*RELAUNCH* Vampire of Blackpool #VoB #ASMSG

My #NaNoWriMo2014 Vampire Hunter Novel

Hey folks! How you doin'? Can you tell I am excited? Well I am! I just reached the halfway point on my #NaNoWriMo manuscript, and a day ahead of schedule. Hooray! Not bad considering I was 10,000 words short just 24 hours ago. It's amazing what you can do when you put your mind to it... Anyway, because I feel very excited about this particular novel, I would like to share an excerpt with you. The story is about Hannah Oakley, a former vampire hunter turned wife and mother. She returns to work covertly to hunt down the vampire that almost killed her in a previous career. This is an excerpt from the very beginning of the novel (unedited, I might add!)...

Staring into the darkness, I held my breath and raised my gun, forcing my  body to remain calm and still. She was out there, my target, the vampire I was supposed to destroy. She had eluded me for long enough. I had to end it. But I didn’t. I could hear movement, but it wasn’t her. She was too clever, to strong, too determined. There was a draft blowing through the cracked window to my left, and I felt the cold air whipping across my face. It stung where the vampire had hit me. My skin was stiff with dried blood, and sticky with more as it oozed from my wounds. I was beginning to lose consciousness. No, I could not give in. If I collapsed now then she would win. She would kill me. I was not ready to die.
With a terrifying scream the vampire leaped out of the darkness, hit me again, and I flew backwards, landing with a heavy thud on the concrete floor. It stunned me momentarily, and I panicked when I lost my gun. I tried to reach for the silver knife sheathed on my left leg, but I was too slow, groggy with the pain and shock from my wounds. The vampire crouched over me, her silver eyes glowing in the dark. It was those eyes that had been my undoing. That and my inexplicable attraction to this woman when I first met her. It was no good. I was fading fast, gasping for breath and fighting to stay alive. My body could take no more abuse. 
“I could end this now, Hannah,” the vampire said, “All it takes is one more kiss.”
She reached out a slender finger and lightly stroked my face. I flinched and tried to move away but I couldn’t. I saw her fangs gleaming in the moonlight that streamed through the broken window. My nose wrinkled as it detected a smell of damp mixed with the cold, dead stench of vampire power. Just one more kiss. It would be so easy. She would kiss me, just like she always did, and the world would simply melt away. We would be alone, wrapped in each other’s arms, for eternity. My head lolled back, exposing my bleeding neck, and she moved closer, hovering above me as she savoured the moment. I closed my eyes.
“Mummy,” 
The vampire was kissing me…
“Mummy! Where are you?”
My eyes snapped open. The room spun. Blinking rapidly, I looked around. I was in the kitchen, standing by the worktop, idly stirring a mug of tea that was beginning to cool. It had happened again. The flashbacks were more frequent, and now it seemed they were lasting for longer. Shaking my head, I stepped away from the worktop and turned towards the door.
“I’m in here, sweetheart,” I called out in a voice that shook very slightly.
“Mummy,” my daughter called.

Will I Succeed This Time? #NaNoWriMo

It is that time of year folks. How on earth did we get to November already? I have no idea. All I know is it has been a long and challenging year, and yet it seems to have gone really quickly. Back in April I attempted to do #CampNaNoWriMo. It wasn't quite the success I anticipated, but at least now I have the beginnings of a YA novel languishing on my hard drive until such time as I feel the urge to finish it.

For #NaNoWriMo 2014 I have returned to my vampires. OK, I never truly left them. But this time I am writing a story about a vampire hunter. Hannah Oakley retired from the job nine years ago after the vampire she was hunting seduced and almost killed her. She never did finish the job, and the vampire is out there, somewhere. Hannah is now married with two young children, and finding motherhood both a joy and a chore (sound familiar?). We meet her at the point where she is remembering the past, wondering about her former vampire lover, and wondering if she will ever be able to slay the one vampire who broke through her strong defenses.

The good news is, I am getting into this story. It is quite exciting, it is calling to me, albeit it faintly at the moment, and I do feel the urge to write every day. My difficultly lies with the ever-present domestic distractions. I am currently home alone with my own two young children, one of whom returns to pre-school next week after an extended half-term holiday. Perhaps then I might settle into a proper writing routine. As it stands I have written 4,957 words. The NaNoWriMo stats tell me at this rate I will complete the challenge on January 10th 2015. I had better suck it up, get my ass into gear, and get some words on the page!

Happy writing, fellow Wrimos!


*Vampire hunter image courtesy of 500px.com

Vampire Hunter Inspiration at Home #writetip

Today I am inspired to show where some of my writer inspiration comes from. I live a very self-contained life at the moment while I nurture two young children and support my husband through his career development. Therefore, I haven't travelled very far recently, except in my imagination. Ah yes, the imagination... my old friend never deserts me!

Anyway, back to the subject. Last year I began writing a novel about a vampire hunter who lives on a canal boat and travels the UK waterways, working as a university lecturer by day, and hunting vampires by night (or during her spare time... my vampires are awake all day and can move around in sunlight). Strange idea, right? Well, that's my story, it caught my imagination, and I will write it!

