The Stoker Connection – Cover

Only here folks! The first view of the cover of ‘The Stoker Connection.’ My next romance-mystery-thriller-young adult novel is due out in a couple of weeks. As of today, June 2^nd, it’s with my wonderful proofreader, Ann, and the cover art has just come back from my equally wonderful designer, Andjela K.

What you see here on the front is:

Dexter Mitchell, is top left, looking gorgeous and sporty. He’s into rock climbing and hiking, outdoor pursuits and cracking the hidden clues in Bram Stoker’s novel, ‘Dracula’ that he believes will prove the novel was a true story.

Morgan Davis is next to him, darker and more serious, exactly the same age and more of an academic than a sportsman. Morgan, like (and with) Dexter, is also about to make a breakthrough in his research to prove ‘Dracula’ was a true story.

Beneath them, outside Whitby Abbey in the fog, we have Simon on the left, and Tim on the right with his naff hair. Simon is Morgan’s best friend (and one-off lover), and Tim and Dexter have been mates since before they can remember. Tim is straight, but he and Dex do have something of a bromance going on.

Whitby Abbey features on the cover (front and back) because part of the novel is set there, and the Abbey was used by Stoker in ‘Dracula’ as a location. The other locations I use in the novel are a mix of real places and imagined ones. I’ll let you into a few secrets:

Dex lives out on ‘Moremarsh’, an area in the south-east of England actually known as Romney Marsh (and here’s another secret: that’s where I am from). He volunteers at a theatre in Folkestone and although the theatre was real (I used to work there years ago) it’s no longer a theatre and last I heard was to be pulled down. Shame, it’s a beautiful old Edwardian building.

Morgan lives in Chippenham, and I chose that location because it’s roughly 170 miles (by car) from where Dex lives. You’ll see why that number is important when you read the book.

This is the original photo of Tim and Simon. They are holding chainsaws which have nothing to do with ‘The Stoker Connection’ so we had to cover them in fog!

The boys travel to a house called Kyllion, and this is on top of Westerton Cliffs in Cornwall. Except it isn’t. It was invented by Stoker for ‘The Jewel of Seven Stars’, and I borrowed the house for a reason that will become obvious when you read the book.

They also visit Whitby Abbey (which I did once many years ago) and New Slains Castle in Scotland, again, you’ll see why when you read ‘The Stoker Connection.’

Those are the principal characters and locations. There are other characters of course, like Morgan’s mother, the forthright sex therapist who is based on a woman I knew a few years back; totally bonkers and very upfront.

The novel will be out soon, but in the meantime,  you can join my mailing list to be among the first to get the links to the published book on Amazon.