Cecelia Earl's Blog, page 2

My #NaNoWriMo project: Mark of the Red Wolves (An Excerpt)

I’m behind already (only at 4,000 words the morning of day 4) but I will get caught up and I will finish this draft (I’m hoping actually for 60,000 words) by the end of November! This year I will be a winner! Tomorrow I’ll share my makeshift cover for Mark of the Red Wolves (though it’s real cover IS already designed and paid for) and its (for now) blurb. For today, however, I share its opening paragraphs!

Excerpt

The Enchanted Forest stood eerily still at this moment between dusk and dawn. In the years since the Magical Reformation, stories were told among other beings about this particular span of time, the minutes when the sun took the moon’s place, the seconds when the stars were there but barely visible, and the instant the mist clung to the earth before disappearing entirely. Humans, elves, mages, and pixies alike whispered about it being the safe hour, the hour no beasts roamed the wood and they could pass through safely, without fear of becoming one of them. Of course, Ruby knew the reason for the foreboding tale, and she knew it to be true.

The last of the wolves’ howls had trailed away and now one would hardly know they’d spent the past twelve or so hours prowling and seeking, ‘protecting’ as Big said. “We are the Protectors, wolf 5,” he’d spat at her. Never would he use the names they gave themselves as they tried to remember their pasts. He wanted them to forget their beingness and become only the wolves he could use for his own means. “You ought to be proud to be one of us. Now eat and rest.” Ruby had eaten, but rather than rest, she waited for every last one of Big’s pack to drift off to sleep, shifting form one by one, Big the last of them since he’d been beast the longest, the first.

Ruby shuddered, shifting herself, and sat trembling, arms around her knees, holding on as if fearful if she didn’t she’d change back. She waited for her nausea to pass. There was a new wolf, burnt red fur like the others, coiled in the corner. She thanked the fairies it hadn’t been her doing. The memory of Lex changing him, however, still haunted her. Every time they attacked a being and took them for part of Big’s army Ruby’s heart hurt. She wanted no part of this anymore. She didn’t even care if they never got their magic back, and she didn’t want to be part of Big’s war to regain it. Maybe there’d been a good and logical reason their magic had been taken away at the time of the last war, the war that resulted in the reformation. Seeing how vicious and selfish Big was, she could imagine him with magic, misusing it, she understood the danger of a magical beast like him.

There was one thing Ruby wanted back, however. Something else they’d all lost after The Magical Reformation, and she was determined to get it back no matter what it took. Ruby rose without disturbing her sweet friend Ming who lay at her feet, his black hair draping across his forehead. Even in sleep, his face looked troubled. She would find a way to free them both from their lifelong bond to this pack. She felt for the ruby at her throat, the one with the inscription she held dear, and slipped her satchel over her shoulder, hiding it under the hooded crimson cloak she slid into, pulling its hood up over her head to hide the Mark as she stole away into the wood.

Summertime Got the Best of Me

[image error]

I always go into summer expecting to get so much done: write a novel, clean out the rooms in the basement, organize the entire house, lose a ton of weight through healthy eating and exercise, read, relax, tour historic places with my children.

The reality was that I had about four days without anything planned and used that time to do basic housekeeping: laundry, always laundry; vacuuming; washing the floors; cleaning the bathrooms. Our back hall is still a wreck of backpacks and the contents of my kids’ lockers, baseball bags and bats, hats and sunglasses, travel bags and carry-ons, and shoes. So many shoes.

When I do sit down to write, I’m paralyzed by the lack of organization of my plot and purpose for my scenes. I’ve written 23,000 words, but am just getting to the scenes I’m excited to write. Why do I do this? Am I starting the novel in the wrong place? Will I ever correct this?

