Hex
and the Single Witch
Vehicle
City Vampires Book One
By
Roxanne Rhoads
Hex and the Single Witch
The Story Behind the Story
My current release is paranormal romance/urban fantasy series based in and around my hometown of Flint, Michigan. Hex and the Single Witch: Vehicle City Vampires Book One.
The original background for the story came to me while I was driving through downtown Flint one day. After leaving the main strip of Saginaw Street that is the “downtown” area, surrounding areas and neighborhoods look like ghost towns. Businesses are boarded up, empty, and falling apart. Houses are even worse off. There are entire neighborhoods in and around Flint that are completely or almost completely empty. Out of fifty houses two may still have residents. That’s scary on so many different levels.
Suddenly an idea popped into my head- “what if, after all the humans left, Others started moving in?”
And the basic back story to my series came to life. Flint, Michigan becomes a hotbed of supernatural activity. Ghosts, ghouls, vampires, demons and were-creatures move in making the human population the minority.
Most of the remaining humans don’t even Others walk among them. A mass Hysteria of the late twentieth century almost eradicated entire species of Others- humans and Others were at war. Causalities were many on both sides. To end the war and stop the Hysteria a mass worldwide spelling was cast that made humans once again lose their memories that Other folk exist.
Most humans think that vampires, were-creatures and all types of Others are just movie magic and works of fiction. And the spelling was so successful that Others can walk openly among the humans and never be suspected of being Other.
The only people that see Others realistically are those who have the faintest drop of Other in their blood and those who are so strong willed the spelling didn’t take, and of course children who were born after the spelling took place.
The problem with this scenario is that not all Others are harmless, there are those thrive on danger, fear, and despair and revel in destruction.
So to keep the Others in line and keep supernatural crime to a minimum the Preternatural Investigation Team (dubbed the PIT Crew) was created as a special task force for the Flint Police Department.
Recruits for the PIT Crew are either Others or humans that know Others exist.
The main character of my book is Detective Anwyn Rose. She is an Other, a witch to be precise but her magic hasn’t ever been too flashy, however she has the ability to “know” things. Either by touch or just a direct line into someone’s mind, Anwyn is very useful at a crime scene. She can see what happened just by touching the victim or an object at the scene.
Her partner, Detective Mike Malone is human, and not too friendly with the “monsters”. However he has a thing for Anwyn even if technically she could be labeled as one of the “monsters”, but Anwyn has a thing for a vampire, Galen. To Malone a vampire is the worst of all monsters especially when Anwyn’s love interest turns out to be the prime suspect in a string of killings they are investigated.
The whole situation leads to heated arguments, steamy encounters, a lot of misfiring magic- and a hot love triangle.
And all that began with just a drive around Flint one day.
A couple of my previous short stories are set in the same world.
My short story collection Paranormal Pleasures Ten Tales of Supernatural Seduction, contains a few stories and characters that are linked in with this series set in Flint, particularly the story “Renata” which is set in Flushing. I would say Flushing is Flint’s richer, prettier neighbor. The vampire Renata has ties to Markus, who happens to be Detective Mike Malone’s uncle. I can’t divulge much more than that or I would give away plot twists in both “Renata” and Hex and the Single Witch but I expect Renata, Tony and Markus (all from the story Renata) to make appearances in this new series. Not in Book One other than a quick mention, but possibly in book two.
“The Questioning Concubine” and “Witching You a Merry Christmas” are also set in the same world as Hex and the Single Witch.
The Story Behind the Story
My current release is paranormal romance/urban fantasy series based in and around my hometown of Flint, Michigan. Hex and the Single Witch: Vehicle City Vampires Book One.
The original background for the story came to me while I was driving through downtown Flint one day. After leaving the main strip of Saginaw Street that is the “downtown” area, surrounding areas and neighborhoods look like ghost towns. Businesses are boarded up, empty, and falling apart. Houses are even worse off. There are entire neighborhoods in and around Flint that are completely or almost completely empty. Out of fifty houses two may still have residents. That’s scary on so many different levels.
