There is a reason we can’t have an HR person in my company – aka me and my two lovely assistants
Leah aka the manager of Hellfire
and Tara aka Madame Hellraiser in the pictures below respectively
We trash talk constantly at our weekly meeting and today’s edition might get someone fired.
Leah: Omg Bridgerton is —
Tara and Me screaming and waving our hands at the camera telling her to STFU
Leah: What is wrong with you guys, it’s only 4 hours long? You should be done by now.
Me: Fuck that. I’m waiting until June when the second part drops. I am NOT going to give myself blue tubes by watching it so soon and having it cut off
Leah: nooooo, but you have to watch it now. Because those last four minutes of that last episode. I gasped! And the scream that I scrumped fan self
(no that’s not a typo and you if you say it outloud you’ll realize how adorable her past tense of scream is)
Me: no! I’m going to prove peer pressure doesn’t work on me
Leah: It’s not peer pressure. It’s. Just. Your. Turn.
EXSQUEEEEZE ME?
I clutched my pearls.
Me: Tara are you going to let her talk to me like that?
Tara: Yes
Me gobsmacked because I thought we were on the same page but sweet Tara is only holding out until school and dance season is over to watch aka a matter of days
Tara: You need to know how it feels when someone leaves you on the edge like you have done to me with your books. You need to know the emotional trauma—
Me: —whoa whoa whoa, don’t you turn this shit on me
Leah continues to insist I need to at least part 1 a week before part 2 drops so I can be left hanging on that ledge.
What a coupla sadists.
Guess what ladies?
I forgot to say…
Respectfully….get wrecked.
But also?
Now I have intrusive thoughts telling me to experience the exquisite pain of starting it without the end being available for a while yet.
.
.
.
Damn you both.
I especially may have to break the seal since Igniting Cinder has these vibes shoved in a modern universe on account of Cinder visiting a fairy realm of only night where the Vampires throw balls and live in cold castles. Oh and something something fake engagement…
Okay so no one is getting fired this time. But I feel this newsletter that publicly reveals them abusing and bullying me is a sufficient comeuppance.
HaHA! Take that!
But seriously, if you didn’t know I have the best FREAKING assistants who help keep the books flowing– you know now.
And I shall keep putting it on blast until everyone knows.
I am halfway through writing Igniting Cinder, but my brain is weaving multiple fantasy streams and I can’t deny it anymore.
I got an idea.
An idea to blackmail Belle.
Or rather for the Beast to blackmail her and it’s going to be D E L I C I O U S
Despite the preorder dates on Igniting Cinder and Blackmailing Belle (I’m a damn dirty liar – they act more as placeholders) – I am working to get Igniting Cinder out this summer and hopefully Bell will be blackmailed in the fall of 2024
But I’ll keep ya updated!
Why not Rap or Snow you ask? The two female heroines already introduced in the Lost Girls books?
Because the idea for Bell gripped me so completely, I know it has to come next.
And you’ll met her when Igniting Cinder comes out.
Oh. You don’t want to wait? You want to meet her now?
Even though my writing for Igniting Cinder is SUPER MESSY AND ROUGH right now???
You still want to see?
Alright, let’s tag along with Prince Charming and get an inside peek at Igniting Cinder and get our first glimpse of Belle
Enjoy this rough, unedited bit from Igniting Cinder*
Prince Charming
More than one set of eyes track me as I cross the bar, and I feel the gravitational pull of the unspoken invitations. But I’m not here for that tonight.
I’m here to see a girl about a shoe.
Pushing my way up to the bar, looking for a certain violet-eyed human, I’m surprised to find the bar is completely untended. I set my hands on the bar and lean in, looking side to side, waiting for someone to show up.
“Don’t worry,” a woman sitting at the barstool next to me says without looking up from her book. The subtle floral scent of her perfume lingers around the woman.
“I’m sorry?”
The woman looks up at me through a pair of black-rimmed glasses. She’s heavyset, giving her face a full and smooth look. The woman’s skin is a creamy porcelain, dotted with a sprinkle of freckles across her nose and cheeks. Chestnut brown hair is pulled back into a low bun, and she wears a tasteful black turtleneck that downplays yet complements her generous bosom line. Something about her reminds me of a librarian, though her fire engine red lips suggest with some light persuasion she could easily be the naughty kind.
