by Lorie Lewis Ham
If you have read my latest Tower District Mystery, One of You, you know that the last scene in the book takes place at Hobb’s Grove in Sanger, CA so I thought it would be a lot of fun to have an event there. I reached out to them and they said yes! Also, the entire book takes place during the Halloween season so what better place to celebrate that than at the best haunt in the country! I will be doing this booksigning together with local vampire author Patrick Fontes. It will take place on October 23 from 6:30-9 in the Midway. 
Here is a little about Patrick and his book Blood Set, which is also set in Fresno:
Patrick Fontes grew up in Fresno, where he lives and teaches today. He received an MA in history from CSUF, and a PhD in American History from Stanford University. Patrick’s poetry has appeared in multiple journals, including La Bloga, The Mas Tequila Review, and The Acentos Review. He is also an avid and published photographer: patfontesart.com.
Floricanto Press published Patrick’s first novel Maria’s Purgatorio, in 2017. Bone & Ink Press published his first poetry collection in 2019, titled Mountains of Rust. Blood Set, Patrick’s second novel, is first in a series.
Patrick is a Professor of US History at Clovis Community College and teaches Chicano Studies at Fresno State.
Synopsis of Blood Set:
Blood Set is a vampire novel, yet it goes beyond the usual Northern and Eastern European-based Vampire and Dracula traditions.
The novel is set in the Central California city of Fresno, which is dark and dystopian by nature in real life and the perfect setting for this modern-day, Gothic tale. There are three main factions in the book, although the narrative mentions other covens in cities throughout the SW and Mexico, and even Japan.
Blood Set follows a family of vampires in the dystopian Central California city of Fresno. With roots that go back to the Olmecs, the De Alba coven practices ancient blood magic rituals and observes holy days honored by the Aztecs. Each of the coven’s vampires has a rich history either going back to Medieval Spain or Mesoamerica, and all share a history in Colonial Mexico.
The main coven consists of a family of vampires that live on a ranch outside of Fresno. Their blood rituals go all the way back to the Mayans and more specifically, the Aztecs. I have woven historical elements throughout the narrative, all the main characters have historical backstories, so I am envisioning sequels and prequels. There are two other groups that are at odds with the main vampire group, another splinter family that has become addicted to the blood of meth addicts in Fresno, and essentially have become meth addicts themselves. If vampires couldn’t get any darker, this coven has.
The other group is a pack of werewolves that live in the hills above Fresno near Yosemite, whose roots go back to pre-Roman empire Germany. Yes, it all sounds a bit cliché, but it is not.
All three groups pull from Mexican-Chicano and punk rock music and fashion. The werewolves are of German-origin and identify with the skinhead scene, though not Nazis.
The novel is gritty, dark, fun (especially with the music they play) and capturing. Think Lost Boys, mixed with the Mayans MC TV series, Wednesday if it were on HBO, with a layer of Goth-Punk and Chicano Lowrider culture.
And a bit about my new book, One of You:
Roxi Carlucci’s new life in Fresno, CA is starting to come together. She has a new podcast, works as a part-time P.I. with her cousin Stephen Carlucci, and is helping local bookstore owner Clark Halliwell put on the first-ever Tower Halloween Mysteryfest! To top it all off, her favorite author, the Queen of Cozy Mysteries, Marilyn Bradford, will be there!
The brutal summer heat is gone and has been replaced by the dense tule fog—perfect for Halloween! While Roxi misses her life as a children’s author living on the California Coast, she is beginning to feel at home in the Tower District—the cultural oasis of Fresno—where she lives with her cousin Stephen, her pet rat Merlin, a Pit Bull named Watson, and a black cat named Dan.
She just wishes everyone would stop calling her the “Jessica Fletcher” of the Tower District! Even if there will be murders on the page at Mysteryfest, there’s no way there will be another real murder like when she first arrived! But when one of the authors is found dead, she fears she jinxed herself! The Carlucci’s are hired to find the killer before they strike again! Will Mysteryfest turn into a murder fest? How is the local gossip website back, and what does it know about the death of Roxi’s parents?
You can learn more about my Tower District Mystery series on my website. You can also check out Mallory Moad’s article on my writing here at KRL.
The first book, One of Us, is currently on sale on Amazon for only .99 on Kindle. You can click this link to purchase it.
Hope to see some of you at Hobb’s Grove on October 23!
Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. Also listen to our new mystery podcast where mystery short stories and first chapters are read by actors! They are also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Spotify.
Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.
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