Book Tour and Giveaway: Cardinal Desire

Cardinal Desires

by Linda Nightingale

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BLURB:

How can Katy McCaully resist Sterling Fox?

At fifteen, she fell in love with a man in a painting, and he looks exactly like that Novgorodian knight. Even though he's got the keys to her chemistry set, she mustn't succumb to his charms. She's a forensic psychiatrist working with Scotland Yard. He's a high-profile journalist who invades the underworld for a story or broadcasts live at the scene of the world's worst tragedies.

Police and media do not mix. They are both trying to capture the same animalistic killer whom newspapers have dubbed The Vampire Slayer. Modern London doesn't know that the Slayer has also killed four vampires. Katy doesn't know that Sterling is a vampire until too late—after she's fallen in love with him.

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GIVEAWAY

 Linda will be awarding a Grand Prize of a $25 Amazon/BN Gift Card to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. An autographed Cover Flat & Gemini Rising Pen (US ONLY) will be awarded to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour and another randomly drawn commenter during the tour will be awarded Trading Cards of Characters from Sinners Opera (US ONLY).

The more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here: 

http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2013/09/virtual-excerpt-tour-cardinal-desires.html

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Exclusive EXCERPT:

Katy smelled an intriguing story between Sterling and his Lady of the Flowers.  But no time for the questions she was dying to ask.  Amy might be dying to see her.  Get real.  The woman suffered from obsession or was it lust?

“You look like Miss America.”  Sterling's eyes were intoxicating.

He placed his hands on the flower seller's thin shoulders and brushed a kiss to her cheek.  Maeve stood on tiptoe to cup his face between her hands.  The old woman loved him.  In that touching moment, Katy gained a lot of insight into the mysterious Sterling Fox.  He was cool as moonlight, but he had a warm heart.

Maeve hugged Katy, whispering in her ear, “Lucky girl.  Be good to him.  He’s a jewel.”

“Good night, Maeve.”  Sterling’s arm appeared at Katy’s waist, urging her into the alley.

Again, they plunged into darkness.  With cat-like grace and ease, Sterling guided them to the lighted street where the adventure began.  Grief, that she must leave him, cramped Katy’s heart.  Duty screamed in her ears, but she craved one more moment with this magic man.

“Sorry for the detour, but I promised Maeve I’d visit tonight.”  He bit the lower lip of a smile.  “I should say I hope Farley didn’t give up on you.  Actually, I hope he did.”

She sniffed the roses; their scent strong and warm in the cold.  “Thanks for the flowers.  They’re lovely, but I have to get going.”  She half-turned, spun back.  “Oh, and just incidentally, thanks for saving my life.”

“Any time.”  He gazed at her through long thick lashes.  “You need someone to watch over you.”

Someone to watch over her?  Wouldn’t that be a novelty?  Katy was accustomed to sailing her ship alone.  How wonderful to let broad shoulders carry her burdens.  She was weary of searching for someone exactly like Sterling Fox.

Sexy as sin, he tucked his hair behind his ears.  “Sure I can’t buy you a drink?”

God how she hated to say, “Scotland Yard and media don’t mix.”

Trick of light, his eyes darkened.  Trick of the heart, she couldn’t speak or look away from his chill gaze.

“I told you, and I mean it, I’m not here to write about your case.”  He shook his head, his gaze dropping to the sidewalk.  “Katy, sometime, I need—I'd like to talk to you.”

Wind ruffled his hair.  Katy’s breath hitched.  God, she wanted to touch him.

She’d missed the emotional road signs.  Behind his cool façade, this gorgeous man suffered.  Amy waited for her, Gray trusted her, but more than the next heartbeat, she yearned to take Sterling in her arms and comfort him.  Realization slapped her in the face.  He was asking for professional help.  Media and police were oil and water, a psychiatrist and a patient punishable by law.  Whatever silly hopes she’d treasured perished.  Pain seeped into her heart.  She waited too long to respond, and he hid behind his smile.

“Goodnight, Katy.”  He leaned past the roses to kiss her cheek.  “For the record, I’m on your side.”

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Born in South Carolina, Linda has lived in England, Canada, Miami, Atlanta and Houston.  She’s seen a lot of this country from the windshield of a truck pulling a horse trailer, having bred, trained and showed Andalusian horses for thirteen years.

Linda began writing in high school when her favorite English teacher, Mrs. Burriss, allowed her to submit a short story instead of a book report.  She also wrote very dark poetry brimming with teenage angst.  These she showed to an editor at the local newspaper and was promptly shot down.  Thereafter, she put her pen away until 1992 when she began a vampire novel which became Sinners’ Opera.

With Cardinal Desires, she won the Georgia Romance Writers Magnolia Award and received a call from Berkley.  The publisher didn’t publish vampires (at that time) and asked if she had anything else.  Novice that she was, she said “no” rather than asking what they wanted!

She works in the legal field and has two wonderful sons.  She loves Andalusian and Lusitano horses, her snappy black convertible and her parlor grand piano—and writing, of course.  Visit her web site for a free vampire story starring Morgan D’Arcy, the hero of Sinners’ Opera and a member of the supporting cast in Cardinal Desires.

Other Works:  Gemini Rising (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08IGfFxPCWQ), The Night Before Doomsday, Black Swan

Links:

Web site:  http://www.lindanightingale.com

Twitter:  @LNightingale

Blog:  http://lindanightingale.wordpress.com/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/#!/linda.nightingale.52