Christina Bauer's Blog, page 52
September 6, 2018
ANGELBOUND is FREE for a Limited Time
This limited-time ebook offer celebrates the launch of Angelbound Origins Book 5, THE DARK LANDS. Want to know more about ANGELBOUND? Check out the description below…
Description
Eighteen-year-old Myla Lewis is a girl who loves two things: kicking ass and kicking ass. She’s not your every day quasi-demon, half-demon and half-human, girl. For the past five years, Myla has lived for the days she gets to fight in Purgatory’s arena. When souls want a trial by combat for their right to enter heaven or hell, they go up against her, and she hasn’t lost a battle yet.
But as she starts her senior year at Purgatory High, the arena fights aren’t enough to keep her spirits up anymore. When the demons start to act weird, even for demons, and the King of the Demons, Armageddon, shows up at Myla’s school, she knows that things are changing and it’s not looking good for the quasi-demons. Myla starts to question everything, and doesn’t like the answers she finds. What happened seventeen years ago that turned the quasi-demons into slave labor? Why was her mom always so sad? And why won’t anyone tell her who her father is? Things heat up when Myla meets Lincoln, the High Prince of the Thrax, a super sexy half-human and half-angel demon hunter. But what’s a quasi-demon girl to do when she falls for a demon hunter? It’s a good thing that Myla’s not afraid of breaking a few rules. With a love worth fighting for, Myla’s going to shake up Purgatory.
Plus, the savings continue throughout the series!
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September 4, 2018
Sample Chapter – THE DARK LANDS
Dear Readers,
I’m super excited to share chapter one of THE DARK LANDS with you!!! For those of you familiar with my work, you may have noticed that you can’t always (or perhaps ever) tell what the books are really about from the back cover copy. For THE DARK LANDS, you know Walker is in trouble, but not much else. Well, here’s your sneak preview of all things DARK LANDS! The full title launches in late September on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iBooks, and GooglePlay.
Christina
THE DARK LANDS
Angelbound Origins Book 5
Chapter One
Worms.
Why does it have to be worms?
Purgatory hosts farms for cows, puppies, chickens, and—my personal favorite—baby goats. So why am I trudging through my homeland’s biggest farm for worms at this very moment?
Because my honorary older brother Walker asked me to.
Plus, Walker’s a ghoul and his kind love worms. Long story.
Gray clouds hang overhead. Neat rows of dirt stretch off in every direction, forming a landscape that reminds me of brown corduroy. The tangy scent of fresh earth fills the air. For Purgatory this is a pretty nice day, weather-wise. At least it’s not raining.
Walker and I trudge along a cobblestone path toward a distant farmhouse. Our goal for the morning? Visit that house, meet some quasi demons (folks who are part-human and part-demon like me) and then … Something something something something.
In other words, Walker’s being very sketchypants about the whole deal, to which I say: Meh.
Since I’m a supernatural being called the Great Scala—not to mention the Queen of the demon-fighting thrax—I do tons of official visits. Or in this case, an unofficial surprise visit at Walker’s request. No doubt, once the surprise part is over, things will revert to pretty standard stuff.
Shake hands.
Force smiles.
Pose for a group photo.
No biggie.
Then something unexpected happens. Walker lags behind me. The guy with mile-long legs and a constitution of iron actually limps along the cobblestone path.
Huh.
I pause.
Stare.
Do a double take.
Stare some more.
Nope, I’m not seeing things. Walker’s limping. Even worse, the sharp angles of his face pull tight with pain.
A chill of dread crawls up my neck. Walker has the magical power to self-heal. As far as I know, only Walker and his forebear, the archangel Aquila, have this ability. So why is Walker limping and in pain? He recovers from almost any injury with lightning speed.
I adjust my pace so Walker and I step in sync once more. My honorary older brother looks tall and pale in his long black ghoul robes. His hair is styled in a perma brush-cut with sideburns. It’s the same look Walker had when his mortal form passed away sometime in his mid-twenties. By contrast, I’m an eighteen-year-old chick with lots of curves, amber skin, long auburn hair, and a tail. The two of us don’t scream honorary brother and sister, but we make it work.
And did I mention that Walker never limps? He doesn’t.
“What’s wrong with your leg?” I ask.
Walker’s shoulders tighten ever so slightly. He’s bracing himself for something. That sets off my internal danger alarms because nothing worries Walker. In fact, I’ve seen my honorary older brother face down the dreaded Mordere, a demon that combines the worst of a humanoid vampire bat with the best in poisonous porcupine quill action. Fighting a Mordere should cause a nervous twitch or two at a minimum. But Walker? The guy didn’t so much as flinch. Then Mister Cool took that Mordere down in two minutes flat.
All of which adds up to one conclusion. Whatever’s bothering Walker today, it’s serious business.
“What happened to my leg indeed?” intones Walker at last. As always, his voice is deep and resonant. “That’s not easy to answer.”
My mind quickly sorts through recent Walker-related news. One item stands out in huge neon letters. “Mom said you had some trouble in downtown Purgatory. Is that when you got injured?”
For the record, I hate that Walker trucks around Purgatory without a guard. Why? Most of my people hate ghouls. Walkers a great warrior, but he’s just one guy.
“When did your mother say such a thing?” asks Walker.
“This morning when I dropped off Maxon.”
“Ah, and how is your sweet baby?”
“Giggly. Adorable. Perfect.” I wag my finger at him. “Don’t change the subject.”
Walker shakes his head. “Your mother shouldn’t worry. Neither should you, for that matter.”
“I know you, buddy. That’s your way of saying, yes Myla, my recent visit to Purgatory is exactly when I got injured. Care to elaborate?”
Walker gives me the side eye. “I visited downtown Purgatory to discover certain information. My trip wasn’t successful. When I first arrived, I was attacked.”
Attacked? Walker? Pure rage courses through my veins. “Who hurt you?”
“They came at me from behind, so I have no idea. My leg was injured during the altercation, but I will soon heal. End of story.”
End of story, my ass. Walker knows waaaaaaay more than he’s telling me.
I pause along the path. “Does this fight have anything to do with why you dragged me to a worm farm today?”
Walker stops as well. “Maybe.”
“That’s all I’m getting? Maybe? How about some details for your honorary younger sister and official Great Scala?”
That’s only my partial resume listing, by the way. I’m also married to Lincoln (aka the King of the Thrax and an all around awesome dude) and the happy mom to baby Maxon. I leave those parts out though. As the Great Scala, I’m the only being who can transport souls to Heaven or Hell. Normally, emphasizing that gets me whatever I want. To make my point extra clear, I gesture across my outfit—a white sheath dress that serves as my official Scala robes.
Walker follows my arm movement, but makes no reply. Sadness rolls off my friend in waves.
Yipes.
“Seriously,” I state. “What’s going on?”
Stepping in front of me, Walker grips my shoulders. With this move, my tail perks up. All quasis have one; mine is long, black, and covered in dragon scales. For the record, my tail doesn’t care that Walker is Mister Miserable today. All it knows is that someone’s giving me attention, and that interest should be focused elsewhere. Namely on my tail.
Any other day, I’d give my tail some lip about being an attention hog, but Walker has me too worried for regular levels of sass.
Walker’s large, soulful, and all-black eyes lock onto my gaze. “I’ve tried to tell you before,” he says, his voice rasping with grief. “It’s so hard.”
Before a little chill had been working its way up my neck. Now that sensation transforms into a full-on body freeze of fear. “You’re scaring me.”
“It’s been my privilege to help raise you,” says Walker, his tone still rough. “I want you to know that.”
I frown. “Still scaring me.”
“I was born part archangel,” continues Walker. He speaks with the careful rhythm of someone who’s practiced this speech many times. “When I became a ghoul after death, it should’ve limited my afterlife. Ghouls didn’t attend Heaven’s Citadel for warrior training. In fact, my older brother Drayden was the first ghoul ever accepted.”
“He sounds like a great guy.” And I mean it. The way Walker speaks of his brother, Drayden was a super ghoul or something.
“After Drayden died, your father brought me to the Citadel leaders and laid down the law.” Walker lifts his voice into a dead-on impersonation. “I’m the General of the Angelic Army, your father said. This man is Drayden’s brother. He gets trained.”
“That sounds like Dad, all right.” When my father makes up his mind on something, you have two choices: get out of his way … or get out of his way, fast.
“Without your father’s help, I’d never have become an angelic warrior. To this day, I live by the sacred values of his Angelic Army: honor, service, and sacrifice.”
I can only repeat that last word. “Sacrifice?”
Walker lifts his chin. “Yes.”
Oh, no.
“Hey, I’ve watched my share of movies on the Human Channel. No question what you’re up to here. This is a hero speech. It happens right before the good guy does something like…” I wave my hands, trying to find the words. “I’ve got it.” I snap my fingers. “Like fly his fighter jet slap-bang into an enemy battle cruiser. BOOM!” My pulse speeds. “Tell me I’m wrong.”
A sad smile rounds Walker’s mouth. “This is indeed a variety of hero speech.”
Panic shoots down my spine. My mouth starts moving on its own. “No way. Nuh-uh. You’re not flying your figurative fighter jet into someone else’s battleship. That whole concept stops right now. Share what’s up and spare no details. We’ll figure something out.” I point to the earth. “Your aircraft is grounded, buddy.”
“Not this time,” says Walker slowly. His gaze turns even more intense. “I can’t yet give you the information you seek. The most I can do is make a specific request.”
Every cell in my body wants to force Walker into blabbing every detail of his problem, pronto. Maybe I could wrestle him down with a sleeper hold. Anything’s better than allowing him to finish his hero speech.
Walker’s eyes fill with despair. “Please, Myla.”
Hells bells. That does it.
I’m a total sucker for Walker when he goes all big-eyed and says please. Nodding, I grip my hands behind my back. That way, I’m less tempted to pull Walker into the aforementioned sleeper hold.
“Go on,” I say.
“It took me ages to complete my training at the Citadel,” says Walker. “After I graduated, your father told me about his deal with Armageddon, the King of Hell. In exchange for your mother’s safety, Xavier had agreed to spend eternity as Armageddon’s prisoner.”
At this point, Walker has my rapt attention. Indeed, Dad agreed to spend forever in Hell for Mom; Walker said he’d watch over her. But then comes my favorite part, aka the big battle where I kick Armageddon’s ass, release Dad from Hell, and—as an extra bonus—free all Purgatory from ghoul rule. Just thinking about it makes me smile.
That was a good day.
Even so, neither my father nor Walker ever shared all the details about how they first connected. Whenever I ask Dad, he gets choked up and changes the subject. As for Walker, he always says he won’t say everything unless he has no other choice. That seemed cryptic for an answer, but I figured Walker would blab when he was ready.
I guess that moment is now.
“Xavier asked me to shoulder a great responsibility for him,” says Walker. “He requested I watch over your mother. Since I owed your father such a massive debt, I readily agreed. Then Xavier was taken by Armageddon.” A flinty look of rage enters Walker’s eyes. Armageddon spent years torturing my father. “Afterward, your mother announced she was pregnant. And you arrived.”
Knowing Walker all my life, I understand how his mind works. All of a sudden, it’s super clear why he saved up this story for today. Walker needs help. And based on this long lead up, Walker needs assistance of the big-ass variety.
“Now, it’s my turn to make a large request,” says Walker. “Only I don’t know where to begin. This situation has arisen rather quickly.”
“Look, you’ve watched over me since before I was born. I owe you a great debt too. Ask me anything. Let it out.”
I cross my fingers behind my back. Only, don’t disappear like Dad did. Growing up without a father was the pits. I don’t want to lose my honorary older brother as well.
Walker’s mouth thins to a determined line. “I require your assistance on something. After that, I must leave you. Forever.”
