Wednesday, July 9, 2025

Knot of Souls by Christine Amsden ~ #UrbanFantasy #UF #BewitchingBookTours

Facing Your Fears

Knot of Souls is set in October, and though it’s not a Halloween book, it does draw on the atmosphere of fear as each of the two main characters works on overcoming past trauma. For Joy, neglected by her father, never feeling quite good enough, she’s afraid of asserting herself. This is maybe why she initially hides from the spirit invading her body, rather than fighting. But Joy has more power than she realizes, beginning with a friend who re-imagines Halloween in an inspirational new way.

Excerpt from Chapter 6 of Knot of Souls:

“It’s almost Halloween, the time of year to face your fears, to do something that really scares you.”

It was late Thursday evening, and we were hanging out at her house watching a truly terrible new horror series on Netflix. So far, the only feeling it had induced was boredom.

“I don’t think that’s what Halloween is for,” I replied. “Isn’t it the day when the veil between the living and the dead is thinnest?”

“Is that what scares you?”

“No.”

“Then no, that’s not what it’s about.” Kristen gestured at the TV, where ominous music suggested we were supposed to be worried about something. Too bad the plot hadn’t gotten the memo. “People need to scare themselves sometimes. It’s how we get what we really want.”

“Hm.” I pondered the odd new idea, but ended up shaking my head. “People dress in costumes to hide from the ghosts. I just don’t think—”

“And if you don’t face your fears,” Kristen added dramatically, “then what’s going to change by next Halloween?”

Knot of Souls
Christine Amsden

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Christine Amsden
Date of Publication: May 20, 2025
ISBN: 979-8283019284
ASIN: B0F7Y8YST6
Number of pages: 384
Word Count: 102,000
Cover Artist: BZN Studio Designs

Book Description:

Two souls, one body … 

When Joy wakes up in an alley, she knows three things: she was brutally murdered, she has somehow come back to life ... and she is not alone. She’s been possessed by an inhuman presence, a being that has taken over her dying body. That being is powerful, in pain, and on the run from entities more dangerous than he is.

Shade, a Fae prince on the run, didn’t mean to share the body he jumped into. Desperate and afraid, accused of a murder he didn’t commit, he only sought a place to hide—but if he leaves Joy now, he faces discovery and a fate worse than death.

Forced to work together to solve multiple murders, including her own, Joy and Shade discover hidden strengths and an unlikely friendship. Yet as their souls become increasingly intertwined, they realize their true danger might come from each other … and if they don't find a way to untangle the knot their souls have become, then even the truth won't set them free.

Knot of Souls is a stand-alone buddy love fantasy that forces two very different beings to work together … and come out stronger on the other side.

Free Through Kindle Unlimited

Amazon

About the Author:

Christine Amsden is the author of nine award-winning fantasy and science fiction novels, including the Cassie Scot Series.

Speculative fiction is fun, magical, and imaginative but Christine believes great speculative fiction is about real people defining themselves through extraordinary situations. She writes primarily about people, and it is in this way that she strives to make science fiction and fantasy meaningful for everyone.

In addition to writing, Christine is a freelance editor and political activist. Disability advocacy is of particular interest to her; she has a rare genetic eye condition called Stargardt Macular Degeneration and has been legally blind since the age of eighteen. In her free time, she enjoys role playing, board games, and a good cup of tea. She lives in the Kansas City area with her husband and two kids.







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Monday, July 7, 2025

Electric Titan by C.R. Reardon #YASciFi #SciFi #DisabilityLit

What inspired you to become an author?

I wrote a poem for a 7th grade project about my experience with a childhood brain tumor. My mom’s side of the family has writers, so maybe that’s why it clicked.

Do you have a specific writing style?

I would say I’m more of a pantser. I love spontaneously adding details and connections that make the characters and text richer.

Do you write in different genres?

Yes, poetry [4 books] and literary fiction.  

If yes which is your favorite genre to write?

poetry

How did you come up with the title for your latest book?

