Title: In Sickness and In Death
Genre: fiction; narrative; contemporary fiction; literary fiction; new adult; gothic romance; horror; thriller/suspense; southern gothic; mystery.
Word count: 81,383
Disclaimer: This book IS NOT intended for minors! Trigger warnings include: death; incest; necrophilia; sexual violence; pedophilia; graphic depictions of violence/murder.
Description:
October Willow Thorne grew up a disturbed child in a lower-class family in a small, conservative, southern town. She never expected her life to be any different than this, the poverty she'd always known. Shortly after she turned fifteen, however, she learned something significant about herself that would forever shape her future relationships – she was a necrophiliac. If such a revelation ever became public, in a place like Creststead Cove, Tennessee, she'd be hanged in the town square for sure. One other person shares her secret – her mother, Maris, with whom she shares a close relationship. And Maris comes to her own painful realization – if she truly wants to protect October, she has to send her away.
By this time, however, October has realized her true calling.
In Sickness and In Death is the story of sick, demented love and how easily fantasy and the delusions we develop can become as livable, and more lovable, than reality. More than a dark love story, it's a gripping tale of sex, rape, murder, mystery and intrigue.
Excerpt:
“I could do this all night, Miss Sinclair. By all means, give me a reason to continue and I’ll be more than happy to oblige.”
“Noooooo!” she wailed, tears streaking her mascara. “I’ve told you the truth!”
The look on his face was enough. She frantically jerked her legs, knowing damn well they weren’t going anywhere. She watched in what seemed like slow motion as he took her third toe, screams tumbling from her open mouth as he twisted it around, quickly this time. She ground her teeth together when she felt the bone snap.
“Tell me lies, tell me sweet little lies,” he sang softly as he took her newly broken toe and pulled it back towards her foot as far as it would go. The other was already swelling and turning a nasty black color.
“FUCK, okay!” she screamed, sobbing. “I had six copies made! They’re in a safe in my closet. There’s some tapes in there… um, also a copy of the contract she has them sign.”
He strode into a walk-in closet that made his whole house look like shit. Diamonds sparkled everywhere — diamonds on shoes, diamond barrettes, diamond encrusted evening gowns, diamond studded purses. He was getting a clear picture of the type of person Francesca really was.
I'm mostly just looking for readers to read my book and post reviews for it on the medium through which they read it (Amazon, Medium and/or Wattpad). It's called In Sickness & In Death and is available for sale on Amazon in hardcover ($15), paperback ($10) and for Kindle (free), but that's mostly for people who would like to support my work financially if they so choose. It can also be read for free on Medium and Wattpad.