Tour: Blood Betrayal by Alison Beightol (Guest Post/Giveaway)

Often times people ask me in interviews or just in casual conversation if any books inspired me to become a writer. If I’m talking to someone, I usually blank out at first because I debate on whether or not to say it was a really important work of literature, like The Great Gatsby orWuthering Heights. Or do I tell the truth and say it was a couple of genre fiction gems that rocked my world and made me sit down at the typewriter (yes, typewriter. I’m that old) and hammer out my first attempt at a novel. Usually, I just smile and say that all books inspired me to write but in reality, it was a few novels that compelled me to write. I read them each at different points in my life and somehow, they all impacted me enough that now I’m an author.


The first book was The Time of the Hunter’s Moon by Victoria Holt. Oh boy, I was addicted to her books but something about this story did it for me. It was the perfect Bronte-esque type story that I would come to love later in my life. It was my introduction to the strong female and the dark, and misunderstood hero characters. Holt was brilliant at telling these stories and I so wanted to be able to create characters and story lines like hers.

The next book was Whittney, My Love by Judith Mc Naught. Mc Naught wrote the best regency romances! I read the book in like 2 days. I still have my copy although it is missing pages, has been soaked accidentally when it fell in the tub and the spine is now cracking. That book with its main characters, again a strong female and a dark and this time a bit of a cad, misunderstood hero, spoke to me. I read and reread it over and over because I hoped I could somehow absorb some of the author’s skill in how she made these fascinating people come to life for me!

Finally, the last book that inspired me to become a writer was The Kommandant’s Mistress by Sherri Szeman. Although now it is listed as by Anastasia Szeman. The author recently told me that the publisher made her shorten her name because it wouldn’t fit on the cover. Anyway, this book to this day still speaks to me. Ms. Szeman sucked me in to the two completely fictional peoples and made me permanently care about them. I had never read a book like that. Two characters, a strong woman and a dark (very), misunderstood male and their dynamics. The story is told from both their points of view, leading you to different conclusions about their ultimate end. How could I not want to have the same power as an author?! 

So for me, the books that inspired me to write were ones that had strong females and troubled and sometimes dangerous men. The different styles of those books clearly became part of my creative mind because my novel has several independent, strong women and a powerful alpha male who deep down wants to be loved. Those three books added a new dimension to me not only as a writer but I think even as a person. I love when books do that!

Blood Betrayal
Book 1 in The Primigenio Tales
Alison Beightol
Genre: Paranormal Romance/Dark fantasy
Publisher: Charles River Press/ Cambridge Press US
EBook ISBN 13: 978-1-936185-83-2 
Paperback ISBN 13: 978-1-936185-82-5
Number of pages: 384
Word Count: 98,000
Cover Artist: Laurie Mc Adams

Being the world’s oldest vampire, Eamon Rutherford has enjoyed women throughout the ages as beautiful meals and one night stands. That is until Eamon decides to find a mate and settle down. His less-than-perfect choice is temperamental ballerina Lauryl Mellis. When Lauryl escapes from him in London, Eamon discovers that true commitment requires him to love another more than himself. As he struggles with his inner awakening and Lauryl’s rejection, Lauryl is busy planning her own special event, which might include the death of Eamon Rutherford.

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Prologue:
The Silly Thing Didn’t Realize She Was Going To Be Late Night Meal

Who to eat, Eamon thought as he studied the capacity crowd of the Marion Oliver McCaw Hall. The marker of another vampire, a much younger vampire, in the audience caught his attention. The mystery vampire’s energy had a quiet dignity intertwined in it. The marker intrigued him and he scanned the audience with greater intensity. His Blackberry vibrated in his pocket, distracting him before he could identify him or her. He looked down at his phone.
Irina.
That dancer, what do you see in her? There are plenty like her here, the text message read.
Eamon put the phone back in his pocket without responding. “That dancer” was
the reason he delayed his return to New York .There were not any others like her.
Lauryl Mellis had been the pride and problem of the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School
of Dance at the American Ballet Theatre. Once at a cocktail benefit, the student dancers wereselling signed dance shoes of some of the school’s notable graduates. Lauryl asked
one patron in her Georgia twang, why he wanted a smelly shoe and did he plan on
“jizzing” in it when he got home? Her dismissive attitude and scorn of the patrons
amused Eamon but not the elite school. The powers that be often bent the rules for her,
giving her chance after chance because of her talent.
Her talent and what he had seen of her stormy personality was magnetic. She
would back up whatever insult or harangue with a lovely smile or a toss of her auburn
hair. He enjoyed her from a distance, though. He’d never missed a performance or
fundraiser, but never approached her or introduced himself. She was young, still in her
teens, so he waited. Then he had lost track of her. But to his good fortune, here she was ontour in Seattle.
Eamon studied the crowd a few more minutes and then flipped through the stage
bill. He passed ads, the story synopsis for the ballet, and then found what he was looking for,Lauryl’s picture. Gone was the teen he remembered. Instead, he saw a radiant, young
woman with a dazzling smile and bright eyes. Eamon’s interest increased sharply.
The phone in his pocket vibrated again. It was Irina but he saw no need to
acknowledge his former companion. He looked back at the picture of Lauryl. The change
was remarkable. She was stunning. The idea of a dancer for a companion intrigued him.
All of that beauty and grace amplified as a vampire. It was a perfect combination. The
image lingered in his mind for a moment and then the framework of a plan materialized.
How much of her adolescent, edgy personality remained after dancing professionally for the pastsix years? Had she outgrown that or had she at least learned to temper it? After the performance,he’d find out.
The house lights dimmed and Eamon closed his stage bill. He tossed it onto the emptyseat next to him in the box and waited as the orchestra tuned up. The cacophony of instrumentsmerged together into a more harmonic air but the familiar sensation of a woman studying himturned his gaze back to the audience.
A young woman with light brown hair watched him. She rubbed her hand over
her thigh and crossed her legs. The slit in her skirt revealed a tantalizing preview of her
legs. Eamon followed the line of her legs back up to her ample breasts. Her body
reinforced the silent invitation in her expression. He nodded acceptance of her naive
request. The silly thing didn’t realize she was going to be a late night meal. 