Do you title the book first or wait until after it’s complete?

The title came first.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Just the randomness of life and how fast it can change…disability is not something to fear…if you are disabled, you will eventually become whole just as you are..It helps to have faith.

Is the book, characters, or any scenes based on a true life experience, someone you know, or events in your own life?

December 20th–when Rosa has her procedure–was the day of my first brain surgery.

Of all the characters you’ve ever written, who is your favorite and why?

Doc Star. She is a feisty black socialite from Savannah, Georgia,  who uses a wheelchair. She’s a fashionista and keeps in shape by boxing.

What books/authors have influenced your life?

David Foster Wallace, Murikami, Aleksandr Isayevich Solzhenitsyn


Can you share a little of your current work with us?

From my new book of poetry, Disablé:

Interstellar

It hurts to look in the mirror

Survive the Hawking Radiation,

Dip below the Event Horizon 

Into a wormhole that

Passes celestial palaces and

Planets like irises,

Through crystallized frost, the expanding darkness,

And arrive at a dimension that harnesses magic.


After a decade of being,

Two constants broke with the dawn:

The invisible thing and

Time—both undefined.

For twenty-five years, a quarter of a century,

No hand held mine,

No lips touched mine,

No ethereal spell kept us intertwined.

I speak not of affection from friends and family,

But of the pillar that sustains societies.

The tender clay that every soul deserves.


In these infinite-scroll days,

With tribal huts, digital lust,

Self-monitoring sunset sluts,

And filters generating melancholy ruts—

I have rolled naked for all to see,

For all to swipe pass. So, what could it be?

Why when the hot bots eye me

Must they see an easy mark? Why

Must the endorphin rush of

New calligraphy

Fade like fire?


Perhaps my texts did not strike 

To the superstring’s like.

Perhaps they are forever in a superposition, 

Stretching my mind’s matter.

Tectonic plates once pushed pressure onto the other 

But how much force led to an answer?

The gaul of me to have romantic desires!


Am I deranged?

Is there such a thing as blame?


Nymphs actions are difficult to convict

When I would have helmed the same sleeping ship—

If the Sun penetrated me the same way as they,

If hikes by rocky waterfalls filled my day.

These ice-olating, unaware rains

Are my eternal fountain of pain.


I’m tired of being Her good deed for the day.


And what am I to think–

Of these profiles with height requirements

And pleas for openmindedness–

If I am to ever own a home or

Earn an income after

Being sequestered like a leper in a slum?


How should I proceed? Is my pride in need?

Or is it as wide as the horizon?


Should I forget the stillness in my bedroom,

How the chromatic light on the lamppost loomed

Where I once played with ghosts under the moon?


Alas, it would have been easy

To twixt my mature soul with a ripe one 

Like I had done

In my dreams—

No need to scheme,

Be seen on the scene, waste time

Fumbling words, lie like fiends, play

The game in an endless stream.


A tyrant has ruled my days,

And if this is the fate

I am doomed to face

I will abandon my sojourn

To be more free, but how free?

I would possess

The anchor of time, but would I hear

The music of wind chimes?


Now, I am a nebula’s shepherd

Waiting to be discovered.


Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

I am terrible with plot. I’m more focused on smaller, character moments.

Who designed the cover of your latest book?

Spanish author and artist Sofia Sanz

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Take courses, learn the methods, then don’t listen to any advice. And don’t TRY to write.

Do you have a song or playlist (book soundtrack) that you think represents this book?

I Am Not A Robot by Marina

What would your readers be surprised to learn about you?

I used to be really into rap music.

When you’re not writing what do you do? Do you have any hobbies or guilty pleasures?

I am a huge cinephile. Sports have always ben in my family. Basketball, football, soccer, volleyball, track. And I like poker.


