Lynda Hilburn and Dark Harvest

Dark Harvest

Denver Psychologist Kismet Knight counsels vampires. Her life changed forever when she discovered a preternatural underworld, met Devereux, the powerful leader of a vampire coven, and was forced to rethink her notions of “reality.”

Still adjusting to her new role as an expert on all things paranormal, she schedules what she believes is simply another radio interview. She couldn’t be more mistaken. Not only does the radio host behave very strangely, but an ominous, on-air call from day-walking vampire Lyren Hallow turns Kismet’s world upside-down -- again.

Shortly thereafter, Maxie Westhaven, a tabloid newspaper reporter in search of a juicy story, befriends Kismet, leading her into a bizarre world of role players, lost souls and death. Enter Victoria Essex, Devereux’s building manager and resident witch, who discloses a startling secret of her own.

Meanwhile, Luna, Devereux’s hostile femme fatal personal assistant, recognizes a perfect opportunity to throw a wrench into her boss’s blossoming relationship with the human psychologist, and, to complicate matters further, Kismet’s old boyfriend, self-absorbed Psychologist Tom Radcliffe, shows up with his own outlandish request.

Review

Kismet and Devereux live to tell another tale… are you ready for this one…

Kismet is still as hilarious as she was in the first book, if not more… she never lost that! And Devereux never lost his HOTNESS!!! (mental note… hubby walked by and saw that sentence.. He laughed and looked at me and said “He never lost his hotness huh..” what can I say… I love me sum vampires!!!!!) Thought I would give you a laugh!

Kismet opens the story by going on a radio talk show. It is no where near Larry King Live; just picture a short, bald bad version of Howard Stern. She probably would have been delighted to go on Larry than this dumb ass program. Carson is the host of the program and he is one cocky S.O.B. Kismet wanted to help her career by venturing out to the media; to kinda help clear things up. Since, recently she was involved in a heavily reported serial murder investigation So, she wanted to help her career to be put in perspective, to allow people to see what she really does. The callers she gets all deal with vampires. One caller has cancer and wants to know if she gets bitten, would she be cancer free… yea, but you would be dead. Then one called wants to know,

“Why do you think women get turned on by the idea of having sex with a vampire? I mean, aren’t they bodies cold and hard like statues? How arousing is that?”

OH MY GOSH, if she only met Devereux, she would completely understand… just ask Kismet =)!

Okay and FYI… when Kismet says that

“the hairs on the back of my neck rose and goose bumps swarmed over my arms,”

you better believe something bad is going to happen… or she will come into contact with someone not at all nice.

Enter the next caller and the beginning of the story…

“My solar plexus tingled as it always did when a vampire was near.

Whoa. What‘s going on here? This guy has the vampire voice, for sure. And his vibe is definitely bloodsucker. But it‘s daylight, so he can‘t really be a vampire. I shouldn't be able to feel a vampire over the phone, right? I don‘t trust myself anymore to make judgments about who‘s a vampire and who isn‘t. Brother Luther slipped right under my radar and that almost got me killed.”

((Now, if you didn’t read The Vampire Shrink, Brother Luther was one crazed vampire with some serious issues. He really needed a shrink! Don’t worry, he is worth reading the story to find out who/what the hell he is!! LOL! ))

Back to the caller… His name is Lyren Hallow, Vampire Hunter Extraordinaire. Okay, he is a vampire and he is a vampire hunter! He is very old, probably older than dirt. His powers are quiet well… powerful. He manages to put the “listening“ population into a dream like state while he chats with Kismet. He wanted to inform Kismet that he has been hired to harvest… (get the name… harvest… dark…vampire… ) someone she knows. He thought it only sporting of himself to give her a fair warning and besides he wanted to take a stroll into her mind…

Now with the conversation over… Carson thinks she slipped something in his drink, because he does not remember where the time of their interview went…

Now even Kismet is still dealing with her own issues of real vampires alive (or so to speak) amongst her world…

“Ever since I stumbled into Denver’s hidden vampire community, I’d been struggling to regain my balance - to find some sanity to cling to in the midst of one absurd revelation after another one.”

So, now she is dealing with vampire wanna-be’s, real vampires, crazed and almost lunatic sadistic vampires… now she has to deal with vampires hunters who are vampires themselves! Damn, this world just keeps getting crazier and crazier with each page turn!