Though in my experience, most anyone could be persuaded to be the naughty kind.
Big brown eyes blink at me and I know she wasn’t expecting what she found.
I traded out the ornate ensembles I wear in the Midnight Kingdom for a more casual suit jacket and slacks. The white button down is only halfway fastened, allowing for the tattoos that expand across my chest and up my neck to be on display. Metal rings adorn each of my knuckles, spike earrings dangle from my lobes, and the piercing that loops over my lower lip is back in.
Her eyes catch on my bare chest, her red lips parting a moment as her eyes glaze over. Then her attention snaps back to the blue bound book in her hand. “I said don’t worry. You’ll get a drink in a minute. They are making their midnight entrance.” The woman’s voice is soft but confident, her words reaching my ears with a soothing tone. If she recognizes me, she doesn’t let on.
Before I can ask her anything else, the lights dim, and the crowd’s murmur dips into an anticipatory hush.
🔥Today is the DAY!!! Release day that is!🥳🔥 Xander and Miranda were originally going to get 3 books but as I wrote I found Claiming to be more intense and more fun to write so instead of going for a third book I squeezed ALL the juice out of this one
Which means today finishes a COMPLETE duet for our heroes!!!!
This may be a relief since I left y’all off on a cliffhanger in book 1 (sorry not sorry)
So if you only start series AFTER they are wrapped up, GO GO GO!!!!
And just a reminder – you WON’T WANT TO MISS THE BONUS EPILOGUE ON THIS ONE
It’s the longest one I’ve written and especially if you’ve been in since Death and the Last Vampire…yeah, you are gonna read that.
“Xander,” Miranda’s voice brought me back to the present, her tone clipped with irritation. “Tell me you can break these.”
We were trapped together, handcuffed to a bed in an empty theater. I wish I could say I’d woken up in a stranger situation, but this kind of took the cake.
I shot her a smug grin and a flirty wink. “Of course I can, sweetheart.”
My hubris got the best of me. I instantly realized I should have lied because I had my mistress of death exactly where I wanted her. Miranda lying next to me, her warm curves pressed into mine where she couldn’t run away.
Also, I got a strange reassurance from being restrained. It likely had something to do with being locked up for most of my days. I’d akin the sensation to how someone else would feel with their grandmother’s home knitted blanket wrapped around them. Downright cozy.
But there was no taking advantage of this situation now, not that I let my mouth run before my brain caught up.
I tugged at the cuffs, expecting them to snap like twigs. Nothing.
My brows knitted in a frown. That can’t be right. I pulled again, but something was holding some of my strength at bay.
“Hold on,” I grunted, rolling over, pressing more firmly into Miranda’s prone body. She turned her head, the only part she could move away from me.
Another jerk of my wrists. Nothing.
“Problem?” Miranda asked, her voice tight with impatience.
“No,” I huffed. “No problem…just…”
I twisted and rolled until I straddled Miranda’s hips, covering her completely with my own body. The heat of her body scalded me even as she inhaled sharply.
Caught between my need to capture that sigh in my mouth and my pride, my pride won out as I refocused on getting us the fuck out of here.
I pulled at the handcuffs again and again. The chains rattled a mocking tune to my attempts to break the weak mortal metal. My agitation ratcheted upward as my efforts to break the chains grew near violent.
“Okay, okay, okay,” Miranda practically yelled over the cacophony of my frustrated grunts and rattling metal. Her hands steadied my elbows even as I panted.
She took a deep breath. “What’s going on? Is it some kind of god-proofed set of handcuffs?”
I searched my muddled thoughts.
Max’s ludicrous incantation echoed in my head, and I realized, with annoyance and disbelief, that it had worked. My godly strength, seemingly nullified by the power of bad acting and worse magic tricks.
“He’s a hypnotist,” I growled.
Miranda’s brow rose in a skeptical arch. “And that works on gods?”
My lips twisted and a low growl vibrated from my throat.
“Oookay then,” she drawled out. “Guess that’s a yes.”
