A SAMPLER OF THE DEAD AT HEART

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Sampler: The Dead At Heart by Susanne Leist

LINDA PIRTLE

An explosion at Chateau Frontenac in Quebec doesn’t stop Shana and her friends from saving their town, and maybe even the world.

William’s bite bonded Shana to him, but he didn’t ask her to mate with him for life. She isn’t ready for a lifetime commitment. Now, William excludes her from his vampire meetings.

Shana understands he’s an original vampire with immense powers. For them to be a couple, he has to treat as an equal partner. If William doesn’t respect her, then what are their chances of finding happiness?

Shana speaks to Linda, her best friend, of her fears.

“Paradise is an illusion.” Shana’s face grows heated as her frustration mounts. “Oasis is a haven for vampires. I’m tired of their battles. The Watchers get rid of an evil group of vamps, and another group arrives and attacks. It’s a vicious cycle. Vampires are trouble.”

“We will have a happy ending.” Linda lifts her head. “Don’t lose faith. The Watchers will protect us, and Gregg has an elite force of original vampires.” She touches Shana’s arm. “William loves you; he won’t let something happen to you.”

“The vampires keep secrets from us.” Shana swallows the lump in her throat. “I don’t want to live with vamps anymore, and I need time to decide on my relationship with William. One minute, I’m suffocating, and then the next, I’m lost without him.”

As a new enemy descends on Oasis, Florida, Shana turns to Sheriff Sam, who broke her heart. Can she trust the human-vampire?

This begins Shana’s journey to fight vampires and werewolves with Sam at her side.

An explosion at Chateau Frontenac in Quebec doesn’t stop Shana and her friends from saving their town, and maybe even the world.

Susanne Leist

Sampler: The Dead at Heart

As the howls echoed louder, Shana jumped. “Are the animals in the house?”

“How can that be?” Linda clutched Shana’s arm. “Where are the guards?”

A black form lunged at them.

She grabbed Linda’s as they raced from the room. The enormous beast blocked their path to the stairs. In the darkness, yellow eyes glared at them. They dodged the multiplying animals and climbed the steps as high-pitched cries resonated through the house. “Hurry.” Dragging Linda behind her, Shana rushed to Linda’s suite and bolted the door behind them.

“I didn’t know the wolves are so huge.” Linda gulped her words between frantic breaths as she leaned against the door. When the animals lunged at the door, Linda jumped back. “If they break through the door,” her voice trembled, “they’ll tear us apart. I thought the vamps could protect us.” She slid against the wall to the floor.

Shana raced to the window. Shadows darted back and forth across the backyard. A few forms lay lifeless on the grass. “Men and wolves are fighting. There’s nowhere for us to run.” Her gaze flew to the door as it cracked from the force of the wolves’ bodies. She spun to Linda. “The wolves have us surrounded. We can’t escape them.”

Linda ran to the window and pointed. “Wait. Is that William?”

A tall figure marched across the lawn. Shana recognized the confident stride as he approached a melee of men and wolves rolling on the grass. At his shout, the animals raised their heads and scampered away. “William chased the wolves away. How did he do that?”

“The wolves might have recognized him as an original.”

Chills raced through Shana’s body as she asked, “Aren’t Gregg and many of his vampires, originals?”

A loud noise made them turn. The door burst open, and the animals slunk into the room, backing them against the window. Growls and snarls melded into a cacophony of horror in Shana’s head. They filled the room, saliva dripping from gaping jaws, moonlight glinting against pointy teeth. Head canted to the side, one appeared taller and broader. It stepped forward on hind legs and watched them through slanted yellow eyes. His peers, the ones standing upright, gathered around him.

Linda cowered beside her. “What do we do?”

“We fight.” Shana’s heart raced as her gaze darted around the room, searching for a weapon.

“They appear almost human.” Linda pointed at the tallest one. “It’s as if he wants to speak to us.”

