Aiden James's Blog
November 9, 2025
Scarlet Hemlock: The Origin Story of Allie Mae
Greetings my friends!
Just a note that my latest book is available, and it represents my very best work to date! :-)
It is the Prequel to the Cades Cove Series and is called "Scarlet Hemlock: The Origin Story of Allie Mae".
I can tell you the experience in writing this story has been so profound that I will now use this same approach to rework the first four books in the Cades Cove Series to bring them up to this level.
Why bother, you might ask?
Because the very last book in the series (Book 5) will have strong ties to the Prequel as we wrap up the thrilling supernatural journey of John Running Deer and his granddaughter, Evelyn "Two Doves Rising" Sherman. That last book will be just as epic as Scarlet Hemlock has turned out to be.
So, to get a feel for what to expect with the four coming revisions for Books One through Four, which should be done within the next year (as well as a preview of the style of Book Five), I encourage you to check out Scarlet Hemlock that is available now on Amazon for the Kindle ebook and the paperback versions (with versions to come soon for Nook, Kobo, and Apple as well).
Here is the description below, and Happy Reading to you all! :-)
~Aiden
Scarlet Hemlock: The Origin Story of Allie Mae presents a compelling narrative by Allie Mae McCormick shortly after her brutal murder in the spring of 1916.
Chronicling her life of just seventeen years from beyond Death’s Veil, Allie Mae’s story begins in early childhood as a beautiful, precocious, and innocent young girl residing in Cades Cove during the dawn of the twentieth century. Long before she became the violent wraith who haunted David Hobbs and his family in Tennessee and Colorado, Allie was once a carefree kid who deeply loved her family and rural community.
Much of Allie’s recollection features a unique telepathic bond with her beloved sister, Emma Sue, as well as their deep devotion to each other. In addition, Allie’s narrative also focuses on a darker fascination and friendship with an ancient entity residing in a magical realm hidden within an isolated ravine not far from her family’s homestead.
Drawn to this mysterious ravine at a young age, where local teenagers pursue wanton desires and leave crudely carved initials upon the majestic trees lining both banks, the entity—known previously in Europe as Teutates—has quietly waited centuries for a human being special and unique enough to discover his realm. Someone possessing unusual supernatural gifts and a natural bent towards witchcraft.
Someone just like Allie Mae.
Unable to resist the entity’s persistent enticements, Allie answers the silent call to begin a supernatural adventure lasting nearly a decade.... An adventure filled with enchantment, love, and deadly betrayal.
Just a note that my latest book is available, and it represents my very best work to date! :-)
It is the Prequel to the Cades Cove Series and is called "Scarlet Hemlock: The Origin Story of Allie Mae".
I can tell you the experience in writing this story has been so profound that I will now use this same approach to rework the first four books in the Cades Cove Series to bring them up to this level.
Why bother, you might ask?
Because the very last book in the series (Book 5) will have strong ties to the Prequel as we wrap up the thrilling supernatural journey of John Running Deer and his granddaughter, Evelyn "Two Doves Rising" Sherman. That last book will be just as epic as Scarlet Hemlock has turned out to be.
So, to get a feel for what to expect with the four coming revisions for Books One through Four, which should be done within the next year (as well as a preview of the style of Book Five), I encourage you to check out Scarlet Hemlock that is available now on Amazon for the Kindle ebook and the paperback versions (with versions to come soon for Nook, Kobo, and Apple as well).
Here is the description below, and Happy Reading to you all! :-)
~Aiden
Scarlet Hemlock: The Origin Story of Allie Mae presents a compelling narrative by Allie Mae McCormick shortly after her brutal murder in the spring of 1916.
Chronicling her life of just seventeen years from beyond Death’s Veil, Allie Mae’s story begins in early childhood as a beautiful, precocious, and innocent young girl residing in Cades Cove during the dawn of the twentieth century. Long before she became the violent wraith who haunted David Hobbs and his family in Tennessee and Colorado, Allie was once a carefree kid who deeply loved her family and rural community.
Much of Allie’s recollection features a unique telepathic bond with her beloved sister, Emma Sue, as well as their deep devotion to each other. In addition, Allie’s narrative also focuses on a darker fascination and friendship with an ancient entity residing in a magical realm hidden within an isolated ravine not far from her family’s homestead.
Drawn to this mysterious ravine at a young age, where local teenagers pursue wanton desires and leave crudely carved initials upon the majestic trees lining both banks, the entity—known previously in Europe as Teutates—has quietly waited centuries for a human being special and unique enough to discover his realm. Someone possessing unusual supernatural gifts and a natural bent towards witchcraft.
Someone just like Allie Mae.
Unable to resist the entity’s persistent enticements, Allie answers the silent call to begin a supernatural adventure lasting nearly a decade.... An adventure filled with enchantment, love, and deadly betrayal.
Scarlet Hemlock: The Origin Story of Allie Mae
Greetings my friends!
Just a note that my latest book is available, and it represents my very best work to date! :-)
It is the Prequel to the Cades Cove Series and is called "Scarlet Hemlock: The Origin Story of Allie Mae".
