Today at WinterHaven books we have Bella Forest with us! She has graciously stopped to answer some of our questions and has sent an amazing excerpt for us to share!
First the interview!
1.I really wanted to learn more about Sofia and Derek's background, will we learn more about them in the next book?
Definitely. Book 2: A Shade of Blood, is going to be longer than the first and the characters will be developed furtherI was daydreaming a few years ago and the idea just came out of nowhere. I immediately took notes but only last year did I sit down to write the novel. Yes, the story did change once I got into it.
3. Please tell me that Sofia beats the you know what out of a certain character!!
Haha! That would be a spoiler!
4. Are you planning for this to be a trilogy or a longer series?
This will be at least a trilogy. There will possibly be four books but I am not sure at this point.
5. Can you give us a glimpse into the next book?
I can't reveal too much yet, but you can expect to delve deeper into the characters and the history of The Shade.
6. Any other projects in the works?
Other than finishing the Shade of Vampire series, I'm now also working toward releasing a New Adult book that should be out within a month or so.
Thanks Bella for stopping by! I can't wait to dive into the sequel!
Excerpt:
I’d been meandering along the shore for about an hour when I suddenly sensed that I wasn’t alone. Someone was approaching me from behind. My heart leapt. I was so sure it was Ben, that when a stranger showed up beside me, I couldn’t hide my disappointment.
He must have noticed, because a smirk formed on his lips. “Were you expecting someone else, love?”
I eyed him suspiciously, remembering how many times my father had told me not to talk to strangers. I looked him over, taking in his appearance. My eyes widened. I couldn’t find words to describe how fine a man he was. He was almost beautiful. The first thing I took notice of was how his blue eyes were about three shades brighter than any I’d ever seen before. It was such a stark contrast to his pale – almost white – skin and dark hair. Standing beside me, he was easily more than half a foot taller. His height, broad shoulders
and lean build reminded me of Ben, but he had a presence that was far more imposing than my best friend’s.
My gaze settled on his face.
I realized that he was inspecting me just as closely as I was him. His eyes on me suddenly made me feel uncomfortably vulnerable. I gave my father’s advice a second thought, but quickly canceled out all notions of heeding to his counsel when I reminded myself that he stopped caring a long time ago.
I straightened to my full height and mustered all the courage I had to keep myself from running away from this stranger.
He must have noticed, because a smirk formed on his lips. “Were you expecting someone else, love?”
I eyed him suspiciously, remembering how many times my father had told me not to talk to strangers. I looked him over, taking in his appearance. My eyes widened. I couldn’t find words to describe how fine a man he was. He was almost beautiful. The first thing I took notice of was how his blue eyes were about three shades brighter than any I’d ever seen before. It was such a stark contrast to his pale – almost white – skin and dark hair. Standing beside me, he was easily more than half a foot taller. His height, broad shoulders
and lean build reminded me of Ben, but he had a presence that was far more imposing than my best friend’s.
My gaze settled on his face.
I realized that he was inspecting me just as closely as I was him. His eyes on me suddenly made me feel uncomfortably vulnerable. I gave my father’s advice a second thought, but quickly canceled out all notions of heeding to his counsel when I reminded myself that he stopped caring a long time ago.
I straightened to my full height and mustered all the courage I had to keep myself from running away from this stranger.
Bella has also given us the cover to A Shade of Blood, the sequel to A Shade of Vampire to share with you! It is just as gorgeous as the first book!
A Shade of a Vampire by Bella Forrest
Release Date: December 14, 2012
Purchase: Amazon
My thoughts:On the evening of Sofia Claremont's seventeenth birthday, she is sucked into a nightmare from which she cannot wake.
A quiet evening walk along a beach brings her face to face with a dangerous pale creature that craves much more than her blood.
She is kidnapped to an island where the sun is eternally forbidden to shine.
An island uncharted by any map and ruled by the most powerful vampire coven on the planet. She wakes here as a slave, a captive in chains.
Sofia's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn when she is the one selected out of hundreds of girls to join the harem of Derek Novak, the dark royal Prince.
Despite his addiction to power and obsessive thirst for her blood, Sofia soon realizes that the safest place on the island is within his quarters, and she must do all within her power to win him over if she is to survive even one more night.
Will she succeed? ...or is she destined to the same fate that all other girls have met at the hands of the Novaks?
Shade of a Vampire was very different from your normal everyday vampire novels. It does still have that romantic element to it, but underlying is a story filled with power hungry vampires and a Prince who wakes to fulfill his destiny.
Sofia on the night of her birthday is taken by a vampire to a secluded fortress known as the Blood Shade. This place is a safe haven for vampires and it is set up like a kingdom with guards, elites, and slaves which of course are humans. She is picked to become the slave of Derek Novak, the Prince of the Blood Shade and her time spent with Derek is bittersweet. He seems different from the other vampires especially his crazy older brother Lucas. Things go from bad to worse and when an unexpected friend shows up as another slave, Sofia knows she has to find a way out no matter the cost to her heart.
For a short story Shade of a Vampire packs a punch. I really enjoyed reading about this whole Blood Shade fortress and that honestly is what held my attention. I liked Sofia, but I would have liked to have seen more struggle from her in the beginning. I felt like she accepted being a slave a little to easily. I understand that she really didn't have any family and if this was her reasoning for just going with the flow sorta speak then I would have liked a more detailed description about her life before being abducted. All we are really given is information about her best friend and I really wanted more background. Sofia did stand up to Derek which I appreciated, but again I just wanted her to be a little stronger and not just live it up at the penthouse. Derek was an interesting character and I am glad to see some growth from him at the end. I wasn't sure if I would end up really rooting for him, but I think all my fears will be pushed aside after the next book. He turned a corner for me at the last second and from the epilogue we are given I think her will be awesome in the sequel. AS for the story itself it was an interesting one. I am excited to see more about this world that the author has created and less about the romance. I know Sofia has a lot to proof so I am hoping for more action and intensity. I don't think we were given much actual meat from this story but like I said it was short and we are introduced to the world so I can't really complain.
I am definitely looking forward to the next installment to see what events will unfold now that a kiss has been sealed. I am hoping that a can of whoop you know what will be opened on a certain character that should have had their heart ripped out in this one as well as many many scenes of intrigue and kingdom craziness. Great start to an interesting series.
Thanks Bella for offering us the opportunity to review your book!
3 Snowflakes
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