Last week I reviewed Kirsten McKenzie’s latest: a thriller about very modern vampires running a property empire from the heart of New York.

I love books that put a twist on vampire stories to allow a vampire sub-culture to flourish. That’s the thinking behind my Galbraith & Pole series. This sees the urbane 21st century vampire, Pole, working alongside the very human Chief Inspector Galbraith to deal with crimes that involve the supernatural realm. Pole is anxious that these are solved quietly in case people turn on his kind, while Galbraith just wants to avoid the panic that would spread if the world at large knew of the monsters that walk among us.

As Galbraith gets to know Pole better, he comes to realise that Pole is not a monster, but a creature very like him, but with some specific dietary requirements and an unfortunate reaction to sunlight. Over the centuries, though, Pole and his kind have learned how to adapt to what they call the Mortal world and Pole tries very hard to live a decent life without killing people for their blood.

My vampires and those in McKenzie’s Vampires of York Tower both pass unnoticed in our world. Both have emotional lives as well and, though Pole is not prone to show his feelings, he does tend to get sentimental about tango.

“Ah, the tango.” They had passed out into the square by now and Pole cast his glance upward at the sky. Galbraith thought it looked as though he was gazing up towards the moon, but it was a cloudy night and above them was only the glow of the lights of London. “Tango is, I think, a point at which your world and ours converge. The music speaks of great beauty and unbearable sorrow; of love and of death. Humans and Others both find it touches them. And the dance hall provides a neutral territory – a safe place to meet.”

– Something Wicked

For Valentine’s Day this year, I’ve decided to show a little more of this side of my favourite vampire. Next Friday, my blog will be carrying a FREE short story, Love, Death, and Tango. It’s a stand-alone story but people who have not read any of the Galbraith & Pole books might enjoy reading Something Wicked first. And to make that easier, I will be giving it away free on Monday and Tuesday (10th and 11th). The remaining two Galbraith & Pole stories will be just 99p/99c on Kindle from Monday to Friday next week (10th to 14th).

All the Galbraith & Pole stories are available on Kindle, in paperback and on Kindle Unlimited.

A Request

Writers give their books away to generate interest in them. We hope people will enjoy the free book and read more of the series. And they hope people will review them.

I know reviewing can be a pain, but just a few lines makes a huge difference. When the Galbraith & Pole books first came out they got some very good reviews but, as time has passed, people have stopped reviewing them and this means that they no longer sell a lot. Unfortunately for Galbraith & Pole fans, I write historical fiction (the James Burke series)  that sells rather better. That means that I am under some pressure to write more historical fiction and less Urban Fantasy. I like writing Urban Fantasy, but the sad truth is that it’s the historical fiction that sells.

In the end, what books get written is decided by readers. If you want to see more Urban Fantasy, please review the books you read. And if you enjoy Galbraith & Pole, please take advantage of the offer price to buy them. Thank you