Thursday, January 10, 2013

Book Tour for Blood Betrayal by Alison Beightol (Guest Post & GIVEAWAY)


Fans of the paranormal have much to enjoy in Alison Beightol's new release, Blood Betrayal.  With it's unique spin on the traditional mythos, this gives a fresh spin to intrigue every reader.  Read on to learn more about this book from the author herself, as well as the chance to win some goodies.  So let's give Alison a big welcome......

Just about every woman loves an alpha male in a book. A strong, confident sexy guy with a bit of a dark side or shady past that just irritates the crap out of the heroine but rocks your world. Authors love dreaming them up because they are fun as all get out to write. I speak from experience on this one.
Alphas, especially supernatural ones, are amazing to write. They exude sexiness and power. They get things done. On the surface they seem like nothing bothers them. Usually they are successful in business or are rock stars or something cool like that and have everything in the world they could possibly want. Until they meet that special someone. Then you discover that Mr. Sharp Dressed Sexy Man has issues, issues he never thought he had and he has to get through them. This is where the fun begins for me because I get to help him fix himself.
In my book Blood Betrayal, the male MC is an ancient vampire named Eamon Rutherford. He’s a typical Alpha.He’s handsome, dresses well, has loads of cash and women are not in short supply for him. But now that he’s in his eleventh century, he is looking for something more than a beautiful meal and a one-night stand. His problem, or his main problem, is that he has no idea on how to relate to women in a healthy relationship. As long as the woman he’s chosen for his new companion is doing things his way, everything is perfect. But that isn’t a very successful way to find love. Not with women who actually think and have any self esteem.  So my Alpha had to do some self-examination.
Now this self-examination doesn’t just happen, it is the result of Eamon being forced to come to terms with the fact that his old ideas about women and relationships are at best, flawed. In other words, he discovers that he has tolearn to love someone other than himself to find love.  My Alpha vampire has to do some emotional housekeeping. This doesn’t make him less attractive. It makes him even more attractive. Or at least I hope it does. Because now, he not only has all of the awesome qualities that make him an Alpha, he also is sensitive and has a clue about relating to women in a healthy way. He becomes sort of the whole package.
And that is what we want. We want a guy who is tough and sexy and badass but still knows how to treat a lady. It doesn’t matter if they are a human, a vampire, a werewolf or whatever else. It matters that they are all those things but are now a suitable boyfriend or mate. No one wants someone who is going to treat us like crap, no matter what else they are. How can the heroine become the best she can be if she is dealing with a smexy jerk? It would make happily ever after hard to find. And it would make reading about them and writing about them unsatisfying and joyless.

Being the world’s oldest vampire, Eamon Rutherford has enjoyed women throughout the ages as beautiful meals and one night stands. That is until Eamon decides to find a mate and settle down. His less-than-perfect choice is temperamental ballerina Lauryl Mellis. When Lauryl escapes from him in London, Eamon discovers that true commitment requires him to love another more than himself. As he struggles with his inner awakening and Lauryl’s rejection, Lauryl is busy planning her own special event, which might include the death of Eamon Rutherford.

EXCERPT:

