First, We Kill All the Lawyers (Donovan Trait) Humorous Paranormal Romance by Seelie Kay ➱ Book Tour with Giveaway
Excerpt:
Donovan’s
cell phone pinged. He pulled himself into a small alleyway, away from the
stampede trudging back to their workplaces after lunch, and leaned back against
a building to read a text. His face screwed up in confusion. The text read, The
first thing we do, let’s kill all lawyers! Starting with you!
“What
the bloody hell?” he muttered. “Is this some kind of joke?” Donovan’s eyes
surveyed his surroundings. He gazed right, then left. It did not appear that
someone had made him the focus of their attention. Everyone was scurrying
about, like mice in pursuit of a big cheese. “Must be Finley,” he said. “Finley
is always plying me with lawyer jokes. He thinks he’s funny.”
Donovan
shrugged. Not funny at all. He left the alleyway and re-entered the mass
migration on the sidewalk. He approached the crosswalk at Michigan and Superior
and emitted a snort of frustration as the light changed and the crosswalk
filled with cars. He was bumped hard by someone behind him. Donovan was forced
to step into the street to regain his balance. A cab rushed by and narrowly
missed clipping his side. Donovan jumped back onto the sidewalk.
A woman
screamed and Donovan jerked his head around, trying to see what all the fuss
was about. The woman was pointing at him. Donovan frowned and turned away. God
save me from simpering females who saw the last issue of City Magazine. Donovan
had appeared on the cover after being named as one of Chicago’s most eligible
bachelors. Since then, he had learned that the female population was comprised
of women of questionable morals and distressing behavior. He was growing weary
of the attention. While his colleagues thought it a wise marketing strategy, it
had brought him nothing but unwanted female attention. He had become prey.
Vampires
were predators. They stalked their victims. Sometimes, they pursued them with a
vengeance. That was why he had joined the legal profession. His predilections
were well-suited to that particular world. Now, his role had apparently shifted
and he was not pleased.
Someone
tapped Donovan on the shoulder. “Sir? Are you alright? You’re bleeding. It
appears someone stuck a knife into your side.”
Donovan’s
mouth gaped and he turned toward the man who had spoken. Then he looked at
where the man pointed. There was indeed a knife sticking out of his left side
and a stream of his blood was flowing onto the sidewalk. He had a very high
threshold of pain. He hadn’t felt the knife thrust into his side. If it wasn’t
so appalling, he would be embarrassed. Donovan opened his mouth to reply. Then
the pain in his side exploded and his vision dulled. Slowly he slid onto the
sidewalk as if he planned to sit on the curb.
Then
everything went black.
An Interview with Seelie Kay:
Q. Why do you write romance?
Q. Do you prefer a certain type of romantic
hero?
I adore
smart, dashing gentlemen who aren’t afraid to live on the edge. They can be a
bad boy, a billionaire, a prince, or a secret agent. That hint of danger just
hooks me! However, I they have to be paired with strong, independent women who
aren’t afraid to fight for what they want, even love.
Q. Why did you write “First, We Kill All the
Lawyers?”
I have wanted to write a vampire tale for some time,
but had difficulty coming up with something consistent with current tropes.
Finally, I decided it was time to break all the rules. After all, vampires have
been around for centuries. Surely, they have evolved by now. And no doubt, they
have many of the same societal problems that humans do. However, I also wanted
the vampire to be a lawyer. The title came from my experience as a lawyer. I
can’t tell you how many times someone would quote Dick the Butcher, “The first
thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers.” (Shakespeare, Henry VI, Part 2, Act
IV, Scene 2.) They would laugh heartily, like they had just told a wonderful
joke, but for me, it was great inspiration for a story. What if someone was killing
lawyers?
Q. Obviously your former profession as a lawyer
impacts your writing!
My
friends say I am obsessed with justice and I guess that’s true. After 30 years,
the law and the legal world are so firmly embedded in my brain that I can’t
flush them out. That has become the lens through which I view the world and
that naturally guides my characters and plots. Injustice infuriates me, but it
also leads me to great stories! Even in this book, I find a way to explore
social and criminal justice issues.
Mystery ✔️
Suspense ✔️
Comedy ✔️
Snarky Characters ✔️
Romance ✔️
Vamps, Weres, and Humans ✔️✔️
An absolutely entertaining read with a bit of a cozy mystery feels to it.
Donovan, a very old and very handsome vamp, is targeted for death -Normally he would laugh off such an absurd threat
(*note* The author came up with such a creative way to ensure the death of a vamp first time I recall this method)
but after a few failed attempts, it does get a bit tiring.
So what to do?
Why fake it till you capture it
The only problem there is other attorneys are dying
And the woman he loves, who is human, is also a target
Can our band of mismatched heroes thwart out who-done-it before it's too late?
The cast for this series is quite colorful and extremely loveable -
from the weres to the humans I found myself quickly loving or loathing them.
The storyline was easy to follow and definitely kept me on my toes. It had a smooth 'ebb and flow' feel to it. Along with the main storyline, there are a few smaller stories that are also unveiling in the background.
Our protagonist was a bit unhinged but in some ways, I can't blame her - her other half was yuck! (a story within the story)
The romance(s) side of this tale falls into so many categories - from smexy as heck to sickly sweet even a budding one that is a bit comedic.
If you enjoy a touch of the eccentric doused in a bit of mystery sprinkled with the paranormal all shrouded in an urban setting
Then I highly recommend
Added to my must-read series list
Thanks for hosting "First, We Kill All the Lawyers" today! Your wonderful review is greatly appreciated!
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