I can tell you the experience in writing this story has been so profound that I will now use this same approach to rework the first four books in the Cades Cove Series to bring them up to this level.
Why bother, you might ask?
Because the very last book in the series (Book 5) will have strong ties to the Prequel as we wrap up the thrilling supernatural journey of John Running Deer and his granddaughter, Evelyn "Two Doves Rising" Sherman. That last book will be just as epic as Scarlet Hemlock has turned out to be.
So, to get a feel for what to expect with the four coming revisions for Books One through Four, which should be done within the next year (as well as a preview of the style of Book Five), I encourage you to check out Scarlet Hemlock that is available now on Amazon for the Kindle ebook and the paperback versions (with versions to come soon for Nook, Kobo, and Apple as well).
Here is the description below, and Happy Reading to you all! :-)
~Aiden
Scarlet Hemlock: The Origin Story of Allie Mae presents a compelling narrative by Allie Mae McCormick shortly after her brutal murder in the spring of 1916.
Chronicling her life of just seventeen years from beyond Death’s Veil, Allie Mae’s story begins in early childhood as a beautiful, precocious, and innocent young girl residing in Cades Cove during the dawn of the twentieth century. Long before she became the violent wraith who haunted David Hobbs and his family in Tennessee and Colorado, Allie was once a carefree kid who deeply loved her family and rural community.
Much of Allie’s recollection features a unique telepathic bond with her beloved sister, Emma Sue, as well as their deep devotion to each other. In addition, Allie’s narrative also focuses on a darker fascination and friendship with an ancient entity residing in a magical realm hidden within an isolated ravine not far from her family’s homestead.
Drawn to this mysterious ravine at a young age, where local teenagers pursue wanton desires and leave crudely carved initials upon the majestic trees lining both banks, the entity—known previously in Europe as Teutates—has quietly waited centuries for a human being special and unique enough to discover his realm. Someone possessing unusual supernatural gifts and a natural bent towards witchcraft.
Someone just like Allie Mae.
Unable to resist the entity’s persistent enticements, Allie answers the silent call to begin a supernatural adventure lasting nearly a decade.... An adventure filled with enchantment, love, and deadly betrayal.
Just a note that my latest book is available, and it represents my very best work to date! :-)
It is the Prequel to the Cades Cove Series and is called "Scarlet Hemlock: The Origin Story of Allie Mae".
I can tell you the experience in writing this story has been so profound that I will now use this same approach to rework the first four books in the Cades Cove Series to bring them up to this level.
Why bother, you might ask?
Because the very last book in the series (Book 5) will have strong ties to the Prequel as we wrap up the thrilling supernatural journey of John Running Deer and his granddaughter, Evelyn "Two Doves Rising" Sherman. That last book will be just as epic as Scarlet Hemlock has turned out to be.
So, to get a feel for what to expect with the four coming revisions for Books One through Four, which should be done within the next year (as well as a preview of the style of Book Five), I encourage you to check out Scarlet Hemlock that is available now on Amazon for the Kindle ebook and the paperback versions (with versions to come soon for Nook, Kobo, and Apple as well).
Here is the description below, and Happy Reading to you all! :-)
~Aiden
Scarlet Hemlock: The Origin Story of Allie Mae presents a compelling narrative by Allie Mae McCormick shortly after her brutal murder in the spring of 1916.
Chronicling her life of just seventeen years from beyond Death’s Veil, Allie Mae’s story begins in early childhood as a beautiful, precocious, and innocent young girl residing in Cades Cove during the dawn of the twentieth century. Long before she became the violent wraith who haunted David Hobbs and his family in Tennessee and Colorado, Allie was once a carefree kid who deeply loved her family and rural community.
Much of Allie’s recollection features a unique telepathic bond with her beloved sister, Emma Sue, as well as their deep devotion to each other. In addition, Allie’s narrative also focuses on a darker fascination and friendship with an ancient entity residing in a magical realm hidden within an isolated ravine not far from her family’s homestead.
Drawn to this mysterious ravine at a young age, where local teenagers pursue wanton desires and leave crudely carved initials upon the majestic trees lining both banks, the entity—known previously in Europe as Teutates—has quietly waited centuries for a human being special and unique enough to discover his realm. Someone possessing unusual supernatural gifts and a natural bent towards witchcraft.
Someone just like Allie Mae.
Unable to resist the entity’s persistent enticements, Allie answers the silent call to begin a supernatural adventure lasting nearly a decade.... An adventure filled with enchantment, love, and deadly betrayal.
October 4, 2022
Eden's Lie
Here is my latest book--the first new one in nearly a year, and for a brand new series! :-)
First in the Thrilling BloodStar Chronicles.
Within the deep woods of rural Alabama, along the forgotten southern course of the Black Warrior River, lies an unseen world long feared by the residents of the tiny town of Carlsdale.
Down through the centuries, few people have survived a visit to this hidden place long enough to talk about it. Among these fortunate souls is Jack Kenney.