Suddenly an idea popped into my head- “what if, after all the humans left, Others started moving in?”
And the basic back story to my series came to life. Flint, Michigan becomes a hotbed of supernatural activity. Ghosts, ghouls, vampires, demons and were-creatures move in making the human population the minority.
Most of the remaining humans don’t even Others walk among them. A mass Hysteria of the late twentieth century almost eradicated entire species of Others- humans and Others were at war. Causalities were many on both sides. To end the war and stop the Hysteria a mass worldwide spelling was cast that made humans once again lose their memories that Other folk exist.
Most humans think that vampires, were-creatures and all types of Others are just movie magic and works of fiction. And the spelling was so successful that Others can walk openly among the humans and never be suspected of being Other.
The only people that see Others realistically are those who have the faintest drop of Other in their blood and those who are so strong willed the spelling didn’t take, and of course children who were born after the spelling took place.
The problem with this scenario is that not all Others are harmless, there are those thrive on danger, fear, and despair and revel in destruction.
So to keep the Others in line and keep supernatural crime to a minimum the Preternatural Investigation Team (dubbed the PIT Crew) was created as a special task force for the Flint Police Department.
Recruits for the PIT Crew are either Others or humans that know Others exist.
The main character of my book is Detective Anwyn Rose. She is an Other, a witch to be precise but her magic hasn’t ever been too flashy, however she has the ability to “know” things. Either by touch or just a direct line into someone’s mind, Anwyn is very useful at a crime scene. She can see what happened just by touching the victim or an object at the scene.
Her partner, Detective Mike Malone is human, and not too friendly with the “monsters”. However he has a thing for Anwyn even if technically she could be labeled as one of the “monsters”, but Anwyn has a thing for a vampire, Galen. To Malone a vampire is the worst of all monsters especially when Anwyn’s love interest turns out to be the prime suspect in a string of killings they are investigated.
The whole situation leads to heated arguments, steamy encounters, a lot of misfiring magic- and a hot love triangle.
And all that began with just a drive around Flint one day.
A couple of my previous short stories are set in the same world.
My short story collection Paranormal Pleasures Ten Tales of Supernatural Seduction, contains a few stories and characters that are linked in with this series set in Flint, particularly the story “Renata” which is set in Flushing. I would say Flushing is Flint’s richer, prettier neighbor. The vampire Renata has ties to Markus, who happens to be Detective Mike Malone’s uncle. I can’t divulge much more than that or I would give away plot twists in both “Renata” and Hex and the Single Witch but I expect Renata, Tony and Markus (all from the story Renata) to make appearances in this new series. Not in Book One other than a quick mention, but possibly in book two.
“The Questioning Concubine” and “Witching You a Merry Christmas” are also set in the same world as Hex and the Single Witch.
Publisher:
Bewitching Books
Genre:
Paranormal Romance / Urban Fantasy
Word
Count: 83,000
Anwyn Rose is descended from a long line of powerful
witches yet she can barely cast spells young witchlings have mastered. She has
one functioning witch gift, the power of knowing, which she puts to good use as
a Detective on Flint’s Preternatural Investigation Team.
It’s a new era in Vehicle City, supernaturals are
running the town.
The P.I.T has their hands full with paranormal
crimes. Top priority is a serial killer, who appears to be a vampire, draining
young women in the city.
Anwyn is on the case with her sexy partner Detective
Mike Malone. Complicating things is her relationship Galen, a vampire who looks
more guilty than innocent, although Anwyn trusts her instincts even if her
power is on the fritz.
Mysterious spells, compromising situations, and a
possible demon on the loose make it hard to focus on the case, but Anwyn has to
make things right before the human police execute the wrong vampire.
Hex and the Single Witch contains magick, a little bit of mystery, a lot of supernatural mayhem, and a sexy love triangle that will leave you wanting more.
Excerpt featuring Mike Malone:
“You should have told me why you hate vampires so much. It was during the Hysteria wasn’t it?” The damn Hysteria ruined and destroyed so many lives all thanks to a bunch of power hungry vampires and Others who thought it was a good idea to let humans know they existed. Like the witch hunts, the burning times from before hadn’t proven that was a bad idea. But, no, they thought a new, modern generation of humans could handle it.
