Bring it Back(List) Light Up the Night by PG Forte

So, a couple of weeks ago I ran across the following meme:

And it reminded me of the following scene from Light Up the Night (which is going to be FREE for five days starting on Christmas day!). In this scene Heather is arguing with her sire, Marc, about who she is and isn't allowed to date. 

Oh, and in case you aren't familiar with the Children of Night/Beyond the CofN series, everyone mentioned in this post (well, not Lesley Gore, obviously) are vampires. 

This is an age gap story. For reference, Heather was a teenage runaway when she was turned (against her will) just a year or two earlier. Marc is NOT the guy who turned her, but IS her "guardian" now (long story) and super-protective. He was born in 1969--which makes him really young by vampire standards, not so much by Heather's Gen Z standards.  Drew and Elise, OTOH, are both several hundred years old.

“I thought you liked Drew. Aren’t you supposed to be friends, or something?”

“I do like him. And of course, we’re friends. Did you really think I’d have trusted just anyone to look after you? I don’t like being the bad guy. I don’t like making the people I care about unhappy. But he’s just too damn old for you. There’s no getting around that.”

“And how much older than you is Elise?”

“That’s different.”

“No, it really isn’t. It’s a double standard—and that’s not different at all.” She shook her head. “You know it’s funny. People keep talking about how we’re a new type of vampire clan. They say we’re re-writing the rules and making history, and blah, blah, blah. And I’m not seeing it. But I do like the way it sounds. And I think it’s something we could maybe lean into a little harder. And you know where a good place to start would be?  If you let me make my own decisions about who I get involved with. It’s like the song says: you don’t own me.”

Marc frowned. “Wait. Did you just quote Lesley Gore at me?”

“No?” Heather replied. “I don’t even know who that is.”

“She was a singer. She’s dead now, but she was very popular during the sixties. That song was one of her biggest hits.” 

“Oh. Well, then maybe I did. But all I know is the song. And only that one part. I remember it from a movie I saw when I was a kid. I think the song was old then.” She studied him for a moment then asked, “So, you must be reallyold, huh?”

“Oh, thank you very much. Not that old, no.”

“If you say so.”

Marc shot her an amused look. “You know, someday, when you’re my age—which, by the way, is going to come along a whole lot sooner than you apparently think—I’m going to remind you of this conversation and ask you how old you feel then.” He shook his head and added, mockingly, “And you say you’re not a kid.”

“Yeah, because I’m not,” Heather replied. “Just because I’m going to look like a kid forever doesn’t mean you get to treat me like one. We’re not living in the nineteen-hundreds anymore.”

“Don’t you mean the eighteen-hundreds?  Although I wouldn’t know anything about that, since I wasn’t alive back then. You know who you could ask, though—right? That’d be Drew. Because he lived through that entire century, not to mention the previous two. Or maybe even the previous three. I don’t know for sure.”

“Nice try. But no. I said the nineteen-hundreds and that’s what I meant. Didn’t you ever see West Side Story? Or Titanic? Endless Love? The Notebook?”

“Wait—are you talking about movies? I thought we were discussing real life?”

“We are. But all those movies I mentioned were set in the nineteen-hundreds. In fact, I think they were filmed then, too. So, they’re probably reasonably accurate depictions of the idiotic notions you all had back then.”

Light Up the Night

A Children of Night/Ugly Christmas Sweater Story

Her love will light up his night. If they both can survive that long. 

 

Heather is having the worst Christmas ever! Or, at least, the worst Christmas since she was forced to become a vampire. Her sire's distracted, her nest-mates have forgotten her existence, and a bunch of weirdos have taken over her lair. The only bright spot in her life right now is Drew--who didn't even used to like her! She knows he's coming around, but that's not good enough. She wants more. She wants everything. She wants him. And she's not giving up. 

 

Drew Geiger gave up on love a long time ago. Such tender emotions have no place in a vampire's heart. But, somehow, the girl he once described as a "feral kitten" has got her claws in him, and she's not letting go. That would be fine, if only someone didn't want her dead--and if her sire didn't still inconveniently remember that it was Drew who'd once suggested that maybe she'd be better off that way.

​

***This story features characters from the Children of Night series. It takes place between books six and seven in the series and follows Going Back to Find You.***

https://books2read.com/LightNight

A Whole New World...

A funny thing happened on the way to tying up a loose thread. Initially, when I wrote and released Light Up the Night as a shorter story than originally planned (in order to fit the length requirements of the anthology it was scheduled to appear in), I figured I'd go back and add a few scenes in alternate POVs, expand a little on what was already there, and be done with it.

Not so fast, said my muse. These couple of scenes and alternate POVs are not so much a subplot as a whole separate story. A story in which your vampires must confront a werewolf pack. How is that going to fit in with the sweet friends-to-lovers, age gap vampire Christmas story you've got going on?

Well, she was right. Muses generally are, after all. So I looked around, noticed that someone was putting together a shifter-themed newsletter builder.  Perfect, I thought. I'll write a second short story--vampires vs werewolves--and release it in that.