******

It took more time than Eamon expected to work his way through the backstage crowd. Hestopped twice to speak with business acquaintances but soon found himself outside of Lauryl’sdressing room or as close as he could get. A throng of her admirers blocked the entry. The onesthat couldn’t fit in her dressing room hovered around the doorway, waiting for their opportunity to enter. He stood for a moment with the crowd but became bored after few minutes. Helooked at the mass of people and focused on their collective thoughts.
Leave, he told them silently. One by one, they filed away and he entered the dressingroom. Other dancers, all drinking champagne and chattering, surrounded Lauryl.
She was seated in a chair with a blanket over her shoulders and a champagne bottle tucked between her thighs. Eamon could smell blood and his eyes tracked down to a bucket of ice water that her feet were soaking in. He looked at the bucket a moment longer and then at her face. She was lovely, even lovelier than in the program picture by far.
Her pale skin was flushed pink and her green eyes sparkled with excitement. Her full lips turned in a smile forone of the dancers before she waved at them. The mass of curly, red hair he remembered wasscraped back in a tight bun. She laughed at something a dancer whispered to her and she pulled the pinsholding her hair back out. Auburn curls dropped down and framed her face. Eamon smiled inwardly and took a fewsteps toward her.
“Lauryl Mellis,” he said as he extended his hand to her. “It’s such an honor to meet you.”
Lauryl turned to him and her expression changed. Her smile withered and her eyesnarrowed as the happiness disappeared from them. She took his hand like it was covered in filthand shook it. “Thanks.”
Her boredom with him was apparent but he continued on, intrigued. “I’ve followed yousince you were a student at ABT. Your talent has certainly blossomed, as well as your beauty.”
She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, thanks again.”
“You’re welcome.”
Suddenly he sensed that he was just like the school patrons that she scorned back in NewYork. He bristled slightly but his expression didn’t change. As he looked into her eyes, theirritation he felt faded into amusement. He’d play along with her. Besides, the delicious aroma of her bloodcontinued to drift up from the bucket of ice in front of him. Lauryl pulledher hand away and continued to look at him with the same disinterested expression. She evenintensified her dismissive stare. He knew that she wanted him to leave, which fascinated him. It also excited him because this  was a first for him. Never had a woman reacted that way to him. Heconcentrated on her thoughts for a moment. She thought he was a rich asshole looking to getlaid.
A dancer kissed Lauryl’s cheeks and hugged her. Then Lauryl shifted in the chair.She looked at him and then looked at the door.
Eamon almost laughed. A not so subtle hint, he thought. He’d comply. After all, he hadthe young woman from the audience waiting for him.“I just wanted to tell you how talented and beautiful you are. Thank you for theengaging conversation.” Eamon bowed his head some and smiled.
Lauryl’s green eyes blazed angry. “I’ll remember it always.”
“So will I,” Eamon said before he walked out.

 About the Author:  

Alison Beightol works as a registered nurse but also studied history and theatre at the University of Florida. For as long as she can remember, she has had an affinity for vampire stories, romance, and gothic tales that keep her up at night.  Blood Betrayal: Book One of the Primigenio Tales is her first novel. Alison lives in a haunted house in rural north Florida where she is putting the final touches on book two of the Primigenio Tales: Blood of New Beginnings.

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Tour Wide Giveaway

Tour-wide there will be a giveaway for 1 big ole' bag of vampire swag (which includes a kindle) to someone who follows the tour -open to US shipping only please, and 4 ebook copies of Blood Betrayal. Just fill out the Rafflecopter below!

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