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Title: The Neverland Wars
Author: Audrey Greathouse
Genres: Fairy Tales, Retelling, Young Adult

Magic can do a lot—give you flight, show you mermaids, help you taste the stars, and… solve the budget crisis? That’s what the grown-ups will do with it if they ever make it to Neverland to steal its magic and bring their children home.

However, Gwen doesn’t know this. She’s just a sixteen-year-old girl with a place on the debate team and a powerful crush on Jay, the soon-to-be homecoming king. She doesn’t know her little sister could actually run away with Peter Pan, or that she might have to chase after her to bring her home safe. Gwen will find out though—and when she does, she’ll discover she’s in the middle of a looming war between Neverland and reality.

She’ll be out of place as a teenager in Neverland, but she won’t be the only one. Peter Pan’s constant treks back to the mainland have slowly aged him into adolescence as well. Soon, Gwen will have to decide whether she’s going to join impish, playful Peter in his fight for eternal youth… or if she’s going to scramble back to reality in time for the homecoming dance.




A chill crept down Gwen’s spine, and her eyes could not refocus fast enough. She clutched fistfuls of Rosemary’s quilt, instinctively preparing to throw herself under it if there was a monster lurking in the dark. Gwen wasn’t afraid in the normal sense of the term, but her heart raced as she noticed the boy sitting on the rocking chair in the corner of the room.

The chair rocked with a squeak as he stood up from it. Walking slowly toward the window, he came into view as he entered the moonlight. He stared at Gwen, and she stared back.

His eyes were steady in their intensity, but impish in all other manners. They impulsively surveyed the room, never lingering on any particular aspect of it, but always coming back to Gwen. A vine of ivy was wrapped around his waist and strewn across his shoulder like a belt and sash, just barely holding his tattered shirt and shorts to him. His clothes seemed held together with bits of twine and magic. He moved fluidly in his own skin. Gwen wasn’t even conscious of how much she envied his playful motion. Even with his gangly, broad shoulders, he stood tall with a childish sense of confidence.

Gwen wasn’t sure, but he looked like a freshman. He couldn’t have been younger than fourteen.

He wore hemp bracelets and braided jewelry around his wrists; pine-cone chips and wooden beads were woven into his necklace. They jangled as he walked.

“This is your sister?” he asked, his question seemed rudely incredulous. “Hollyhock, let me see her.”

Before Gwen could make sense of this remark, an exploding light burst from an inexplicable place in the darkness. Gwen was disoriented when the light came so quickly at her. Circling up around her, the golden light left a trail of fast dissolving glitter that rained down on her. What little of it touched her glowed faintly on her skin before disappearing. It felt like a pins-and-needles numbness in the best possible way.

The bright light that radiated from Hollyhock’s little body half-blinded Gwen in the otherwise dark room, but Hollyhock flitted in front of her, and Gwen caught a glimpse of the creature. Her eyes were unusually wide, and her massive irises were an otherworldly color for which Gwen had no name. Her itty-bitty lips and nose were hardly there at all, but her sunny hair was pulled back in two long, dangling braids. Her limbs were like twigs, and she wore a leaf draped over her like a tunic. Gwen didn’t need to be told that she was looking at a fairy.

“Huh,” he responded, sitting down on the hardwood floor of Rosemary’s room. “You said your sister was a kid.”

“She is, Peter!” Rosemary defended. “I told you—she’s a big kid.”

Finally addressing her properly, Peter spoke to Gwen in a condescending tone. “I expected you to be younger.”

“As did I of you,” Gwen curtly returned.

Peter, the young man, shrugged with his eyebrows and looked away, indicating that he was not going to bother engaging a hostile girl.

Gwen didn’t care. She couldn’t have cared. While Hollyhock played in the fish mobile above the bed like an aquatic merry-go-round, Gwen clutched Rosemary close to her. “Rosemary, we were so worried! Thank God you came back.”

“I had to come back, Gwenny,” Rosemary told her. “I had to come back for you.” Hollyhock, tiring of the mobile, zipped back down and buried herself in Rosemary’s hair, poking her head out of it and trying to part it like curtains. Rosemary giggled, taking Gwen’s hand. “Let’s go.”

“Whoa, wait, no.” Gwen grabbed hold of Rosemary’s arm. “We’re not going anywhere. Mom and Dad are worried about you. The cops were here… You can’t go—where?”

Hollyhock, on Rosemary’s shoulder, said something that sounded like a sneeze and a hum. Rosemary translated the one word she had already learned in the fairy tongue. “Neverland.”



Audrey Greathouse is a lost child in a perpetual and footloose quest for her own post-adolescent Neverland. Originally from Seattle, she earned her English B.A. from Southern New Hampshire University's online program while backpacking around the west coast and pretending to be a student at Stanford. A pianist, circus artist, fire-eater, street mime, swing dancer, and novelist, Audrey wears many hats wherever she is. She has grand hopes for the future which include publishing more books and owning a crockpot. You can find her at audreygreathouse.com

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The Neverland Wars by Audrey Greathouse

Posted at  21.31 - by Unknown





Title: The Neverland Wars
Author: Audrey Greathouse
Genres: Fairy Tales, Retelling, Young Adult

Magic can do a lot—give you flight, show you mermaids, help you taste the stars, and… solve the budget crisis? That’s what the grown-ups will do with it if they ever make it to Neverland to steal its magic and bring their children home.

However, Gwen doesn’t know this. She’s just a sixteen-year-old girl with a place on the debate team and a powerful crush on Jay, the soon-to-be homecoming king. She doesn’t know her little sister could actually run away with Peter Pan, or that she might have to chase after her to bring her home safe. Gwen will find out though—and when she does, she’ll discover she’s in the middle of a looming war between Neverland and reality.

She’ll be out of place as a teenager in Neverland, but she won’t be the only one. Peter Pan’s constant treks back to the mainland have slowly aged him into adolescence as well. Soon, Gwen will have to decide whether she’s going to join impish, playful Peter in his fight for eternal youth… or if she’s going to scramble back to reality in time for the homecoming dance.




A chill crept down Gwen’s spine, and her eyes could not refocus fast enough. She clutched fistfuls of Rosemary’s quilt, instinctively preparing to throw herself under it if there was a monster lurking in the dark. Gwen wasn’t afraid in the normal sense of the term, but her heart raced as she noticed the boy sitting on the rocking chair in the corner of the room.

The chair rocked with a squeak as he stood up from it. Walking slowly toward the window, he came into view as he entered the moonlight. He stared at Gwen, and she stared back.

His eyes were steady in their intensity, but impish in all other manners. They impulsively surveyed the room, never lingering on any particular aspect of it, but always coming back to Gwen. A vine of ivy was wrapped around his waist and strewn across his shoulder like a belt and sash, just barely holding his tattered shirt and shorts to him. His clothes seemed held together with bits of twine and magic. He moved fluidly in his own skin. Gwen wasn’t even conscious of how much she envied his playful motion. Even with his gangly, broad shoulders, he stood tall with a childish sense of confidence.

Gwen wasn’t sure, but he looked like a freshman. He couldn’t have been younger than fourteen.

He wore hemp bracelets and braided jewelry around his wrists; pine-cone chips and wooden beads were woven into his necklace. They jangled as he walked.

“This is your sister?” he asked, his question seemed rudely incredulous. “Hollyhock, let me see her.”

Before Gwen could make sense of this remark, an exploding light burst from an inexplicable place in the darkness. Gwen was disoriented when the light came so quickly at her. Circling up around her, the golden light left a trail of fast dissolving glitter that rained down on her. What little of it touched her glowed faintly on her skin before disappearing. It felt like a pins-and-needles numbness in the best possible way.

The bright light that radiated from Hollyhock’s little body half-blinded Gwen in the otherwise dark room, but Hollyhock flitted in front of her, and Gwen caught a glimpse of the creature. Her eyes were unusually wide, and her massive irises were an otherworldly color for which Gwen had no name. Her itty-bitty lips and nose were hardly there at all, but her sunny hair was pulled back in two long, dangling braids. Her limbs were like twigs, and she wore a leaf draped over her like a tunic. Gwen didn’t need to be told that she was looking at a fairy.

“Huh,” he responded, sitting down on the hardwood floor of Rosemary’s room. “You said your sister was a kid.”

“She is, Peter!” Rosemary defended. “I told you—she’s a big kid.”

Finally addressing her properly, Peter spoke to Gwen in a condescending tone. “I expected you to be younger.”

“As did I of you,” Gwen curtly returned.

Peter, the young man, shrugged with his eyebrows and looked away, indicating that he was not going to bother engaging a hostile girl.

