There’s a special delight in setting a paranormal story in a
contemporary world. Going
Back to Find You, which releases today, is a very classic vampire meets
girl, vampire loses girl, vampire goes back to Nebraska to find girl again. But
it’s set in a small Nebraska town where vampires and zombies and werewolves and
faerie queens only show up at Halloween and are always revealed to be your
neighbors in disguise.
Not this year.
My hero, Jason, appeared very briefly in the first Children of
Night book, In the Dark. Ever since then, I've wanted
to tell his story. But it just didn't happen.
Until now.
Because
even a vampire deserves a second chance.
When
Jason Cook boarded the train to San Francisco, he didn’t plan on coming back.
He never really thought he’d see Nebraska or Lizbeth Petersen ever again. But
when an unexpected turn of events threatens the woman he’d loved and lost, he
has no choice but to go back and try to make things right.
Lizbeth
never thought she’d see Jason again, either—and she’s not so sure she wants to
see him now. Her life’s a mess, but at least it’s her mess. And after a
lifetime of other people making decisions for her, she’s looking forward to
finally figuring out some things on her own. Besides, Jason already left her
once when she needed him. Why should she trust him not to do the same again now?
Warning:
This is not a drill. Vampires are invading your favorite, small Nebraska town
this Halloween. Does this mean Type-O flavored booze will soon be the new rage
in Sapphire Falls? Hopefully, it won’t come to that. But you never can tell…
Excerpt:
“I’m not
sure about these candles.” Hailey Conner Bennett gazed critically at the lamps
Lizbeth Petersen had painstakingly arranged on the steps leading up to the door
of her brightly painted wooden caravan.
“How do you
mean?” Liz was pleased that she was able to keep the snarl from her voice. A
big orange cat had wandered over while she and Hailey were talking. When it
started pawing at the little glass cups Liz shooed it away. “Not sure about
what?”
“I’m not
sure they’re a good idea.”
Which was
tantamount to saying nothing. Liz counted to ten and forced a polite smile.
“Why is that?”
“Well,
they’re a fire hazard.” A faint crease between Hailey’s brows revealed an
uncertainty that the predator in Liz found irresistible—in a
chase-her-down-and-drain-her-blood kind of way. “Don’t you think? I’m sure the
fire marshal will. Especially with all the children who’ll be running around.”
Fair enough. Sapphire Falls first annual Halloween Festival had definitely been
postured as a family-friendly event. And as the former mayor and current
Director of Tourism, Hailey had both a point and a legitimate reason to involve
herself in Liz’s business. But, all the same, Liz had to appreciate the irony.
Being a vampire, she was undoubtedly much more concerned about the possibility
of fire than even the most scrupulous of fire marshals.
“Not to
worry. I’m using flameless candles. They might look real, but they’re
battery-operated LED lights. The best part is that they’re all on automatic
timers, which should look suitably spooky to any of the children who happen to
be around when they start going on or off by themselves. Spooky or magical,”
Liz said, correcting herself. “Depending on their outlook, I suppose.”
“Oh, good. I
guess I should have realized you’d have thought of something so basic.”
“I wouldn’t
be much of a psychic if I couldn’t intuit that. Besides…” Liz felt a surge of
pride as she patted the exterior of her cottage on wheels. “I have to protect
my investment. This is my home, you know, as well as my livelihood.”
Hailey’s
gaze swept the camper once more. “You don’t live in it, do you? Full time?”
“Yes and
yes.” Liz chuckled at the surprised expression on Hailey’s face. “Listen, I
spent more years than you need to know about stuck in one place, dreaming of
the day I could just pick up and go anywhere or anytime I felt like it. Now
that day is here, and I’m determined to make the most of it.”
Hailey shook
her head. “I couldn’t do that. Not just because Sapphire Falls is my home, I’d
get claustrophobic.”
“It does
take a certain temperament,” Liz agreed. She studied the woman for a moment,
trying to disguise her hunger. Hailey was so poised and polished. She was
young, healthy, strong—just the way Liz liked her meals. It was all she could
do not to drool. “You probably have closets bigger than this.”
A frown
creased Hailey’s brow. “I don’t know why you’d say that.”
“Professional
psychic, remember?”
“Oh. Right.”
Hailey continued to look uncertain, which Liz suspected was an uncomfortable
state for a woman who was so clearly used to being in control.
She smiled
reassuringly. “It’s okay to admit it. You won’t hurt my feelings.”
“Well, in
that case…” Hailey’s own smile reasserted itself. “You might be right.”
“Maybe you’d
like to see inside?” Liz held out her hand invitingly. She let a hint of
compulsion bleed through her voice. Her fangs pulsed in anticipation when
Hailey responded, moving toward her in a dreamlike manner. “That’s it. Come on
up. Let me show you around.”
Liz stepped
back, moving out of the way so Hailey could enter. She did so hesitantly,
blinking in surprise as she glanced around the interior of Liz’s new home.
“Wow. This place is amazing.”
“Thank you,”
Liz replied, surreptitiously pressing the door’s secret latch so they wouldn’t
be interrupted. She took a moment to cast her gaze around the room as well,
trying to see the place from Hailey’s perspective.
Satisfaction surged. It was amazing. She was enormously proud of
the job she’d done. After Felicia’s death had freed Liz to make her own
decisions, she’d taken her share of the clan’s inheritance money and used it to
commission a custom mobile home loosely based on a traditional Romani vardo. She’d paid a pretty penny for all
the little extras. Hand-carved wooden panels covered the interior walls, their
Art Nouveau curves picked out in gold. The velvet drapes and repurposed oil
lamps gave the room a mysterious air while keeping it comfortably dark. Her
bedroom was a marvel of vampire engineering, arranged to be as cool and
lightproof as possible, its entrance hidden, like the lock she’d just engaged,
to keep the curious from entering and the nervous from escaping. With the
addition of an extra-large shower and mini fridge—crucial for cleaning up
accidents and storing emergency rations—she was all set.