Electric Titan
C.R. Reardon

Genre: Science Fiction, Young Adult, Disability
Publisher: C.R.  Reardon
Date of Publication: 6/13/1986
ISBN: 979-8-9920346-0-8
ASIN: B0F44JVWL9
Number of pages: 225
Word Count: 64,117 
Cover Artist: Sofia Sanz

Tagline: 17-year-old Rosa Viviani grapples with her newfound disability, a meteor emerges from the depths of space, hurtling toward Titan with the potential to destroy everything.

Book Description:

Rosa Viviani, a seventeen-year-old girl living in the utopian colony of Civigem on Saturn’s moon Titan, faces a series of life-altering events. In a society where disability has been eradicated through genetic engineering, Rosa becomes one of the few individuals who must navigate life with a hoverchair. As she grapples with her newfound disability, a meteor emerges from the depths of space, hurtling toward Titan with the potential to destroy everything.

Amidst the chaos, Rosa's connection to an ancient Earth religion awakens within her a mystical power that could save Civigem from the impending catastrophe. Guided by the wisdom of goddesses and unwavering support from her parents and girlfriend, Rosa embarks on a journey of self-discovery, confronting her fears and insecurities while learning to harness her newfound abilities. As the meteor's impact looms closer, Rosa must confront the limitations of her powers, the fragility of life, and the complexities of love in a society that has long forgotten the meaning of community.

In a race against time, Rosa's journey becomes a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, the power of love, and the importance of embracing life's uncertainties. As she confronts the impending apocalypse, Rosa's story challenges the utopian ideals of Civigem, exposing the deep-seated prejudices and the hidden costs of a society that has long suppressed the natural diversity of human existence.

Amazon      BN     Kobo     Apple     GooglePlay

Excerpt: Day 1

When I first used my hoverchair, nobody told me about the unexpectedness. I didn’t know I’d be the only young woman on Titan using one. When I’d run my last Convalor, climb my last staircase to a house. Traverse a ravine’s rocks. I wish I could have readied myself for things like my last walk with my dad along the lakeshore, but life doesn’t always give us time to prepare.

Dark brown clouds slit the dusky morning sky. I lay in bed reading Village Sisters on my tabicus, trying to learn what life would be like for me in a hoverchair. The Village Sisters was written on Earth about the bond between an African-Japanese beauty queen and her best friend, who broke her spine in a tsunami.

An empty frame hung in front of my bed next to the window. I didn’t want to see me standing with my friends at Lucky’s Tavern. The obligatory smiles and people I barely knew now felt like a past life. The picture was only a year old, but still.

I always kept sunflowers on the table beside my bed to brighten my mood. Next to the sunflowers, my elegant ballerina motivated me to strive for grace and good posture. The best thing I ever got from the Keller Aviary was a fluffy, stuffed butterfly that I named Ms. Monarch and rested on my bed. Like many times since the incident, I embraced her and squeezed tight.

Then, just before the announcement, a tingling shot down my right arm. Was I numb from squeezing Ms. Monarch too hard? Was it a side effect of the surgery? It felt like hot wax on my skin–but somehow empowering?

My body jerked upright. My arm swung like a directional arrow. I had no control of it.

My hand and arm lined up with a Faberge egg on my dresser. It was a family heirloom passed down to my dad’s disabled relative. This, in part, is why I believe our lives are echoes of our ancestors. We’re the same stars, just moving through different galaxies.

The heirloom navigated our solar system aboard the U.S.S. Freedom. The maroon and gold Faberge egg rattled out of its four pure white supports, fell to the floor, and shattered.

I thought someone might’ve bumped into my dresser the night before. Maybe they nudged it off its axis, and that’s why it toppled over this morning.

The pneumonia rains started, and I was content watching them splatter the bubble and cascade down, but we all know what happens now.

The Urgent News banner appeared on my tabicus. I turned the volume up. Remember that image? The mayor drooped like a geranium.

“Fellow citizens, I come to you today with the heaviest of hearts. I sincerely hope that every individual heed this news with the understanding that the best course of action for every life was attempted.” Her shoulders rose and fell like the Magic Islands. “Several weeks ago, a volcano on Jupiter’s moon Io dispelled lava that somehow escaped its gravitational pull and froze, hurtling it into space. This is the meteor I’m sure many of you have heard about on the news. The meteor is one point-six kilometers in diameter and travels at a speed of thirty-six kilometers per second. I regret to inform you that it is headed directly for Titan, and it’s too late to stop it.