Gwen didn’t care. She couldn’t have cared. While Hollyhock played in the fish mobile above the bed like an aquatic merry-go-round, Gwen clutched Rosemary close to her. “Rosemary, we were so worried! Thank God you came back.”

“I had to come back, Gwenny,” Rosemary told her. “I had to come back for you.” Hollyhock, tiring of the mobile, zipped back down and buried herself in Rosemary’s hair, poking her head out of it and trying to part it like curtains. Rosemary giggled, taking Gwen’s hand. “Let’s go.”

“Whoa, wait, no.” Gwen grabbed hold of Rosemary’s arm. “We’re not going anywhere. Mom and Dad are worried about you. The cops were here… You can’t go—where?”

Hollyhock, on Rosemary’s shoulder, said something that sounded like a sneeze and a hum. Rosemary translated the one word she had already learned in the fairy tongue. “Neverland.”



Audrey Greathouse is a lost child in a perpetual and footloose quest for her own post-adolescent Neverland. Originally from Seattle, she earned her English B.A. from Southern New Hampshire University's online program while backpacking around the west coast and pretending to be a student at Stanford. A pianist, circus artist, fire-eater, street mime, swing dancer, and novelist, Audrey wears many hats wherever she is. She has grand hopes for the future which include publishing more books and owning a crockpot. You can find her at audreygreathouse.com

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Win a PDF copy of Gideon and the Crimson Samurai and a PDF of another released title. Enter at the bottom on this post.




Title: Gideon and the Crimson Samurai
Author: R.L. Baxter
Genre: Fantasy / Adventure

Gideon Joust is your average twelve-year-old boy, with all the growing insecurities one would expect, following the mysterious disappearance of his father. On one fateful day, the boy’s world is turned upside down – leading to a chance encounter with a brash child warrior: Kibishi the Crimson Samurai.

After short moments, the archer and samurai sit by the stream, looking out over the dull sunset. They remain quiet - Kibishi looking troubled, while Albion smiles evermore.

Kibishi: I still stand by what I said. We will part ways once we reach Valero. I cannot allow Gideon to follow me any further. He'll only end up dead.

Albion: I understand. However do you still stand by the other thing you said? The thing about: “Whoever said you and I were friends?” You didn’t honestly mean that – did you?

Kibishi: No... I didn’t mean that. I just don’t want Gideon to trust in me – that’s all.

Albion: And why would you not want somebody to trust you? Friendship is based on trust after all?

Taking a moment to think about his reply, Kibishi bites his lips together while Albion awaits his answer.

Kibishi: When you trust someone... you expect much from that person. You rely on them and look to them for help. I am not capable of doing any of those things, hence why I am not suitable to be Gideon’s friend. If something ever happened to him, I would never forgive myself.

Albion: Hahaha, you and Gideon are so similar. You both are burdened with this cloud of doubt and self-pity. However, if there is one thing that I would criticize about your friendship, it’s that you both assume Gideon to be weak when he is in fact more capable than anyone here.

With a suspicious expression, Kibishi glares upon Albion for many moments.

Kibishi: What are you trying to say?

Albion: Come now, Crimson samurai. You mean to tell me that the thought did not cross your mind, at least once? Gideon is the son of the famous “Miracle Gunman”. Why are you treating him as a weak comrade? That is not a good sign of a friend. Real friends


Ricky Baxter is the author of Gideon and the Crimson Samurai and a collection of short Novellas such as: Mother Gaia, A Sinless Horizon and The Worst Death. He is an avid blogger and speaker, giving advice and thoughts to fellow creators from all walks of life. Currently he lives in London England where he writes and blogs.



Win a PDF copy of Gideon and the Crimson Samurai and a PDF of another released title.

Gideon and the Crimson Samurai by R.L. Baxter

Posted at  23.17 - by Unknown



Win a PDF copy of Gideon and the Crimson Samurai and a PDF of another released title. Enter at the bottom on this post.




Title: Gideon and the Crimson Samurai
Author: R.L. Baxter
Genre: Fantasy / Adventure

Gideon Joust is your average twelve-year-old boy, with all the growing insecurities one would expect, following the mysterious disappearance of his father. On one fateful day, the boy’s world is turned upside down – leading to a chance encounter with a brash child warrior: Kibishi the Crimson Samurai.

After short moments, the archer and samurai sit by the stream, looking out over the dull sunset. They remain quiet - Kibishi looking troubled, while Albion smiles evermore.

Kibishi: I still stand by what I said. We will part ways once we reach Valero. I cannot allow Gideon to follow me any further. He'll only end up dead.

Albion: I understand. However do you still stand by the other thing you said? The thing about: “Whoever said you and I were friends?” You didn’t honestly mean that – did you?

Kibishi: No... I didn’t mean that. I just don’t want Gideon to trust in me – that’s all.

Albion: And why would you not want somebody to trust you? Friendship is based on trust after all?

Taking a moment to think about his reply, Kibishi bites his lips together while Albion awaits his answer.

Kibishi: When you trust someone... you expect much from that person. You rely on them and look to them for help. I am not capable of doing any of those things, hence why I am not suitable to be Gideon’s friend. If something ever happened to him, I would never forgive myself.

Albion: Hahaha, you and Gideon are so similar. You both are burdened with this cloud of doubt and self-pity. However, if there is one thing that I would criticize about your friendship, it’s that you both assume Gideon to be weak when he is in fact more capable than anyone here.

With a suspicious expression, Kibishi glares upon Albion for many moments.

Kibishi: What are you trying to say?

Albion: Come now, Crimson samurai. You mean to tell me that the thought did not cross your mind, at least once? Gideon is the son of the famous “Miracle Gunman”. Why are you treating him as a weak comrade? That is not a good sign of a friend. Real friends


Ricky Baxter is the author of Gideon and the Crimson Samurai and a collection of short Novellas such as: Mother Gaia, A Sinless Horizon and The Worst Death. He is an avid blogger and speaker, giving advice and thoughts to fellow creators from all walks of life. Currently he lives in London England where he writes and blogs.



Win a PDF copy of Gideon and the Crimson Samurai and a PDF of another released title.




Title: The Son of Light Book 2: The M.B.S. Guild
Author: Chris Parker
Genre: Fantasy

Despite having the worst birthday in his life, sixteen year old Joshua Suzuki finally gets his birthday wish—to get out of his house in Porter Ranch, California, which he had spent a decade locked up in. But his wish would be an unusual one because he soon finds himself in an underground college, which belonged to secret organization, called the M.B.S. (Mind, Body, and Soul) Guild. This blows Josh’s mind. And what shocks him even more is that his twenty-six year old foster brother, Nickolas Suzuki, is the leader of the M.B.S. Guild.

Nick wastes no time in telling Josh the horrible truth to why they’ve been in hiding for ten years — The Demon Lord, Hexen, has returned. Nick puts Josh in the protection of his crazy college friends to train him in the art of energy, as Nick travels around the world for clues about Lord Hexen’s origins.

But after being lured out of the guild, Josh find himself in the outside world again, a world far more dangerous than the last time. Now, Josh has to find his way back to the guild while dealing with violent bandits, crazed zombie-like people, and worst of all, Lord Hexen. Can Josh survive?

The Son of Light Book 2: The M.B.S. Guild is an adult fantasy novel that features fast-paced action, and side-splitting comedy. If you like the Harry Potter and A Game of Thrones novels, then you like The Son of Light book 2.


Chris Parker started writing during his community college years until he transferred to a film school, Columbia College Hollywood, after losing his house in 2008. There he came up with many stories such as, The Son of Light. However, he went to school to become an editor. After earning his BA, Chris went back to his first love, writing.
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Amazon | Smashwords

The Son of Light Book 2: The M.B.S. Guild by Chris Parker

Posted at  21.00 - by Unknown




Title: The Son of Light Book 2: The M.B.S. Guild
Author: Chris Parker
Genre: Fantasy

Despite having the worst birthday in his life, sixteen year old Joshua Suzuki finally gets his birthday wish—to get out of his house in Porter Ranch, California, which he had spent a decade locked up in. But his wish would be an unusual one because he soon finds himself in an underground college, which belonged to secret organization, called the M.B.S. (Mind, Body, and Soul) Guild. This blows Josh’s mind. And what shocks him even more is that his twenty-six year old foster brother, Nickolas Suzuki, is the leader of the M.B.S. Guild.

Nick wastes no time in telling Josh the horrible truth to why they’ve been in hiding for ten years — The Demon Lord, Hexen, has returned. Nick puts Josh in the protection of his crazy college friends to train him in the art of energy, as Nick travels around the world for clues about Lord Hexen’s origins.

