GROW YOUR AUTHOR BRAND THROUGH COLLABORATIONS AS AN ASPIRING AUTHOR

Every aspiring author aspires to become a published author and expand their brand far beyond national waters. The drive to grow in leaps in and bounds keeps the fire burning in the hearts of every creative, same as you.

Creating a brand for yourself as an author is important because it will provide the visibility boost needed to get discovered by others – readers, authors, publishers, and creatives alike.

Building progress as an aspiring author and gaining momentum in your space can be propelled through collaborations with others in the same niche as you or outside your niche. This happens organically because it entails leveraging each other’s platforms and presenting yourself to them.

Asides from getting it right from the start as an aspiring creative and implementing the level-up strategy to gain momentum, understanding the need to create positive and engaging connections around your brand are the beginning of preparing yourself for collaborations and connections with others. This could come naturally when others seek you out to collaborate with you on something or you take the bold steps towards approaching those whom you would respect and would want to be associated with their brand as well as have them associate with yours.

It’s a mutual relationship and also a win-win situation because it’s a way for your collaborator to widen their audience reach as well as you. It could happen in several ways, in different patterns, on various platforms, and with any caliber of person or persons.

Collaborating with others could be in form of a group project, a personal conversation, a co-host, a program, a post, a story, a write-up, a shout-out, a review, an interview, cross-promotion of literary works, co-authorship, email recommendations, a retweet, a re-post, and as many other ways, there could be.

The trick with this is to do some of these acts selflessly, especially the ones that cost nothing. This helps you draw awareness to yourself and your brand which in turn sparks a conversation through which connection is built. More often, it’s the little unexpected things that draw the most attention to your brand.

As much as you want to be intentional with growing your brand as an aspiring author, the entire focus shouldn’t be on you alone because the saying “we’re lifted by lifting others” is golden and evergreen.

Take your time to evaluate what your brand represents, what you aim to achieve with each connection, and then build your strategy from there. It doesn’t have to be tasking, just little efforts here and there would go a long way to get interested eyeballs on your brand. This doesn’t suggest you limit yourself within your circle, no, feel free to stretch beyond your circle and interact with known brands surrounding your niche or the writing industry in general within your nationality and beyond. 

While elucidating on the need for collaboration as a tool to grow your author brand, it is important to note some of the benefits you will enjoy from practicing this.

1. Great Brand Visibility: 

Collaborating with others within your community ensures great visibility for your brand because it puts you in front of people who might be interested in your brand but have no idea you exist. 

This also creates room for you to engage and interact with possible connections that you could work with, soon.

The opportunities that could emerge from having great visibility are limitless and worth the efforts that have been employed to put it out there.

TOP 10 REASONS WHY NETWORKING IS IMPORTANT TO GROW YOUR AUTHOR BRAND

Your network increases your net worth is a powerful wisdom word and the mainstay of steady growth as an aspiring author, writer, or creative. Along with implementing the checklist to get it right from the start as a budding creative, there is a need to be well informed on the importance of networking in your community as a tool to grow your author brand.

As with any new venture, you need a base and a solid foundation to keep you sturdy and help climb your way up from the bottom, give your voice room to be heard, provide a platform where you can share your works and engage with an already existing audience before you gradually begin to pick and choose yours.

Author networking will help you figure that out.

Creating a brand on social media without a proper networking plan will cause a stunted growth rate for your brand and make it harder to find a soft landing in the community which has to be avoided at all costs.

Networking as an aspiring author should not be taken for granted and here are the top 10 reasons why networking is important to grow your author brand as an aspiring author.

1.     Networking Creates Room For Massive Exposure

Connecting with the right individuals within your genre/niche market is a great way to hit the ground running as an aspiring author. Make plans to properly utilize the communities within your niche market on social media like the #writingcommunity on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The #bookstagramcommunity on Instagram. The authors/writers forum on Twitter. Aspiring creator’s communities on Facebook and many more.

On more personal grounds, seek out authors and creatives within your genre/niche, begin a conversation, watch stories, view ads, and engage with the content of creatives relating to your niche and promote each other.

Doing it all alone is slow, exhaustive work but working hand in hand with members of your community will create room for explosive exposure of your brand.

5 MISTAKES TO AVOID AS AN ASPIRING/BUDDING AUTHOR

The essence of learning is to be better. 

The essence of change is to thrive, grow and develop because of the level of information acquired and knowledge absorbed during that change process.

Mistakes are inevitable because it is meant to teach us a lesson and we are expected to learn from them and avoid making the same errors again. Now, some mistakes are costlier than others because spilled milk can never be recovered.

The beginning is always rough for every young and aspiring author, there are bound to be several mistakes made along the path especially if you are planning to independently publish your literary works. Learning from experience is paramount to positive change but sometimes, it is way easier to learn from the mistakes of others.

I am a self-published Contemporary Romance and Erotic Author, but before I settled for this, I have written crime fiction, non-fiction anthologies, short stories anthology, self-help parenting guide, and some more, all of which taught me a lot in the long run.

There are mistakes I've made, that I need to share with you, so you don’t make the same errors and pay dearly for it with your time, money, energy, and sanity, because I paid for it and still paying for it.

