Tempting the Darkness

 Today I'm sharing a look at Tempting the Darkness. When I finished writing the book I dedicated it to my mother. At the time, my dad had passed away a few months earlier. I had a tough time finishing this book because of the reference to cancer in one of the characters. My dad passed away from lung cancer. I set my grief aside and finished the story. 

My mother always relied on my dad to do everything. Banking, bills etc.. So when my dad died, my siblings thought she wouldn't be able to manage without him. To everyone's surprise, she flourished. 

Today, as I share this book, I am grieving once more. My mother passed away two weeks ago. She aided in raising her siblings when her mother passed away after her last child. She took care of seven of her own kids and two siblings. She was a farmer's wife who had to work hard every day to put food on the table and tend to all the cows, chickens and pigs while my father was on the road as a salesman. Her life was not easy. So taking this all in mind, I dedicated Tempting the Darkness to her. I hope you enjoy the blurb and excerpt of the 5th book in my Darkness series.

Blurb

For twenty long years, Cooper Hawthorne has kept the brightest light in his bleak existence a deeply hidden secret. All this time, his beloved Gabriella has slept safely in cryogenic stasis, awaiting the day he finds a cure for her terminal cancer.

As love blooms amidst the Darkness, and still no cure in sight, loneliness drives Cooper to drastic measures. He awakens Gabriella and breaks his last promise to her—by turning her into a vampire.

Gabriella’s sense of betrayal weighs heavily on her attempts to deal with what Cooper has done to her. Pushing him away, she turns to his friends for support—and finds she isn’t the only one hurt by his actions.

Cooper fights the temptation to use his powers to wipe her mind of the damning memories. But, when he comes face to face with the monster that created him, he knows what he must do.

Will Gabriella be able to save him before it’s too late? Or will the Darkness swallow him whole?

Excerpt

Jacob’s Cove, 2026 Six months of darkness

Cooper heard the commotion coming from the dungeon below the instant he stepped into the kitchen to start lunch. Though he didn’t know why he bothered when neither Basil or Trinity had much of an appetite lately. Still, the others in the group could pop in—and usually did—at any time.

Although the dungeon was reasonably soundproofed, Cooper’s keen hearing picked up the screams. Racing down to the dungeon, Cooper threw the door open to find Basil standing over a young man, both of them bloody.

“I have all sorts of ideas when it comes to torture. I can go on for hours. Can you?”

The screams split through the air, sending a chill down Cooper’s spine. The young man’s hand that had been fastened to a cinder block was coated in sickly, gray blood.

“Now, I ask you again. Where is Chaos?”

“I...don’t...know,” the young man wheezed, kneeling on the floor, his head down, brown hair matted over his face.

“Then you shall lose another.”

Cooper turned away just as Basil sliced off one of the boy’s fingers. The cries from the young man sunk right to Cooper’s gut, drawing a vile sickness up to his throat. “Basil.”

 “Not now, Cooper. I’m busy.”

Apparently, he was enjoying what he was doing. The look on Basil’s face reminded Cooper far too much of Basil’s father. “The lad will keep. I must speak with you, now.”

Basil angled a steely look Cooper’s way. Then he stepped away from the bloody vampire boy, wiping his brow with his forearm as he walked to the cell doors. “What is so important that you needed to interrupt me while I’m interrogating a suspect, Cooper?”

Cooper opened the cell door, saying nothing, held a hand out as an indication of wanting Basil to follow him. With a snarled response, Basil exited the cell. Cooper stepped up to the sink near the back of the room that was used—in its day of torture—to wash the blood from the assailant’s hands. Lifting the glass mirror from its place on the wall, he held it up in front of Basil. “Who do you see?”

Basil growled, baring sharp, white fangs. “This is what you pulled me away from my task for?”

 “Who do you see?”

Basil’s icy blue eyes narrowed. When he spoke, it was through gritted teeth. “Myself. May I return now?”

“Look closer.”

“Damn it, Cooper—”

“Look closer!” Cooper insisted sternly. This time, Basil’s eyes began to glow, but he looked back into the mirror.

 “I see myself.”

