Interview with Author Robert Pruneda

On this stop of the Devil's Nightmare Halloween Blog Tour, celebrating the release of the second novel in the Devil's Nightmare series: Devil's Nightmare Premonitions (which I highly recommend to any fan of the horror genre), author Robert Pruneda sits down with me for an interview to discuss the series, his inspirations, and writing in general.

1.       Tell everyone a little about yourself. What are your hobbies and interests outside of writing?

 

I’m from south Texas and working towards living the dream of becoming a full-time novelist. That first step was making the decision to leave the traditional workforce. I spent the last few years working from home as a small business administrative support specialist. During that time I’ve also written two horror novels, Devil’s Nightmare and Devil’s Nightmare: Premonitions. When I’m not taking care of my administrative duties or working on my next novel, I’m either reading, watching TV, or hanging out with my gaming buddies playing online on the PlayStation 4.

2.       When did you first know that you wanted to be a writer?

I didn’t start to seriously think of being an author until 2001 or 2002. This was after I lost my job and had difficulty finding work. I decided to tackle a pet project that had considered doing for a while. I had a lengthy time of unemployment and working part-time jobs here and there, so I figured with so much extra time on my hands I followed through and wrote the 488-page behemoth that is Pursuit of a Dream. I self-published my debut novel in 2004 through a vanity press (rookie mistake, I know). Having a printed copy of a novel I spent three years writing felt like a huge accomplishment. I started a short career in the newspaper industry shortly after publishing that novel.

 

3.       What is the hardest part about being a writer?

Marketing by far. Writing is the fun part. Finding readers is the hardest thing to do, especially for a new undiscovered author swimming in a sea of hundreds of thousands of other hatchlings hoping to find readers. It takes a lot of hard work, belief in yourself, patience, and perseverance. Some people think you can write a novel, hit the publish button, and then just sick back and collect the royalties. After writing three novels, one of which has been moderately successful on Amazon, I know that writing is just a small part of the publishing game. The rest has to do with running a business. There’s a lot of trial and error involved, learning from your mistakes (and boy I’ve made plenty), and building a platform. Social media is where I’ve connected with a good percentage of my readership. It is also where I have met other authors, both traditionally and independently published. Finding the right balance between marketing and can be a tricky thing. Finding the right balance between social media and marketing is the tricky part. I’ve discovered that you can get away with self-promotion if you spend more time being yourself and engaging you’re your followers on social media than only saying, “Buy my book.” Nobody likes a spammer.

4.       For anyone who hasn’t read the Devil’s Nightmare books, tell them a little bit about them.

Devil’s Nightmare is technically marketed in the horror genre, but it is more of cocktail of horror, thriller, suspense, and cop drama, with occult and supernatural elements mixed in. I wrote the first book from the perspective of Detective Aaron Sanders, while the sequel is in third person. Here are the blurbs for each book:

Devil’s Nightmare

Detective Aaron Sanders' abilities and fortitude are put to the test when he investigates a brutal double-homicide where a boy's parents are found mutilated inside their home. The boy is the only witness to the crime and his clothes are stained with his parents' blood. His clothes are also tainted with the blood of other victims from a separate and even more horrific crime scene at a nearby cemetery. All of the victims appear to have been killed in the same manner and the boy knows the true identity of the evil responsible for the multiple deaths, but he is unwilling to talk. No one would believe him. A threat on the boy's life and a disturbing nightmare causes Detective Sanders to question his beliefs and his own sanity. This investigation ultimately leads Sanders in a fight to save himself and the life of an orphaned boy from an unimaginable evil that is spawned from the curse of the devil's nightmare.

Devil’s Nightmare: Premonitions

Sequel to the Amazon bestselling horror Devil's Nightmare, Robert Pruneda brings fans of the first novel another horrific thriller full of twists, chills, and a shocking conclusion. Two years have passed since Aaron Sanders retired from the Austin Police Department after what the media has called The Saint Hedwig Massacre. He moves his family out of the capital city to start a new life as a small town cop in Lost Maples, Texas, where the population count is updated more often than the murder rate. That bit of reputation is about to change when Aaron is once again caught in the middle of a mysterious investigation that has an eerie familiarity. This time, however, he is certain what is responsible for the violent deaths . . . Or is he?