Starting this journey takes a lot of guts and a personal declaration of accepting the pains and joys that will come with the process, but beginning with an anchor is far worse because at some point all the efforts you have put into becoming who you are will feel wasted and inconsequential in proportion to the cost incurred because of errors made in the process.

Here are 5 Costly Mistakes To Avoid As An Aspiring/Budding Author that cost me a lot to fix and some are irreparably unfixable – don’t neglect these mistakes or regret them later.

1. Starting Without Choosing A Genre/Niche

Kill me already.

Don’t ever make the mistake of not defining your choice of genre or niche or sub-niche before you begin to think of writing anything at all. Choosing a genre is important because it will help you pick a niche to identify with and a sub-niche to explore further if you want.

As stated above, I have written several stories in a different genre that although I am proud of, isn’t what drives me. I can’t undo that error because these books are in my original name which hinders me from separating my romance books from all other types of books I have written.

Picking a genre early on will help you focus and narrow down your wandering mind on a subset that will give you room to flesh out stories that are particular to your area of concentration.

Alternatively, if you find it important to try your hand at different other types of a genre so you can pick and choose what you’re good at, I suggest doing so by writing short stories or novellas, published under a pen name.

This way, when you are ready to go all out to the world, you will present yourself as a learned professional in the making who understands the antics of the game.

7 GREATEST FEARS OF EVERY ASPIRING/BUDDING AUTHOR

FEAR – False Emotions Appearing Real.

There has never been a more potent aspiration killer than the ominous four-letter word that has nothing to do with who you are and what you are capable of as a creative.

It is a trick the mind plays on your faulty thoughts, amplifying what you have come to perceive about yourself or what you are about to do and magnifying the intensity of that thought in all the wrong directions.

Deciding to become an author is the easy part but eventually starting is always the hardest. There are a trillion reasons why you should pursue becoming an author, same as there a million and one reasons why you’d chicken out at the last minute – that’s where FEAR comes in to take the throne.

The amount of time you give to the negative aspects of becoming an author, the more inclined you are to forgo the benefits and prestige that comes with writing your own story and putting yourself out there.

Here are the 7 Greatest Fears Of Every Aspiring /Budding Author at the start of their careers and positive affirmations to conquer them.

1. I’m Not Good Enough

In the ocean of so many renowned authors, however, will I be able to compete with such greatness? Where do I begin to rank up to these people? How can make a difference with my story when there are so many better creative works out there that surpass mine in every way?

You are UNIQUE. So, begin by being YOU.

You are not in competition with anyone, only yourself. It is worthless and a waste of time to begin your journey thinking about how to rank up when you should be more focused on becoming better at being You.

Every author has a unique voice, a different approach, and a different perspective on things that will always make you stand out. Do not think, ever, that no one will read your story before you even begin to write it.

Why allow a possibility that has even occurred yet to hinder your decision to share your story with the world. We live in a world where value knows no gender or status and opportunity doesn’t select by experience.

You can be the next big hit, all you have to do is affirm that you are willing to give your decision a shot to sprout and grow, believe it and go for it.

5 REASONS WHY CRAFTING YOUR STORY IS A STRUGGLE

Ever felt the tension of sitting in an examination hall with a blank sheet and no idea what to write because suddenly, you feel like there’s been a memory wipe and all you read is gone?

The same scenario occurs two-seat down your aisle but the student doesn’t panic, rather he begins with the ones whose answers can be found in the question paper, then pulls the thread from there until the floodgates of information open up and the answers begin to pour forth.

That’s how it is with crafting a story.

Attacking your story without pulling at the tiny threads, listening to your characters, falling in love with your plot, letting your story lead, acknowledging the importance of listening to the needs of your story other than yours, then there’s a high tendency you are on a collision course with frustration, burn out, mind wipe and creative exhaustion.

It is of great importance to note that, your manuscript has a life of its own. The minute you begin to think about a story, it becomes a separate entity with a mind and abilities of its own. That is why, no two-story – even with the same title – can ever be the same.

Wanting to create the perfect story without allowing the process to lead and guide your writing journey, then there will undoubtedly be a problem in a long run.

Here are 5 Reasons Why Crafting Your Story Is A Struggle and You have found it difficult to connect with the process - An Excerpt From My Ebook: Let Your Manuscript Speak

1. You Are Not In Sync With Your Script

Frustration starts early when your story begins to feel daunting and you cannot figure out how to advance your plot. 

Writing without connecting with your script is a colossal waste of creative energy – just like sitting in that examination hall with a blank sheet and deciding to scribble the first thing that comes to mind.

Building sync with your script is simply allowing it to drive your creative energy, piecing together the plots as it occurs and pushing it upward from there.

Do not insist to write out a character, infuse a scene or import a subplot when the story doesn’t call out for one, it may eventually create a gaping hole in your plot that will be staggering to refill in the long run.

6 TIPS TO DEAL WITH PRESSURE AS AN AUTHOR / WRITER

Becoming a writer is easy but the pressure that comes along with it can be difficult to deal with. It could be triggered by a lot of things, one of which is meeting up with deadlines or sticking to a drawn schedule mapped out for a project.

It’s important to note that looking up to a public figure in the industry doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be like them. In truth, they serve as motivation for the kind of things you'd like to emulate in your craft and become a voice in that area as well.