With that, one thought echoes through my head.
Fuck fuck fuckity FUCK fuck.
—End of Sample Chapter—
THE DARK LANDS Launches Sept 25, 2018
Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/yat2eajn
iBooks: https://tinyurl.com/yb3kpzm8
Barnes & Noble: https://tinyurl.com/y8zrn43o
Kobo: https://tinyurl.com/y87qdnm8
GooglePlay: https://tinyurl.com/ybtfq6so
The post Sample Chapter – THE DARK LANDS appeared first on Monster House Books.
August 30, 2018
XAVIER Cover Reveal
Dear Readers,
It’s been on my list for ages to tell the story of Xavier and Camilla. Before I wrote Angelbound, I had already planned out how those two met and fell in love. Then, I went a little overboard. For some reason, I felt compelled to map out Xavier’s life history too. Oh, and I also found myself figuring out how Xav and Cam achieve their ultimate happily ever after (Camilla is mortal after all!) None of that ever made it on the page of Angelbound, but it’s still been rattling around my head.
But now, all that good stuff is finally going into this novel, which will be the very first in the Angelbound Worlds series. Say it with me: WOOT WOOT! After Xavier, I have plans to do Cissy, Walker, and Hildy. Good times.
PROTIP: Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the page to see the full cover art for book one. I’m so happy with how this came out!
Christina
Angelbound XAVIER, Book 1 in the Angelbound Worlds Series
GENRE: Young Adult Paranormal Romance
AVAILABILITY: On Amazon and Kobo
RELEASE DATE: Spring 2020
FORMAT: eBook
LIST PRICE: $6.99
RAFFLECOPTER: https://tinyurl.com/y9shpjmj
About Angelbound XAVIER
“Anyone into fantasy and other worldly experiences would enjoy these books. I am officially addicted!” – Rachely, Goodreads
I am the archangel Xavier,
General of the Angelic Army.
My life began at the dawn of time,
And in all the long eons since
I have only known war, never love.
Until HER.
Enter the Angelbound Worlds, a new series that takes place within different areas and eras of the after-realms (Heaven, Hell, Purgatory, the Dark Lands, and Antrum). Don’t miss Book 1 in the Angelbound Worlds series, in which the archangel Xavier shares how he finally fell in love.
Suggested to read after Angelbound Origins Book 1. Coming Spring 2020.
“SUCH interesting stories!! I love the characters, the plot, the writing style. Unique, beautiful, not sappy with the romance, but steamy enough to keep my interest. Would DEFINITELY recommend!” – Keri, Goodreads
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August 26, 2018
Sample Chapter — Shifters and Glyphs
Dear Readers,
I’m super excited to share the first chapter of SHIFTERS AND GLYPHS! I thought up the final scene for this book way back in 2002, so part of this novel has been floating around my head for more than 15 years. Yipes! So glad to finally share this story.
Hope you enjoy Chapter One!
Christina
Shifters and Glyphs
Chapter One
I’m a teenager who can wield magic, so you might think my ultimate in fun would be casting a spell.
Not really.
Plus, I live in Manhattan and—since my aunties no longer have me locked me up in a penthouse—you’d imagine that I love roaming the city.
Nope.
I’m also a werewolf, so racing under the moon could be my fav for fun.
It’s not.
Instead, my ultimate smile comes from what’s happening right now: snuggling on the couch with my boyfriend Knox. To be specific, Knox and I are wrapped in a blanket with my head resting against his right bicep.
Perfect.
It’s almost time for dinner, but I hardly notice my stomach growl. Knox is in jeans and a t-shirt; I’m sporting what I call my unshreddable outfit: black leather pants and a cropped top that I got from the fairies. Why unshreddable, you ask? Because before I got my enchanted clothing, shifting into were form was murder on my wardrobe. One magically enhanced outfit later, and it’s all good. I never again have to worry about turning into a wolf and then into a very naked girl, all in the age of camera phones. And without that worry hanging over my head, I can more fully relax. Like I am now.
In fact, at this very moment, Knox and I are chilling out while watching an old movie called The Breakfast Club. In it, a bunch of human kids get detention at high school. For me, this particular movie is valuable life research, considering how tomorrow’s my first day in a typical classroom.
Ever.
On screen, most of the action takes place in a library. The place looks as large as the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I sniff. “You think our high school will be like that?”
Knox leans in to kiss the top of my head. “Like what?”
“All that space for like six people. Plus, they’re in the library, right? I think there should be other kids around studying or whatever.”
Not that I knew these things from personal experience. Growing up, my aunties always home-schooled me. But come morning, I start senior year at West Lake Prep, a high school for other Magicorum kids like me. In other words, for shifters, fairies, and witches/warlocks. I’m unusual in that I can wield all three types of magic. Recently, I found out that makes a kind of magic user called a Trilorum. So, not only am I weird, I have a weird name, too. Go me.
“This must be one of those Hollywood schools,” says Knox. “I mean, they take six bad kids and put them in a room without anyone to watch them. That’s unlikely.”
“Right?” All of a sudden, this story seems very unfair. “They should be more careful. Maybe there are other kids out there like me, who need honest representations of high school for life research.”
“There’s no one like you,” says Knox. “And I mean it in a good way.”
I cuddle back onto Knox’s bicep and smile. He’s being sweet, but I’m not all that special. In fact, I’m pretty typical for Magicorum (Well, apart from the Trilorum part of it.) Why? I live by a fairy tale template: Sleeping Beauty. To begin with, I look the part, what with my slim build, brown hair, and blue eyes. Plus, I’ve got three fae aunties as well as an odd friendship with Colonel Mallory the Magnificent, a fairy dragon shifter who cursed me with a sleeping sickness for the first seventeen years of my life. Not that I’m complaining. The Colonel did it for my own good—his sleeping curse hid my triple-magic from people who wanted to kill me and steal my powers—but I still fell asleep at odd times.
School wasn’t an option before.
