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Sonoran Dawn Studios - Fiction, Author Spotlight
Category:
Horror
Publisher: Sonoran Dawn Studios
ISBN-10: 1365467163
Type: Fiction
Pages: 248
Copyright: October 17, 2016
ISBN-13: 9781365467165
Price: $3.99 (eBook)
Vampire crime drama... not your usual genre story.
Riley Austin believes life is predictable. That is until she helps her friend, Tony, catch the kidnapper of three little boys. While using her sixth sense to find the missing kids, she and Tony are attacked and Riley is taken by Julian, a vampire, who wishes to use her gift for his own purposes.
When he asks for her assistance, Riley discovers a kindred spirit in Julian. Moreover, she discovers that an insane, power-hungry vampire called Wilhelm is at the center of many disappearances. A bond grows between Julian and Riley and is strengthened when she saves his life. For her own protection Julian returns her to the safety of the mortal realm.
What Julian does not realize is that Riley was never going to remain safe...
"All right, the pitch has vampires in it but they're grown up vampires for grown up people, one of the few on this [Authonomy] site."
"I like the classic feel of a crime novel in a vampire story."
"Seriously hot stuff. These are vampires the way they were meant to be."
Excerpt
Chapter 1
In the Name of Blood
“Riley? Riley!”
“Over here.” Riley heard the clatter of heels on the wooden floor.
A dark-haired woman raced to the cashier’s counter. Her warm-toned skin gleamed in the iridescent spot lighting. Hazel eyes sparkled with enthusiasm.
“What are you doing?” Her brow furrowed.
“Nothing, Aubree. Just straightening up.”
“You’re reorganizing the drawers I organized, aren’t you?”
“You caught me.” Riley raised her hands in surrender. “Every time I reach for one thing, I get something else. I was just switching a couple of items to make cashiering more efficient, that’s all.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure. Why?”
“Because your hands are still up.”
“Oh. It has been that kind of day.” Riley shrugged and put her hands down. “So what’s the big excitement that you tap danced your way up here?”
Aubree tilted her head. “Very funny.”
“I figured the noise was expectant of some news we can use.”
“It is: went through the mail in our downstairs office and… drum roll, please.” Aubree handed her boss an envelope. “It’s from that mysterious address again.”
“Thirteen thirteen Mockingbird Lane?”
“Try, five thirty-two North Seventh Street, Chicago, Illinois- which we researched and the place doesn’t exist.”
“Maybe whoever it is doesn’t want us to find them using a search engine.”
“Or a map.”
“Or the post office. Perhaps it’s a strange game of geocaching in reverse.”
“In reverse?”
“Yes, They find and give us cursed objects that appear to be for our benefit but we can’t find them to return the objects when the original murderous owner comes looking to collect our souls.” Riley dropped her pitch an octave for the last five words. “Dun dun dun dah!”
“You do realize how horror movie-esque that sounds? No more NetTixets for you late at night.”
“In the G-rated version of my nightmare.” Riley laughed. “If the leprechaun wants to leave me his pot of gold and I do not have to chase down a rainbow, more power to him.”
“That version will not keep me up all night. Besides, I couldn’t outrun a murderous curse in these shoes if I had to.”
“Designers these days… what were they thinking? Impracticality?” Riley smirked at their amusing banter, but then she became somber.
“What is it?"
“The envelopes and the checks inside are disturbing to receive with no legitimate return address. No live person to meet. No one to thank.” Riley twirled the brown paisley envelope on her fingertips before placing the paper into her back pocket. “And I wouldn’t advise running in three inch heels anyway. Not on this slick floor.”
Riley walked away with that ever growing emotional turmoil twisting her insides. Every time those letters arrived, Riley felt guilt, relief, and an overwhelming sense of failure. She was damned if she cashed the checks and damned if she did not.
What was a business owner to do in an economic downturn? Live on the streets after she laid off her friend for lack of funds? The reality of Riley’s predicament was all too clear.
“A person who likes their privacy. Can’t say I blame them.” Riley talked to the painting in front of her.
“Oh, c’mon, no one’s here: open it.” The jasmine scented woman followed her. “Well, at least, let me.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t run out the basement door with it. You’ve threatened it before.”
“And, rightfully so.”
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