Nine Lives(Highland Home Series #5) Excerpt+Author Interview+Giveaway!
Monday, September 10, 2012
I felt a familiar ripple and knew it was too late for me. I saw her, so
tiny, so perfect and I knew that I could die content. When Xavier
admitted his love for me, I was complete.
Kerry Cote's story may sound familiar, but it's not. Sure there are a lot of unmarried, pregnant teenagers in the world, but how many of them know the child they carry is a miracle? How many have a vampire body guard? How many are alone because the mother of us all and the father of all vampires has a jealous daughter who covets the baby's father? Kerry must survive to bring her child into the world, for if she fails, humanity may not survive.
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Excerpt
Chapter 1
"Oh my God," Mairin exclaimed. "I look like a
frosted cupcake."
I poked my head around the doorway of my sister's bedroom
and burst out laughing. My normally tom-boyish sister looked like someone had
airbrushed a Vogue model over her. I could still see Mairin under the makeup,
hair and the far-too-flouncy sparkling white gown, but I had to squint.
"Don't laugh at me, brat," she said. "How did
you let me let Mom talk me into this?"
I held up my hands. "Hey, don't blame me for this one,
sis. This is all you. You let Mom go to the bridal shop with you and Mathias'
credit card. You knew she was going to pick something like this."
Truthfully, the gown was gorgeous. It had an empire waist
and a very short train, but it also had so much lace and so many sparkles, I
was surprised my sister wasn't currently shredding the gown in an effort to get
it off.
"Dammit, dammit, dammit. I cannot do this," she
said. "Nope. I won't. I should have insisted on the stupid town hall and
the stupid civil union, but no, I let Mom and Mathias bully me into this."
She waved at herself.
"Mairin," my mother said, slipping past me into my
sister's room. "You look so beautiful. I knew that dress would be gorgeous
on you once the alterations were finished."
I smiled at my sister over our mother's shoulder and bolted
for my room. The glare which followed my retreat nearly burned. Mairin would
complain, but I knew she'd never have taken anything away from our mother.
Especially not something as important as a big wedding with all the trimmings.
Of course, her willingness to be on display for the town in
a gown that was anything but her own choice was really my sister in a nutshell.
No matter what it did to her, if it meant one of us was happier, Mairin would
do it. Take my bridesmaid dress. The wedding planner Mathias hired to help
Mairin keep her sanity had freaked out when Mairin showed her the dress, but my
sister had insisted that the pale colors the wedding planner wanted would look
awful on me. So instead of joining the frosted cupcake brigade, I was wearing
the deep, forest green, knee-length dress my sister had chosen for me. She
could have picked some hideous, flowing monstrosity so I wouldn't overshadow
her, but had instead picked the dress she knew I'd like.
I was pulling that dress over my head when the doorbell
rang.
"I'll get it," Tawnya called from downstairs. I
knew she'd been ready for us to leave for the wedding for at least half an
hour, but after the tenuous truce she and Mairin had finally formed following their
estrangement last winter, Tawnya was keeping her opinions to herself. I, on the
other hand, wasn't. If they weren't ready by the time I got my shoes on, I'd
shove Mairin down the stairs.
"Hey Tawnya. The other camp is getting anxious and sent
me to see what was keeping the bride." Xavier's voice drifted up the
stairs to me and I smiled. In spite of some pretty big disagreements they'd had
in the past, Mathias had asked Xavier to be his best man. Xavier, always
looking for ways to improve the political climate of the supernatural
community, and because both Mairin and I had begged him, had accepted. It
hadn't been until the tuxedo fitting that he'd truly begun to regret saying
yes. The complaints over the fittings had been epic and amusing as hell.
I slipped on my sandals and ran back to Mairin's room.
"The natives are getting restless. We have to go."
"I heard him," Mairin said. "Mom, go get in
the car with Tawnya. Kerry can help me down the stairs in this
monstrosity...um, dress."
Mom kissed us both before heading down to meet up with
Tawnya. I could see her eyes were already beginning to shine with tears and
knew that before the end of the ceremony, our mother would be a blubbering
mess.
"She's going to cry all day, isn't she?" Mairin
said.
"Probably. You're her baby and you're getting
married."
"Yeah, wait until it's your turn, brat." Mairin
clasped a thin gold chain around her neck and sighed. "That's it. No more
delays."
"Don't you want to marry Mathias?" I asked.