“Then your eyes are as clouded as your judgment. Do you know who I see, Basil?”

“I don’t give a rat’s ass—”

“Avadur,” Cooper cut him off, the name alone had Basil pausing. “There is pleasure in your eyes, the same pleasure I would see come into your father’s eyes when he was torturing you. I feel the coldness emanating from your heart that was so chilling in your father.”

Basil stepped back as if he finally saw what Cooper did. He turned away from the mirror, looking down at his hands, coated in sickly, gray vampire blood.

We both know that boy has no information for you. We both know he is not an appropriate means for you to vent your frustrations and pain on.” Cooper placed his hands on Basil’s shoulders, turning him. “Your anger is not with that boy.”

“I can’t take my anger out on the one who deserves it.”

Cooper ran his hand over Basil’s long, dark hair, much like he had when Basil had been a boy, in dire need of affection. “Taking it out on the innocent only turns you into a monster. I won’t stand by and allow that. Go, be with Trinity. Console each other.”

“I can’t make her come out of Felicity’s room.” The tears in Basil’s eyes made Cooper’s heart ache.

“Then go there to be with her. You need each other.” Grabbing the towel hanging by the sink, Cooper laid it over Basil’s bloody hands. “I’ll take care of the boy.”

 Basil nodded. Walking to the dungeon’s exit, he paused. “What would I ever do without you, Cooper?”

The instant Basil was gone, Cooper turned to the boy. He was curled up on the floor, clutching what remained of his hand. Cooper knelt down, taking the mangled hand in his. Basil had done a number on the boy. He’d severed all but two of the young man’s fingers. Though he wouldn’t die from blood loss, he would suffer the pain.

“Shh now, all will be well in no time.” Laying his hand on the boy’s head, Cooper soothed him with his touch, then sent his mind to sleep. While the boy slept, Cooper carried him to the underground exit. Once at the surface, Cooper laid the boy on the ground, knowing that either someone would find him and take him to safety, or he would wake and run for his life. Either way, he was better off than where he’d been.

Back inside, Cooper washed up in the main floor washroom, wiping the blood from his hands, then splashing some cold water on his face. He hated senseless violence. Grabbing the towel, Cooper glanced at the mirror and noticed one of his tinted lenses had shifted slightly. Drying off his hands, he readjusted it, covering up the blue that would identify him as having been sired by the king. He wore the yellow contacts for a reason.

Giving his suit jacket a stiff tug, Cooper left the horror behind him.

 https://www.amazon.com/Tempting-Darkness-Shiela-Stewart-ebook/dp/B01MXM82B2?ref_=ast_author_dp

Charming the Darkness excerpt

 Charming the Darkness is the 4^th book in my Darkness series. This is Danny Vega’s—Dante Vega’s brother—story. I love writing humorous dialogue and this one has plenty. My hubby and I have a humorous relationship in that we both love teasing and annoying each other. I put that in Danny and Starla.

Blurb:

Daniel Vega had never been comfortable as a human so when he was offered eternal life as a vampire, he turned his back on his family and welcomed the darkness. Then Chaos, the one man Danny thought he could always count on, goes missing. Now, shunned by his own kind, it seems that leaving Jacob’s Cove is his only option. Until he crashes into a high-spirited redhead.

Born from witches, Starla Raine has spent her entire life learning to control and manage her powers. Drawn to Jacob’s Cove, a city magically cloaked in darkness, Starla runs into Daniel, a man connected to the infamous spell, and she knows just what to do. Hold him hostage and, use any means possible to make him give her what she wants.

The two forge an unlikely partnership, with Danny agreeing to help Starla find the ritual, but only if she’ll work with him to locate Chaos. At first he doesn’t mind using her magical abilities, or her body, for his own gain. Sex is just sex, after all… until someone’s heart gets in the way.

 

Excerpt:

She bolted up and Danny had a moment to think damn before his body locked up. It was the best way to describe why he had no ability to move any of his limbs. “What the hell?” As hard as he tried to move he just couldn’t.

“You’re a vampire?” She backed away from him, her brown eyes wide as she glared at him.