Things that could cause the pressure cooker to get turned up a notch include imposter syndrome, deadlines, writer's block, lack of focus, low productivity, fear, doubt, anxiety, etcetera.

It’s common to have these feelings pile up over time and erupt all at once or one at a time; therefore, it is up to you to stay conscious about your mental and emotional well-being as a writer.

Here are 6 tips on How To Deal With Pressure As An Author/Writer

1. Take Time-outs/Breaks

Truth be told, you have to learn to do this consciously. With random ideas popping up now and then plus drafts piling up to the brim, the pressure could pop up the lid on your sanity or leave you frustrated and drained.

Taking a much-needed break helps you pick things apart & focus.

8 SIMPLE PRODUCTIVITY HACKS FOR BUDDING/ASPIRING AUTHORS

Distractions are real monsters in the world of productivity and can set you back a mile if you aren’t conscious enough to catch on to those little dings that cloud your focus and take your mind completely off a project.

To achieve a set goal as a writer – may be publishing a book in three months or finishing a series in six months – it will not only take a lot of commitment, but it will also demand you map out productive action steps to actualize that goal.

These 8 productivity hacks for budding/aspiring authors will help you hit the ground running and give you room to find your flow while making conscious efforts to achieve any goal you set for yourself.

Starting from the top, these 8 productivity hacks have been simplified and can be modified to suit your abilities as a writer/author.

1. Create Your Writing Workspace

I call it creating the creative head office. This space will become your sanctuary; a sanctimonious space that helps you focus and understand that there's work to be done. It doesn’t have to be a whole room to yourself, just a corner by the side or an extension of your home created just for writing.

You indeed can work anywhere you like on the go, but once home and well-rested, always use your workspace when you when to work on a project. I find that it somehow clears your head and keeps your mind sharpened to begin working.

5 Top Essential Writing Skills For Beginners & Budding Authors

Writing is artistic.

A way to tell a story in written form to an audience who visualize and recreate your words in their minds as they read and immerse themselves in your literary piece.

It doesn’t matter what genre you write in, fiction or non-fiction doesn’t come into play here, because every writer and author needs these top 5 essential writing skills.

It’s easy to come up with an amazing story, rich plotlines to wow your audience, great story twists that would have a staggering ending and leave your audience exhausted with varying levels of emotional upheaval but if you have a poor delivery of this story, then all your hard work goes up in smoke.

Note that, these writing skills are nurtured and groomed over time authors master their usage professionally to suit their style of writing. So, take heed not to rush the process and give yourself time to come into skills by practicing and writing often.

Top 5 Essential Writing Skills are:

1. Good Communication Skills.

The obvious truth is, you write how you speak. If your diction is poor and crass, so will your writing be. 

First, as an aspiring author, you need to intentionally polish their diction or before venturing into writing your story. You could do this by addressing others the way you'd like your stories to resonate.

There is an underlying fact here that Good communication skills go in hand with Good Writing Skills because these are the two most common soft skills budding authors ought to have first.

8 Top Writing Tips For Budding Erotic Authors

Deciding to become an erotic author can be daunting and scary for beginners who hope to venture into the field and identify with other successful erotic authors. The journey could become strenuous, especially if you have no idea where to begin or how to craft your own erotic story in the first place.

Selling sex to ardent readers isn't hard, the difficult part comes with skillfully writing an enthralling story – no matter how short – that would keep your audience glued to their seats, devouring your story and coming back for more.

As a beginner, this article will help you with 8 Top Writing Tips to hold onto as you begin your journey and useful resources that can help you gain a better understanding of the erotic craft.

These tops writing tips proffered in this article have everything to do with planning and preparation as a budding erotic author to avoid costly mistakes authors make in the beginning years of their writing journey.

Here are the 8 Top Writing Tips For Budding Authors.

1. Understanding The Diversity of Sexuality.

Sexuality is a very important part of writing erotica and a strong magnet to keep your readers invested in your story and coming back for more. No reader wants to be fed Vanilla erotica all the time without any kink or varying degrees of sexuality to spice up the story.

Example: If you are most comfortable with writing erotica between one man and a woman, you should be ready to switch it up by including BDSM, MILF, HOTWIFING, COUGERS into the story mix.

There are a lot of sexuality troupes out there in the world, and it comes with its style of writing. This is the part where research plays a major role.

Your Craft Is Nothing To Be Ashamed Of.

I’ll bet there are countless times you’ve felt like just hiding away from the world and shoving that crazy idea that just popped up in your mind, into the deepest corners of your mind thrash.

Being a serial creative comes with these feeling of shame towards your craft and this breeds doubts, which in turn cultivates the seed of fear towards pushing forth with that idea swirling around in your head.

Truth be told, shame is a disease of the mind; a parasite that taps into your deepest darkest corners and unearths feelings that have no place in your mind.

Appreciate Your Gift of Creativity

You. Are. A Genius.

Believe it or not, it is a supernatural gift on the inside to wield the power to transcend realms and move between worlds through what you do. It takes only a gifted to transport another into a world that only you can create from the flutters of ink or brush or words.

