To order paperback through Paypal:
E-books are available publisher-direct in PDF format for $4.99:
Purchase through Amazon by clicking here.
People with Kindle readers may order a copy here.
People with Barnes & Noble Nook can download a copy here.
Download an eBook copy through All Romance E-Books here.
To preview your purchases:
When They First Meet.
As I gazed at her, she gave me a bemused smile. I hesitated, even when her smile widened. She beckoned me with her finger, and I walked to her table and sat down opposite her.
“Hello, I’m Frank Thornton.”
“Nessa Harcanu,” she said in a husky voice with a trace of an accent.
“I assume it’s safe for me to sit here.”
“I invited you, but he made an unwanted boorish advance.” Her glinting eyes accentuated her message.
“I’ve seen judo and karate, but nothing that explains how you flipped a large man over so easily,” I said
“It’s all in the wrist action.” She winked at me.
“Why me?” Tall, with dark hair, I never had any problem meeting women. However, she could’ve chosen other handsome athletic types, and even a few businessmen,
“You’re not an overgrown boy or a self-styled stud eager to add me to his sexual trophy case.”
“You can tell that just by looking at me?”
“That and much more.”
“Okay, tell me what you know.” Her gaze caught mine as I issued the challenge.
“You’re an architect in his mid-thirties who would rather be a painter,” she said without hesitation. She leaned back in her chair, steepling her fingers, her bright green eyes studying my every move.
“How do you know that?” Was she a mind reader or something?
“There are traces of light green ocher paint under the nails of your index and middle fingers on your right hand.”
I couldn’t see anything, even when I held my nails under a light.
“I have excellent vision, especially at night.”
“There’s nothing there to see,” I said.
“You failed to wash off all the ocher and pale yellow egg tempera paint you used.” She licked her lips.
Nessa had just described the colors I had been working with earlier in the evening. “I don’t know how you guessed what I was using, but there’s no way anyone could see the paint in this dim light.”
“A vampire could.” She leaned forward, opening her mouth, and showing the tips of sharp pointed fangs.
“Are those real?” I asked in a voice barely a croak. My heart beat faster and the hairs on the nape of my neck stood up.
“There’s only one way to find out.” She raised her upper lip, giving me a better view of her fangs.
I backed away and started to rise, when she laughed.
“Sit down. I’ve no intention of hurting you.”
“That’s good to know.” I laughed nervously. “What do you want from me?”
“To get to know you better.”
“Why?” Considering what I had seen in the last five minutes, a little caution seemed appropriate.
Attacked by the Werewolves:
I heard a shrill howl that made my neck hairs stand. Nessa pushed me behind her and turned to face the alleyway. A dark, hairy body raced at her, emitting a growling sound I had heard only in horror movies.
Nessa ducked, put her hands under the creature, and flipped it headfirst into a dark blue delivery truck. A second, dark hairy body emerged from the alleyway, growling as it displayed three-inch incisors glistening with saliva. When the second creature tried to bite Nessa, she grabbed its throat and snapped its head backward. She snarled, sank her fangs into the creature’s neck, and ripped through an artery, killing it instantly.
The first creature rose and started to charge Nessa when I moved to tackle it.
“No,” Nessa yelled, putting herself between the creature and me. It swiped a hairy paw at her head, but she ducked, spun about, and grabbed its throat from behind. With a squeeze of her hands, I heard bones cracking. When she let go the creature, it fell to the ground.
Nessa looked around us for several minutes, sniffing the air with her eyes closed.
“Any more of them?” I asked. “Whatever they are.”
“I don’t smell or hear anything for several blocks,” she replied. “You just had your first opportunity to see werewolves in action.” Nessa glanced at the creatures she had killed.
“They weren’t in action for long.” I examined the paws of the nearest werewolf. Five inch-long claws, tapering from one inch around at the base to a razor-sharp tip, were lethal weapons.
“That’s why I screamed at you,” she said. “I appreciate your courage, but the creature could have eviscerated you in one swift stroke.”
“I’ve only seen werewolves in the movies. It was much more terrifying watching real ones in action.” I shook my head, shivering at the thought of what this creature could have done to me.
Nessa stared at me. “Frank, are you okay?”
I nodded. My heart still beat rapidly, and I could barely swallow. I looked up at the night the sky, noting the three-quarter moon. “No full moon?”
“They can inject themselves with a serum that enables them to take on a werewolf shape whenever they choose,” she said.
The werewolves terrified me, but the creature Nessa became frightened me almost as much. I stepped back and watched her fangs disappear as her eyes returned to normal.
She stared at me, and then reached out.
I moved away from her.
“What’s the matter?”
“Seeing you like that. What you did. I’m shaken.”
“I never wanted you to see me as a vampire. I am sorry the attack by the werewolves put you in danger. Please come to my apartment so we can talk about what happened.” Nessa rubbed my back. “A strong drink will calm you.”
I took another step backward, not sure if I was safe with her.
“I would never hurt you.” She sighed. “Please trust me.”
“Okay,” I whispered, still numb from what I had just witnessed, wondering what she would tell me.
