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Blood From a Stone
What happens when Samson Bellmaine, a wealthy, handsome womanizer in the year 1511, breaks the heart and trust of a young lady who'd been his friend since childhood? He soon finds himself cursed by her angry, pagan priestess mother, and is now doomed to sit out an endless existence as a stone gargoyle...his body as cold and devoid of love as the heart that beat inside his once-human chest.
Awakening only once every fifty years for one month's time, and after searching to no avail for the cure that will break the seemingly unbreakable spell, he's grown content to spend his short time as a man enjoying all the marvels and hedonistic pleasures the modern world has to offer; first in his native Europe, and then in America where he'd settled to sit out the long decades atop an old church.
The year is 2011 and upon Awakening, Samson soon meets Willow Dalton...a smart, pretty nurse who works in the children's ward of a local hospital. As love warms his heart, and he discovers a mysterious side-effect of his condition; one that may hold the key to his freedom and may also cause him to lose her forever, he is now in a race against time...determined to stay at her side, and daring to hope that after five centuries he will finally find a way to break the curse before next full moon rises and he's turned from man to stone once more.
Awakening only once every fifty years for one month's time, and after searching to no avail for the cure that will break the seemingly unbreakable spell, he's grown content to spend his short time as a man enjoying all the marvels and hedonistic pleasures the modern world has to offer; first in his native Europe, and then in America where he'd settled to sit out the long decades atop an old church.
The year is 2011 and upon Awakening, Samson soon meets Willow Dalton...a smart, pretty nurse who works in the children's ward of a local hospital. As love warms his heart, and he discovers a mysterious side-effect of his condition; one that may hold the key to his freedom and may also cause him to lose her forever, he is now in a race against time...determined to stay at her side, and daring to hope that after five centuries he will finally find a way to break the curse before next full moon rises and he's turned from man to stone once more.
298 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 23, 2011
11 people are currently reading
154 people want to read
About the author
Cynthia Lucas
16 books80 followersAfter reading countless romance novels, Cynthia Lucas decided to put her love of writing and 'the desire to inspire' to good use and write her own.
Her first self-published novel, When Lightning Strikes, combines her love of exotic culture, time-travel, swashbuckling and heated romance. It has garnered excellent reviews from readers who want more of her enchanting writing style that leaves them feeling as though they've lived the story. The book has been enjoying a lengthy stay in the Top 20 of Amazon.com's Top 100 Best Sellers in Time Travel Romance and has recently reached #1, and after countless requests for a sequel, QUICKSILVER MOON was released in the fall of 2012.
An avid blogger who often writes short articles for her own and others sites, Ms. Lucas says she finds one of the greatest pleasures in life, is helping other artists and writers to ignite their creative spark, and get their 'inner glow' going so that they too, may reach for their star.
Cynthia is also an accomplished singer/songwriter in the musical act NORTH 2 SOUTH and is an international songwriting competition Song of the Year nominee and award winning vocalist and lyricist. She currently resides in Largo, FL with her husband of twenty years, their daughter and several pets, including exotic birds and wildlife that she rehabs as a hobby.
Other titles by Ms. Lucas: Blood from a Stone (2012 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards Second Round Pick); a modern-gothic romance sprinkled with a bit of paranormal intrigue, plenty of humor and is a touching story of redemption and the power of the human spirit. It has received glowing reviews from readers and reviewers alike.
Her first self-published novel, When Lightning Strikes, combines her love of exotic culture, time-travel, swashbuckling and heated romance. It has garnered excellent reviews from readers who want more of her enchanting writing style that leaves them feeling as though they've lived the story. The book has been enjoying a lengthy stay in the Top 20 of Amazon.com's Top 100 Best Sellers in Time Travel Romance and has recently reached #1, and after countless requests for a sequel, QUICKSILVER MOON was released in the fall of 2012.