But that’s all over now. These days when I fall asleep, it’s mostly at night. Sure, I take the occasional cat nap during the day, but my eyes are closed like a normal person. This is a lot better than what used to happen, which involved me freezing like a statue and staring off into space like a nut job.
Needless to say, I’m glad the curse is over.
As an extra bonus, ending the curse also released my fairy, shifter, and witch powers. The next step? Master that magic by attending West Lake Prep. Plus, I’ll learn typical human stuff, too, like math, science, and literature.
It’s all super exciting.
And totally terrifying.
At least Knox is also attending West Lake, along with our best friends, Elle and Alec. Even so, every time I think about school, my insides knot up. So I actively avoid more thoughts of West Lake by focusing on the movie. Specifically, I’ve been following one of the characters, John Bender, a broody guy who reminds me of Knox. Honestly, I’m not watching the movie as much as waiting to see what Knox-Bender will say next. I drum my fingers on the comforter, ready and waiting.
Sure enough, Bender’s character mouths off to the school principal. “Does Barry Manilow know that you raid his wardrobe?” True fact: my auntie Mirabelle loves the musical stylings of Barry Manilow, so I happen to know that if you adore polyester leisure suits, then Barry Manilow is your guy.
I snort-laugh. Does Barry Manilow know that you raid his wardrobe? Perfect.
“That man reminds me of our mate,” says my wolf.
“That he does,” I reply in my head.
Now, most shifters can only sense the moods of their inner animal, like if their wolf is happy or sad. But I have inner conversations with my inner wolf, which requires major levels of magic. With magic disappearing from the world, that’s a rare skill.
I can always block my wolf out, but she likes to watch movies as much as I do. And how she just called Knox my “mate”? Even though I’m seventeen and Knox is eighteen, we’re mates. To shifters, that means your soul has found its other half, which is awesome. In my case, my other half is over six feet tall with black hair, sharp bone structure, ice-blue eyes, and a protective streak a mile wide.
I’m one lucky werewolf.
Speaking of Knox, he tightens his arm around my waist. “You were laughing again.”
“That bit about Barry Manilow.” I bite my knuckle to stop giggling. “That’s absolutely something you’d say.”
“I’d say something like that? Nah.”
Wow. I can’t believe he’s fighting the obvious. “Yesterday, you asked Alec if he got his clothes from Preppies R Us.” As a powerful warlock, Alec also lives his life by a fairy tale life template. In Alec’s case, that template is Prince Charming. Alec sure looks the part, too, what with his blond hair, blue eyes, and winning smile. And yes, Alec dresses like he fell out of the Preppy Catalog.
“Oh, that.” Knox’s voice is a deep rumble. “I said Alec dresses like Biff McPreppy. But that was only one time I sounded like this Bender guy. Once.”
“Once? What about last week? At Lucky’s, that werewolf Rich challenged you.” Lucky’s is a shifter bar in Brooklyn. Knox and I don’t typically hang out in bars, but Lucky’s is where Knox’s guardian Azizi lives.
“Yeah,” says Knox slowly. “I remember that were. He wanted to prove he’s the best fighter. Not sure how that makes me like Bender.”
I shake my head. “At Lucky’s, you said another line from the movie. Remember when Bender was talking to the principal…and that guy’s name happens to be Richard, too, just like the were at Lucky’s?”
“Oh, I remember that part.” Knox’s shoulders shake with a held-in laugh. “Bender calls him a dick.”
“Bender says and I quote: ‘Uh, DICK? Excuse me, Rich.’ You said that at Lucky’s. Word for word.” It was hilarious, too, since the shifter in question was being a total jerk. Knox didn’t want to fight him, but the other were wouldn’t back off. Dick-Rich ended up with a broken nose.
“Well,” says Knox. “Rich is that werewolf’s name.”
My head is still curled into Knox’s bicep, so I can’t see his face. There’s no missing the smile in his voice, though. “You might have a point,” he says. “Maybe I’m a little like this Bender guy.”
“Nope.” I look up, catch his gaze, and grin. “You’re way better.”
“Correction,” says my wolf inside my mind. “He’s the best.”
“I agree.”
“Don’t spoil me, Bry.” Knox kisses the top of my head, and we go back to snuggling. Within a few minutes, the movie winds down. On screen, all the kids from detention go outside to get picked up.
The sight makes my breath hitch.
Remember how I was avoiding the fact that school starts tomorrow? All of a sudden, there’s no avoiding this reality. Why? In the movie, the kids leave detention by getting into cars driven by someone else.
Their parents.
I’ve never met my mother and father. I don’t even know their names. The closest I have to parents are my three fairy aunties, and they’re pretty much evil. What else would you call people who raised me to be zombie bride for Jules, an evil Denarii mummy-king who started off life as none other than the real Julius Caesar? The good news is that my aunties’ plan flopped and all their magic got drained. Now my aunties spend their days hiding out in a fairy shantytown hidden under a boulder in Central Park.
Living under a rock. Sounds about right.
Knox inhales deeply, checking my scent. Weres can tell a lot about someone by catching their smell. “What’s wrong, Bry? You thinking about those dreams of yours again?”
I’ve always been plagued by weird dreams. Time was, those dreams were about ancient Egypt and translating papyri. Lately, I can’t remember them at all when I wake up. I’m just left with this uneasy feeling.
Honestly, I wake up terrified.
When I open my eyes each morning, my pulse is racing. I’m covered in sweat. And I have absolutely no memory of what scared me so much. Unfortunately, I also seem able to catnaps any time of day or night, so the whole fear-sleeping phenomenon can strike anywhere. It’s a little bit like my sleeping curse, part two.
Stupid fairy tale life template.
“No,” I say slowly. “It’s not my dreams.” For once.
Knox leans in to whisper softly in my ear. “What is it, Bry? You can tell me anything.”
I squirm under the comforter. Not sure why the true answer is hard to share, but it is. “Everyone in the movie has someone to pick them up.”
“And we don’t, is that it?”