“Not he. It,” Shana yelled. She needed a weapon—an umbrella. There was one beside her bed. “We’ve faced monsters. We kill or are killed.”

A whistle pierced the silence.

The wolves charged.

Growls faded to silence as Shana spun to Linda.

The wolves vanished, and so had Linda.

SNEAK PEEK at the PROLOGUE for BOOK 2 OF THE DEAD GAME Series

STORY HOP – Let us fire your imagination

Welcome to the second annual Goodreads B2B Cyber Convention Story Hop.

A select group of creative authors have come together to share their stories.

I will be presenting a sneak peek at the Prologue for Book Two of The Dead Game series.

It will have spoilers. So beware. If you haven’t finished Book One, you might find a few mysteries resolved at the beginning of Book Two.

My Story Hop is on my Wordpress page at: https://susanneleist.wordpress.com/book/story-hop/

THE VAMPIRE LEGEND

BOOK TWO of THE DEAD GAME SERIES

PROLOGUE

    He lies dying.

    He must explain his dire circumstances to his last disciple, the one sired from his demon blood.

    His life’s blood is draining from his body. He must find his pupil. He has to be somewhere in the castle. He climbs over the bodies of his fallen comrades, their chopped-off heads lying beside them. Room after room is filled with their blood and heads, so many heads.

    These vampires have been good. They have been trying to bring peace to their volatile community. But the witches think they know better. Kill all vampires except for the select few is their edict; the vampires who survive will become slaves to these witches.

    He must find him before he runs out of time. He yells, “Where is he?” The few left alive only shrug their shoulders at him. He climbs the stone steps to the tower. His pupil loves to paint pictures of the castle, its landscape, and its people. He’s too soft and artistic for the job that lies before him. He will have to harden himself and behave like a vampire. His people need him now.

    He reaches the top room of the tower and swings open the stone door. Inside, he spots his pupil painting. He moves closer. He is painting a picture of the damn sky. There is fighting and death all around him, but he just sits there and paints. “What is wrong with you?” He rushes into the room.

    The disciple looks up from the easel. Paint is smeared across his face and on his fingers. “Nothing,” he says looking back down at his painting.

    “You’re painting while our men are dying.” He stares down at the stranger sitting before him.

    “I can’t do anything about it.” He continues to paint, slow meticulous strokes.

    “Of course you can. You can fight like a man.”

    “You never trained me for battle. I’m not prepared.”

    “There’s no time to prepare you. You must replace me as the leader.”

    “I can’t.” His bottom lip trembles.

    “I’m dying. You have to take my place or all will die today.”

    “You will live forever. You can’t die.”

    “I’ve been cursed by the damned witches and I have but a few hours left on this earth.” He sits down as weakness begins to overwhelm him. He can’t continue on for much longer.

    “Find someone to reverse the spell.” The disciple stands up to pace around the room, running his fingers through his thick, black hair to push it back from his high forehead.

    “Please sit. I must tell you the vampire legend and how you will continue in my place.”

    The disciple is about to open his mouth to protest, but Dracula raises his hand to stop him. “The legend began with me. One night, I was bitten by a large creature. It was dark and I couldn’t see what it was. I was fine for a while until I began to crave blood. At first, I drank animal blood to assuage the need in me. I ate anything I could get my hands on: dogs, cats, and even wildlife. I was stronger and quicker than any other animal. I was the king of the jungle, but I was alone.

    “As a young man I fell in love with a woman. A beautiful woman with long, black hair and violet colored eyes. Her name was Sari. She wanted to marry me. I tried to explain to her my unique condition. She was horrified by me and ran away. I caught her, drained her blood, and then brought her back to life with my own blood. She became one like me. She despised me and ran away again. I let her go. I never saw her again.

    “Afterward, I was determined to feed only on animals and not on humans. I’ve had good times and bad times. I’ve turned people into vampires, who’ve turned vampires of their own. At one point, we had a large army of vicious creatures, who slaughtered humans for fun. I knew it couldn’t go on like that forever. We would be forced into extinction once mankind found out about us. After years of wars between vampires, we at last found ourselves in a better place; at peace with humans and between the different factions of vampires.

