MELISSE AIRES : Excerpt Monday-- Del Fantasma : Tiger Juice

It IS Excerpt Monday! Here is a Link to the main blog list of those participating:

AUTHORS
Bria Quinlan, Rom Com (PG)
Gina Ardito, Historical Paranormal (PG)
Kinsey W. Holley, Paranormal (PG)
Cynthia Justlin, Romantic Suspense (PG)
Jeannie Lin, Historical (PG)
RF Long, Fantasy (PG)

Mel Berthier, Urban Fantasy (PG-13)
Lynne Chandler, Romantic Suspense (PG 13)
Babette James, Fantasy Romance (PG-13)
Ansha Kotyk, Middle Grade Adventure (PG 13)
Adelle Laudan, Romantic Suspense (PG 13)
Crista McHugh, Historical Paranormal Romance (PG-13)
Alina Morgan, Urban Fantasy (PG 13)

Leah Braemel, Contemporary Erotic Romance (R)
Evie Byrne, Paranormal (R)
Jax Cassidy, Erotic Contemporary (R)
Cate Hart, YA (R)
Inez Kelley, Rom Com (R)
Ainslinn Kerry, Paramornal Romance (R)
Elise Logan, Paranormal/contemporary (R)
Suzanne McLeod, Urban Fantasy (R)
Annie Nicholas, Paranormal Romantic Suspense (R)
Vivienne Westlake, Historical Erotica (R)

Ella Drake, Erotic Paranormal Romance (NC-17)
Kirsten Saell, Erotic Romance/Fantasy (NC-17)
Kate Willoughby, Fantasy/Parnormal Erotic Romance (NC-17)

Tiger Juice released this week!

EXCERPT

Eight o’clock at night seemed like an odd time for a job interview, but Letha figured it was normal for a restaurant and bar. She pulled into the parking lot and took a moment to calm herself.

She’d solved her clothing crisis, somewhat, with a couple pairs of black pants from a second hand store. At the beach she’d cut up the long Covenant dresses so she could tuck them in like a shirt. It still wasn’t like what other people wore, but it was closer than the long dress. She’d taken her hair down, too. Instead of the bun that marked aher at the Covenant as a married or widowed woman, she now wore a braid that fell down her back to her waist.

The Del Fantasma was a Spanish style adobe building, like many around here. She liked the clean colors of adobe and the red tiled roofs. The windows were heavily shuttered, and the exterior was well kept with just a little landscaping. It looked like a nice place to eat.

Letha walked in to the Del Fantasma and blinked, then blinked again. She was seeing with the Demon Sight—and she wasn’t even trying! Auras, pulsing with color, assaulted her inner eye.

She whirled around and rushed back outside, heart pounding. Everything looked normal.

That building, it is bringing out the demon in me!

Letha shook that thought off. She was like her mother, and she didn’t care what anyone said, her mom had not been evil! While she hesitated, calming her pounding heart, she thought of the thirty dollars in her backpack, and the truck stop last night. She had looked around the town for a job today, but few places were hiring. She needed a job, desperately, and she needed to stay here in Point Loma, because for some reason, she felt like she needed to. Taking a deep breath, she walked back into the dark building.

A young man with a bright aura was at the bar. “Can I help you?”

“I have a job interview with Cody Warren.” She refused to look around at all; one aura was enough to deal with.

“Right. I’ll tell him you’re here.”

Soon he returned and she followed him behind the bar to a small office.

“Here she is, boss,” her escort said, and returned to the bar.

Letha entered a small office where a large, dark haired man sat behind the desk. His aura was odd, pulsing black and red. Black and red—what did that mean? Normal auras were green and yellow and blue—out of the corner of her eye she saw glowing orbs near him.

The spirits of the dead! She gasped and froze, unable to keep her eyes off them.

The man looked at her but she couldn’t move. He stood, then came around his desk to lead her to a small sofa. “It’s alright. Really it is. Nothing will hurt you here.”

“Spirits! Th-this place is h-haunted,” she finally was able to speak. The orbs were still around, them, not evaporating like normal spirit orbs.

“You have the Sight,” the man said. “Yes. The Del Fantasma is a haven, of sorts, for those who are different. Like you and me. The ghosts will not hurt you. Whatever their reasons for taking refuge here, they are not here to harm.” His blue eyes seemed to look right through her.

“I’m Cody Warren,” he said “I own the Del Fantasma. You must be Letha Reicher.”

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