The Vampire Cure
The Vampire Cure Series Book 1
by Kat Stiles
Genre: Urban Fantasy, SciFi
In the search for a cure to a viral pandemic, scientist Liz Meyer discovers something far more deadly…Vampires exist.
And what’s even more amazing, they’re immune to the virus.
Liz is both afraid and intrigued. Gifted with dreams that reveal the future, she sees how bad the pandemic will become. A blood sample could be the solution to a cure.
Sexy vampire Ryan awakens a desire within Liz, something she's never felt before. Too bad the rest of the coven want nothing more than to feast on her blood.
Can Liz get the blood she needs to find a cure? Or will it be her blood that’s taken instead?
Please note: If you're a die-hard believer in the MAGA movement, for the love of God don't buy this book. You will NOT be amused.
Fans of The Vampire Diaries series and authors like Ivy Smoak, Richelle Mead, and Bella Forest will love this sci-fi take on vampires.
Kat Stiles is a USA Today Bestselling Author, and huge fan of both sci-fi and urban fantasy. Nearly all of her stories include a super power of some kind and a strong, funny heroine. If you like The Vampire Cure, check out her other series:
Enhanced series
Connected series
Modified series
**Only .99 cents until Mar 29th!!**
EXCERPT 1:
“You fight dirty,” he said, his brown eyes meeting mine. “I’ve always been a sucker for the feisty ones.”
I gulped. Maybe I could run past him. In my totally freaked out state, it was the only thing I could think of.
I faked to the left, then took a sharp turn to the right, sprinting next to the wall. I was almost past him—he made no movement to stop me, only stared, still grinning like a total creeper. But then I got the wind knocked out of me as he was suddenly on top of me, pinning me against the wall. How was he able to move so quickly?
One of his large hands held both of my wrists above my head. I tried to knee or kick him, but he pressed his body against mine, rendering me completely immobile.
“Now, I finally get to taste you…” he said, and then took a deep inhale through his nose. He opened his mouth, and his canines appeared larger and sharper than the rest of his teeth. Almost like…fangs. A forceful tilt of my head with his free hand rendered my line of sight negligible. I closed my eyes, helpless. A single tear rolled down my cheek, as I begged him to let me go.
“Don’t worry, I won’t hurt you,” he assured, and then added, “…much.”
EXCERPT 2:
“Before you leave, I have to ask you something.” I stood and grabbed a pen and a scratchpad from the adjacent end table. “How exactly do you kill a vampire?”
Ryan cocked an eyebrow. “You want me to tell you how you can kill me?”
“Not you, obviously. Galen has a way of showing up, like everywhere. I mean, do I need to carry a wooden stake around with me?”
The warm laugher that rang in the air was a welcome sound. “No. We die the same way as humans. Only it’s harder to kill us, because we’re stronger and faster.”
“Good to know.”
“And sunlight. Prolonged sunlight exposure could kill us.”
“Some kind of advanced version of hematoporphyria… interesting.” I scribbled a few notes, already eager to do research on it.
“Hema what?”
“It’s a kind of skin sensitivity to sunlight.”
“Oh.” He rested his hand on my cheek. “I will protect you. You have my word.”
For a moment, we said nothing. I didn’t want him to leave—his cold touch was somehow comforting. I could smell his musky scent, standing so close to him. His gaze moved down from my eyes to my lips.
Patience was never one of my virtues. And even though I knew it was dangerous, I couldn’t resist brushing my lips against his.
He groaned and kissed me back. I felt the most delicious sensation of cold, as his tongue intertwined with mine, kissing me deeper. His fingers burrowed under my hair, spreading the cold throughout my scalp and sending an exquisite chill down my spine. I’d never been so turned on in my life.
He made his way to my ear, nibbling the lobe, and that almost sent me over the edge. My whole body felt warm, alive. I slipped my fingers into his hair and pulled it, beckoning him to go further. He groaned again, but this time it was deeper. Scarier.
And I could feel myself getting more and more turned on.
He left a trail of kisses as he moved from my ear down to my neck. He pressed his lips to it for a moment, and then that amazing cold suddenly disappeared.
He took a step back from me. As I opened my eyes, I could see why. His fangs were fully extended, his breath jagged.
“I… I’m sorry,” he said, as he moved past me toward the door. “This was a mistake.”
“Ryan, wait!”
But he didn’t stop.
I realized two things that day. First, making out with a vampire was dangerous. And second, I didn’t care.
I wanted him.
EXCERPT 3:
Most of his skin was charred black, with pieces of it hanging off in chunks. It reminded me of B-horror cheesy prosthetic makeup. But this was real and completely terrifying.
In my panicked state, I glanced around the room to try to find something, anything to fight him with. And on the far wall, I saw my salvation.
A giant set of thick curtains were draped down, from floor to ceiling. Which means there must be a window there.
As fast as my feet could run in my weakened state, I bolted toward the wall.
I looked back and James followed slowly, looking entirely too amused. Like a cat that plays with a mouse before killing it.
With a burst of energy, I swung open the curtains, fully expecting sunshine to pour into the room and save the day.
It didn’t.
“Wow, you’re both stupid. Did you really think I would allow functional windows in my home?”
There was no light to save the day anymore. And Ryan certainly wasn’t going to save me.
A sick feeling washed over me as I realized it was over.
James had won.
A knowing grin appeared on his face, made only more terrifying by his fangs elongating. He grabbed my hair and yanked my head to the side. And for the second time, his fangs descended into my neck.
The Inspiration behind The Vampire Cure
It’s no big surprise 2020 was a huge influence on me when I wrote The Vampire Cure. The parallels are pretty obvious in the book. I was a participating author in a vampire-themed box set when the covid outbreak happened. Frustrated with how the elected politicians were handling the outbreak, I found comfort in my writing. That and listening to the song, “Zen” by X Ambassadors. A lot. The result was a mashup of urban fantasy and sci-fi, with unapologetic political undertones. It’s not your typical vampire story, but I’m hoping people will enjoy it nonetheless.
This book was hard for me to write, to be honest. I’m not a huge fan of vampire books – I’m more old school horror vampire, in which the vampire is a predator, not a lover. Plus the relationships in those books are cringy to me. The woman falls hopelessly, helplessly in love with a man who could murder her at any second. It seems like something you would see a therapist about, you know? So I knew I’d have to do it my way to be okay with it. In The Vampire Cure, the heroine Liz Meyer is fearless but smart.
As a strong proponent of women in STEM, most of the main characters in my books are either in technology or science-related fields. Liz was more of a challenge to write for me, as I work in an IT field, not a science one. I did a lot of research for this book, and I learned some fascinating things about vampire bats, the scientific method, and technical terminology such as “hematoporphyria,” which is a sensitivity to sunlight. I had a blast writing this book, and I’m looking forward to writing the rest of the series. The next novel, The Vampire Cure 2: A New Breed, is due out in late July and it’s available to preorder.
USA Today Bestselling Author of Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, and Young Adult Fiction.
Originally a Jersey girl, sunny Texas is where I now call home, in a town way up north in the panhandle called Wellington. I write super-powered urban fantasy that's sexy, fun and dark. For fun I like to read urban fantasy, horror, and existentialist fiction, as well as watch cartoons, movies, and sometimes even cartoon movies. I try not to take anything in life too seriously and I tend to smile often. Hop over to my website, katstiles.com for bonus material, fun blog posts, news about upcoming releases, and awesome giveaways!
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