Today I’m excited to announce that after six drafts, four test readers, and a year bubbling on the back plate, my first stab at the romance genre is ready: Vampire Detective Agency: First Bite.
Releases on October 13th!
This ~70k word paranormal romance investigation is the first in what will be a series. I’ve been really looking forward to sharing this one with readers, because the “vampire who uses his abilities to investigate crimes” is my favorite genre.
Read the first two chapters here.
Preorders for the ebook are live, and it will also be on Kindle Unlimited. A paperback option will be available on 10/13.
First Bite finds the vampire Veronica at a crossroads in her life. She’s retreated from interacting with people, choosing to spend her time ordering in ‘take-out’ meals and listening to old punk records. When she comes across a delicious smelling injured human in Central Park she decides to have an unplanned meal. After vampire hunters attack, her dinner becomes her savior, and all bets are off. They’ll have to learn how to work together if they’re going to stay alive, find the hunters, and get through their first date.
Test readers have said it’s a classic pulpy read. Some say it trends more “paranormal investigative” than romance, and others have called it a classic “enemies to lovers” romance story. I think it probably skews away from a straight romance book however you come at it, but most of all it’s a fun read for everyone who enjoys vampire based fiction.
But wait, I said this was the first book. What is Vampire Detective Agency (The Series)? Seven books featuring the crazy goings at New York City’s only private detective agency run by vampires. Each book will pickup where the prior one left off, but widen field with new characters.
In setting out on this series I came up with a couple core principles:
- The beating heart of every narrative is PUNK. The music, the anti-authoritative vibe, the fuck it attitude. Not to be confused with conformist rock-n-roll that never really changes. This vibe has to be in every scene. These are characters who society couldn’t find a use for who are now making their own way, loudly.
- New York City is a character and a part of the story. The city that never sleeps. Always something going on. Always someone up for adventure. It’s glum and decaying but also shiny and under construction. The city is the drum beat that never leaves our protagonists alone.
- Multiple points of view. Always. The detective. The secretary. The street kid.
- Vampires are dangerous and sexy. Truly. They don’t hesitate to kill or kiss. This is not a PG-13 book. These characters go to deep dark places and blinding hypnotic highs as they pursue their client’s cases.
- The books are never about a straightforward dame in a red dress coming to the agency with a case. I’m not great at writing mysteries, and so the trio is never really investigating a straightforward mystery. There’s always a thrilling adventure they get pulled into that crosses paths with a mystery.
Something I care about deeply is making sure that readers always know what order to progress through the series. Every book in the series will always be subtitled for where it fits in, for example the first book is: First Bite. The second book will be Double Date. The third is Three Hairy Suitors. You get the idea.
Look out for opportunities to be an Advance Review Copy (ARC) reader in August. I can’t wait for everyone to read it on October 13th!
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