"The Knight" by Victoria Danann

EXCERPT and GIVEAWAY

The Knight
(R. Caine High School Book 2)

by Victoria Danann

The Knight is the second book in the R. Caine High School series by Victoria Danann. Also available: The Game Begins (read my blog post).

The Knight is currently on tour with Bewitching Book Tours. The tour stops here today for an excerpt and a giveaway. Please be sure to visit the other tour stops as well.

Description

New York Times bestselling author, Victoria Danann dishes up a stunning new teen/young adult series like nothing else.

The gods are playing games with their own children on the most treacherous terrain in the universe ... high school.

Jean Marre's recent life has been one big surprise right after another. First his family moved to SoCal from a remote French Canadian town. Then he began feeling a strange compulsion to watch over a smart little blonde named Ever Moore. In fact he found himself restless, distracted, and uncomfortable if she wasn't around.

Before there was time to adjust to any of that, he was informed that his parents were going to South Africa for a few months and leaving him with his mother's friend, who happened to be Ever's mother.

Life just couldn't get stranger.

Or could it?

Excerpt

Jean Marre folded himself into the front passenger seat of Ever’s car to ride to school. For the entire fifteen minutes it took to get there, neither said one word to the other. That did not, however, mean that they didn’t dork with each other all the way there.

Jean Marre’s opening shot was to change her satellite radio to a different channel. Hair Band Nation. She gaped at him for a full four seconds when her eyes should have been on the road before punching the number one button to return to Sounds of the SuperNow. He stared at her blankly for a matching four seconds then, without taking his gaze away from her or changing expression, reached over and pushed the button to return to “last played”. Hair Band Nation.

After three more volleys, Ever turned the radio off with a snarl. When Jean Marre started to reach for it, she gave him a look that froze his had midair. He withdrew the offending appendage, but the challenge Ever offered with her look brought a gleam of amusement to his eyes. 

He did not touch the radio again.

Instead he rolled down his window which, of course, threatened to make a beachy wreck of her hair. She rolled it back up. He rolled it down. She rolled it back up and, with a sneer of victory, pushed the child lock into place before he could do it again. His bark of laughter surprised her and, if she was being perfectly honest, pleased her.

She was not being perfectly honest. He had a nice laugh, but she was not ready to give him any concession.

She pulled into her assigned parking space, which was located in the remotest region of Mongolia because she was a sophomore, got out, and started walking without looking back. It was a hike, but at least she could bring a car, unlike freshmen.

Halfway there she looked over her shoulder. Jean Marre was about twenty feet behind her. “Don’t worry about me.” He grinned. “I like the view from here.”

Understanding the implication, Ever sped up, which made Jean Marre laugh loud enough for her to hear. The boy seemed to revel in being exasperating. That realization caused Ever to think she needed to reform her approach to Jean Marre. Perhaps she needed to think in terms of opposite world, since everything she did rendered the reverse of a desired effect.

She stopped, got control of her breathing, waited for him to catch up and fell in at the same pace. She would never admit that they were walking together. Only that they were moving toward the same place at the same time at the same speed. Together.

When he said, “Excellent choice,” she knew she’d been manipulated. By a boy who didn’t even want to go to college. It was vexing, to say the least.

[Want more? Click below to read a longer excerpt.]

Praise for the Book

"This series really captures the spirit and voice of teenagers in high school. There is mystery, romance, and humour. As always, Victorian Danann creates characters that are complex and compelling. She has built another fascinating world to explore. Do yourself a favour and read all her books." ~ Ellen

"She has done it again! I cannot believe how I am pulled in to this story! I want more! This story leaves you wanting to know what happens next." ~ S. Patton

"I recommend this book for its story, humor and characters. Be warned... may cause flashbacks for older readers." ~ Ann Ellis

"Fast, fun, and fabulous! This is a quick paced young adult story that is smart enough for the young at heart reader." ~ Fawnzy

"I like YA but I am seriously loving this series. Victoria Danann really knows how to keep a person wanting for more." ~ Bobbi Kinion

About the Author

New York Times bestselling author of eighteen romances including paranormal, scifi, fantasy, contemporary, and teen. Victoria's Knights of Black Swan series won Best Paranormal Romance Series and Paranormal Romance Novel of the Year the past four years in a row. This past year, three of her series and three of her books were nominated. Two of her series took the top two places and two of her books took first and second place in the PNR Novel of the Year category.

