BLOOD TOUCH--Welcome to the Gratista Vampire Clan
OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF CINSEARAE S.
IN THE BEGINNING
As if the world didn't have enough problems of its own, heaven and hell are gathering for the biggest battle of all, a 'forced' apocalypse started by none other than Morning Star himself. With an insane plan to prove that God isn't perfect, he enlists the help of a very jaded archangel--Michael--to help his with his scheme. Along with Apollyon, Lilith, and their legion of Destroyers--the 'children' of the Watchers--cataclysmic worldly events quickly unfurl as one lone Philadelphia city cop discovers he plays a pivotal role in how this 'apocalypse' will end.
BOOK EXCERPT
Lucifer and Michael hitched a ride in the back of a pickup truck, heading down a highway. The driver was unaware of their presence, as the two of them made themselves invisible. They each sat on opposite sides of the truck, letting the wind whip through their hair. Lucifer observed the vehicles zipping by them, the disgruntled looks on the human’s faces mildly amusing to him.
Michael looked past the humans at the city lights in the distance. Everything looked tiny, bright and pretty, but a few yards from them was the blackness of the unlit fields and trees, inhabited by wild animals.
“Are you sure you can’t figure out a way to just destroy the humans and not the Earth itself?” Michael asked.
“Sorry, brother. All of it must go. I’m trying to prove a point here, not pick through everything I want to keep or not.”
Michael sighed.
“Just think,” Lucifer chimed. “After we’re done with this little battle, we’ll rebuild everything ourselves, the way it should have been. Wouldn’t you prefer that?”
“It’s so much easier to destroy than create,” Michael said, but more to himself. “We don’t have the power to create things.”
“We were told we don’t. That doesn’t make it a hard fact.” Lucifer grinned, then spotted another car passing by the truck they were riding. A paunchy, middle-aged, angry-looking woman was attempting to cut pass the truck driver. Lucifer smirked in disgust at how rude God’s creations had become towards one another. The woman curtly honked at the truck driver as if he were in the wrong, and gave him the finger. What pissed Lucifer off more was the bumper sticker on her car that read: ‘Relax! God is in charge!’
Lucifer’s eyes glowed red. He stared at the car, and a front tire blew out, making her swerve uncontrollably off the highway and into a deep ditch. The car exploded, making Michael jump.
“Not anymore,” Lucifer said and chuckled, stretching out his legs and putting his hands behind his head. Michael almost forgot how callous Lucifer could be, but still showed no sympathy for the woman.
“What happened to her is mild compared to what’s coming. If there’s any of so-called humanity left before we’re done with it, the rest of them will kill themselves when they see the grand finale.” Lucifer winked at Michael.
Surprisingly to both of them, the truck driver slowed to a stop. They heard him call 911 on his cell phone.
“Amazing. After what she tried doing to him on the road, he still shows compassion, but not nearly enough to save this world,” Michael mumbled.
“C’mon,” Lucifer said, hopping off the truck. Michael followed suit. They walked down the highway, looking for another host car or truck.
“Where are we headed off to, anyways?” Michael asked.
“An old friend of ours wants to see me,” Lucifer said. “I think you’ll benefit from seeing him as well.”
Jesus took a shortcut through a small town, passing some stores and neighborhoods before walking across open spaces of land. He was nearing the highway, feeling that Lucifer was close by.
He made his way through the tall grasses as fast as possible. They were over a foot tall, making his feet itch. He ignored it as he kept going.
“Lucifer!” he called out. “This plan is futile! We have to talk about this!!”
Michael took an aerial attack on Jesus, knocking him on his shoulder with the hilt of his sword. He cried out in pain and collapsed to the ground. Michael landed with perfect grace at Jesus’ head.
“Get up, you coward,” Michael spat. “Time to finish what we started.”
Jesus could barely stand as he rubbed his shoulder, wincing in pain. “I don’t have time for this. Where is Lucifer?”
Michael backslapped him, blood now draining down Jesus’ chin. Michael held his sword in another attack stance.
“I can barely stand to look at you. You’re pathetic. Taking all of the sins and grief and pain of the humans upon yourself and doing nothing about it. Always doing what He tells you. You’re nothing but our Father’s little whipping boy.”
Jesus roared in anger and socked Michael in his jaw, returning the bloody blow. Michael touched his lip, drawing away red, wet fingers. He looked at Jesus and yelled back, charging at him.
Lucifer landed between them after he leaped off a nearby tree branch. Michael stopped short as Lucifer held his hand up for him to wait.
