Spotlight & Giveaway: Immortal By Morning by Lynsay Sands

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Lynsay Sands to HJ!

Hi Lynsay Sands and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, Immortal By Morning!

Hi Sara!
 

Please summarize the book for the readers here:

This time we’re tagging along with Detective Crispinus Delacort, a rogue enforcer who’s more used to dealing with mischievous kids than murder cases. Everything changes when a set of human bones is found in a quiet country garden—and the discovery is made by none other than his potential life mate, Abril Newman.

Poor Abril, just looking after someone’s house, suddenly finds herself smack in the middle of a chilling crime scene with multiple bodies. And with Crispin leading the investigation, there’s undeniable chemistry crackling between them, making things even more interesting. The catch? There’s a serial killer on the loose, raising the stakes for everyone involved. Crispin’s job just got a lot more intense, and the danger is very real. Still, if anyone can solve the case, protect the innocent, and maybe steal a few stolen moments with Abril, it’s this determined detective.

Get ready for a story where romance and suspense go hand-in-hand, and where every clue brings Crispin and Abril closer together—both to the truth and to each other.
 

Please share your favorite line(s) or quote from this book:

One moment that really made me smile is when Abril first met Lucian, Anders, Bricker, Decker, and Cassius.

Imagine this—her kitchen suddenly filled with these serious, intimidating guys, all dressed in black and deep in discussion about the case. Most people would probably be nervous or even scared, but Abril’s first thought? She couldn’t help but compare them to a boy band! LOL

Like Roberts and Crispin, the five newcomers were all handsome. They were also all aged somewhere in the mid to late twenties. Each man was dressed in black, whether that was black jeans and T-shirt, or black leather pants and T-shirt. Three of them even had similar features to Crispin. In fact, the only way that any of them differed was that their hair color ranged from platinum blonde to almost black and the length of their hair ranged from short to shoulder length.
They look like a bloody boy band, she thought. She could imagine teen girls throwing themselves at them, begging for autographs and squealing happily over being in their presence.
A short bark of laughter from one of the men caused a sudden shifting amongst all of them. Most of which consisted of them all turning away as if to hide their expressions. It was followed by choking sounds, and throat-clearing coughs, along with shaking shoulders that suggested they were laughing at her.

Please share a few Fun facts about this book…

• The lab’s name is Lilith, the infamous name of a primordial she-demon, and though at times she can be a holy terror (I mean she was the one to uncover the bodies in the garden) luckily for Abril she only lives up to her name occasionally
• Every time Abril’s boss would get upset about her ex leaving her she’d go down to her living room garden and “pinch the little pecker off one of the Naked-man orchids”
• Lucian called Abril “little girl” which she wasn’t too happy about Abril got away with calling Lucian a “bossy prick” which is unheard of… LOL

What first attracts your Hero to the Heroine and vice versa?

**Abril’s attraction for Crispin was immediate, and the first time they’re in proximity to one another, even with an audience, the magnetic pull between them is undeniable and so funny…**

Delacort chuckled, his warm breath brushing her ear. That and the deep, rich sound of his amusement actually sent a shiver through Abril’s body. It was because of the cold, she assured herself. That was a shiver of cold, not excitement. Dear God, the man was gorgeous and sexy as hell and—You are obviously delirious from the cold, she told herself firmly. There is a dead body or three in the garden. This is no time for flirting, or even noticing the man is attractive. Get inside, get these wet clothes off, make coffee, and answer their questions like the smart executive assistant you are.
“Shall I get the door for you?”
Abril blinked at the question, and then realized she was standing in front of the double doors, her fingers merely lightly clasping the door handle. Before she could shake herself out of her stupor, Delacort suddenly reached past her to do as he’d offered. His fingers glided against hers as he grasped the handle and opened the door.
Abril closed her eyes as his chest pressed against her back and she was half encompassed by his arm and body. The chaos that set off inside her wasn’t just embarrassing, it was downright alarming. She’d never reacted like this to anyone, ever in her life. What was he? Some kind of warlock or something with a love spell, or more accurately a lust spell that was turning her into a bitch in heat? Hell, if she had a tail like Lilith, it would be wagging right now. She was actually surprised her tongue wasn’t hanging out.
Abril was tempted to lean back into the man, but before she could, she was dragged forward as Lilith suddenly lunged through the open door.

