Whose Line is it Anyway?

Today vampire authors Tes Hilaire and Elisabeth Staab are having a little fun.  We’re each going to fire five random pages from our books and the other author has to choose their favorite line from that page and, if needed, tell why they love it or why it’s important. 

Tes:  So Elisabeth, you ready for this?

Elisabeth: *rubs hands together* Ready!

Tes: Great!  Here are your pages: 53, 83, 163, 173, 233 (can you tell I have a thing for threes today?)

Elisabeth: *flips pages* Okay...ooh...okay, page 53. This is where Thad tells Isabel he wants to try red wine with her.In  vampire culture, red wine is a semi-illicit substance, sort of the way a club drug might be for humans--kind of a big no-no for the vampire king:

...Isabel looked at Thad like he had just suggested they go streaking. Through a gang of wizards. At sunrise. “You can’t be serious.”...

Elisabeth: Page 83--I like pop culture references, and lots of folks have said they think this paragraph is funny because I mention the Krispy Kreme “Hot” sign:

...It wasn’t clear whether he had more to say, but a hearty knock on the door effectively ended the conversation. Truth be told, Isabel welcomed the intrusion. The weight of their conversation was making her twitchy now that she was sobering up. “Yo, Izzy, I’ve got doughnuts! The ‘Hot’ sign was on!”...

Elisabeth: Page 163--this is where you start to see conflict between Alexia, the human, and Thad’s human-hating bodyguard:

...The human’s legs were drawn up to her chest, hands clasped in a nervous gesture atop the peak of her knees. Her anxiousness vibrated in the air around her. She drew back a little when he approached the bed and sat down beside her on the mattress. Like she was afraid of him. What if she was? It didn’t matter. Just… didn’t....

Elisabeth: *flips pages* Same with page 173--there’s attraction, but yet they piss each other off...:

...“How you’re going to handle what, me?” He was talking about handling her like she was some kind of golden retriever. And it hadn’t escaped her notice that he’d compared her to a lawn mower earlier in the conversation. What the hell was up with this guy? 

Elisabeth: Aww, okay. On page 233 is where Thad realizes that Isabel has been captured by their enemies and he isn’t sure if she’s still alive:

...As bark flew and his head kicked back to release a primal roar, his bare palms both smacked the tree bark, stinging at the contact. The heat of his power rose in him, boiling out through his hands to leave black marks on the trunk he’d assaulted. A waning moon mocked him from overhead....

Elisabeth: Whew! That was fun. So it looks like it’s Tes’s turn in the hot seat!

Tes: Already sweating after that last teaser.... You’re cruel to end there, Elisabeth. (Hey, I used the page numbers you gave me, Tes!)

Elisabeth: Awesome. Here are your pages: 18, 28, 68, 188, 258 (Lucky 8s,right? Yes? No?) Okay Go!

Tes:  Okay... Let’s hope my advance copy is the same as the real thing since that’s all I have on my right now. Forgive me, peeps if I’m a page or two off. ;-)  So, page 18... hmm. Yeah...this is after Karissa wakes up in Roland’s apartment. She doesn’t know how she ended up there and has woken from a real nightmare where she was running from a bunch of evil badies. Needless to say his fangs were a bit alarming to her. And for Roland? …

...“I’m not going to hurt you,” he tried again, then ruined whatever chance of comfort the words might have offered by sniffing at her neck. But what a damn fine neck, long and slim. And her scent? Intoxicating...

Tes: page 28... Oh... I think I’m going to make you guys stew about this one. No set up, and no explanations other than this is Roland’s internal thoughts.  

...I really should have sucked him dry. Pain in the ass is going to be an understatement for the foul-minded bastard...

Tes: page 68...Here we start to see the real pull of the bond between Karissa and Roland. This is less than twenty-four hours after they’ve met, and not much more since Karissa found her grandfather slaughtered--by vampires--on the kitchen floor. Needless to say there are some mixed emotions on her part.

...she stood there, perfectly still but for the slim fingers that traced her swollen lips, as if she couldn’t bear the loss of sensation her abrupt withdrawal had caused. If hers burned with the same need as his did, then she probably couldn’t...

Tes: Page 188. Oh, um, yeah, this one is good. Talk about lucky eights... I don’t think this one needs any intro other than bom-chica-wow-wow

...“And the panties? Do they match?”