An avid blogger who often writes short articles for her own and others sites, Ms. Lucas says she finds one of the greatest pleasures in life, is helping other artists and writers to ignite their creative spark, and get their 'inner glow' going so that they too, may reach for their star.
Cynthia is also an accomplished singer/songwriter in the musical act NORTH 2 SOUTH and is an international songwriting competition Song of the Year nominee and award winning vocalist and lyricist. She currently resides in Largo, FL with her husband of twenty years, their daughter and several pets, including exotic birds and wildlife that she rehabs as a hobby.
Other titles by Ms. Lucas: Blood from a Stone (2012 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards Second Round Pick); a modern-gothic romance sprinkled with a bit of paranormal intrigue, plenty of humor and is a touching story of redemption and the power of the human spirit. It has received glowing reviews from readers and reviewers alike.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
August 31, 2012
Blood From a Stone tells the story of Samson, a man whose ill treatment of women prompted a pagan priestess to put a curse on him 500 years ago, forcing him to exist as a gargoyle for all but a single month every 50 years. Early in the story, he meets Willow Dalton, a woman with the potential to soften his heart of stone.
The unique plot is what drew me to the story. Ms. Lucas's strong writing is what kept me there.
While the book would benefit from professional editing (mostly to eliminate typographical errors and to prevent the characters from smirking a bit too frequently), this book in its current form is well worth the read.
Samson and Willow both are strong, interesting characters, and most of their banter is enjoyable. I really liked the scenes that included Willow's friend, Sasha, as she was an especially engaging character.
The primary draw in this story is Ms. Lucas's ability to make the reader care whether Samson discovers a cure for the curse in time to save Willow from living a long, lonely life without him.
More than anything, this is the compelling story of one almost-man's quest for redemption.
And it was so good, I went and bought her other available novel, When Lightning Strikes.
Judging from Ms. Lucas's bio, she's a new writer. She's one to watch, for she's a gifted storyteller with an eye for human strengths and foibles.
Just as importantly, she seems to have committed herself to telling stories that matter. A lot of writers want to help make the world a better place. Ms. Lucas's power will grow as she matures as an author. I can't wait to see what she does with it.
The unique plot is what drew me to the story. Ms. Lucas's strong writing is what kept me there.
While the book would benefit from professional editing (mostly to eliminate typographical errors and to prevent the characters from smirking a bit too frequently), this book in its current form is well worth the read.
Samson and Willow both are strong, interesting characters, and most of their banter is enjoyable. I really liked the scenes that included Willow's friend, Sasha, as she was an especially engaging character.
The primary draw in this story is Ms. Lucas's ability to make the reader care whether Samson discovers a cure for the curse in time to save Willow from living a long, lonely life without him.
More than anything, this is the compelling story of one almost-man's quest for redemption.
And it was so good, I went and bought her other available novel, When Lightning Strikes.
Judging from Ms. Lucas's bio, she's a new writer. She's one to watch, for she's a gifted storyteller with an eye for human strengths and foibles.
Just as importantly, she seems to have committed herself to telling stories that matter. A lot of writers want to help make the world a better place. Ms. Lucas's power will grow as she matures as an author. I can't wait to see what she does with it.
