This is a genre blender book that might be compared to Lord of the Flies meets Let the Right One In in a post-zombie apocalyptic world. Don’t worry though, it’s about the people even though there are elements of horror.
This novel will be offered for free in Kindle format on Amazon on Saturday, August 11th for the Author Blog-In.
Zombies, a Vampire, or her fellow Man – Which is most likely to kill Vanna Ames? Who can she trust?
After surviving a whole month past the End of the World by hiding and staying quiet, recent college graduate and fashion retail employee, Vanna, luckily finds others who have gathered together as a community for their mutual survival on a college campus.
Although claiming to be a democratic society, tempers become frayed, decisions defy logic, and rules are broken. Further emboldened by the lack of society and law, some even gain a sense of entitlement because they are self-labeled heroes.
Now that all the rules have changed, a vampire arrives with a deal – his help for blood. An equally beneficial offer or a Faustian bargain?
As the community’s flaws grow, Vanna must decide whether to stick with her own kind in relative safety, or reject their community service nightmare, risk her life, and appeal to a vampire who claims his only interest is human blood.
And for the Author Blog In, here’s an excerpt to give a better idea of Vanna’s character because she is a character. This occurs after Vanna hears gun shots early in the book and goes for a walk to find out what happened –
When she reached a point where two rolls of chain-link were joined together with some twisted wire, Vanna saw her. If she had seen that dress before, she would have remembered.
Muumuus were made for a woman of this size. Displaying a cheery, floral print provided no slimming effects, but proudly declared big and beautiful. Along with the turquoise, orange, and pink poly-blend tent, she also wore a pair of nude knee highs, and filthy, pink terry scuff slippers, and large, turquoise-colored plastic earrings with a matching chunky bracelet.
The woman had fallen on her side facing the fence, and like most of the corpses, her eyes remained forever open. Vanna thought the zombies didn’t blink, so that might be why their eyes turned that spotty white color.
Even with a visible gunshot wound to her face, Vanna could see the trivial details that further defined who this used to be. The woman’s short, not-so-natural blond hair was arranged into a crown of curlsframing her face. She also had heavy blue eye shadow still caked all the way up to her plucked, then redrawn with brown pencil, eyebrows.
Her lower face was grimy, Vanna couldn’t confirm her expectation of coordinating lipstick to match her screaming pink nail polish, brightly visible on the tips of her dirt-caked fingers from a distance. Vanna’sconstant fearful imagination made the gunk smeared on the zombie’s lips still appear fresh, wet and red, when she knew it had been there for weeks.
Bought as a child to slave at an inn, Lyneth suffers under a terrible curse. Her frightening transformations can only be stopped when a priest puts a silver collar around her neck. The collar stops the change, but makes her ill. Her dangers increase as she matures into a beautiful and desirable woman. When a mysetrious nobleman visits the inn,her life changes forever.
The Silver Collar is a short story highlighting the fine line between gift and curse, belonging and alienation.
What if it were possible for someone – say a woman – to possess an extremely rare gene that drastically reduced her rate of age-ing? That having reached her 50th year, she looked no older than a 25 year old?
Isn’t that the stuff of fantasy!
Imagine the scramble among cosmetic companies and biochemists to try and obtain even a spit’s worth of that person’s DNA and then somehow creating a lotion which every woman in the world would kill to get hold of!
No more botox, no more laser treatments, no more pins and tucks, just smear it on and enjoy extended youthful looks for decades.
But, what if it came with a catch? An extremely frightening and inconceivably unbelievable one?
Everything comes with a price. As they say, there’s no such thing a as free lunch.
I’m not re-blogging for the blog-in because today is my day to be re-blogged! I’ll take this opportunity to thank all the friends who participated and viewed all the wonderful books. Also I’d like to invite you to sign up for Author Blog-in II coming in August. Just email me at katepolicani@gmail.com with the word Author Blog-in in the subject line to get on the list at https://katepolicani.com/author-blog-in/.
Hi everyone! I’m Morgan Marshall, and having decided to do my very first author blog-in, it’s time for me to write a bit about my children’s post-apocalyptic science fiction novel, The Curious Cogs of Nil:
Eleven-year-old Trevor Tate doesn’t want to follow in his jailbird, jerk of a dad’s footsteps, but it’s looking more and more like he has no choice. Everyone already thinks he’s a bully because of his dad. And even worse, no matter how hard he tries, he can’t control his temper so he just keeps proving them right. Trevor’s mom is the only person in the world who believes in him, so when she’s suddenly stolen away by a pair of freaky cybernetic men-in-black, he decides that he has to rescue her no matter what.
But when he follows the momnappers through a portal in the bathtub to the post-apocalyptic city of Nil…
Have you posted yet? Don’t forget! If I don’t have your links, the others may not be able to find them. I don’t have everybody’s links, so be sure to get it to me somehow.
Interesting fact completely unrelated to the Author Blog-in: a few of you don’t show up on a search for your name. I’ts important to register your pages with search engines so you can be found by your fans.
Hidden within Human society is an entrancing race of beings who look just like us. They are the Akataromai.Originating on Earth, they conceal themselves, blending within the Human population. Though they appear to be Human, mature Akataromai live for centuries and feed upon negative Human emotions. Angelina Quorra is an Akataromai, a Human-looking girl who might never die. But Angelina is unique among her people, absorbing pain as well as emotion and giving anyone who feeds her overwhelming pleasure. This is her story, told by the men who adore her. Her talent is called The Lustre, bringing her great fame, and great trouble.
