Bleeding Hearts: An Anthology of Paranormal Proportions
Released April 15, 2019 by Hydra Productions
Synopsis:
Some say love is the strongest emotion while some would rather die than feel it...but what if it could last forever?
The idea of immortality can haunt and fascinate to the point of insanity, especially those who actively seek it. But what if you fell in love with someone with the blood that gave them the power to live forever? A love that could last or a love that could crumble you to pieces.
Lust.
Betrayal.
Forbidden love.
Creatures of the night.
These converge in this collection of paranormal romance stories meant to tantalize the senses and penetrate the soul.
"Should she trust the vampire in her bed, or the wizard in her dreams?"
Just as I felt myself coming to a full-on climax, the lightning bolt shaped mark on my outer thigh began to burn. The pain of it made me bend over further, making him not only go deeper, but also made me tighten even further around him. I became a mixture of both pleasure and true pain all at once, I could barely recognize which of the two my moans reflected. Ricardo slid out of me then, and before I had a chance to feel the emptiness of his shaft no longer there, he had me turned around, lifted up with a crushing grip on my hips, and was impaling me once again. As though he felt a sense of urgency, he pistoned in and out of me even harder and faster than before, which took my mind away from the flaring pain in my thigh.
As Ricardo gave me another stroke so deep inside of me I felt his sac rubbing against my entrance I screamed out with one last climax as he jettisoned inside, the warm trickling feel of it making me come that much harder. But when I closed my eyes, I was looking into the metallic silver irises that haunted my dreams, and they looked angry as hell. I could almost hear a faint, foreign, yet familiar voice in the back of my mind saying, I will find you.
When I opened my eyes, Ricardo was staring straight into mine, but it felt like he was seeing right through me to somewhere else, especially when he said, “She’s mine.”
Before I could ask him anything or think any further, he claimed my lips in a claiming, almost punishing kiss. Then I felt a tiny pinprick on the side of my hip and promptly blacked out.
***
Halfway across the world from where Ricardo and Rena were, a warlock wearing only a pair of black shorts, knelt down on the ground in the rain in the dark of night in a cemetery, the droplets shimmered down his muscled, ebony chest and back. He summoned the lightning to the palms of his outstretched hands, letting it empower him further, as he called out to his ancestors.
“Ancestors, my foremothers, and forefathers, I come to you tonight, the anniversary of the night you gifted me with one of my greatest gifts, to ask your help in finding her. Help me bring her back to where she belongs, at my side.”
The storm became malevolent then, lightning struck around Jonathan left and right, which both fueled and empowered him.
He threw his head back as he soaked it all in. As he closed his eyes, his haunches rose when he finally saw her, with the vampire that had somehow ensnared his powerful, beautiful mate. He tried yet again to communicate with her through their mark, but something was blocking him still, but he felt it slipping, and that little slip was all he needed to learn her location.
Reaching into his back pocket, Jonathan pulled out his phone and dialed his brother. Without bothering with any pleasantries, all he said was, “It’s time to hunt us down a vampire, and bring home my mate.”
Lux means light. But what is so good about the light if Veritas, truth, is kept in the dark? Malum is has been defeated but the real war has just begun.
When both the Luxians and the Rebels find themselves leaderless, turmoil reigns. Someone is taking children from the Rebel tribes while the Luxians starve in the streets. Jade finds herself in the midst of an ancient war and must make peace with the very people she swore to destroy. The road ahead is a dangerous one with new, powerful enemies. But with each step taken, Jade, Onyx and those few allies she has find themselves closer to the truth about their hostile world.
Step out of the light and into the truth.
MJ Vieira resides in Southern Maine with her husband, Alan, son, AJ, and their St. Bernard, Roxy. As a child, she traveled around the state with her parents, seeing the vast history the New England state had to offer as well as touring the nation while showing her American Quarter Horse. While traveling, she read many of the great authors of the time including JRR Tolkien, Stephen King, CS Lewis and Ann Rice. It is these writers combined with power of music, mainly hard rock and folk, MJ draws her inspiration.
In between writing, MJ enjoys reading, collecting music and attending concerts. Lux is the first installment in the Veritas series which is MJ's first published work.