    “Our secret is now safe and hidden from humans. Vampires only hunt when needed. Most are satisfied with animal blood. We need the extra protein in blood to sustain us. This attack by the witch Neva has ruined everything. I and most of my followers will be killed by her spell. By morning this will be a deserted castle with only the dead as its occupants. She doesn’t know about you, so you should be safe for now. You must carry on my mission.”

    “What is your mission?”

    “We must keep our secret safe. Vampires must be careful never to allow the humans to become suspicious of us.  Only kill when necessary and only kill animals for their blood.

    “And even more important, you must keep your identity a secret from the others. No one can know that you are my replacement. You are to keep an eye on the vampire population and make sure that none of them stray from the rules. And you are never to assume control unless you are asked to.”

    “What happens now?”

    “The Watchers, a select group of vampires, will watch over the activities of all vampires and they will train you. They are a secret society only known to me. They will keep you and your secret safe.”

    Blood began to drip out of Dracula’s mouth. He stood up and walked across the room to his pupil. The disciple stood to grasp hold of his beloved mentor and teacher. 

    Before his last breath, Dracula kissed him on the forehead and said, “Take care, my son. I will be watching over you. You will not be alone. Keep safe. And keep secret. Goodbye my beloved Hayden…”

    Hayden is left holding his dead master in his arms while the battle rages around him. He allows himself a few tears to fall from his eyes in honor of his lost leader.

THE DEAD GAME

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Please follow this link back to the Goodreads’ Story Hop: 

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/18053739-the-story-hop-let-us-fire-your-imagination

Angel Sefer Presenting Susanne Leist, Author of The Dead Game

Excerpt from the exciting paranormal mystery/thriller, The Dead Game by Susanne Leist

http://angelsefer.blogspot.com/2015/09/excerpt-of-exciting-paranormal.html?spref=bl

Saturday, September 26, 2015

Excerpt:

     Linda was passing the empty tables by the tall windows when she felt her arm being tugged—very hard. Before she could react, she found herself being forcibly dragged through the open patio doors and onto the isolated garden path. She came face to face with the mighty Wolf and his trusted companion, Hayden. The grounds were deserted. Everyone had left the gardens and she was all alone with the two wicked vampires.

     Wolf glared at Hayden. “Please let go of her arm; we are not animals. We never force ourselves on women.”

     “Chivalry among demons—I’m very impressed. Too bad your table manners and choice of dishes leave a lot to be desired,” Linda said. Her hatred of Wolf had just caused her to forget her low position in the food chain; she closed her mouth to stop herself from talking. In the future, she must remember that he was a vampire—the strongest one in the world—and that he could easily destroy her at any time.

    Wolf didn’t seem the least bit focused on her. “I didn’t come here to play parlor games with you. I need you to convince Todd to join with us. He can never be human or will ever be accepted by them. He belongs with us. He must stick with his own kind.”

    “He’s not like you in any way at all: he cares too deeply for people and is loyal to his friends. On the other hand, you and your kind enjoy killing too much and have no feelings whatsoever.”

    “Todd will never be accepted by humans or by his own kind. He will be an outcast with nowhere to go. He must join with us.”

    “Todd is human and will always be accepted by humans.”

    “Let’s kill her now, boss. She’s going to be trouble. I could take her away and no one will ever see her again,” Hayden said, grabbing hold of her arm again.

    Oops, she did it again. Her big mouth had now sealed her fate. She had to learn how to be more assertive without getting herself into trouble.

    Wolf strolled over to her with a wicked gleam surfacing in his eyes.

    “I have a much better use for her in the future. When she finally comes to her senses, she’ll realize that she will be better off with a real vampire with limitless powers than with a pathetic human. She’ll learn about intoxicating love and passion—not the games that humans play that pale in comparison.

     Here comes the human. Let her go for now.”