Thirteen years old at the time of the event, Jack and his family were forced to flee Carlsdale in the aftermath and head north to the larger city of Tuscaloosa. Mercifully, the menace from their former home left them in peace for nearly eight years... But everything has changed after the brutal murder of a noted archaeologist and professor from the University of Alabama.
Jack and his older brother, Jeremy Kenney, attend the University and are close friends of the late professor. Within days of his death, they are abducted by a secretive federal agency determined to unlock life-changing secrets from Jack’s experience as an adolescent that could also reveal the identity of a mysterious menace threatening the entire Earth in the present.
However, until a persuasive agent sharing similar personal demons joins the interrogation, Jack remains mum. Sharing what he knows could place those he loves in grave danger... not to mention set off potentially dire repercussions for the rest of humanity.
Willing to talk after so many years spent in sworn silence, Jack leads Special Agent Peter McNamee on an extraordinary roller-coaster ride involving a mystical and deadly realm in America’s Deep South.
To learn more, please check out the link below:
https://amzn.to/3e88oh6
First in the Thrilling BloodStar Chronicles.
Within the deep woods of rural Alabama, along the forgotten southern course of the Black Warrior River, lies an unseen world long feared by the residents of the tiny town of Carlsdale.
Down through the centuries, few people have survived a visit to this hidden place long enough to talk about it. Among these fortunate souls is Jack Kenney.
Thirteen years old at the time of the event, Jack and his family were forced to flee Carlsdale in the aftermath and head north to the larger city of Tuscaloosa. Mercifully, the menace from their former home left them in peace for nearly eight years... But everything has changed after the brutal murder of a noted archaeologist and professor from the University of Alabama.
Jack and his older brother, Jeremy Kenney, attend the University and are close friends of the late professor. Within days of his death, they are abducted by a secretive federal agency determined to unlock life-changing secrets from Jack’s experience as an adolescent that could also reveal the identity of a mysterious menace threatening the entire Earth in the present.
However, until a persuasive agent sharing similar personal demons joins the interrogation, Jack remains mum. Sharing what he knows could place those he loves in grave danger... not to mention set off potentially dire repercussions for the rest of humanity.
Willing to talk after so many years spent in sworn silence, Jack leads Special Agent Peter McNamee on an extraordinary roller-coaster ride involving a mystical and deadly realm in America’s Deep South.
To learn more, please check out the link below:
https://amzn.to/3e88oh6
December 6, 2021
Cades Cove #4 is here! :-)
Greetings my friends!
Just wanted to take a moment to let you all know that the Fourth installment of The Cades Cove Series--"THE OBSIDIAN CURSE"--is now available for the Kindle and Paperback versions! ❤
This latest chapter in the saga featuring John Running Deer and his 'shaman-medium' granddaughter, Evelyn"Two Doves Rising" Sherman, pits the pair against a legendary entity long feared in the Smoky Mountain region: Spearfinger.
Below is the books description, followed by the Amazon book links for those interested to learn more.
May the holidays be a safe and blessed time with your loved ones, my friends! ~ Aiden
More than a year has passed since shaman John Running Deer and his equally gifted granddaughter, Evelyn Sherman, battled Brigindo and Teutates’ other three siblings in Cherokee, North Carolina. At the time, John and Evelyn prayed this would be it for dealing with violent ancient entities that supersede the normal realm of ghosts and other mischievous spirits. They naively equated the Hobbs family’s return to peaceful lives in Colorado as the end of their own misadventures with the supernatural.
They couldn’t have been more wrong.
When the sudden appearance of an obsidian spearhead fused to fossilized finger bones shows up at a brutal crime scene in western North Carolina, where six young adults have been horrifically slaughtered, John and Evelyn are soon pulled back into the realm they had hoped to avoid revisiting. But this time it is an entity quite familiar to them—a long-feared demoness from their Cherokee heritage: Utlunta... better known as Spearfinger.
The ancient spearhead and finger bones are unwittingly reintroduced into Utlunta’s ancient hunting grounds after a UNC professor brings the ‘relic’ to John’s home in Tennessee. Dr. James Rosenthal’s stated hopes that John and Evelyn could rebury the macabre item in the very same tomb the demoness was originally laid to rest by Cherokee warriors three centuries earlier is an effort in vain. Once Spearfinger regains a foothold into our world, a bloody campaign begins as the demoness seeks to reestablish her realm in the heart of Blount County where her famed tomb is located, and which is also home to the legendary Smoky Mountain mecca, Cades Cove.
Can John and Evelyn find a way to stop Untlunta’s merciless bloody rampage before she becomes fully established in our world? Or, is this the menace that finally brings John and Evelyn—along with the modern world—to their knees?
These answers and more await discovery in The Obsidian Curse.
Kindle: https://amzn.to/3opiU5L
Paperback: https://amzn.to/2ZUlmrA
Just wanted to take a moment to let you all know that the Fourth installment of The Cades Cove Series--"THE OBSIDIAN CURSE"--is now available for the Kindle and Paperback versions! ❤
This latest chapter in the saga featuring John Running Deer and his 'shaman-medium' granddaughter, Evelyn"Two Doves Rising" Sherman, pits the pair against a legendary entity long feared in the Smoky Mountain region: Spearfinger.
