Aesthetics and Mood Boards
Just a collection of aesthetic boards I've created as part of my writing process.…
The Deathsinger: Book 2
With the safety of her old life a distant memory, Morana must reconcile the girl she used to be with the woman she is becoming. She can no longer naively believe that hiding in the shadows will keep her safe; she must carefully balance using her magic for protection and using it to gain power. That's a line that is becoming increasingly blurred the longer she remains a captive of the king. Kuga, the king's Winter Woman, is commanded to train her in the ways of Deathsingers so she can enter Araphel, and Morana discovers that the Banshee was not all that different from her once. Without her dearest friends and her fierce protector, she has only herself and her dark magic to rely on to stay alive-a task made even more difficult by revenge seeking soldiers and the mad prince she once loved. But one thing hasn't changed. Vyta and Dycidium remain unlit, and until their fires shine bright again, the world will continue to unravel. She is the only one who stands a chance of entering Araphel and staying alive long enough to restore the portal, but even if she is successful, the fight won't be over. No matter what Tievel claims, the king's interest in the portal goes beyond righting the wrongs of the past. To have a chance at stopping him, she knows she must do whatever it takes to become strong enough to stop him. And if that means fighting fire with fire, then she will embrace the darkness within, becoming the very monster she's always feared she was.Season 2 of The Deathsinger***Weekly updates on Wednesdays. Wait & read for free, or unlock with coins-the choice is yours!…
The Alpha's Queen
Devany Sterling spent her entire childhood moving between one foster family and the next. As an adult, she follows the few clues she has about her parents, but it isn't long before she runs into a dead end. Stuck bartending in the small mountain town of Silver City, she starts to wonder if it's time she lets go of the past and starts living in the present, but then Beckett Warner wanders into her bar. Alpha Marked at birth, Beckett always knew he was meant to lead, but his dreams of changing the outdated laws and traditions of the Wolf Packs are constantly met with resistance by those who are afraid change will take away their power. But when the magnetic pull of fate brings Devany into his world, his priorities shift. United by an unforeseen bond, they unearth a shared destiny that could shatter the foundations of their existence.Amidst a brewing storm of deception and treachery, they discover a profound truth: their fates have always been tied together, and those in power will do everything to keep them apart.*this story contains mature themes…
The Deathsinger: Book 1
Like many low elves in the kingdom of Edresh, Morana was orphaned as a child during the war against neighboring Araphel. But Morana is more fortunate than most, and is taken to live in the palace as a companion to a captive princess, Astreia. She and Astreia become like sisters, and Morana nurses a tension-filled friendship with the sometimes cruel, but always charming High Elf Prince Tievel.But even with the war over, all is not well in Edresh. A curse spreads through the land, raising ghouls and monsters and stealing the lives of the unborn. Yet it is ignored by the High Elf nobility, whose immortality renders such concerns beneath them.Then, the king-Tievel's grandfather-is killed by a magical Araphelian assassin known as a Reaper. When Morana encounters the Reaper as he's making his escape, he reveals a truth that Morana had long-denied: she is one of the last Deathsingers, a wielder of the very same forbidden magic that inspired the king's savage assault on Araphel. Furthermore, her ability to Sing away immortality might just be the key to stopping the horrors slowly consuming their world... But only if she is willing to condemn those like her dear Tievel, who have only ever known eternal life, to the cold permanence of death.To right the wrongs of long ago and prevent the world's unraveling, Morana must dive head first into the sort of danger she's always avoided and venture into Araphel with her friends. But the Reaper is always close behind, a constant reminder of both what Morana is and the impossible sacrifice she might be called upon to make...Season 1 on The DeathsingerWARNING: This story contains depictions of violence and depictions of sexual assault that may not be suitable for some readers.…
The Island Accord- Book 2 of The Island Series
Cursebreaker. That's what the Merrow call Isla Halloran, and she hates it. It was her father's sacrifice that ended the curse, not hers, and it's a constant reminder of her loss. To make matters worse, her mother quickly makes it clear that her return to her daughter and Merrow Island are part of a bigger agenda, one that includes a surly Finfolk prince who believes Isla's fate is tied to his own.Isla has no interest in being dragged to the deepest depths of the ocean-not even to be a queen. And especially not if it means giving up her human half and the boy she loves. She wants to spend her time exploring her new world and heritage with the people who proved to her that blood doesn't dictate family. But it isn't a simple matter of saying no. Long ago, before the curse, Isla's hand in marriage was promised to the Finfolk as a peace offering to end the war. An accord was struck and bound in magic. When she turns eighteen, she must marry Ridley or war will erupt. Cursebreaker. Queen.War-maker.…
Defiant: Book 2 of the Forbidden Series
Loyalties will be tested as a new threat emerges...…
Forbidden
