Cinders Burn at Midnight (Trium Perfectum #1) by Kara M. Zone

Cinders Burn at Midnight (Trium Perfectum #1)
by Kara M. Zone
February 13, 2025
Book 1 of 2: Trium Perfectum
A broken past. A portal to magic. Do you dare open the door?

She doesn’t know she’s a murderer.

From the moment she steps on campus, Kaitlin Gilbert enters a world she never knew existed—one where magic is hidden, and her power has been subdued. Trapped in a fog of blackouts, she quickly learns that dark family secrets refuse to stay buried.

When Kaitlin meets Finn, her brother’s best friend, lightning strikes and everything else explodes.

Finn Avery has always known about magic, but his dueling powers demand control.

When his connection to Kaitlin becomes impossible to ignore, he realizes she’s the other half of his Trium Perfectum, a fated bond that amplifies their strength, but could destroy them both.

With her brother at her side and a dangerous connection growing between her and Finn, Kaitlin must uncover the truth before her mother returns to finish what she started. Because if she doesn’t master the lightning inside her, someone else will—and it could destroy everything she loves.

Cinders Burn at Midnight is a gripping romantasy filled with portal magic, buried secrets, and a love written in lightning, set against the backdrop of a hidden magical world within our own
Mental Health rep
Portal Magic
Bad Ass FMC
Protective Heroes
Shifters
Secrets & Lies
Brother’s Best Friend
Stolen Memories
Found Family
Real-World/Fae Crossover
LGBTQ
Fated Bond

A broken past. A portal to magic. Do you dare open the door?

She doesn’t know she’s a murderer.

From the moment she steps on campus, Kaitlin Gilbert enters a world she never knew existed—one where magic is hidden, and her power has been subdued. Trapped in a fog of blackouts, she quickly learns that dark family secrets refuse to stay buried.

When Kaitlin meets Finn, her brother’s best friend, lightning strikes and everything else explodes.

Finn Avery has always known about magic, but his dueling powers demand control.

When his connection to Kaitlin becomes impossible to ignore, he realizes she’s the other half of his Trium Perfectum, a fated bond that amplifies their strength, but could destroy them both.

With her brother at her side and a dangerous connection growing between her and Finn, Kaitlin must uncover the truth before her mother returns to finish what she started. Because if she doesn’t master the lightning inside her, someone else will—and it could destroy everything she loves.

Cinders Burn at Midnight is a gripping romantasy filled with portal magic, buried secrets, and a love written in lightning, set against the backdrop of a hidden magical world within our own. 

Triggers
CPTSD: Dissociation, flashbacks
Physical, mental, and emotional abuse
Attempted SA
Neglect, drugging

About the Author:

website

 February 13, 2025 

Excerpt: Red Queen, Yellow King (The Book of Alice #1) by Jack Finn + giveaway

Welcome back to Wonderland.
Nothing here survives unchanged.

Red Queen, Yellow King (The Book of Alice #1)
by Jack Finn
December 28, 2025
Genre: Dark Epic Fantasy, Alice in Wonderland Retelling
This is book #1 of The Book of Alice duology.
Wonderland has fallen. And something older than kings has taken its place.

Alice returns to consciousness in a ruined palace, her body broken, her mind fractured, her sister enslaved by a queen who wears a crown of thorns and a smile of knives. The Looking Glass is shattered. The Hatter has turned. The White Queen is dead.

But beyond the bloody thrones and broken teacups lies something even stranger—an echo of a play that should never be performed, whispered by a masked god in yellow.

To save what little remains, Alice must navigate a sea of madness, hunt down a missing monarch, and confront the truth behind her own unraveling story.

Some fairy tales end in fire. Others in silence.

Amazon-Apple-Bookbub-Goodreads

The Red Queen played the long game. She murdered the White Queen and spared Alice, Ava, Hatter, and Lady Cheshire the purge that followed; even Tinker was allowed to live just long enough to complete his devices for the journey. Holding Ava and the Cheshire girls hostage, even releasing the giants, was all part of a plan the Red Queen had mapped out in her mind well in advance. She wanted the Azure Queen dead and the Red King back. Now all her pieces were in play on the chessboard.

Like every game, chess had rules.

Alice never played by the rules.

She would make her own rules.

She would beat the Red Queen at her own game.

Alice doing Alice things.

About the Author:
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Instagram-Instagram
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Jack Finn is a horror author and active Horror Writers Association member living in the wilds of the Pacific Northwest with his wife and two fiendishly clever dogs. He is a lifelong believer that the Tooth Fairy proves you can trade body parts for cold, hard cash.

His books by the include, The Wolves of Kalinin werewolf duology: Prey Upon the Lambs (Anuci Press 2025) and The Desolation of Hunters (Anuci Press 2025); the horror collection They Come When You Sleep (Velox Books 2025), a re-envisioning of the Dracula mythos in the standalone novel The Seven Deaths of Prince Vlad (Anuci Press 2024), and the folk horror collection, Legend of the Deer Woman (Crow Street Press, 2023).

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
Enter the Red Queen, Yellow King Giveaway Here

The Skeleton Faerie (Children of the Death Gods Book 1) by A. P. Mobley

Faerie folklore meets a nuclear postapocalypse in this dark mythological fantasy woven with secrets, treachery, and star-crossed love.

 

The Skeleton Faerie (Children of the Death Gods Book 1)
by A. P. Mobley
November 2025
Genre: Dark Fantasy star-crossed lovers

• emotional scars
• different worlds
• hidden identity
• postapocalyptic settings
• magical powers
• mythology and folklore
• faeries and monsters
• portals to the otherworld

Ninety-nine years after the Nuclear War of 1989, twenty-one-year-old Gus Brandon should only be interested in the survival of humanity and the expansion of his compound. But he’s obsessed with legends from the distant past, superstitions of an expired people.

While searching forbidden ruins for the scraps of stories lost to time, he stumbles upon a mysterious young woman covered in scars. Her name is Saoirse, and their meeting sets off a bloody chain of events—one in which Gus discovers that the folklore he loves just might be real, and that it’s tied to mankind in ways he could have never imagined.

Soon the lines between myth and reality blur, as do the lines between realms.

Gus will have to rely on his knowledge—and Saoirse—to survive the horrors awaiting him… in this world and the next.

“The Skeleton Faerie feels like stepping into a frostbitten fairytale where every shimmer hides a bone-deep threat. Mobley blends beauty with decay, crafting a world that’s haunting, brittle, and strangely enchanting.” - Hazel G. of NetGalley on The Skeleton Faerie, ★★★★★

“A darkly magical descent into Celtic myth that is lush, eerie, and beautifully haunting... A. P. Mobley’s knowledge of Celtic folklore shines from the very first page, woven seamlessly into a world that feels both ancient and alive.” - The Bat Reads of NetGalley on The Skeleton Faerie, ★★★★★

“... dark, fast paced, and full of action... one of the most engrossing post apocalyptic books I’ve read in a while.” - Jenn of Goodreads on The Skeleton Faerie, ★★★★★

“... a masterful blend of dark fantasy and heartfelt storytelling... a book that captivates, haunts, and inspires, earning every one of its five stars.” - Dayna Smith of Goodreads on The Skeleton Faerie, ★★★★★

“Nail biting from the first page to the last, prepare for an unputdownable journey.” - Lisa Hunt of Goodreads on The Skeleton Faerie, ★★★★★ 

Triggers:
violence; abuse; profanity; murder; dismemberment; cannibalism; chronic pain; body horror; gun violence; suicidal ideation; blood/gore; death/dead bodies; death of animals; references to war, kidnapping, and forced pregnancy

Amazon

 

 

About the Author:
website
A. P. Mobley is the Halloween-loving, rock-music-obsessed author of dark fantasy inspired by mythology. She doesn’t only write about her favorite myths, folktales, and fairy tales in books, though; she discusses them on her podcast, Myths (& Folktales & Fairy tales), as well as on her blog and newsletter. She grew up in Wyoming and Nebraska and currently lives in South Dakota, and when she’s not up to her elbows in research for her next project, she can be found consuming dangerous amounts of coffee, reading speculative fiction, or rewatching The Good Place.

Never miss an update from A. P. by signing up for her newsletter. Full list of books and Content Warnings on her website.

Turns of Fate (An Isle of Wyrd Novel) by Anne Bishop + excerpt

The Twilight Zone meets paranormal crime fiction in TURNS OF FATE (Ace Hardcover; November 11, 2025), the first novel of a brand-new urban fantasy series by New York Times bestselling author Anne Bishop. Readers of Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files series and fans of found family stories won’t want to miss this gripping novel about a young detective investigating crimes of the uncanny who learns that bargains can change your fate—for good or ill.

Turns of Fate (An Isle of Wyrd Novel)
by Anne Bishop
November 11, 2025
A young detective investigating crimes of the uncanny will learn that bargains can change your fate—for good or ill—in this darkly enthralling fantasy from the New York Times bestselling author of the Others and the Black Jewels series.

Words have power. Intentions matter.

Most people come to Destiny Park for entertainment. They come to have their cards read to tell them a bit about their future. They come to walk through a beautiful park and to eat at the hotel’s restaurant. They come in the hope of catching a glimpse of the Arcana, the paranormal beings who rule the Isle of Wyrd.

But some people come to make a bargain with the Arcana—to change their fate. And some people come for dark purposes.

When Detective Beth Fahey is sent to Destiny Park to inquire about a “ghost gun,” she will begin a strange journey on which she must learn to navigate the Arcana’s unforgiving laws and dangerous attractions. Her search will draw her into seemingly impossible cases and the secrets of her own past as tensions rise between the Arcana and their human neighbors across the river.

For the Isle of Wyrd is a place where the dead ride trains to their final destinations, predators literally become prey, and seekers’ true natures are revealed in the ripples of destiny unknowingly stirred in their wakes.

Who will live? Who will die? And who will be lost in between?

Praise for the novels of Anne Bishop

“Anne Bishop writes with a world-class blend of humor and chills. . . . startlingly original.”
—#1 New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris

“Anything by Anne Bishop goes on my keeper shelf.”
—#1 New York Times bestselling author Patricia Briggs

“The Queen of Fantasy....Teeming with intrigue, suspense, heartbreak, and hints of romance, Bishop's literary skills continue to astound and enchant.”
—Heroes and Heartbreakers

“A storyteller of stunning intensity, Ms. Bishop has a knack for appealing but complex characterization realized in a richly drawn, imaginative ambience.”
—Romantic Times

Amazon 

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. 
Detective Beth Fahey opened the next "solved" case file and wondered if reading through these reports was really necessary or if this was busywork her colleagues had found for the new, and only, female detective on the Penwych police force's special investigations team. She'd been told these files were examples of what the team investigated when called in by any of the police in the six towns located on the outer bank of the Fate River.

This case from the police in the town of Barker, for example.

A man who went out hunting with some friends had shot and killed a migratory goose (no mention in the file about whether shooting geese was legal at that time of year). Instead of taking the goose home, he gave it to his friends, because his wife was severely allergic to feathers.

The next day, the wife heard strange sounds coming from their backyard and discovered their in-ground pool was packed with geese. In fact, their entire yard was packed with geese. When several geese rushed toward her in a threatening manner, the wife went inside, screamed for her husband, and managed to call emergency services before she began wheezing and struggling to breathe, either from the number of feathered assailants in her yard or from a panic attack.

Coming out of the family room to see what his wife was fussing about, the man heard her wheezing, saw the geese, and fetched his rifle instead of having the sense to stay inside and let the authorities handle rounding up the geese.