Below is the books description, followed by the Amazon book links for those interested to learn more.
May the holidays be a safe and blessed time with your loved ones, my friends! ~ Aiden
More than a year has passed since shaman John Running Deer and his equally gifted granddaughter, Evelyn Sherman, battled Brigindo and Teutates’ other three siblings in Cherokee, North Carolina. At the time, John and Evelyn prayed this would be it for dealing with violent ancient entities that supersede the normal realm of ghosts and other mischievous spirits. They naively equated the Hobbs family’s return to peaceful lives in Colorado as the end of their own misadventures with the supernatural.
They couldn’t have been more wrong.
When the sudden appearance of an obsidian spearhead fused to fossilized finger bones shows up at a brutal crime scene in western North Carolina, where six young adults have been horrifically slaughtered, John and Evelyn are soon pulled back into the realm they had hoped to avoid revisiting. But this time it is an entity quite familiar to them—a long-feared demoness from their Cherokee heritage: Utlunta... better known as Spearfinger.
The ancient spearhead and finger bones are unwittingly reintroduced into Utlunta’s ancient hunting grounds after a UNC professor brings the ‘relic’ to John’s home in Tennessee. Dr. James Rosenthal’s stated hopes that John and Evelyn could rebury the macabre item in the very same tomb the demoness was originally laid to rest by Cherokee warriors three centuries earlier is an effort in vain. Once Spearfinger regains a foothold into our world, a bloody campaign begins as the demoness seeks to reestablish her realm in the heart of Blount County where her famed tomb is located, and which is also home to the legendary Smoky Mountain mecca, Cades Cove.
Can John and Evelyn find a way to stop Untlunta’s merciless bloody rampage before she becomes fully established in our world? Or, is this the menace that finally brings John and Evelyn—along with the modern world—to their knees?
These answers and more await discovery in The Obsidian Curse.
Kindle: https://amzn.to/3opiU5L
Paperback: https://amzn.to/2ZUlmrA
February 8, 2021
"Witch out of Water" is live!
Greetings everyone! 🙂
The long awaited sequel to "The Witches of Denmark"--and my first solo novel in almost two years--is finally here! 🙂
Yes, "Witch out of Water" is live and available for purchase via the links below! ❤
***For those curious or unfamiliar about this story--which I can honestly state is the most fun novel I've worked on in many years--I've enclosed the description beneath the purchase links.***
Thank you for your patience, my friends, and Happy Reading to you all! 🙂 ❤
Aiden
Paperback: https://amzn.to/3tBVScx
Kindle ebook: https://amzn.to/3a0x9qz
After being sentenced to a purgatorial world known as Bajenie in July 2019, for the crime of falling in love with a sworn enemy’s daughter, Sebastian Radu is finally allowed to return home to Twin Magnolias....
Filled with the hope of somehow reuniting with his beloved Daciana Matei, Sebastian soon discovers that what he assumed was merely a two-month incarceration has turned out to be fourteen months. It’s now September 2020... and much has changed in Denmark, Tennessee, as well as throughout the world. Especially, in the realm of practitioners of magic.
A tenuous truce has been hammered out between the local Radus and Mateis, and overseen by the EEC (European Elders Council) along with their extended families throughout the Earth. In addition, EEC ‘constables’ have been assigned to Denmark, in order to ensure both families comply with the treaty’s terms.
But the wild cards are ‘Bas’ and ‘Daci’, who must remain permanently separated for the fragile peace to be finalized. At present, Sebastian is restricted to his local neighborhood in Denmark, while Daciana is kept under lock and key in an ancient castle, just outside Bucharest, Romania—more than five thousand miles away. Worse, she is set to wed a Romanian noble who happens to be the descendant of one of the world’s most powerful wizards.
Sadly, it appears Sebastian is left only with the option of trying to move on with his life.
But you know what they say about the power of true love....
Amid challenges of navigating a pandemic that has gripped the world of mortals, Bas is drawn to the encouragement from a mysterious benefactor offering a path to attain his heart’s desire. But at what cost?
Caught between forces and factions bearing down upon him from all directions, the worrisome possibility of being thrown back into a far lengthier prison sentence increases with each perilous decision Sebastian is faced with. Loyalty to family and the greater good versus devotion to one’s heart can bring dire consequences.... Consequences that await resolution in Witch out of Water.
The long awaited sequel to "The Witches of Denmark"--and my first solo novel in almost two years--is finally here! 🙂
Yes, "Witch out of Water" is live and available for purchase via the links below! ❤
***For those curious or unfamiliar about this story--which I can honestly state is the most fun novel I've worked on in many years--I've enclosed the description beneath the purchase links.***
Thank you for your patience, my friends, and Happy Reading to you all! 🙂 ❤
Aiden
Paperback: https://amzn.to/3tBVScx
Kindle ebook: https://amzn.to/3a0x9qz
After being sentenced to a purgatorial world known as Bajenie in July 2019, for the crime of falling in love with a sworn enemy’s daughter, Sebastian Radu is finally allowed to return home to Twin Magnolias....