“The meteor will make an impact with Titan in six days and destroy everything, including our beloved–” I felt so bad for her when her voice cracked, and she began to tear up. “Civigem.”

 

About the Author:

A brain tumor survivor since the age of 8, and handicapped since the age of 10, C.R. Reardon is now 39 years old. He fell in love with creative writing after writing a poem about these hardships in the 7th grade. Since then, he has self-published four books of poetry: Disablé  (2025), Born on Friday the 13th (2018), Torghatten (2016), and Hard Polish (2013). After 2 years at The University of Arizona, C.R. graduated from Stonehill College in 2009 and earned his Master's degree in English from Salem State University in 2011.

His screenplay Lagom (the Swedish word for 'just the right amount') was a finalist for best screenplay at the 2017 Massachusetts Independent Film Festival, as well as the 2015 Catalina Film Festival.  In 2016 my screenplay Spawning Neon was a semi-finalist at the 16th annual Awareness Film Festival.









Sunday, July 6, 2025

Author Sign-Ups are Now Open for the Haunted Halloween Spooktacular


 



Author Sign-Ups are Open for the 10th Annual Bewitching Book Tours' Haunted Halloween Spooktacular

This special Halloween book tour package offers authors individual tours combined with the cross-promotion of an overall Halloween event with a group Rafflecopter October 1-29 

For $99 each participating author will receive:

  • 1 month Halloween Theme Virtual Book Tour (retail value $150)
  • Custom Tour Banner, Instagram Graphic, and TikTok Video
  • Professional Media Kit
  • Option to Offer Review Copies to Tour Hosts

Sign Up Here: https://forms.gle/KtaES6Fu79ri7hH77

Deadline to Sign Up is August 1

Monday, June 30, 2025

Combustible by Hunter Shea



Combustible
Hunter Shea 

Genre: Horror/Post Apocalyptic/Dark Humor
Publisher: Dark Wolf Books
Date of Publication: 6/17/2025
ISBN: 979-8895678923
ASIN: B0F7Z8X3C5
Number of pages: 374
Word Count: 94,000

Tagline: POST-APOCALYPTIC HORROR MEETS THRILLER IN A DYSTOPIAN NIGHTMARE OF FIRE AND ASH.

Book Description:

The world didn't end with a bang or a whimper...it ended with people bursting into flames.

Across the globe, spontaneous human combustion (SHC) is turning ordinary citizens into living infernos. Governments collapse, cities fall silent, and the air itself tastes like ash. Society burns while the lucky few are left to wonder: When will it be me?

Sam and Aja were already falling apart before the fires came. Now, trapped in a crumbling apartment and suffocating under the weight of isolation, their love feels just as doomed as the rest of humanity. But when whispers spread of a small Canadian town called Consumption, untouched by the inferno, hope flickers.

Stealing an RV and refusing to leave Aja behind, Sam sets out on a desperate, ash-streaked journey through a burned-out North America. With his best friend in tow and a growing crew of strange, unforgettable survivors, they chase rumors through a landscape warped by horror, madness, and the heat of human combustion.

Perfect for fans of The Gone-Away World by Nick Harkaway and Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion, Combustible is a harrowing, darkly tender exploration of what survives when everything else burns. Will love endure in a world destined to ignite?

Excerpt:

There were shouts within and then banging, followed by the distinctive sound of splintering wood. I watched a man rush into the room and douse the flames with a handheld fire extinguisher. I got to walking before the smoke settled. I had a pretty good idea of what I’d see and my day was already shit enough.

I hurried around the corner and almost whooped out a hallelujah when I saw the gate to Singa’s was up.

My enthusiasm was tempered when I looked through the window. The place had been ransacked.

