Blood & Dreams Sons of Navarus Box Set for .99! #PNR #UF

To kick off the two-week countdown to the release of Blood Prophecy, I've put the Blood & Dreams Sons of Navarus Box Set on sale for just $.99. The set includes the series prequel, Vampire Dreams Revamped, along with the first two books in the series, Blood Avenged and Blood Betrayed. It also includes the 5 chapter preview of Blood Prophecy.

Don't miss this chance to pick up over 500 pages of paranormal romance and vampire goodness for such a great price! It's only for a limited time, so get yours today!

Amazon

B&N

A Little Taste of #Vampire Dreams #PNR

In preparation for the release this spring of Blood Prophecy, book 4 in the Sons of Navarus series, I've reduced the price of the prequel novella, Vampire Dreams, to $.99. The story that began it all, it features the love story of Brandon and Arden along with three of the Sons of Navarus, Vasilije, Terek, and Thane (who is about to be featured prominently in the new release coming soon).

Here's a taste of that first story that introduced the world to Vasilije:

Blurb:

A vampire for hundreds of years, Brandon Ridley is surrounded by others of his kind who enjoy their world to the fullest. Orgies, debauchery, and sensual delights leave him empty, though. What he wants is that one woman who will share his life.

Homeless and without any family, Arden Stephens must live on the streets of mid 19th century London, never a safe place for a young woman.  One night, as she is running for her life from an attacker, she is rescued by Brandon and offered a place in his home as his maid.  Brandon is enchanted by Arden from the moment they meet and yearns to make her one of his kind.

Nightly, he visits her in her sleep, preparing her for the night he will finally make her his own.  For Arden, the wanton dreams she has about her handsome employer seduce her and each day when she wakes up, she finds herself more drawn to him.  But love and desire aren't enough for Brandon to sire her.  He must first obtain the approval of his own sire, an ancient vampire named Vasilije who has thwarted his chance for happiness before.

But if Brandon can convince him, he may finally find the love he's been without for centuries.

Excerpt:

The dark streets of the city lay sprawled out in front of her, filled with both possible danger and salvation. As she ran, her feet pounding against the stones beneath them, her breathing came in pants that stole the moisture from her mouth. Her eyes frantically scanned for someplace to hide as she pushed her legs to run faster.

She could hear his feet as each one solidly hit the ground behind her. His stride much longer than hers, he was coming closer with each step.

If he caught her...

The pounding of her heart hammered in her ears as the blood pushed faster and faster through her body. Up ahead, she saw a door ajar in a rundown building. If it was empty, she might be able to find a place to hide and hopefully escape from the pain of what awaited her if he captured her.

She slipped through the doorway, but her cape caught on the doorknob, costing her precious moments. As she worked to free herself, she heard his footsteps slow down to a walk, a sign he was as sure as she that he’d won.

Finally, in desperation, she tore the fabric from the knob, and free to run once more, she turned and ran headlong into the chest of a man who stood silently watching her.

“Please save me! He’s coming for me!”

In the dim light, she saw his emotionless expression. Would he help her? Or would he hand her over to him?

Without a word, the stranger took her roughly by the arm and led her to a table near the far wall. With his hands on her shoulders, he hesitated a moment and then spun her around.

His voice deep, he commanded, “Place your hands on the table and bend over.”

Fear raced through her as she questioned whether she’d chosen a fate as horrific as the one she’d fled from. But she did as she’d been told and waited in terror for what was to come.

The noise of her stalker entering the building caused her to turn her head, but the voice behind her sternly warned, “Face forward.”

She felt hands lift her cloak and dress, allowing the cool night air to hit the bare skin of her thighs. The feeling at once thrilled and shocked her, and she instinctively stood up to cover herself.

The man behind her forcibly pushed her back down toward the table and leaned over her. Whispering low in her ear, he said in a kind voice, “Trust me,” as he pushed his body firmly against her backside.

“Hey you! Where’s the girl who came in here?”

With his hands on her hips, the man who gave her no choice but to trust him pushed his hips toward hers and thrust toward her still clothed body to simulate sex. In her ear, he let out a throaty groan unlike anything she'd ever heard before.

“Hey! I asked you about the girl who came in here!”