In addition to vampire hunting knights, Victoria writes other paranormal romance, scifi, fantasy, contemporary bikers, and teen.

The rich characterizations come from being a lifelong student of behavior, casually, and a serious student of behavior academically. She has also studied comparative religion, myths, and Dark Ages history.

Victoria is co-host of the popular Romance Between the Pages podcast.

Victoria lives in The Woodlands, Texas, with her husband and a very smart, mostly black German Shepherd dog.

Giveaway

Enter the tour-wide giveaway for a chance to win one of 25 R. Caine High School fridge magnets (US only).

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"The Game Begins" by Victoria Danann

EXCERPT and GIVEAWAY

The Game Begins
(R. Caine High School Book 1)

by Victoria Danann

The Game Begins is the first book in the new R. Caine High School series by Victoria Danann. Get your FREE copy to 6 March. This book blitz and giveaway is brought to you by Xpresso Book Tours.

Description

New York Times bestselling author, Victoria Danann dishes up a stunning new teen/young adult series like nothing else.

When it came to the attention of the old ones that their creations, the Earth gods, had been playing games at the expense of humankind for millennia, they put a stop to it. But the rebellious gods were far too addicted to their games to give them up. After several summit meetings, they voted to use their own children as players and locate the playing field in the most treacherous environment in the known universe. High school.

To make it even more interesting, they would strip their children of their memories and withhold the rules of the game. The players believed they were ordinary kids until they were transferred to R. Caine High School. When odd things begin to happen, the players gradually realize they have special gifts or attributes. But that doesn’t mean they can’t die.

Note: Suitable for most teen and young adult readers.

Excerpt

My name is Ever Moore.

I know. It makes me wince every time I say it. When I’m eighteen, I plan to have it legally changed to something that doesn’t make people laugh. But right now I’m stuck.

My dad thinks puns are the highest form of humor. He calls it ‘word play’. That’s right. I’m the spawn of nerds. My dad creates video games. My mother is an ethics professor at UCLA who thinks the battle between good and evil begins at home.

If you want to know just how weird it can get at the Thanksgiving table, I can go one better. My grandfather was a big deal rock star in the seventies. You wouldn’t know the name of the band. So there’s no point in name dropping. After a visit, he exits with a two-finger peace salute like all the other well-adjusted hippie grandparents, but he doesn’t say, “Peace.”

He says, “Rock steady.”

Ugh!

My family is big on manners. They’re too strict to let me say what I think, especially about Buzz’s love life. My grandfather doesn’t want to be called Grandpa or Grandad or Gramps or anything close to normal. Oh no. He wants to be called ‘Buzz’. I have no idea why. That is not his name.

Anyway, the best protest I can mount is rolling my eyes. I keep trying to get his attention and roll my eyes back further into my head when he does the ‘rock steady’ thing, but he will not be deterred.

Anyway I was leading a completely typical and deliciously angsty teenage life in Austin, Texas when my parents were suddenly offered jobs in the LA area at the same time. It was weird, but weird is part of my normal. Always has been.

Since my grandad, the rocker, still lives in LA with the latest girlfriend who’s barely legal - she’s two years older than I am and her name is Charmin, yes, like the toilet paper. If that was my name, I’d have the decency to go by something like Charm, which would really be making lemonade from lemmons. But not Charmin. I don’t think she’s bright enough to understand what people are thinking whenever they say her name. Anyway, with the jobs and the fact that ‘Buzz’ lives there, moving seemed like a good idea.

To them.

[Want more? Click below to read a longer excerpt.]

Praise for the Book

"LOVED IT. I love mythology, but not as much as I loved this book. It's different than any book I've ever read." ~ Ethan

"Victoria Danann has entered the YA world and she does it brilliantly. She truly captures the voice of a teenager and the stress of high school. This is the start of a fascinating series." ~ Ellen

"Victoria Danann has knocked it out of the park with her first foray into writing young adult." ~ Janine D.

