Jun 1 2011

The Red Fang: Prologue (A Sneak Peek)

 

 

The Red Fang

a BEFORE THE SUN RISES novel

by Nicola C. Matthews

Copyright 2007 N. C. Matthews

All Rights Reserved

Prologue:

Ashton Jones was a serial killer.  Until he was recruited by SHiELD, he had only had the pleasure of torturing humans.  Now he had been given the very unique opportunity to not only torture but hopefully kill a vampire.  He was finding the entire experience very much to his liking.

The young female vampire strapped to the table only looked young.  Or at least, she used to look young.  She had been starved of blood for nearly a month now.  Had she not been feeding on a regular basis, Ashton’s systematic starvation of the vampire would not have worked.  However, the vampire known as Jasmine might have been nearing eighty years a vampire, but she was still feeding off the blood of the living nearly every day.

The starvation made the vampire weaker both physically and mentally, but it also made them very dangerous.  Since her body was used to receiving fresh blood on a regular basis, the blood lust had taken hold of her mind about two weeks into Ashton’s “session” with her. 

Starvation was a great tool to use when interrogating a vampire, but one had to be careful.  Ashton was forced to crank up his torture of the vampire a few notches in order to drag her mind back from the frenzy it was staying in due to the starvation tactic.  Now the female’s bones had been broken so many times that they were no longer healing properly, thanks in part to the lack of fresh blood, and also simply because the bones had been broken so many times. 

This information in itself was useful to the agency, especially since Ashton had been hired specifically to extract as much information out of the vampire as possible. The agency had already conducted numerous experiments on the vampire and werewolf anatomy.  What they wanted now was the information that their experimentation could not tell them.

Jasmine’s sunken brown eyes followed Ashton as he moved towards the table that held the small bag of human blood.  She tried to lick her cracked lips, but her mouth had stopped producing saliva a few days ago.  The only thing that gave her any relief now was the few teaspoons of blood that Ashton gave her from time to time, either as a reward for giving him the information he wanted or as a way to keep the blood lust from taking over her mind so completely.

“Please, Ashton, I’m begging you.  Just end it! I’ve told you everything that I know. Please …. Please …. kill me already.  I simply cannot bear it any longer!”

Ashton smiled, although his back was turned to the vampire so she couldn’t see the cruelty stamped on his handsome face.  “I have no intentions of killing you, Jasmine,” he said quietly.

The vampire let out a high pitched wail.  “What more do you want from me?” she screamed, thrashing around on the table in another attempt to get loose of the restraints.  “I don’t know anything more than what I have already said!”

She began crying again, the sobs almost painful to Ashton’s ears.  The agency thought that the sound was some type of warning system that the vampires could use to alert each other of danger.  It was also a weapon of sorts, as the high-pitched frequency could really hurt the human ear if it were used just right.

“The werewolves don’t carry viruses.  The scientists have already told the world this.  They don’t become werewolves or any animal by being bitten.  That’s just in the movies.”  She continued to pull at the metal restraints, her frightened eyes darting around the room as she talked. 

“It’s just like the scientists say, it’s a gene that some of them carry that gets switched on at some point in their lives.  I don’t know how it works.  I just know that once the gene is activated the person is no longer susceptible to any type of disease.”

Jasmine looked up at Ashton, the terror growing in her eyes as she saw the bone saw he carried in his hand.  “The human scientists already know everything that I know about werewolves, and you people know more than the scientists do!”

Ashton pushed the button on the bone saw a few times, the high-pitched buzz filling the room.  Jasmine cringed at the sound and began whimpering.

“What about the vampires?” he asked.

She shook her head violently.  “I already told you!” she screamed.

Ashton turned the saw on again.  Jasmine began rattling off the same information she had already told him a few dozen times before.  “You don’t become a vampire by being bitten, either! We don’t know it works.”

The small female vampire pulled her arms against the restraints, the metal digging into her flesh so deep that the bones were close to breaking.  She was so desperate to escape that she was causing almost as much damage to her body as Ashton had.  Almost.

“If it’s not a virus, then how do you go about making new vampires?” He asked, playing with the button on the saw.

“Whoever is being embraced has to be drained of blood.  They have to be nearly dead for the transformation to work.  Once the human is almost dead, you have to feed them the sire’s blood.”  She kept pulling at the restraints, the bones beginning to fracture under the strain.  The vampire did not seem to notice.  “But they have to be almost dead! If they are not nearing death then it won’t work.”