July 1, 2013
I was quite intrigued with the premise of this book when I read the synopsis and thought I picked a winner. Unfortunately, not only was it not a winner, I thought it was poorly executed. The two protagonists at the heart of the story, Samson and Willow, they were two very dull people. There's absolutely nothing special about them. There was no connection between them; no chemistry; no heat; nothing. I didn't think either one of them was developed well which is too bad since the story is about a man cursed to live as a gargoyle for eternity, only coming to life for one month every fifty years. The story itself started to become boring and tedious a third way in, which is when I started skimming thru it quickly to just end it. Speaking of the end, if you’re looking for something that will move you, you won’t find it here. I wish we were given a clear explanation as to why Samson was able to heal others with his blood, especially since he's never been able to do it before. As for his blood coming up normal when Willow took it to a lab? I think the author didn’t know how to explain it so she just wrapped it up quickly just so she didn’t have to deal with it. Now I know this is a work of fiction, but come on, we're to believe that none of the nurses or doctors even questioned how it was at all possible that David (the little boy hit by a car) could be completely healed and walking like nothing had ever happened to him when just the day before he had a broken leg, hip, and clavicle. I find it quite insulting when authors think we're that gullible, to accept and believe whatever they've written, especially when there’s absolutely no explanation or resolution. I don’t think I’ll be reading anything else written by this author. By the way, I don't know why this book is considered a time-travel novel as it's anything but that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 12, 2014
DNF'ed at 60%. Why? This annoyed the sh*t out of me! God. The MC only tells half truths and Willow is a chickensh*t. She panics whenever something's not as she thinks. Samson's afraid whenever he has to tell her something and, while I'm upset he lies to her constantly, I also understand why he does it. I wouldn't tell her the truth either. She doesn't deserve to know it. The whole romance thing? Not badly written but I'm not seeing them together. Willow annoys me to no end and I'm a little sorry for Samson even tho he's no angel. Then when you think you have a hand at things (boring but you still manage to follow) some Guardians show up to muck things up and your grip on things goes kaboom. Add a couple hundred of descriptions and explanations you could live without and it's not worth more of my time. If, after 60%, I still haven't connected with the characters then I won't. Ever. Nice try but no thanks.
July 29, 2022
Samson Bellmaine is our hero, He was born in 1511, was the son of a wealthy land baron, and had finally messed with the wrong woman. After taking her virginity, swearing that he loved her, and that he would give up his life as he knew it to join her people--all lies, of course--her mother turns him into a gargoyle. Every fifty years, he becomes a man for a month, then after that month is over, he's back in the cemetery perched on a building, waiting for the next fifty years to pass. His routine was the same each time he was man. He was a hedonist for that month and enjoyed everything life had to offer. Until this time.
Willow Dalton and her friend, Sasha, are nurses and are at a bar, waiting to get in when a rabid dog comes at them. A man intervenes and gets bit on the arm. It's bleeding profusely and when Willow demands to see the wound and get him to a hospital, he assures her that he's all right and after a bit of an argument, he lets her see it. The wound is already healed and the dog is no longer vicious. Willow knew there was something strange about this guy, but she was still drawn to him.
From there, it is the love story I've been waiting for. Samson wants to break this curse. He's in love with Willow and wants to stay with her forever. He treats her like a queen and every time he called her "my lady", my heart melted a little bit more. Every time he kissed her hand, like he used to do back in the day, his chivalry showed. Every time he kissed her softly or whispered something sweet to her, it was nearly my undoing. Every time he held out on sex, waiting for the right time, I fell in love with him a little more. What a fantastic character. The setting for this book was during the Obama Administration (he was marveling at the United States having a black president). Manners like Samson's have been gone for years and years. Yet there he was.
Willow was pretty much on-board with him, but she knew there was something strange about him and it scared her. Not only could he heal himself, he could heal animals, too. All the had to do was get a taste of his blood (kind of macabre and vampirish, but it worked) and he could heal and see their souls and they could see his. Totally amazing. Always the scientist, she wanted to take samples of his blood to check for anomalies, all while keeping this part of him a secret. He refused, not wanting to become a fascination for some nefarious, wayward people who would poke and prod him and take his picture in all sorts of sordid ways. All he wanted to do was break the curse and spend the rest of his life with her.
I loved this book. It was filled with feels, angst, and heartbreak. I laughed. I cried. It brought out a plethora of emotions and made me glad I read it. I want to talk about it with anyone who will listen. It was that good.
The reason I gave it four stars rather than five was due to some grammatical errors (lay/lie, loosing/losing). They weren't enough to ruin the reading experience, but it still wasn't a perfect five. The story itself is a five. I loved everything about it.
