Happy Monday!
Over the last two weeks, I've strayed from my usual format, and in the coming New Year, I will be playing a bit with features here at Fiction for Dessert, but one thing that won't change is my presentation of excerpts from new and emerging authors. Today, I'm particularly excited to be introducing you to Dawn McCullough-White and her first in a series --
Cameo the Assassin. . .
The Kingdom of Sieunes is rife with taverns, dirty streets, and clay pipe smoking citizens all toiling to feed their families and keep themselves in something little better than rags. With a foiled revolution just ten years prior still burning in the hearts of many, the royals enlist the aid of assassins to keep things in order.
The townsfolk entertain themselves by dreaming of better times to come and regaling in stories of the undead said to walk the graveyards at night... and of Cameo the killer with corpse-like eyes... Scarred and jaded Cameo is one of the most effective assassins in the employ of the Association, moving from one mission to the next as long as the alcohol keeps flowing.
Her acceptance of the murder-for-hire lifestyle is thrown into doubt when she meets a local highwayman with a penchant for fine clothes and women, and then she begins to think about breaking with the company but no one ever breaks with the Association under good terms.
And if that description didn't grab you by the collar and scream "READ ME!" . . . how about this . . .
Excerpt from Cameo the Assassin:
In this scene, the two highwaymen Black Opal and Bellamy are waiting for the next coach to drive by so that they may rob it. Cameo is on a mission to kill Black Opal, and comes upon them here.
"I can't believe we're back here again," Bellamy groaned.
Opal loaded his pistol, "I'm out of cash."
"How can you be?!"
"Well," Opal smiled impishly, modeling the stunning black brocade ensemble he was wearing. "I simply cannot deny myself."
Bel sat down on a rock fence and sighed. "This has to be the last one Opal; this is just getting too tricky. We are too well known in these parts; we should move on.... Maybe to Shandow."
"Awfully cold there."
Bel met Opal's hazel eye, serious and annoyed.
"It's something to think about. But for now, where is that coach?"
"Maybe highwaymen got to it," a deep female voice interrupted.
Both Opal and Bel turned with pistols in hand, but Cameo's was drawn on them already.
"There are two of us little lady," Bellamy coaxed.
Cameo raised an eyebrow and smirked, "Indeed. Well, I have two pistols."
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Here's what reviewer Syria Says had to say about Cameo the Assassin:
"Cameo is an assassin for hire and she's good at her job. Very good. She is also the stuff of local legends and frightening children's rhymes. Her story begins after she receives an atypical assassination assignment and a chance encounter leads to unexpected changes in her "typical" assassin routine. Cameo manages to make friends and make new enemies when she becomes the target of an attempted assassination.
I am extremely pleased with Cameo the Assassin and am looking forward to reading the second book Cameo and the Highwayman. Without giving away too much of the plot, I can say that a book with a central character like Cameo is like nothing else I've had the pleasure of reading and I can only hope that Ms. McCullough-White continues this series for many, many volumes!"
_____
There are two books in this series so far.
which is just .99 cents
and
which is still a steal at $2.99
If you enjoyed what you sampled here, I highly recommend downloading a longer FREE sample from Amazon. You won't be disappointed.
Dawn McCullough-White writes mainly dark fantasy and horror. Her novels tend to favor the use of anti-authority anti-heroes as the main characters, most commonly with a strong, female protagonist.
Dawn was born in 1969, in Rochester, NY, and began writing prose at age 14. Ms. McCullough-White is married and has a young son. She is fascinated by history and social psychology. She is a vegetarian and animal lover. Her favorite drink is Gewürztraminer. She's fan of Alice in Chains, U2, and Stabbing Westward, her favorite books include The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien, A Movable Feast by Ernest Hemingway, and The Social Animal by Elliot Aronson.
I would love to develop a dialogue between readers and authors here at Fiction for Dessert, so feel free to leave comments for or ask questions of Ms. McCullough-White. It's an open forum. Chat! Have fun. :-)
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