Laura Daleo Author Spotlight and Giveaway

 

Step into the mind of Laura Daleo and encounter a sinister Soul Collector, a twisted AI doll and a mysterious vampire murder.....

The Soul Collector

by Laura Daleo

Genre: Dark Fantasy 

It begins with darkness. Are they dead, or trapped inside a horrible dream? No one can hear them, see them. Has the world forgotten them? Are they invisible? Not to the Soul Collector. They have stepped into her Kingdom, and she is waiting for them.

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The Soul Collector Excerpt

Chapter 1

The biggest boxing match of the season landed on a Friday the 13th. But a little thing like superstition had no effect on the newcomer, Jonathan Bayfield, and heavyweight champion, Lou Turlock. The fight fans agreed, stomping their feet while chanting “Fight! Fight! Fight!” inside the packed, brightly lit arena. Sportscasters got up close and personal, claiming ringside seats for an in-your-face camera view.

Bayfield locked his gaze on his opponent, his right ear taking in Coach’s words.

“Go to the body. Don’t overreach. Straight punches. Got it?” Coach gripped Bayfield’s shoulder. “Hey, eyes on me. Don’t let him get inside your head.”

Bayfield looked at Coach, giving him a slow nod, then reverted his focus back to Turlock, transmitting a defiant “this fight is mine” glare.

Turlock reciprocated, taunting Bayfield with a “we’ll see” sneer.

The vein in Bayfield’s forehead pulsed, spreading a surge of heat through his body. A fist to the gut. That would show the arrogant prick he had something to worry about, rattled through his mind. The ringside bell shattered Bayfield’s thoughts, bouncing him to his feet. Turlock came out swinging, and Bayfield pivoted while throwing a right hook, catching the corner of Turlock’s jaw. Turlock countered, landing a jab to Bayfield’s chest. The blow forced the air from Bayfield’s lungs, his body folding in half. But he quickly sprang upright, shaking off the sting, and fired off several consecutive punches straight into Turlock’s gut.

Turlock wobbled back and the crowd roared, shouting, “Way to go, Bayfield!” Bayfield bounced back and forth on his feet, tapping his gloves to the crowd’s cheers.

Turlock’s own pulse battered against his eardrums. Where was the respect? He was a champion, and these morons had the nerve to cheer for a nobody, some kid who’d happened to land himself a good manager. Adrenaline tipped the scales on the fighter’s rationality. Cognitive thought ceased. The whites of his eyes blazed as he hurtled his body like a weapon, slamming his skull against the kid’s.

A crackling of bones ricocheted inside the ring, causing an eerie silence to fall over the area, before shouts from the crowd came from all sides. The ref barged in, spewing spit as he held Turlock back. Turlock’s gaze traveled over the ref’s shoulder, colliding with the kid’s vacant stare. He knew that look; like no one was home. He’d seen it in his grandpa’s eyes before he’d taken his last breath. An icy chill scurried down Turlock’s spine as the kid crumpled to the mat. Turlock stood still as medics, judges, and more refs flooded the ring, surrounding the kid’s lifeless body.

“I can’t find a pulse.”

“Start compressions.”

Coach pushed his way through the chaos to Bayfield. “Jonathan, can you hear me?” Coach’s voice shook. “Stay…” He blew out a breath. “Stay with me, buddy.”

Bayfield’s eyelids flew open, and with one push, he was on his feet. A weird and wonderful lightness affected his body, which made no sense, being as he weighed 200 pounds. Sounds rushed back, bouncing against his eardrums and forming words—Coach’s words.

“Hold on, Jonathan. The ambulance is on its way.”

Bayfield focused his attention on Coach. “Ambulance?”

“Just hold on.”

Bayfield laughed. “What are you talking about? Coach, I’m standing right behind you. Turn around.”

Coach made no attempt, his focus centered on something in front of him.

The Doll

by Laura Daleo

Genre: SciFi Thriller

In the wake of Jenna Hess' sudden death, Jeremy Dillon is devastated. His only hope of easing the pain lies in alcohol...until he meets The Dollmaker.

Meet CR1XY, the Dollmaker's Elite doll, created especially for Jeremy. But is she?

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The Doll Excerpt

Chapter 1

After the last drop of tequila rolled off my tongue, the empty shot glass taunted me. I slammed it against the bar. “Hit me again.”