Willow Dalton and her friend, Sasha, are nurses and are at a bar, waiting to get in when a rabid dog comes at them. A man intervenes and gets bit on the arm. It's bleeding profusely and when Willow demands to see the wound and get him to a hospital, he assures her that he's all right and after a bit of an argument, he lets her see it. The wound is already healed and the dog is no longer vicious. Willow knew there was something strange about this guy, but she was still drawn to him.
From there, it is the love story I've been waiting for. Samson wants to break this curse. He's in love with Willow and wants to stay with her forever. He treats her like a queen and every time he called her "my lady", my heart melted a little bit more. Every time he kissed her hand, like he used to do back in the day, his chivalry showed. Every time he kissed her softly or whispered something sweet to her, it was nearly my undoing. Every time he held out on sex, waiting for the right time, I fell in love with him a little more. What a fantastic character. The setting for this book was during the Obama Administration (he was marveling at the United States having a black president). Manners like Samson's have been gone for years and years. Yet there he was.
Willow was pretty much on-board with him, but she knew there was something strange about him and it scared her. Not only could he heal himself, he could heal animals, too. All the had to do was get a taste of his blood (kind of macabre and vampirish, but it worked) and he could heal and see their souls and they could see his. Totally amazing. Always the scientist, she wanted to take samples of his blood to check for anomalies, all while keeping this part of him a secret. He refused, not wanting to become a fascination for some nefarious, wayward people who would poke and prod him and take his picture in all sorts of sordid ways. All he wanted to do was break the curse and spend the rest of his life with her.
I loved this book. It was filled with feels, angst, and heartbreak. I laughed. I cried. It brought out a plethora of emotions and made me glad I read it. I want to talk about it with anyone who will listen. It was that good.
The reason I gave it four stars rather than five was due to some grammatical errors (lay/lie, loosing/losing). They weren't enough to ruin the reading experience, but it still wasn't a perfect five. The story itself is a five. I loved everything about it.
August 4, 2022
This is a great book. I had never read a Gargoyle book, so I wasn't really sure if I would like it. I love vampire and shifters, so gave it a try.. I am so glad I did.
It has a great story line, love, suspense, and everything else you can want in a good read.
He was cursed to being a gargoyle to suffer, he wakes up for only 30 days every 50 years. He saves a woman from a attack and it goes from there. He has to try to figure out how to break the curse or return to being a gargoyle for another 50 years.
Overall great book, would definitely recommend. I will definitely be checking out this authors other books.
It has a great story line, love, suspense, and everything else you can want in a good read.
He was cursed to being a gargoyle to suffer, he wakes up for only 30 days every 50 years. He saves a woman from a attack and it goes from there. He has to try to figure out how to break the curse or return to being a gargoyle for another 50 years.
Overall great book, would definitely recommend. I will definitely be checking out this authors other books.
August 6, 2022
Loved this book from beginning to end! The slow build romance between the main characters made the story hard to put down. And I loved the HEA end.
August 31, 2014
This book did not do it for me. I liked the premise well enough, but the execution had me rolling my eyes over and over again. It just didn’t have any emotional resonance. The words were there; the author told me what the characters were supposed to be feeling… it just didn’t ring true.
The story centers on Samson, a wealthy young Welshman who lives a life of leisure and debauchery. He flits from woman to woman, enjoying them for the moment, before dumping them and moving on to the next conquest. Unfortunately for him, he broke the wrong girl’s heart, prompting her mother to curse him for his actions.
Now he spends 50 years at a time as a stone gargoyle, only becoming human again for a month at a time between bouts of immobility. He has tried everything he can think of to free himself from the curse: he can’t even kill himself. So he just uses that month to live life to the fullest. He gluts himself on women and booze… filling up until the next cycle begins. But when he wakes this time, things don’t go according to plan. He comes across a rabid dog attacking two women and he intervenes. One of those women is Willow, who becomes his love interest in the book.