Evil knows no boundaries, and it is up to Aaron to figure out how to protect the residents of his community, and his family, from becoming its next victims.

               

5.       Where did you get the idea for Devil’s Nightmare and Devil’s Nightmare Premonitions?

Devil’s Nightmare is very loosely based on an incident I experienced when I was a kid regarding playing (and getting obsessed) with a Ouija board by myself. As a child, I believed an evil spirit haunted me or it could have just been a figment of my imagination stemmed from a terrifying dream. I woke up from a nightmare one evening and felt something pressing down on my chest, which made it difficult for me to breath. I saw something hovering above me with a pair of sinister amber eyes. I tried to move, but this force kept me down. I lay there frozen in bed, starring at this demon. I was finally able to scream in terror. Moments later, my parents burst into my bedroom and turned on the light. The silhouette with the hideous eyes disappeared. I told my parents what I saw, and of course, they didn’t believe me; it was just a nightmare. Maybe it was. Maybe I imagined it all. Perhaps it wasn’t real. I know one thing that is undeniable . . . I’ve never felt more scared in my life.

And I’ve never touched a Ouija board ever since.

6.       What authors have inspired you the most?

Stephen King on the traditional side and Michael R. Hicks from the independent publishing side. Reading “The King of Horror’s” book  On Writing gave me the inspiration needed to write horror. Michael Hicks is a great example of an independently published author who worked tirelessly at pursuing his dream of writing for a living while working a full-time job. He now has written about a dozen best-selling novels and is living his dream. He is down to earth who does not let success get to his head. Over the past few years, he has also become a great friend (and mentor) who has given me sound advice that has saved me from a few major headaches.

7.       Have you always had an interest in the horror genre?  What other genres do you like to read and write?

Yes. Horror has always been my favorite genre, both in print and on film. I also enjoy reading fantasy, thrillers, and have recently started reading science fiction. I also enjoy reading Christian fiction, particularly novels written by Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker.

8.       Some people take a walk, others bang their heads against a wall. How do you handle writer’s block?

After banging my head against the wall, I typically step away from my current project and work on something else. I may also read a book in the same genre.

9.       How much alike are you and your protagonist, Aaron Sanders? Is his character based on anyone you knew/know?

Aaron isn’t based on anyone specific, but he does carry some of my traits (both good and bad) . . . and of course, he’s also a classic car enthusiast like me. I’ve actually been criticized for this, which I find amusing.

10.   What can we expect in the future for the Devil’s Nightmare series?

Without giving any spoilers for anyone who hasn’t read one or both of the books, I can say that you should expect more surprises. I plan to continue the series where Book 2 left off and also plan on exploring the past in another book, which may end up as more of a spin off than an actual prequel. 

11.   If the Devil’s Nightmare books were made into movies, who do you envision playing the main characters?

This question also came up during the “The Next Thing Blog Hop” in 2012 while I was writing Devil’s Nightmare. Here is the cast I chose then:

Detective Aaron Sanders . . . Christian Slater

Cody Sumner . . . C.J. Adams

Chief David Hernandez . . . Nestor Serrano

Donald Luther . . . Robert David Hall

Maria Jimenez . . . Jennifer Lopez

Samantha Jimenez . . . Rhiannon Leigh Wryn

Detective Steven Riley . . . Drew Roy

Jackson Smith . . . Liam James

Robert Smith . . . Nicholas Lea

Dr. Jerome Hadley . . . Gary Oldman

Father Henry Marwick . . . Ben Kingsley

Joseph Michaels . . . Spencer List

Pamela Houston . . . Queen Latifa

12.   Do you find that you base your characters on real life people, or are they entirely fictional?

All the characters in Devil’s Nightmare are entirely fictional, but there are a few characters in my debut novel Pursuit of a Dream that were inspired by real people. There are also a few people that have inspired some ideas for a few future characters, but that’s only natural, right?

13.   Do you have any writing essentials (i.e. music, silence, coffee)?

Not really. I don’t have any writing rituals or anything that I absolutely must have or do in order to get the creative juices flowing, but I do find that coffee and music can help, but the music must not have lyrics. I can’t write to music with lyrics because my A.D.D. kicks in.

