Series: Night #1
Author: Lisa Kessler
Age Group: Adult
Genres: Romance, Paranormal, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Erotica
Elements: Vampires
Publisher: Entangled Publishing, LLC
Format: PDF
ASIN: B00JTIU2CU
Published: August 2nd, 2011
Source: Bewitching Book Tours
Events: Book Tour | Bout of Books Read-A-Thon
Rating: 4.5/5 STARS
Purchase: Kindle | Paperback
He gave up his soul for a second chance to love her…
Two and a half centuries ago, Calisto Terana lost everything when a zealous priest murdered the woman he loved. Now, desperate for another chance to love her, he wants redemption for the mistake that cost her life.
She’s haunted by dreams of her own death…
After catching her fiance with another woman, Kate Bradley returns to San Diego to clear her head. The last thing she needs is romance, but after meeting Calisto she’s drawn to him in ways she doesn’t understand.
They’ve waited in the shadows for centuries…
Calisto has no doubt Kate is the reincarnation of his lost love, but the Fraternidad Del Fuego Santo has a new watcher with dark ambitions of his own. As old enemies reemerge and a new threat arises, the betrayal that enslaved Calisto to the night might destroy the only woman he’s ever loved again.
Calisto is a hero who accepts things as they are. He accepts who and what he is. He's not afraid to use his abilities as a Night Walker to protect those he loves and cares about. He respects life even as he takes it. He's more aware of humanity than anyone else. And he has a selflessness that is rarely ever seen in anyone else. Calisto loves totally and without reservation, and his loyalty and devotion to Kate are unmatched. I just really love reading from the POV of a hero such as Calisto.
Kate has a fragility to herself that makes her seem like a damsel-in-distress, but she has a hidden strength that shows itself when it's needed. Kate has been thrown into this unbelievable and extraordinary situation and she stays pretty level-headed, though there are times when it got to be too much. She has a habit of running from her feelings, but when she met Calisto she decided to take a chance and follow them instead of hide from them. I thought that Kate and Calisto meshed very well as a couple.
Kate and Calisto's relationship focuses more on their spiritual connection than anything physical. There's none of the vulgarity or focus on sex as is common in most paranormal romances. Their connection is so strong and intense, but there's a fragility and sweetness that leaves you feeling like you just witnessed something really special. The Romneya bloom is like a symbol of their love and there's even a Spanish legend connected to the flower. As I was looking up information about the flower, I also came across a story involving a native woman who loved to sing and laugh. I don't know if this is where the inspiration for their relationship cam from, but the legend and stories definitely reminded me of Calisto and Kate.
This whole book has a foundation on spirituality, even when it comes to the Night Walker. It's made clear that Night Walkers are NOT vampires. Vampires are seen as evil creatures ruled by their blood lust. Night Walkers are peaceful healers. Because the Old One who changed Calisto was a leader of the Kumeyaay tribe, there is a Native feeling to the origins of the Night Walker. They even have spirit animals that they can change into. Calisto's is the raven.
The open ending left me really curious about what's really happening. The appearance of the white-headed eagle sent questions spinning through my head. Will this be the happily ever after that Kate and Calisto want and deserve? Or is there more going on than either of them could have ever thought possible? I'm really excited to see if these questions will be answered in future books.
Hi everyone --
It's great to be on the Blog today!
I have a new dark paranormal romance out, Night Walker, and I thought maybe we could chat about "coffee dates".
I didn't discover the "let's meet for coffee" phenomenon until I found myself single again after fifteen years of marriage. I didn't know dates had changed! LOL Eventually I figured out the magic of "meeting for coffee". You could get to know someone new without the commitment of an entire evening and the cost of a meal.
Coffee is warm and non-threatening. You also have the added comfort of a busy public place so you don't have to be alone with this stranger that you just met.
In my novel, Night Walker, Calisto is immortal and has waited over two hundred years for his lost love to be reincarnated. He's also able to shape shift into a Raven, his spirit animal, so he didn't drive when he met Kate downtown. On the walk to the coffee shop, Kate has confided in him that she left San Diego because being near the ocean left her feeling haunted.
She's never admitted that out load to anyone before...
~~~~~
EXCERPT:
"I know it sounds crazy. Sure you still want to have coffee with me?"
He opened the glass door of a dimly lit café. “I have never been more certain of anything in this life.”
Calisto grinned. His hand brushed the small of her back, an encouraging touch. She let him guide her to a corner table, reveling in the feel of his hand against her and the acceptance in his smile.
Every time he touched her, her entire body tingled in response. And even though she shouldn’t, even though she needed time and room to settle into her new approach to life, she wanted more of Calisto. She yearned for it.
He took the seat across from her. Kate dreaded the awkward silence sure to come, but it didn’t.
“You are a musician in Reno?”
She relaxed into her seat, enjoying the way his accent colored the name of her city. “Yes, I direct a couple of middle school choirs. How did you know that?”
“I wish I could say that I knew your mother and she told me this, but I cannot. Sadly, I am not involved with the donors at the foundation as much as I would like.”
