Kane clinched his fists as he looked up into his sire’s violet eyes that shifted to blood red.
Brogio stood three inches taller over his progeny’s six-foot-five frame. “First you refuse my offer of rule over Milan. I allow you to seek your precious knowledge in Florence. Now, after only a decade, you want to travel the world? What will you want next? A total withdrawal from me?”

Kane stood up tall and defiant. He pushed a long strand of dark brown hair behind one ear. His brown eyes narrowed. “I desire to be the exception to your every rule.”

​Brogio snorted and whirled to face the gigantic stone fireplace that he kept ablaze no matter what the weather. “So, we are at odds. I want your companionship and loyalty. You want separation.” The original vampire ran his large hands through his silver white hair that framed the youthful face of a man only twenty-three years of age.

Kane stepped forward and placed his hand on his maker’s shoulder. “You know I’ve ended my apprenticeship with da Vinci. I’ve learned all I can from him. I want so much more.”

Brogio turned to face his first blood son. “I have kept in the shadows for a millennium. Your going about only exposes our existence to humans. Why do you want to risk all that I have taught you to survive peacefully in this world?” He walked to a large , plush maroon chair, sat, and crossed his legs. “What if you make a mistake like you did before and accidentally create out-of-control bloodsuckers? You will put us all in danger.”

Kane put his back to the fireplace and sighed. “You will never forgive that, will you?” He glanced at Brogio’s handsome face. “You insist on making me the bad son, the creator of problems.” His voice raised an octave on his last words. “Perhaps I should live up to that reputation!”

Brogio used his vampire speed, left his chair, and had his hand around Kane’s throat before his son could blink. “Why do you insist on needling me? I don’t want your antagonism. I need your love and loyalty.”

Kane swallowed and looked into Brogio’s eyes.  He knew his words delivered a cruel cut to his maker.

A black blood tear slid down Brogio’s white cheek. He dropped his hand from Kane’s throat and turned. “You break my heart. You always have.” The master vampire glided to the front door, opened it, and disappeared into the night.

Kane turned back to the fire. In his heart he knew the knowledge he would gain in the future would someday be useful to his sire. He would somehow prove his love and loyalty.

​WANT TO SEE HOW KANE’S KNOWLEDGE AFFECTS BROGIO? CLICK HERE TO START THE SNOW BLOOD SERIES.
​
HAVEN’T CLAIMED OR READ YOUR FREE BOOK – KANE: THE FIRST BLOOD SON? GO HERE! 

Til Next Time!
​Carol

Snow Blood slipped out from behind a cluster of frozen red spruces. The snow crunched under his feather-like, husky paws. The moonlight made his white, shaggy coat appear silver as he padded toward me.
    I felt lucky that he had agreed for me to interview him. I guess he felt some sense of obligation for my bringing him to life on the pages of the series of books I had written with him as the narrator and ultimate hero.
      I shivered a bit in the Canadian cold, which I knew had no effect on him. I glanced around expecting to see his mate, Nova, lurking nearby.
      She’s otherwise occupied hunting prey. His words slithered through my mind and took me by surprise. I had momentarily overlooked that he could read my mind, and anyone’s thoughts.
     I sat on a nearby stump so that I could be eye-level with his beautiful blue eyes that looked like a makeup artist had drawn black eyeliner around his lids.
      He moved closer and sniffed the air around us. You are curious about my perspective on my adventures with my sire Brogio, are you not?
        “I am obsessed with any and all things about you.” A pathetic answer but true enough.
        He padded closer and sat next to me. Ask away then.
      “After Brogio turned you to save your life, were you angry about your plight as a vampire?” I leaned closer as if I might miss his words.
      More confused and sad than angry. I didn’t understand at first. I wanted to go home to Tommy and his parents. I couldn’t have known then the love, friendship, and loyalty that I have now with my kindred family. People think that vampires are pure evil. Yet, the very first vampire, my sire Brogio, has taught all his children to do no harm unless protecting themselves. He taught us to live off the creatures of the forest and to stay out of the way of humans.
     Before I could ask another question, the great white husky bolted to his feet. His panicked thoughts prickled my brain. Nova! She’s under attack. And, with his vampire speed, he was gone.
      I summoned my imagination, just as I do when I’m writing, and ran after him at a speed I didn’t realize I had in me. I skidded to a stop to see Snow Blood and Nova surrounded by four werewolves – one black, another gray, another multi-colored, and the last a reddish brown. I wiped my eyes hoping they were part of Snow Blood’s coven. Unfortunately, they weren’t.
     The shifters, saliva dripping from their extended fangs,  circled the two mates. Their eyes glowed blood red. The brown shifter reached out with sharp claws to take a swipe at Snow Blood only to have the wolf vampire bite off half its paw. It screamed in agony and began to foam at the mouth and go into seizure. It died before hitting the ground. 

