All of my volumes begin with a short narration of theology or ideology relevant to the main plight of the story, and from there the work is split into two "books" whose titles are derived from that same narration. The "books" are not given chapters but are split into smaller, more manageable scenes. These scenes are separated only by a three line gap of space to let the reader know that time has passed. I do not spend a lot of energy on details that describe a room or the intricacies of what someone is wearing. I prefer to keep all of my focus on dialogue, emotion, internal narration, and action. I really don't like to include things that are not extremely relevant to the plot, for I find that when I read, I tend to skip over excessively long descriptions explaining the placement of objects, colors, and textures within a room. It just doesn't seem relevant to me. This does not mean I do not attend to such tasks. I simply mention them in passing the way one might notice something when casually walking by.
My vampires are complex people. They do not sparkle, and they do not become mindless monsters. They retain much of who they were when they were human and wrestle with inner demons as well as try to navigate through difficult relationships. The books are very character driven with the relationship between Claudius and Audric II being the central focus.
The volumes are listed in the order in which I wrote them, but I believe that they can be read in any order for each book stands well on its own.
My vampires are complex people. They do not sparkle, and they do not become mindless monsters. They retain much of who they were when they were human and wrestle with inner demons as well as try to navigate through difficult relationships. The books are very character driven with the relationship between Claudius and Audric II being the central focus.
The volumes are listed in the order in which I wrote them, but I believe that they can be read in any order for each book stands well on its own.
Volume 1: Legacy of Torment
The book begins in early feudal France with the introduction of a young man named Aleron who is inexplicably isolated in both his head and life. Taken into the care of the presiding Lord Byron of Chaney at a young age, he grows to discover that the differences he feels in himself are far more complicated than he could have ever imagined, when he learns that he is the long, lost son and heir to the late, Lord Audric of Beauregard. His journey to discover who he really is leads him to love, peril, and a young man named Clauduis who will change the meaning of life forever.
"There is life after death.
A realm coiled between the dominions of heaven and hell where all that was once living is now absent of all light and color. The grandeur and poignant affairs that once held so much meaning are now trivial and trite. Years pass like hours. Decades like years. Memory becomes a sacred ritual designated only for the most precious of things. The littlest of things. The tiny things that never used to matter. The drive and desire to be glorified, remembered, or revered by thousands is not now as fulfilling as the desire to be sacred to only one. To be touched by one. To be owned by one.
To be cherished…
To be loved…
To be understood by one soul alone."
"There is life after death.
A realm coiled between the dominions of heaven and hell where all that was once living is now absent of all light and color. The grandeur and poignant affairs that once held so much meaning are now trivial and trite. Years pass like hours. Decades like years. Memory becomes a sacred ritual designated only for the most precious of things. The littlest of things. The tiny things that never used to matter. The drive and desire to be glorified, remembered, or revered by thousands is not now as fulfilling as the desire to be sacred to only one. To be touched by one. To be owned by one.
To be cherished…
To be loved…
To be understood by one soul alone."
Volume 2: The Torment Within
Set in modern day America, the vampire nation is terrorized when a new, strong adversary emerges to bring about their extinction. The Deliverer, Raphael DeKyper is dispatched by the Holy Catholic Church to rid the world of vampire-kind by drinking the blood of other vampires and thereby "delivering" their souls from the demons that have infected them. When Audric is besieged by his people to help rid them of this menace, and when Claudius comes creeping back from the shadows, he finds that his faith and his objective are not quite as black and white as he once believed them to them to be.
"I once believed that I could overcome if I held to faith.
That if I stood firm with conviction my divine destiny would pave the path to triumph. Triumph over doubt. Triumph over adversity. If I held to faith then all my enemies would crumble beneath my feet. But what good is faith if all you believe in is shattered? When the light rolls back and all that’s left before you is unyielding darkness and despair? Where does determination find its foundations when the ground crumbles away beneath you? How do you hold to conviction when it is you who is forced to fall?
I cannot manifest this colossal strength.
I cannot silence the voices of fear and doubt.
And I am afraid to overcome all that I feel inside."
"I once believed that I could overcome if I held to faith.
That if I stood firm with conviction my divine destiny would pave the path to triumph. Triumph over doubt. Triumph over adversity. If I held to faith then all my enemies would crumble beneath my feet. But what good is faith if all you believe in is shattered? When the light rolls back and all that’s left before you is unyielding darkness and despair? Where does determination find its foundations when the ground crumbles away beneath you? How do you hold to conviction when it is you who is forced to fall?
I cannot manifest this colossal strength.
I cannot silence the voices of fear and doubt.
And I am afraid to overcome all that I feel inside."
Volume 3: The Tormented One
During a devastating drought in Ancient Rome, a young boy is sold into slavery so that his family may have hope of surviving the harsh, unyielding conditions. The boy becomes property at the age of 6, and he is constantly treated as such. Used for entertainment at the whims of his master and methodically beaten into submission the boy loses all connection with emotion, pain, fear, and life. The boy dies in the darkness, and in his place, Claudius rises.