He stepped outside, raised his rifle, and was immediately attacked by several geese. The unanticipated attack threw off his aim, and instead of shooting any of the geese, he managed to shoot the fuel tank on his neighbor's fancy new grill. The grill exploded, and the resulting fire not only damaged the neighbor's house but cooked a couple of unlucky geese.

The special team was called in because the wife claimed she'd had her tarot cards read the week before by the acquaintance of a friend, and it had been predicted that a disaster would occur if her husband tried to shoot creatures that were unable to defend themselves. (There was some debate about whether geese qualified as "unable to defend themselves.")

An inquiry was made. After talking to the individuals who ran Destiny Park, it was concluded that, while the series of events was strange, the Isle of Wyrd was not involved, and neither the man nor his wife had made a bargain with the Arcana.

Beth shook her head. She didn't discount tarot readings or any other means of tapping into a person's intuition, but why did the towns around the Fate River need a special team to investigate things like geese in someone's yard?

Then again, this had been one of the few "amusing" cases she'd reviewed. The others . . .

How was anyone supposed to deal with what she'd seen in some of those crime scene photos?

Maybe that was the point of this review-to find out if she could deal with the gruesome cases the team was required to investigate. Last fall, there had been four detectives on the team, along with two officers and Captain Forrester. Something had happened. No one would-or could-say exactly what that was, but one of those detectives transferred out of the 13th precinct to avoid any contact with the team, and another detective was on extended medical leave and wasn't likely to return.

She had been hired to fill one of those positions. She'd been given a week to find a place to live in Penwych and get herself settled before reporting to work. She'd spent last week reading old reports and looking at crime scene photos. And yet when she studied some of those photos, she could almost see dark and seductive shapes in the background, could almost hear words whispered in a language that might be understood in dreams.

Looking beyond the deaths, she could almost see the terrible married to the sublime and hear the warning: they chose this.

Not thoughts she would acknowledge to the psychologist who had the task of assessing police officers' mental health. She was sure there was already a notation in her file about her interest in macabre imagery and dark fantasy artwork, courtesy of Bonnie Wilson, the woman she had lived with while growing up-a woman who preferred religious pictures that included self-flagellation and went beyond what Beth considered gruesome and gory.

Tom Castelletti, the team's senior detective, walked into the area of the 13th precinct that was reserved for the special team, glanced at Captain Forrester's closed office door, and placed a file on Beth's desk.

"This one is hot," he said. "Read it. I'll be back with Kuhn in a few minutes, and we'll do the coin toss to see who has to cross the river."

He left, glancing again at the captain's closed door.

The coin toss had been mentioned once before. Beth thought it was an odd way to decide which detective on the team had to interview . . . What, exactly? A confidential informant? A local politician? Another cop?

According to Castelletti, all the detectives on the team participated. The two most senior officers began the coin toss. It was elimination in reverse, where winning the toss meant you were excused.

Shaking her head, Beth opened the file and focused her attention on this current case. She read the information, then read it again. It had to be a joke, because what the autopsy said wasn't possible. Couldn't be possible, and yet . . .

The frisson that ran through her told her that what she was reading was true.

Tom Castelletti and Detective Ian Kuhn returned.

Castelletti gave her a long look, then gestured to indicate she should join them around the big evidence table. "You've read the file?"

"I don't understand it, but I've read it," Beth replied.

"One of us is going to have to cross the river and make inquiries." Castelletti studied her. "You remember what we said about the coin toss?"

She nodded.

Castelletti lost the coin toss to Kuhn, and Beth lost to Castelletti, who looked relieved and uneasy.

He's spooked, she thought as a door opened.

Captain Charles Forrester stepped out of his office and looked at his officers, his eyes almost, but not quite, skipping over her. "Who lost the coin toss?"

"Detective Fahey, Captain," Castelletti said. "She'll need to get her skates on if she's going to catch the next ferry and not get stuck doing an overnight."

Forrester stared at the men so hard that they looked away. Looked ashamed. "Neither of you was given this kind of assignment when you first joined the team."

"She wanted to participate," Kuhn protested.

She hadn't been told she had a choice. In many ways, Castelletti and Kuhn acted like she was a placeholder, like they didn't expect her to be around in a couple of months. "I can handle this, Captain."

Forrester turned his stare on her. "Can you? With me, Detective." He stepped over to her desk, scooped up the folder she had been studying, and went into his office. When she walked in after him, he said, "Close the door. Then tell me what this says."

When he held out the folder, she took it. "Gerry Palowski. Twenty-five-year-old male, unemployed. Is-was-living with a current girlfriend but had a five-year-old daughter with a former girlfriend. According to statements made by both girlfriends when they were stable enough to be interviewed, Palowski wanted to go to a party with his ex and 'have some fun'-and he wanted the current girlfriend to babysit his daughter. She refused to stay home and babysit, and then his ex refused to go to the party, and that deprived Palowski of his fun. The next day, Palowski purchased a gun-"

"Transacted for the use of a gun," Forrester corrected.

"-and went over to his ex's apartment, where he shot his ex and their daughter before going back to his apartment to shoot his current girlfriend for spoiling party night. No fatalities. All three people are in the hospital in serious condition but are expected to pull through."

A miracle by anyone's definition. At close range, Palowski should not have missed a kill shot once, let alone three times, but the bullets did something impossibly crazy in terms of entry and angles that left three people wounded instead of dead.

"And Palowski?" Forrester asked.

Beth hesitated. In the crime scene photo that was taken where he was found, Palowski still looked like a hard-living twenty-five-year-old man sitting in the park, sleeping off a bender or some drugs. But the autopsy indicated that all of Palowski's internal organs belonged to a man in his nineties and that he died of natural causes-if aging seventy years in a matter of hours could be considered natural.

"You'll note that the report speculates that the same ghost gun used for the shootings has been used in other unsolved cases over the past eighty years or more."

"Ghost gun? An illegal firearm?"

"More than that. The gun comes from the Isle of Wyrd. It can't be traced or found beyond that point-and it always returns to the island after being used."

"So you know where it came from."

Forrester nodded. "I even know who, most likely, sold the use of it to Palowski. Having lost the coin toss, you are going to Wyrd to find out the terms of use and confirm that the gun returned to the island."

"I'm going undercover to try to purchase one of these ghost guns?"

"No." Forrester's voice turned sharp. "There is no such thing as undercover in Wyrd. Pretending to be someone you're not would be a death sentence for people like us."

"Like us, sir?"

"Normal people." Forrester hesitated. "People who aren't part of the threads that make up the supernatural on that island. There are other places like it around the world, but in this part of our country, the uncanny is concentrated on Wyrd and then ripples through all the towns on this side of the river." He stopped and seemed to focus on his breathing before he continued. "Have you visited the Isle of Wyrd, Detective Fahey?"

"No, sir." There hadn't been time for sightseeing between her hurried move to Penwych and reporting to work.

"Then let me explain what you're about to face."

Forrester took out his wallet, removed two fifty-dollar bills, and held them out to Beth. "Take it," he said when she didn't move. "I'll put in a chit for it."

"I can . . ."

"The ferry makes a trip across the Fate River every hour on the hour between sunup and sundown. When you get to the pier where the ferry takes on passengers, you'll see a booth where you'll exchange the money for the coins that are used on the island. Ask for six gold coins and eight silver coins. The gold coins are worth ten dollars; the silver are five dollars. The ferry usually costs a silver coin, but if the Ferryman asks for gold, don't argue."

A coin for the Ferryman? Was Forrester kidding? "They have flexible fees?"

"For everything."

"Why couldn't the patrol boat take me across the river?"

"Even a patrol boat doesn't dock anywhere on that island without an invitation," Forrester replied quietly. Then he continued in a normal voice, "You'll probably be met by Lucas Frost. He rules Destiny Park and sometimes acts as a liaison. Tell him we have a shooting with a strange outcome and think a ghost gun was involved." Forrester gave her a hard look. "Whatever he tells you, accept without question."

"Why?"

She had the impression that her captain was trying to decide how much to say.

"The Arcana control Destiny Park and the pavilion. Their influence extends over the whole island, but the pavilion is where they make transactions with people like us."

"Meaning non-supernaturals."

"Yes." Forrester let out a careful breath. "By our standards, they are amoral, but they are honest and honorable in their own way. Any bargain they make with you, they will keep. It just might not be in the way that you expect. And you had better keep any bargain you make with them, because if you fail, they can be unforgiving and brutal when extracting compensation." He paused. "The Arcana are very dangerous. Never forget that, Detective. When I say your fate lies in their hands, I am not exaggerating."

"Yes, sir."

He held out a hand. "It's forbidden to bring a weapon to Wyrd. The Arcana will overlook a pocketknife because they consider that a practical tool, but they won't overlook a gun, not even for a cop. I'll keep yours secured until you return."

Beth gave him her holster and weapon.

After locking them in a drawer in his desk, Forrester said, "Ask the questions you're allowed to ask about Palowski and the gun. If there is time, see a bit of the park while you're there to get a feel for the place. Then get yourself back here."

"If I miss the ferry, is there a place-"

"I don't care if you have answers or not, you will make damn sure that you don't miss the last ferry."

His anger was a heat that filled the space between them.

"Why is it so important?" she finally asked.

"Because things . . . change . . . on Wyrd after dark, and you don't want to be there when that happens."


Charles Forrester escorted Beth Fahey to the patrol car that would take her to the ferry’s pier. Then he returned to his office and closed the door before making the phone call.

"Frost." A voice that resonated with a power that made people hesitate to enter shadowy places.

"It's Charles Forrester." No response. There wouldn't be. The Arcana didn't waste time on small talk. "My new detective is on her way to the island to ask for your assistance in confirming some details on a case. She's green as grass and unfamiliar with Wyrd."

"You know how things are done here."

"I do. I'm asking for your understanding if she makes mistakes when dealing with you or your kin."

"When is she due to arrive?"

"She'll be on the next ferry."

"Soon, then."

"Yes."

"Anything else?"

Charles considered the question carefully. You never accused the Arcana of wrongdoing. They didn't care about such things when it concerned the mundane world. The Arcana in Destiny Park simply facilitated people who either tried to change their fate or wanted to fulfill their destiny. "A man from King's Hill has hired a private investigator to find his missing spouse. I have an appointment with the PI and should have more details later this afternoon. Apparently, the wife is mentally fragile, which is why the husband is particularly concerned about her disappearance-and why the PI is checking in with police stations all along the river." --This text refers to the hardcover edition.

 

About the Author
website
New York Times bestselling author Anne Bishop is a winner of the William L. Crawford Memorial Fantasy Award, presented by the International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts, for The Black Jewels Trilogy. She is also the author of the Ephemera series, the Tir Alainn trilogy, the Novels of the Others, and the World of the Others novels—including Crowbones and Wild Country. She lives in upstate New York.

The Serpent Prince (The Plot of the Six Saint Series Book 2) by Jacquelyn Gilmore

We’re celebrating the release of the next book in The Plot of the Six Saints series, The Serpent Prince by Jacquelyn Gilmore!

The Serpent Prince (The Plot of the Six Saint Series Book 2)
by Jacquelyn Gilmore
Expected Release Date: October 28, 2025
Genre: Dark Fantasy
*Fated mates
*Shocking plot twists
*Spicy slow-burn romance
*Shadow mama and fire daddy
*Angst
*REAL enemies to lovers
*Love triangle
*Fake engagement
*Feminine rage
*Antiheroes and villains
Imani flees her home as a wanted murderer.

