A vampire with a sickening fetish.A gypsy she loves the kill.A CEO probably insane wants revenge.A sexually bent woman, Kim Bennett.…and they want her dead!First to Die by Norm ApplegateThis book is not for vegetariansA grave has been robbed. A document has been stolen. Vampires are turning on each other. The Black Testament, discloses the truth behind vampires. How to live with them, how to kill them.A vampire has taken the document to the vaults beneath Notre Dame. Kim Bennett goes after it. It’s a trap. The CEO of the organization wants to see Kim bleed. Former dominatrix, part vampire, Kim Bennett turns it up a notch. Carve in, carve out, blood leaks…Kim battles twisted characters, a killer with a sickening fetish and a society fueled by blood lust. This novel is as much a thriller as it is blunt force trauma. Laced with sexual frenzy layered on graphic violence, this book is not for vegetarians.
I live in Sarasota, and I write thrillers, horror and paranormal novels. I’m also a Mac Fanatic. Smooth Jazz enthusiast. Drummer. Former hypnotist and Horror Movie Fan.
My first novel, Into the Basement is about abduction, torture and murder. I also wrote Blood Bar, which is about vampires and a different kind of club. Into the Spell, is a hypnosis paranormal thriller, you know, the dark side of the occult.
First To Die, a vampire adventure not for vegetarians. It's a bit more violent and juicy than my other books, but there is a sliver of breathing room. Expect a lot of violence, knives, pain, carve in, carve out. My Kim Bennett is a bent woman.
My latest novel is a thriller, Shockwave. Fast staccato writing style with plenty of action to go around. I introduce a new character, Jack Dwyer. In 2012, I continued with another thriller, The Prisoner.
Bibliography:
Novels * (2012) The Prisoner * (2011) Shockwave • (2011) First to Die * (2011) Jumpers, short story * (2011) Sadist (Turkish release of Into the Basement) • (2009) Blood Bar, a vampire tale • (2007) Into the Spell • (2006) Into the Basement
Anthologies: • (2008) From the Shadows (short story, Jumper)
Screenplays: • (2010) Grotto • (2009) Into the Basement (co-writer Nicholas Grabowsky)
Norm’s writing began while travelling through New Zealand and Australia as a Hypno-therapist with colorful letters to his family of his tales as a hypnotist and the weirdness it attracts.
His early years in Toronto were filled with aspirations of the 60’s Yorkville music scene, and as a drummer in numerous bands led to a short lived career playing the bars and clubs in the Toronto area. The band Photograph, signed to a recording studio, made some noise on the coast to coast CBC radio show, the Entertainers. In 1973 the band worked with Canadian artist & producer Tony Kosinec, (All Things Come From God), and after legal issues strangled them into submission, they went their separate ways.
The band members were George Szabo and Stan Meissner, (Stan later wrote for Céline Dion, LeeAnn Womack, Eddie Money, Rita Coolidge, BJ Thomas, Ben Orr (The Cars), Triumph and Toronto). The life of drugs, sex and rock and roll were over, sad but true.
After a few years of travel, he had the bug, and entered the world of management consulting to become a road warrior, and is now a 2 million miler with Delta. Away from home and with the desire to write a novel it began. His first book, “Into the Basement,” is a raw, dark thriller, described as "juicy." His second novel of the Kim Bennett series, “Into the Spell,” explores the horror of a copy-cat Son of Sam killer and hypnosis. Early 2008, Norm contributed with a short story called “Jumpers,” into the horror anthology “From the Shadows.” In 2009, Norm developed the screenplay for his novel “Into the Basement,” with Nicholas Grabowsky and director J. L. Botelho of Triad Pictures.
In 2010 he released, Blood Bar, a vampire tale and wrote the screenplay for a short horror film, Grotto.
An intense and gut-churning ride from start to finish. First to Die is not for the weak of heart, nor the weak of stomach.
First to Die is not your sweet "bad boy" vampire tale. Rather, it is a down and dirty, gritty, in-your-face thrill ride of murder, sex, self-gratification, loyalty and intensity. The main character, Kim Bennett, is one of courage and no-holds-barred attitude. She just happens to to the great-granddaughter of Jack the Ripper, creator of The Black Testament (which is a bible for vampires, if you will) and it is her rightful place to become the head of the underground vampire society. However, someone stands in her way, and will stop at nothing to see Kim suffer the ultimate torture and end any hope of her taking her away his reign as the all powerful leader. Kim must stop at nothing, however, to regain The Black Testament and end the current power reign, or the lives of humans and vampires will be shattered forever.
For lovers of horror, this is a perfect book and story to delve head first into. It sucks (no pun intended) you in from the first page and holds tight until the very end. First to Die is a very tightly woven story that is anything but boring and will keep readers flying from page to page. Do not be mistaken, First to Die is not all gore and graphic reading, there are sincere emotions that shine through and allow the characters to become incredibly enduring to the reader. I often found myself locked within a character and emotionally attached to them, for a bit of time. I enjoyed the intensity, and even found it to be a bit exhaustive (in a good way) at times. I do want to make readers aware, however, that First to Die does contain very graphic and gory scenes of torture, murder and overt sexual situations and descriptions. So those who are easily offended, do proceed with caution.
Norm Applegate has a wonderful talent for bringing a story to life and captivating readers into the worlds in which he weaves. He writes for escapism and does a great job of doing so. For those readers who are not "into vampires", I feel that First to Die will still hold an amazing appeal, for lovers of horror and suspense. This is definitely not your average ordinary vampire tale!
A vampire with a sickening fetish. A gypsy she loves the kill. A CEO probably insane wants revenge. A sexually bent woman, Kim Bennett. …and they want her dead!
First to Die by Norm Applegate This book is not for vegetarians
A grave has been robbed. A document has been stolen. Vampires are turning on each other. The Black Testament, discloses the truth behind vampires. How to live with them, how to kill them.
A vampire has taken the document to the vaults beneath Notre Dame. Kim Bennett goes after it. It’s a trap. The CEO of the organization wants to see Kim bleed. Former dominatrix, part vampire, Kim Bennett turns it up a notch. Carve in, carve out, blood leaks…
Kim battles twisted characters, a killer with a sickening fetish and a society fueled by blood lust. This novel is as much a thriller as it is blunt force trauma. Laced with sexual frenzy layered on graphic violence, this book is not for vegetarians.
If you like your supernatural served up with some mystery and intrigue you will be sure to enjoy this book. The "Black Testament" is a document that could mean everything to the vampire race. When it is stolen from the grave of a wealthy heiress and three of the culprits are found decapitated around the gravesite it's time for Kim and Nicolai to figure out what has happened and how to get the sacred document back, not to mention how to keep Kim from being the next target.
These vampires are not like the ones you are use to, far more devious and with the ability to leave an extremely nasty bite, you'll never forget the image you get with the in depth descriptive writing that Norm Applegate provides.
This is a book you don't want to miss out on!
-Kitty Bullard / Great Minds Think Aloud Book Club
First to die left me wanting, it failed to light my fire, I love horror, Zombie and other books of this type. This however was like a vampire version of an unstoppable, good vampire. The story built to too many false peaks, and the finale was, well flat. Sex was thrown in at random interval, wherever possible and did nothing but lengthen the story. Sorry, Norm, I hate giving negative reviews, especially to indie authors who open themselves up and put their work out there. I noticed this book has a lot of good reviews, so I hope it just hit a wrong chord with me.