Prologue
The Silly Thing Didn’t Realize She Was Going To Be Late Night Meal

Who to eat, Eamon thought as he studied the capacity crowd of the Marion Oliver McCaw Hall. The marker of another vampire, a much younger vampire, in the audience caught his attention. The mystery vampire’s energy had a quiet dignity intertwined in it. The marker intrigued him and he scanned the audience with greater intensity. His Blackberry vibrated in his pocket, distracting him before he could identify him or her. He looked down at his phone.
Irina.
That dancer, what do you see in her? There are plenty like her here, the text message read.
Eamon put the phone back in his pocket without responding. “That dancer” was
the reason he delayed his return to New York .There were not any others like her.
Lauryl Mellis had been the pride and problem of the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School
of Dance at the American Ballet Theatre. Once at a cocktail benefit, the student dancers were selling signed dance shoes of some of the school’s notable graduates. Lauryl asked
one patron in her Georgia twang, why he wanted a smelly shoe and did he plan on
“jizzing” in it when he got home? Her dismissive attitude and scorn of the patrons
amused Eamon but not the elite school. The powers that be often bent the rules for her,
giving her chance after chance because of her talent.
Her talent and what he had seen of her stormy personality was magnetic. She
would back up whatever insult or harangue with a lovely smile or a toss of her auburn
hair. He enjoyed her from a distance, though. He’d never missed a performance or
fundraiser, but never approached her or introduced himself. She was young, still in her
teens, so he waited. Then he had lost track of her. But to his good fortune, here she was on tour in Seattle.
Eamon studied the crowd a few more minutes and then flipped through the stage
bill. He passed ads, the story synopsis for the ballet, and then found what he was looking for, Lauryl’s picture. Gone was the teen he remembered. Instead, he saw a radiant, young
woman with a dazzling smile and bright eyes. Eamon’s interest increased sharply.
The phone in his pocket vibrated again. It was Irina but he saw no need to
acknowledge his former companion. He looked back at the picture of Lauryl. The change
was remarkable. She was stunning. The idea of a dancer for a companion intrigued him.
All of that beauty and grace amplified as a vampire. It was a perfect combination. The
image lingered in his mind for a moment and then the framework of a plan materialized.
How much of her adolescent, edgy personality remained after dancing professionally for the past six years? Had she outgrown that or had she at least learned to temper it? After the performance, he’d find out.
The house lights dimmed and Eamon closed his stage bill. He tossed it onto the empty seat next to him in the box and waited as the orchestra tuned up. The cacophony of instruments merged together into a more harmonic air but the familiar sensation of a woman studying him turned his gaze back to the audience.
A young woman with light brown hair watched him. She rubbed her hand over
her thigh and crossed her legs. The slit in her skirt revealed a tantalizing preview of her
legs. Eamon followed the line of her legs back up to her ample breasts. Her body
reinforced the silent invitation in her expression. He nodded acceptance of her naive
request. The silly thing didn’t realize she was going to be a late night meal.
**********
It took more time than Eamon expected to work his way through the backstage crowd. He stopped twice to speak with business acquaintances but soon found himself outside of Lauryl’s dressing room or as close as he could get. A throng of her admirers blocked the entry. The onesthat couldn’t fit in her dressing room hovered around the doorway, waiting for their opportunity to enter. He stood for a moment with the crowd but became bored after few minutes. He looked at the mass of people and focused on their collective thoughts.
Leave, he told them silently. One by one, they filed away and he entered the dressing room. Other dancers, all drinking champagne and chattering, surrounded Lauryl.
She was seated in a chair with a blanket over her shoulders and a champagne bottle tucked between her thighs. Eamon could smell blood and his eyes tracked down to a bucket of ice water that her feet were soaking in. He looked at the bucket a moment longer and then at her face. She was lovely, even lovelier than in the program picture by far.
Her pale skin was flushed pink and her green eyes sparkled with excitement. Her full lips turned in a smile forone of the dancers before she waved at them. The mass of curly, red hair he remembered was scraped back in a tight bun. She laughed at something a dancer whispered to her and she pulled the pins holding her hair back out. Auburn curls dropped down and framed her face. Eamon smiled inwardly and took a few steps toward her.
“Lauryl Mellis,” he said as he extended his hand to her. “It’s such an honor to meet you.”
Lauryl turned to him and her expression changed. Her smile withered and her eyes narrowed as the happiness disappeared from them. She took his hand like it was covered in filth and shook it. “Thanks.”
Her boredom with him was apparent but he continued on, intrigued. “I’ve followed you since you were a student at ABT. Your talent has certainly blossomed, as well as your beauty.”
She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, thanks again.”
“You’re welcome.”
Suddenly he sensed that he was just like the school patrons that she scorned back in New York. He bristled slightly but his expression didn’t change. As he looked into her eyes, the irritation he felt faded into amusement. He’d play along with her. Besides, the delicious aroma of her blood continued to drift up from the bucket of ice in front of him. Lauryl pulled her hand away and continued to look at him with the same disinterested expression. She evenintensified her dismissive stare. He knew that she wanted him to leave, which fascinated him. It also excited him because this was a first for him. Never had a woman reacted that way to him. He concentrated on her thoughts for a moment. She thought he was a rich asshole looking to get laid.
A dancer kissed Lauryl’s cheeks and hugged her. Then Lauryl shifted in the chair. She looked at him and then looked at the door.
Eamon almost laughed. A not so subtle hint, he thought. He’d comply. After all, he had the young woman from the audience waiting for him. “I just wanted to tell you how talented and beautiful you are. Thank you for the engaging conversation.” Eamon bowed his head some and smiled.
Lauryl’s green eyes blazed angry. “I’ll remember it always.”
“So will I,” Eamon said before he walked out.

BUY AT:   Amazon   |   BN

AUTHOR INFO:

Alison Beightol works as a registered nurse but also studied history and theatre at the University of Florida. For as long as she can remember, she has had an affinity for vampire stories, romance, and gothic tales that keep her up at night.  Blood Betrayal: Book One of the Primigenio Tales is her first novel. Alison lives in a haunted house in rural north Florida where she is putting the final touches on book two of the Primigenio Tales:Blood of New Beginnings.


**********GIVEAWAY**********

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7 comments:

  1. Thanks for hosting me today!! I really enjoyed it!!

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  2. This sounds like a sexy intense read...I'm adding this to my must reads!
    ivegotmail8889(at)yahoo(dot)com
    paperduster888

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  3. The Vampire genre is such a wellstream of fun!

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  4. Wow, she is pretty arrogant! I suspect he will alter that before too long. Thank you for the excerpt and good luck with the release!

    elewkf1 at yahoo dot com

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  5. This sounds great!! I want to read more! Nice! Thank you so much for sharing and for the awesome giveaway!
    shadowluvs2read(at)gmail(dot)com

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  6. I just love an alpha bad ass male. this book sounds great. thanks for the great giveaway.
    vera28546 at yahoo (dot) com

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  7. Sounds really good!! Thanks for the chance to win!
    natasha_donohoo_8 at hotmail dot com

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