K.A. Poe began writing at a very young age and was often praised
for her skills even before middle school. She completely wrote her first
full-length novel in 2008 at the age of nineteen. She specializes in fantasy
novels, both modern and mythical. She currently resides in the deserts of
Arizona with her husband and daughter. Writing has always been her passion in
life.
When she isn't occupied with her family and writing, she enjoys
playing games such as Skyrim and Sims 3. You might also find her deeply
immersed in a book or drawing random doodles.
She has currently published three books (Twin Souls, Hybrid, and
Sacrifice - Books 1, 2, and 3 of the Nevermore series), with their sequel being
completed in the near future. She is also working on several other novels
outside of the Nevermore series.
Twin Souls -
Seventeen year old Alexis finds herself on the eve of her eighteenth birthday.
What generally means a step into adulthood instead opens its way to a
terrifying truth about not only her family, but herself. She comes from a long
line of vampire hunters, and her real dad wants her to carry on the family
quest. At the same time, she is falling for a new boy at school who has his own
secret. He is a vampire. Alexis is forced to make a decision from which there
is no turning back. - Will she deny this newly discovered heritage, or embrace
it.
Excerpt from Twin Souls –
The rough pitter-patter of rain
against the tin roof caused me to stir in my sleep, but I struggled to fight
it. I yearned to remain under the warmth of my thick quilt, wandering aimlessly
through the dream world. But, alas, I knew reality would ease its way in and
pull me out. As hard as I tried to ignore it, my eyes flew open and all memory
of dreams faded away. I sighed heavily and pressed my pillow hard against my
eyes, blocking out the relentless sunlight that snuck in through the creases in
the blinds. Slowly, I tore away my brief shelter from the radiance and let my
eyes adjust. I stumbled to the bathroom, rinsed my face and brushed my teeth
before swiftly walking downstairs to the kitchen.
I was surprised to find it empty,
void of any evidence that my mother had even been there fifteen minutes prior.
Most mornings I would find her sitting at the quaint glass table, pressed up
against the far wall, sipping a quick cup of coffee before she rushed off to
work. My mother didn't hold the greatest job title in the world, but the money
was sufficient enough to pay the bills and to feed us. She worked as a
zookeeper at the local zoo and had been in that same position for as far back
as I could remember. My father isn't even worth mentioning. After I turned six
he became absent in my life, beyond the occasional postcard from wherever he
happened to be at the time. During a mid-life crisis he decided that “living
his life to the fullest” was more important than his ten year marriage, not to
mention his six-year-old daughter. Now he spent his time traveling the world
with his much younger and wealthy girlfriend, Melissa. I hated to even think of
her, though I had never even met her.
As I thought over my mother's
unexpected absence, I plucked a porcelain blue bowl from the cupboard and
poured a generous amount of cereal and milk into it before sitting at the
vacant table. My eyes were instantly drawn to the white, perfectly folded note
that lay against the transparent surface. Sprawled across the paper in my mom's
unmistakable handwriting was my name: Alexis.
I wasn't sure why, but something
deep down told me that this couldn't be good. Something was wrong, and this
letter was the only way I would find out just what it was. I swallowed hard as
I lifted the crisp paper and unfolded it. Panic welled up inside as I read the
first sentence.
'Dear Alexis, September 8, 2012
This isn't easy for me to say, and it won't be
easy for you to hear either.'
Part of me didn't want to
continue reading, but my eyes betrayed me as they went along down the paper.
'The house has been put in your
name, and I have left an envelope on the counter beside the coffee pot where
you will find enough money to support yourself for at least the next three
months. I will send you more as needed. Do you remember Mark? The man who
offered me the job in Denver? I know how hard it was on you when you heard that
we might have to move, and I decided that this might be easier. I will be
making twice as much there as I was here, and won't have any trouble paying for
you to stay home. Mark and I are moving in together.'
My forehead creased as the last
words sunk in. Mom had a boyfriend, and I didn't even know about it...
