Guest Blog~ The Dark Age of Bruce Mael by Alexis Allinson

Looking for a new book to read over the holidays? This week I am hosting two great authors and sharing tidbits about their books.

Today I am featuring author Alexis Allinson and her second book in the Darkness Rising Universe Series, The Dark Age of Bruce Mael. She will also be sharing an interview and excerpt for you all. So, take a look! This may be the book for you!

The Dark Age of Bruce Mael

Darkness Rising Universe Series: Book 2

There had always been something dark inside of Bruce.  Ever since he was a small child it would rear its ugly head and he would give into the desires of its nature.

Sarah was drawn to him for longer than Bruce could have known.  It wasn’t just a chance meeting at the Winter Solstice Party, Sarah made sure it happened and that Bruce would never forget.

Maybe, it was the inherent darkness within him that leads Bruce to his eternal fate.

Dark Fantasy/Horror

Here’s an Excerpt:

Bruce’s head was filled with emotions as he mindlessly walked into a pub called ‘Doyle’s’ that was situated just down the street from McGregor the stone cutter.  He flopped into a chair and pounded his fist on the table for service.  Looking around the room seeing it was full, it appeared all here were with good humor for the night.  A wench walked over and brought him a mug of ale.  She smiled at him, “Back again are ya?  You want the pheasant or the stew?”

Bruce looked at her and as he was about to answer he thought he saw something from the corner of his left eye, near the fire, that drew his attention in a forceful manner.  When he looked past the woman, all he saw were a couple of men, in their heavy kilts, eating stew.  Shaking his head to help clear his mind he turned his attention back to his waitress.  “Any fresh game?”

“Ha!” boldly bellowed the waitress.  “Your senses are good.  Got some deer just last night.  I guess you’d be wantin’ that.” Bruce nodded and she turned away to fetch him a plate.

Bruce went back to surveying the room.  He had been here many times in the last few months.  He knew almost every patron, even if they had no clue who he was, and he knew all the girls.  Looking at the wooden walls and tables he couldn’t help, but feel there was something else there.  It was like something he should be seeing, yet was missing.  He scanned through the crowd.  It was fuller than normal on this night.  People were in good spirits now the snows had gone and warmer weather was upon them was most likely the reason for the expanded crowd.

He watched as his waitress returned with his food.  She put it down in front of him. She then put out her hand.  Not thinking, Bruce handed her five coins.  One was for the ale, two were for the meal and the other two to keep her happily coming back to fill his mug.  She smiled at him, as she always did, and he could see she was genuinely pleased to be serving him.

As Bruce was about to stick his utensil into his deer he looked over at the stairs leading up to the next floor.

First he blinked in disbelief as he stared at the woman on the bottom step.  Then he looked her over, trying to make sense of what his eyes were showing him.  Her dress was plain being made up of a brown leather bodice that was laced tightly up her chest and the fabric of her small shortened sleeves and skirt was the color of moss.  Her skin was a healthy pink in this lighting and her hair of dark brown was left mostly loose to flow over her shoulders, down her back and reaching just below her bottom.  Her eyes of dark brown stared back at him. Bruce blinked again.  It was Sarah; the woman who had run off from their love making thirty years ago. 

Bruce’s brow furrowed. It didn’t make any sense.  If this was her, she had not aged a day since he last seen her.  He scowled further as he dared to think this could be her.  He was about to take his first bite of meat when he saw her wink at him.  Uncontrollably he dropped his fork and sat up straight.  His eyes met with hers.  This is when she smiled coyly at him and ran up the stairs.

Bruce rose to his feet, hassled through the few people in the way and went up the stairs after her.  He remembered that smile from the day he and Sarah had spent in the garden on the castle grounds.  Reaching the top of the stairs he just caught a glimpse of her going into the room at the far end of the hall to the right.  Standing there, fidgeting a little he thought, ‘she just looks like Sarah.  I know it’s not her, but if by chance…’   He didn’t realize he had moved down the hall and was waiting outside of the closed door where she had disappeared through.

First Bruce licked his lips, and then he raised his right hand and knocked on the door.  He felt cold, and in a dreamlike state.  It wasn’t really Sarah.  The girl was just a look-a-like.

“Come in,” was the answer to his knock.

Bruce put his hand on the door knob and started to turn it.  Once the knob was twisted all the way to the left he took a deep breath and walked into the room.

The main object he saw in the dim lamp light was the bed.  It was neatly made, but not something that appeared anyone would want to sleep on.  He knew that didn’t matter as it wasn’t really for sleeping in.  He then looked to the far wall, opposite the door. 

The girl was standing there by a window, looking out at the street.  Bruce moved the rest of the way into the room and closed the door.  Forgetting to forget his accent he returned to his native sound, “Sarah?”  This was just as much a question as it was a statement.

She turned to look at him and smiled, “Hello, Bruce.”

Bruce shook his head in disbelief.  “It can’t be.  You can’t be Sarah.  You haven’t changed at all.  You’re still a young girl.”

She took a couple steps closer to him and the lamplight illuminated her face fully.  Her dark eyes seemed to twinkle and her face looked at ease.  “It is me, Bruce and I have not aged, nor will I ever.”

“What magic is this?” Bruce questioned without realizing that he had said it out loud to her.

Sarah moved closer. “You’re more handsome now that maturity has run across your face.  Your jaw is that of a man, not a boy.  The grey at your temples is distinguished.  Your eyes are deep pools of life waiting, wanting, and needing to see more than what has been shown to you.”

Bruce was now looking down at her. She had moved so smoothly to stand next to him he had not realized she had moved at all.  His eyes found themselves lost within hers. He was motionless.  Every bit of her was the same. Not even a mark or wrinkle had dared to mar her perfect beauty.  She even smelled the same; wildflowers, planted in fresh soil, was the scent all around her.