Filled with the hope of somehow reuniting with his beloved Daciana Matei, Sebastian soon discovers that what he assumed was merely a two-month incarceration has turned out to be fourteen months. It’s now September 2020... and much has changed in Denmark, Tennessee, as well as throughout the world. Especially, in the realm of practitioners of magic.
A tenuous truce has been hammered out between the local Radus and Mateis, and overseen by the EEC (European Elders Council) along with their extended families throughout the Earth. In addition, EEC ‘constables’ have been assigned to Denmark, in order to ensure both families comply with the treaty’s terms.
But the wild cards are ‘Bas’ and ‘Daci’, who must remain permanently separated for the fragile peace to be finalized. At present, Sebastian is restricted to his local neighborhood in Denmark, while Daciana is kept under lock and key in an ancient castle, just outside Bucharest, Romania—more than five thousand miles away. Worse, she is set to wed a Romanian noble who happens to be the descendant of one of the world’s most powerful wizards.
Sadly, it appears Sebastian is left only with the option of trying to move on with his life.
But you know what they say about the power of true love....
Amid challenges of navigating a pandemic that has gripped the world of mortals, Bas is drawn to the encouragement from a mysterious benefactor offering a path to attain his heart’s desire. But at what cost?
Caught between forces and factions bearing down upon him from all directions, the worrisome possibility of being thrown back into a far lengthier prison sentence increases with each perilous decision Sebastian is faced with. Loyalty to family and the greater good versus devotion to one’s heart can bring dire consequences.... Consequences that await resolution in Witch out of Water.
September 18, 2020
The Ghost Maker is now available! :-)
I am delighted to announce that the highly anticipated sequel to "The Soul Taker" is now available! YES, "THE GHOST MAKER" is ready for purchase Worldwide on Kindle, and I've included the new book's description with the purchase link below it!
Happy reading to you all, my friends! Aiden
Supernatural investigator, Gabriel Radu, is back! This time, he's asked to look into a very strange case of... doppelgangers.
On the heels of a deadly confrontation with the fallen angel, Abaddon, Gabriel and his family face a new immortal menace that has invaded their beloved and quirky town of Denmark, Tennessee.
When a handful of Denmarkian women fall inexplicably into comas, Gabriel is once again asked to look into the mystery. Even stranger, their spirits roam the town square as doppelgangers.
Things quickly escalate to include more victims... and with each one comes a single Tarot card. Most include threatening messages addressed to none other than Gabriel Radu himself.
A deadly cat and mouse game has begun, with an implied promise to bring Denmark to its knees by the next full moon—just days away.
Gabriel and his family are once again in a race to keep the innocent from being slaughtered as literal sacrificial lambs.
But is it too late already? And what will it personally cost Gabe this time? These questions, and more, await answers in The Ghost Maker...
https://amzn.to/2ZSFuXR
Happy reading to you all, my friends! Aiden
Supernatural investigator, Gabriel Radu, is back! This time, he's asked to look into a very strange case of... doppelgangers.
On the heels of a deadly confrontation with the fallen angel, Abaddon, Gabriel and his family face a new immortal menace that has invaded their beloved and quirky town of Denmark, Tennessee.
When a handful of Denmarkian women fall inexplicably into comas, Gabriel is once again asked to look into the mystery. Even stranger, their spirits roam the town square as doppelgangers.
Things quickly escalate to include more victims... and with each one comes a single Tarot card. Most include threatening messages addressed to none other than Gabriel Radu himself.
A deadly cat and mouse game has begun, with an implied promise to bring Denmark to its knees by the next full moon—just days away.
Gabriel and his family are once again in a race to keep the innocent from being slaughtered as literal sacrificial lambs.
But is it too late already? And what will it personally cost Gabe this time? These questions, and more, await answers in The Ghost Maker...
https://amzn.to/2ZSFuXR
July 5, 2020
New Website--AidenJamesNovelist.com
Finally, after a few months of custom design and learning how to utilize the new website, it is finally ready! :-)
This is the creation of my talented brother-in-law, Charles Seiberling, and I am extremely pleased at how it turned out. And, the best thing is he has shown me how to update the site myself, so future changes (new books, news updates, etc) will be realtime. :-)
Let me know what y'all think, when you get a chance--and enjoy a safe and happy holiday weekend! :-)
Aiden
https://aidenjamesnovelist.com/
This is the creation of my talented brother-in-law, Charles Seiberling, and I am extremely pleased at how it turned out. And, the best thing is he has shown me how to update the site myself, so future changes (new books, news updates, etc) will be realtime. :-)
Let me know what y'all think, when you get a chance--and enjoy a safe and happy holiday weekend! :-)
Aiden
https://aidenjamesnovelist.com/
June 14, 2020
REBORN
BRAND NEW VERSION RELEASED 6/8/20!
