For all the fabulous friends and peers that I have met in the past year… You have inspired me, motivated me, encouraged me, supported me, laughed and cried and got angry with me… it’s amazing to think it’s only been a year, not even a year, actually, that I’ve known you all… Here’s to many more!
For my “bestie, Jade Royal… For standing by my side through the good times and bad… Never letting me wallow, always encouraging me to soldier on… for listening to my rants and comforting my tears… for always listening, never criticizing… Oh, and for keeping track of points! Potter, 500 pts… Vort, -6000 pts… Dumbledore, 1,000,000 pts. *winks*
This book was a challenge in many ways, first and foremost because I was starting from scratch, no screenplay or story to guide me on the journey… It was also a challenge because the story forced me to go places in my writing that I never have before, tapping into emotions and depicting situations on the page that were new to me in many ways… I felt like my characters guided me there, took the reins and the pen from my hand… The music played, inspiration took hold, and yielded what is here… I’m grateful for all those who have inspired me on this journey so far…
For my dear friend, Alistair Stone… For letting me use your words to set the scene for this story… For your words of encouragement when I needed them most… For making me laugh, even when I didn’t want to… and for always seeing me as I am, and forcing me to see myself, too… *hugs* my friend…
For my “muse,” Aidan Turner… who continues to breathe life into Vincent Kremer in such an amazing way… I still marvel at the circumstances that lead me to discovering this man, and the way that his presence has influenced my writing… Once again, this book, this series, wouldn’t be here if not for him, and I hope someday I will have the opportunity to hand these books to him and say a simple and heartfelt “thank you”…
It is a truth universally acknowledged that wolves and ravens share an interesting symbiotic relationship. In the wild, they are often seen together, traveling together, sharing meals together, and even seeming to enjoy each other’s company… One might even be so bold as to call the two very different species “friends”… I once knew a young raven I called “friend,” and though our paths crossed for but a moment in time, his influence is here in these pages… As I write this now and recall what was, both good and bad, light and dark, I am grateful for the personal growth and artistic inspiration that those months brought into my life… for your encouragement, your affection, and your friendship, once upon a time… Thank you.
Love,
Gabriella
More books by Gabriella Messina
BLOODLINE
“Samantha needs to understand who she is, where she came from, why we are who, and what, we are.”
After a death-defying fall, Detective Samantha “Sam” Karolyi hopes to use her leave from work to heal her body, and care for her aging grandfather, Ivan. But a series of strange incidents intrudes on her rehabilitation – a drug addict gutted in an alley; a young thief’s suicide by bus; bodies disappearing from the City Mortuary – and Sam realizes that something is terribly wrong in New York City.
When her grandfather is attacked by a vicious animal and left for dead, Sam begins an investigation that places her directly in the path of one of these animals, an encounter that leaves Sam wounded… And infected with Lycanthropic Virus.
Werewolves, creatures of legend, now roam the streets of New York City.
As she struggles through the physical and emotional transformation process, Sam – along with her partner, Lenny; her childhood friend, Ben; and a mysterious “Man in Black” – begins to uncover the truth about these werewolves, and the truth about the BLOODLINE.
More books by Gabriella Messina
Kate Gardener Mysteries
The Memory of Trees (book 1)
On a crisp September morning, a jogger stumbles upon a horrific scene in a London park…
When forensic photographer Kate Gardener steps in for her injured supervisor, the brash young American finds herself at the scene of a brutal murder. The body of university student Daniel Norton has been found at the edge of Regent’s Park – naked and castrated. Gifted with a “photographic” memory, Kate is uniquely suited to capturing the details of a murder scene, and reading the shadows and light of her crime scene photos. But this crime scene is different…
As the investigation proceeds, the victim is linked to a decade-old crime, the murder of Helen Flynn. Then, a second body is discovered, the crime scene more brutal than the first. After crime scene photos go missing – and a coworker’s strange behavior takes center stage – Kate fears that the murderer may be very close… and about to strike again.
Kate’s instincts for solving crimes have always been spot-on… could this killer really be one of their own?
More books by Gabriella Messina
Kate Gardener Mysteries
De Profundis (book 2)
As faithful parishioners gather for Vespers on All Saints Day, a beloved priest is bludgeoned to death in the church sacristy…
Though he is no stranger to controversy, the priest’s death sends shockwaves through the community. Allegations from the past come to light when a young seminarian, the victim of sexual abuse, is found hiding on the church property, his clothing covered with blood.
Forensic photographer Kate Gardener has her doubts about the young man’s guilt, and her hunches are seldom wrong. The twists and turns of this complicated and controversial case throw Kate into the path of the members of a notorious dining club…. and a very handsome young architect. Romantic entanglements must take a backseat to the case, however, as the investigation intensifies and the inquest into the death of Neville Crane looms.
Together with Detective Sergeant Richard Pierce, Jimi Khan, and the rest of the team, Kate must overcome her fears and face the ghosts of her past in the race to piece the clues together and catch a brutal murderer before he strikes again.
** This book includes a vivid description of the experience of 9/11 that some readers may find disturbing. Readers’ discretion is advised. **
About Gabriella Messina
Gabriella Messina grew up in Northwestern Pennsylvania, where her early ventures in writing consisted of 30-page book reports. Though her writing began in prose, it was screenwriting that first captured her attention. After a trip to the UK during her sophomore year in college, Ms. Messina began teaching herself the basics of screenwriting. By 2005, she had completed her award-winning first screenplay, "The Devil Inside,” which she later adapted into her debut novel, "Bloodline.”
Ms. Messina is also the creator of the Kate Gardener Mysteries, a series of stories revolving around an American forensic photographer cracking cases with London's Met Police. The series is based on the television series "Yard Work.”
In addition to her creative writing, Ms. Messina writes freelance articles and web content. When not writing, she enjoys reading, catching up on favorite films and television series, traveling and spending time with her family.
Connect with Gabriella Messina
Website:
https://gabriellamessinawrites.wordpress.com/
Amazon Author Page:
https://www.amazon.com/Gabriella-M.-Messina/e/B0088K9R3K/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7949473.Gabriella_Messina
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/gabriella.messina.353
Twitter:
@girlieclown
Pinterest:
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Instagram:
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Musical Inspiration
Music is always a major inspiration for me when I write… Sometimes it powers the writing process, serving as a stimulating to creativity… other times, it quite literally brings the scene to life, suggesting the action, the feeling, the atmosphere…
And so, a “shout-out” and thank you to the artists whose music served to i
nspire me during the writing of this book…
Lindsey Stirling, The Weeknd, BrunuhVille, Zayn, INXS, Van Halen, The Goo Goo Dolls, Enya, Tears For Fears, and Mark Geary
Quicksilver (The Bloodline Series Book 2) Page 23