It works when the god in question is weak of mind. I didn’t want to admit that to her though. She didn’t know. She couldn’t know. It’s why I stayed away for so many long weeks until I was strong enough to get back to her. I wanted to be normal, reliable, for her.
“Seems like we’re stuck,” I admitted, trying to ignore how close Miranda was. Her warmth, the scent of her, it was all a bit too much for a god who was supposed to be focusing on escape, not the way her velvet braids brushed against my skin.
Our faces were inches apart, our bodies aligned in a way that was both uncomfortable and electrifying. I could feel every breath she took, each little movement sending a new wave of awareness through me.
“Do you have your phone? Mine isn’t in my pocket,” she asked.
“I believe they are over there,” I said, pointing off to an edge of the stage where keys, phones, and even Miranda’s blade sat on a chair, well out of reach.
“This is ridiculous,” Miranda said. “We’re supposed to be hunting a god, not playing out some magician’s twisted fantasy.”
“I know, I know,” I replied. “But you have to admit, there’s something poetic about us being chained together. Like fate is telling us, we belong together.” I waggled my eyebrows at her.
She scowled. “Don’t get any ideas, Xander. As soon as we’re out of this, it’s back to the mission.”
“Of course, the mission.” Then I repeated the magician’s dopey words, “You can’t break free until the moon kisses the sea. So that means until dawn?”
“Great, just great,” Miranda muttered, shifting slightly. The movement sent a ripple of awareness through me, every sense heightened by our proximity. “It’s a ridiculous thing to say about a landlocked state.”
“I estimate we have a couple more hours trapped here together.”
At that, pure panic flittered across Miranda’s face, widening her eyes and quickening her breath, causing her chest to heave. “That’s unacceptable.”
With that, she rolled us until she was on top. Miranda plucked a hairpin from her braids as if performing a magic trick herself. She directed the makeshift lock pick to the keyhole on the cuffs, but her hand stopped abruptly an inch away. Miranda’s hand shook as she gritted her teeth, trying to push the hairpin into the hole. It was as if some invisible force was keeping her from getting any closer, the same force that held my strength back when I tried to snap the chains.
We were both under that doofus’s spell.
Miranda growled and threw the hairpin aside, resorting to pulling and rattling the chains like I had. Her motions grew jerkier and more desperate, as her panic mounted.
The urge to calm her down was overridden by a more powerful problem of my own.
Though it wasn’t her intention, Miranda was riding and rubbing the part of me that had already grown to attention. The ache to thrust inside her gripped me like a massive fist.
My hands fell to her hips as I stopped breathing all together.
“You’re gonna have to stop that, sweetheart, or we are both going to be in for more than you bargained for,” I choked out.
Miranda’s head tilted down at me, her braids falling to brush over my chest with alluring caresses. Annoyance gleamed brightly in her features, but realization dawned on them as she took in how I gripped her hips and the hardness that pressed into her inner thigh.
“Or,” I licked my lips, daring to press my luck. “We could make the next few hours at least interesting and see how many times I can get you to scream my name.” My voice was hoarse to my own ears.
I’ve always looooved Valentines day because I love the aesthetic of red and pink hearts, and I LOVE chocolate in heart shaped boxes and roses!
GAH! All my favorite things
I think I love it more than most because I never waited for someone else to prove their love for me or shower me in gifts first.
I’ve always this as the ultimate self love day and I LOVE romance.
So I would buy myself the chocolates and flowers and make an aesthetic romance reading date for myself or take myself to the movies.
I HIGHLY recommend using the excuse!
If you like my books I’m guessing you enjoy just at least a little wee bit 😉
And if you don’t have time to treat yourself, I have a little giftie for your below.
A surprise COVER REVEAL for Igniting Cinder!
The ink on this cover and blurb are SO fresh, Amazon is still trying to catch up to updating it! That’s how quickly you are getting to see this!
I’m blown away by the preorders this book has already accrued without a cover or a description.
So I’m extra excited to reveal this to you!
The preorder is set for October, but I plan for this bad boy to come out in June!
Yer girl doesn’t write well under pressure, so I love making long deadlines and then delivering EARLY!