Not So Wicked by T. A. Moorman Published October 30, 2018 by GothicMoms Studios YA Paranormal/Urban Fantasy
Synopsis:
Caught in a realm they know next to nothing about, in a time
where they're hated for not what they are but how they look, these supernatural
teens may find it harder to curve their bloodlust than they thought.
Like most teens, even those with supernatural powers and
abilities, Elvira thinks that her days at Be Prepared High are a colossal waste
of time. Especially Feeding 101, since she's a cursed vampire that was born
without fangs. She and her friends view most of the classes as useless since
they never plan on venturing to the human realm. Why would they when Underlayes
was made specifically for every factions' safety, where they could roam free
day or night with not a care in the worlds.
But just like her parents always told her, sometimes you're
put into situations you can't control.
Elvira's life takes an unexpected turn when a wizard hell
bent on misplaced revenge kidnaps her and several of her friends. Not only does
she send them with a one-way ticket to Detroit, Michigan, she sends them to a
time when the tension amongst the races is at its highest. And having to deal
with race issues is the one thing that has never even been so much as a thought
to any of them and is the one course not on the roster.
But will everything they've learned in school be enough to
keep them alive? What will they all do when racism stares them in the face?
Most importantly, how will they get back home?
First
off, I don't live in your dimension, I live in a separate one called
Underlayes. Where the things that go bump in the night – werewolves, vampires,
mermaids, sirens, witches, and so much more – truly are real. Underlayes has
regular neighborhoods just like Earth does, we don’t live in a ton of dug out
caves, or cryptic looking castles; besides the royals anyway. We used to live
amongst you guys, but that was way before my time, and a story way too long and
boring for me to bother with repeating. Just know that we all truly do exist
and a very few of our number walk alongside you still. So, you may want to
think about that before you lay down at night after bullying the school nerd or
your shy co-worker. If they're the silent and quiet type they're more than
possibly plotting your untimely demise and deciding what side-dish you'd go
best with. Or what curse to place on you. Something my Mom should have thought
about a long, long time ago.
Me?
The names Elvira, yea, Mom and Pops have a sick and twisted sense of humor.
Which when you come to think of it is actually a very good thing, since Mom was
dumb enough to piss off a witch when she was preggers with me and my brother,
Dracula (yup, again with the humor), Drake for short. During one of her many
mood swings dear old Mom went completely off on an already pissed off witch;
something about the witch crossing in front of her, and Mom thinking that would
make us come out cross eyed (and you thought your mom was superstitious, Ha!).
Miss Witch decided to do her one better and really did curse us both. I was
granted with the gift of being the only vampire known of with NO FANGS! Since
Underlayes doesn't have hospitals bagged blood isn't exactly just lying around.
Why not just bite down extra hard you say? Probably because that leaves a big
chunk of meat in my mouth and vampires can't digest meat; we have a strictly
all liquid diet. Why not just slit someone's wrist and pour it in a cup you
ask? If you were on an all liquid diet, would one glass a day keep your hunger
pains at bay? NO! And draining someone completely dry doesn't work either,
unlike how they portray things in your human movies, blood clots up pretty
quickly when it hits air; unless pumped up with nasty anti-coagulants which
leave a horrible aftertaste and makes the blood nearly impossible to digest. So
the blood shortage on your neck of the veil? Feel free to blame that on us, Mom
and Dad had to feed us somehow during the experimental processes of properly
bagging and storing the blood the way humans do. But no worries, they haven’t
had to raid your neck of the realms in a long time now. The alchemist’s studied
the components your scientists used and now have it down pact.
I'm
not really sure if Drake's curse is worst or pretty much just as bad. Him? He
goes into a full-blown shock at the very sight of blood; fainting spells,
seizures, black outs, the works. Though lucky for him rarely all of those at
once. Lucky for Mom and Dad, he could still at least savor the taste and smell
of it. But talk about being seriously dependent upon someone else, hard to
nourish yourself when you can’t even look at your food. And as a baby? You try
putting a blindfold on an infant, especially one with fangs, and let me know
how well that works out for you. Ah, but it made for some fangtastic pranks
when I was thirteen, which also ended in a lot of punishments. But they were so
worth it!
