Book & Author Details:
Revelations by Jennifer Carole Lewis
Publication date: January 30th 2015
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal Romance
Synopsis:
For millennia, the lalassu have existed at the fringes of society, hiding in the shadows. But someone is determined to drag them into the light.
Dani has spent years fighting against her family’s urges to take on the mantle of High Priestess for the lalassu. Stronger and faster than any ordinary human, she has no interest in being a guide for her people. She likes being independent and enjoys her night-job as a burlesque dancer. But a darker secret lurks inside of her, one which threatens everyone around her.
Isolated and idealistic, Michael works as a developmental therapist for children, using his psychometric gifts to discover the secrets they can’t share with anyone else. When one of his clients is kidnapped, he will do almost anything to rescue her. The investigation leads him to a seedy little performance club where he is shocked and thrilled to discover a genuine live superhero.
Michael and Dani must join forces to save those they care about from becoming the latest victims of a decades-long hunt. But the fiery chemistry between them threatens to unlock a millennia-old secret which could devour them both.
The clock is ticking and they will be faced with the ultimate hero’s choice: save the world or save each other?
Excerpt
Chapter
One
Wherever
there is prey, there are hunters. Jungle, ocean, city—the location doesn’t
matter. A predator will always find the vulnerable.
People
spilled across the Lost Eden’s dance floor, a constant tide of glittering men
and women ebbing to and from the bar. Dim lights flattered the desperate and
popular alike, hiding the first glimpses of age-drawn wrinkles.
Past
experience had taught Dani Harris that she could choose whomever she wanted
from the crowd to go home with. The small army of free drinks lining the bar
behind her only reinforced the lesson. But she’d come here with a specific
purpose in mind, dressed in her guaranteed-to-attract-attention, curve-hugging
red silk dress, her black hair artfully tousled to evoke sweat-dampened pillows
and her eyes painted with smoldering charcoal for a classic bedroom look. All
she needed was a suitable candidate.
Toying
with the straw in her drink and scanning the crowd, she made note of the few
potential candidates. Her fingers clenched the straw, crushing it with her
growing unease. Since she’d sat down, the sexual tension had ratcheted up,
becoming as tangible as the dry ice fog. Guilt gnawed at her, but she’d already
pushed her luck further than she should have. She didn’t have the time to indulge
in her conscience. Time to choose and hope she didn’t end up too badly scarred.
The
thickly muscled black man with the shaved head in the corner kept fondling the
waitresses and the customers, using his size to intimidate any potential
protests. The blond in the custom-tailored leather jacket up on the VIP
platform, whose companions avoided eye contact as he carried on an energetic
monologue, ignoring the buxom redhead cuddled up to his side. A pair of massive
bodyguards stood guard at the entrance. And the guy with the purple hair,
piercings in his nose, lip, and tongue was harassing the female DJ, trying to
climb into the booth. They were the best she could hope for tonight.
Brilliant
light strobed the crowd in time with frenetic bass and drums. Dani scanned the
club again, shaking her head lightly. The crowd was beginning to turn ugly,
shoving matches breaking out on the dance floor. The oaky taste of her whiskey
went sour on her tongue. She should leave and try her luck elsewhere.
“You
can’t leave just yet.” A deep male voice cut across the ambient noise.
Perhaps
she had a winner after all. “Why the hell not?”
“Because
then I wouldn’t get a chance to talk to you.” It was the blond from the
platform. “And you should know that I personally find it inexcusable.”
“What
would that be?” She didn’t offer him a seat but wasn’t surprised when he took
it anyway. Up close, his looks were even better: easily over six feet with
broad shoulders and a well-used gym membership.
“Whoever
left you waiting. He should have his head examined. Let me buy you a drink.” He
lifted his hand in the bartender’s direction. Immediately, the young Latino man
behind the bar abandoned the thirsty crowd to bring Dani’s new acquaintance a
glass of scotch.
His
glib smugness struck sparks of irritation in her, but long practice helped her
to keep her feelings masked under a seductive smile. Time for a test. “You know
what they say. No matter how hot you are, someone is tired of your shit.” Dani
looked deliberately at the VIP platform. “For example, I think Miss Copper Top
over there is getting tired of yours.”
The
buxom redhead in question glared down at them with a ridiculously childish,
sulky pout. The blond glanced over his shoulder and waved his hand in a
universal gesture of dismissal. Immediately, one of the bulky bodyguards
approached the redhead and said something to her. She shouted something
inaudible through the music and actually stamped her foot. The gentleman
insisted and began escorting her off the platform.
“She
won’t be a problem anymore.” The blond turned back to Dani, clearly pleased
with himself. For the first time, his smile reached his eyes. He’d enjoyed the
public spectacle and humiliation. “I’m Josh Hinton, and my family owns this
club.”
Dani
watched as the woman was summarily hustled out the front door. She forced
herself to relax her grip on the smooth glass tumbler before she shattered it.
“Break-up
via bodyguard. A new low mark for the record books. Somewhere between text and
post-it note.” Dani shook her head and started to get up again.
Josh
immediately grabbed her arm and held her down in her seat, looming over her. “You
didn’t tell me your name.”
Dani
searched the room, considering her options. The bartenders were studiously
ignoring her companion. The people who had been sitting beside her at the bar
were long gone, pushed aside by Josh’s evident ego. A wild recklessness burned
inside her, urging her to lash out and escape. But common sense warned her: no
one wanted to get involved, and no one would stand up to help—and even if they
did, she would still be trapped by her own demons.
Her
mouth dried as a scrap of memory flickered briefly despite years of
suppression. He must have seen the fear in her eyes. Predators always sensed
fear no matter how deeply it was hidden. She’d learned that lesson the hard
way.
“I
think you’re starting to understand.” He let his hand trail up her arm, his
thumb casually brushing against her breast on the way past. “I always get what
I want.”
The
bodyguards had descended and now stood on either side of Josh like unmovable
monoliths, an unbreakable prison wall. Dani swallowed hard. It was as if the
three men sucked up all the air around her. “You could have any other girl
here. Why not pick someone more interested?”
“I
like the challenge. Come with me to my apartment. You’d love the view.” He ran his
hand freely up and down her side, a chill slither like the rasp of a reptile’s
skin.
A human predator doesn’t take victims in
public. A second location will be chosen in advance for the attack. Once a
victim reaches the second location, chances of survival drop to nearly zero. Never
go quietly to the second location. The words whispered inside her head,
distantly remembered from the urgent plea of a police officer who’d spoken at
her school.
“Don’t
freeze up, and don’t pretend it isn’t what you came here for in your little red
dress.” He slid his hand up her thigh, inching up the hemline. “Everyone comes
here to have a good time.”
Dani
studied the looming bodyguards. Not a blink or even a grimace of disapproval. The
time for second thoughts was over. She wasn’t going to do better tonight. This
was her punishment and the sooner she accepted it, the sooner it would be over.
“Is that what you came for?”
“Business
mostly. This tourist trap has a lot of things to recommend it.” He took a
healthy swig from his drink.
It
certainly had. The town of Perdition had a reputation as the “New York
experience without the expense,” according to the tourist board. Between
conventions and other events, the majority of the population changed on a
weekly basis. It was one of the reasons her family had chosen to live here.
She
put down her drink. No amount of whiskey would make this easier. She got to her
feet but the bodyguards quickly blocked her exit. Adrenaline surged and her
legs tensed to run but instead she forced herself to keep her wits. Blindly
fleeing never helped. She couldn’t resist a flash of strength, glaring down at
Josh, still perched on his stool. “Does this intimidation approach ever
actually work for you?”
He
grinned. “I like you. You’re interesting. Most people don’t have the balls to
call me on anything.” He stood up. “Let’s get out of here. Come on, I’ll show
you I can be a nice guy with the right motivation.”
Dani
kept her face impassive. Maybe this wouldn’t be as bad as she feared. Josh
moved in for the kill.
“Trust
me. I’m worth it. I guarantee it’ll be a night you’ll always remember.”
Or one you’ll always pray to forget.
Inspired by
Special Needs Children and the People Who Love Them
Every
parent believes his or her child is special.
Bringing home a newly wrapped bundle from the hospital or from the
adoption agency is one of the most frightening and wonderful events possible in
life. It can become even more
frightening when things don’t go as they are supposed to.
Some
parents find out before birth, others while their child is still a toddler and
others after their child is grown. The
number of possibilities are terrifyingly prolific. Ask any pregnant woman who has had to look
over long lists of conditions and disorders.
Not to mention accidents and all the other pitfalls waiting in the
outside world.
As soon as
a parent discovers their child has special needs, the entire game changes. Some describe it as the death of their hopes
and dreams. Others spoke of a terrible
shock, as if they literally cannot comprehend what they are being told. Even when a parent suspects, having their
fears confirmed is a difficult experience.
I based my
character, Martha, on real parents who struggle daily with their child’s
outbursts and limitations. They are
exhausted. They are bruised, emotionally
and physically. They face daily
scenarios which defy all expectations, such as cleaning up toileting messes
from teenagers or having to spend an hour coaxing their child out the door
because a different car is parked outside.
But I was struck again and again by how much they loved their children. When no one would question it if they were
ready to give up, the sight of their child still brought a loving smile to
their face. These parents are ready to
sacrifice anything: their time, their savings, their homes. Anything which might give their child a
chance. Many had to quit jobs to devote
themselves to hours of therapy and multiple weekly appointments.
The truly
remarkable part is that they don’t see themselves as remarkable. In their minds, they’re just doing what they
need to do. What anyone would do in
their situation. If their assessment is
true and we all could step up to do what they do, then the world and the people
in it are better than our daily news report would like us to believe.
Bernie is
not based on any particular child but I was inspired by the special needs children
I met. Although their differences often
make the initial contact uncertain and hard to navigate, once you get past
that, you see an amazing array of unique little personalities. Children with autism who had no social
understanding and are thus brutally honest and rapturously thrilled with equal
intensity. Children who defied brain
injuries to learn to speak and walk and their contagious delight in their
accomplishments. Some couldn’t speak but
still managed to communicate their enthusiasms and dislikes. Others needed constant supervision because of
their ingenious talents for thinking outside the box. In all of their cases, their spirits shone
through. Their parents cherished those
moments, perhaps more than we might expect, because of the contrast with the
challenges.
My hero,
Michael, is also based on real therapists who devote huge amounts of their time
and energy to helping these families. Male
therapists are exceedingly rare, but I indulged in a little literary
licence. It’s difficult to find men who
are interested in such an intense caregiving role and even more difficult for
those men to find jobs. Sadly, our fears
of abuse make any man who wants to work with young children into a suspect
personage.
The
therapists I spoke to love their work.
Trust me, the money they make is nowhere near enough for anyone to do
the job who doesn’t love it. They love
the moments when they manage to teach a child something he or she has been
struggling with for weeks, months or even years. They enjoy interacting with the children and
discovering their quirky personalities.
They find little toys or stickers and pick them up for their
clients. They spend hours playing
boring, repetitive games and still have smiles on their faces.
I asked
parents what message they would like to send out and the response was almost
invariably to be thankful for what you have and to be understanding of
others. Parents whose children cannot
speak see children relentlessly nagging their parents for a toy or treat and
think “I would give anything to have that problem.” They ask for patience and understanding when
they are dealing with a meltdown in the grocery store, instead of angry
comments and disapproving glares. Many
of these children have no outward sign of their disabilities, making it hard
for others to understand the challenges.
After
seeing what they experience, it certainly made me want to give my own children
a hug. And it inspired me to try and
show both sides of their experience: the wearing grind and the inexhaustible
love.
Jennifer
Carole Lewis
Revelations
www.pastthemirror.com