     The other three backed away snarling but afraid. Snow Blood made his thoughts heard to all. If you want to die from my venom, try me. If you don’t, leave now or I will eviscerate all of you.
     The three turned and ran.
     The vampire dog whirled and sniffed his mate who licked his face with her rough tongue.
    Nova stepped back and shook her heavy black, grey, and white coat. Her beautiful blue eyes cast a curious glance at me and then turned back to her mate.
     Go home to safety now, my love. I will be there soon.
    Rather than being obedient, Nova grew tall. I could have handled them, you know! Why did you interfere?
    Because you are precious to me, and I wouldn’t want to be without you. I take no chances where those I love are concerned.
     Nova shook her head, turned, and ran toward Brogio’s wine estate.
   Turning back to me, Snow Blood snorted and trotted over to me. Shall we continue the interview?

     I rubbed his head, and he closed his eyes enjoying my long acrylic nails scratching his ears.
    “How have you become such an accomplished fighter? I mean, I know you’ve had to learn quickly since you and your family are constantly attacked by monsters that the mythological gods send after you.”
     Snow Blood sat next to me. Much of it just comes from being kindred. As a vampire, I have superior strength and speed. And one of my gifts, as you know, is my deadly bite. It only takes being bitten once to die instantly. My family – Brogio, Selene, Kane, Nova, and my wolf coven - battle as a team. We all can shape shift into anything we want, so that helps as well. Let’s just say we have the team-court advantage with the gifts we all share.
      "What do you care most about in this life you now live?”
    My family and our friends. Perhaps you would consider them not worthy of love and loyalty, but any one of us would die for the other. I place loyalty to them above all else. It is my dog nature. They in turn have learned what love and loyalty mean. The evil that plagues us will never kill that in any of us.  We have all evolved into something that I know your readers can love. 

     Snow Blood turned his head as if listening to something in the distance. I must go now, Carol. Brogio calls me. We are once again under attack.
       With that, he stood and gave me a last look. He licked my hand as if to say, thank you for giving life to us all. He opened his mouth in a wide grin, turned, and disappeared into the trees.
       I thought how lucky I am to have found this extraordinary creature in my imagination.
     
To witness the love, loyalty, struggles, battles, and challenges of Snow Blood and his kindred, click HERE to begin Snow Blood, Season 1 by Carol McKibben.

​​


​So, how did I make the jump? Let me share with you how the idea was born. I was with my publisher telling her all about my latest foster dog, Snow. She was a white husky with the bluest of blue eyes. ​Stephanie (my publisher) and I both love vampire stories. She looked at me and said, "I want you to write a vampire book next." My reply: ""Yes, and I'll again narrate it through the eyes of a dog - a vampire dog. We both simultaneously locked eyes and said, "Call it Snow Blood!"
​
​It's amazing how the seed for a story idea springs to life. I latched onto it with the force of a vampire looking for his next meal! But it's so different from Luke's Tale! 

​Not really. 

​

Again, it is a story told through the eyes of a dog - a vampire dog! And even as a blood demon, Snow Blood develops loyalty to the ones he loves. But why? Sure, it goes without saying that vampires are bound to their makers. But, is it as inherent in the undead to want to love and be loved as it is for living creatures? But with such flawed creatures? Aren't human beings flawed creatures? Aren't my creatures just parables? After all, vampires don't really exist. Do they? ​

​They certainly exist in my mind, and after you read this five-book series, I hope those questions will be answered and that my Snow Blood characters will come to life for you!

​Til Next Time,
​Carol

CLICK HERE NOW

Called an "excellent vampire mystery thriller," Moon Blood Book 1 is the first in
The First Blood Son Series. Here's a bit about it:

Kane de Medici, the first blood son of Brogio, the original vampire, saves Moon, a hybrid wolf pup from certain death.
 The kindred two are soon immersed in a world of corporate espionage, murder, and intrigue and forced to fight for their lives.
Escaping capture and torture when human predators discover their vampire nature,
hey exact deadly revenge.

While Moon Blood Is loyal to Kane, her sire, she is a strong-willed female
with a mind of her own. Readers will enjoy the unique perspective of this tale
told through her mind’s eye.

The vampire mystery thriller that began with Snow Blood continues with the first blood son series.
​
GRAB YOUR FREE COPY TODAY!
 