So
that’s us, Elvie and Drake, two of the only known vampires forced to live on
bagged blood. Though Drake may get lucky one day and be able to savor a neck or
two, as long as he keeps his eyes shut tight and doesn’t dribble.
Can’t
we just break the curse you ask? Ask Aunt Flo that one. Did I fail to mention
the witch in question was, and still is Mom’s best friend? She’s also a witch
with more power than she can handle who needs to watch what she says at ALL
times. The curse was supposedly never intentional and trying to undo it has
proven pretty much impossible.
Mom, Trinity Alkaev, is a beautiful creature
with a body neither skinny nor large, but what one describes as buxom
perfection. Also, one of the most patient females you will ever meet, and a
truly ferocious beast, fangs and all, when pissed. Dad, Borya Alkaev, is the
strong not so silent type, with a chiseled chin and sculpted cheekbones in
which I heard would give Michaelangelo a run for his money. Born after the
creation of Underlayes, he’s only two hundred years old, so I never understood
how he ended up with such a thick accent as if he just left the great
Motherland of Russia. The exact opposite of Mom when it comes to patience, but
the best dad any set of unorthodox twins could ask for. Neither of them were an
only child, but both are the youngest and only surviving children from both of
their respective lines. Many died before the dimension of Underlayes was made,
some during the move. And Aunt Flo, I’m not even getting into that one. And as
far as looks go Drake and I are a perfect combination of the two, with the
exception of the fact that I have no fangs.
THUD. CRASH. SCREAM.
What
in Hel’s name was that?
“Elvira
Esfir Alkaev!” Moms blood-curling screams vibrated through the floorboards,
“How many times do I need to tell you not
to leave your blood bags lying around? Get down here and help me clean up this
mess. And carry your brother to his room!”
Well
there you have it, the usual beginning of a day in the house of Alkaev.
“Now
young lady!”
About the Author:
When you become a Mom, you begin to put yourself last, and your
combat boots begin to collect dust. Going to your child's PTA meetings in full
Gothic, especially industrial, regalia is pretty much frowned upon. Especially
by your own children, and your teens would die of a heart attack. But, one
should not have to completely stop being themselves, uniqueness is greatness.
So all of that darkness is put into words in her books, and designs in her
jewelry sold in her Gothic Moms Dark Charms shop on Etsy and Rebels Market.
Single mother of five beautiful children, but by
far more than just that. T. A. Moorman is an artist, a former violinist, a
seamstress, a crafter, a writer, a blogger, a reviewer, a dark confidant and a
darkly dangerous, fiercely protective friend. She still hopes to one day find
her Dark Knight in shining armor, since Prince Charming would never be able to
handle her. And currently broke, so go buy something of hers and tell everyone
you know how much you love this book.
Underlayes is a world created by T. A. Moorman (me) that includes pretty much every paranormal or supernatural creature you can think of, and NONE of them sparkle. What started out as a few books about three magical sister has begun to take on a world of its own. Though the first three books in the series are about the sisters and the royal families, the books following will involve much more than JUST them. Each book is written somewhat as a standalone, with opendings for future books. As with all series, you get the most from starting from the beginning. But, with these, you can follow along without having done so, especially the new YA being released at the end of this month, Not So Wicked, and the current WIP, In Her Dreams.
These paranormal books are definitely not all about romance. It's in there, but it's not what the entire book is about. While you may not run screaming in terror, these books were very much not made for the faint of heart. Be prepared for violence, blood, a bit of torture, and more than a few questionable circumstances. These beings are not human, and don't bother trying to pretend to be. Unless absolutely necessary, and even then they tend to grow short. None of the vampires are vegetarians, most of the werewolves are assholes, and the witches, well, that depends on which one you entangle with. And none of the females can be described as damsels in distress. Far from it.
So come on in and step into the dark mind of my imagination, where you never really know which twists and turns will happen until the end. Even I don't.
Don't forget to check out the #OctoberFrights group giveaway, which includes a free sample of Not So Wicked.