The novel has stalled a little admittedly, and now I am feeling the need to include themes of angels and demons, and maybe a few reincarnation/past life experiences as well... it could get complicated! Ultimately, this whole story was inspired by one early  morning walk along my local canal, on my way home from the shops. I walked past a moored boat and could smell bacon cooking. I am vegetarian, but the smell still appealed to me. Suddenly, my vampire hunter appeared, and she has a story to tell...

What random, and seemingly small events, have inspired your stories recently? Please share!

#SampleSunday The Vampire of Blackpool

Today I share an excerpt from my new (unpublished) novel The Vampire of Blackpool for #SampleSunday. I am very excited about this one, and I cannot wait to see it in print! Enjoy…

“I know you are up there,” the man said suddenly, and I stifled a gasp, crouching still and silent, “Come out and face me, vampire.”

He was a hunter.  I knew immediately by the bitter tone of his voice, and the courageous nature of his words.  For the first time in over seventy years, I was facing a vampire hunter who wanted my head on his sword.  I felt nothing.  I could easily dispatch of him.  I had done so with all the other vampire hunters throughout the centuries.  In the early years they truly believed in the power of crosses, holy water and garlic.  At first these tools had caused a little discomfort, but I had learned to overcome them.  Wooden stakes were still a problem.  There was something about wood that simply disagreed with a vampire’s body.  It was one of the few materials from which we could only heal at human speed, unless it pierced our heart, in which case it killed.  We had the same problem with pure silver.  The metal contained a natural repellent, and it worked for both vampires and shapeshifters.  We were still unsure of the reasons why.  Our ancient texts and teachers believed it was all tied to the magic of the moon.  All I knew was that I avoided coming into contact with wood and silver at all costs.  

The man paced a few steps in a tight circle, looking up to where I crouched in the shadows.  He knew I was here.  He was not about to give up.  I found myself intrigued.  I could descend upon him now and kill him immediately.  I would drop his body into the ocean and nobody would be any the wiser.  But I still smarted from Samantha’s attack earlier that evening.  Despite my crazed feeding in the nightclubs, I felt weakened, exposed.  I was also angry.  How dare such a young upstart as her do that to me?  I warned her that she was in danger, and still she pursued me.  It was her fault.  She brought it on herself.  The anger that had been bubbling just below the surface suddenly burst forward, and I hissed, leaping down from my perch and aiming for the vampire hunter.  I landed on his shoulders almost immediately and he crumpled to the floor with a shout, sprawling in the soft, dry sand at the very edge of the beach.  


*Image courtesy of Squidoo.com

I Celebrate World Book Day Every Day! #ReadMe

I cannot allow today to pass by without celebrating the official World Book Day, even if it has been rather lacking in book-related activities for me. I suppose really I celebrate books and reading every day, so on a personal level it doesn’t actually matter.

Every day I take a few minutes to stand before my tall bookcase situated on the landing by my bedroom, and I stare lovingly at the piles and stacks of paperbacks, hardbacks, and special edition magazines carefully stashed away. Then I glance at the overflowing pile on my bedroom floor with the same fondness. Then I walk downstairs, sit on the sofa, and stare across at my small bookcase proudly displaying my collection of Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter books by Laurell K Hamilton… OK I do have a lot of books! But I need more, dammit!

Happy World Book Day everybody!

Hump Day Hook #HDH – The Vampire of Blackpool

Today I will share just one more excerpt from my unpublished manuscript, The Vampire of Blackpool. This is an exchange between our protagonist, Meredith Hanson, and a vampire hunter she fought with on Blackpool promenade.

    “You will not defeat me, hunter,” I said, “I know all of your tricks.”
    He stared at me, and I refused to look away under his scrutiny.  Instead I stared back, showing him my glowing silver eyes and my gleaming fangs, wet with his blood where I had bitten and nipped him during our fight.  He licked his lips, his body tense beneath me.  I felt his confusion as his mental barrier began to weaken.  My smile widened and I leaned down, my lips a mere inch away from his.
    “You want me, hunter,” I purred, “Admit it.  You want me to kiss you, and you want to taste your blood on my lips.  I know how it works.  You are all the same.”
    I crushed my lips to his and he struggled to push me away, but not before he opened his mouth for me, and our tongues entwined for a moment.  Then he managed to force me back, and I stood up, laughing.
    “Mmm,” I murmured, “Delicious.  I will leave you to recover.  We will meet again.”
    Stepping back slowly and licking my lips, I gave him time to scramble to his feet.

If you would like to see more fantastic new novels from lots of different authors, check out our dedicated Hump Day Hook website and the Facebook group. There you will find anything from traditional romance, BDSM, erotica, sci-fi and fantasy.

