Hello world! Good to see you again. I spent last week tearing through the last quarter of the first draft of my novel, and after a mind-boggling 20k words in three days, it is complete! Then off to the country with the husband to spend a cozy long weekend in Worcester, at Hanbury Hall. I enjoyed a few days off, but now I’m ready to get back to my blog schedule and work on a few short stories while I get some distance and perspective from my manuscript before beginning edits.

In honor of completing the first draft of my manuscript, I thought I would share some details about the novel that have been, up until now, secret!

Working Title: Blood King

Genre: Young Adult Dark Urban Fantasy

Synopsis: Dez Ashwood has only been King of the Blue Bloods for a few months when a spate of undead revenants threatens to upset the delicate balance between Life and Death. A stolen artifact, an ancient prophecy, and rogue necromancers owing fealty to a daemon bent on destroying the world; all are pieces of the puzzle that Dez must solve before time runs out. Will she be able to keep the streets of London safe from hordes of the undead? Or is it just her destiny to die trying?

Main Characters: 

Dez Ashwood, represented by
Marie Avgeropoulos

Dez Ashwood: Ambitious and headstrong, Dez has worked her whole life to be elected King of a clandestine organization of necromancers Covenanted to make sure the dead stay dead. She hates accepting help from anyone, even when she knows she needs it, a trait that gets her into trouble more often than not. She struggles with her sense of self, and even though she tells herself she can carve out her own destiny, part of her doesn’t believe it. Darkness is her constant companion, and sometimes she worries she isn’t strong enough to prevent it from blocking out the light.

Grayson Foy, represented by
Henry Cavill

Grayson Foy: One of Dez’s Blue Blood captains, Grayson treats the darkness in their lives with a lighthearted humor and flirtatious manner that occasionally grates on Dez’s nerves. Still, Dez relies on Grayson for strength and companionship, even when she suspects that he craves something more than friendship from her. Underneath his insouciant exterior, Grayson is wildly protective of Dez, and hates the fact that she insists on throwing herself in the path of danger whenever she gets the chance. Loyal to a fault, Grayson would do anything in his power to defend the people he loves.

Milo Penderghast, represented by
Joseph Morgan

Milo Penderghast: Milo is a wealthy and privileged student at Oxford who falls into Dez’s world when he becomes entangled with a shady group of occultists more real than he bargained for. At first, Dez loathes Milo’s attitude of arrogant entitlement, and the two butt heads. But after a mishap at Highgate Cemetery, Dez has to admit that there’s something strange and fascinating about Milo. Is he just dead weight, someone Dez has to protect in a world he’ll never understand or be a part of? Or is Milo something more–something special? And will she find out before he gets them both killed?

That’s all folks! Hope you enjoyed this little teaser. I’ll share more details, and maybe even some excerpts as I continue to edit and improve the manuscript. I’ll also be looking for a few beta readers in the coming months, so if you’re interested in reading and critiquing a draft please let me know!