Betrayed, she seeks to regain her footing in Niflheim and vows retribution against those who wronged her. She will let nothing block her path to vengeance: there will be a reckoning, and she will spare no one who stands in her way.

Yet despite being used by everyone she knows, Imani turns to the only people she can, burrowing herself deeper into the lives of her former allies to uncover their secrets—and her own. But the longer Imani immerses herself in the politics of the Niflheim Kingdom, the less sure she becomes of anything—allies, enemies, wrong, right, evil, good, hate… and love.

Another more insidious threat, orchestrated by people beyond her imagination, lurks beneath the surface. With civil turmoil swelling in her own kingdom, the clock is ticking on Imani’s plans. Faced with the choice of which side to stand with, she’ll stop at nothing to come out on top—and the Serpent Prince himself could not foresee the cost of victory.

Triggers:
Explicit sex (consensual), explicit language, and violence/gore (murder, executions)

Amazon

Book 1

About the Author:
website
Jacquelyn Gilmore has been called "a rising star in the dark fantasy genre," and writes fantasy and science fiction romances about villains. Her stories aim to push readers to enter new, terrifying worlds, and she's obsessed with antiheroes. She has over a decade of professional writing experience and holds a Bachelor's degree in English Literature.

Her debut novel, "The Elf Witch," weaves a tale of magic, betrayal, and romance, and has been described as "captivating" and a "must-read" for fans of dark fantasy. It's received rave reviews, with the book being praised for its unique blend of dark magic, political intrigue, and complex characters. The upcoming sequel, "The Serpent Prince," promises more shocking plot twists, a fast-paced plot, and slow-burning romance. It debuts on October 28, 2025.

Additionally, "Dream in the Ash," the first book in Gilmore's second series, "The Other Half of the End," is a dystopian dark fantasy (with a dash of science fiction) that explores a world where magic and technology coexist. It's slated for release on March 10, 2026. 

IG: @jacquelyngilmore_books @rrbooktour
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#rrbooktours #rrbtTheSerpentPrinceTour #theserpentprince #theelfwitch #jacquelyngilmore #darkfantasybooks #darkfantasy #darkromantasy #romantasybooks #enemiestolovers #booktours

Excerpt: The Monsters Among Us (The Abyss Borne Gods Book 1) by Kent Priore + Giveaway

A viscerally cinematic and genre-defying fantasy/horror novel.

The Monsters Among Us (The Abyss Borne Gods Book 1)
by Kent Priore
Genre: Dark Fantasy, Horror
“Kent Priore writes like a natural about the supernatural, and The Monsters Among Us is a marvelously dark and true novel. American fiction has found a terrific new voice.”
—Joseph O’Neill, PEN/Faulkner Award-Winning Author of Netherland

Seth’s life until now has been a product of a diabolical, evil Truman Show, his entire upbringing a façade orchestrated for malevolent purposes. After his beloved dies, he undergoes a demonic metamorphosis, which causes the world’s fictitious walls to crumble.

As he tries to piece a semblance of his life back together and move on, he meets friends who inspire, but even more harsh truths are revealed, perhaps too difficult to cope with.

The very existence of life and reality is exposed as a machination of grotesque gods. And to defeat them, Seth will have to fill his emptiness, for which there’s only two options…
Bring the world to ruin, or learn to transmute his pain into strength.

Fans of "Jerusalem" by Alan Moore, “The Bell Jar” by Sylvia Plath, or “The Master and Margarita” by Mikhail Bulgakovor will enjoy “The Monsters Among Us.”

“I was intrigued from the first sentence, determined to spend the night speed-reading so I didn't have to remain in suspense any longer.”
-Ella Dupuie, author of Fractures of the Fallen

“Supernatural storytelling at its best, this vivid cinematic novel takes the reader on an imaginative journey through what could be considered end of days. The Monster’s Among Us is a masterful creation and a must read—even for those who aren’t fans of fantasy/horror.”
—Joni Marie Iraci MFA author of Vatican Daughter

Amazon-Apple-B&N-Google-Kobo-Smashwords-Books2Read-Bookbub-Goodreads

Excerpt:
“You've been gifted with versatile magic. Fire can destroy, but it can also create. You are a forge that bellows with hellfire. Make use of it. I have found that magic is best used in creative and unprecedented ways. Even the dullest magic knows few limits. Magic does what the mind wills it to do.”

I start to run after Gluttony. I keep the image of those poor kids in my mind. The rage in me intensifies. My new demon body in combination with my anger makes me fast, but not fast enough. I can still see Gluttony in the distance, but he’s leaving my field of view more with each passing second.

My mind is coated red with the image of the flattened children. Like a shark who had just picked up the scent of blood, my adrenalin surges, and I can feel a manic fit overtaking me. My perception is flooded in a crazed haze. I feel limitless, as if I can do anything. This is a feeling I know well. I felt it when I decided to return home to Crowley and burn it all to the ground.

Where's that voice, huh? Not going to tell me to stop this time?

{No.}

Why not?

There’s no answer.

Whatever.

With nothing to hold me back, I really am limitless. Instinct takes over. I conjure my flames, but not with the intent to attack. I stretch my arms behind me and point my hands straight back. Fire erupts from my palms, propelling me forward. I take flight at a much greater speed than my legs can reach. I hurtle through the air, struggling to maintain balance. Like a cannonball I blast my way through trees and homes alike. Planks of wood and support beams scatter about in chaos.

I wonder about the people living in these homes. Are they safe? Have I killed them? I don’t care. I feel useful to Melphis for the first time, and my bloodlust is reaching glorious heights as Gluttony's body grows larger in my view. We are passing the border into New Mexico at intense speeds. Before I know it, we have passed into Colorado, the foot of the Rocky Mountains in sight. He appears to slow down. What is he looking for here?

He comes to an abrupt stop, pulling up the ground beneath his tentacles as he does so. I keep my speed and make my descent. I plummet hard upon his back. His tentacles give out, causing his large body to fall to the ground. A thundering crash shakes the surrounding space.

“Who's there?” Gluttony roars. “Wait, no—Greed? You smell like my brother!”

For a dumb brute, he’s quick to piece things together. He rises, supporting himself with six of his eight tentacles. The other two pursue me. One slithers behind and wraps itself around me. The sludge-like tentacles are as strong as they are giant. I struggle but remain motionless. The heat rises again. I feel empty, but from that emptiness arises my rage which festers and grows ever more passionate. Flames overtake my body. I can feel the slime of his tentacles melting away, like sweat dripping off me.

"Fuck you!" I roar. The blood-stained clothes of those helpless children rush back to me, then so do the memories of my own ruined childhood. The flames increase and grow hotter until the whole tentacle catches fire. It burns away at a fierce speed. Ashes flutter away as black sludge spills out from the now open hole in his hard shell. Gluttony roars and his tentacles squirm like a spider that has just been stepped on.

I climb on top of his hard shell and beat down my fists with reckless abandon. It withstands my punches, at first. I can feel my strength rising alongside my rage until at last, cracks form. The fractures stretch wider with each punch. Gluttony moans as they grow deeper. Melphis called him a transporter. Just what is he protecting with this dense outer layer?

My focus intensifies and locks onto the growing fissure in his shell. My mind goes blank. All that exists is this shell, the sensation of my knuckles bashing into it, and the white flashes of rough skin being blown away in shrouds of dust. He is mine—he'll pay—I'll make him pay—for those kids—for me—

The back of my head is hit by a dense, wet object and I am knocked off the beast. My body shatters the trunks of a few trees as I make my descent.

{Your lack of focus has made you blind to the monster's many tentacles.}

"Shut u—" I choke.

Gluttony's enormous face is now mere feet away from mine. My elation fades as I watch the skyscraper-devouring mouth open at its four hinges. A long snake-like tongue emerges out of utter darkness. It coils itself around my body before his teeth drop down, devouring me along with much of the landscape. I feel my body now coated in slime, as it slides down Gluttony’s throat. The darkness of the pit consumes me.

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Graduated from Bard College with a BA in the Written Arts, Kent Priore is an author of dark literature, genre-blending epics and vignettes, where dark romanticism meets modern psychology for a macabre but hopeful depiction of inner struggle and the human ability to endure, and perhaps even prevail. He has a fascination with humanity and is one of the few to believe that despite our many weaknesses, we are far stronger than we often think. He wishes to show that strength to those darker individuals, burdened by lonesomeness, poor mental health, and other forces perceived to be out of their control, as well as show them that all is not lost.

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The Monsters Among Us

Innisfallen Accursed (The Innisfallen Prophecies Book 1) by Jenny Simard LaBranche

Innisfallen Accursed (The Innisfallen Prophecies Book 1)
by Jenny Simard LaBranche 
Release Date: September 30, 2025
Genre: Dark Fantasy/ Fae Dark fantasy

• Powerful artifacts
• Magical creatures - fae, monsters, shapeshifters
• Good vs evil
• Heir to the throne
• Strong female lead

Some powers are buried. Others refuse to be forgotten. And one wants revenge.

The land of Innisfallen is under attack, besieged by shadow beasts under control of a dark power. For four endless years, winter has gripped the fae world—crops have withered, villages stand silent, and the magic that once thrived has vanished, along with all memory of it.

Reagan, an 18-year-old fae, has spent those years trapped in an elite court training program, forbidden from returning home. When she discovers she may never be allowed to see her little sister again, Reagan makes a desperate escape. But her plan is shattered by the arrival of strangers from another kingdom carrying an ancient artifact tied to a forgotten power. The brothers, each more beautiful than the other, ignite passions in Reagan she has never before experienced.

Drawn into the brothers’ mission to break the curse over their world, Reagan faces an army of dark creatures, willing to do whatever it takes to save her sister and all the kidnapped fae. An artifact stirs something in Reagan, awakening a power she never knew she had—a power that could hold the key to Innisfallen’s salvation. Or destroy everything in her path.

Magic is calling. And it remembers.  

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Jenny Simard LaBranche is an award-winning author of supernatural, fantasy, horror, and paranormal thrillers. A former IT Specialist and retired Firefighter/EMT, her path to becoming a full-time writer has been anything but ordinary.

Despite a lifelong struggle with dyslexia, Jenny held onto her dream of writing fiction. On August 26, 2021, she left the IT field for good and became a writer, finally embracing her passion. Her debut novel has already earned two literary awards and marked the beginning of an exciting new chapter in her creative journey.

Jenny has been married to Paul LaBranche for 28 years, and together they share their home with their adorable chihuahua, Mojo. When she’s not conjuring chilling tales and fantastical worlds, she enjoys the outdoors, spending time with family and friends, and getting lost in a great book.

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Dance of Demons (Poison and Opium) by Alyssa Lauseng

Dance of Demons (Poison and Opium)
by Alyssa Lauseng
03-26-2025
Dark Fantasy/LGBTQ+
Publisher: Shadow Spark Publishing
Content Warnings: Depictions of slavery, Depictions of child abuse, Blood, Death, Animal death, Self-harm, Drinking, Smoking, Drug use

Slave. Soldier. Spy.

Daisuke’s heart has always wandered far from home, hoping for a life beyond what he’d have as a Northern Nomad raised in slavery. One evening, when he learns the Giahatio’s imperial military has arrived in search of recruits, he seizes his chance to flee Okara’s plantations and start anew. However, becoming a footsoldier isn’t the easy escape he expected, and he soon finds himself struggling for a place within the infantry and Giahatian society.

