Please welcome Stacey Kennedy. She’s the USA Today bestselling author of the CLUB SIN series. Growing up, Stacey’s mind wandered the path less traveled and that path most often led to love. She has always broken rules and she continues to feed off emotion – staying true to her heart. Those traits are now the bones of her stories. She lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, who puts any of the heroes in her books to shame, and their two young children. If she’s not on mom duty or plugging away at a new story, you’ll find Stacey camping in the summer, hibernating in the winter and obsessing over Penny Dreadful, Game of Thrones and Outlander.

Today she’s sharing a favorite action scene from Witches Be Burned.

Take it away, Stacey!

Thank you so much for having me by today. I gotta admit that while I love writing sexy scenes in story, I also enjoy writing action scenes, too. They can be just as thrilling to write and I love how they get my heart racing. Action scenes are typically the easiest for me to write. I don’t know what that says about me, except maybe that I wouldn’t mind one bit to be in Nexi’s shoes and kicking some serious supernatural ass! What can I say? Having supernatural powers would be seriously fun!!

So, here we go, I hope you enjoy the scene as much as I enjoyed writing it!

A low growl spun her around, and a loud splatter hit the wall in nearly the same second. A dull bulb glowed, giving off a little light at the back of the basement. The wretched metallic scent of blood and death became overwhelming.

Then she saw something that at one time in her life would have horrified her.

Near the boxes of coffee supplies the vampire sat, hidden within the shadows. The light in the room silhouetted him, and Nexi didn’t wait—she approached, with Kyden one step ahead of her. When her vision adjusted to the darkness, her fists clenched and heady adrenaline spiked her heart rate.

Three humans, all dead, with their skin covered with endless fang marks and blood strewn everywhere. So captivated in his kills, and overwhelmed by bloodlust, the vamp hadn’t even noticed their arrival.

Not good.

The gravity of the truth washed over her, and she wondered if maybe that’s why Kyden was in such a mood earlier. The vampire was young—eighteen years old at most—and killing anyone so young wasn’t something guardians liked to do, but in these situations there were no other options.

Though it may be cruel, there was nothing they could do to help him. Once bloodlust took a vampire to the point that he no longer had his humanity, his mind would be consumed by one need—to feed—and there was no coming back from that. The vampire would never get enough blood to sate him.

Her thoughts were only confirmed when the vamp continued to bite the woman repeatedly, not caring that she was already dead. He was searching for a vein while squeezing her body to pump the blood into his mouth, struggling to find a big enough vein that would give him his fix.

Kyden’s shoulders stiffened. “Release her.”

Dark eyes cut to them, and the vamp dropped the woman to the ground, her body a heavy weight, slamming her head against the floor. He leaned forward, bringing his face out of the shadows, snarling, with blood dripping off his fangs.

In hope of possibly saving this kid, Nexi thought it wise to add, “Stay right where you are. Think. Calm down. We’re here to help you.”

The second her mouth closed, a rush of wind tore past her. Then Kyden was on his back with the vampire on top of him, fangs snapping about wildly. Vamps had one advantage over guardians—speed. Which meant guardians often had to use the element of surprise to catch and kill them, though newly made vampires were just a bit faster and stronger. Kyden gripped the vamp’s face as the kid attempted to make a chew toy out of him.

A fury like no other overtook Nexi. Sometimes things were complicated. Other things were very simple. Touch the love of her life, and die.

She lunged forward, wrapping her fingers into the vamp’s hair and yanking him off Kyden. Fighting against the strength of the vampire, she straddled him and pushed her hands against his chest, groaning against the sheer strength he possessed.

The vampire bounced up, shoving her off him just as Kyden appeared. Plowing into the vamp, he got him on the ground and pushed a knee to the vampire’s chest. Bucking wildly and with fangs snapping violently, the kid glared with eyes so dark that Nexi swore he was the Devil. Nothing human lived in this vampire anymore. He growled feral and vicious, throwing Kyden off him with a speed that sent her lover airborne.

Lost in a frenzy to kill or be killed, the vampire snarled, standing in the corner of the room near the cleaning supplies. Confidence and purpose had Nexi charging forward, tackling the vamp to the ground by the waist. No more pissing around—she yelled, “This isn’t working.” They couldn’t reason with this vampire. “Kill him, will you?”

A blink of an eye later, Kyden roared, “Off.”

She lurched backward, falling ass-first to the ground, landing with a crash. A human might flinch in pain, but the guardian magic didn’t only make Nexi stronger, it also gave her a higher level of pain tolerance. As quickly as she’d hit the floor she was back on her feet, much more graceful than she would have been before

Kyden’s intensive guardian training when she first returned to the Otherworld.

With a swoosh, Kyden’s sword hit the base of the vampire’s neck. Then the kid’s head hit the floor, along with a loud splatter of blood from a well-fed vampire.
Perhaps the old her would’ve been horrified to witness such a ghastly death, but there were two ways to kill a vampire: cut off his head or burn him to ash. The shock value was lessened, since she knew his death had saved more innocent lives. Yet as she looked at the deceased humans around him, it didn’t seem enough of a reward. Too many lives had already been lost. “That was certainly unusual,” she said to Kyden, breathless. “I’ve never seen a vampire so lost in bloodlust before.”
Bent at his knees and catching his breath, Kyden arched a curious brow at her.

She rolled her eyes. “Or I should say, ‘So that’s what a vampire lost in bloodlust looks like’?” True enough, she hadn’t been on that many cases yet, either. Her fight so far had been with Lazarus and all those who supported him. Even if Nexi had killed more supernaturals than she could count on two hands, none had been newly made and in the throes of bloodlust.

“Yes, that’s what bloodlust looks like.” Kyden straightened, the beads of sweat dripping along his chest glistening against the light. “And it’s about the worst I’ve ever seen bloodlust consume a vamp. I can’t imagine who would leave him in this state. It’s strange.”

“Tragic is what it is,” she retorted.

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Now you tell me, what scenes do you enjoy reading more: action scenes or sexy moments?

Nexi Jones has lost her family, she’s been stripped of her guardian duties, and she’s still learning the ins and outs of white magic. At least she has Kyden, the smoldering hot elite guardian who’s been there for her every step of the way. But just as Nexi completes her training, tragedy strikes the Otherworld when a fellow guardian is murdered by a group of rogue vampires. Ready or not, she and Kyden trek into the Earthworld to hunt down a killer—and Nexi alone will be put to the ultimate test.
 
Although Kyden knows that Nexi must fight her own battles, his guardian instincts are raging as he struggles to keep her close. The ruthlessness of these vampires is like nothing he’s ever seen. And at their helm is the Black Witch Astoria, a demon with one burning desire: to shed Nexi’s blood in the name of vengeance. What troubles Kyden even more, though, is the warlock who covets Nexi’s heart. Let the devil do his worst . . . all Kyden can do is love and protect Nexi until his last breath.

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