**Crispin realizes it almost immediately when his unexpected fascination with her hiney is pointed out to him… it’s a pretty funny scene.**

Eyebrows high on his forehead, Crispin gaped after Abril as she stumble-jogged through the entry and out of sight to the right, pulled along behind the Lab. He then turned to Roberts when his partner chuckled.
“Are you laughing?” he asked with disbelief. Roberts rarely laughed. The man was usually the inscrutable stare type of guy, but he was definitely laughing now.
“Oh, yes. I am laughing,” Roberts assured him. “Between her thinking if she had a tail, it would be wagging, and your fascination with where that tail would be on her, I just cannot help it.”
“I am not fascinated with her ass,” Crispin growled with irritation, telling himself it was true. He’d merely been peering at her behind because he was . . . well, behind her.
Robert released another chuckle. “Sure. So if she had been facing you, you would have been eyeing her other goods?”
“No, I would not. I—Wait.” He narrowed his gaze on his partner. “Are you reading my thoughts? You are,” he accused when Roberts merely shrugged. “How the hell are you reading my thoughts? I am older than you.”
“I do not know, my friend,” Roberts said, slapping him on the shoulder and moving past him to enter the house. “You are a detective. Sort it out. How could I possibly be able to hear your thoughts? When are older immortals vulnerable to being read by immortals younger than themselves?”
Crispin opened his mouth, closed it, and then his eyes widened incredulously. “No,” he said, denying the thought that immediately came to mind. Then, realizing that he was just standing there on the stoop alone, he stepped inside and pushed the door closed behind him.

Did any scene have you blushing, crying or laughing while writing it? And Why?

**This scene made me laugh a lot! Watching anyone go head-to-head with Lucian is always entertaining, but this moment takes the cake. Abril has no problem calling Lucian out, and he’s quick to fire back, making their banter feel sharp and hilarious. The best part? The enforcers witnessing this showdown are totally taken aback by Abril’s guts. They can barely hide their surprise at how boldly she stands up to Lucian. It’s one of those rare exchanges that shows just how fearless and quick-witted Abril can be. **

Crispin opened his mouth to say something, but before a single word could leave his lips, Lucian said, “I am the one asking questions, little girl. And I expect an answer.”
Scowling, she rounded on the man. “You are a bossy prick, sticking his nose in where it doesn’t belong and I’m getting really tired of your high-handed bullshit. I mean, who the hell died and made you the lord and master?”
“Most of Atlantis,” he snapped back.
“Bricker is going to be seriously upset that he missed this,” Roberts murmured, sounding amused.
She thought Cassius might have cracked the briefest smile, but it was quickly gone and he merely grunted in agreement.
“Abril, sweetheart,” Crispin said soothingly, “Lucian is—”
“Lucian is tired, bored, and ready to go home to his beautiful life mate and children,” Lucian interjected, getting to his feet. “So, I shall save us all some time and tell you, Crispin, that she has already decided to be your life mate. I just wanted you to hear her say it. But since she has decided to be pissy . . .”
“I’ve decided to be pissy?” Abril asked with disbelief.
“Yes,” he said simply, and then turned to head out of the kitchen, barking, “Make sure we have everything we brought with us, boys, and let’s get moving. If we are quick, we can make it home before dawn.” Pausing at the doorway, he swung back to spear Cassius with a look. “I presume you are staying to help Detective Roberts out until Crispin gets the worst of this new life mate business out of his system?”
“Yes,” Cassius said at once. “I already discussed it with Alexander and he is fine with that.”
“Good,” Lucian said abruptly and then glanced from Abril to Crispin and announced, “I expect an invitation to the wedding.”
He was out of the room before Abril could grab something to throw at him. The man was just—

**This second scene stood out to me as one of the most romantic moments that can happen between two people who are just starting to fall for each other. What makes it feel so genuine is Abril’s hesitation—she’s clearly developing feelings for Crispin, but it’s just been a few days. Jumping straight to “I love you” would feel rushed and a little unrealistic, don’t you think? Sometimes, the most honest thing you can do is hold back, even when your heart is racing ahead. Abril’s restraint actually speaks volumes about her sincerity. It’s such a relatable situation—we’ve all been there, wanting to express our feelings but not wanting to move too fast.**

“Oh,” she breathed and smiled crookedly. “That’s good, because I really, really lust for you, and I like you a lot so far, and would hate to lose you.”
“You will never lose me, Abril,” he assured her solemnly, and began to caress her again as he eased her back onto the bed. “I have waited three thousand years for you. Now that I have found you, you are stuck with me.”
“I can handle that,” she groaned, arching into his caress. “Now shut up and love me.”

