It’s been a week. I broke my tooth. I broke my toe. I am not in a good mood but at least I got the marketing stuff done for Blood Red Roulette and here’s some more of it. It’s a bit longer than six sentences though (because I’m tired and sore and don’t have the brain power left to find 6 good ones)
Luc squinted up at him as he tried to place him. “You’ve been to the Alibi and Delilah’s, right?”
“Yes, Arrigo Giancarlo. Surprised you remembered me.”
Luc shrugged. “You ain’t hard and desperate-lookin’ like the rest. You stand out.” He had a delightful Cajun accent.
“What happened? Another bar fight?” Arrigo gained nothing by pretending he didn’t notice the shiner.
Luc’s gaze dropped, and he fussed with the water bottles, not even trying to hawk them to the passersby. “Something like that. The Alibi has a rough clientele. Ain’t the first time I’ve been hit.” He cast a glance into his mostly full cooler, rubbing the cross he wore on a thin chain. “No one’s buying today. Da ain’t gonna like this.”
“I’m sorry.” Arrigo shifted, trying to find more shade. His skin itched. He wondered if it was a drunk or one of Luc’s family who had hit him. He suspected Luc was lying. Pulling out his wallet, he offered Luc twenty dollars. “This should cover it.”
Shaking his head, Luc tucked his hands under his legs. “I can’t take that.”
“Please. You can keep the water,” Arrigo offered.
Luc went pale, making the black eye stand out more. “Then Da would want to know how I got the money without selling anything.”
The way Luc’s voice shook, Arrigo could imagine what Luc’s father would think, given Luc’s pretty, rather than handsome, face. With his fluffy curls, Luc presented a downright cherubic image.
Blurb Arrigo Giancarlo’s friends think he’s a rich young man with the unusual job of paranormal investigator, working with his psychic assistant in Las Vegas. In truth he’s a two-thousand-year-old vampire and member of the Chiaroscuro, a group of Supernaturals dedicated to keeping humanity safe from the more dangerous of their kind. He’s also openly bisexual… but alone.
When he spots Luc St. John in a bar, Arrigo is intrigued. What begins as an effort to repay the kindness shown to him in the past quickly turns into much deeper feelings for the suffering and displaced Cajun. For Luc’s part, he feels too poor, too uneducated, and too bound to his hateful family to ever be worthy of elegant and cultured Arrigo.
An old enemy, Eleni, blames Arrigo for murdering her true love. On the anniversary of that death, she’s back to take revenge. As Arrigo’s closest friends fall victim to savage attacks, he fears nothing will keep Luc safe. Should he break both their hearts and let Luc go, or is it too late? If Luc’s already in Eleni’s sights, Arrigo knows that like most things in Vegas, the odds are against him.
You can pre-order the paperback here (currently on sale)
It releases November 13th!
If you’d like to play along, Rainbow Snippets is a Facebook community where we post up 6 sentences of one of our LGBT stories every Saturday. It’s been fun and you can find it here. Be sure to check out all the offers! It’s been a great supportive group!
Jana Denardo 
