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J. K. Holmes

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CRIMSON SWAN
A Dark Urban Fantasy Novel by J. K. Holmes

A serial killer stalkes vampires in Jefferson, Mississippi and Alexandra Sabian -- a vampire and Enforcer with the Federal Bureau of Preternatural Investigation -- must fight the media, small town prejudice, and her past to find the killer before her brother becomes the next victim.

***

Excerpt from Chapter 1:
Six lifeless eyes followed him, silent witnesses who would never share their stories, never reveal his secrets.
He tried to ignore their accusing stares by turning his back to them but six pinpoints of heated malice bore into him as he swung the hammer. Each strike drove the sharpened cross through layers of flesh and bone to pierce the still heart of his latest victim.
No, he shouldn’t call it a victim. It was nothing to him. It wasn’t even human. It, and others like it, would pay for their crimes. Crimes committed against him, his family, and against God himself.
Those bastards would pay for what they had done to Claire. He would see to that.
The final blow landed and the hammer fell to the blood-soaked cement floor with a dull thud, splashing drops of congealing blood onto his already stained work boots. He stared at his handiwork and smiled. It was perfect, just like the others. He giggled as he wiped a bloody hand across his sweating brow.
“That bitch’ll never figure this out,” he said, turning to his mute audience. “Not ‘til it’s too late, anyway.”
Six lifeless eyes stared at him in adoration. Three mouths opened in a silent chorus, singing his praises, as he waltzed to a tune of his own design with the memory of his beloved Claire.

Want to read more?

CRIMSON SWAN , the first in the Alexandra Sabian series, recently sold to Bantam Dell for publication in September 2009. It's a dark urban fantasy novel that combines two of my favorite subjects: vampires and forensic science. The sequel, A WICKED TURN , is in the works and finds Alex searching for two missing girls. The only clues to their disappearance are a business card advertising a role-playing website and a fake vampire fang. Can she find them before it's too late?

Be sure to check out my website for more information, fun stuff, and short stories:


The Worlds of J. K. Holmes

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Announcements regarding the publication and promotion of the novel CRIMSON SWAN and author appearances will be posted first on the e-mail list!


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About Jeannie K. Holmes:

First of all, even though my name is Jeannie, my friends call me J. K. -- it's easier to remember. *g* I'm a native of southwest Mississippi but now live in Mobile, Alabama with my husband, Mark, and our four cats -- Chaos, Panic, Disorder, and Nugget. When I'm not writing, I'm a graduate student at the University of South Alabama working toward my MA degree in English with an emphasis in creative writing and always on the prowl for the perfect megahugebighonkin'ginormous cup of coffee -- white chocolate mochas are my absolute favorite.

Member of the Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, Romance Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, Alabama Writers Forum, International Order of Horror Professionals, and the Association for Gravestone Studies


*Disclaimer: Vlad's Tears © is not a real product, but rather the creation of J. K. Holmes as part of a fictional vampire series.


CrimeSpace
A place for readers and writers of crime fiction to schmooze, booze and draw up plans for the heist to end all heists.


J. K. Holmes http://JKH495.bebo.com/

My Interests

Writing, fiction, novels, short stories, urban fantasy, horror, science fiction, mystery, suspense/thriller, vampires, werewolves, ghosts, art, knife throwing

I'd like to meet:

The list is long and too frightening for children to see. Parental discretion is advised.