     Linda was horrified to find herself wrapped in Wolf’s strong, muscular arms. She became hypnotized by his black eyes and tempted by his deep voice. He seemed perfect in every way. She only wanted to be with him.

     “I’ll be back for you.” Wolf held her tight against his body and whispered in her ear. “I love the way you stand up to me with your flashing blue eyes. Soon you’ll be mine, my beautiful ice queen.”

     Linda couldn’t move her body. She was stuck in some kind of trance…she couldn’t leave; didn’t want to leave if given the choice. His voice soothed her and made her think of love, passion, and great need: a need that could be satisfied only by him with his expert hands and mouth. She knew that one day she was going to be with him, to be joined with him.

     He lowered his mouth onto hers and drew her into a swirling haze of unexpected feelings and desires. His mouth fully covering hers introduced her to a new realm of pure pleasure. His powerful form enveloped her, making her feel feelings that were foreign and untried for her. She couldn’t get enough of him. She tentatively began touching his face and then his body with an eager and unrelenting hunger. She didn’t know what she needed, but she knew that she wanted and desired this beautiful man standing right before her. Her past life was washed out of her mind, never to be considered again. She begged him to take her with him tonight. In response, Wolf lifted her in his arms, as if she weighed nothing, and turned to leave the party. His beautiful face looked victorious and happy. His black eyes filled with passion. She hoped that it was because of her. He looked down into her small face and gave a hearty roar.

     While Wolf carried her in his powerful arms, a dark shadow swooped out of the house and flew directly at them. Linda was knocked out of his arms, and Wolf was thrown across the patio.

     She looked up to see who had attacked them. It was Todd, his eyes a deadly shade of green, standing there panting.

     Linda backed away in horror. Todd’s eyes cleared and returned to their original dark color. Then he looked at her. “Don’t ever be afraid of me. I’m here to protect you.”

     Then he was struck down by Wolf.

     They began circling each other like two wild animals. Todd thrust his body at Wolf, causing Wolf to lose his balance, and they crashed together to the ground. Wolf pushed Todd aside and stood back up. He lunged at Todd, who sidestepped his maneuver. Todd retaliated by lifting him high up in the air and flinging him through one of the glass doors to the house. Wolf rose up and dusted glass off his clothing.

     He said to Todd, who stood before him, “We are not anywhere near finished, my dear friend. The next battle between us will be more private—without so many witnesses. If I were you, I would watch your back…and your pretty little girlfriend.” Wolf stalked away with Hayden following close behind. Todd quickly followed.

     Linda was left standing alone outside. She felt bereft without the touch of Wolf’s lips on hers and the solid strength of his arms holding her. She had felt the unmistakable pull by him on all her senses. In his arms, she’d felt weak and needy—as if she needed him to live. Todd and Wolf were extremely powerful and both had taken hold of her senses.

I hope you enjoyed this exciting excerpt. Here is the blurb:
 

Book 1 in Series

Can you feel your heart beating? Is it beating too fast? Do you feel trapped? This is because you are. You're standing in a pool of water, in the basement of End House, wearing your party clothes. But there is no party, no host and no guests. The door behind you locks shut. The only way is forward, through the falling cages with their sharp edges, ready to ensnare their next victim. Circular saws begin to descend, looking for heads to slice off.

Meanwhile, Linda is upstairs with the rest of her friends being pursued by creatures through revolving rooms. Or are they illusions? What should she do?

Run!

The owner of End House takes no prisoners.

The Dead Game has begun.

Sounds enticing. Doesn't it?

Check it out here:

Amazon / Amazon UK / Barnes & Noble / Goodreads

Note from the Author:

I've been reading murder mysteries and thrillers since I was a teenager. I've read all types of mysteries, from Agatha Christie to Sherlock Holmes. In recent years, I've begun to read paranormal mysteries. These books bring fantasy and the surreal to the simple murder mystery. It's hard to find books in this genre. That is why I decided to write a paranormal, murder mystery of my own. It is the type of book that I search for and love to read. 