*Vampire image courtesy of Pinterest

I’m a Camper! #CampNaNoWriMo 2013

I have been struggling with a manuscript for about the last six months, and so I decided it was time to get help. I turned once again to the good people at National Novel Writing Month. Since I managed to write 2 very pleasing novels during my NaNoWriMo events in 2011 and 2012, I thought I should try it with this one. Lucky for me, Camp NaNoWriMo is active throughout April.

The manuscript in question hasn’t even got a title. My working title is The Vampire Hunter, but that doesn’t do it justice, so it will have to change. I began the novel with gusto, having received a flash of beautiful inspiration from my Muse while out walking by the canal one day. Then, without warning, my Muse went on holiday! How dare she! In fact, I think she might have emigrated. I have been receiving ideas for stories on the odd occasions when she shows herself, but with this novel, she seems to have left me to it.

The story is about a vampire hunter who lives on a canal boat. She travels the UK waterways, slaying vampires wherever she goes. Dr Jennifer Worthington works alone, having lost her previous partner during a hunt that went wrong. Her sole aim is to locate the vampire who broke her heart when she was at university, and to destroy him. During her quest, she discovers an ancient and powerful vampire who has a strange attraction both to and for Jennifer.

At this point in the story, I am about to head off into a whole new adventure on uncharted territory. Jennifer discovers that she has a history with the vampires she hunts, and it goes back centuries. We have elements of past lives, reincarnation, and even angels and demons lurking in the shadows. I just need to figure out how to bring them forward and integrate them in an exciting and enjoyable story. Camp NaNoWriMo, I need your help!

*Vampire Hunter image courtesy of Pinterest

Planning and Writing my Books

My book writing schedule is at a funny stage right now. I am awaiting the public release of my third adult paranormal romance novel Love Redeems (A Redcliffe Novel). This is the third in a series that I affectionately call the Redcliffe novels, and it concludes the trilogy of how we met our heroine Jessica Stone and the insane supernatural love triangle that she fell into.

The story doesn’t end there, however. Love Redeems finishes on yet another cliffhanger. I won’t give it away, but suffice to say that the Redcliffe werewolf pack are in need of support and their alpha is broken hearted. I have to write book 4, not only because the series demands it, but because these characters are real people to me, and I hope they are real to a lot of other people who read my stories. So I am currently planning Redcliffe book 4 in my head, but have yet to begin writing it on the computer.

In the meantime I stepped away from Redcliffe to try something else. For NaNoWriMo 2012 I wrote a story about a vampire in Blackpool and what happened when she met a vampire hunter. I quite liked that story, and it is now awaiting editing ready for submission to publishers and/or agents. I then got the urge to begin writing another story about a vampire hunter who lives on a canal boat. That one came to me while I was out walking one day, ironically enough next to our local canal!

Well, this story is faltering. My heroine,  Dr Jennifer Worthington, has secrets to uncover but they are not coming out quite in the way I expected. I am writing this story in the third person, whereas the Redcliffe novels are in the first person and told by Jessica Stone. My muse has decided that this new vampire hunter story needs to include something about angels and demons. I have yet to write them properly into the story, and that is where I am faltering. Still, it is a challenge and I will not be defeated. No matter how long it takes, I will complete this story. But I might venture back into Redcliffe before then, because that is so much easier and more natural for me…

Moving away from the Redcliffe Novels

I have finished writing the third novel in my Redcliffe series.  Love Redeems (A Redcliffe Novel) is complete and has been edited, but I am hanging on to it for just a little longer before I send it to my publisher.  At just under 90,000 words, this novel is longer than the first two.  It is certainly more fantastical than Love Hurts (A Redcliffe Novel) and Love Kills (A Redcliffe Novel), and I am interested to see what sort of response it gets from readers. 

Therein lies part of the problem. I am anxious about letting go of a story that has haunted me for ten years. It is finally written, and the first two sections are already in print and being consumed by readers the world over. Of course, that is what I want, otherwise I would never have submitted my work to a publisher. I want my Redcliffe novels to be enjoyed and celebrated, and I want to be a best selling, popular author in my genre. I even want to see a film or a television series about my stories one day.

But what happens next? Where do I go from here? The Redcliffe novels will definitely continue. My heroine, Jessica Stone, has made that perfectly clear. She has lots more stories to tell about her complicated relationship with two vampires and a werewolf, and about her personal journey into the world of magic and mystery as a witch. Book 4 in the Redcliffe series will be something very different to book 1 I am certain, and I feel that the witches will play a far more prominent role than they have so far. I also don't know what will happen, because my original plans have been changed after I rewrote the ending to Love Redeems (A Redcliffe Novel).

There is yet more news. Today I received inspiration from my muse for a completely new novel. This one tells the story of a female vampire hunter in the UK. I won't give too many details at present, indeed I don't even know very much myself. So far I have written the first chapter and become acquainted with my new heroine, Dr Jennifer Worthington, and her protagonists. The story came to me while I was out for an early morning walk with my family, and I spent all afternoon in a daydream until I could find the time to sit down and write properly. Now it is out of my head, on the computer, and I am very excited about what will arise.

Happy days, my friends!