Title- Winter's Demon
Series-Vesik Series # 3
By- Eric R. Asher
Published- June 12th 2014
Blurb-
Some things can never be undone. The horrors I've defeated-or even caused-with my own hands … they are nothing compared to what's coming. Philip Pinkerton has brought his madness upon my family, my own blood. His army of necromancers is on the move, harbingers of a great darkness. I fear the war has begun ... and damn, I don't get paid enough for this.
Excerpt:
They struck when the dying sun set the skies on fire, turning snow to cinders on a canvas of silhouetted branches. “Now it begins,” Mike said as he pulled the hammer from his belt. Shadows snarled and leapt as fire and lightning struck all across the roof. The dim flash of fairies growing and shrinking, slashing and blocking, danced across the back-lit structure.
“Vampires?” Sam asked. “Why are they with Philip?” “It’s likely not by choice,” Mike said. “I’m going up,” Sam said as she gestured at the roof. “Get to the north side.” “If things go wrong, get to the basement,” Mike said. “What about the ‘Don’t go in the basement’ thing?” I said as I quoted the air with my fingers. Mike looked at the sky and took a deep breath. Sam’s lips quirked up in a tiny smile. “He’s just, well, you know.” “I know,” Mike said with a chuckle.
“Be careful, Sam nodded and blurred into motion. Zola was out ahead of us, her cloak disappearing around the corner as Mike and I followed. I spared one last glance at Sam as she tore into someone on the roof before I turned and jogged away. Vik had gone on ahead. He should already be on the north side. I turned at the mansion’s southeast corner, right behind Mike. Vik and Zola were at the next corner, pointing off into the distance. “—almost here,” Vik said as we approached. The groaning and shuffling of the undead signaled their arrival on the northern and eastern fronts. My pepperbox practically leapt into my hand. Six shots, five zombies down. I cracked the gun open, dumped the shells, and slammed a speed loader home. My tactical vest was emblazoned with “Cub” and adorned with two dozen conveniently placed speed loaders. Even if I didn’t miss a shot, it wouldn’t be enough to take down the sea of zombies. “Why aren’t there vampires here?” I asked as we started to fan out.
“They must be engaged with Vassili and the others,” Vik said. “Keep the trees between you and the necromancers.” I saw his hand move and drop the bronze amulet around his neck into his vest. His hand lashed out and a zombie’s head exploded. Vik took two steps back and looked at his fingers. “What in the name of?” “What’s wrong?” Zola shouted as she baited a zombie toward me. I raised my Sight, opening my senses to both worlds. The seething mass of undead was all tied to one man, maybe two, but something was different. The currents of necromancy weren’t dim and gray in my Sight. They burned with a brighter blue light, like a ley line. My eyebrows drew down in thought as I shot down four more zombies with six bullets.
.There wasn’t as much blood as there should have been. Too few chunks exploded from their overripe heads. “Something’s wrong,” I said. “Agreed,” Zola said. “They’re too slow.” “There’s no blood on my hands,” Vik said as he tore another zombie in half. Mike stepped forward and put his fist through one of the zombies. He stared at his own hand. “Vik’s right. It’s like they’re sawdust.”
Title- Wolves and the River of Stone
Series- Vesik # 2
By Eric R. Asher
Publication Date- October 22nd, 2013
Genre- Urban Fantasy
Blurb:
Philip, Zola's boyfriend from one hundred and fifty years ago, is not nearly as dead as we thought. I really wish he was. Not only has he kidnapped Zola, but he's raising an army to scour humanity from the earth. Hopefully the local werewolf pack will help. What could possibly go wrong?
Excerpt:
Edgar's face soured and he turned away from Zola. He looked nauseous. "Someone has to be held responsible for this mess. I'd rather prefer it be Vesik."
"What?" I said. "What'd I ever do to you?"
Edgar leveled a glare at me.
"Ah, fair enough," I said.
"Edgar, Ah don't have time for this right now." Zola gently pushed him aside with her scorched cane. Zola bent down and started digging beside the vampires and Hugh. Vik handed her a spade and she nodded her thanks.
"You may cite me if you wish," Hugh said. He didn't look up from the furrow he was digging in the dirt. "I have no issues with the Watchers' duty."
"That is kind, wolf," Zola said. She glanced at Edgar. "Ah think we should play a game, Edgar. If you can spell this wolf's name, you can issue him a citation.
Edgar blew out a breath. "You haven't changed a bit, Adannaya." He actually cracked a tiny smile and I thought my world was ending. "What is your name, wolf?"
"Hohnihohkaiyohos," Hugh said.
Edgar glared at Zola for almost a minute. His mouth was open and his eyebrows were raised. I was waiting for him to break down crying or laughing. Instead he just shook his head.