A mischievous twinkle flashed across her brown eyes. With a smile, she reached behind her back and unsnapped her bra, quickly shrugging it off her shoulders where she grabbed it in both of her hands. Before he knew what she was going to do, she’d looped it behind his neck, pulling herself up so her mouth was a hairsbreadth from his.

“Why don’t you find out?”...

Tes: page 258. Oh man... this one is going to take a few lines.  Set up: Karissa has been kidnapped. The entire Paladin order is racing to rescue her as is Roland. It’s daytime so Logan is driving Roland in the trunk of his car, the middle seat lowered enough for them to talk. Logan’s just asked whether Roland can track Karissa via any sort of blood tie. Roland has said no, he hasn’t drunk from her vein, but he can find her via their bond. A bond that should only be possible between a Paladin and his mate. 

...“It’s a full bond,” Roland replied.

Logan lifted his gaze from the road to the rearview mirror. “Body, heart, and soul?”

The red orbs extinguished. Whether Roland had turned his head away, closed his eyes, or whether the question had snuffed the fire out, Logan didn’t know. He’d say he didn’t care, but he did. In the same way he’d cared when he stood before the twisted monster who’d once been his best friend with orders to kill and had hesitated.

“For me there is no other. If Karissa were to choose to leave, I would let her. I would ask, however, that you ensure that I will not have to be here if she were to decide to bond with another.”

And that’s why Logan had hesitated all those years ago. Monster or not, Roland had more heart, more honor, than any other man Logan knew....

Tes: Oh I want to keep going! This is just getting good.  Too bad it goes on to the next page. Sigh. Guess it will have to wait until later when the kids are in bed and I have a nice glass of wine and can relax... But, wait, what am I talking about. Relax? Karissa is still in danger, plus we need to find out if Thad ever rescued Isabel after page 233!  I mean, we know she’s alive, she has to be alive, right Elisabeth? Tell me she’s alive, Elisabeth!!! Ye gods, I can’t take the suspense. I’m off to read, peeps. It was so great sharing a bit of our worlds with you. I hope you’ve enjoyed. Happy reading!

About the Authors

Elisabeth Staab still lives with her nose in a book and at least one foot in a fantasy world. Her bestselling paranormal romance novel, King of Darkness, is available now. Her second book, Prince of Power, releases in January. Find out more at ElisabethStaab.com

Tes Hilaire’s idea of a perfect vacation would include her porch on a sultry summer night, a good glass of rich, red wine, and a book about darkness, passion, torture and love. Her first novel in the Paladin warriors series Deliver Me from Darkness is available now. The next, Deliver Me from Temptation, releases in December. For more, visit TesHilaire.com. 

DELIVER ME FROM DARKNESS BY TES HILAIRE – AVAILABLE NOW

A stranger in the night…

He had once been a warrior of the Light, one of the revered Paladin. A protector. But now he lives in sin darkness, and the shadows are his sanctuary. Every day is a struggle to overcome the bloodlust. Especially the day Karissa shows up on his doorstep.

Comes knocking on the door…

She is light and bright and everything beautiful—despite her scratches and torn clothes. Every creature of the night is after her. So is every male Paladin. Because Karissa is the last female of their kind. But she is his. He may not have a soul, but he can’t deny his heart.

KING OF  DARKNESS BY ELISABETH STAAB – AVAILABLE NOW

ETERNAL COMMITMENT IS NOT ON HER AGENDA...

Scorned by the vampire community for her lack of power, Isabel Anthony lives a carefree existence masquerading as human—although drifting through the debauched human nightlife, she prefers the patrons' blood to other indulgences. But when she meets the sexy, arrogant king of the vampires, this party-girl's life turns dark and dangerous.

BUT TIME'S RUNNING OUT FOR THE KING OF THE VAMPIRES...

Dead-set on finding the prophesied mate who will unlock his fiery powers, Thad Morgan must find his queen before their race is destroyed. Their enemies are gaining ground, and Thad needs his powers to unite his subjects. But when his search leads him to the defiant Isabel, he wonders if fate had gotten it seriously wrong...

Giveaway!

One commenter will get a super cool swag bundle with Tes Hilaire and Elisabeth Staab goodies including trading cards, bookmarks, magnets, and much, much more!