Sascha Schneider (German, 1870–1927), Eichenwald auf Ruegen (Oak Forest on Ruegen Island), 1925
The forest grows dark.
It comes alive.
Wood arms reach for me.
Roots uncurl from the ground.
Trees shake and dance.
As the wind moans.
Dark shadows follow me.
Moonlight teases me.
I’m trapped in hell,
where the sun doesn’t shine.
THE DEAD GAME SERIES
vintagegal: Dracula (1931)
THE FOLLOWERS
Who was the original vampire?
Many believe it was Count Dracula,
who had enough charm to lure followers
to hell and beyond.
He had one descendent.
Where is he today?
Can he one of The Dead in Oasis, Florida?
THE DEAD GAME SERIES
(Source: rexisky)
Into the tunnel we are thrown.
Been more careful if I had known.
We’re falling down a dark abyss.
Please someone give us an assist.
We’re falling too hard and fast.
This nightmare better not last.
Our time has come to an end
As we fly around the bend.
The Dead are waiting for us below.
I can hear them yelling out hello.
We land with a thump and a bang.
I’m now facing a big fat fang.
THE DEAD GAME
Greetings to all my readers! It is an honor and a pleasure to welcome author Susanne Leist to The Indie Spot today! Please make Susanne feel welcome by leaving a like and a comment below.
Take it away, Susanne. . .
PREY FOR THE DEAD Blog Tour
A masquerade party where a human vampire wears a vampire costume. Where is this? Oasis, Florida. Vampires and hybrids like to play. They own the night!
Enjoy an excerpt of PREY FOR THE DEAD where Todd and Gregg show their fangs in their quest for Linda. Shana is coupled with Sheriff Sam. The rest of the players have vampire blood running through them.
Todd stepped in front of Linda. Dressed in a black outfit with a long cape, she could tell it was him even though the matching mask concealed the top half of his face. Todd wears his arrogance well.
He scowled at her.
She tapped Gregg’s shoulder with her finger and nodded toward Todd. Gregg wrapped his arm around her waist and frowned at Todd.
Todd leveled his dark stare at Gregg.
Shana rushed to greet them. “Hi, Linda, Gregg.”
After dragging her eyes from Todd’s, Linda smiled at Shana. “What a gorgeous costume. Are you Cinderella?”
“Yes, I am.” Shana spun in her blue gown, her auburn hair in a sleek chignon, her green eyes peeking from behind a gold mask with blue feathers. “And Sam is Prince Charming.”
Sam, wearing a white jacket, mask, and gloves, winked at her. Tassels hung from his gold epaulets; red pants completed his outfit. He favored Linda with a rakish grin.
Linda felt Todd’s gaze on her. She fluttered her eyelashes at him. “Kind sir, who are you this evening?”
Todd moved closer and bowed. “Dracula, madam, at your service.” He spread his long, black cape and rewarded her with a fanged smile.
“You might upset the vamps.” Linda held back a grin.
“Vampires admire Dracula; he’s a legend.”
“He wasn’t real. Was he?” Shana asked.
“He was.” Todd smiled.
Shana’s face fell.
Sam took Shana’s hand and led her to the dance floor.
Gregg cleared his throat before bowing. “Linda, can you honor me with a dance?”
“Yes, thank you.” She stepped into Gregg’s arms.
Todd stood alone, his countenance forlorn. He spun on his heel and walked across the dance floor.
Gregg’s left hand curled around her waist while the fingers of his right hand twined with hers. A tingling sensation traveled along her arm. Feeling safe in Gregg’s arms, she relaxed and watched the guests. Kings danced with Queens; Peter Pan twirled with Tinkerbell—an impressive sight; a gathering of strangers and acquaintances alike, the masks disguising vamps from humans and even a friend from a foe.