“You broke my heart when you left,” Bruce whispered.

“Not as much as I broke my own,” Sarah returned.

“I grow weak with age.  My heart has been sick since you left,” he whispered softly, “It has lost its rhythm since it left with you.”

Sarah nuzzled her face into Bruce’s neck to speak more softly, “I hurt you deeply when I left you.”

Bruce nodded, “More deeply than I can say, and now seeing you, feeling you, smelling you I grow weaker.  I will not live long should I have to be without you again.”

Sarah buried her nose into his neck and took a deep whiff through her nostrils.  His scent was invigorating.  She then tilted her head back towards his ear.  He now embraced her in his arms and she was holding him tightly with hers.  She used her nose to play with his ear lobe.  “I’m sorry,” she whispered into Bruce’s ear, “but I must hurt you again, but only so that we will never have to endure the misery of ever being apart.”

Before Bruce’s mind could wrap around her last words, the excruciating pinch of agony was suddenly taking over the side of his neck.  He lacked the ability to scream.  She had stabbed him!  He felt weak and his knees were giving way.  He struggled to retain consciousness and was failing. 

As his eyes fluttered from moments of open to close, his rapidly weakening state gave him the time to understand that she had not stabbed him, but was biting him.  She was devouring him from the inside out.  His heart, which had been beating so rapidly in the excitement of being with her, was slowing.  He wasn’t sure that he was taking in breath.  His eyes started to close; he forced them open.  He was being drained of who he was.  He was not Bruce McHale and soon, his eyes shut and then forced back open, he was not going to be Bruce Mael.  His eyes shut again.  His heart thumped slowly.  It had to be great lengths of time between counted beats.  He opened his eyes again.  Her face was staring at him.  He fell into the deep, dark brown pits of her eyes. Her mouth looked crooked.  She had elongated fangs sitting on either side of her top four.

“Shhhh, Bruce, my love,” she said in a voice that was distant yet close, like the wind in his dying ears.

Bruce knew this was his death.  He closed his eyes.

The Dark Age of Bruce Mael is Available Now!

BUY IT HERE

Amazon                   AmazonUK                 Lulu

About the Author/Author Interview:

Hello.  I am Alexis Allinson and I am an author of dark fantasy/horror and the occational science fiction and children’s stories.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

“At an extremely young age. As young as 3 I was writing things down and telling stories and making puppet shows for anyone who would listen. Mostly my parents.”

How long does it take you to write a book?

“It varies depending on how much time I have to sit and write. It ends up being weekends and evenings usually. I have small children who take up almost all of my time during the days.”

What is your work schedule like when you’re writing?

“As I just said, it is mostly evenings and weekends. Occasionally when my littlest one naps. No more than a couple hours at a time most days.”

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

“I often play music in the background that caters to the scene I’m writing.”

Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?

“The idea comes first, and it can come from random daydreams, dreaming at night or just about anything around me that triggers a creative thought. I do most of my research online, but have also talked to people and used encyclopedias.”

When did you write your first book and how old were you?

“I wrote my first novel in late 1994 when I was 20 years old. It has yet to be published, but the hope is still there.”

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

“Being with my family, reading, knitting, cooking and just everyday sort of stuff. A lot of boring little things.”

What does your family think of your writing?

“That varies. My husband and children think it is great, but I have other family who are not so supportive.”

How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

“I have written 5 complete novels to date and am currently writing number 6. I also have a small collection of children’s stories I’m playing with and some poetry of which I have actually lost count. As for my favourite to date, that would be like asking my to pick a favourite child. It doesn’t exist. There are aspects of all of them that I am extremely proud of.”

Do you have any suggestions to help me become a better writer? If so, what are they?

“Write for yourself. Don’t write for others.”

Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?

“I actually hear from my readers fairly frequently, and they often say I write in a way that won’t allow them to put the book down”

Do you like to create books for adults?

“Yes”

What do you think makes a good story?

“Plot twists. I like to find or add things that are unexpected.”

As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?

“Write Stories. I have always like writing and telling stories.”

What are the most important elements of good writing? According to you, what tools are must-haves for writers?

“I find the most important element is to write the story for yourself, because if you don’t like it, nobody else will either. The most important tool required for my writing, but maybe not everyone’s, would be COFFEE.”

Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? If so, what do you do about it?

“I have yet to suffer from writer’s block, but often suffer from time-block. There is just not enough time in a day to do everything I need to, want to and should all in 24 hours.”

What is the message in your book? What are your readers’ reactions to it?

“Nothing is as it seems so don’t take anything around you for granted.”

What are your current / future projects?

“I am currently preparing to release the 3^rd novel in my “Darkness Rising Universe” series along with prepping to start writing the 4^th. I am also currently working on my 1^st YA novel called “Jason and the Astronauts” which is a future retelling of the classic Greek story. My husband described it as Jason and the Argonauts meet The Cannonball Run in outer space. I have also got my 1^st children’s story book away at the illustrator.”

What book(s) / author(s) have influenced your life and writing?

Everything I have ever read has influenced my writing is some way or another.

Where are you from?

I was born and raised in Eastern Ontario but live in Orillia, Ontario.

What do you do to unwind and relax?

Mostly I drink coffee, read, have some more coffee, knit and maybe have a coffee.”

Author Links

Facebook                  Twitter

Did you hear that? Alexis Allinson is working on book 3 of the Darkness Rising Universe Series. Keep an eye out for that! If you are like me and have to read in order, or if you are really interested in reading the overall series, here are the links for book 1.

The Redemption of D.C. Hayes

Darkness Rising Universe Series: Book 1

Amazon             AmazonUK             Lulu

Thank you, Alexis, for stopping by! And thank you all for reading! Keeping stopping in!

~H.A.B.