For as long as I can remember a passion to write has existed within my soul. I would write short stories or other more detailed works and then pack them away in a box buried in a closet. They were to never see the light of day. It was my way of working off stress. I never dared to stick my toe in and test the waters of writing for others, until my fiancé came along and urged me to take the leap.
Three years ago I discovered a great contest with the goal being to write a 50,000 word manuscript in 30 days. Again with the urging and support of my fiancé I gave it a try and finished my first novel. It became the first in a trilogy that is yet to be completed. The first two are in the editing process and the third is still being completed.
The trilogy gives a new twist to vampires. There are vampires who were born infected but had to mature to come into their powers. Others were made by older vampires in preparation for a war between vampires and humans. The mother of all vampires believes and urges her children to fulfill the vampire prophecy of being able to live among the humans without the cloud of secrecy. The father on the other hand feels that the vampire race is the top of the food chain. While humans should know they exist, it is only because the humans should be subservient to the vampire race. Vampires battle vampires in the struggle for which side will win, and humans discover vampires really do exist, creating more struggle for vampire survival.
Currently, the vampires have taken a back seat to a more conventional tale of the struggles of family. Inside the pages are old hurts that dictate the emotions of one, another is just a newborn discarded and left for dead, and a detective on the hunt for the monster responsible for nearly killing the baby. Not to mention a more personal journey in search of love and happily ever after. Toss in a young, recovering drug addicted former prostitute who has never had a real family and their journey is one of hope with hurdles to be passed as they become one family held together by love.
Leah Wells
Updated 11-20-08
