Title: War of Nytefall: Ravenous
Author: Charles E. Yallowitz
Genre: Vampire Fantasy Action Adventure
Book Blurb:
In the shadows of Windemere, fangs are sprouting from the least likely of maws. News is spreading that wild beasts with vampiric natures have been attacking mortals and carrying off random victims. With the Dawn Fangs still a secret from mortal society, Clyde fears that these strange creatures will reveal his peoples’ existence before they are ready. Old enemies and trusted friends begin to disappear as the investigation goes deeper into a business that has been lurking in the shadows of Windemere for decades. Those who return are beholden to a new master whose cunning is matched only by her primal desires. As his allies disappear, Clyde is left with the one he trusts the most in all of the world to help him solve this mystery. Too bad Mab has her own secret that can cause more damage to Nytefall than any vampiric beast. Is this how the Dawn Fangs will be revealed to Windemere?
Excerpt:
Bob and Lost look in the direction that Titus is pointing his chin to see that a group of knights have separated from the main force. They break into a jog that jostles their armor and makes it clear that they want to be noticed by everyone that they pass. Reaching the front of the column, the warriors begin to argue with the priestess and archers who are leading the hunt. The Dawn Fangs are shoved forward as the mortals try to get closer and hear the fight that abruptly becomes a shoving match. Shorter and trained for speed, the royal bowmen are easily knocked to the ground by the frustrated swordsmen. Dirt is thrown into eyes and globs of spit are sent flying through helmet gratings as the scuffle gains more fervor. The hunting party comes to a stop while the two groups come dangerously close to drawing weapons on each other. It is only when the priestess waves her staff that the knights and archers stop, their bodies locked in a paralysis spell while they are scolded by the young woman. With a stomp of her foot, she releases the warriors and everyone goes back to their original positions.
“The worms beneath my feet are scared,” Bob hisses under his breath. Only Lost looks in his direction, so he pokes Titus in the hip to get his attention. “All of the animals near us aren’t happy. They were okay for a while, but now they’re terrified. Started around the same time the knights headed to the front of the line. I think something is wrong here, but in a different way than you believe. Anyone who is sensitive to the air and landscape can tell that there is . . . danger. I can’t see over all these people, so do you notice anything in the area that shouldn’t be here?”
“My eyes are better,” Lost replies, cutting Titus off. She leaps onto the tall warrior’s shoulders and sits there with her hands shielding her eyes from the sun. “Nothing strange in the trees. Birds are hiding and I think I see a bear playing dead. Sky appears to be clear beyond a few clouds. One of them looks like a dragon with three tails. The open space is pretty boring. I think whatever left the giant scorch marks in the distance scared everything away. Those spots are still smoking too.”
Titus shrugs the girl off his shoulders and grips his blades, but refuses to draw them to avoid causing a scene. The warriors around him are on edge from overhearing Lost’s words and seeing his reaction, but they follow his example and keep their weapons sheathed. The Vengeance Hounds know that it is only a matter of time before the mortals with weaker wills lose control and drive the others into panic. They can hear the rumors of a deadly beast stalking the hunting party ripple through the crowd, each telling more gruesome and bone-chilling than the previous version. Several warriors ignore the warnings of their companions and draw their weapons, but keep them out of sight. Two of the casters begin to chant, which is revealed by the sparkle of magic on their lips. One by one, the lines of warriors stop walking and assume various defensive formations. Frustrated by the collapse of her army, the priestess turns around and tries to assure everyone that they are safe. Standing in the middle of the blossoming chaos, the Vengeance Hounds can only watch as the woman loses her temper and shouts at the archers who were supposed to maintain control.
The warriors go silent when a booming roar erupts from above and a large shadow passes over the area. With a gurgling scream, the priestess collapses in a heap and stares unblinking at the sky. The archers move away from the drooling woman, whose breathing has stopped as if she has been instantly turned off. Landing in front of the hunting party, a crimson-scaled Verenstone Dragon unfurls its muscular tails with one to each side and the other arching over its reptilian head. The thick ridge of black hair going down its back rustles and shivers in the breeze, which heats up as the monster bellows once more. Curled against its side are wings composed entirely of blue flame that licks at the trampled grass, but they are not hot enough to ignite the emerald blades. Leaning forward, the terrifying predator sniffs at the braindead priestess and chuckles before swallowing the body whole. In the brief moment that its mouth is open wide, the Vengeance Hounds notice that two of its teeth are changing as if they are stretching out of the gums. The plaque-covered ivory is curved in a way that makes it clear that they are fangs and the beast is in desperate need of a fresh meal. Its eyes scan the mortals and stop on the three Dawn Fangs for a moment, but it is enough to tell them that the cunning creature recognizes their true nature.
“A vampiric dragon,” Titus mutters under his breath.
Buy Links (including Goodreads and BookBub):
If you could dress up as anything or anyone this Halloween, what or who would it be and why?
I’d go as Professor X with that yellow hoverchair that he had in the 90’s cartoons and comics. It isn’t because we share the first name or that I’m already on my way to being bald. The real reason is that I’d be able to put a box of pizza on the front and be able to eat while rolling around. I’m a father, so I don’t get the candy, so I might as well get some kind of treat.
Explain why your featured book is a treat to read:
War of Nytefall: Ravenous is a relaxing and fun book to read. There is enough action and humor to keep a reader entranced, which I hope will help reduce stress and create some smiles. We all need some escapism at times. Alongside the fun, this story explores how grief can lead to addiction and even immortal vampires may succumb to such things. There is darkness here that is explored in a way that is not so black and white. You can see the character suffering and struggling to find peace, but they have this internal adversary. This is in the face of an external threat to their entire world, so there is a lot of drama that can keep people turning the page until they’re at the end.
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Open internationally
Runs October 1 – 31
Drawing will be held on November 1.
Author Biography:
Charles Yallowitz was born and raised on Long Island, NY, but he has spent most of his life wandering his own imagination in a blissful haze. Occasionally, he would return from this world for the necessities such as food, showers, and Saturday morning cartoons. One day he returned from his imagination and decided he would share his stories with the world. After spending many years fiddling with his thoughts and notebooks, he decided that it was time to follow his dream of being a fantasy author. So, locked within the house with only pizza and seltzer to sustain him, Charles brings you tales from the world of Windemere. He looks forward to sharing all of his stories with you and drawing you into a world of magic.
Social Media Links:
Blog: www.legendsofwindemere.com Twitter: @cyallowitz Facebook: Charles Yallowitz Website: www.charleseyallowitz.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cyallowitz/