Some of the positive things I’ve done this summer that perhaps you could take something away from:

I decided to end one job to take another. It was time to start something new.
I counted calories for ten days with the goal of losing two pounds every week. This was eye-opening and so necessary. I realized how much over-eating I was doing. The combination of #1 and #2 made me feel like I was purging my life of things that had been bogging me down. I feel freer and more energetic and in control of my life now.
I choose joy. Due to my faith in Christ, I have been blessed with a sense of inner peace and calm and joy. Joy and happiness are not the same things, as you probably know. I am not always happy, but deep down, I know that I am not alone and that I offer my life and all its happenings to God. I know there is a better life to come and this one is fleeting. I don’t let minor issues in life get me too upset. (Now, I do have my momentary lapses when I need to get  a grip, pray, and remind myself of God’s role in my life!) My husband gets in a tizzy about my kids’ baseball performance and I reminded, Choose joy! repeatedly this summer. (He thinks it’s a joke, I think it’s a mindset, a way of life.) (Deep down, he agrees.)
I learned about intermittent fasting. I’m in my forties and my metabolism died when I was 37. I’ve been steadily gaining weight ever since. I’m short and flat and I dislike my fatty tummy. I’m choosing the 16:8 fast so I eat from 11-7 each day. Some days I fail, but I think I’ll be able to do this long term, especially once school starts, and I’ll see if I can continue to get back down to my healthy and happy weight where my clothes fit again and I don’t feel like a bloated pile.
I started walking more. I’ve been a runner since about sixth grade when I started running the track at the YMCA on Saturday mornings and started running half marathons fourteen years ago. I haven’t run one in over a year now and can’t seem to bring myself to run most days. My dad bought me spin bike so I’ve been retraining my brain to realize that I can get fit by doing active things other than running, so I’ve begun to spin, walk, do strength work, and found a slew of youtube videos for dancing, abs, cardio, etc. I still feel like running is the best way to get good and sweaty and run off my bloat, but if I wait to run each day I’ll do nothing at all. And something is definitely better than nothing! It’s a work in progress and a thank @themeanchick from Instagram for helping me to see this. (I “met” her on Whiskey Cavalier (Scott Foley’s wife and co-star) which is a whole other blog post. Sniff. So sad it wasn’t renewed for a second season on ABC.)

So that’s me. Summer’s over and I have a new adventure in a new schoolyear awaiting me. Pics of my industrial chic/home sweet classroom are posted on Instagram or on my Facebook page if you’re interested in seeing those!

Later Gator!

Much love,

Cecelia

 

Vacation Bloopers

BLOOPER #1

My husband, sons, and I are on vacation in North Carolina during our week off of school/work. We left behind a cold, rainy/snowy Wisconsin so the cool 600-degree weather (Whoops! Typo. I meant 60-degree!) we were met with was nice, not hot as I’d hoped, but nice. I wanted sunshine and a pool, a book and a tan.

We arrived at the hotel late, late since our second flight had been delayed for three hours. When we woke up the next morning I was happy to throw open the doors of our bedroom to an outdoor private patio. The air was warm-ish even if the sky was overcast and threatening rain. That didn’t seem to matter anyhow as the outdoor pool my patio overlooked was still covered. No worries. The boys swam in the indoor pool. Later in the day, I made my way to the front desk to find out about my outdoor pool.

“Hi, when does the outdoor pool open? Later today?” I asked.

The concierge raised his eyebrow. “Later… in May,” he corrected.

BLOOPER #2

Crestfallen, my husband and I decided to check out of the hotel early and check into a new one… with a pool AND free breakfast!

This hotel had an outdoor pool and miraculously the temperature heated up to the high seventies and even low eighties for a couple of days, AND the sun came out! I basked in the sunshine and fried my skin red. Oops and ouch! Bring on the aloe and coconut oil.

Day two of my glorious hours lying by the pool (Never IN it… it was FRIGID! My kids are my heroes. They have skin like steel!) you’ll never believe what happened. Something dropped onto my foot from out of the sky. Just out of nowhere. It looked like salsa but it was warm and the goo covered the entire bridge of my foot. ACK! BLOOD AND GUTS. Seriously blood and guts must have dropped out of a hawk’s mouth from miles above and landed on my foot. I may never eat salsa again.

BLOOPER #3

Last night, mind you this is day FIVE of our vacation, my son is next to me in the bathroom where I grab my toothbrush.

“Mom, is that the toothbrush you’ve been using the whole week?” he asks.

I snatch it and hold it to my chest. “Yes… why?”

“That’s the one I’ve been using.”

“What, why? Yours is the blue one!” I hastily stick the brush back in the glass and grab the blue one instead.

“Last time we were in a hotel you said that one was mine.”

“Well, this time it wasn’t!”

Mutually disgusted, he shrugs and walks out while I brush my teeth really well with the toothbrush that hadn’t been touched all week.

THAT’S IT!

Have a blessed Holy Saturday and Easter!