"...very similar to IAD (Immoratals After Dark) in the way of the different factions presented (werewolves, witches, vampires, etc)...for this book it worked well." Sarah Shannon
"This was a very fast paced read with an intriguing and interesting world. I loved all the different supernatural creatures. There was steam, action, suspense. I read this straight through in one sitting and can't wait to grab the next!" Amber Hall
"I loved this book so much! I am a Paranormal head and had been wanting to read this book for some time now. In this book you have everything you could want, Vampires, Werewolves, Fae, witches... everything!" Rae B Lake
Tialanna is fated to become the queen of all Underlayes
witches. She thinks the worst part of her life is the fact that she’s betrothed
to a complete stranger while in love with someone else. She’s in for a rude
awakening when she discovers who, and what, she truly is.
Tialanna is about to learn the truth behind several lies,
because not only does her life depend on it, but so does the fate of the family
she never even knew she had. But hey, life would probably just be boring if she
didn't have to deal with elemental witches, vampires, demons, sorcerers,
bindings, spells, lust and betrayal. Right?
***This book is intended for mature audiences only as it
includes both graphic violence and graphic sex***
“This is the first book I have read by this author and I
only have one word … WOW. Loved this book from the first page. It was a great
short read with lovable characters (Anya being my favorite). Looking forward to
reading more of the series.”
Anya has never been one for the spotlight, but her family
seems to now be front and center, and the talk of the town in Underlayes. In
the aftermath of her mother’s death, the discovery of said mother’s deceit, and
Anya's half-sister getting ready to challenge her own father for the witches’
throne, keeping a low profile may prove to be difficult. Add in the fact that
she’s pregnant, by her female mate, and it may turn out to be impossible.
Kierra has never been one for many words. So if she were
forced to explain how she impregnated Anya, it probably wouldn’t be easy for
her. Especially since the truth would mean revealing her origins; she’s not a
vampire, or even anything close to it. And living in a realm where her kind
isn’t allowed may cause a few ramifications. Plus, should the kid call her Mom,
or Dad?
Jump right back into the world of Underlayes where this
magical family takes dysfunction to brand new heights.
"OMG this book was spectacular I had no idea where this book would lead but man did it deliver. So many surprises came in this book." Deja of the GothicMoms Review Team
"This author has tapped into an amazing world with this series. These characters are so engaging, and we get to experience so much more with this story. Instead of just one character is the focus we have multiple. You'll love it I'm sure." Seraphia
Jelissa has been a resident of
the Abbey for as long as she has been alive. She has also never known what she
is, besides being part witch. At the age of twenty-five, she will learn just
what types of blood run through her veins. She will also find out much
more—that she is also the long-lost princess almost no one even knew existed.
Tialanna secreted her only child
away for her own protection. Before she can tell Jelissa the truth, Jelissa is
kidnapped. All Tialanna’s greatest fears unfold before her very eyes, and her
past comes back to haunt her in more ways than one.
As most do when they come of age,
Jelissa will learn the hard way that adult life isn't all it’s cracked up to
be. And Tialanna learns the hard way that if you don’t learn from your past, it
will come back and bite you on the ass.
Caught in a realm they know
next to nothing about, in a time where they're hated for not what they are but
how they look, these supernatural teens may find it harder to curve their
bloodlust than they thought.
Satori, an
adept Chaos Magician, casts a spell to try and win back his lost love, Star.
Lilith, mother of demons, has other ideas. Summoned by Satori's magic, she
makes it her mission to manipulate and separate the doomed lovers.
Satori
knows he and Star are meant to be together. He battles demons, travels worlds
and even transcends death for her but, however much she begs, he can't grant
her the freedom she craves.
The
Starblood Trilogy is a tale of sorcery, demonology, murder, sexual obsession
and Gothic subculture. In the words of Jef Rouner (Houston Press) “You don't
read [Carmilla Voiez's] books. You survive them.” and Starblood may be the most
brutal female-centred horror of them all. Winner of numerous indie awards, The
Starblood Trilogy is being adapted into a series of graphic novels with art by
Anna Dmitrieva.
"Carmilla Voiez is more
of a singer than a writer. She tells her compelling story in a hypnotic,
distinctive voice that brings her eerie world vividly to life." Graham
Masterton.
