ARC Review: Traci Douglass (Blood Vowed) ~ Excerpt/Guest Post

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My Five Favorite Vampires and Five Reasons to Life Mate a Vampire 

Thanks so much for having me on your blog to talk about one of my favorite Otherworld creatures—Vampires! My hero in Blood Vowed, Rev, is a vamp and my fascination with these undead hotties began in high school when I read Anne Rice’s classic Interview With A Vampire. For months afterward, my friends and I were obsessed with Louis and Lestat and dreamed of finding a sexy bloodsucker of our very own. Alas, the only place I’ve found them thus far are in the pages of books or on film. And while it’s hard to pick just five, here are my top picks of the vampire variety:

  • Gary Oldman’s Dracula (Bram Stoker’s Dracula, 1992) – those hypnotic eyes, that sexy stare, and such style. Yum!

(photo credit: mightcontainspoilers.files.wordpress.com)

  • Louis du Pointe du Lac (The Vampire Chronicles, Anne Rice, 1976-present) – so broken and brooding and beautiful.

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  • Eric Northman (True Blood, HBO, 2008-2014) – ruthless, powerful, devoted to those he cares for, and man does he look F.I.N.E. in the buff!

(photo credit: https://kamikazeegirl.files.wordpress.com)

  • Miriam and John Blaylock (The Hunger, 1983)—David Bowie and Catherine Deneuve as gorgeous undead creatures. Look at these two! What’s not to love?

(photo credit: https://davidbowienews.files.wordpress.com)

  • Damon Salvatore (The Vampire Diaries, CW, 2009-2017) – I have a fondness for gorgeous dark-haired men with blue eyes and major attitudes, so this gorgeous vamp is right up my alley.

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And let’s see, five reasons to life mate a vampire?

  • Eternal beauty
  • Eternal passion
  • Eternal devotion
  • Eternal fun
  • Eternal companionship

Who could ask for anything more!

 

BLOOD VOWED by Traci Douglass is a dark and sexy ride with an otherworld ex-assassin on a mission to atone for the sins of his past, and the woman who holds both his only means of escape and the keys to his ultimate salvation. This exciting installment in the Blood Ravagers series is perfect for fans of BLACK DAGGER BROTHERHOOD by J.R. Ward and IMMORTALS AFTER DARK by Kresley Cole.

Title: Blood Vowed

Author: Traci Douglass

Series: Blood Ravagers

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Release Date: April 13, 2017

Publisher: Tule Publishing

Synopsis:

Reverend “Rev” Walker, expected some backlash after he foiled The Council’s attempts to overthrow the Blood Ravager Biker Gang. What he hadn’t expected was to wake up in the last place he ever wanted to see again—a dank cell of The Council’s Siberian dungeon. Drained and chained, he faces certain death if he can’t escape from the hellish prison. Now, his only means of escape depends on him accepting help from a fellow prisoner, a woman whose very existence is a lie and the only one capable of awakening Rev’s long-dormant heart.

Claire Deveraux is Dygarian, a race of shadow-shifters who have been slandered and hunted to extinction by The Council. But Claire has used her years of enslavement well, reading her captors’ secret texts and hearing their whispered secrets. Now, after being locked up for a crime she didn’t commit, she plans to use her knowledge of the dungeon’s maze-like interior to gain her freedom, or die trying. Then a new prisoner arrives, a man Claire has dreamed of and knows in her heart is her destined mate, if only she can break through his walls.

On the run and threatened from all sides, will Rev and Claire learn to trust each other and their growing feelings for one another before it’s too late?

Find out more at: Amazon | KoboB&N | Tule Publishing

 

 

Blood Vowed is book three in the Blood Ravagers series by Traci Douglass. It’s an adventure that’s full of suspense.

Rev has been in hiding from the Council for centuries. He has come a long away from being the Council’s Assassin. He wants to destroyed the Council and save and protect his friends in the Blood Ravagers gang. He was not looking, nor did he expect, especially with his sins, to find his true mate. Clair has been imprisoned with the Council her whole life. She is also a Dygarian, the last of her kind. All she wants is vengeance against the Council and the one who helped them destroy her people.

We finally get to see the elusive and evil Council. These three men have been using their powers not to uphold the supernatural world, but to control it and subjugate the supernaturals. Those that don’t get on their side soon learn the consequences.

Blood Vowed moved fast from the first to the last page. Rev and Clair have nice chemistry and their banter was enjoyable. There were secrets and pasts to overcome.

Just a few issues:

– The battle scene was lackluster. I was expecting more. Especially since we have been building up to this confrontation.

– I felt that one of the scenes, where the Council members parish, was taken from “The Darkest Seduction by Gena Showalter.” It was so close in similarities to when Krones dies in The Darkest Seduction.

– I found it odd that one of the Council members can just pull Clair anytime anywhere back to the Council headquarters. It didn’t make since this part; because she would permanently be trapped. Yet she escapes and they don’t pull her back until she has time with Rev. Then they keep pulling her back each time she escapes. My issue is if they can do this, then why did they wait the first time? It just felt silly and not thought out.