XO Cecelia

BONUS BLOOPER

Ooh! I forgot one.

We are from Wisconsin, which means we are HUGE Packer fans. My husband made his way through the hotel lobby yesterday where he spotted a man wearing a green football hat. My husband passed behind him and called out, “Nice hat!”

The man turned, “You a Jets fan?”

My husband, at this point not wanting to admit he thought it was a Packer hat says, “Yeah!”

“Most people give me a hard time about wearing this thing,” the man says.

“Not me.”

I’m SO buying my husband a Jets hat for Father’s Day.

 

A Belated 2018 Reads Post

[image error]

I really thought I’d read more, but there’s a chance working on completing When Fire Rains Down took up a couple months of reading time. (That works as an excuse, right?)

I started 2018 reading The Lunar Chronicles series. I devoured these books. I LOVED them. Highly recommended for readers who enjoy young adult fairytale retellings that take place in a futuristic/dystopian/sci fi/cyberpunk world. Super fascinating and unputdownable.

Then I wanted to read some books written by indie authors like myself, so I read Huntress by Julie Hall and Unenchanted by Chanda Hahn.

Huntress. I was — What’s the word? — relieved to read Hall’s novel. Maybe relieved is not the right word. Erm… I felt a solidarity with this author I’d never met because not only was her book Christian fantasy/spiritual warfare like mine, but it had similar themes and… she took religious liberties, shall I say. I could sense that she’d taken what she holds true about her faith in God, Heaven, and life after death and put it into her novels in the same way I had. I greatly enjoyed the training for battles scenes and the relationship she created between her main character and her love interest. Definitely give her series a read. It’s complete so you can binge read it!

A reader on my street team recommended Chanda Hahn to me. Unenchanted is free (as an e-book) and I’d been into fairytale retellings after loving The Lunar Chronicle books, so Hahn’s was my next pick. She definitely had a different take on how to retell fairytales and added a new spin to them — which I loved. She needed to live out and complete each of Grimm’s fairytales, first deciding which she was becoming and then solving the challenge that went along with it. I liked the twists and the characters. Worth reading!

Last July I went to a Realm Makers’ writing conference in St. Louis and came home with Storm Siren by Mary Weber, The Girl Who Could See by Kara Swanson, and Breakwater by Catherine Jones Payne.

Storm Siren hooked me right away. There was a depth to the setting and story and descriptions that sucked me in. I couldn’t read it without coming up for air several times, though, due it being a little darker. You should read it if you like magic, hints of romantic tension, loyal friendships, and evil characters you want to go down. The Girl Who Could See was a quick read written by a young author with a great imagination. It’s the story of a girl with an imaginary friend who winds up being not-so-imaginary from a world that’s coming to destroy hers. Intrigued? You should be! Breakwater was another imaginative tale that takes place in the ocean. Think: mermaids, murder and mystery, romance, loyal (and not-so-loyal) friendships, and family drama. This series is complete (or nearly so) so it’s the perfect time to start reading it.

Once When Fire Rains Down was completed and published, I took a break from writing to read A Court of Thorn and Roses. This one had been on my TBR for a while and, again, I was hooked immediately, faster than I normally am. I really liked the main character. Her family situation made her sympathetic, and I really liked the side characters. This one had a little more explicit romance scenes than I’ve read in a while since I’ve been reading clean YA, and some violence, so be prepared. I also read The Iron King. It started out a little slow for me, very contemporary YA that took a fantastical turn. I think my favorite part of this book was the main character’s love interest.

When Fire Rains Down is my favorite in my series, in addition to Mila’s story, After the Ashes. I know many readers find my series has a slower beginning in When Ash Rains Down, a very contemporary realistic story that takes a while to dive into the fantastical battles that accompany angel vs demon stories, and Julia’s character takes a bit to like, but it’s all worth it when everything plays out in the finale, I promise! There’s a secret legend and all the characters really need to come together to defeat evil. Julia has had a lot to learn and she uses every lesson to become a powerful female hero. You’ll love her even if you didn’t at first.

My reward for finishing (and releasing) Cole’s novella, After the Smoke, was to read Rachel Morgan’s new urban fantasy series, Elemental Thief and Elemental Power (The third book will be out later this year, I believe.). I love loved Elemental Thief. I was so excited to find that Morgan continues to amaze me no matter what genre or series she writes.  Elemental Thief is about a girl with illegal magic that she needs to keep hidden for the safety of her friends and family. She steals to survive and help others. She discovers an underground world with others like her… What are you waiting for? Go and start reading it now!

