Theresa Van Spankeren's Blog, page 2
October 5, 2023
Author news and sales
Hey everyone, it's been awhile since I posted. I wanted to give little updates on things going on. First off, as it is officially the Spooky Season, two of my books will be on sale this month. Starting Oct 9th - 16th Book 3
will be on sale for 99 cents for US and UK readers.
Then Book 5
will be on sale in celebration of Halloween, starting Oct 26 - Nov 2nd.
I am also working on a side book following Matthew during his time apart from the rest of the ka-tet. I was hoping it would be ready by December, but it looks as if it will be early next year.
Happy Halloween, everyone!
will be on sale for 99 cents for US and UK readers.Then Book 5
will be on sale in celebration of Halloween, starting Oct 26 - Nov 2nd. I am also working on a side book following Matthew during his time apart from the rest of the ka-tet. I was hoping it would be ready by December, but it looks as if it will be early next year.
Happy Halloween, everyone!
July 3, 2023
Guest Appearance on The Vampire's Castle Youtube channel
A couple months ago, I was invited on as a guest Indie author on The Vampire's Castle Youtube blog/channel. The chapter reading of the first book, Lost Soul and interview finally went live, so I want to share it with all of my fans here.
I had a great time, and really enjoyed the opportunity - even if there were a few technical (audio glitches.) I hope you get a chance to watch and get some insight or enjoyment out of it.
- Thank you for the opportunity, Sean!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnoDX...
I had a great time, and really enjoyed the opportunity - even if there were a few technical (audio glitches.) I hope you get a chance to watch and get some insight or enjoyment out of it.
- Thank you for the opportunity, Sean!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnoDX...
April 28, 2023
Book 5: Soul Redeemed
Hello everyone! I am thrilled to announce that Book 5 in the War of Destiny series is on pre-order, and will be out in ebook and paperback on May 10th!
Blurb:
For years, Julia feared the apparitions that appeared before her, not knowing whether they were real or just delusions. After all, one had tricked her into betraying the Resistance – and hurting those closest to her. But now Julia has learned the truth about her power. She is the first known vampire in centuries who can see and hear the dead.
Her ka-tet turns to a group of old friends in Marseilles to teach Julia what they can. She races against time to gain enough control over her power to prove to the Resistance leaders that she truly has these rare gifts. Those plans are derailed when King Valentino's forces learn of the meeting and set a trap by taking nearby human villages hostage.
Has Julia learned enough about her powers and herself to unify the Resistance and save the villages? Or will Valentino finally succeed in destroying the Resistance?
Continue Julia's story in this exciting new installment of the series!
**Triggers: There's some depression and self-harm related content.**
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C...
Blurb:
For years, Julia feared the apparitions that appeared before her, not knowing whether they were real or just delusions. After all, one had tricked her into betraying the Resistance – and hurting those closest to her. But now Julia has learned the truth about her power. She is the first known vampire in centuries who can see and hear the dead.
Her ka-tet turns to a group of old friends in Marseilles to teach Julia what they can. She races against time to gain enough control over her power to prove to the Resistance leaders that she truly has these rare gifts. Those plans are derailed when King Valentino's forces learn of the meeting and set a trap by taking nearby human villages hostage.
Has Julia learned enough about her powers and herself to unify the Resistance and save the villages? Or will Valentino finally succeed in destroying the Resistance?
Continue Julia's story in this exciting new installment of the series!
**Triggers: There's some depression and self-harm related content.**
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C...
March 12, 2023
St. Patrick's Day week Sale
I'm delighted to announce
is on tour with Itsybitsybookbits, and will be on sale for 99 cents March 13-March 20th. Now is a great time to catch up on the series before the upcoming release of Soul Redeemed later this Spring.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09...
Feared. Hunted. Shunned.
Lane Marlow has been on the run for decades. Condemned for feeding off his own kind, he escaped Valentino, King of the Vampires. As rumors circulate about how such a young vampire escaped, Valentino orders him killed on sight. Lane manages to elude or kill all those who came after him before disappearing.
But now, Lane longs for the home he had been forced to abandon. As he starts to make his way back to Ireland, he is discovered in Rome. Realizing that his quarry is still very much alive, Valentino sends two of his Council members to lead the hunt.
As Lane battles those sent after him, he stumbles across a group of vampires who are different than any he’s ever dealt with. They don’t attack him. They don’t run from him. And they live with humans. But are they unexpected allies, or just another obstacle to getting home?
Trigger warning : May have scenes of violence too intense for some readers.
is on tour with Itsybitsybookbits, and will be on sale for 99 cents March 13-March 20th. Now is a great time to catch up on the series before the upcoming release of Soul Redeemed later this Spring.https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09...
Feared. Hunted. Shunned.