"Even in the most desolate places there is still beauty.
The one force of life that withstands the isolation, hardship, and punishment of all that is barren. The life that pulses with a resilience that cannot be diminished. It is tenacious. It is all-consuming. And what it becomes is eternal. Flourishing amid the desecration, the life evolves and adapts to the environment that relentlessly tries to destroy it. Here it remains. Unscathed through it all, it emerges as something new.
Some things are born into the world inherently evil.
Some things are created evil by the wickedness of others.
I am…undoubtedly…the beautifully desolate spawn of both."
"Even in the most desolate places there is still beauty.
The one force of life that withstands the isolation, hardship, and punishment of all that is barren. The life that pulses with a resilience that cannot be diminished. It is tenacious. It is all-consuming. And what it becomes is eternal. Flourishing amid the desecration, the life evolves and adapts to the environment that relentlessly tries to destroy it. Here it remains. Unscathed through it all, it emerges as something new.
Some things are born into the world inherently evil.
Some things are created evil by the wickedness of others.
I am…undoubtedly…the beautifully desolate spawn of both."
Volume 4: Torment's Bane
Back in modern America, the plight of The Deliverer is taken up again by a loyal disciple named Matthew De Insula Fontis. But his faith has been twisted by hate and vengeance and he has dedicated himself to toppling Audric and Claudius in a crusade of achieving righteous justice. Claudius offers Audric refuge within the walls of The Damned, a nightclub and fortress he owns and operates with the help of loyal friends. But old grudges die hard, and Audric can't help but harbor past resentment for Claudius though he knows he needs him. Can he put aside his own hate and loathing, and accept the new, almost human Claudius he sees at The Damned? Or will the strains of their relationship keep them divided as the Deliverer Fontis and his army of undead closes in on them?
"Freedom is in the eye of the beholder.
We wander through this world free of restriction and immune to all social laws of conduct. We kill, pillage, and prey indiscriminately, and yet still we are shackled to captivity. Eternally, we are bound to isolation, grief, and despair. Unyielding death… The guilt and regret of things done or not done weighs down on us with iron bonds that no sense of immortal privilege could ever destroy. For every year, decade, or century that passes, we somehow fail to move forward. And so we linger; stalling incessantly within fate’s cruel juxtaposition of penance and perpetuity.
Searching…
Perhaps even praying…
For the freedom of forgiveness."
"Freedom is in the eye of the beholder.
We wander through this world free of restriction and immune to all social laws of conduct. We kill, pillage, and prey indiscriminately, and yet still we are shackled to captivity. Eternally, we are bound to isolation, grief, and despair. Unyielding death… The guilt and regret of things done or not done weighs down on us with iron bonds that no sense of immortal privilege could ever destroy. For every year, decade, or century that passes, we somehow fail to move forward. And so we linger; stalling incessantly within fate’s cruel juxtaposition of penance and perpetuity.
Searching…
Perhaps even praying…
For the freedom of forgiveness."
Volume 5: Torment's Resurrection
Peace returns to The Damned in spite of recent pain, but as the group begins to settle in to their new surroundings, a new threat develops from Corpus Custos, an organization dedicated to finding a way to reverse the vampire metamorphosis. The efforts of their experimentation have finally paid off, and it falls to The Damned to intercept the vaccine before it can be unleashed upon those who are content with their immortality. But inner conflicts, stunning revelations, and new allies bring stubborn complications, and before the blood settles, one shocking turn of events will shake The Damned to its very core.
"What is love but just another burden?
Some believe it is the one, true force that bonds all of life together. But love can be so many things. It can be joy and wonder one moment. Pain and regret the next. It can be strength in hardship. Passion amidst adversity. Peace within chaotic instability. In its purest form it is unconditional, innocent, and frail. So frail that when it is lost, love itself ceases to exist. All that remains is emptiness. A hollow void filled with despair and anguish. The soul is consumed by torturous memories of what was lost. Of what was unrightfully taken. And you would do anything to erase them. You would crush anything. Betray anything. Sacrifice.
Kill.
And the burden…
Is overwhelming."
"What is love but just another burden?
Some believe it is the one, true force that bonds all of life together. But love can be so many things. It can be joy and wonder one moment. Pain and regret the next. It can be strength in hardship. Passion amidst adversity. Peace within chaotic instability. In its purest form it is unconditional, innocent, and frail. So frail that when it is lost, love itself ceases to exist. All that remains is emptiness. A hollow void filled with despair and anguish. The soul is consumed by torturous memories of what was lost. Of what was unrightfully taken. And you would do anything to erase them. You would crush anything. Betray anything. Sacrifice.
Kill.
And the burden…
Is overwhelming."