Authors: Faleena Hopkins
Fire Nectar (25 page)
Also by F.M.
Hopkins
Joshua
– a
novelette about our composer vampire.
And soon
William
(if it’s not out already) a novelette
our the
vampire
of war.
(
excerpts
located after the
Readers Bonus Bite below)
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Joshua
Excerpt
2012
The ticket agent smiled at his return and held his look a little
longer than was necessary. She couldn’t help it. He had a good face; clean,
boyish, warm. She liked the look of it, and felt instantly that he was a good
man. How she knew that was beyond her. Instinct perhaps, she told herself -
always trust your instincts.
“Your eyes light up when you smile,” he said, as he placed his
satchel on the counter between them. She blushed like a schoolgirl, despite her
years. He guessed her to be just over forty-five, and wearing it well.
Her makeup and hair was tasteful, dyed dirty blonde in a natural shade.
She wore only two rings on her fingers - one a wedding band - and in her
ears sat two studs the shape of tiny seashells. “Do you enjoy the beach?”
“I do! How did you know that?” she asked in astonishment.
“Your earrings. Where did you get them?” He removed his
wallet from the pocket of his jeans.
“I got them in Monterey. I went there recently…” she hesitated before
adding the next bit, “with my husband.”
“Ah, so you’re taken. I thought as much. A woman like you
doesn’t get away easily. Plus, I saw the ring on your finger. Nearly broke my
heart.” His eyes glinted flirtatiously at her and she melted.
“You’re just flattering me,” she chided him, with a wistful
knowing smile.
“I am flattering you, yes. But I am not ‘just’ flattering you. I
am saying the truth. You can hear it in my voice, yes? Trust your inner voice.
It will serve you more than any other sense you own, I promise you.”
She nodded and smiled shyly at him. “I was just thinking the same
thing!”
“Were you? Well, isn’t that interesting. You’re a beautiful woman with
a beautiful smile, and a voice that makes me forget that ring, don’t doubt me.
So let’s stop talking and get to business before I steal you from him.
We don’t want that, do we?” He beckoned her to lean in and he reached
forward to move a stray hair from her forehead. Her knees weakened to the
extreme.
“No… we don’t want that,” she said half-heartedly, typing into
the computer to distract her quickening heart.
William
– Excerpt
2012
The sun winked to him a deadly promise
;
the
threat of another day tomorrow. William grabbed onto and held the last
golden-hot flare of its tip for as long as he could see it. It was no use for
once again it vanished, retreating past the horizon. The coward.
William smirked and touched the window glass, whispering, “I bested
you again, you wench. For still I stand. I can see more of you each night, and
my skin feels no sting. There will come a time when my body does not sleep
against my will, when we stand face to face once more. Then it will be I who
wins this war.”
He stepped away from the glass and strolled to one of his shining
black walls to get his dinner, absently running his left hand through his black
wavy hair. Immaculate, modern, and luxurious in terms of quality and price, his
condo in the Manhattan high-rise was uncluttered; absent of vases, pillows and
extraneous furniture. What was there had a purpose, save for the art, all
purely sentimental.
Adorning the walls and the rare flat surface of a table here and
there, were weapons from many centuries. And although not one of them could
hurt him, they had hurt the men he’d used them on. The men who’d deserved it.
Those who held no care for what was right, those who were not brave enough to
stand up for truth, even beneath the confusing black umbrella of war.
He had been battled in hundreds, great and small. He found his true
home in strategy.
To lead his men to the end goal, always
victory.
That was his purpose for living. Clear and quick of mind,
brave and swift in action, honest and just, William believed his gift of
vampire was a responsibility he carried to make the world a better place.
DEDICATION
For All The Artists.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Without these people this book would not be what it is: My
editor and friend, Suzanne
Scotten
, for editing,
reading and re-reading, and re-reading again - and for begging me to know what
happens in the next book, thereby giving me the encouragement every artist
loves and needs. Terry Mackey, for letting me hole up at his country home, away
from LA and normal life distractions, so that I could finish writing –
and for his wonderful insight as he read my drafts, showing me where I’d
assumed too much and said too little.
Boriana
Kleiler
, for helping me to become a woman who can show up,
be consistent, and do it with kindness and compassion. Ann Juba Teixeira,
Katrina Moore-Weiss,
Santosh
Kaur
Khalsa
, Carmen
Cornejo
-Obrien
and Deirdre Hamilton, for always being my cheerleaders - and for making me
laugh during the good and bad times, and for supporting me when I fell down.
Ian Malcolm, for years of friendship, and for one crazy night in a bar
where the cameras had to be turned off.
Liana Mackey,
for being the best mom on the planet in that you taught me to walk with grace
and dignity.
I know you’re watching from heaven now. I didn’t go
to college, Mom – but I did become the author you thought I would be.
Thank you for your love and guidance.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
F.M. Hopkins is a writer living in Los Angeles, CA.
She began writing stories when she was a little girl, illustrating
them with crayons and selling them to her parents for candy money. They made
her earn it, which she will always thank them for. This is her first novel.
READERS Bonus Bite
Links to bring you
deeper into the Fire Nectar experience. If you can think of other links I could
include, please let me know.
Xx – F.M.
Hopkins
Breathing Fire
Possible?
Yes.
Advisable?
Questionable
and conditional.
The Culver Hotel
Did that really happen during the
making of The Wizard of Oz?
Yes.
But on
NPR, they like to play it down to “They had a really good time, they worked
hard…”
Uh-huh.
Click
here!
(
they
blame the event on a couple horny
Germans. Awesome.)
The Good Luck Bar
Does it really
exist?
Yep.
I’ve been there
many times. BUT it’s not in Downtown LA – I just loved the irony of the
name.
Regency Gowns
I include some images on
my
blog here
.
Click here for
Pantaloons
and
neckcloths
like the Duke wore.
Allmack’s
Assembly Rooms
–
a real place?
where
Daniella met Elizabeth for dinner, and joined the world
of the immortal.
Here you can see the
chateau
(French castle) where they go.