****
Hybrid -
Alexis has come a long way since learning the truth about her vampire hunting
lineage. If becoming a hunter wasn't bad enough, she discovered that she
possessed a gift few hunters have ever been blessed with. The gift of the
raven. But is this a gift or a curse?
When a mysterious new girl starts hanging around Alexis' friends and lurking
around town, Alex suspects the worst. Is Claire more than she seems? One thing
is certain, Alex needs to learn to control her new ability in order to make
sure the ones she loves stay safe.
Excerpt from Hybrid
–
As if being a vampire hunter hadn’t been bad enough,
there was also the dilemma of being in love with the enemy. Fortunately, he was
nothing like the rest of them. He was gentle, more in touch with his human
side, and feasted on the blood of animals instead of humans. While that was
comforting, I couldn't help but worry that something could corrupt him...like
it had my foster mother's boyfriend, who turned out to be a vampire. He was
like Salem, unwilling to feed on humans, until Janet cut herself one day and he
lost control.
Salem had been around me plenty of times when I was
bleeding and never showed any interest, but that worry was always there. Then
there was the other concern that I tried to ignore every time it slipped into
my mind—what if I ever did something to hurt him? I was capable, beyond
capable. It wasn't something that I would ever want to do, but I had powers
that I couldn't completely control.
The ability to become a raven was something that ran
in my genes, however it was rare. I was only the fourth Waldron known to
possess the 'gift', as my father, Paul, called it. However, I wasn't quite to
the stage of being able to do it at will. It most often occurred when I was
around a vampire, or was in danger, and I phased easily in and out of shape.
Paul thought the more I let it happen naturally the better I would be able to
control it. Salem and I were both hesitant to attempt that, considering it
would involve me being in danger. But, I finally felt ready to give it a shot,
especially if hunting was going to become a regular routine in my life. The
better I was at it, the less blood-sucking monsters there would be lurking
around the world, and the less innocent people like Janet—my foster mom—would
die. I could only imagine how many there were out there. Salem and his Sire,
Raziel, had come from England before traveling to America. The thought made my
mind whirl at the possibilities. If a few vampires could find their way into
the quiet little town of Willowshire, then they could be anywhere...everywhere.
That night I was to meet Paul and my aunt Kim in the
cemetery—one of the last places I wanted to go. Less than six months ago, I had
nearly died there at the hands of Raziel. I was extremely lucky to have
survived with just a fractured leg and a few scratches, as well as a very
conspicuous mark on my throat that left an unsightly scar. Every morning I
struggled to cover it with a layer of makeup, or ensure I was wearing a shirt
or hoodie that hid the evidence. My leg had healed up nicely and I was
thankfully capable of walking without crutches after only a couple of months.
If it hadn't been for Salem...my mind whirled again at the possibilities.
I sighed and rested my head against the cool pillow
behind me. I was alone in the massive canopy bed in Salem's bedroom. It was
without a doubt the most comfortable piece of furniture imaginable. The
mattress was plush, draped in ebony silk, and wide enough that I could spread
out in any position I wanted—which, at that moment, was curled up in a ball
worrying about the meeting.
Salem was out hunting, probably sucking the life out
of a poor little rabbit in the forest beyond the large Victorian that I had
begun to call home. It still bothered me to some extent that he had to kill
innocent animals to survive, but I favored that idea over the unthinkable
alternative.
Where to buy Hybrid -
http://www.amazon.com/Hybrid-Nevermore-Book-2-ebook/dp/B008HGJ3K2
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008HGJ3K2
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hybrid-ka-poe/1114042898?ean=2940045120852
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/hybrid/id585944589?mt=11
http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Hybrid-Nevermore-Book-2/book-3-qH3lmbyEqxg1jdoJNyzQ/page1.html
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/260232
https://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/k-a-poe/hybrid-nevermore-book-2/_/R-400000000000000885389
Sacrifice -
Enraged beyond reason at his returned wife's death, Paul has set his sights
not only back on Salem, but on his own daughter Alexis as well. Having little
other choice than abandoning their home, Alex, Salem, and Hannah begin to flee
to an unknown location.
