“This place is amazing!” Melissa swings around and drops her luggage on the foot of her bed.
“Holey Moly,” Lilly exclaims. “A balcony too.”
“We are gonna have so much fun.” AJ uses her 'Precious' to click picture after picture. Her present object of intention, a bird shaped bath towel.
Mary grunts. “That life jacket weighed a ton; it would probably drown me faster than without it. But, those Italian cabin guys sure know how to charm a girl.” She sighs.
“That’s cause you like your butt pinched, I personally did not care for the pinching stuff.” Mac slides out of her sweater. “We were lucky to get rooms so close to one another.
“Says you. You don’t have to room with a snorer.” Lyn walks through the adjoining room door.
Mary sticks her tongue out at Lyn. “I don’t snore, I breathe heavy.”
A loud blast of the boats horn signals the boat underway. The girls rush to the balcony waving and smiling to the people on shore. There are just a couple of people outside to celebrate getting underway; which they find rather odd. An Italian cruise ship on a beautiful day with no one out here sharing it. It seemed a bit odd to the girls. That and the large hats and heavy clothing, even gloves, that most of the people she’s seen wore. Lyn wonders if the Italians never heard of sun screen?
A bit later they sit in the posh dining area. “Wonder why there are so few people here?” Mac glances around the room. The normally blustering room is nearly empty save for a few tables.
“Yeah, kinda strange.” Melissa puts her fork down and mumbles. “This food tastes wonderful.
spinach ravioli with
marinara sauce, Risotto with
green apple and champagne
and to wash it down, Moscato
Rubino red wine. That isn’t the problem."
“Pssssst.” Lilly looks around and shakes her head.
“Pssssssst.” Mary notices the noise too and sees a spiffy dressed waiter behind a pillar near their table.
“Can I help you?” Mary asks.
Speaking so softly he can barely be heard he whispers. “This is a Vampire Cruise. They never eat here. If you want more lobster tails I got tons of them. Just let me know.” He disappears into the shadows.
“That doesn’t surprise me.” Melissa grins. “Our author has written a vampire story after all. And this is the celebration cruise. No problem she promised me that they brought the best blood available with them. We should be safe.”
“Should be? You knew about this and didn’t tell us.” Lilly gasps.
“It’s okay ladies Diana is mortal too. If she feels safe so should we.” AJ shivers. “Besides, I brought garlic.”
Melissa, Lilly, Mac, and Lyn, all laugh nervously as they look around the room. At that moment Diana Rubino author of A Bloody Good Cruise walks in and approaches the girls.
“Any problems ladies?” She asks. “Let me assure you, you are perfectly safe here. Most of those on this trip are vampires. But, they live every day amongst us and you would never know. You have nothing to fear. Is there anything you want to ask, that might make you feel more comfortable, and less afraid here? Diana nods to each of them, with a huge smile and warm reassurance. “Any questions?”
“Can I have a couple more lobsters please?” Mary asks…
Without more ado, let's find out more about Diana Rubino and her book 'A Bloody Good Cruise'.
A BLOODY GOOD CRUISE is a fun-filled blend of the vampire world and luxury cruises.
Romance author Mona is human. Ship’s doctor Fausto is a vampire. He can never be one of her kind, and she’s afraid to become one of his. As they sail the Mediterranean on a writers’ cruise, the couple is stalked by vampire hunters, and by Fausto’s notorious ex-wife, Lucrezia Borgia. Events force Mona and Fausto to team up with the hunters to capture Lucrezia, but where can they go from there?
With Fausto’s friend and Mona’s editor vamping it up and hunters on the loose, can this bloody good cruise have a happy ending?
Excerpt:
Mona forced a dose of cheer through her jangly nerves. Vampire hunters wouldn’t have the balls to attack Fausto and his friends on this ship. Security was tight. “Well, you’re here, so does that mean you’ve been going out, and aren’t confined to your house any more?”
Fausto shrugged. “Almost. I couldn’t wallow in self-pity forever. And I knew seeing you would make it worthwhile.”
She smiled and gave him a genuine Italian cheek pinch. “I’ll cheer you up, faccia bella, you can count on that. You must feel safe.” She gestured at the tacky duds. “I mean, relatively speaking.”
“Don’t let this scare you, but –” He glanced around over the rims of his shades. Uh-oh. Whenever he said “don’t let this scare you,” it scared her. “I got an ominous message at the doctor's office earlier.”
“What B” She swallowed a lump.
“What kind of ominous message?”
He looked away, shaking his head. “Nothing to get alarmed about. The hunters just want me to know they’re here. After the initial jolt wore off, I said, ‘okay, I’m being stalked again.’ But I’m used to it. It doesn’t make me constantly look over my shoulder like in the old days. My family’s murder gave me a reality check. If they want me, they’ll get me. I can’t let it interfere with my work, or what little leisure time I have here. And you shouldn’t either.” He gazed at her adoringly and cupped her cheek. His hand was surprisingly warm. “But you’re still scared. All the blood’s drained out of your face, and not in a good way.”
Reviews:
Romantic Times
http://www.romantictimes.com
Rating: 4 Stars
Don’t expect typical fang-sprouting bloodsuckers on this cruise. These vampires are Roman Catholic and they love garlic. An animated cast of characters populates a story that’s seductive and comical. It’s fun, frantic and fabulous. Board The Romanza and set sail on a high-seas adventure that promises a bloody good time.
Coffee Time Romance
http://www.coffeetimeromance.com
Rating: 4 Cups
From a hot tub of fun to a displeased ex-wife and a serial killer bent on revenge, A Bloody Good Cruise is a high seas adventure with twists and turns around every corner. The lively cast spins non-stop excitement with thrills and enough snags to keep the pages turning. Mona and Fausto are immersed in many complications, yet will do whatever it takes to make a go of their relationship. Diana Rubino crafts a good read with interesting players that never have a dull moment. Tessie is a wonderful secondary character that adds her own personality to this enchanting tale. --Cherokee, Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More
Reviewed by Patricia of Patricia's Vampire Notes
Mona Rossi is a romance writer whose recent books haven't been selling like they used to. What to do? Perhaps a luxury cruise for romance writers. Mona knows she can easily put something like this together, and she does.
Being with so many talented writers is certain to give her ideas for a new dynamite series. Also a cruise will
be a way to have some fun time with Fausto, the special, gorgeous vampire guy in her life. It just so happens Fausto works as a ship's doctor for the cruise line. With this perfect setup what could go wrong? Plenty of course.
|
Vincent Irizarri
Alias Fausto |
A band of vampire hunters have Fausto on their radar. This particularly nasty group, referred to by the vamps as Vampire Ball Busters, believe all such beings are the essence of evil and should be eradicated. To further complicate matters Fausto's former wife, the infamous Lucrezia Borgia, is onboard. She insists that their divorce was never legal therefore he should leave that human, Mona, and return to Italy to live with her, Lucrezia.
Many more complications arise in this lively, comic adventure-cum-romance. A fun treat for a lazy afternoon.
BIO
I'm a self-confessed history nut, my favorite eras being Medieval and Renaissance England, and all American history. I've written several novels set in England and the U.S., two time travel romances, a vampire romance, and a fantasy romance, FAKIN’ IT which received a Top Pick award from Romantic Times. I'm a longtime member of Romance Writers of America and the Richard III Society. In my spare time, I bicycle, golf, play my piano and devour books of any genre.
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