14.   What made you decide to write horror novels?

I decided to try writing horror after reading On Writing by Stephen King. I love to read and watch horror, so it only made sense for me to write in my favorite genre. I had a lot of fun writing the first two Devil’s Nightmare novels, so I think I have found my niche genre.

15.   What is one of the first things you remember writing? Do you still have it?

The very first thing I wrote (and drew) was a military sci-fi/horror comic called Katie vs. The Amoeba. It was one of those Godzilla style stories. Katie is a giant snake and The Amoeba is a giant monster that has the ability to regenerate. I was just a kid, so never mind the fact that an amoeba is a tiny microscopic organism. I still have the comic buried in a box somewhere. Hopefully, I’ll find it someday, so I can share it with my readers.

16.   Do you have any advice for those wanting to take the plunge and begin writing?

First you need to decide why you want to write. Are you considering this as a potential career or are you doing this as a hobby. Making this distinction is very important because if you are seriously considering writing as a profession, be prepared for a long and difficult road where you are required to make sacrifices. Most importantly, don’t give up, because it is very easy to get discouraged. Focus on your love of the craft instead of sales or whether or not people like your work and you’ll have a lot less headaches. It’s easier said than done, but you need to enjoy writing or else what’s the point, right? If your decision to write is revolved around making money, then you are writing for the wrong reason. Can you make money in this profession? Absolutely! However, I think the most important thing to focus on as a writer is improving your craft and enjoying the process. If you make money doing it, then that’s just an added bonus. 

17.   Who are your favorite authors and what are your favorite books?

The list is long, but here is what I’ve come up with off the top of my head . . .

Favorite authors: Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Michael Crichton, Steve Alten, Michael R. Hicks, Lorna Suzuki, Frank Peretti, Ted Dekker, Tim LaHaye, Jerry B. Jenkins, C.S. Lewis, Margaret Weiss, Tracy Hickman, and R.A. Salvatore are just a few.

Favorite books: Devil’s Nightmare (of course), It, Cell, Needful Things, Jurassic Park, Whispers, Prey, Disclosure, Meg, Extinct, Season of the Harvest, A Warrior’s Tale, The Oath, Thr3e, Left Behind, The Chronicles of Narnia, and the list could go on.

 

18.   If you could be any character in any book, who would you be and why?

I would have to say Jonas Taylor from Steve Alten’s Meg. Jonas Taylor is the lead character of this novel about a giant prehistoric shark (the megalodon) that is supposed to be extinct. Jonas Taylor is the only survivor during a top-secret dive in the Mariana Trench where Taylor discovers the giant relative of the great white shark. Nobody believes Jonas, of course. It was a very fun novel for me to read, since I have a fascination of sharks, especially the megalodon. So, living the life of Jonas Taylor would be exciting.

For Fun:

                Coke or Pepsi?

                Pepsi
 

                Laptop or Pen and paper?

                Laptop
 

                The Walking Dead or Game of Thrones?

                Yes. To ask me to choose between the two is just plain evil.

                Day or Night?

                Night, because it’s when I write best.

                Outline or let it flow?

                Let it flow.

                Favorite color?

                Red, Black, and Blue (equally)

                Favorite food?

                Pizza. Duh!

                Cats or Dogs?

                Dogs     

BIO

 

Robert “Sharky” Pruneda is author of the Amazon Kindle bestselling horror novel Devil's Nightmare and contemporary family motor sports drama Pursuit of a Dream (Victory Lane: The Chronicles). He lives in south Texas and has called the Lone Star State his home all of his life. Pruneda is also very active in social media and an avid gamer who can often be found fighting side-by-side with his friends on his favorite first-person shooter . . . but he prefers survival horror.

Connect with Robert Pruneda:

Twitter: http://twitter.com/SharkbaitWrites

Facebook: http://facebook.com/AuthorRobertPruneda

Official Website: http://SharkbaitWrites.com

 

The Devil's Nightmare series is available at Amazon.com at the links provided below:


Devil's Nightmare                                                           Devil's Nightmare Premonitions

 

Redemption (Enigma Black Trilogy, Book 3) Now Available!