About
the villain -
Lilith, my female antagonist, is
definitely a villain, although some have claimed she’s a feminist hero. She is
a survivor of assault, but her extreme strength and power have warped her
perspective of fairness and cruelty. While her end goal is not evil, her acts
certainly are. Lilith frequently inverts the sexual stereotypes, and can do so
because she is a supernatural creature.
An
interview with Lilith -
Carmilla –
Thank you for joining me today, Lilith. I hope your journey from Binah was
pleasant. My first question, if you’ll forgive my impertinence goddess, is why,
when you are all powerful you chose to meddle in the affairs of the two humans
– Star and Satori?
Lilith –
I’m delighted to be here, and thank you for the delicious cup of coffee. It
will be a shame when the Earth’s reserves of coffee beans run out. If you want
to know about Star and Satori the first thing you need to understand is that
eternity can bore a person after a while. Distractions keep us young. It’s
unlikely I would have met the couple had it not been for the lonely soul,
Freya, who was determined to engage my services. That said Fate has a way of
bringing people together and even without the young sorceress’s summoning
perhaps I would have arrived by some other route. Satori annoyed me. I must be honest
and admit most human males do. I have not had positive experiences with many of
them. But something stayed my hand and instead of crushing the vermin I watched
him instead. In retrospect, I believe a greater power was at work. Satori had a
role in events to come, but at the time I didn’t understand my decision, and
wondered whether I was simply being fickle. In many ways Star and Satori
reminded me of the first humans I met – Adam and Eve. Satori was just as
determined to assert his dominance and will over his mate as Adam had been.
Part of me wanted to free Star from the start, but another part wanted to
punish her for being weak.
Carmilla –
Do you still believe Star is weak?
Lilith –
Her metal is strengthened at times of extreme pressure, as it was when I
tortured her, but she wasn’t strong enough to survive, was she?
Carmilla –
You mentioned Freya. Can you tell me more about your relationship with her?
Lilith –
Freya is a classic case of the imprisoned maiden gone bad. She fascinates me.
Her obsession with her brother rivaled Samael’s obsession with me. All these
humans seem to think about is sex, don’t you agree? Look at them all – Star,
Satori, Freya, Paul and Raven – the were all driven by their desire to get off with
each other. I barely had to manipulate them at all. They would have been
perfectly capable of destroying themselves without my intervention.
Carmilla –
The boys you killed in the woods, did you suspect their motives when they
offered you a lift, and if so why did you go with them?
Lilith –
Really, Carmilla, victim-blaming? That’s beneath you, don’t you think? If I
hadn’t gone with them they would have found someone else, someone less able to
defend themselves. I am a survivor, and yes my trauma has no doubt increased my
rage. Who wouldn’t be angry after having their agency taken from them? I
suspected the boys’ motives. I knew I had the strength to survive their
intentions and I took the opportunity to teach them a lesson; just like I did
with that sleaze-bag who pursued me through the abandoned industrial estate. I
hope the lesson is heard far and wide – Men beware. If you are looking for a
victim you may well get more than you bargained for. Women’s rage is a powerful
force.
Carmilla –
That’s very relevant to what’s happening today – with the Kavanaugh protests.
Have you been following the news?
Lilith –
It has been relevant from day one. Yes, I’ve watched those pathetic men with
their hair pieces, smiles as fake as their tans, and hands forever down their
pants or grabbing some poor woman’s, what do they call it, pussy. It’s because
they are afraid of women. They are so desperate to keep their power that they
will crush, in any way they can, all resistance. Fear of sexual assault, and
the shame it inspires, is an effective weapon for them. But if the women shed
their shame and overcome their fear, they can change the world. I’d like to say
that’s what’s happening now, but waves like this rise and fall. Time will tell
whether women are ready to say “no more” and overthrow their oppressors.
Carmilla –
Thank you, Lilith. Is there anything else you want to say before you head home?
I know you have lots of new souls to make bodies for.
