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Mortal Touch

All I need to do is touch you...

Mortal Touch front coverSeven years ago, Regan Calloway learned a bitter lesson about the pitfalls of using psychic ability to help catch a vicious criminal. Since retreating to the small mill town of Sheridan, Massachusetts, she has focused her life on the second-hand store that she manages there. But she can't completely escape her reputation, her past, or her powers of perception. When a psychologist, Dr. Hiram Clauson, recruits Regan to help him interview victims in a series of bizarre assaults around Sheridan, Regan gains more knowledge than she counted on.

Her investigation attracts the attention of Jonathan Vaughn, a writer who has recently moved to Sheridan. Many locals are curious about Jonathan's mysterious book project and his interest in a crumbling old former commune outside of town, but no one is more intrigued than Regan's best friend and confidante, Veronica Standish. When Veronica begs Regan to help her find out more about Jonathan's past, she unwittingly sets up a collision that has a shattering effect on all of their lives. Jonathan Vaughn is older and more unusual than anyone realizes: one of the tiny and scattered network of men and women known as vampires only to the very few whom they trust.

Jonathan never anticipates the cascading series of disasters that will ensue when he decides to trust Regan with his secret. Along with Veronica, and a curious young friend, Sean, Regan plunges headlong into a new reality, one in which death is temporary, love is everlasting and blood is an elixir. As her friendships and loyalties are torn apart, and former associates turn into ruthless enemies, Regan must learn what can be relinquished, and what is worth protecting at any cost. Ultimately, she confronts choices that she never dreamed she would have to make.

"With a sympathetic heroine, an innovative approach to traditional vampire lore, and plot twists you won't see coming, Mortal Touch deserves a place on any vampire fan's bookshelf."
Margaret L. Carter, author of Dark Changeling,
Child of Twilight, Sealed in Blood,
and
Different Blood: The Vampire as Alien

"...a wonderful fictional treatment of the authentic vampire tradition in this region...has the honesty and local color that brings the characters and their towns to life and makes the plot palpably real."
Michael Bell, author of
Food for the Dead: On the Trail of New England's Vampires

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Paperback, 368 pages, $16.95
Hardcover, 368 pages, $34.00
All ebook editions, $4.99
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ISBN: 978-0-9793028-0-0
ISBN: 978-0-9793028-3-1
eISBN: 978-0-9793028-4-8






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Read what reviewers are saying about Mortal Touch...

"I think you'll be genuinely surprised by some of the twists. Regan is a sympathetic heroine, and Arthen's variation on traditional vampire lore is fresh and well thought-out. The story riveted my attention throughout."
Margaret M. Carter, News from the Crypt No. 25

"Mortal Touch is an intriguing vampire adventure. Regan has worked hard to get her life back on track, but somehow trouble has found her once again. In this tension filled paranormal tale, Ms. Arthen develops a nicely detailed world with captivating characters and fascinating twists on vampirism. With a touch of mystery, suspense and passion, this is a wonderful escape from the ordinary."
Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews

"The author has done an admirable job of portraying the challenges of running a small retail business in a very accurate manner. She also does a great job of bringing a ocultic subject into the realm of reality. Her characters develop nicely and her points of view work out nicely. We rated this novel five hearts." referred to Book Sense as a Recommended Read
Bob Spear, Heartland Reviews

"The story comes alive, riddled with just enough creepiness to enjoy but not so much as to keep the reader awake at night...Inanna Arthen explores vampires in the modern world, attempting to account for both the mundane details and the supernatural, and she does so with relish. She makes vampires seem real, even approachable. That’s what is so creepy about this book. You finish it and think - Oh, man! That is too real! I did not want to put Mortal Touch down until I had finished it....Arthen delivers a clever plot with a crafted backstory...This reminded me of my childhood “Friday Frite Nite” experiences: delightfully creepy. Arthen’s book is a certain pleaser for those of you interested in good old-fashioned scary stories without the demons and gore. I can safely say this book receives a 4.5 out of 5 stars."
Tonia R. Montgomery, Curled Up With a Good Book

"Now here's a book I can sink my teeth into! Not only does it deal with one of my favorite subjects, but it also takes place in my favorite state of Massachusetts, and that's a doubleheader that can't be beat...The author, the Bay State's answer to Anne Rice, is dedicated to "reclaiming the dignity of vampire-themed literature" by writing books for the sophisticated adult reader, with complex characters, difficult life problems and intriguing plots -- just like the ones from the old days. This is the first in the planned series, so jump on board."
Tom Elliott, Mensa Bulletin, November/December 2007

"Having read so many vampire novels as I have, it is seldom that I find one that surprises me or that strays enough from the vampire conventions to appear original, and this is why I was pleasantly surprised to read Mortal Touch...an unusual vampire novel in that the characters are not romanticized in any way and are portrayed in a realistic manner. Unlike most heroines from your regular vampire novels, Regan is neither particularly young nor beautiful. The same can be said for Jonathan...Arthen is successful in creating the perfect ambiance for the mysterious New England town, with its picturesque antique shops and long dark roads surrounded by woods.. this is a work that is well written and that at times gets quite suspenseful and horrific...Mortal Touch is definitely a novel vampire fiction aficionados will want to add to their collection. This is not a novel to be gobbled overnight, though, but one to savor slowly and patiently, so if you like your fiction with a lot of details and a lot of meat in it, this is the book for you. I certainly will keep my eye on this author and this press, and hope to review more of their titles in the future."
Mayra Calvani, Dark Phantom Reviews (syndicated to Blogcritics.org, Slippery Book Blog, Midwest Book Review, and Boston.com)

"Mortal Touch builds slowly to a swift and exciting end. The visceral violence of the story makes it feel quite personal and in some ways shocking. You can’t help but feel the betrayal and powerlessness the characters experience. It’s very well written. I also enjoyed that the New England area is like another character in the story."
Vicky London, Vampire Genre

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