Excerpt From “Breathless” by Scott Prussing






Leesa couldn’t believe she was having this conversation with a guy who was probably a vampire. She wondered if Rave could have been wrong about Stefan. What the heck, she thought—might as well ask. If Stefan meant her harm, she couldn’t stop him in any case.

“Stefan, are you a vampire?”

A look of surprise flashed across his pallid face. “That’s a strange question to ask someone,” he said after a moment. “What makes you think that?”

Leesa kept her eyes on his face, focusing on his mouth to avoid his eyes. “Just something someone said.”

“Really? I’m surprised—not many people believe in vampires nowadays. Do you believe in them, Leesa?”

Leesa thought about how to answer that. “Let’s say I’m keeping a very open mind on the subject,” she said. “But you haven’t answered my question.”

“If I said yes, would you be frightened of me?”

Leesa shifted her gaze to his eyes. They were black mirrors now. “Should I be?”

Stefan smiled, and his eyes became inviting pools once again. “No. I would never hurt you, Leesa, nor do anything against your will. I seek more from you than that.”

Leesa’s brain raced. He still hadn’t admitted he was a vampire, but he hadn’t denied it, either. She struggled to put it all together. What did he mean he sought more from her than that? More than what? She wondered if she could use whatever it was to get the answers she sought about her brother. Before she could think of a way to ask, another voice broke the silence.

“Get away from her, vampire.”

Leesa could not believe her ears—and eyes. Of all the times for Rave to show up! She silently cursed herself for staying out here in the open with Stefan. What had she been thinking? She hadn’t been, of course. Thinking, that is. She’d been too engrossed in prying information from Stefan. Now what was she supposed to do?

Rave loomed above them, barely ten feet from where they sat, his eyes locked on Stefan. She could see the tension in his limbs, and the tiny blue flames flickering from his fingertips. Beside her, Stefan uncoiled slowly to his feet. Two wicked-looking fangs dropped from his upper teeth and a menacing growl rumbled from his throat. Leesa sat paralyzed, unable to will her muscles to make her stand up.

“I said get away from her, Stefan.”

Stefan’s face was a mask. “Do I know you, volkaane?” He began unbuttoning his long coat, using only one hand.

Rave followed suit, unzipping his raincoat with equal care.

Leesa felt as if she’d become invisible. Her eyes darted back and forth between Rave and Stefan. With his pointed fangs and ominous growl, Stefan seemed by far the more dangerous. But she’d seen Rave in action and had felt the heat of his inner fire.

She suddenly realized the rain had stopped. It seemed she could hear every drop falling from the tree and spattering onto the soggy leaves below. Surprise, Rave had said. That’s what usually made the difference in these contests. With Stefan distracted by their conversation, Rave could have had all the surprise he needed, but obviously had not wanted to risk any harm to her.

She could not let this continue, could not take the chance of Rave getting hurt. Hunting vampires was what he did, but he had already given up his advantage and would be distracted by her presence as well. She remembered him saying how powerful Stefan was. No way could she let Rave fight him under these conditions. Nor did she want Stefan destroyed, for he might have the answers she needed. No, this was a fight she had to stop.

She forced herself to her feet. Sucking in a deep breath, she stepped between them….




Allure of the Vampire by Lisa M. Campbell


Guest post by Lisa M. Campbell: Allure of the Vampire

In my other life, I am a paranormal erotica romance author with the pen name Marie March. You might ask what induced me to try my hand at erotica, much less the paranormal variety when I’m a published author in the Celtic historical genre. I’ll give you two words, vampire allure.

Ever since Dracula (the 1979 Frank Langella version) oozed uber-sexuality with a mega-dose of hunky charisma onto the big screen, I have been fascinated with the idea of upright, moralistic women succumbing to the allure of such an intrinsically evil creature…no matter her upbringing, ideals, or sexual hang-ups and inhibitions.

In my debut novella, SAVAGE CRAVINGS (May 2010 eXcessica Publishing) I explore the mystery of the vampire allure. Cavyn Sinclair is looking for his glausdane, eternal mate, and Loveday yields with little fuss despite the untenable situation she finds herself in. Falling prey to Cavyn’s appeal skews the way she views true love.

