Hyde, Dark Musicals Book #3
Rebecca Hope has looked death in the face twice and lived to tell her
tale.
She and the love of her life,
Justyn Patko, land a summer internship at a local dinner theater, performing
the musical Hyde. While they are excited about their first paid acting gig,
they soon find themselves surrounded by more experienced cast mates, jealous of
their success. As if the tension isn’t bad enough, they soon discover that the
business might be a front for something much more sinister.
When Justyn is accused of a crime
that she knows he would never commit, Rebecca must decide if she wants to
follow her head or her heart. While trying to prove his innocence, she makes a
shocking discovery of her own.
Everyone has something to conceal
in the grand finale of the Dark Musicals Trilogy. Rebecca has to look beyond
the façade to discover the true Hyde or face her final curtain call.
Excerpt:
The act ended with Hyde grabbing
hold of a scantily dressed Lucy and pulling her into his arms. Then the lights
on the stage were extinguished, and the silent crowd suddenly burst into
thunderous applause—even some of the cast was clapping. Rebecca couldn’t help
but notice Steve was watching the fanfare with a frown, especially when
Fernando, dressed for the next scene as the butler, clapped Justyn on the back
with undisguised approval and pride. Rebecca had the distinct feeling Steve was
plotting something sinister and definitely Hyde-worthy.
From that point on, Justyn scarcely
had a moment out of the spotlight. Rebecca didn’t even get a chance to tell him
how fabulous he was. It felt as though the show had only begun when Rebecca
found herself decked out in the splendid Victorian wedding gown signaling the
final act was about to begin. The dress came complete with realistic bell
sleeves, an excessive bustle, and a long, flowing trail embroidered with
delicate lace. The elaborate wardrobes and happy wedding guests gave the
audience the illusion that it might be a happy ending after all, but for Dr.
Jekyll and Emma, that wasn’t meant to be. As soon as the reverend began to
recite the vows, Hyde made his final deadly appearance.
At the beginning of the scene, it
was sweet and romantic. Justyn started out holding her hand, looking happy,
almost ecstatic to be with his true love. Then he suddenly started to sway.
Tom, in his role of John, the best man, tried to steady him, but there wasn’t
anything he could do to stop the transformation. Dr. Jekyll doubles over in
agony and tries to run before Emma can see him change into a monster. Justyn
was supposed to head toward the back of the stage where Rebecca would pursue
him and eventually become Hyde’s captive. But they should have known no opening
night could ever go exactly as planned, especially when it was obvious at
least half the cast was out to get them.
Just as Justyn stumbled across the
stage, Steve, who was blending in with the other guests on the sidelines, stuck
out his foot. It was doubtful anyone else observed the sabotage, aside from
Petya, who was smirking at her husband’s side. But Rebecca was at the perfect
vantage point to see the intentional attack. Unfortunately, Justyn was so
wrapped up in the role he didn’t notice the danger, especially since his loose
hair was dangling in front of his eyes. Before Rebecca could cry out a warning,
Justyn’s foot was caught in the snare. With a grunt, he tumbled off the side of
the stage. Even over the background music and the gasps from the audience,
Rebecca heard the loud thump as he hit the ground. She raised her hands to her
mouth and couldn’t help but scream.
Look Beyond the
Facade - Meet The Real People Who Inspired the Characters in Hyde
The third book in the Dark Musicals Trilogy, Hyde, was
inspired by the musical Jekyll and Hyde. In the musical, the Dr. Jekyll isn't
the only one with two faces--everyone has a few secrets. As they say in their
signature song, everyone hides behind their facade. Today I wanted to give my
readers a chance to look beyond the facade and meet the real people who
inspired some of the characters in Hyde.
Lord Justyn
If you've read the whole series, you've probably met him
before, but the real Lord Justyn is definitely worth another mention. It was his unique personality and remarkable
acting abilities that inspired the series more than five years ago. Don't let
the leather and fishnet fool you. Lord Justyn is one of the sweetest guys I've
ever met and like his namesake he's super talented. An actor, a musician, and a
writer, he has it all in one swoon-worthy package.