Lane Marlow has been on the run for decades. Condemned for feeding off his own kind, he escaped Valentino, King of the Vampires. As rumors circulate about how such a young vampire escaped, Valentino orders him killed on sight. Lane manages to elude or kill all those who came after him before disappearing.
But now, Lane longs for the home he had been forced to abandon. As he starts to make his way back to Ireland, he is discovered in Rome. Realizing that his quarry is still very much alive, Valentino sends two of his Council members to lead the hunt.
As Lane battles those sent after him, he stumbles across a group of vampires who are different than any he’s ever dealt with. They don’t attack him. They don’t run from him. And they live with humans. But are they unexpected allies, or just another obstacle to getting home?
Trigger warning : May have scenes of violence too intense for some readers.
December 16, 2022
Happy Holidays
I wanted to wish my readers and friends a happy and safe holiday season for those who celebrate! Hopefully , you have time to relax and curl up with a new book or an old favorite!
Happy Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, and Christmas, and a happy New Year!
Psst...if you're still hunting for gifts, there is a huge price reduction by Amazon for both Between Darkness & Light and Fallen Soul for the paperbacks.
Happy Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, and Christmas, and a happy New Year!
Psst...if you're still hunting for gifts, there is a huge price reduction by Amazon for both Between Darkness & Light and Fallen Soul for the paperbacks.
October 24, 2022
The Mansion in the Woods - Flash Story
The Mansion in the Woods
The moon slid behind the clouds, plunging the small path into darkness again. A small light flickered to life as a young woman pressed on to her destination. Leaves swirled around her and crunched underfoot, driven by a strong wind.
She walked with surety as the canopy of trees opened up into a meadow. Silver light filled the area, illuminating the silhouette of a large mansion. The woman drew in a sharp breath. “It’s real,” she whispered.
She approached the building slowly. Neighborhood kids would venture into the forest preserve looking for the house, but tonight she was the only living soul out there. Time had obviously taken a toll on the structure.When she got within twenty feet, she could make out the peeling white paint and cracked wooden boards that made up the exterior color scheme. Plain square windows dotted a portion of the large house, but the windows closest to the front doors had more intricate rectangular and diamond shapes. The moonlight caught a sparkle of red and green from the stained glass in the doors themselves.
The woman lifted her gaze higher to take in the copper accents that made up the wind vanes and gutters. At the various corners of the roof there appeared to be statues of griffins or gargoyles. All of the statues were worn and a few had wings or tails broken off.
How did such a beautiful place become a forgotten relic in the middle of some woods only to be remembered in teenagers’ stories? She wondered. With a sigh, she walked the rest of the way to the large wooden doors. She shined her small flashlight across them, noting the dark mahogany wood, splintered and faded as well as the dust covered stained glass. She was amazed the moon had caught any light reflection at all from it.
“What a sad condition you are in,” she murmured, laying a hand on the wood. A light abruptly flickered on upstairs. Bewildered, she backed up a step. She hadn’t seen any power lines leading this deep into the woods. Electricity hasn’t been delivered to this house in a very long time. How could there possibly be a light on?
She stared up at the light. “Very strange. There has to be a logical explanation,” she murmured as she headed toward the back of the building. As she rounded the corner, she came face to face with a dark hooded figure.
“What are you doing here?”
She stared at the person in front of her, but could not make out any features. It was just a solid black shape.
“I – I was just taking a shortcut home,” she stammered.
“You’re not supposed to be here,” it replied. “Leave.”
“Okay,” she said and turned around. Wait, that didn’t make any sense. I didn’t hear anyone moving around. Turning her flashlight back on, she searched for the hooded figure. No one was in sight. “How?” she whispered. “This is too weird.”
Moments later, two more lights came on in the house. Screaming, she bolted back for the trail.
The moon slid behind the clouds, plunging the small path into darkness again. A small light flickered to life as a young woman pressed on to her destination. Leaves swirled around her and crunched underfoot, driven by a strong wind.
She walked with surety as the canopy of trees opened up into a meadow. Silver light filled the area, illuminating the silhouette of a large mansion. The woman drew in a sharp breath. “It’s real,” she whispered.
She approached the building slowly. Neighborhood kids would venture into the forest preserve looking for the house, but tonight she was the only living soul out there. Time had obviously taken a toll on the structure.When she got within twenty feet, she could make out the peeling white paint and cracked wooden boards that made up the exterior color scheme. Plain square windows dotted a portion of the large house, but the windows closest to the front doors had more intricate rectangular and diamond shapes. The moonlight caught a sparkle of red and green from the stained glass in the doors themselves.
The woman lifted her gaze higher to take in the copper accents that made up the wind vanes and gutters. At the various corners of the roof there appeared to be statues of griffins or gargoyles. All of the statues were worn and a few had wings or tails broken off.