“Well…yeah. What the hell is wrong with me? Why can’t I move?” It was like his brain had lost communication with the rest of his body, yet he could feel everything. Weird.

 “I froze you. You were going to bite me.”

“Once again, yeah. Vampire here and what do you mean you froze me?” He was straining so hard to move that if he wasn't careful he was going to drop a load in his pants.

“I’m a witch.”

“A what?”

“A witch.” At least he could use his face and, frowning at her, said, “You’re a witch?”

She folded her arms over her chest and cocked her hip to the side. He corrected his earlier thought. She wasn't just hot. She was damn hot! “Yeah, what’s wrong with being a witch?”

“Nothing wrong with it. You just don’t look like a witch.”

“Why, because I don’t have a green face and a pointy nose?” She rolled her eyes.

“No, because…well, you’re hot.” There was no denying it, the woman had curves in all the right places and that tight black v-neck t[1]shirt she wore teased of ample breasts. Never mind the blue jean that looked painted on.

“Only children think witches look like that. I’m not that stupid.” She planted her fists on her hips and gave him an indignant look. “I don’t like your attitude.”

“No problem. Unfreeze me or whatever you need to do to give me back the power of my body and I can be on my merry way. Killer, hurry your ass in there already!” Where was that cat anyway?

“Killer? There are more of you in here?” She spun around, facing towards the entryway to the kitchen.

Oh, this was too perfect. “Oh yeah, there’s a whole bunch of us here and we are all going to take turns sucking the life right out of you.”

She narrowed her eyes as she turned to face him. Maybe he should have used less sarcasm. “I don’t believe you.”

“Suit yourself. Come on out, guys!” This was too much fun. Her face went white as snow. Then Killer walked in, meowed, and wound his body around Danny’s legs. How was he supposed to pretend to be mean when the cat was cuddling up to him?

“There’s no one else here, is there?”

“Sure there are.” He was losing her rapidly.

“I don’t think so.” Daringly, she inched towards the doorway, peering around the corner.

Danny just couldn’t resist. “Get her!” She jumped, spun around in some sort of karate kick, her fists raised and ready. It was the hottest thing he’d ever seen.

“I knew it. There is no one else here.” She spun back towards Danny. “You lied.”

“Can’t blame a guy for trying. All right already, Killer, go lay down on the sofa or something.” The cat was annoying him only because he was tickling Danny’s shins and there was nothing he could do to stop it, being frozen and all.

“Killer? That’s Killer?” she chuckled as she made her way to the cat, scooping him up into her arms. “You don’t look so fierce. Come here, pretty girl.”

“He’s a guy.” The nerve of her assuming Killer was a girl.

“Aren’t you a sweetie pie?” She nuzzled her face into the cat’s fur. “Yes, you are.”

Killer was loving every minute of it. “You wanna unfreeze me now?”

“Right, because I look stupid.” “Well—” “Don’t.”

“You walked into it, toots.” She narrowed those big, brown eyes at him. “Don’t call me that. If I let you go the first thing you’ll do is jump me and bite my neck.”

“Doesn’t have to be the neck and I’d probably do more than just bite you.”

Her eyes narrowed a little more. “What does that mean?”

“Just forget it. If I promise I won’t bite you, will you let me go?”

 “Sure. Not!” She laughed at him, then took a seat on the sofa with the cat. “What’s a pretty kitty like you doing with a big bad vampire?” Her head jerked up and her eyes went wide making them look even bigger than they already were. “Oh my Goddess! Please tell me you don't drink from him, do you?”

That was just the most appalling thing he’d ever heard. “What? No way. Killer and I are tight. We’re pals.”

“You’re pals?”

“Yeah, I saved him from a bunch of hungry dogs a few weeks ago and we’ve been roomies ever since.”

 “You’re roomies?” Her lips twitch with a grin.

He wasn't impressed. And this was why he preferred the cat’s company to humans. Killer didn’t mock him. “What’s wrong with that?”

 “Nothing. It’s sweet. You have a kitty as a pet.” Snuggling the cat to her face, she flashed a huge smile at him.

 “Wanna release me now?” He didn’t like the way she was looking at him or being called sweet. He was anything but.

