RED MOTHER DEAD -- coming soon!!!

Long ago, I toyed and teased about releasing a vampire story. That was NOT a lie. 

It's finally getting polished up, and I can't wait to see what everyone thinks! The biggest question has been, no doubt, what the title is all about. I'm not quite one to romanticize vampire stories, though I can appreciate the #Twilight fan-base. 

But this is a dark, somber, and suspenseful story (and maybe there's some romance thrown in there). 

Red Mother Dead is told through the eyes of young housekeeper Brit McKay.  

When her childhood crush Jack Brennan returns to Des Moines, a series of strange events begin to unfold. Jack's return is prompted by the peculiar murder of his wife -- details that not even Brit is immediately aware of. 

But Jack wants his son Liam to have a fresh start, and moving into his Aunt Melanie's home seems like the new beginning they so desperately need. As Jack settles in, he confides in Brit that he doesn't quite feel like his wife is truly gone. Nightmares plague him, and young Liam insists that his mother visits him nightly.

Strange scratches appear on Liam's window, and Jack wakes up with mysterious wounds on his neck and chest. While Melanie insists that Jack and Liam are just trying to cope with the trauma of losing a loved one, Brit can't help but wonder if the small family truly isn't being terrorized by someone who was pronounced dead 3 years ago.

Fans of #RAPTURE will love the flow of the story, as well as the quick building suspense. RED MOTHER DEAD is a standalone book. 

Stay tuned for details on its release!!!   

#horror #vampire #romance #suspense #shortella #2016 #RedMotherDead

Valentine's Day Horrors (to read)

No surprise, 2015 flew by. Suddenly it's 2016. Oprah's the new spokeswoman for Weight Watchers. And the X-Files has returned to Fox. It's a brave new world. And I'm happy to announce that 2016 will rocket out two new ghoulish projects.

My first standalone novella, Agnes M, will be out later in the spring. If you're a fan of lost love, ghosts, a don't-f***-with-me heroine, and some steamy, steamy scenes, you'll want to check out this one.

Here's the teaser for Agnes M:

Nearly a decade after her millionaire husband goes missing, Agnes Moorehead is a woman on the edge. Her writing career does little to help keep the floundering Moorehead Estate going, and she's the sole guardian to her young brother-in-law, Liam.

With the estate falling into pieces, Agnes desperately seeks out otherworldly powers to help her -- and keep the lecherous banker off the grounds. Her wish seems to come true. A sudden windfall lands at her disposal. And, miracle beyond miracle, her missing husband returns.

But were those otherworldly powers she summoned truly the miracle workers? For the man who returns looks like her husband...but there's something dark about him that troubles Agnes. In the midst of the night, there are whispers in the house. Whispers about Agnes. Whispers about keeping the house in order. And whispers about protecting the mysterious Moorehead legacy at all costs. Has Agnes sacrificed her body and soul all for a piece of property...or for the appetite of the house's true master?

+++

More details to come!

In the meantime, for Valentine's Day this year I'm giving away RAPTURE for free on Febs 11 & 12. Can't wait until then? You can download it for 99 cents now. #Cheers!



#sexy #suspense #horror #kindle