When we were getting ready to release Bryony back in 2011, my daughter Sarah (who did a lot of the marketing for me) suggested I pull thirty teaser quotes from the book that she could post on Facebook, one each day.
We did the same for the second book, Visage, which is also part of the BryonySeries.
And here they are:
“As he descended the stairs, subtle signs unsettled him.
Nighttime restlessness. Occasional mid-morning sleepiness. Squinting in the
brightest sunlight. A bite of raw hamburger when cooking dinner. An annoying
discernment of the thoughts and motives of others.” Visage, The Prologue
“Obviously, Jason felt bored, too...or sick. Well, good.
That should make for an early evening.” Visage, Chapter 1: College Bound
“She wouldn’t have to search far to unearth him, and Julie
had unwittingly bestowed a reason to visit the music department.” Visage,
Chapter 2: Vampire or Revamped
“The broad leaves on the thick, gnarled branches of the old
trees framing the beautiful architecture of Jenson’s bungalows, Queen Annes,
and four squares boasted summer green, but the still, chilly air hinted at
autumn’s imminence. Did she really have to knock on those heavy doors and ask
the strangers inside to sponsor her for bowling?” Visage, Chapter 3: In the
Shadow of Bryony
“’It’s a free county. You can date whom you please, and I
can shun you as much as I like.’” Visage, Chapter 4: Outdated
“She heard a rustle on her right and with a start, noticed
she was only several feet away from the cemetery in her dreams, where Henry had
dubbed her ‘food.’” Visage, Chapter 5: Under the Stars
“The ticking merged with the battering monsoon against the
window pane until it thudded into the beating of John Simons’ undead heart.”
Visage, Chapter 6: Melissa Takes a Leap of Faith
“John steered with a relaxed left hand; his right hovered
between his knee and the gear stick, and he casually monitored the road as if
surveying his kingdom.” Visage, Chapter 7: New Horizons
“Miss Garboldi’s silence during the remainder of the
semester was not meek abdication of her man. It was methodical, calculated
revenge.” Visage, Chapter 8: Forever Yours
“‘I really do wish you all the happiness in the world,’”
Brian said. “‘I just don’t think you’ll get it with him.’” Visage, Chapter 9:
Becoming One Flesh
“How long she lay there, Melissa had no clue, but eventually
exhaustion beat back the tempest. Shivering Melissa crept across the room and
crawled into bed, ignoring the flurry thickly falling past the window.” Visage,
Chapter 10: And Baby Makes Two
“Every quarter of an hour, Melissa anxiously checked the
battery-operated clock on the mantle of the sham fireplace. How long did two
men need to buy a couple of sticks?” Visage, Chapter 11: Kicked
“Just enough moonlight filtered through the curtains to
reveal John lying on his back, motionless, jaw set, and staring at the ceiling
with unblinking, savage eyes.” Visage, Chapter 12: A Fate Worse Than Death.
“Melissa whirled around. ‘Oh, look! You came up for air!’” Visage,
Chapter 13: Flashback/Flash Forward
“‘Your role was to behave. Henry’s job was to enforce it.’”
Visage, Chapter 14: Blood Donor
“‘Melissa, you’re talking to a man from an era when women
hid pregnancies in flowing gowns and retreated at home until after the birth.
One month, nine months; it’s all the same to me.’” Visage, Chapter 15: A Gift
of Life
“One male fairy in particular mesmerized Melissa. He
reclined high up in a tree, curled his toes around a branch, pointed his thin
face to the sky, and played a flute-like instrument. His long red hair entwined
with the leafy boughs.” Visage, Chapter 16: Beginning Again
“The cereal slowed John-Peter’s appetite, as Dr. Rothgard
promised it would, and improved his sleep and his disposition, but the baby did
eat two boxes of it, as well as half a case of formula.” Visage, Chapter 17: The
Child Prodigy
“Sweet-tempered? Way to go, John, she thought. Must be nice
to program your own childhood memories.” Visage, Chapter 18: Under the Cover of
Night.
“Paralyzed in the shadowy twilight of lucid dreaming and
full alertness, Melissa could only surrender to an engulfing, indestructible
force that plunged her below the surface of her will and interminably ravaged
any portion of her soul she had not yet relinquished to him.” Visage, Chapter
19: Things Are Not What They Seem
“One warm spring afternoon, Melissa did it. Perhaps the
tender greenery sprouting up from the ground beckoned her, or perhaps the warm
wisps of wind stirring the air also stirred inside Melissa her buried feelings
for the past. Either way, when the final school bell for the day had rung,
Melissa headed for the road leading to the former Simons estate.” Visage,
Chapter 20: Unraveling the Past.
“‘You might think Cornell’s overly cautious with the
locks,’” Katie whispered, “‘but he keeps all of his paraphernalia in there. Some
of the ingredients for potions and things are really hard to come by. You can’t
be too careful in this business.” Visage, Chapter 21: Enter the Jester
“To Melissa’s amazement, John snatched the glass from Dr.
Rothgard’s hands and drained its contents in one gulp. Dr. Rothgard opened
another and before he could pour it, John grabbed it and quenched it straight
from the bag. He didn’t cringe; he didn’t shudder.” Visage, Chapter 22: Falling
Apart
“‘They’re snakes,” the boy said as he picked up another one and
gave it the same treatment. He smacked his lips and turned cunning eyes at
Melissa. “‘You want me to eat meat. Well, snakes are meat.” Visage, Chapter 23:
No Holds Barred
“She closed her eyes and prayed sleep would be swift, but
images of John crowded any rest that might have come, and those images were not
pleasant.” Visage, Chapter 24: Back to the Womb
“The heat didn’t seem to affect her. She wore white and pink
shorts with a pink-flowered shirt; her curly blonde hair was pulled away from
her thin face with a pink bow. Her appearance reminded Melissa of strawberry
ice cream.” Visage, Chapter 25: Surrendering to Fate
“‘Life. What an elusive entity. We imagine we can create it.
We can take it away from someone if we choose. Yet there are individuals who
become stuck in that strange land between life and death, where their ability
to either live or die becomes complicated.’” Visage, Chapter 26: Of Garlic
Wreaths and Holy Water
“‘I’ve got to get back to the kids. John-Peter and I are
playing pirate ship, and he’s a much better pirate than I am. I’ve already had
to walk the plank twice.’” Visage, Chapter 27: The Great Fast
“Still suspicious, Melissa stood in the doorway and watched
him walk down the hall into another room. Within seconds, he returned, carrying
two paper cups. He handed her one of them, and she sipped it. It was lukewarm
and weak, but it was definitely tea.” Visage, Chapter 28: Strong-Armed
“A thundering of hoof beats, and Melissa turned away from
the waiting carriage to John, but John had gone, and in his place stood Henry
in his midnight blue suit, looking as shrunken as the last night Melissa had
last seen him inside the library at Simons Mansion.” Visage, Chapter 29: A
Fairy-Tale Ending
“Melissa grabbed the window sash, but Cornell slunk away
before Melissa could slam it on his obnoxious, stubby fingers. She glanced at
John’s alarm clock: almost midnight. Damn Cornell!” Visage, Chapter 30: Last
Rites
“He slid off the bed and padded on bare feet to the closet,
opening the door and studying its mirror. This time, only his reflection greeted him.” Visage, Epilogue
