Jonathan has ventured into the 21st Century with a digital edition of all four novels.

They've been given a fresh polish by his ghostwriter, P.N. Elrod,

have been tricked out with a hawt new cover,

and are available in all the popular formats for e-readers!

 Four novels, one download -  for less than the price of a paperback!

From DarkStar Books

Like hard copies? They're available, too.

Red Death        B&N       Amazon 

Death and the Maiden             Amazon

Death Masque       B&N       Amazon

Dance of Death        B&N       Amazon

Pat sez:  

I'd had Jonathan Barrett in mind for a series since his debut in Bloodcircle.  Originally he was supposed to have been vamped during the Civil War, but my history research convinced me he was from an earlier era.  He was just too much a gentleman!

Jonathan was named after actor Jonathan Frid (Barnabas Collins, YAY! love-you-love-you, woooo-hooo-hooo, yowzah!)

...and my good friend and drinkin' buddy, writer Julie Barrett.  (Gawd, can you believe we've known each other since going to UTA?  Congrats on that diploma thingy, BTW.)

The first book took quite a bit of effort and research on my part, and I didn't make it easy by having Jonathan and his family Loyalists during the Revolution.  There weren't many books in the library that gave the British side of the war!

I can thank one of my professors at UTA for bringing the Revolution alive for me when I did a stint as a history major back in the day.  I like to think he'd be glad I managed to remember so much from his 8 am classes -- especially as I am NOT a morning person.  Don't know how he did it.

Brave man.

The four-book series was going to be only three books, but the story got away from me.  I needed a fourth to "wind things up."  Thankfully my agent got me a contract for it!

The pacing of the first book is a bit (just a bit) slower than for the Vampire Files. I was using a different voice for Jonathan, after all.  Historicals tend to require more description, but there's no fluff in mine about what people are eating and wearing; it's all about what they're doing and saying.  That's what's interesting to me.

Going back so far in time was like visiting another planet, but people had the same emotions and reactions to things, which was what I wanted to show about them.  Of course, these days most disagreements don't end in a duel of honor!

I think of the series as being one long book divided into four sections. 

Hey, it was good enough for Tolkien!  The first book sets the scene and gets things rolling for the rest.

Around about the third book I came to realize that on some level I was doing my own twisted take of Dark Shadows.  It's no clone, mind you.  I was exploring how it would be for an 18th century family to deal with having a vampire in the clan.  The Barretts handle things QUITE differently from the deliciously dysfunctional Collins, though.

For one thing The Barretts would have all ganged up on Angelique!

There are some similarities between the nasty Abigail Collins (played to the hilt by the delightful Clarice Blackburn) and Jonathan's mother.  Thankfully the Barretts find a way to deal with crazy people.  It's not a solution, though.  It's the 1770s.  Psychotherapy was yet to be invented--as Jonathan learns when he visits Bedlam Hospital.  (Yikes!)

As I got into Red Death I decided to try writing the whole series without once using the word "vampire" just to see if it could be done.

Yup.  Did that.

I also set out to write the most smokin' hawt nookie scenes possible -- without naming  body parts.

Pretty sure I did that too!  Someone will have to read and check it out for me!☺

For those planning to read the excerpts be warned that portions of these books are for an adult audience.  

Okay, that lets me off the hook with your parents. It's on your head now! 

Enjoy!

Book One:  RED DEATH

 

Colonial America is about to declare its independence from England, but such minor matters are of no import to 17-year old Jonathan Barrett.  

His most pressing concern is finding a way of divesting himself of his virginity.

And attending Harvard to study law.

But the imperious matriarch of the Barrett family (that would be his mother) has other plans for young Jonathan.

Tory through and through, his family will hold out against the threat of rebel traitors like John Adams, Ben Franklin, and their ilk while Jonathan makes the dangerous crossing to England to complete his education.

Of course, he has no idea what nature of deadly peril awaits him there!

Read an Excerpt from RED DEATH!

 

Pat Sez: I was thrilled to be able to buy the cover art.  The artist studied at British portraiture studio so his Neo Classicist style was perfect for a period piece.

While chatting with him about how he painted it, he mentioned the model for Jonathan really "got into character" during the photo shoot.  (Artists often take a snapshot or three to work from, it doesn't always flow freely from their heads.)  

They used cut-off Q-tips for the fangs!

I wonder HOW they managed that, too.  I tried it once and the danged things stuck straight out from my lips, or would drop to the floor or shoot across the room.

Some things you just leave to the pros.

Death and the Maiden