Tuesday, August 3, 2021
Tuesday, June 29, 2021
DEMON WARDEN HAS A NEW COVER! đđ
And for a limited time, you can grab it for just 99 cents!
Saturday, June 5, 2021
Memphis May Fire - Blood & Water (Official Music Video)
Sunday, April 4, 2021
BARGAIN BOOKS BY JENNIFER L ARMENTROUT
Look what I found! For some weird reason, there are two versions of these amazing books, some cheaper than others, and I just had to share! Tap the covers for a preview and the buy link!
LUX SAGA
Monday, February 15, 2021
LETHAL PREY BY SELENE KALLAN
Sunday, February 7, 2021
THE DEMON TIDE BY LAURIE FOREST
THE BLACK WITCH CHRONICLES: THE DEMON TIDE
Monday, December 21, 2020
YOU BELONG TO ME BY SNOW WHITE BLOOD: TWISTED FAIRYTALE SONG
I adore a wonderful song with a beautiful video that tells a story, and if it's a bit dark, even better! And YOU BELONG TO ME by Snow White Blood (feat. Danny Meyer & Stimmgewalt) has it all! I'm so obsessed!
Monday, December 14, 2020
Anchored: Selkie prompt inspired short story.
ANCHORED
My neck and shoulders tingle.
I blink and roll them, looking up from the book, wondering how long I have been in the same awkward position, and startle at the sight of Niahm standing a few feet away from me, one hand in his pocket. Heâs wearing a white dress shirt, dark gray trousers, and boots. The clothes fit him perfectly. Heâs lean, but thereâs solid muscle all over his frame. I felt it earlier today when I held onto him.
âHello,â he greets me with a smile.
âHello. Were you staring at me while I read?â
His smile turns sheepish. âOnly for about a minute. I know better than to interrupt a fellow reader.â
I feel my lips curve up. âYou interrupted me anyway with your nosy eyes.â Your nosy, beautiful eyes.
âApologies,â he says, managing to look chastised and wryly amused all at once. The grayish light of late afternoon makes him look as if heâs glowing.
He scratches the back of his neck, looking strangely nervous, and a sense memory of how I felt when I held his cloak comes rushing into my chest with breath-stealing force.
There has to be a reasonable explanation for that strange sensation of power I felt when I touched it. One that doesnât seem plucked out from a fantasy book.
There has to be a reasonable explanation for how much I want to run my fingers through the thick waves of his silver-blond hair. How I almost ache with the need to touch him, and my stomach swoops as my brain provides me with vivid images of his lips against mine.
Because otherwise, I fear I am losing my marbles.
Itâs been two days since you found your fiance in bed with his assistant, I remind myself. Good men only exist in books. A man as beautiful as Niahm could never want you.
My idiotic fantasies vanish, replaced by a dull, familiar ache in my chest.
However, I canât be rude to Niahm. Not only because itâs unfair to be brash just because he happens to be a man and a man betrayed me, but because every cell in my body cringes at the idea of purposely hurting him.
Throat dry, I lower my legs, feeling my blood flow return with full, prickling force. I ignore the discomfort and scooch over, making room for him.
âWant to join me?â I ask.
He nods, sitting beside me. âThat is a fantastic book. Enlightening, and very painful at times. But itâs all worth it in the end, I promise.â
Not for all of us, I think.
I gulp and bite the inside of my lip to control the burning sensation in my eyes and the back of my throat. Goddess, I thought Iâd emptied my reservoir of tears already.
âThe prose is gorgeous,â I manage. âI donât see much sleep in my future.â
Niahm chuckles. âI canât blame you.â
I meet his gaze, feeling my breath stutter with the beauty of his eyes. Which reminds me⌠âDo you only use glasses for reading?â
âYes.â He tilts his head. âHow do you know?â
I watched you from across the street, hidden behind a curtain like a total creep. âI saw them on your desk earlier today.â
His lips flicker and his eyes sparkle with knowing amusement. And I just know that he knows. That he did see me staring at him as if he were a cake in a display case.
âI donât remember leaving them on my desk,â he says. His tone is teasing but not mocking. âHow odd.â
âOmega 3 is great for memory,â I tease back.
Niahm chuckles, casually placing his arm on the backrest of the bench, almost touching me. âThen my memory should be excellent, considering how much fish I eat.â
A gust of wind hits him, sending his sea-books-tea scent into my lungs. I have to lock my muscles not to snuggle closer and put my head on his shoulder.
His expression turns serious, almost solemn. âYou feel it too, donât you?â
My pulse speeds up. âFeel what?â
Niahm gently takes my wrist, searching my eyes for permission. His touch sends warmth straight inside my chest, and I nod automatically. He places my palm flat on his sternum, holding it there.
I inhale sharply at the feel of his heart, which beats just as fast as mine. The reverberations seem to echo everywhere inside me. That unknown, pleasantly tight, and warm sensation in my chest increases. My lips tingle as if heâs already kissed me, and it takes all of my willpower not to close the scant distance between us and merge our mouths together.
Somewhere deep inside my mind, a voice whispers that Iâm taking leave of my senses again, but I ignore it. âI feel it too,â I whisper.
Niahm smiles as if heâs got the best Yuletide present ever, and in one single liquid movement, heâs kneeling in front of me.
âWhat are you doing?â I ask.
Niahmâs smile doesnât waver as he takes a clam seashell from his pocket, opening it to reveal a ringâa silver ring carved with runes and decorated with an unfamiliar, gorgeous blue-gray precious stone, and two white pearls. Itâs perfect, the kind of ring Iâd choose for myself.
I suck in a breath, feeling numb with disbelief, wonderingâno, hoping Iâm having a very odd dream.
The goddess knows most of my dreams are strange.
Niahm takes a deep breath. âI know this may seem sudden, but I know deep in my heart and my soul that fate has brought us together. I knew it the moment I held you in my arms. Would you marry me, Leo?â
He hasnât let go of my hand, but doesnât try to put the ring on my finger.
Thank the goddess for small mercies.
My paralysis breaks. I rip my hand away from his and stand. âWhat is this?â
âA marriage proposal,â he answers, as if itâs perfectly sensible that heâs still down on one knee. As if normal people go around proposing to total strangers.
âGet up,â I say, my voice coming out with more force. âPlease get up.â
Niahm does. His previous happiness shifts into confusion and a flash of pain. My heart gives an unpleasant squeeze at the sight, but I ignore it. âIs this some sort of twisted joke?â I demand. âDid someone put you up to this?â
Itâs impossible that he has managed to pay someone from across the ocean to further humiliate me, right?
I donât know.
I just donât know.
Niahmâs brow furrows. âNo. Itâs not a joke. I meant it.â
âYou canât mean it!â I protest.
He looks even more puzzled. âWhy?â
Because no one could want me. Because Iâm broken. Everything in me is in pieces, and nobody wants that. Nobody wants me. âWhy?â I ask, incredulous. âWhy? I donât know, because normal people donât go around proposing to strangers, maybe?â
âIâm not normal,â he says, without an ounce of self-consciousness, taking a step closer.
I recoil two. âSo youâre crazy then? Because thatâs the only reason I can think of. Youâre either mocking me, or something is very wrong inside that head of yours.â
That very pretty headâ
Stop drooling over the loon! I command myself.
Niahm blinks, something like realization flashes in his eyes. âI didnât realize this had the potential to upset you so much.â
A hysterical huff leaves my chest. âHowâs that possible? Are you unfamiliar with basic social conventions? Donât you inherently know that proposing to someone you meet mere hours before is unacceptable in society nowadays?â
He half shrugs. âNo. It didnât occur to me. Partly because I wasnât thinking clearly, and partly because I mostly find social conventions ridiculous.â
âThey exist for a reason,â I rebuke. âSo we agree that you made a mistake, right?â
If he admits he went into a state of temporary madness, Iâll feel less like running far away from him.
Maybe there was something funky in his tea this morning. Maybe he ate poorly cooked fish.
Niahm shakes his head. âI wasnât thinking about the potential strangeness of such a fast proposal, but I wonât call it a mistake. I meant it when I said I believe fate has brought us together.â
Fate made me ill. Fate took my mother away from me. Fate took my Grandma away from Mom.
âFate can go straight to Hell!â I all but scream.
Niahmâs eyes widen with shock. âLeo, Iââ
I run before he can finish his sentence.
***
I run until my legs and lungs burn, and my heart threatens to give up once and for all.
My ears ring and Iâm shaking. I put my hands on my knees and take great gulps of salty air.
One, two, three, fourâŚ
By the time I reach three hundred, my sight has cleared and my hearing has returned to normal.
Iâm still breathing fast. A muscle in my heart pulls unpleasantly and I wince.
Iâm standing over a small hill facing the ocean.
Itâs breathtaking. The rolling waves hitting the stone create a soothing melody. The cool breeze dries the thin layer of sweat on my face and fills my lungs with a slightly salty, fresh smell that reminds me of Niahm.
I cringe as his proposal, and my freakout over it, replays in my mind.
Part of me still fears he was having me on, but that suspicion loses strength as the image of his surprised, hurt expression affixes itself in my brain like a screensaver.
It was crazy of him to propose to me after mere hours of having met me.
Maybe there are a few tiles missing on his roof.
But, with my head somewhat clearer, I knowâI simply know that he wasnât trying to hurt me.
I can feel it in the shame and remorse making me nauseous.
I groan, covering my face with my hands.
Even if Niahm is crazy, Iâve been very rude to him.
âIâm sorry.â
I freeze, half turning toward the sound of that voice.
Oh, goddess. He followed me.
Strangely, the sharp edges of panic poking at my stomach become duller at the sight of him. His silver blond hair waves in the breeze. His ocean eyes are open, kind, and embarrassed. The sunsetâs orange-lilac light makes him look even more beautiful, something that should be impossible. My chest tightens with the desire to touch him, to place my hand on his chest and feel his heartbeat again.
I clench my hands.
No, that is the reason why this mess started in the first place.
His eyes donât leave mine, but he keeps a careful distance from me. âPerhaps some social conventions have their merit,â he says, head tilting slightly, a tentative smile curving his pink lips.
A hysterical chuckle leaves my chest. âIâm glad youâve reached that conclusion.â Swallowing, I take a deep breath. âI still donât understand why you thought that was a good idea.â
His brow flickers minutely. He opens his mouth and closes it again, throat bobbing. âI would explain my reasons right now, but I think you need some time. Itâs nothing sinister, I promise.â He takes a measured step closer, as if approaching a feral cat. âMay I ask why you thought it was a joke?â
My stomach clenches unpleasantly. âAside from how random and definitely not normal it is to propose to a stranger?â
Niahm nods. âYes, aside from that. Weâve established I am not normal. And I am truly sorry that I upset you. But there seemed to be a reason behind your suspicions that I was mocking you.â
I tug the sleeves of my sweater to cover my icy fingers. âI donât want to talk about it.â
He nods. âFair enough.â
I notice then that he has my book. I left it behind in my hurry to run away from him.
He stretches it out to me instead of approaching, leaving me with the choice to go near him.
That makes up my mind.
Taking a bracing breath, I walk up to him, keeping two feet of distance to try to prevent my bodyâs insane reaction to his proximity.
It doesnât work.
I grab the book and stuff it in my pocket.
âDo you mind if I accompany you? Perhaps we can have dinner together,â he says.
I lick my parched lips, shaking my head to clear my thoughts.
Part of me wants to say no, but havenât I come to Elphis Island to be different? To be free? To learn how to let go and just exist without worrying about things like being reasonable?
And isnât spending time with a beautiful and possibly mad stranger a good way to keep that promise to myself?
He waits, with no signs of wanting to rush me, and that helps me decide.
âOkay,â I agree. The blinding smile that lights up his face makes my heart race again. âWith one condition,â I amend.
He takes half a step closer, filling my lungs with that ocean-tea-books scent that makes me want to sniff him like a dog.
âAnything you want,â he promises.
I take a measured breath. âNo more marriage proposals.â
That makes him laugh softly. The corners of his eyes crinkle. âNo more marriage proposals tonight,â he vows, stretching a hand toward me.
I take it, expecting the warm and sizzling feeling, but it still makes me shudder.
His eyes meet mine, a slow but pleased smile spreading across his face. The energy flowing between us becomes so strong that I half expect to see a physical manifestation of it.
I blink and look away, breaking the daze before I do something reckless, like getting on my tiptoes and kissing him.
And why had he added that âtonightâ instead of promising to never propose again full-stop?
He canât be thinking about doing it again, right? I wonder as he takes us toward the path that leads down the small hill.
And why am I willing to let it go for now?
Ah yes, because Iâve lost my mind.
I risk a glance and meet his eyes again, finding the same charming smile and echoing it with an awkward one.
Who needs to be reasonable, anyway?
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Cover Reveal: BLOOD MOON by Selene Kallan
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