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Category: Erotica/Gay-Lesbian Erotica/Horror
Description: When Sluggo cruises online chat rooms, he isn't looking for a hook-up, he's looking for love. But love has a way of being elusive, especially when you're not being honest. Presenting himself as "Sir Raven," Sluggo promises his chat room cohorts he is the "master of the night."

And then he meets someone who challenges him--someone who claims the title, "master of the night" as his own. TepesAllure's enigmatic and flirtatious messages to Sluggo start out as fun banter, but quickly turn to eerie disquiet.

How does TepesAllure know so much about Sluggo life? How can he know--without even a picture to go on--what Sluggo looks like? And what's all this about an age numbering in the centuries and a curious taste for blood?

Has Sluggo snared a vampire? Or has the vampire snared him? As the night unfolds, so do the advances of TepesAllure...and even when Sluggo tries to escape, he finds that getting out is not nearly as easy as getting in.

But to make their online connection real, TepesAllure needs Sluggo to invite him in. Will Sluggo succumb to Tepes' allure? And will the man of his dreams turn out to be a nightmare?

Genres: Gay / Erotic Horror / Dark Fantasy / Vampire
eBook Publisher: Amber Quill Press, 2010
eBookwise Release Date: January 2011

2 Reader Ratings:

Great	Good	OK	Poor

Available eBook Formats: OEBFF Format (IMP) [36 KB]
Words: 6041
Reading time: 17-24 min.

"4 Angels!...Takes us to the world of online chat where you never know who is on the other side of the conversation...As always, Mr. Reed takes us into a story and encompasses us in horror. I found the story interesting and believe those who enjoy the genre would enjoy Sluggo Snares A Vampire."--NeNe, Fallen Angel Reviews

"4.5 Delightful Divas!...I've read a number of Rick Reed's books and one thing that really stands out is the wide variety of stories that he writes, and writes very well..Regardless whether I'm enthralled, entertained, on-the-edge-of-my-seat, or horrified I always end up feeling that I've just spent time with a master...I will say that I really enjoyed the detail and the depth of the online chats between Sluggo...and TepesAllure...and as they progressed I swear I could feel chills running up and down my spine. I'm sooo glad that I was nowhere near my computer at the time...Regardless of the length, Rick Reed once again entertains while he scares the bejeebers outta me...But it was a great, if not short, ride."--Kathy, Dark Diva Reviews

"4 Stars!...This is the first book I've read by Reed. He won me over with atmospheric chills plugged into modern anxieties, the horror writers' bread and butter (or bread and blood, in this case). Of course, it didn't hurt that this story was set in Chicago and made me visualize the El stop in Berwyn. Horror stories set close to home are always the creepiest, but even if you're nowhere near The Windy City, this short e-book will give you shivers."--Erin Schmidt, Rainbow Reviews

"Honesty is my strong suit, my little lamb. I think you'd agree I look pretty good for my age, which happens to number in the centuries. Think Brad Pitt in Interview with the Vampire. Think elegance and grace. And don't worry about gym-toned bodies and steroid-enhanced pecs, thank you very much."

Sluggo's hungry mind conjured up the image: this fabulous creature at his keyboard, alone in some city apartment (a high rise, where the lights of Chicago's skyscrapers were interrupted only by the dark void that was Lake Michigan). He realized suddenly how easy it had been to sucker in these online men who found themselves one hand between their legs while the other caressed the keyboard, as Sluggo played up to their fantasies, becoming God's gift to homos and the devil's Tantalus to straight women. He wanted to believe it was some strange and evilly alluring Brad Pitt at the other end of their electronic connection. But what was this strange business about being centuries old?

He typed: "Methinks you're a little too enraptured with horror cinema."

"Horror cinema has got nothing on me, my little bespectacled piglet. Horror cinema has managed to get so few of my traditions right as to be truly laughable. But there has been one tradition, rule if you will, they've always succeeded in getting correct."

Sluggo rubbed his arms. There seemed to be a sudden, odd chill in the room. He glanced at the window and saw the black night pressing against it, almost as if it was something solid and alive. He shook his head, realizing he was being silly, and made a note to check the thermostat. He returned to the keyboard, wondering about the "horror movie tradition" Tepes had mentioned. "And what would that be?"

"I can't tell you that."

Sluggo rolled his eyes. Of course, you can't. That's because there is no such tradition. "You're quite the mystery man, aren't you?"

"You couldn't even begin to guess."

Suddenly, Sluggo's spine stiffened as another shiver washed over him. But this was no chill as the result of the temperature in the apartment lowering because of a thermostat. No, this one--Sluggo could swear--had the feel of icy fingers caressing, just barely grazing the raised bumps of his spine, like long fingernails moving down his back. He took a quick glance around the tiny office, wondering where the cold came from and then glanced up at his screen, where the instant message from seconds ago still remained. The cursor blinked at him, almost as if waiting for his next move. And then his heart almost stopped...