“Tell me more about the blood, Jasmine,” he whispered softly, reaching down to grasp her right arm in his hand.  He yanked the arm upwards suddenly, snapping the bone.  “Be still, or you’ll break the other one.”

The vampire’s sunken eyes were huge in her pale face, the pupils dilated so much that there was barely any white visible in them at all.  She only groaned when the bone of her arm broke, her fear so great that she could concentrate on little else. 

Her breathing was heavy and erratic as she continued to tell Ashton the same things that had now been repeated a hundred times.  “I don’t know why our blood makes a regular human stronger when they drink it!”  She began shaking her head back and forth on the table as Ashton came closer with the saw, flicking the button on and off as the vampire began to shake uncontrollably on the table.

“I don’t know who discovered the properties of our blood.  I don’t know who began selling it as a designer drug. I don’t know Ashton, I swear I don’t!  If I knew I would tell you.  My sire abandoned me right after I was embraced.  He left me to fend for myself!  If I knew of an older vampire who knew these things I would tell you!  I swear it, Ashton!  PLEASE DON’T!”

Jasmine’s screams echoed off the white tiled walls as Ashton turned the saw on and placed it against her naked abdomen. 

“Last chance to tell me something useful,” he said happily.

“I don’t know anything else!” she shrieked.         

Ashton only smiled, the sound of the vampire’s screams eventually being drowned out by the droning of the saw blade as the bits of flesh and blood spattered Ashton’s face and hands.  God, how he loved his job.

May 31 2011

Before the Sun Rises Series: a Look into the Creation of My Vampire World

 

The Story Behind the Story:

 Back in 2005 I began jotting down ideas for a supernatural world where vampires and werewolves not only existed, but humans knew about the monsters that went bump in the night.  I created the rules for this world, had a few ideas for some of the characters along with their histories.  Soon the mid-sized town of Shadow Cove, LA and a few key players had been created along with an ever-increasing storyline that was spreading out like the roots of a tree.  After mulling the ideas for at least three different storylines over in my head for nearly three years, I decided the storyline was just too good to not put into writing.  So in late 2007 I began penning the first novel in the BEFORE THE SUN RISES series, a novel called The Red Fang.

The Series:

When I realized that I had enough ideas to write a few decent-length novels and a couple of spin-off storylines to boot, I decided to call the entire series BEFORE THE SUN RISES.  While only one book has been written and two short-stories are being penned even as I write this, the series, once completed, will include three novels and two short stories.  And that is, of course, if I fail to think of anything new to add to the ever-growing storyline.

While I have often been known as an “erotic” fantasy writer, I must give warning that I do not consider this series to be strictly “erotic.”  There is a lot of action, a lot of adventure, some romance and, in the case of the short story called “Into the Darkness,” there is going to be some blood and gore to boot.  I think the stories are worth reading, even if you are not really into vampires and lycans.  Yes, the whole “vampire” and “werewolf” storylines have been done to death.  Read it any way.  You may discover a few new twists to an old tale.  Sorry, Twilight fans, you won’t get sparkling vampires or teenaged google-eyed bimbos sprouting poetry in a meadow while trying to win the heart of the brooding ‘bad boy.’  What you will get just might surprise you.

            The Red Fang – this is the first novel in the BEFORE THE SUN RISES series.  A half-fey named Ethereal and two vampires, Stealth and Requiem, must unite the supernatural creatures of Shadow Cove to battle a secretive agency known only as SHiELD.  The agency seems hell-bent on wiping them all out.  To add insult to injury, the organization has also been experimenting on the vampires and lycans, using their anatomy to create numerous human/vampire and human/lycan hybrids with short life spans and a thirst for blood.  Will they be successful, or is this the beginning of the end for all the supernatural creatures across the globe?

             Immortal Sins – This book contains 2 short stories: “Into the Darkness” and “A Kiss at Midnight.”  Both stories continue the action previously set up in The Red Fang.  “Into the Darkness” recounts the story of a minor character mentioned in The Red Fang, a human serial killer named Ashton. 