"Sure I do," she said. "But for all intents
and purposes, I'm nineteen. Girls don't get married this young unless they have
to. You know most of the town is going to be watching me to see if I'm
pregnant."
"That's why you and Mathias are going on a long
honeymoon. So you don't have to worry about being watched." I held
Mairin's arm as we carefully navigated the stairs. "Besides, admit it.
You're dying to see all the snooty jerks jockeying for position to catch your
bouquet."
Mairin laughed. "I'll aim for you, if you want me
to."
Xavier looked up at me from the foot of the stairs. I knew
he'd heard Mairin and my heart thundered in my chest. He'd already asked me to
marry him more than once and I'd told him no. Not no forever, but no for right
then. Looking at him in his tuxedo, the tiny, shy smile I loved best lifting
just the corners of his mouth, I realized while I still might not want to get
married tomorrow, I was ready to say yes to him.
"I'll take my chances," I said. "But I'll
make sure I'm right up front."
The wedding planning crew had lined the driveway leading to
Mathias' house with lights and continued with them along the path leading to
the stretch of beach behind the house. I went with Mairin through the front
door after sending Xavier around the back to keep Mathias out of the house now
that we were there. For a vampire, he was impressively superstitious. I'd
always thought being one of the monsters the superstitions protected us from
might make him immune to them, but apparently not. He hadn't even stayed at the
house with Mairin last night because he believed it was bad luck to spend the
night before their wedding together. Personally, I thought that his leaving had
more to do with trying to maintain his sense of decorum than with bad luck.
Mairin had told me that despite her less fragile state of being, Mathias had
refused to engage in physical intimacy with her until after the wedding. If the
level of aggression and annoyance displayed by them both was any indication,
their sexual frustration had reached a boiling point. Mathias had stayed away
so he wouldn't be tempted to break his own rules. It was actually kind of funny
that Mairin was certain the town assumed she was pregnant when I knew she was
still a virgin. I giggled and Mairin looked at me.
"What's funny, sis?" she asked.
"Just that you're worried those people out there think
you're knocked up and I know there's about a million reasons why that isn't
even remotely possible."
I ducked when Mairin threw the pillow from the sofa at me.
"Ha ha," she said. "Keep rubbing it in, sis
and I'll tell mom that when you stay at Elise's house, you sleep in the same
bed with Xavier."
"You wouldn't."
Mairin grinned. "Watch me," she said.
Gino stepped into the room and bowed low. "It is time,
little queen," he said.
I carefully kissed Mairin's cheek. "I love you," I
said. "Be happy, sis."
"Love you, too, Kerr," she said, taking Gino's
arm. He led her to where Mom and Tawnya waited in the kitchen. Xavier stepped
up to take my arm.
"You look gorgeous," he said.
"You're looking pretty handsome, yourself." I
smiled as he preened.
"You think? I hate the monkey suit, but it doesn't look
that bad."
"Mom, if you cry now, you'll ruin your makeup for the
photos." Mairin's tone was irritated.
"I can't help it. My baby's getting married."
"And living not five miles from your house. Get a grip,
Mom."
Laughing at my family's antics, Xavier laid his hand over
mine and led me out onto the deck. The music started and I gasped. There was a
silk runner that joined the deck to the area on the beach where the wedding was
taking place. Chairs were set up in groups around a central point where Mathias
stood, his back to the ocean and his eyes closed against the sinking sun. Only
those of us who really knew him knew Mathias wasn't steeling himself to get
married, but rather he was enjoying the sun. He must have heard the whisper of
the sand under the silk runner because he opened his eyes and smiled at both me
and Xavier as we walked toward him. Xavier and I split at the altar and we both
turned to watch my sister make her way across the sand. The gown that had
looked like too much in her bedroom was perfect as the setting sun caught the
sequins and crystals embedded in the fabric, making it appear as though Mairin
were glowing as she walked. Mom and Tawnya each held one of Mairin's elbows
lightly, escorting her to meet her groom.
At the altar, Mom and Tawnya stopped with Mairin and waited
for the minister to speak the first words of the ceremony.
"Who gives this woman in marriage?" he asked.
Tawnya's strong voice rang over the roar of the waves and
the gasps of the guests. "Her mother and I do."