"Ms. Danann once again has created characters and settings that draw the reader into the story so you feel as if you are there. The most treacherous setting you can imagine-high school, strange going-ons, and secrets-lots of secrets. While the audience for the book (and the series) is tweens and teens, adults will also enjoy it! Read it along with your young adult!" ~ AuntR

"My most favorite subject, great characters. I feel like I'm on a rollercoaster going up, with this book leading this thrill of a ride! Victoria enthralled me and now I want more, to read her books is to be inside them. Great for all ages young adult and above, this 5 star book is a must read. How she ties this story together, Ms. Victoria, you are a Genius!!" ~ jo

About the Author

New York Times bestselling author of seventeen romances including paranormal, scifi, fantasy, contemporary, and teen. Victoria's Knights of Black Swan series won Best Paranormal Romance Series and Paranormal Romance Novel of the Year the past four years in a row. This past year, two of her series took the top two places and two of her books took first and second place in Paranormal Romance of the Year category - Reviewers Choice Awards, The Paranormal Romance Guild.

Victoria is co-host of the popular Romance Between the Pages podcast.

The rich characterizations come from being a lifelong student of behavior, casually, and a serious student of behavior academically. She has also studied comparative religion, myths, and Dark Ages history.

Victoria lives in The Woodlands, Texas, with her husband and a very smart, mostly black German Shepherd dog.

Giveaway

Enter the blitz-wide giveaway for a chance to win one of ten signed copies of The Game Begins by Victoria Danann (US/Canada only).

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Links

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Website

"Two Princes" by Victoria Danann

EXCERPT and GIVEAWAY

Two Princes:
The Biker and the Billionaire
(Sons of Sanctuary MC Book 1)

by Victoria Danann

Victoria Danann's Two Princes is due for release on 16 June but is currently available for pre-order for only $0.99. This book tour is brought to you by Bewitching Book Tours. The tour stops here today for an excerpt and a giveaway. Please be sure to visit the other tour stops as well.

Description

Two brothers, one a player, one a playboy, are on a collision course with destiny and a woman who thought she’d scored a coup when she was allowed a look inside the Sons of Sanctuary Motorcycle Club.

Brigid Roan is a graduate student at the University of Texas. She had no trouble getting her thesis approved, but finding a Hill Country motorcycle club willing to give her access to their lifestyle had started to seem impossible. Then she got a lead. A friend of a friend had a cousin with ties to The Sons of Sanctuary.

What she wanted was information to prove a proposition. What she didn’t want was to fall for one of the members of the club. Especially since she had set out to prove that motorcycle clubs are organized according to the same structure as primitive tribal society.

Brash Fornight was standing in line at the H.E.B. Market when his world tipped on its axis. While waiting his turn to check out, his gaze had wandered to the magazine display and settled on the new issue of “NOW”. The image on the cover, although GQ’d up in an insanely urbane way, was … him.

After reading the article, Brash threw some stuff in a duffle and left his club, The Sons of Sanctuary, with a vague explanation about needing a couple of days away. He left his Jeep at the Austin airport and caught a plane for New York, on a mission to find the guy who was walking around with his face.

Two brothers, one a player, one a playboy, are on a collision course with destiny and a woman who thought she won a prize when she was allowed a look inside the Sons of Sanctuary MC.

Bonus: Includes A Season in Gemini, a prequel introduction to the Sons of Sanctuary MC series (also featured in the Summer Fire 20-book box set for only $0.99).

Excerpt

“Sir?” Brash Fornight gradually became aware that someone behind him in the grocery checkout line was trying to get his attention. “Sir?” He refocused and glanced behind him. The woman leaning on a cart overflowing with chip bags and cookie boxes nodded toward the cashier indicating that it was his turn to move forward. Brash looked her in the eye and had to give her props. Most people wouldn’t have the balls to try to herd a guy wearing Sons of Sanctuary MC leather.

The club employed a woman who cooked and did grocery shopping several times a week as part of her job description, but Brash didn’t like to explain his relentless craving for peanuts and he liked being teased about it even less. He didn’t know whether it was the Vitamin B or the fat or just because he liked the taste, but he couldn’t imagine going a day without them.

That’s how he came to be standing statue still In the grocery checkout line, being prompted by some woman with more nerve than sense. While he was waiting, his eyes drifted over the magazine display and settled on the cover of “NOW”, on the Most Eligible Bachelor edition no less. The debonair figure staring back was wearing Brash’s own face and body. He looked different with short hair and a four thousand dollar suit with the shirt fashionably open at the neckline, but the similarity was inescapable.

