The Shadow
The Florentine Series- Book 2
By Sylvain Reynard
Release Date: February 2, 2015
Pre Order: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo
Synopsis
From the New York Times bestselling author of the Gabriel trilogy comes the hotly anticipated follow-up to The Raven, a sensual novel set in Florence featuring the dangerously intoxicating coupling of Raven and William…
Raven Wood’s vampyre prince has returned, pledging his love and promising justice for every wrong done to her. In the wake of their reunion, Raven is faced with a terrible decision—allow the Prince to wreak vengeance against the demons of her past, or persuade him to stay his hand. But there is far more at stake than Raven’s heart…
A shadow has fallen over the city of Florence. Ispettor Batelli will not rest until he uncovers Raven’s connection to the theft of the priceless art from the Uffizi Gallery. And while the Prince hunts a traitor who sabotages him at every turn, he finds himself the target of the vampyres’ mortal enemy.
As he wages a war on two fronts, he will need to keep his love for Raven secret, or risk exposing his greatest weakness…
Pre Order: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo
Excerpt
Raven watched as William efficiently disrobed, neatly folding every article of black clothing (with the exception of underwear, which he never wore), and placing it on the vanity.
She brushed imaginary lint from her dress as he stood in front of her, naked.
He was under six feet in height, his body lean and strong. Raven took a moment to appreciate the definition of his muscled chest and abdomen, and the strong cast to his thighs. Not even a statue carved by the most talented sculptor could create a being with so much perfection.
His face put her in mind of an angel with intense, gray eyes that now looked at her expectantly.
She hid her face. “You said you loved me.”
“I did. What’s more, I meant it.”
“Love is a peculiar thing. I’ve seen it. I’ve even cheered for it. But I never believed it was for me.”
“Why shouldn’t a beautiful, fierce young woman hope for love?”
“Because, as you put it, human beings are shallow.”
“Love is deep.” His rich voice echoed in the bathroom.
“Love is having the power to destroy another person.”
William stepped closer. “Are you afraid of being destroyed?”
“Destroyed, consumed, betrayed.” She fidgeted with the neckline of her gown.
William placed his hand over hers, stilling it. “Love creates; it doesn’t destroy.”
His lips found the place where her neck met her shoulder. He kissed her leisurely, tracing the path of her bared collarbone with his mouth.
His fingers brushed her zipper. “Let me.”
He undid her dress, dropping it to the marble tiles.
Her bra followed. She was as naked as he.
His eyes roved her body appraisingly. His pale fingers caressed her cheek, her mouth, and her neck. His strong hands cupped her breasts, her abdomen, and her hips.
His gray eyes met hers.
“The power you describe is the power you have here.” He touched her forehead before moving his hand to cover her heart. “And here. It’s the power you have over me. Power I haven’t yielded to another since I was human.”
He brought his lips to her ear. “Your fears are shared.”
With a slow kiss on her neck, he led her into the shower, standing behind her underneath a tropical rainfall showerhead.
Raven closed her eyes and lifted her face, like a flower following the sun. The warm water soaked her hair and streamed down the generous curves of her body.
“I’ve never showered with another person. What happens next?” William rested his hands on her shoulders.
She wiped the water from her face.
“Whatever you want. Just don’t let me fall.”
William’s gaze dropped to her right leg, which she was favoring.
“Is the pain terrible?”
“It’s worse after I’ve been lying down. Sometimes I topple over.”
William spread his arm around her waist, drawing her back to his chest. “Then I must be sure to catch you.”
She kissed him, reaching up to run her fingers through his wet hair as the water poured down their shoulders.
Her motions were fraught with an eagerness born of love and affection and the relief of remembering she hadn’t lost him.
He was hers.
Even now, naked, with a myriad of flaws few men overlooked, he embraced her. He embraced her imperfections.
He loved her.
His cool hands scorched her skin, splaying fingers wide over her abdomen and bringing her backside into contact with what rose between his hips.
She gave him her weight and he held firm, nipping and licking at her lips before enticing her to enter his mouth.
He entertained the intrusion for a moment or two then, with a growl, he spun her around, pressing their chests together.
Raven looked up into blazing gray eyes.
“Are you certain?”
She nodded.
“I need the words, Raven. I need to know you want this.”
“I want you.”
He took her mouth, his tongue alternately penetrating and retreating in a sensual rhythm.
She tilted her head, welcoming him, as the water continued to rain down.
Hands roamed over slick skin as their lower bodies came into alignment. She touched his neck, his shoulders, his biceps, holding them tightly in an effort to remain upright.
William was not a tame lover.
In his arms, she sensed his control, his desire, and the war that waged between the two. But he’d never harmed her and had always focused his attention on giving pleasure before taking it. Usually more than once.
“You’re a dream,” she sighed. “A dream of love I never thought I’d have.”
His eyes burned into hers.
Without warning, he lifted her, tugging her thighs around his hips.
He lowered his mouth to her breasts, tasting and teasing before sucking droplets of water from her eager flesh.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, feeling him eager between her legs.
He lifted her higher, hands beneath her backside, making sure he was correctly aligned.
“Breathe,” he commanded, his eyes boring in to hers.