I saw Mairin sigh with relief before kissing first Tawyna's
and then Mom's cheeks. I knew she'd worried that Tawnya would make some attempt
to stop this wedding, but since they'd mended their relationship, Tawnya's
acceptance of vampires as a whole had improved significantly. Mairin stepped
away from Mom and Tawnya--away from our family--and took the hand Mathias
offered her. The look which passed between them was so deeply reflective of
their love that I heard many of the audience members gasp yet again. I hoped
the photographer had gotten that shot. I knew I wanted it for myself.
The rest of the ceremony progressed as any other wedding I'd
ever attended until the minister reached the part in the vows where normally he
would have said "until death do us part." I knew Mathias and Mairin
had convinced the clergyman to change it to "for all time," but the
sound of my sister's voice saying the words was something I hadn't expected
would hurt quite as much as it did.
I saw Xavier mouth, "I love you," and realized I
must have done something to show my pain. I was so afraid of losing my sister
to this new world she'd found herself thrown into and had now married into. She
kept promising me she wouldn't disappear, but I knew that someday I'd die and
she wouldn't. We'd lose each other one way or another and I wasn't ready for
that. She might be mostly invulnerable, but our family's penchant for
attracting the biggest and baddest supernatural monsters meant she wasn't
invincible. I could still lose her, as I nearly had so many times in the past
few years, and I wasn't ready for that.
"I am pleased to present to you all, the newly wedded
Mr. and Mrs. Mathias Auer." The applause snapped me out of my thoughts.
Mairin flashed me a wink before leading the procession to the reception tent.
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Author Interview
Where do you call home?
I live and work in York, PA. Though I lived in North Carolina
for twelve years, this part of PA has been home for me since I was three.
What is your book about?
The Highland Home Series is an epic saga encompassing the
lives of several families. It’s more than just the love stories of those
people. It includes what becomes the battle between good and evil.
Do you have plans for a new book?
Definitely. With the release of Nine Lives, I still have one
more book in the HIghland Home Series and several other, non-related books in
the works.
What inspired you to write your book?
The Highland Home Series started as a possible collaborative
work with a friend. The friend didn’t have time to work on it and I couldn’t
hold the story back, so I wrote the rough drafts of the first six books over
the course of a few months. I’ve been working on improving those drafts ever
since.
Would you like to be contacted by readers to do book reviews?
Absolutely. Readers are encouraged to contact me any time at
sharirichardson@astralplanepublishing.com
How did you come up with the title and cover design?
The covers of the Highland Home Series are inspired by the
characters. I was very luck to have found some excellent stock photos of models
who fit my images of the characters. From there, I’ve kept the covers simple so
the stories can speak for themselves.
Have you based any of your characters on someone you know, or
real events in your own life?
Oh absolutely. Many of my friends and family would easily
recognize themselves and me in these characters.
Is there an Author that you would really like to meet?
I’ve been lucky enough to meet several of the authors I most
enjoy, but I would still love to meet Stephen King someday.
Do you prefer ebooks, paperbacks or hardcovers?
As much as I love the feel of a book, I must admit the geek in
me adores eBooks. I love the fact that I can whip out my phone or iPod and read
any time.
Have you ever read a book more than once?
A better question might be “which books have you only read
once.” I usually reread books, sometimes several times.
Is there a particular movie that you preferred over the book
version?
Water for Elephants. It was an amusing way to spend two hours
in the theatre and the book differed very little from the film, making reading
the book after seeing the film redundant rather than revealing.
What book are you currently reading?
I have several books open on my ereader programs right now.
I’m rereading The Stand right now.
What book do you know that you will never read?
James Patterson, Big Bad Wolf. I love the Alex Cross books,
but after reading about two chapters of that one, I put it down and never
picked it up again. I’ve read books that came after it in the series and
haven’t missed it yet.
Do you have a book trailer?
I have one for each of the currently available books. They’re
on my Youtube channel.
Do you have any advice for other writers?
Write. Don’t listen to the internal editor when it tells you
that you can’t write and don’t let anything stop you from putting the words
down.
Where can your readers follow you?
My blog:
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Thank you to AToMR Tours for this Giveaway! Open Internationally!
4 comments
Mourning Sun. The first book of a new (to me) series is always an exciting read because I'm delving into unknown territory.
ReplyDeleteI haven't heard of this series. So I am for sure looking forward to read the first one
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to reading all of them, because I've only just discovered them!
ReplyDeleteAll of them! Wow! I hadn't heard of this series before but man do they sound good! I love paranormal stuff and these are definitely going on my wishlist!
ReplyDelete