Pumpkin spice and not playing nice – this ball just got more interesting, thanks to Prince Too-Handsy.
The plan was as clear as glass: infiltrate a high fae court’s ball, uncover the truth behind my father’s death, and avoid my sadistic stepmother and shrewish stepsisters.
But now, I find myself engaged to Prince freakin’ Charming, the last fae I’d ever choose for a dance partner, much less a fiancé. And I’m hardly the ideal bride for a fae prince—a human bartender who loves piercings, tattoos, and devours pumpkin-flavored anything.
Prince Charming thinks he can use me in his twisted game to overthrow his father. Little does he know, I’m not just some human he can push around.
Now, in over my head in a world of glittering gowns and deceitful smiles, I’m betrothed to the one fae who could unravel everything—including my resolve to not let him touch me.
But there’s this thing about Charming—he’s got a way of getting under my skin even from across the room. And it’s messing with my head, making me question everything.
Our engagement is more than a dance of power; it’s a game that could shatter crowns and hearts. And I’m right in the middle, balancing on the edge of a glass slipper that’s cracking under the weight of secrets and forbidden desires.
Igniting Cinder is a spicy m/f fairytale retelling where a pretend engagement will heat up in a dance of ink, charm, and forbidden desires.
I’ve been writing on the dark side for a little while now and that has much to do with the fact that it is so popular amongst booktok readers.
Their hooks and shares get me intrigued and I’ve been shimmying my way down the dark path
(not without the occasional identify crisis – I can’t write this!!! who am I too write this?? Oh right, I’m an adult, I do what I fucking want. eyyyyyy)
But I just found my limit.
One of the perks of working for me is bookish bonuses – meaning my assistants get advanced ADVANCED access to writing/projects etc.
A few days ago I supplied some episodes of my upcoming dark serial – Monster Under My Bed (episodes begin dropping on Patreon next week, EEEEE!)
After she devoured the episodes in a shockingly short amount of time I had to ask my lovely assistant, Tara – “Is this monster story dark or spicy at all?”
Her jaw dropped.
She simply lifted up her notebook showing a half sheet(with multiple columns) of trigger warnings we need to warn readers of
Ahhhhh yeah okay I guess it’s kind of dark.
But compared to the stuff I’ve been reading lately? I feel like a little fluffy unicorn in comparison – like a gray one but still a fluffy unicorn
The truth is, if you ask someone if a certain book is steamy or dark that COMPLETELY depends on the baseline of that reader.
And while I’ve been surfing the darkness, I’ve found that reading true sociopaths and books that include prolonged torture – usually of the enemies in the book – just sucks my body dry of all romance until I’m a dusty little husk.
For a while, I kept pushing myself to write toward the morally gray character everyone is nuts for but I’ve realize I can parade my characters as the Big Bad but you peel back a layer or two and they are the good guy and after finding where my personal limit is on the dark romance scale I’m actually super cool with that.
In the last month of reads, I’ve found I don’t mind big bad dark characters – but for me to get the romance tingles, they HAVE to soften, they have to FEEL toward the other character for me to connect.
DARK MMC: What are these feelings? I don’t have feelings! OMG they are engulfing me!!! I’m drowning in feels I’ve never had before! WHY IS SHE SO CUTE I HAVE TO MURDER SOMETHING TO MAKE IT STOP AHHHHHH
Which is why sociopaths who are like ‘what is love? Oh yeah i have symptoms of that description, must be true’
I’m like eh. You’re interesting but I’m not romantically taken with you.
And I love a good slice and dice of the enemy but long drawn out torture scenes… yeah, we talked about my dusty husk so you get it.
While I’m finding out where my romantic feels lie on the dark scale, I still find the dark content very interesting. I’m super interested in reading different niches to see what readers respond too.
And if you love sociopaths and the torture adds to the stakes of your reading experience – read on! I know many readers who exclusively looooooove that content!
I don’t care what you read, as long as you like it ❤️❤️❤️
(I’ll put my book analysis at the bottom in case something I’ve talked about has you like – what is she reading?!?! I wanna read that!)
