Joleene Naylor is the author of the glitter-less Amaranthine vampire universe, a world where vampires aren't for children. Comprised of a main series, a standalone prequel, and several short story collections, she has plans to continue expanding with a trilogy and standalone novels. 
In her spare time, Joleene is a freelance book cover designer and for-fun photographer. She maintains several blogs, full of odd ramblings, and occasionally updates her website at JoleeneNaylor.com. In what little time is left, she watches anime, plays PokemonGo, and works on her crooked Victorian house in Villisca, Iowa. Between her husband, family, and pets, she is never lonely, in fact, quite the opposite. Should she disappear, one might look for her on a beach in Tahiti, sipping a tropical drink and wearing a disguise. 

The prequel to the Amaranthine series tells the story of Patrick and Michael, how they got tangled into Claudius' web, and their valiant fight to escape.

When Patrick's missing brother returns, he brings a world of darkness. Turned into a vampire against his will, Michael is the coven's whipping boy. When Patrick tries to help, he's claimed as a slave who spends his weekends preparing victims, scooping ashes, and falling prey to the vampires' twisted desires.

There's only so much hell he can take. When vampires from a warring coven offer sanctuary in exchange for cooperation, Patrick agrees. What he thought would be a few months drags into a long smear of nightmares and, though he fights for hope and freedom, the cost of victory may be more than he bargained for.


Brothers of Darkness

The next night Patrick and Michael scrubbed a gory mess from the ballroom walls. As Patrick swished away the blood, he imagined he was wiping away all the roadblocks in his life; the vampires, his dependency on booze and pills, his hatred of Anthony. Everything was washed away until he was left with a sparkling clean life, the kind he could finally let Katelina in to.


"Where's the hickey from?" Michael asked sourly. 


Without thinking, Patrick answered, "Katelina. We ran into her last night. I think I'm falling in love."


The words were barely out when Patrick realized who he was talking to. Fuck! "I mean"


Michael lowered the soapy rag. Patrick could see his brother's petulant reflection in the mirror; watch his mouth twist out the words, "Must be nice. I don't suppose you've heard from you-know-who?"


Patrick dropped his rag into the bucket and thanked God that Michael hadn't really been listening. "No."


Chapter 69