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Arshad Ahsanuddin
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message 1: by Arshad (last edited Apr 08, 2012 07:26AM) (new)

Arshad Ahsanuddin (pactarcanum) I notice that some of my books have been shelved here, so I thought I would introduce myself. To be clear, let me just say upfront that I write what might be described as futuristic-sword-and-sorcery-gay-vampire-soap-opera-supernatural-thrillers, crossing genres between soft science fiction, urban fantasy, and non-explicit gay paranormal romance. If you can wrap your mind around that, then we're in business. I started writing seriously in late 2009, and the Pact Arcanum saga is my first creation.

By profession, I am a hematopathologist, a physician who specializes in using laboratory tests and microscopic evaluation of biopsied tissue to diagnose diseases of blood, bone marrow, and lymph nodes, such as leukemia and lymphoma. Yeah, I'm a blood doctor writing about vampires. The irony is not lost on me.

My first book is called Sunset. The book blurb reads as follows:

With millennia-old magic, emerging romance, and ever-shifting allegiances, this inventive new series unveils a scintillating, homoerotic world of Nightwalkers, Daywalkers, Sentinels, and Humans, who battle for world dominance in the not-too-distant future.

Los Angeles, 2040. The terrorist Medusa and her followers threaten to destroy the metropolis with a nuclear bomb. One individual, the vampire Nicholas Jameson, comes forward to oppose them.

For tens of thousands of years, the vampires, called Nightwalkers, had been entrenched in a bitter feud with their enemies, the Sentinels, those born to destroy the Nightwalkers with magic and steel. The battle drew to a close once the Redeemer offered the two sides a new path, allowing the Nightwalkers to step back into the sunlight as Daywalkers, in return for giving up the sword.

When Nick takes on the terrorists, he exposes his powers and advanced technology that had been previously unknown to humanity. In the wake of the confrontation, the fragile peace between the races hangs perilously in the balance. Will coexistence be possible, or will the final war destroy them all?


Currently, the series is complete, with four novels and two shorter stories (the print editions of the shorter works are collected in the Interludes anthology), though I may add additional short stories as the mood takes me. I am currently developing an outline for a prequel series, called The Red Wind, which tells the story of the early stages of the war between vampires and Sentinels.

Sunset by Arshad Ahsanuddin Sunrise (Pact Arcanum, #2) by Arshad Ahsanuddin Moonlight (Pact Arcanum, #3) by Arshad Ahsanuddin Starlight (Pact Arcanum, #4) by Arshad Ahsanuddin Pact Arcanum Interludes by Arshad Ahsanuddin


message 2: by Charming, Order theorist (new)

Charming (charming_euphemism) | 787 comments Mod
Arshad wrote: "I notice that some of my books have been shelved here, so I thought I would introduce myself. To be clear, let me just say upfront that I write what might be described as futuristic-sword-and-sorc..."

Hello, Arshad. We have sub-shelves, including one for paranormal scifi which seems to be made just for you (and indeed I see your books are on there). Some people here do prefer to avoid stuff that isn't pure scifi, but I like it. I especially like time travel, which is usually pretty dodgy on the "pure scif" front.

I just saw on MMR that you have Sunset available to read online. Good idea to get us all hooked. :-) I will check it out.


message 3: by Charming, Order theorist (new)

Charming (charming_euphemism) | 787 comments Mod
And cool blue fire on the cover:




message 4: by Charming, Order theorist (new)

Charming (charming_euphemism) | 787 comments Mod
Oops, I see it is actually Sunrise, the prequel. It can be read online here:

http://www.wattpad.com/story/1072114-...





message 5: by Angel (new)

Angel Martinez (angelmartinez) | 226 comments Arshad wrote: "By profession, I am a hematopathologist, a physician who specializes in using laboratory tests and microscopic evaluation of biopsied tissue to diagnose diseases of blood, bone marrow, and lymph nodes, such as leukemia and lymphoma. Yeah, I'm a blood doctor writing about vampires. The irony is not lost on me."

Ye, gods, Arshad - when does a doctor find time to write!


message 6: by Arshad (new)

Arshad Ahsanuddin (pactarcanum) I'm glad you like the covers. I did them myself. Each one symbolizes an aspect or event that relates to the main character(s) of that book.

Sunset, the first book, starts with action in the middle of the story. Sunrise is a little more sedate, and starts at the beginning of the story. I decided to post a free version of Sunrise, because I thought it might be helpful to give people a better understanding of Sunset, which can otherwise feel a bit disconnected without the backstory.

As for how I find the time, well, pretty much by sacrificing everything else other than meals, sleep and work. But that's the price of working two full-time professions. I did eventually carve out a place in my schedule for Skyrim and Mass Effect 3, just to take my mind off everything now and again.


message 7: by Arshad (new)

Arshad Ahsanuddin (pactarcanum) What an Awesome review!

The Romance Reviews (TRR) - Sunset

http://glbt.theromancereviews.com/vie...


message 8: by Arshad (new)

Arshad Ahsanuddin (pactarcanum) Moonlight will be free at Amazon, all day tomorrow (May 16): http://amzn.to/K6uncg


On a Side Note:

On May 17th, I will be participating in the Hop Against Homophobia (http://hopagainsthomophobia.blogspot.ca) blog hop to celebrate the International Day Against Homophobia (http://www.homophobiaday.org/).

Be sure and drop by and see what stories people have to share!


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