“Betty told you, huh?” Kate laughed.
“I wondered why a musician would give up a beautiful instrument like your mother’s piano.”
“My mother didn’t give me a choice in the matter. She wanted you to have it,” Kate said, surprised at how bitter she sounded.
“Do you play?”
She shrugged. “Not very well. But I get by.”
“Get by?” He moved his chair back and crossed an ankle over his leg.
In this new position, Kate could enjoy the cut of his shirt over his chest. She cleared her throat. “I can plunk out melodies just fine, but I’m a little rusty at playing the bass line with my left hand.”
“Sometime, I would love to hear you play.”
God, she couldn’t get enough of his accent. Focus, Kate. “Oh I’d be too embarrassed. Betty told me you’re a concert pianist.”
He cocked his head and raised his eyebrows. “How well I play has nothing to do with it.”
Kate laughed, leaning back slightly as the waitress placed their drinks in front of them. “What will happen to my Mom’s piano, anyway?”
Calisto grasped the warm coffee mug and answered, but Kate didn’t register the words. The café, its customers, the smell of coffee, even time faded when she noticed his hand.
“Kate?”
His ring. She couldn’t take her eyes off of it. Something about it seemed… familiar. Maybe she was insane. She couldn’t have seen it before, and yet she was sure she had. Either that or she had some vivid déjà vu.
“Kate? Are you all right?” Calisto asked.
Kate blinked and shook her head slowly, breaking the trance she felt when she noticed the ring. “I’m sorry. I saw your ring and I can’t help thinking I’ve seen it before.” She searched his face for something that might tell her why the ring seemed so familiar. “I swear I’m not usually this crazy, but it looks familiar to me.”
His gaze held hers, his voice soft but commanding. “You are many things, but crazy is not one of them. Perhaps intuition told you of our meeting in a dream. Stranger things have happened in this world, no?”
Dream. The word sent a chill down her spine. “You believe in déjà vu then?”
“You do not?”
“I asked you first.” She sipped her coffee, desperate to shake off the nagging anxiety that haunted her since she saw his ring. Something inside of her kept grasping for a memory that she knew didn’t exist.
“Yes, you did.”
His voice guided her back to the present. “Do you always answer a question with another question?”
“You are not the first to accuse me of such a thing.” Calisto smiled, lifting his coffee to his full lips.
“Now that I can believe. So maybe I’ve seen your ring before, huh?” She glanced at his hand but, concerned the design would entrance her again, she returned her attention to his face.
“Maybe so.” He placed his mug on the table. “As I said, stranger things have happened.”
Kate nodded. Strange things were happening all right. She sipped her coffee, unable to take her eyes off of his. Did he feel the same attraction?
She was a choir teacher who lived out of state in a two-bedroom apartment, and he was a reclusive philanthropist. This was real life, not a fairy tale. She had to wake up. She was on the rebound here.
“We should probably get going.” She set her mug down. “It’s getting late.”
“I suppose it is.” He looked almost disappointed, but he rose from the booth and moved around to help her to her feet.
“Thank you.” The second her fingers touched his, a shock of desire zipped through her. She had to force herself to let go of his hand. Keeping a clear head was difficult when her body reacted to him this way. He made her feel more alive, her senses heightened. Her heart raced just holding his hand.
Imagine if we kissed. Her skin flushed with heat and she rolled her eyes at herself.
“Where are you parked?” Kate asked.
“I am not.”
“You’re not? Did you take a cab or something?”
“Something… ”
Kate grinned, shaking her head. “You play the man of mystery well, don’t you? I’d be happy to give you a ride. It’s the least I can do since you saved me from a night all alone.”
“You should never be alone.” Calisto offered his arm, tipping his head slightly toward her.
She placed her hand into the crook of his arm, barely resisting the urge to run her fingers along his bicep. “Are you always so charming?”
His eyes lost focus, and something shifted in his expression. For a moment, he looked as haunted as Kate felt. “Not always.”
She glanced at his ring again and wondered whether she had as much control over her life as she believed.
~~~~~
Hope you enjoyed Calisto and Kate's coffee date! So have you ever "met for coffee"? I'd love to hear your coffee time stories!
Thanks for reading and commenting!
Lisa Kessler is an avid reader and writer of dark fiction. Her short stories have been published in print anthologies and magazines, and her vampire story, Immortal Beloved, was a finalist for a Bram Stoker award.
Lisa recently signed a 4 book deal with Entangled Publishing to release her Night Series. The first book, Night Walker, is scheduled to be released August 5th.
When she's not writing, Lisa is a professional vocalist, performing with the San Diego Opera as well as other musical theater companies in San Diego. You can learn more at http://Lisa-Kessler.com
Lisa lives in southern California with her incredibly fun husband and two amazing kids.
Disclaimer: This review was originally posted in 2012 to my book blogs, Zodiac Book Reviews and A Bibliophiles Thoughts on Books.
0 comments:
Post a Comment