Thanks so much for having me on the blog today! I’m a vegetarian who tries hard to consider my impact on the earth, and I obviously love urban fantasy, so I feel right at home!
Speaking of urban fantasy, I’m so excited about the release of the fourth Only Human book. Some days, Kirsten gets herself out of one situation only to land in another, and the events of Defining Human test her skills and resourcefulness while she’s out of the country with only a few allies.
I hope you enjoy this little excerpt. The chapter before closes when Kirsten steps out of the shower, and someone sticks a needle in the side of her neck. She knows she’s losing consciousness as it happens, but is powerless to stop it.
I awoke in a bed. A comfortable one. Ambient light showed me a room I didn’t recognize, so I lay still for a while, listening. The bed was five feet from a wall. A large conference-type table was about ten feet on the other side. I didn’t see any other furniture. I couldn’t make out the walls, but it felt like a basement. There were no windows, though I caught a bit of a shine on one wall and thought it might be a television or large computer monitor.
When I was certain there was nothing to hear, I sat up. Lights came up slowly, and the television screen hanging on the wall came on.
“Hello, Kirsten.” Griffin’s unpleasant face on the screen sent ice through my veins, but I tried not to let it show. “Sensors told me you awoke nearly four minutes ago. If you need to use the restroom, you’ll find a toilet behind the curtain in the corner. I’ll be able to see your heat signature when you’re behind the curtain, but I won’t be able to see you.”
“Where am I?” I put feelers out but didn’t sense anyone close to me.
“In a basement, underground, with no one close. I’m not sure of your range, but I trust you can’t hurt me if I’m miles and miles away.”
I didn’t know if I could or not. I aimed heat into his head, but nothing happened. Instead of acknowledging my failure, I went to the curtain and found the little travel toilet.
He waited for me to come out before continuing. “You’ll find baby wipes if you want to clean your hands. There’s bottled water, colas, cheese sandwiches, and boiled eggs in the refrigerator. You’ll also find some chips and other assorted snack foods.”
“What time is it? Are Tyson and Kane okay?”
“It’s seven o’clock in the evening. We kept you out most of the day. Your lions are safe for now, though we both know the Amakhosi isn’t likely to let them live when he finds out they didn’t keep you safe.”
“How did you overpower them? There were other guards, it wasn’t just them.”
“Without your bird or wolf, the lions weren’t hard for me to control. They subdued the guards I couldn’t influence. We hit you with a tranquilizer dart before you knew we were close. It was really quite simple.”
He sounded so damned smug. I wanted to slap him, but I kept my feelings to myself. First priority was escape, and I needed to know his plans.
“I can’t stay in here forever. How will you resupply me?”
“We can push gas into your room to knock you out.”
Fuck.
I had two options — call Xaephan or step outside of this realm.
The look on his face told me he was listening to my thoughts. He was in my head and I didn’t know it.
I sat on a small sofa in front of the television and studied his face.
“You gave me some of your blood when you drank mine? You got past my shields with blood?”
I did.
I felt him put a suggestion in my head, telling me I didn’t want to leave until I knew his plans. It wasn’t my thought, it was his, but I tried my hardest not to think about the fact I knew.
“What are your plans for me?”
Another smug look, and I started singing the alphabet song in my head to keep from thinking anything.
“I haven’t decided, for sure. I was hoping to get to know you a little better before choosing.”
I switched to the I’m the map song from Dora the Explorer, and went to the refrigerator. As promised, I found food, and chose a boiled egg, cheese sandwich, a bag of chips, and a Coke. He’d even provided paper plates. I was starving and I might come back for more, but this was a start. I didn’t let up on my inner singing.
Half my meal was gone and I’d switched to Bohemian Rhapsody when Griffin asked, “You have nothing else to say?”
“I asked what your plans are, you claim not to know. If you aren’t in charge, please put me in touch with whoever is. If you’re in charge, it means you aren’t being honest, so the conversation’s over.”
His brows lifted, and his head tilted in the same way Abbott’s does when he forgets to look human. The brows dropped, the head straightened. “My choices are to kill you, to make you a Strigorii, or to bring you to my side as you are. I haven’t decided the most feasible option.”
“I don’t feel as if I’ve had Lugat blood, and yet I seem to be healed.”
“The wounds inflicted by the crocodiles were superficial. We rubbed Lugat blood on them to heal them — there was no need for you to ingest it.”
I started from the beginning of Bohemian Rhapsody again and chewed in time to the music in my head. The television set turned off, but I knew that didn’t mean they’d stopped watching me.
I changed to the multiplication tables and boxed off a section of my mind to think. Mordecai had worked with me in case someone got in through blood again. He’d even convinced Abbott to check me to be sure I had it right.
