Book Title: Desires Unleashed : Knights of the Darkness Chronicles (Book 1)

Author: D.N. Simmons

Publisher: Rushmore Publishing; 3 edition (12 Nov 2010)

Book Length: 290 pages

Genre: Vampire Romance, Paranormal, Werewolf/Shifter

Book Blurb:

Desires Unleashed is the first novel in the riveting, highly addictive and sexually-charged Knights of the Darkness Chronicles. Experience the heart-pounding thrill of the chase in this electrifying page-turner as you uncover the mystery behind the series of gruesome killings that have been terrorizing the citizens of Chicago.

With mutilated bodies being discarded all around the thriving city of Chicago, the highly-trained, government-funded police force, better known as the S.U.I.T., has assigned two detectives to discover who or what is behind the series of gruesome murders. Soon into their investigation, the detectives realize that they are in over their heads and if they are going to stop the menace before the next attack, they are going to have to seek the help of two unlikely individuals.

Original, sexy and gritty, the Knights of the Darkness Chronicles will suck you in and take you for a ride you won't forget!

Character Teaser:

MEET VAMPIRE MASTER, DARIAN ALEXANDER:

The man himself. The Greek God breathtakingly gorgeous and incredibly dangerous at the same time. Don't let his piercing forest green eyes and school boy dimpled grin fool you, he's as deadly a predator as they come. His reputation is never misunderstood, those who know his name fear him. Darian is not someone to mess with, for he has ways of dealing with those who cross him. He controls the entire city of Chicago. Even the S.U.I.T. organization steers clear of him and his dealing. Jaded by his many years of existence, he has a tendency to be callous when it comes to humans. He's been there

and done that, so to speak and he's rarely surprised by humanity. His charm, intelligence and debonair personality is what drew the lovely and beautiful queen of the leopard Pride to him, even against her own Pride's wishes.

Unfortunately for Elise, there is but one person in his life that has his whole heart, his Xavier. At least, that is what he thought until he met Natasha. The young woman intrigues Darian, baffles him, even. He wants her and only time will tell for us to see if he gets what he wants.

Excerpt:

Darian smiled. He should be ashamed of himself, he thought. He couldn’t help that he was born with a gift and what affect that gift had on others. Without waiting for her consent, he trailed his fingertips in a wavy motion up her calves, working his way slowly to her thighs. Never taking his gaze from hers, he caressed her thighs, massaging the firm flesh. Leaning forward, he parted her legs, kissing very softly along the inside of her thighs from one side to the other, working his way up. His hand slid under her skirt and found her lace thong panties. Taking hold of them, he slowly slid them down past her thighs and calves.

She raised her feet so Darian could pull the panties off. He tossed them on his desk, and began his tender kisses again on her inner thighs. He could smell the seductive scent of her passion rising and feel the heat pulsating from between her legs. He inched forward and blew a long, slow breath over her quivering labia. She felt her muscles constrict as his breath tickled her delicate, soft flesh. Darian’s face inched closer until he heard Xavier’s soft footsteps approaching. He withdrew as his door opened.

“Ahhh, I see you’re interviewing the new assistant manager. Should I leave you alone to finish going over her ... Um ... credentials?” Xavier asked as he stood in the open doorway.

Darian frowned; agitated that Xavier had interrupted his sexual conquest.

“Give me a minute,” he said to Xavier as he rose to his feet.

He settled his gaze on Annette. He didn’t need to entrance her, he hadn’t needed to entrance any of his lovers. He didn't like influencing people to have sex with him. He felt it was cheating. He was more than confident that he could have anyone he wanted with just a little charm, and as it turned out, he hadn’t been mistaken.

“Annette, why don’t I see you in my office at ... oh, let’s say one o’clock?” he asked as he stroked her hair.

Annette struggled to remember something she had to do after work. Just when she was going to tell herself to forget about it, it came to her. “Oh, I can’t! I’m meeting my friend after work. We’re supposed to be celebrating her new job. Otherwise ... ,”

She rose from her seat and ran her hands down Darian’s chest. She had wanted to do that the moment she first laid eyes on him. It was all she thought it would be and more. He was firm and muscular under the soft, thin fabric of his black shirt. She could feel his muscles tightening under her touch. It was then she decided that Darian was the epitome of a Greek God.

Darian was set back, but not too disappointed. He had all the time in the world to seduce this one.

“Very well, perhaps tomorrow night then?” he asked as he took her hand and led her to the door. “Oh, and by the way, did you want the position?”

Annette remembered that was the reason she was called into his office in the first place.

“Oh yeah! I mean, yes. Most definitely. Thank you, sir,” she said, pleased at her good fortune.

“Please, when we are alone like this, call me Darian.”

