Madeleine Archer, or Maddy as her friends call her, is the heroine of my upcoming release Fire in the Blood. Like most of us, Maddy lives a fairly ordinary life in her native Chicago, where she works as a lawyer and shares a condo with her lover Troy. When she and Troy visit Jamaica for an exotic tropical holiday, however, normality is completely overturned. Rather than my telling you, though, I will allow Maddy to share her own story.
Interviewer: What were your expectations for your Jamaican vacation?
Maddy: We'd heard that Jamaica was gorgeous and very laid back. Troy and I had both been working hard. And November in Chicago was already bitterly cold. We were hoping to spend some time soaking up the sun, lazing on the beach, drinking rum, exploring the country's historic and scenic spots and generally unwinding. And I think we both hoped the trip would kick-start our sex life.
Interviewer: Forgive me for asking, but had you and Troy been having problems?
Maddy: Not problems, no. I love Troy dearly, and still think he's one of the sexiest guys I've ever met. But after five years, some of the sizzle had slipped away. The fact that we both have demanding careers (Troy's an architect) didn't help matters. Sometimes, after long days at our respective offices, neither of us would have the energy to make love. We'd been looking forward to our tropical jaunt for a long time, planning to make it as romantic as we could.
Interviewer: And were your hopes fulfilled?
Maddy: Oh God! Meeting Etienne changed everything!
Interview: Can you elaborate?
Maddy: Well- I assume you know how a storm spooked my horse when we were on our trail ride. The animal tore off into the jungle with me clinging for dear life, crashing through the trees and finally arriving in the valley where Etienne was living, among the ruins of his mistress' plantation. A lightning bolt scared my mount so much that he threw me. I would have been trampled if Etienne had not stepped out of the shadows to save me. And when I saw Etienne - well, from the very first I knew there was something special about him. I wanted him so badly, nothing else mattered, not Troy, not my old life, not even the fact that he was a blood drinker nearly two centuries old.
Interviewer: But when you woke the next morning and found him basically dead beside you...?
Maddy: I was terrified, of course. I raced back to Troy. But I couldn't forget Etienne. It was like I had some kind of fever. I was tormented by the lust that Etienne had kindled in me. I know now this was partially the effects of his blood. Poor Troy! I practically devoured him, sexually speaking. He didn't know what had hit him!
Interviewer: And then what happened?
Maddy: Etienne came looking for me. And he met Troy. But I don't want to give away the whole story. All I can say is that Troy and I are both devoted to Etienne now. We're never going back to Chicago. Who would have dreamed a simple vacation would change our lives so completely?
Fire in the Blood will be released on August 16th. Leave a comment and be entered in my drawing for a free copy.
