Writing: A Conversation Without Interruptions

Still no word following my big news, but I see no harm in continuing with my schedule.  The way I see it, I’m going to keep everything moving as planned right up until the last possible moment. I still sweat every time I think about it though.

Today’s little treat is an excerpt from the novel itself. Before that, however, I’d like to give you the blurb. This is the text you’ll find on the back cover of the novel should I be the one to release it.

Lenina Miller, ditsy and pampered bride to be, wants nothing more than to walk down the aisle in her scandalous red dress to the gasps and awed stares of friends and family. Her plans are shattered when a late night mugging not only scars her face and neck, but drops her in the centre of a frenzied police investigation to apprehend the attacker before he strikes again.

On the field of battle in 30 BC, Saar, son of Yafeu, sacrifices his life for his sovereign, Queen Cleopatra VII of Egypt. Betrayed by the man he loves, forced to watch his country burn under Octavian’s hostile takeover, Saar’s agonising death appears to Lenina with all the lucid force of a true memory.

Two lives, separated by thousands of years, brought together through one night of violence.

Haunted by the memories of a man long dead, Lenina finds her body transforming, her appetites for food and flesh magnified to terrifying proportions. As the attentions of the investigating detective force her to choose between lust and love, Lenina also finds herself a target. The vampire who attacked her knows she survived and will stop at nothing to finish the job he started.

I hope that’s an exciting teaser for you. I hope reading that gives you even the faintest glimmer of how I’m busting out of my seat to hit ‘go’ on Amazon and make this book available for you. I’m sitting on my hands because I can’t do that yet. I need to wait just a liiiiiittle while longer.

In the meantime I can give you this teaser.

From that blurb you’ll gather that Silk Over Razor Blades features two central characters. One from the present day and one from the past. The present day protagonist, Lenina Miller, is the primary timeline and it’s a snippet form her story that I’m going to leave you with today.

I guess that’s all that’s left to say beyond the fact that my giveaway is still running.

If you want to enter for a chance to win some lovely goodies, please hit the banner above. And share with your friends! 😉

And now, with no further ado:

Lenina drummed her fingertips against the table. Anger roughened her voice. ‘Not everything is about this stupid wedding.’

‘Wow, okay. But it’s all you’ve talked about for months. Nothing else exists right now except flowers, horse-drawn carriages and white doves.’

She wondered if Saar ever worried about such mundane things as weddings. Tears gathered in her eyes and ran free, splashing against the laptop. ‘I’ve done such horrible things. I’m turning into a monster.’
Nick actually smiled. ‘Every woman gets a bit stressed when planning something like this. But you’re not a monster.’

‘No, you don’t understand—’

He grabbed her hand and held it. His fingers brushed hers and she realised he was stroking her engagement ring. ‘I haven’t made any vows yet,’ he whispered, ‘but I’m with you for better or worse. Nothing you can do or say will take away what we have. Tell me what’s got you hissing like a koperkapel.’

She arched an eyebrow at him.

‘A type of snake from back home.’

Lenina looked away from her fingers. She met Nick’s eyes and saw the sincerity there, the love. The thin film of sweat on his cheeks and forehead made his skin shine while the heat gave him a warm glow.

He squeezed her hand. ‘Tell me.’

‘I’m a vampire.’

He blinked at her.

‘The man in the park. When he bit me he turned me into a vampire. I think. Or perhaps it’s when I drank his blood. I don’t know. But I do know that I’m a vampire now. Or God-Touched – they never say vampire – is that the wrong word? I don’t know.’ By the time she finished speaking, Lenina had to gasp to breathe.

Nick squeezed her hands. ‘Come on, babe. Is this a joke? You don’t even believe in that stuff.’

‘I didn’t, but then I found this website and it had all this information that matched my dreams and—’

‘Dreams?’

She took a deep breath. No matter how she tried to explain it, Lenina knew it wouldn’t make sense.

‘It doesn’t matter. None of it’s important except the first bit. I’m a vampire.’

Nick pulled back and crossed his arms. ‘Right. So you drink blood now?’

Lenina saw the woman on the park again. The glassy eyes. Bloodied throat. With the image came a name, floating up like an air bubble from the oceanic depths of her mind. Pauline Lock. Though she had no idea how, Lenina knew the name belonged to the dead woman.

She bit her lip. ‘Yes. I’ve already done it.’

‘You drank blood?’

A nod. ‘Today. In the park. I killed a woman. I kicked her dog.’

Nick stood, hunching his shoulders against his ears. His voice trembled, a soft stream of Afrikaans expletives before dipping back into English. ‘That’s a really shitty joke, Lenina.’ He turned on his heel. ‘I’m going upstairs.’

Silk Over Razor Blades, coming soon.