How did such a beautiful place become a forgotten relic in the middle of some woods only to be remembered in teenagers’ stories? She wondered. With a sigh, she walked the rest of the way to the large wooden doors. She shined her small flashlight across them, noting the dark mahogany wood, splintered and faded as well as the dust covered stained glass. She was amazed the moon had caught any light reflection at all from it.
“What a sad condition you are in,” she murmured, laying a hand on the wood. A light abruptly flickered on upstairs. Bewildered, she backed up a step. She hadn’t seen any power lines leading this deep into the woods. Electricity hasn’t been delivered to this house in a very long time. How could there possibly be a light on?
She stared up at the light. “Very strange. There has to be a logical explanation,” she murmured as she headed toward the back of the building. As she rounded the corner, she came face to face with a dark hooded figure.
“What are you doing here?”
She stared at the person in front of her, but could not make out any features. It was just a solid black shape.
“I – I was just taking a shortcut home,” she stammered.
“You’re not supposed to be here,” it replied. “Leave.”
“Okay,” she said and turned around. Wait, that didn’t make any sense. I didn’t hear anyone moving around. Turning her flashlight back on, she searched for the hooded figure. No one was in sight. “How?” she whispered. “This is too weird.”
Moments later, two more lights came on in the house. Screaming, she bolted back for the trail.
October 6, 2022
Old Bluff Road Flash story
This is a flash story written based on one of the local haunted legends/locations.
The green Malibu was stopped along a dark hilly road. The driver clutched the steering wheel in a death grip as someone climbed into the passenger side of the car.
“We can go now, Jessica.” There was a moment of silence. “Jessica?”
“I–I just hit someone, Dimitri.”
“What?”
“I was driving, waiting for you. When I rounded the curve back there someone stepped out in front of the car. I hit the brakes but I couldn’t stop!”
“Jessica! Why didn’t you call the police?”
“I just panicked. I didn’t know what to do…”
“Goddamnit, Jessica!” Dimitri yelled and grabbed an emergency flashlight from the glove compartment. He headed for the front of the car.
“Dimitri?”
His rich baritone laughter drifted back to her. “Really funny, Jessica! You almost had me going.”
“This isn’t a joke! I hit someone back there!”
“Going what? Two miles an hour? Come on, the joke’s over, Jessi.”
“Why are you being so mean? I’m telling you I hit someone!” she screamed. “I was doing almost 40 on the curve and someone walked out in front of me!”
Dimitri leaned back into the car. “How can that be? There’s not a scratch on the car, Jessi.”
“I don’t understand. I saw him, I felt the thud…”
“You really think you saw something? Fine, let’s drive back there and take a look.” He shook his head and slid back into the vehicle.
She nodded and turned the car around, driving back to the curve where she struck the man. They got out and started searching the ditches and bushes near the sides of the road. The dim light from the headlights and Dimitri’s flashlight elongated the trees’ shadows, making them eerie in the night’s stillness. Jessica shivered slightly.
“I’m not seeing anybody, Jessica,” Dimitri said, a few minutes later. “Maybe you fell asleep behind the wheel and dreamt the whole damn thing.”
“I wasn’t sleeping!”
“I don’t know what to say, Jessi. There are no marks on the car, I don’t see any blood. All I see are trees.”
“I want to get turned around and come back down Old Bluff the same way I was going when it happened. Maybe we’ll see him with the headlights facing the same way.”
“I don’t know…Whatever,” Dimitri grumbled as they got back in the car. “One pass down and then let’s go home. I’m tired…”
The Malibu swung down the road again. “Dimitri, the curve will be coming up. Look for someone lying in the bushes on your side.”
“This is stupid…no one is out here at this time of the night,” he whined. “I can’t see anything but trees and– Jessica, look out!” he yelled, as a man dressed in white stepped in front of their car.
Jessica screamed and jerked the steering wheel hard to the right. The car careened off the curve and into a small tree.
“It’s him…same man. But how, I hit…already…” Dimitri heard Jessica wheeze as darkness engulfed his vision.
The green Malibu was stopped along a dark hilly road. The driver clutched the steering wheel in a death grip as someone climbed into the passenger side of the car.
“We can go now, Jessica.” There was a moment of silence. “Jessica?”
“I–I just hit someone, Dimitri.”
“What?”
“I was driving, waiting for you. When I rounded the curve back there someone stepped out in front of the car. I hit the brakes but I couldn’t stop!”
“Jessica! Why didn’t you call the police?”
“I just panicked. I didn’t know what to do…”
“Goddamnit, Jessica!” Dimitri yelled and grabbed an emergency flashlight from the glove compartment. He headed for the front of the car.
