Shades of Desire
By L.M. Pruitt
Book 2 Jude Magdalyn Series
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Blurb:
Instead, I've got dead Covenant members and a steady stream of letters from the new guy in town. His beverage of choice? A 2002 Merlot, with a shot or two of powerful virgin blood.
On top of that, I'm breaking in a new police liaison, failing at playing matchmaker, and fighting nausea like it's a full time job. All I wanted was a little peace and quiet.
Instead, I've got dead Covenant members and a steady stream of letters from the new guy in town. His beverage of choice? A 2002 Merlot, with a shot or two of powerful virgin blood.
On top of that, I'm breaking in a new police liaison, failing at playing matchmaker, and fighting nausea like it's a full time job.
Did I forget to mention that I've also got enough girls living at the Crossroads to start my own boarding school?
Peace and quiet? Out the window.
Excerpt
“If someone doesn’t get me a lemon in the next five minutes, everyone will suffer. A lot.” “Jude, I love you. Which is why I can say you’re being just a little overdramatic.” One look at my face and Theo changed his tune. “But then again, you could say pregnancy is dramatic and you’re just getting into the groove.” “Nice save.” I tried to sit up again. Halfway through the upward movement greasy waves of nausea rolled over me and I eased back down onto the pillow. Strands of black hair clung to my sweaty face and I closed my eyes, exhaling slowly. “Not as nice as that lemon would be right now, but nice.” “Elizabeth will be here in a moment. No doubt she’ll have a lemon. And tea. And toast.” Theo turned over to face me, laying one hand over my still mostly flat stomach. If you looked close, you could see the smallest of bumps. I know, because I checked. Every other day or so. If anybody told me three months ago, that the week before Halloween, I’d be lying in bed with a man who absolutely adored me—even the crazy parts—I’d have asked them what the hell they were smoking. If they’d thrown in being pregnant, I would have punched them in their jaw. Then gone to the store and bought a dozen pregnancy tests and prayed for them all to be negative. But that was before the Covenant. In two weeks, I’d gone from being an orphan raised by nuns, to the latest in a long line of only daughters. Women charged with the protection and well-being of hundreds of people with unique powers. Some made flame burn for hours, while others called the wind to knock you flat on your ass. They were a group of people who came together over two-hundred years ago, bound by a prophecy. One with no past, lost in the present, will bring in the future, through gifts of both this world and the next. And lucky me, I’d passed the job interview. I’d sent Hart to a muddy, watery grave-literally. Unless something went crazy wrong, he’d stay under the Mississippi until the Final Judgment. Williams ruled the vampires of the city now and kept his distance as much as possible. And I, Jude Magdalyn Henries, led the Covenant. Maybe I wasn’t terrific at it. But Gillian would be proud. All things considered, I think I came out with a pretty good deal. |
Cut the Deck
Spending Some Time with Tarot Cards
One of the things I love about New Orleans is the total acceptance of the supernatural. Every street corner, every dark alley, every hole in the wall shop is a chance to see, hear and do something a little… strange. Whether it’s going on a vampire tour, having a drink in a haunted bar, or sliding into a seat across the table from a tarot reader, you get a shot at connecting with “the other side”.
Every time I go to New Orleans, even if it’s only for a few hours, I have my cards read. I’ve gone to card readers in shops and card readers on the street. They’ve used the Raider-Waite deck (the one most people think of when they hear the words “tarot cards”), regular playing cards, specially designed and painted decks. Basically, I’ve covered the spectrum as far as New Orleans is concerned.
It’s funny, the feeling that settles over you whenever you sit down to have your cards read. Even if you think it’s going to be a yuk-fest, the second you sit down across from the reader you sober up (or so my friends tell me—I don’t treat any part of the supernatural like a joke because I don’t want it to bite me in the ass later). There’s just a stillness, a solemnity about the position that seeps into you. And that’s before you get to the actual reading.
Most of my readings have been done in Celtic Cross format, which is what most readers are familiar with. They usually last about a half hour, give or take, unless things go wonky. Some readers will also do palms or even auras which is always kind of interesting. The readers are very big on making sure you understand what they’re telling you. After all, what good does it do to tell you something that only makes you scratch your head?
The readings themselves can cover any topic. Mine have usually been about relationships—yes, I know, how cliché, but I’m willing to admit I’ll take all the advice I can get in the area. And it’s funny how often what I’m actually feeling or planning to do will line up with what’s suggested. I like to think I have a pretty mean poker—or in this case tarot—face, but I may just be kidding myself.
