Friday, March 12, 2010

Angelology Excerpt and Giveaway



For this week's Free Book Friday Giveaway I have a signed copy of ANGELOLOGY by Danielle Trussoni along with an excerpt

Excerpt:

Central Park’s southwest corridor, New York City

Beyond the rush of Christmas shoppers, obscured in a pocket of icy tranquility, a ghostly figure waited upon a park bench. Tall, pale, brittle as bone china, Percival Grigori appeared to be little more than an extension of the swirling snow. He lifted a white silk square from the pocket of his overcoat and, in a violent spasm, coughed into it. His vision trembled and blurred with each seizure and then, in an instant of respite, resumed focus. The silk square had been stained with drops of luminous blue blood, vivid as chipped sapphires in snow. There was no more denying it. His situation had grown increasingly serious in the past months. As he tossed the bloodied silk onto the sidewalk, the skin of his back chafed. His discomfort was such that each small movement felt like an instance of torture.

Percival looked at his watch, a solid-gold Patek Philippe. He’d spoken to Verlaine only the previous afternoon to verify the meeting and had been very clear about the time—twelve o’clock sharp. It was now 12:05. Irritated, Percival leaned into the cold park bench, tapping his cane on the frozen sidewalk. He disliked waiting for anyone, let alone a man he was paying so well. Their telephone conversation the day before had been perfunctory, functional, without pleasantries. Percival disliked discussing business matters over the telephone—he could never quite trust such discussions—yet it took some restraint to resist inquiring after the details of Verlaine’s findings. Percival and his family had amassed extensive information about dozens of convents and abbeys across the continent over the years, and yet Verlaine claimed he had come across something of interest just up the Hudson.

Upon their first meeting, Percival had assumed Verlaine to be fresh from business school, a climber who dabbled in the art market. Verlaine had rather wild curly black hair, a self-deprecating manner, and a mismatched suit. He struck Percival as artistic in the way that men were at that time of life—everything from his attire to his manners was too youthful, too trendy, as if he had not yet found his place in the world. He certainly was not the sort Percival usually found working for his family. He later learned that, in addition to his specialization in art history, Verlaine was a painter who taught part-time at a university, moonlighted at auction houses, and took consulting work to get by. He clearly thought himself to be something of a bohemian, with a bohemian lack of punctuality. Nevertheless, the young man had shown himself to be skilled at his work.

Finally Percival spotted him hurrying into the park. As he reached the bench, Verlaine extended his hand. “Mr. Grigori,” he said, out of breath.


“Sorry to be late.”

Percival took Verlaine’s hand and shook it, coolly. “According to my exceedingly reliable watch, you are seven minutes late. If you expect to continue to work for us, you will be on time in the future.” He met Verlaine’s eye, but the young man didn’t appear chastened in the least. Percival gestured in the direction of the park. “Shall we walk?”

“Why not?” Glancing at Percival’s cane, Verlaine added, “Or we could sit here, if you’d like. It might be more comfortable.”

Percival stood and followed the snow-dusted sidewalk deeper into Central Park, the metal tip of the cane clicking lightly upon the ice. Not so very long ago, he had been as handsome and strong as Verlaine and wouldn’t have noticed the wind and frost and cold of the day. He remembered once, on a winter walk through London during the 1814 freeze, with the Thames solid and the winds arctic, that he had strolled for miles, feeling as warm as if he were indoors. He was a different being then—he had been at the height of his strength and beauty. Now the chill in the air made his body ache. The pain in his joints drove him to push himself forward, despite the cramping in his legs.

“You have something for me,” Percival said at last, without looking up.


Reprinted by arrangement with Viking, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., from Angelology by Danielle Trussoni.
Copyright © 2010 by Danielle Trussoni

To enter to win this signed copy:

please leave a comment on this post along with email contact info

Open to US Shipping Only

+5 entries for being a Fang-tastic Books Follower

+5 entries for being @RoxanneRhoads Twitter Follower

Contest Closes Tuesday March 16 Midnight EST

Winner Announced Wednesday March 17

36 comments:

Ellz said...

This looks great, I can't wait to read it. Thanks for the chance.

+5 follower
+5 twitter follower
@EllzReadz

zenfoxflowerATyahooDOTcom

Anonymous said...

Thank you for hosting this. I've been wanting to read this for a few weeks now but I can't buy it until after Easter lol. (Lent)

Anonymous said...

Wow forgot to say +10 for being a follower on both.

Susan Blexrud said...

Fabulous contest, Roxanne. You are doing an AMAZING JOG with Fang-tastic Books. Your site just keeps getting better and better. I looked at this book yesterday at Barnes & Noble, and it's GORGEOUS! We vampire writers are going to need to kick it up a notch. The angels are invading!!!!

You know I follow you all over the place, and I'll post this great contest to my Facebook page.

susanblexrud@bellsouth.net

Unknown said...

Hi Roxanne! I love angels just as much as I love vampires. As you know from the excerpt I posted here when I guest-blogged, I love the idea of creating alternate histories for biblical figures. I can't wait to read this book. It sounds fantastic!

+5 for being a follower (i'd love to say i follow you on twitter, too, but i'm still twitter-illiterate)

Have a great weekend and stay wicked!

iasa said...

i'm looking forward to reading this.

i follow your blog.