Vanessa-Van-Anderson knew life would never be the same after her mother and little brother were killed in a car accident, but instead of foster care, she's taken in by a man claiming to be her birth father. Abe Helsing is nothing like the father Van used to daydream about. Strict and unfeeling, it becomes clear he is a man with secrets and schemes. Her only desire is to escape him and the cold mausoleum he calls a home before she's in too deep. That is until she meets the disarmingly charming Luca Brooks. The fact that her father forbids her from seeing him only makes him even more tempting. Luca Brooks has never lived anywhere but Briarwood, and he knows he never will. His family signed a contract centuries ago. Their continued survival in exchange for freedom. When Van arrives in town, he's intrigued by her- not just because she's beautiful but because she represents everything he can never have. For one brief moment, he thinks a taste of the new girl might quench his thirst for the outside world, but that hope goes up in flames when he discovers her father is the very man behind his family's imprisonment. They're mortal enemies- destined to hate one another, hunt one another, end one another. Forbidden. But sometimes Fate has other plans.…
Malphas: A Southern Charms Novella | ONC2022
Once the golden girl of Black Brier, Harmony has spent the last three years paying for the consequences of her involvement with Luis Goodwin's plans for revenge, and a trip to a magical, tropical resort is just what she needs to rid herself of the negativity surrounding her on a daily basis. But her plans to relax and celebrate her twenty-first birthday in style are shattered when she stumbles upon a dangerous truth one evening, and now, in order to stay alive, she must seek help from the one person she might despise even more than she hates herself: the sorcerer Malphas. Malphas has spent the majority of his life seeking revenge. After destroying the man who betrayed him, he struggled to fit into the strange, modern world, and he threw himself into the search for Luis Goodwin, desperate to find him before he could release the prisoners from the bottle and doom humanity. But now that journey is over, and he flees to the only place he found any solace during his travels-the Bewitching Isles. Unfortunately, Rose's spoiled older sister, Harmony, intrudes upon his paradise, and when she comes to him claiming everyone is in danger, he has to decide if he will help her and give her the one thing he still hasn't given himself: forgiveness. ONC2022 prompts #2 and #39…
Elise
Samhain. The night when the veil between the living and the dead is at its thinnest. When Elise joins her husband Edward for their annual dumb supper- a meal hosted in silence to remember lost loved ones- the sins of their past return to haunt them both.…
Southern Charms
[COMPLETED] My grandmother is a witch. My mother is a witch. My sisters are witches. Even my daddy is a warlock when he's not moonlighting as a rat (a consequence of the aforementioned grandmother's temper). So you would think I would be a witch too, right? Nope. Not a spark of magic resides in my fingertips, and even worse, I'm beginning to think I'm allergic to magic. Kind of a big problem when you live in the middle of the most magical town in Mississippi. I'm just biding my time until I turn eighteen. Then, I can pack my bags and move out into the real world- with the normal humans. Until then, I just have to survive my grandmother's experiments, my sister's nasty temper, and the charms of the town's bad boy, Ash Goodwin. Easy...ier said than done.…
Southern Secrets: Book 2 in Southern Charms Series
My grandmother is a witch. My mother is a witch. My sisters are witches (one of them in more ways than one). And to my complete and utter shock, I'm a witch too. Still powerless. Of course, if a certain Prince of Hell has his way, I won't remain without magic for long, because no matter how stubborn I am, the clock is ticking closer to the day I have to fulfill my end of the deal. A deal I made to save my family and friends. I was hoping those same family members and friends would help me figure a way out of this predicament, but I'm beginning to think I can't count on anyone. Clemmy and Caly are still missing. Harmony remains loyal to Luis. Willow is acting strange, disappearing at odd times and keeping secrets. Even worse, Ash seems determined to become the bad boy everyone thinks he is. All hope is lost until I stumble upon a secret that sheds light on the past. I have one shot to stop this sham wedding from happening, but it's going to require a lot of faith in the people who have let me down.…
The Opal Witch
[Completed]Lux's senior year of high school had been carefully mapped out since her freshman year. Snag the lead in the school play, chalk up a few more volunteer hours, and ace her AP English class. Maybe even get her first kiss out of the way before she headed off to college. But her Memaw always told her to never count her chickens before the eggs hatched... a lesson she learned all too well when she levitated said eggs while attempting to cook an omelet. Now she's trading her chemistry tutor for a sexy potions master, and the only book she gets to read is her family's Grimoire. Of course, finding out you have access to magic isn't a terrible thing. Some days it's downright awesome... if only it didn't include being marked for death.Credit for the awesome cover goes to @darthowl…
The Opal Witch: Prophecy (Book Two)
It's been almost two and a half years since Lux discovered she was a witch, and all her grand plans for the future have been thrown out the window. Nothing is more important than her role as Priestess Most High and Guardian of the Gateways and The Holy Grail. But being born with power isn't the same as knowing how to use that power. She's spent most of her free time trying to master the magic inside of her, but as the first witch of her kind, there is no one who truly understands how to teach her. And the one person she thought she could always depend on has been forced to leave her side to answer for his past.Thankfully, the last couple of years have been quiet, allowing the Circle to train and grow closer to one another, but that all changes when the Guardian Alina returns with a strange request and a dire warning. Morgan le Fay is preparing an army to storm the fabled island of Avalon, and she needs two things more than anything else to achieve her goal: The Holy Grail and Lux. With Daphne and Kitty's prophecy in the back of her mind, Lux searches for a way to stop the Fae Queen before she can be drawn into the woman's evil schemes. While it may be true that someone pulled strings to orchestrate her birth, she's determined to prove she's the one in charge of her life.…