With the interview over, she headed out the office. She was bent down when she was muttering something to herself about Carson. She was surprised to hear someone mouth off about him just as bad as he did about them. This is a brief description that I cannot pass up,

“Carson Miller is an oozing wart on the ass of humanity. No, wait. He’s what gets sucked out of porta-potties after sports events. No, wait. He’s what you squish out of a pimple.”

I love that analogy. Now as far as the person giving this wonderful analogy of this slime ball of a person… let’s meet Maxie Westhaven. (Maxie is short for Maxwell ~ yea, her parents wanted a boy by all means.) She is a reported for National Skeptic Magazine.

Now, if we thought at the beginning of book one was that Kismet’s love life was lacking… (of course, before she met Devereux)… her girl-friends… well… let’s just say that her love life was better than her girl friends…!!! Poor thing. That was another thing that I associated with her… I don’t have many girlfriends at all… so when she met Maxie, she thought she had a new friend… yea, you noticed I said had… You will have to dig into this story to really finds out what happens to them. Now the thing that makes Maxie a little special, if you will, is that she has pure silver hair. She says something happened to her when she was twenty. But she tells Kismet,

“Maybe I’ll tell you about it after we get to know each other better.”

So Maxie figures what the best way to get to know your friends… invite them to a vampire staking! That is exactly what Maxie invites Kismet to on the very same day they meet… Boy, talk about trying to impress you friends!! LOL!! Now being the “sensitive” one, she picked up nothing abnormal about Maxie. Just keep reading the story to find out about this one…

Oh and ps… Kismet’s office is now in one of the many beautifully, stunning multiplexes’ that Devereux owns. He pretty much made her take the offer… but she could not pass up an offer that sweet (it even has a private bedroom in it for when he Pops in for his own private session)! She was kicked out of her last office; due to the fact that a dead body was discovered there and the walls and carpet were covered with blood… It was a very nice parting gift from Brother Luthen… remember him!! And the owner did not like the attention she was drawing. So, with being evicted… she had no where to go. So taking him up on his offer was a matter of “I need a place to work”… yea right… it also had to do with Devereux!!! LOL!

Now the building had its own personal office manager… let’s meet Victoria Essex.. She is the high priestess of a local coven of witches and the owner of an internet-based Wiccan ritual supply business. And her body… is to die for… the description goes like this…

”Her naturally curly, golden blond hair was chin-length, with tight spirals framing a heart-shaped face. Sharp cheekbones, dimples, a straight nose, and round, peridot-colored eyes caused her the appearance of the exotic girl next door.” “But her body was a different story. It was voluptuous in the richest sense of he word- wide hips, rounded belly and generous breast. The self-identified Wiccan Mae West.”

But I love her own job description…

“I’m his bloodsucker bullshit detector.”

She is truly what I would want in a friend!! I know you girls will love her as much as you love Kismet.

I will share with you this part…Don’t ever say that I am not a nice friend. I will skip some of the non-Devereux descriptions…

“An enticing aroma caressed my nostrils and a velvet voice whispered...” “Soft lips trail my neck…” “His throbbing manhood…” “Devereux stood next to the bed, oozing sexuality…”

Now this sounds like something we would say, (Kismet said this talking about herself looking at him)

‘Various parts of my body grinned, jumped up and down, and yelled “YIPPEE!!! The rest of me held my breathe, reading for the metal popcorn.” I love that part!!!“He hooked his thumbs into the waistband, and angled the leather down his leg.” “His naked body definitely qualified as eye candy!!!”

I thought of Ms. M there… how we adore all her eye candy she offers to us!! And here is my Devereux being described as the perfect eye candy!!!

“Yes, it was that good.”

Now the funny thing about Devereux and Kismet in this books, is they have couple issues just like the rest of us…. He knows it is her destiny to be his mate…but the psychologist in her… is having a hard time accepting him for what he truly is… a dead man walking!

Excuse me… after mind blowing sex like they just had… Yea, you are going to have to either win the book or go get it… to read about those delicious scenes, you have to accept him for what he is… but warning to you new ladies… he is a bit bossy and commanding.. But he is 800 yrs old… so he is use to having his way!

Then we find out more about Hallow… We learn that he really is the oldest vampire on the planet. But what is said about him living that old is that - his brain cells start to distort, causing a stronger reliance on the old brain - the primitive mechanisms. He brain goes back to the dark and evil nature of what he truly is - a vampire.

“He is, in essence, a perfect killing machine.”

