Title: Deamhan
Author: Isaiyan Morrison
Series: Deamhan Chronicles (#1)
Genre: Adult/Paranormal/Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Rainstorm Press
Release Date: Aug 12 2013
Edition/Formats Available In: eBook & Print
Blurb/Synopsis:
Deamhan have survived by remaining hidden in the shadows.
Ramanga, Lamia, Metusba, and Lugat have been overshadowed by what humans know
as the modern vampire. But what if vampires aren’t the real threat?
One woman’s search for her mother who disappeared without a
trace on the streets of Minneapolis takes her into the precarious world of
Deamhan, psychic vampires who rule the underground nightlife in the city’s most
darkest corners.
She gains the trust of the only other human familiar with
the Deamhan lifestyle. With his help she finds not only can the Deamhan not be
trusted but it’s her own father, president of a ruthless organization of
researchers, who has diabolically maintained that distrust.
Places to find: Deamhan
Barnes
and Noble (B&N)
Books
A Million (BAM)
Excerpt
Veronica nodded, and the waitress disappeared into the
crowd. Veronica held her breath to calm her rapid breathing in hopes the
adrenaline coursing through her body would dissipate. The pulsating bass
emanating from the speakers grew louder and more intense, causing her to rub
her temples. The dancer from the bathroom had returned to the stage, now even
more scantily clad in a short skirt with white electrical tape X’ed over her
nipples, dancing in gymnastic gyrations.
The crowd’s movement grew violent, with patrons pushing and
shoving. The throng morphed into a mosh pit, and Veronica wondered how long it
would take before someone was crushed. Fog machines released a steady stream of
mist from above the crowded dance floor, giving the huge room an ethereal
atmosphere. The lights dimmed, and Veronica could hardly make out the waitress
as she returned, carrying a shot of whiskey.
“Here ya
go.” She handed Veronica the drink.
Veronica gulped her drink and wiped her mouth with the back
of her hand, this time thankful for the sensation of the amber liquid searing
her throat. She preferred vodka, but at this moment, any liquid running down
her gullet was good enough.
“You want
another one?” she asked. Veronica nodded, and the waitress left. Veronica
dropped her face to her hands, trying to readjust. Damn, this is harder than
I thought it’d be. Her mind raced: hide your thoughts, don’t show fear,
stick to the plan.
She felt a tingling sensation deep in her forehead. In
seconds, it had increased to the extent of a migraine. She looked up squinting,
the pain becoming more intense with each passing moment, and she knew.
Someone
is reading my thoughts.
The waitress returned with two drinks. She placed them in
front of Veronica.
“Uh,
thanks?” Veronica couldn’t recall ordering two whiskeys, but she pulled out a
ten.
“It’s already paid for.” The waitress pointed to a man
sitting at the opposite end of the bar, his long brown hair slicked back in a
ponytail. He wore black jeans and a long black see-through shirt, revealing
pierced nipples and a six-pack. Beautiful.
He stared at Veronica with deep brown eyes and smiled, his
pale skin resembling a Deamhan at its finest. She felt the pain in her forehead
ebb and flow, subsiding a bit each time. Veronica turned to the waitress, but
she’d again disappeared.
Muddled, she downed the whiskey and slammed the empty glass
on the table in front of her. She shut her eyes and concentrated on emptying
her mind. The pain diffused into a mild tingling.
Veronica snapped her eyes open when a male voice told her to
not be afraid. She whipped around, but no one was near.
The voice came from within her head.
“It’s okay,” the voice said.
She looked at the man, who still fixed her in his stare, and
he slid from his seat and headed her way.
She dropped her head and stared at the counter. She fought
the urge to fling her glass at him and run. Leaving Dark Sepulcher wouldn’t
answer the questions about her mother’s disappearance. Don’t think of Mom.
She quickly visualized the brick wall.
“Your thoughts stick out,” the man said, taking the empty
stool next to her.