Jason said...

thanks for the chance to win!

+5 entries for being a Fang-tastic Books Follower

Jase
vslavetopassionv(at)aol(dot)com

Reading said...

I love my vampires, but angels are becoming a close second. I just can't get enough of them lately.

+5 I am a follower.


lizzi0915 at aol dot com

Wicked Walker said...

I can't wait to read this!

+5 follower
+5 twitter @wicked_walker

booknerdd(at)gmail(dot)com

Anonymous said...

I've heard a lot about this book over at VampChix but I haven't had a chance to go hunt for it yet.

Just started Archangel's Kiss yesterday and I'm in an angel frame of mind. Interesting mythology/lore involved.

+5 for following

Anna
vampchixreadbooks@gmail.com

D Q said...

This looks like a great book.
+5 follower

tetewa said...

I've been hearing alot about this one, sounds good! tWarner419@aol.com

Carol said...

I am dying to read this. I'm a follower here and on Twitter (@carolsnotebook)

Thanks!

carolsnotebook at yahoo dot com

Tawania said...

This book sounds fascinating. I can't wait to read it.

+5 follower
+5 follow on twitter @ tawania_e

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The Scarf Princess said...

I'm fascinated by the sound of this. Angels seem to be getting more popular and I like seeing the different mythos surrounding them.

+5 I'm a follower
+5 I'm a twitter follower (@jone402)

joderjo402 AT gmail DOT com

Andrea I said...

It looks like a great book and I would love to win it.


+ 5 Follower
+5 twitter follower @lillieblue613


ainfinger@comcast.net

Kelsey said...

Thanks for posting the excerpt and hosting the giveaway. Sounds like a great book and I would love to review it on my blog!

I am an old follower.

I am a Twitter follower.

-Kelsey
krae991@yahoo.com
www.thedoortowonderland.blogspot.com

Van Pham said...

looking forward to reading this, thanks for giving us the chance to win it!

+5 blog follower
+5 twitter follower (vanpham88)

littopandaxpress(at)yahoo(dot)com

misskallie2000 said...

WOW, I have got to read this book. Angelology has got to be a very good, no, a great read. I love suspense and mystery. Thanks for the opportunity to enter and for your great review.

+5 Fang-tastic Books Follower

+5 @RoxanneRhoads Twitter Follower (@misskallie2000)

misskallie2000 at yahoo dot com

misskallie2000 said...

I just retweeted
ANGELOLOGY by Danielle Trussoni Free Book Friday at Fang-tastic Books giveaway www.fang-tasticbooks.blogspot.com
about 2 hours ago via web
Retweeted by you

misskallie2000 at yahoo dot com

Rosie said...

I'm so anxious to read this book. Thanks for the contest!

+5 follower

rosie0512 @ hotmail . co

Estella said...

This book sounds fantastic!

+5 follower

kissinoak at verizon dot net

Sandy Jay said...

This sounds so good. I'd love to win it. Please enter me in the drawing.

+5 follower

forwhlz at gmail dot com

SiNn said...

this book sounds awesome! and would love for a chanceto read this

mortalsinn@yahoo.com


+5 entries for being a Fang-tastic Books Follower

+5 entries for being @RoxanneRhoads Twitter : @bainesgoddess

Persephone said...

I would love to read this book~

+5 GFC follower


patronus89013 at yahoo dot com

Amanda Leigh said...

I'm loving the sounds of this book!

+5 follower
+5 twitter follower (@NRSVampChick)

notreallysouthernvampchick(at)gmail(dot)com

donnas said...

Looks great. Thanks for the chance.

+5 blog follower
+5 twitter follower (@donnas1)

bacchus76 at myself dot com

Luvdaylilies said...

I want to read this soooo badly!
+5 follower
+5 twitter follower~Luvdaylilies
Luvdaylilies at bellsouth dot net

Luvdaylilies said...

I want to read this soooo badly!
+5 follower
+5 twitter follower~Luvdaylilies
Luvdaylilies at bellsouth dot net

Anonymous said...

I would love to read this book, please count me in! It sounds so interesting. :D

+5 Follower

+5 Twitter Follower (@thegoodgonegirl)

Anna ♥
goodgonegirl@gmail.com

Yan said...

I saw this at B&N a few days ago and was so tempted to run off with it! Alas I didn't because I'm a strict spending budget right now xD I love the intensity of the cover!

Follower on the blog and twitter (@ylin061) :)

yan.pocky(at)gmail.com

I ♥ Book Gossip said...

Love love this book. Please count me in.

+5 Follower

+5 Blogged
http://juniperrbreeeze.blogspot.com/2010/03/march-contests.html

+5 Twittered

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Kristen said...

Looks great!

+5 Follower
+5 twitter follower @bookgoil

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Unknown said...

WOw this looks gr8 I am a
follower +5
and +5 twitter follower..

Ill pay post if I win Im in Australia,.. :DDDDD pleaseseeee if not book look fab anyway.. xxo
:D

cindyrella64 said...

Please enter me!...I'm a follower!

cindyrella64@hotmail.com

halukacy said...

Sounds great! Can't wait to read it!
+5 follower
+5 twitter follower @halukacy

halukacy at yahoo dot com

 
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