Sociopaths and serial killers (with the gratuitious torture that made me dusty, HA!) but while it doesn’t tickle my romantic side I think it’s captivatingly interesting! But I’ve also decided not to read this one before I fall asleep lol and uh Imma need a fluffy buffer book after I finish book 2 today
But Sophie Lark nails the darkest of dark and really REALLY knows how to write a sociopath. I’ve learned she’s incredibly talented and an amazing writer
Gol – Emily McIntire pushed me to the LIMIT on this one. This is dark and the heroine is the crazy violent dark one here. BUT I love this so much because her and the MMC feel deeply toward each other which sucks me in!
I love this series and book 1: Hooked is honestly what had me itching to write Tasting Red
I met Harper at a signing and she is FAB! I had to try her book after she explained this novella features an ex-felon, carnie who chases our prim and perfect FMC who wants a fuck on the wild side ie he chases and fucks her all around the carnival at night.
Bitch say whaaaat?
This skinny little novella was a crash course is so many triggers for me which I found super interesting! Doesn’t quite have the softening of characters toward each other, but if you want the down and dirty, trigger-laden, rough hot ride you should totally check it out! These gals are queens at dark romance!
The monster in my serial has tentacles and I’ve been trying to read more monster romance (this is closer to erotica) and indeed I did learn if we are going to have tentacles we must be taken advantage of more orifices! Touche Siggy Shade!
This is probably classified as only kind of dark but dear god when they pulled out the plastic tarp for ‘inking’ and implanting babies… gah! no inking! Keep your ink to yourself! I don’t want babies!!!! (spoiler: these have nothing to do with each other but I don’t want either lol) breeding kink is not my thing (not a big surprise)
but holy shit, you want to try some WILD monster romance…
well, let’s just say l’husbun kept seeing my facial expressions and taking pictures of them because he finds the horror hilarious. RUDE!
Disclaimer: All opinions and reactions are my own, and none included here possess any judgement on any reader/writers preferences. This has simply been an exploration in my own reading from my own baseline as I stretch outside what I’m used to with genuine curiosity and interest. And I’d be delighted if I’ve led you to a new book you love or enjoy even if we don’t enjoy it in exactly the same way. I’m a firm believer we all need all the different types of books to serve all different types of readers at different phases in their life! ALL THE BOOKS!
It's time to BARE ALL!!!
We are GOING BACK TO VEGAS, BABY!
Xander and Miranda are back to fighting and f*cking on the page again as I get the next Vegas Immortals installment going.
And what way to get more excited than sharing the cover for book 2 in this trilogy!
While the preorder still says June 2024, this bad boy will be dropping closer to March 2024 (a few scant months away). I just need to get a few more ducks in a row before I make it official.
It’s because I’ve really wanted to write a monster under the bed romance for a year or two now.
And now I’m almost done with this project! SQUEE
Holly – will this be cheeky, steamy, and supernatural like the rest of your books?
That’s a really good and important question. Because the answer is yes, and no.
This will DEF be supernatural, and HOLY FUCK is this going to be some of the spiciest stuff I’ve written, but this is also the darkest stuff I’ve written in a very very long time.
Most of my books don’t warrant much of a trigger warning list if you are already okay with spice, but this will be different. The TW list will be meaty.
And this will be dropping as a SERIAL which means you’ll be able to catch episodes in my Patreon or on Kindle Vella in 2024.
Dark not your jam? Don’t worry! There are plenty more CHEEKY paranormal romance books coming your way!
In the meantime, bear with me as I limp over the finish line of this Nanowrimo challenge
(it’s a crazy writing marathon where we try to finish a novel in November – talk about timing with my adrenal fatigue, right?).
Your support means everything, especially when I’m feeling more Tangry than usual.
This week in my ✨ PATREON✨
You’ll find 👀
Bonus scenes/materials for Chasing Goldie
an alternate spicy chained under the full moon scene from Tasting Red
ALSO an extra spicy sneak peek scenes from my upcoming serial – Monster Under My Bed.
Also I need say a massive thank you to anyone who read Chasing Goldie because it has by far been my biggest release and the response has left me astounded. 🥹🥹🥹
I knew writing a plus size character was something I’d do at some point, but the response to her representation, her mindset, and her spirit has been epic.
