Dangerous Passions by Leigh Anderson Book Tour and Giveaway :)
Dangerous
Passions
by
Leigh Anderson
Genre:
Gothic Paranormal Romance
Isoline
Beresford has beautiful yet haunting dreams. In them, a man she
doesn't know is calling to her. She's inexplicably, inexorably drawn
to him, until he's more real to her than her own fiancé.
When
she calls off her engagement, her enraged father sends her to live
with her ninety-year-old grand-aunt, the Dowager Countess Bellamira
Granville. If she won't do her duty at home, he reasons, perhaps she
can at least convince Lady Granville to leave her fortune to
Isoline.
But
life at Thornrush Manor is not what Isoline expected. Her aunt is as
spry and elegant as a woman half her age. Her nearest neighbor, a
distant cousin, begins courting her. And a dark and handsome artist
proves a pleasant companion.
All
the while, her dreams grow more intense. More urgent. More
passionate.
More
dangerous.
In
order to save everyone at Thornbrush Manor, Isoline will have to
confront the darkest parts of herself-and discover the secret of the
man who hides in her dreams.
Fans
of Daphne Du Mauier, Sherrilyn Kenyon, and Eve Silver are sure to
love this Gothic romance from Leigh Anderson.
“Isoline…”
Isoline
gasped as she opened her eyes. He was here…again…always…
“Isoline…”
She
climbed out of bed, her hands gripping her satin robe as she stood,
but when she looked back, the bed was gone, as were the walls of her
room. She wrapped the robe around herself as the fog crept in around
her ankles. She was somewhere outside. She could feel the grass under
her feet and the dampness in the air, yet she was not cold. The
strange sensations told her that none of this was real…yet she knew
it was.
“Isoline…” he
called to her again.
“I’m
here,” she replied softly. “Show yourself.” She knew he would
not, but still she tried to convince him to reveal his face. In the
five years he had been coming to her in her dreams, she had not seen
who he was, but she could feel he had gotten closer to her.
She
took a step forward. Just because she was alone in a dream with a
strange man did not mean she could not enjoy a short walk. She had
been coming here for so long, this place no longer terrified her.
It
was a large open glade, with grass up to her knees, surrounded
by forest. She had tried many times to reach the edge of the glade,
but she had never made it that far. A pale blue moon lighted her way.
She clutched tightly to the robe at her chest and ran the tips of her
fingers along the edges of the grass as she walked. She shivered, not
from cold, but from the way the grass tickled her bare calves as she
walked.
She
heard footsteps behind her. She slowly turned her head, but there was
no one there, as usual. She continued her walk, and she heard the
footsteps again, closer this time.
“I
want to see you,” she said. “It is time, don’t you think?”
He
did not respond, but she felt the wind lightly touch the ends of her
long dark hair. No…it wasn’t the wind. It was him. She knew it
was. She shivered again.
“If
you cannot reveal yourself to me you need to stop bringing me here,”
she said. “I…” She had delayed in telling him the truth. This
man in her dreams. She shook her head, disappointed with herself.
What was she afraid of? Offending a figment of her imagination?
But
what she knew to be true and what she knew to be reasonable and
logical warred in her mind. She knew she was dreaming. But she also
knew this was much more than a dream. But if it was more than a
dream, what was it? It was the unknown that scared her more than the
dream itself. She no longer feared the dream as she once did. She
actually longed for it. She did not know what caused the dreams to
happen. There seemed to be no logical order to when they happened.
One night, two nights, three nights could pass before she would find
herself here. When too many nights passed that she was not awakened
by him calling her name, she would miss him. Miss this place.
And
yet, as a dream, she could not let it stop her from living.
But
she did. She had for too long. She had to put an end to it. It was
time to focus on the world of the waking.
“I
am getting married,” she finally said in one quick breath.
The
world stilled. For the first time in a dream, she felt cold. She
pulled her robe more tightly around her and could see the crystals of
her own breath before her.
“Do
not be angry,” she said. “You know we cannot continue like this.”
We.
As if she had a choice in being here. She could not will the dreams
to come to her. She had tried. She could not change the content of
the dreams. She had tried that as well. And yet…she wanted to be
here. She wanted to see this man who had called to her all these
years. She wanted to know him. To touch him. To see him. But if he
could not give her that, she could not keep coming here.
“It
is dishonorable to my future husband,” she said. “I cannot keep
coming to you from my marriage bed. It is disloyal.”
From
over her shoulder, she could see him breathing. He was right behind
her. Her own breath stilled. They were so close. If only she could
touch him.
“Just
show me your face,” she panted, “and I will end the engagement.”
The
hairs on her arms prickled. He was right there, so close. Almost
touching her but not quite. She had to look. She turned to face him.
And
he was gone.
She
stood alone in the field.
“Who
are you?” she yelled.
LEIGH ANDERSON loves all things Gothic and paranormal. Her master’s thesis was on vampire imagery in Gothic novels and she met her husband while assuming the role of a vampire online. She currently teaches writing at several universities and has a rather impressive collection of tiny hats. She lives in a small town in the mountains with her husband, human child, and two fur-children. She is currently working on too many writing projects, and yet not enough.
Follow
the tour HERE
for exclusive excerpts and a giveaway!
Comments
Post a Comment