In this new, robust version, for those wanting to get a feel for the struggle of Solomon Brandt as a split-soul--one half noble, and the other as evil as anyone can imagine--here is the sample that I am including at the end of a few of my existing books. As such, it is just a glimpse, and there is so much more to this story than can be included in just a short section. But, it's a start. :-)
***Purchase links for the Kindle and Paperback versions are listed after the sample. :-) Aiden
REBORN
The Serendipitous Curse, Book One
(Please read on for a sample)
Comfort embraced my healing body as I lay naked on top of the covers on my new bed. Above me, the ceiling fan whirled, invisibly pulling in cooler air and blowing it across my skin, making the balmy night tolerable.
Almost immediately, Desiree's image soared into my brain, replacing the fan, fueling a new blaze in the pit of my stomach. Her lush green eyes, framed in swooping black lashes, stared down at me. She blinked in slow motion, unveiling pink, shimmery lids, a smile stretching slowly across her face. She reached out a slender hand to me, and as the tips of my fingers grazed hers, a large, white hand curled around her throat. Fear crawled over my skin, dousing the flame. I grabbed for her, but the mysterious hand hauled her away from my grasp, and out of my sight.
My image replaced hers, or someone who looked a lot like me. Though there were differences. I stood in front of an ornately framed hall mirror, proud, my hard chest puffed out under a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up, a feeling of immense power coursing through me. Strength swelled veins, running the length of muscles in my arms. A thick moustache curled down the corners of my sinister grin. Dark blue eyes, identical to mine, exuding diabolic hatred, stared back at me.
The scene changed. Like a spirit, I floated upward, into the high ceiling, hovering like a cloud over the likeness of me. From above, I watched with unease as the massive, more powerful me picked up a bullwhip from a mahogany hall table and burst past a screened door.
My spirit followed outside, hovering in the air, apparently invisible.
An assembly of dark-skinned people gathered in front of a house… a familiar grand plantation home. They wore scraps for clothing, and most walked with bare feet. Agony and despair lined their faces, clawing at my heart and soul. A small group of white-skinned people burst through the assemblage. The tallest member, dressed in middle-class wear, dragged a slave boy across the lawn until he reached the place where my likeness stood, throwing the boy at his feet. The tall man held his head high and spoke. "Sir, the boy hid in the shade while the others picked cotton."
I wanted no part of the scene I knew was about to unfold, but I was powerless to look away. So, I watched in horror as my likeness cracked the whip in the air. The boy shrieked in fear, and the circle of slaves staggered backward. The Master cracked the whip again, hitting his mark, and once more. I couldn’t escape the sound of flesh ripping and the scent of blood as it spattered over the crowd.
A small, older woman stepped out of the circle and said tentatively, "Please, Sir, the boy is sick with the fever. He came to the fields and helped all he could… Please spare the boy. Please… " She bowed, hiding her tear-streaked face.
I willed myself to move, to grab the boy and escape with him, to end this nightmare. But I had no body, and no eyes to close. In my spirit form, I watched in deepening remorse as Solomon, the plantation owner, the slave owning terrorizer, erupted into a fury of rage. He threw the whip to the ground and grabbed the trembling boy by the throat, lifting him to his eye level. A wail tore through the grouping of slaves. The evil Solomon squeezed the boy's neck until his bulging eyes turned lifeless, and his kicking ceased.
Veins bulged over muscle down the murderer’s neck as rage tore through his lips. He raised his other fist in the air. The slaves scattered and fled.
But for me, the nightmare had just begun.
The man, still holding the boy's lifeless body, twisted his neck and looked up toward where I hovered in a deepening rage of my own. But my anger gave way to fear that clutched at my very soul, as the evil master of this plantation held me prisoner with his familiar cobalt glare. A deep, wicked laugh erupted from his throat.
"Don't stress over the boy, Solomon." He tossed the body to the ground. "Instilling the fear of their master—of you—in the wretches, is the only way to ensure productivity."
I tried to speak, but my mouth was dry. Bile welled in my throat. I went through the motions of swallowing, feeling my tongue moisten with the sour liquid.
"I-I'm not you." My voice was just a whisper, but my courage gained strength, and I mustered a roar. "Damn it, I'm not you!"
But somehow, from the depths of my wrenching gut, I knew this vile creature was indeed me, or had at least once been me. And in that sickening moment, I knew a lot more than I had known before. Yet, I still knew so little. What kind of a monster am I?
Another wicked laugh erupted from the evil image of myself.
"You understand now, don’t you, Solomon?" he said. "You feel the power coursing through our veins, and you crave more of it. Soon, you will see that you must thrive on it."
"No!" I screamed. "I am not and never will be, YOU!"
The nightmarish scene faded, but the evil laugh lingered until it finally waned. A bang sounded inside my head, and I awoke with a start.
Except for the low whoosh of the ceiling fan, silence reigned. With a widened gaze and a rapid rise and fall to my chest, I stared at the dimmed light in the center of the fan, too afraid to move, trying to calm my accelerated heartbeat. With hands powerless against the evil me, I gripped the bed coverings. That monstrous beast of a man couldn’t have been me. But I had felt the power, and also the despair of the people.