Have a great Thanksgiving!

Carol

I carry a heavy heart today. I moved from Southern California to Texas in February of this year. In the past two days, I've awakened to horrifying events that have brought terror in the hearts of my friends in my old community.

First the shooting at the Borderline Bar and Grill. Many of my friends have been personally touched. Then, if that wasn't bad enough, the horrendous fires in both Northern and Southern California that have forced many of my friends to flee for their lives, while others wait, stressed but prepared to evacuate. Beloved horses and pets are foremost in their minds, in addition to all their loved ones. 

Happily, so far, many have already safely evacuated and have taken refuge in hotels, victim centers, and with friends who have opened their homes. Their animals have been taken to safety as well. 

I feel so helpless not being able to be there to open my home to as many as possible. All I can do is keep them in my thoughts and pray that everyone in danger be kept safe. I am grateful to those who have marked themselves "safe" on Facebook so that those of us who can do nothing but wait and pray will know they have made it out or are not in danger.

In a world filled with contention, anger, and unhappiness, let's remember what is truly important - our love for each other. All I can do is repost this story by Peter DaSilva, a person who cared more about helping another than he did himself. 

​Peter DaSilva's Story. 
 
God Bless Peter DaSilva and the three law enforcement officers from Redding CA. 

It is in times like this that we can find the very best in all of us.

Til Next Time,
​Carol

Wow! An experience I had on Facebook this morning inspired me to write about civility today.

Someone put up a graph about the electoral college. Folks started commenting about the pros and cons of voting via electoral vs. popular vote. I responded  when someone posted a comment about how people who live in the middle of the country and outside of cities are uneducated and ignorant. You see, I moved from Los Angeles to a rural area of Texas. I am neither uneducated or ignorant (have a Master's Degree, was a teacher and publisher, and now a novelist). So, I took issue mainly because I interact on a daily basis with educated, highly-intelligent people who also live in Central Texas. I work with brilliant people who are also novelists and live in such places as the Ozarks and other middle America areas.

The person on Facebook responded in such a rude manner that I was taken back. When I commented that I thought we just needed to agree to disagree (not my words but a summary of what I indicated), I was pretty much called a coward for not continuing the discussion. His incivility was rude and unacceptable.

Now, I don't normally ever get involved in politics on social media. My bad. Won't do it again. My purpose in responding to him was to challenge  his comment that all people living outside of cities are illiterate hog farmers.  

This country has become so divided, and the incivility that I find on social media, in politics, in the media, and elsewhere is downright frightening. So many people appear to be filled with anger, and that I find sad. 

One of the reasons my novels are filled with examples of unconditional love is because I want people to care about each other, respect each other, and accept each other for who they are. Yes, of course we can disagree. Yes of course we must express our concerns, opinions, and ideas, but when we are slammed for it, criticized and shamed for it, I say enough.

If you are filled with anxiety and anger, take a deep breath. Being nasty to someone isn't going to change their mind. Certainly calling them names or belittling them isn't going to change their opinion. Logical conversation, some compassion for what others think and feel, and acceptance of the rights of others to have their beliefs is a better way to go. I'm not saying anyone should stick their head in the sand and not stand up for what they believe, but certainly it should be done with respect for those who are listening.

In the meantime, if you want to read about loyalty and unconditional love, HERE are some samples of books that demonstrate how even a dog can show us the way... even with characters who might not be so lovable. 

Til Next Time,
​Carol

I had what I like to call "a light-bulb moment" in my Dressage lesson with my trainer, Deirdre, today. Both she, and my trainer before her, have encouraged me to RELAX while I'm riding. Rather than gripping with my legs and slightly leaning forward in the canter, they have both been telling me to let go of "the things I can do without." 

"Let your legs hang around the horse. Let go. Relax. Sit in the back of the saddle and move your seat with Okido." Sounds easy. Right? Wrong! Our tendency in riding  and in life is to "hold on." But, the way Deirdre said it today made me understand completely. So, I let go. When I did, my horse gave me the most wonderful, collected canter. It felt like a dream come true, because, it was.

How does this apply to you? I'm sure you are asking. You'd be surprised. This is a rough period of time for our country. Anxiety, political divisiveness, disagreement, angst, dissatisfaction... all those nasty words and feelings swirl around us, on top of everyday life and the challenges that we all face just living day-to-day and dealing with responsibilities and relationships. 