But after being lured out of the guild, Josh find himself in the outside world again, a world far more dangerous than the last time. Now, Josh has to find his way back to the guild while dealing with violent bandits, crazed zombie-like people, and worst of all, Lord Hexen. Can Josh survive?

The Son of Light Book 2: The M.B.S. Guild is an adult fantasy novel that features fast-paced action, and side-splitting comedy. If you like the Harry Potter and A Game of Thrones novels, then you like The Son of Light book 2.


Chris Parker started writing during his community college years until he transferred to a film school, Columbia College Hollywood, after losing his house in 2008. There he came up with many stories such as, The Son of Light. However, he went to school to become an editor. After earning his BA, Chris went back to his first love, writing.
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Amazon | Smashwords

The Week in Links 4/8/16: Diversity, Smartpen, Star Wars

Posted at  10.10 - by Unknown


Got any questions about fantasy world building- creating names, developing a magic system, coming up with unique creatures, adding tech to your world... email me at audendjohnson (at) gmail (dot) com. I'll answer your questions on this blog. You can also ask me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.


Also, if you have any posts you'd like included in my weekly The Week in Links, contact me. The Week in Links is published every Friday. Any posts included needs to be published within the week leading to that Friday.

Your World Building Questions Answered

Posted at  21.00 - by Unknown


Got any questions about fantasy world building- creating names, developing a magic system, coming up with unique creatures, adding tech to your world... email me at audendjohnson (at) gmail (dot) com. I'll answer your questions on this blog. You can also ask me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.


Also, if you have any posts you'd like included in my weekly The Week in Links, contact me. The Week in Links is published every Friday. Any posts included needs to be published within the week leading to that Friday.

The Week in Links 4/1/16: Instagram, Harry Potter, Lego Batman

Posted at  10.05 - by Unknown



Title: A Chronicle of Chaos
Author: D.M. Cain
Genre: Fantasy

“The new book in DM Cain’s epic Light and Shadow fantasy series certainly plunges us in at the deep end. The heart of this book—its true essence—is prejudice and love, persistence, and stubbornness.” Stewart Bint, author of In Shadows Waiting and Timeshaft.

A brutal war has raged for centuries. The Brotherhood of Shadow and The Children of Light each yearn to rule the planet and will stop at nothing to defeat the other. Now, from the deepest bowels of Hell, the Brotherhood has summoned demons to fight for them. The demons could end the war once and for all, if only the Brotherhood can keep them under control. Prophecy, destiny, honour, and glory: Chaos, a soldier in The Children of Light, fights in the name of all these things and could achieve them if he wasn’t so arrogant. He believes he is the best warrior in the land, until a fateful coincidence puts him at the mercy of the demon, Anathema. The two warriors, demon and human, strike up an intense rivalry, but their obsession to destroy one another only leads them closer together. When the forces of Heaven and Hell collide, where will their loyalties lie?



The angel soared towards the Temple of Nirvana, his heart hammering in his chest, pumping glittering dust through his body. The palace of the Almighty towered on the horizon, a grand fortress of silver and white.

Today, he would deliver a message to the ruler of the Kingdom of Heaven, a message that would shock them into action and would once again reignite old battles. The wind blew through his wings, his feathers ruffled and his muscles strained. He swooped over the mountains and finally dropped into a run at the palace gates, great clouds of dust mushrooming at his feet. He threw himself into the arched doorway and thundered into the courtyard of the Temple of Nirvana. Marble pillars spread around the vast courtyard, encircling the open space. The messenger ran across the yard, heading directly for the silver temple ahead. He sprinted the thirty steps to the doorway at full pelt and then halted for a second to regain composure. With a deep breath in, he opened the heavy doors.

Inside, a hall of brilliant light blinded him. He paused and allowed the light to wash over him. He
bathed in its magnificence and gradually his sight returned to him. In an immense cathedral of white walls and floors, a single silver pathway led to an arch. Flanked by other angels who seemingly materialised from nowhere, he made his way slowly down the pathway until he was beneath the arch. The aisle opened into a circular hall with a round, white table in the centre. Around it, silver thrones were placed at equal intervals, and upon these thrones sat the Council of Original Angels. The elders were the first beings of pure goodness, made by the Creator aeons ago.

The messenger had never seen an elder before, but their prestige was legendary across the Kingdom of Heaven. He dared not stare at them, unworthy to be in their presence, but he cast a quick glance around the room. Faith, Hope, Justice, Compassion. All of them were here. The ancestors of every angel in Heaven today. Were his forefathers in here somewhere?

With another deep breath, the messenger fixed his eyes on the grand throne at the head of the table. In a chair made of pure gold sat an awe-inspiring angel who held himself with nobility. Providence was the leader of the angels; his long, golden hair flowed down his back, parted by impressive wings of the whitest feathers.

The messenger opened his mouth to speak, but the words caught in his throat. Providence gave a smile.

“There is no need to feel afraid. Come, sit with us.” He gestured to an open throne.

The messenger took two rigid steps to the open seat and forced himself down. He was overcome by a tangible sense of calm and basked in the positivity that Providence exuded for a moment, then began to speak.

“Your Exalted Highness, I bring terrible news. The equilibrium in the Human Realm has shifted. A group of humans has allied with demons, and if we do not fight back soon, all will be lost!”

Providence tilted his head calmly to one side and examined the messenger.

“Do not worry, young angel. Humans are free beings, allowed to choose their allegiance as they wish. All we can do is to send them our influences, but in the end they will do as they please. The demons may send influence too, but they cannot hurt the humans. Nothing is lost.”

The messenger felt a wave of panic.

“No, Your Highness, it is not so! I wish the demons merely sent influence, but they have gone beyond that. The demons have sent a group of commanders to the Human Realm itself.”

Providence paused a moment, clearly taken aback.

“It cannot be so. For a demon to enter the Human Realm is simply impossible.”

“I know, Your Highness. I do not understand how they have passed beyond the seal, but I can assure you, the offspring of Wrath and Malice walk the planet.”

Darkness passed across Providence’s face, and his eyes flickered as comprehension dawned on him.

“But demons are tied to Hell. It is impossible for them to leave.”

The messenger’s chest tightened with anxiety again.

“Your Highness, I am sorry, but the Human Realm has been compromised.”

Providence closed his eyes for a moment as murmurs of disbelief and shock rose from his council. He opened his eyes and they shone with renewed clarity.

“My council, the time has come for us to once more guide the lives of those in the Human Realm.”

“We do not interfere with the disputes of humans!” The angel Faith rose from her seat. “We can only send strength to them, but their battles are their own.”

“Yes, Faith, but this is not an equal battle of humans. This is a fight the world will not win without our support. This messenger is correct. All will soon be lost if we allow demons access to the Human Realm. We must send our own commanders to the humans before the planet falls to evil.”


D.M. Cain is a dystopian and fantasy author working for US publisher Booktrope. She has released three novels: The Phoenix Project - a psychological thriller set in a dystopian future, Soren – a middle-grade fantasy, and A Chronicle of Chaos – the first in a dark fantasy series. She is currently working on the next novel in the series, 'The Shield of Soren', and a novella to accompany it.

D.M. Cain is also a member of the International Thriller Writers and is one of the creators and administrators of the online author group #Awethors. Her short story ‘The End’ was published in Awethology Dark – an anthology by the #Awethors.

Cain lives in Leicestershire, UK, with her husband and young son, and spends her time reading, writing and reviewing books, playing RPGs and listening to symphonic metal.

A Chronicle of Chaos by D.M. Cain

Posted at  21.03 - by Unknown



Title: A Chronicle of Chaos
Author: D.M. Cain
Genre: Fantasy

“The new book in DM Cain’s epic Light and Shadow fantasy series certainly plunges us in at the deep end. The heart of this book—its true essence—is prejudice and love, persistence, and stubbornness.” Stewart Bint, author of In Shadows Waiting and Timeshaft.

A brutal war has raged for centuries. The Brotherhood of Shadow and The Children of Light each yearn to rule the planet and will stop at nothing to defeat the other. Now, from the deepest bowels of Hell, the Brotherhood has summoned demons to fight for them. The demons could end the war once and for all, if only the Brotherhood can keep them under control. Prophecy, destiny, honour, and glory: Chaos, a soldier in The Children of Light, fights in the name of all these things and could achieve them if he wasn’t so arrogant. He believes he is the best warrior in the land, until a fateful coincidence puts him at the mercy of the demon, Anathema. The two warriors, demon and human, strike up an intense rivalry, but their obsession to destroy one another only leads them closer together. When the forces of Heaven and Hell collide, where will their loyalties lie?