His penetrating stare caused Veronica’s head to tingle
again, but the tingle stopped as quickly as it started. She’d clouded his
attempt to rummage through her mind.
Veronica cupped the whiskey glass and stared into its
glowing liquid.
“Beautiful women like you shouldn’t drink whiskey.”
What a
line. His respectful approach did nothing to impress Veronica. The Deamhan were
naturally devious.
Veronica remained quiet. The stranger smiled and reached for
the glass, grasping it from the rim and placing it front of him.
“I’m trying
to start a conversation,” he prompted.
From the corner of her eye, Veronica saw him examine her.
His eyes roved her short, formal straight brunette hair, her face, and finally
her hands. Even over the din of music, she could hear him inhale her virginal
scent. She tried hard to block her thoughts from him, but the tingle told her
she was failing.
“You should know it turns me on when you do that,” he said.
She glanced
at him, making eye contact for a second and then quickly looked away. He
mumbled something, but his voice was too low for her to hear over the blaring
speakers.
Veronica’s thoughts caught his attention again, and he
leaned back on the stool, studying her.
Veronica understood now how a woman could fall for a man
like that. Most of the men in Dark Sepulcher were attractive, but this man was hot.
She stole a covert glance from under her eyelashes. Tall, medium build, long,
glossy hair—stop it. Stay off that bandwagon.
His full
lips broke into a smile. “Sorry I intruded on your thoughts. But I gotta admit,
I like what I see in there.”
Veronica
felt heat rise in her chest, neck and face. Busted. He offered his hand,
another trick she wouldn’t fall for.
“I’m Remy
and you are?”
Remy. The name
sounded too familiar. Veronica recalled the name listed somewhere on the
documents she’d stolen from The Brotherhood. His name was just one of the many
that stuck out to her but at the moment she couldn’t remember why.
She fixed her thoughts on her napkin, staring at the
condensation ring left by the wet glass. Still her mind wouldn’t quiet. What Deamhan type is he? Until she knew
which, she couldn’t be sure of his level of threat. She couldn’t get too close.
Despite
herself, she stole a quick look in his direction.
He flashed a ready smile.
Teeth
aren’t sharp and pointy. He’s not a Ramanga. She stared again at her drink,
wiping the droplets of water from the side of her glass.
“Am I scaring you?” Remy’s voice interrupted Veronica’s
thoughts. She shook her head and remained silent.
“Do you talk?”
“Not to strangers.” She immediately regretted her gutsy
remark, knowing it would intrigue him further.
“Maybe you should.” He traced the rim of the glass with a
slender, pale finger. “You’re new here.”
Veronica wanted to check him out but knew she should avoid
his eye. She looked over her shoulder and then at the ceiling. She glanced at
the sticky floor and studied the woodwork on the bar.
“Nervous?”
He’d read her like an open book. She felt a tiny tingle as
he tried again to read her thoughts.
“Your thoughts. They come to me kinda like a movie:
sometimes clear, other times fuzzy.” He chuckled. “Right now, they’re crystal.
Do you really find the bar’s wood grain that intriguing?”
Veronica couldn’t help but grin.
“Do you smell that?” His voice dropped to a loud whisper. “I
smell a vampire.”
Where did you come up with the idea for your book?
I'm a
fan of vampires. I can't remember a time when I wasn't. When I was younger I
wanted to write a supernatural book but I didn't know exactly what I wanted it
to be about. After reading several vampire novels, I started researching and
discovered that there are so many different types of vampires within certain
cultures. I wanted to write about them, specifically psychic vampires. At that
time the only vampire novels I found and read dealt with sanguine (blood)
vampires.
So
finally, after several years, I narrowed the different psychic vampires down to
eight. I picked up a pen, grabbed a piece of paper, and started to write.
How did you come up with your characters?