So, I signed up. I thought up a title for the new story, created a cover for it, and wrote down a quick outline, and...a somewhat ridiculous amount of time later. Weeks, at least. Probably more like months. It occurred to me that, fabulous as this story is, and happy though I am to be giving my h/h an HEA...this is a book about vampires who have some dealings with werewolves. And the anthology I've signed myself up for is allllll about the shifters. 

So. Back to the drawing board.

Ya know what...my muse had the nerve to say, at that point, peeking out from wherever she'd been sneakily hiding. Vampires and werewolves practically beg for the Romeo and Juliet treatment--different ending, of course. Why don't you have one of your vampires fall in love with one of the werewolves. 

Now, I'm getting annoyed because this is supposed to be a short story. If I add a whole new subplot to it, I'm right back where I started, with a long ass book. Also: A, all of the vampires that were slated to be in the story are already spoken for and B, how does this love story end? Does the werewolf leave home to be with their insta-love vampire? Does my vampire leave the nest and move in with a werewolf pack? At Christmas time???

It was at about this point that DepositPhoto ran one of their sales. And, armed with fresh credits I  went on a cover search (for an entirely different story, of course) and...I found my story. And it's nothing like I  thought it would be...well, it does have sort of a Romeo and Juliet vibe. Not the happy kind, either. It's got a Cinderella vibe, too, but that's beside the point. It involves an entirely new vampire, and it takes place at least several weeks before the original story does, so that these characters get to come in and play a brief part in that story, too. 

And, of course, now I have a whole new series to write and a whole new shifter world to play in. 

Here's the blurb. And a version of the cover--it's the start of a whole new series, it needs a new look. Font choices are still in the "well, I kind of like that. I think," stage. 

The Sierra Nevada foothills have been vampire Josiah Lodge’s hunting grounds for nearly two centuries. Alone since a lover’s betrayal cost him his nest, the former trapper-turned-wild-crafter has given up on ever again finding love or acceptance. If he didn’t have to eat, he’d never venture out of his woods again. But needs must.

​When Coldpelt (Cole) Moonwalker’s true shifter nature asserted itself, he was judged an abomination and cast out of his pack. Without a territory to call his own, he’s constantly on the move, constantly in danger—which is how he ends up passed out and injured on Josh’s front porch. While Cole dreams of someday finding a place where he can belong, he knows that place can never be with the scarred and surly vampire who undoubtedly has the blood of Cole’s people on his hands.

​Will the attraction they feel for one another allow these natural enemies to overcome their sense of mutual distrust? Is enemies with benefits even a thing? Find out when the FREE anthology Shifter Fever debuts April 1st.

Bring It Back(list) ~ Now Comes the Night by PG Forte

Now Comes The Night 

Children of Night 3.0

You can choose your lover...if only you could choose your family. 

 Twins Julie and Marc Fischer have always been taught one fact: You can't choose your family. After six months of living in San Francisco, the challenges each face are an intricate web of complications neither was prepared for. 

 Marc is torn between staying with Conrad and Damian or embracing his destiny -- and the feral vampires that come with it. Julie is torn between the man she loves, and the life she is supposed to live.

Buy Links:https://books2read.com/u/mYGMBM

My new vampire Christmas story, Light Up the Night, released this week. In it, Heather references a Christmas party that she'd hosted the year before--the party during which Marc's house was established. Here's an excerpt of that party:

“You’re back!” Heather ran to greet him as soon as he pushed the door open. “Where were you? I was starting to get worried.”

“I had an errand to run,” Marc answered, eyeing the cut-glass cup in her hand with more than a little curiosity. “What’s that you’re drinking?” As soon as the words were out of his mouth he realized how stupid they must sound. It was blood, obviously. What else would it be? But why from a glass? “Where is everybody?” Certainly it was late enough in the evening for at least a few humans to have shown up. “What have you done with them?”

“Relax, dude,” Nighthawk said, as he joined them. He carried two more cups, one of which he handed to Marc. “It’s Christmas Eve. All the good little humans are likely safe at home, tucked in their beds and waiting for Santa, same as every year. But this one,” He nodded at Heather. “still wanted to party. So me and some of the guys went out and robbed a blood bank and knocked over a coupla thrift stores. I hope you don’t mind.”

Marc glared. “You did what?”

“Come and see,” Heather urged. She grabbed hold of his hand and pulled him deeper into the warehouse. “They even got trees!”

“I’m just kidding about the robbery thing,” Nighthawk confided as he fell into step beside Marc. “We did hit the hospital up for a few small withdrawals, but we covered our tracks and our asses and no one got hurt, ‘kay?”

Marc barely heard him, his attention caught by the small forest of pine trees that had sprung up in the center of the warehouse, all of them decorated with an odd mix of ornaments that shimmered and glowed in the low light filtering in from the windows set high on the warehouse’s outer walls. The couches had been drawn up close together, to form a circle within the ring of trees and, in the middle of that circle, stood a folding table topped with stacks of cups and a large, matching punch bowl filled with blood. “Where did all this come from?”