Long Synopsis:
The Lustre weaves a new tale of Fantasy, revealing an entrancing race of people called the Akataromai. Originating on Earth, they conceal themselves, blending within Human society. Though they appear to be Human, mature Akataromai feed upon negative Human emotions. Angelina Quorra, a young woman with a rare gift among Akataromai, produces overwhelming ecstasy in those upon whom she feeds. No one who feels it can ever forget The Lustre.
Kate Policani weaves Angelina Quorra’s tale from a unique perspective, viewing her through the eyes of the men who adore her. Each provides a piece of Angelina’s life story, chronicling her trials and her salvation. From her father’s guilt-plagued love to the faithful devotion of her servants, all the men who have been touched by Angelina have their say.
Born to young and rebellious parents who selfishly flout their society’s standards, little Angelina flounders in poverty and isolation. Her savior is Luciano Quorra. He transports her into comfort and wealth in the bosom of her people, sheltering her until she can reach adulthood. Together they discover her unique gift, astonished at its power. Unfortunately, even love and marriage can’t save Angelina from the machinations of Jaques Trace. Through murder, kidnapping and treachery he will destroy her happiness just to taste her charms. Will he succeed in monopolizing that intoxicating experience and the only woman who can impart The Lustre?
Kate Policani has a wild imagination and an addiction to reading and writing. Her hobby is exploring and analyzing all kinds of stories. She uses them like a literary chemistry set to examine a variety ideas and concepts and to fuel her own writing. She prefers writing in the Science Fiction and Fantasy genres because the exciting flights of fancy make a thrilling plot.
Excerpt:
The evening sun was warm on my face when I stepped out of the chilly, musty woods. The abrupt transition was disorienting because I was climbing up a winding, hilly trail in a heavily-wooded state park one minute, and the next I was standing at the edge of an orchard—apples from the heady smell. It topped the hill I had been climbing, wading into the lush green grass that grew high and overgrown all around.
As I stood catching my breath, I saw a movement out of the corner of my eye and heard a rustle. I turned just in time to see a flash of golden hair and a slender ankle disappear behind an immense tree at the edge of the woods to my left.
“Hello,” I called to the form, walking slowly in that direction. I reached the tree and peered around the other side, but no one was there. “Hello?” I called again. There was no sign of anyone around now. Then I heard a rustling above me.
On a branch above, too high for me to reach, stood a stunning girl. She was around seventeen, willowy and vibrant, with huge blue eyes and creamy skin. Her shining golden hair floated around her and her little wispy blue dress danced around her knees. I’m not sure if I imagined it, but it was almost as if she had a golden glow about her.
“Hey,” I called up to her, hungry for her attention. “Do you know where this place is?”
She stared with disapproval for a moment, and then said in a melodious but stern voice, “Didn’t you see the signs at the edge of the trail? You’re on private property. The park ended more than 500 feet that way.” She pointed a graceful finger into the woods. “Uh…” I stammered, struck by her beauty which changed from moment to moment like a rippling pool. “Sorry…”
“You should go now,” she warned.
“Oh…” I fumbled, buying time now so I could keep looking at her. “Uh…why?”
She shot me with a heartbreaking and gorgeous frown, and an exquisite flush of frustration bloomed on her cheek. “Lucci doesn’t tolerate intruders. He won’t show you any mercy.”
“Who’s Lucci?” I stalled some more.
She gave me another dazzling frown and shook her head in silence. Then she looked up with a flash of her eye and her whole face changed from distrust to anticipation, her succulent coral lips parted. “Here he comes,” she whispered. I could barely hear her, but her words sent a sudden shock of panic through me. Something was coming toward me—I could feel it. I almost dashed away right then, but I couldn’t leave without something.
“Please,” I stammered nervously, “what is your name?”
“Angelina,” she murmured, still gazing with those sapphire eyes down the grassy, tree-spotted hill toward the yet invisible Lucci. Whatever this Lucci was, it was awful enough for me to sense it in a way that was almost supernatural.
Now I ran. I had never felt any kind of instinct like it before, but terror raced in my veins and I know I ran faster than I had ever run. I didn’t stop till I got to my Jeep. I don’t even remember my flight except for the driving fear and the trees rushing past me. Once I was inside with the door locked and the engine running, I realized that I was gasping for breath so hard that I almost vomited. Tears were streaming out of my eyes—from wind or from fear? My nose had run and I had drooled all down my face and chin and I was soaked in sweat. Whatever Lucci was, he must be horrible. Still I vowed to find Angelina again. Was she a captive? She didn’t seem afraid of this Lucci, even though I was.
If you’re still interested, I still have slots for the Author Blog-in! All genres are welcome. If you were unsure about it because you didn’t quite understand here is a different explanation:
Write a post about your book.
Schedule it for July 6th, the first day of the Blog-in.
Everyone will re-blog your post on their sites on your day.
Then you re-blog the other authors’ posts on their days.
Do you want a blog tour but don’t have $1000 to spare to buy one from a fancy company? Why don’t we make our own?!?! We’re all authors who have great books to share. Lets share them together!
The plan:
First come – first served for slots in the blog-in. Email me at katepolicani@gmail.com with the subject “Author Blog-in”.
Everyone who signs up gets to join in, one book per Blog-in. (Lets set our maximum at 10 authors per blog-in so we aren’t posting into eternity.)
Everyone gets one day on the Blog-in.
All Groovy Cats (participants) in the Blog-in will post each day for all the other authors.
All Groovy Cats will post on day 1 about their own book, including the Blog-in logo in their post.
The author blog-in is coming up in just two weeks! To get your choice of days, please sign up now. Feel free to share the page with your author friends too. Spread the word and widen our audience about our wonderful books!
Kate Policani 