 

For those of you who have been anticipating the final novel in the Enigma Black trilogy, the wait is finally over. Redemption is now available on Amazon and has already received its first five-star review!

http://www.amazon.com/Redemption-Enigma-Black-Trilogy-Book-ebook/dp/B00O9LI1QQ/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1413159773&sr=8-4&keywords=sara+burr

Review:

Wow...I have waited SO long for this book and I'm not even sure where to start. When I first read 'Enigma Black', I knew exactly what I wanted to happen and how it should end. But along the way, the characters changed some of my ideas, and now that I have finished the trilogy, I don't know whether to celebrate or cry. (Actually, I am crying!) Celaine finally learns the truth behind the Man in Black and the Epicenter, and the events that follow are absolutely heartbreaking. Ian, Chase and all of the other characters we've loved over the course of the trilogy must face evil along with Celaine, the results of which will change everyone's lives and futures.

This is one of those books that I'm SO glad I read, yet I'm not sure when I'll be able to read it again because the emotions I'm left with are so intense. But to me, that makes the book even more of a treasure, because Sara was able to create such a compelling storyline and amazing characters that I will remember for a long time to come."

Redemption Release Date: October 11, 2014

Final edits have been made and Redemption is on its way for formatting, which will take a few days. After that, it’s on to Amazon! So, without further delay, the release date for Redemption is…Saturday, October 11!

The first three peopl...e to comment on this post will get their copy for free when it becomes available.

In all, I’m only about a month behind schedule. As I said before, Redemption ended up being about 20k words over what I initially projected and is a lot more involved than the previous books in the series, so my early time estimates were pretty futile.

I want to thank all of you for the support and words of encouragement you’ve given me throughout this entire process. I know it’s a clichéd statement, but I honestly couldn’t have done it without you all, and I truly hope Redemption lives up to your expectations. I’ve spent many hours agonizing over the ending, but after much thought, I decided to stick with the one I always envisioned for the series. I’m not big on happy endings, where everything is wrapped up in a nice little bow, mainly because they aren’t realistic. War changes people; life experiences change people; time changes people. Yet, with that said, I’m not one for bleak, depressing endings, either. To me, an author should leave their readers with a sense of hope for the future. I hope I’ve done that here.

I have a lot planned for the future. I’ll soon be working on a contemporary romance novel that I can’t seem to get out of my head, which should be released in 2015. I’ve also been asked to write a play for a local venue in my hometown for a performance set for April 2015. Finally, I have plans to expand upon the Enigma Black trilogy with a series of novellas based on some of the secondary characters because I can’t kid myself by saying that I’ll be able to walk away from it forever.

My goal is to have the entire trilogy available in print. I’m going to start on Enigma Black soon and will keep you updated on its progress.

As soon as Redemption is live, I’ll post the link on this page.

FREE JULY 19 and 20-WINTER ANGEL by MIA HODDELL

Winter Angel

by Mia Hoddell

 

Genre: YA Romance

Release date: 25th June 2014

Length: Novella

 

Blurb:

She was on holiday. He was tricked into returning.
Neither of them wanted to be there, but neither could avoid it.

Amy wants to be back under the sun in Portugal. However, when her suggestion is overruled in favour of a skiing holiday, even she can't turn it down. What she couldn't have predicted is that the holiday could make her break the one, and only, rule she has: not to get into a serious relationship again.

When Amy first sees Luke, she knows something is wrong. He's struggling to cope with everything and her need to help people makes him the perfect distraction from the cold. He hasn't been to the Alps in five years and he swore to never ski again. But as his defences are broken by Amy's persistence, the winter paradise begins to reawaken his desires.

However, with constant flashbacks triggering his anxiety, he's torn, battling conflicting emotions as he becomes increasingly captivated by Amy. She has a rule though. She didn't go on holiday to fall for someone and the last thing she needs is to ignore her own advice. Whether or not she can move past her insecurities will depend on whether Luke can face his biggest fear.

 

Winter Angel is a standalone, young adult romance novella, but is the second book in the Seasons of Change series.

 

 

Download in now for FREE!

Only free 19th & 20th of July

Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

 

Add to Goodreads

 

You can also download Summer Demons: the first, bestselling, standalone novella in the Seasons of Change series for 99c / 77p.

