Month: June 2023

An edited, but not yet proofed, excerpt from my WIP (work in progress), A Star of Darkness.  Regalis peeled off his dusty travel clothing, leaving it in a heap on the floor. He glanced at the clock. He had just enough time to bathe and eat before reporting for duty at...

An unedited excerpt from my WIP (work in progress), A Star of Darkness. [Content subject to change.]Prologue She stumbled through the trees toward the river, half blind with tears. She clutched her father’s hunting knife in its sheath, but it would be no good to her....

An unedited excerpt from my WIP (work in progress), A Star of Darkness. [Content subject to change.]Once the gown had been fastened around her, Vesper was sent to a vanity table where a makeup artist would paint her face, her back, and down one arm. Portia favored...

Spring, 1939 My mother, Sylvana, had a gorgeous tailfin. At least, I thought it was beautiful. Of course, I was not yet twelve and had never met another siren, but I could not possibly imagine scales more beautiful than hers: ink-blue. Near her flukes, they’re so dark...

Still subject to further editing. For context: Gina and the triplets have retreated to the bedroom to discuss how to explain Gina’s appearance to Seth. Gina’s point of view. I turn to them after shutting the door tight. “He doesn’t know,” says Eadie in a rush. “He...

Henrietta’s espresso machine and I are in the throes of a competition to see which of us produces the most steam. So far, its neck and neck. Almost twenty-four hours has passed since my sisters chastised me in the kitchen. Why they think the minutes that separate us...

Chapter One Gina I need to get out of New York. I can’t breathe here right now; the whole city stinks of betrayal and fear. It’s amazing how an event in one’s life can transform a beloved skyline into a place of darkness and danger. I need space—the calming effect of...

Chapter One Laec Frostbite took a long time to heal—Laec was learning this firsthand—even with access to healing botanicals. He shifted in his seat, pulling his jacket away from his shoulder where skin and muscle still ached. In the two-and-a-half weeks that had...