VAMPIRES ARE REAL AND THIS ONE’S GOT MY BABY
Estrada is the high priest of Hollystone Coven, a shaman and magician. But is he a match for a vengeful vampire? When the devilish Diego steals Lucy from her crib on the eve of her first birthday, the Hollystone witches converge.
That same night, a woman is murdered and another abducted. All three scenes are marked by roses that point to Michael Stryker, Estrada’s lover and best friend—a man with a strange dark “virus” brewing inside him.
As the witches journey up the Pacific Northwest coast, emotions run raw.
And then they meet the ravens.
Diego wants blood. Estrada wants his baby back. What will the high priest sacrifice to bring his daughter home?
A SEXY HITCHCOCKIAN THRILLER THAT DEMYSTIFIES VAMPIRE AND ILLUSTRATES THE POWER OF LOVE.
“Estrada flexed his bicep and stared at his latest tattoo. Corvus Corax. The raven’s back broke into a flurry of feathers and deranged birds to remind him how he’d split the terror asunder with the sheer force of his right arm. He could still feel the damp steel, the hot blood, the hollow pit of his pulsing gut as he struck. The creature held a bloody rose in its beak so he’d never forget how close he’d come . . . “
In To Sleep with Stones, Michael Stryker makes a grave error. Thinking that he’s about to be killed by the Spanish vampire, he confesses his love for Estrada.
The vampire’s hand slid up his arm and bit into his shoulder and Michael swayed with the pain.
“Ah, but what do you know of love? You’ve never loved anyone but yourself.”
“That’s not true,” Michael said. “I love Estrada.” If he was to die here alone on this beach, he would tell the truth.
“Estrada?” The cackle was deafening. “A Spaniard? You love a Spaniard?”
“Yes, and there’s nothing you can do to change that!” He was ready to die, hoped to die before this filthy monster turned him into something vile and monstrous.
Diego stroked his beard. “Ah, but there is, brainless boy.”
A cuff to the side of the head sent Michael reeling. It was only the creature’s grip that kept him standing upright.
“This Spaniard will become my progeny and then he will drain you dry.” Each of his final three words were punctuated by a stronger squeeze.
Michael felt himself losing consciousness. “Estrada will never do that,” he muttered.
“The Spaniard will do as I command. He will have no choice.” Diego caught the soft flesh of Michael’s neck with one of his fangs, ripped off a chunk of skin, and spit it aside. Then he licked the blood like a dog.
“I will not drain you now,” he said, wiping his mouth. “You will suffer as I suffer. Each time you see this scar, you will tremble to know that one night I will come for him. I will take this man you love, this Estrada, and he will belong to me forever.”
Diego’s revenge drives book three.
Two of my favourite characters reappear in this book: the horned god, Cernunnos, and Magus Dubh, the half-fey blue-tattooed Glaswegian dwarf who is godfather to Estrada’s daughter, Lucy.
I loved writing this book, not just because of the eccentric characters, but because I was able to journey up the Pacific Northwest coast in my imagination. I spent a year working as a relief lighthouse keeper there and experienced many of the things our weary travelers do on the yacht.
Orcas
Ravens
Lounging Seals
The Inside Strait
off Chatham Point
REVIEWS
- This book is the work of a very talented author writing in an entertaining and compelling style. Many themes explored here that add to the intensity and intrigue of the story: good versus evil, as well as parenthood and bisexual relationships. Unique take on Vampire lore. Fine cover and text. Attractive, appealing and easy to read. Writing is crisp and clear. A pleasure to read. Wonderfully edited. Wonderfully believable dialogue reflects the characters’ individual personalities and ethnic backgrounds moves the story forward. Whistler Independent Book Awards/Canadian Authors
- “An intoxicating mix of magic and mystery that will keep you turning pages”—Eileen Cook, The Hanging Girl and One Lie Too Many
- “A magical thrill ride packed with action, beautiful imagery, and imaginative lore.”—Sionnach Wintergreen, The Astralasphere Spiral Series
- I loved Hawkin’s spin on vampires. She has a talent for taking popular mythological creatures and making them all her own. While honoring familiar tropes, these books also recreate them and weave them into things that feel fresh and new while continuing to tug at the collective unconscious. Although action-packed, the story’s action never sacrifices the human drama that marked the two previous books, but embraces it. The result is an action thriller with complex queer characters and realistic emotional situations.
- I love the way Hawkin interweaves genres: there’s such unexpected joy to be found in never knowing what kind of situation Estrada will be in next, and there’s a richness to the reading experience that comes from the overlay of tropes and conventions. In this installment of the series, Estrada must contend with a missing daughter, tension between his lovers, and…vampires. The way Hawkin crafts vampires for this book is excellent: it’s distinctive, but familiar enough to resonate with what readers expect vampires to be. I think the true draw of this novel for me, and this is probably true of the whole series, now that I think about it, is the intricate psychology of the characters, who are complex, nuanced, sympathetic, and occasionally, deeply irritating— a sign of just how invested I’ve become, and how well drawn their inner lives, as well as outer adventures, really are. Highly recommended read.
