Back Cover Copy for Ed Calkins' Upcoming Novel "Ruthless"

Last night, Ed Calkins, Steward of Tara, submitted the following text for his back cover summary of "Ruthless," which will be available on Calkins Day (Feb. 13).

I did tighten it a bit, and I hope it all fits on the back cover.  

But it should give you an idea of what you, the reader, will encounter, should you decide to read it this twenty-first century novel of Irish literary nonsense.

“I would think that any vampire who has the favor of a supernatural deity to help him find his way back to his own time would be too dangerous to mess with.” I told him.

            Henry Mathews snickered. “Well, there’s the rub. Not everyone agrees that a supernatural deity fueled his escape. They think he was simply Irish.”

              “The luck of the Irish,” I mused…until realizing I’m the only known Irish vampire. “Wait. Am I the unreliable source of this trip to the end and beginning of time?”

              “You never said you were.”

              “Then what are you saying?” I asked impatiently.

              “No. I said YOU never said that…any of it. If you had, anyone could easily dismiss it.” Henry leaned close and dropped his voice to a harsh whisper. “Fall apart, man! Quit being rational! Your enemies can read your mind! You must scatter your wits and believe the unbelievable or you’ll never survive!”

              Step through the mirror. Step through at your own peril.

              It was clear enough that Ed Calkins was murdered while delivering newspapers. Trudy, a poet, sharp-shooter, dominatrix, alcoholic, and auxiliary police officer is certain she knows who did it. She remembers pointing the pistol and pulling the trigger, but she doesn’t remember why she shot her best friend. Is something supernatural is haunting Munsonville? Or had something possessed her years ago when Eddie secretly won the lottery? In either case, he’d become a vampire, and she must face him again in a duel four days from now.

            In the meantime, Ed Calkins is bleeding to death and only has seven seconds to create a son for Melissa and John with the help of two others, who both live in his imaginary version of Tara in ancient Ireland. He must also ruthlessly battle agendas or myth and his own unruly imagination while time traveling recklessly through distant future and past. 

              So step carefully through the mirror because you’re only guaranteed to learn three things.

                             - Ed Calkins is ruthless,

                             - A pistol is no silver bullet in a limerick fight,

                             - And if Ed Calkins asks you to marry him, he might not ask again.