When words flow out from the fountain of your pen, people hold to for dear lives trying to imagine what your next move would be. When you dip the brush in paint, a whole universe appears before the canvas, a place never before seen until you show it to the world.

A magical realm of green and wonder.

The Cold Shower Trick To Curing Writers Block

I see that smirk you’re wearing, thinking ‘how’s that even possible’?.

First off, it’s a routine that works for me one hundred percent and probably won’t work for you, if you reside in a country or place where cold showers are an absolute abomination.

I get it. It means you have to device another means that works best for you, but, it’s okay if you read through this post first.

That’s said, I also need to tell you this; engaging in mundane activities gives your brain the space to rewind, reboot and recover. You could doubt it, but half the time it works magic for creatives.

Cold showers and cooking works best for me.

When I’m stuck and in a rut – either with my WIP or Personal issues – I take an awesome cold shower in the heat of the afternoon. I cannot emphasize how clinically healthy it is for the mind and body.

Then comes the conversation and moment of clarity.

LET YOUR MANUSCRIPT SPEAK (FREE RESOURCE EBOOK)

YOU ARE NOT AT WAR WITH YOUR MANUSCRIPT

Writing your story shouldn't feel like going to war, neither should it feel like a battlefield.

It should be welcoming and flow in perfect sync with your thoughts and that of your characters because they are alive in their worlds and are desperately yearning to be heard and treated as a life form of their own.

When you don't listen to your manuscript or accept that it owns itself, a gap is created that causes bad friction between you and your story. It becomes difficult to clearly understand what you want for your story or how it should progress in real-time. This could cause a number of effects from writer block to frustration and emotional dissatisfaction with every piece you write.

This ebook covers:

➡ The Subtle Art of Listening

➡ Consequences of not Listening to Your Manuscript

➡ Ways to improve Listening to Your Manuscript

Signing up to receive this Free Resource Tool guarantees you a spot to receive A Top Secret Tool every Author should know and use to their advantage.

AUTHORS: GET IT RIGHT FROM THE START

BEGIN YOUR WRITING CAREER AS A PRO

Building your writing career the right way is important to keep your brand focused and professional while pushing towards global recognition and personal growth as an author. Starting out haphazardly will only hurt your brand image and cast the spotlight on you as a novice.

It takes a huge dose of courage, determination, and confidence to write your first book, short story, microfiction, fanfiction, comics, self-help book, business books, memoir, and everything in-between, pouring out your heart in hopes that your story makes an impact in the world and leaves an indelible mark in the sands of time, but struggle to place pointers in the next direction to take after writing.

➡ First Off - Do Not Write Your First Draft Without Going Through this Checklist

➡ Second - Do Not Waste Your Efforts on Meaningless Pursuit, When You Can Get It Right The First Time.

This Guide has broken down into 4 detailed stages with 30 Checklist Items to Implement, the essential PRELIMINARY ACTIONS to undertake as an Author when starting out to avoid costly and expensive mistakes in the long run.

It includes:

➡ Phase One: Personal Checklist
➡ Phase Two: Professional Checklist
➡ Phase Three: Workflow Checklist
➡ Phase Four: Content/Publicity Checklist

This Guide will also help you AVOID

➡ Wasting Productive Energy on Meaningless Pursuits

➡ Confusion on Next Steps To Take After Writing Your First Draft

➡ Inconsistencies and Stressful Overhaul in Brand Identity

➡ Delayed Exposure to The Writing World

➡ Starting Out As A Novice

Don't make the same mistakes as every other young, budding, and aspiring author. Set yourself apart and soar with ease.

THIS EBOOK GUIDE IS ON PREORDER UNTIL ITS OFFICIAL RELEASE DATE. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE DISCOUNT NOW.

7 QUICK GUIDES ON HOW TO WRITE A COMPELLING SEX SCENE

WRITE A COMPELLING SEX SCENE LIKE A PRO

The power of sex in a story is as addictive as the entire plot itself and can be a powerful tool in building the entire storyline.

Although a fraction of your story is dedicated to this scene, most new authors find it difficult to properly write one with as much enthusiasm and passion, it deserves.

This Guide Was Made To Help Young And Budding Author Who Find It Difficult To:

1. Write A Proper Sex Scene.

2. Engage Their Readers.

3. Flow Smoothly Throughout The Moment.

4. Put Words Into Action.

5. Create An Intimate Scene From Scratch.

This Guide Provides:

➡ The reality about writing sex scenes.

➡ The myths about writing sex scenes.

➡ Ways To Improve Fluency In Writing A Sex Scene.

➡ 7 Quick Guides On How To Write A Compelling Sex Scene.

➡ Bonus Tips & Examples.

The Full Course Package Goes For: N3,000 but you get it at a discounted price.

Grab Your Copy Of this EBOOK Now For Only N1,000

DON'T GET BANNED ON AMAZON KDP 🚫

GUARD YOUR AMAZON KDP ACCOUNT JEALOUSLY

It’s no secret that publishing on Amazon has created diverse income opportunities for independently published authors and traditionally published authors. Authors can choose to diversify their income by publishing No content, Low content, Medium content & High/Hybrid content books.

