Michele Bardsley - Over My Dead Body (Broken Heart Vampires)

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First published by Signet Eclipse, an imprint of New American Library,
A division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

First Printing, May 2009

Copyright Michele Bardsley, 2009

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eISBN : 978-1-101-06050-6

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To Elaine Smythe,
who lives on forever in the hearts of those who love
her and in the pages of this book.

To Terri Smythe
Terris Angels love, love, love you.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

My children freaking rock.

My daughter, Kati, is fabulous. Shes smart, wicked funny, talented, and has a big ol bleeding heart. Shes got an attitude, too, and shes mouthy. I adore her. I can only take credit for bringing her into the world and making sure she survived until adulthoodall the rest is her.

My son, Reid, is brilliant. Hes only eleven, but he has a killer sense of humor and the kindest heart. He tells cool stories and has awesome ideas. He wants to change the world. And you know something? He will.

To my children: I love you forever.

I adore Rene, Terri, Dakota, Jaynie, Juanita, and Lori (Chapman, just so were clear, you-know-who-you-are doubters). I am so very blessed to have you as friends. I would even give you chocolate instead of keeping it for myselfthats how much yall mean to me.

Jose, you have good taste in tattoos (and you, too, Beth, cause I know youre reading this). And hey, no more sugar and carbs, dude. Im sorry, but going to the hospital is BAD. Cut that shit out already!

I gotta give props to Jackie Kessler, who wrote Hells Belles, which is such an awesome book. I fell in love with the way she told that story and every story since. The woman has mad skillswww.jackiekessler.com.

I worship at the altar of Mark Henry. The man can flat-out write. Im horribly jealous of his talent. If you have not checked out Amanda Ferals fabulous and fashionable adventures, you are sooooo missing out. Go forth and buywww.markhenry.us.

Toni McGee Causey writes very (very, very, very) funny novels about Bobbie Faye, the terror of Louisiana. I adore her and her creator, the bertalented Toniwww.bobbiefaye.com.

To all these writers I owe a world of thanks for inspiring me and for writing such kick-ass books for me to read.

I owe a debt of gratitude to those people who read this novel and offered comments: Rene, the plot master and handholder; Dakota, the deadline ho and fabulous line editor; Terri, the voice in my head yelling at me to write the fucking book, already; and Butch Treese, the ultimate fan who knows my books better than I do. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

No acknowledgment would be complete without gushing about my literary agent, Stephanie Kip Rostan, her rawkin assistant, Monika Verma, and all the wonderful people at Levine Greenberg Literary Agency.

I also gotta give high fives to my ever-patient editor, Kara Cesare, and the staff and crew at New American Library. Nobody deserves Godiva more than you guys.

I gotta say this to Miss Dakota and her man, Rob: That kind of bright and shiny love couldnt have happened to two nicer friends. Heres a chocolate martini for the rest of us who hope every day to find the same.

I would also like to mention Brenda Anderson. I just wanted to say to Brenda Anderson that you are a valued member of the fan group. Brenda Anderson, we dont care that your brain juice is a quart low. Ours is, too, and we dont even have an injury to account for why we do the stupid shit we do. And dear, dear Brenda Anderson, the one who lives in Pittsburgh and didnt say hello until Friday at RT 2008 and then never came back to the conference so I could properly torment you, you wanted to see your name in print. Here you go: Brenda Anderson, Brenda Anderson, Brenda Anderson, Brenda Anderson, Brenda Anderson, and for good measure, Brenda Anderson.

And last (but never, ever least), I want to say how much I adore the members of my Yahoo! Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MicheleBardsley/join.

Obviously you have stupendous taste in paranormal fiction. Even though I lurk too much and I forget to send out prizes and I post erratically and I torture you with random sentences from my WIPs, I really and truly lurve you all. Mostly because youre as crazy as I am. Dont bother denying it.

That which is Below corresponds to that which is Above, and that which is Above corresponds to that which is Below, to accomplish the miracles of the One Thing.

The Emerald Tablet of Hermes Trismegistus

Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil.

Ephesians 4:26-27

Well, I think I learned a valuable lesson: Always take down your Christmas decorations after New Years, or you might get filleted by a hooker from God.

Dean Winchester, Supernatural, Houses of the Holy

Chapter 1

Friday, June 21

Killing Braddock Hayes changed my lifesuch as it wasforever. Committing murder should change a person, at least a person who still has a conscience, and I sure as hell had mine.

My names Simone Sweet. My personality obviously doesnt match my name. How could someone who was truly sweet rip open the carotid artery in a mans neck and enjoy the thick, bloody flow of his life onto her lips?

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