Hi there,
It's my great pleasure to introduce Danielle James, who's new release, Sandman, released yesterday. She's having a Giveaway, so look out for the details at the end of the excerpt. I'm definitely looking forward to reading this book, and I hope you will, too. Take a look...
Danielle James
Sandman, Forbidden Love 11
Title: Sandman
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Series: The Forbidden Love Series
KU: yes
Launch date: Feb 7
Sandman Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079C6LXGK
Sandman by Danielle James
He’s the demigod of her dreams and she’s got a lineage that she can’t hide from. Will a nightmare demon steal it all away, or will these two souls find their destiny together?
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| Sandman Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079C6LXGK |
Blurb:
Somnus spent his time walking in the dreams
of others. He ghosted in and out of their lives, unseen, giving them the magic
they needed to dream.
Nightmares were unusually high, so he slipped into one of
his favorite charge’s dream. That’s when she saw him. Really saw him. Against
all odds and against all the rules, Rachel could see him.
Rachel has something special about her, a
lineage that she is unaware of, that not only draws Somnus’ attention, but the
nightmare demon as well. Somnus must protect her, even from herself.
Get ready for a wild ride as Rachel and
Somnus come to terms with her heritage, the demon, and their shared destiny.
Excerpt:
Somnus
stared at the child sleeping before him. He was a five-year-old with blond hair
and blue eyes. The little guy had tossed and turned for an hour before he
finally calmed down enough to allow sleep to claim his little body.
Somnus
held out his hand and willed his magic to flow from himself to the child. It
moved along the air like a cloud of golden glitter, settling on the child’s
blond head. The child’s eyes began to move under their lids and a small smile
lit the boy’s face. Somnus took a quick peek and saw that the boy was laughing
in his dream. He was playing on a playground with other kids, running and
climbing like a young boy should be. Somnus had visited the boy enough times to
know that the bruises on his delicate skin were not caused by a playground
accident. He took some measure of comfort knowing that if only for a short
time, he could relieve the boy’s angst from his real life in a dream.
Satisfied
with himself, Somnus ghosted to the next person on his list for the night. He
liked his job. Giving people the ability to dream was nothing short of a
necessary miracle and he did it well. Dreams allowed the mind to make sense of
what happened during their waking hours. Long term memories are formed in sleep
and sometimes dreams served as a means of relief from the stress of living. Like
in the case of the young boy who was beaten daily by his father. Somnus would
have throttled that man if he could, but as a demigod, it was forbidden for him
to interfere like that. Hell, it was forbidden for him to interfere whatsoever.
He could only give the person the ability to dream. Somnus could start the
dream in a good place, but ultimately it was up to the dreamer as to where the
dream went from where he started it. If he wasn’t aware that it would drive the
father insane, he would deny him the ability to dream. Humans, of all races, needed to dream in
order to sort out their thoughts and feelings. To deny one the ability to dream
long term would deny their minds the time to regroup. There would be no getting
over a bad day. There would be no letting painful emotions go. After a time,
the mind would short circuit and the person would go crazy. However, that
wouldn’t be helpful to the boy either.
It was
pushing three a.m. when Somnus arrived at the home of his most interesting
charge. He liked to pretend that he didn’t wait anxiously for the tiny little
signal in his brain that told him she had fallen asleep. Her name was Rachel,
and every night she took the dream magic he gave her and twisted it into
something terrifying. It was no wonder she barely slept, he thought to himself.
He wouldn't either if he saw the things she did in dreams.
He stood
over her, nothing more than a ghost in his form, watching her breathe. Her
short, dark hair spiked up around her face and head in stark contrast to the white
pillow case beneath her. She had long black lashes that cast the slightest
shadow across her high cheekbones. His gaze followed the lines of her face down
her nose to her full red lips. It wasn't bad that he knew that was the natural
color of her lips at all. He pretended that he didn't feel a tug of longing in
his gut as he looked at her. Somnus wanted all his charges to have good dreams,
but this woman was special. Maybe it was because she had so much trouble in
that area that he felt the need to help her more than the others. Maybe it was
because her ability to conjure some really scary shit in her sleep intrigued
him. Or maybe it was because he was a man and she was beautiful. No matter how
he tried to dress it up, she was his favorite and he was a little obsessed with
her. Okay, he was a lot obsessed with her.
