About Blood Magic
by Shayne Carmichael
131 pages / 55500 words
ISBN: 978-1-60370-923-1
Available file types -
html, lit, pdf, prc, epub, Sony Reader pdf
Blood Ties' Adrian Debrett is back, and his life is more complicated
than ever. Between being protector of several werecats, ghoul to Prince
Gabriel and companion of the Mummy Xander, his extra curricular
activities take up more time than his night job of guiding ghosts into
the beyond.
Things get even more complicated when Ash, the son of a rival vampire,
shows up, intent on mixing it up with Gabriel's son Skye, and a work
rival tries to frame one of the werecats for murder to get back at
Arian. Throw in Gabriel's ex-lover, Ash's vampiric Father, and a pair of
Egyptian gods, and it's a wonder that Adrian can get anything done.
Action packed and full of magical intrigue, you won't want to miss a
moment of Blood Magic.
Review
Sara Bell, author of The Devil's Fire, writes: Witches, vampires, and mummies, oh my! To anyone else this might sound like a New Age version of The Wizard of Oz, but to ghost wrangler/ vampire chosen Adrian Debrett it's just another day spent knee deep in a world of supernatural politics and intrigue. As if Adrian's life weren't complicated enough, he's got two hot guys in love with him; he's inherited a clan of shape-shifters; and another vamp's hot for his blood. Oh, and did I mention more than a handful of folks want him dead?
Urban fantasy is one of my
favorite genres. In Blood Magic, Shayne Carmichael has crafted a magical
landscape with just the right balance of fact and fiction to deliver a
satisfying read that guarantees readers will be begging for the next chapter
in Adrian's fascinating saga.
Sample
"It's my only day off, and I'm not watching a bunch of
busty blondes cavort on my TV." Adrian had gotten a little tired of seeing
it. After he glanced around at the motley crew taking up residence in his
living room, he sighed and headed for the couch to plop down. He grabbed the
remote control from Kyle, and the werecat stretched out, propping elbow and
head in Adrian's lap. With the remote under his control, Adrian switched
channels to the Cartoon Network just in time for the start of Scooby-Doo.
"I ain't complaining." Kyle smirked at Adrian over his shoulder. Of course
he wouldn't complain; Kyle was in his favorite place, Adrian's lap. Whether
in animal or human form, he had the patented 'kitty look' every time he
wanted to be petted. Those beautiful baby blues remained fastened on Adrian
as Adrian's fingers ran though Kyle's golden hair.
"We've seen this one fifty million times, Adrian. How 'bout changing the
channel?" Indy grumbled, as she settled on the other side of Adrian, her
hand petting over Kyle's hair. Ever since Adrian had saved Kyle's life and
taken him in, everybody had gotten used to his weretiger tendencies of
wanting to be petted and in close contact, even Indy, which said a lot given
she was a vampire. The diminutive brunette was in residence at Adrian's
apartment more often than she was at the club her Father owned. It surprised
Adrian, but Gabriel hadn't said anything about his daughter's behavior.
For Kyle's part, he had calmed when in the presence of vampires.
Sarah and Michael, the other two weres, who had been sprawled on the floor
in front of the TV, moved to their hands and knees, crawling toward Adrian
and Indy. They wanted the same attention Kyle had. Adrian hadn't minded
taking in the other two six months ago, and he still didn't mind. He'd
gotten used to their habits and being used as an occasional kitty commune
focal point. He was happy with those who had chosen to stay by him. Most of
his old friends had deserted him because of suspicions about his
relationship with the vampire Prince, Gabriel. The one whose desertion stung
the most was an old family friend and the mayor's office's supernatural
liaison, Gray, who had become less and less friendly to Adrian.
"Scooby again?" Wolf piped in, as he came out of the kitchen with a bowl of
popcorn in one arm and Allie on the other. It had only taken them thirty
minutes to fix the popcorn; last time it'd taken them over an hour. Adrian
didn't think his kitchen was the place for romantic interludes between the
vampire son of Prince Gabriel and a mortal witch, but what the hell. He
hadn't cared much for the idea of romance between a vamp and his best
friend, but it was obvious they were in love with each other. The tall,
dark-haired, sunglasses-wearing vampire and the red-headed, fair-skinned
woman fit each other in both temperament and personality. Most people
likened Allie to a pocket Venus; Adrian preferred to call her a short little
shit.
"So enjoy the fifty millionth and first time. Now shush, all of you." Nobody
could talk while Scooby was on. Adrian was a diehard fan and openly admitted
it. His Scooby memorabilia and avid show watching were testimony to that.
Sylvia, who was curled up on the other side of the couch, kept quiet. He'd
never regretted hiring her several months ago to help him in the guide
business. Though she did look rather tired, and might or might not have a
few regrets signing on with Adrian. Noting her wan features and messy brown
hair, Adrian figured he'd better talk to Charlie, his secretary, about
giving her some time off. While she might prefer jeans and T-shirts like
Adrian did, Sylvia didn't step out of her house without makeup and hair in
place.
Thankfully, everybody fell silent, and quiet reigned for the first half of
the show. Indy propped herself against Adrian's side, while Michael curled
around Adrian's leg and Sarah curled up to Indy's leg. Allie was ensconced
on Wolf's lap as everybody passed around the bowl of popcorn and watched the
show.
A pool of darkness formed near the front door. Two seconds later, Gabriel
and his vampiric son, Skye, stepped from the shadows. Adrian's ghoul senses
picked up the scent of Gabriel's blood. The immortal Prince of San Diego had
the face of an unholy angel and the body to match. Adrian had done his best
to resist the blue-black strands of hair curled at Gabriel's neck and the
mesmerizing, dark gaze, but he was fighting a losing battle. As always, the
faint, seductive curve of Gabriel's smile and knowing look in the blue eyes
hinted at a more intimate knowledge of Adrian than Adrian wanted to accept.
The fair-haired Skye took up residence near the front door as Gabriel
approached Adrian. Trying to ignore the twinge of hunger, Adrian smiled at
Gabriel before looking back at the TV. That he semi-dated the vampire, and
was also Gabriel's ghoul, was something he tried to keep from most everybody
outside this room.
"I should know better than come over during Scooby." Gabriel's tone sounded
dry as he motioned with one hand. The movement made the others scramble away
from Adrian to leave space for Gabriel. He noted Adrian's reaction and
approached Adrian, holding his hand out. "But I think I have something that
might make up for taking your attention away from your favorite show."