 

Excerpt

 

White. Gazing out of the small, circular window, it was the only colour he could see surrounding him. The bursts of light—which had broken through the heavy, grey clouds—were reflected back as the ground grew closer with each passing second. Not too long ago he had been blissfully unaware of the location his sister was dragging him to for a holiday. A bubble of excitement had surrounded him throughout the early morning as he got up, and stayed with him through travelling to the airport and catching the flight. However, it had burst as soon as the icy tips of the mountains appeared and the plane began its descent. Until that moment, he had hoped his guesses had been wrong.

His sister had carefully planned the trip, making sure to hide all clues as to where they were heading, and as she glanced across at him, it seemed as if she had been successful. Luke’s knuckles were white on the arm rests. He had claimed both of them, gripping them so hard they looked like they would snap under the force, or at least be moulded to the shape of his hands when he removed them.

Ellie watched as he took in a shaky breath, but she heard no exhale.

“Luke?”

The silence that filled the space around them was icier than the Alps they had just flown over. Her brother’s gaze remained fixed on the window, watching as the ground, and his fate, drew ever closer. Deep, ragged breaths steamed up the window, which was almost touching his nose. Desperately, he tried to control the tremors shaking his body, and his pounding heart, from the fear that washed over him in waves.

“Luke, please, say something.” Worry had crept into Ellie’s tone. She had thought her idea would do him good, that forcing him to face everything would turn him back into his old self. Ellie missed the brother she had grown up with and wanted him back. However, seeing his eyes wide with fear, his jaw clenched in anger, and his arms tense with both, suddenly she wasn’t so sure about her plan.

“You promised, Ellie. You swore you wouldn’t pressure me, and I trusted you with that. You know how I feel about this.” His voice was sharp and curt as he spoke through clenched teeth, trying to keep a hold on his emotions.

The urge to flee surged within him. He wanted to go home, to get off the plane and board the next flight straight back to England, but he couldn’t. Not only was the plane still minutes from landing—trapping him in the confines of economy class, which felt even smaller as realisation forced him to understand Ellie’s plans—but he also refused to waste more money on the pointless trip Ellie had conned him into taking. If he was going to use the money he had earned from before everything changed, it would be on his own terms.

“You’ll enjoy it when you’re there,” Ellie stated, brushing off his comments like they meant nothing to her.

“That’s easy for you to say. You don’t have to live with, or through, what I have.” Luke was trying hard to control his voice. Had they been in private, he would have already been shouting. The cramped environment meant that Ellie was getting off lightly, but he swore that when they reached their chalet, he would not hold back. She had no right to interfere with his life.

“Never tell me I didn’t live through it, Luke. I was there when it happened, in the hospital, and when you got home. I was there through it all. It may not have been me, but it wasn’t like it had no effect on my life,” Ellie hissed. It was the only way she could convey her anger without disturbing other passengers.

“Why though, Ellie? Why is this such a big deal to you?” Luke’s eyes were full of sorrow as he turned to face his sister for the first time, begging to understand her reasoning for putting him through something she knew would hurt him.

 

About the Author

 

Mia Hoddell lives in the UK with her family and two cats. She spends most of her time writing or reading, loves anything paranormal and has an overactive imagination that keeps her up until the early hours of the morning.

 

With three poems published before the age of sixteen, Mia moved on to short stories but finding she had too much to tell with too little space, Mia progressed to novels. She started her first series (The Wanderer Trilogy) at the age of fourteen and since then hasn’t stopped writing. Elemental Killers is her second series and with an ever growing list of ideas, Mia is trying to keep up with the speed at which her imagination generates them.

 

 

Connect with Mia:

 

Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Google+ | Amazon Author Page

 

or subscribe to Mia's Newsletter for information on:

 ARCs, giveaways and new releases

Review of Penance. A Love Story by Sarah Buhl

“We may make bad choices, but we don’t have to let them define us.”
Penance. A Love Story is the debut novel by author Sarah Buhl, and I have to say that it’s probably one of the most impressive and captivating romances I have ever read. Ms. Buhl has a way with words that is beyond beautiful and their construction is so poetic that I found myself on more than one occasion thinking, Wow. When a writer is passionate about a story, it’s written all over their work, and it’s obvious that Ms. Buhl has a true passion for the truly fantastic story she’s written in Penance.

