THE CURE

2016 HWA Bram Stoker Award finalist for Superior Achievement in a Novel.

Veterinarian Leah DeGarmo has the power to Cure with just a touch. But her gift comes with a dark side: whatever she takes in she has to pass on, or suffer it herself. Now a sadistic criminal has discovered what she can do and he'll stop at nothing to control her. He makes a mistake, though, by killing the man she loves and triggering a rage inside her that releases a new power she didn't know she had: the ability to Kill. Transformed into a demon of retribution, Leah resurrects her lover and embarks on a mission to destroy her enemies. The only question is, does she control the power or does it control her?

I've always had an interest in the idea of people who could heal injuries or cure illnesses by laying hands. It seems to be such a double-edged sword, the ability to do so much good but never being able to let people know about it because of the repercussions. The loss of privacy, the fear of becoming a hostage in some government laboratory. Then one day I had the thought that it would be so amazing if a veterinarian had this power – animals can't talk, you never see the vet performing the surgery, and no pets would have to die young.

From there, it wasn't much of stretch to come up with all the problems the person would have to deal with if discovered. But it took me months to come up with an idea for the second part of the story, where Leah gets transformed into something much more dangerous. After that, I was off and running and the story practically wrote itself.

The Cure was a bit of a departure for me – it's not strictly horror, it's more paranormal thriller. Action and suspense are the keys to this story, although it does have its share of scares.

I also love the cover art for this one, by Kanaxa. Samhain Publishing has never let me down when it comes to covers, and they delivered a winner for The Cure, the perfect blend of mystery and chills.

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