He also has a stable of female slaves… and he plans on adding Kismet to it!~ But the bad part of being one of his slaves, is that once he is finish with you (to say), you are a mere shell of yourself.

“I have seen the empty shell of the women Hallow leaves in his wake. Their minds are useless and their bodies wasted. They have described their captivity in ways that sound like human heroin addiction: pleasure beyond belief followed by an aching need that never ends. Apparently, he can create such ecstasy in the women that they would rather die than leave him.”

Now think about that for a minute… Humm… hot sex is awesome… but to want to die than leave him… hummm… I don’t know about that girl!

Well, while this story continues to unfold, there are two women (one from book one that I did not introduce you to, Luna… she is a real bitch of a vampire.. I needed to leave something for you to get your hands on and get pissed about and she is it… because she is not a likable character… but in this book… oh just wait… I can’t wait to get her in a dark alley with some of my own vampire magic and kick her ass… and not to mention Maxie’s ass either!! You‘ll see!

Now with all honesty….. My battery is fixing to die (told you the computer would over heat from all the hotness that Devereux possess!!! And those hot sex scenes I was thinking about…) and yes you guessed it… I have no clue where the damn battery charger is…

I hope you guys had a wonderful time at my first contest Now I will introduce you to the love of my life creator… Ms. Lynda Hilburn. Please take the stage!!!

Love you guys and thanks for hanging out with me and Devereux… we must retire to bed now… It is 12:30 am for us here… while I try to type and he tries to… well… we’ll keep it pg!!!!

Join me in welcoming Lynda Hilburn

1- Can you tell us a little bit about yourself:?

In addition to being a writer, I’m a licensed psychotherapist, certified clinical hypnotherapist and professional intuitive living in Boulder, CO. My psychotherapy clients provide lots of inspiration for characters and plots! I just disguise the “real life” situation and use the general ideas.

-2- What is your favorite and least favorite thing about writing?

My favorite part is being able to create anything my quirky, weird mind comes up with. I’m only limited by my imagination. My least favorite is forcing myself to sit in front of the computer every day! I definitely need to work on my self-discipline.

-3- Who or what inspires your thought process?

Everything: clients, songs, friends, my son, movies, TV shows, other authors. Sometimes I’ll watch a movie and I’ll think, “Wow, that was great. My characters wouldn’t do that, but they’d do the opposite . . .” and my brain is off and running.

-4- Has there ever been a book that has completely rocked your world?

I think Bram Stoker’s Dracula turned me into a vampire fiend. It’s all his fault. No, wait. Anne Rice helped, too! LOL.

-5- What are you currently reading?

Actually, right now I’m doing some nonfiction research about brain scans and addictions. Not as much fun as vampires, but good for my work as a psychotherapist.

-6- One pet peeve?

Just one? LOL. This isn’t writing related, but I really find it incredibly rude when people talk loudly on cell phones in public places like restaurants, the post office, the library, etc. Didn’t their parents teach them any manners?

-7-Where did the ideas for Kismet and Devereux come from?

Kismet is a much younger, prettier, thinner version of me. I usually write about parts of myself. I know, that sounds egotistical. I think all writers utilize parts of themselves: the aspects we know about, the aspects we’re afraid we are, the aspects we have unconsciously repressed, the aspects we wish we were, etc. A client inspired the first book in the series, THE VAMPIRE SHRINK. I went home that evening and started typing the story of a Denver psychologist who finds herself pulled into a vampire underworld. Devereux was a surprise. I expected my vampire to have long, dark hair, but he insisted on being blond. I’m very influenced by the old vampire books where all the vampires came from Europe. Devereux is not only a powerful, ancient vampire, he’s a gifted wizard as well. He is my idea of a brilliant immortal – more concerned about knowledge and wisdom than in indulging his primitive nature. He has control over himself and no interest in territorial disputes with other vampires or other species.

-8- Are your characters living up to where you envisioned them going or have they high-jacked the book and took it in their own direction?

I tend to write by the seat of my pants, so I never know where anything I write is going. I’m constantly surprised by what the characters come up with. Of course, I realize it all comes from my unconscious mind, but it’s fun to stumble along behind them!

-9- What do you like best about Kismet and Devereux's character?

I like that Kismet uses her mind to solve problems and I love Devereux’s expanded wisdom (and his gorgeous physical self, of course!).

-10- What do you expect next from Kismet and Devereux?