After a drop of Alex's blood streaks down her beloved book from her foster
mother, the pages transform into a long kept secret journal. Inside what at
first seems to be little more than a diary of an ancient vampire slayer, the
trio find more than just hunting techniques. Locked within its pages contains
hope of a cure, and a promise of a normal life.
Will Alex be able to decipher the journal and reach salvation before her
vampiric side becomes too hard to control? Can Hannah really be trusted after
what she has done? And is Salem really ready to sacrifice all for a normal
life?
Excerpt from Sacrifice
–
Hannah pulled the
Alero to a stop outside a gas station just as we exited Willowshire. She leaned
over the driver seat to stare at the words developing on the pages of what we
had once thought to be just an ordinary journal. I skipped through a lot of the
book that seemed to contain detailed information about vampires and hunting,
until I came across a few that stood out and made me curious:
August 10, 1514
The worst possible thing has occurred to me
this night. Whilst out hunting, I fell prey to a vampire – the wound is still
fresh, the hunger to feed is overwhelming even so early into the transition.
How I maintain the urge to kill them – my own kind – I do not understand. I
have become the hunted.
They will be after me now, when once we were
comrades in this battle against evil, we now are enemies fighting against the
same opponent.
Ezra N. Chase
August 12, 1514
The blood of animals is not enough to sustain
this thirst I feel. It is with much regret that I admit to the heinous crime of
inflicting murder upon a mortal to feed myself…and I fear that they shall not
be the last.
Ezra N. Chase
September 30, 1514
Rumor has been spread of a fountain across the
ocean, in this ‘New World’, that replenishes one’s youth and cures their
ailments. I cannot help wondering if this sacred water could be the answer I
seek.
What harm is there in trying?
Ezra N. Chase
October 14, 1514
Traveling by boat has been tense. The scent of
the crewmen’s blood surrounds me as we make our voyage to where we hope to
discover the fountain. There is no livestock on the boat, thus I keep to myself
below deck as far from the crew as possible to avoid what I fear most. One
mistake and this chance could slip through my fingers.
A man huddled in the dark belly of a ship,
feasting off stowaway rats – what have I become?
Ezra N. Chase
October 20, 1514
The shame that I feel on this night is…indescribable.
One of the crewmen ventured below deck…before I had the chance to consider my
actions, he was limp in my arms. My only option was to give the rest of the
crew the same fate and guide the ship by myself.
The journey has been rough thus far, but my
strength has been restored. I am nearing a week’s time into this voyage, from
the logs I can assume I am almost half way to this ‘New World’.
Ezra N. Chase
October 29, 1514
With much effort I have reached my
destination. Despite my knowledge of sailing, it was beyond a chore navigating
the ship to this land. Handicapped with a crew of zero I had to abandon the
ship a mile or more from shore and swim the remainder.
I was near instantly met by a brown skinned
man who looked beyond shocked to see me. With nothing more than wood and stone
weapons he stood little chance to my hunger. As much as I despise myself for it
I regret to say there is something marvelous in the act of feeding, a primal
exhilaration I have never felt prior.
God forgive me.
Ezra N. Chase
November 9, 1514
I have searched many supposed sites of the
rumored fountain – so far to no avail. I pray it was more than just rumor! This
land is vast beyond belief; there is no telling where it might be.
I have decided to return to the ship, pull anchor,
and attempt to sell further down the shoreline in search of my quarry. I can
only hope the hull has maintained integrity.
Ezra N. Chase
November 13, 1514
The ship has run aground on some unseen
obstruction below the waters. If I am to find evidence of the fountain then it
shall be by foot.
Perhaps
it is Fate that has brought me to this place.
Ezra N. Chase
Where to buy Sacrifice -
http://www.amazon.com/Sacrifice-Nevermore-Book-3-ebook/dp/B00AGGCM0Y
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Twin-Souls-Nevermore-Book-ebook/dp/B007Q4JDEM/
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sacrifice-ka-poe/1114043136?ean=2940045126205
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/sacrifice-nevermore-book-3/id585949938?mt=11
http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Sacrifice-Nevermore-Book-3/book-Ep4kFsCKsEahnqCC4aMSXg/page1.html
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/260987
https://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/k-a-poe/twin-souls-nevermore-book-1/_/R-400000000000000885374
Destiny -
Salem and Alexis have regained their mortality, but at a grave cost.