Readers should read this book….

Abril and Crispin are two characters you’ll find yourself cheering for as their chemistry practically leaps off the page, even with a relentless serial killer on the prowl. Their journey isn’t just about survival—it’s about navigating the intense pull of being destined life mates. Add in the delightful chaos and warmth that the Argeneau family always brings to the scene, and you’ve got a wild ride filled with suspense, romance, humor, and of course some family drama.

What are you currently working on? What other releases do you have in the works?

Right now, I’ve started working on a new romantasy series—it’s still so fresh that I haven’t even settled on a title yet —so that’ll be a surprise for both of us. I know it’s a bit of a tease, but I promise to share more as soon as I can!

On top of that, I’m also working on the next book in the Argeneau series. This one features the daring pirate Vasco and a brand-new character, Cynthia, who brings her own spark to the story—she lives in Cardinal Retirement Park, a quirky and fun mobile home community.

Both projects are keeping me busy and excited, and I can’t wait for you to meet these new characters. Stay tuned, because I’ll definitely be sharing updates as things come together.
 
 

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: Two signed paperback editions of Immortal By Morning!

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: Imagine you’re house-sitting for a friend, just hoping for a few quiet days, when your dog starts digging in the garden and, to your horror, uncovers a body. That’s exactly what happened to Abril and the lab she was looking after, Lilith. And as if one body wasn’t shocking enough, soon more are discovered.
Now, picture this happening in your own neighborhood… would you immediately start packing your bags, or would curiosity get the better of you? Or maybe you’d want to stick around and try to solve the mystery yourself, channeling your inner detective?
So, do you move for peace of mind, or stay for a little adventure?

 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

 
 

Excerpt from Immortal By Morning:

