NIGHT TRAIN TO VENICE - Genesis of Carolina's Current Work In Progress

I wanted to write a vampire. Like warm honey, the idea floated in the back of my mind without ever reaching my keyboard. Some day, I promised myself, I would write a vampire.

Over a year later, I agreed to write a novella for THAT'S AMORE!, an AmberPax™ collection of stories related in some way to Italy. A story about what, I wondered? Cleaning out a cupboard containing old vinyls, I saw the song title Night Train. Suddenly, there was the title to my story.

NIGHT TRAIN TO NAPLES was a catchy alliteration, but was there one? Yes! There is a night train--from Rome to Naples. So, who would be riding on it and why?

I could almost taste that warm honey of a thought I'd had almost two years earlier--cloaked in darkness, a vampire would be riding that train. Seven hundred years as one of the undead has tamed the blond emerald-eyed Greek, turned when he was an arrogant wild young man sewing his oats. Alexandros Nicolaides was now a New Orleans diamond courier seeking a new account from the prince of the Southern Italy vampires for his American boss.

And he was being followed.

When I was writing my first novel, a romantic suspense, an author in my critique group asked, "Who hates your heroine?"

Those words echoed in my thoughts for the Naples piece. Who hated my gorgeous, powerful Greek vampire enough to try to kill him and Dante, his human Italian lover? Giacomo, that's who--a jealous discarded lover whom Alex had now professionally humiliated in front of his peers.

The story ends with Giacomo in the wind. It wasn't a conscious decision by me, it was just the way my characters' story evolved. Dante has agreed to give up his job in Italy and join Alexandros in his home in New Orleans. Now the story will move there.


NIGHT TRAIN TO NEW ORLEANS

Research revealed you have to fly from London to New Orleans, and all flights arrive in daylight. To bring Dante to Alex in the evening, I had to create a storm forcing his plane to reroute to Baton Rouge--because that's where I found an international airport and a night train to New Orleans.

For some reason, a Prussian vampire turned in his early forties is Alex's co-courier in "Nawlins." Don't ask me where he came from because I have no idea. He's more level headed and draws less attention than the elegant Alexandros. As this story ends, the problem of Giacomo has been settled, but I wasn't ready to let go of these characters, and readers were asking for more.

With other writing commitments to Amber Quill Press completed, I've begun the third novella in this series. The three will appear together in paperback when this next story is released in Spring 2012...

NIGHT TRAIN TO VENICE

You might have guessed that I love history. New Orleans is a fabulous historic city in the United States. Venice is one of the most unique cities in the world. Built in the sixth century CE in a lagoon off the Adriatic Sea, it's a treasure trove of architecture and art. It conjures up pictures of palazzi, Mardi Gras, and of colorful hatted gondoliers pushing tourists through narrow canals in black gondolas trimmed in gold. Visitors must either walk or take watercraft to move about the city. Cars aren't allowed. There are dark byways where crimes can be committed--perfect settings for a suspense.

I knew it could be reached by train. But the crucial question was: Is there a night train? You guessed it--one runs from Rome to Venice. Yay!

Renowned mystery writer Agatha Christie was once marooned on this train in a blizzard. Later, she used it in one of her Hercule Poirot stories. First built in 1883, I thought it had been destroyed. But right now my characters are ready to disembark the refurbished Simplon-Orient-Express at the Venice station and step out into their latest adventure, which I think, at this point, goes something like this:

"Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend, but for a courier the next delivery may invite death. Someone is robbing and killing couriers of precious gems and metals.

To secure Dante Rocco’s safety when he leaves New Orleans on a major delivery and return pick up, the CEO of Global Diamond Couriers assigns the two staff immortals as his bodyguards—Alexandros Nicolaides, Dante’s lover, and their middle-aged friend, Malcolm Müller. When they board the night train, Malcolm is welcomed by Rick, a hot, younger man assigned as his steward. Nick seems to know too much about the trio, and when he leaves the train at the same stop they do, Malcolm wants to engage in a whirlwind affair with him. But can he be sure Nick is who he claims to be... After all, someone is killing couriers of precious gems and metals.

NIGHT TRAIN TO NAPLES - Buy Online Now
http://www.amberallure.com/NightTrainToNaples.html

NIGHT TRAIN TO NEW ORLEANS - Buy Online Now
http://www.amberallure.com/NightTrainNewOrleans.html

COMING NEXT SPRING FROM AMBER ALLURE - NIGHT TRAIN TO VENICE

Carolina Valdez
http://www.carolinavaldez.com