On Amazon KDP, you can choose to make your content exclusive by entering into the KDP select program, where you are availed of several marketing options for your content. However, strict rules guide this amazing platform, and one wrong move or click could have you Dungeoned, Suspended, or Banned for life without access to open another account again.

YOU DON'T WANT TO EVER EXPERIENCE THAT. IT'S HEARTBREAKING

This Guide addresses all the pain points and innocent errors that could attract the roaming huntsmen to your page.

The topic discussed includes:

➡10 Mistakes That Could Get You Banned

➡ Solutions To Prevent Such Mistakes

➡ Proof That You Can Get Suspended For Breaking The Rules

➡ A Warning Note

Do Not Fall Prey To These Salient Mistakes That Could Get Your KDP Account Banned For Life Or Suspended for a lengthy period of time. It will adversely hurt your account and affect your sales overall. Guard Your Money Bag Like Your Life Depended On It.

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BEGINNERS GUIDE TO WRITING EROTICA

WRITE EROTIC BOOKS THAT SELL LIKE HOT CAKES 

A QUICK DETOUR

Sometime ago, I picked up the pen and decided to finally give in to my desire and passion for writing after hitting so many dead ends.

It took a lot of sweat, dedication, hard work, consistency to amass the wealth of knowledge I am sharing with you in this course.

 As an ardent lover of books and romance, erotica has always been on the top of my list but I had no clue where to start and how to write in that genre even if I tried.

Here I am today, sharing with you everything I know about building a successful business around writing erotic books

Quick Question?

* Are you passionate about writing and want to try out writing erotica ?

* Are you new to writing erotica and want to dominate the market ?

* Are an author of erotic books but have difficulty understanding the genre or your niche ?

Stick Around, I Have The Answer To Your Question

🔥Selling Sex" Is A Business Niche That Never Grows Old🔥 

Sexual freedom is an expression that is highly sought after and a genre that is selling out like HOT CAKES

​Therefore I come bearing gifts🛍️🛍️ if you are stuck in any of the situations listed above.

This Course Provides The Answers To All Your Questions + Bonus Tips On How To Write Killer Erotic Stories That Will Leave Your Readers Squirming In Their Seats.

The Full Course Package Goes For: N5,000 but you get it at a discounted price.

Grab Your Copy Of EBOOK Now For Only N1,499

EASY WRITING & PUBLISHING TOOLS FOR EROTIC AUTHORS

EASY WRITING AND PUBLISHING TOOLS FOR EROTIC WRITERS

WHICH DO YOU PREFER, LONG ROAD OR SHORT CUT?

There is always an easy way to do everything, you just have to find it and stop constantly wasting time that can be invested elsewhere.

Writing can be very tedious if it is not simplified and publishing your book afterward can be very tiring and exhausting if you do not know the right channels to use.

Don't be shocked but I am doing you a huge favor by selling this course to you at a giveaway price because all the knowledge combined is worth more than the price.

Are you in any of these categories:

​​​​​​* Are you passionate about writing and want to try out writing erotica but have no idea how??

* Are you new to writing erotica and need the tools to ease your way ??

* Are having issues publishing your books ??

* Are you seeking an easier method to reduce the workload ??

You just landed the Jackpot and this course is for you √√

Hang On A Second, Let Me Answer That For You

 🔥SELLING SEX BEGINS WITH WRITING ONE🔥

Freedom of sexual expression is the passion needed for writing erotica and the medium of expressing such acts is through writing.

Therefore every author needs to have at their disposal the tools necessary to make the journey easy and less stressful.

All you have to do is follow the examples outlined in the course

Let Me Tell You A Secret

The Erotic Genre is Selling Out Like HOT CAKES, You Do Not Want To Miss Out.

Do not panic for I come bearing gifts and good news

The Cost Of This Course has been heavily Slashed and Discounted From N2,500.

Amazing right!!

You Can Now Have Your Copy At Only N999

That is a huge discount right there and you should Hurry Now and Claim Yours.

This Knowledge Is Second To None, Don't Miss Out

FALLING INTO YOUR HEAVEN: DALTON HEARTS ROMANCE SERIES BOOK 2

PROLOGUE 

Isabella

A week ago, my life shifted on its axis, a spiraling wave of back-to-back devastating events happening all at once that threatened my sanity.

First, I fucked up big time.

Second, there was a jailbreak.

Third, there was a murder. Two murders; and I could be next.

The past I left behind a year ago when I moved to Dalton has come back to haunt me in the person of Jake Sawyer, my psychotic maniacal ex-boyfriend cum state fugitive, who has murdered the only two people in the world who cared to listen to my plight, and helped me lock him away.

He has made it clear he’s coming for me next, and I’m scared out of my mind that he might be closer than I think; terrified that I might end up like my friends if I speak up and report to the cops about everything I know, and ashamed that even after so much time, the thought of going against him made me quake in my boots and question my judgment.

My guts tell me I’m safe here and needn’t worry about Jake finding me because a small town like Dalton in the outskirts of Wrixcaster with a population of only twenty thousand people who farm and export crops for a living is the last place he’d think I’ll be; still, I cannot stop scanning the faces in the small crowd or looking over my shoulder on days I managed to leave my apartment.

I don’t blame the girls for worrying about me, but I cannot explain to them how deep of a hellhole I’m buried in at the moment without dragging them down with me.