Across the room, Todd conversed with a blonde couple. The Duke and Duchess she’d met at Diane’s party. The two vampires Todd trusted most. Duke Alan Rutherford wore a moss green, brocade outfit with a gold crown, while his wife appeared regal in a burgundy gown with a white, stand-up collar at the back of her neck. From a distance, the dark color resembled wine or blood.
“Are those the Duke and Duchess Rutherford with Todd?”
Gregg’s gaze followed hers. “Oh, yes. Todd’s favorite vampires, dressed as Henry VIII and his beheaded wife, Ann Boleyn. Perfect. The king had a lust for blood.”
Dancers banged into them. Laughter and shouts rang loud. The guests became a blur of color for her, their outfits racier, more skin and pointy teeth came to the surface. Real or fake blood dripped from a few masked faces.
Gregg’s mouth nudged her ear. “Care to stroll in the moonlight?”
Todd watched as Gregg led Linda to the pool deck, his arm around her shoulder, his head bent to hers.
SUSANNE LEIST BIO
I have always loved to read. Agatha Christie, Alistair Maclean, Robert Ludlum, and many other authors filled my young imagination with intrigue and mystery. When I wasn’t reading late into the night, the TV shows—Murder She Wrote and Columbo—entertained me with tales of murder and suspense.
Over the years, my taste in TV expanded to include such shows as Supernatural and The Originals. I searched for paranormal, murder mysteries but found few at the library or bookstore. So, I wrote one.
A career in writing has been a big leap for me. Accustomed to the number-crunching field of budgeting and the hectic commodity markets, I left my first career and M.B.A. in Finance behind to pursue my dream. I do not regret my foray into literature for one moment. Fellow authors helped me make my way through the competitive field. I write every day and even tried my hand at poetry. If someone tells you it’s too late in life to try something different, they are wrong. It is never too late to follow your heart.
The Dead Game is the first book in The Dead Game series. It brings fantasy and the surreal to the classic murder mystery with dead bodies, suspects, and clues. It offers vampires, vampire derivatives, and a touch of romance to give spice to the mix. Once you read The Dead Game, you will never look at a dead body the same way.
In Book Two, Prey for The Dead, the suspense continues as The Dead use an exclusive club in Disney World and infiltrate the rich and famous. The Dead grow in power, and not even the sun or the swamps of Florida can weaken them. Linda–my main character–and her friends join with the human vampires or hybrids to defeat the evil forces threatening to control their town.
I hope you enjoy my books. The third book of The Dead Game Series is waiting for me to write.
SUSANNE LEIST’S SOCIAL MEDIA & BOOK LINKS
Book trailer: https://youtu.be/pILNxaD5XlI
PURCHASE LINKS:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PB9KG4P
Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1130732773?ean=2940161260111
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SusanneLeist
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/susanne.leist.98
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/susanne.leist/
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/susanne-leist
Welcome to the “PREY FOR THE DEAD” Blog Tour! @SusanneLeist @4WillsPub #RRBC
I wrote a poem to share Todd’s point of view. The human vampire has fallen for my human protagonist, Linda, but Todd must compete with another for her love. The Dead vampires and The Watcher vampires face off in the final showdown. Will Linda choose Todd or the vampire Wolf?
“Brutal winds follow close on my heels.
Thunder and lightning join the crusade.
Fluorescent lights paint the night sky
In rings of orange, yellow, and red.
A vortex of horror in unending circles
Makes its way to the town of Oasis.
I wait with a sword in hand,
Secure in the knowledge that Wolf won’t win.
The Watchers have joined the battle.
I can see them on the hill beyond.
Their raincoats flap in the wind,
Revealing their hidden weapons.
We protect Linda from the devil,
Standing firm in the fighting winds.
The Father clutches his bible of spells
To help cast the evil from the town.
Humans, vampires, and human vampires
Have come together as one.
The last battle on this earthly planet
Will determine our fate.
Linda holds onto her friends,
Huddled together in the raging winds.
Will she choose wisely?
Will she choose me above The Dead?
The time has come for the showdown.
