On September 20th, my paranormal-lite, cowboy-meets-vampire story Give Me Tomorrow was released through Fire Star Press. The story is actually a rerelease of a short story that I expanded, deepened, and retitled. This is Part 4 in my release-day series. You can read the three previous articles by clicking on the dates:
Part 1 - June 25, 2018 - Give Me Tomorrow - upcoming release
Part 2 - July 23, 2018 - Do You Remember 1990? A stroll down memory lane | Give Me Tomorrow
Part 3 - August 27, 2018 - Give Me Tomorrow
Why do I call this story 'paranormal-lite'? Give Me Tomorrow is a vampire story, yes, but the vampire aspect is not the primary thread in the story. It’s a story about learning to live with what life hands you while coming to terms with the ‘demons’ of your past so you can move forward in life with someone you love. The heroine is the vampire, who handles her vampireness as a health issue that she's learned to live with. It doesn't dominate her life. She is not an I vant to drink your blood. Blah Blah Blah vampire. *wink* Hence, the 'lite' aspect of paranormal.
Give Me Tomorrow is a short novel. Many of the scenes are drawn from my real-life experiences. Well, none of the vampire aspects of the story, but others.
- The scene with the veterinarian tending to an injured horse is something I have much experience with. Veterinarians made barn calls 24/7 in vehicles like this one. (imagine a much older model pickup truck, though)
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| Vet truck box - Image: http://www.800toolbox.com/vet_box/vet_box.html |
- The accident with the pony and the little boy really happened. I ten years old-ish, and I witnessed what happened and how it turned out.
- The protagonist, Jax, owns a horse boarding and layover facility. I was involved in thoroughbred racing many years ago, and I fashioned Jax’s business after one that I worked at during the off season from thoroughbred racing at Thistledown Racetrack in Cleveland, Ohio.
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Example of a horse boarding facility
Dreamstime photo #23821276 (license purchased for use)
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- The protagonist also runs a horse transport service. I didn’t drive a transport van or semi with trailer, but I did haul horses from one racetrack to another several times with my pickup and fifth-wheel horse trailer. We called this kind of trailer a 'goose neck trailer' back then.
- Jax and Lissa (Melissa) galloping horses on a track is also something I've done.
- The restaurant where Jax and Lissa have dinner is a real restaurant. In its heyday, it was a swanky, expensive place to dine. My first waitressing job was at the Colonial in 1974.
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| Colonial restaurant c.1960s - Postcard - Kaye Spencer's collection |
- The setting of this story is in northeastern Colorado, which is where I was born and raised. The real town I grew up in is Fort Morgan. My fictional name for this town is Platte River City. This fictionally-named town shows up in some of my other works. Historically, Fort Morgan was on the South Platte Trail and the safest river crossing was Platte River Crossing, but that is a story for a future blog article.
- There is riding accident scene near the end of the story that I experienced. I was with the person who was hurt in the same way that the character in the scene is hurt. The real-life outcome was not a happy one.
Runaway, riderless horseDreamstime photo #9025616 (license purchase for use)
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| Forever, like a fine wine, is better when shared. |
BLURB
Vampire Melissa Price’s heart has hardened to an empty shell of remembered love. Lifetimes of experience and self-preservation have taught her that relationships serve only two purposes—sustenance and superficial companionship. Her work as a veterinarian gives purpose to her solitary life, but three hundred years of loneliness catches up with her when she responds to an emergency call and meets the least likely man to bring down the wall of her emotionless existence.
Jaxon Granger is part-owner of his family’s thoroughbred racehorse boarding and layover facility. His world revolves around his business, family, and a penchant toward hedonism. Horses are his life and womanizing bachelorhood is his religion. He boasts that there isn’t a woman alive who can make him a one-woman man.
That is, until he falls for a woman who isn’t alive—in the strictest sense of the word.
EXCERPT
As Jax watched Lissa tidy up, his curiosity demanded satisfaction. “Tell me about your health problem. Does it have something to do with your preference of working nights?”
“You’re perceptive. I’m sensitive to sunlight.”
“Sensitive as in Lupus, or something like that?”
“No. Not Lupus.”
“So, what is it?”
Without missing a beat, she said, “Too long in the sunlight and my skin sizzles and sloughs off. It’s a nasty sight.” She closed a door and walked to the other side of her truck. “It takes a lot out of me to regenerate the damaged skin. I don’t care for it.”
Jax snorted. “Where did Doc find you? 1‐800‐DRACULA?” He attempted a dramatic and campy Bela Lugosi impersonation that even he realized fell flat, although Lissa came around the back of her vet truck grinning.
“You have more personality than I anticipated.”
“Personality? What do you mean?”
“Doc Bohlanger has purposely kept me away from your facility. He wanted me to build up a clientele and a reputation before making my first call out here.” She closed the back door of her truck. “He warned me about you.”
“What, exactly, did he warn you about?” Jax liked the way her dimples deepened and the sassy turn of her pouty lips when she smiled. He also speculated on what she wore under her scrubs—hoping it was black and lacy—while estimating how many times he’d have to take her to dinner before she slept with him.
“He said you have a poor opinion of career women, which has manifested as a notorious reputation as a lady killer. Consequently, you’ll be determined to get me into bed, so you can put another notch on your bedpost.”
Jax grunted a hmmpf.
“You deny his assessment?”
He shook his head, grinning. “No.”
Give Me Tomorrow
Available at Amazon.com
Until next time,
Kaye Spencer
Writing through history one romance upon a time
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Oh, I do love the premis for this story, and can't wait until my print copy arrives. You have me on pins and needles with the excerpts. Doris
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I've 'hooked' you. lol Thanks for your supportive words.
DeleteKaye, I love that you used so many of your real-life experiences in this story. Your characters really drew me in (as your characters always do) and I had to wonder what was coming next--always a sure-fire grabber for me with as many books as I read! Anyhow, just wanted to say again how much I enjoyed this story!
ReplyDeleteCheryl,
DeleteThank you. Yes, there are many real life experiences incorporated into this story. Ahh... those were the good old days. lol