Guest post with Lisa Kessler

Proud to be a Vamp Chick….

Hi everyone - 

Thanks to the Vamp Chix for inviting me to the Bite Club today!

I think my love for vampires started in High School with two 80's movies.  Can you guess which ones?  Yep, The Lost Boys and Fright Night.  Until those movies, I'd never seen vampires portrayed as sexy bad boys, and my teen heart fluttered.

As I got older, I dove into the more gothic Vampire Chronicles from Anne Rice.  I loved the dark, tortured vampires, struggling to find meaning in a never-ending existence.  The only thing that bothered me was the whole impotence thing.  I'm assuming this isn't a spoiler because all vamp chix have read the Vampire Chronicles right?

If not, stop reading now and skip down to comment! LOL

So anyway, while Anne Rice explained the situation going on in the vampires' pants, no heart to pump blood = no erection, I REALLY wanted them to be able to be physical when they loved one another.

Enter Christine Feehan and Maggie Shayne…  Now here were blood-drinking immortals who had sex!  And thus my love affair with paranormal romance began.  

The only thing I was missing was the little dose of fear that I enjoyed from horror novels.
When I wrote Night Walker, I wanted to write a vampire romance novel with a race of immortals that were not from Europe, and I wanted the villain to scare me.  The result is my new paranormal romance that was just released this month! 

Here's a little taste…  

Calisto has been alive for over two hundred years, waiting to find his murdered love again.  The night their paths finally cross on Dia de los Muertos, he recognizes her instantly, but she has no conscious memory of him.

So while Calisto aches to pull her into his arms, he's forced to keep his distance…

Title: Night Walker Author: Lisa Kessler 
Genre: Paranormal Romance Release Date: August 2011 
ePub ISBN: 978-1-937044-12-1 Mobi ISBN: Coming soon! 
Print ISBN: 978-1-937044-13-8

Books 2, 2 1/2, and 3 coming December 2011, January 2012, and June 2012!

 

Book Description:

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.
 

EXCERPT:  

Kate watched them wander off before kneeling closer to the cross. Unable to stop herself, she traced her finger along the T in the center. 

Behind her, someone cleared his throat. Kate jerked her hand away and shot to her feet. When she turned around she found a tall, dark-haired man staring at her. 

Her cheeks flushed with heat. She hoped he hadn't witnessed her touching the relic. She waited for some kind of admonishment, but he didn't say anything. 

Not with words. 

Something in his dark eyes captured her. His gaze wandered over her face like a tender caress, and strangely, instead of screaming for Lori and Edie, she caught herself imagining his touch on her skin. 

“I hope I did not frighten you,” he said. 

His deep voice resonated through the empty courtyard, and the intimate tone weakened her knees. The hint of a Spanish accent didn't hurt, either. Nervous laughter escaped her before she could contain it. 

Her face warmed all over again. “Just a little startled. I didn't see anyone else out here.” 

He stepped closer without encroaching on her personal space, his eyes locked with hers from beneath thick lashes. “Forgive me.” 

She swallowed hard and prayed she wasn't blushing. “No problem.” She looked away before she embarrassed herself even further, focusing on the cross. “It's beautiful isn't it?” 

“Si.” He nodded slowly. “Yes, it is.” His barely there smile made her think he wasn't referring to the flowers or the cross. “I am Calisto. Calisto Terana.” 

Expectation hung as heavy as the scent of eucalyptus, as if he waited to hear something more than just her name. 

“I'm Kate.” Instead of offering to shake his hand, she tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “It's nice to meet you.” 

“The honor is mine, Kate... ” His accent colored the vowel in her name. It had never sounded more beautiful. She reminded herself to breathe. 

When he hesitated for a moment waiting for her to speak, she realized she hadn't shared her last name as he had. She flipped through a rapid pro and con mental checklist, and decided it couldn't hurt. Maybe they would meet again. 

“Bradley,” she said. 

A sexy smile curved at the corners of his lips. “I hope this will not be our last meeting.” 

She glanced around the shadowed courtyard, feeling vulnerable, and almost gave in to her first instinct--to run. But she remembered her promise to herself. Be strong. Take action. She lifted her chin and said, “I guess you never know.” 

With a smile that said he had every intention of seeing her again, he tipped his head. “Buenos noches, Kate Bradley.” 

Her heart raced and her palms sweated when she realized he meant to leave. No man made her palms sweat. Ever. 

His gaze held hers for a moment, full of unspoken promises she didn't understand. Without another word, he walked away. 

 

Thanks for inviting me to the Bite Club!!!  

So who was your first vampire love? I'd love to hear…

Lisa

http://Lisa-Kessler.com
http://lisakessler.wordpress.com http://twitter.com/LdyDisney http://facebook.com/LisaKesslerWriter
http://facebook.com/NightSeries
http://goodreads.com/LisaKessler
http://www.entangledpublishing.com/night-walker/

About the author:
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 5^th. 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. Lisa lives in southern California with her incredibly fun husband and two amazing kids.