My heart slammed inside my chest as I fought him. My fear became anger; I knew I would die before I'd let him violate me. I squirmed beneath him and bucked violently, nearly knocking him off. He retaliated by driving his weight harder against me and shoving his knee into my belly. Vomit rose in my throat.
Cold pain pierced my neck, and I drew in a strangled gasp as I realized he must have a knife. Wet warmth slid across my throat. He pressed his face against me and locked his mouth over the source of my pain.
Warmth spread through me and grew into the heat of need. I found myself pushing into him as my fear dissolved. My heart slowed and matched each pull as he drew the very life out of me. Pounding. Pounding. Pounding. It was ecstasy, and I wanted it to go on forever. Then the sound of my heart grew faint, and he pulled away from me.
He lifted his head and turned to look at me. Blood colored his lips like the grease paint smile of a clown, and ran in a jagged line from the corner of his mouth to the tip of his chin where it hung in a small, clotted drip. He smiled. The sight of the small, sharp fangs shocked me back into fear. THIS IS DEATH.
Overwhelmed with guilt at the sin that was his undoing and the monster he's become, the vampire, Matthew Trenton, stows away on a ship bound for the New World in an attempt to start over.
Through sheer perseverance, he survives the hardships and savagery of the untamed shores of Charles Town. Then, vampires begin to come to him to die, and he realizes what an enigma he is among them, but why? What makes him so different?
He needs mortals for blood, but also depends on them for companionship and verification that his existence has reason. He has an overwhelming need to guide them, protect them, and sway them with his ideas for the future of his new country.
As his mortal companions die, and his country begins to tear itself apart in war, he faces despair so deep that he contemplates his own end … until he sees his sister's child on the docks.
Fifteen years ago, an auto accident killed Kate Delwen’s husband and son. In an instant, her life changed forever. Little did she know then, their deaths were no accident.
Tonight, her life will turn upside down again, just as the immortals intended so many years ago. She will die, be reborn and emerge as a reluctant hero amid a world of powerful vampires embroiled in an ancient Blood Feud.
Character Interview with (immortal) Matthew Trenton
When you walk into a room, what do you expect people to notice about you?
“That I’m different. Mortals can sense it, but they can’t quite put their finger on it. They find me, and those of my kind, attractive and dangerously irresistible. I don’t consider myself either of these things, but this is what I’ve been told and what I sense from others. If there are vampires in the room, they immediately are on guard because they sense danger. I am a threat to them.”
Did you turn out the way you expected? The way your parents predicted?
“That’s an odd question, considering I’ve been around for over 300 years and my parents died in the 1600’s. But, I guess I can tell you that I believe my father would have been proud of me. I’ve accomplished a lot. I’ve changed the course of history. I’ve become extremely wealthy and have kept promises that I made over the centuries. I never expected to become a vampire, but I have used it to make remarkable changes in the lives of others. I’m satisfied I’ve done a good job, and am still doing a good job.”
What are you most proud of about your life? What is your greatest achievement?
“Without a doubt, my greatest achievement to date is my ideas on democracy and the way I managed to sway the founding fathers of this country to incorporate those ideas into the constitution, all without taking any personal credit for doing so. It was a major achievement, a remarkable achievement, and I still see the fruits of my labor today.”
What is your favorite occupation?
“Politics. I thrive when I’m in a position to manipulate the heads of state. But I always do it covertly, with finesse, and as I mentioned a moment ago, I never take credit for my ideas. I do not want to be remembered in history books.”
What or who is the greatest love of your life?
“Ainjul. Angela Marie Trenton.”
What is your greatest fear?
“That I have no soul. That God has turned his back on me.”
What is your greatest regret?
“My sister, or rather, my relationship with my sister. Not only was it one of utter and complete sin, it also left me a prisoner to her and her memory for centuries. But I finally overcame that and was able to let her go and move on.”
What do you most value in your friends?
“Loyalty. Without a doubt. I’ve always surrounded myself with mortals who have been unfailingly loyal to me, without my persuasion. It has been a thing of fascination for me. I sometimes don’t understand it, their willingness to stay with me, as if bound by some contract. And I am eternally grateful that I have shared many, many years with many wonderful companions.”
How would you like to die?
“I honestly wonder if I can die now. But, to answer the question, I would like to die at the hands of someone smarter and more powerful than I am.”
Which living person do you admire the most?
“By living I’m assuming you mean this person is among us now? Although, in the truest sense of the word she’s no longer alive because I turned her, I admire Kate Delwen the most. She fell into immortality, literally, and amazed me with her ability to just roll with all the changes that happened to her. She’s smart, witty, charming, and quite powerful in her own right. She will always be special to me and I will always admire her.”
The End.
L.A. Freed, author of The Charleston Vampire Chronicles, is a true renaissance woman and lives, works, and plays in Charleston, SC. She is employed full time and works nights at The Post and Courier. It's highly unlikely that she sleeps in a coffin during the day because she's too busy training dogs to compete in AKC, USDAA and CPE agility and obedience. She also dabbles in photography and art, and has won numerous awards for her work. In a past life she trained, showed and boarded horses. She is a life member of the AQHA and owns two Quarter Horse mares.
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JVdaiYMyjc&feature=share&list=UUMTK-jmQopoZllZE-1RPC_A
Buy Links:
Amazon: BLOOD THIRST -- http://www.amazon.com/Thirst-Charleston-Vampire-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B0080N66IO/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1347412011&sr=1-1&keywords=blood+thirst
Amazon: BLOOD DIVIDED -- http://www.amazon.com/Divided-Charleston-Vampire-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B008L46PXS/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1347412072&sr=1-2&keywords=blood+divided
Amazon: BLOOD FEUD -- http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Charleston-Vampire-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B009J7P6UE/ref=sr_1_12?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1349794289&sr=1-12&keywords=LA+Freed
BLOOD THIRSThttp://www.smashwords.com/books/view/158202
BLOOD DIVIDED -- http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/204356
BLOOD FEUD -- https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/239808
Stalker Link: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorLaFreed
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THE REST OF THE TOUR:
October21. A Little Bit of R&R http://www.alittlebitofrnrreviews.com
22. KB Miller http://kbmillerbooks.blogspot.com
23. Lovetiggi’s Blog http://lovetiggisblog.blogspot.com
24. The Cover and Everything in Between http://thecoverbybrittany.blogspot.com
25. Deserted Island at Snowdrop Dreams of Books http://www.snowdropdreams.ca
26. Kristy Centeno http://booksbycenteno.com
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28. Texas Straight Talk Book Reviews http://michysbookreviews.com
29. Starry Night Book Reviews http://starrynightbookreviews.blogspot.com
30. Paranormal Reads http://paranormalreadsreviews.blogspot.com
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