"You get used to it Eddie," I said as Foster snickered.
Title- Days Gone Bad
Series- Vesik # 1
By Eric R. Asher
Genre- Urban Fantasy
Blurb:
My name is Damian Valdis Vesik. I am a necromancer, an ability feared and hated as much as the powers my master and I set ourselves against. We've vanquished many evils, but now something is releasing an old darkness, forcing us to hunt an enemy beyond anything I've faced before. I was already busy enough with vampires, fairies, witches, Watchers, weddings, and … damn, I need a vacation.
Excerpt:
“Yes,” she closed her eyes, “that thing you fought, Damian, it was a zombie.” “I’ve fought zombies before. They’re slow, stupid, and practically harmless.” She cocked an eyebrow. “Okay, okay, practically harmless unless there are a lot of them, and they’re hungry. Besides, that thing Foster cleaved in half for me was fast as hell and possessed—zombies can’t be possessed.” Zola snorted and flicked my nose. “Ow.”“You speak of human zombies.” She turned to the end table, breaking eye contact.
“What you fought was a vampiric zombie.” “A what?” I whispered as an uncomfortable weight settled on my chest. “Ah suppose there are still some things not found in your books. It is a creature … once a vampire, stripped of its own aura and given another.” “Jesus, but a vampire stripped of its aura …” She nodded and turned back to me. “Yes, a vampire stripped of its aura is stripped of the power keeping it alive, for lack of a better term.” “What the hell can do that?” “Only one creature Ah’ve ever fought could do that, Damian. Only demons can do that.”
I saw Sam curl her legs up underneath her in the corner. A small tremor ran through her and she closed her eyes. I turned my focus back to Zola. “Is Foster okay?” “Ha! Is Foster okay?” She shook her head and smiled. “He split that zombie from crown to crotch. Sam, what did Edgar say?” “Bifurcate,” my sister said with a weak laugh. “Yes, Foster bifurcated the zombie. Ah truly think he could have killed the rogue, from what he tells me. Ah don’t see another reason a vampire would run. How he vanished when Foster threw a toad sticker at him bothers me, something a demon could do, but a demon wouldn’t run.” She paused.
Book Soundtrack:
Open Hand - Her Song
Open Hand - You and Me
My Chemical Romance - The Ghost of You
My Chemical Romance - Cemetery Drive
Brand New - Luca
Paramore - Misery Business
Evanescence - Tourniquet
Murder By Death - One More Notch
Senses Fail - Rum is for Drinking, Not for Burning
J.S. Bach - The Cello Suites (performed by Yo-Yo Ma)
My Review of Days Gone Bad:
I received a free copy of the book from the author for my honest opinion.
Damian is a necromancer who is always getting into a fight with demons oh not that he wants to they are the ones who find him and attack. Damian had rather just stay at home and run his little shop Death's Door. Some call it DD or Double D. Damian sells all kinds of magical things in his shop. He also has three little fairies that live in a grandfather clock in his store. While Damian is a very nice guy the fairies are not very nice if you happen to piss them off just ask the new guy Damian hired to help him out in his shop.
Damian has not seen his master, Zola in a long time. Zola has come back to warn Damian about the evil that is coming. Hopefully together and with a little help from all of their friends they will be able to stop these evil demons before it is too late. Damian has lived a very long life but he has a lot of training to do before he can fight this new evil that has come to town. Damian is very powerful necromancer but he has a lot of learning left to do to become proficient.
Damian's sister Sam is a vampire and after being turned she now lives with a pit. A pit is like a family of vampires. People who has been turned into a vampire and now live together in one place. Damian and Sam are very close and have grown closer since her turning. Damian would give his own life to save his sister.
I loved all the blood and gore that Days Gone Bad has. I loved what a friend of Damian's did to one of the vampires. I love reading books and watching movies with a lot of blood and gore in them. The more killing, blood and gore is in a book or movie the more I like it. The Vesik Series is another series that I would love to see on the big screen. I can just picture everything that I have read in Days Gone Bad in my head as if it was a movie. I love the cover of Days Gone Bad. He's standing there with his gun and looking back over his shoulder like someone who is always aware of his surroundings. Like he is on high alert which is what will probably be what will keep him alive in most cases. I loved reading Days Gone Bad and can't wait to get started on the next book Wolves and the River of Stone.
About the Author:
Eric is a former bookseller, guitarist, and comic seller currently living in Saint Louis, Missouri. A lifelong enthusiast of books, music, toys, and games, he discovered a love for the written word after being dragged to the library by his parents at a young age. When he is not writing, you can usually find him reading, gaming, or buried beneath a small avalanche of Transformers.
Giveaway: