The Clanless #1
Author: J.A. Campbell
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Released: July 7th 2014
Pubisher: Untold Press
Senior year is supposed to be fun: boys, dances and graduation. It’s significantly harder to enjoy it when you’re dead.
Thanks to an innocent game of Truth or Dare, I wound up sleeping in a graveyard. Probably not the brightest thing I’ve ever done, but thanks to a couple of well-placed fangs, I’m here to tell the tale.
Vampires might stalk pop culture, but they’re just myths, right? Yeah. Not so much…
Everything seems a lot more difficult when you’re a nocturnal creature of the night, especially school. I was managing, but couldn’t keep it hidden from my friends. Steph decided that we should be cool, like superheroes, and fight crime.
I’m a vampire, not a hero. Living in a sleepy New England town, crime is a little harder to come by. At least it is until a serial killer moves into the area. He’s got the authorities stumped, but then again, the cops don’t have a teenage, blood-sucking, non-hero on their team. It doesn’t take long for me to discover the world is full of monsters. I may be one of them…but will I turn out to be the hero, or the killer everyone is looking for.
Excerpt
"New recruit?" Gary asked when he looked at John.
"No," I said too quickly, ignoring the questioning look from John. "This is my brother,
John. He's on leave from the army. He didn't tell me he was coming home, so he could surprise
me." I finished my rapid explanation in a rush.
"New recruit to what?" Suspicion colored John's voice.
"Supernatural studies club," Tad said. "You're welcome to join, of course." John's mouth
gaped for a second before he snapped it shut. "Is that like studying witchcraft or something?"
"Uh...no." Gary sounded genuinely confused. "Well, I mean, witches are supernatural, so
we might study them. History." He reached into Tad's backpack, glancing down for a moment before pulling a book out and sliding it across the table. Werewolves Through Time wasn't quite
an accepted school textbook, but it had to be better than a witchcraft book.
"I see." John still sounded a little confused, but the spike of worry that had momentarily
overwhelmed my nose subsided. "What gave you this idea?"
"Weird shit." Gage was nothing, if not eloquent.
Steph rolled her eyes. "We met at the library, of all places, and got talking. I dragged
Meg and Ann in."
John seemed completely relieved, as if Steph would never lie to him.
"Excuse me. I have to use the restroom. Order my normal if they come by while I'm
gone." Steph left the table.
I suspected she left so she could text Ann our new story.
"Oh, so, John, this is Gary and Tad. Sorry, I forgot."
"No problem."
Now that we had our "story" worked out, I was grateful that Gary, Tad, and Gage were
there. With them around, John wouldn't bring up me sneaking out, if he did know. And with John
there, they wouldn't be able to bring up this morning's incident.
Whatever creature had killed the girl had made a mess, unlike the other murders. And it
had very obviously been targeting my victim, because there were plenty of people out on campus
who would have been easier to get to. What the hell?
The waiter arrived, and I started to decline before I remembered John would think that
was really strange. I had to order a burger and a shake, along with food for Steph, and we
managed to make small talk until she returned a short time later.
"Well, don't let me interrupt your meeting. Feel free to carry on," John said.
"No," I said too quickly, ignoring the questioning look from John. "This is my brother,
John. He's on leave from the army. He didn't tell me he was coming home, so he could surprise
me." I finished my rapid explanation in a rush.
"New recruit to what?" Suspicion colored John's voice.
"Supernatural studies club," Tad said. "You're welcome to join, of course." John's mouth
gaped for a second before he snapped it shut. "Is that like studying witchcraft or something?"
"Uh...no." Gary sounded genuinely confused. "Well, I mean, witches are supernatural, so
we might study them. History." He reached into Tad's backpack, glancing down for a moment before pulling a book out and sliding it across the table. Werewolves Through Time wasn't quite
an accepted school textbook, but it had to be better than a witchcraft book.
"I see." John still sounded a little confused, but the spike of worry that had momentarily
overwhelmed my nose subsided. "What gave you this idea?"
"Weird shit." Gage was nothing, if not eloquent.
Steph rolled her eyes. "We met at the library, of all places, and got talking. I dragged
Meg and Ann in."
John seemed completely relieved, as if Steph would never lie to him.
"Excuse me. I have to use the restroom. Order my normal if they come by while I'm
gone." Steph left the table.
I suspected she left so she could text Ann our new story.
"Oh, so, John, this is Gary and Tad. Sorry, I forgot."
"No problem."
Now that we had our "story" worked out, I was grateful that Gary, Tad, and Gage were
there. With them around, John wouldn't bring up me sneaking out, if he did know. And with John
there, they wouldn't be able to bring up this morning's incident.
Whatever creature had killed the girl had made a mess, unlike the other murders. And it
had very obviously been targeting my victim, because there were plenty of people out on campus
who would have been easier to get to. What the hell?
The waiter arrived, and I started to decline before I remembered John would think that
was really strange. I had to order a burger and a shake, along with food for Steph, and we
managed to make small talk until she returned a short time later.
"Well, don't let me interrupt your meeting. Feel free to carry on," John said.
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Sounds like an awesome read.
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