Penance is the story of Wynn Hawthorne and Hannah Anderson, two young, very broken people who have both faced incredible pain in their lives inflicted by tragedy and abuse. Hannah is dealing with the death of her sister, which she blames on herself, while Wynn is dealing with the effects of years of mental and physical abuse at the hands of his own mother. In order to cope with their pain, both of them constructed emotional walls to keep the rest of the world out. But when they meet each other, they can’t deny their connection and, together, they embark on a journey of love, forgiveness and healing.

“There’s so much I want to say, but the words are hollow compared to the feelings I have when I’m near you.”

“We all have to face our demons, Hannah, if we don’t, they eat us up inside and steal every breath away.”

I’m not usually a highlighter of quotes when I read, unless I find something that moves me to the point where I feel compelled to commit it to memory. Typically, this will only happen once every few books, and I may only find one or two quotes to highlight. In Penance, however, I found myself wanting to highlight something on practically every other page. There were so many passages that resonated with me and made me think.

The characters in Penance are both relatable, believable, and well-developed. Besides Wynn and Hannah, I particularly liked Sid, Petra, Gabe, and Maggie, all of whom were great supporting characters and, at times, provided some comic relief in a novel about otherwise serious issues. I’ve never read a book like Penance before, and found the plot to be extremely well-developed. It flowed together well, and it was both emotional and heartbreaking at times (to the point where I found myself tearing up).

In short, Penance is a truly moving, beautifully written and well-constructed novel of forgiveness and love that I will not soon forget. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a great new romance or just a well-written, moving story in general.

Need an E-book Cover?

Fellow author and friend of mine, Mia Hoddell, has just launched a new website featuring her e-book  covers and other designs, including promotional banners, buttons and Facebook and Twitter graphics.  She does superb work and I urge you to check it all out here:  http://mbookdesigns.weebly.com

Redemption (Enigma Black Book #3) Prologue

Can't wait until summer?  Read the Prologue below (subject to further editing and revisions):

Prologue

            I could hear the beat of the drums. They reverberated in my head, a war cry only audible to me. Their disembodied rhythm tore its way through my veins, energizing my soul, reviving my battered body. Ignoring the pain, the holes in my tattered suit, the screams from the dying city I once called home, I charged on to the sound of their deafening chorus.

            With each footfall, images crept into my mind, playing in a continuous loop. Images of my father and mother, of Jake, Lucy, and Blake, whose lives had been lost in this decade of chaos we’d come to know as life.

            It would all end tonight.

            No more would a child know the meaning of the word death.  No more would our cities remain abandoned, hollow shells of the hubs of prosperity they once were. Fear would loosen its grip on society.  The deaths of those we loved and of those who loved us would not have been in vain.  Tonight would be the end, and we were willing to die to ensure its demise. 

            We would die to ensure his demise.

            Next to me, Ian ran, keeping up with my fevered pace, his body just as bloodied and bruised as my own. We were both numb.  Too numb to notice the agony we should have felt, too numb to care what happened to us anymore; for we had been deceived in the worst possible way, and deception had a way of turning suffering into fuel, igniting unbridled rage.  Ian lunged forward, overtaking me, a flap from his torn suit bounced with each step he took, exposing his left shoulder blade.  Blood, caked with dirt, dotted his exposed flesh, revealing a hint of an injury kept hidden by the remaining material. I wondered whether he could hear the drums, too, or whether he heard anything at all.

            I sped up to catch him, jumping over a pillar that had been toppled over, presumably by one of the many explosions that had rocked the city over the past couple hours. Had I not grown up here, I wouldn’t even have recognized some of the buildings for what they once were.  My former high school, the bank where’d I’d spent my final days of normalcy, and the diner where Blake offered me the chance to rid myself of my nightmares, were now nothing more than indiscernible piles of concrete.

In the streets, dodging debris, escaping smoke and flame, survivors of the attacks ran haphazardly, seeking refuge where none existed.  Above us, the late evening sky, reddened by the flames that hugged nearly every block, took on the appearance of fresh blood flowing from a gaping wound. If someone had asked me before that moment what I thought the end of the world would look like, my description would have paled in comparison to the scene that was splayed out before us now.  We were no longer on Earth, but in the very bowels of Hell itself.