The angel soared towards the Temple of Nirvana, his heart hammering in his chest, pumping glittering dust through his body. The palace of the Almighty towered on the horizon, a grand fortress of silver and white.

Today, he would deliver a message to the ruler of the Kingdom of Heaven, a message that would shock them into action and would once again reignite old battles. The wind blew through his wings, his feathers ruffled and his muscles strained. He swooped over the mountains and finally dropped into a run at the palace gates, great clouds of dust mushrooming at his feet. He threw himself into the arched doorway and thundered into the courtyard of the Temple of Nirvana. Marble pillars spread around the vast courtyard, encircling the open space. The messenger ran across the yard, heading directly for the silver temple ahead. He sprinted the thirty steps to the doorway at full pelt and then halted for a second to regain composure. With a deep breath in, he opened the heavy doors.

Inside, a hall of brilliant light blinded him. He paused and allowed the light to wash over him. He
bathed in its magnificence and gradually his sight returned to him. In an immense cathedral of white walls and floors, a single silver pathway led to an arch. Flanked by other angels who seemingly materialised from nowhere, he made his way slowly down the pathway until he was beneath the arch. The aisle opened into a circular hall with a round, white table in the centre. Around it, silver thrones were placed at equal intervals, and upon these thrones sat the Council of Original Angels. The elders were the first beings of pure goodness, made by the Creator aeons ago.

The messenger had never seen an elder before, but their prestige was legendary across the Kingdom of Heaven. He dared not stare at them, unworthy to be in their presence, but he cast a quick glance around the room. Faith, Hope, Justice, Compassion. All of them were here. The ancestors of every angel in Heaven today. Were his forefathers in here somewhere?

With another deep breath, the messenger fixed his eyes on the grand throne at the head of the table. In a chair made of pure gold sat an awe-inspiring angel who held himself with nobility. Providence was the leader of the angels; his long, golden hair flowed down his back, parted by impressive wings of the whitest feathers.

The messenger opened his mouth to speak, but the words caught in his throat. Providence gave a smile.

“There is no need to feel afraid. Come, sit with us.” He gestured to an open throne.

The messenger took two rigid steps to the open seat and forced himself down. He was overcome by a tangible sense of calm and basked in the positivity that Providence exuded for a moment, then began to speak.

“Your Exalted Highness, I bring terrible news. The equilibrium in the Human Realm has shifted. A group of humans has allied with demons, and if we do not fight back soon, all will be lost!”

Providence tilted his head calmly to one side and examined the messenger.

“Do not worry, young angel. Humans are free beings, allowed to choose their allegiance as they wish. All we can do is to send them our influences, but in the end they will do as they please. The demons may send influence too, but they cannot hurt the humans. Nothing is lost.”

The messenger felt a wave of panic.

“No, Your Highness, it is not so! I wish the demons merely sent influence, but they have gone beyond that. The demons have sent a group of commanders to the Human Realm itself.”

Providence paused a moment, clearly taken aback.

“It cannot be so. For a demon to enter the Human Realm is simply impossible.”

“I know, Your Highness. I do not understand how they have passed beyond the seal, but I can assure you, the offspring of Wrath and Malice walk the planet.”

Darkness passed across Providence’s face, and his eyes flickered as comprehension dawned on him.

“But demons are tied to Hell. It is impossible for them to leave.”

The messenger’s chest tightened with anxiety again.

“Your Highness, I am sorry, but the Human Realm has been compromised.”

Providence closed his eyes for a moment as murmurs of disbelief and shock rose from his council. He opened his eyes and they shone with renewed clarity.

“My council, the time has come for us to once more guide the lives of those in the Human Realm.”

“We do not interfere with the disputes of humans!” The angel Faith rose from her seat. “We can only send strength to them, but their battles are their own.”

“Yes, Faith, but this is not an equal battle of humans. This is a fight the world will not win without our support. This messenger is correct. All will soon be lost if we allow demons access to the Human Realm. We must send our own commanders to the humans before the planet falls to evil.”


D.M. Cain is a dystopian and fantasy author working for US publisher Booktrope. She has released three novels: The Phoenix Project - a psychological thriller set in a dystopian future, Soren – a middle-grade fantasy, and A Chronicle of Chaos – the first in a dark fantasy series. She is currently working on the next novel in the series, 'The Shield of Soren', and a novella to accompany it.

D.M. Cain is also a member of the International Thriller Writers and is one of the creators and administrators of the online author group #Awethors. Her short story ‘The End’ was published in Awethology Dark – an anthology by the #Awethors.

Cain lives in Leicestershire, UK, with her husband and young son, and spends her time reading, writing and reviewing books, playing RPGs and listening to symphonic metal.


While editing my work in progress, I'm noticing I don't describe most of my settings, at least not well enough for readers to get a good sense of place. You want readers to become so lost in your world that they feel like they're traveling with your characters. They have to experience the setting through your words.

Know your characters
You aren't describing your settings, your characters are. When they look at a building, what do they see? One of my characters, Divine, studied architecture. His knowledge influences how he sees things. 
"In true Garden Age style, vines and glowing colorful flowers grew off the older buildings. Sovereign was built during the Mining Age when, due to rare gems discovered in underground tunnels, poorer people had the opportunity to live well above their means for the first time. The older buildings were meant to be pretty, not functional. The newer one-floor wooden cabins were the opposite. Residents didn’t care how the structure looked as long as it protected them from the elements."
A character not familiar with history wouldn't know or care about the stylistic periods the town reflected. Describe only what's important to that character. Divine acknowledges the flowers then and passes right over them. Another character might describe them in detail.

Don't get too technical
Balance what your characters know with what your audience knows. You can say a building's held up by Corinthian columns. It will go right over your readers' heads if they don't know what that is. It might be better to say something like:
Tall stone columns topped with ornate carvings of leaves 
If your character is the type to use the terms like Corinthian columns, then follow that with a description of what they look like.
Corinthian columns held up the structure. Those tall ornate pillars felt unnecessary for this type of house. 
Think of your five senses
As your character is walking through a town or house, describe what it smells like. Does it have a taste (some places do)? What does it feel like? Do the crowds make it so hot it's hard to breathe or is it so cold your character just wants to curl up and die? What about sound? What is your character hearing?

You can search sound effects on YouTube to get an idea of what your characters are hearing.



Try not to use the word to describe the word
If a town is loud, don't just say it's loud. Describe the sounds. Don't simply say it's cold. Make readers feel it.

"Vayle ground his teeth. Damn it was cold enough to make ice out of spit. What sort of fools lived on the side of a mountain where the snow was at his damn legs most of the year and reached his waist during the winter. Vayle should use his power to melt this white obstruction. Flooding be damned.
Why in the name of Darkness was it so bright?

This wind shoved ice picks through his eyes at every step.
Darkness continued to eat through the daylight hours. At least summer nights saved him from the suffocating humid air.
In winter, there was no relief. Vayle wanted to kill himself."
How does it affect your character
From the above passage, you don't just get a sense that it's freezing, you also learn the character, Vayle, doesn't like being cold. Sprinkle in some details about what the setting is doing to your characters. Remember the above tip. Don't just use the word to describe the word. If your character loves the place, show that through how they describe it.


Don't describe everything
When books try to describe every aspect of a setting, I get lost. Too much detail and I have a hard time picturing the setting.

Give the readers only what they need to know. Their imagination will fill in the blanks. Don't do all the work for them. Tell us a short wall surrounds the property but don't describe the look and feel of the bricks unless it's relevant to the story.

Knowing what's too much description comes from studying other books. I've read plenty of stories where there will be pages describing one setting. That's when I start skipping paragraphs.

Everything has a purpose
A town I was describing started with a dirt road, then cobblestone snuck in. I sat back and weighted my options--keep it dirt or change to cobblestone. What reason would I have to change the streets. Does it have anything to do with the story? No. The streets stay as dirt roads. Don't put it in there if it adds nothing to the story.

Map it
Mapping your world, even if it's a really rough sketch, let's you know the terrain and temperature so you can properly describe what it's like being in that setting.

Collect images
I find I describe a setting better if I have an image to look at. As sci-fi and fantasy writers, you might not find images that match exactly to the location in your story. You'll find pieces. Collect images that are close and pull parts from each one to help you describe your settings.

Pinterest and DeviantArt have some great fantasy/sci-fi artworks. Google Image search is also a good tool.

Do you find that you're an under-describer or an over-describer? I tend to be an under-describer. I usually need to go back in the second and third drafts to fill in the blanks. 


The Ultimate Guide To World-Building: How To Write Fantasy, Sci-Fi And Real-Life Worlds
The Writers Helpers: The senses and World Building 
Descriptions and world building in fantasy

Describing a Setting Readers can Experience

Posted at  23.16 - by Unknown


While editing my work in progress, I'm noticing I don't describe most of my settings, at least not well enough for readers to get a good sense of place. You want readers to become so lost in your world that they feel like they're traveling with your characters. They have to experience the setting through your words.

Know your characters
You aren't describing your settings, your characters are. When they look at a building, what do they see? One of my characters, Divine, studied architecture. His knowledge influences how he sees things. 
"In true Garden Age style, vines and glowing colorful flowers grew off the older buildings. Sovereign was built during the Mining Age when, due to rare gems discovered in underground tunnels, poorer people had the opportunity to live well above their means for the first time. The older buildings were meant to be pretty, not functional. The newer one-floor wooden cabins were the opposite. Residents didn’t care how the structure looked as long as it protected them from the elements."
A character not familiar with history wouldn't know or care about the stylistic periods the town reflected. Describe only what's important to that character. Divine acknowledges the flowers then and passes right over them. Another character might describe them in detail.

Don't get too technical
Balance what your characters know with what your audience knows. You can say a building's held up by Corinthian columns. It will go right over your readers' heads if they don't know what that is. It might be better to say something like:
Tall stone columns topped with ornate carvings of leaves 
If your character is the type to use the terms like Corinthian columns, then follow that with a description of what they look like.
Corinthian columns held up the structure. Those tall ornate pillars felt unnecessary for this type of house. 
Think of your five senses
As your character is walking through a town or house, describe what it smells like. Does it have a taste (some places do)? What does it feel like? Do the crowds make it so hot it's hard to breathe or is it so cold your character just wants to curl up and die? What about sound? What is your character hearing?

You can search sound effects on YouTube to get an idea of what your characters are hearing.



Try not to use the word to describe the word
If a town is loud, don't just say it's loud. Describe the sounds. Don't simply say it's cold. Make readers feel it.

"Vayle ground his teeth. Damn it was cold enough to make ice out of spit. What sort of fools lived on the side of a mountain where the snow was at his damn legs most of the year and reached his waist during the winter. Vayle should use his power to melt this white obstruction. Flooding be damned.
Why in the name of Darkness was it so bright?

This wind shoved ice picks through his eyes at every step.
Darkness continued to eat through the daylight hours. At least summer nights saved him from the suffocating humid air.
In winter, there was no relief. Vayle wanted to kill himself."
How does it affect your character
From the above passage, you don't just get a sense that it's freezing, you also learn the character, Vayle, doesn't like being cold. Sprinkle in some details about what the setting is doing to your characters. Remember the above tip. Don't just use the word to describe the word. If your character loves the place, show that through how they describe it.


Don't describe everything
When books try to describe every aspect of a setting, I get lost. Too much detail and I have a hard time picturing the setting.

Give the readers only what they need to know. Their imagination will fill in the blanks. Don't do all the work for them. Tell us a short wall surrounds the property but don't describe the look and feel of the bricks unless it's relevant to the story.

Knowing what's too much description comes from studying other books. I've read plenty of stories where there will be pages describing one setting. That's when I start skipping paragraphs.

Everything has a purpose
A town I was describing started with a dirt road, then cobblestone snuck in. I sat back and weighted my options--keep it dirt or change to cobblestone. What reason would I have to change the streets. Does it have anything to do with the story? No. The streets stay as dirt roads. Don't put it in there if it adds nothing to the story.

Map it
Mapping your world, even if it's a really rough sketch, let's you know the terrain and temperature so you can properly describe what it's like being in that setting.

Collect images
I find I describe a setting better if I have an image to look at. As sci-fi and fantasy writers, you might not find images that match exactly to the location in your story. You'll find pieces. Collect images that are close and pull parts from each one to help you describe your settings.

Pinterest and DeviantArt have some great fantasy/sci-fi artworks. Google Image search is also a good tool.

Do you find that you're an under-describer or an over-describer? I tend to be an under-describer. I usually need to go back in the second and third drafts to fill in the blanks. 


The Ultimate Guide To World-Building: How To Write Fantasy, Sci-Fi And Real-Life Worlds
The Writers Helpers: The senses and World Building 
Descriptions and world building in fantasy


I used to say I hated all that mushy stuff while inhaling fantasy and horror stories with some romance in them. My stories are heavy on the relationship theme. Often, that relationship turns romantic. It's strange. Adding romance to my stories was almost unconscious.

I don't know why I was so against romance. I think it's because that genre's considered "girly" and I'm not all that girly. Well, I guess I am, a little and there's nothing wrong with it. I generally don't read or write straight romance. My stories are fantasy/horror adventure with a dash of romance.  The characters tend to have long established relationships before the story begins.

In The Marked Hosts, the main characters are engaged. In The Merging Worlds series, the couples knew each other since childhood. As the story progresses, their relationship develops into something more. The Jura series is a little different. The main characters were promised to each as children but were separated before anything real developed. They were reunited years later. Serin remembers the promise while Jade barely remembers Serin.

Create Well-Rounded Characters
I usually don't go into a story thinking this person and that one are going to fall in love. As I write and get to know the characters, they become drawn to each other. It's as if they're telling me they want to be together.

There are two side characters, Lafeyette and Tearani, in books 1, The Sciell, and 2, Chains of the Sciell of The Merging Worlds series. I had no intention of putting them in a relationship. As I was writing, it suddenly felt... right that they were attracted to each other, had been for a long time. This only happens if you create characters that come alive. They begin to talk to you.

I like the organic approach when it comes to love in my stories. The biggest problem-- I realize halfway through the story that the characters are in love or falling in love and I have to edit the beginning so this relationship won't feel like it came out of nowhere.

The Romance Should Serve a Purpose
Romance may be a subplot, it still needs to move the main plot forward. So, Tearani and Lafeyette have been attracted to each other since they were teenagers. What does that do to the plot? Lafeyette hid his relationship from his younger brother, Vayle, for no real reason. Vayle was pissed when he found out. Lafeyette tends to be secretive but Vayle thought he knew his brother the best. This on top of everything else was too much for Vayle. He ran away, which eventually caused the entire group, including Lafeyette and Tearani, to separate for several years.

Instant Connection?
You know those stories, when the love interests meet and sparks fly. I'm not a huge fan of that. I roll my eyes when the characters are falling all over each other after the first meeting. It is fun to play around with this trope, though. What if there's an instant connection and one or both of the protagonist are resistant? In Chains of the Sciell, Josephine and Divine have this instant connection, the supernatural is at fault, which they despise. Books 2 and 3 are about them coming to terms with the connection and realizing they actually like each other.

Love Triangle?
This exploded in the past couple of years and I am not a fan. Some people enjoy stories with love triangles. If I even get a hint of a triangle, I want no part of that book. You can put a ton of obstacles between the two characters and happiness. I don't think one of those barriers needs to be another person. Someone is going to lose and everyone gets hurt.

World Building
The world will tell the mechanics (that's an unromantic word) of the relationship--how they build a relationship and even what it's called.  The world can also add some conflict. In The Marked Hosts, Contessa is from a noble Class while Cezon's Class is more...rowdy. In general, the two families have no problem with their union but the Class system creates a barrier between Contessa and Cezon. Contessa's Class raised her to not show emotions meaning no kissing, cuddling, no saying "I love you." Whereas Cezon's Class is all about showing affection.

Inner Darkness
Everyone has a sore spot. With two people coming together, someone will accidentally, or on purpose, hit a nerve. In Shadows under the Light, Jade and Serin are trying to figure out what they are relationship-wise. Serin, who's been imprisoned for twenty years, mentioned that it would be easier to protect Jade if he could lock her away. He wasn't serious, just frustrated. Jade snapped because at one point she was locked away by a group of brats who wanted her to be their mommy.

Flawed Characters
This goes along with the above section but it needs to be separate. You can create beautiful looking characters. I do. I'm tired of the protagonist who everyone sees as beautiful. Same with personality. Don't create characters everyone in the story loves. They're boring. I'm remained of a character from The Black Jewels series. Everyone worshiped, feared or desired her. It would've been a nice change of pace if a character met her and went "meh."


Flawed Relationships
People fight. That's natural. There are going to be things your love interests don't like about each other. Point them out. Please don't make the relationship perfect. That's boring. Let's return to Divine and Josephine from The Merging Worlds series.