“Thrift stores, like I said,” Nighthawk answered. “But it’s all legit. They were selling most of the stuff off cheap ‘cause of the holiday. And we didn’t steal nuthin’ but the blood. Not even the trees. Those were all leftovers that had been thrown out.”

“Oh,” Marc said faintly. “Okay. Well, it looks great. Good job everyone.” He gazed at all the expectant faces turned his way and mentally kicked himself for his lousy timing. Christmas Eve. Damn it, he’d completely forgotten what day it was. He felt like the Grinch now, dropping in just in time to steal the Whos’ Christmas. Perfect.

“What’s wrong, Marc?” Heather asked frowning up at him. “You’re frowning. Don’t you like it?”

“She wanted a party,” Nighthawk repeated. “You said I should give her what she wanted, so that’s what I did.”

“It’s not that.” Marc sighed, wishing he’d waited until after the long, holiday weekend was over to confront Conrad. He emptied his glass in one long gulp. How could he tell them now? Wouldn’t it be better to just pretend nothing was wrong, let them enjoy their party, wait for a better time to tell them? But wasn’t that exactly what Conrad and Damian had done to him, what they were all still doing to Julie? Didn’t they all deserve to know the truth? “I’m not upset about what you’ve done here. I went to see Conrad tonight.” He blurted the words out before he could change his mind.

“Ah, crap.” Nighthawk looked away. “What happened? What’d he say? Nothing good, I’m guessing.”

“He said Audrey lied to you. He said there’s no way that he, or anyone else, could ever claim you as their own. No one would believe him if he did, he said, and it wouldn’t change anything anyway. It wouldn’t make you part of his House. I’m sorry.”

Heather scowled. “Why’re we talking about that bitch for anyway? Of course she lied. Only an idiot would have taken her word for anything in the first place.”

“I guess we all know who you’re calling an idiot, right?” Nighthawk glared at her.

Heather ignored him. “And why would you think we need to be part of someone else’s House? We have our own House, don’t we? Right here?”

Marc had no answer. Technically, he supposed Heather was part of Conrad’s family now, just as he was. In theory, that meant he should be able to take her home with him. It was all the others who were screwed, left out in the cold, doomed. And there was not a damn thing he could do to change that.

Nighthawk met Marc’s gaze for a brief moment, then glanced away. His expression was grim. “All right, so, how bad is it? How long did he give us? When do we have to be out of here?”

“You don’t have to go anywhere,” Marc told him. “You can stay here as long as you want. He gave me his word.”

“Right. ‘Cause everyone always keeps their word where we’re concerned. ‘Scuse me for bein’ a li’l skeptical ‘bout that. I guess the question I should be asking then is how soon are you leaving?”

Marc ducked his head. He hadn’t been expecting it to come to this—not yet, anyway. “I don’t know. I haven’t really…whenever I guess.” He thought he’d have more time. He didn’t think they’d be this quick to turn their backs on him. He glanced at the ring of pinched and anxious faces, wanting to ask if Nighthawk spoke for all of them, if there was no one at all here who wanted him to stay, but what good would that do? Before Marc had come along, Nighthawk had been the closest thing they’d had to a leader. He’d brought them together, kept them together, tried his best to keep them safe. What good would it do to undermine his authority now?

Disgust twisted Nighthawk’s features. “Yeah, that figures.” Turning away, he hopped over the back of one of the couches and sat with his back to Marc. A couple of the youngest of the ferals pressed close to Nighthawk. He threw his arms around their shoulders and hugged them tight. The rest of the troupe continued to shoot worried glances at each other or in Marc’s direction, but he couldn’t bring himself to meet their eyes.

“You’re not leaving us are you?” Heather pressed close to Marc and gazed up at him piteously.

“What choice do I have? I can’t very well stay where I’m not wanted, can I?” Not that he had any idea where he could go. Conrad hadn’t exactly thrown him out, but he’d been angry. A lot more angry than Marc had expected him to be. And, despite what he’d said about the mansion being Marc’s home he’d made it pretty damn clear he didn’t really want Marc there right now.

Perhaps Damian could change his mind, but Marc had burned that bridge pretty good as well. Maybe he could try Drew and see if he could be persuaded to let Marc crash on the couch in his office at the bar. Or would his friend be too fearful, too reluctant to incur Conrad’s wrath?

“Now you’re just being stoopid.” Heather frowned at him. “Of course you’re wanted. What are you talking about?”

Marc shook his head. “That’s not how it looks from where I’m standing.”

Heather bared her teeth in an angry little snarl. “Nighthawk! Get your ugly butt back over here!”

“No!” Nighthawk answered from the couch, still refusing to turn around. “Leave me alone, woman.”

Heather took hold of Marc’s hand and pulled him toward the couch. Marc followed along reluctantly, ditching his cup on an empty table along the way. Nothing about this scene was sparking his appetite in the slightest.