Lilith –
I’ll repeat what I told Star, when I thought the truth might save her. Every
day I make flesh for new spirits, some are male and some are female. The
spirits within both are infinite until I make that arbitrary choice as to how
to shape their flesh. Each is limited by their new shell. Their bodies separate
them from each other, organising the spirits into logical patterns which
conform, with varying success, to the rules which cage them. Rules such as you
can no longer fly; you can no longer expand into your environment; you can no
longer merge completely and seamlessly with another; one day you will die and
your spirit will return to the source. These are the rules of being bound into
flesh and they are the same for male and female forms. Everything you have been
taught since you were pushed from your screaming mother, other than these rules,
is bullshit. These new limits humans have imposed upon themselves, and each
other, are not real. They hold no profound truth about yourself or the human
condition. You are neither inferior nor superior to the billions of other
spirits caged in flesh that roam the earth.
Author
bio -
Carmilla Voiez is a proudly bisexual and mildly autistic introvert who
finds writing much easier than verbal communication. A life long Goth, living
with two kids, two cats and a poet by the sea. She is passionate about horror,
the alt scene, intersectional feminism, art, nature and animals. When not
writing, she gets paid to hang out in a stately home and entertain tourists.
Carmilla grew up on a varied diet of horror. Her earliest influences
as a teenage reader were Graham Masterton, Brian Lumley and Clive Barker mixed
with the romance of Hammer Horror and the visceral violence of the first wave
of video nasties. Fascinated by the Goth aesthetic and enchanted by threnodies
of eighties Goth and post-punk music she evolved into the creature of darkness
we find today.
Her books are both extraordinarily personal and universally
challenging. As Jef Withonef of Houston Press once said - "You do not read
her books, you survive them."
Carmilla has self published "The Starblood Trilogy",
"Starblood the graphic novel", “Psychonaut the graphic novel”,
"The Ballerina and the Revolutionary", a short story collection
"Broken Mirror and Other Morbid Tales" and "The Erotic Tales of
Carmilla Voiez". Stitched Smile released the FSG anthology "Slice
Girls" late 2016, “Zombie Punks Fuck Off”, is being released by Clash
Books and Weird Punk Books this month (October 2018) and includes Carmilla’s
short story set in London, “Eat the Rich”, and “Another Beautiful Nightmare” is
out February 2019 and includes her short story “Demons are a Girl’s Best
Friend.”
She is currently writing the fourth book in the Starblood series,
“Ribbons”. In exciting news,
Vamptasy Publishing have picked up
the entire series, so each of the stories will be released individually for
Kindle. The final date for buying the trilogy as one volume for Kindle will be
November 1st. Starblood will be released in December. The trilogy
will still be available in one volume as a paperback after this date.
Carmilla also edits
for self-publishing authors and is releasing a series of articles entitled “A
Step-by-Step Guide to Writing a Novel” on her blog at www.carmillavoiez.com
Publication Date: October 2, 2018 by St. Martin's Griffin
Review by Deja
5 HOWLS!!!
Three hot stories about sexy shifters from a trio of today's hottest paranormal romance authors, headlined by bestselling authors Eve Langlais and Milly Taiden!
Bearing His Touch by Eve Langlais When Becka manages to escape her kidnapper, she finds herself asking help of the man with the nice brown eyes. Stavros can’t say no, not when he knows Becka is his mate, but he does have one dilemma when it comes to claiming her. He'll have to find a way for her to bear his touch.
Fake Mated to the Wolf by Milly Taiden Looking for a mate to bring to a party? Wedding? Holiday gathering? Mates Fur Hire is right for you? But what happens when your fake mate ends up being your real one, from New York Times bestselling author Milly Taiden!
The Witch, The Werewolf and The Waitress by Kate Baxter For centuries, Lowman, Idaho has been Ellie Curtis's prison. A vengeful witch cursed her with immortality and locked her within the confines of Lowman's borders, sealing Ellie off from most of civilization for eternity. She's learned to make the most of it. But when she meets a cocky werewolf who's part of the elite supernatural law enforcement group, all bets are off...
Colin instantly knew that Ellie was his mate, but when he discovers her secret, he's determined to help set her free. But in doing so, he might just lose the one thing he knows he can't live without...
An amazing collection of stories from three amazing authors. I loved every minute of reading these stories they were great from start to finish. I loved the complexities of the characters and the idea that anything worth having is worth fighting for, even if that means fighting to break down the walls the one you want has erected. I loved these stories and I cannot wait to see what else these authors have in store.