What we all need to learn to do is relax and let go of the things we can do without... the stress, anxiety, disagreement, angst, dissatisfaction. Tears for Fears, in their song Shout, say it best: 

​Shout
Shout
Let it all out
These are the things I can do without
Come on
I'm talking to you
Come on

I understand that sounds simple. But it isn't. Just like riding a horse that weighs about a thousand more pounds than I do isn't simple... at all. It's one of the very most difficult things to accomplish. The key is to let go of all those things you can do without. 

Try it. Come on.


Til Next Time,
​Carol

I posted the above statement on my personal Facebook page a while back, and people began to send me all kinds of encouraging messages. It was obvious they thought I was having problems. In truth, I was simply thinking about how, when those we love need us, most of us don't know what we can do to help.

In the meantime, a dear friend of mine lost a beloved horse and a close family member just needed me as a sounding board. It took me a few days to absorb it all. When I looked back, I realized that when the people we love need us, all we have to do is be present for them.

A nurturing ear, a strong shoulder, empathy, and just being with them when they need us is what they really need. 

I think that's why my dog and horse are so important to me. There are just times when my dog sits next to me, is with me, that I feel his unconditional love. Or, when I need some reassurance, I walk into my horse Okido's stall and wrap my arms around his neck. He stands very still and is just present with me. His quiet strength and gentle kindness are all I need to feel better.

I wanted to share this with you, because I am sure you are sometimes faced with trying to help someone you love. It isn't always easy to know what to do. But, just know if you are present for them that is all they really need. 

Til Next Time,
Carol 

My publisher just completed a cover contest for Moon Blood Book 3. The votes are in! It was a close one, but this one had the most 5-Star votes. 

For those of you who voted, thanks so much for helping me! I loved all the covers my publisher put out to a vote, but this one is special because it was selected by my readers.

The cover reveals Moon's reaction to the mysterious redhead who attracts Kane and inflames Zandra. The title font is on brand, and everything about this cover suits the story. And, you'll see for yourselves shortly.

Even better, Troll River has placed my new book on Amazon Kindle for pre-order at just 99 cents! Take advantage of this before September when it will go up to full price.
Grab it today by clicking HERE!
And, be on the lookout for our next event, which will be the Read for Review for Moon Blood 3. It's coming soon... And, there will be prizes.

But, there's even more!: To celebrate the new cover, Snow Blood Book 1 will be FREE on Amazon from August 14-17 only in Kindle format for you.

Grab it by clicking HERE.

It's what started all my vampire mystery thriller books! If you haven't read it, get it FREE now. 

Thanks again so much for your support of my books and for helping me choose this beautiful cover.

Unconditionally yours,
Carol

As a writer, I’ve realized that many fellow authors wait for motivation or inspiration or their muse. But, I’ve found another method that works for me. I call it “finding my push.” I realized this listening to one of my horse trainer’s podcasts.

Rather than wait for inspiration, I push. How do I push? I sit down at the computer and start writing down my ideas. I find that “doing” is the push that I need to get started on the next novel and stay on it until it’s finished.

I put working on my book as an action item on my “to-do” list for each day. It is my intent to work on it daily, whether for two hours, half a day, or all day.

This can apply to anything in your life. I received a further example of how to push from my friend and fellow author, Maika Janat. We are just finishing up her book, Go. See. Do. I worked as her editor on her book, which reveals her “10 Life-Changing Quotes to Be Successful as a Young Professional.” Again, the beauty of Maika’s advice is that it isn’t just for young professionals but for anyone who wants to excel in life or business.

Maika went straight out of high school into an internship for a high-profile event production company in Germany. From there, she climbed the ladder and became the head of the company’s first U.S. office before she was thirty (30). She received awards at a young age for her management skills and business acumen. My point is that she used her philosophy of “Go. See. Do.” To succeed in both her life and career.

My horse trainer, Deirdre Sabo, is also another great example of excellence through action. In her early 30s, she’s already a bronze and silver medalist and a national champion in dressage. Her podcasts, horse and rider training methods, and physical fitness coaching are a great inspiration to her clients. She firmly believes in making it happen through action.

I equate both Maika and Deirdre’s action philosophy to finding my push. I can imagine and dream about my next storyline or characters, but until I sit down and make it happen, nothing does. As far as my equestrian training goes, it’s a “live-in-the-moment-and-make-it-happen-now” activity that can easily be applied to my life.

Making it in life is actively taking all the steps necessary to achieve your goals. It’s doing. It’s being focused and passionate about what you want.

So, why did I write about this topic today? Because I have so many friends and folks about whom I care who need to find their push. I think it’s important. And I wanted to send kudos to Deirdre Sabo and Maika Janat because they both have absolutely found their push.

​Till Next Time,
Carol