Obito knows he should be grateful for the opportunity to serve as one of the Empire’s elite intelligence operatives, the onmitsu—it’s one of few he’ll ever have in life, and the highest possible honor for a nobleman’s youngest son. But with demons of anger and shame haunting him as he tries to pick up the pieces in the aftermath of a scandal, any pride to take in rank or family name is entirely hollow.

When an act of mercy is born from a senseless murder, the already unlikely friendship between Daisuke and Obito takes an unexpected turn. Not only are they now partnered together as onmitsu, but dark politics are on the rise, leading them toward an ancient, furious magic.

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Excerpt
Obito found himself peering into the windows of nearby shops that were already closed for the night. He’d take his two younger sisters around during festival seasons to do the same thing when he still lived at home. The night would often start with them trying to trail their older brothers—Mika joined them, too, as his family always visited then—and wind up with them eyeing gleaming trinkets through the glass as he did now. A row of seven tiny, blown glass green dragons resting on a deep red cushion amid a nest of pearls caught his attention; Yumi and Hina would’ve loved them, though he’d ultimately have to neutralize their inevitable argument about what to name the things. He sighed, slowly and heavily. He missed his sisters and supposed the same went for his brothers, but physical distance aside, that part of his life never felt further away. Everything had changed so…violently and abruptly last year, he barely remembered what he’d been like beforehand. Obito doubted he’d ever know that version of himself again.

Suddenly, everything about the air around him became uneasy, like he could sense something horrendously negative stepping closer and closer. He drew back from the window and checked the street for logical signs of his otherwise unexplainable misgivings, though his mind kept turning to further irrationality. Snow drifted down from the rooftop above him, swirling before his eyes like a thick miasma before a breeze dispelled it. Snakes of fear coiled tighter around his insides with each fresh scan of his surroundings until he spotted a seemingly lost man, bobbing his head as if searching for something. By the time his mind caught up with his emotions, the mounting tension eased from his system at the sight of someone acting so ordinarily in a crowded market. Zhao’s preparations for the Winter Festival were already in full swing, and its marketplace was sizeable compared to the rest of the city due to overall lower prices than most shops in the Capital, so the streets tended to stay consistently busy throughout the day.

Wait… Obito squinted at the man to get a clearer picture.

His blood went cold. Terror chained him to the spot where he stood when he realized he recognized the man as Mika’s father—his uncle. The same person who was responsible for—

He shook himself, desperate to stay in the present, and forced himself into motion again. He sought the shelter of an alley and retreated into the alcove until shadows swallowed him. He wouldn’t have enough time to get past Giichi undetected and knew he shouldn’t stray too far from where he agreed to meet Itsuki; for now, stowing away in a cramped space would have to suffice.

About the Author:
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Alyssa Lauseng is a married mom of two warrior princesses who lives in Michigan's beautiful Upper Peninsula. So much inspiration is drawn from a life-long love of martial arts, the pointy objects she's obsessed with, and the U.P.'s abundant nature

 

 

Poets in Hell: A Heroes in Hell Anthology Compiled by Janet Morris + giveaway

In the underworlds, injustice always reigns: Join us and our damnedest poets for the crookedest poetry festival in perdition where language comes to die and no rhyme goes unpunished.

Poets in Hell: A Heroes in Hell Anthology

Compiled by Janet Morris
Genre: Dark Epic Historical Fantasy
The best, the worst, and ugliest bards in perdition vie for Satan's favor as poets slam one another, Satan's Fallen Angels smirk up their sleeves, and the illiterati have their day. Find out why the damned deserve their fates as Hell's hacks sink to new poetical depths!

The first Bible writer drafts a deal with the Devil.

Attila the Hun learns his punishment's just begun.

Mary Shelley and Victor Frankenstein make a monstrous mistake.

Bat Masterson and Wyatt Earp get their unjust deserts.

Hell's Undertaker goes on holiday.

The Damned Poets Society slams away.

A nameless soul shows Dorothy Parker that fame is a bitch.

In the underworlds, injustice always reigns:

Join us and our damnedest poets for the crookedest poetry festival in perdition where language comes to die and no rhyme goes unpunished. 

Stories inside:

• Words - Chris Morris
• Seven Against Hell - Janet Morris and Chris Morris
• Reunion - Nancy Asire
• Hell-hounds - Bruce Durham
• The Kid with No Name - Jack William Finley
• All Hell to Pay - Deborah Koren
• Poetic Injustice - Larry Atchley, Jr.
• When You Gaze Into an Abyss - Matthew Kirshenblatt
• Pride and Penance - Tom Barczak
• Grand Slam - pdmac
• Undertaker’s Holiday - Joe Bonadonna and Shebat Legion
• Red Tail’s Corner - Yelle Hughes
• Faust III - Richard Groller
• Tapestry of Sorrows and Sighs - Bill Snider
• Haiku d’État - Beth W. Patterson
• A Mother’s Heart - Bill Barnhill
• We the Furious - Joe Bonadonna
• Damned Poets Society - Michael H. Hanson
• All We Need of Hell - Michael A. Armstrong

**On Sale until the end of the month!**
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Excerpt from Poets in Hell
Words by Chris Morris
In the beginning was the Logos, the Word. In the beginning come always the words. Words are the mortar of the mind.

“Look, you!” J the Yahwist, first author of the Old Testament, exhorted empty air, waving her hands about her on a blasted heath encircled by dark and cold.

As in ancient times, this command brings light out of darkness, souls out of nowhere. All the heath fills with them, the detritus of the damned, singing and keening and rhyming aloud at the top of their lungs, each trying to outshout the other: the prolix, the wordy damned of perdition. Here are the teeming illiterati, the poor poets of pride and ignorance, angry and bleating like sheep at the altar, romancers of death, hoping for slaughter, dreaming of surcease.