The Witness
Top 10 finalist in the #mediacorpcontent contest!"This was supposed to be a routine mission. Nate Banks was the last host, and I could finally put this piece of history behind me. I should have known better. After all, nothing had gone right during the years we'd been Witnessing this event. My mother perished with her host, and a freak accident stole my ability to walk. I thought I would close the door on the Brandon bombing of 2023 and move on to better things. How could I have been so foolish?"Ava Harris is a Witness- a Telepath who has dedicated her life to ensuring humanity has access to an unbiased version of history- a true version of history. Together with her team of scientists at the Society for Historical Truth, she returns to moments in time and records the events as they happen- free from the distorting influence of emotion. When a betrayal leaves her stranded in the past, she finds herself in a race against time to find answers before the door to the present is closed forever, but it isn't long before she realizes the truth isn't as black and white as she believed.…
Star Blessed
[COMPLETE]A child with ties to the seas and the sky, Meribella has never been able to find a place to belong. Driven by the stories of her selkie ancestor Kai, she hunts for the skin that was stolen from her, believing if she can find it, she can return to the sea and find a home. But she's beginning to fear that what she's looking for doesn't truly exist. Raff Wellington is the Alpha of the Orion clan. When he is forced to take a wife to produce an heir, he does so knowing it will be a death sentence to whichever woman he chooses. But knowing and experiencing are two different things, and when she dies after giving birth to a stillborn son, he decrees that no wolf may take a mate. The werewolf curse must end.When the two collide, everything they know about their pasts, about the legends they were born from, is destroyed. And they'll have to learn to trust one another, to achieve what they desire most.…
Moon Cursed (Book 2 in The Star and Her Moon Series)
[COMPLETE]Much has changed for Meribella and Raff since their worlds collided. Meribella has abandoned her search for Kai's skin, content to live on land as long as the cocky, Orion pack Alpha is by her side. And while the curse that plagues his kind still exists, Raff now knows that loving the selkie princess is worth every risk. But the Fates are not always kind, and with war looming on the horizon, the peace they fought so hard to achieve is threatened by old and new foes alike. Their best chance at survival lies in staying close to one another, but when nightmares dressed as abandoned dreams separate the moon and stars, can they make their way back to each other before it's too late?…
The Island Curse
[Complete]Isla Halloran has dreamed of visiting her father's birthplace, Merrow Island, since she was a child. Her grandfather would fill her head with stories of its beauty and legends: emerald pastures, blue seas, and cliffs that stretched into the sky. She vowed she'd visit one day. She just didn't know that one day would be her junior year of high school, or that the visit would be permanent. Angry with the turn of events, she struggles to find any of the magic her grandfather had described. That is until she meets Kieran Murphy and his friends. Dreamy, dark, and just a bit dangerous, Kieran reveals the hidden wonders of the Island. Wonders that include magic, myths, and a curse. A curse, that for over three centuries, has bound every islander. And now she knows...coming to Merrow Island was never going to be her choice. Her fate was sealed at the moment of her birth. Because she's the key to breaking the curse, and they'll do whatever it takes to keep her there so they can finally be free.…
Dreamer
Anne has always been a dreamer, preferring the stories in her mind to the realities of her life. Shuffled from one foster home to the next, she's never felt like she belonged anywhere. Until the day Mary and Matt Stewart adopt her. Suddenly, she's thrust into a world she's never been able to imagine. One of privilege and wealth. One where people have secrets and agendas. One she's certain she can't survive in... until she meets Gavin Blythe. Son of the headmaster, Gavin is the quintessential bad boy. Handsome. Athletic. Too cool to care about anyone or anything but himself, or at least that's what he wants everyone to think. He's had them fooled for a long time, but he can't fool Anne.And he's not sure he wants to.…
Retribution
La Mort.That is what the people of Chartres, Louisiana call their tiny hamlet. It is a place of black waters and death, a place outsiders fear, and when people disappear, no one asks questions. Emory Beaunay knows firsthand the truth of her town's nickname. Many years ago her mother was murdered, her body left to rot in the bayou. Just one of several women to meet the same fate over a span of five years. The murderer was never brought to justice, and the killing spree became something the locals talked about over chess and coffee.But never in front of Emory.Thirteen years later, the murders begin again. One by one, girls disappear- their bodies discovered in the same places with the same wounds. When Emory is taken, she knows she's doomed to be just another statistic.Until she isn't. Retribution is hers if she chooses to become the very thing she despises. A murderer.A life for a life.A soul for a soul.What would you do?…
The Letter
A letter from an old love changes Birdie Hickam's life, but is it too late?~Short Story written for the Valentine's Day Contest…