Usually
I start with a name and the cultural background of that name. For Deamhan, I wanted to represent all races
because Deamhan are representatives of vampires from different cultures. I
wanted them to be unique in not only the way they looked but how they
interacted with their own kind, humans, and vampires. Since Deamhan and
vampires are more different than alike, it was important to create characters
that emphasized these differences.
Who did you show your first draft to and why?
I showed
my first draft to my best friend at the time. She loved the idea of psychic
vampires but she wasn't into reading books. Plus I was too shy at that time to
show it anyone else. I sat for an hour and explained the book to her chapter by
chapter.
Open your book to a random page and tell us the first
paragraph…
Besides
sensing resentment for her own kind and The Brotherhood, Nathan also saw her
loyalty for Lucius. She would lay down her life for him without a thought and she
hated Kei as much as most Deamhan hated him. However, she didn’t have the
following to kill him but she had the age and strength. Since then, she
remained at Blind Bluff Manor, carefully observing Kei and his fol- lowers from
a distance. She was the first Deamhan to live in his home and the only Deamhan
Nathan trusted at that time.
What do you like to read? Do you only read the genre you
write in?
I prefer
reading supernatural. I'm not a fan of supernatural romance. Although I don't
mind it and I understand how popular it is, I prefer supernatural creatures to
be more concerned with survival than falling in love or being infatuated with a
human. In Deamhan, I tried to stay away from romance being the main theme.
These creatures aren't concerned with falling in love. The idea of love is a
strange concept to them however they understand lust and obsession which they
often confuse with love.
Where do you go to escape?
I love
to garden so I spend my off time tending to my plants. This year I decided to
grow a wide variety: strawberries, corn, green beans, bell peppers, sweet
potatoes, onions, green onions. I also
like to play video games and there have been times when my Xbox has been my
number one companion. I wish I had more money to travel and leave the comfort
of my home.
Do you have a favorite chapter in Deamhan?
I think
my favorite chapter is the last chapter. Everything comes ahead. The main
character finally gets the answer that fueled her to travel to Minneapolis.
Deamhan finally get their revenge for their leader by working together; a trait
that is rare in the Deamhan world.
What advice do you have for aspiring writers?
Don't be scared to share your work. You have to stand out to be noticed
this day and age. Nothing comes easy. You have to struggle, work through the
rough times, stay motivated, positive, and determined. You'll encounter blocks
along the way so prepare yourself to either go around them or climb them with
ease. If this is what you want to do and you have passion for it, no one's
stopping you. Now get to it!
Would you recommend self-publishing or main stream
publishing for first time novelists?
That
depends on the route the author wants to take. There is no right route or quick
route to gain success. I was lucky
enough that a publisher believed in my novel to publish it. I decided to self
publish the second book in the Deamhan Chronicles, Dark Curse, because I wanted more freedom in regards to pricing.
Currently,
self-publishing is being accepted as a legitimate step for an author to present
their work to the world. However, there is a lot that goes into self publishing
that authors need to be aware of. Just because you decide to self publish
doesn't mean that the manuscript shouldn't go through proper editing or that
you can relax on the novel cover. You have to be prepared to put in not only
the money but the time and effort to make your work presentable. There are
authors who started out self publishing who later found agents and publishing
houses and there are self published authors who are successful. Success can happen both ways.
.jpg)
Isaiyan Morrison was born and raised in Minnesota. She moved
to San Diego, California while in the Navy. After serving four years of active duty,
she moved to Los Angeles. After a few years, she moved back to Minnesota where
she started to pursue her dream to be an author. Her novel Deamhan, is the
first book in the Deamhan Chronicles. She now resides in Texas with her two
cats, a pit bull dog, and two guinea pigs.
Places to find: Isaiyan Morrison
Other books by: Isaiyan Morrison
Deamhan Chronicles
Deamhan
(#1)
Dark
Curse (#2)
Deamhan Tales
Kei. Family Matters
(#1)
No comments:
Post a Comment