Podcast: Kobold Tavern Tales Episode Six: Sarah L. Johnson

 

Cue the REM people, because it’s the end of the world as we know it. So, <Joey from Friends voice> How you doin’? Well, the main character from Sarah Johnson’s new release, Infractus (coming April 10th), well, he ain’t doin’ so well. The end of the world is upon us and there’s… there’s… they be hearin’ voices y’all. Action, horror, and intrigue await you. Come on into the Kobold Tavern and have a few drinks with us, will ya? *cheers* to Sarah and her release. Don’t forget to tip your waitress.

 

Connect with Sarah: www.sarahljohnson.com

, www.twitter.com/leadlinedalias

Pre-Order Infractus: http://amzn.to/2G3YaLJ

Podcast Links:
BuzzSprout: http://bit.ly/2pt4xO2

Stitcher: http://amzn.to/2G3YaLJ

Google Play: http://bit.ly/2pqW2TR

What’s going on? LOTS!

Been a minute since I updated, so forgive me. Let’s do some news reveals!

APRIL SECOND: A release party will be held for Alabama: Nightmares & Urban Legends on Facebook. The party starts at 2pm – 7 pm Central Standard Time. We have some free goodies and e copies in books up for grabs so come spend the day with me. You can find the event HERE.

April 9th: My first book signing! If you happen to be in the Walker County area, come to the Jasper public library between 2-4 pm Central Standard Time. I will have autographed copies of The Rise of UMBRA and Alabama: Nightmares & Urban Legends for sale. I will also have 11 x 17 framed posters of the book covers for sale at $25. UMBRA will be $15, Alabama: Nightmares & Urban Legends will be $20. You can find the library’s facebook page HERE.

July 22: Talon: The Spider’s Web is finally coming out! Everyone’s favorite fanged Alabama resident makes his formal debut. Five Points South, Smith Lake, Homewood–a whole bunch of local places get featured as this Vampire tears a bloody path through the state. You don’t have to be an Alabama resident to enjoy this dark fantasy adventure. Get ready…it’s almost time!

I am openly working on The Rise of UMBRA sequel while waiting on Talon’s edits. I have tons going on. Keep coming back. I promise to be more active.

The Rise of UMBRA: Get it HERE.

Alabama: Nightmares & Urban Legends: Get it HERE FOR KINDLE and HERE IN PAPERBACK.

Burning Willow Press: Find their awesomeness RIGHT HERE.

NEW ANTHOLOGY RELEASE THIS MARCH: Death & Pestilence featuring my story “The Board.” Find it HERE.

A message from Nicholas “Talon” Watson

So yea, life was peachy-fucking-keen. Sure, I was alone…and a murderer. Yea, guess I shouldn’t leave that part out, huh? Well, what the fuck do you expect? I’m a fucking Vampire. I drink blood. It’s what I fucking do. Everything was just fine, until I saw her.

If my heart still beat, it would have stopped. If I still breathed, it would have taken my breath away. It was like staring at a ghost. No, it was worse than that. This girl was real. She was right there in front of me. The strawberry blonde curls, the line of freckles running across the bridge of her nose, the same sad brown eyes—in every way imaginable, this girl looked just like my dead sister.

It wasn’t enough that she was dead. Oh, no. She had been murdered right in front of me along with my mother. I was seventeen at the time, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. The Colony of Roanoke had itself a good ole fashioned fucking witch hunt, and my family was the victim.

I should have died that night. Shit, sometimes I wish I had died that night. But no, God and his sick fucking sense of humor had me live through it long enough to catch the attention of a Vampire named Tessa. She was beautiful—red hair and emerald green eyes. She looked like an Angel. Man, was I ever wrong about that.

As beautiful as she was, she was twice as ruthless. She taught me to kill. She taught me to relish in the suffering of others—and I did. I became the very hate that I despised. One by one, we killed them all. Well, all but Molly Hale. She was the daughter of the bastard who murdered my family, and I had loved her as a mortal. Tessa thought it fitting that I turn her. So I did. She became my Dark Bride. Together we slaughtered all who crossed our paths, and tortured for our own amusement. Others’ suffering became my bliss. Their agony became my release. Some flee from the darkness. I ran into it and let it consume me.

Four hundred years. Four hundred fucking years of death and mayhem, all ruined in a moment by the eyes of a stranger. I trembled. I remembered my humanity and I hated myself for it. I thought of my sister, frozen in the woods, tied to a fucking tree like some discarded piece of trash left to rot. The soul that I was sure had died oh so long ago twisted up in my belly until the agony of it set my mind on fire. Worse than any pain I had ever felt, it was like dying all over again—and I wept. Tears fell from my eyes, something that hadn’t happened in centuries. Suddenly, I wasn’t the monster I had become. I was that scared seventeen year old boy watching his sister die all over again.