When I first met Willow, I found her very unlikeable. She was prickly and borderline rude to Samson, from the moment he saved her life, on forward. Yet for some reason, he is taken with her. He sees her differently than he did all the women in his past and he finds himself wanting to treat her as a gentleman. Their relationship moves forward, they adopt the dog, and Samson discovers that his blood has the power to heal. The story follows their uber-fast love story, Samson’s evolution into a better man, and the unraveling of his curse.
So many things just didn’t work for me. WHY, all of a sudden, is Samson ready to love? After, like, three days with Willow? She is not only unremarkable, but not even pleasant. I found their love story saccharine sweet, full of big talk about waiting for things to be “right” and spouting on about true love. But it has only been a few days. It’s unrealistic and over the top. Yes, I know it’s PNR, but the emotional connection is supposed to be believable and it’s just not. Not only that, but I just don’t see an organic link between the gargoyle curse and an angel/ healing thing. It felt convenient –and frankly, a tenuous connection.
Neither of the characters struck a real chord with me. They are fairly one-dimensional and were even less impressive in the confines of their relationship. I had to force myself not to skim when they started waxing poetic about their grand love. It was… not for me.
Rating: C-
*Book provided for judging in RONE awards
The story centers on Samson, a wealthy young Welshman who lives a life of leisure and debauchery. He flits from woman to woman, enjoying them for the moment, before dumping them and moving on to the next conquest. Unfortunately for him, he broke the wrong girl’s heart, prompting her mother to curse him for his actions.
Now he spends 50 years at a time as a stone gargoyle, only becoming human again for a month at a time between bouts of immobility. He has tried everything he can think of to free himself from the curse: he can’t even kill himself. So he just uses that month to live life to the fullest. He gluts himself on women and booze… filling up until the next cycle begins. But when he wakes this time, things don’t go according to plan. He comes across a rabid dog attacking two women and he intervenes. One of those women is Willow, who becomes his love interest in the book.
When I first met Willow, I found her very unlikeable. She was prickly and borderline rude to Samson, from the moment he saved her life, on forward. Yet for some reason, he is taken with her. He sees her differently than he did all the women in his past and he finds himself wanting to treat her as a gentleman. Their relationship moves forward, they adopt the dog, and Samson discovers that his blood has the power to heal. The story follows their uber-fast love story, Samson’s evolution into a better man, and the unraveling of his curse.
So many things just didn’t work for me. WHY, all of a sudden, is Samson ready to love? After, like, three days with Willow? She is not only unremarkable, but not even pleasant. I found their love story saccharine sweet, full of big talk about waiting for things to be “right” and spouting on about true love. But it has only been a few days. It’s unrealistic and over the top. Yes, I know it’s PNR, but the emotional connection is supposed to be believable and it’s just not. Not only that, but I just don’t see an organic link between the gargoyle curse and an angel/ healing thing. It felt convenient –and frankly, a tenuous connection.
Neither of the characters struck a real chord with me. They are fairly one-dimensional and were even less impressive in the confines of their relationship. I had to force myself not to skim when they started waxing poetic about their grand love. It was… not for me.
Rating: C-
*Book provided for judging in RONE awards
Read
March 29, 2014Can this heart of stone mend?
Samson lived a privileged life and was destin to inherit everything from his father. The problem is that he couldn't careless. Samson takes advantage of his stature in life taking whatever he wants for his own gain. His lack of conscience leads to a mistake that is not recoverable. He promises a young woman that he has been friends with his entire life that if she gives herself to him he will leave his family for hers and convert to their beliefs.
This of course does not happen and the angry mother of the young woman places him under a spell. Samson turns into a stone gargoyles. He awakes from the curse for one month every fifty years to attempt to solve the puzzle. Five hundred years later the story gets interesting...
It is not until he meets Willow that he has a reason to attempt to break the curse.
This was a great read a nice change from the traditional time travel novel. Definitely worrth
a look.
Samson lived a privileged life and was destin to inherit everything from his father. The problem is that he couldn't careless. Samson takes advantage of his stature in life taking whatever he wants for his own gain. His lack of conscience leads to a mistake that is not recoverable. He promises a young woman that he has been friends with his entire life that if she gives herself to him he will leave his family for hers and convert to their beliefs.
This of course does not happen and the angry mother of the young woman places him under a spell. Samson turns into a stone gargoyles. He awakes from the curse for one month every fifty years to attempt to solve the puzzle. Five hundred years later the story gets interesting...
It is not until he meets Willow that he has a reason to attempt to break the curse.
This was a great read a nice change from the traditional time travel novel. Definitely worrth
a look.
April 16, 2013
This was a refreshing new look into a paranormal romance that was a bit rock hard to begin with. A twist starts with the story of a man who was a selfish egotistical jerk in the 1500's that is cursed after he lays with a soon to be Pagan priestess.. ruining her with false promises. Her mother works the curse and Samson finds himself living his life a month at a time every 50 years. Then he meets Willow a pediatric nurse who curbs his deepest desires and opens up a new world of life that he never thought to have. It takes him 500 years to learn a valuable lesson and now he has 30 days to unravel a rhyme that can end the curse and allow him to love the one person who changed his life forever. A great weekend read that will have you looking for more.
January 6, 2013
Blood from a Stone is a modern-gothic romance sprinkled with a bit of paranormal intrigue, it has plenty of humor, witty dialogue and emotional moments.
This is a touching story of a man on a path to redemption, learning the true meaning of love and the power of the human spirit, and a woman willing to trust, love and stay by his side regardless of what happens.
I had a hard time getting into the story at first, I felt like it was dragging in some places and there were a few typo errors that distracted me but overall I enjoyed this highly emotional, romantic story. It is well worth reading.
This is a touching story of a man on a path to redemption, learning the true meaning of love and the power of the human spirit, and a woman willing to trust, love and stay by his side regardless of what happens.
I had a hard time getting into the story at first, I felt like it was dragging in some places and there were a few typo errors that distracted me but overall I enjoyed this highly emotional, romantic story. It is well worth reading.
February 12, 2013
I loved the concept of this book - what's not to love? The hero is turned into a gargoyle thru a curse, and only comes to life for a month every 50 years. I had some things that I didn't like about the book tho: The writing seemed oddly stilted to me at times. I found the heroine... well.. kind of annoying. There were odd inconsistencies for me with her character and I had a hard time wanting her and the hero to tough it out and come thru at the end. (Which is the whole point of this kind of book, IMHO.) Nothing great here for me....good concept but didn't deliver as much of a punch as I'd have liked.
May 11, 2013
To keep a long story short:
I liked the concept of the story and the way it developed - up to the point where I stopped reading.
Why did I stop? I couldn't handle the faulty editing. Missing words, missing spaces between words, superfluous and/or missing interpunctation... I'm really sorry, but this sort of ruins a book for me.
It's losing all of its attraction if I have to re-read sentences in order to understand them.
I liked the concept of the story and the way it developed - up to the point where I stopped reading.
Why did I stop? I couldn't handle the faulty editing. Missing words, missing spaces between words, superfluous and/or missing interpunctation... I'm really sorry, but this sort of ruins a book for me.
It's losing all of its attraction if I have to re-read sentences in order to understand them.
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September 15, 2012For a full review please see the September issue of InD'Tale Magazine.
http://www.indtale.com/reviews/blood-...
http://www.indtale.com/reviews/blood-...
kindle-i-own-to-read
December 30, 2012Amazon Freebie 12/30/2012
January 3, 2013
I kinda really enjoyed this story!
January 7, 2013
This book is really original, I really like the storyline of the way the author Was very detail oriented
October 28, 2014
bolehla....
Want to read
December 30, 2012Gargoyle Paranormal
March 18, 2014
very enjoyable! nice love story of good vs evil
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews