When young Danny Crawford’s father and a
priest conspire to subject him to conversion therapy, Danny only sees one way
out. But little does Danny know he’ll soon have a sentinel watching from the
darkness, a guardian angel in the most unlikely form imaginable.
Damien, a vampire, is inexplicably moved by
Danny’s plight. He takes it upon himself to make sure Danny’s father and the
priest can never hurt him again, giving Danny a chance at a normal life. As
Danny grows up, Damien struggles to keep the boy—and later the young man—from
harm. He does not dare go any further, no matter how much he wants to. To do so
would ruin everything he’s tried to do for Danny. He doesn’t realize that as
Danny embarks on a successful modeling career and begins dating, Danny feels
empty, longing for something—or someone—just beyond his reach: a shadow, a
presence he despairingly believes forever lost to him.
When brutality and violence threaten Danny
again, Damien must make a decision—risk revealing himself to Danny, or leave
Danny to his fate.
Buy links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon
Cat gives this one 4 Meows with a 3 Purr heat index...
Damien has been a Vampire for 20 years, and he was in his early twenties when he was turned. He has been alone all that time and had to learn how to feed, what he could and couldn't do and, most importantly, how to fend for himself. He never met the vampire that turned him or any other vampires, he was alone. He fed on the rich and got his money that way. He also fed on poor or other victims. He liked to change up his feeding habits as not to set a pattern to lead anyone to try and figure out who or what he is. One night in the hospital posing as a priest he came looking for a dying victim. The only one that night had family with him, but there was a young boy in the room that no one had come to visit. When he saw Danny something in him wouldn't take his life. Instead, he became friends with Danny and protected him.
More Things In Heaven and Earth is an excellent vampire story. I loved the romanticism and how Damien quoted Shakespeare a lot. I loved Danny's take on Dracula when he starred in a play trying to allure Damien to him. I loved the romance between Danny and Damien and how it grows as Danny ages. I also applaud the author for having Damien wait to move on his feelings for Danny until he was a grown man.
I will say that the story jumps around a lot. Particularly in the beginning. When a character is introduced we meet them; then it goes back into their past then back to the present. It was a bit jarring, and that happens with several characters. Having said that, I absolutely loved the story.
There is violence as Damien is a vampire and he doesn't sparkle. He takes his love for Danny very seriously and protects him fiercely, sometimes violently. If you like vampires, Shakespeare, sweet romance and off-page sex, this is for you.
Paul is a proud Canadian, who has recently
retired from teaching high school English and is relieved to have finally traded
the drudgery of lesson prep and essay marking for the pure joy of writing
fiction. He is addicted to paranormal
investigator shows, horror movies, all things vampire, mystery novels, long morning
walks, and jigsaw puzzles. He is blessed
with a loving and supportive wife, who keeps him grounded in reality while
helping him navigate the intimidating world of technology, and a daughter who
understands the highs and lows of the enigmatic writing process, being herself
an accomplished writer and poet. When he
is not compulsively tapping the keys of his laptop, he can be found at the
dining room table matching the shapes and patterns of his latest jigsaw puzzle
or in the kitchen roasting, stewing, grilling, and baking. He views cooking as a creative activity, like
writing fiction, with the outcome often as interesting and unexpected. He imagines his characters, plots, and
dialogues in the process of doing any or all of these things.
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great excerpt
ReplyDeletejmarinich33 at aol dot com
I retired from teaching and am enjoying myself.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your review, this one sounds very interesting!
ReplyDeletelegacylandlisa(at)gmail(dot)com
I'm so excited about reading this book, the blurb is really interesting. And thanks for the review. Happy New Year!
ReplyDelete