Shades of Desire by L.M. Pruitt - Blog Tour - Guest Post

Shades of Desire

By L.M. Pruitt

Book 2 Jude Magdalyn Series


Blurb


All I wanted was a little peace and quiet.

Instead, I've got dead Covenant members and a steady stream of letters from the new guy in town. His beverage of choice? A 2002 Merlot, with a shot or two of powerful virgin blood.

On top of that, I'm breaking in a new police liaison, failing at playing matchmaker, and fighting nausea like it's a full time job. All I wanted was a little peace and quiet.

Instead, I've got dead Covenant members and a steady stream of letters from the new guy in town. His beverage of choice? A 2002 Merlot, with a shot or two of powerful virgin blood.

On top of that, I'm breaking in a new police liaison, failing at playing matchmaker, and fighting nausea like it's a full time job.

Did I forget to mention that I've also got enough girls living at the Crossroads to start my own boarding school?

Peace and quiet? Out the window.

Buy Links

Kindle 
Book 1 Shades of Grey for your Kindle, in Paperback
Hole in the Wall a Jude Magdalyn free Kindle short 

Excerpt 

“If someone doesn’t get me a lemon in the next five minutes, everyone will suffer. A lot.”

“Jude, I love you. Which is why I can say you’re being just a little overdramatic.” One look at my face and Theo changed his tune. “But then again, you could say pregnancy is dramatic and you’re just getting into the groove.”

“Nice save.” I tried to sit up again. Halfway through the upward movement greasy waves of nausea rolled over me and I eased back down onto the pillow. Strands of black hair clung to my sweaty face and I closed my eyes, exhaling slowly. “Not as nice as that lemon would be right now, but nice.”

“Elizabeth will be here in a moment. No doubt she’ll have a lemon. And tea. And toast.” Theo turned over to face me, laying one hand over my still mostly flat stomach. If you looked close, you could see the smallest of bumps.

I know, because I checked. Every other day or so.

If anybody told me three months ago, that the week before Halloween, I’d be lying in bed with a man who absolutely adored me—even the crazy parts—I’d have asked them what the hell they were smoking. If they’d thrown in being pregnant, I would have punched them in their jaw. Then gone to the store and bought a dozen pregnancy tests and prayed for them all to be negative.

But that was before the Covenant.

In two weeks, I’d gone from being an orphan raised by nuns, to the latest in a long line of only daughters. Women charged with the protection and well-being of hundreds of people with unique powers. Some made flame burn for hours, while others called the wind to knock you flat on your ass. They were a group of people who came together over two-hundred years ago, bound by a prophecy. One with no past, lost in the present, will bring in the future, through gifts of both this world and the next.

And lucky me, I’d passed the job interview.

I’d sent Hart to a muddy, watery grave-literally. Unless something went crazy wrong, he’d stay under the Mississippi until the Final Judgment. Williams ruled the vampires of the city now and kept his distance as much as possible.

And I, Jude Magdalyn Henries, led the Covenant. Maybe I wasn’t terrific at it. But Gillian would be proud.
All things considered, I think I came out with a pretty good deal.

About the Author: 

L.M. Pruitt has been reading and writing for as long as she can remember. A native of Florida with a love of New Orleans, she has the uncanny ability to find humor in most things and would probably kill a plastic plant. She is the author of the Jude Magdalyn Series as well as New Moon Rising, featuring Cari Gravier, and Taken, featuring Frankie Post. She is currently at work on the next book in the Moon Rising series, Harvest Moon Rising, due out April 2012. Ms. Pruitt makes her home in Florida with two cats--one smart, the other not so much.

Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/LM-Pruitt/364776895104 

Blog: http://www.lmpruitt.blogspot.com 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/lmpruitt 

Guest Post

My Fascination With Vampires 



Growing up, I read very fluffy books. Sweet Valley High, Sweet Valley College (okay, some of those weren’t too fluffy), Babysitter’s Club, Anne of Green Gables. Even the romance novels that I became addicted to at a young age for sweet and fluffy and full of light.

As I got older, the fluff changed to heat and history, even as I retained my romantic roots. The first time I ran across a vampire was while reading a Linda Lael Miller book—and even though they were dangerous, they were still sexy and seductive and oh so wrong. Still, I can’t say I was super fascinated with them. Mildly intrigued, yes—fascinated, no.

And then I stumbled across Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake series.

Now there—that was fascination.

I loved the politics, the ruthlessness, the showing of the bad sides with the good. It’s good, old-fashioned, beautiful bloodsport splashed across the page. I loved the entanglements, both personal and, again, political, and the various tangled webs of deceit. I managed to stay a fan of the series a lot longer than other people because of that love for bloodsport, but alas, the series is no longer a repeat read for me.

Luckily, something just as fascinating—more, if I’m being honest, came along. Justin Cronin’s The Passage. I’ll admit, I resisted because of the hype. But when I was confined to bed for a few days, I hunkered down and read the book. It actually took me the entire two days—and I’m a fast reader—so this isn’t a book for people who like a wham, bam, thank you ma’am kind of book. But the idea of scientifically created vampires being responsible for the end of the world, while scary as hell, is completely engrossing. The second book in the series, The Twelve, comes out later this year and I can’t wait.

Hamilton and Cronin couldn’t be more different in the way they write or how the approach the subject of vampires. What they share (if you consider the earlier Hamilton works) is a no holds barred honesty about the creatures they’ve created. It’s that stripping away of humanity, unapologetic and unforgiving, that’s so fascinating. People and animals and events are never more fascinating than when they’re brought down to the most basic of levels—and it doesn’t get more basic than the need to survive.

Gruesome? Yes. Fascinating? Oh, definitely.