Alfred Hitchcock - Wait, he's dead.
Peter Benchley - Oh, yeah, he's dead too.
Edgar Allan Poe - Damn, another dead one.
Janis Joplin - Again, dead.
Jim Morrison - Also dead.
Jackson Pollock - Another dead one.
H. P. Lovecraft - Very much dead.
William Shakespeare - Seriously dead.
Stephen King - Ah ha! We've got a live one!
Dean Koontz - He's alive, too!
Charlaine Harris - Very much alive.
Kim Harrison - Also very alive.
Faith Hunter - Alive and well.
Vicki Pettersson - Another live one.
Carolyn Haines - Oh, wait. I already know her. I see her at least once a week. Duh.
J. K. Rowling - I bow before greatness...
Larry Elmore - Check him off the list...met him years ago in Biloxi, Mississippi at CoastCon XV.
Margaret Weis - One of the first people to inspire me through her own kick-ass writing.
Tracy Hickman - Margaret Weis's partner in the original Dragonlance series. May as well collect the whole set, right?
Robert Englund - Duh, hello! Freddy Krueger!
Bruce Campbell - Who doesn't want to meet him?
Paula Deen - Don't ask...
Johnny Depp - For obvious reasons...
Todd Lockwood - Who's that, you ask...only one of the greatest fantasy artists of all time. Look him up.
Julius Caesar - Again with the dead guys...
Rob Zombie - He's just...well, weird. Besides I like his music, his art, his movies...
Alice Cooper - The original shock rocker. Been a fan for years.
Sully Erna - Godsmack rules!
Laurie Cabot - The Official Witch of Salem, MA
Tom Savini - Hollywood Horror Special FX Guru/Actor/Director...I met Tom on Oct. 30, 2007! Woohoo!! He's a great guy with a wicked sense of humor.

But mostly, I'd like to meet lovers of good coffee, other dark urban fantasy, horror, paranormal, and thriller writers, mystery and romance writers, readers, booksellers, agents, editors, artists, musicians -- anyone who's really interesting.

Note: I do NOT accept friend requests from people with private profiles. I understand wanting to have a little privacy. Nothing wrong with it. In fact, I enjoy mine, what little I have now. However, MySpace is a public forum. If you want to be friends with people, you have to introduce yourself. That's the function of the profile. You know who I am. If you want me to be a friend, I have to know who you are. If you have your profile set to "private" and still want to be my friend, send me a message, introduce yourself and I'll consider it. Otherwise, I will automatically deny your request and you'll miss your chance to join me on my quest for the perfect megahugebighonkin'ginormous cup of coffee.


Music:

I'll listen to just about anything, but tend to prefer hard rock/heavy metal from the 1980s. (Yes, I'm a product of the great Hair Bands of the 1980s. Long live the power ballad!)

Hair Bands:
Poison, GnR, Cinderella, Bon Jovi, Skid Row, Slaughter, Motley Crue

Contemporary:
Godsmack, Rob Zombie, Alice Cooper, NIN, H.I.M., Seether, Evanescence, Disturbed, AC/DC, Metallica, The Great and Powerful Oz!, Marilyn Manson, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Korn, Aerosmith, Isabella Boulay, Dixie Chicks, White Zombie

Classics:
The Eagles, Stevie Nicks, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Charlie Daniels Band, Jimmy Buffet

Movies:

General: Anything by Alfred Hitchcock, 1930s horror films (Dracula, Frankenstein, Wolfman, Mummy, etc.), comedy, scifi

Specifics: Anything with a vampire theme, but especially Near Dark, Interview with the Vampire, Lifeforce, Lost Boys, Buffy: The Vampire Slayer, Dracula 2000, Love at First Bite, Dracula: Dead and Loving It, Blade Trilogy, Underworld, Underworld: Evolution, and classic Hammer films with Christopher Lee,
Nightmare on Elm Street series, Pirates of the Caribbean series, Alien series, The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra, Over the Hedge, Stranger than Fiction

Television:

CSI, The Closer, Law & Order, Doctor Who, Family Guy, Blood Ties, What Not to Wear, Mythbusters, Iron Chef America, SpongeBob, Dead Like Me, Buffy series, Charmed series, Kindred: The Embraced, Six Feet Under, and anything else I find interesting

Books:

Authors: Charlaine Harris, Kim Harrison, L. A. (Leslie) Banks, Laurell K. Hamilton, Terry Brooks, Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman, Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Kelly Armstrong, Val McDermid, Edgar Allan Poe, Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker, H. P. Lovecraft, J. K. Rowling, Carolyn Haines, Peter Straub, Jennifer Armintrout, Faith Hunter, Vicki Pettersson, Rachel Caine, Tanya Huff, Joe Hill, J. A. Konrath, Lee Child, Clive Cussler, James Lee Burke, James Patterson, Jim Butcher, Eileen Dreyer, Thomas Lakeman

Magazines: Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, Apex, Ellery Queen, Analog, Rue Morgue, Asimov's, Dark Realms, Fangoria, Weird Tales, The Writer, Writer's Digest, Romantic Times, Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, GOTH Magazine, Gothic Beauty, Dark Discoveries

Genres: Horror, suspense, mystery, thriller, sci-fi, fantasy

Heroes:

Stewie Griffin, Edgar Allan Poe, Mary Shelley

My Blog

You Can Stop That Now

J. K.: *giggle* I'm gonna be published. *snicker* Muse: *sighs* J. K.... J. K.: Wheeeeeee! *bounces off the office walls* Muse: *grabs Club of Inspiration* Batter up! *smacks J. K. with Club* J. K.: ...
Posted by J. K. Holmes on Mon, 02 Jun 2008 08:09:00 PST

Mark Your Calendars -- September 2009 is gonna be crimson!

Yep, you read that right. CRIMSON SWAN is scheduled for publication in September 2009!  I know it's over a year away, but hey, I'm excited! So, tell your friends, your family, your dog, your cat...
Posted by J. K. Holmes on Sat, 31 May 2008 09:59:00 PST

Holy Book Deals, Batman!

I SOLD CRIMSON SWAN!!!!!!!!! My agent called this afternoon and told me Ms. Editor had made a rather generous offer for CRIMSON SWAN and A WICKED TURN. We discussed the finer details and I accepted th...
Posted by J. K. Holmes on Thu, 29 May 2008 09:55:00 PST

Welcome Home

It's good to be home again. I spent most of last week visiting my family in Mississippi. My niece graduated from high school -- as valedictorian no less -- so I had the surreal experience of returning...
Posted by J. K. Holmes on Tue, 27 May 2008 01:52:00 PST

Off to Meet the Wizard

I'm leaving tomorrow morning for Mississippi. My niece is graduating high school and it's official -- she's the valedictorian! Yay! *throws confetti* I'll have limited internet access -- as in zip, zi...
Posted by J. K. Holmes on Tue, 20 May 2008 08:41:00 PST

99 Pages and A Noisy Cat

As of 3:00 AM, May 19, I've revised and written 99 pages for HELLFIRE in two weeks. It's not a world record or anything, but considering I only have to submit 125-150 pages for my creative thesis this...
Posted by J. K. Holmes on Mon, 19 May 2008 12:14:00 PST

Driving the Short Bus to Hell

J. K.: This isn't working. Muse: *looks up from latest issue of Gothic Beauty magazine* The toaster? J. K.: No, this intermittent third person point of view I'm trying to incorporate into HELLFIRE. I ...
Posted by J. K. Holmes on Sat, 17 May 2008 07:31:00 PST

It’s A Process

Muse: How's HELLFIRE coming along? J. K.: Okay. I just finished editing chapter 5, the third chapter I've edited today. Muse: Not bad. How many more to go? J. K.: Well I have to write Chapter 6 tomorr...
Posted by J. K. Holmes on Thu, 15 May 2008 11:58:00 PST

The Music of Hell

I listen to music when I write. I have to find the right music for a book or character. If the music is off, the writing sucks. It's weird. When I was writing CRIMSON SWAN, I listened to a lot of...
Posted by J. K. Holmes on Tue, 13 May 2008 08:49:00 PST

Edits schmedits

*sigh* Yes, I'm still editing HELLFIRE.   When it comes to edits, I'm a bit odd...as if I'm not odd in general, but that's beside the point. When editing, I prefer to work on paper. I print out ...
Posted by J. K. Holmes on Mon, 12 May 2008 09:56:00 PST