I come by my fascination with the fey honestly. My family came to America from Donegal, Ireland, in 1795 and settled in the verdant hills of West Virginia. One item on my bucket list is to get to Donegal and see how many relatives still live there.
My fascination with demons, I guess, has its roots in my religious upbringing. Just as I have with vampires and werewolves, I’ve turned something considered wicked into someone wickedly hawt! I hope after reading HEART OF THE DEMON you’ll agree.
To help me along, my Pandora account certainly got its workout with this book. From my Filmscore station that played scores from Iron Man, Sherlock Holmes, and Halo 3; to my metal station that rocked out with Metallica, Ozzy Osbourne, and Rob Zombie; to my Celtic punk station that rolled with the Dropkick Murphys, Mumford & Sons, and Flatfoot 56, I had plenty of inspiration to help me write.
I have a more complete playlist on my website extras page, plus a detailed organizational chart of the Council and their liaisons.
Happy Reading!
cynthiagarnerbooks@gmail.com
http://cynthiagarnerbooks.com
Also by Kristen Callihan
Firelight
Moonglow
Praise for
The Darkest London Series
Moonglow
“Action-packed… This richly textured tale of 19th-century London interweaves intricately imagined and historically accurate scenes with red-hot sensual interludes. Like the first, a deeply compelling and imaginative story.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“4½ stars! Top pick! Darkest London glows with the light of Callihan’s creativity in the second installment of her unforgettable paranormal series. With a strong, sensually charged conflict, intense emotions, chilling suspense and thrilling action, readers will enjoy this haunting tale. Callihan sets the mark for a new style of paranormal historical.”
—RT Book Reviews
“I really loved this book, very sexy, and tons of adventure.”
—USA Today’s Happy Ever After blog
“A smart, intrepid heroine who is unaware of her own gifts, a tormented, deeply conflicted hero, and welcome characters from the previous series title combine with breathtaking sexual tension, seductive dialogue, and poignant tragedy to propel the complex plot to its intriguing conclusion… Dark, violent, and addictively enthralling, this exceptionally steamy tale is a worthy sequel to Callihan’s stunning Firelight and a perfect lure for WINTERBLAZE, the third sister’s tale.”
—Library Journal
“Simply fantastic… beautifully written… A Perfect 10 is rare for a debut author, probably more rare for the second novel, but Moonglow more than deserves the accolade.”
—RomRevToday.com
Firelight
“A compelling Victorian paranormal with heart and soul… The compulsively readable tale will leave this new author’s fans eager for her next book.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Beauty and the Beast meets Phantom of the Opera in this gripping, intoxicating story… An exceptional debut and the first of what promises to be a compelling series.”
—Library Journal (starred review)
“4½ stars! Top pick! Seal of Excellence! Like moths to a flame, readers will be drawn to the flickering Firelight and get entangled in the first of the Darkest London series… Callihan crafts a taut tale filled with sexual tension. This is one of the finest debuts of the season.”
—RT Book Reviews
“Firelight draws readers in… Murder, a secret society, and overwhelming desire keep Archer and Miranda on their toes—and keep readers turning pages.”
—BookPage
“A perfect 10! Firelight is a debut novel that will knock your socks off. Readers are not going to be able to casually read this novel. It’s a page turner… The growing passion between Archer and Miranda steams up the pages… Excellent secondary characters and an amazing premise… I can’t wait for the next book.”
—RomRevToday.com
“All this reviewer can say is wow! The sexual tension and story suspense is so thick it becomes tangible like the very fog of Victorian London.”
—TheRomanceReadersConnection.com
“This is one powerful story… Never read anything quite like it. Could not imagine the ending either. Read it—if you dare.”
—RomanceReviewsMag.com
“Evocative and deeply romantic… a beautiful debut.”
—Nalini Singh, New York Times bestselling author, on Firelight
“A sizzling paranormal with dark history and explosive magic! Callihan is an impressive new talent.”
—Larissa Ione, New York Times bestselling author of Immortal Rider
“A dark, delicious tale of secrets, murder, and love, beautifully shrouded in the shadows of Victorian London.”
—Hannah Howell, New York Times bestselling author of If He’s Dangerous
“Inventive and adventurous with complex, witty characters and snappy writing. Callihan will make you believe in the power of destiny and true love.”
—Shana Abé, New York Times bestselling author of The Time Weaver
“A sexy, resplendent debut with a deliciously tortured hero, an inventive supernatural mystery, and slow-building heat that simmers on each page. I can’t wait to see what Kristen Callihan comes up with next!”
—Meljean Brook, New York Times bestselling author of The Iron Duke
“A dazzling debut, sexy and thrilling. Callihan now has a place on my to-buy list.”
—Anya Bast, New York Times bestselling author of Dark Enchantment
“Utterly phenomenal! Sword fights, magic, a heroine with secret strengths, a hero with hidden vulnerability, and best of all, a true love that’s hot enough to burn the pages.”
—Courtney Milan, New York Times bestselling author of Unraveled
“A compelling and emotional page turner that will have readers burning the midnight oil.”
—Anna Campbell, award-winning author of Midnight’s Wild Passion
“A fantastic debut that has everything I’m looking for in a story: compelling conflict, beautiful writing, gripping sexual tension, and strong, intelligent characters.”
—Sherry Thomas, RITA Award–winning author of His at Night
“Lush and imaginative, Firelight will sweep you away.”
—Zoë Archer, award-winning author of Devil’s Kiss
“Combines romance, wit, and suspense in a fabulous retelling of Beauty and the Beast… with a supernatural twist.”
—Colleen Gleason, international bestselling author of The Gardella Vampire Chronicles
“Passionate and romantic, beautifully written and dark.”
—Elizabeth Amber, author of Bastian: The Lords of Satyr
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Contents
Welcome
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Prologue
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-one
Chapter Twenty-two
Chapter Twenty-three
Chapter Twenty-four
Chapter Twenty-five
Chapter Twenty-six
Chapter Twenty-seven
Chapter Twenty-eight
Chapter Twenty-nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-one
Chapter Thirty-two
Chapter Thirty-three
Chapter Thirty-four
Chapter Thirty-five
Chapter Thirty-seven
Chapter Thirty-eight
Chapter Thirty-nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-one
Chapter Forty-two
Epilogue
A Preview of Shadowdance
The Dish
Also by Kristen Callihan
Praise for The Darkest London Series
Newsletters
Copyright
Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Copyright © 2013 by Kristen Callihan
Excerpt from Shadowdance copyright © 2013 by Kristen Callihan
All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher constitute unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at permissions@hbgusa.com. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.
Forever
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First e-book edition: February 2013
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ISBN 978-1-4555-2080-0