            Ashton was a serial killer who was obsessed with a cop named Altania.  When he finally captured Altania and her twin sister Altoya, he thought he could purge himself of the unnatural obsession for the woman.  But when Altania escapes, he is so enraged that he beats her twin sister to death.  When Altania returns with reinforcements, she finds the bloodied remains of her twin still shackled to the basement floor.  Altania is determined to bring Ashton to justice at any cost.  But when her obsession puts her entire squad in jeopardy, she is reassigned to the High Council as a new vampire assassin.  She is horrified to discover her new partner is the man whom she vowed to destroyed at all costs.  Now both Ashton and Altania are protected by the High Council, forced to work together to bring in a common enemy.  Can they put their hatred of each other aside to battle one of SHiELD’s former projects, or will their obsession for the other’s death mean their downfall?

            “A Kiss at Midnight”* recounts the story of one of the main characters going after another rogue SHiELD creation, a creature known as the Neko Project.  Can the project be contained, or will the leader of the agency use his newly discovered information to create a creature more powerful than any of them imagined?

            *sorry, folks, but if I tell too much of this particular storyline then I will have given away key points in the storyline of The Red Fang.  There is plenty of action, adventure, and some sex to go around.

             Blood’s Embrace – The third novel in the BEFORE THE SUN RISES series recounts the story of Stealth’s embrace.

            Lorian Emerald Leigh and her twin brother Dorian were born in 1671.  At the age of 18, Lorian aka LeeLee was already betrothed to her childhood friend Malkyn.  Two weeks before their wedding, Malkyn disappears.  A few nights later Malkyn appears at LeeLee’s bedroom window.  Overjoyed that he has not abandoned her, she bids him to her balcony.  She is horrified to learn that her beloved has become a demon of the night, an undead thing whose eternal soul has been damned for all eternity.  Malkyn begs her to allow him to embrace her as well so that they may be together for all time.  She refuses, the sound of their argument bringing Dorian out of his room.  Seeing an opportunity to force LeeLee’s compliance, Malkyn attacks Dorian, leaving him dying on the balcony.  He makes a deal with his betrothed:  allow me to embrace you or your brother dies.  Not wanting her brother to perish, LeeLee agrees, but once she has been embraced Malkyn leaves Dorian bleeding on the floor and LeeLee in desperation to save her brother’s life.  Not seeing any other option, she reluctantly embraces her own brother.  Disgusted with herself, thinking that she has now damned her brother to eternal hell, she flees the country.  She is so distraught over everything that has transpired that she goes on a killing spree that soon gains the attention of the High Council. 

The Council sends their best vampire assassin, the human known as Stealth, to dispatch of the rogue vampire.  What he finds is a vampire suffering from mental delusions based on superstition and old wives’ tales.  He tries to confront her, but soon finds himself fatally wounded at her hands.  Discovering that she is not the unholy thing she has been lead to believe, she decides to embrace Stealth.

Still unable to come to terms with the carnage she has left in her wake and the circumstances of her embracement, Stealth is forced to entomb the vampire and goes in search of her missing twin brother.  Will Stealth be able to find Dorian?  Will her brother’s reappearance in her life cure LeeLee of her personal demons or will she slide further into madness with the forced entombment?  What lies ahead for LeeLee, Stealth, and Dorian?

             The Ethereal Darkness – There is very little of the untold story behind Ethereal’s conception mentioned in The Red Fang.  The last novel in the BEFORE THE SUN RISES series traces the history and forbidden love affair between Ethereal’s parents, a human woman who falls in love with a half-breed Elf who is already marked for death.  When they discover themselves about to become parents to a child who will never be accepted by any of the fey, they are determined to save their unborn child’s life, even if it means giving up their own.

This entire series is the compilation of over six years of notes and thought.  It is currently my main project and I hope to have all of the novels written and in print within the next 12 to 24 months.  It is my hope that, even though these are not necessarily “sex stories” that my fans have come to associate with my name, readers will take a chance on a done-to-death theme which promises action, adventure, romance, blood and gore, and some erotica to spice things up.  Will the BEFORE THE SUN RISES series deliver on those promises?  We shall see.

May 29 2011

More of Nicola’s Work to Come to Kindle

I am currently in the process of making all of my work available for the Kindle through Amazon.com  This will include the erotic novel Temptation as well as the gothic romance novella Vindictus, The Dark Lord and the short erotic stories The Devil’s Slave and Master.  You can view my author’s page at Amazon.com by clicking here .

Stay tuned for more exciting and erotic adventures to come from yours truly, including the mid-June release of the much anticipated gothic action/adventure novel The Red Fang, the first novel in the BEFORE THE SUN RISES series.