I nod, not trusting my voice to reply. All my life, I’ve searched for my parents. There’s no trace of them. After I left my aunties, I thought it might be different. After all, Lauralei, Fanna, and Mirabelle could’ve been using magic to hide my family for some reason. But after lots of checking around—in other words, hacking into secret systems with Elle—I haven’t been able to find out anything new.
“I get you about the family stuff,” says Knox.
And he does.
Knox’s parents were killed by the Denarii. Sure, he has Azizi, but Az isn’t really a “drop you off at school” kind of guardian. Azizi was the warden of all shifter magic, meaning he used to be the most powerful shifter on the planet. Now, Knox has both the job and the power.
Thinking about Knox and his wolf puts everything in perspective. After his parents were killed, Knox spent years racing around the world, hunting down evil Denarii as a way to avenge their deaths. My poor mate.
I take in a deep breath. “You know what? Everything will be fine.”
“Are you about to give a pep talk now?” asks Knox. I’m well known for my pep talks—mostly because they’re either really great or totally dismal. Either way, it’s always something to remember.
That said, my next talk will be awesome. No question about it.
“Yup,” I say with confidence. “Prepare for some serious pep.”
“Let’s hear it.”
“Well, to start with, magic is disappearing from the world. Sure, you and I have a ton of it and most Magicorum kids have next to none, but that won’t be a big deal to everyone else at school. High school kids are well known for being mature.”
I wince. That wasn’t my best argument. Shaking my head, I keep going. My next bit will be absolutely stunning.
“And yes,” I continue, “we’ve had different life experiences from most kids. I was almost force-married to a mummy-zombie king last summer. You spent most of your life hunting down Denarii, but the other kids won’t care. And the whole parent thing? It definitely won’t hurt like hell to see everyone else with a mom and dad all the time. Only in the beginning.” By the time I finish my speech, my eyes are prickling with tears.
“Is that it?” asks Knox softly.
“Not one of my best talks, huh?”
Knox sits up and slides me onto his lap. His six-foot tall frame and heavy arms wrap around my shoulders. “Remember what Azizi always says about relatives?”
“Sure.” My voice comes out all dull and lifeless. “There’s your family of chance and your family of choice.”
“That’s right. And I choose you. We’re mates. That’s forever.” He rubs my arm up and down in a soothing motion. Closing my eyes, I lean into our embrace. Knox’s scent of sandalwood and musk surrounds me. Hugging Knox always makes the world feel all things safe and comforting.
I blink back my tears. “Most people never find the other half of their soul. We’re lucky.” Looking up, I scan the familiar features of Knox’s face. Loose black hair. Scar on his brow and chin. Sharp bone structure. Ice-blue eyes.
My mate.
“We’re a team.” Knox’s full mouth quirks with a grin. “Don’t forget, Elle and Alec care about you, too. Alec’s parents are putting a computer workstation into West Lake Prep for you. They even found you some new papyri. That way, you can keep translating, only now it won’t just be a hobby. You’ll get class credit.”
“That’s really nice of them.”
Which is true. Setting me up with a workstation is a cool thing for Lydia and Nixon Le Charme to do. Even so, just thinking about Alec’s parents makes me fidget. They are too smart, too beautiful, and too totally obsessed with me translating the papyri that make up the Book of Isis. In fact, Alec’s parents remind me a little of the Denarii. Those zombie mummies were all killer instinct wrapped in 1950’s style perfection and odd obsessions.
“But…” prompts Knox. He can always tell when I’m holding back.
“Don’t get me wrong,” I say. “It’s really nice of Alec’s parents and all. But they must have their reasons.”
Knox sighs. “True.”
I don’t need to say anything more; Knox knows what I mean. While Knox is the warden of magic for shifters, Alec is the warden for witches and warlocks. Wardens have a responsibility to find and guard the fountain of all magic, which has been hidden for thousands of years. No one knows why. If the wardens don’t find the fountain, then they can’t marry without magic killing their spouse. It’s the system’s way of keeping them focused on what’s important: the fountain.
Talk about a motivating factor.
Closing his eyes, Knox tilts his head. I’ve seen that move before. My mate is having an inner conversation with his own wolf. I take Knox’s hand in mine. “Your wolf is talking to you, isn’t he?”
Knox opens his eyes. Lines of worry tighten across his face. “More like howling. He’s hurting. Says he feels like he’s on fire.” He scrubs his hands over his face. “My wolf is always unpredictable this time of year, but not like this.”
“Why would this time of year affect him?” Knox and I have only been dating for a few months. Before that I was locked up by my aunties. Long story short, I’m constantly learning new stuff about shifter culture.
“The fall equinox is coming up,” explains Knox. “It’s always rough on wardens. No one knows why, though. Not even Az.”
“Autumnal equinox.” The words rattle around my brain. I rise and pace a line by the couch, my mind churning at double speed.
Knox has seen this routine from me before. “You getting something, Bry?” And by something, Knox means an idea on my papyri translations.
Here’s what’s going on. For as long as I can remember, I’ve had dreams of ancient Egypt and papyri. Wardens like Knox and Alec can’t get married until the fountain of magic is found. And the location of that mysterious fountain? It’s listed in the Book of Isis, which is currently just a bunch of papyrus scraps. For some reason, I’m the only one who’s had any real luck assembling them. And now, the words autumnal equinox are making me picture my old translations in a new way.
“I just translated something about this.” Turning on my heel, I speed over to my workroom. It used to be one of Knox’s extra bedrooms. That is, until he fixed up for me with a mega-computer, monitor and cloud storage. I can get at my papyri scans from anywhere. After rushing into the room, I fire up the system, grab my mouse, and start sifting through old translations. Knox moves to stand behind me, resting his hand on my shoulder.
All the staring at screens makes my inner animal turn restless. “We hates computers.” For the record, when my wolf gets grumpy, she starts talking like Gollum.
“It’ll only be a minute,” I reply in my mind.
“But you always say that and it’s a lie.”
“Not this time.” I tap the screen with my pointer finger and look over my shoulder to Knox. “Here’s the section I was looking for.”
Knox leans over my shoulder. He and Alec have translated their share of papyri over the years, so it’s no problem for my mate to translate these glyphs.
Once every five thousand years, the fountain shall rise.
Knox frowns. “But you translated that a week ago. Where’s the equinox part?”
“Here.” I tap on a new section. “It says here…”
Look to the crossing of the sun and earth.
“The next part is all smudged out,” I continue. “However, the next glyphs clearly say something about twice a year. I bet they’re talking about the fall and spring equinoxes.”
“I think you’re onto something.” Knox keeps reading.
The fountain shall be born at one crossing, and then shall begin to give its bounty at the second.
Knox winces. “Born? That’s an odd way to put it. It takes eons for fountains to form.”
“Not always. Sometimes geysers erupt out of nowhere.” Over the years, I’ve become a self-taught expert on fountains. Personally, I believe that the fountain of magic is actually a geyser. Those erupt on a schedule, and the fountain of magic only ‘gives its bounty’ once every five thousand years.
Definitely a geyser.
“Makes sense.” Now it’s Knox’s turn to tap the screen. “Next, it lists a number of numbers.” Knox squints at the screen. “Those are dates.”
“Yes, that’s when the first pyramids in Egypt were designed.”
“Or,” Knox says slowly. “Those dates could refer to the equinox stuff.”
I lean back in my chair. Knox’s words rattle around my head. “You’re right. Those dates could say that the fountain first went off five thousand years ago.” The chill on my neck creeps down my spine. Something about all this sets off my sense of danger.
“And it says the fountain activates once every five thousand years. In that case, it’s due to off again, Bry. In five days, no less. That must be why my wolf is hurting.”
My insides twist with worry. Knox is supposed to be guarding that fountain. What will happen to him if we don’t find it?
“We could be wrong, you know.” I glance at Knox over my shoulder. “What about Alec? Are things worse for him this year, too?”
“Good question.” Knox pulls his cell out of his pocket and dials. “Hey, it’s me. Have your spells gone nuts with this equinox?”
In case you’re wondering, most of Knox’s calls to Alec begin with hey it’s me followed by some kind of demand.
A pause follows before Knox speaks again. “Look, man. I know all magic is weird lately, but your spells always go to extra crap around the fall equinox. What I want to know is this—is it any worse this year compared to last year?” Another pause. “So, worse. And are you in any pain?” Knox rolls his eyes. “Nice.” He hangs up.
“What did Alec say?”
“He says his spells are definitely worse this year compared to last year. But he’s not in any pain. And I should stop worrying about him because I’m not his nana.”
I can’t help but smile. “That’s so Alec.” My moment of happiness soon evaporates as I think through our new discoveries. “I don’t like this.”
“What part? The papyri or Alec’s big mouth?”
“You know what I mean. Being a warden with the fountain about to go off.” I twist around in the roller chair so I can face Knox directly. “We should talk to Az.”
“Yeah. I promised to stop by after school tomorrow. We’ll head over together.”
I rub my forehead, thinking all this through. If only we knew all the secrets from the Book of Isis. All of a sudden, the pressure to translate that book presses in around me, tight as a vice. I slump forward in my chair. When I speak again, my voice is a hoarse whisper. “What if I can’t do it? What if I don’t translate the Book of Isis and…everything goes to hell?”
Knox kneels before me. His ice-blue gaze turns intense. “I’m not worried about that, Bry. In thousands of years, no one came close to translating the Book of Isis. Until you. No question in my mind. You will do this.”
The power of his faith in me makes my body feel boneless. Good thing I’m still sitting on a chair. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Say nothing. Just be you.”
Little by little, Knox leans in to give me a kiss. His warm breath cascades over my lips. Our mouths are about to meet when the moment is shattered.
A police siren ringtone blares from Knox’s cell phone. There’s only one person who causes that particular ring: Knox’s ex-girlfriend, Ty. Pronounced Tea—like the drink—and spelled Ty. She’s a real piece of work.
“Damn,” Knox growls. “Alec just put another blocking spell on this thing to keep her away. How’d she break through?”
Ty is not only Knox’s ex, she’s also a powerful sorceress. For years, Alec’s spells blocked her. But now? No matter what Alec casts, Ty can eventually get her call through. It’s not just Ty, though. Word is that everyone’s magic has been going haywire lately.
“Let’s go find this Ty,” grumbles my inner wolf. “Then we bite her face off.”
“We don’t bite faces.”
“But this is for our mate.”
“Knox wants us to stay out of it. We need to respect that.”
My wolf says something that sounds like grumble-grumble-mate-grumble-grumble-bite-grumble-grumble-Ty. Point taken.
For the record, my wolf and I had our differences over the summer, mostly because she was just released from a super-long sleeping curse. Since then, I’ve learned how to give her some structure through my inner magic. Mostly, the process involves calming her down with my shifter powers and—in case of true emergency—putting her in a stasis. That’s like sleep, only my wolf won’t dream or anything. Again, that’s super-rare. Most times, my wolf and I get along pretty well.
Knox pushes some buttons on his phone, but the siren’s wail doesn’t end. “I have to take this, Bry. It won’t stop otherwise.”
“That’s fine. I get it.”
I twist back around in my swivel chair; Knox goes to stand by the door. “What, Ty?” A short pause follows before Knox speaks again. “I don’t care what magical junk you found this time. It’s over between us. You get that? Over.” Knox chucks his phone against the wall. It shatters into a hundred pieces. That would be over, all right.
When Knox turns to face me, his eyes glow with golden light. “I need a run.”
And in this case, run doesn’t mean through Central Park. Knox wants to ride his Harley, reach his land in the Adirondacks, shift into wolf form, and race through the night.
Knox rakes his hands through his loose black hair. “Want to join me?”
Inside my soul, my inner wolf lets out a yawn. “We ran this morning,” she says in my head. “Let’s go back to our den and rest.” And by den, she means our apartment, which happens to be in this same building as Knox’s, only two floors down from here.
“Are you sure?” I ask in my mind. “You’re always up for a run.”
“We’ll see many fae in the morning. I need my strength so I can play with them.”
My heart sinks. Unfortunately, my wolf sees fairies as fast-moving chew toys, which is totally dangerous. The fae are crazy. Ugh. Between my wolf and the fairies, I’ll have my work cut out for me tomorrow.
“Thanks for the offer,” I say. “But it’s a school night. I should get some sleep.” Or try to, anyway.
A shiver of dread rolls across my shoulders. Fast as a heartbeat, Knox kneels before me. “What’s wrong? I can scent your fear.”
“I don’t know.” My voice comes out high-pitched and wispy. “Something about sleep…Dreams.”
“Have you been getting night visions about papyri again?”
“No, it’s not that.” Closing my eyes, I try to focus on my latest night visions. Fear ricochets through my system, making me clutch my elbows. It’s those terrible nightmares. I know it. I grasp for the memories, but they stay just out of reach. What have I been seeing?
“Think hard, Bry. I know you can do it.”
“There’s something about shadows and…” The memory vanishes entirely. Searing bright flashes of white appear in my mind’s eye. An odd chill crawls over my skin. Is magic is at work and erasing my memories…Or am I just stressed out about school? Why can’t I remember my dreams?
“This isn’t good.” Knox scowls. “You’re frightened and you don’t know why. I’m not going for a run. Come to think of it, you should stay here at my place tonight.”
Which I definitely could do, considering how Knox has a ton of bedrooms. Still, we’ve only been dating a few months. There’s no way I’m ready for the whole sleepover thing.
“It’s fine. I’ll stay tonight at my place.”
“Then I’m inviting myself over to sleep on your couch.”
I shake my head. “Go run. That’s an all-night activity and we both know it.” Knox sneaks a look at the door. His ex-girlfriend always gets his wolf up.
“You know you need to go,” I add.
Knox shakes his head. “I won’t leave you like this.” The muscle along his jaw is positively jumping with anxiety.
I pull my cell out of my pocket. “Take this. I’ll call you from Elle’s phone if anything goes wrong.” We’ve done this before. As long as Knox stays within a few miles of the phone, his wolf hearing can make out the ringtones just fine. I press the cell into his hands. “Run.” When I speak again, I make sure to use a playful tone. “I can protect myself, remember? In fact, I saved your handsome butt from Jules.”
All of which is true.
Knox stares at the phone for a long moment before slipping it into his pocket. That means one thing: he’s going for a run. I exhale.
“You’ll call me if anything bad happens, yeah?”
“I swear it.”
“In that case, I’ll go.” Knox brushes a gentle kiss across my lips. The press of his mouth makes my stomach do flip-flops.
Hmm. Maybe staying here isn’t a bad idea.
I push against his shoulder. “Get ready before I change my mind.”
“As my mate demands.” Knox steps around his apartment, gathering up his bike helmet, wallet, and other stuff. He’ll also change his outfit to be more road compatible. The good news is that Knox’s jaw isn’t twitching anymore, which is a good sign. In fact, now that he’s heading out for a run, Knox seems far more relaxed in general. Meanwhile, my nervous system goes haywire. The reason? What I said before.
I swear it.
When I make a promise, I do everything I can to keep it. Something tells that this time? That just may not be possible.
—end of sample—
Order SHIFTERS AND GLYPHS
Amazon – https://tinyurl.com/yc9l4sgp
Barnes & Noble – https://tinyurl.com/y7xxmdoh
Kobo – https://tinyurl.com/y8w8m8ra
iBooks – https://tinyurl.com/yd83ruek
GooglePlay – https://tinyurl.com/yd83ruek
The post Sample Chapter — Shifters and Glyphs appeared first on Monster House Books.
August 20, 2018
Monster House is Restructuring!
Dear Friends,
Two years ago, I founded Monster House Books as an open environment for diverse voices, author collaboration, and kick-ass heroines. Since then, I’ve been fortunate to connect with stellar writers such as Genevieve Iseult Eldredge and Majanka Verstraete, both of whom joined Monster House and built awesome series. Starting any kind of company requires a lot of investment, and publishing is no exception. To help support Monster House, I kept my day job in high technology marketing, where my specialty is with start-up organizations.
Trouble is, some start ups don’t start up … Or they get too much traction and become acquired. Long story short, I’m recently out of a day job and extra capital. I respect my authors and their work too much to give them anything but my best. Both writers have built strong momentum over the last few years. It’s good timing for them to be free to reach the next level of their publishing journey. To that end, Majanka Verstraete will be taking her amazing series, THE ADVENTURES OF MARISOL HOLMES solo in September. Likewise, Genevieve Iseult Eldredge will be launching GirlyEngine Press, LLC for her CIRCUIT FAE series and future titles.
Arely Zimmermann will stay on as Publishing Assistant extraordinaire. Valya Fefilova will also continue her translation work for Monster House. GIE’s and Majanka’s titles will move to new publishers as of September, and the MHB web site will be updated at that time with all their details. As for my part, I’m cooking up a new release schedule for the next few years while considering options regarding the infamous day job. With any luck, I’ll release the same number of books in 2019 as I did in 2018, if not a few more. Additional info to follow on that soon!
Thanks as always for your interest, understanding, and support.
Best,
Christina Bauer
The post Monster House is Restructuring! appeared first on Monster House Books.
August 14, 2018
UMBRA Cover Is Revealed
Today the cover is revealed for UMBRA, the second prequel in my Dimension Drift series! This image features THORNE, who is a squee-worthy dude from another dimension. Le Sigh! Enjoy the cover and all the goodies, including a new rafflecopter!