Abril froze when the men who had just entered the kitchen turned as one to stare at her. She hadn’t thought her question of what an immortal was would be a problem, but the silence and the expressions the men wore were suggesting the question was unwelcome. As she waited for one of them to respond, she found her gaze ranging over the group.
Like Roberts and Crispin, the five newcomers were all handsome. They were also all aged somewhere in the mid to late twenties. Each man was dressed in black, whether that was black jeans and T-shirt, or black leather pants and T-shirt. Three of them even had similar features to Crispin. In fact, the only way that any of them differed was that their hair color ranged from platinum blonde to almost black and the length of their hair ranged from short to shoulder length.
They look like a bloody boy band, she thought. She could imagine teen girls throwing themselves at them, begging for autographs and squealing happily over being in their presence.
A short bark of laughter from one of the men caused a sudden shifting amongst all of them. Most of which consisted of them all turning away as if to hide their expressions. It was followed by choking sounds, and throat-clearing coughs, along with shaking shoulders that suggested they were laughing at her. Although she couldn’t imagine why asking what an immortal was would cause such amusement.
Wondering if her head injury had made her misinterpret things, or perhaps her hair was standing up in all directions, Abril shifted her gaze to Crispin in question. But he seemed just as confused as she was, and merely stepped closer to her in support. The moment he did, she asked in almost a whisper, “Who are these men? Are they also homicide detectives?”
She suspected they couldn’t be. At least, she found it hard to believe that London needed seven homicide detectives. Especially since Crispin had said that there were not enough homicides in London to keep him and Roberts busy.
“These are . . . coworkers,” Crispin said, and Abril raised her eyebrows because she’d just decided they couldn’t be homicide detectives, so what kind of coworkers were they? However, he misunderstood what her questioning look meant and quickly pointed to the ice blond saying, “Abril, this is Lucian Argeneau, the big boss.”
Lucian was the one with the cup of coffee. He had similar features to Crispin and the same beautiful silver-blue eyes, but his hair was ice blond. Before Abril could ask if Lucian was related to him, and if when he said “the big boss” he meant this Lucian was the chief of police or something, he’d moved on. “The man next to him is Anders.”
Anders was a handsome, dark-skinned man with a body a swimsuit model would kill for. He had slim hips, a narrow waist, and then a chest and shoulders that were twice as wide and muscular.
“This is Bricker,” Crispin continued, waving toward a leaner dark-haired man with green eyes tinged with silver who didn’t look anything like the other men.
“Decker,” he said gesturing to a man with dark hair and who did have similar features to Crispin.
“And Cassius,” Crispin finished, pointing to the last man who didn’t just have similar features to Crispin, but could have been a twin except that his hair was blond rather than dark like Crispin’s.
“They are brothers.” The speaker was Lucian, the tall icy blond with the air of authority who appeared so arrogantly comfortable in Gina’s kitchen. Before she could ponder long on the fact that his comment was almost like he’d read her thoughts, he added, “Decker is a cousin, and all three are my nephews.”
Abril’s eyes were widening at the nepotism of the local police force, when Lucian continued by asking, “Can you describe your attacker?”
Abril suspected he was arrogant in more than acting like he owned the place. She couldn’t have said why she felt that way, this was only the second time he’d spoken, but she’d always been able to quickly peg people and know how to handle them. She suspected it had something to do with her childhood, where making a misstep could bring about grievous punishment.
“Your attacker?” Lucian repeated impatiently.
For a fraction of a second, her mouth thinned with irritation at his tone, but she quickly smoothed it out and considered the question. Her mind went back to her memories of the previous night and the intruder in her bedroom. She’d been in the middle of a rather spicy dream involving Crispin, the couch in her future office, and the ability she’d had in the dream to remove clothes with just a thought. Then Crispin had suddenly disappeared, surprising or perhaps disappointing her enough that she’d woken up.
Thinking about it now, she supposed that rather than Crispin’s disappearing from the dream, it must’ve been some small sound made by the intruder that had woken her. Whatever the case, she’d opened her eyes and seen a dark figure creeping around the end of her bed. Abril hadn’t even thought, she’d immediately opened her mouth and screamed. But it had been a short, sharp scream, cut off when the creeper had suddenly lunged at her.
She still wasn’t sure what had happened. Whether she’d been hit or picked up and thrown, but Abril had got a glimpse of eyes glowing like a cat’s in the dark, and then she’d suddenly found herself hurtling through the air. This was followed by pain exploding in her head and back as she’d slammed into the wall. She’d lost consciousness then, the image of her attacker’s glowing eyes the last thing she’d seen before sinking into unconsciousness.
That thought made her frown, and Abril decided she must’ve still been half asleep and caught up in the strands of her dream to think his eyes had glowed. But putting the matter aside for a moment, she tried to concentrate on what she had seen of his face. Not much was the answer. She’d got an impression of short hair as black as the clothes he was wearing, but didn’t even really have a vague impression of the face. Except that it been clean-shaven.
“What is it?” Crispin asked, and the question made her shift her attention to him, and then to the men facing them to see the disappointment on each of their faces.
“She does not remember anything but glowing eyes and short dark hair,” Lucian announced.
His words made Abril stiffen a little. Had she spoken her memory aloud? She didn’t recall doing so, but that was the only explanation for the blond knowing what she’d just been thinking. Perhaps the shot Dr. Dani had given her was kicking in and affecting her poor brain.
As soon as she had that thought, Lucian speared Crispin with a look and said, “You need to explain the situation to her.”
“What?” Crispin asked, the word sharp and distressed sounding.
“You heard me. If an immortal is involved, and for some reason has targeted her, she is in a lot of danger. She needs to know the situation to protect herself properly.”

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

Being an immortal rogue enforcer is never easy. But when human bones are found buried in a residential garden—and they happen to be discovered by your life mate—things get even more complicated in this latest installment of New York Times bestselling author Lynsay Sands’s wickedly alluring Argeneau vampire series.
Crispinus Delacort is an immortal rogue enforcer and a homicide detective. But in his quiet city, he’s more likely to be rounding up truant teens than investigating murders. So, when he learns that human bones have been found in the garden of a sprawling rural home, it’s unexpected to say the least.
Abril Newman can’t believe her bad luck when she discovers a body buried on the grounds of her boss’s home, while chasing after Gina’s mischievous lab Lilith. She was just supposed to be house-sitting for a few days! And then Detective Delacort arrives. She knows she shouldn’t be thinking about love when there’s a crime scene outside the door. But ignoring her attraction to gorgeous Crispin is easier said than done.
When Crispin realizes that a rogue is involved, he knows this won’t be a simple investigation. Especially because he’s so distracted by Abril’s presence that all he wants is to kiss her senseless in every room of the manor. But he can woo her, solve the case, and stop a dangerous rogue by morning…right? All in a day’s work.
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Meet the Author:

My name is Lynsay Sands and I’m the author of the Argeneau series and many hysterical historicals (as my readers tend to call them). I have written over sixty-eight books and twelve anthologies, which probably tells you I really enjoy writing. I consider myself very lucky to have been able to make a career out of it.
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