My book, The Dead Game, has dead bodies and suspects like a traditional murder mystery. However, it also has humans, vampires, and vampire derivatives. And don't forget the haunted house—we must have one of these.

Contact Susanne Leist here:

Amazon Author's Page

Website

Facebook

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THE DEAD GAME -- DAY 118

THE DEAD GAME — DAY 118

Linda and Shana continued their investigation of the town’s residents to find out who was responsible for the disappearances and murders in town.
They continued their journey down the road until they reached the tall black metal gate of the mansion. The house stood dark and bleak on a small rise of land that lacked any form of vegetation among its rocks and dirt. They entered through the open gate.
The property appeared to be deserted and very isolated from the rest of civilization. Shana shivered. The wind moaned, brushing the dirt back and forth beneath their feet like a giant invisible broom. Huge mounds of dust rolled by, resembling a deserted town from the Old West.
Shana heard weird shuffling noises down by her feet. She looked down and was terrified to find two Doberman Pinschers growling up at her.
Both of the women stood still, not wanting to agitate the dogs any further. A tall man approaching them from the direction of the house, called out, “Zeus! Apollo! Heel!”
Shana felt like she’d been in a vampire movie at the bed and breakfast and now she was smack in the middle of an episode of Magnum P.I. At least the man didn’t look like Tom Selleck. He was more of a cross between John Wayne and Jimmy Stewart. He was tall, with a cheerful smile on his face. He looked strong and muscular. He also appeared ageless—like Shirley and Hank—with his thick black hair and unlined face.
The dogs trotted away, their tongues lolling out to one side, to stand on either side of their master. Shana realized that she was able to breathe normally again, now that the dogs weren’t standing so close to her anymore.
“What can I do for you, pretty ladies?” asked the huge man.
“We’ve been having problems in town and were wondering if you were experiencing similar unexplained occurrences out here?” Shana asked while eying the two panting dogs.
“What kind of occurrences are we talking about?”
“Strange shadows stalking us, young girls disappearing from town, and a deadly party at End House that ended in two disappearances…” said Shana.
“Out here it is always quiet, but over the years I’ve heard about the strange events in your town. That’s why I’ve kept away from town and don’t visit any longer.”
“I guess that’s why we’ve never seen you before. What about the couple who own the bed and breakfast? Do you ever talk to them?” Linda asked.
“I met those two a long time ago. I’d found them to be very strange, so I’ve kept my distance from them.”
Shana believed that they were getting nowhere with this man. She wondered if he would let them inside the house to look around. She noticed that Linda was glancing back over her shoulder. However, she was determined to remain here until she found some answers.
“Does anyone live here? Could we come in and see the house?” asked Shana, despite the murderous looks being given to her by Linda.
“Sure. I live here alone. By the way, my name is James. Please follow me and the dogs…they are really harmless, but enjoy barking at strangers.”
“My name is Shana, and this is Linda.”
They followed him through the front yard, which was overgrown with weeds. The tall trees and the rocky ground were bare of any greenery. Shana looked around and saw that nothing seemed to flourish here; even the house looked dead, with its grey walls and grimy-looking windows.

http://www.outskirtspress.com/thedeadgame

EXCERPT FROM THE DEAD GAME

EXCERPT FROM THE DEAD GAME

Linda found herself at a carnival. What is real or a nightmare?

Chapter 40

     That night Linda found herself caught in a nightmare that she couldn’t escape from, even when she willed herself to open her eyes. She was afraid that it wasn’t a nightmare, but a sinister game that had gone wrong. She didn’t know how she’d gotten herself into it or how she was ever going to get out.

     The nightmare had begun with Linda passing through the magical door at the diner—but it wasn’t the diner anymore; it was a remote house that she’d never seen before. The house was dark and dreary like End House, but it wasn’t End House.

