Exclusive Excerpt: Read the First Pages of "A Fool's Journey"
Editor’s note: Fantasy novelist, DANIELLE M. ORSINO has been kind enough to agree to share the first few pages of her new novel “A Fool’s Journey” which releases today (Nov 28, 2025).
CHAPTER 1: MORNING COFFEE AND A SIDE OF SUCCUBUS
Graham pulled at the wavy chestnut curls atop his head. His hickory-brown eyes scanned the morning files. The McDonald’s medium coffee—no sugar, two creams—gave his fingers something to play the drums on. He’d hung his charcoal-gray suit jacket behind his office door with great care. The crisp white Brooks Brothers collared shirt and burgundy silk tie perfectly suited his olive complexion, and the cufflinks sparkled under the fluorescent lights.
He sipped his caffeine while leaning forward on his elbows. Graham enjoyed his morning cup of joe but disliked losing time at work. McDonald’s opening a branch outside Fort Detrick two years ago had been a blessing. Before that, Dunkin’ Donuts had been the sole coffee choice. The drive from his job took ten minutes, and morning traffic in Fredrick, Maryland, proved to be unpleasant. The man’s habitual nature was so familiar that the high school girls working the morning shifts at the drive-through knew his schedule and order. His navy-blue Ford Explorer arrived at a quarter to seven, and his coffee was ready just the way he liked it before he hit the window. Each morning on Monday through Friday, rain or shine, he was there along with a two-dollar tip for each girl. Graham always did it with a wink and a finger to his lips. McDonald’s had a no-tipping policy, but he couldn’t forget the challenges of saving money for college.
He rolled the coffee around in his mouth. It was a touch bitter with a tang of sweetness from the cream. Graham shook his head and blinked back the last remnants of sleep. The shuffling of papers helped him to focus and continue with his morning ritual of reviewing the files and overnight observations. Without looking away from the files, he pressed a button on his phone and brought up his playlist. The speakers hissed with static as they synced. Ricky Nelson’s smooth, innocent voice filled his office: He hummed along to “Travelin’ Man.” Settling into his padded office chair, he clicked on his desk light. The energy-efficient light bulbs emitted a subtle hum as they gradually illuminated the room to a level that allowed him to read more comfortably. “Damn government budget cuts,” he muttered under his breath.
Graham reached to open the standard-issue metal desk. The drawer stuck, and he fought to open it past the halfway point. His forearm tensed, and with a quick, hard jerk, the drawer rattled and relented. His remote lay in the bare drawer. He gave a casual flick of his wrist, and the black-and-white Ansel Adams collage on the far wall parted, revealing fifteen HD flat-screen monitors. Each sprang to life, timestamped and marked in the lower right corner. The sudden eruption of a piercing scream seized his senses, eliciting a swell of irritation within him. It tore his focus away from his morning routine and directed it toward the third monitor.
A young woman appeared on screen, her frantic pleas reverberating through the air as medical personnel struggled to restrain her flailing limbs. Graham shook his head and muted the screens as the noise disrupted his music. The remaining monitors showcased comparable scenes: medical settings, containment units, treadmills, and clinical labs—all with women as the focal point. In his facility, he housed over thirty-five women, all in good health aside from the chronic anemia revealed by their daily blood work. “You all seem to be progressing,” he stated, knowing they could not hear him. Today, they would use a thermal FLIR camera to record the women’s feedings. He observed how the energy’s heat signature fluctuated between the host and recipient.
Graham jumped when another man swung his office door open. “Graham, they got one. They really got one!” the man said with wide eyes. Graham looked up from his paperwork, brow furrowing. “Wait, what are you babbling about, Cooper?” Cooper held the door open and gestured in a hurry-up motion. When Graham didn’t follow, the man spun with the type of grace only someone who sustained his physique with serious dedication could demonstrate. He let the door close and marched over to Graham’s desk. His sandy-blond hair emphasized his frat-boy charm.
Despite nearing forty, Cooper still maintained the appearance of a thirty-year old, which always puzzled Graham. His classic J. Crew looks spoke volumes of a life where everything came easy to Cooper. Now, his chiseled jawline tensed, and his piercing eyes honed in on Graham. Graham was early forties. Maybe closer to mid-forties, but an agent for a clandestine government agency never admitted their true age.
AND SO IT BEGINS... UNRAVEL THE HAUNTING LEGACY OF THE FAE'S SINS AND PLUNGE INTO THIS DARK URBAN PARANORMAL ADVENTURE. FOLLOW AGENT GRAHAM AS HIS STORY CONTINUES. THE PROPHECY CHILD HAS ARRIVED-WILL SHE ВE THE BEACON OF HOPE OR A HARBINGER OF DOOM?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
With a string of literary and martial arts awards under her belt, Orsino is a celebrated fantasy novelist who dreams of crafting immersive realms for her audience to lose themselves in. Her compelling word-weaving pays homage to a multitude of personal muses, from Jim Steranko, Stephanie Williams and Mike Deodato, Jr. to Anne Rice, Jim Henson, and Wonder Woman. She currently resides in the Veil with her pups—Carlos, and Penelope. She spends her time writing, cosplaying, ignoring the real world, watching the NY Giants, and practicing martial arts.
Check out “A Fool’s Journey” and all of Danielle’s books on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