She leaned back and Killer made himself right at home on her lap. “Not yet. So why were you leaving—I don’t even know your name.”

“Danny.”

“Cool. I’m Starla Raine. So why were you leaving?”

 “Starla Raine? What kind of name is that?”

“It’s a perfectly fine name. Starla was my grandmother’s name.”

“So Raine is your last name?” He’d thought it was one long name rather than two.

“Yes. Why were you leaving?” she repeated, gently stroking the cat’s head. Maybe if he played nice and gave her what she wanted she’d release him and then he and Killer could go on their merry way.

“I’m tired of this town.”

“I would think someone like you would love living here where there’s no sun to burn you up.”

“The sun doesn’t kill us. That’s just a myth. It does give us a nasty third degree burn. I’ve spent twenty years learning to live with the sun, doing so now won’t be any different.”

“Twenty years?” She frowned. “How old are you?”

“Thirty-three.”

 “Get out? Wow, how old were you when you were taken?”

“Thirteen. I answered your questions, so you wanna let me go now.” His body was starting to cramp up and it was not a good feeling, especially since he couldn’t rub the tightening muscles.

“The response you gave to my question was lame. Now tell me the real reason you and Killer,” she smiled down at the cat on her lap, “were leaving.”

“Why does it matter to you?” She was pissing him off now.

 “Just curious. What’s the real reason?”

She just wasn't giving up. “If I tell you the truth, will you please release me?”

“You bet.” She kicked her legs up onto the couch and Killer stretched out, placing his paws and his face on her knees.

https://www.amazon.com/Charming-Darkness-Shiela-Stewart-ebook/dp/B01IL1G4LS?ref_=ast_author_dp

Seducing the Darkness excerpt.

 Trinity stood in the shadows and watched as a group of humans exited a local hangout called Buckeye’s Bar. It was a known pick-off for her kind. Most of the humans that came and went from the bar tended to leave through the back entrance which led to the alley. Then bam! You were vamp food.

 People were so stupid. Why did they think they had their faculties in order when they plied themselves with alcohol? The brain was sluggish after several drinks and thus impaired their thought process. So of course, stupid and drunk, they stumbled through the alley thinking themselves impervious to harm. 

 When would they learn? 

 Considering the past few weeks, it seemed as though the vampires were out in full force. Okay, so people didn’t want to believe there could actually be such a thing as a blood sucking half dead creature taking up residence in their city. But come on, one look in the newspapers and you had to at least be worried about all the dead bodies being found lately. 

 Still, people never believed it could happen to them. Until they end up dead. 

 She watched a group of young girls—and if they were of legal age, she would eat her shoes—stumble from the bar. They separated and two went off towards the street while the last wandered drunkenly down the dark alley. 

 Oh yeah, like this was going to end well. 

 “Five, four, three, two, one. Bam!” She shot her hand out just as a vampire jumped from out of the shadows and right beside the stupid young girl. Shaking her head, Trinity moved towards the screaming girl. Idiot. 

 “I don’t think you want to be doing that.” 

 The tall, gangly, greasy haired vampire jerked and spun around to face Trinity. His teeth were primed for the kill, his yellow eyes glaring at Trinity as if she were his next meal. The poor girl in his arms was wailing something awful. 

 Now you regret going through the dark alley. 

 “Yeah, says who?” 

 Trinity lifted a brow, cocked her body to one side and rested her hand on her hip. “Jesus, could you have said anything more lame? Let the girl go and no one has to get hurt.” Okay, so that wasn’t completely the truth. He would be more than hurt when this was over. He would be dust. 

 “How ‘bout I keep her and you wait against the wall until I’m done?” He jerked the girl towards him, yanking her head back to expose her neck. He was just about to bite down when Trinity placed a hand on his shoulder. He looked up and his face froze. 

 “How ‘bout I don’t.” Trinity bared her fanged teeth to show him she was not going to back off. “Beat it kid.” She clamped her hand on the vampires shoulder, her nails digging into his flesh as she jerked her head at the girl. As she’d suspected, the guy was a wimp. He released the girl who immediately ran off screaming. 