Here was the vampyre, proud and powerful, teetering on the edge of control. He bared his teeth as if on instinct and his chest rumbled.
“Just don’t break me,” she whispered, pushing a lock of blond hair from his forehead.
William’s expression grew even more fierce.
“I won’t break you. Whatever harm I bring to you I vow to heal.”
He swallowed her reply with his kiss. Then with a single thrust, he entered her.
His kisses were as fierce as his movements as he pushed inside and withdrew, over and over. His grip on her backside tightened as he lifted and moved her in concert with his own motion.
Raven clung to him, her hand trailing to his lower back so she could urge him deeper.
Not that he needed the encouragement.
Her breasts brushed against his chest, the friction teasing and arousing.
She ignored the warm spray of the water, the scent of soap and William, and the nagging discomfort in her leg and ankle. Her focus was on feeling as he brought her swiftly to the brink of orgasm.
Before she could signal how close she was, she climaxed, her hand clutching his neck as she threw her head back.
William continued his pace until she’d finished, his mouth dropping to her breasts, drawing one of them into his mouth.
When she opened her eyes, she found him staring at her hungrily.
“I have only begun,” he rasped. “Breathe.”
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The Florentine Series
The Prince
A Gabriel’s Inferno/ Florentine Series Novella
By Sylvain Reynard
Synopsis
The unveiling of a set of priceless illustrations of Dante’s Divine Comedy at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence exposes Professor Gabriel Emerson and his beloved wife, Julianne, to a mysterious enemy.
Gabriel may have acquired the illustrations only a few years ago, but unbeknownst to him, they were stolen a century earlier from the ruler of Florence’s underworld.
Now one of the most dangerous beings in the city is determined to reclaim his prize and exact his revenge on the Emersons–but not before he uncovers something disturbing about Julianne…
Don’t miss the first novel in the Florentine series, The Raven, available February 3, 2015.
Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / IBooks
Amazon Canada / Amazon UK
The Raven
The Florentine -Book 1
By Sylvain Reynard
Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / IBooks
Synopsis
From the New York Times bestselling author of the Gabriel series comes a dark, sensual tale of romance in a city shrouded in mystery . . .
Raven Wood spends her days at Florence’s Uffizi gallery restoring Renaissance art. But an innocent walk home after an evening with friends changes her life forever. When she intervenes in the senseless beating of a homeless man, his attackers turn on her, dragging her into an alley. Raven is only semiconscious when their assault is interrupted by a cacophony of growls followed by her attackers’ screams. Mercifully, she blacks out, but not before catching a glimpse of a shadowy figure who whispers to her . . .
Cassita vulneratus.
When Raven awakes, she is inexplicably changed. Upon returning to the Uffizi, no one recognizes her. More disturbingly, she discovers that she’s been absent an entire week. With no recollection of her disappearance, Raven learns that her absence coincides with one of the largest robberies in Uffizi history–the theft of a set of priceless Botticelli illustrations. When the police identify her as their prime suspect, Raven is desperate to clear her name. She seeks out one of Florence’s wealthiest and most elusive men in an attempt to uncover the truth. Their encounter leads Raven to a dark underworld whose inhabitants kill to keep their secrets . . .
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About Sylvain Reynard
I am honoured to have had all three of my novels appear on the New York Times and USAToday Bestseller lists. I was a Semifinalist for Best Author in the 2011 and 2012 Goodreads Choice Awards. “Gabriel’s Inferno” was a Semifinalist for Best Romance in 2011 and “Gabriel’s Rapture” was a Finalist for Best Romance in 2012, in the Goodreads Choice Awards, as well. The final novel in The Gabriel Series, “Gabriel’s Redemption,” debuted at #6 on the New York Times Bestseller list. It was a Finalist for a 2014 Goodreads Choice Award as Best Romance.
My next book is “The Raven,” which releases February 3rd. It’s already available for preorder. I’m also publishing a prequel novella entitled “The Prince,” which releases January 20th. “The Prince” is available for preorder now.
I’m interested in the way literature can help us explore aspects of the human condition – particularly suffering, sex, love, faith, and redemption. My favourite stories are those in which a character takes a journey, either a physical journey to a new and exciting place, or a personal journey in which he or she learns something about himself/herself.
I’m also interested in how aesthetic elements such as art, architecture, food, drink, and music can be used to tell a story or to illuminate the traits of a particular character. In my writing, I combine all of these elements with the themes of redemption, forgiveness, and the transformative power of goodness.
I try to use my platform as an author to raise awareness about the following charities: Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Foundation, WorldVision, Alex’s Lemonade Stand, and Covenant House.
Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads
Aleatha Romig is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who lives in Indiana. She grew up in Mishawaka, graduated from Indiana University, and is currently living south of Indianapolis. Together with her high-school sweetheart and husband of twenty-eight years, they’ve raised three children. Before she became a full-time author, she worked days as a dental hygienist and spent her nights writing. Now, when she’s not imagining mind-blowing twists and turns, she likes to spend her time with her family and friends. Her pastimes include reading and creating heroes/anti-heroes who haunt your dreams!
Saucy Southern Readers 