Blog Tour: A Prescription for Delirium By Noree Cosper

Title: A Prescription for Delirium

Series: Van Helsing Organization #1

Author: Noree Cosper

Genre: urban/dark fantasy

PURCHASE

A Prescription for Delirium

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BOOK DESCRIPTION

A Prescription for Delirium

Ninety years ago, Gabriella di Luca promised to protect the family of her dying lover. She failed to keep that promise. She was too far away to stop the devil that murdered the eldest Van Helsing son. Years later, Gabby learns the devil has resurfaced. She arrives in Hampton, TX, determined to stop the devil before it can lay a bloody hand on the remaining three brothers.

However, madness is spreading through Hampton. She suspects the devil is using this madness to test a drug which has a side effect of demonic possession. Gabby rushes to end the source of the madness only to fall victim to it. For a woman cursed with eternal life, dying is no threat. However, Gabby must stop the devil's plot or risk losing her most precious possession: her mind.

EXCERPT

A Prescription for Delirium

CHAPTER ONE

Hampton, TX, Present Day

Not five minutes in this backwater town and I had a demon sniffing my trail. He scanned the room with the nostrils of his wide nose flaring. His hair lay plastered against his forehead in greasy brown locks. He towered over everyone, even the people standing, as he squeezed between the large round tables and the gathering at the bar. The frayed threads of his jeans and his leather vest matched the dress of the rest of the roadhouse.

I lifted my drink to my mouth and shifted to my second sight. Most people say the eyes are the windows to the soul. Those people can’t see auras. The lights on the walls dimmed, and the air took on a gray haze, like seeing things under water. Colors bloomed out from each human in the building, blending together in a rainbow. The demon was another matter.

The shaggy black dog the size of a pony stood semi-imposed on all fours over the form of the man. Flames blazed from its eyes as it scanned the room. Was there really a dog walking through a busy Texas bar? No. Demons had no corporeal form and had to possess physical bodies. This one chose a werewolf. Dio, I had a hellhound on my ass.

Talk about bad timing. Ose already had some of his minions patrolling. If it found me, it would go running to its master to let him know I was in town. My hunt was in danger of ending before it even started.

Breathe, Gabby.

I leaned forward and let my black curtain of hair obscure my face. The lid of the salt shaker twisted off in my empty hand and I knocked it over, allowing the grains to spill on the floor. The salt should cover my scent. I slid closer to the group at the next table until I looked like I belonged with them.

One of the men grinned at me, his aura a happy yellow orange. “Hey babe.”

I nodded and raised my glass, but kept my gaze on the hellhound. He paused at a man at the bar who had caught my attention, or more his aura did. A ghostly image of a woman leaned over him, whispering in his ear. My hand tightened around the beer mug, but the mutt moved on. I relaxed. The colors around the people in the bar faded, as did the ghost woman when my sight returned to normal. The haze remained, more from cigarette smoke. I turned my head to the front of the bar. One window and one door were not much of an escape route. Fifty feet of inebriated patrons stood between me and freedom.

Two of the three men I had been waiting for walked through the door. A familiar tingle ran down my spine. For a moment, I flashed back to a dressing room, staring down another Romanian hunter. We’d come across the same prey, though he thought it was a vampire. I inhaled, bringing myself back to the present. This wasn’t the twenties, I wasn’t in Paris, and these brothers weren’t Dimitri.

Both had his chiseled features and his straight nose, though their hair was more of a burnt sienna. The one in front wore his cut short and had a tuft on his chin. He towered over his brother, which meant he would be a mountain compared to my small height. The other kept his hair tucked behind his ears. He stood with his arms crossed, wearing a smirk to let the world know he knew everything.

They cast their eyes over the room. The tall one adjusted the glasses on his face and approached the man sitting at the bar. Several women watched them as they passed. A smile touched my lips. The boys knew how to dress to make an impression. Their leather coats and slacks spoke of sophistication yet still provided enough flexibility to move if needed.

I stood and nodded at the boys who’d been trying to talk to me. Rude, but it was time to work. Besides, they were too young for me. I straightened my red tank top and brushed any wrinkles from my jeans. I couldn’t approach them looking like a guttersnipe. A stool opened up on the other side of them. I took the seat and tried to look casual while listening in on the brothers’ conversation. The bartender stood in front of me, waiting for an order.

