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Tuesday, August 15, 2017

Blog Tour & Giveaway for The Phoenix Decree by Anna Albergucci






Wedlove Castle20 June 1823
Devon PhoenixI was about to pull my fingers from the large mirror when I again felt the same strong piercing deep in my chest. The air sucked from the room, and I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand away from my flesh. To my horror, I hadn’t the ability to pull my hand free. The piercing grew stronger, like a vast needle threading my heart and sewing me to the glass as panic spread through me. I struggled to pull my hand free, but to no avail.I don’t want this. I don’t want to love someone who doesn’t love me in return. I don’t want to fail. What I did want was to back away, but I was frozen in place. I fought it, yet I had no choice but to yield to the overpowering pull. Breathing heavily, eyes fixed on my reflection, I surrendered to the unforeknown words pouring from my lips, a new edict rising up from within me as though it had always been there. There was nothing I could do to stop it, and to my alarm it spilled from my mouth, riding on breath drawn not from my fleshly lungs, but from somewhere deeper . . . my very soul . . .  
“Hear me now, my beloved, my bride,Set me as a seal upon thine heart,Mine eyes shall look upon thee, for thou cannot hide,Two hearts become one, no longer apart,Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away, Let these eyes behold what is mine,I am coming for thee, I shall not delay,Through ancient ways long past, I’ve divined.”
I braced myself for another explosion of wind, but there wasn’t one—it was calm, like a still ocean. My eyes were glued to the glass as I tried to focus on the murky image within. There was something . . . someone maybe. I couldn’t make it out. A fleeting moment and the apparition became clear, chasing my breath away with a rush of emotion. My knees gave, and I fell upon them but held fast to the mirror’s frame. It was by sheer will that I was able to steady my trembling hand so that it remained touching the glass. The earlier hold it had over me was gone—all my actions were now my own free will.My flesh burned, and I gasped for breath, struggling to absorb the strong and terrifying emotions engulfing me. Fierce, white-hot love and desire awakened within me, like a Phoenix rising, until my very heart and soul were consumed by it. My gaze crawled over every inch of the mind-boggling vision shown to me in the mirror, as shock melted into immense longing—longing so strong I felt the need to weep and could only breathe out a mere whisper. “Mother of God’s own Son—have I crossed through heaven’s gates? Where on this earth—?”
Excerpt 2)Wedlove Castle, Northern England18 April 1829Devon Phoenix 
I tugged at Kyle’s arm, and he and my baby sister ceased their flirtations. She closed her door, and Kyle and I turned, continuing down the corridor toward our rooms. I glanced at him sharply. “Flirt.”“I’ll own that without any shame whatsoever,” Kyle said, laughing. “I’m sure I won’t be the only flirt. You, no doubt, will be a regular Adonis come these next few weeks when you get your Miss Valli in those mighty arms of yours.”A thrill shot through me, and I couldn’t help but grin. I would soon be meeting Elz and bringing her home to be my wife. The thrill was smothered by another thought—the thought of what Faramond warned would happen to her when we met. I felt my cheerful expression sink into a grim smile. “Yes, well, with everything Faramond told us tonight about others wanting my Miss Valli for themselves, let us hope I don’t do as Adonis did and get myself killed by some angry god who’s turned himself into a wild boar.” “No,” Kyle said, trying to bring back my joy. “You won’t do that—you’ll have me watching your back. And you know I’m cleverer than any ole boar, or any Greek god for that matter.” He laughed, but my good mood was gone. I felt sick to think of all that Faramond had told me. I wanted to give Elz a normal, happy life, but that wouldn’t be the tradeoff. Maybe she would be better off without me. If we never met, the flame would never burn bright enough for others to see it, and she wouldn’t need protection; therefore, she wouldn’t need me. My heart sank, and I was bombarded with sadness at such a notion. But maybe it would be for the best. The thought made me miss her even more than I already did.  “Look, Kyle, I don’t mean to be rude with an abrupt departure, but I miss my girl. We’ll have to part ways here, old friend. I’ll see you at breakfast.” Kyle offered a sympathetic smile, nodding his understanding, and we split up as I set into a fast jog toward my rooms. I shrugged out of my topcoat and tossed it over a chair, doing the same with my cravat and waistcoat, then unfastened my trousers and sat to strip my feet bare. Unable to wait another moment, I rose, pulling my shirttail free as I headed barefoot across the carpet, striding toward the only thing that connected me to Elz—the mirror.Stepping onto the platform of carved mountains at the base of the frame, I leaned in and breathed a fog over the glass, placing the fingertips of one hand there, and called Elz to me. Her image became clear, and desire weaved its way around my gut like a choking vine. I exhaled slowly.“Have mercy on me, my love—I can see you’ll be tormenting me tonight.”

