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.