     She heard the sounds of waves crashing against the house. She couldn’t believe that she was a prisoner in another house by the ocean. She didn’t know where she was or what day it was. She didn’t even remember how she’d gotten here. She just remembered following the little girl through the door: she’d been curious to see what was on the other side.

     On the other side of the door, Linda found herself at the same carnival that the little girl from the village had visited, except this carnival was much louder and the people were leering at her, trying to force her into their tents. The fat man was waving his pudgy arms at her as he got closer and closer. A clown came at her with his balloons and howled at her. A man began throwing his knives in her direction, but luckily, kept missing. She ran away and ran behind the tents to the colorful booths of the carnival.

     She chose the Fun House. She stepped into a room full of mirrors that made her multiple reflections appear distorted and unreal. She couldn’t figure out why she’d run into the Fun House if in every horror movie the victims were always portrayed as being terrorized there. She hoped this wasn’t another game of The Dead. She was determined to locate an exit, but found only mirrors and more mirrors; they made her dizzy. Her distorted reflections stared back at her—as if they were distinct entities, united against her, instead of her own creations.

     She ran until she crashed head-first through a mirror, into a dark place with no beginning or end. The whole experience felt unreal to her—as if she were lost in a different dimension. Behind this mirror, she encountered a man with a white mask and empty holes for eyes, laughing at her. When he touched her arm, she realized that he was real and not just a reflection.

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http://barnesandnoble.com/w/the-dead-game-susanne-leist/1116825442?ean=2940148410881

EXCERPT FROM "THE DEAD GAME"

Look at the pretty gingerbread house down the gravel road. Linda and Shana went to visit the elusive couple who lived there. Abe and Anna were strange and who knew what secrets they were hiding.

EXCERPT FROM “THE DEAD GAME”

     When Anna requested for them to visit the attic, Linda agreed. She hoped the attic was full of old clothes and items from the past.

     They climbed a narrow staircase that descended from a trap door in the hall’s ceiling. They discovered the attic to be bare, except for the lone rocking chair that was facing the gravel road leading out of town. Linda walked over to gaze out the small triangular window, when the chair began to rock by itself.

     Anna said, “Everyone in the family takes turns watching the supposedly deserted mansion down the dirt road, and End House at the edge of the dark mountain. Both spots can be clearly seen from this vantage point.”

     Linda realized that this meant that someone was actually sitting in the chair—right at that moment— causing it to start rocking. She didn’t ask any more questions, but just grabbed Shana’s arm and pulled her out of the room, bidding the couple a hasty goodbye. She didn’t think that she could remain in this unnatural house one moment longer without either screaming or pulling her hair out. She was freaking out over the house and the strange story that she’d been just told.

THE DEAD GAME--DAY 34

     Todd had made sure that his appointments ended early for the day. He was about to leave when Natalie Fisher called out for him to wait for her. She hurried to catch up to him as fast as her short legs allowed. She was a tiny lady in her sixties who was a very efficient personal assistant. She took care of most things in his life, except for anything that involved the private lives of Oasis’ residents. Despite her insistence that he needed her personal touch in his personal life, he kept his private life off limits. He knew that once Natalie took over a chore, she got much too involved and controlling.

     “I have important papers for you to sign before tomorrow’s meeting,” puffed Natalie.

     “I’ll be in early. Leave them on my desk and I’ll sign them in the morning.” He walked out the front door.

     “I’ll come in early and then we’ll look them over together,” Natalie declared. “You cannot trust anyone in town to leave papers on your desk unattended.” She stood on the sidewalk, huffing and puffing from her short run.

     To allow her time to catch up to him, he had to stop in his tracks. He couldn’t believe that she was in such poor shape—after running errands for him all day, every day. He decided to be a little easier on her in the future.

     “Thanks Natalie,” Todd replied. “I don’t know

what I would do without you in my life.”

     “Maybe find a nice girl and settle down.”

     He wondered to himself if it would ever be possible

for him to find a woman whom he could trust with his

unusual way of life.

    “Good night Natalie,” he responded before walking to his car.