Authorpreneur Dashboard – Lara Nance
REVENGE OF THE MAD SCIENTIST
Science Fiction & Fantasy
The first book in the Airship Adventure Chronicles. When Lady Arabella Trunkett’s father, the High Lord Minister of Urbannia is kidnapped, all clues point to the mysterious country of Gandiss and the world is thrown into political upheaval. Arabella is convinced the more sinister nation of Carabarras is to blame, urged on by a mad scientist seeking revenge. So, she sets out on a perilous airship journey across a variety of exotic locales to save him, and halt the potential world war. But airship pirates, secret assassins and slave traders aren’t her only trials. The fickle hand of fate has made the captain of the only airship available for charter, the man who left her at the altar. For eight years she's wished him dead. Now he's her only hope.
Book Bubbles from REVENGE OF THE MAD SCIENTIST
Belle's father is kidnapped!
Arabella's beloved father is kidnapped by deadly hired assassins. So begins this adventurous tale. She must summon all her courage and resources to complete her journey across exotic and dangerous countries. The kidnapping is the pivotal scene that sets Belle and friends on the adventure. This book begins the series of adventures that take Belle and company around the world, fighting for justice.
Murder in the World Below
Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
A sprawling facility for handicapped children closed in 1960 amid findings of deplorable conditions, illegal testing and sexual abuse. Sixty-one years later, the academy is a community college in the Shenandoah Mountains of Virginia. Unknown to the upper world, refugees from the old asylum live in a secret world they’ve built in the tunnels, caverns and basements beneath the old school, hiding their differences and fear of those above ground. Haven, as the residents call their underground home, is a happy, thriving community until they learn their source of power is about to be cut off. A resourceful young woman named Awen sets out to find an alternative source of energy. But someone in Haven is murdering people and sabotaging her efforts. Aided by a professor from the college, Awen is in a race to expose the killer and hunt for a source of energy that will save Haven. Unfortunately, the murderer now has their sights on Awen as the next victim, and time is running out for the world below.
Book Bubbles from Murder in the World Below
The world of Haven
I originally got the idea for this story when I heard about Willowbrook Academy. It was located on Staten Island and, like the academy in this story, it was closed due to the deplorable conditions. The horrors there were actually uncovered by Geraldo Rivera as his first big assignment. He went undercover to observe firsthand how the children were being treated. Later it was discovered that the children had all been exposed to hepatitis so doctors could try different treatments on them. This story asks "What if some of them escaped and lived below the school in tunnels and basements?"
DraculaVille I - Discovery in New York
Romance
When Advertising Executive Talia Quinton takes on the unwelcome job of promoting the country of Romania, she has no idea it will involve rescuing a real vampire and being thrust into a conflict among warring vampire factions in New York. She and her rescued vampire, Drake, must fight for their lives to protect their growing love for each other and escape capture in time to present Talia’s campaign to the Romanians. For Talia’s groomed Drake to become Dracula, the spokesperson for a multi-billion dollar project to build an adult fantasy them park/resort in Transylvania called….DraculaVille.
Book Bubbles from DraculaVille I - Discovery in New York
Talia faces her fears
Talia's tried to deny her attraction to Drake, her rescued vampire. But he's stripping away all the emotional walls she's build to protect herself over the years. In this scene, Drake confronts her and her feeble attempts to deny the attraction. Even though he's a vampire, he's different from the traditional view of these creatures. He's not evil. He loves her. He's trying to tell her that in this scene. It's one of my favorite parts of this story because Talia has to face the fears from her painful past along with her vulnerability and admit her feelings for Drake. *swoon*
Memories of Murder
Romance
When Maeve McKenna renounces her witch powers and accepts a low-key nurse practitioner position at a Virginia retirement community, the last thing she expects is a suicide her first day on the job. As the town's sexy sheriff, Paul Sutton, starts looking into the tragic death of his father's friend, Maeve can't help but get involved--with both the case and him. Their informal investigation unveils an old journal that connects the ruins of a nearby asylum and long-forgotten cemetery with the shiny new retirement community's memory unit--and Maeve's Alzheimer's patients. Maeve senses a sinister presence in the old asylum, calling to the patients, but in order to stop it from killing again, she must first conquer some demons of her own and reclaim the magic she's denied herself.
Book Bubbles from Memories of Murder
Memories in suitcases
While doing research on turn of the century insane asylums for this book, I came across a compelling story of suitcases found in the attic of a real insane asylum. Willard Psychiatric hospital closed and an attic of suitcases was found. They belonged to people who had died in the institution without relatives to receive their remains. The sad, tragic tale of the meager remains of those suitcases touched my heart. I wanted to include a similar scene in my story to add to the sadness of those confined to these asylums in the early 1900's.