Singa, at least that’s what I assumed his name was since he was always there, sat behind the counter reading an old newspaper.

“What happened in here?” I said.

The shelves had all been knocked down, glass to the cold cases reduced to pebbles, boxes, bottles and cans strewn about as if the entire store had been invaded by a mosh pit.

Singa, who had been old to begin with, looked like he’d aged twenty years. The bags under his eyes were dark and had an almost crispy texture. Those umber eyes held back tears that threatened to fall any second. He looked around the remains of his store in a daze.

“Humanity happened,” he said, his voice, like his gaze, far, far away.

I put a fifty-dollar bill on the counter. “You mind if I see if there’s anything worth saving?

“Keep your money.” He either avoided my gaze or thought he was talking to a ghost. “Money burns. We all burn.”

I snatched a reusable bag from the floor and got on my hands and knees, looking for anything that had been left whole. I came up with a box of elbow macaroni, a can each of beets, sliced potatoes and artichoke hearts, three bottles of off-brand water, and a box of stuffing mix. It wasn’t much, but it was better than nothing.

I slung the bag over my shoulder. “Is…is there anything I can do for you?”

His eyes slowly found mine. “Yes.” He opened his palm. In the center, I saw a tiny pile of black specks. “Run.”

Singa dipped his head and inhaled the powder like a cokehead fresh from rehab.

The sneeze came instantly.

The flames seemed to burst from every pore of his body.

I jumped back and slipped on a pile of debris, sure that the heat had singed my eyebrows.

Poor Singa slumped into his chair and burned without a sound.

It took a few attempts to get to my feet and run out of the store. In my mad dash back home, my heavy breathing popped the tampons loose. I didn’t stop to look for them.

I noticed fires in other windows.

The one that had been put out earlier was back, blazing again. SHC was like that sometimes. Someone on the radio had called it ‘almost sentient.’ It didn’t like it when people put it out. So, it came back with a vengeance. This time, no one tried to extinguish it.

In fact, there were tendrils of smoke everywhere as far as I could see. And nowhere could you hear the sound of a single fire engine. What was the point?

Oddly, what disturbed me most was when one of the feral cats hiding under a car gave a loud sneeze. It burst into flame immediately. The fleeing blur of burning hair and flesh went headfirst into a wall, made a sharp turn and disappeared down an alley, leaving grayish smoke in its wake.

 

About the Author:

Often called THE KING OF THE CRYPTIDS, Hunter Shea is a lifelong horror hound and NY Times bestselling author of over forty books of monstrous mayhem, ghostly frights, and newfound terrors. Some of his bestselling books include the critically acclaimed Creature, They Rise, and The Montauk Monster, the nostalgic Money Back Guaranteed and One Size Eats All series, and Jessica Backman’s Death in the Afterlife paranormal trilogy. His books have been found in the International Cryptozoology Museum and his face on the Discovery Channel where he talks about, well, monsters.

He can be heard and seen on his two long-running podcasts, Final Guys and Monster Men, both informed and humorous explorations of horror’s best – and worst – movies, books, and video games, as well as interviews with some of the hottest writers, directors and producers in the genre. You’ll also find exciting first-hand accounts of true-life hauntings, UFOs, cryptid encounters and more.

Website – www.huntershea.com








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Wednesday, June 11, 2025

We Are Always Watching by Hunter Shea


We Are Always Watching
Hunter Shea

Genre: Horror
Publisher: Dark Wolf Books
Date of Publication: 5/27/2025
ISBN: 979-8895679234
ASIN: B0F3QTH2WK
Number of pages: 353
Word Count: 94K

Tagline: They See Everything. They Know Everything. And They Never Stop Watching…

Book Description:

When West Ridley’s family is forced to abandon New York for a crumbling Pennsylvania farmhouse, he expects misery—but nothing could prepare him for the horrors lurking within its walls. His father’s worsening illness, his mother’s exhaustion, and his grandfather’s drunken ramblings paint a bleak picture of their new reality. But it’s the eerie warnings and shadowed figures that truly unnerve him.