Moisture pooled at the corners of my eyes for the murdered boy. My heart ached for him… for his people.
"It was a dream," I whispered to myself. "Just a dream."
I unclenched a trembling hand and ran my fingers through hair soaked with sweat, hair shorter than the evil Solomon's in the dream. But those eyes—they were undeniably mine. My thoughts wandered back to the plantation, to the yard. Six Corinthian columns supported the vast portico. Floor-to-ceiling windows wrapped the mansion, and the emerald green lawn, split in front by the long oak-lined drive—these were all achingly familiar to me. Not like a dream, but real. I'd been there long ago—I was sure of it.
My head ached with the implanted image of the work-worn faces of the tortured innocent people from the dream. When my breathing calmed, I peeled my back off the soaked bedding and got up. Dawn was still hours away, but as tired as I was, I didn’t want to go back to sleep for fear of another nightmare.
Cool tap water felt good on my face. I splashed it again, watching the liquid drip off into the sink. His face was more chiseled, rougher than mine… and he was taller, his body broader. But those eyes…
To purchase your copy of Reborn: The Serendipitous Curse, please click on the Kindle or Paperback links below:
Kindle US: https://amzn.to/2MWmBfQ
Kindle UK: https://amzn.to/3d1QZ2Q
Kindle Canada: https://amzn.to/3dYCkXK
Paperback: https://amzn.to/37A8Xso
In this new, robust version, for those wanting to get a feel for the struggle of Solomon Brandt as a split-soul--one half noble, and the other as evil as anyone can imagine--here is the sample that I am including at the end of a few of my existing books. As such, it is just a glimpse, and there is so much more to this story than can be included in just a short section. But, it's a start. :-)
***Purchase links for the Kindle and Paperback versions are listed after the sample. :-) Aiden
REBORN
The Serendipitous Curse, Book One
(Please read on for a sample)
Comfort embraced my healing body as I lay naked on top of the covers on my new bed. Above me, the ceiling fan whirled, invisibly pulling in cooler air and blowing it across my skin, making the balmy night tolerable.
Almost immediately, Desiree's image soared into my brain, replacing the fan, fueling a new blaze in the pit of my stomach. Her lush green eyes, framed in swooping black lashes, stared down at me. She blinked in slow motion, unveiling pink, shimmery lids, a smile stretching slowly across her face. She reached out a slender hand to me, and as the tips of my fingers grazed hers, a large, white hand curled around her throat. Fear crawled over my skin, dousing the flame. I grabbed for her, but the mysterious hand hauled her away from my grasp, and out of my sight.
My image replaced hers, or someone who looked a lot like me. Though there were differences. I stood in front of an ornately framed hall mirror, proud, my hard chest puffed out under a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up, a feeling of immense power coursing through me. Strength swelled veins, running the length of muscles in my arms. A thick moustache curled down the corners of my sinister grin. Dark blue eyes, identical to mine, exuding diabolic hatred, stared back at me.
The scene changed. Like a spirit, I floated upward, into the high ceiling, hovering like a cloud over the likeness of me. From above, I watched with unease as the massive, more powerful me picked up a bullwhip from a mahogany hall table and burst past a screened door.
My spirit followed outside, hovering in the air, apparently invisible.
An assembly of dark-skinned people gathered in front of a house… a familiar grand plantation home. They wore scraps for clothing, and most walked with bare feet. Agony and despair lined their faces, clawing at my heart and soul. A small group of white-skinned people burst through the assemblage. The tallest member, dressed in middle-class wear, dragged a slave boy across the lawn until he reached the place where my likeness stood, throwing the boy at his feet. The tall man held his head high and spoke. "Sir, the boy hid in the shade while the others picked cotton."
I wanted no part of the scene I knew was about to unfold, but I was powerless to look away. So, I watched in horror as my likeness cracked the whip in the air. The boy shrieked in fear, and the circle of slaves staggered backward. The Master cracked the whip again, hitting his mark, and once more. I couldn’t escape the sound of flesh ripping and the scent of blood as it spattered over the crowd.
A small, older woman stepped out of the circle and said tentatively, "Please, Sir, the boy is sick with the fever. He came to the fields and helped all he could… Please spare the boy. Please… " She bowed, hiding her tear-streaked face.
I willed myself to move, to grab the boy and escape with him, to end this nightmare. But I had no body, and no eyes to close. In my spirit form, I watched in deepening remorse as Solomon, the plantation owner, the slave owning terrorizer, erupted into a fury of rage. He threw the whip to the ground and grabbed the trembling boy by the throat, lifting him to his eye level. A wail tore through the grouping of slaves. The evil Solomon squeezed the boy's neck until his bulging eyes turned lifeless, and his kicking ceased.
Veins bulged over muscle down the murderer’s neck as rage tore through his lips. He raised his other fist in the air. The slaves scattered and fled.
But for me, the nightmare had just begun.
The man, still holding the boy's lifeless body, twisted his neck and looked up toward where I hovered in a deepening rage of my own. But my anger gave way to fear that clutched at my very soul, as the evil master of this plantation held me prisoner with his familiar cobalt glare. A deep, wicked laugh erupted from his throat.