J would give them peace if she could, but she couldn’t: peace was oblivion, oblivion was escape, and escape was unattainable in hell. Death could be had, and cheap, but never lasted long: no sinning soul could win its way to heaven’s grace.

J’s god reigned as a jealous god, tempestuous; unfair, equivocal. As her skin glowed caramel, neither white nor yellow, brown or black, so her eyes were inconclusively hazel, flecking every color in creation. Like her god on high, set up from eternity before the earth was made, she belonged nowhere in damnation, not to this New Hell nor any other. She was only visiting here. Or so she thought; so she hoped.

“Look, you,” J called a second time aloud, and a thousand heads turned her way; a thousand mouths clamped shut as she began to tell her tale to their minds’ eyes.

Invariably, these words are her signal to infernity that she is ready to begin. Inevitably, those words summon not only story, but the Deceiver, a lord of hell himself.

Sensing joy, incensed by pleasure, now comes Satan, white- winged and glorious, amid his host of fallen angels, circling to land, streaming intolerance and wrath on all the fools below, who howl the more.

At times like these, J misses Solomon. That wise warrior-king (her fellow writer of words worth hearing) would enjoin even such rabble as this to vie with the lords of hell themselves, if she’d but ask him.

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Best selling author Janet Morris began writing in 1976 and has since published more than 30 novels, many co-authored with her husband Chris Morris or others. Most of her fiction work has been in the fantasy and science fiction genres, although she has also written historical and other novels. Morris has written, contributed to, or edited several book-length works of non-fiction, as well as papers and articles on nonlethal weapons, developmental military technology and other defense and national security topics.

Christopher Crosby Morris (born 1946) is an American author of fiction and non-fiction, as well as a lyricist, musical composer, and singer-songwriter. He is married to author Janet Morris. He is a defense policy and strategy analyst and a principal in M2 Technologies, Inc. He writes primarily as Chris Morris, but occasionally uses pseudonyms.

Choice of print or ebook of Poets in Hell,
$20 Amazon giftcard – 1 winner each!

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A Thirst for Power (Realm of Curses) by K.C. Smith

We're celebrating the release of A Thirst for Power! The second book in K.C. Smith's Realm of Curses series!

A Thirst for Power (Realm of Curses)
by K.C. Smith
July 29, 2025
Genre: Gaslamp Fantasy/ Dark Fantasy

• Ancient prophecy
• Trapped with no way out
• World at war
• Sibling bonding
• Monsters
• Action and adventure
• Quest
• Dual POV
• Gods and curses

Orrick is in a bit of a pickle. Trapped and stripped of his godly gifts, he's left to rot in a world of his own creation. Angry and confused, he stumbles through the war-torn realm seeking answers. When he runs into Honoria-the last person he remembers before waking up powerless-forgotten memories resurface, including a concerning prophecy that threatens everything he's built.

In the monstrous realm of Svakland, Garren is plagued by a high-pitched sound that only he can hear. Determined to find its source, he embarks on a nefarious adventure with Oriana in tow. As their journey leads them into the Storm Sea, they uncover long hidden secrets, ones that hold the unmistakable influence of the Gods. When the strange noise lands them on new territory, everything changes, and the path forward becomes uncertain.

With an endless Elemental war pushing at his back, and the looming threat of the prophecy at his heels, Orrick must find a way to reclaim his powers-if for nothing else than to save himself and everything he's created. Might he find some feelings along the way? Or will he turn out as the same old power-hungry God he's always been?

AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

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K.C. Smith (Katelyn) is an author of fantasy and adventure novels plagued with curses. Working as an accountant by day, writing has given Katelyn a creative escape from the corporate world. She lives in Maryland with her husband and their chihuahua, Tank. When not writing or reading, Katelyn can be found rock climbing and traveling the world! 

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Magic Bites: Tales of the Shadow Folk by Eris Marriott

Magic Bites: Tales of the Shadow Folk
by Eris Marriott
October 31, 2024
Genre: Dragons & Mythical Creatures, Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Horror, Dark Romantasy
•    Enemies to lovers 
•    Hidden identities 
•    Badass Female MC 
•    Gods and goddesses
Forgotten by the gods, Adelaide forges her power in the sweet judgment of the sword — her only weapon against the shadow folk that would burn her kingdom to ashes and feast upon its people.

As princess of Sunfall, Adelaide faces more than threats of marriage and stuffy dresses. As secondary heir to a distinguished lineage blessed by the gods themselves, she lives with the crushing reality that the divine powers that be skipped over her. Her father and brother wield divine light as easily as some breathe, imbuing their weapons and armor with protections against the vampires that loom beyond the kingdom walls.

At twenty-six, the only thing saving Adelaide from a life of marriage and death by childbirth is her keen skills with a sword, whose imbued steel has propelled her to the top of her kingdom’s ranks and earned her a reputation of skill and prowess with her soldiers. She knows her life will find its end in the clutches of some beast’s fangs on the battlefield, just as her mother was claimed by them sixteen years ago.

With King Alaric’s power waning and her brother’s inability to produce an heir, Adelaide finds herself on the chopping block. Even the chance of producing an heir that can wield the divine light of Siralto puts her on the nobles’ radar. Powerless, she’s never going to escape the fate she tried so hard to ignore.

But all this changes the day her brother-in-law returns home from war. The problem? Only Shadow Folk come back from the dead. And if Finch is alive, well, and within their walls, it’s only a matter of time before the Shadow King himself comes to claim the vengeance he’s sought for almost two decades. Adelaide is powerless to stop him.

Or is she?

Magic Bites is the first in the Tales of the Shadow Folk. Perfect for fans of dark, epic romantasies with slow burn, enemies-to-lovers romances, Magic Bites has plenty of twists and turns in store. Do you dare to fight back against the Shadow Folk? Or will you, too, be swept away by sweet, simmering lies and sultry fangs?

Triggers: Child loss/fertility struggles, violence

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