Guest Blog & Giveaway: Destiny by Celia Breslin

UFI welcomes Author Celia Breslin. Thanks for Joining us!!

Celia chats with Carina, Alexander, and Fin 

Hi Everyone! 

Nice to be here on the Urban Fantasy Investigations blog today! Carina and Alexander, my hero and heroine from The Tranquilli Bloodline series, decided to tag along and let me interview them. Fin, a new friend Carina meets in Destiny, then asked if he could join us, too.  He’s such a flirt I couldn’t tell him no, despite the fierce negative grumblings from Alexander.  We’ll just keep them on opposite ends of the room, LOL. 

Enjoy! 

Hi guys! Thanks for joining me here at UFI. Please state your name. Also, do you have a nickname? 

Carina:  “Hi, I’m Carina Agostina Ottavia Tranquilli. My friends call me Rina. But my fated soul mate calls me Carina.” 

Alexander:  “That would be me, the soul mate, full name Alexander Wallace. Many call me Alex. I prefer Alexander, especially when Carina says it when we’re…intimate.” 

Fin: “Fineas Fray Vale at your service, my lovely author.”  ::he kisses my hand:: “My friends and lovers call me Fin.” 

What is your hair color? Eye color? 

Carina: “Dark brown hair and eyes. When I go all vampy, though, my eyes darken to black. And when my special super power kicks in? Add some blinking stars in there, too.” 

Alexander: “My hair is more milk chocolate to Carina’s dark chocolate tresses. My eyes are blue-grey. Carina likes to call them smoky blue.” 

Fin: “Black hair, though Rina calls it coffee brown.  She likens my eyes to blackstrap molasses.  Lush descriptions from a luscious woman, wouldn’t you agree?” 

::Alexander growls:: 

::Fin smirks:: 

Relax, boys. How old are all of you? Carina, you first. 

Carina: “I’m 25. Okay, don’t be startled when Alexander tells you his age. He doesn't look a day over about 28. He was turned in his twenties.” 

Alexander:  “I’m 45. Flattery will get you everywhere, Carina.” 

Fin:  “I’m older than Carina’s young pup by centuries.” 

Alexander:  “Call me pup again and I’ll break your brittle bones, Grandpa.” 

Where were you born? Where have you lived since then? Where do you currently call home? 

Carina: “I was born in Italy. I live in the U.S. now. West coast. San Francisco. Best city on the planet.” 

Alexander:  “I’m a San Francisco native. I still live there, in the inner Sunset. But in truth, Carina is my home. I’d follow her anywhere.” 

Fin:  ::he chuckles::  “My, my, such sweet lovebirds, aren’t they? I was born a human in Coventry, England. My rebirth as a vampire occurred in London.” 

What is in your refrigerator right now? On your bedroom floor? On your nightstand? In your garbage can? 

Carina:  “LOL, you really want to know? Okay, fridge first. Thai takeout leftovers, sake, sparkling water, orange juice, bacon, eggs…Stopping now. Otherwise, we’d be here all day. My fridge is well stocked, thanks to my roomies Mark and Ren. Those boys can cook! Workout clothes on my bedroom floor. Water bottle on nightstand. Garbage can is empty. I’ll thank Mark and Ren again. Those boys are super tidy.” 

Alexander: “Is this a serious question? I have blood in my refrigerator, of course. Bedroom floor is clear. Nightstand is also clear. Garbage can…yes, empty. I’m a bit of a neat freak.” 

Fin: “Blood, alcohol, orange juice, steak, vitamins, and an assortment of vegetables.  My regular blood donors tend to keep it stocked with their favorite foods. The rest of my penthouse is spotless, thanks to my housekeeper.” 

Carina: “You live in a penthouse?” 

Fin: “Yes, downtown. I never mentioned it before now, as we were rather busy in Destiny with other more pressing matters. You’re welcome in my home, anytime.” 

::Alexander bares his fangs and hisses:: 

::Carina strokes Alexander’s arm:: 

Okay boys. Almost done. Then you can take this fight outside. Who are the people you are closest to? 

Carina: “My close friends are my family: my business partner Adrian, my psychic pal Faith, her boyfriend Kai, and, of course, my badass bodyguards Mark and Ren. I have three brothers, but I’d call our relationship…hm…let’s just say it’s a bit strained. A work in progress.” 

Alexander: “Thomas, Carina’s uncle. No comment on the family.” 

Fin: “My darling Celia, you know I’m the life of every party.” 

Alexander:  “That’s not an answer, old timer.” 

Fin: “It will do for now.” 

Which talent would you most like to have? 

Carina: “I love karaoke and wish I could sing as well as a trained singer. Of course, my lack of vocal chops doesn’t stop me from belting out the tunes with my pals at our local sushi-sake-karaoke hangout.” 

