Dark Salvation [Paperback]

Jennifer Dunne (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2001

VAMPIRE ROMANCE: Desmond Lacroix is on the front lines of a battle between science and magic, with the life of his young daughter at stake. When investigative reporter Rebecca Morgan tries to expose him, she is drawn into the battle . . . and into his bed. Can he trust the secret of his existence to a woman who makes a career out of revealing secrets?

Editorial Reviews

Review

A book with real bite! DARK SALVATION, by Jennifer Dunne, is sheer entertainment. She has adeptly taken a very old subject and put an entirely -- if you'll excuse the expression -- novel twist on it. DARK SALVATION is for those who want a light read -- no heavy messages here. Just plain fun. Dunne has given us a book with real bite. -- US Times

A twenty-first century vampire romance, DARK SALVATION centers on vampirism being a blood condition as opposed to a supernatural affliction. The engaging story line enables readers to believe. The lead protagonists are a charming pair, simultaneously struggling with their attraction, their doubts, and their responsibilities. The support cast augments the plot by making vampirism appear as a disease requiring modern day research to find a cure for it. Jennifer Dunne has written a twenty-first century vampire romance that will warm the blood of sub-genre fans." -- Harriet Klausner for BookBrowser

J. Dunne has concocted a fast-paced, involving story with sympathetic and engaging characters. It's a vampire tale with a scientific twist, and should appeal to fans of vampire romances as well as those who like paranormal romances from other niches. -- Katriena Knights, for The Running River Reader

Jennifer puts a new twist on how and why one becomes an Immortal. If you think there is only one way someone ends up being Immortal then you are in for a surprise. Read Dark Salvation and find out the answer. -- Mystic Visions

Three and a half Stars. With DARK SALVATION, Ms. Dunne has crafted a vampire novel with a major, intriguing twist; characters that will make you smile; and a romance to believe in. -- Scribes World Reviews

WOW! I am leaving out so much! There is a lot more about Desmond and his family I can not reveal. Even Rebecca has some surprises! I urge Readers not to miss this one. A dark gothic to give chills, yet refuses to let the Reader go! Perfect for lovers of Horror or Dark Fantasy! -- -- Huntress Book Reviews --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Jennifer Dunne's first book, RAVEN'S HEART, won second place in the 1998 Sapphire Awards and was a finalist for Affaire de Coeur's Reader Awards for best futuristic of 1998. It was also the first e-book purchased by the Library of Congress, and hit Barnes & Noble's top ten bestsellers on both their romance ebook list and science fiction ebook list. She followed that with DARK SALVATION, "an interesting and distinctly modern medical twist on the old vampire legend (Romantic Times)" that was her publisher's #1 bestselling book the month it was released, and is currently their #5 all time bestselling book. Her short fiction has been published in the romance anthology MORNING STAR and the science fiction anthology STARDATES: INFINITE CELEBRATIONS, as well as in several magazines. She also contributed the section "What is Science Fiction Romance?" to Kathryn Falk's book HOW TO WRITE A ROMANCE IN THE NEW MARKET.

When not writing books, Jennifer is the president of Romance Writers of America's Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal chapter, is an active speaker online and at romance and science fiction conventions, and works full time for IBM. She lives in Upstate New York, in a home which (according to the sign) is maintained entirely for the comfort and convenience of the cat. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 228 pages
• Publisher: Hard Shell Word Factory (November 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0759904014
• ISBN-13: 978-0759904019
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,913,571 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A exciting new author with a vampire-type romance story!, March 31, 2000

By 

Barbara Deane - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dark Salvation (CD-ROM)

Rebecca Morgan is a free-lance reporter on the trail of a hot story. Desmond Lacroix, and the secrets he guards fiercely, is her hot story. When Rebecca travels to Arizona to tour the mysterious Prescott Institute, she is determined to unravel the secrets behind both the work done there and the director, Lacroix. However, the secrets she is seeking based on her reporter's imagination don't even come close to the reality that is Desmond Lacroix's life.

Desmond's main focus in life is saving the life of his three year old daughter, Gillian. Gillian is has a very rare disease that has been killing her since the moment she was born. Her mother died shortly after Gillian's birth of a rare form of leukemia that was exacerbated by Desmond's curse, although we don't know for the longest time what his curse truly is. All we know is that he strictly guards the security of his Institute and the various types of research going on there.