Blood Vowed was an enjoyable read. We get to finally meet the evil Council, change the future, and find love.

Rated: 3 Stars

*Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy provided by Barclay Publicity via NetGalley with the sole purpose of an honest review. All thoughts, comments and ratings are my own.

Was this review helpful? If so, please consider liking it on Goodreads (Angela)!

Challenge(s): New Release Pick Your Genre (PNR) (2017)

 

 

Blood Bound

Book 1 is available at Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo 

Check out my review on Blood Bound

Blood Freed

Book 2 is available at Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo 

Check out my review on Blood Freed

 

Excerpt from Blood Vowed:

Peering around Rev, Claire studied the new opponent. The thing was big and ugly and must’ve come running from the deepest crevices of the dungeons.  It launched itself at Rev, saliva dripping from its huge sword-like fangs as if it wanted to gobble the vamp up for dinner. 

This wasn’t her first run-in with the Council’s monsters who went bump in the night. There were others, many, many others that lurked in the shadows down here. In the past she’d always had a contingent of guards surrounding her when she’d come to clean, then later, she’d had the iron bars of her cage. Now, though, there was nothing between her and what looked like certain death. Nothing but a vamp she didn’t know and didn’t particularly trust, who was currently getting the thrashing of his immortal life from the looks of it. 

The need for self-preservation swelling inside her, Claire mentally reviewed the texts she’d read about hand-to-hand combat while she searched for a weapon. At last, she settled on a sharp shard of wood from one of the vicious roots that had died and assumed a battle stance. 

Time for a little payback. 

As she crouched and prepared to strike, Rev dodged from one side of the narrow passage to the other, slicing the tip of his makeshift rock dagger across the beast’s throat…only to disappear. Vampires were notoriously fast and Rev even more so due to his training.

Still, the creature remained on its feet, healing quickly and growing angrier. 

Rev reappeared in a flash and struck again and again, inflicting more damage each time. The creature tried to claw him, but Rev always seemed to duck at the perfect moment. Much as Claire hated to admit it, his masterful skill was impressive. He never seemed to make actual deadly contact with the monster or land a punch though. Why? She wasn’t sure, since the opportunities were there. 

Then the idea occurred that perhaps the whispered rumors of the other prisoners were true. Perhaps he had left his killer ways behind and now searched for redemption by turning only against the people who had made him what he was. That would certainly make sense, given what he’d told her about why he was here, why he’d sacrificed himself and his freedom.

Claire clutched her wooden stake tighter. No. Even if that were true and he had changed his ways, it would not alter his fate. She had nothing to her name now, nothing but her integrity and her vengeance. She would use him to keep her safe until she could fend for herself and then she would end him as she’d promised. 

The beast swiped a razor-sharp talon at Rev, nearly beheading him if not for his quick reflexes, and this time Claire jumped into the action. The assassin was hers to kill. No one else’s. “You have five seconds, creature,” she shouted. “I suggest you run. Fast.” 

At the sound of her voice, the monster narrowed its black gaze, growling, “Mine.” 

“Three seconds left.” 

Rev dove through the air and gouged out one of the beast’s eyes. Yelps of pain echoed. 

Retaliating, the creature slammed hard into Rev’s chest. Rev tumbled backward through the dark tunnel, disappearing into the shadows beyond. 

Slowly, Claire turned back to face the beast that had just signed its death warrant. “Zero.” 

 

 

Follow the celebration for a chance at the #giveaway and exclusive excerpts!

GIVEAWAY DETAILS: Kindle to one lucky winner and 2 runners-up will receive a signed copy of Blood Bound (or monetary equivalent if international).

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Traci is a USA Today Bestselling Author of Contemporary and Paranormal Romance. Her stories feature sizzling heroes full of dark humor, quick wits and major attitudes and heroines who are smart, tenacious, and always give as good as they get. She holds an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University and she loves animals, chocolate, coffee, hot British actors, and sarcasm—not necessarily in that order.

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Website and Blog – FB Author Page – Twitter – Goodreads – Amazon Author Page – Newsletter – Pinterest

 

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I'm an outdoor sun loving reader living near San Fransisco. I’m a mother, wife, animal & book lover. I'm the owner, reviewer & mind behind Angel’s Guilty Pleasures. My favorite animals are horses & dogs. As for reading I love all things paranormal & urban fantasy & my favorite shifters are dragons.

4 comments on “ARC Review: Traci Douglass (Blood Vowed) ~ Excerpt/Guest Post

  1. Thanks so much for featuring Blood Vowed and my guest post on your blog today! 🙂
    Traci recently posted…Book Spotlight: Wicked by LM PruittMy Profile

    • Thank you for the wonderful guest posts. Vampires are so much fun. Have a great day! ^_^

  2. Not that much for the book but I love the chosen vampires!
    Melliane recently posted…Design for Dying by Renee PatrickMy Profile

    • It’s a fun guest posts. I like the vampires chosen too. Thank’s for stopping in Melliane.