The bodies of the werewolves began to turn human while we stood there. “What are you going to do with them?” I asked.
“Not to worry.” Nessa took out her cell phone, punched a few numbers, spoke softly into it, and then put it away. “In a few minutes a truck will come, and the bodies and blood will be disposed of.”
“Is there a special werewolf removal service you know of?” My mind spun like a top rotating at high speed. The woman, or rather the vampire I loved, had just killed two werewolves and had casually called someone to remove the evidence.
Review(s)
UNHOLY EMBRACE
NEIL BENSON
ISBN#: 9780982679500
March 2010
Night to Dawn
www.bloodredshadows.com
Trade Paperback
$13.50
202 Pages
Supernatural Thriller, Dark Fantasy
Rating: 4 Cups
Frank Thornton walked into a rumored vampire bar and left with his destiny. How can he resist the woman of his dreams, or better yet, can he survive the revenge of another, alive or dead?
Nessa Harcanu had lost interest in men and their demanding ways. Frank, on the other hand, was a unique man who felt no need to push himself at a woman. After a night of passion in his bed, she found herself more satisfied than any other time in memory.
Can two people from two different worlds find some place to meet in the middle? Being separated by night and day may be the least of their problems when evil comes to call.
It is refreshing to read a story written from both perspectives. Neil Benson spins a tale that invokes the reader to see the point of each main character and to understand how each individual feels; this unique feature makes Unholy Embrace an interesting and beautiful read. The chapters dealing with Nessa’s life and her passage through the decades is amazing. I absolutely love her introductions to Picasso, Monet and many other famous artists. There is a little something for everyone within the pages of Unholy Embrace to idly pass the day.
Delane
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More
‘Nessa, a 400-year-old alpha female vampire and her mortal lover Frank, discover a hookup can lead to deeper feelings. Before Nessa can explain the details of her life to Frank, they are attacked by two werewolves. Frank is horrified to see his beautiful lover turn into a horrible, lethal vampire.
Frank learns Nessa is engaged in a battle with a soul consuming demon that sent the werewolves after them. In an effort to track down and kill the demon, they must battle other vampires and more werewolves. Their romance survives the mayhem, but not without constant verbal bantering.’
~
Ruthie’s Book Reviews
Rating:
My Thoughts:
This book was a little difficult for me to read, although I did enjoy the storyline there just seemed to be a lot of visual information missing for me. The characters were charming in their own ways, Nessa, who has been able to survive for centuries and is hoping to keep Frank safe throughout the story from the evil that is looking to get him. Frank can’t seem to get over the fact that Nessa is a vampire and that she’s always so vague and somewhat controlling over the situations.
In the beginning of the book we learned a lot about Nessa. We got the complete breakdown of her ‘life’ from the time that she was turned into a vampire, and all the way up into the present part of the story. She’s been alone for so long that she can’t help herself when it comes to Frank – she loves him. And he her, but it takes some getting used to being left in the dark when it comes to the dangers that lurk around in the shadows.
The book had it all, vampires, demons, werewolves and the characters were pretty cool. But don’t take my word for it, try the book for yourself. Perhaps another day I’ll go back and read it again and it may be better for me.
You can visit Neil Benson here.
Ruthie
NOTE: All books that I review here on the blog have either been given to me for free by the author/publishers or have been bought with my own money. I do not do reviews for any type of payment, other than the joy of reading!
~
Review of Unholy Embrace at horrornews.net (May 25, 2010)
REVIEWED BY TRISH MARTIN
Unholy Embrace by Neil Benson is the story of a romantic and dangerous love affair between a beautiful, ages-old vampire and a mortal man. This story is enchanting and sexy with an edge of excitement. Not only do we read about vampires but of werewolves and demons. The New York night life and seedy underbelly do well to create a dangerous atmosphere. I enjoyed reading about the main character’s blossoming relationship but also the horrific demons and monsters that lurk about in the night. Nessa Harcanu is the sexy vampire born in 1597 in a small town near Budapest.
Though Nessa is voluptuous and sultry, she posses a power beyond mortal imagination. She becomes involved with a mortal man named Frank Thornton who is an attractive architect that is skeptical about the existence of vampires and demons. Also joining the story are members of the Meyer family of which Nessa becomes close with early on in her life as a vampire; they come to serve her and assist her with her needs throughout the ages. We also come across a weaker vampire named Narice whom, after her master is killed by Nessa, begins following Nessa waiting to exact her revenge. There are a few other characters we run across in the story who serve as a backdrop in the evolvement of the two main characters. The interaction with these other characters gives us insight to the character’s lives and personalities.
Nessa’s tale of how she became a vampire and her life up until present day is one of intrigue and even sadness. Frank listens to Nessa’s story and becomes even more enchanted with her and begins to understand her a little better. Their relationship is really one of master and subservient, Nessa the master and Frank the subservient. Even with the uneven balance of power the relationship between the two becomes stronger and the need to protect one another grows. The appearance of a demon creates more drama and trouble for the two and they realize in order to save humanity they must defeat this demon in any way possible.