They have history, a bad one. They've been together for a long time. The supernatural connection caused them to act out against each other. They were drawn together and didn't know if it was this connection or if they genuinely liked each other. They made it there life's mission to hurt each other. Eventually, they grew out of that. They were able to form a healthy relationship.

Sex
I don't tend to put sex in my stories because my characters are so damaged they aren't mentally prepared to become that intimate. They kiss, cuddle, share a bed but they don't cross that line. Sex scenes don't really fit in my story. Some fantasy romances begin with a spark, where the characters start with sex and then fall in love. That works for those books and those characters. Let your characters tell you how they'd deal with sex.

Happily Ever After?
When romance is the main focus of the story, readers expect the character to get together at the end. I read one story a couple of years ago where the author set up this great romance only have the female die at the end. I felt cheated. If romance is the subplot, than happily ever after could take on a different meaning.

In Chains of the Sciell, Niah and Vayle have a strange relationship. (You know it's strange when the writer calls it that). The characters like each other but they have no real desire to do anything about it. They've claimed each other without making a commitment and they're happy with that. There's no sex, so kissing-- just a little petting and flirting. Things might change down the line. For now, they've talked about it and they're fine with the way things are.

I like fantasy romance because it lets me explore different types of relationships.

What are your tips for adding a romantic subplot to a story? 

Romance in Fantasy
Romance: How to Avoid a Forced Romantic Sub-Plot

Writing Fantasy with a Romance Subplot

Posted at  23.53 - by Unknown


I used to say I hated all that mushy stuff while inhaling fantasy and horror stories with some romance in them. My stories are heavy on the relationship theme. Often, that relationship turns romantic. It's strange. Adding romance to my stories was almost unconscious.

I don't know why I was so against romance. I think it's because that genre's considered "girly" and I'm not all that girly. Well, I guess I am, a little and there's nothing wrong with it. I generally don't read or write straight romance. My stories are fantasy/horror adventure with a dash of romance.  The characters tend to have long established relationships before the story begins.

In The Marked Hosts, the main characters are engaged. In The Merging Worlds series, the couples knew each other since childhood. As the story progresses, their relationship develops into something more. The Jura series is a little different. The main characters were promised to each as children but were separated before anything real developed. They were reunited years later. Serin remembers the promise while Jade barely remembers Serin.

Create Well-Rounded Characters
I usually don't go into a story thinking this person and that one are going to fall in love. As I write and get to know the characters, they become drawn to each other. It's as if they're telling me they want to be together.

There are two side characters, Lafeyette and Tearani, in books 1, The Sciell, and 2, Chains of the Sciell of The Merging Worlds series. I had no intention of putting them in a relationship. As I was writing, it suddenly felt... right that they were attracted to each other, had been for a long time. This only happens if you create characters that come alive. They begin to talk to you.

I like the organic approach when it comes to love in my stories. The biggest problem-- I realize halfway through the story that the characters are in love or falling in love and I have to edit the beginning so this relationship won't feel like it came out of nowhere.

The Romance Should Serve a Purpose
Romance may be a subplot, it still needs to move the main plot forward. So, Tearani and Lafeyette have been attracted to each other since they were teenagers. What does that do to the plot? Lafeyette hid his relationship from his younger brother, Vayle, for no real reason. Vayle was pissed when he found out. Lafeyette tends to be secretive but Vayle thought he knew his brother the best. This on top of everything else was too much for Vayle. He ran away, which eventually caused the entire group, including Lafeyette and Tearani, to separate for several years.

Instant Connection?
You know those stories, when the love interests meet and sparks fly. I'm not a huge fan of that. I roll my eyes when the characters are falling all over each other after the first meeting. It is fun to play around with this trope, though. What if there's an instant connection and one or both of the protagonist are resistant? In Chains of the Sciell, Josephine and Divine have this instant connection, the supernatural is at fault, which they despise. Books 2 and 3 are about them coming to terms with the connection and realizing they actually like each other.

Love Triangle?
This exploded in the past couple of years and I am not a fan. Some people enjoy stories with love triangles. If I even get a hint of a triangle, I want no part of that book. You can put a ton of obstacles between the two characters and happiness. I don't think one of those barriers needs to be another person. Someone is going to lose and everyone gets hurt.

World Building
The world will tell the mechanics (that's an unromantic word) of the relationship--how they build a relationship and even what it's called.  The world can also add some conflict. In The Marked Hosts, Contessa is from a noble Class while Cezon's Class is more...rowdy. In general, the two families have no problem with their union but the Class system creates a barrier between Contessa and Cezon. Contessa's Class raised her to not show emotions meaning no kissing, cuddling, no saying "I love you." Whereas Cezon's Class is all about showing affection.

Inner Darkness
Everyone has a sore spot. With two people coming together, someone will accidentally, or on purpose, hit a nerve. In Shadows under the Light, Jade and Serin are trying to figure out what they are relationship-wise. Serin, who's been imprisoned for twenty years, mentioned that it would be easier to protect Jade if he could lock her away. He wasn't serious, just frustrated. Jade snapped because at one point she was locked away by a group of brats who wanted her to be their mommy.

Flawed Characters
This goes along with the above section but it needs to be separate. You can create beautiful looking characters. I do. I'm tired of the protagonist who everyone sees as beautiful. Same with personality. Don't create characters everyone in the story loves. They're boring. I'm remained of a character from The Black Jewels series. Everyone worshiped, feared or desired her. It would've been a nice change of pace if a character met her and went "meh."


Flawed Relationships
People fight. That's natural. There are going to be things your love interests don't like about each other. Point them out. Please don't make the relationship perfect. That's boring. Let's return to Divine and Josephine from The Merging Worlds series.

They have history, a bad one. They've been together for a long time. The supernatural connection caused them to act out against each other. They were drawn together and didn't know if it was this connection or if they genuinely liked each other. They made it there life's mission to hurt each other. Eventually, they grew out of that. They were able to form a healthy relationship.

Sex
I don't tend to put sex in my stories because my characters are so damaged they aren't mentally prepared to become that intimate. They kiss, cuddle, share a bed but they don't cross that line. Sex scenes don't really fit in my story. Some fantasy romances begin with a spark, where the characters start with sex and then fall in love. That works for those books and those characters. Let your characters tell you how they'd deal with sex.

Happily Ever After?
When romance is the main focus of the story, readers expect the character to get together at the end. I read one story a couple of years ago where the author set up this great romance only have the female die at the end. I felt cheated. If romance is the subplot, than happily ever after could take on a different meaning.

In Chains of the Sciell, Niah and Vayle have a strange relationship. (You know it's strange when the writer calls it that). The characters like each other but they have no real desire to do anything about it. They've claimed each other without making a commitment and they're happy with that. There's no sex, so kissing-- just a little petting and flirting. Things might change down the line. For now, they've talked about it and they're fine with the way things are.

I like fantasy romance because it lets me explore different types of relationships.

What are your tips for adding a romantic subplot to a story? 

Romance in Fantasy
Romance: How to Avoid a Forced Romantic Sub-Plot

The Week in Links 3/4/16: Ghostbusters, New SFF Books, Scholastic

Posted at  08.51 - by Unknown


Title: The Black Lotus
Author: Claire Warner
Genre: Fantasy Romance

...though I would dearly love to play court to you, I would hurt you more than any other.

It is 1752.
The year that will change the life of heiress Melissa De Vire. As she makes her first fumbling steps into society, she meets the handsome young cad Justin Lestrade and his world tears her perceptions apart. For Justin is more than he appears and his secrets and enemies are manifold. Drawn irresistibly to him, she finds herself sinking into a realm of feuds, magic and old curses and her life will never again be the same.




Melissa glanced over at her would be saviour. He was dressed in everyday garb and had clearly not been to a ball that eve. His hair was without powder and his dark locks looked black in the bleaching light of the moon. The throbbing pain in her side reminded her of the damage done by Jane’s knitting needles and memories of her near fatal slide into sleep were fresh and gave her cause for concern. Also she could see Montjoy in the distance, what if he returned to bother her further?

He caught her hesitance and leant forward. “I promise you will be safe from him,” He nodded across at the riders and smiled reassuringly.

“Very well Lord Lestrade. I will accompany you,” She noted, watching as his face crinkled with pleasure as she spoke the words. With exquisite courtesy he held out a hand and helped her carefully up the steps and into his coach. After a moment, Jane followed reluctantly. Franklin shut the door behind the maid with a heavy thump, before climbing up and taking the empty footman’s position on the rear of the coach.