May 28 2011

“Vindictus, The Dark Lord” Now Available for Kindle!

For those of you who have a Kindle, you will be excited to learn that my gothic romance novella Vindictus, The Dark Lord is now available for the Kindle through Amazon.com

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of this book for your Kindle, you can look in the Kindle Store of Amazon.com by searching the title of the book.  Or you can click here to be taken directly to the product.

I also plan to make my previously published book Temptation available for the Kindle as well.  Also, once The Red Fang goes into print in July of 2011, it too will be available for the Kindle through Amazon.com

 

May 10 2011

Because Brad Pitt was so HAWT!

Last night I watched Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt for what has to be like the 12th time.  I know I have read the book only once, but oddly enough, it is the movie I come back to time and again.  However, I have read The Vampire Lestat along with Queen of the Damned dozens of times each, but only watched the movie maybe six times.  It’s odd how I can love to read one book about the same characters but prefer watching a movie about them instead of reading the book, even though I know the books are almost always better than the movie.  The only reason I can think for this is because Brat Pitt was so damn hot playing Louis de Pointe du Lac.  Now as for my love of all things vampiric, there are other reasons.

Why does the public have such a lustful love of the vampire world?  Many have speculated over the years the vampires in movies were created as a synonym for the sexual act.  To be sure, in the real life vampire subculture around the United States, one has only to “bite” a woman to see her orgasm in bliss right before your very eyes.  And while the allure of the vampire is mostly rooted in sexual desire, I will explore the five reasons why I, and possibly the general public, find vampires so absolutely irresistible.

5.  The sex appeal:  Perhaps one of the most popular reasons why vampires have been so iconic over the centuries are their universal sex appeal, especially in the past few decades.  Long gone are the days of Nosferatu when vampires were bug-eyed and saw-toothed with a face only a mother could love.  In all the books I have read which have been published in the last fifty odd years, the vampire is synonymous with sex.  They all have perfect hair, perfect bodies, and beautiful faces.  Even those who were less-than-aesthetically pleasing to the eyes while still alive are somehow transformed by the embrace of the vampire, leaving them suave, sultry, and seductive. Not only is their sultry voices and gorgeous bodies a main reason for one to want to be seduced by a vampire, but it’s also a very good reason why many have thought seriously about leaving this life of mortality behind for the dark gifts that await on the other side of the vampire’s embrace.

4.  The iconic bad boy:  Even men are drawn to the allure of the “bad girl.”  For women, we are always chasing after them, swooning into their arms and worshiping at their feet.  They are like the ultimate rock god with their brooding moods, perfectly messy hair, chiseled good looks, and mysterious demeanor.  They are dark, ethereal, untamed, always the perfect lover.  What woman could resist trying to domesticate such a wild and sexually deviant animal? He’s dangerous and gorgeous with a stare that cuts straight into your soul, causes your heart to skip a beat,  and sends your blood racing through your veins.

3.  The dominant figure:  Going along with the sex appeal and bad boy image, the vampire is usually a very dominant figure not only in his actions and tone, but also in the bedroom.  It could be argued that secretly some, if not most women, desire to be dominated in the bedroom, to be so absolutely caught up and swept off their feet they lose themselves completely in the moment. And if the vampire’s sultry voice and piercing gaze does not have you melting at the knees, then the vampire mind trickery will have you begging them to take you in every way imaginable. It’s almost like BDSM, only with pale skin and piercing eyes and that whole allergy to sunlight.

2.  The cool perks:  As if the perfectly chiseled body, the spark of danger, and the ideal lover were not reasons enough to want to date a vampire, all the cool super “powers” that come with being embraced is certainly enticing enough to cause even the most level-headed person to reconsider.  Say goodbye to wrinkles forever,  immortality, and never having to worry about the ‘flu along with the ability to control another’s thoughts and actions, the possibility of flying or foreseeing future events, and all the other little perks of becoming a vampire is certainly thrilling and tempting.  Unfortunately, if you are a sun worshipper, you may want to rethink your waltz on the dark side.  Beware those nasty sunburns as they can prove fatal.  And I hear that the daily cuisine could take some getting used to.

1.  And perhaps the number one reason why we are all so drawn to vampires? Because Brat Pitt was so damn HAWT.  Of course, Stewart Townsend wasn’t too shabby as Lestat either.