The words “WE SEE YOU” scrawled on his ceiling are just the beginning. Something sinister roams the halls at night, whispering through the silence, watching from the darkness. Grandpa Abraham swears the house is haunted. But the truth is far worse than restless spirits—because in this house, secrets are buried deep, and the Guardians will do anything to keep them hidden.

As the Ridleys unravel the mysteries of their new home, one thing becomes chillingly clear: escape is impossible. No matter where they go, the watchers remain.

A pulse-pounding horror thriller packed with eerie suspense, We Are Always Watching is perfect for fans of Stephen King, Paul Tremblay, and haunted house stories that linger long after the last page. Dare to uncover the truth? Order your copy today—before they see you first.

Amazon    BN     Dark Wolf Books


Excerpt:

His foot crunched on a three-foot long stick. It was gnarled and thick, a perfect walking stick and weed slasher. Whisking it back and forth, he swatted at the wild vegeta tion, heading for the woodpile. It would make a great bonfire. He’d never been to one in person, but he’d seen plenty in movies, especially the flicks from the ’80s with teen campers in peril.

West loved those movies, especially the parts where girls took off their shirts and either went skinny dipping or had sex in the woods or an empty cabin. Actresses took their clothes off a lot back then. He’d never even seen a naked boob until Anthony showed him this strange astronaut/vampire flick called Lifeforce. The girl vampire was totally naked, front and back, for half the movie. West’s mind was blown. Horror, sci-fi, and his first naked woman. The constant flip-flopping between arousal and terror left him both exhausted and too tired to sleep that night.

Something crashed through the brush to his left. He stopped, the hairs on the back of his neck rising. There was a garbled growl. The sounds of two cats tussling gave his nerves sweet relief. Not wanting to get in the middle of their fight, he veered to the right.

Closing in on the haphazard mound of wood, he realized what it was. The farm would have had a barn at one time. It must have collapsed decades ago. The old walls and floorboards were blighted by the sun and elements. The stench of decay grew stronger with each step. Weeds grew through the gaps, some of them so thick, they hid whole sections of the former barn. “I wonder what took you down,” he said, lifting boards here and there with the tip of his sneaker. The ground beneath it was black as pitch and had an odd smell, like something scorched and long forgotten. Could have been a fire. Or maybe it was a storm, some hurricane that sent people to their cellars. That is, if hurricanes happened in this part of Pennsylvania.

Did Grandpa Abraham’s place have a storm cellar? And what about a fruit cellar? He heard about them all the time, especially when it came to places for crazed killers to hide bodies. What was the point of a fruit cellar? Why stick your fruit in some hole?

There was sudden movement in the brush behind him. He waited for one of the cats to slink into view. The sound didn’t repeat itself and no cats came out to play. West felt the hairs stand up on the back of his neck. He had the very uncomfortable feeling that he was being watched.

Out here, surrounded by the tall grass, anyone could be lurking.

He closed his eyes and saw the words on the ceiling over his bed. WE SEE YOU West was suddenly very uncomfortable. All of this was so alien to him, he felt as if he’d stepped into a place where he didn’t belong. “Time to go back inside.”

He trudged away from the collapsed barn, unable to shake the feeling that there were eyes at his back

 

 

About the Author: 

Often called THE KING OF THE CRYPTIDS, Hunter Shea is a lifelong horror hound and NY Times bestselling author of over forty books of monstrous mayhem, ghostly frights, and newfound terrors. Some of his bestselling books include the critically acclaimed Creature, They Rise, and The Montauk Monster, the nostalgic Money Back Guaranteed and One Size Eats All series, and Jessica Backman’s Death in the Afterlife paranormal trilogy. His books have been found in the International Cryptozoology Museum and his face on the Discovery Channel where he talks about, well, monsters.

He can be heard and seen on his two long-running podcasts, Final Guys and Monster Men, both informed and humorous explorations of horror’s best – and worst – movies, books, and video games, as well as interviews with some of the hottest writers, directors and producers in the genre. You’ll also find exciting first-hand accounts of true-life hauntings, UFOs, cryptid encounters and more.

Website – www.huntershea.com








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Monday, June 9, 2025

Fate of the Storm by Valerie Storm #YAFantasy


Fate of the Storm
Demon Storm 
Book Eight
Valerie Storm

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Publisher: Shadow Spark Publishing
Date of Publication: 5/13/2025
ISBN: 9781956883343 
ASIN: B0F4BD7X8Y
Number of pages: 374
Word Count:  97,896
Cover Artist: @Ginkahederling

Book Description:

The shadows have retreated with Raven's downfall, but darkness still curls at the edges of the world. For a moment, though, Kari and Ari have a moment of peace. There is a glimmer of light that threatens to wash away the darkness as they finally bind their fates together in a formal ceremony.

But Raven hasn't given up, and there's an older, crueler foe who hasn't forgotten Kari - the Lord of Demons, the very one who crafted the Catalyst which Raven sought to control, still trapped in an ancient Tree.

Kari's moment of joy comes to a halt as the world shakes and Taris is ripped apart.

Velthas has risen.
Bewitching Exclusive Excerpt: 

Zina scoffed. “If I had not treated you as an anomaly—if I had not taken the prophecy into consideration and been blinded by my own fool goals, would we be here?”

Kari approached her and leaned against the wall beside the window. “Something would have guided us here eventually,” she said. “That’s what Guine said. You really are arrogant if you think it’s all on you.”

Zina laughed, though it was tired and desperately lacking any amusement. “Maybe the Catalyst would have followed its fate. I certainly am not so full of myself that I would take all the blame for the wiles of destiny, if such a thing exists. But the fact is I made great leaps in the wrong direction not because I thought it was right, but because I was selfish.” She turned and looked at Kari with shadowed, gray eyes. “I am sorry for everything my actions put you through, Kari.”

Kari’s heart twisted. She cleared her throat. “An apology, from you?”

Zina smiled wryly. “You won’t get another.”

Kari’s tail twitched at the way she said that. “Thank you, Zina. I forgive you.”

Zina closed her eyes and turned to the window again.

“Zina…” Kari hesitantly started. “If there is something you know, something you think you have to prove…well.” She rubbed the back of her neck. “We saw your letters to Nova. We know you’ve been talking to the angels,” she said quickly before she could regret the words. “If Kinera—the Seraph of Nalmi—told you to do something…” Kari exhaled an annoyed breath. “Listen, we’re all in this together. Every single one of us has a task, and every single one of us is going to celebrate tomorrow after we’ve won. But that means we have to rely on each other, trust each other.”

Zina was quiet. Kari was afraid their talk would be over, replaced with defensive anger.

At last, Zina hummed. She dug her fingers into the window and shoved it up, allowing a freshly cool breeze to whip her hair out of place. “You always hated my secrets, Kari. I regret to inform you I rather enjoy them.” She smirked and a glint came to her gray eyes, a liveliness Kari hadn’t seen since they’d come back. “You will know everything you need to when it’s all over.”

“That’s not enough, Zina,” Kari insisted. “Whatever she’s asked you to do, you don’t have to. Or we can help you. I can—”

“If you could help me with this, I would gladly let you,” Zina said. “However, this is a burden I have carried for a long, long time. I have no regrets now. Do you understand, Kari?”

Kari opened her mouth, then closed it. She bit her lip. “Zina…”

“Whatever happens tomorrow,” Zina said firmly, “I have no regrets. Do you understand?”

She repeated the question in a tone made of steel; Kari had not heard her talk so since the days of her training.

“I understand,” she muttered. “But if I find an alternative, I’m taking it.”

Zina’s lips twitched into an almost-smile. “I expected nothing less.”

 

About the Author:

Valerie Storm was raised in Tucson, Arizona. Growing up, she fell in love with everything fantasy. When she wasn’t playing video games, she was writing. By age ten, she began to write her own stories as a way to escape reality. When these stories became a full-length series, she considered the path to sharing with other children and children-at/heart looking for a place to call home.