And I shouted in my mind, “No! Fuck you, God! Not again! Not like this! Not here and not today! Not on my watch, old man. You’ve already taken everything from me. Would you really torture me like this again?”

Of course, there was no fucking answer—there never is, but I knew what I had to do. I could right the wrong. The monster could be the hero. Where I had failed, I could succeed. This poor girl, whoever she was, I would save her and atone for my sins. I would do this, for my sister Lizzie’s sake.

How could I have known that plucking this thread would unravel my entire world. Everything I knew, everything I was, everything I was meant to be would be turned on its head. The road it set me upon, there would be no turning back. There would be no stopping the avalanche once it started pouring down the mountain. No more cares. No more regrets. This is the path I’m on and I will ride it all the way either to the gates of Heaven or the pit of Hell. I care not which.

So, come for me, dark ones. I can hear you hiding in the shadows, whispering your foul threats and lies in my direction. If it’s my head you want, come and fucking take it. You say I’ve broken your rules. Fuck your rules. Fuck your petty aristocracy with your noses turned up in the fucking air. Fuck being bound by an authority I no longer recognize as my superior. I am my own man. I make my own rules. I am the Vampire Talon, and I will fucking destroy you.

–Nicholas “Talon” Watson

Talon: The Spider’s Web: 7/22/17 from Burning Willow Press

Autographed Copies of “The Rise of UMBRA” available.

Have you checked out “The Rise of UMBRA” yet? It’s a Sci Fi action/adventure story with shades of “Firefly” like humor. For a limited time, I am offering autographed copies for the price of $15. This will INCLUDE shipping (as long as you live within the continental U.S.) This is LESS than the book costs from Amazon after you add in shipping and handling AND you are getting it autographed. Each autograph will be personalized and I will also include 2 bookmarks, 1 autographed as a keepsake and another for you to use.

If interested, please email: jaymichaelbookoutauthor@gmail.com and put “UMBRA AUTOGRAPH COPY” in the subject. There’s a limited number of these so act fast.

UMBRA sequel in the works!

Since “The Rise of UMBRA has been so successful, selling nearly 30 copies in just over a week, I immediately started working on the sequel. The title will be: UMBRA: The Nightmare Squadron. All your favorite characters are back facing an enemy that they know nothing about. Full of action, snarky wit, and all the things you loved about the first. So far, I’m three chapters in and closing in on 10k words! Stay tuned! UMBRA ain’t done yet!

The Initiation 2: The Road into Hell, FREE for a limited time

“A creepy romp into darkness.”

“Seeds of hope spread on the tissues of your readers tears.”

Very limited time, this continuation of The Initiation is FREE. Get your FREE copy HERE.

 

Book Anouncement! “The Haunted Country” comes to audiobook.

Tomorrow, Jason White’s novel, THE HAUNTED COUNTRY, will finally be released in audiobook format. Stay tuned to The Darkness Dwells Podcast for a excerpt coming in the Christmas fireside reading bonus episode. I hope to have the time to produce such a show, at any rate. If not, you will be able to listen to the excerpt on another episode.

Darkness Dwells Podcast Found here.

More Talon Sequel Goodness. “The bond between two Demons.”

“Remember the first day we went to the book shop and met Esmerelda?”

“Well, yea. Of course I do. Why?”

“Esmerelda knew something about your powers. She knows where they come from.”

Sadie playfully slapped me on the arm. “And you didn’t tell me? The fuck, Nicky?”

“Sadie, calm down. This isn’t easy to say and it probably won’t be easy to hear. Those black and blue flames of yours…it’s Hell-fire.”

“Hell-fire?” she shrieked. “Why in the Fuck would I be able to summon Hell-fire?”

I paused. I didn’t want to say it, but her eyes pleaded for an answer. “Esmerelda said that means…”

I couldn’t spit the words out. So Sadie forced my hand. “Say it, Nicky! Say it!”

“This means that you must be part Demon.” There. I said it, and I regretted it immediately.

Sadie hopped out of her chair. She was obviously upset and shaking. “Bullshit!” she screamed. “I am not part Demon! That’s impossible!”

I stepped towards her, wanting to comfort her, but she backed away. “Sadie…”

“Don’t ‘Sadie’ me!” She fell down on her knees and started crying. “It’s not true…it can’t be.”

“You said you never knew who your father was. The powers, the flames, it all makes sense of you think about it, baby.”

She screamed, “It doesn’t make sense! Nothing makes sense!” She looked up at me and her eyes were rolled over and glowing black again.

I took a step backwards. “Sadie, baby…”

“What?” she hollered angrily.

“Your eyes…they’re black.”

“What?” she said in a softer tone. She stood up and stepped in front of the mirror on the wall. She took one look at herself and she slouched down and withered up into almost nothing. “Oh my God.” she whispered.