UMBRA COVER REVEAL SUMMARY
TITLE: UMBRA, Dimension Drift Prequels #2
GENRE: Young Adult Paranormal Romance
AVAILABILITY: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo and GooglePlay
FORMAT: eBook
LIST PRICE: $3.99
RAFFLECOPTER: https://tinyurl.com/y9shpjmj
SERIES:
SCYTHE, Dimension Drift Prequels #1 – FREE today on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo and GooglePlay
UMBRA, Dimension Drift Prequels #2 – January 29, 2019
ALIEN MINDS, Dimension Drift Book #1 – April 23, 2019
ECHO ACADEMY, Dimension Drift Book #2 – April 21, 2020
DRIFT WARRIOR, Dimension Drift Book #3 – April 20, 2021
About UMBRA
“Fans of A Wrinkle in Time can’t miss Dimension Drift!” – Christina Trevaskis, The Book Matchmaker
A prequel novella to the new series from USA Today’s ‘must read YA paranormal romance’ author, Christina Bauer.
One day, eighteen-year-old Thorne will be the Emperor of the Omniverse, the single being who rules countless worlds. Trouble is, his father Cole—who’s also the current Emperor—is a sadistic freak.
In fact, Cole won’t even keep his promises to the very humans who got him his throne.
Thorne won’t stand for it. He decides to travel to the human world and make good on his father’s promises. What he doesn’t count on is falling in love….
“I love how Bauer manages to add some awesome new world building to each of her books.”– Woven Magic
This new series is perfect for: fans of urban fantasy, action and adventure, cool science, evil corporations, forbidden romance and hot new classmates who may or may not be aliens.
The post UMBRA Cover Is Revealed appeared first on Monster House Books.
UMBRA Cover Is Revealed!
Today the cover is revealed for UMBRA, the second prequel in my Dimension Drift series! This image features THORNE, who is a squee-worthy dude from another dimension. Le Sigh! Enjoy the cover and all the goodies, including a new rafflecopter!
UMBRA COVER REVEAL SUMMARY
TITLE: UMBRA, Dimension Drift Prequels #2
GENRE: Young Adult Paranormal Romance
AVAILABILITY: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo and GooglePlay
FORMAT: eBook
LIST PRICE: $3.99
RAFFLECOPTER: https://tinyurl.com/y9shpjmj
SERIES:
SCYTHE, Dimension Drift Prequels #1 – FREE today on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo and GooglePlay
UMBRA, Dimension Drift Prequels #2 – January 29, 2019
ALIEN MINDS, Dimension Drift Book #1 – April 23, 2019
ECHO ACADEMY, Dimension Drift Book #2 – April 21, 2020
DRIFT WARRIOR, Dimension Drift Book #3 – April 20, 2021
About UMBRA
“Fans of A Wrinkle in Time can’t miss Dimension Drift!” – Christina Trevaskis, The Book Matchmaker
A prequel novella to the new series from USA Today’s ‘must read YA paranormal romance’ author, Christina Bauer.
One day, eighteen-year-old Thorne will be the Emperor of the Omniverse, the single being who rules countless worlds. Trouble is, his father Cole—who’s also the current Emperor—is a sadistic freak.
In fact, Cole won’t even keep his promises to the very humans who got him his throne.
Thorne won’t stand for it. He decides to travel to the human world and make good on his father’s promises. What he doesn’t count on is falling in love….
“I love how Bauer manages to add some awesome new world building to each of her books.”– Woven Magic
This new series is perfect for: fans of urban fantasy, action and adventure, cool science, evil corporations, forbidden romance and hot new classmates who may or may not be aliens.
The post UMBRA Cover Is Revealed! appeared first on Monster House Books.
August 10, 2018
VOTE TODAY: What’s Next For Beholder?
Dear Readers,
I’ve just launched CRADLED, Book 5 in the Beholder Series. But like with Beholder Book 4, readers are asking for more installments of the story…and you know how I love saying YES to readers 
August 5, 2018
Press Release: Monster House Announces New Office Space
Publishing company has moved to new offices in Brighton, MA.
NEWTON, Mass. – June 4, 2018 – Monster House Books LLC (MHB) has announced that the company has officially moved its office space to larger facilities at 1660 Soldiers Field Rd, Suite 200, Brighton, MA 02135.
“We’re excited to expand our corporate footprint,” says Christina Bauer, Founder, Monster House Books. “The new environment gives us more flexibility to meet with vendors as well as greater access to a wide array of business capabilities.”
In 2018, Monster House doubled the number of ebook, print, and audiobook releases as well as added new authors Majanka Verstraete and Valya Fefilova. The new corporate address is through a shared office space program for start-up companies. It includes support staff and equipment most needed by growing companies. Vendors are encouraged to make a note of the new address for future billing.
About Monster House Books LLC
Monster House Books LLC publishes kick-ass fiction for young adults in the genres of sci-fi, fantasy, urban fantasy, and paranormal romance. Like strong heroines, diverse voices, and unique storylines? Welcome home.
For more information, visit www.MonsterHouseBooks.com.
###Copyright © 2018 Monster House Books LLC. All Rights Reserved. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders.
Media Inquiries: info@monsterhousebooks.com
The post Press Release: Monster House Announces New Office Space appeared first on Monster House Books.
August 3, 2018
Top Ten Plea to Goodreads
Actual top ten list I posted on a goodreads chat board today:
Top Ten Reasons Why Changing Out My Cover Image Is a Great Use Of Your Time
10. Easier to stomach than the latest news about big foot porn
9. I write kick-ass heroines with sassy mouths and who doesn’t want to help that?
8. Did I mention big foot porn? It’s a thing now. Honestly. And I write stuff that is at least marginally better.
7. I can write top ten lists like a bitch
6. I swear and if that’s your bag, encourage it by rewarding my behavior!
5. I have a small altar to goodreads librarians that I pray to regularly
4. I might have a thing for ABCDarian
3. Every time you complete one of my requests for help, someone somewhere makes a cute meme with a lot of little baby goats jumping around
2. I’m actually this fabulous in real life
1. Two words: Free Cookies.
It’s been five days! Please help me, goodreads! My help request:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
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