Strigoi:
The Blood Bond
Tales
of the Strigoi
Book
1
Ron
D. Voigts
Genre: Paranormal, Horror
Publisher: Night Wings Publishing
ASIN: B00LQRJBZ6
Number of pages: 231
Word Count: 72,000
Cover Artist: Rachel R. Colon
Book Description:
On the verge of suicide after his
wife leaves him, Alex Regal learns he has inherited property located in a small
town deep within the mountains. Putting things on hold, he heads to Glade,
hoping for something positive in his life. Getting there is easy but leaving proves
to be impossible. A spell exists, keeping everyone captive in this hidden
place.
The town of Glade is run by a
Shapeshifter called the Strigoi. The creature needs to drink human blood to
survive. In folklore, taking the form of a man or an animal, the Strigoi became
the basis of stories about vampires or werewolves. Now Alex must discover a
dark secret before he becomes the vampire's next meal.
Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/8wo4l7U-Xm4
Available at Amazon
Excerpt:
Maggie awoke in darkness. She
blinked. Inky black filled her vision. She recalled the stag standing in the
road, losing control of the car, and the accident.
She tasted salt and metal. Her
lower lip felt fat. A dull pain throbbed at the side of her head. She slid her
fingers across her scalp and felt a bump.
Her hand shook as she reached out
and touched the steering wheel. She ran her fingers along the column and felt
the keys dangling in the ignition. The engine no longer ran. Moving farther,
she touched the headlight switch and turned it.
The world lit up in front of her.
The car had nosed into a tree. The headlight beams didn’t travel too far,
absorbed by the brush, nearby trees, and the night. The dash clock read 2:13.
By best estimate, Maggie had been
knocked out for about ten hours. Hopefully only that. She didn’t feel too bad
except for the pain radiating from the bump on her head.
Now came a decision. Leave the
car and head down the road, or stay?
A black shadow passed in front of
the car lights. If she’d blinked and she might have missed it. Possibly the
night playing a trick on her eyes.
Something hit the car hard. The
vehicle rocked for a second and then grew quiet. Maggie held her breath and
listened. All was silent like before.
Above her, something moved on the
car’s roof. First, the sound came as gentle thumps, like someone walking above
her. The noise grew louder. Pounding and scratching. Maggie realized whatever
had leaped atop the car meant to claw its way in.
“Stop,” she screamed.
The sound became intense, the
action more violent.
She cupped her hands over her
ears and screamed, “Please, stop.”
Another boom came from overhead.
A silhouette passed in front of the car lights again and vanished into the
darkness. Maggie wondered if it had left.
Then the shadow appeared again,
she heard a crash, and the left headlight went dark. Maggie thought this could
not be happening. Things didn’t happen like this in the real world. Another
crash and the right light went out.
The only light in the car came
from the dashboard. Whatever was outside could see her by the glow. Her fingers
fumbled for the switch, twisted it, and darkness once more wrapped around her.
Her breaths came in short pants.
Her heart pounded in her ears. Her eyes opened, her eyes closed—the darkness
remained the same. Minutes passed without a sound. The quiet grew unnerving.
What had it been? She’d heard of
bears attacking vehicles. Certainly that would explain the agility and size of
whatever it had been. But did bears come out at night?
A sickening feeling overwhelmed
her—she was not alone. Something still remained outside, perhaps only feet from
the car. She had not heard anything for a while now. Reason said it had left,
but she knew it hadn’t. Whatever was outside waited for her.
She raised her hand and touched
the underside of the car’s roof. Her fingers dragged across the surface of the
liner, sweeping in gentle arcs until she found the dome light. Her fingertip slipped
over the rocker switch.
A cold feeling washed over her.
Her imagination played with her. If she pressed the switch and lit the
interior, would something be outside, waiting? Would that be the trigger to
provoke it?
When she could no longer stand
it, she pushed. Light flooded the inside of the car. Nothing happened. She was
alone. The light soothed her and kept the darkness away. The night had no power
over her.
Then it hit the windshield. Fur
pressed against the glass. A patch of fog wafted from the nostrils of a black
nose. Fangs glistened in the light. Two red eyes stared at her.
Maggie pushed on the steering
wheel, and the sound of the horn blared.
About
the Author:
Originally from the Midwest, Ron
D. Voigts now call North Carolina home where he and his wife have a small house
off the Neuse River. Ron’s writing credits include the Penelope Mystery Series
for middle-grade readers and the dark mystery thriller, Claws of the
Griffin. His reading taste is eclectic
and depends if the first sentence captures his interest. When not writing and
reading, he enjoys watching gritty movies, cooking gourmet food, and playing
games on his PC.
Interview:
Where
are you from?
Though I was born and raised in the Chicago area, I
call North Carolina home. My family and
I relocated to the Raleigh area about 20 years ago and never regretted it.
Tell
us your latest news?
I just signed a contract with Champagne Books to
publish my next novel, The Witch’s
Daughter. The book is due out March
of 2015.
When
and why did you begin writing?
I wanted to write since I was a teenager, but didn’t
really get serious about it until twenty years ago. Stories always floated around inside my head
and I finally begin putting them down.
When
did you first consider yourself a writer?
Finishing my first novel gave me a good feeling and I
realized I was a writer. So many people talk about writing a book, but I did
it!
Do
you have a specific writing style?
I don’t think about it much. People that know me say
my stories sound like me talking. Typically I try to write action and keep
description tight.
How
did you come up with the title?
Most titles come to me midway through writing the
novel. For my latest book, the title came to me early even though I didn’t
understand what it meant. It wasn’t
until I’d gone past the halfway point that I understood. Strigoi,
The Blood Bond related the blood relationship between the town’s people and
the vampire.
Is
there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
I try not to preach in my books. But in Strigoi,
The Blood Bond the main characters at first wants to kill himself over the
loss of a wife who left him. As the story progresses, he discovers how important
life is and must fight to save himself.
How
much of the book is realistic?
A paranormal tale would not be possible, but my goal
as a writer is to make everything seem real. Hopefully it seems realistic.
Are
experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
I’m sure parts of my life come through. A character,
an event, a locale are all things that I’ve experienced or known at some time.
What
books have most influenced your life most?
For vampire books, Anne Rice’s Interview with a
Vampire. I also enjoyed the Sherlock
Holmes’ stories.
If
you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
Stephen King comes to mind first. He is the master
of words.
What
book are you reading now?
Right now I’m reading Desert Assassin by Don Drewniak. I like mysteries, YA and horror.
My reading interests can be a bit eclectic.
Are
there any new authors that have grasped your interest?
Some of the authors that have gotten my attention
are the newcomers—the ones that are self-publishing. The market place is full
of a lot of talented people.
What
are your current projects?
I am planning a sequel to Strigoi, The Blood Bond. I’ll bring back Alex and Maggie, and
introduce a bunch of new characters. The story will take them back to the town
of Glade. Of course, there will be more Strigoi in it.
What
would you like my readers to know?
Love…live…and read.
Twitter: @RonDVoigts
Tour
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Thanks for the great giveaway!
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting my blog tour for Strigoi, The Blood Bond. I appreciate the opportunity to meet your readers and introduce them to my book.
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