Never looking back, Arden squeezed her eyes closed, shutting out the moonlight that streamed in through the window above, and waited for the attack she dreaded. Instead, she heard the man whose body continued to meet hers bark, “Go away! This whore’s mine!”

Indignant at the use of the word whore to describe her, she started to push herself up but his hand held her by the neck and forced her to remain still on the table. A sound like a hiss came from her protector and the other man hurriedly ran out of the building.

A hardness brushed past her thighs and she realized while she’d escaped death, she now faced being raped by this stranger who had asked her to trust him. Over and over, his erection teased her. Fear turned to arousal as she felt his stiff cock press toward her and her body begin to want him. His hand on her neck eased almost to a caress as he continued to hold her down.

Noises behind them told her the original attacker had been chased off, and when the thrusts stopped, she pushed back against him, forcing him off her. Spinning around, she smoothed her dress and snapped, “You are no gentleman! Whore?”

The man stood looking at her, a small grin creeping onto his lips. In a voice far silkier than she’d heard from him before, he said, “You didn’t need a gentleman.”

I kept it fairly clean for this excerpt, but I should warn you, the story is quite steamy. To grab your copy, visit Amazon, B&N, iTunes, Kobo, or Smashwords. Happy reading!

And here's a special surprise: Enter to win a paperback copy of Blood Prophecy, the 4th novel in the Sons of Navarus series! Just visit Goodreads and enter for a chance!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Blood Prophecy

by Gabrielle Bisset

Giveaway ends May 02, 2013.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

The Fling: An Interview and A Sexy New Read

Happy Monday everyone! I'm beginning the third week of the Paranormal Fall Fling today with lots of great stuff going on. First, I'll be picking a winner for Week Two's giveaway, the Sons of Navarus swag pack, tonight, so if you haven't entered yet, be sure to head on over to Fling central and get your comment in. While you're there, be sure to complete the Rafflecopter entries for the grand prizes.

Today I'm at Fictional Candy with an interview with the fantastic Liz who's the blogger in charge of that terrific blog. Stop over for some juicy details, including who I would cast as the Sons of Navarus. Thanks to my street team, the Goddesses, for help with those delicious choices!

And speaking of the Sons, here are two big and FREE announcements:  First, Vampire Dreams Revamped is finally free at Amazon, so if you haven't read the official prequel to the Sons series, grab it free at Amazon now.  

And second, my newest free read is up at my website. The Deepest Cut features Vasilije and Sasa from Blood Avenged, so stop over and give it a read. It's a very emotionally raw short, but it gives readers a little more about the couple.

Finally, happy Columbus Day to all!  I'm green with envy if you have the day off from work, and if you don't. I feel your pain. My university doesn't appreciate good old Chris as much as I think they should, so I'm heading to the salt mine today.

Have a great one!

#Erotic Victorian Vampires: Orgy Anyone?

It's the end of the first week of the Paranormal Fall Fling. Have you entered yet? Remember each day you post about the Fling on FB or tweet about it on Twitter, you can receive points, so it's never just a one day entry. Be sure to stop by Fling Central to enter the giveaway. On Monday, I'll choose a winner for the Week 1 prize, the Blood & Dreams eBook Box Set, which includes Vampire Dreams Revamped, Blood Avenged, and Blood Betrayed.

Today I'm at Melissa's Mochas, Mysteries, and More talking about the Victorian Era and the underground eroticism of that time period. On the surface, Queen Victoria might have been all stuffy, prim, and proper, but just underneath the surface, may parts of her realm (and the rest of the world) was very sexy. It was that erotic undertone that inspired me to write the character of Vasilije in Vampire Dreams Revamped.

And for you Terek fans out there, today's post talks about him too. If you've read Vampire Dreams Revamped, the orgy scene is where readers first are introduced to the hero of Blood Spirit. Talk about an introduction!

So be sure to enter the Paranormal Fall Fling giveaway and stop over at Melissa's blog for a little Victorian eroticism. Have a great weekend, and remember Week 2 of the Fling begins on Monday!

