★ 2014 USA Best Books Award Finalist ★ Hidden deep beneath the city of San Diego is the mysterious town of Ţărână. Nothing here is as it seems. Because everything they tell her is a lie. Debilitated by scoliosis as a child, Marissa Bonaventure seems the unlikeliest woman in the world to carry a rare, powerful gene. But it is exactly for her unique genetics that she’s snatched from her bed one dark night, a coveted prize in a battle between demons. Her world rapidly unravels in unspeakable terror…until a shadowed, black-haired stranger rescues her. Spirited off to the safety of a subterranean town, Marissa agrees to stay there and work her dream job for one year. But secrets hide around every corner, none more confusing than those shrouding her hunky hero. Special operative Dev Nichita has found her at last - his true mate. But the lies he’s been forced to tell her put their fledgling relationship at risk when it finally comes out that he’s a vampire. More than that, Dev is a Pure-bred male, steeped from birth in his family’s arrogance and pride, so when Marissa pulls away from him, he can’t handle her rejection. Bitterly, he drives her further away…until a devastating tragedy calls him back to her. Now he has the chance to right his wrongs. But just when he’s on the verge of triumph, a treacherous move by his spiteful mother banishes Marissa from his life forever…unless he’s willing to kill an innocent. Content guidelines : contains profanity, fighting, and open-door love scenes "Ms. Tappan colors outside the lines and creates an amazing tale of love, loss, betrayals and personal growth all in a fantasy world of her own creation. Love the dialogue, the camaraderie, the banter and the male angst. She writes with heart, bold strokes, and gives life to the impossible, all at a fast pace that kept me on the edge of my seat!" ~ Dianne Bylo of Tome Tender "There is a lot of unexpected humor that makes the story fantastic to read. There is a whole lot of steamy romance, too, but it is the humor that I truly love. The story is fast-paced with lots of action and twists and turns, too, making it impossible to put down. There was another story within the story, that of Dev's mother, that really added a lot to the mythology of the community. It was one that also brought a whole new level of frustration and angst to the story!!" ~ Kim Deister of The Caffeinated Diva "Good grief I love this series!! The fight scenes are fast and furious, but had moments where you would chuckle. Especially, the one-liners the Varcolac would throw out." ~ Julie Nailz of The Reading Café "Dev and Marissa fit together like two pieces of a puzzle! They both went through some shattering experiences and I honestly don't know what they would have done without each other to lean on. They had a strong connection to begin with and I loved seeing how it developed over time." ~ Rachel Poole of Cullen House Reviews Tracy Tappan is a bestselling and award-winning author and the creator of the Choose A Hero Romance(TM) reading experience, a brand-new concept in storytelling where the reader controls the ending. You can find out more about this exciting new trend at chooseahero.com. Tracy's books in paranormal and military romance have earned both bronze and gold medals in the Readers' Favorite contests, have finaled for the USA Book News and Kindle Book Awards, and won both the HOLT Medallion and the Independent Publishers Book Award (IPPY).Tracy holds a master's degree in Marriage, Family, Child Counseling (MFCC), loves to play tennis, enjoys a great glass of wine, and talks to her Labrador like he's a human (admittedly, the wine drinking and the dog talking probably go together).A native of San Diego, Tracy is married to a former Navy helicopter pilot, who retired after thirty years of service. He and Tracy spent over ten years living in Rome, Italy, in the diplomatic corps.Visit her website and join the gang on her monthly newsletter for giveaways, publication updates, and other fun and sexy news. Tracytappan.com