Morgan’s a go-to author for me, and she’s another talented and successful indie author! In addition to reading her latest books, you should definitely read her first series. (A series you can binge read for a long, long time since it has many books it!) The Faerie Guardian has fairies with magic and flying carpets and romance and mystery and danger).

Welp, that wraps up my 2018 reads. Hope you found several new-to-you titles/authors you can read in 2019! (Search for them on Goodreads or Amazon or any online retailer! Most are also available in paperback and some as an audiobook.)

I’m working on a new series this year, too. Clues about it: royalty, academy, dystopian, murder, mystery, secrets, romance, friendships. More about all that in another post!

For now, happy reading! (And stay safe and warm. We are being blasted by snow and cold and ice in Wisconsin. What a winter!)

Much love,

Cecelia XO

 

New Release (Sort of… )

Hello there!

Now that it’s 2019, I need to set some goals. Namely, major writing and publishing goals and blogging goals. I’ll save the details for another post. However, I royally dropped the ball on blogging last year. So let me begin meeting my blogging goals by blogging to tell you some belated news.

I didn’t even tell you that I released After the Smoke, Cole’s story!

Yes, it’s true. It went live December 27 on almost all online retailers. Learn more or grab your copy here. 

Cole’s character was a favorite for many readers, a mystery for sure. This story takes place during book 2 of my series, When Smoke Rains Down, when he disappears after detaining himself, worried he’s too evil to remain on Earth, and it’s told solely from his point of view.

[image error]

Here’s chapter one:

I attempt to go invisible at the sound of a familiar, eerie voice and high-heeled footsteps, but the best I can manage is to flicker translucently. I try again and fail. My human hands sweat as I panic.

My senses are off, and it’s hard to place the voice. The hairs on my arms rise and my chest constricts. I place my hand on a locker as cool as Shady Creek’s rushing waters and lean toward the voice. It’s deep and formal. I know I know its owner.

I shake my head and exhale. Fully invisible, for the blessed moment, my wings reach across the hallway. Then, everything brightens as a human student, Kari, rounds the corner.

With Legion.

I should’ve known.

Kari and I have hung out together a couple times while I tried to fit into the high school scene. She and her friends warmed to me and helped me stay inconspicuous and close to my human-angel Hybrid charge, Julia. What Kari’s doing with Legion is beyond me, and beyond frightening. I’ve not noticed her around him before, not even before I became human.

It feels as though it’s been three seconds since I chose to stay as humanly visible as possible, but watching Julia age tells me it’s been three years.

Three years.

Three years, and I’ve nearly forgotten the sensation this particular demon brings. Legion smells of burnt feathers and rotting soul. Under his jeans and black jacket, his skin is green and scaly. His eyes are bottomless tunnels devoid of light. A wave of disappointment and disgust nearly overtakes me. I don’t think Kari can see him there by her side.

She’s wearing her usual heels and short skirt. Her big brown eyes are wide and light up when they spot me. I sigh and hang my head. I’m visible again. I look up at her from under the hair that’s fallen to partially cover my eyes.

I push off the lockers, straightening to greet her with a smile.

“Cole,” she says, her voice breathless as a whisper. “What are…? Why…?” She composes herself and tries again, ducking her chin to look at me through her long lashes. “Shouldn’t you be in class?”

I turn and walk alongside her. “Shouldn’t you?” Behind us, the hall is empty. Legion has vanished. Kari’s Guardian Angel is also nowhere in sight—a troublesome observation.

She gently bumps her shoulder into my arm and giggles. “Funny. I’m getting there.” She holds out a slip, flutters it in front of me. “I have a pass. Ran an errand for Ms. Wiltrow.”

I nod and sidestep left so we’re no longer touching. “Of course.”

The doors at the end of this high school hallway offer a glimpse of a dreary fall day, overcast and grim, like Kari after I attempt to ignore her plea for approval. I may be an angel, but I know flirting when I see it. Even when it’s directed at me.

Especially when it’s directed at me.