The last thing I want is to put their lives in danger because of the bad decisions I made in the past, neither can I tell them of the one I also made in the present, by banging my sexy-hot-tormented-next-door-neighbor, who’s also an asshole and a prick with emotional baggage large enough to fill the new auditorium he’s building in our town, without applying the first rule of safe sex.

My situation is terrifyingly bleak from all angles, and it doesn’t help that I could also be carrying the baby of a man who wants nothing to do with the real world, and prefers very much, to stay enshrouded in his dark past.

Who am I to judge, when I’m here hiding away from the world because I’m too terrified of my past?

The best thing about last week is not having to see his face or run the risk of bumping into him, because I haven’t left the house since our last encounter, and do not wish to do so anytime soon, since my paranoia has gotten the best of me.

Kayla and Jackie have made sure to update me on schoolwork while I hide out and Mandy has kept the supplies pouring in. I know they are scared, worrying about me without an idea of what’s going on but trying to stay supportive while I deal with my shit.

My silence was for their safety, I was protecting them from harm because Chris specifically advised me not to dwell too much on my past, but instead create new memories wherever I found myself – which is exactly what I did with the girls.

I couldn’t believe she was dead, while the gruesome image of Judge Shannon’s battered body still made me nauseous.

Now, I have never felt more alone in my life, without anyone to help me figure out a way out of this mess, without putting their lives at risk; I had no one to turn to, there was nobody to call and I was sinking in misery and fear.

As for my aching heart, Adrian Wright has sole custody of it, and I have no idea how to retrieve it from his hell cage.

I want to hate him for treating me like thrash, disrespecting my dignity, and being a jackass, but something about how broken he is, feeling his tears on my palms, draws me to him in ways that made me want to go to him still because, in truth, only a broken soul can understand the depths of his pain.

Whatever happened to him in the past, has damaged him for sure – just like I am – which only captivates my heart even more, yet, I cannot bring myself to forgive him for his actions because I deserve better than to be used as a vessel to mate with the ghost from his past.

I’m trapped between my past and my present; it’s only a matter of time before one of them catches up to me.

KEEPING YOU FOREVER: A TITLE IN SCARS & ROSES - A VALENTINE ANTHOLOGY

CHAPTER ONE

MARGRET

“Bring a date home for your sister’s introduction, Maggie, and make sure to go to church,” were the words that gave me a restless night and had me sitting on the fifth pew forty-five minutes before time because I couldn’t remember exactly what time Mass was going to hold.

Don’t judge me just yet, I feel guilty enough as it is especially when the guard at the gate gave me the look – the kind that says, daughter of all sinners without actually saying it out loud – when I asked why the hall looked deserted.

“The time was pushed back to normal after the Christmas celebration ma’am and announcements were made to parishioners. Several times,” he added, stressing the syllables to drive home his earlier point.

I didn’t want to build upon his accusatory assumptions or cause a scene with the reprimand tethering on the tip of my tongue and dying to be flung at him with a satisfactory smirk, so, I made my way into the building, seething all the way through.

Deep down, I knew there was no way I’d concentrate on the teachings of the priest because there was simply too much baggage running around in my head. For the life of me, I couldn’t understand why Mary would want to fix her introduction party on Valentine’s Day – which was barely three weeks away – if not to rub it in that she was settling down before me.

Jane was right, I shouldn’t let the devious scheming of my little sister get to me, much more the nonchalant attitude and ignorance card my mom was playing, in the name of not taking sides in this battle of schemes.

Mary was the absolute worst of us three and though I should be happy she’s found her ‘missing rib’, I couldn’t help but feel angry for slacking behind in the dating pool and frustrated at my inability to snag an eligible bachelor who doesn’t want me as a cash cow.

“Move in young lady, I’d like to sit here,” were said so close to my face I jumped at the rude intrusion and stared up at the handsome wrinkled face of an aged man who was pointing to my seat on the pew.

“Excuse me?”

“I said I’d like to sit here, move in child,” came the curt remark again and I had to look around to be sure I was the one he was referring to.

There was no way in he** I was moving an inch from where I sat, at least not with the way he was asking – old age or not, he was rude. It didn’t matter if we were in the house of God, I was not going to take another crude remark or be addressed with such disrespect, not even from a man old enough to be my father – God bless his departed loving soul. I was prepared to do rain down fire and brimstone should he persist when a slight tug on my shoulders made me pause and turn around.

Holy Moses, damn I picked the wrong pew.

Sitting behind me was the kind of man you’d call tall, dark, and sinister with a hint of spicy hot, in his dark stripped senator’s Kaftan and matching black hat. He simply raised his hands, clapped them together in a pleading form, and wordlessly mouthed ‘Please’ accompanied by a warm smile that would melt even Queen Ravenna’s heart – from the Huntsman – but not mine.

Not today.

Having reached my tolerance limit for human insolence for one day and on the verge of losing it before the holy one, I excused myself and left the pew entirely, forcing myself not to just walk out of my church for good.

There was no Jupiter on earth that would make the teachings for today sink in as I swallowed my revolting thoughts and took a seat at the back of the church, seated in the middle, to avoid any more mishaps as service began.