Excerpt 3)

Ryder’s Club, Boston, MassachusettsPresent day
Elz Valli
I couldn’t stop staring at the guy up in Ryder’s balcony who looked like Devon. Now facing me with his back to Ryder, he squatted to examine my sculpture. My heart raced. “Look, Jay. Look at the expression on his face.”Jaymi watched him. “Elz, I think he just said, ‘Oh my God.’”“I think he did, too! Do you see how stunned he looks? He recognizes the man in the sculpture, I can tell. But my big question is, does he recognize himself? Could he be Devon, or do you think he’s just another of Devon’s descendants like Jarrett is?” “I don’t know,” she said. “I mean, of course he could be his descendant, but you have to admit, he would have to be his twin descendant. They’re identical.”A knot of disappointment balled in my stomach. “Well, that’s not impossible. You remember what I told you about Devon’s wife? We could be identical twins. Oh, let’s get real. I’m only kidding myself. Devon is a nineteenth-century ghost, no longer a flesh and blood man. It’s stupid of me to assume he could be that guy up there in Ryder’s balcony. But, oh, what wouldn’t I give?”I felt my color returning. Jaymi had stopped fanning me a couple of minutes earlier, but I still couldn’t take my eyes from the unbelievable man I wished was Devon. Who was he? He stood and, with a pensive expression, walked back to reclaim his seat. A moment passed, and…Ah! Our eyes collided, and my stomach felt like it took a nosedive out of a plane. The club was packed, and the guy didn’t even scan the room first—just turned and locked eyes with me. Oh God, oh God, oh God! Is he Devon? Neither of us pulled away from the other, and my heart was no longer beating; it was vibrating with a vengeance. Please let him be Devon. His steady gaze was paralyzing as he eased forward to pick up his drink and again rested back in his seat. My chest did a rapid rise and fall, and a delicious shiver rippled through me. The guy seemed so sure of himself . . . so capable. He looked so much like Devon I was actually wondering if he was. But how could he be?I realized he was honoring me with a toast when he lifted his drink, giving me a tilted nod. The corner of his beautiful mouth lifted in a debonair smile and . . . zing! Straight through my heart and into my soul! Oh, lordy! Stay calm, Elz. Trying to come off looking as sophisticated as he had, I lifted my drink and returned his gesture. His smile stretched wider at my response, and I was on fire from the crazy chemistry being created between us—a chemistry I was convinced could be felt all around the room and by anyone witnessing it.
Excerpt 4)
Ryder’s Club, Boston, MassachusettsPresent day
Devon PhoenixElz let her head fall back against my chest and rolled her hips in slow circles with the music, her arse rubbing across my cock. I sucked a breath—Goddamn—and tugged her hard against me as I drove forward, my thighs and arse tightening. Those teasing sweeps across the ravenous flesh beneath my zipper had just got us both in serious trouble. My movements might have appeared smooth and flowing, but they were no longer the movements of a mere dance—no, they were the movements of a man adoring his lover’s body with his own. And I was shocked that Elz was returning the adoration.I molded into her body and pressed my lips to her ear, my voice clear and crazed with need, “Oh, cara, I want you badly. You’re torturing me again. And you taste and smell so good, just as I always knew you would.”Elz went still, and I was terrified she would pull away. I had no idea what she was thinking or why she had stopped. Trembling, she squeezed my thigh and said, “My God, it really is you, Devon.”What the—? Hearing my name cross her lips, I spun her around to face me. Baffled, I gripped her shoulders and stared into her eyes. “You know exactly who I am? My name and everything?” Seeing the answer on her face as she nodded, I squeezed my eyes closed and whispered thanks to God. When I opened them I knew He had delivered me from my hell, and I came near to weeping. I hadn’t expected anything of the kind but had been prepared to go undercover in order to win Elz. Yet she stood before me accepting and returning my affections with full knowledge of who I was and that I was here from the nineteenth century.Gripped by intense emotion, I searched her face for the smallest hint of uncertainty. There was none. There was only her undeniable desire for me. Please, Lord, let me kiss her. I whispered, “Elz. May I please—” but before I could finish or she could answer, she grabbed my face and pulled me fast and hard to her mouth. The kiss was greedy. God!Pulling her into my starving arms, I swallowed her up with the same ravenous passion and was rocketed heavenward. We were gluttonous, eating from one another’s mouths as though our deeply entangled lives depended upon it; we took what we wanted, feasting on the pleasures. Famished, I not only took from her lips and tongue, I indulged in craved bites within salty kisses from her cheeks, eyes, forehead, neck, and soon to be every other part of her. My hands were everywhere. Her hands were everywhere. They traveled over each other’s bodies like greedy pirates searching for treasure. She felt like heaven, and I was shameless with unleashed desire. She was as lost to the madness as I, and her fingers were suddenly down my jeans. Sweet fuck! 
Follow the tour HERE for exclusive excerpts and a giveaway!




2 comments:

Janet G said...

Thanks for sharing! -Janet @ Silver Dagger Book Tours

Angels With Attitude Book Reviews said...

Would love to travel back in time to Scotland 1800's to meet a real live Highlander !