Thank you for reading, reviewing, messaging me, telling a friend – this has made for some ✨ seriously powerful magic ✨ in my life.
Last week, I asked you what sneak peek you want me to expose from inside Chasing Goldie – my new spicy fairytale retelling of Goldilocks
and the big winner was when Goldie’s ex gets a little too friendly in front of our grumpy bear shifter who SWEARS he wants nothing to do with her.
*rubs hands together*
Commence the ‘touch her and die’ sequence!!!
MWUAHAHAH!
“Who is that guy?” My voice is tight, restrained.
Cinder makes a retching sound, “That’s Lawrence, her on-again, off-again ex. A real loser.”
My eyes return to the two of them, as Goldie slips away so they can talk off side of the bar. “Then why is she talking to him?”
I hear it in my tone. Jealousy. It throbs in me with angry waves that want to push me to my feet and close the distance between me and them.
Her reaction to him isn’t like it is to all the other men who belly up to her, wanting her to love them. The familiarity is real, a connection is there, even if it’s only a lingering thing.
“Goldie’s too nice to turn anyone away outright,” Cinder says, disdain evident in her voice.
“Yeah, I got that,” I mutter back.
Over by the massive tree, Lawrence leans in closer to Goldie, his hand pressing against the wall behind her, cutting them off from the rest of the bar. His body language screams possession, a clear trespassing into what I have come to consider as my domain.
My bear roars within me, a primal urge to protect what’s mine threatening to overtake my calm demeanor.
Calm the hell down, Ted. Everything is fine.
Goldie tries to maintain her composure, but her smile has vanished, replaced by a tense line of restrained frustration.
Nope. I’m up and stalking across the bar in a second. Lawrence doesn’t see me coming, too wrapped up in his pathetic attempt to reclaim what he no longer has any right to.
Lawrence’s voice rises enough for me to catch snatches of accusations and demands. “This game has gone on long enough. You know how good we are together, baby girl. I can’t eat, I can’t sleep, I need you. You take such good care of me.”
Instantly, I recognize the reason they keep getting back together. Goldie’s heart is bigger than she even probably knows. This son of a bitch has been playing on her helpful, loving nature. But what the fuck has she been getting? Then Lawrence dips down and lays his lips against hers.
I surge toward them, my fingers wrapping around Lawrence’s shoulder and wrenching him away. His eyes bulge in surprise, followed by a scrutinizing icy glare.
“Who are you?” he challenges. Tension crackles through my muscles as the pretty boy stares me down with contempt.
Goldie’s eyes widen when she sees me. “Ted?” she asks. “It’s okay. Everything is okay.”
I reach out for her wrist and pull her out from under the slimeball who kissed my girl.
She’s not your girl.
She is even if she hasn’t admitted it yet.
“Ted?” Lawrence repeats with dry amusement, as if my name is a joke. No part of me is even slightly humorous right now.
“I’m Goldie’s boyfriend,” I announce to him with a grim, forced cheerfulness. “And if you kiss her again, I will rip the lips right off your weasley face.”
“Ted,” Goldie urges quietly. She wants me to back off, but a rage pumps through me. A rage I didn’t know I possessed. I was the calm one, the reasonable one. But reason has abandoned me and I’m seeing red.
Lawrence frowns, looking to Goldie for confirmation.
“Seriously? This guy?”
“Scratch that. If you even touch her, I’ll pull your limbs clear off.”
“Ted,” Goldie’s voice continues to get lower, softer.
“What kind of blue-collar trash are you slumming it with, baby girl?” Lawrence asks, with an incredulous scoff.
My vision turns red as control slips from my grasp. I’m painfully aware of how I don’t !t Goldie’s aesthetic, how out of place I am here, though for a moment I started to believe I could be at ease here. But as soon as I step outside, the cold reality of having to deal with Eli’s debts, to figure out a way to get enough money to keep him from getting killed, is what’s going to keep me up all night. Even if I resell all the appliances I’ve fixed up, it won’t be enough.
And this guy with his expensive shirt and slick demeanor putting me down for honest work makes me so angry I could spit.
