BOND OF FIRE - Diane Whiteside

Texas Vampires, Book 2

Berkley Sensation (Trade Paperback)

January 2008

Paranormal Romance

Texas - Both past and present day

A Companion to Sara Perez, Jean-Marie St. Just loathes the woman, but has no choice but to stay by her side. His only consolation is that her brother, Rodrigo Perez, is his friend and helps keep their little family together. Jean-Marie is content with his life until he walks into a glittering ballroom and sees her across the dance floor. She is beautiful, full of life, and he finds himself falling in love. Of course, their love can never be due to his service to Sara, but it still doesn't keep his heart from wanting her. Centuries pass and Jean-Marie comes face to face with a different woman. Helene is now A vampire and works for the British as a spy. He doesn't know what has happened since they last saw one another, but his heart still beats for Helene and he must have her now. Then tragedy strikes and Jean-Marie loses one who is dear to him. Will life ever be the same again?

Helene d'Agelet, eldest sister to Celeste, is a widow when she meets the very handsome St. Just. His charm, his smile, his kiss incite desire through her veins and she wishes more than anything to be with him forever. Alas, as she soon learns, that is not to be. Jean-Marie is companion to a vampiress, providing her with blood and sex. They go their separate ways and Helene and her sister Celeste soon find themselves orphaned as they watch their parents murdered. Helene curses all those who had a hand in the killings and using her unique gift, that of a firestarter, she burns them all. She becomes a secret weapon for the British, and also becomes a vampire. Centuries later, Helene and Jean-Marie meet again, and renew their acquaintance as well as begin working together to thwart the enemies war efforts. They fall in love more each day, but sometimes things happen that change the course of lives.

Can Helene deal with the knowledge that her sister, Celeste, is an evil and vindictive woman who wants nothing more than to kill Helene? What Helene can't figure out is why.

In BOND OF FIRE, we get more acquainted with Jean-Marie St. Just, and learn some history about Rodrigo Perez who is now called Don Rafael (see BOND OF BLOOD). Jean-Marie was deceived by Sara into becoming her concubino companero, giving him no choice but to have sex and share blood with her in order to survive. When he meets Helene everything changes. What he wouldn't give to leave Sara in the dust and share his life with Helene. Helene was married once to an older gentleman and they had a comfortable marriage. He was an explosives expert so he taught Helene quite a lot. With her inherent talents, this skill comes quite easily to Helene. She falls quick and furious for Jean-Marie and learns the truth about his companions when Sara instigates a little show. The story goes back and forth from present to past, with memories from both Jean-Marie and Helene throughout. However, readers also get an in-depth picture of Celeste, whom we have met before in BOND OF BLOOD. She is the Vampire Queen of New Orleans and one of the deadliest vampires you will ever meet. There are several things revealed throughout the story that explain why she is the way she is, and why she wants to kill her darling sister, Helene. Secondary characters include Sara, Rodrigo or Don Rafael, Celeste and her band of vamps, and a few others who play very minor roles in moving the story along.

Diane Whiteside pens an enchanting paranormal tale of blood, lust, and murder with her latest release, BOND OF FIRE.

Sinclair Reid