Heather continued to drag him around the couch until they stood right in front of where Nighthawk was seated. “Tell Marc you don’t want him to go,” she ordered the feral.

“No.” Nighthawk glared at her—and continued to ignore Marc. The two youngsters who had snuggled up next to Nighthawk also kept their eyes averted.

Marc sighed. “See? What’d I tell you?”

Heather rolled her eyes. “He doesn’t mean he wants you to go, Marc. He’s just being dumb. And you don’t want to go either, right? You want to stay here, don’t you? With us?”

“Of course I want to stay. But…how can I? I failed, sweetheart, and you’re the only one who doesn’t seem to realize that yet. I was trying to get a second chance for everyone. I wanted to make sure all the ferals were safe. But you—they—need a leader for that, someone who can protect you all. That’s why I went to Conrad. I thought, if he would agree to adopt everyone…”

“But Marc, we don’t need someone else to do that for us,” Heather insisted. “We have you. Everything’s so much better since you’ve taken charge. I can’t believe you don’t see that.” From the corner of his eye, Marc saw several of the others nodding in agreement.

“She’s right, you know.” Nighthawk glanced up briefly and then away again. “Not that I didn’t try but… I dunno. Seems like the harder I tried, the worse I fucked things up.”

Heather snorted. “That’s ‘cause you’re a moron.”

“Nice,” Nighthawk muttered beneath his breath. “Thanks.”

“Cut him some slack,” Marc told Heather, still trying to readjust his thinking. Could he stay after all? Did they really want him to? “He did his best, right? I guess that’s all any of us can do.”

“What I don’t get is… Why’re you even here?” Nighthawk asked, seemingly of his shoes, since he still refused to meet Marc’s gaze. “I get that you had your fun slumming with us, but why d’you want to waste any more time hanging around?”

Marc glanced around, surprised to see the same expression on just about everyone’s face: anxious, hopeful. “Who said it’s a waste of time? And where else would I be?”

Nighthawk frowned. “You have a home, don’t you? A family? And it’s Christmas-fucking-Eve. Even if you don’t do holidays—and I know, most vampires don’t—I still don’t understand why you aren’t there with them. That’s where you belong, right? I mean, if I had a home, I’d sure as hell wanna be there tonight.”

The answer was so obvious Marc was surprised he hadn’t figured it out weeks earlier. “This is my family now, and right here is all the home I’m looking for. Trust me, I fit in a lot better here, with you all, than I do anywhere else.” It was strange, coming face to face with that realization, but it was true all the same. He felt stronger somehow, calmer and infinitely more comfortable here on misfit island than he had even earlier this evening with Conrad and Damian.

“Yeah?” A suspicious warmth colored Nighthawk’s cheeks. But if he was pleased—and Marc was pretty sure he was—he did his best to hide it behind a snarky attitude. “Well, shit, if that’s the case, you’re even more fucked up than I thought you were.”

“You still want him here though, don’t you?” Heather demanded.

Nighthawk smirked. “What are you crazy? ‘Course I do. I’m not that big an idiot.”

Heather shrugged. “If you say so.”

“I never did think we needed anyone else you know,” Nighthawk said, finally addressing Marc directly. “It’s just…you kept talking about passing us off to someone else, maybe getting Quintano to take us on—and no lie, that’d be awesome, no one’d dare mess with us then. But I figured what it really meant was you didn’t want to get stuck dealing with us on your own. I mean, I don’t know how these things are supposed to work out, how houses and sires and stuff are decided or founded or whatever—especially when it comes to our kind—but you’ve been more of a sire to us than most of us have had in years. Of course we want you to stay. And if you’d be willing to take us on, I for one would be proud to say I belonged to your House.”

His own house? Could he really have that? For the life of him, Marc could not find the words to respond. He’d never even considered the possibility, although… He had to admit the idea held a lot of appeal. He couldn’t imagine what Conrad would have to say about it when he found out, and he was absolutely certain it was nothing like what Damian had in mind when he’d begged Marc to keep up appearances. For once, however, Marc didn’t care. This felt right. And if he was really as different as everyone said he was, maybe this kind of thing made sense for him.

“See?” Heather beamed at him, obviously pleased with herself. “That wasn’t so hard, was it? Now where’d you put your cup? We need to have a toast.”

“What are we supposed to be toasting to?” Nighthawk asked, climbing warily to his feet. The look he shot in Marc’s direction was laced with trepidation, reminding Marc he’d yet to give him an answer.

“To us, of course,” he answered, finally finding his voice.

“To all of us,” Heather added. “To our family.”

“Exactly.” Marc met Nighthawk’s eyes and smiled. “Let’s do this.” A fresh cup of blood was pressed into his hand. Marc raised it high. “To us. Our family. Our house.” My house.

“All right, then.” Nighthawk lifted his own cup in a return salute. “It’s about fucking time. Fischer House. Long may it stand.”