I would classify this story as less horror and more romantic suspense but it is still a wonderful and exciting tale. As I delved deeper into the book I found it hard to put down. It is definitely an easy read and isn’t cluttered with unnecessary plot and lag time. There were times of some light eroticism mixed in with story to give it an edge above the teeny-bopper vampire love stories. Also we examine great power within Nessa making her almost super-heroine like in her conquests. Frank’s mind is torn between his deep love of Nessa and his wish for normalcy in his life. My only complaint as far as this novel was concerned was that I felt that the ending was a tad rushed; I felt that maybe the writer was a little unsure of how to resolve the conflict without creating more trouble for the characters.
~
The author has written a novel that keeps the reader on the edge of his/her seat. The action starts on page one and continues to the end of the book. A seemingly impossible love affair between Nessa, a four-hundred old vampire and Frank, a mild mannered architect, adds to the tension of the book. The author is well versed in all things vampire, explaining how a lovely young woman is “turned” as well as her needs being a vampire. Answers are given to questions, such as, “Where does she get blood to satisfy her hunger, and how does she travel in the day light?” A synopsis of her life over the past 400 years is a story of its own, giving us glimpses into the lives of famous artists and politicians she meets along the way. Excitement is enhanced with the appearances of werewolves, demons and other vampires. In order to save humanity, Frank and Nessa must destroy a major demon. Frank plays an instrumental part in the demise of the creature, but in a surprising way. The reader will not want to put down the book until the final resolution is reached in this tale.
I recommend the book highly to all vampire enthusiasts who enjoy lots of action interspersed with romantic interludes.
Linda Vasenius
An “Unholy Embrace” with Neil Benson
Are you loving the whole mortal/vampire love storyline ? Edward and Bella in Twilight, Elena and Stefan / Damon in Vampire Diaries, Dylan and Claire in The Gates (though Claire is now turned) , Alexander/ Jagger and Raven in Vampire Kisses and Dimitri and Rose in Vampire Academy or Hugo and Elizabeth in The Point and who can forget our Sookie Stackhouse and Eric/Bill.
With Vampire Novels now on the rise for the last two years, reading an article -the world of Vampires has hit the money-making world of $7 Billion Dollars in Books, Movies, TV and Merchandise.
Today’s Review is that whole mortal/vampire love affair but in today’s book it contains the twist of the female being the Vampire and the mortal being the male.
Review : Unholy Embrace – Neil Benson -2010
A popular storyline lately has been the tale of the mortal/vampire love story and the majority of them have ended up writing the male as a Vampire and the female as the lovestruck mortal. One thing that I really liked in Neil Benson’s book is that he decided to use gender reversed roles and make the male the lovestruck mortal and the female the Vampire. Having it this way, was a nice change for once.
The story starts when Frank and Nessa are out on a date and are attacked by Werewolves, the attack causes Nessa to extract her fangs and go all- vampirey, something that Frank hasn’t really experienced before. From then on , we are transported back to the beginning -where they first met and how their relationship started and of course how they reached the point in the story.
What follows is Nessa explaining and opening her 400yr old heart to Frank and telling her story on how she became a Vampire starting in Hungary all the way to her travels via Vienna and Paris to the Present time in New York.
We read as the Werewolves attacks are just the beginning as Nessa has been on the run nearly 400 years and has been tracked by Narice – the vampire lover of the Vampire who turned Nessa and in return Nessa Killed out of vengeance.
When Frank realises the consequences and danger of being with Nessa, can he stand strong and embrace the unholiness of being with a Vampire or will he take the white feather coward option out and leave Nessa to follow a path of a normal life?
An excellent story that shows readers in a paranormal and supernatural way that no matter what happens and how terrifying obstacles can be – love between not only mortals but mortals and supernaturals can stick together and overcome anything.
Posted by Phantom Paragrapher at 10:17 PM
Review 1/24/2011 by Harriet Klausner:
Rating: 4 stars
Human Frank Thornton and vampire Nessa Harcanu hold hands as they walk together at night in Manhattan. He knows his beloved is a centuries old vampire, but has not witnessed at all what that means until this evening. Werewolves attack them, but Nessa overpowers them; shaking Frank with her abilities.
They met three weeks earlier with both attracted at first sight. Now he needs to know why the assault. Nessa honestly thinks a serial killing demon she hunts sent the horde. He thinks about leaving her, but cannot as he loves her though he wonders if she is using her vampiric enchantress skills to manipulate his desires. Still Frank tells her he cannot convert, but wants to be with her. She explains the demon is not her worst nightmare. Her sire, who she killed back in 1627 after he converted her and sucked dry her husband, left behind a raging predator the “widow” Narice who wants to destroy her for killing the Master; Frank is her Achilles Heel.
This is an exhilarating urban fantasy filled with demons, werewolves and vampires; oh, my! Frank is a terrific human who feels as if he fell through the rabbit hole when he fell in love while Nessa is an honest vampiress who tells him the truth. Although there is too much going on with the lead couple as the demon hunters and as the Narice hunted, sub-genre fans will enjoy this tale of blood and romance flowing on the streets of Manhattan.
Harriet Klausner