A card reading isn’t about seeking the future. I think we can all agree the future is too nebulous to really pin down. Instead, the cards are about reading a situation—the past and the present—and finding out where you need to go for the best possible outcome. The cards give you the tools to make a more informed decision. What you do with the information is up to you.
Wow! This book was better than the first one and much fewer errors! I literally highlighted every single error that I found. One of the annoying ones was the use of "then" when it was supposed to be "than." Other than that, same old errors as last time.
As for the characters themselves, they were even funnier than the last one! Jude and Theo seriously could NOT get their hands off each other. Regardless of who was in the room, they would randomly make out because something that the other did caused a rage of hormones on the other. It was just so funny, especially when Duprees, the police liaison of the Covenant, was the one witnessing their "moments." I love how he kept saying "Just let me know when it's over." After just a few meeting, he obviously already knew the deal.
Theo: "Jude, I love you. So please understand when I say you've completely, absolutely, lost your marbles."
Theo: "You know, Dupress, I'm not sure whether we're going to have a beautiful bromance or hate each other."
Theo: "Of course you have good luck, honey. You caught me, didn't you?"
Jude: "More like you latched onto me and refused to let go. Like a piranha."
I pushed his hands away and started poking at the bumps. "Just because you're inside me, doesn't mean you can make all the rules. If your daddy wants to tickle me, then he can. Sometimes."
"You called me daddy." Theo sounded oddly choked up and I looked up from my stomach. The look on his face was so ecstatic I felt my own tear ducts gearing up. "And not in a weird, sexually deviant way."
Theo: "So. You want to go to Hustler with the guys later?"
Jude: "Theo. I don't think I'm going to get an invitation to that particular after-party."
Theo: "It's all right. We'll have our own little after-party."
Jude: "You're such a pervert."
Theo: "Yes. But you love me."
Talking of Duprees, he was such a good sport. I think he handled the situations quite admirably. He was calm and mostly distracted and confused, but he was able to take things in stride considering the craziness of each situation. He was definitely a very funny character.
Duprees: "Not that this isn't touching, but there is still the matter of the bad guy. Protocol for this type of situation is extermination."
Williams: "We're not insects."
Duprees: "Maybe not, but you're a pestilence."
Jude, on the other hand, was just Jude. She was stubborn, wouldn't take "no" for an answer, and she got what she wanted almost all of the time, not just because she was the leader of the Covenant, but because she has a way of getting everyone to do her bidding. She was just hilarious! Towards the end, I was just chuckling in every single page of this book. I definitely applaud the author for such brilliant humor, even at the most serious of moments.
The person that Jude feared very much in the first book turned out to be a really old vampire. Something about him was very dangerous, although it wasn't really elaborated in the book. I love that in the few scenes he appeared in, the menace and danger was apparent. A part of me wanted to know what he was capable of, yet another part didn't want to know because I might have nightmares later.
The rest of the characters were just as great. The author really were able to build the characters in a way that the readers can sympathize with them and feel as if they know them personally. That is what I call magic :)
Check out my favorite scenes!
Theo rolled away, taking his heat with him, the sound of his bare feet muffled by the carpet. I pushed up onto my elbows as he padded to the door and unlocked it. It wasn't until he started to open it, that I realized something vitally important.
He wasn't wearing any clothes.
He swung the door open about the time I closed my eyes. Still, I didn't need to see to hear Elizabeth squeal or the sound of a tray hitting the floor. Nor did I need to see to hear Lies blurt out, "Sweet Mother of God." Or to hear Theo slam the door shut.
"Jude. Were you planning on telling me I was naked?"
I kept my eyes closed. If I opened them, I would laugh. "Um."
"Um is not an answer, Jude."
"I didn't really notice until you opened the door." I felt the mattress shift under me and opened my eyes to find Theo sitting on the edge of the bed. He glared at me even while his lips twitched. "At least Celia wasn't there."
"For these small things, dear Lord, we are grateful."
"Take this in spirit it's mean, but I think they're officially scarred for life. Lies didn't sound scared."
There was another knock at the door, this one decidedly timid. Theo scooted under the sheets, shook his head. "I'm not answering.This one is all you, Jude."
I sighed, rolling my head to my left to look at Theo. His hands were linked together over his chest, his eyes focused on the sky. I reached out to poke him, not surprised when one hand reached up to grab mine.
"No poking the hungry bear." I would have snapped at him, but he hook my finger and pulled it up to his mouth, nibbling. So instead of sass, he got giggles. "I'm serious. I'm hungry, which makes me a bear."
Don't you just want to read this book after such awesome quotes?!! Because I definitely recommend it :D