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Wednesday, June 4, 2025

Roxanne Rhoads Upcoming Events




Curious at Crossroads
June 21 & 22
11am- 5pm

Crossroads Village & Huckleberry Railroad
6140 Bray Rd, 
Flint, MI

Step into the strange as the historic Crossroads Village turns into an asylum of the wildly weird at Curious at Crossroads: Oddities Fest! 

Explore over 100 unique vendors, check out one of our guest speakers, grab some lunch from a food truck or the Crossroads Café, jump inside a UFO, tour the historic Village, purchase a book from our “Tub of Terrors”, daily entertainment, and special guest Tony Moran, the iconic unmasked Michael Myers from the 1978 horror classic Halloween. Embrace the odd and join us for a truly unforgettable experience!



Mark Your Calendar: Saturday, August 2 | 2–4 PM

Get ready for a delightfully spooky afternoon! I'm brewing up a crafty little event where we'll dive into tales of the area's most haunted locations—all while creating your very own haunted keychain to take home as a keepsake (or a charm to ward off spirits 

These keychains are fun and easy to make. You'll have a wide variety of colors to choose from. You will select your ghost and all the beads you wish to use to create your haunting masterpiece. No beading experience needed, you won't even need tools. 

This event will be at The Majestic Wolf Crafts & More in Burton.

$15 fee covers the informal presentation, supplies for the keychain, and light refreshments. 

The chills are complimentary.







A Festival of Oddities
August 30 & 31 2025
Saturday 11am-6pm
Sunday 11am-4pm

Courthouse Square Museum
100 W. Lawrence Ave., Charlotte, MI

In the 1940s and 50s, there were so many Bigfoot sightings in the Charlotte area, a section of town became known as "Gorilla Swamp." Are there really sasquatch in Charlotte? And more importantly, if we throw them a party, will they come to it?

Come celebrate a very cryptidy YEAR SEVEN of The FOO with us! Presented by Scream Queen Productions and The Courthouse Square Association, admission to the grounds is free, and admission to the museum is just $5/person. Visit the Macabre Marketplace with over 100 peddlers of the peculiar, grab lunch on Food Truck Row, adopt a new familiar in our Creature Cavern, visit the Living Library to meet your favorite true crime and horror authors, climb inside a giant spaceship, tour the haunted Courthouse Square Museum and peruse exclusive exhibits, and so much more! 




Michigan's Ghostly Getaways: Travel to Michigan's Most Haunted Locations

Monday September 29, 2025
5:00pm - 7:00pm

Lapeer District Library
deAngeli Meeting Room
921 West Nepessing St
Lapeer, MI 48446

Embark on a spine-chilling journey through the Mitten State with Haunted Flint author Roxanne Rhoads as she unveils the spooky history of Michigan's most haunted locations.


Registration for this event will be open from September 15, 2025 @ 9:00am to September 29, 2025 @ 5:00pm.



Bewitching Book Tours is curating a Halloween Book Fair on October 18 in Flint. We seek Michigan authors and artists/crafters who make spooky and book-related items.

Authors of dark romances, paranormal romances, horror, fantasy, romantasy, true crime, and haunted history books (or anything else that fits into the dark and spooky category).

Vendors of book and Halloween-related arts and products- bookmarks, tote bags, art, and other macabre merchandise.

Apply here: https://forms.gle/T4fwF6CpXQV4AwQP8

We are also seeking sponsors for this event. Sponsors will be showcased on all social media platforms and at the event. 

Spooktastic Haunted Book Fair, October 18 from 12- 3pm at the Creative Cafe 3318 Corunna Rd, Flint, MI 48503

https://www.facebook.com/events/2070930936747892/




Roxanne is available for book signings, readings, library presentations, and other events. 

Please contact her for available times and rates. 

You can reach Roxanne at hauntedflintauthor@gmail.com

 
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