David Payne

Seagrum the Dwarf: the Vampire's Mortgage David Payne

Publisher Marketing: Seagrum is a dwarf who gets things done. When the Magister of the Hue and Cry recruits him to solve a little problem that he has with vampires, it seems pretty obvious that he is going to get it sorted. The only question that there should be is how long he will take to do it and how long would it take Florencetown to get back to normal. That is how the thing should have gone but it did not. Perhaps it was the fault of the dwarf's irascible temper or his infatuation with a beautiful former witch who has been drawn into the vampires' scheme. It could be the interference of the Magister's tame and invariably hungry werewolves who are opportunistic feeders, perpetually looking out for a free lunch. Maybe it is the simple fact that the Magister has his own issues in the form of a beautiful woman with a penchant for stilettos, leather and a whip who seems to appear whenever he rings a curious little bell that sits unobtrusively on his desk. Of course, the fact that no one actually understands exactly what a vampire's death pledge is doesn't really help. Although we might refer to them as mortgages, no human ever takes more than one death pledge in the world of Seagrum the Dwarf: it just isn't possible given that humans only have one life (and death). Vampires, naturally enough and despite the many edicts of the Hue and Cry, simply don't tell: preferring to keep their dealings shrouded in mystery. Then there is the matter of payment. Seagrum is extortionately expensive: more than the Hue and Cry can afford in fact. That is where Jonas the Strangler comes in. Contributor Bio:  Payne, David David Payne lives in North Carolina, and is the author of four previous novels: Confessions of a Taoist on Wall Street, which won the prestigious Houghton Mifflin Literary Fellowship Award; Early from the Dance; Ruin Creek; and Gravesend Light. He welcomes comments from readers, and is available to speak with your book club. He can be reached at david@davidpaynebooks.com.