Thank you for stopping by my blog on the 1 year anniversary of the Kindle release of Shadow of the Drill.

   Shadow started with a name that was intended for a character in a book that was never finished. So instead of going where it was intended, the name sparked an idea, and that idea became one heck of a story. 

   It tells of Decker, whose life was drastically altered by a random act of violence that tore his world apart and changed him from an unproven young street tough into a man on a mission of revenge.

    Shadow was never intended for young or easily offended readers. It was written for those who enjoy an “edge of your seat” thriller, and is set in a world that most people will never know. However, there’s more to the story than a muscle-for-hire enforcer who tears up the town and shoots everyone in sight, so I thought I’d share some of that with you.

   Strange as it may sound, given his occupation, Decker is a good man. He is honest, fiercely loyal, and will sacrifice himself without hesitation to protect someone that he loves. He also has a strict code of honor, and a firm idea of what constitutes right and wrong. Granted, he has a slightly different definition of that concept than most people, but such a perspective is a requirement in his world. The self-appointed protector of the streets that he calls home, he seeks out those who target the weak and the vulnerable, condemning them to the brand of justice that has made him a legend.

   Not to say that Decker doesn’t have his faults. He tends to act without concern for how those actions might affect others, and his constant womanizing has cost him his long-time lover, Charlene.  Shadow’s events cause him to realize how integral she is to his life, and how much he truly does love her. Counting on her love for him, he attempts to win her back.

   Because of the volatile and unpredictable life that he leads, Decker does not cultivate friendships. The odds are that anyone close to him will die, and he chooses to avoid the pain of loss by limiting emotional connections.

   One exception to his rule is Rudy Valdez, his business partner and one of the only two people besides Charlene that he allows himself to love. He and Rudy have been friends since their teens, and the subsequent intertwining of their business and personal lives has given them a unique connection that both would be lost without.

   Rudy and Charlene give Decker much needed stability, and together they form a strong family unit.

   The third person in Decker’s heart is Maria, a young woman who was viciously attacked fifteen years prior to Shadow, and who was left in an unresponsive state. Decker bears the guilt of his inability to protect her, and it was her assault that put him on the path to becoming the Drill.   

      Shadow is a tale of vengeance, and therefore contains violence, but it’s also the story of triumph after tragedy, and of one man’s passage from darkness into…semi-light.

   Above all, it’s a love story.

 

   Thanks so much for stopping by to help me celebrate the one year birthday of my boys. Pease fon’t leave without sharing a comment, as all who do will be entered into a random drawing for an autographed copy of Shadow of the Drill (Limited to US residents only) and another winner will be selected to win a $5 Amazon gift card! (This event is sponsored by 4WillsPublishing.wordpress.com)

 

Thank you so much for stopping by to read the first post on my blog. As a new blogger, I have very little clue as to what I’m doing, or how I’m supposed to be doing it. So I ask you all so please be patient with me.

 

My first post will introduce some of you to my favorite vampire book series, written by the amazing Chelsea Quinn Yarbro. I discovered the world of Saint-Germain in the late seventies, and immediately fell in love. This is historical fiction at its best, well blended with romance and low-key horror.

   Saint-Germain is not a stereotypical vampire. Crosses have no effect on him, and he can move freely in the daylight, though direct sunlight will cause him to weaken. Having watched the atrocities of man through countless centuries, he abhors violence and will not willingly participate in any form of it. He is wealthy, sophisticated, eloquent, and handsome; everything we long for in a vampiric lover. He is also lonely, which does not detract from his allure in the least. His intimate encounters are passionate, yet tender, and completely focused on his partner’s pleasure. 

   My first look into the series was The Palace, published in 1979.  Set in 14th century Italy, the book tells of Saint-Germain’s arrival in Florence and his friendship with Laurenzo de Medici, shortly before Laurenzo’s death and the rise of Girolamo Savonarola.

   I followed The Palace with Blood Games, the third book in the Saint-Germain series. The story takes place in Rome during the time of Nero, who becomes connected to Saint-Germain through the latter’s friendship with Titus Petronius Niger. Convicted of crimes against the state in the Year of the Four Caesars, Saint-Germain is sentenced to die in the arena.

   When last I looked, there were almost a dozen books in the series, and there may be more by now. I’ve read several, but the two I mentioned are still my favorites. Ms Yarbro has spaced her books through history and her depiction of each period is so precise that one might think she had somehow lived through those days herself. Historical figures share the page with fictional characters, and their presence adds to the impression that she is writing from memory.

   I recommend the Saint-Germain series to those who enjoy historical fiction and romance novels. Ms Yarbro is an excellent writer and these are beyond excellent books. 

 

I am so excited to be able to welcome you all to my new home…my new blog!  Here I will share my written works with you and sometimes just my random thoughts.  And, to make it even better, YOU are welcome to share here any time as well!

Now that you’re here, let me give you the grand tour.  To get around my site, there is a white square button in the top left hand corner of the screen and there’s also a white square button on the right side of the screen, and here is what you will find when you click on both although I’ve made the main tabs accessible to you so you may click right from this page for those:

Pages you will find behind Top Left Corner Button:

*Home

*About Me

*Contact Me

*SHADOW OF THE DRILL page (Paypal button coming soon so that you may order your very own autographed copies right here)

*WINTER OF THE DRILL page

Pages you will find behind Top Right Corner Button:

*Search box

*Follow Blog Via Email

*My Recent Blog Posts

*Recent Comments

*My Archived Blog Posts

Enjoy your time here and thank you so much for stopping by to visit with My Boys!  I’d appreciate if you’d Follow my blog and LIKE my pages before you leave!  Thanks!