The Hysteria proved humans hadn’t evolved much. Of course, neither had the Others.
“Yeah,” he said into his hands.
“You know I lost my dad to vampires at the end. At the last battle. The rogues had the humans all riled up. No one knew what was going on, the riot started and there was this group of mercenaries, humans killing anything that moved. My dad’s team tried to get them out of there, but as soon as they realized vampires and Others were on the police squad the mercenaries decided to wipe everyone out. My dad was shot and while he was down rogue vampires finished him off.”
“Then how can you still be close to them?” Mike sneered.
“Humans played their part in his death too, Mike. Can I shut myself off from the world and hate everyone? It’s unrealistic. I understand your hate, but they are not all bad.”
“They all drink blood. They are monsters designed to kill humans.” His snarl looked ferocious.
I had not realized his hate ran so deep.
“And humans are designed to kill animals and each other. Doesn’t mean we all do.” Stubborn man.
“Anwyn, I’m sorry I can’t look at them the way you do.” He glanced at me then stared at the floor.
I touched his face gently and made him look at me. “Mike you can’t carry pain and anger around with you forever. Believe me, I know. I dragged it around with me for a long time. I lost both my dad and my mom that night. Even though my mom still lives and breathes, she’s not the same. But I can’t change it, and I can’t hate everyone for it. I just have to accept it. I took this job to try and prevent other kids from growing up with this pain and anger. Isn’t that why you took this job too? You know we have to fight the bad guys and take help from all the good guys we can, right?”
“Yeah,” he muttered.
I caressed his strong jaw. Goddess, he was a beautiful man. And more complex and tender than I had thought. I took off his top hat and laid it on the desk so I could run my fingers through his wild wavy hair. The move startled Mike and he look at me with a puzzled expression on his face for a moment before heat flared in his eyes.
As soon as I saw the flames in his eyes my body responded. A burning need rose inside me, an ache suddenly needed to be filled.
Mike’s expression changed into one that promised deliciously wicked things. Hot damn.
About the Author:
Story strumpet, tome
loving tart, eccentric night owl...these words describe book publicist and
erotic romance author Roxanne Rhoads.
When not fulfilling
one the many roles being a wife and mother of three require, Roxanne's world
revolves around words...reading them, writing them, editing them, and talking
about them. In addition to writing her own stories she loves to read, promote
and review what others write.
Roxanne is the owner of
Bewitching Book Tours and operates Fang-tastic Books, a book blog dedicated to paranormal
and urban fantasy books.
When not reading,
writing, or promoting Roxanne loves to hang out with her family, craft, garden
and search for unique vintage finds.
Visit her online
Author blog www.roxannesrealm.blogspot.com
Book Blog www.fang-tasticbooks.blogspot.com
Bewitching Book Tours
www.bewitchingbooktours.blogspot.com,
Facebook
Twitter @RoxanneRhoads
Want to meet the author? (if you're in the area)
October 24 Multi Author Book
Signing
Paranormal and Urban Fantasy
Panel
Featuring: Sidney Ayers (Demons
Like It Hot); DJ Desmyter (Hunted); Bruce Jenvey (Angela’s Coven); Gary W.
Olson (Brutal Light); Megan Parker (Scarlet Night); Cindy Spencer Pape
(Immortal Cravings); Roxanne Rhoads (Hex and the Single Witch); and Nathan
Squiers (Crimson Shadow: Noir).
7PM
Schuler’s Books Eastwood
2820 Towne Center Blvd.
Lansing, MI 48912
October 25 Multi-Author Signing
Davison Branch Genesee District
Library
203 E 4th St
Davison, MI 48423
6:30 PM
Get into the Halloween spirit
with a multi-author paranormal and urban fantasy book signing featuring Cindy
Spencer-Pape, Bruce Jenvey, Gary W. Olson, Roxanne Rhoads, Nathan Squiers, and
Megan J Parker.
October 27 Book Signing
Emporium 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. $5 at
the door all ages welcome
