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The Outcasts: The Blood Dagger: Volume 1 by Misty Hayes
Mystical relics.
Powerful vampires.
Strange allies.
It's hell being a teenager.
Larna Collins has never understood why her dad skipped out on her and her mother when she was twelve years old. Until then, he was a devoted and loving father.
But six years later, during a renovation of her childhood home, she unearths her father's journal from under a dusty floorboard. According to his final entry before he left, he had recently visited a small parish in England.
The entries draw her to this seemingly quaint village, which Larna discovers isn't as charming as its blood-craving inhabitants want her to believe, and she learns that she isn't the only one trying to track her father down.
Could this explain her father's disappearance? Or was placing her in the center of danger her dad's master plan all along?
Powerful vampires.
Strange allies.
It's hell being a teenager.
Larna Collins has never understood why her dad skipped out on her and her mother when she was twelve years old. Until then, he was a devoted and loving father.
But six years later, during a renovation of her childhood home, she unearths her father's journal from under a dusty floorboard. According to his final entry before he left, he had recently visited a small parish in England.
The entries draw her to this seemingly quaint village, which Larna discovers isn't as charming as its blood-craving inhabitants want her to believe, and she learns that she isn't the only one trying to track her father down.
Could this explain her father's disappearance? Or was placing her in the center of danger her dad's master plan all along?
JK Rowling rolling in money. Just kidding!!! Success is having someone new read my book; having them tell me they love it and that they couldn't put it down. Those kinds of compliments mean I am doing my job right. It's taking people out of their everyday lives and giving them a little bit of fantastical entertainment.
The internet. I end up playing on it way too much and forgetting to write. It's definitely called 'the wed' for a reason. People get stuck in it and can't get out.
I think all author's strive to be original in their writing. Some things are popular for a reason, though. For me, I am drawn to the story, characters, and what tantalizing plot twists. I know there are certain tropes in genres that will always exist, it's how well you can manipulate them that makes you a great writer.
I would lie. I would lie so hard. I'd tell myself how AWESOME and easy self-publishing is... on second thought, I wouldn't tell myself anything. I'd see right through that!
I've always wanted to write, I just didn't know how to do it. Sitting down and making myself finish my first novel was the hardest thing. I was lucky I had an accountability partner to help me along the way or I never would have finished. Now there's no turning back, I just have to realize there's always room for growth as an author.
I direct and produce short films, just joined the local film club at a school for the arts. I also run marathons... so self-torture, I suppose. I also have a full time job aside from writing so I don't sleep. I'd like to enjoy that more if I could.
Anything that can take me by surprise, keep me guessing, and take me out of my own world for a few hours is a bonus. Page turners.
Jim Butcher. He's the author of The Dresden Files. Absolutely love the Wizard PI.
I feel like I write full-time... but it's probably part-time due to having another job that actually pays the bills. I'm still new at this writing gig.
That's a tough question. There's nothing really that would make me think differently about fiction. It's all about how I feel that makes all the difference. You can fall in love, get angry, cry when someone dies, soar on magical clouds, turn into a dragon. All of this evokes a sense of wonderment that leaves me wanting more.
As a writer! *cracks knuckles* a unicorn with eagle's wings and a monkey tail
Making myself sit down to write. Sometimes it's difficult to keep my attention. So far during this interview, I've stopped to eat a bag of Cheetos, paint my nails, and play a game of Catan.
I'm all over the place. Probably urban fantasy and any YA. But I love Stephen King, Dean Koontz and Terry Goodkind.
EVERY DAY. I still do. I woke up in a sweat last night thinking about how much I needed to go back rewrite my entire volume 1. Please tell me if you've figured out how to overcome this.
Through my website, Goodreads, Twitter, Facebook and Amazon. It feels like I'm every where.
I love writing all of my character's, but in Volume 1, Larna was both a joy and a chore to write. She had so much transition to get through and it was excruciatingly difficult at times for me to get it right. It was also enlightening and revealing to write in her perspective. I hope I was able to do her justice in then end.
Yes! Great question. I originally wrote a training scene with Alastair training Larna-and she whoops his butt. I was so sad I had to cut it from the original storyline because I think it added to her growth in Volume 1.
One of the hardest scenes for me to write was at the beginning when Larna was getting relentlessly teased by her peers. There was a moment when Madison tosses gum into her hair. That really did happen to me in high school. Someone decided to chunk it into my hair in passing. So I really did draw on some personal experiences, and for me, it wasn't easy to revisit. I think we all go through some sort of bullying or hard times in high school that resonate with us, but our journey and ultimate strength in overcoming them is what's important. Life lessons.
I wanted an origin story of a female protag who wasn't perfect. It's kind of like the Steve Rogers-Captain America journey. He starts off small, weak, and sickly, but he has so much heart and character and spirit. It's what makes him who he is when he finally comes into his own. I wanted that for Larna.
It's a fresh take on the vampire genre. If you're looking for character depth, plot twists, and a high-octane thriller this is it. My hope is that people can identify with the underdog, come along for the ride, and want to find out more about Larna, Al, and Corinth. Their journey is far from over.
About the Author:
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Misty Hayes has always had a thing for escaping headfirst into fantastical books. This is what led her to start writing her own adventures down. As someone who has spent a long career in law enforcement, Misty has a love for strong female protagonists. She also directs short films and claims to have been bitten by the traveling bug (not to be mistaken for a radioactive spider).
When Misty isn't filming or roaming the planet, or diving into another novel, she's spending time at home in Texas with her myriad of nieces and nephews in tow. The Blood Dagger Series is a high-octane Young Adult Paranormal trilogy. Follow Misty for more information on her series. |
Misty Hayes has hit a home run! This is a vampire novel unlike any vampire novel you've read before. Hayes outdoes herself in every aspect of writing this book. For a debut novel, Misty Hayes has set the bar high. I fully enjoyed this book from cover to cover. I never put it down! Misty has created main characters that are human, that are relatable, that could be you or your neighbor. Yet she takes us on an adventure that is unique and unlike anything I've read in the vampire genre before. This refreshing take keeps the pages turning and the reader wanting more and more! The development that both the characters and the plot takes as it moves forward is believable and realistic. Hayes use of description is on point, creating enough for the reader to visualize and picture themselves among the action, but leaving enough to the imagination that it does not slow or bog down the process of the story. I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book in the series. I seriously recommend dropping what you're doing and clicking the picture of the cover up there and getting your hands on the next book you're going to fall in love with. I did!
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