Montjoy moved off, losing interest in the group behind him. For a moment the muffled figure stayed in position, his eyes following the scene closer. As she clasped hold of Justin’s arm, the figure clicked to his horse and galloped away, the cloud of dust following slowly behind.

Coll clicked to the horses and slowly the coach turned in the road, leaving the ruined carriage where it lay. Soon they were flying along the road, towards the sleeping hamlets and their estates beyond.

Melissa sat back on the padded seating and stared across at Justin, barely making out his expression in the dim light. Silently he reached forward and handed her a travelling rug, which she tucked carefully about her legs. “Thank you,” It felt like an inadequate response, she was clearly drawing him away from his evening.

“It was the least I could do. I could not leave you there at the mercy of highwaymen or Montjoy, I saw him on the road.” He answered tersely, his eyes on her. She could feel them in the dark scoring into her soul. Beside her she could feel the tense body of Jane as she kept her eyes on Justin, playing the chaperone for all she was worth.

“Still, thank you. I’m sorry to keep you from your evening.”

“Do not concern yourself,” Feather soft and gentle, his words mollified her and she settled back, feeling better about the situation. “I’m glad to have been of service, particularly as Lord Montjoy appeared to be making a nuisance of himself.”

Melissa smiled and thanked him again. “So how did you come to be travelling home without your family?” He asked politely, the cushions creaking slightly as he shifted to a more comfortable position.

The curtains were half closed and even with the moonlight, his face was hidden from view. Reaching down, he plucked a fleck of dust from his breeches. Holding it in the air for a movement as though inspecting it, he smiled enigmatically before he waved it free. Hazel eyes watched the fluff drift lazily to the carriage floor, before he returned his gaze to Melissa and took in the damage. Her dark hair hung in mussed strands, the powder shaken from the long tresses in the accident. A smudge of dirt on her nose, coupled with the state of her dress made her appear vulnerable, a tattered rose lost in the dark. His fingers itched to reach forward and brush the smudge from her face. Controlling the impulse, he arranged his hands carefully on his knees and returned his attention to the conversation.

“I left Lady Shearingham’s ball early,” Her voice was polite yet shaky, a remnant of the nasty tumble she had taken in the coach. “I had a headache.”

“Ahh,” Justin replied, his face unreadable from the shadows. He watched her though; she could not miss the pressure of his eyes upon her.

It should have made her uncomfortable, the frankness of his gaze on her, yet despite the odd twinge, she felt safe in his company. The tenderness he showed as he had helped her into the carriage had impressed itself on her mind. Despite their first meeting, she knew that Justin Lestrade possessed a heart somewhere. They lapsed into silence for a moment, unsure of what to say to each other, strangers that they were. Jane had returned to her knitting. She had picked up a spare set of needles from her basket and the clicking sound they made sounded loud in the carriage.

“Why were you not at the ball?” Melissa broke the silence boldly, ignoring the hiss of surprise from Jane at her elbow.

It was a direct question, one that should be danced about or garnered from friends. It was not done to ask outright news from a stranger, yet she could not keep quiet. She wanted to know if the rumours were true and this was the best way to go about it. Her green eyes stared straight at him and she could almost feel him smiling at her boldness in the dark corner opposite.

“I had a visit from Lord Malison,” He answered directly, with no hint of hesitation. If she could be direct then so could he. “I was given to understand that I was responsible for his daughter’s demise,” A note of bitter anger entered his voice as he spoke. “Since I am clearly a cad, then I must also be a murderer,”

Melissa stared at him, trying to find his face in the darkness before she answered.

“I don’t think you are a murderer,”

“Really?” A note of incredulity entered his voice as he finally leant forward, his eyes shimmering with pent up emotion. “How would you know?” A mocking quality flowed through his tones and she shivered as the notes stroked down her spine.

“I don’t, I just feel that you aren’t,”

“Then you don’t know, you only believe,” He settled back against the chair, his face stormy in the darkness. The air in the carriage became still, Jane watched carefully from the seat opposite, her placid face still and watchful. Throughout the hushed stillness, the sound of wheels sounded loud, almost deafening as they looked at each other. His fingers were curled lightly on his knees and she regarded the elegant digits with a detached feeling.

“I could be anything and you would never know,” His voice was soft, almost hushed and full of a bitter anger that she felt more than heard. In the gloom of the carriage, he became as a statue, immobile and quiet, save for his eyes which searched out her face with an intensity she found unnerving. For several moments, tense quiet reigned in the carriage, save for Jane’s needles and the noise of wheel on stone.


When I was a child, I made up games and characters when my sister and I played with dolls. As I grew older, I would make up scenarios and scenes, fully intending to write them down but never finding the time. In my late teens, I discovered the world of role playing and settled into an avid ‘geeky’ life of D&D, comics, sci-fi and fantasy fiction. Years passed and I finally gave voice to the stories in my head. I write romance, fantasy, action and adventure. I love tales of steampunk and history, tales of magical powers and dark curses lurking in the shadows. Though The Black Lotus is not my first attempt at a novel, it is the first I have finished.

And some fun facts about me:

I sew.

My favourite Disney film is Atlantis.

I’ve been a film extra and stood 5 feet away from Sam Rockwell.

Babylon 5 is my fave sci-fi show.

I cried at the end of Toy Story 3.

The Black Lotus by Claire Warner

Posted at  10.51 - by Unknown


Title: The Black Lotus
Author: Claire Warner
Genre: Fantasy Romance

...though I would dearly love to play court to you, I would hurt you more than any other.

It is 1752.
The year that will change the life of heiress Melissa De Vire. As she makes her first fumbling steps into society, she meets the handsome young cad Justin Lestrade and his world tears her perceptions apart. For Justin is more than he appears and his secrets and enemies are manifold. Drawn irresistibly to him, she finds herself sinking into a realm of feuds, magic and old curses and her life will never again be the same.




Melissa glanced over at her would be saviour. He was dressed in everyday garb and had clearly not been to a ball that eve. His hair was without powder and his dark locks looked black in the bleaching light of the moon. The throbbing pain in her side reminded her of the damage done by Jane’s knitting needles and memories of her near fatal slide into sleep were fresh and gave her cause for concern. Also she could see Montjoy in the distance, what if he returned to bother her further?

He caught her hesitance and leant forward. “I promise you will be safe from him,” He nodded across at the riders and smiled reassuringly.

“Very well Lord Lestrade. I will accompany you,” She noted, watching as his face crinkled with pleasure as she spoke the words. With exquisite courtesy he held out a hand and helped her carefully up the steps and into his coach. After a moment, Jane followed reluctantly. Franklin shut the door behind the maid with a heavy thump, before climbing up and taking the empty footman’s position on the rear of the coach.

Montjoy moved off, losing interest in the group behind him. For a moment the muffled figure stayed in position, his eyes following the scene closer. As she clasped hold of Justin’s arm, the figure clicked to his horse and galloped away, the cloud of dust following slowly behind.

Coll clicked to the horses and slowly the coach turned in the road, leaving the ruined carriage where it lay. Soon they were flying along the road, towards the sleeping hamlets and their estates beyond.

Melissa sat back on the padded seating and stared across at Justin, barely making out his expression in the dim light. Silently he reached forward and handed her a travelling rug, which she tucked carefully about her legs. “Thank you,” It felt like an inadequate response, she was clearly drawing him away from his evening.

“It was the least I could do. I could not leave you there at the mercy of highwaymen or Montjoy, I saw him on the road.” He answered tersely, his eyes on her. She could feel them in the dark scoring into her soul. Beside her she could feel the tense body of Jane as she kept her eyes on Justin, playing the chaperone for all she was worth.

“Still, thank you. I’m sorry to keep you from your evening.”

“Do not concern yourself,” Feather soft and gentle, his words mollified her and she settled back, feeling better about the situation. “I’m glad to have been of service, particularly as Lord Montjoy appeared to be making a nuisance of himself.”

Melissa smiled and thanked him again. “So how did you come to be travelling home without your family?” He asked politely, the cushions creaking slightly as he shifted to a more comfortable position.

The curtains were half closed and even with the moonlight, his face was hidden from view. Reaching down, he plucked a fleck of dust from his breeches. Holding it in the air for a movement as though inspecting it, he smiled enigmatically before he waved it free. Hazel eyes watched the fluff drift lazily to the carriage floor, before he returned his gaze to Melissa and took in the damage. Her dark hair hung in mussed strands, the powder shaken from the long tresses in the accident. A smudge of dirt on her nose, coupled with the state of her dress made her appear vulnerable, a tattered rose lost in the dark. His fingers itched to reach forward and brush the smudge from her face. Controlling the impulse, he arranged his hands carefully on his knees and returned his attention to the conversation.

“I left Lady Shearingham’s ball early,” Her voice was polite yet shaky, a remnant of the nasty tumble she had taken in the coach. “I had a headache.”

“Ahh,” Justin replied, his face unreadable from the shadows. He watched her though; she could not miss the pressure of his eyes upon her.

It should have made her uncomfortable, the frankness of his gaze on her, yet despite the odd twinge, she felt safe in his company. The tenderness he showed as he had helped her into the carriage had impressed itself on her mind. Despite their first meeting, she knew that Justin Lestrade possessed a heart somewhere. They lapsed into silence for a moment, unsure of what to say to each other, strangers that they were. Jane had returned to her knitting. She had picked up a spare set of needles from her basket and the clicking sound they made sounded loud in the carriage.

“Why were you not at the ball?” Melissa broke the silence boldly, ignoring the hiss of surprise from Jane at her elbow.

It was a direct question, one that should be danced about or garnered from friends. It was not done to ask outright news from a stranger, yet she could not keep quiet. She wanted to know if the rumours were true and this was the best way to go about it. Her green eyes stared straight at him and she could almost feel him smiling at her boldness in the dark corner opposite.

“I had a visit from Lord Malison,” He answered directly, with no hint of hesitation. If she could be direct then so could he. “I was given to understand that I was responsible for his daughter’s demise,” A note of bitter anger entered his voice as he spoke. “Since I am clearly a cad, then I must also be a murderer,”

Melissa stared at him, trying to find his face in the darkness before she answered.

“I don’t think you are a murderer,”

“Really?” A note of incredulity entered his voice as he finally leant forward, his eyes shimmering with pent up emotion. “How would you know?” A mocking quality flowed through his tones and she shivered as the notes stroked down her spine.

“I don’t, I just feel that you aren’t,”

“Then you don’t know, you only believe,” He settled back against the chair, his face stormy in the darkness. The air in the carriage became still, Jane watched carefully from the seat opposite, her placid face still and watchful. Throughout the hushed stillness, the sound of wheels sounded loud, almost deafening as they looked at each other. His fingers were curled lightly on his knees and she regarded the elegant digits with a detached feeling.

“I could be anything and you would never know,” His voice was soft, almost hushed and full of a bitter anger that she felt more than heard. In the gloom of the carriage, he became as a statue, immobile and quiet, save for his eyes which searched out her face with an intensity she found unnerving. For several moments, tense quiet reigned in the carriage, save for Jane’s needles and the noise of wheel on stone.


When I was a child, I made up games and characters when my sister and I played with dolls. As I grew older, I would make up scenarios and scenes, fully intending to write them down but never finding the time. In my late teens, I discovered the world of role playing and settled into an avid ‘geeky’ life of D&D, comics, sci-fi and fantasy fiction. Years passed and I finally gave voice to the stories in my head. I write romance, fantasy, action and adventure. I love tales of steampunk and history, tales of magical powers and dark curses lurking in the shadows. Though The Black Lotus is not my first attempt at a novel, it is the first I have finished.

And some fun facts about me:

I sew.

My favourite Disney film is Atlantis.

I’ve been a film extra and stood 5 feet away from Sam Rockwell.

Babylon 5 is my fave sci-fi show.

I cried at the end of Toy Story 3.




Title: Girl and the Gargoyle: Book Two of The Girl and the Raven Series
Author: Pauline Gruber
Genre: YA Fantasy Romance
Publisher: Dragonfly Ink, Ltd

Good versus evil just got even more complicated...

Being half-witch/half-demon and dating Marcus, a gargoyle, is complicated enough for Lucy. She can almost tolerate Jude, her demon father, implementing demon training. 

But when Marcus’s family arrives in Chicago, her world begins to crumble. Marcus's mother wants him to return to the gargoyle clan where he belongs; his father wants Marcus to help him kill Jude. There’s one very major problem with this: if Jude dies, Lucy dies.

Marcus works with other supernaturals to help save Jude and Lucy. Meanwhile, Lucy has her own plan and with the aid of a surprise newcomer, seeks help from the most unlikely—and dangerous—source.





Jude balances a fresh fireball in the palm of his hand. He lobs it at me, and I hold my hand up. I envision my hand as a brick wall. Big, strong, impenetrable. I imagine it swelling, doubling in size and strength. As the fireball comes within six inches of my hand, I step toward it and lob it back to Jude. The fireball moves toward Jude, but sputters out before it reaches him.

“Pretty lame if you ask me,” Dylan calls out.

“Funny thing, no one asked you!” I snap.

“Again,” Jude calls out. “This time put some power behind it.” We repeat it again. I struggle to ignore Dylan’s taunts. Idiot.

What is it with him? Why won’t Jude and Henry reprimand him? I wait until the fireball is two inches from me then whack it back to Jude hard. He lunges to the left to avoid being hit.

“Nice job, Lucy,” Henry says.

“For a girl,” Dylan adds.

I spin around and throw a fireball at him. It slams against his shoulder. He tamps out the flames and flashes a big grin my way. “Is that all you’ve got?”

I take a step toward him. “Keep it up. There’s more where that came from.”

Dylan laughs. “You’ve got nothing. Without Daddy to protect you—and everyone else—you’re nothing.”


Pauline Gruber is a self-professed music junkie, cat wrangler and travel nut. She went to Paris in the 90’s where she discovered a love of three things: croissants, old cathedrals and gargoyles. Deciding that the paranormal world could use a new kind of hero, Pauline translated her fascination with the protective gargoyle into a suspenseful love story. She is the author of the young adult series, The Girl and the Raven, The Girl and the Gargoyle and the forthcoming novel, The Girl and the Demon. By day, Pauline is a legal assistant for a Chicago law firm where she steals identities and incorporates them into her books. If you tell anyone, she’ll deny, deny, deny. Pauline lives outside of Chicago with her precocious black cats.


Girl and the Gargoyle by Pauline Gruber

Posted at  21.00 - by Unknown




Title: Girl and the Gargoyle: Book Two of The Girl and the Raven Series
Author: Pauline Gruber
Genre: YA Fantasy Romance
Publisher: Dragonfly Ink, Ltd

Good versus evil just got even more complicated...

Being half-witch/half-demon and dating Marcus, a gargoyle, is complicated enough for Lucy. She can almost tolerate Jude, her demon father, implementing demon training. 

But when Marcus’s family arrives in Chicago, her world begins to crumble. Marcus's mother wants him to return to the gargoyle clan where he belongs; his father wants Marcus to help him kill Jude. There’s one very major problem with this: if Jude dies, Lucy dies.

Marcus works with other supernaturals to help save Jude and Lucy. Meanwhile, Lucy has her own plan and with the aid of a surprise newcomer, seeks help from the most unlikely—and dangerous—source.





Jude balances a fresh fireball in the palm of his hand. He lobs it at me, and I hold my hand up. I envision my hand as a brick wall. Big, strong, impenetrable. I imagine it swelling, doubling in size and strength. As the fireball comes within six inches of my hand, I step toward it and lob it back to Jude. The fireball moves toward Jude, but sputters out before it reaches him.

“Pretty lame if you ask me,” Dylan calls out.

“Funny thing, no one asked you!” I snap.

“Again,” Jude calls out. “This time put some power behind it.” We repeat it again. I struggle to ignore Dylan’s taunts. Idiot.

What is it with him? Why won’t Jude and Henry reprimand him? I wait until the fireball is two inches from me then whack it back to Jude hard. He lunges to the left to avoid being hit.

“Nice job, Lucy,” Henry says.

“For a girl,” Dylan adds.

I spin around and throw a fireball at him. It slams against his shoulder. He tamps out the flames and flashes a big grin my way. “Is that all you’ve got?”

I take a step toward him. “Keep it up. There’s more where that came from.”

Dylan laughs. “You’ve got nothing. Without Daddy to protect you—and everyone else—you’re nothing.”


Pauline Gruber is a self-professed music junkie, cat wrangler and travel nut. She went to Paris in the 90’s where she discovered a love of three things: croissants, old cathedrals and gargoyles. Deciding that the paranormal world could use a new kind of hero, Pauline translated her fascination with the protective gargoyle into a suspenseful love story. She is the author of the young adult series, The Girl and the Raven, The Girl and the Gargoyle and the forthcoming novel, The Girl and the Demon. By day, Pauline is a legal assistant for a Chicago law firm where she steals identities and incorporates them into her books. If you tell anyone, she’ll deny, deny, deny. Pauline lives outside of Chicago with her precocious black cats.


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