Night Visions

AWARDS FOR NIGHT VISIONS
Erin Aislinn’s Book Cover Of The Month Winner (for Cerridwen cover)
Winner of the CataRomance.com Reviewer’s Choice Award for Best Single Title Paranormal Romance
ForeWord Magazine’s Book Of The Year Award Finalist, Category: Romance
Preditors & Editors Reader’s Poll Winner – Best Romance Novel

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He appears to her every night, chasing her until she’s trapped behind the barrel of a gun. A stalker who wants her dead. Terror jolts her awake with vivid scenes of her death. The problem is that Angelina Benton’s prophetic dreams always come true. The day Jared Maxwell in walks into The Variety Vine, the nightmare becomes reality. Circumstances force Angie to work and live with Jared. If she refuses, she loses her home and business. If she agrees she may lose her life.

Love at first sight isn’t possible in Jared Maxwell’s mind. When he meets Angelina his world turns upside down. He’s determined to gain her trust and win her love even though he has an ulterior motive for being in Dansburg, Virginia.

Strange events unfold during the renovation that put Angie’s life in danger. Despite her fears, she realizes she’s falling in love with the rugged man from her dreams. She learns that she may be one of three destined to break a two hundred year old curse. Can she overcome her fears and suspicions to fulfill her destiny or will trusting Jared be the ultimate mistake?

Note:  This book was previously published elsewhere under the same title, but has been expanded, revised and re-edited.

To Read an Excerpt CLICK HERE or Scroll Down

Reviews

4 Stars – This book is brisk and entertaining,  with someone attempting to sabotage the construction of the hotel, kill Angie and even hurt Jared. The road to the end is exciting! This is a marvelous story about developing trust and a sensuous expression of love, despite the fear that is reinforced by unexpected forces. The secondary characters are interesting, and their roles occasionally draw on their connection to the early inhabitants of the property. ~ Romantic Times

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Two Lips Reviews
Reviewed by Tara Renee

Rating: 5 Lips

Angie Benton runs a small shop in a small town. Her life is pretty normal. Except for the reoccurring dreams she has of her own death and her sightings of people who have passed on. Oh, and being known about town as the 26 year old virgin. Angie’s life is about to become even more odd when she is informed that she will lose her shop if she does not work with Jared Maxwell to turn a estate into a bed and breakfast as well as live at the estate.

Jared bears an uncanny resemblance to the man in her dreams who ends her life. Angie is unsure of Jared because of her dreams and because Jared seems to be keeping something from her. Those facts combined with Jared’s reputation as a playboy cause Angie to treat Jared with dislike. Jared, on the other hand, thinks he may have fallen in love with Angie at first sight. The two work on the estate and grow close. However, someone is determined to torment Angie. Angie will have to decide if she can trust Jared or if he is the one trying to kill her.

Night Visions by Ariana Dupre is an interesting story. There are ghosts, visions, and love at first sight, threats, and passion. Ariana Dupre’s characters are well developed and very compelling. Angie is a strong woman who holds her own with playboy Jared. Jared is secretive and sexy. He and Angie have an amazing chemistry that enhances an already strong book. Night Visions is the first in a trilogy by Ariana Dupre and is a perfect start. I am eagerly awaiting the next book in the Visions trilogy.

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Fallen Angel Reviews
Reviewed by: Jaymi

Rating: 5 Angels

Angie’s entire life changed because of a curse that dates back to the 1800’s and a dead man’s will. If she doesn’t agree to spend the summer with a man she is almost positive wants to harm her, she will lose everything she has. The original owner of the property where her store is located has decreed in his will that if she does not live on the main estate and turn it into a bed and breakfast, the total properties will be sold to the highest bidder. Jared takes pride in goading Angie. There is just something about her that makes him take notice. He’s even been having grandiose ideas of love at first sight. Unfortunately, Angie appears to dislike him on sight. She doesn’t look beyond the surface of his playboy persona. Because this irritates Jared, he enjoys irritating her right back. The next several months should be very interesting.