Disregarding Hannah’s warning of a dark and terrible future, the now human
couple is wed. Planned celebrations are cut short when Desmond gives his
daughter and new son-in-law the opportunity for a relaxing honeymoon, with one
catch.
Now Alexis and Salem must travel to Romania to meet a mysterious man who is
offering an irresistible opportunity. Every opportunity has a cost, however,
and some are too high to bear. Will Alexis be willing to risk all in order to
get what she has always wanted?
For better or worse, one thing is certain—Alexis will come face-to-face with
her destiny.
Excerpt from Destiny
–
Desmond
was far too distracted by taking Salem and me on sightseeing trips. We had
already spent two weeks in Romania without even a mention of the mysterious man
that wanted so desperately to meet me. The most memorable place so far had been
the botanical gardens in Cluj-Napoca. It was a peaceful journey with sights
portraying forestry, grassy plains, and exotic plants I had never seen before.
He also took us by the Orthodox Cathedral in Sibiu. The interior walls were
painted in large murals and statues stood all over. Antique wooden pews lined
the path to a beautiful altar decorated with fresh flowers. Overall, I appreciated
the trips to places I would otherwise never even have considered visiting, but
I was yearning to meet this man he brought me here to see. I refrained as much
as possible from asking about it as I did not want to seem ungrateful or rude,
but I was beyond anxious.
Our
honeymoon had ended abruptly due to this spontaneous trip. Thankfully we had
gotten to enjoy a brief weekend together before leaving. After that however, we
had had very little time alone. Even the hotel rooms had not been enough to
earn us any privacy. Desmond always got single rooms with two beds, perhaps
hoping to prevent us from doing anything he disapproved of – despite the fact
that we were a married couple now.
After
putting up with this for far too long, I finally decided it was time to get
some alone time with Salem. As much as I had enjoyed catching up with my
childhood dad, I needed a break from the constant discussions of previous
expensive journeys he and Melissa had been on. I was also sick of hearing about
their grand plans for the future. If they told me one more time about Hawaii
being their next Christmas destination I would scream. It felt like Desmond was
shoving it all down my throat. Whether he intended it or not, after a while all
I heard was bragging about how he led a life of luxury. I had been left to my
single, zoo-keeping foster mother to scrounge out a living while he circled the
globe. Regardless, I was happy with my life – if I had been off on worldly
adventures with Desmond and Melissa, there was no telling if or when I may have
met Salem.
When
we left from dinner at Corso Café, I told Desmond that Salem and I were going
to go for a brisk walk and would meet him back at the hotel later. He seemed
uneasy at first, then with a forced smile he agreed to leave us be. I observed
him quietly as he climbed into a cab with Melissa and headed toward the hotel.
I sighed deeply with relief and pulled Salem against me in a tight hug.
“Finally!”
I cheered enthusiastically and kissed him gently. It was still odd feeling
warmth in his lips, but it was a good thing.
Salem
smiled tenderly and took my hand in his. “He is just trying to make up for lost
time, Alex.”
I
shrugged. “That doesn’t mean he has to always be around.”
“You
are right, of course…but you must understand how he feels. I am sure he is full
of guilt about what he did.”
Stopping
in our steps as we passed the restaurant, I stared deeply into his
violet-tinted blue eyes and arched a brow. “He’s been talking to you, hasn’t
he?”
“Occasionally,
when you have fallen asleep, or make use of the restroom,” he admitted.
“Desmond feels horrible for what became of his relationship with you and Janet,
and he is struggling to get closer to you.”
Vianka Van Bokkem writes Paranormal
Romance/Fantasy/Mythology/Sci-Fi/Historical Fiction. She has been a fan
of the ‘supernatural’ since she was a child.
