Strigoi:
The Blood Bond
Tales
of the Strigoi
Book
1
Ron
D. Voigts
Genre: Paranormal, Horror
Publisher: Night Wings Publishing
ASIN: B00LQRJBZ6
Number of pages: 231
Word Count: 72,000
Cover Artist: Rachel R. Colon
Book Description:
On the verge of suicide after his
wife leaves him, Alex Regal learns he has inherited property located in a small
town deep within the mountains. Putting things on hold, he heads to Glade,
hoping for something positive in his life. Getting there is easy but leaving proves
to be impossible. A spell exists, keeping everyone captive in this hidden
place.
The town of Glade is run by a
Shapeshifter called the Strigoi. The creature needs to drink human blood to
survive. In folklore, taking the form of a man or an animal, the Strigoi became
the basis of stories about vampires or werewolves. Now Alex must discover a
dark secret before he becomes the vampire's next meal.
Excerpt:
For the next hour, I laid in the
armchair, trying to sober up while listening for the typical noises of the
night. A barking dog. Crickets chirping. Tree frogs croaking. But the air had
been devoid of any sound except the ticking of the clock. Then something
outside thudded.
I pulled back the drape and
peeked out the front window. The dim light of the desk lamp made it difficult
to see anything, except my own reflection. I reached for the lamp’s switch,
hesitated, and then turned it, plunging the room into darkness.
An impenetrable gloom surrounded
me. If I focused for a moment, I could see the outlines of things outside, but
the exact shapes remained indiscernible. The silhouette of a tree loomed just
to the left. The edge of the fence contrasted against the road. Shrubs dotted
the grass along the front walk. But did I really see them or did my imagination
put them there? Perhaps the noise I heard earlier was just another trick of the
night, or a product of my ability to fill in details.
But something moved. A figure so
dark it contrasted even against the shadows of the night. The movement made me
think of a cat, but the size would make it a lion or something larger. In an
easy bound it leaped, cleared the fence, and landed effortlessly in the yard.
My heart raced. I glanced at the
front door to be sure I had pushed the two double bolts in place. The size of
the creature outside left little doubt that it could easily crash through the
door and get inside.
For a moment, the beast seemed
motionless, and I wondered if my imagination had played another trick on me.
Tired eyes. A long day. Too much to drink. Perhaps I only thought I saw
something, and the outline near the fence was a cluster of bushes.
But then it moved again, stepping
slowly toward the side of the house as if taking in the surroundings, surveying
the place. The dark form vanished, and I realized it was headed for the
backyard.
I bolted for the kitchen. My
right leg caught the desk chair and knocked it over. Books lying on the floor
flew as I kicked them. I aimed for the dim rectangle that was the doorway to
the kitchen. Keeping my hands outstretched, I found the kitchen table and
maneuvered around it. I peered out the back door’s window, frightened by what
might look back.
In the dim glow, I could see the
chopping block, the wood pile, and where the forest’s edge began. Then the
creature appeared, taking easy steps. The shape reminded me of a dog of an
enormous size. The largest dog I’d ever seen was a mastiff, and this creature
easily dwarfed that breed. The only thing bigger was a wolf.
I thought of the handgun in the
box back home and how I’d almost ended my life with it. I’d put it back,
thinking how stupid the idea had been. I’d vowed never to touch it again. Now I
wished I had the gun.
When the wolf reached midway
between the house and forest’s edge, it paused, turned its head, and stood
motionless. I wondered if it saw me through the window pane. Not sure, I
stepped back until I was out of sight.
Would it come toward the house?
Burst through the door? My heart hammered hard. I felt a bead of sweat trickle
down the side of my face. The air felt cold and clammy. When I could no longer
wait, I stepped forward and looked outside again.
The creature was gone.
Review: While not what I had expected, based on the title, I really enjoyed this. I expected lots of vampire action. And vampires there are but this has a more Paranormal mystery air through much of the book.
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