Annette blushed. She hoped it didn't show. She nodded. Darian saw this as a perfect opportunity to steal a kiss and seal the deal. He leaned forward slowly and brushed his lips against hers. He could feel her lean into him, into his kiss. Ah, it was a thrill he felt often. It was a thrill he sought. He pulled back and opened the door for her. Annette smiled and walked out of the office. Darian watched Annette swish down the hallway and smiled. He knew she was putting an extra little sway to her hips for his benefit and he was pleased. His gaze shifted to Xavier. He walked away, leaving the door open for Xavier to close when he entered the room.

“So you weren't going to share with me, were you?” Xavier teased, leaning against the door frame.

“I was trying to get a taste test. So why was I interrupted?” Darian asked raising an eyebrow as he leaned against his desk, arms folded across his chest.

“Anthony’s here, shall I bring him in?”

Darian smiled in anticipation. “Yes.”

Xavier beckoned John inside the office. John had Anthony in his grip. The front of Anthony’s white t-shirt was spotted with blood and his blue jeans were so faded, they looked to have been several years old. Anthony’s hands were tied behind him. A black silk bag covered his entire head. Anthony stumbled into the room. John pressed hard on his shoulders, forcing him to his knees.

“Anthony, so nice of you to join us tonight,” Darian said as he walked toward the kneeling man.

He snatched off the black bag, peering into Anthony’s eyes. Darian ran his fingers through the other man’s hair, grabbed a handful of the blonde locks and yanked his head upward, bringing Anthony’s gaze to meet his. Anthony cried out at the pain shooting across his scalp as his hair was wrenched in Darian’s powerful grip.

“Anthony, Anthony, Anthony, tonight just isn’t your night, is it?” Darian asked as he ran a finger along Anthony’s bloody lip.

He raised his finger to his mouth and slowly sucked the blood away. His gaze drifted toward Xavier, who was already under the bloodlust. Xavier had not yet fed. He had been waiting patiently for Anthony’s arrival. The smell of Anthony’s blood in the air was making the wait unbearable. Xavier could taste the blood on his tongue and desperately wanted the real thing. He had control but it was weaker when he was under the Thirst.

“You should never have betrayed me, Anthony,” Darian said as he beckoned Xavier to come closer. “I don’t know what made you decide to steal from me and I don’t care. Just know it was your last mistake.”

The horrifying truth finally dawned on Anthony. His death was inevitable. He mentally cursed himself for not booking town. He should have never tried to wait for her. He should have hightailed it out of the city on the fastest plane to Timbuktu. He should have never opened the door. He should have known they’d come for him. Now he was going to die. A spark in his brain told him to try to escape.

“No!” Anthony screamed and tried to rise up from the floor, but John’s strong hands held him in an iron grip.

He couldn’t move an inch, not even to struggle. He watched in horror as Xavier stood in front of him, then knelt down. He cringed when Xavier caressed his face, softly with both hands. Tears rolled down his cheeks. Xavier leaned forward and caught a teardrop on his tongue, savoring his fear. A low groan rumbled through Xavier’s chest that was a mingling of pure hunger and lust.

My Thoughts:
I was thrilled when I got this book for review, it sounded just different enough to hold my attention and give me that something new I was looking for.
In the beginning, it seemed like there were several stories going on at once and we had 4 sets of characters. Trying to see how they interconnected was the difficult part. It took me awhile to really get into the story and I that that was part of the reason.
I will continue with the series as I want to know what will happen next. I really enjoyed the world and am looking forward to seeing more.

A Note From the Author:

Hello,

I’m very honored to be here and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this opportunity to meet new readers. My name is D.N. Simmons and I’m an urban-fantasy/paranormal romance author. My series Knights of the Darkness Chronicles is phenomenal, sexy, highly entertaining and completely addictive… well, that’s what I’ve been told. Who am I to disagree *giggle*. When I say that my series is unlike any other, I really mean it. You will NOT find another series quite like it in the genre. That was my sinister plan from the very beginning. I wanted to create a series with a platform that would take readers into a completely unique and bold direction with characters they could relate to. The story lines are original from book to book and they keep you engaged from the beginning to the end. I know that the shelves are filled with paranormal books, especially those involving vampires and shape-shifters. And if you’re a fan of the genre, like I am, you may think that you won’t find anything too original because the market is already flooded. That’s only because you haven’t read the KOTDC yet.

See, I’m the kind of person that gets extremely enthusiastic about awesome storytelling. When I finish reading a great book or watching an amazing movie, I’m still buzzing about it. One of the reasons why I get so excited is because of exceptional writing and imagination. I appreciate that so much, therefore, I knew I had to give my readers the very best I could give them.

The Knights of the Darkness Chronicles isn’t just a series you read. It’s a series you experience. You’ll know exactly what I’m talking about when you grab the first book. :D Trust me.

Email: authordnsimmons@dnsimmons.com

Website: http://www.dnsimmons.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorDNSimmons

Blog: http://www.dnsimmons.com/#!blog/cu34

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorDNSimmons

You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/user/dnsimmonsKOTD?feature=watch

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