“That’s enough for now,” he said coolly. Michael’s nostrils flared as he tried calming down. Jesus looked confused, looking back and forth at the two of them.
“What is this?” Jesus asked.
“I think you already know,” Michael said flatly.
Jesus spotted the sword he was holding. “That is not your sword.”
“Indeed, it is,” he retorted with a snide grin.
“This is insane! This is uncalled for!”
“On the contrary, I think this was a long time coming,” Lucifer quipped, laughing.
“This cannot happen!” Jesus yelled. “It will not!”
“Why? You think your flimsy Chosen One is gonna save the day? If that’s all you’ve got, you might as well say we’ve won already.”
Jesus stared angrily at the both of them as he dispersed in a blinding flash of white.
Michael and Lucifer looked at each other.
“Don’t worry,” Lucifer said. “He’ll be back when the time comes, and you can finish him off then.”
"In the Beginning is brutal and bloody. Ms. Santiago pulls no punches when it comes to language and violence...It comes at you full-tilt, filled with exhilaration and over-the-top imagination."
--Nights and Weekends
“Gothicly rich from Beginning to End, Cinsearae knows how to pull off an apocalypse.”
-- Book Cover Reviews
OTHER READER/AUTHOR/REVIEWER COMMENTS:--Nights and Weekends
“Gothicly rich from Beginning to End, Cinsearae knows how to pull off an apocalypse.”
-- Book Cover Reviews
I REALLY enjoyed this book. The (human) characters were very realistic, and they interact with each other very well. My favorite human character was Dillon, a younger cop with such a bright personality. As for the angelic/demonic characters, I like how Lucifer and Apollyon played off each other. I found it interesting how Lucifer mentions that everyone blames 'him' for all the bad in the world---when humans should be blaming 'themselves' because of their free will. That's something that might make you think...
Michael came off as a whiny pissed-off punk to me, while Jesus seemingly breezed through everything without breaking a sweat. I was also glad Detective Morley, who was always ignoring Dillon's theories about what was happening to the world, got it handed to him when he first encounters Lilith and The Destroyers in downtown Philly, and then again when he was greeted by his grisly, walking-dead wife at his own front door. Awesome book. I commend Ms. Santiago on a job well done.
Shaun Collins~ http://thepurpleraven.blogspot.com
I like Southern cooking. I like my gravy and my grits lumpy. I like my chocolate pudding and my fiction smooth, without lumps. In The Beginning is the Ideal Chocolate Pudding, smooth and consistent all the way through.
No long lead-ins here, Ms. Santiago reaches out and grabs you, and makes this book hard to put down, and remains smooth and consistent throughout. A well crafted story, balanced. Apocalyptic literature is not exactly my thing, this story is the exception...
He he, and the ending...
Anton Glascow, Author
I really liked this story! The opening scene is gripping and hooks you immediately. I liked all the characters--Lucifer and Apollyon act like an old, bickering married couple throughout the book, lol. I was partial to Dillon, Vincent's best friend, as he was the bright, witty one who was quick to figure out the coming apocalypse. The archangel Michael's gripe with Jesus was very interesting to say the least! I loved how Lilith and some of the Destroyers tore up downtown Philly and toyed with the citzens and detective Morley, who refused to believe in anything spiritual in the first place! The ending is both happy and sad. This will definitely keep your interest piqued, and will even have you think about how disconnected humans have become with mankind and the earth in general. What lucifer says about the downfall of humans is pretty creepy, since you pretty much see it going on RIGHT NOW.
Heather Winstel, PA
Horrifying, sick, witty, and wordly, this book hits on a lot of truths about humanity as a whole. The opening 2 chapters are in-your-face with creepiness and a lot of gore, thanks to a demoniclike being later known as part of the Destroyers. I liked the characters, mainly Apollyon (who takes the form of a child!) and Lucifer (and you almost want to side with him at times!) even 'Lilith' has a big part to play, mainly with destroying parts of downtown Philadelphia with the help of more Destroyers, lol. The battle scenes between man, angels the living dead, and demons were pretty awesome, and the images in the book helped with telling the story. And yes, the dead do rise, thanks to Apollyon and his creation of diseases and other maniacal tricks. Cinsearae puts you on quite a journey in this book, from Philly, to the Vatican, to Iraq and more--this is a very entertaining read. If you liked movies like "The Prophecy" and "The Seventh Sign", then you'll like this. Kudos!
Dominic Demarco, PA