“Dimitri?”
His rich baritone laughter drifted back to her. “Really funny, Jessica! You almost had me going.”
“This isn’t a joke! I hit someone back there!”
“Going what? Two miles an hour? Come on, the joke’s over, Jessi.”
“Why are you being so mean? I’m telling you I hit someone!” she screamed. “I was doing almost 40 on the curve and someone walked out in front of me!”
Dimitri leaned back into the car. “How can that be? There’s not a scratch on the car, Jessi.”
“I don’t understand. I saw him, I felt the thud…”
“You really think you saw something? Fine, let’s drive back there and take a look.” He shook his head and slid back into the vehicle.
She nodded and turned the car around, driving back to the curve where she struck the man. They got out and started searching the ditches and bushes near the sides of the road. The dim light from the headlights and Dimitri’s flashlight elongated the trees’ shadows, making them eerie in the night’s stillness. Jessica shivered slightly.
“I’m not seeing anybody, Jessica,” Dimitri said, a few minutes later. “Maybe you fell asleep behind the wheel and dreamt the whole damn thing.”
“I wasn’t sleeping!”
“I don’t know what to say, Jessi. There are no marks on the car, I don’t see any blood. All I see are trees.”
“I want to get turned around and come back down Old Bluff the same way I was going when it happened. Maybe we’ll see him with the headlights facing the same way.”
“I don’t know…Whatever,” Dimitri grumbled as they got back in the car. “One pass down and then let’s go home. I’m tired…”
The Malibu swung down the road again. “Dimitri, the curve will be coming up. Look for someone lying in the bushes on your side.”
“This is stupid…no one is out here at this time of the night,” he whined. “I can’t see anything but trees and– Jessica, look out!” he yelled, as a man dressed in white stepped in front of their car.
Jessica screamed and jerked the steering wheel hard to the right. The car careened off the curve and into a small tree.
“It’s him…same man. But how, I hit…already…” Dimitri heard Jessica wheeze as darkness engulfed his vision.
October 4, 2022
Kicking off Month Long Sale
I've mentioned before that I am running a different book of my vampire series on sale for each week of October in celebration of Halloween. It kicks off this week, when Lost Soul the first book of the series is on sale for 99 cents through Oct 9th.
Next week, Book 2: Pursuit into Darkness will be on sale from Oct 10th - 16th.
Book 3: Between Darkness & Light will be on sale later on in the month, starting on the 20th - 26th.
Lastly, Book 4: Fallen Soul will conclude the Spooky month's sale, starting on Oct 26th and ending on Nov 1st.
Next week, Book 2: Pursuit into Darkness will be on sale from Oct 10th - 16th.
Book 3: Between Darkness & Light will be on sale later on in the month, starting on the 20th - 26th.
Lastly, Book 4: Fallen Soul will conclude the Spooky month's sale, starting on Oct 26th and ending on Nov 1st.
September 20, 2022
October Update!
The majority of the series follows Julia through the difficulties she faces as she attempts to seize her destiny. Book 4 is currently the only one that has a different narrator, although there is at least one more installment planned with Lane as the narrator. Book 5 is slated to be released sometime next year, as is a planned related story that features Matthew as the narrator.
The existing books will be on sale in October, starting with Lost Soul. Each week will have the next book of the series on sale for the Spookiest month of the year. Any questions about the upcoming books or sales, feel free to ask in the comments, or send me a DM.
The existing books will be on sale in October, starting with Lost Soul. Each week will have the next book of the series on sale for the Spookiest month of the year. Any questions about the upcoming books or sales, feel free to ask in the comments, or send me a DM.
July 20, 2022
Update on Upcoming Projects
A big thank you to all the readers who've read and supported (rated, reviewed, or simply recommended) my books so far. As I continue revision and editing of the next installment in preparation of handing it off to my editor for her skilled hand, I hope you are excited to continue Julia and her ka-tet's story.
I'm hoping for a release sometime in the beginning of next year. (I would love to say the end of this year, but the last two years have taught me not to overreach the timeline.)
As I've also mentioned before, those who are curious about Matthew's adventures during his time in the company of the Medici family, without the ka-tet around, will have a chance to discover more about his life during that time. Matthew's story will be a side book that would enrich a fan's understanding of the main series, but is not required to understand the events of book 4 and beyond.
I'm hoping for a release sometime in the beginning of next year. (I would love to say the end of this year, but the last two years have taught me not to overreach the timeline.)
As I've also mentioned before, those who are curious about Matthew's adventures during his time in the company of the Medici family, without the ka-tet around, will have a chance to discover more about his life during that time. Matthew's story will be a side book that would enrich a fan's understanding of the main series, but is not required to understand the events of book 4 and beyond.