Jared’s playboy image isn’t the only thing Angie is thinking of when she sees him. Admittedly she is drawn to this man. Since the first moment she laid eyes on him, she feels as if she has been falling in love with him. Yet her feelings are mixed with a very real dose of fear. Angie is plagued with a recurring dream in which someone is trying to kill her, and she’s fairly certain that someone is Jared. Someone is trying to scare her; someone keeps leaving menacing notes and threatening her. Angie can only pray that despite her dream, Jared is not the one out to get her. She can’t have fallen for someone who’s trying to kill her.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Night Visions. Ariana Dupré gives readers a story about two very stubborn people, both holding something back, both lying to the other while combating an overwhelming hunger for one another. Meanwhile, ghosts are seen walking about and someone is leaving increasingly terrifying notes for Angie. What more could a reader of romantic suspense ask for? Ms. Dupré delivers all these elements masterfully. The glimpses into centuries past to set the stage for the deceptions of now are sometimes down right eerie. Readers will easily be swept away with this story. Night Visions is the first in The Visions Trilogy. I can’t wait for the other books in this series; I am anxious to see what Ms. Dupré brings us next.

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Coffee Time Romance
Reviewed by Krista

Rating: 4 cups

Angelina Benton is woman not to be messed with. Living in a small town really gets to her because she has so many labels that she cannot shake. The dreams she has every night seem to take over her life. Now that her Aunt is gone, she is not sure how to deal with them on her own.

Jarid Maxwell is a rich man with secrets. He wants to know his family heritage and keep it safe. Women only seem to be after him for his money, but Angie does not fit the pattern. One look is all it takes for him but can he win her over?

Angelina Benton has a recurring nightmare where she sees a man’s angry face. When the man turns up in her store The Variety Vine, she is unsure what to think. The man Jarid Maxwell ends up owning property that was once part of the Slayton estate, and once both of them find out they need to work together, Angie is about to lose her mind, and possibly her heart.

This story gets 4 cups. It is an adventure that blends past with present. I really enjoyed how well Ariana Dupré put the spirits in her story, even to the point where they had to be helpful to the main characters. I also thought the twist that she put in there really had me until it was revealed who the bad guy was. It had me on the edge of my seat and I needed to know if Jarid and Angelina would end up together or not. It was a wonderful passionate romance and I am looking forward to reading more by Ms. Dupré.

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The Romance Reader’s Connection
Reviewed By: Rista Tompkins

Angelina Benton, a 26-year-old virgin, sees the future in her dreams. Unfortunately for Angie, the future she sees involves her own death. Traumatized by the reoccurring nightmare, Angie is stunned to find the man of her dream, Jared Maxwell, in her store. Even more stunning than coming face to face with a man who may soon be responsible for her murder, is the realization that she is deeply attracted to Jared. When circumstances force Angie and Jared to cooperate and cohabit, Angie’s fight or flight response goes wild. Should she risk her heart with Jared, or is she just risking her life? And to confuse the matter even more, why is Angie seeing ghosts of her loved ones? Does this relate to the curse detailed in a 200 year old journal?

Jared Maxwell takes one look at Angie, and immediately wonders if the myth of love at first sight is not actually a truth. But Jared is confused at the fear Angie exhibits towards him. Does she know of his ulterior plans regarding their adjoining farms? And why does someone seem to be targeting Angie? Is her life in danger?

Trying in vain to protect Angie from an unknown assailant, Jared must decide whether honesty is the best policy. But will revealing the truth protect Angie, or cause her demise?

This story was intriguing. The curse was vivid in parts, and vague in others; an excellent segue into the next book of the series. I liked the romance between Jared and Angie. However, I was confused by the lack of concern regarding Angie’s stalker. After several attempts had been made on her life, one would think that Angie’s demeanor would reflect this additional threat. Instead, only Jared seemed concerned. This made Angie seem flighty and unintelligent in direct contradiction to the essence of her character. Still, it was a story I had to read in one sitting. The imagery was vivid, and the storyline imaginative. An excellent read.

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Romance Reviews Today
Reviewer: Marilyn Heyman

Dansburg ,  Virginia  – Present Day

In the early 1800’s, a two hundred year curse was placed on the Slayton family.  They will only be freed from the curse if they find true love.

Angie Benton is having terrifying recurring dreams about two men, one shoots at her, and the other protects her.  Her previous dreams have been prophetic, and she is frightened that this dream will also come true.  Angie runs a small gift shop in Dansburg that she inherited from her Aunt Martha.  When Angie arrives at the shop, she is amazed to see her aunt who had passed away three months ago.  The vision tells her that she is in danger, to remember her dream, be careful, and that things happen in threes.  Later, a man enters, and Angie can hardly believe her eyes when she sees one of the men from her nightmare.  Angie is equally attracted and horrified.

