A Gathering of Vultures Book

MURDER, MUTILATION, CARRION...IN PARADISE? "There shall the vultures also be gathered, every one with her mate." - ISAIAH 34:15 Professional ballroom dancers Terri and Rick Hamilton aspire to be world champions. Unfortunately, Terri's recurring back and health problems place that goal well out of reach. They travel to Terri's birthplace, Florianópolis, on the scenic island of Santa Catarina off the coast of Brazil to vacation and visit their best friends and mentors. Along the picturesque beaches, dead penguins and eviscerated bodies wash up on the shores of paradise, and Antarctic blasts play counterpoint to the tropical storms that rock the island. The scenic wonder is home not only to urubús, a unique sub-species of the black vulture, but also to a clique of mysterious women who offer Terri perfect health and the promise of fame--at a terrible price. Rick fears Terri is being drawn into a cult and that his own life may be in danger. Will it be too late when he discovers something even more terrifying lives beneath the tranquil, tropical veneer of the island? Idyllic one moment and nightmarish the next, you never know what you'll encounter in the city of Florianópolis--murder, mutilations, carrion, or the lure of eternal youth. "Discovering a truly different sort of horror novel is a rare pleasure... and cause for much rejoicing. Donald Michael Platt's A Gathering of Vultures provides a glimpse of singular evil. Even the exotic Brazilian locale and the backstory--involving competitive ballroom dancing--may be unique within the genre. This is the darkest of dark fantasies. Through fevered imaginings of the first rank, coupled to macabre yet erudite prose, Platt crafts an unusual and involving nightmare." --Robert Dunbar, author of THE PINES and THE SHORE About the Author ABOUT DONALD MICHAEL PLATT: The experiences Donald and his wife Ellen had while living in Florianópolis, Brazil, and their adventures in ballroom dancing inspired him to write A GATHERING OF VULTURES. In Hollywood, Donald sold his writing to the TV series, MR. NOVAK, and worked for and with diverse producers. After moving to Jupiter, Florida, Donald co-wrote VITAMIN ENRICHED for Carl DeSantis, founder of Rexall Sundown Vitamins; and THE COUPLE'S DISEASE for Lawrence S. Hakim, MD, FACS, Head of Sexual Dysfunction Unit at the Cleveland Clinic. Born and raised in San Francisco and a graduate of Lowell High school and U.C. Berkeley, Donald also has taught History, English, and Creative Writing. An Adjunct Professor of Writing at Polk Community College, he currently resides in Winter Haven, Florida, where he is polishing another dark novel and eagerly anpticipating the publication of his historical novel set in 17th century Spain and Amsterdam. ROCAMORA will be published by Raven's Wing Books in 2008.Read More