On impulse he grabbed the magazine and tossed it onto the conveyor belt with his week’s stash of peanuts.

He stuffed the bags into the saddlebags of his bike and roared toward home, nervously tapping his fingers on handlebars at red lights, riding on shoulders to keep from slowing down. He was anxious to get to the privacy of his own room and read about Branach St. Germaine.

Two beers, one jar of peanuts, and one “NOW” article later, Brash was sitting on the edge of his bed looking at the wall, seeing nothing but his own heavy thoughts. He pulled out his phone, looked up a website, and waited on hold for ten minutes to hear the time of the next flight from Austin to New York.

There was a flight to Newark in a little over three hours. He looked at his watch and calculated the time it would take to drive from Dripping Springs at that time of day. As he booked the flight, he stood up, walked to the small closet, grabbed a duffel bag, and began shoving stuff into it. Ten minutes later, he closed his door and locked it, threw the duffel over his shoulder, and headed straight for the office downstairs. He dropped the duffel on the hallway floor beside the closed door and knocked.

“Yeah?” Brash looked inside, glad that his dad was by himself, and stepped in. “What’s up?”

“I’m takin’ personal time, Pop. Gonna be gone for a couple of days.”

“What the hell is ‘personal time’?”

The gruffness made Brash smile. “It means I’m not gonna be here if you call and I’m not tellin’ you why.”

The Sons of Sanctuary President looked up at Brash, over the top of his readers, and narrowed his eyes. “You got a secret?”

“Everybody’s got secrets.”

Brandon Fornight studied his son for a minute. “True enough. Is it the kind of secret that could affect this club?”

Brash shook his head. “Don’t see how.”

“Well, then. See you… When did you say you’d be back?”

“I didn’t.”

“Bein’ purposefully vague, are you?”

Brash grinned. “That’s why they call it personal time. But I expect to be back Friday.”

“You gonna have your phone with you?” When Brash nodded, Bran looked back down at his ledger in a deliberately dismissive gesture. “Well, get outta here then.”

Brash parked his bike in the airplane hangar. The structure had already been on the property when the club had bought it and turned it into a compound twenty years earlier. They used part of it for vehicle maintenance and repair and part for parking.

Some of the guys who were working looked over and shot curious glances his way when Brash threw his duffel into his pickup and started it up, but it wasn’t their way to ask questions. The Sons figured that if somebody wanted you to know something, they’d tell you.

Brash took a cab to a midtown hotel, wondering all the way why human beings would choose to live in such a place. As he slid his credit card across the hotel counter to the agent on duty, he glanced at the name, Brandon Fornight. It seemed unlikely that it was a coincidence that that the mysterious look-alike’s first name began with the same four letters. He ordered room service and pulled out his laptop.

Getting intel on the guy didn’t take advanced ops. Within an hour Brash knew where Brannach St. Germaine worked, what kind of car he drove, what kind of women he dated, who his tailor was, and where he liked to dine. There was no shortage of photos online, but the one that grabbed his attention wasn’t one of the many with starlets or debutantes on his arm. It was the one taken with his arm around his mother as they were arriving together for some red carpet fundraiser. Brash had an almost irresistible compulsion to reach up and touch her face on the screen in front of him.

The knock on the door signaled that room service had arrived. It cost a fortune, but looked and tasted like shit. So he closed the computer and went out for a walk to clear his head and find something edible.

About the Author

After taking the world of PNR by storm, USA Today Bestselling Author, Victoria Danann, is making her debut into Contemporary Romance with the release of Two Princes: The Biker and the Billionaire.

Victoria’s paranormal romances come with uniquely fresh perspectives on "imaginary" creatures, characters, and themes. She adds a dash of scifi, a flourish of fantasy, enough humor to make you laugh out loud, and enough steam to make you squirm in your chair. Her heroines are independent femmes with flaws and minds of their own whether they are aliens, witches, demonologists, psychics, past life therapists, or financial analysts from Dallas. Her heroes are hot and hunky, but they also have brains, character, and good manners – usually – whether they be elves, demons, berserkers, werewolves, or vampires.

Giveaway

Enter the tour-wide giveaway for a chance to win one of three ebook copies of Sexoirs of a Gigolo: Ash Armand by Ash Armand (the celebrity featured on the cover of Two Princes).

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