Kismet is slowly discovering elements of herself that haven’t been explored. As a scientist, she has had to accommodate a “reality” she would have considered madness. She has adapted very quickly, and will continue to learn more about the hidden world she’s pulled into. Devereux will share more about himself and his long life. Hopefully, he’ll soon tell us why Kismet is so meaningful to him . . .

-11- How big an impact will/or does the readers views and opinions have on your next book?

I tend to follow my own inner ideas about the books. So far, readers are enjoying the unfolding world of Kismet and Devereux.

-12- What are you currently working on?

The third book in the series, plus I’m expanding a different vampire novella into a novel and brainstorming an outline for a series about a couple of psychics in Boulder, Colorado.

I just found a link to the German version of THE VAMPIRE SHRINK coming out in November, 2009. What fun!

-13. How can we find you online?

http://www.lyndahilburnauthor.com

http://paranormalityuniverse.blogspot.com

http://www.myspace.com/lyndahilburn

Thank you for interviewing me, Cecile!! You’re the best.

Lynda

Contest and Interview

First Prize

The Vampire Shrink

Dark Harvest

(Open to all comers)

Second Prize

Special Surprise

This is open to only those people who have read the book already – This will just add to your pleasure of having read a Lynda Hilburn Book.

LEAVE A COMMENT ON TUESDAY’S POST TO BE ENTERED IN FOR THIS SPECIAL SURPRISE GIVE AWAY….

Free For All

Ms. Hilburn has a box of Cover Flats for DARK HARVEST, and would be happy to sign one and mail it to anyone who'd like to send her a self-addressed, stamped, large (9x12) envelope. You can send that to: Lynda Hilburn, PO Box 20443, Boulder, CO 80308.

The contest the rules are simple.

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  Visit everyday to catch up on the reviews.
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  For a first entry post about the contest on your blog and leave the link on comment on MONDAYS POST.

For entry into the second prize give away leave a comment on TUESDAY POST – stating clearly that you have read the book already…

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  For a second entry leave a comment on FRIDAYS POST
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  Contest run from 18th May to 26th May
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  Contest open to all international entrants as well

What are they saying about Dark Harvest

“As the follow-up novel to The Vampire Shrink, Hilburn continues to develop her characters and throws another life altering situation at them. This time around, we’re introduced to Hallow who is a vampire slayer of some repute. He’s so good even Devereux is really concerned about his presence. Things get even more dicey when it becomes obvious that Kismet is the object of his desire. Again, Kismet has attracted the attention of a dangerous psychotic vampire and she still has no reason why. I do have to say, that I really enjoyed this novel. After the great piece of work of The Vampire Shrink, Hilburn doesn’t let us down with Dark Harvest. The story moves along at a pace that keeps the reader interested without giving away too much of the plot . . . Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Dark Harvest and I can’t wait to hear when the third novel will be out. Again we’re given a great story with some interesting characters who continue to entrance us. I, for one, will definitely be buying this when it comes out in a couple of weeks. So if you haven’t gotten your hands on the first novel yet, then you really need to.”

Literary Escapism

“This is a continuation of a series that can be read alone. It's action-packed and sexy but not graphic. It's even got a sprinkle of humor. A really good book.”

Affaire De Coeur, 5 stars

“Dark Harvest is the long awaited sequel to The Vampire Shrink and the second book in the 'Kismet Knight, Vampire Psychologist series'. I was lucky enough to win an ARC copy of this newest book that isn't due out till October and reading it left me dying for more. Kismet is a great lead character and it was interesting to see how her character changes in this book when Hallow gets involved. It was a steamy, bloody and funny read with Kismet's and Devereux's dialogue making me laugh more than a few times. The introduction of a few new characters and the reappearance of some others made this a great sequel and I can't wait to read more. I have to say that I loved The Vampire Shrink and thought it couldn't get any better but the author has excelled with Dark Harvest and should write more and faster!”

Amberkatz Book Blog

“This superb Mile High chick lit urban fantasy will appeal to fans of Laurel K. Hamilton and Lilith Saintcrow as the heroine’s courage and mouth will remind the audience of their respective stars. Kismet is an independent soul who begins to lose her free will as Hallow works his magic to break her. The love between the vampire and the psychologist is beautiful to behold as he painted her portrait before they met. That link and why Hallow obsesses over Kismet are critical to the story line as Lynda Hilburn writes a unique and bewitching vampire in Denver thriller.”

Harriet Klausner