Welcome to the Exclusive Cover Reveal for author Kim Fielding’s Ante Up, coming soon from Dreamspinner Press and the Dreamspun Beyond house line.
About the Book
Cover Artist: Aaron Anderson
Pre-Order Links: DSP eBook || DSP Paperback
Blurb: A century and a half ago, Ante Novak died on a Croatian battlefield—and rose three days later as a vampire. Now he haunts Las Vegas, stealing blood and money from drunken gamblers and staying on the fringe of the powerful vampire organization known as the Shadows. His existence feels empty and meaningless until he meets beautiful Peter Gehrardi, who can influence others with his thoughts.
An attraction flares instantly, bringing a semblance of life to Ante’s dead heart. But the Shadows want Peter too, and they’re willing to kill to get him. As Ante and Peter flee, they learn more about themselves and each other, and they discover that the world is a stranger place than either of them imagined. With enemies at their heels and old mistakes coming back to exact a price, how can Ante and Peter find sanctuary?
From Dracula to Spike and beyond, I’ve always been fond of vampire stories. Maybe it’s because some of my family came from Transylvania. And of all the locations in the United States it’s always seemed to me that vampires would prefer Las Vegas. Sure, it may be uncomfortably sunny outside, but Vegas offers ample opportunities for those with a taste for hemoglobin to find snacks ‘round the clock. That conclusion was on inspiration for Ante Up.
Another inspiration came when Amy Lane and I were driving to Vegas and stopped in Primm—about 45 minutes away—for a bathroom and coffee. We noticed how just beyond the parking lot of the casino, the empty desert stretches forever. And we decided that Primm looked like a place where lazy mobsters would dump the bodies.
So, vampires, Vegas, and mobsters. Add in a handsome young man with a killer sweet tooth, a dangerous frenemy on a mission, and an odd little settlement in Northern California, and you’ve got Ante Up. I hope everyone enjoys reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!
The Excerpt
“Y-y-you…,” Peter stuttered. “You bit me. You drank my blood!”
Blood. Ante pounced onto the bed. Peter tried to push him away but was no match for Ante, who held Peter’s hands aside while giving his neck a few rough licks. Then Ante stood again. “That stops the bleeding,” he said. He felt very naked.
Peter didn’t seem especially concerned about the current state of his neck. He sat up shakily. “You bit me. You have fucking fangs and you bit me and you drank my blood!”
“Just a bit. A few mouthfuls. Not enough to harm you.” The disclaimers sounded weak even to Ante’s ears.
“Fangs.”
Ante nodded, then shrugged. “Vampire.” He sighed. “I didn’t mean to bite. I’m sorry. I usually have more control than that.”
“Vampire.”
“Yes.”
“For real.”
Ante lifted his upper lip to better reveal his fangs. “Real.”
“But that’s not—”
Before Peter could finish his sentence, Ante tasted Peter’s blood still lingering in his mouth and remembered his own revelation. “What are you?” he demanded.
“Wh-what do you mean? You’re the one with the fucking Dracula teeth!”
“Boli me kurac!” Ante roared and then, acknowledging the rare lapse into his native tongue, made an effort to calm himself. “I have fed from hundreds of humans. Thousands. I know what humans taste like. They don’t taste like you.” Peter’s flavor was better. More complex, with a slight effervescent tingle like champagne bubbles on the tongue.
Peter shrank against the headboard, looking terrified and lost. “I don’t know what you mean,” he whispered.
And it was the damnedest thing, but Ante believed him.
About the Author
Kim Fielding is the bestselling author of numerous m/m romance novels, novellas, and short stories. Like Kim herself, her work is eclectic, spanning genres such as contemporary, fantasy, paranormal, and historical. Her stories are set in alternate worlds, in 15th century Bosnia, in modern-day Oregon. Her heroes are hipster architect werewolves, housekeepers, maimed giants, and conflicted graduate students. They’re usually flawed, they often encounter terrible obstacles, but they always find love.
After having migrated back and forth across the western two-thirds of the United States, Kim calls the boring part of California home. She lives there with her husband, her two daughters, and her day job as a university professor, but escapes as often as possible via car, train, plane, or boat. This may explain why her characters often seem to be in transit as well. She dreams of traveling and writing full-time.
The Novel Approach Reviews 
What an interesting premise!
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