If only eyes had bullets in them, I’d have gunned down a lot of unfortunate people without as much as a blink.

LOVE LIKE BLOOMING VINE: A TITLE IN NOTES ON LOVE & OTHER STORIES: VINE 2022 ANTHOLOGY

CHAPTER ONE

Love, I’ve heard grows like blooming vine. Slow at first it sprouts, but nurtured with patience and care, it steadily spreads its warmth like the Cypress on a powder-white trellis, adding color and light to our lives.

It felt like a tale carved out of folklore which was made up by silly, old elderlies to preach love and patience to little, oblivious children because I know better and have learned my lesson the hard way. The reformed me was smarter and more vigilant, ready to squash any distractions with the heel of my Louboutin.

This was the resolution I made as the double doors swung open from the inside to grant me access into the visitor’s area of the colorful and brightly lit, pristine office.

“Mr. Felix will be with you in a moment, Miss Anne. Please make yourself comfortable,” the smiling young lady at the receptionist desk with Ella boldly scrawled on the name tag across her chest.

I nod, acknowledging her words while shoving aside thoughts about men and the devious ways they crawl under one’s skin without notice, only to rip dump you in the ditch for the smooth ride. I needed to bring my A-game to the table if I intended to scale through the final stages of this interview.

Ella ushered me inside with a short whisper, “You’ve got this girl. Just be yourself,” she said, with a small smile before shutting the door behind me.

“Miss Anne Thompson, welcome to our first physical meeting. I must say, you’re quite taller in person. Please have a seat.”

I tentatively took my seat, replying, “There is no law that forbids tall girls from becoming great accountants. Not even the rookie ones.”

“Great sense of humor too, Miss Anne. Good to know.” Adjusting his small frame into his seat, it felt more like I was towering over Mr. Felix instead of the other way around but before he could continue, the door to his office burst open, and in walked the seduction in a suit.

My jaws dropped wide open. Staring for a full, heart-stopping second at the candy pop that just waltzed into my life-changing meeting – discarding the silent resolution I made only minutes ago – I didn’t realize Mr. Felix has said something until he flashed those pearly whites in return.

I melted away in my seat; the burning desire to reach up and fist my fingers into his coal dark hair was a temptation too strong to resist and my ticket out of here if as much as lifted a finger.

It would be the creepiest thing I have ever done. Thank goodness I was the queen of restraint or else, I would be dusting my application from the rack I just dumped it two weeks ago.

KARMA LIED: A STORY ON LOVE, LIFE AND LOSS

Karma lied.

Staring deep into the abyss of darkness surrounding my little primed sorority-themed room, feeling the gentle caress of the wind on my skin, attempt to kiss dry, the oceans of pain on my blotched face and heaving heart.

I've heard of a quicker way to end it all, it stares me in the face by the nightstand just inches away from my aching fingers but somehow, leaving this paradise of misery has become too difficult with each torrent that runs down my cheeks.

I blame the commandment I believed in, the omniscient one that knows it all and preaches of how to love and live; the one that says, ‘never get too attached to anyone unless they feel the same way towards you because one-sided expectations can destroy you'. Yes, that very same commandment that didn’t say how devastating it would be to lose the same person that feels the same way towards you.

My fingers dug deep into the fluffy pillows, now drained in misery, as memories assail my mind again, for the thousandth time in one week.

~

Taking walks was a therapeutic routine for a small-town girl with big dreams because it gave room to explore, with the streets as a canvas to paint those elaborate dreams on. The sun on my face and the wind whipping around my raven dark hair into my eyes was always the highlight of my evenings while I drew my plans in layers with a goofy smile.

Lost inside my magical world, I didn’t see reality making a beeline for me with screeching tires grazing the sidewalk and horrified voices shrieking in terror, praying there was enough of me left to take home to my Dad when the collision occurred.

Nothing.

It didn’t happen because strong arms yanked me off the sidewalk in a millisecond before the hit, falling backward onto the pavement and landing heavily on my arm, hollering in pain as I felt the bones lodge out of place.

Although there weren’t any maimed body parts, the incident changed the course of my life forever.

MAFIA'S SUBJUGATES: MANIACAL MAFIA LORDS BOOK 2

Chapter One: Marred

I didn’t feel anything.

Just a satisfying numbness that came with the knowledge of knowing what was going to happen because the feeling in my gut already conceded to the fact before the shot was fired.

In that singular moment, watching him transform from beast to a wounded man, absorbing the pain of the shocked faces and Mirian’s wailing screams of agony at the loss of her soul mate, I understood this was a smokescreen to hide his hurt and it wouldn’t be the end of his rampage.

Paxton Pierce was not a man who licked his wounds in private; he was the kind to burn the whole city in an attempt to fill the gaping hole in his heart and he was not done inflicting pain on us all.

It felt odd, how being in this place again dredged up thoughts of the last forty-eight hours, like, it had only been but a minute since our lives went up in smoke.

“I’m not hungry.” Mirian’s hollow words pierce through my thoughts, “You don’t have to keep standing there with that tray of waffles from Mrs. P like I’m a plague, Eva. I know what I did and I sure brought this upon myself. I did this to us. It’s all my fault.”