 “Now, you wanna take off, or am I going to have to mess up that pretty face of yours?” she asked sarcastically as she glared down at him. 

 “You couldn’t handle me, bitch.” He slapped her hand free, then curling his fingers in a fist, threw a punch at her face. 

 She was ready and ducked out of the way. Slicing her hand up, she chopped him in the neck, sending him crumbling on the ground. “You don’t want to mess with me, jerk,” she advised as she planted a booted foot on his jugular. The razor blades she had attached to the toe drew a small amount of dull gray, deoxygenated blood as she pressed it just below his chin. 

 “Go ahead and dust him, he’s useless.” 

 Trinity glared over her shoulder at the man she had once been destined for and felt her heart ache. She couldn’t stop herself from admiring the beauty of the man before her. His long dark hair floated in the light breeze sweeping away from a face sculpted of fine bone and delicate skin. He looked so dark and dangerous in that long, black leather coat he always wore. One look into his translucent blue eyes turned her heart to mush. 

 Then she reminded herself how much she detested him. 

 To show she wasn’t a push over, Trinity pressed her foot harder, the razor blades cutting into the vampire’s neck. His arms flailed out, trying to yank her foot away from his neck. His legs kicked wildly, but Trinity had a good ten pounds on the scrawny vamp. Tilting her toe downward, she sliced deep into his neck, finally cutting his head off. In a whoosh he disintegrated into a pile of dust, his last breaths used to scream his way to death. 

 She took a deep breath, shook the remnants of a useless life from her boot then turned. “Basil.” 

 “Trinity.” They stalked each other like the predators they were, neither taking their eyes off the other. “You’re looking good.”

 Her breath always caught in her throat when she looked into those icy blue eyes of his. Unlike the rest of her race that had yellow eyes, he had the color of his heritage. He was royal. “So are you, but you already know that.” She circled him, her eyes never leaving his.  She knew how quick he could be, and she was prepared. “Was he one of yours?” 

 “Would I have cared if you dusted him if he was one of mine?” His hand slid to his pocket and he pulled the pack of cigarettes from his pocket. “How have you been?” 

 She rolled her shoulders, the itch still irritating her. “Better now that I left you.” And wasn’t it odd how acrid a lie could taste?

 “I noticed you’ve had your belongings gathered from our home.” 

 “Your home,” she corrected, keeping her distance from him. She knew perfectly well being close to him would have dire repercussions. 

 “Have you settled into your apartment then?” 

 He was being so nice, so civil. She didn’t like it. “Why are you here, Basil?” 

 “I might ask the same of you, Trinity.” He lit the cigarette smoothly and the flame showed a devastatingly handsome face, with curves and lines and strength. 

 “I’m protecting the humans,” she remarked with an edge in her voice. “Always the warrior, my fiery princess.” He smiled sweetly as he drew long and hard on his cigarette then smartly blew a ring of circles in the air. All without taking his eyes from hers. 

 “Don’t call me that.” She hated when he called her that. Okay, once upon a time hearing him call her that made her hot, but that was then. This was now. 

 “It’s what you are and always will be to me.” 

 “Yeah, I was such a treasure, that’s why you decided to fuck another woman. Leave me alone, Basil.”

 In a quick shift that surprised her, he was in front of her, his hand clamped on her chin as he tilted her face to meet his. “Despite my indiscretion, I will always love you.” He dropped his cigarette and ground it out beneath his boot. 

 She jerked her chin free, snarling, “You have a funny way of showing it.” 

 Grabbing her chin again, this time he held a little tighter. “Love has many sides to it, my sweet.” He sealed his words with a sharp kiss, his teeth scraping her bottom lip right before he vanished into the night. 

 Cursing, Trinity spat on the ground, wanting to eliminate his flavor from her tongue. Bastard thought he could come back and act as if nothing had happened. Fuck him! She still remembered all too clearly what it had felt like to walk in on him and the woman crawling over his naked body. 

 Shaking herself free of him, Trinity walked away. The last thing she needed was the memory of Basil’s kiss or the feel of his touch on her skin. What she needed was a vicious kill. If only she could find one.