A Hero with Fangs, Attitude . . . and a Pick Axe

As a writer, much of my workday is spent trying to make sense out of the endless parade of people who move around in the back of my mind. I should point out that these aren’t exactly real people to anyone but me.  They’re actually the characters who live in my subconscious and constant vie for my attention.

Some are only faint shadows, still not fully formed and may never be. Others already populate a current project, a book I’ve already written, or one that is in the works. I have to tell you that it gets a little noisy in there sometimes, especially when they get to pushing and shoving, trying to work their way to the front of the line.

 Once in a while, though, I get lucky and a character shows up center stage, fully developed and ready to whisper his story in my ear. I say “his” because for some reason I usually see the hero in one of my stories first.  By sheer force of personality alone, he stands out in the crowd. You can’t imagine what a relief it is when this happens. So often I have to spend hours, days, and numerous phone calls to writer friends to coax a story out of a new character.

 A few months ago, an image of a hero formed in my mind. He was totally ripped, wearing a muscle shirt, cargo pants, and swinging a pick axe. Did I mention he had fangs?  Great big ones?  He wore his hair shaved close to the scalp and had a voice like extra coarse sandpaper.  His attitude was one of barely contained fury.  

 Needless to say this guy caught my attention right away.  I had so many questions for him to answer. What’s with the pick axe?  Why the gravelly voice?  And what was he so mad about? The answers to those questions formed the bones of my upcoming release from Nocturne Bites, A VAMPIRE’S SALVATION.  It’s an e-short story and will available starting March 1^st. 

 Here’s the back blurb.  I hope you find Cord Kilpatrick as compelling as I did.

 A Vampire’s Salvation, Alexis Morgan

 Life imprisonment has a whole new meaning when you live for centuries…  It’s been fifteen long years since vampire Cord Kilpatrick was sent to prison for his business partner’s disappearance. Chancellor Olivia McCabe is the only investigator who doesn’t think he’s guilty…and she’s the one woman he can’t stop thinking about. When Olivia gets the chance to prove his innocence and has him released into her personal custody, Cord is tempted by the beautiful vampiress more than ever. Can he hope to find salvation from his past—and the passion he’s longed for in Olivia’s arms?