“So, Mrs. Garnier, any thoughts on where you’d like to take our honeymoon?” Andre asked as we sat together on the warm sand next to the dying embers of our earlier bonfire.
“Mrs. Lucy Garnier,” I said, testing out the name. “I like the way that sounds.”
“I like the way it sounds when you say it,” he said, kissing me for about the hundredth time since we became husband and wife. Amazingly, each kiss was better than the last.
“We could just stay here and kick everyone else out,” I suggested, only half joking.
“Do you think we’d be able to get Cynda and Ben out of here without a fight?” he asked. The two of them had fallen in love with the beach and spent no more time indoors than was absolutely necessary.
“Can’t we send them off to Disneyworld or something?”
“I was thinking we might put it off until summer,” Andre said with a sly look. “You know there’s nearly eighteen hours of daylight in Paris in the summer.”
“So I’ve heard,” I said as a smile crept over my face. “You realize that I’m going to drag you to all of the museums.” I had already decided to take Dr. Hayward’s advice. I was going to go back to school for the art degree I had always wanted. Of course, I still had plans to work for the outreach, but for the first time since joining the team, I was optimistic that it was a job with a possible expiration date and I needed a plan for the future.
“As long as you don’t mind me dragging you off to a countryside chateau for a long weekend without technological interruptions,” he countered, getting to his feet.
“I can live with that,” I said and took the hand he offered. “Do you think they’re all asleep yet?”
“It doesn’t matter,” he said as he led me across the sand to the house. “As long as they’re gone.”
“Gone?” I asked. Sure enough, the only car in the driveway was the small red rental that Andre and I had gotten earlier in the week. “Did you send them all to Disneyworld?”
“No, just to the Hilton in Pensacola,” he said as he opened the door. Before I could enter, he picked me up and carried me over the threshold. “Did you really want to spend our first night as a married couple worrying about waking up one of our family members?”
“Sexy and smart,” I said with a laugh.
“And one hundred percent yours,” he added with a smoldering look. “Never forget that.”
“As long as you never forget that I am yours,” I added and put my arms around his neck, tilting his lips down to meet mine in yet another mind-blowing kiss.
“I won’t as long as you keep kissing me like that,” he said and leaned in again. “And to think that we get to do this for the rest of our lives.”
“That’s just the beginning, Mr. Garnier,” I whispered breathlessly. “Now, take your wife to bed.”
A Note from the Author
Thank you, dear readers, for staying with me to the end of this adventure. When I first came up with the idea that would become The Eyes of The Sun, all I wanted to do was write a different kind of vampire story. My decision to set the events in New Orleans had as much to do with the city’s colorful history as my love for it. That was over a decade ago. In 2005, I shelved the idea when Hurricane Katrina left its devastating mark on what I had hoped would one day become my hometown.
Walking away from the original story was the best thing I ever did. Sure, I may have missed the opportunity to be the first to bring vampires back into favor with the next generation, but it allowed me to write with a deeper appreciation for the city itself. While I may take liberties with the geography for sinister effect, I hope that I have done justice to the rich history, the beauty, and the incomparable resiliency of New Orleans and its residents. I may not live there yet, and I may never have that opportunity, but it remains one of my favorite places and I’m glad to have had this opportunity to share it with you.
As I leave Lucy to continue her adventures without me, this is by no means the end of my journey as a writer. Though I may come back to this series at some point, I am looking forward to getting started on the next adventure.
Additional comments added for the 2015 rerelease: Interestingly, the one thing about this series that people can’t seem to reconcile is the title, insisting that the second “The” should not be capitalized. Initially, the history of the organization and the meaning of the name were to be revealed in the first book, but as is typically the case with my books, the story took on a life of its own. Instead, what I had done previously was use “The Eyes of the Sun” within the text of the first two book, changing to “The Eyes of The Sun” for this last installment, but I’ve now changed it. In every book, the organization is addressed correctly or incorrectly depending on who is speaking and how much they know of the organization’s history. It may seem silly, but the ability to add little ‘clues’ like this is half the fun of being an author.
About the Author
Christina McMullen is a science fiction and fantasy author who prefers to put a nontraditional spin on these two beloved genres. All of her books are available in digital format worldwide through Amazon’s markets. Paperback copies of select titles are also available through most retailers.
Christina also maintains a blog called Vampires & Robots, which offers book reviews, amusing looks at both the past and future of technology, and insights on social issues as they pertain to science fiction. She currently resides in Texas with her husband and three dogs.
For more information on new releases, upcoming projects, contests, monthly free book giveaways, or discounted book promotions, please consider following Christina on Facebook, Twitter, or you may also send her an email at [email protected].
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