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    A Reason to Live: A "Shadowdance" Variation
    A Reason to Live: A "Shadowdance" Variation
    A Reason to Live: A "Shadowdance" Variation
    Ebook37 pages26 minutes

    A Reason to Live: A "Shadowdance" Variation

    By Mark Wooden

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    About this ebook

    Illyana Dakanova witnessed true evil during her unlife as a vampire. She had sometimes been the root of that evil.

    Then Adriana, the vampire Illyana loved like a daughter, leaves her for a fool’s errand of vengeance. Illyana’s guilt becomes too great to bear.

    She tries suicide-by-Japanese-mobster.

    But a Knight of Vyntari intervenes, offering Illyana a way to win back her daughter’s love and to absolve some of her guilt.

    However, the offer will drag both Illyana and her daughter into the secret war between supernatural creatures they know as the Shadowdance.

    "A Reason to Live" is a free ebook short story that takes place a few months before the events of "By Virtue Fall."

    If you've read "By Virtue Fall," this story provides insight into the motivations of the characters within with minor spoilers.

    Welcome to the "Shadowdance" urban fantasy saga. More action, less paranormal romance.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMark Wooden
    Release dateJun 27, 2016
    ISBN9781311040534
    A Reason to Live: A "Shadowdance" Variation
    Author

    Mark Wooden

    Mark Wooden is a SYFY Wire Fan Creator and a writer of novels, screenplays, and short stories.Mark is the son of a sharecropper (not really, but he likes “The Jeffersons”) who has actively pursued the dream of being a Creative since his epic kindergarten work, "Ne-Ne the Vampire Panda.”He draws inspiration from vampire slayers Buffy, Anita Blake and Blade; decades of "Batman" and "X-Men" comic books; and conspiracy epics "24" and "The X-Files." He'd be remiss if he didn't mention the Frank Miller-created assassin named Elektra.Mark mines his two decades of experiences as a video director of live events (concerts and corporate) to instill humanity into the vampires, demons, and other creatures of his self-published “Shadowdance” urban fantasy saga."Fall to Grace," a short story from his "Shadowdance" series, was a quarterfinalist in the 2017 ScreenCraft Cinematic Short Story Contest. "For Her Sins," the second novel in the saga, was a Quarterfinalist in the 2018 ScreenCraft Cinematic Novel contest.Outside of his self-published works, Mark wrote for EA Games's “Quiz Show.” He also wrote the short film, "Reload: Two in the Chamber" for Focused In Entertainment.

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      Book preview

      A Reason to Live - Mark Wooden

      A

      Variation

      By

      Mark Wooden

      © 2016 Mark Wooden. All Rights Reserved.

      All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of the copyright holder or the above publisher of this book except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

      This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

      This publisher does not have any control over and does not assume responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

      The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the written permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. The author’s creditors will thank you.

      ISBN: 9781311040534

      Published by Writer Geek Press at Smashwords.com

      For information, contact us at www.shadowdancesaga.com

      or

      wgp@shadowdancesaga.com

      SHADOWDANCE SAGA CHRONOLOGY

      A Reason to Live: A Shadowdance Variation

      By Virtue Fall: Shadowdance Saga Song One

      AUTHOR’S NOTE

      You will find several hyperlinks within this text. You may follow these links to the Shadowdance saga website for more information about the Initiated of the Shadowdance. Other links take you to various (safe) places on the web for further information.

      Enjoy your dance.

      TOKYO, JAPAN

      DECEMBER 1902

      Illyana Dakanova looked at the battered and bleeding girl lying unconscious on the tatami mat at her feet. I defied the Daughters only twice in my centuries of existence, she said. Both times involved you, Adriana.

      Illyana held a serving tray carrying a bowl of warm water, a hand towel, and a knife. She set the tray down on the wood floor next to Adriana, then sat beside it with her feet underneath her. Illyana soaked the towel in the water then wrung it out so that it was damp but not soaked. She then returned

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