Accursed Bloodline is a tale of horror, intrigue, and romance. Set in 1800 Romania, the story centers on the life of an age-old vampire named Vladmar Deveroux. He was known by townspeople as the handsome and wealthy Lord of Castle Deveroux, a secluded man who rarely ventured past the castle walls. Never seen in the daylight hours, his mysterious lifestyle allowed him few friends and a host of unknown enemies. Sounds typical, you might think. However, the mystical chain of events that gradually unfold are anything but typical. When an unexpected visitor arrives on his doorstep, Vladmar's never-ending existence is thrown into sudden chaos. Things would proceed to change in a very big way, but was it for the sake of good or evil?
The story weaves together a well-balanced blend of love and magic, with a cast of characters ranging from a beautiful but manipulative wife, to a blundering cook and a clever butler named Ivan. Accursed Bloodline is everything you would expect from a vampire novel, and more.
My interest in the paranormal dates back to the days when the t.v show Dark Shadows was a big hit. I would rush home from school just to catch the opening sequence where the waves crashed against the rocks while eerie music played in the background. For the next half an hour, I sat glued in front of the television, watching in complete amazement as Barnabas cleverly hid his ghastly affliction from all at Collinwood. The show never failed to scare the living daylights out of me. Literally! Needless to say, Barnabas Collins quickly became my favorite vampire, and still is to this day.
The dark and mysterious world of the vampire always intrigued me, but as a homemaker and mother of two, becoming a published author was never on my "to do" list. The writing of Accursed Bloodline was actually a spawn of my sister Val's idea to write a novel about her favorite medieval warrior, with me helping her put it together. But after realizing that I knew absolutely nothing about the middle ages, I quickly bowed out. Then, one day when the two of us were sitting around talking, and knowing that I was a fan of the vampire and paranormal movies, Val jokingly asked when I was going to write that vampire novel. I laughed at first, but after some thought, I decided to try my hand at a "short" story, just for the fun of it.
Four hundred and seventy seven pages and five years later, that short story became what is now Accursed Bloodline. When it was finished, my husband graciously agreed to read a few chapters, after which he simply said, "have it published". And so I did.
Valeria turned left at the stairwell, and then descended the long, narrow hall toward the dining room. She noticed the wall lanterns that once burned bright, now dimmed to an eerie flicker of light, causing her shadow to appear larger than life against the wall beside her. A nervous chill skittered down her spine. The sooner she finds the others, the easier the rest of this suddenly unenchanted evening will be.
Approaching the doors to the dining hall, Valeria stopped short, hearing what sounded like muffled screams and cries. Turning the doorknob ever so slowly, she peered inside. The room was dark, save for a few candles still burning in the chandelier. But the severe lack of light failed to stop her eyes from witnessing what could only be described as her worst nightmare.
A massacre. Blood everywhere.
Lord Vladmar's servants loomed over their victims like a pack of hungry wolves. Claw-like hands trapped their prey against blood soaked clothes, while their tongues swept across open flesh...feeding, lapping up the only essence of life that could sustain them.
Valeria stood numbed in the doorway, her shocked eyes involuntarily scanning the darkened room. And there, in one distant corner, she saw him.
Vladmar. His eyes aglow with hells own light, crimson liquid dripping from his vampiric fangs. Hunched over his helpless victim, the gypsy woman who raised Valeria from birth, her lifeless body hung limp over his arm.
Immediately sensing Valeria's presence, Vladmar's eyes shot up to meet her horrified gaze.
"Foolish girl"! His voice rang out with an inhuman growl.
A gasp breached her lips as Valeria bolted from the room, running as fast as her legs could carry her down the hall. But Vladmar was quick on her heels. Grabbing her arm, he spun her around to meet his blood red eyes.
"I told you not to leave that room"! He hissed, his angry gaze piercing her like a sharp knife.
Trembling with fear, Valeria managed to choke out, "I was...scared".
Vladmar's words were nothing more than a demonic growl as they slipped past his cold lips..."You were scared then, but how scared are you now"?!
Valeria was too horror-ridden to answer. She could only shake her head in response as the tears streamed down her cheeks. And peering into his maddening gaze, she felt certain that he was debating on what to do with her.
Feeling his grip tighten, she then begged,
"Please don't hurt me...I'll do anything".
A groan rumbled deep in Vladmar's chest. Her tearful pleading filled him with shame. Never had he felt such guilt and disgrace for his actions. He knew the only way to ease Valeria now, would be to somehow turn back the hands of time. But since that was highly impossible, even for a powerful vampire, there was only one other thing he could do.
"Come with me...hurry"!