“Sorry, Jer, I’m cuttin’ you off.”

A sharp pang of sorrow cut off my oxygen and echoed in my throat as I growled, “Don’t call me that. Jenna called me that.”

Matt flung the bar towel over his shoulder and rolled his eyes. “Dude, I’ve been calling you Jer since junior high.”

Jenna’s angel-like voice flitted through my mind: Jer. My sweet Jer.

I glanced at Matt, standing behind the bar, eyeing me with a narrowed gaze. Since we were teenagers, the scruffy blond-haired guy, littered with piercings and tattoos, had been my best friend. His twin sister, Missy, had brought Jenna to my eighteenth birthday bash.

The uninvited memory unfurled in my brain, with me helpless to stop it.

My parent’s living room, stripped of its furniture, had been transformed into a makeshift rave to house my crew. Missy—the grand entrance queen—made her appearance a half-hour late, with a dark-haired girl at her side. The girl’s big brown eyes found mine, turning my brain to mush. I just stood there, gawking like an idiot.

Missy tossed her long blonde mane over her shoulders, grabbed the girl’s hand, and led her through the crowd toward me. “Jenna, meet the birthday boy, Jeremy. Jer, this is my BFF, Jenna.”

“Nice to meet you, Jeremy. And happy birthday,” she said in a sweet, angel-like voice.

I offered her my most charming smile. “Thank you. And it’s great to meet you too.”

She looked at my hair. “I like the man bun. Very hipster.”

“Is that a good thing?

Missy groaned before she walked away and joined the others.

Jenna’s eyes seemed to smile at me; then, she’d giggled. “Yes, it’s a good thing.”

Realization punched me in the gut. She was flirting with me. Holy crap!

Don’t be a creep. Relax. Take a breath, I thought to myself and casually asked her, “Can I get you something to drink?”

I shook my head, forcing my attention to the present and back to Matt. “It was the way she said my name. You know, with sheer devotion. She was…” My voice crackled with pain.

Reaching across the bar, Matt laid his hand on my shoulder and narrowed his jade-colored eyes. “I can’t even imagine the heartache you must feel, but Jenna wouldn’t want this. She’d want you to keep living.”

Hot tears stung my eyes as her face formed behind them. I soaked in every beautiful inch of her before blinking her away. Alcohol was the only thing that allowed me to forget, even if only temporarily. Jenna wasn’t coming back. “She didn’t just walk out of my life—that, I could’ve dealt with—but her death… it haunts me,” I said, wiping the tears from my face. “I should’ve told her not to drive, to wait until the morning, but I… I wanted to see her.”

“The accident wasn’t your fault. You can’t blame yourself.”

“She’d be alive if it weren’t for me!” I yelled, anger spewing from my lips. “She wouldn’t’ve fallen asleep at the wheel and crashed if I’d just told her to wait.” Taking a few deep breaths, I held up the shot glass and urged, “Please, Matt.”

A look of sympathy tugged at the corners of his mouth.

“Just one more, I promise.”

The Vow

by Laura Daleo

Genre: Urban Fantasy, Vampire Murder Mystery

Finals are over, and twenty-year-old Claire Matthews can hardly wait to begin summer break until…she arrives home to an army of police swarming her parents’ front lawn.  Detective Reynolds delivers the dreadful news that the man and woman inside the home are dead, and Claire is forced to identify their mummified bloodless bodies.  Her world comes to a grinding halt when she learns that it is her mother and father who are the deceased, and her younger brother, JJ, is nowhere to be found.  The predator accused…a vampire.

Claire is no stranger to vampires; in fact, these days’ vamps are a dime a dozen.  One-hundred-thirty years ago a vow was made, combining the two worlds.  A vampire’s survival no longer required a human sacrifice.  Vampire Centers were created, offering human blood through transfusion; yet, why were her parents bled dry?  Why now?  What changed?  Could a rogue vampire be responsible?  Was it possible vampires, Nate and Parker, JJ’s best friends, suddenly hungered for human blood?

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The Vow Excerpt

CHAPTER 1

Seriously, where were my parents? I heaved a sigh of frustration as I scooped up my overnight bags for the third time and hoisted them over my shoulder. My phone calls went straight to voicemail, and my text messages remained unanswered. Even my brother, JJ, hadn’t responded. My parents were paradigms of punctuality, so overlooking their own daughter’s arrival at the airport seemed unlikely. An explanation existed, but what could it be? I took one more glance around before heading back inside the terminal and skimming over the many faces within the cell phone waiting lot. Not one of them belonged to my parents. “Oh, to hell with it; I’ll take a cab,” I mumbled under a strained breath, trekking through the airport doors and reclaiming my spot on the curb outside. I jetted up a hand, signaling for a cab.

With the raise of my hand, a taxi broke formation from the pack of yellow cars nearby and sped over to me, scrubbing up against the curb and idling. The driver lowered the window. “Where to, Flower Child?”

I glanced down at my cutoff shorts, lace crop top, and floral kimono, then stared at the middle-aged man with salt-and-pepper hair, cocking my head. How had the cab driver known my dad’s nickname for me? Truth be told, my closet was overflowing with flowy vintage pieces embellished with lace, embroidery, or fringe, but a 60s hippy I was not. I constantly reminded my dad that the proper term for the style was Boho Chic, but in his eyes, I was his Woodstock Flower Child—the one he’d forgotten to pick up from the airport. “2863 Derrick Place,” I answered, opening the back door and tossing my bags onto the seat. As I slid down against the upholstery and crossed my arms, the image of myself as a pouting child flashed inside my head, but I wasn’t about to let my parents live this one down. One guilt trip coming right up.

Twenty minutes later, the driver turned onto my parents’ street, slowing his speed. As my home came into view on the right, he glanced in the rearview mirror at me with raised brows. “Here?” he questioned, as if I’d given him the wrong address.

I didn’t speak, and barely managed a nod, fixated on the police cars, bright yellow crime tape, and crisp white of the van decorating the front of my parent’s house like some bizarre Halloween scene brought to life. I read the words Medical Examiner emblazoned across the van, blinked, and read them again before blankly staring into space. Was this some sick joke?

“That’ll be twenty-five dollars,” the cab driver rattled off, ending my paralysis.

I fumbled with my wallet, flipping it open and paying him before slowly stepping out onto the street. As I took a few steps closer toward my childhood home, a sickeningly cold feeling swept over me, causing me to drop my bags on the pavement. A swarm of neighbors hovered close by, their eyes on me, their faces painted with gloom. I shuddered at the sudden prickling along my flesh, as though hundreds of ants were scurrying up my spine. I made it up onto the sidewalk somehow.

An officer, clad in dark-blue, hurried toward me, blocking my path. “That’s far enough, Miss. No one is allowed inside.”

I stood my ground, not budging an inch. “That’s my parents’ house.” I didn’t wait for a reply, but pushed past him instead. “I’m going in there.”

He grabbed my arm, stopping my progress. “I can’t allow that, Miss. This is an active crime scene.” He released my arm. “Now please, stay back.”

A crime scene? I glanced at the words sprawled across the white van once more. Oh God. Mom? Dad? JJ? The chill mushroomed, slithering into my pores and gnawing at my bones. The sun’s golden rays reached down, drenching my body, but I couldn’t escape the fierce winter storm building momentum

LAURA DALEO has been writing for over 20 years and has published 6 books. In addition to advocating for reading and writing, she is a strong supporter of the Indie author community. She is well known for her Immortal Kiss series which captures vampiric persuasion. The Egyptian pantheon, which gave rise to vampires, is explored in this series in an interesting way.

Laura has a passion for writing stories that explore the supernatural realm and bring her characters to life. Her published works include Immortal Kiss, Bound by Blood, The Vampire Within, The Vow, The Soul Collector, and The Doll. The release of her upcoming book is eagerly anticipated by her fans. Once We Were Witches, book 4 in the Immortal Kiss series, is scheduled to be released in 2023.

With her Facebook group, The BOOKLounge For Readers and Authors, she has created a community for readers and authors. It is home to over 65k active members. In addition, Laura is contributing to a short story anthology with four other authors from The BOOKLounge for Readers and Authors. The anthology is scheduled for release in October 2023.

A native of San Diego, California, Laura now lives in Tucson, Arizona with her two dogs, Rose and Cooper.

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$10 Amazon giftcard,

Signed Copy of The Collector,

Signed Copy of The Doll,

Signed Copy of The Vow

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