Rebecca not only becomes intrigued with Desmond and the institute, but she turns out to be a possible bone-marrow donor for Gillian. When she resists the tests needed to determine complete compatibility, Desmond is able to persuade her using his telepathic abilities. He is also able to detect that Rebecca is telepathic, although she doesn't know it. As she spends more time at the institute, Rebecca is unable to deny the feelings she has for Desmond and the intensity of their chemistry.

The world into which Jennifer Dunne takes us in Dark Salvation is just slightly skewed from our own. It is possible to see how such a reality might occur and how these two people could find each other given all the odds stacked against them. I was drawn into the story from the very beginning because I like the strong and independent heroine, which Rebecca definitely is. Desmond creates that mysterious aura that invokes images of intense passion soul-wrenching love. These elements are a large part of Desmond and Rebecca's story and certainly how they are each other's Dark Salvation. Barb Deane Copyrightc 1999, Barb's All Romance Book Store. All rights reserved

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Competent but nothing extraordinary, July 8, 2001

By 

M. J. Walters "dargelos" (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Dark Salvation (CD-ROM)

Sometimes a writer can be perfectly competent - everything is spelled correctly, sentences are well-crafted , characters behave consistently, and the plot is direct and potentially engaging - and yet the story doesn't come together in any meaningful way, doesn't capture the imagination. "Dark Salvation" is such a book.

Journalist Rebecca Morgan is determined to get the scoop on Desmond Lacroix and his research into blood-borne contagions which she suspects to be nothing more than a con game. But Lacroix has more invested in his research facility than she can imagine, and as she begins to uncover the truth, she is drawn deeper and deeper into his world. Despite some problems which are probably more matters of personal taste than otherwise (I found just a little more cribbing from other sources than I like, though I recognize it as an occupational hazard for genre writers.) Dunne has constructed a workable universe, and a relatively new take on vampirism - sub-genre: Physiological reasons for their existence. She writes with assurance and the competence mentioned earlier, but without some essential spark which would have kept me wondering what was going to happen next. The writing is good, neither particularly crisp nor particularly sluggish, but eminently readable and fairly undemanding. If there are any glaringly awkward bits, it's probably that she tends to over-use colorful descriptions, such as referring to Desmond's voice as "caramel." The plot itself isn't too strenuous; we're told almost from the beginning what Desmond's game is and the rest of the book pretty much works through his concerns with Rebecca's help. There's a good deal of sex here, as well, and those who don't care for the graphic stuff might be put off, though I found it a nice change from the implied sex of so much vampire lore. But again, there's nothing dazzling about it, nothing visceral, and that's a shame. The characters are pretty much what you'd expect; dark, brooding hero with a secret, spunky, beautiful heroine who is his soul mate, who understands and accepts even in the face of what is commonly thought of as horror. Competent but no sparkle.

I wish I could have liked this book more, I wish I could find something more to say than "competent" because I sound as if I'm damning with faint praise which really isn't the case at all. Even blunt criticism would probably be better than relative indifference, but I have no major quarrels with what Dunne writes or how she writes it. If she could put some muscle in her prose or make her story quirkier I believe she could produce a book that would capture the imagination. "Dark Salvation" is not that book, alas. I would recommend it if you're a die-hard vampire romance fan or a voracious reader of romances looking for something just a little different, but if you want to be dazzled, I don't think this one is for you.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A vampire romance for the new millenium, February 9, 2000

By 

Patricia Bray (Upstate, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dark Salvation (CD-ROM)

In "Dark Salvation" Jennifer Dunne has crafted a wonderfully entertaining, sensual love story that puts a futuristic spin on the vampire romance. Desmond Lacroix is convinced that medical science has the power to overcome his vampirism, and to save his young daughter. But his unusual research draws the attention of reporter Rebecca Morgan, who finds herself drawn to the enigmatic man, even as her investigations convince her that there is indeed a story here. But Rebecca has her own secret-- a genetic inheritance that could prove the key to Desmond's salvation. Now, can Desmond overcome a lifetime of secrecy and learn to trust her? Or will he lose her, and with her his only hope for salvation?

I really liked this story, particularly the way the author managed to integrate high-tech medical science without overwhelming the romance and action. The characters are very believable, and I particularly love the way the sparks fly when these two very independent people first try to work together as partners.

Highly recommended.