Light Up The Night 

A Children of Night/Ugly Christmas Sweater Story

Her love will light up his night. If they can both survive that long. 

Heather is having the worst Christmas ever! Or, at least, the worst Christmas since she was forced to become a vampire. Her sire's distracted, her nestmates have forgotten her, weirdos have taken over the lair. The only bright spot in her life right now is Drew--who didn't even used to like her! She knows he's fond of her now, but 'fond of' is not enough for her. She wants more. She wants everything. She wants him. And she's not giving up. 

Drew Geiger gave up on love a long time ago. Such tender emotions have no place in a vampire's heart. But, somehow, the girl he once described as a "feral kitten" has got her claws in him, and she's not letting go. That would be fine, if only someone didn't want her dead--and if her sire didn't recall that it was Drew who once suggested that maybe she'd be better off that way.

Buy Links: https://books2read.com/u/m0En1l

New Release from PG Forte: Light Up the Night

 The boys are back in town! Well, some of them, anyway. And, if all goes well, you'll be seeing more of Conrad, Damian and Armand in 2023. But, for now, we'll just have to make do with Marc, Heather, Drew, Jason, Liz, and Hawk.  

LIGHT UP THE NIGHT

A Children of Night/Ugly Christmas Sweater Story

ON SALE NOW!

Buy it here:  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BMTPFRWM

Her love will light up his night—if they can both survive that long.

Heather is having the worst Christmas ever! Or, at least, the worst Christmas since she was forced to become a vampire. Her sire's distracted, her nestmates have forgotten her, weirdos have taken over the lair. The only bright spot in her life right now is Drew — who didn't even used to like her! She knows he's fond of her now, but 'fond of' isn't good enough. She wants more. She wants everything. She wants him. And she's not giving up.

Drew Geiger gave up on love a long time ago. Such tender emotions have no place in a vampire's heart. But, somehow, the girl he once described as a "feral kitten" has got her claws in him, and she's not letting go. That would be fine, if only someone didn't want her dead — and if her sire didn't recall that it was Drew who once suggested that maybe she'd be better off that way.

Several of the characters who appear in Light Up the Night were introduced in Going Back to Find You.  If you haven't read that yet, there's no time like the present! It's FREE today and tomorrow. Check it out!                 

GOING BACK TO FIND YOU

A Children of Night Halloween Story

FREE TODAY AND TOMORROW ONLY!

Get it here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07HHSM6TH

Because even a vampire deserves a second chance. 

When Jason Cook boarded the train to San Francisco, he hadn't planned on coming back. He never thought he'd see Nebraska or Lizbeth Petersen ever again. But when an unexpected turn of events threatens the woman he'd been forced to leave behind, he has no choice but to go back and try to make things right. 

Warning.This is not a drill. Vampires are invading your favorite, small Nebraska town this Halloween. Does this mean Type-O flavored Booze will soon be the new rage in Sapphire Falls? Hopefully, it won't come to that. But you never can tell...

Bring It Back(list) In the Dark by PG Forte

 I feel like I've posted this before. Because Thanksgiving is coming and this is my favorite (for which read ONLY) Thanksgiving Day scene. I do have a book in the works that is actually set at Thanksgiving, but until that's done, I'll just have to make do with Grumpy Vampire Thanksgiving. It's from In the Dark (still one of my favorites, still not a romance) the very first book in the Children of Night series. ALTHOUGH...there's a prequel of sorts in the works. If all goes well, that will release next September as part of the Rejected by the Immortal anthology (available for preorder now. links below). And I  do have a new vampire Christmas story releasing next month...more about that Tuesday. 

But, for now, Happy Thanksgiving from Conrad and crew!

When you live forever, a few mistakes are bound to happen. 

Vampire Conrad Quintano has been around for centuries -- long enough to know falling for a human is a terrible idea. Much less falling for adventure-seeking hippie Desert Rose and agreeing to raise her babies. 

Raised in virtual isolation, Marc and Julie Fischer have never known their unique status in the world. But once they're in San Francisco, the family reunion is nothing like they anticipated and they're thrust into a world they're completely unprepared for.

Buy it here: https://books2read.com/u/49nGpX

Exerpt:Thursday, November 28th, 1968

Thanksgiving Day

“All I’m saying is that the picnic in the park was a total blast and you missed out on a really great party today.”

Desert Rose was pouting. Arms crossed, her posture rigid, she glared sullenly at Conrad from one end of his couch. Lying comfortably against the cushions at the other end, he smiled back at her indulgently. He hadn’t been expecting to see her here this evening. Even though she’d taken to spending nearly every weekend with him, tonight was Thursday—definitely part of the week, as far as he was concerned. In her mind, however, the fact that it was Thanksgiving apparently made it the start of the weekend. 

“I told you all about it when I was here last weekend. I was really hoping you’d show. You’d have liked it.”

“Yes, I’m sure I would have.” Enough talk now. Conrad reached for the girl and pulled her toward him. He rearranged her limbs until she was reclining against his chest with her head resting on his shoulder, her long, dark hair swept to one side. Unexpected, yes, he thought, as he began to lick lazily at her neck. But definitely not unwelcome.Three days was long enough to go without. He’d grown quite addicted to the taste of her over the course of the past month—which would have worried him, if he’d been planning on turning her. He wasn’t. “I’m sorry I missed your picnic today. It sounds like it was a…real happening scene.” 

A strangled noise, emanating from the vicinity of the secretary desk on the other side of the room, greeted Conrad’s observation. He glanced up, his face breaking into a wide grin at the sight of Armand’s pained expression. 

“A happening scene? Mon Dieu.” 

“Well, it was,” Desert Rose insisted as she settled deeper into Conrad’s embrace, her eyes closed, her neck exposed. “With music and dancing and...just crowds of people. And more food than…well, than you’ve probably ever seen in your life.” 

Armand’s eyes grew smoky as he gazed at the girl. His tongue danced lightly across the points of his teeth. He looked mesmerized, enchanted. He looked hungry. 

Mine. Conrad stilled. It took a conscious effort to tamp down the unreasoning jealousy that was once again threatening to burn holes in his gut. Luckily, Armand seemed to collect himself before too much time had passed. A shaky sigh escaped his lips as he shook his head and went back to work, writing checks to pay the monthly bills. Conrad relaxed as well, and quietly sank his teeth into the girl’s waiting neck.

“Corn and beans and squash and cranberry sauce and those little pearl onions,” she continued her recital, in the slightly dreamy tone that indicated she was so relaxed she hadn’t even noticed Conrad’s feasting at her throat. “And mashed potatoes, scalloped potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, peas, three kinds of pie, a big chocolate cake. Not to mention homemade bread and biscuits and pumpkin soup. Oh, and there was even an entire turkey made out of tofu.”

“It sounds delightful.” Conrad raised his head. “Armand?”

“Oui?” 

“Qu’est-ce que c’est…toe-foo?”

Armand looked up again, his face perplexed. “Je ne sais pas,” he replied with a shrug. Then, his face clearing, he snapped his fingers. “ Ah, non, non, non. Il est Chinois. It’s something to do with soybeans. A kind of a paste, I think?”

“Soybeans? Vraiment?” Conrad shook his head and went back to his meal. Soybean turkeys. What would they think of next? He could still eat human food, if he had to, but it had very little taste and no nutritional value for him, so he rarely bothered. In the past, of course, things had been different and he’d frequently been forced to eat regular meals as part of his attempts to pass for human. He hadn’t felt the need for such subterfuge in quite some time, however, and being as he was now a man of some means and could afford not to eat, he no longer did.

“I wish you’d been there,” Desert Rose murmured, still pouting. “You could have met some of my friends.”

“I’m sure that would have been very charming,” Conrad lied and, sensing she was growing restless, quickly licked the wounds shut and released her. “But, you know, mignonne, Armand is Canadian and they don’t really celebrate Thanksgiving in his country. It would have been rude to leave him alone.”

 “Well, you could have come too,” she said, sitting up and gazing earnestly at Armand. “All sorts of people were there.” 

“Merci, chérie.” Armand smiled at her. “And, for the record, we do celebrate Thanksgiving in Canada. It’s just not all about the food for us.” He cast a sly glance in Conrad’s direction. “But, you know, Conrad is not from this country originally either. So you can’t really expect him to appreciate the delights of all your traditional American dishes. Like tofu, for example.”

“You’re not American?” Eyes wide, she stared at Conrad. “Where are you from?”

“Originally?” Conrad frowned. He had to think about that for a moment. The part of Europe he hailed from had been called many different things over the centuries, most of which would mean nothing to her. “Rome,” he answered, finally, taking the easy way out.

“So, does that mean you’re like…Italian?” 

“Close enough,” he said, ignoring Armand when he muttered, “…but no cigar.” 

“So, what do you like to eat on Thanksgiving then? Spaghetti, or pizza, or lasagna or something?”

Conrad grimaced as thoughts of garlic, and other unpleasant spices, threatened to sour his stomach. “I don’t really care for any of those.”

Cocking her head to the side, she frowned thoughtfully. “You know what’s funny? Now that I think about it, I never see you eat anything. Why is that?”

From across the room, Armand choked back a laugh. “C’est parce que vos yeux sont fermés, chérie,” he answered. That’s because your eyes are shut. 

“That’s enough out of you,” Conrad growled, throwing a pillow at his head. 

“What did he say?” the girl asked, her gaze shifting back and forth between them both.

Conrad shrugged. “He said it’s because I’m always on a diet.”

“What?” Her eyebrows rose. “You? But, you don’t need to diet, you’re perfect!”

Conrad pulled her close again and kissed her, flashing a smug smile over her shoulder at Armand. “Thank you, chérie. So are you.”

An avaricious little thrill pulsed through him as she clung to him, sighing happily against his mouth. Mine. He tightened his arms around her. One kiss was not enough. The taste of her mouth was an easy match for the taste of her blood—he was addicted to both and unable to get enough of either. Angling his head to the side, he plundered her mouth, loving the way her hands crept shyly up to frame his face, the eagerness with which she snuggled against him. Soon he was rolling her beneath him on the couch and stretching himself out on top of her, wanting, needing more. 

In the long run, his dual obsession with both her body and her blood was a very bad thing. One that would surely lead to trouble when he lost control of either his temper or his jealousy, as had happened with the last person he’d craved in this fashion. In the short run, however, it was perfect. As he tangled his legs with hers, he allowed himself a single depraved fantasy of what it would be like if he could have them both together in his bed. Both of his dark-eyed beauties, gazing at him adoringly…

It would be…nice. Very nice. But it was never going to happen, if only because, for safety’s sake, he’d have to turn her first. And that was such a very bad idea he wasn’t even tempted by it. Much.

“So, what holidays do you celebrate?” she asked, pressing her hands into his chest in an attempt to push him away. 

She’s pushing me away? He glanced down at her, surprised by her unexpected resistance. Is there a problem here?The furtive glance she cast in Armand’s direction, however, made the source of her discomfort clear.

Conrad sighed. He rolled to the side, giving her the space she so clearly desired. He’d been forgetting how very young she was. Young enough to still be self-conscious about being observed at play. Far too young for the fantasies he’d been imagining. Far too young for him. Yet another reason things would never work out between them. “I’m sorry. What were we talking about?”

“Holidays. There’s gotta be some you celebrate, right?”

“No, not really.” 

She looked surprised. “Not even Christmas?” 

“Not even Christmas.”

“That’s a shame.” She nodded at the big bay window, heavily swathed in velvet curtains to keep out the sun. “Because, you know, that would be a perfect place to put a tree.”

“A tree?” The grounds were full of trees—which was exactly where they belonged. “Why would I want a tree in the house?” It would have to be a very hardy specimen, something that could flourish in the dark.

“A Christmas tree, silly. You know, all done up with tinsel and pretty lights? If I had a house like this, I’d sure have one.”

He smiled at her. “So, you want a tree now? Is that what you’re saying?”

The girl sighed wistfully. “Well, who wouldn’t? But I don’t have any room at my place. I mean, I don’t really even have a place—not of my own. So, you know, there’s not much point in thinking about it, is there?”

“No, I meant here. Would you like me to get a tree for you to decorate?”

The look in her eyes gave him his answer. “Really?”

Conrad raised his head. “Armand!”

“Oui!”

“We need a tree!”

“Eh?” Armand glanced up, confused. “Comment? A…tree?”

“Yes, a tree, you heathen. For Christmas. Get one for us, will you, mon cher?”

Raising one eyebrow, Armand stared at him. “Ah, oui. Très bien. And would you be wanting the little colored lights, too?” His voice dripped with sarcasm. “You could wrap them all around the house, perhaps—up on the roof and around all the doors and windows?” 

Conrad looked at the girl. She nodded eagerly. He smiled. “Oui.” 

Want to read more about Armand? His origin story will be the focus of Dancing in the Dark: 

Sometimes living forever is not all it's cracked up to be. 

1956 Winnipeg, Canada. Once Armand Renaud realizes that eternal youth is a real possibility, nothing will deter him from achieving his goal. And after one hundred years of solitude, Conrad can’t bring himself to resist the handsome young dancer who’s hellbent on being turned. 

They both know they’re not destined to be the great loves of each other’s lives, but there are worse ways to pass a long and lonely decade or two than in the arms of a passionate stranger. 

Living forever might not be everything they’d hoped for. But, at least they can still get a few things right. Can't they?

​

Scheduled for release September 19, 2023 as part of the  Rejected by the Immortal anthology.

PREORDER IT NOW:  https://books2read.com/rejectedimmortal

And why not spend this Christmas with a vampire...or two?

Her love will light up his night. If they can both survive that long. 

Heather is having the worst Christmas ever! Or, at least, the worst Christmas since she was forced to become a vampire. Her sire's distracted, her nestmates have forgotten her, weirdos have taken over the lair. The only bright spot in her life right now is Drew--who didn't even used to like her! She knows he's fond of her now, but that's not good enough. She wants more. She wants everything. She wants him. And she's not giving up. 

Drew Geiger gave up on love a long time ago. Such tender emotions have no place in a vampire's heart. But, somehow, the girl he once described as a "feral kitten" has got her claws in him, and she's not letting go. That would be fine, if only someone didn't want her dead--and if her sire didn't recall that it was Drew who once suggested that maybe she'd be better off that way.

 

Releasing December 13, 2022 

Available for preorder now: https://books2read.com/u/m0En1l

Bring It Back(List) Old Sins, Long Shadows by PG Forte

 I had a new story release yesterday. Light Up the Night is my contribution to the Shadows and Chaos story collection. This is a Children of Night story and it features my vampires Heather and Drew. 

Sure things are heating up for them NOW, but it wasn't always that way! Here's our first look at the pair, way back in book two of the series, Old Sins, Long Shadows: 

Living forever is hard. Loving forever? Impossible. 

 Of all the mistakes Conrad Quintano has made, driving Damian away is the one that haunts him the most. He hates the fact that he's hurt the man he loves more than anything. 

For the sake of the twins, though, Conrad and Damian parent as a united front, a challenge that grows more and more difficult with each passing year. And with Conrad in his weakened state after his kidnapping, it grows more difficult than ever to be around the one man he can't have. 

 But an old enemy's mission to create a dangerous new breed of vampire threatens the twins' lives, and it's now more important than ever that the estranged lovers put the past behind them, or everything they hold dear might be ripped apart.

Excerpt:

Danny leaned across the bar. Motioning with his head toward the front of the club he said, “Mr. Geiger? That crazy girl’s back.” 

“What?” Drew shot a startled glance in the direction Danny had indicated. His expression darkened. “Son of a bitch, I thought we’d seen the last of her.” Growling in annoyance, he downed his stout and set the glass on the bar with a thump. “Right. I’ll just go kick her ass to the curb. Again.” 

“Why? What’d she do?” Marc studied the slight blonde standing just inside the door. She looked young, still in her teens most likely. Not that appearances were anything to go by when it came to vampires of course, but there was a hungry, desperate, confused look on her face as she scanned the crowd that marked her as a probable newbie. Marc knew a moment of empathy. “Who is she?” 

Drew shook his head. “She’s no one. Just some feral kitten who keeps coming around scaring the crap out of people.” 

“She scares people? Are you serious?” 

“Look at her, man.” Danny’s voice held more than a hint of panic. “She’s outta control! She nearly ripped some poor guy’s head off the first time she came in here, before anyone knew what she was. She still looks like she could kill someone.” 

 “Yes, well, she probably has.” Drew shot Danny a pitying glance. “Relax. We talked about this last time, didn’t we? She’s not going to be doing it here. Now get back to work. I’ll take care of things, just like always. Got that?”

 Danny nodded. “Yes, sir,” he murmured, his tone subdued. 

 As Drew headed for the door, Marc fell into step beside him. “A feral kitten? What the hell, bro? That’s way cold.” 

“Is it? The girl’s a nuisance. You saw how Danny was affected, didn’t you? He’s not the only one feels that way.” 

“Yeah, but what’s it even mean?” 

Drew shook his head. “It means she’s fresh-out-of-the-box new—all teeth and claws and no skills whatsoever. She has no family, no nest, no house. Nobody has any idea who made her or, if they do, they’re not admitting to it. I’m actually surprised she’s still hanging around. She must have had the gods’ own luck to survive for as long as she has out on the street on her own. Still, it’s only a matter of time before her luck runs out and she’s put down. Sooner the better, I say.” 

“Put down? You mean killed?” Startled, Marc put a hand on his friend’s arm to stop him. “Drew, she’s just a kid.” 

Drew turned to him, his glance skeptical. “Not too likely, is it? If she’s enough of an adult to survive being turned, she’s old enough to suffer the consequences of her actions.” 

“Whatever. You’re still talking about murder.” 

 Drew glanced impatiently toward the door. “Look, Marc, I realize it may seem unpleasant from your perspective, but that’s the human in you talking. This is the way things work in our world and trust me, it’s for the best. Ferals are notoriously difficult to deal with. They’re answerable to no one, which makes them almost impossible to rehabilitate even in the best of circumstances. For one so young, someone who’s had no training at all, it’s fairly hopeless. Unless the girl wises up somehow, which I can’t really see happening, she’ll likely be dead within a matter of weeks. Certainly by year’s end at the very latest. With any luck, the end will be quick and relatively painless, but that’s really the most she can hope for. Now, would you please let me go? I have work to do.” 

“What is she doing that’s so wrong? So she scares people. Big deal. So do we.” 

Drew sighed. “It is a big deal actually, and it’s not at all the same thing. What we do is conscious and calculated, undertaken with a clear understanding of the risks involved. What she does is mindless and uncontrolled and it threatens us all. But, listen, this is not our concern. I’m not about to harm her, if that’s what’s worrying you. It’s not my place to do so and, besides, it’s not necessary. Sooner or later, she’ll cross paths with someone who’s powerful enough, or well-connected enough, that he won’t care who she belongs to, or whose toes he might be stepping on if he disposes of her—and that’ll be the end of it. Until then, I’m just going to keep tossing her out whenever she shows her face in here. But I am going to do that.” He glanced meaningfully at Marc’s hand, still fastened on his arm. “Now, if you don’t mind?”

In the shadows chaos reigns... ​

 Let your imagination take you away to fantastic places filled with wonder and whimsy. Delight in tales of witches, vampires, demons and other supernatural beings as they negotiate the realms of darkness and light.

Buy Links: https://books2read.com/shadowsandchaos