“The same thing happened right before you kicked ass and took names at Marcus’ old office.”

She turned to me, with tears pouring down her cheeks. “This is what I looked like?”

I carefully nodded my head, afraid to upset her any more. “Yes. This is what your eyes looked like.”

She fell to her knees again and cried even harder. “I’m hideous! I’m a Demon! Why me, Nicky? Why did this have to happen to me?”

I knelt beside her and carefully lifted her chin so she was looking at me. “I’m a Demon, too. And you still love me don’t you?”

Sadie wiped her eyes and turned away. “Don’t ask such silly questions!”

I turned her head back until our eyes met. “You still love me don’t you?”

She placed her hand on top of mine. “Now and always.”

I caressed her tear-stained cheek. “And that is the same way I love you. I don’t care about what you are. I care about who you are. I don’t know where life is taking us, but it’s taking us there together.”

We sat there in the floor for hours without saying a word. We just clutched to each other, unsure of what to say. Maybe we didn’t have to say anything. The force holding us together was stronger than any words we could have spoken.

Talon: The Cocaine Cowboys (WIP) excerpt

I lifted him up by the arm and then throttled him by the throat. “Do you know who I am, Marty?”

He spit in my face and muttered something in Spanish. I wiped my face and howled, “Wrong answer, asshole!”

I tossed him on the bed, popped my fangs, and pounced on the bed. I got nose to nose with Marty and relished the feeling as the fear overwhelmed his eyes. “Wh-what the fuck are you?”

I snickered. “Jehovah’s Witness. I was wondering if you had a moment to talk about our personal Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”

“What?” he asked, utterly confused.

I rolled my eyes and thought, My God, does no one get sarcasm in this fucking country?

 

A Duel To The Death

Duel to the Death: The Hunter

I, Jay Michael Wright II, challenge you, Andy Peloquin, to a duel to the death! But it is not we who will fight, but our characters…

In the black corner, weighing in at 180 pounds, standing a cool 6 feet tall, the Hunter of Voramis!

Tale of the Tape:

• Superhuman reflexes, strength, speed–think Captain America, but stronger
• Thousands of years of weapons training
• Body has accelerated healing factor–can survive a sword to the heart (can be killed by drowning, iron weapons, beheading, and suffocation)
• Cannot be killed by anything but iron
• Accursed dagger that heals him when he kills
• No magical abilities whatsoever
• No hesitation to kill if he perceives opponent as a threat/obstacle to his desires–classic anti-hero

In the blood red corner, we have Nicholas “Talon” Watson!

Tale of the Tape:

• Vampire created from the Pureblood line of Vampires (only three Vampires removed from the original/source Vampire Lilith)
• Incredible speed, reflexes, and strength
• 400 years trained with Kamikaze, a demon-slaying Katana
• Self-healing properties, can only be killed by beheading or draining enough blood from him that he is unable to heal his wounds.
• Sunlight weakens him but does NOT burst him into flames, has a weakness to silver.
• Will happily slaughter anyone or anything that gets into the way or threatens those he loves.
• Gets stronger as he drinks blood.
• Ability to disappear into shadows or darkness.
• Has fangs and talons (claws protruding from the nails) as natural weapons.

Two enter the ring, only one can leave alive!

How would Talon kill the Hunter? Either use his speed and reflexes to take the Hunter’s head or, knowing he can be suffocated, drag him into a lake/water and drown him

To kill Talon: The Hunter would try to overwhelm him with his inhuman speed, strength, and skill. All he has to do is pierce his skin with Soulhunger, and the dagger will consume his soul. Not even someone with considerable magical abilities can survive Soulhunger’s bite–it was created to kill demons.

Who would win?

The Hunter has never faced anything quite like Talon. His battles with the First and Third of the Bloody Hand have taught him caution in combat against an enemy who can match your speed, skill, and strength. He quickly learns to keep out of reach of Talon’s fangs and claws, but faced with the wicked Kamikaze, he has no choice but to use his long sword to keep the vampire away while searching for an opening to bring Soulhunger to bear.

Talon, too, finds himself intrigued with this hooded and cloaked assassin who is able to match him blow for blow, step for step. His initial hope of surprising and overwhelming the Hunter’s defenses quickly give way to grudging admiration for a worthy foe, and he settles in for a grueling, knock-down, drag-on fight. His sword gives him the reach, but he faces two weapons. He quickly learns to fear the long knife in the Hunter’s off-hand.

Winner: WAY too close to call. Vampire vs. half-demon assassin, with skills, speed, strength, and cursed weapons to match, only the Mistress’ own luck will determine who the winner is.

Want to find out more about this creature of the night who would dare challenge Talon Darkhart, child of Lilith? Click here to read about the fearsome Hunter.

Who do YOU think would win? Did we get the match-up right? Leave a comment below and let me know…