Flirting makes the human hairs on the back of my neck prickle and my palms sweat. Humanity is hard to endure. Emotions swirl. Most of them make me nauseous. Maybe that’s how it is with everyone. Or maybe that’s just how it is with me, because I’m not supposed to be human. Maybe it’s a side effect, a flu-like symptom telling me to forego this plan I devised when it seemed like a good idea.

Nicholas told me over and over not to do it, not to become human to better guard Julia. He suspected the results could be catastrophic. I wanted to be as close as I could, to protect Julia from the inside for once. Lucifer found out about her dad—their entire family— and is about to zero in on them. Julia’s close to realizing what she is, and I have to be a physical presence in her life when she does. She has to have someone to turn to, someone to trust. That someone should have been her father, Raif, or even Tobias, but they’re gone now.

I’m doing what I have to do.

Except I’m losing control.

We round a corner. Legion reappears, as if he entered through the doors to our right. But they remain still and no autumn air rushes in at us from outside. Yet he’s visible to everyone. He beckons Kari with an outstretched finger, and Kari whirls, looking at him demurely through her lashes over her shoulder. She fights a smile, but it wins out over her red, pouty lips. I grimace.

“Lovely girl, come here,” he lures. Whether he says the words aloud for her to hear or not, I’m not sure. But she reacts as if she heard them spoken and obeys.

In that moment, the bell announcing class’s end sounds and classroom doors swing open in slow motion, one after another, along the hallway we’ve turned down. I guess Kari won’t be making it back to that class after all.

My humanity and angelic Glory mix and combat one another, causing my senses to overload. I cringe at the sounds, the light, the movement. Kari bends her head to listen to what Legion is saying, her ear brushing his shoulder. Heads bob in the way of my view. Lockers slam and each one is like a slap to my face. Tormented, I consider exiting to find peace among the trees beside the building.

But then, my charge, Julia, is among the crowd filtering through the halls. She’s a light, a blip of something lovely amidst the dreary. It’s lunchtime, and the students are more energetic than at an earlier hour. They rush toward their lockers, whooping and hollering, tossing novels with half-torn pages at one another and balling up loose-leaf paper to dunk into corner garbage cans. They greet me with smiles and shouts. But I’m not really here to be popular. I’m here to watch and protect. And Legion’s black eyes roving toward Julia is not lost on me. What is he up to?

“Cole.”

I start at the sound of my name. A towering figure hovers above me before lowering himself to stand beside my half-human form. He’s dressed in a cream-colored robe. His wings are white, but they cast shadows, hiding me. To the students here, I am a physical attribute: a football star, a friend, a smiling light bringing happiness to any boring class we share. To myself, I’m fading. I’m losing control. I’m darkness and mistakes.

I’m regret.

With the angel’s Glorious aid, I become transparent and then invisible.   

I nod in gratitude. “Gavril.”

We step aside and observe. The hallway is in chaos. Humans are loud and active. Their respective Guardian Angels hover, offering guidance. Demons slither like whispers; the hallway sounds as if it’s been invaded by a knot of snakes. Warrior Angels, too, stand guard, waiting for a demon to step out of line, to attack a human soul.

Each soul is as visible as their body when I’m able to use my Glory to see them. Some are bright as the sun, strong and pure. Others dim or flickering. It’s the recent flickering of Julia’s that’s got me on edge. It’s a recent phenomenon, and I know I’m the cause of it.

Because of me—not some demon—she’s losing her Grace. And I have to do something to remedy that, something drastic.

Continue reading… 

Now find When Ash Rains Down (and all my books) at your favorite retailer! (And it’s FREE!)

Big changes are in store for readers of my Kingdom Come: The Legend of Shady Creek series.

First off, When Ash Rains Down, When Smoke Rains Down, and When Fire Rains Down have new e-book covers. And they no longer include the bonus stories Before the Ashes and After the Ashes. Both companion stories are still available, only separately. No changes have been made to the paperback versions (same covers, bonus stories included).

 

 

As the exclusivity period at Amazon ends, books are becoming available at all of your favorite digital stores. (In addition to the stores shown here, you will soon also be able to find my books on Google Play, Overdrive, and Bibliotheca.)

[image error]

Whether you read e-books or paperbacks, you have many options available to purchase my books. (They may also be available in hardback as early as next spring!) Find out where my books are sold here.

