Guest Post and Giveaway: Darkness and Monsters by Kathleen Peacock

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Kathleen Peacock is a semi-reformed vampire addict and unapologetic geek who has taken to writing about werewolves. Her debut, HEMLOCK (the first in a trilogy), will be published by Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint of HarperCollins, on May 8, 2012.

Destructive potential: in the world of Hemlock, that’s what being a werewolf entails. It’s the equivalent of walking around with a loaded gun, 24/7.  That potential scares both regs—regular humans—and those infected with the condition.

Werewolves, like vampires, very literally have an inner demon. Their struggles become metaphors for our own inner darkness. It’s part of the reason why shows like Being Human develop cult followings, and hordes of loyal Twilight fans rushed to read Midnight Sun and get Edward’s spin on the first novel.

But werewolves aren’t the only ones struggling in Hemlock. Guilt, loss, abandonment, addiction, fear—throughout the book, regs become just as twisted and unpredictable as the werewolves they despise and dread. At one point, one character angrily reminds the heroine that he, at least, is human. Her response? “After what I saw last night, being human isn’t exactly a rousing endorsement.”

The tagline for the UK edition of Hemlock is “Beware the wolf within,” and I think it suits the book quite well. Each character has an inner wolf. In some cases, the wolf is more tangible, but it’s always there.

It’s lurking near the surface when the heroine buries the urge to hit someone and worries that she’s inherited her father’s taste for violence. Or when a character self-destructs in an effort to numb his pain. And, yes, it’s there when the bones in someone’s hands snap and reform into claws that can maim and wound.

Everyone in Hemlock deals with darkness. The distinction between who is and who isn’t a monster depends not on whether or not they are infected, but on whether or not they let the darkness swallow them whole.

Mackenzie and Amy were best friends. Until Amy was brutally murdered.

Since then, Mac’s life has been turned upside down. She is being haunted by Amy in her dreams, and an extremist group called the Trackers has come to Mac’s hometown of Hemlock to hunt down Amy’s killer: A white werewolf.

Lupine syndrome—also known as the werewolf virus—is on the rise across the country. Many of the infected try to hide their symptoms, but bloodlust is not easy to control.

Wanting desperately to put an end to her nightmares, Mac decides to investigate Amy’s murder herself. She discovers secrets lurking in the shadows of Hemlock, secrets about Amy’s boyfriend, Jason, her good pal Kyle, and especially her late best friend. Mac is thrown into a maelstrom of violence and betrayal that puts her life at risk.

Kathleen Peacock’s thrilling novel is the first in the Hemlock trilogy, a spellbinding urban fantasy series filled with provocative questions about prejudice, trust, lies, and love.

Categories: Guest Post, Wicked Reads