This attack had been personal, but then again, they all had been personal in a way. The crazed vendetta, the evil that resided in the entity the people had come to know as The Man in Black had unleashed itself to the nth degree. Perhaps sensing his reign of terror drawing to an end, he was determined – no, desperate – to go out with a bang…and take out the last of those I had known and loved in my former life in the process.

“Turn left down the next block,” I instructed Ian, hoping he could hear me through the insanity surrounding us.

“There’s a next block?” he responded, his pace slowing a notch. “How do you tell where one ends and the other begins?”

“Follow me.” I passed Ian, picking up my pace. Whatever happened tonight, whatever happened to me, I couldn’t – no, I wouldn’t – let them suffer for the choices I had made. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Ian, matching me stride for stride, unwilling to let me dive  headfirst alone into the imminent confrontation that awaited us. Swiftly, I rounded a corner next to a small café near my old apartment building and bolted down an adjacent alleyway.

“How much further?” There was a touch of apprehension in his voice.  I had noticed it building with each step we made, with each breath he took. 

“Five blocks,” I answered him in an unaffected tone, trying to keep my own fears from betraying me. “The lodge is five blocks ahead.” My voice shook more than I would have liked.

“Are you okay,” he asked, concerned.

So much for being the strong one. Ian gazed at me between periodic glances back at the street ahead of us; his green eyes pierced through my helmet as though he was trying to see inside my soul for the answer. “No,” I finally answered him truthfully. “There’s nothing okay about me right now.”

“We’ll find him, Celaine.  We’ll find Chase and the rest of them, and we’ll get them out safely.  It’s not them he wants…”

“Exactly, Ian. It’s me he wants. I’m the reason for this.  If they die tonight, it’s because of their association with me.” I paused, the tears welling in my eyes, momentarily blinding me.  “If you die tonight…”  Suddenly, my body was forced to a halt as though I’d been strapped to a tether that had run out of slack. Looking down at my arm, I saw Ian’s hand and the firm grip his fingers had around my wrist.

“Listen to me.” He pulled my mask up, forcing us to stand face to face, green eyes to brown eyes. “I’m not even going to pretend to know what’s going to happen tonight, or what the final outcome will be. Whether we survive this nightmare, or whether we don’t, I just want you to know that there’s no place I’d rather be than fighting alongside you right now, no matter what the consequences. Leaving Norfolk with you was the best decision I ever made, and nothing, nothing, will make me regret the chain of events that brought me to this place at this very moment.”

            I felt a tear escape from the corner of my eye, and Ian’s gloved hand swiftly wiping it away before it had a chance to fall down my cheek. “Ian, I…”

            “I know you don’t feel the same way about me…”

            “Ian, stop. I…”

            “Let me finish my thought,” he interrupted me again, gently touching his fingers to my lips. “Please, Celaine, just let me just get it out. Then after I do, you can tell me how wrong I am.” The tiniest hint of a smile crept across his face, the rest of which was betraying the coolness he was trying so hard to project.  I nodded without taking my eyes away from his, and the new creases that had developed in the corners of them over the past few weeks. Worry.  We’d both experienced enough of it to last us a lifetime. “I know you don’t love me the same way you loved him, or, perhaps, the way you still love him now,” he began again.  “And although that’s frustrating as hell, I also know that I can make you happy again, and I think you know that, too.  You’re just too afraid to admit it to yourself.” He caressed my cheek, pausing to let me absorb everything he had just said, not expecting a response in return.  “All I ask is that you promise me one thing.”

            “Anything,” I answered him automatically, knowing that I meant my response wholeheartedly, even though I hadn’t fully processed the weight of his words.

            “Promise me that if we both make it out of this alive, you’ll give me a chance to make you whole again."

            The tears fell down my face unhindered in their descent. “I promise.”

            Ian leaned in closer to me, pressing his lips to my forehead.  “Thank you,” he whispered.

            We stood there together in an embrace that no amount of force could separate – an island in the sea of chaos that crashed around us – before finally allowing reality to set in again.  Together, we resumed our journey into the unknown, to whatever fate had in store for us.

            I could hear the beat of the drums. Their echo haunted me with every step I took, with every beat of my own heart.  They beat for Ian, whose love I didn’t deserve; they beat for Chase, whose life was now in our hands.