I couldn’t do a ton of thinking, but I could do a little.
Bottom line, Griffin had to die. He was in my head, and I couldn’t let that stand.
Book one of this series is a supernovel at 409 pages. It’s usually $5.99, but is on sale for a few days at $.99. If you haven’t jumped into this series, now is the time!
DEFINING HUMAN
ONLY HUMAN
Book Four
Candace Blevins
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Excessica
Date of Publication: 2/2/2018
ISBN: 1230002076652
ASIN: B078TJKST7
Word Count: 85,000
Cover Artist: Syneca Featherstone
Book Description:
Book four of the ONLY HUMAN series…
Kirsten negotiated for what she hopes will be two glorious hours with Xaephan, but the Lord of Lust has his own ideas of how the afternoon will transpire, and the consequences of her evening are long lasting.
Her deal with Ryan means she must go to Africa to help guard gazelles for a week. She trains for the event, but her preparation doesn’t cover the Strigorii vampires who have their eye on her. Since she broke up with Abbott, gaining control of her will be like hanging a sign saying they’re more powerful than The Abbott without having to actually fight him.
Throw in complications with Nathan and a few battles with her old enemy Aquila, and Kirsten doesn’t know whether she’s coming or going. She wants peace and quiet with her daughter, but is it possible? Is she too embroiled in supernatural politics to live a normal life? Kirsten feels as if she’s become a game piece in a sick game of chess, and she wants off the board.
Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/HLUWBFu6IIU
Series Trailer: https://youtu.be/1dNZydE_LNI
Excerpt:
“Chère, it’s
good to see you.” Xaephan walked to a nightstand, opened a drawer, and
chuckled. “Your lion follows instructions well.” He stood and inhaled. “He’s
close enough to keep an eye on you. Nice.”
“He isn’t my
lion. He’s my friend, and he happens to be a lion.”
“He’s more yours
than anyone else’s, Chère. Eventually, you’ll have to confront his Pride, but
he’s keeping them in check, for now.”
I forgot what
I’d intended to say when he lifted a paddle and flogger from the drawer,
followed by a large glass butt plug and a worn leather strap.
The first three
items were obviously new, but the strap wasn’t, and I eyed it a few seconds
while I tried to figure out how to word my question. “The strap has a story. I
want to hear it before you use it on me.”
“It belongs to
your lion and is on loan to me for the evening.”
I shook my head.
“No. I don’t know what you hope to accomplish by using something of Nathan’s to
whip me, but I don’t agree to it.”
“Nothing in our
agreement says I can’t, Chère. You said I’d have to act in your best interest, and
you bound me from tricking you into anything. I said to find a place I could
spank you and make you scream without us being heard, and I warned you moving
the marks will hurt nearly as bad as receiving them in the first place. Nothing
in that agreement says I can’t use something belonging to the Lion King to
spank you with.”
I crossed my
arms. “I don’t like it.”
He gave me a
rakish grin. “Works for me. Our two hours of Earth-time doesn’t begin until we
get started, so get rid of the robe and bend over the bed.”
Part of me
wanted to bitch about him being a jerk, part of me appreciated the emotional
distance it created. I stood, tossed the robe onto a chair in the corner, and
bent over the tall bed. I’m short, so I don’t think it worked out quite the way
he intended.
“On second
thought, tiny human, bend over the chest at the foot of the bed.”
About the Author:
Candace Blevins has published more than thirty books. She lives with her husband of nineteen years and their two daughters. When not working or driving young teens all over the place, she can be found reading, writing, meditating, or swimming. The family’s beloved, goofy, retired racing greyhound is usually at her side as she writes, quietly keeping her company.
Candace writes Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Contemporary BDSM Romance, and a kick-ass Motorcycle Club series.
Her urban fantasy series, Only Human, gives us a world where weredragons, werewolves, werelions, three different species of vampires, and a variety of other mythological beings exist.
Candace's two paranormal romance series, The Chattanooga Supernaturals and The Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Club, are both sister series to the Only Human series, and give some secondary characters their happily ever after.
Her contemporary Safeword series gives us characters who happen to have some extreme kinks. Relationships can be difficult enough without throwing power exchange into the mix, and her books show characters who care enough about each other to fight to make the relationship work. Each couple in the Safeword series gives the reader a different take on the lifestyle.
AMAZON FOLLOW- Did you know Amazon will automatically email you a link every time I publish a new book! Click the yellow FOLLOW button under my author picture. http://amzn.to/2gYAj3m
NEWSLETTER http://eepurl.com/W_Cij
CANDACE'S KINKSTERS READER GROUP https://www.facebook.com/groups/CandacesKinksters/
WEBSITE http://candaceblevins.com/
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