Drawing in close to her, my knees scraped the hard floor as I dumped the tray in the corner and took hold of her bound hands cradling her drawn knees. “Your only crime was being in love and giving your heart to someone who truly cared about you. I’d do the same in a heartbeat, same as any sane person who’s married to a stone-cold tyrant like our husband.”

 “I have lost them both. I don’t think I can endure the horror he’s planned for me in here. I’d rather die with dignity than allow my pride to get dragged through the mud. I can’t live the rest of my days a prisoner to that psychopath.”

Splaying both hands on her cheeks I gently wiped her tears away, “You’re still the mother of a beautiful nine-year-old who needs your love, care, and attention now, more than anything. I don’t think he’d deny you that right.”

MAFIA'S SUBJUGATES: MANIACAL MAFIA LORDS BOOK 1

PROLOGUE

Five Years Ago: The Darkness Within

Dreams are for little girls who think the world is a picture-perfect place, filled with fairies and angels, magic and love. Guess what, there are demons and monsters too, dressed in fine dark suits, with amber flamingg eyes, and a killer intoxicating smile.

They are humans alright because, in my reality, I’m married to one.

The lies I believed cost me my freedom, the fairytales and whirlwind romance, blinded my eyes to the beast clothed within. 

Here I am, shackled and chained, a far cry from the blissful images I had envisioned for my honeymoon – an enticing mix of rose petals and oriental wine dripping from between my breast as he flicks his tongue over it, screaming my lungs out as passion courses through my veins.

I naïvely filled my mind with images of his head buried between my thighs, pleasure pouring out from my depth, fire raging like rolling waves down my center, my lips slightly parted in adulation of his passionate caresses. Dreaming of toe-curling gentle caresses, yearning to be pinned beneath his lean form, our lips dancing in tune, my legs tightly wrapped around his waist, pulling him in deeper, accepting all of him, feeling his cock graze my walls as we merge as one body, making love till the crack of dawn, and riding the edge of orgasm as entwined souls, melted into one with my husband, became my reality.

Until it wasn’t.

Because it was all lies. 

And I thought wrong.

ACCIDENTALLY YOURS FOR CHRISTMAS: A PREQUEL

CHAPTER ONE

Caught In A Fix

It’s on days like this – forcing down the lump in my throat and the biting sting in my eye – that I wish mom was here with a wide smile, a plate of smiley cookies and a jar of orange juice, laughing as she says ‘Christmas will always be the time of unexpected miracles’ because I desperately am in need of one.

Turning away from Basil for a moment, I blink rapidly to keep the fat drops threatening to fall any minute at bay, counting to ten before I mustered the strength and courage to face my ten-year-old son to tell him I ruined our big plans for having the best holiday season ever.

“Mom, why do we have a court order plastered to the door and our stuff outside. Are we moving again?

When I didn’t reply immediately – still trying to recover from the shock of his question – he innocently assumes the worst and lashes out. “You promised mom; you said this time it’d be different and we’d stay here long enough for me to finish middle school, have a normal life, and make friends.”

I knelt before him in a flash, pulling him close for a tight hug as the dam broke free and flowed freely down my face. “We’re not leaving town baby, I promise to have this all sorted out in the morning. Right now, I want you to be strong for mummy and help her gather your things, so we can leave here before anyone causes a scene. Okay.”

He nods, wiping his eyes before they grew as wide as apples with guilt, “mom, did you choose to get my electric bike over paying the rent?

SPIRALING INTO YOUR HELL: DALTON HEARTS SMALL TOWN ROMANCE PART 1

CHAPTER ONE

Isabella's POV

Desperate.

That’s exactly how I looked peeking out from behind my hazel-green colored blinds, at the mass of curly dark hair bouncing in the cool autumn breeze with every move he made.

I swear to you, there has never, been a more beautiful shirtless creature roaming the face of the earth than Adrian Wright, and I’m so in lust with him.

Prying the blinds apart, I bite down on my lower lips, watching his ripped muscles flex as he spoke into the phone, his pacing feet drawing him closer to my line of sight with each inaudible word he spoke.

Doesn’t matter what anyone thinks – Kayla, Jackie, Mandy – about how I chose to spend my evenings - blissfully fantasizing about the most tantalizing work of art to grace Dalton School of Arts – I wouldn’t pass up my fast addictive habits for a Friday night out at some smoky club downtown, with sweaty horny townfolks, groping around in the dark, hoping to get lucky.

I’d rather feast my eyes on a more enticing specimen, or maybe even draw him later, so I could moan over his beautiful face on my canvas. Great idea. I’d do just that.

He stepped into my porch light, and I almost flew out the window, drooling all over the couch, with my face now plastered to the cold glass, unabashedly drinking him in. 

I trailed my eyes from the wide expanse of his smooth broad chest, up the large bulgy trunks framed into biceps that looked three times my size, then down the rippled chiseled muscles craved around his midsection – images of lips, wine, and a wild night immediately flashed through my mind – before working my way southwards at his unzipped fly, exposing the downward triangular curve of trimmed waves that disappeared below the waistband of his Calvin Klein’s brief.

My already faint heart, melted into a puddle, at the wholesome sight displayed with reckless abandon. There’s a lot of things a woman could fantasize about doing with a body like that.

None of them, innocent in the least.