Spotlight post of Helen Treharne #RRBC

I am please to post this for Rave Reviews Book Club. They have their spotlight on Helen Treharne, writer of "Relative Strangers" a modern vampire story.   

Helen Treharne is the creator of the developing "Sophie Morgan Vampire Series" as well as short stories and other prose. Helen lives with her husband, three cats, an entrenched tea addiction and an increasing collection of stringed instruments. When she's not writing she spends her time daytime hours working in communications and volunteers for a feline welfare charity.  She also runs a very successful book blog, reviewing and promoting the work of other indie authors. She also can't stop purchasing stationery. She can be found at her blog, Facebook page and on Twitter.

Death in the Family will be available from Amazon 14th February – the perfect valentine gift for the vampire loving reader in your life! It is available for pre-order now. To celebrate the release, Relative Strangers will also be FREE to download from Amazon on 14th February. 

A little something about the main character-

Sophie Morgan - Unintentional Vampire Slayer and Confused Twenty- Something

Sophie isn't your typical heroine in this genre.  She doesn't fall in love with vampires. As far as she knows she has no preternatural strength or vampire slaying skill. She's just an ordinary university graduate trying to find her place in the world.

She is doing pretty well in life when we first meet her. She's got a good job, a decent enough flat and a handful of friends to share her spare time with. Sophie has never had much interest in relationships, viewing them as somewhat of a distraction, until recently. She has had one real boyfriend to speak of and it's ended abruptly... and horribly.

Her co-worker suggests that the pair head off on a holiday to help nurse Sophie's bruised ego. The trip pays off. The girls enjoy the sites of Antwerp in Belgium and discover a great Irish bar called O'Malley's.  While her pal hooks up, Sophie is happy chatting away to the owner and bar staff... and in particular the quirky Mickey Kelly. The pair click instantly.

Sadly, the young couple don't get chance to nurture their romantic life as they are too busy defending themselves from a vampire gang who cross their path. On her return to the UK, Sophie hopes to build on their relationship but sadly it isn't to be... for now.

When we leave Sophie Morgan at the end of Relative Strangers, book one in the "Sophie Morgan Vampire Series", she has beaten to death a vampire in her breakfast nook, discovered that Mickey has dropped off the grid and why, and is valiantly attempting to lead a normal life. What else could possibly go wrong?

Death in the Family is the long awaited sequel to Relative Strangers, with some familiar faces as well as some new ones.  Find out how our practical, resilient, if not slightly insecure, Sophie deals with a whole new range of challenges … not least of them her family!

Excerpt:

I tried to scream, but I couldn’t, the arm was curled so tightly around my throat it was making it impossible to breathe. Breathing through your nose isn’t easy when you’re in a blind panic, but I tried anyway.

Cold fingers were clamped over my cheek and the side of my mouth. I tried to move my jaw to at least get a bite of my attacker, but it was impossible. Why didn’t I go back with Mickey? Please Mickey, come back. Anyone, help me, please, please.

As we struggled in the confines of the doorway, I hoped that someone would come to my aid. Bars and nightclubs would be shutting their doors soon and that would surely mean someone would have to come by soon? All I had to do was stay alive long enough to be found. Surely Mickey would see me soon? But why would he? He would probably assume that I was totally unhinged by now and that I’d wandered off somewhere. My thoughts were racing as I struggled and my head was throbbing.

Then the searing pain ripped through my body. I couldn’t tell what was happening, but I knew it wasn’t good. First, there was an ice cold stabbing sensation in my neck. Then came the burning, a river of heat surging through my veins. I’d never felt anything like it before. Coherence was terminated the instant I felt my flesh tear open. Blood poured down my neck.

I wasn’t sure what weapon he could be using, but I could feel his nose resting on the side of my chin, his mouth maneuvring itself around my neck, moving in a circular gnawing motion. Oh my God, I’m being bitten. Someone is actually biting me. What next? This cannot be happening? This can’t be real. What the ***? I can’t die like this.

Then everything went black.

I hope you enjoyed reading this excerpt enough to check out the book, adding it to your reading list especially on Valentine's Day when it will be free. You can't ask for anything better than that. 

Talk back, I'm Listening! Have a great day.