Title: Stake and Dust
Author: Karen Michelle Nutt
Genre: Paranormal, Vampires, Hunters, and other worldly beings.
Book Blurb:
A Lamia, a sea creature worthy of John Keats' prose, teams up with a vampire with serial tendencies. When young promising artists are found dead, the Preternatural Bureau sends Cassandra Hayes to the Hamptons to help a fellow hunter track down this lethal duo. She's only spoken to Mr. Green once on the phone and when she meets him in person, he is not what she expects. His hunting skills are spot on, but there is something the man is hiding, and she's determined to find out what it is despite the attraction developing between them. Tremayne Graystone, a vampire from one of the oldest septs, is not pleased when he finds a dead hunter left on the doorstep of his pub. He should have never answered the hunter's phone, but someone is trying to frame him, and he wants answers. Surely he can masquerade as Mr. Green, the hunter Cassandra is supposed to meet, before she figures out his true identity and stakes him. She's a Hayes, from a long line of vampire hunters, and fraternizing with the enemy is simply not done, but as they work together and follow the clues, the lines become blurred when he falls for the hunter's charms.
Excerpt:
(This is the first conversation between Tremayne and Cassandra when Tremayne answers the phone that belongs to the dead man that he found on behind his bar.)
He'd met hunters from the Hayes clan, some friendly, and a few not so much. They all seemed to possess likeable features, some bordering on beautiful. Even the males of the clan had a certain rugged beauty—if you were into that kind of thing. The Hayes clan always seemed to have those green cat-like eyes that missed nothing. He had a hunch this sultry-voice temptress possessed such an attribute, too.
"Did you catch the prey responsible for the kidnappings?" she asked. "And just to let you know, I didn't appreciate you going at this alone. You were supposed to wait for me." When he didn't answer she spoke again, "Mr. Green, are you still there?"
"I'm here."
"Then please, tell me you caught the vamp."
So, Cassandra and Gerard Green are after the same preternatural being I want to find, Tremayne thought to himself. However, she probably wouldn't warm to the idea they work together.
"Mr. Green?"
"Well…" he hedged. Obviously, Mr. Green hadn't hired Cassandra Hayes. They were a team or at least were supposed to be. What should he say? If he went with 'no', she might want to meet up with him, but if he said, 'yes' and the prey they hunted remained on the loose, well... she'd know soon enough if another young man went missing, or if the real Mr. Green's body ended up at the morgue.
He glanced at Mr. Green and his missing throat. Whatever being did this had no qualms taking another life. This was not its first kill and most likely would not be its last. He wanted to know what they were hunting and why it was out to pin the crime on him. "Not yet," he finally said.
"Not yet?" Her voice hitched, revealing her impatience with Mr. Green. He could relate to her frustration with the guy. "You texted me that you had the vamp in your sights."
"Uh…about that…"
"Mr. Green, you either had him in your sights or you did not. In your message, you also told me you had it handled."
He squeezed his eyes shut, wishing he hadn't answered the phone. The last thing he needed at Eternal Bliss was to have a Hayes snooping around his pub. He catered to humans, but he also had quite a few preternatural beings that frequented his place. A hunter was bad for business, far worse than finding a dead guy in the alleyway at his backdoor.
She remained silent for a long measured few seconds, but he knew she remained on the line, probably still debating if she should meet-up with him after all. "Where are you?" she finally asked the dreaded question. "We need to talk – in person."
And there it was. He closed his eyes and silently cursed. "That won't be necessary," he informed her.
"You told me where you first spotted the vamp, so Eternal Bliss tonight at eight," she countered.
He removed the mobile from his ear and stared at it, hoping he hadn't heard her rattle off his pub as a meeting place to discuss preternatural business. "What the—" He mouthed but didn't finish the thought. He placed the phone back to his ear. "Why at Eternal Bliss?"
"We have to start somewhere, Mr. Green. Our informant said the vamp frequents the bar."
Lovely. How was she to meet Mr. Green in his condition? He glanced at the body again. Mr. Green's mouth hung open as if he had a few words he'd like to add on the subject. Yeah, stand in line, boyo.
Mr. Green in life had been an average height male with light hair and hazel eyes – according to his driver's license, and from what he could tell the hair color was at least spot on. No dye job here. He could never hope to pass as the man's twin with him being over six foot and possessing blue eyes and dark hair.
"What do you look like?" Cassandra asked in the next breath.
"What?" Had he heard her correctly? He did like a lass who didn't keep him guessing.
"We've never met, Mr. Green. How am I to know who you are? A description would be nice."
His lips curved. "You can't miss me. I'll be the bloke manning the bar at Eternal Bliss." He could do this. He'd keep it simple and stay as close to the truth as possible. He'd meet with her and convince her he could handle this case alone.
"What do you mean you'll be manning the bar?"
"I'm undercover, remember?"
"Oh…" There was a long pause, and he held his breath. "Yes, of course," she finally said, and he breathed a sigh of relief.
"I answer to the name Tremayne Greer," he added and hoped he hadn't pushed his luck. He'd been given the name Tremayne of Graystone at birth. He'd used the name Graystone as a sir name through the centuries now and again, but in the 21st century and in the Hamptons, he went by Tremayne Greer, to those who didn't know him personally. Living centuries, he had to reinvent himself every so often. Most preternatural beings had to do the same thing. It was no big deal. The GOJ handled all the necessary paper work.
"All right," she said. "I'll see you at eight, Mr. Greer." She ended the call, which proved a relief.
He decided he'd keep Mr. Green's phone for a while and slipped it into his pocket. He then focused on the real Mr. Green. He needed more information about the bloke and pronto. He'd give his cousin a call, but first things first. He had to dispose of the body before any of his employees came out back looking for him, and especially before Cassandra Hayes showed up for their date with destiny.
Buy Links (including Goodreads and BookBub):
Available in Hardback, Paperback and eBook formats. 99 cent eBook special for the month of March.
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What makes your featured book a must-read?
It’s a story of stepping into someone else’s shoes; of forbidden love; humorous escapades, hunting a monster worthy of the name, and victorious retribution. It’s the perfect recipe for paranormal fans to indulge in on St. Patrick’s Day, while munching on soda bread slathered with butter or sipping green beer, or whatever treat suits your fancy. This tale is for when you’re craving a wee bit of the darker side of romance.
Giveaway –
Enter to win a $15 Amazon gift card:
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Runs March 9 – March 19, 2023.
Winner will be drawn on March 20, 2023.
Author Biography:
Karen Michelle Nutt resides in California with her husband. Though her three children are grown and starting their own adventures, she still has her fur baby that keeps her busy.
When she's not time traveling, fighting outlaws, or otherworldly creatures, she creates book covers at Gillian's Book Covers, "Judge Your Book By Its Cover".
Whether your reading fancy is paranormal, time travel or contemporary romances, all her stories capture the rich array of emotions that accompany the most fabulous human phenomena—falling in love.
Social Media Links:
Visit the author at her website: http://www.kmnbooks.com
Gillian’s Book Covers, “Judge Your Book By Its Cover”
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KMNbooks
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/karenmnutt
Amazon Author Page:
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