Book Detail

2nd place in genre-based at the 2009 HOLLYWOOD BOOK FESTIVAL -- Books worthy of further attention from the Film and TV Industries

BLURB:

What if your family held an ancient secret?

A secret passed down from one generation to the next. An enigma so great that it would shatter your world, change the fabric of your life.

What if the time had come for you to be initiated into that secret life?

Lord Jadeon Artimas, heir to St. Michael's Mount in Cornwall, discovers his family belongs to a clandestine order known as the Stone Masters:
A collection of brave men whose sole, sacred duty is to hunt down and kill the mythical creatures of the night, known as vampires.

Jadeon’s epic journey draws him into the underworld that stretches across lifetimes teeming with coded messages and castles with revelations in each mysterious passageway. He must face his deepest, darkest fears to outlive a journey of seduction, honor, and betrayal.

As the sinister truth is unraveled, the foundation of a legacy is shaken to its core, putting the very existence of the Stone Masters in jeopardy. Only by accepting his family's history can Jadeon confront the dangers, solve the mysteries, and truly become a Stone Master.

EXCERPT:

Delirious.

I had lost all track of time lying in the corner of the room, weakening.

The girl’s sobs echoed around the chamber.

I tried to reassure her that she was safe, but having just sucked blood from her neck, she was hard to convince. My body ached and my flesh crawled. Symptoms, I assumed I sustained from the tainted drink. My head felt like it was going to explode. Covering my ears again, I tried to block out her shrills.

She banged furiously upon the door, begging to be let out. In my confusion, I was tempted to finish her off, just to have some quiet. Both of us welcomed the sound of the key turning in the door. Orpheus entered.

She ran to him. “Why the hell did you lock me in here with him? He actually thinks he is a vampire,” she slurred.

“For real?” Orpheus said.

“Yes!”

“Gill, you’re pretty stoned right now.”

Gill freaked. “I’m not. Don’t you pull that shit on me.”

“You mean he really thinks he’s a ….”

“That’s what I’m fucking saying.”

“No, you see if he were a real vampire, you’d be dead.”

“Look what he did to my neck.” She pulled back her hair, revealing two deep fang marks. “He’s insane.”

Orpheus reached for Gill’s locks and held them away from her pale neck, just long enough for me to catch a glimpse of her veins.

Torture.

“Well I do believe we are making progress,” Orpheus said.

Gill staggered. “What the fuck are you talking—”

“Enough with the cursing. Can’t you see we have a lord in our company?”

Gill watched him approach me. He knelt close and leaned in. “Jade, you have lost far too much blood. Come on, why deny what you are?”

I struggled. “I will not.”

“I understand your conflict,” he whispered. “Perhaps if you were to consider drinking from me?”

Orpheus turned his attention once more to Gill, who stood at the doorway, ready to bolt.

“Gill, come here,” Orpheus said.

She approached, taking the key he offered her.

“Go and lock the door. I can’t have him thinking this is normal.”

“What are you going to do?” She swayed uneasily.

“A lesson is required, to ensure that….”

“He can’t attack people for real.”

“Good point, well presented.”

“Fuck you, Orpheus.” Gill peered down at the large key.

I rallied my fading strength. “Gillian, you must leave this room now.”

“What? And miss all the fun?” Orpheus glared at her. “I’m waiting.”

Nervously she did as he requested.

Orpheus pulled the hair away from Gill’s throat. “Good girl. Let me see your neck again. I really cannot believe—”

“Orpheus, you left me in here with a complete psycho.”

“Did you finish the coke I gave you?”

“I had to have something to keep me sane,” she said.

“So right now your blood is laced with ….”

“Yeah, so?”

“Come closer.” He ran his fingers over the puncture wounds. “You have such beautiful skin, it’s a shame. Still, your friends will be impressed.”

She pushed his hand away. “I just hope it doesn’t leave a fucking scar!”

“Oh, those marks won’t. Jadeon’s far too much of a gentleman, but that‘s where he and I differ. You see, I am his polar opposite, and my bite always leaves a mark.”

Helpless, I witnessed her shocking attack.

Orpheus possessed her. Gill’s gaze locked with mine, a pleading stare that went unanswered. My tears welled and blurred, the vision of her slipping to the floor, dead.

Orpheus overpowered me. He bit his wrist and pressed it against my lips. The taste of blood offered no comfort. Instinctively, I sucked, lost in needed rapture. I shared Orpheus’s thoughts of Catherine. Unwilling to let her go, I grasped his wrist. Together we lay on the stone floor, panting, as our hearts pounded. The cocaine’s unforgiving hold ravaged on and took me with it.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

V.M.K. Fewings is a British writer, living in California.

AUTHOR APPEARANCES:
V.M.K. FEWINGS will be present at the prestigious LA Times Festival Of Books in 2010! She will then launch her new novel Orpheus: A Vampire's Rise. The dates for the events are: April 24th & 25th, 2010.
Reviews:
"Stone Masters: A Vampire’s Reckoning, published by Lachesis Publishing, is a book about secrets, and how those secrets lead to an entire family’s demise. But perhaps even more, this is a weaving of relationships, and the lengths we will take to fulfill a love destined, whether it be the love for a brother, a father, a man, or woman.
Fewings weaves her tapestry well; there are several noteworthy characters that have not been mentioned in this review, simply because I do not wish to give any of the surprises away. This book is a memorable book, one not to quickly push away, as it reveals the intentions that lie within our own hearts. William Blake perhaps sums it up best: The Desire of Man being Infinite, the possession is Infinite, and himself Infinite. This is what Fewings is asking of her readers, to make themselves infinite."

Read entire review at: http://www.upthestaircase.org/fewings.htm