The question I’m most asked about the Order of the Sinistra
Dei series is “How did you come up with the idea of immortals working for the
Catholic Church?”
This idea came to me as I researched the faith in
preparation for adult catechism classes. (Yes, I converted to Catholicism.) The
more I learned, the more intrigued I became with Church history and lore,
specifically the unlikely connection to creatures of the night.
Vampire myths have existed in most cultures since well
before the establishment of the Church. The Mesopotamians and Persians told
tales of vampire-like creatures who drank the blood of their victims. Ancient
Babylonians called their vampires Lamashtu and Lilitu, which some scholars
believe later became synonymous with the Hebrew myth of Lillith. These
creatures were often portrayed as beautiful women, sexual predators who fed on
the flesh and blood of babies and mothers. Ancient Greece, ancient India,
Celtic, Viking, and many other cultures also have documented versions of blood
suckers.
As Christianity struggled to convert the common man, most of
whom were poor and uneducated, the Church superimposed many of its holidays and
symbols upon those of the pagan masses. Anyone needing additional proof of this
practice should research Saturnalia. This celebration lasted the week of the
winter solstice and culminated on December 25.
What does this have to do with vampires? During this time,
the Church inadvertently gave credence to many of the myths and superstitions
of the masses. Rather than ignoring tales of vampires, witches, and werewolves
(to name a few), Christianity equated the vampire with Satan and offered a new
way to protect oneself against evil.
Reverend John Christopher Atkinson sums it up perfectly in
his book, Forty Years in a Moorland
Parish, “Christianity turned the nature deities into devils, spells into
magic, and spaewives into witches–but could not banish the ideas from the
imagination of men. So adopted stones and wells turned spells into exorcism and
benedictions and charms into prayers.”1
Instead of discrediting the vampire myth, the Catholic
Church conducted many inquiries regarding the existence and extermination of
supernatural creatures throughout history. A notable example of this research
is The Malleus Maleficarum, published in 1486. This work became the witch and
vampire handbook of the 1600s. The Treatise on The Appearance of Spirits and on
Vampires by Dom Augustin Calmet, a Benedictine monk, hints at the existence of
vampires, though it doesn’t go so far as to state it as fact. There are many
more examples of religious texts mentioning the existence of witches,
werewolves, and vampires.
Did the Church actually believe in vampires? YES! No. Maybe?
Much of the pagans’ beliefs and superstitions have been lost
to the sands of time, yet vampire lore is as immortal as the creatures
themselves. I can’t help but wonder if human fascination with vampires would
continue today had the Church ignored the myths from the beginning.
I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Would Stoker’s Dracula or Rice’s Lestat exist in our
collective conscience if not for the Church recognizing them as evil?
1 Reverend John Christopher Atkinson, Forty Years
in a Moorland Parish: Reminiscences and Researches in Danby in Cleveland
(London: Macmillan and Co., 1891), 255.
Feast of Mercy
Order of the Sinistra Dei
Book Two
Kathryn M. Hearst
Genre: Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Crushing Hearts and
Black Butterfly Publishing
Date of Publication: October 4, 2016
Number of pages: approx. 300
Word Count: 75,000
Cover Artist: Marcela Bolivar,
Designer Shawn T. King
Book Description:
An ancient feud. A threat from the Vatican. Two lovers caught in the middle.
Nick never wanted to live forever, and he certainly didn’t want to join the Order of the Sinistra Dei. Unfortunately, before he’s able to get used to the idea of immortality, the High Judge from the Vatican arrives in New Orleans to investigate the strange events of Fat Tuesday. If Nick doesn’t play his cards right, his forever could be a whole lot shorter.
Marin, a relatively new immortal, is forced to serve as assistant to the High Judge while he investigates the alleged crimes of those she holds most dear. She’ll do what she has to do to protect her clutch. However, her efforts bring her closer to facing the executioner’s blade.
As their world spins out of control, Marin and Nick struggle to reconcile past hurts and hold onto their budding relationship. New enemies, new abilities, and new desires threaten to tear them apart. It isn’t long before they realize love can’t heal all.
Loving someone means you want the best for them...but what happens when what’s best isn’t you?
Feast of Mercy is the second book of the Order of the Sinistra Dei series, an Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance like no other. If you like mysterious supernatural creatures, conflict-ridden romance and a lot of heat, then you’ll love this series.
Short
Excerpt:
Nick expected
sounds from her—moans, maybe a scream or two. What he didn’t expect was for her
to bolt upright and let out a blood curdling scream. Déjà-fucking-vu.
“Get out,” Marin
shouted.
For a brief
terrifying second, Nick thought she spoke to him, then a male voice spoke from
the door.
“Marin, I
require your services,” a man said from behind him.
Nick covered her
body with his unsure of what else to do. He didn’t recognize the voice, though
he detected a European accent. Anyone who called her by name would have
recognized him, even with his face buried between her legs. It had to be
Lysander.
When the door
clicked shut, he hopped off. “Who was that?”
“The High Judge.
He’s practically a priest. A freaking priest saw my boobs.” Marin scrambled off
the couch in search of her clothes.
“He’s not a
priest. Worse.” Nick laughed deep in his gut. If looks could kill, he’d be
stone cold dead, for keeps this time. “I’m sorry. Do you think he recognized
me?”
“Where is my
bra, dammit?” She pulled her jeans on commando style.
Nick handed her
the scrap of lace she called panties. “Where are we going?”
“You aren’t
going anywhere. You’re going to hide here until he’s gone, then go back to
Gia’s. I need to find out what the hell he wants.” She snatched her bra from
the edge of the desk and rushed it on.
Nick ran his
hand through his hair. “Shit. This is bad.”
“Call Gia.”
“I will.”
“Now.” Marin
slipped out the door.
Gia’s phone rang
until he thought it would go to voicemail. “Hey, Nick.”
“Gia, the High
Judge came looking for Marin.”
“Where? Did he
see you?”
“The bar.”
Nick’s stomach clenched. “I don’t know if he saw me.”
“Did he say why
he wanted Marin?”
“No, but you
need to be careful. Nicholai and Serena are still in town. If he comes to the
townhouse, Nicholai doesn’t need to be the one to answer the door.”
“Shit, hang on.”
She spoke with someone. “Okay, where are you now?”
“I’m still upstairs in the
office, he barged in and caught us…um…making up. I didn’t get a look at him.”
About the Author:
Kathryn M. Hearst is a southern girl with a love of the dark and strange. She has been a storyteller her entire life, as a child, she took people watching to new heights by creating back stories of complete strangers. Besides writing, she has a passion for shoes, vintage clothing, antique British cars, music, musicians and all things musical (including theater). Kate lives in central Florida with her chocolate lab, Jolene; and two rescue pups, Jagger and Roxanne. She is a self-proclaimed nerd, raising a nerdling.
The Order of the Sinistra Dei is her first series and includes titles, Feast of the Epiphany and Feast of Mercy. Kate's novel, The Spirit Tree, won a publishing contract with Kindle Press through the Kindle Scout contest. Her short stories have been published in various anthologies.
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