Let us dissect the allure of the vampire from a realistic viewpoint, and with a jaundiced eye. Consider this scenario; an ordinary person you met only once, perhaps dined with or taken in a movie together. You liked them, but the chemistry wasn’t there and so you refuse a second date. Now this person has begun shadowing your every move from the car, to your place of work, the gym, grocery store, and stops in between, etc. Then one night he materializes outside your bedroom window…at midnight…scratching his longish fingernails (ewww) on the glass and demanding entrance. He keeps insisting he loves you and is convinced you love him. If that concept isn’t creepy enough he soon expresses a burning desire to sex you up while drinking your blood. 

Really, what would your first reaction be? Uh-huh…no matter how gorgeous his appearance, my guess is you’d wear down the heels on your best pair of shoes sprinting to the cop-shop demanding twenty-four hour protection, a restraining order against the nut-job, and only after your purchase of a nine millimeter gun with a back-up clip and a German Shepard named Killer who responds to the attack command in five languages.

Yet, given the above facts, the vampire allure is irresistible. But why? Speaking for myself, if a sinfully sexy, cultured and wealthy master of seduction decided his only requirement was me naked and willing…I say, let the games begin! In addition, the vampire has a lot more than those four fabulous factors working in his favor (say that five times!). Mainly, he comes without the bothersome and sometimes oinkish qualities of the all-too-human male.

Face it, Dracula/Eric/Bill isn’t going to drop his dirty underwear and socks on the floor within inches of the clothes hamper, or adjust his ample package in public. And I’ve yet to read a book, or watch a movie where a vampire empties his pockets leaving coins, crumpled bills, gum, old gas receipts, movie stubs and wads of lint strewn over every available surface in the house, possibly after swigging a beer and/or burping open a door.

Nonetheless, the true vampire allure conceals a nefarious façade that drags unsuspecting women into a twisted underworld where blood-exchanges, master/slave relationships, and sexual obsession could drive a person insane. Yet, as I ponder what to make for supper fold my second basket of laundry and pick up after my husband, daughter and two dogs, I have to think how bad could insanity be?

Lisa M. Campbell Lisa M. Campbell is the author of Superstition’s Desire, published by Wild Horse Press 2009. Lisa has traveled the world, lived on two continents and in eleven cities. She met her childhood hero, twice. She wore a uniform during wartime, though she never fired a shot.Thanks to her husband, she’s flown an airplane. She’s a wife, and mother. She’s owned by two crazy cattle dogs, both of which she rescued from puppy prison. Right now she lives in the beautiful Black Hills, the Oglala Sioux call Paha Sapa. She has a Celtic Connection with a Gaelic speaking friend. She writes what she loves to read.

Visit Lisa’s website:  http://www.lisamcampbell.net

Join Lisa on MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/mariemarch

The Cain Letters by Pierre Dominique Roustan

As part of my week-long book launch party, Pierre Dominique Roustan and I are exchanging blogs. (You can find me at http://writingandreading.today.com) Pierre writes:

Those who’ve followed my blog might know a bit here and there about THE CAIN LETTERS and the characters, but let me paint a picture for you real quick:

Enter: Alexandra Glade.


Only she kills vampires. For a living.


It was easy, you know? Hunting vampires. The life was so linear. And simple. Until a strange book surfaced that seemed to be of some interest to many of the damned-most notably two master vampires of cunning strength and power, two of the strongest in the world, actually-a Russian known as Nikolas Stahl and a savage Los Angeles native named Mason Richter. The book had ancient knowledge regarding something that had been locked away, secret, since the beginning of time-

The origin of the vampire. How it all began.




Cain, brother of Abel, son to Adam and Eve, had struck a deal with Satan to cleanse himself of the guilt, the shame, the despair of a dying world and the mark of banishment on him. The cleansing took away his humanity, took away his soul even-and made him into what was commonly known as…vampire.









See also: Interview with Pierre Dominique Roustan
                 Blog Exchange with Pierre Dominique Roustan