Dark Siren
Eden Ashley
(Dark Siren, #1)
Publication date: July 4th 2013
Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Young Adult
To survive, their bond must be unbreakable.
When the mysterious and passionate Rhane rescues Kali from an attacker in the theater parking lot, they form an immediate, smoldering connection. But Kali doesn’t remember Rhane or anything from their past. As far as Kali knows, she’s just a seventeen-year-old kid coping with an insatiable hunger for the “spark” or energy of others, feeding on classmates to survive.
A unique artifact—one that may hold the key to returning Kali’s memories—is uncovered by the archaeology firm where she works part-time, sending Kali and Rhane on a dangerous journey that leads them to the Forbidden City, into the unforgiving Gobi, and into the ruins of Rhane’s ancient homeland. As they fight for survival, Kali begins to discover who she really is and the true power she possesses.
But Rhane still harbors a secret that could destroy Kali…unless old enemies kill her first.
EXCERPT – Dark Siren:
The stranger shifted, leaning over until his mouth was within a millimeter of her left ear. He spoke softly, his lips brushing against some serious nerve endings, “Is this seat taken?”
With a nervous shiver, she blinked long and slow, savoring the low and sexy quality of his voice. Then she edged away to put at least an inch between his lips and her ear. If he touched her like that again, Kali was very likely to embarrass herself. Just as she was about to answer his question, the room brightened with light from the illuminated screen. What Kali saw made her jaw drop.
If an eighty-year-old grandmother had been sitting next to her when this guy had shown up, Kali would have politely asked the old lady to move so the stranger could sit down. He was absurdly good looking. Silver lighting accented every perfect line and angle of his face. Several locks from his thick mass of hair fell idly across his forehead, slightly curling at the ends. There was softness to his features that suggested he could be a keeper.
The stranger returned Kali’s stare with an intensity that took in every part of her. But his eyes never left her face.
Realizing she had been staring at him stupidly for far too long, Kali struggled to find something to say. “I’m…” She cleared her throat. “It’s yours.”
He finally looked away. Whatever tied her to him was loosed, and Kali pulled her gaze away. They didn’t speak again for a long time, but Kali was constantly aware of him. She kept stealing furtive glances in his direction because the sight of him was more enthralling than anything the movie had to offer. Growing bolder, Kali watched him from the corner of her eye at increasingly longer intervals. Apparently, the stranger was not as bothered as she was. Relaxed in his seat, he sat observing the screen with languid interest, doing a pretty good job convincing her that he’d forgotten anyone was beside him. Kali was so immersed with watching him, and was completely startled when he spoke.
“It’s not polite to stare,” he murmured softly without taking his eyes from the screen.
Kali jerked and turned away. But she wasn’t fast enough and was mortified to see the beginning of a satisfied smile appear on his face. She slid down into the chair, grateful for the darkness that concealed a blush spreading across her cheeks. From then on she tried to concentrate on the movie. But it was useless. She gave up and watched the screen absently, all the while thinking about the guy sitting next to her and how he probably thought she was an absolute dork. She didn’t get it. Boys never had this affect on her. For the past two years, it had always been them falling helplessly at her feet.
A mutated mix of human and creature launched itself from a quiet scene, growling and snarling into the camera. Several audience members jumped in surprise, and Kali was one of them. She made a noise that sounded like a strangled bird.
“Do these things frighten you?” the stranger asked. He was clearly enjoying her discomfort.
Kali cleared her throat. “Why would they? This stuff isn’t real.” This time, she didn’t look at him.
After a long moment, he spoke again. “Right,” he slowly agreed.
About the Author
Cynic, realist, and hopeless romantic all rolled into one, Eden was born and raised in a small, sunny town in South Carolina where thunderstorms helped inspire her best ideas. There are few things she loves more than curling up with a good book and a cup of coffee on a rainy day (except maybe chocolate cake, she loves cake), often reading into the wee hours of morning when something really grabs her. Eden enjoys reading or watching anything with supernatural elements, so writing paranormal and fantasy romance is a natural fit.
Her first novel, Dark Siren, is best described as paranormal romance artfully wrapped within a plot chock-full of action, adventure, and edge-of-your-seat suspense, while the series has evolved to become a journey of redemption and second chances as two characters understand that sometimes committing evil is necessary to protect what is loved most. Eden took the siren from Greek mythology (and borrowed a little from mermaid lore), creating an entirely different creature, with its own mythology, and one that Publisher's Weekly praised for its passion and complexity. This is not just another werewolf/shapeshifter romance or vampire romance. This is a story that both adults and teens can enjoy, full of great characters to fall in love with!
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