Carmen
When I started writing Phantom, Carmen was supposed to be
based on my friend Viv. That's where she got her ethnic beauty and her Cuban
descent, but even in Phantom she started to develop a tough personality that
wasn't anything like Viv, who I've never heard utter an obscenity. In
Hyde, Carmen got even tougher, and I
think I was channeling another lovely Latina, my editor Tara. Carmen has the same
grit and no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is attitude.
Fernando
There are lots of new characters in Hyde. One of them is
Fernando, who's based on my own stepfather. He owns the dinner theater where
Rebecca and Justyn will be making their professional debut. In real life, he
owns Duffy's On The Lake. If that name sounds familiar, it might be because the
gang stopped there for dinner in the first chapter of Demon
Steve and Petya
You'll love to hate them in Hyde, but this real life couple
are a lot nicer in reality than they are in my book. Meet Steve and Petya. They
are servers at our family restaurant, but Steve is also an actor. The one true
fact about them, aside from their physical descriptions, that you'll read in
Hyde is that Steve really was in a few episodes of Beverly Hills 90210 when he
was a teenager. He's hoping to play himself if the books are ever made into
movies and he wanted a fun role, so I made him and his wife both
have...colorful personalities.
Officer Weston
If you read Hyde, you're going to meet a pair of law
enforcement officers. One of them is based on my fellow Pagan Writers Press
author Andrew Paul Weston. He is retired now but was a cop in England for many
years. Andrew helped me iron out some forensic details in Hyde.
Officer Cusella
And this is Officer Nino Cusella. He plays Andrew's rookie
partner in Hyde. He was also my neighbor growing up. When we were kids, he
helped me learn to ride my bike without training wheels and we used to try and
catch to seagulls with homemade traps. He also introduced me to my ex-husband,
but I forgive him for that. LOL Today Nino is is patrolling the streets of our
hometown of Wildwood. He helped me iron out the legal details of a few scenes
in Hyde as well as appearing as a character.
Darlene & Matt
Darlene AKA Tempest, is Justyn's mother in the Dark Musicals
Trilogy. The real Darlene was my High Priestess before she moved out of state.
I also made her friend Matt into Justyn's hippie stepfather. While Darlene's
personality in the series fits the real Darlene to a tee, the fictional Darlene
also shares some of the traits of my friend Tempest, a professional Gothic
belly dancer. Tempest is Darlene's stage name in the Dark Musicals Trilogy.
Sherry & Bruce
Sherrie is a little camera shy, so I don't have a photo of
her, but I think I painted a pretty accurate picture in Hyde. She stepped into
the role of Justyn's grandmother because her feisty Irish spirit, lust for
life, and unique style seemed to fit perfectly into this non-traditional
family. She is actually the mother one of my old high school classmates, and
she's one of the wisest and most caring woman I know. She's has taught me many
things, including he fact that your bra makes an excellent storage area. But
with her flame red hair and her fierce protective nature, you can believe she's
a force to be reckoned with if you get on her bad side. I also gave her husband
Bruce a small part as Justyn's grandfather, and while I made his physical
appearance similar to Darlene and Justyn, I stayed true to the quiet,
conventional nature Sherry has always described when she spoke of her husband.
Dash
Last but certainly not least, there was a very special cameo
appearance in Hyde. This little guy is Dash, and he is my publisher Angie's
son. Of course, I had to age him a little to fit him into the story, but I gave him his mom's red hair and a little of
his father's personality.
Well, that about wraps up the real faces of Hyde. The story
wouldn't be what it is with the help all of these wonderful people provided.
This is their story as much as mine and I thank them all for the
inspiration. To get to know them and
their alter ego's better, be sure to pick up your copy of Hyde today.
About
The Author:
Laura
“Luna” DeLuca lives at the beautiful Jersey shore with her husband and four
children. She loves writing in the young adult genre because it keeps her young
at heart. In addition to writing fiction, Laura is also the editor of a
popular review blog called New Age Mama. She is an active member of her local
pagan community, and has been studying Wicca for close to eight years.
Her current works include Destiny, Destiny Unveiled, Phantom, Morrigan,
Player, and Demon.
Giveaway:
Laura is
giving away a signed copy of Phantom, Geode, Incense, sterling silver pentacle
charm, natural stone pendant, crystal point, and Lavender Purification Bath
Salts.
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