Grab Vampire Dreams Revamped On Me

Because I belong to Triberr, I can't say Vampire Dreams Revamped is FREE at Kobo, All Romance eBooks, and Smashwords since the word free sends the thing into some kind of tizzy, but it is free so go snag a copy. And if you want to be a real angel, go tell Amazon you found a lower price so I can put it up for free there. Amazon doesn't seem to respect All Romance or Smashwords, but maybe they'll respect Kobo. Wherever you get it, enjoy!

Usually this is WIP Wednesday, so I'll mention what's going on with my WIP. Blood Prophecy is moving along at a smooth pace and I've completed half of Vasilije's free short I plan to release in October. And although it doesn't technically count as a WIP anymore, Blood Spirit is ready and waiting for its release date on Monday.

I'm thrilled with how it came out and the reports back from my ARC readers have been wonderful. Who knows? With the way Amazon works, it might even be up earlier than the 17th.

Have a great one!

Time To Say Goodbye

That title sounds so melodramatic, doesn't it?  Let me explain. Last June, I published a little novella entitled Vampire Dreams. I've said it before and I'll say it again: it was a response to something I was dealing with in my professional life and gave me the catharsis that I needed. I never expected it to become what it grew into, but that little novella paid my mortgage for more months than even I can believe. However, now it's time to say my goodbyes to that terrific little story.

In truth, Vampire Dreams was the beginning of my Sons of Navarus series and the beginning of that incredible character, Vasilije. He's a hedonistic bastard and I love him. I still get the pleasure of writing him now because he's a focal character in the Sons series, but it all began with that little novella.

True confession time. It's not my best writing. Hell, it's nowhere close to my best writing. You want that? Try my other books, particularly the Sons of Navarus series and Destined Ones series. No, Vampire Dreams was just sexy. It has a lonely vampire who wants love and meets the woman of his dreams. At night, he visits her in her sleep and...well, Brandon may be lonely, but he knows how to seduce a woman.  The book was never meant to be more than it is. Unlike many of my stories, there's no underlying theme or meaning. It's just pure sexiness.

That it took off like it did still surprises me. It spent months on the Amazon Top 100 Erotic books list along with the Top 100 Vampire Romance books list, and even made it onto some private lists by readers. There have been a fair share of souls who didn't love it. One person accused me of writing rape because Brandon seduces Arden under hypnosis. But for every time I got a complaint, I got 20 raves. I've gone back and read it a few times and you know what? It's not me at my best, but it's damn sexy.

I rewrote Vampire Dreams to be an official sequel to the Sons of Navarus series, and that book, Vampire Dreams Revamped has gotten rave reviews. If you read both, you see the difference not only in the story but in the writing. As they say, I've come along way, baby.

So now it's time to say goodbye to the original Vampire Dreams. As of September 1, it will only be found in the Victorian Erotic Romance Trilogy, along with its sister novellas Love's Master and Masquerade. They'll remain as novellas found on their own and in the Trilogy, though.

I will always appreciate that first book and its success. While Vampire Dreams Revamped is a much better book, there will always be a place in my heart for that little novella that started it all, Vampire Dreams.

Vampire Dreams Revamped at USA Today

I was fortunate to have the chance to talk about one of the real perks of being an indie at USA Today's Happily Ever After blog yesterday. It can be a lot of work being a one woman show (okay, few woman show--I can't forget my editor, Talina who designs all the great graphics for my books and swag, my betas, Nicole, my street team leader and promotion guru, and my street team members who do such a terrific job of getting the word out about my books).  But one of the joys of being an indie is being able to give readers what they want when I can.

Over the past year, so many readers contacted me to let me know that they'd loved Vampire Dreams but wanted more. More Brandon. More Arden. And especially, more Vasilije. It was from those requests that I was spurred on to write the Sons of Navarus series.

I can't tell you how great it was to hear from readers and know how those wonderful characters had affected them. It made me want to give them more of that original story, so Vampire Dreams Revamped came about. Because I'm an indie author, I have no restraints concerning publishing timetables other than my own ability to get things completed. Usually that means worrying that Amazon won't get a book up when you said it would (prayed it would), but this time it meant literally giving readers what they'd asked for.

Stop over at the USA Today post and read more about what I consider to be one of the best things about being an indie author.

