Welcome to Snippet Sunday.
Enjoy a snippet from last week: Flowers and Fangs Chapter 2 #1
This week's snippet is from Flowers and Fangs.
Derek and Wade Hayes are at the McBride's house to find out if Tim infected his girlfriend and her family. Wade is taking the front of the house and Derek the back. This is in Derek's POV.
*The excerpt may have been modified to fit the 10 sentence limit.
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Derek hated to think it, but if Tim paid a visit to the McBrides, he hoped the vamp ended it here, drained them and moved on because if one of the McBrides survived, the nightmare continued at another poor schmuck's home.
Reaching the gate, his hand gripped the padlock. It wouldn't stop him and he pulled out his tools from his jeans' pocket to pick the lock. He could easily jump the fence, but it was better to take the time now and have an easy escape route, if there proved a need. It took less than a minute.
He opened the gate and slid in, only to halt his movements when he noticed the black lab sitting on his haunches, staring at him with a curious tilt of its head. He was glad he had the heads up on the pet. "Good…boy," he said as he slowly fished into his jacket with multiple pockets containing all sorts or weapons. This pocket just happened to be filled with dog biscuits. He kept a box in his truck. Made it easier to deal with the four-legged animals when he invaded their territory.
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The family's pet is alive and well. Does that seem to be a good sign? Just a thought. 🙂
*****Victory Tales Press is looking for stories for their anthology. Would you like to participate? Here's the link for more information.
About Flowers and Fangs, "Stake and Dust series, Book II":
Derek Hayes and his family are preternatural hunters. Stake and dust is their motto, but Derek has a difficult time accepting his sworn duty when Sloane McBride, his ex-girlfriend from high school, is the one he's been sent to eliminate. Once infected from a Nosferatu bite, there is no turning back. Sloane has been bitten and she will eventually change.
It proves a race against time when Derek puts aside his core beliefs and teams up with Sloane. The Nosferatu wants Sloane for his own, Derek's brothers are hunting her, and every second brings Sloane closer to changing into the very fiend they want to kill.
Available at:
Ebook: Amazon / Amazon UK / iPad / Smashwords /Nook
In Print: Amazon / Amazon UK / Barnes and Noble /Createspace
Stake and Dust, Book I- These are stand alone stories.
A Lamia, a sea creature worthy of John Keats' prose, teams up with a vampire with serial tendencies. When young promising artists are found dead, the Preternatural Bureau sends Cassandra Hayes to the Hamptons to help a fellow hunter track down this lethal duo. She's only spoken to Mr. Green once on the phone and when she meets him in person, he is not what she expects. His hunting skills are spot on, but there is something the man is hiding, and she's determined to find out what it is despite the attraction developing between them.
Tremayne Graystone, a vampire from one of the oldest septs, is not pleased when he finds a dead hunter left on the doorstep of his pub. He should have never answered the hunter's phone, but someone is trying to frame him and he wants answers. Surely he can masquerade as Mr. Green, the hunter Cassandra is supposed to meet, before she figures out his true identity and stakes him. She's a Hayes, from a long line of vampire hunters, and fraternizing with the enemy is simply not done, but as they work together and follow the clues, the lines become blurred when he falls for the hunter's charms.
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Weekend Writing Warriors for Eight Sentence Sunday
This black lab gets failing marks as a watchdog!
Ed,
Black lab is more interested in treats. lol This would be my dogs.
I think that’s the response of many “guard dogs.” Every one that I know is big and loud and a complete wuss.
Amy,
Isn’t that the truth. lol
A curious tilt of its head, probably wondering why this man seemed so sure of himself. This snippet says Derek had the treats, it doesn’t say the dog was receptive. This also makes me wonder if something “weird” went on in the house that left the dog bewildered? Very intriguing.
Chelle,
My dogs have the greatest expressions, so had to add a curious dog to the story. 🙂
I do love a man who carries dog treats with his tools! Guess the dog is more interested in treats than guarding. I don’t blame him.
Christina,
This how my dogs would be. lol You can have what you want as long as there’s treats. lol
Well, you know the saying: I don’t care who dies as long as the dog lives! 😉
Joyce,
lol- I’m that way too. So you might know who lives by the end of the book. 🙂
Well written–as always, Karen. Easy to visualize. Yeppers, Black labs can be distracted with treats. We have a rescue that is half rotty, half black lab. His whole world revolves around food. 🙂
Teresa,
It’s all about back rubs and food, don’t you know. lol
Ooh, I see the dog as a BAD sign. Yes, it COULD mean the family is still alive. But in my head, I immediately go to “Has this dog been turned into some sort of hellhound?” Doesn’t matter if it doesn’t fit the mythology, that’s still where my mind goes. LOL…
Thanks so much for sharing!
Yeah, black labs aren’t too big a threat. Hee hee. This guy comes prepared with biscuits. 🙂 What if he didn’t, I wonder. Great snippet! Look forward to reading more.
Stephanie,
Yes, he does come prepared. 🙂
Love the line about the poor shmuck. And love the dog. Great snippet!
lol- So glad you did.
A great dog. Food first is his motto. Beautiful scene.
Charmaine,
Thank you. Aren’t all dogs wonderful? lol
If he’s like the labs I’ve known, throwing a tennis ball (endlessly!) works about as well as treats.
Part of me has to wonder if the dog was turned too.
PT,
Guess you’ll have to wait and see about the lab. 🙂
I like the practicality of the dog biscuits. Really enjoying this story and its fresh take on the vampire tropes – excellent excerpt.
Veronica,
Thanks so much. Glad you’re liking my vampire/hunter world.
Do vampires kill/eat dogs, I wonder? Vampire dogs would be scary, so I’m hoping for no.
Some vampires devour anything with a heartbeat, but most of the septs prefer human blood. 🙂
Hahaha …. dog biscuits in the jacket … Love it.
Iris,
So glad you got a kick out of it. 🙂
Dog biscuits! Well, as they say, every job has the proper tool. I like how you take us through his reasoning.
And you get bonus points for using the word, “schmuck”.
Jeff,
So glad you enjoyed the snippet. 🙂
Great snippet! I like his way of thinking. 🙂
He really knows everything there is to know. I love how prepared he is to all eventualities.