"Don't stress over the boy, Solomon." He tossed the body to the ground. "Instilling the fear of their master—of you—in the wretches, is the only way to ensure productivity."
I tried to speak, but my mouth was dry. Bile welled in my throat. I went through the motions of swallowing, feeling my tongue moisten with the sour liquid.
"I-I'm not you." My voice was just a whisper, but my courage gained strength, and I mustered a roar. "Damn it, I'm not you!"
But somehow, from the depths of my wrenching gut, I knew this vile creature was indeed me, or had at least once been me. And in that sickening moment, I knew a lot more than I had known before. Yet, I still knew so little. What kind of a monster am I?
Another wicked laugh erupted from the evil image of myself.
"You understand now, don’t you, Solomon?" he said. "You feel the power coursing through our veins, and you crave more of it. Soon, you will see that you must thrive on it."
"No!" I screamed. "I am not and never will be, YOU!"
The nightmarish scene faded, but the evil laugh lingered until it finally waned. A bang sounded inside my head, and I awoke with a start.
Except for the low whoosh of the ceiling fan, silence reigned. With a widened gaze and a rapid rise and fall to my chest, I stared at the dimmed light in the center of the fan, too afraid to move, trying to calm my accelerated heartbeat. With hands powerless against the evil me, I gripped the bed coverings. That monstrous beast of a man couldn’t have been me. But I had felt the power, and also the despair of the people.
Moisture pooled at the corners of my eyes for the murdered boy. My heart ached for him… for his people.
"It was a dream," I whispered to myself. "Just a dream."
I unclenched a trembling hand and ran my fingers through hair soaked with sweat, hair shorter than the evil Solomon's in the dream. But those eyes—they were undeniably mine. My thoughts wandered back to the plantation, to the yard. Six Corinthian columns supported the vast portico. Floor-to-ceiling windows wrapped the mansion, and the emerald green lawn, split in front by the long oak-lined drive—these were all achingly familiar to me. Not like a dream, but real. I'd been there long ago—I was sure of it.
My head ached with the implanted image of the work-worn faces of the tortured innocent people from the dream. When my breathing calmed, I peeled my back off the soaked bedding and got up. Dawn was still hours away, but as tired as I was, I didn’t want to go back to sleep for fear of another nightmare.
Cool tap water felt good on my face. I splashed it again, watching the liquid drip off into the sink. His face was more chiseled, rougher than mine… and he was taller, his body broader. But those eyes…
To purchase your copy of Reborn: The Serendipitous Curse, please click on the Kindle or Paperback links below:
Kindle US: https://amzn.to/2MWmBfQ
Kindle UK: https://amzn.to/3d1QZ2Q
Kindle Canada: https://amzn.to/3dYCkXK
Paperback: https://amzn.to/37A8Xso
May 22, 2020
New Cades Cove audio version
As some of you are now aware, Tim McKean's and my brand new audio version of "Cades Cove: The Curse of Allie Mae" is up and available on Audible.com! :-)
For those interested in viewing the Audible link, here it is--and below it is the YouTube retail sample from the book for those curious[ what they can expect to hear from the ultra-talented Timothy McKean. :-)
Audible link: https://adbl.co/2Z2bNnu
Cades Cove retail sample (YouTube): https://bit.ly/2ysd9gD
For those interested in viewing the Audible link, here it is--and below it is the YouTube retail sample from the book for those curious[ what they can expect to hear from the ultra-talented Timothy McKean. :-)
Audible link: https://adbl.co/2Z2bNnu
Cades Cove retail sample (YouTube): https://bit.ly/2ysd9gD
January 19, 2020
The Soul Taker with J.R. Rain and a new website! :-)
Hello everyone!
I hope your new year is off to a great start! :-)
Just a couple things to announce. J.R.Rain and I have embarked on a new paranormal mystery series, entitled "The Gabriel Riles". The first installment, "The Soul Taker" is available now (since November 21st, 2019), and the second book (The Ghost Maker) will be coming out in early to mid spring.
Also, after a year without having one, I have a new website that features all of my books currently available, and will be a great spot to check on my latest news. :-)
The links to both "The Soul Taker" and my new website (AIdenjameswriter.com) are enclosed below.
Enjoy your week!
Aiden
My website: https://aidenjameswriter.com/
The Soul Taker: https://amzn.to/37aPBZN
I hope your new year is off to a great start! :-)
Just a couple things to announce. J.R.Rain and I have embarked on a new paranormal mystery series, entitled "The Gabriel Riles". The first installment, "The Soul Taker" is available now (since November 21st, 2019), and the second book (The Ghost Maker) will be coming out in early to mid spring.
Also, after a year without having one, I have a new website that features all of my books currently available, and will be a great spot to check on my latest news. :-)
The links to both "The Soul Taker" and my new website (AIdenjameswriter.com) are enclosed below.
Enjoy your week!
Aiden
My website: https://aidenjameswriter.com/
The Soul Taker: https://amzn.to/37aPBZN
