It is my pleasure to host a weekend tour by author A. M. Manay, author of the November Snow  supernatural fantasy series. Fiction Favorites is all yours.

Thanks, John.

Luka Lazarri is the primary villain in my November Snow supernatural fantasy series.  A vampire nobleman with a chip on his shoulder and many axes to grind, he longs to rule both the human and supernatural worlds.  In the series of texts below, he is communicating with his sinister intelligence director, Bertrand.  During this conversation set during the early chapters of She Lights Up the Dark (November Snow Book 2), they are discussing how to handle November and her friends as well as their plans for a series of terrorist attacks.  I find amusement in the incongruity of a 900-year-old vampire using modern technology, so I have a little fun with that here.  It’s followed by a blurb and excerpt from my second novel.  Enjoy.  You can learn more about all of these characters by reading She Dies at the End, She Lights Up the Dark, and She Sees in Her Sleep, all available this weekend for only $0.99 each!

Texts

Bertrand: I’ve got the girl on security cameras in Oakland.  Uptown, Broadway.  With Gregory.  How close do you want my men to get?

Luka: Keep them well back.  Greg is no fool.  I don’t want them to bolt.  Once we pull him away from her, I’ll send in my brother.  Him, she can see.  But not your goons.

Bertrand: Just let me snatch her up and be done with it.  Things are going to get very busy for us very soon.

Luka: Obtaining her is not my only objective.  She will come to us, in the end.  Keep your focus on the field of play.  Is the kickoff still on schedule?

Bertrand: Indeed.  I’ll blow the whistle in 3 days.  All the players are game ready. [happy emoji]

Luka: Good. [happy emoji]

Bertrand: I am still concerned that we’ve lost track of Ilyn.

Luka: He will turn up in Boston.  Trust me.  Keep the men there, ready to tear the house apart.

Bertrand: What in the world is so important to him in Boston?  How am I supposed to do my job when you withhold information from me?

Luka: You will know what you need to know when you need to know it.  Do not try my patience. [irritated emoji]

Bertrand: Forgive me, my lord.

Luka: Any sign of William?

Bertrand: Possible sighting in Virginia.  Picture’s a bit fuzzy.  I’ve got a good team looking into it.

Luka: He probably isn’t alone.  He does little without Birch.  And Rose is smarter than she looks.

Bertrand: I will caution the team accordingly.

Luka: How about Pine, Willow’s old friend?  Any sign of him or the one with the blue hair?  And their pet werewolves?

Bertrand: They’re moving up the coast.  Accomplishing nothing as far as I can tell.  Do you want me to take them out?

Luka: Don’t bother.  They are no threat, and killing them will upset my new baby sister.  Let them play house.

Bertrand: As you wish, my lord.

 

Book blurb for She Lights Up the Dark (November Snow Book 2)

A frightening vision stalks November, even in her grave . . . and things go severely sideways just as soon as she claws her way out of it. 

Continuing the story begun in the well-received paranormal romp She Dies at the End, She Lights Up the Dark finds November Snow struggling to adjust to her new life as a vampire with none of the support she’d expected. Her nemesis Luka has plotted to isolate November and scatter her allies as he executes his plan to bring human society under his control. Her loneliness leads her to become emotionally entangled with a charming but likely untrustworthy fellow vampire. 

 

When danger flares, November discovers that her psychic gift has expanded in a powerful and perilous fashion. Coerced into close company with her enemy, she fights to master her power and to uncover the secrets that may help her to save both her friends and the human world from being crushed under Luka’s boot. November is determined to stop Luka as his plan builds toward an unknown and deadly climax, but she may find that lighting up the dark comes with a high price to pay. 

This book contains violence, some sexual content, and occasional profanity.

 

A short excerpt from She Lights Up the Dark (November Snow Book 2)

The night proper saw the remaining vampires quietly depart, leaving Greg and November alone in his small apartment, silently drinking cold blood and listening to the sounds of the city.  Greg was fretting, presumably about Savita, who had left with an unsettling look in her eye.

He suddenly broke the silence, saying, “We need to get out of here before we both go crazy.  And we should do some shopping for you.”

He grabbed a package off the scuffed kitchen table.  “My favorite forger dropped these off tonight.  Driver’s licenses, passports, Social Security cards.  Three different names, just in case.  I enthralled him to forget, so hopefully he won’t tip off Luka’s people.   I’ve set up bank accounts; credit and ATM cards should arrive tomorrow.  We are likely to wind up separated sooner or later, and I want you to have what you need to survive without having to constantly steal.”

“Thank you,” she replied in a heartfelt voice he couldn’t hear.

“So, tonight, you need clothes, boots, a bag, a few phones, a tablet, toiletries.  Whatever else I’m forgetting.  If we get separated, just focus on getting the clothes and personal things.  I’ll get the electronics, and we’ll meet back at the apartment.”

November looked down at her still-bare feet and nodded.  “That sounds like a plan.”

It felt good to be out and about, though she felt self-conscious, certain that everyone could see that she was different.  Thankfully, their first stop was a popular shoe store by the BART station.  She picked up some sturdy boots and socks, figuring she wasn’t going to be going to any dinner parties or galas any time soon.  At least now her bare feet wouldn’t be calling attention.  

After she paid and put on her purchases, she and Greg waited awkwardly outside the door for ten more minutes as he was afraid to depart and leave her behind if she wasn’t ready.  Finally, he said, “I really hope you’re still with me. Here we go.”  

The night was passing uneventfully, until she was paying for a pile of clothes at Oaklandish and saw her own face staring back at her from behind the cashier.  It was one of the “Missing Girl” posters Lula’s people had plastered all over the state the previous autumn.  November had forgotten all about them.  She tried not to seem nervous, hoping against hope that she wouldn’t be recognized, grateful for the fact that people in general, pay no attention to what is going on around them.  

Greg had noticed the poster as well.  “Might want to pick up some hair dye or wigs.  There’s a poster of you up in the Whole Foods, too,” he commented as they walked down Broadway.  “There’s that wig store right at 27th and Telegraph, though I don’t guess they get a lot of white girls in there.”

Two Oakland police cars suddenly pulled up next to them, lights flashing.  The officers jumped out shouting orders.  Two of them roughly shoved Greg against the wall as the other two pulled November to the side and began asking her questions.  Apparently, someone had noticed her resemblance to the poster.

November’s eyes widened with instinctive fear as she shot a panicked look at Greg.  He, by contrast, was perfectly calm, nearly bored, with an edge of annoyance.  It made November wonder how many times he’d been through this over the years, how many times he’d drawn the suspicion of the authorities.

November tried to parse the questions they were hurling at her.  They mentioned something about kidnapping, suggested drugs and prostitution.  

“You think he’s my pimp? Or a john?” she blurted out.  “He’s a finance guy, for Christ’s sake!  Look at his shoes!”

In addition to her work as an indie author of paranormal fantasy, A.M. Manay is a former inner-city chemistry teacher, a singer, a yoga enthusiast, a Clerk of Session in the Presbyterian Church (USA), and a mother through domestic open adoption.  She has a passion for increasing diversity in popular culture and for strong heroines who stand up for themselves, make their own decisions, and don’t depend on romance as their reason for being.

Be the first to know about the release of the upcoming sequel as well as bonus material about your favorite characters by

Checking out her website: www.ammanay.net

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