BEST OF ALL When Ash Rains Down is now FREE everywhere but Amazon. (Feel free to suggest this price to Amazon at the bottom of When Ash Rains Down’s book page and Amazon will make it free also!) Get your copy today and tell all your reading friends and family!

Have a blessed weekend!

Cecelia

Don’t ignore the signs or symptoms!

Hope you’re doing well!

Life’s had some challenging moments for me recently. My dad got really sick due to the prescription medication he was taking for his cholesterol. I’m an only child and my mom passed away a couple of years ago, so taking care of him was left up to me alone.

I was a bit of a wreck on the inside, but I’d like to believe I acted tough and strong on the outside. I’ll admit that when life or death situations arise, my adrenaline kicks in full gear. My faith in Christ and the promise of Heaven, I believe, also holds me together. I know, deep down, that there’s nothing much I can do to alter life, but what I can control are my actions and my words, and I hope that the way I respond makes any ordeal easier for everyone else going through it alongside me.

Do I have my moments? Yes. Get cranky? Yes. Cry? Sometimes. But for the most part, I think I’m a pretty tough cookie.

After six weeks of worrying and caring for him while he was hospitalized and then in a nursing home for physical therapy, he’s home and much healthier and stronger. Praise God! We are so thankful to the doctors, caregivers, friends, and family who helped us through that time.

For the longest time, I thought my dad was getting old. Giving up because he refused to stop grieving my mom in a way that didn’t consume him and his life without her. It turned out he was also very sick. His medication took his appetite, made him weak, shaky, tired, and achy. Finally, he was so overcome with pain and weakness and an inability to eat that he wanted to die. He told me that early one Friday morning while I was getting ready for work. Those were not easy words to swallow, and for about a week I panicked trying to figure out how to raise three school-aged children, work full time, plan a funeral, sell his house, and store all the items of my mom’s and grandmothers’ I wanted to save for my children. In that time, however, I took off work, convinced him to live, to eat, and to see a doctor. Days later, I took him to the emergency room.

Six weeks later, he’s focused on staying healthy and getting stronger. He doesn’t fixate on my mom anymore. He’s easier to talk to. I hope he’ll be happier. We’re hoping to help him to be. As for me, I had a week of rest, because once my adrenaline high wore off I was exhausted. (Well, I rested at night after working and this past Saturday… but that was enough!) And now, I’m ready to write again and spend some time taking care of my book business while also catching up on my teaching job and my family. Just in time for the holidays.

But, readers, pay attention to the side effect warnings of your prescription medications!! They’re for real!

Much love and happy reading! Stay safe. And if something doesn’t feel right, call your doctor and get it checked out. Please.

Cecelia [image error]

P.S. I’m reading A Court of Thorn and Roses right now!

Time’s running out!

It’s your last chance to read the Kingdom Come companion stories for free!

 

For the past year, Before the Ashes and After the Ashes have been included in When Ash Rains Down and When Smoke Rains Down. Within a week or two, they will be removed from the e-book versions so that readers will only be able to read them if they purchase them separately from the series’ main novels.

The companion stories will always be available within the paperback and hardback versions for readers who prefer that format. As soon as Cole’s and Mitch’s stories are published, they will be included in When Fire Rains Down‘s paperback/hardback format. (Cole’s story is already available for preorder.)

ALSO. E-book prices will be going up within a month in order to keep up with the market and to ensure that I am able to continue writing quality books for you to read.

So, if you’ve yet to grab a copy of one of my books, this is the time to do so!

As I work to make changes and offer the best product possible to as many readers as possible, I’d love some input from you. If you have time, please answer a handful of questions on this anonymous survey. Thanks in advance!

You’ll know when the changes have taken place because the e-book versions of When Ash Rains Down, When Smoke Rains Down, and When Fire Rains Down will have new covers without the bonus story sticker on the front.

 

There’s a chance the books will soon be removed from Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited program and be made available on all e-book retailers. Your answers to questions on the survey may help me to make this final decision. Paperbacks are already available on many online retailers as well. (Learn more about where my books can be found on my Books page.)

You can always request my paperbacks at your local library and bookstores by taking their titles and ISBNs along with you. Find the information you need here (site) or here (doc).

In addition to finishing up Cole’s and Mitch’s story, I’m working on several other new series… one, in particular, has me very excited!

Hope you’re doing well. Life’s had some challenging moments for me recently. I’ll tell you about them in my next post.