Alexander: “I have it. I play piano and guitar. Classically trained on both.” 

Fin: “I wish I had even a smidgeon of artistic talent. To paint like the Masters I met back in the day…” 

Which words or phrases do you most overuse? 

Carina: “When I’m upset I tend to curse in Italian. Porco dio spills out of me most.” 

Alexander:  “Pass. But here’s the word the older vampires overuse - Youngling. I hate it when they call me that.” 

Fin:  “I do tend to call Rina by her royal title of Princess, though she would prefer I do not.” 

Phew! We made it to the end of the interview without any blood spilled between the boys. Thanks again to Urban Fantasy Investigations for having us all over for a visit! 

cheers,

Celia

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Celia lives in California with her husband, daughter, and two feisty cats. She writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance, and has a particular fondness for vampires, werewolves, and the Fae. When not writing, you’ll find her exercising, reading a good book or indulging her addiction to Joss Whedon’s TV shows and movies.



Find Celia and her books

Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook

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Destiny
Tranquilli Bloodline  #2
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In HAVEN, San Francisco nightclub owner Carina Tranquilli survives a vicious attack by her vampire family’s longtime archenemies. Several weeks later, as she struggles with PTSD and survivor’s guilt, supervillain Dixon resurfaces and kidnaps two of her best friends. To save them, Carina must comply with the evil bastard’s unusual demands. The kicker? She must tell no one what she is up to.

Meanwhile, she has a new dance club to open for the preternatural community, a fated soul mate acting secretive and distant, and a sexy, new, undead friend who’d love to take Alexander’s place in her heart and bed.

Blackmailed, betrayed, tempted…sometimes destiny has a wicked sense of humor.

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Excerpt: 

My day moved from ordinary to interesting when the deliveryman handed me a box that smelled of blood. 

The scent made my mouth water. Pungent iron mixed with, of all things, lavender. My thoughts flew straight to Tessa, my surrogate vampire mother. When she pulled out one of her specialty powers, the one I fondly referred to as vampire valium, this relaxing, floral herb scented the air and reduced friend or foe to a boneless, helpless puddle. 

I shut the front door on the retreating back of the deliveryman and wiggled the box. Nothing rattled inside. Not particularly heavy, less than ten pounds. 

A peace offering, perhaps? Tessa certainly owed me one. 

She’d commanded her minion, my boyfriend Alexander, to star in a two-month classical music tour of Italy, performing nightly for vampire dignitaries and their lucky minions. While I, the good little predestined, vampire apocalypse averting, Chosen One in training, remained behind in San Francisco to learn how to kick naughty vampire ass with my latent and rather unwieldy fire power. 

“Hey boys,” I called up to the second floor where my friend Adrian and his lover, my mentor Jonas, took their sweet time descending for breakfast. “Bloody prezzie just arrived. And I do mean that literally.” 

Silence answered my shout, followed by the whoosh of water in the master bathroom shower and a husky laugh from Adrian. Given that sexy sound, I could expect a delay. Jonas tended to make their showers last forever. 

A jolt of jealousy stabbed my stomach. Wish I could enjoy some fun and sexy time with my guy. I shrugged off the sensation and strode into the kitchen. “Fine. More for me.” 

I parked my ass in a chair and slid the box onto the table to study it. No return address or package info. Not that surprising. Vampires tended to aim for stealth and subtlety, to fly under the radar of the general human populace. One of Tessa’s minions probably compelled the delivery dude, or he belonged to the circle of humans already in-the-know. 

I ripped off the tape in one pull and peeked inside. No packing peanuts, but rather a nest of lavender branches speckled with droplets of blood, as if the branches themselves bled. Beautiful, aromatic, and so very vampire. 

A wine box large enough for two bottles rested in the nest. Cold to the touch, indicating recent refrigeration. I lifted it out, trailing my fingers over the gold latch, the dark, glossy wood, the Celtic knots carved into each end, and finally over the initials on top. My initials, C A T. Short for Carina Agostina Tranquilli. 

What a well-crafted and thoughtful gift. I bet the wine inside would be equally well-made. 

I flipped the latch and opened the lid. My brows collided. Not wine. 

Nine vials of blood about the size of my ring finger rested side by side in black velvet bedding. A stopper sealed with red wax and stamped with my initials secured the blood inside each vessel. 

I pulled one from its nest and held it up in the light streaming through the kitchen’s bay window. The liquid glowed a rich, ruby red like a shard in a stained glass window. 

“Beautiful.” And odd. 

Sure, I was a half vampire and could appreciate a fine bit of blood, but I was still a human female and for me, nothing says, I’m sorry for disrupting your entire life like high-end jewelry or better yet an all-expenses paid trip with my boyfriend somewhere secluded, luxurious, and far away from vampire politics. Hell, I’d settle for the return of my boyfriend to San Francisco.

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