All Authors Blog:: Book Feature with Danielle Rose

Dear Readers, Writers, and Precious Patrons,

All Authors Blog is pleased to have Danielle Rose with us and today we'll be showcasing her new book, Blood Magic.

BLURB:

There’s a little witch in us all.

Avah Taylor thought she had already faced the worst: as her coven’s chosen one, destined to receive a power that could kill her, she was forced to make the ultimate sacrifice when she gave up her mortal life to become a vampire, the witches’ greatest enemy. But just when she begins to adjust to her new life, even as she falls in love with her sire, the high priestess of her new coven is seized by Rogue vampires.

Guided by Avah’s visions of the past, present, and future, Avah and the other vampires set out to rescue their priestess, but their journey leads Avah to the discovery that the conspiracy behind her power runs deeper than she ever imagined, a secret that forces her to reconsider, once again, who she can trust.

With her abilities as both witch and vampire, Avah may be the only one who can locate her coven’s high priestess. But as her visions grow increasingly terrifying, and her life is threatened by both enemies and those she once loved most, Avah begins to wonder if she may not have a future at all.

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EXCERPT

Chapter One

As a mortal witch destined to fight in a war against immortal vampires, my life had been surrounded by death. Before my birth rite, the ritual in which I obtained The Power, the ultimate weapon against the vampire race, I had even prepared for my own death. Being chosen came with consequences—likely not living to see my next birthday was one of them. I had accepted this fate, because my sacrifice would bring honor to my coven. Unfortunately, the prophecies were right. Obtaining The Power did result in my death—I became one of the creatures I had spent my life hunting.

I closed my eyes, focusing on my breathing. As a spirit user, I had a small affinity for all elements, but as a chosen one, a being who harnessed The Power, I had greater control. According to Sebastian, the only other vampire I’d met who shared my differences, that control was limitless, but he had yet to show me how to wield the gift.

I called upon the element air. A breeze swirled around me, fluttering through the thick locks that hung past my shoulders. I smiled as it sent shivers down my spine. As a vampire, I didn’t feel cold in the same way I had as a mortal, but I still felt the sensation, and it was uncontrollably overwhelming. With my new, heightened senses, I could feel everything around me. It was as if the blindfold had finally been lifted, and after years of living in darkness, and even in silence, I could finally see, could finally hear. I had to die to truly feel alive.

As I brushed my palm against the dead grass I sat atop, I admired my handy work. I had been carving protection runes into headstones for hours and was due for a break. I knew the sun would rise soon, and with it, the remaining members of my vampire coven would slumber. But first, there was much to be done. Seventeen vampires from my new coven had fallen, including the guards of our coven’s high priestess, Amicia. Jasik, my sire, explained that a burial had never been rushed. In fact, we were skipping key parts, but with Amicia missing, we weren’t given the luxury of something as simple as time.

No one would talk about the likelihood that she had also been killed. Instead, my fellow Hunters and I put saving Amicia at the top of our to-do list and then called it a day. Ignoring the fact that Amicia was probably already dead didn’t bother me as much as it should have. Being a Hunter, a vampire blessed with my very own set of superpowers, it was my job to protect my coven and the members within it. We had failed when she was taken. Saving her was the only way to redemption.

Though I focused on carving the thick lines into the headstone, my eyes kept flickering to the vampire beside me. Sebastian had offered his help—a ploy, I was sure. Nearly four days had passed since I threatened to kill him if he didn’t tell me everything I wanted to know. He had brushed off my crassness with ease. Even now, as I watched him, he ignored me.

Lingering thoughts crept their way back into my mind. I remembered the dream I had the night I discovered we’d won the battle but lost so many in exchange. The Sebastian in my dream was nothing like the one sitting beside me. In my dream, he was cruel, evil. I was sure it was a vision warning me of what was to come. Being a spirit user, I had visions, but I had yet to learn control. I shuddered at the memory of the Hunters hanging from a tree, split open from navel to neck, their innards swaying from side to side as they hung, lifeless. Had I influenced it in some way? Was Sebastian lying in wait? I shook my head to clear my mind. I needed to remain focused on the task at hand. With one final stroke, the rune was complete. I stood, sheathing my knife and wiping the fine shards of rock from my hands.

“How much longer?” I asked.

“Done,” Sebastian replied as he stood, his light, sandy-brown hair bouncing as he moved. It fell to just below his chin. His lanky frame towered over my short stature, though he wasn’t quite as tall as Jasik.

I nodded, glancing around. We were attacked in this very place. Rogues, soulless, evil vampires who feasted on the blood of the living, had attacked my witch coven the eve of my birth rite and left me for dead. When they realized they’d failed to truly kill me, they came back to finish the job. Though I escaped again, others died in my stead. I closed my eyes, listening to the wind rustle the leaves. I focused on them but felt nothing. The world was empty. Our coven was broken. I hadn’t been a vampire for long, but I was already drawn to them. It was powerful, unexplainable. They felt like family—family I had failed to protect.

I opened my eyes, ignoring the cheeky grin plastered on Sebastian’s face. He had been with us for almost four days, and he had already gotten on my nerves. He was always watching me—just as I was watching him. He liked watching me tap into this power within myself, and even though he wouldn’t admit it, I believed he liked knowing it was always just out of reach. I think he felt safer that way. No one but me had the power to truly hurt him. He knew that. Jasik knew that. I knew that. And it left a gnawing sensation in the pit of my gut. I didn’t like being bested, and I especially didn’t like being vulnerable.

I turned on my heel and walked the stone path that led to the manor’s front door. My new vampire coven was hidden deep within rural Washington State. The forests of national parks surrounded us, keeping our existence secret from prying eyes. Each evening, I woke to crashing ocean waves and thick, salted air. It was nothing like home. My family moved from the remote woodlands of Wisconsin to the mountains of Shasta, California nearly a decade ago. I missed home. I missed Wisconsin and Shasta. I missed my family. But they had turned their backs on me when I needed them most—and now it was my turn to walk away from them.

About the Author:

Danielle Rose is a writer of fiction and travel, as well as the editor of Narrative Ink Editing LLC, an independent editing company that assists independent authors with prepping and publishing their manuscripts. Danielle currently resides in the Midwest, where she spends her days at a local coffee shop planning her next vacation or plotting her next novel.

Danielle holds a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from the University of Southern Maine’s Stonecoast program, where Danielle worked one-on-one with bestselling authors such as Nancy Holder, Theodora Goss, David Anthony Durham, Liz Hand, and James Patrick Kelly. In addition to her Master of Fine Arts, she also holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and certification in professional writing from the University of Wisconsin—Parkside.

When not writing, traveling, or writing about traveling, Danielle enjoys being outdoors, reading, binge watching television series, and cheering for her favorite football team (Go Packers!).

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