I pointed to a beer and leaned back to get a better look at the third man. His back remained mostly to me, giving me a glimpse of his bearded cheek and a ponytail a shade darker in color than the other two. Brother number three. I inched forward to hear better over someone’s bad rendition of “Bad Moon Rising.”

“Ader.” The tall man spoke in Romanian. “Your prison sentence hasn’t ended yet.”

“I got out for being brilliant,” the man at the bar said without turning around.

“Does the warden know that?” the third one asked.

If I remembered correctly, this generation of Van Helsings had four boys. Adam, the oldest, had passed away ten years ago. So that left Esais, Adrian, and Tres. The smirking boy had to be Tres he looked the youngest. Was Ader short for Adrian?

Ader chuckled. “The warden didn’t have much of a say.”

Esais, the tall one, pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. He shook his head, letting out a long sigh as he looked at his brothers.

“Honestly,” he said. “First you end up in jail, and now you’re breaking out. You haven’t changed.”

“You expected me to?” Adrian asked.

"Why are you here?” Esais asked.

“Same reason as you. Revenge.”

Tres crossed his arms. “Why do you even care? You were never around when we needed you.”

Adrian turned to face his brothers, causing both of them to gasp. A patch covered his right eye while the other stared hard at Tres. Esais reached out to touch Adrian’s arm, but he pulled away.

“What happened?” Esais asked.

“Not important.” Adrian turned back to the bar. “Who were you told to meet?”

“A woman named Gabriella Di Luca.”

“Any idea what this woman looks like?”

Esais glanced in my direction with hesitation and opened his mouth.

I cleared my throat, raising my hand in a small wave. “Buna seara.”

Adrian and Tres turned their heads with near identical expressions of distrust. They didn’t expect someone to speak their native language here. I was a stranger invading their family circle.

“Who are you?” Adrian asked.

“Gabriella.”

“Convenient.” The word dripped with sarcasm.

We didn’t have time for this. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. My gaze traveled to the table-filled area further in the room. The hellhound’s wiry form had disappeared through a large door to the right. The atrocious singing wafted through there. This would be a perfect time to exit.

“We need to speak, but not here,” I said.

“We’re not going anywhere with you.”

“Ader,” Esais said.

Adrian looked back at his brother. “We have no proof she is who she claims to be.”

“He’s right. You could be a demon,” Tres said.

“Then you already revealed yourselves with your conversation,” I said. “Look, how much do you know of demons?”

“I’ve read several books on the subject,” Esais said. “That question doesn’t answer our doubts.”

“Do I fit the description you were given?”

Esais adjusted his glasses before nodding.

“Then, can we leave? I may not be one, but there is a demon here.”

Two turned their heads, their muscles tensing as they scanned the bar while Adrian kept his eye on me. The hellhound stepped back into the room and turned his head in my direction. His gaze locked on me, and he began shoving his way through the crowded tables and chairs.

I stood. “Too late.”

CHARACTER INTERVIEW

With Gabby

From

A Prescription for Delirium

Thank you for joining us.

*Gabby smiles.*The pleasure is all mine.

Can you tell us a little about the city and time you grew up in?

I was born in the Kingdom of Naples in 1507. Italia was not a county when I was born, so Naples was its own kingdom at one time. Though, while I was growing up, The Spanish controlled it.

What was your family like?

Busy. My father was a fisherman who spent days out on sea. My mother was a herbalist, you could say. She saved many lives with her potions. The church would have accused her of witchcraft, but she never did anything to hurt anyone. They were very good to marry. Later I married and had a child of my own. Though, that didn't end well.

You have been all over the world. Is there any place you'd like to go back to?

There are so many places filled with beauty if you stop to look. I guess I would like to return to paris one day. See what has changed.

Have you ever been in love?

*looks down at her hands and laughs* Yes. Twice, in fact. I loved my husband, Dario very much, though it was a love of youth and innocence, before I knew of the evil of the world. My second love was Dimitri Van Helsing. We met while both hunting the same creature, though he mistakenly thought it was a vampire. *chuckles* Still, he stayed until the hunt was complete and we grew close. I'd forgotten how it felt to grow close to someone…*blinks and clears her throat* but it wasn't meant to be in the end.

So, what do you think of the Van Helsing brothers?

*laughs* Esais is the easiest to get along with, he tries his hardest to see the best in people. Tres is like a little brother I have to look out for. And well, Adrian is an arrogant ass. He tends to get my blood boiling.

In A Prescription for Delirium, you like using blades. Is there a fighting style that goes along with that?

Escrima, or Kali, or Arnis, depending on where you learn from. It a Filipino martial arts. Most know it as stick fighting, but I learned it before they started using sticks as the main form of weaponry. It's actually pretty balanced and allows you to use whatever you have on hand as weapon.

Which living person do you most despise?

She's not a person per say, a demon actually. Her name is Allegra and she cost me dearly.

Is there any way that the two of you can reconcile?

Not at all. I will see her dead.

Are you religious?

I believe in God, but I wouldn't be what you call religious. Organized religion was created by man and inherently flawed, yet most spout their ways as the only way.

Do you have any regrets?

Thousands. They build up over the years. I wish I hadn't found out about Allegra. I wish I'd been better at banishing demons when my mentor died. But, I can't dwell on them. I can only move forward.

MY REVIEW

A Prescription for Delirium

The following review is my opinion and not a paid review. I was received a free copy of the book from the author for my honest opinion.

Gabriella di Luca, aka Gabby is a demon hunter who can also perform exorcisms plus she can hold her own in a fight against a demon or human. Gabby made a promise years ago to take care of her lover Dimitri's family. And years later she has found herself in Hampton, Tx. where her lovers three great-grandsons the Van Helsing brothers, Esais, Adrian and Tres live. The demon Ose has found them and will kill them if Gabby can't stop him. Gabby has her own demons to fight as well the demons that haunt her heart, she failed years ago to save Dimiti's son. Gabby failed once and has no intentions of doing it again. She will protect these three brothers with her life. Although Gabby is human and has lived for hundreds of years.

The Van Helsing brothers are all very different from each other with their own secrets and paranormal abilities. They hunt demons as well and when Gabby shows up they are not sure that she can be trusted. Well I think Adrian is the only one who doesn't actually trust her but again I don't think he trusts or likes anyone very much. Adrian is more dark, harsh and unyielding type of person who believes he doesn't owe anyone any favors and definitely does not except any in return. He had rather be off in his lab all by himself. But I think Gabby starts to grow on him and hopefully gets him to open up some. She knows he is not as bad as he seems and underneath that entire stern exterior he probably has a soft heat.

And now let's meet Marguerite Devereux aka Marge who is a demon ass kicking chic who leaves no one alive. All she wants to do is kick some demon ass no matter what the demon did. She will probably get herself killed or demon processed with her attitude one day. Unless she learns to listen to Gabby and what she is trying to teach her. Marge is hunting the demon that has a contract on her head. She has had a very hard life with everything that has been done to her by her own mother no less. Sometimes when someone is hurt or done wrong by their mother it can make a person very hard on life and their self. So I think hunting down demons and killing them helps her deal with the hurt her mother caused her. While at the same time helps her to hide behind the hurt and pretend that it doesn't exist. I think she is a good person and Gabby sees and knows this. Gabby knows she just needs someone to tell her what to do sometimes to show that they care about her. I guess maybe this is what is known as hard love. Maybe in the next books Gabby can break through her hard exterior and let her know that someone can love and care about her. Maybe Marge can learn that it is ok to love and care about people and not everyone in the world is cruel and evil.

A Prescription for Delirium was a real page turner one that I did not want to put down. I love all the characters especially Gabby, Marge and Adrian. I think they were the toughest ones in the whole book. The others were also in their own way. But you know everyone has their own thing that they are good at. Everybody can't be good at the same thing. I mean if they were they would be a lot of things that we would have to live without. Each one has strength in what they can do. Gabby and Marge is a real couple of kick ass heroines. So if you like a good story with a couple of kick as heroines that also has demons, werewolves and a whole lot of fighting going on then I think you would love A Prescription for Delirium.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Noree Cosper loves writing about magic in the modern world. While growing up in Texas she constantly searched for mystical elements in the mundane. She buried her nose in both fiction and books about Wicca, Religion, and Mythology. Everyday became an adventure as she joined a group of role-players, acting out her fantasies of vampires, demons, and monsters living in the world. She embraced her nerdom wholeheartedly. Noree grew, but never left her love for fantasy and horror. Her dreams pushed her and her hand itched to write the visions she saw. So, with her fingers on the keys, she did what her heart had been telling her to do since childhood. She wrote.

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