A Soul To Steal (The Sanheim Chronicles, Book One) (44 page)

PS File: Letter #1

Date: Nov. 1, 2006

Investigation Status: Open

Contents: Classified

Dear Sheriff Brown,

Some of what we tell you will be lies. This is necessary to protect us both. We were the ones who killed Lord Halloween—that part is no lie, we assure you. Where you failed, we succeeded. Let me be clear up front: we will tolerate no further incompetence from you or your staff. You have let dozens of people die at the hands of a madman. You can claim victory over Lord Halloween—we bear you no ill will if you want to hog credit—as long as you understand that you had nothing to do with it. Without us, he would still be out there. Without us, he would still be killing.

Why are we writing to you? Because you are going to hear stories, lots of them. Stories that do not make sense; stories about monsters and ghosts. Some know these stories already—just ask your own son. These stories will be true. In the absence of divine intervention from above, Loudoun County will receive assistance from down below. The monsters are out in force. Continuing the ban on Halloween will not stop us.

But let us be clear: the innocent have no reason to fear us and we will give them none. Only those that lurk in shadows to strike at others have a reason to panic. To those that murder without cause, we are their worst nightmare. To those that desire retribution, we are their greatest ally.

There are times in life when one must make a stand. We intend to do so. Our medium is the one best understood by every being on this planet, from the lowly maggot to us—fear.

We will be the thing people fear. Our name already sends a shiver down the spine of the guilty, and soon it will be synonymous with the creeping darkness.

We are night. We are October. We are flesh rendered and torn. We are the rider that was promised long ago, the harbinger of fall: We are death, riding on a black horse.

You can call us the Prince of Sanheim.

THE END

Like the book? Please leave a review
here
.

A Soul to Steal
is the first book in a trilogy called
The Sanheim Chronicles
.
Band of Demons
, the second book, is now available and can be purchased for Kindle
here
.

The novel has already won glowing praise from reviewers such as Indie Reader: “Not only are the intricacies of Blackwell’s tale well-planned and flawlessly executed, there is a consistent element of surprise
.
 While 
A Soul to Steal
 was undoubtedly an adventure worth taking, its sequel is the journey of a lifetime…
Band of Demons
 
promises plot twists that will have you gasping for air.”

For more information on Book Three, arriving in fall of 2013, please follow Rob’s
Facebook page
.

You can also follow Rob on
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and at his
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Acknowledgements

This novel, my first, has gone through multiple iterations over the years, and owes debts to several people. I first started it in 2001 in part because of a contest sponsored by the National Novel Writing Month. I will always be grateful for participating as it forced me to finally put pen to paper to write a novel. Unfortunately for me, the novel was awful and it took me two years or so to rewrite it.

My first reader was my wife, Maia. I know every writer thanks his or her spouse and says it would not have been possible without them. But this is literally true in my case. If she had disliked the book in any way, it simply would have ceased to exist. However, she genuinely enjoyed the novel and it was a treat to watch her read it. She was also the novel’s first editor, making significant changes and contributions throughout the text. Every author needs a good editor, and Maia was mine. She pointed out plot holes, helped with descriptions, and generally improved the manuscript in every way. Once the novel was finished, Maia was its biggest champion, even when I was consumed with self-doubt. When I wondered if it was any good, she reassured me. When I crazily wanted to publish it as an ebook, she helped. She was incredibly supportive as I sought to revise it and she read it multiple times with enthusiasm. I am deeply grateful for her ongoing love and support.

I have a few other debts to repay. Although he did not live to see its completion, this novel’s tone and structure owes a lot to the late novelist Thomas Disch. I was fortunate enough to take a class with him at the College of William and Mary and he gave me invaluable advice about writing, much of which guided me through the writing of
A Soul to Steal
. Disch was a significant source of inspiration.

I also would like to thank the late Liz Frost, a former coworker of mine at the
Eastern Loudoun Times
. She talked openly and honestly about her attempts to write a novel, and she helped inspire me to do the same. Although she died shortly after its publication, her novel,
Queen of Denial
, is excellent and I recommend it highly.

I worked for a real community paper in Loudoun County for a few years and am very grateful for the experience. Although the setting obviously inspired me, the characters in this novel are not based on my former colleagues. The
Loudoun Times-Mirror
, which is more than two centuries old, is a well-respected paper with high ethical standards and great journalists.

I would also like to thank Holly Frederick of Curtis Brown. She read the novel and suggested several ways it could be improved, all of which I have tried to incorporate. The novel is much better as a result.

Others who have helped me include Christopher W. Klein, for designing the first cover for this book and Kirsten Curtis, who worked on the initial print cover. I’m extremely grateful to Travis Pennington at Pro Book Covers for designing the current cover. He came up with the fantastic design and was then extremely patient with my never-ending series of tweaks to it. I also appreciate the help of Brian Gill and my wife, both of whom painstakingly looked at each different version of the cover and helped suggest improvements.

Last but not least, I’d like to thank my family and friends, especially those who read early versions of the novel and provided feedback and support.

Finally, I’d like to thank readers for getting the word out about this novel. If you liked it, please review it and tell your friends. For anyone interested in a sequel, you will be happy to know that this is the first novel in a trilogy about Quinn and Kate. You can find updates about The Sanheim Chronicles by liking the Facebook page
here
or checking out my blog
here
. If you want to know the rest of their story, please also do me a favor and let the world know by promoting this novel on Facebook, Twitter and anywhere else you can. I would be immensely grateful.

Best wishes,

Rob Blackwell