Much love and happy reading!

Cecelia

Preorder Cole’s story today!

Find out what happened to Cole when he disappeared during When Smoke Rains Down!

[image error]When Cole’s humanity comes at a price, he pays with his freedom. Sentencing himself to exile in realms outside angelic protection, he’s literally in Hell.

But once his charge’s father, Raif, is abducted and detained in the cell next to him, he’s determined to set him free. After all, his charge is also the love of his existence. The trouble is, the devil has given him the task of siphoning Raif’s soul to fuel his army with his human-angel Hybrid power. And if he doesn’t comply, they may both be doomed to an eternity of withering away while their Glory helps Hell’s kingdom come.

With Cole’s will and energy draining, will he be able to fight off the demands of Hell to save the last of his goodness, or will he fade away, leaving his charge and her family forever at the mercy of the Prince of Hell?

After the Smoke is a behind the scenes look at the world beyond Julia’s earthly realm in Shady Creek. A Kingdom Come Novella, this is Cole’s story, Book 2.5.

Order your copy today!

WWW Wednesday

WWW Wednesday is hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words! All you have to do is answers the following three questions:

What are you currently reading?

What did you recently finish reading?

What do you think you’ll read next?

 

CURRENTLY READING

[image error]

I just started reading this one. It switches back and forth between present and past, so it’ll be a different read. I’m excited to dive into the world Swanson created!

All her life Fern has been told she is blind to reality—but, what if she is the only one who can truly see?

Fern Johnson is crazy. At least, that’s what the doctors have claimed since her childhood. Now nineteen, and one step away from a psych ward, Fern struggles to survive in bustling Los Angeles. Desperate to appear normal, she represses the young man flickering at the edge of her awareness—a blond warrior only she can see. 

Tristan was Fern’s childhood imaginary hero, saving her from monsters under her bed and outside her walls. As she grew up and his secret world continued to bleed into hers, however, it only caused catastrophe. But, when the city is rocked by the unexplainable, Fern is forced to consider the possibility that this young man is not a hallucination after all—and that the creature who decimated his world may be coming for hers.

RECENTLY FINISHED READING

[image error]

This one sucked me in and yet at times I had to set it down and walk away from it. Parts of it were dark and emotional and I needed a break. The language was beautiful and the world was intriguing– a mixture of dystopian and fantastical, though I think the magical portions were just touched upon. I look forward to seeing more of the magic–the siren–in the next installment.

As a slave in the war-weary kingdom of Faelen, seventeen-year-old Nym isn’t merely devoid of rights, her Elemental kind are only born male and always killed at birth–meaning, she shouldn’t even exist.

Standing on the auction block beneath smoke-drenched mountains, Nym faces her fifteenth sell. But when her hood is removed and her storm-summoning killing curse revealed, Nym is snatched up by a court advisor and given a choice: be trained as the weapon Faelen needs to win the war or be killed.

Choosing the former, Nym is unleashed into a world of politics, bizarre parties, and rumors of an evil more sinister than she’s being prepared to fight . . . not to mention the trainer whose dark secrets lie behind a mysterious ability to calm every lightning strike she summons.

But what if she doesn’t want to be the weapon they’ve all been waiting for? Set in a beautifully eclectic world of suspicion, super abilities, and monsters, Storm Siren is a story of power. And whoever controls that power will win.

WHAT I’LL READ NEXT

[image error]

I’ve wanted to read this one for a while. It’s spiritual warfare, the same genre my current series is, so I can’t wait to find out How hall creates her world.

Death was only the beginning.

No one’s afterlife is as dispiriting as Audrey’s–at least that’s what she believes after waking up dead without her memories and being promptly assigned to hunt demons for the rest of eternity.

She’s convinced there’s been a cosmic mistake; after all, she’d rather discuss the color of her nails than break them on angelic weapons. It doesn’t help that her trainer, Logan, is as infuriating as he is attractive. 

When an ancient weapon of unparalleled power chooses Audrey as its wielder, attracting the cautious gazes of her fellow hunters and the attention of Satan himself, Logan is the only one she can trust. With Satan’s eyes now fixed on Audrey, a battle for the safety of the living looms in the shadows.

Your turn!

Much love,

Cecelia

ps my shift appears to be broken so im unable to capitalize… any ideas what’s wrong with my laptop? how annoying!