Shaking
his head, Somnus allowed his magic to flow. As the golden dream dust settled
over her head, Rachel began to dream. I'll just take a quick peek, he
thought, before walking into her dream.
Rachel
was dancing in a rose garden, surrounded by beauty and wonder. Her eyes shined
brightly; the cobalt blue reflecting the light and seeming to shimmer in the
sunlight. This was what he wanted for her, Somnus thought. To be happy in her
dreams, to have a little bit of peace. He watched from the edge of her
subconscious, feeling better about the amount of magic he used on her with each
passing minute. When she laughed aloud, the sound was like music to his ears.
He had done well.
Just as
he turned to leave her, Rachel's dream began to change. Dark storm clouds moved
in and cluttered the sky, lightning flashed and Somnus could almost smell the
ozone in the air. The entire mood of the dream changed instantly. Rachel looked
confused for a moment, but then she changed as well. It was as if she had been
expecting this. That was impossible, though. Humans did not have any control in
their dreams. Somnus knew he should leave, but he couldn’t. He was completely
mesmerized by the way Rachel prepared herself for what she knew was to come.
She pulled in a deep breath as if to steel her courage, fisted her hands at her
sides, and turned around to face whatever danger had come for her.
The
dream did not disappoint. From the dark clouds, a form took shape. It was
blurry at first, but as the clouds moved and swirled, a large figure became
clear. It stood on two legs and had two arms, but that was where the
resemblance to any human ended. On top of its head were two huge curved horns
that curled around its head behind its pointed ears. Its skin was the color of
hot coals, its eyes black and emotionless. It ran in Rachel’s direction and she
screamed.
The
thing looked like a demon. It ran after Rachel, snarling and slashing at her
with its sharpened claws. Rachel was fast though, and kept just enough ahead of
it. The scenery changed from a garden to the inner city, and Somnus watched as
Rachel maneuvered through the empty streets. He knew he shouldn’t still be
there, but he couldn’t help but watch. His heart pounded in his chest, waiting
to see that Rachel made it out of the dream safely.
She
rounded the corner of a building and came to an immediate stop right in front
of Somnus. “You!” she accused. Somnus looked around to see who she was talking
to. “Stop that!” she shrieked. “You know I’m talking to you. You’re always
here!”
“What?”
Somnus barked out. Surely he was the one dreaming. She couldn’t see him, could
she?
Thunderous
footsteps followed her and became louder. “We don’t have time for this,” Rachel
informed him, grabbing his hand. “We have to run.”
“I don’t
think so,” Somnus replied. How the hell was she touching him?
“Whatever,”
Rachel told him. “It’s your funeral.” And then, she was gone. Awakened from her
dream. Somnus watched as the dream world dissipated, and he was once again
standing in Rachel’s bedroom. That was by far the strangest thing he had ever
witnessed in the dream world.
“Why are
you in my house?” Rachel demanded, sitting up and looking right at him. “You
have some explaining to do. Start talking before I call the cops.”
Somnus
didn’t know what to think. He was good and properly gobsmacked. This was
unprecedented and he was at a complete loss. He was ghosted, but yet, she could
see him. That wasn’t supposed to be possible, and yet here she was, staring him
down, demanding answers. He had no clue what to say to her, but he had to start
somewhere. “Why don’t we start with how the hell you can see me?”
First 2 Chapter Sample: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FcZ9q5fMC2ut13hkF6rDeHRAVC9wrFAtw6iW2_y1faQ/edit?usp=sharing
Keep in touch with Danielle at the following:
Danielle’s FB page: https://www.facebook.com/DanielleJamesAuthor/
Danielle’s NL sign up form: https://www.facebook.com/DanielleJamesAuthor/app/100265896690345/
Danielle’s amazon page: https://www.amazon.com/Danielle-James/e/B00G964FMS/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ddjames1976
And don't forget to enter her Giveaway:
Rafflecopter Giveaway: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/f3c2e8081/
Thanks so much for being my guest today, Danielle. And thank you, reader, for joining us. If you have any comments for Danielle please leave them in the comments below, or contact her on any of the above links.
Take Care
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