Naomi's Reading Palace: Review/Excerpt/Giveaway – A Prescription for Delirium by Noree Cosper

Welcome to my stop on the A Prescription for Delirium book tour which has been brought to you by Dark World Books. Here you can read my review, an excerpt, a summary of the book and learn a little more about the author Noree Cosper. There is also a giveaway running where you can win a copy of the book. Don't forget to visit the other blogs on this tour for more information about this book and the author.

Title: A Prescription for Delirium

Author: Noree Cosper

Series: Van Helsing Organization #1

Genre: Paranormal

Published: December 1^st 2012

Book Description

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.

My Review

I always love to find new authors in the paranormal genre that are able to put their own unique spin into it and Noree Casper has certainly done that! Exorcisms, werewolves possessed by demons, crazy-assed demon hunters and the Van Helsing brothers…… A Prescription for Delirium has non-stop action and was a definite page turner for me!

Gabby was at an exorcism with a priest years ago where he tried to exorcise one of the devil’s named Ose. Things went bad and Gabby had to take over and muddled up the exorcism, but Ose still left the body. Today, Ose has resurfaced in Hampton with his daughter Malantha and the people in the town are being manipulated and some are even being committed the Hampton Mental Institute.

Gabby is a human, but she is 400 years old because of a curse which was placed on her after an incident which went wrong. Gabby’s dreams are often in the past and I was able to see the circumstances as to why she was cursed. She is not able to let many into her heart, except for Dimitri Van Helsing to whom she vowed to protect his family. There are three great-grandsons in Hampton that she is not going to let Ose have and she is going to do anything in her power to protect them.

I thought the whole supernatural hunting business in this book fun!! The TV show Supernatural has always been one of my favourites, so throw in a 400 year old single woman, the Van Helsings and another crazy demon hunter girl and we have chaos!! Gabby has not met any of the others before so she has to work out what assets or skills that they have to help her defeat Ose and Malantha. Gabby is a fun character and she is pretty down to earth, she says what she means and is to the point. She has weaknesses that she tries to hide from the others, but she doesn’t want to let anyone close to her as they always seem to die. When things get too much for Gabby, she even calls her old friend so she can share her burden and to relax with a drink. She may be cursed but she still is human and needs others for comfort.

The Van Helsing brothers are inexperienced when it comes to the supernatural but Gabby intends to train them once she gets them out of Hampton alive. They all have their own powers, but are reluctant to share them with each other. They are all different, but I like them all even if Adrian still doesn’t trust Gabby. Marge is just a crazy lady who loves to fight; she often dives straight into the fighting first and asks questions later. She is fun and a bit annoying, but adds spice!!

A Prescription for Delirium was a captivating read!! I crave action and this story definitely had it all. The plot was original and I couldn’t pick which way the author would go. It is obviously the start of a journey for all the characters that are involved as there are plenty of other supernatural creatures out there. All the characters have great chemistry and I can’t wait to see what this mismatched bunch will get up to next!!

I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Excerpt

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.”

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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Giveaway

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