Of Masques And Martyrs

Led by Peter Octavian, the Shadows continue their battle against the ruthless Hannibal and his vampiric minions, who mean to enslave humanity-and devour all in their path.

For the Shadows, nothing can ever be the same again. Their existence revealed to the world in Of Saints and Shadows, the truth of their divided heritage revealed to themselves in Angel Souls and Devil Hearts, they must now fight the hardest battle of all -- against others of their own kind. The fragile alliance of human and vampire was shattered forever by Hannibal, among the most ancient of Shadows, who turned on them both in their hour of greatest need. Driven by blood, he thirsts for dominion, and humankind to him will always be prey. For those Shadows who walk a different path there is only one choice to be made. Hannibal must be destroyed before he destroys them all. But his followers are many, and those who oppose him are few...

It has taken me years to realize just how extraordinary my life has been. My trend of good fortune has always been more than coincidental. This journey through change has taken me from theory to thesis and far beyond transformation. We live in a world where exploring the unexplained is now confined by science. For those who choose the unconventional path, it seems that social incarceration and emotional imprisonment awaits all who are willing to stand so bold. So rather than seeking answers, people merely began picking one from a box. I have not dreamed of, nor searched for heroes, for I have always lived among them. I have not pretended to be another nor prayed for anything that I have obtained. Yet, somehow I have acquired them all. You see, I have yet to narrow my factors to one single answer, which means, as long as this deductive reasoning continues, I must still be living to face another day. For all those dreamers, like me, I simply could not ask for more.

When the quarantine occurred in 2020, I found myself writing once more and looking back on everything that I had written over the past several years. I was quite shocked when I came to the realization that my first book of poetry had been published ten years prior. I had been writing now for the past 35 years, and while that doesn't make me some sort of expert, or authority on explaining emotions, it certainly suggests a sense of dedication to something that was incredibly meaningful to me. There were times I almost gave it up, and there were even periods of my life where I quit writing altogether, but something always brought me back to it, again and again. I can't really explain the passion I have for poetry, but I've always been grateful for the ability to look back on my experiences and admire all the lessons I have learned along the way. I guess the one thing I learned that will never change in this journey... My passion for writing, my desire to continue learning from those around me, and my aspiration to spread empathy to anyone who is willing to listen, and for that opportunity alone, I thank you.

Presents articles on the horror and fantasy genres of fiction, including authors, themes, significant works, and awards.

The second Peter Octavian novel in the classic urban fantasy series- reissued in a brand-new package-by the award-winning author.

A secret sect of the Catholic Church, armed with an ancient book of the undead called The Gospel of Shadows, has been slowly destroying vampires for centuries. Now the book has been stolen, and the sect races to retrieve it before their purpose is discovered: a final purge of all vampires. As the line between saints and shadows grows ominously faint, private eye Peter Octavian is drawn into the search. And he'll do anything to find the book ... for Peter Octavian is also a vampire. Ostracized by his kindred for refusing to take part in the 'blood song', he cannot stand by and watch while they are destroyed. In a deadly game with a driven, sadistic assassin, the trail leads to Venice at the time of carnival, where the Defiant Ones, as the vampires are known, are engaged in a savage battle for their lives. Filled with plot twists, mystery, sex and violent death, Of Saints and Shadows is a spine-tingling thriller which opens the door to the world of The Shadow Saga.

The Gospel of Shadows enabled the Catholic Church to control all manner of supernatural beings for centuries. When the book was destroyed — and the ruling body of the Church with it — it enabled the Shadows, the vampires of legend, to learn the hidden truth of their triple nature: part human, part demonic, part divine. But it also weakened the barriers that exist between the worlds, and now beings of pure evil are breaking through — creatures from other dimensions for which Hell is just a name. Peter Octavian, once a powerful Shadow, now restored to humanity, is the only man with sufficient knowledge to stop them. Aided by a earthwitch, a vampire and a priest, and calling on the magical forces of mother nature herself, Octavian stands between the Earth and apocalypse, as entire cities are plunged into the abyss.

For centuries, Vatican sorcerers kept demons and monsters out of our world with the magic found in a grimoire called The Gospel of Shadows. Years ago, to save his people from madmen, Peter Octavian defeated those sorcerers and the Gospel of Shadows itself was banished from the Earth. Ever since, the evils and monstrosities lurking in parallel worlds have been waking to the realization that our magical defences are down – the barriers keeping them out of our world are crumbling. With massive demonic incursions in locations around the world, Octavian should be focused on using his own sorcery to drive the evil out and rebuild our defences. But a renegade vampire named Cortez has murdered the person Octavian loves the most and, even with his friends and allies around him, he is so lost in grief that he can think of nothing but revenge. There are others who can fight the darkness – mages, Shadows, witches, Reapers and vampire samurai – but only the warrior-mage, Peter Octavian, can defeat it. If he will answer the call.

Peter Octavian's powerful sorcery guards his world against evil. Now he must go on a perilous journey to save those condemned to a fate worse than death itself… When Octavian called upon Gaea to rid the Earth of demons, her magic banished not only the demons but also the Shadows – vampires who had foresworn evil and fought alongside him, some for many years. Together with two unlikely companions – a wise-cracking goblin with the ability to walk the paths between worlds, and a demon changeling struggling to come to terms with what he is – Octavian sets out on what seems to be an impossible mission: to free his friends from Hell. There he finds some unexpected figures from his past - and an enemy of his own making, driven by an implacable hatred, whose power is equal to his own and whose quest for vengeance is personal… Praise for The Shadow Saga: 'Reading Of Saints and Shadowsagain, I was amazed how many elements now familiar in the vampire and thriller genres appeared in Saintsfirst. Golden's imagination and expert plotting wove these elements into a startlingly original book, as exciting to read now as it was when it first appeared on the rack' Charlaine Harris