I was in upstate New York this past week visiting my sister, Missy. It had snowed the day before and the afternoon sun created frantic patterns on the fresh snow as it filtered through the bare trees. We passed a cemetery near my sister's house and it called to me, so we pulled over and took a few pictures. As I lingered about the headstones, I felt an unexpected wave of sadness come over me and suddenly, the reason for stopping here became crystal clear. I was in mourning.
You might wonder if I know someone buried here, but I don't. What I finally recognized as I stood between two large oaks is that I mourned the loss of the characters in my previous novel, Dracula Unmasked. It was true. I really missed them. I missed Dracula, of course, but I also missed the others too. Jack the Ripper, Eva, young Prince Edward and even Semele, the homeless Albino girl. They all still lived inside me but were silent now; at times, I find the quiet deafening.
When a novel is finished, a writer often asks themselves, "What come next?" The logical answer, of course, is to write another book. Although I am indeed working on a new story, I still struggle to leave my old friends behind. As I got back into the car, I took a last look around and realized my characters were still very much alive and would continue to be, every time a new reader picked up my book.
Dracula Unmasked offers readers a different perspective on the ethereal realm of vampires and the earthbound spirits who keep them company, in a place called the Otherworld. Accompanying Count Dracula and Jack the Ripper on a journey through time are a former Prince of England, a poet and a group of misfit children; together encountering an array of historical figures including, Elizabeth Bathory a.k.a. the Blood Countess, Adolph Hitler, Vincent van Gogh, Charles Manson and even Bram Stoker, himself.
Please visit my website at: pamelajrauch.com to learn more. The novel is available on Amazon at a discounted rate. I will let the reviews speak for themselves.