And on the topic of making readers happy, I'm over at Hesperia Loves Books with the Top Five Reasons to Love Saint on Blood Betrayed's book tour. Stop over and comment to be entered to win some great Sons of Navarus swag and a $10 Amazon giftcard.

And tonight I'm going to be a guest on Author's Corner with Elaine Raco Chase. Head on over to http://www.trianglevarietyradio.com/ and click on Blog Talk Radio to hear me talking all things sexy and Sons between 8:25 and 8:55 tonight. ;) Hope you'll give it a listen.

I hope you have a wonderful Thursday!

#WIP Wednesday #amwriting #amediting

Happy Wednesday! How is everyone doing today?  It's hot as hell here in Pennsylvania, but in six months it will be just the opposite, so I'm enjoying this heat wave.

I've also been writing and editing, in the air conditioned splendor, of course. :)  The short for BTS emagazine is complete at just about 1K words and titled Forbidden Fruit. I've also finished the expanded version that will appear on my website after the magazine comes out. Hades has been a delicious character to work with, and I'm looking forward to more of him coming up in the Sons books.

Typing and editing continues with Blood Spirit. So far, I'm through to Chapter 17, editing as I go. The plan is for the book to be at the editor for this weekend, and so far, I'm on course to make my goal. I do have to go to Family Night at Boy Scout camp tonight to see my son, so no typing will happen today. Since I loathe typing, you won't find any tears from me, though. LOL 

I'm at Carrie Ann Ryan's blog for Writer Wednesday today talking about Vampire Dreams Revamped and returning to the past every so often. One commenter will win a set of Sons of Navarus bookmarks, so stop by and say hi. :)

Also, I announced this in my FB street team group yesterday, so now today I'm telling the rest of the world. I've been asked to be the featured author at the 2013 Indie Romance Convention that will take place in TN next October. I'm so flattered! I'll be there with other great authors, so if you're a reader or blogger, check out the site and make your plans to attend. It promises to be a fun time!

And yet another announcement--BTS eMag has asked me to be a featured author in their January 2013 issue on indie writers. Again, I'm so flattered!  Writing the short was such a nice honor, but to be asked to be a featured author is really great. Click on over to check out the current issue of the magazine.

It's been quite a week for this indie writer. How has yours been? Have a great Wednesday!

#Paranormalromance Friday #Swag and #Excerpt

Happy Friday!  It's been a busy week here between working on romance trading cards with Talina and getting Vampire Dreams Revamped ready for its release this weekend. I love working with Talina on swag! She always comes up with the most creative ideas.  We've been focusing on the first four Sons of Navarus romance trading cards and as with my other swag, she's really hit the ball out of the park on these designs. Check them out!

Book #1

Book #2

Book #3

Book #4

And coming soon are these fine Sons with their own cards (I'm still searching the stock photo sites for the last Son):

Thane

Sion

Dante

And to make this Paranormal Romance Friday even better, here's a little snippet from Vampire Dreams Revamped.  I've introduced a few new characters into the book, and this excerpt includes a female vampire named Delilah, one of Vasilije's favorites.  I wonder how she and Sasa would get along? Hmmm... Enjoy! And have a wonderful weekend!

"We started without you," Vasilije said with a grin as he caressed his tongue over the razor sharp tips of his fangs.

"That's quite all right. Did I miss anything?"

His sire arched one eyebrow and leveled a penetrating stare at him. "You'd miss everything if it weren't for me, Brandon. You'd stay in that dreary house of yours with those dreary servants and drink your port. You're a vampire, not some boring widower waiting to die."

"Why do you keep me around if you find me so boring? You have other favorites."

Vasilije looked over Brandon's shoulder and smiled broadly. "I do. Here's one now."

Turning, Brandon saw Delilah, another of his sire's favorites. Stunning, with long pale blond hair and a body that Brandon was sure must drive most men to complete distraction, Delilah was as vicious as Vasilije was decadent. And she hated him as much as he did her.

"Brandon? I see you're wearing your coat. Leaving so soon? Too bad."
© 2012 Gabrielle Bisset

Happy 4th and #WIP Wednesday

Happy Independence Day to all my American friends out there! I've always loved the 4th of July.  My father and I shared a birthday on July 7, and when I was a little girl, my uncle would come to our house and celebrate with us because his birthday was on the 5th. Very silly confession:  When I was a little girl, I thought the fireworks that would go off for the holiday were for all of us celebrating our birthdays!

Even now, I don't just celebrate on the 7th but for an entire week. I call it my birthweek. LOL  My kids tease me that I'm only supposed to get one day like everyone else, and I tell them, "Not for July babies."

I've got a new July baby coming this weekend. Vampire Dreams Revamped is scheduled for release on July 8, and this author mama couldn't be happier.  A remake of my novella Vampire Dreams, this book is longer and even hotter, with more Brandon, Arden, and Vasilije, and even cameo appearances by two of the other Sons of Navarus. Unlike the original, this book is set up as a prequel to the Sons of Navarus series. 

As I've said before, I always wanted to do more with Brandon and Arden's story, and now that I've had the opportunity to, I'm so happy with the results. Brandon is a sweetheart of a character, unlike his sire, and Arden is so much more than she was in the original.  And Vasilije? Well, my editor made the comment when she sent me the edits, "He's even sexier than he was before."  She loves bad boys, though. ;)

Be sure to come back tomorrow for the Cocked and Loaded Giveaway Hop. Since it's my birthweek, I'll be celebrating with a cool prize. And if you feel like giving me a birthday present, a like on my Amazon author page, my books' pages there, or a review of one of my books you loved on Amazon or Barnes and Noble would be so appreciated.

And happy birthday, America!  No matter what, you still look great at 200-something. I'll be sharing my fireworks with you later. :)

Coming Soon: Vampire Dreams Revamped

When  I approached my editor with the idea of reworking Vampire Dreams, her first words were, "Why? You sell tons of that each month. Don't mess with what works." This coming from a tough as nails editor made me feel good, but it didn't dissuade me from wanting to go back into that first book I published.

You see, when I wrote Vampire Dreams, I was actually doing it in response to something external, not internal, so to me, every time I see that book, I think of that external business that was pressing down on me then.  I've overcome it, but when I read Vampire Dreams, I can still hear it in so many places.

I loved the characters of Arden and Brandon from the minute they came to life, and Vasilije...well, he was always destined for more after that book.  Arden and Brandon have a charm to me that brings a sweetness to a very erotic book. So despite the fact that my editor disagreed, I began to rework Vampire Dreams a few weeks ago and asked the wonderful Talina Perkins if she'd make just one more exception and create a cover for this new book. What you see is the new cover--Vampire Dreams Revamped.

So what's going to be different in this new book?  It's going to be longer.  The original came in at 17K words, and this will top out at over 25K.  The story has been added to also, and two of the Sons of Navarus in addition to Vasilije will appear as cameos in Revamped. It's also a bit hotter too.

That last choice--to make Revamped a sexier book--was something I had to think about. Out of the thousands of copies sold, the book has relatively few bad reviews, but often those that are bad attack it because it has too much sex. (Others claim it's written too simply while even others claim the writing is too complicated, especially the sentence structure. Those make no sense together, so I disregard them as they cancel one another out. Sorry critics, but it can't be both.) I've even had a few unhappy readers claim it's porn.

I either read some seriously hot stories, or I underestimate my books' heat levels because while the original Vampire Dreams had some steamy scenes, it certainly wasn't the hottest thing I'd ever read. It's been listed under Erotica, so I'm always confused when readers have a problem with the sex scenes. What do they expect? (I blame this in part on the Fifty Shades phenomenon, by the way. I've read that and it wasn't hot to me.  In fact, it was clunky, immature, and awkward, and that's not erotic to me. But that's just my humble opinion. But if people read that and then come to my books, they are in for a very different type of sexy read.) To me, it's erotic romance because it has a definite story and a HEA. Erotica isn't forced to conform to those criteria. Whatever it is, it's way too hot for some folks, it seems.

So, in the end, Vampire Dreams Revamped will be even hotter than the original. Maybe I should put a disclaimer in the description.  Maybe something like: Reading this book may make your panties melt. Be aware and take precautions.

Look for Vampire Dreams Revamped in July. Have a great Monday everyone!