Thursday, October 16, 2014

Strigoi: The Blood Bond by Ron D. Voigts Excerpt, Interview & Giveaway


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 giveaway

$10 Amazon Gift Card
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2 comments:

  1. Thanks for the great giveaway!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for hosting my blog tour for Strigoi, The Blood Bond. I appreciate the opportunity to meet your readers and introduce them to my book.

    ReplyDelete