Thanks for having me
today! I’m so excited to be sharing my new release, LICH QUEEN, book three in
the Blood Canticles series. Anyone who had to deal with me while I was writing
this book (friends, family, co-workers) will know I was completely obsessed with
it. I love writing Dawn, and her story has so many elements I just love writing
in general – ghosts, private eyes, and creepy shenanigans! And anyone who had
to deal with me while I was waiting to hear if the book had been accepted,
knows I was a total bundle of nerves the whole time (my fiancé is a patient
man). For some reason I was convinced I’d get a “no” on this one. Don’t ask me
why. It just seemed like maybe Dawn’s story, which gets bleak, might not be a
good fit.
But it’s not just
bleak! Like the other Blood Canticles books, there’s friendship, mystery,
action, and a lot of coffee. If you like your urban fantasy filled with those
things (and a side order of zombies, vampires, and demons), you’re going to
love LICH QUEEN just as much as I do ;)
You can find the
complete Blood Canticles series,
in reading order, at my blog here.
Blurb
Magic has ruined
Detective Dawn Hardy's life.
Her partner is dead, her
career is on the rocks, and Dawn fears she herself may no longer be human.
While she struggles with
the aftermath of a vampire attack, dead bodies are going missing around Fort
Rosser. A demonic plot is brewing, and Dawn and her friends may be the only
ones who can stop it. If they can stop fighting each other. And if Dawn can
conquer the growing darkness inside herself.
Vampires and demons were
just the beginning.
Excerpt
They
had to press themselves to the wall to get around the zombie. Dawn kept her gun
trained on it the whole time, just in case, but it didn't so much as twitch. It
felt like stopping it had been too easy. Her nerves were singing by the time
they reached the landing. Another dark hallway stretched out before them,
dented metal doors on either side. Dawn noticed with a chill that a lot of the
doors looked like the damage had come from the inside.
"There's
an open unit up ahead," she told Rhys, watching Eddie drift along, leaving
a trail of caramel-tobacco in his wake. "They let some of the less
dangerous patients mix freely during the day."
They'd
been in there, on that long-ago murder investigation. It was a big enough room,
still lined with basic tables and chairs where patients could sit and read, or
play card games, or just ... sit. It was a favorite spot for urban explorers to
visit, because the masonry was still pretty sound, but the room itself was a
wreck, offering the right balance of damage and security for would-be YouTube
stars.
"Bet
you ten dollars that's where she is, then," Rhys said. "I can feel
it. You?"
Was
she supposed to? Seeing ghosts was bad enough, Eddie excluded. She didn't want
to start 'feeling' zombies. She shook her head, focusing on Eddie again.
Sure
enough, he stopped by the door to the open unit. Those demonic symbols were
gouged into the door, deeply scarring the metal. Her pulse raced as adrenaline
flooded her. She could hear something on the other side of the door – a muffled
mix of footsteps and low, strained voices. She adjusted her grip on her gun,
palms sweaty. She carried a standard-issue Glock, six rounds. It had always
felt like enough before tonight. Now she was down to three.
"Any
last minute advice on dealing with the undead?" she whispered to Rhys.
"Don't,"
he said.
She
wished he didn't think he was so funny. Eddie beckoned her to the door, giving
her a look she knew well. Caution, mixed with determination. She didn't need to
hear him speak to know what he was thinking. Go time, Dawn.
She
nodded at him.
Isaiah's
mocking laughter filled her head.
The
way into my parlor is up a winding stair...
"So
cliché," she said, earning a strange look from Rhys. She answered him with
a smile that felt unpleasant. "Go time," she said, and eased the door
open.
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About the Author
Naomi likes writing, perfume,
fancy tea, and unfathomable monsters from the dark spaces between the stars,
not necessarily in that order. She has been writing stories ever since she
learned how to write, but is still trying to master the art of biography
writing. When she's not dealing with werewolves, demons, or sea monsters, she's
hanging out with her cat and probably watching a documentary about Bigfoot. If
the cat isn't available, she's with her fiancé watching cookery shows and
silently plotting her next book.
Find me online:
Twitter - @naomi_jay
