Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal
Release Date: May 23, 2012
Buy Links:
Amazon ♥ Smashwords ♥ B & N
Book Description:
Soul Sisters is an urban fantasy novel about African-American twin sisters Ani and Dana who have a rather unique secret: one sister is human while the other is a vampire. While the sisters have lived peacefully with each other for many years one fateful night will change both their lives forever. When a drunken man tries to attack Dana (the human sister) Ani (the vampire sister) protects her sister with all of her ferocious power.
However, when the vampire's leader Donovan finds out about the public display he calls for the sisters to be assassinated for disobedience. Ani and Dana now are in for the fight of their lives to protect each other as well as the lives of their dedicated friends who have joined them on their mission for survival. If Dana and Ani can make it through this time of uncertainty, Ani can take her new place as vampire queen. Soul Sisters is expected to be a trilogy; The book also features a multicultural cast of characters that brings a new edge of chic to the vampire world.
Excerpt:
Bryson and Dana walked arm and arm down the blustery New York street laughing about the Christmas party they had just left. The snow was fresh and powdery. Neither of them felt the icy cold snowflakes floating down and speckling their coats because they were wrapped in the warmth of each other’s company.
“Did you see how Charles acted after taking that last shot of whiskey?” Dana asked. Bryson could not contain his laughter thinking about their friend’s drunkenness. Everyone who had been at the party was probably laughing about it on their way home, too, particularly the part when Charles took off his pants and danced on top of the piano. Bryson laughed so hard people gave them odd passing glances.
“Yes.” Bryson gave a bright smile and grabbed her face to kiss her as they stood in the middle of the sidewalk. He wanted people to stop and stare at his beautiful wife. He wasn’t afraid to show her off every chance he got. The women cooed softly at the sweetness of the moment while the men ushered their women forward murmuring about how indecent their public display of affection was for the community. Truthfully they just didn’t want their wives to get any ideas.
It took Dana a few seconds to catch her breath. She couldn’t believe he would do something that indecent in public. It didn’t matter to her, however, because it felt way too good to be wrong. They stepped off the curb without a care in the world; Dana held onto Bryson’s arm tightly and could not stop staring into his eyes.
A few seconds later Dana felt a sharp pain and a crushing blow to her arm. It was as if a freight train slammed into her right side. She instantly started sobbing from the pain and confusion of the situation. She felt like a block of ice was on top of her chest as she lay sprawled out on the ground.
Her legs were straight out together in front of her but her arms were stretched out wide, going in two different directions. Her head turned slowly to the left when she heard a woman screaming and she saw Bryson on the ground with his eyes wide open. She blinked a few times to clear up her vision and then she spotted a pool of blood circling his head like a flowing halo.
Dana tried to push against the woman lying on top of her but the person was impossible to move no matter how hard she tried.
“You don’t want to see this, you’re safe now,” the woman said softly in her ear; she sounded just like her.
“Soul sister?” Dana asked as she felt herself losing consciousness. She heard the chaos of the world going on around her but then she slipped into a black void. When she came to in a small nearby hospital she was disoriented and feeling miserable. There was a dull ache in her head and the vision in her right eye was blurry. She thought she saw a petite woman standing in the doorway, maybe she knew what had happened to Bryson.
“Where is my Bryson? Is he OK? What happened?”
The woman walked over to the bed and placed a hand on her head. Dana could see the woman was wearing a nurse’s outfit and she guessed she was in a hospital. The woman’s hand felt ice cold against her burning flesh.
“I’m sorry to tell you, ma’am, but your husband was hit by a moving vehicle. He suffered a bad head injury and he is no longer alive. I am so sorry.”
“No, wait. We were just coming back from a Christmas party. When did this happen?”
“You stepped off the side walk with your husband, ma’am. Apparently you could not see the car and the car could not see you. A woman who looked oddly like you pushed you out of the way and saved your life. Your husband didn’t make it. I’m very sorry.
Would you like some water or a cup of juice?”
“No, no, thank you. Can I see him at least?”
“Not now honey. I really think you should get some rest. There’s a young woman who is here to see you. She says she’s your sister. Are you ready to see her?”
Dana coughed deeply and felt a liquid build up in her throat that she quickly swallowed back down; she was afraid to see who it was.
“OK,” was all she could seem to get out of her throat.
Her soul sister quietly stepped into the room as she faced the wall. She didn’t want the woman to see her nervousness or confusion. As much as she wanted to hug her sister she also wanted to punch her.
“Why didn’t you save my husband?” Dana asked choking back tears but keeping a straight face. As the tears filled up her eyes, her cheeks began to sting and swell
“The car came so fast. I didn’t have time to save you both. I’ve seen you with Bryson before and I know how much you loved him, I’m so very sorry.”
“What is your name?” Dana asked, sitting up against the pillow.
“Ani,” She said softly.
“Ani, I don’t think I want to live much longer. I sold my soul to save my husband’s life and Donovan took him away from me. I really don’t see any reason to live anymore.”
Ani sat down in a chair and moved closer to the side of the bed. She placed her hand on Dana’s head and felt that she had a slight temperature. She would notify a nurse as soon as she left the room. Ani loved her sister and if her sister died then she died too.
“Donovan had nothing to do with what happened. Your husband’s time came up again and he was taken. Donovan didn’t order his death. I’m sure he is very concerned about this and knows how much this hurts you. He is good at feeling things like this.”
“Your kind feels? You don’t want me to kill myself because then you will die too. Frankly, I don’t care what happens to you right now. You’re such a small fragment of me; I don’t even think you’re real. This is just a bad nightmare. I’ll wake from it; I’ll be at home warm and safe with my parents. Bryson never actually existed and I sure as hell know you don’t either.”
Dana turned her head back to the wall and let the tears flow freely down her face. She placed her hand over her mouth to stifle the cries; her heart felt like it had broken into a million pieces. Now, she couldn’t live for anybody else but herself. Dana saw the look of despair in her sister’s face but it wasn’t enough for her to let her soul sister into her life.
“I’ll never turn my back on you when you need me, no matter how far away you are or how much danger you’re in. I know we’re supposed to be twins but I feel like you’re my baby sister.” She gave a light chuckle and then headed for the door. “I’ll be back to visit you tomorrow, and the next day and the next day. Even if you never want to see me it’s OK, but I’m not going to be without you any longer. I love you way too much.”
“I don’t care if you come back a million times. I will never talk to you again. Get the hell out of my room!” Dana threw a glass at Ani’s head. Ani moved her head slightly to the left as it flew into the wall and shattered into tiny pieces. She took a deep breath and nodded her head up and down slowly; she had to give her more time. Ani had been programmed to take on the evil ways of the world but Dana’s rose-colored glasses had just been stepped on.
Janiera Eldridge loves feeding her book addiction and putting all her crazy stories on paper. When she is not immersed in the world of fiction, she is working as an entertainment freelance writer.
Janiera also enjoys connecting with other authors and supporting their work on her book blog Books&Beauty.
Thank you for having me on your blog today.
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