
Buy Haven’s Real
Thanks for coming by, Tamara, it's a pleasure to have you here.
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