Time has slowed to a stop.
We raise our weapons above our heads
As we wait for evil to make its final appearance.
Wolf sports a new body.
But I recognize his deadly soul.
A new package for an old one
Does not change the battle to be won.”
“Walk with me through the moonlit forest.
Let our feet graze the tips of the grass,
never touching down,
held aloft by our love and passion.
Follow me through the endless night
to a land where no man walks.
Only creatures as dark as the sky
dare to venture forth alone.
Love has no bounds or shackles.
We will be free to display our passion
without retribution from humanity
as long as you remain mine.
Come with me, my ice princess.
Step away from the burning plains,
where the heat burns your soul
and love is hampered by the living.”
Wolf extends his hand to me.
The words flow from him.
His lips never utter a sound,
but his meaning as clear as can be.
We can be together forever.
But the other has followed us.
Todd will fight for me
and never relinquish his hold on me.
His eyes burn red with passion.
Fire follows close on his footsteps,
scorching a trail through the grass,
melting his enemy’s cold trail.
They face each other.
Hot and cold from opposite poles,
dueling until the end of time
as they fight to the death.
I have always loved to read. Agatha Christie, Alistair Maclean, Robert Ludlum, and many other authors filled my young imagination with intrigue and mystery. When I wasn’t reading late into the night, the TV shows—Murder She Wrote and Columbo—entertained me with tales of murder and suspense.
Over the years, my taste in TV expanded to include such shows as Supernatural and The Originals. I searched for paranormal, murder mysteries but found few at the library or bookstore. So, I wrote one.
A career in writing has been a big leap for me. Accustomed to the number-crunching field of budgeting and the hectic commodity markets, I left my first career and M.B.A. in Finance behind to pursue my dream. I do not regret my foray into literature for one moment. Fellow authors helped me make my way through the competitive field. I write every day and even tried my hand at poetry. If someone tells you it’s too late in life to try something different, they are wrong. It is never too late to follow your heart.
The Dead Game is the first book in The Dead Game series. It brings fantasy and the surreal to the classic murder mystery with dead bodies, suspects, and clues. It offers vampires, vampire derivatives, and a touch of romance to give spice to the mix. Once you read The Dead Game, you will never look at a dead body the same way.
In Book Two, Prey for The Dead, the suspense continues as The Dead use an exclusive club in Disney World and infiltrate the rich and famous. The Dead grow in power, and not even the sun or the swamps of Florida can weaken them. Linda–my main character–and her friends join with the human vampires or hybrids to defeat the evil forces threatening to control their town.
I hope you enjoy my books. The third book of The Dead Game Series is waiting for me to write.
Book trailer: https://youtu.be/pILNxaD5XlI
PURCHASE LINKS:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PB9KG4P
Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1130732773?ean=2940161260111
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SusanneLeist
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/susanne.leist.98
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/susanne.leist/ BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/susanne-leist
To follow along with the rest of the tour, please visit the author’s tour page on the 4WillsPublishing site. If you’d like to book your own blog tour and have your book promoted in similar grand fashion, please click HERE.
Lastly, Susanne is a member of the best book club ever – RAVE REVIEWS BOOK CLUB {#RRBC}! If you’re looking for amazing support as an author, or if you simply love books,
JOIN US! We’d love to have you!
Thanks for supporting this author and her work!
Time is running out
for the residents of Oasis.
Time is coming to a stop
for the innocents of town.
The Dead come with the night
with no end in sight.
Midnight is their deadly signal
to begin their nightly games.
Hop on to End House
for the last game of all.
The Dead come with the night
with no end in sight.
THE DEAD GAME
Kindle
Nook
Then you shouldn’t have come.
No lights in the basement.
Water up to your knees.
Sharp cages falling from the ceiling.
Circular saws searching for heads.
Welcome to The Dead games.
Who will be alive come morning?
We shall soon find out.
THE DEAD GAME
Kindle
Nook