Jared Maxwell is a little bemused over his encounter with Angie because he is so mesmerized by her.  Jared recently purchased a considerable amount of acreage on one side of the old Slayton property and has moved his company to Dansburg.  He is hoping to move his telepathic sister, Terri, to the area as well.

When the last descendant on the Slayton property, Sam Slayton, passes away, he leaves very unusual stipulations in his will.  All of the Slayton land, including the property of Angie and Jared, is deeded as one piece of land.  Sam wants the supposedly haunted homestead renovated into a bed and breakfast, with Angie and Jared each receiving fifty percent of the whole.  Sam left over a million dollars to have the Slayton Bed and Breakfast come to fruition.  Jared readily agrees, but Angie, thinking of her frightening dream, hesitates, but how can she refuse such an opportunity?

Jared is repairing the structure of the house while Angie is planning the interior décor.  Sam’s lawyer, Alan, is involved with advertising the inn and receiving reservations.  When an intruder covered in mud enters in the middle of the night frightening Angie, she believes he is one of the men from her dream.  When more strange and frightening things happen, Jared vows to keep Angie safe.  Can she trust him?  Can Jared protect Angie from the intruder?

NIGHT VISIONS isn’t too realistic, but it is a paranormal romance, so when dead people appear, curses are enacted, and danger follows Angie, it is thrilling and frightening as readers wait for the intruder from Angie’s dream to appear.  The handsome Jared falls hard for the feisty Angie who vows she will remain a virgin until she finds true love.  Although Angie has the recurring nightmare, she isn’t sure which man actually kills her in the dream, so she can’t fully trust the frustrated Jared, although attraction and heat sizzles between them.  The main secondary characters are Alan, who is always helpful to Angie and whom she trusts implicitly, and Terri, who has her own psychic powers.

An unusual story of a haunted house, ghosts, blue lights, and attempted murder, NIGHT VISIONS carries readers along to a satisfactory conclusion.  But wait, is there more to the curse?  Only one part of the curse has been completed, two others of the family also must find true love to break the curse forever.  Look for Terri’s story in Ariana Dupre’s next book.

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4 STARS – NIGHT VISIONS is the first of a trilogy; I suspect that if you read this one, you’ll be waiting anxiously for the next two. Angelina Benton’s dreams really do come true, usually. So when she’s almost forced to become a partner with Jared Maxwell, the man who’s been haunting her dreams, life becomes complicated. And when she thinks she’s falling in love with him, it becomes very complicated. Is he not what he seems? How can he be so wonderful in daylight and there still be something so frightening about him in her dreams? As the “town’s oldest virgin,” Angie has a reputation to maintain—and she’s not about to lose it without knowing just what’s going on with Jared and his secrets. Jared, meanwhile, has secrets even the reader doesn’t know—but are they so compelling that they cause him to attack Angie?

Dupré’s dialogue is fascinating, and her plot is edge-of-your-seat suspense at times. You learn to care about the characters, and see the world through their eyes. The author switches points of view between Angie and Jared so seamlessly it’s not an issue. Even if you’re not a fan of paranormal fiction but love romance, this one still works. Ann M. Beardsley, Scribes World

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5 STARS – This first installment of the Visions Trilogy has me pulled so far in I couldn’t dig my way out.  I am salivating for more.  I need to read the next book more than I need my next breath.  Ariana Dupre has written a mystical story of characters so real they can reach out and grab you.  FIVE stars for a lovely story. Paula Beaty, The Romance Review Spot

5 STARS – Ariana Dupre has masterfully created a scintillating romantic suspense story with eerie paranormal elements and roller coaster episodes that compel you to hold your breath with fright and then sigh with desire in NIGHT VISIONS, the first story in THE VISIONS TRILOGY. . . . Things that go bump in the night will never seem the same after reading this mystical love story. I whole heartedly recommend Ariana Dupre’s NIGHT VISIONS for a thrilling read and I am anxiously awaiting the next installment of THE VISIONS TRILOGY. ~ Donna Zapf, eCataRomance & CataRomance Reviews

5 STARS – A wonderful tale of romantic suspense and the paranormal.. . .This premiere novel by Ariana Dupré (aka Melissa Alvarez) is a thrilling story that will hook you immediately and keep you turning the pages.  The characters are fully developed and the setting is so real that you won’t want to put this tale of love and revenge down.  “Night Visions” is the first installment in a trilogy and I, for one, am anxiously awaiting the next installment. Linda Morelli ~ Award Winning Author

4 BLUE RIBBONS – from Tracy at RomanceJunkies.com

4 CUPS – from Sheryl, CoffeeTimeRomance.com

4 HEARTS – from Dawn – LoveRomances.com

“A” Rating – from  Lover of Books.

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EXCERPT, NIGHT VISIONS
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There was nowhere to hide.

Angie Benton watched the young woman running through the forest. As she fought the brush and bramble, her torn clothes ripped even more.

She tripped over a tree root and fell to the ground. Quickly, she struggled to her feet while leaves caught in her hair and briars slashed her arms, drawing blood.

Angie could feel the woman’s terror—like a knife slicing through her own heart. Just then a man appeared. Angie, watching from a high perch in the trees, trembled. What now?

Jaw clenched, eyes narrowed, the man opened and closed his fists repeatedly as he tramped toward the frightened woman. His shirt was unbuttoned, revealing the sweat glistening on his heaving chest. He looked so angry, so hostile. She could even hear the fury in his strong, deliberate footsteps.

The woman heard him, too and looked over her shoulder.

Angie gasped. The woman’s face was her own! Horrified, Angie watched the woman who could be her twin run into a clearing, then pause and look frantically around. She could feel her desperation and when the other woman sprinted across the meadow toward an old shack, Angie experienced a jolt of hope and a burst of energy as she mentally followed her twin.

Arriving breathless at the cabin, the woman jumped onto the porch, pushed through the broken door and ran into the first room on her left.

Angie spotted an exit at the back of the shack. She willed her twin to find it and escape that way. Instead, the woman ran wildly through the house in terror, searching for a place to hide.

Entering the kitchen at last, she didn’t run out the back door as Angie willed. Instead, she crouched in the corner behind an antique hutch. The old pine floors creaked as if under a heavy weight.

Angie screamed, “Run! Run!” But the twin didn’t move. The man’s footsteps moved methodically through the dilapidated old shack, searching, slowly, room-by-room. Still her twin waited motionless, until, at last, the footsteps left the house.

Tentatively, the young woman stood up and glanced around. Inching toward the back door, she looked through the screen and out the side windows, surveying the yard with wide, frightened eyes.

All clear.

Cautiously, she opened the door and slipped out. With her back to the yard, she quietly closed the door behind her, then spun around to make a run for it.

And crashed right into her pursuer.

A loud whistle pierced Angie’s hearing. What on earth was happening? Someone was pulling her from her perch. Someone had a grip on her biceps and searing stabs of pain were shooting through her arms.

She looked up and stared into the angriest blue eyes she had ever seen.

Eyes belonging to the man she’d just seen outside the cabin door. Her heart pounded. How had she become the woman she’d been watching? The man’s sandy brown hair hung over his face in wet strands, its blond highlights still noticeable. Sweat beaded across his brow. He clenched his jaw against chiseled cheeks and he tightened his grip by digging his fingers deeper into the soft flesh of her arms. Angie jerked her body violently, but could not break his hold. Wave after wave of terror crashed through her. She had to escape!

“Angie!” he growled. She snapped her head back to look up at his angry face.

A flash of light in her peripheral vision caught her attention and she turned to see someone, shadowed by trees, leveling a gun at them.

Angie froze. As if in slow motion, the muzzle of the gun moved until it was pointing straight at her. She heard a booming blast, so loud it hurt her ears. Oh God, I’m going to die, she thought in terror. The man with the sandy hair whirled her around, using his body to shield her from the oncoming bullet. Suddenly, his face contorted, his back arched and his grip on her arms loosened, then released, as he fell to the ground.

Angie watched him land in a crumpled heap at her feet. She’d barely had time to take this in before she felt something hard and cold jab into her back and an arm clench around her neck, forcing her to look skyward. She heard a deep, raspy, laugh behind her as a man dragged her backward, knocking her off her feet with a quick pull, his laughter intensifying. Angie struggled frantically with the gunman. She was so desperate, so frightened, that several seconds passed before she noticed that the man who had come between her and the bullet was no longer there.

Where had he gone?

The pressure increased against her throat.

Angie twisted and turned, trying to break free, trying to find the man who had saved her before.

But it was useless. He’d disappeared and the more she struggled, the more her assailant tightened his hold. Then the realization hit her. The sandy haired man was dragging her across the yard. Somehow, he’d captured her. A gunshot rang out.

Fire burned through her chest. The man pushed her and she sank to the ground, feeling her life ebbing away.