Katie French Books - Blog

Katie French Books

For the Love of Reading: Book Discounts Galore!

1/28/2021

Readers, we love you, and we know that you love reading. So to celebrate a week of love, here are a list of discount books just for you. We hope you are feeling the L.O.V.E. right now.

FRESHMAN WITCH

PRICE: $0.99 from Feb 8th-12th

WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT: Badass Witches, Enemies to Lovers Romance, and an Academy you'll wish you could attend.

LINK: http://hyperurl.co/efxxnu

VOODOO UNLEASHED

PRICE: $0.99 Feb 8th-14th

WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT: If you love mysterious magic, sinful voodoo casters, snarky heroines, and steamy moments, you’ll be hooked!

LINK: smarturl.it/voodoounleashed

Mira's Return the Complete Trilogy: Returning, Falling, Surfacing

PRICE: FREE

WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT: This story is Gilmore Girls meets SIREN, a mermaid romance that will make you laugh, cry, and melt.

LINK: https://bookhip.com/ZLCZH

OF WITCH'S BLOOD

PRICE: FREE from Feb 10th-14th

WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT: Kickass cloaking witches, first love, and a dying supernatural breed in need of saving.

LINK: https://amzn.to/2w0HEIV

PERSUADE

PRICE: $0.99 from Feb 8th - 14th

WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT: A new take on vampires with romance, mystery, and a #whychoose storyline.

LINK: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D6F8KF9

Reader Bingo!

10/20/2020

It's Bingo Time!
Hello readers! This month we are holding a fun contest for you, our lovely readers. It's easy, it's simple, and there are prizes!

Here's how to play:
Each square represents one of our author's books. To cross off a square, you need to have read that book. Some you may have already read, some you may want to check out for the first time. It doesn't matter how you have read the book, but if you have, you can cross that book off.

Once you have a BINGO! let katie@katiefrenchbooks.com know. (You will have to answer a few easy questions about the books to prove you've read them, but don't worry, we're not trying to stump you.) Prove you've read them, and you'll win a grab bag of lots of great prizes including audiobooks, ebooks, and more!

The game ends on November 15th, so get reading!

The books

Katie French
Freshman Witch
https://www.amazon.com/Supernatural-Academy-Freshman-Ingrid-Seymour-ebook/dp/B07QK2HX8M
The Vision
https://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Lake-Vampire-Society-Vision-ebook/dp/B08CBNQSJ1

Ingrid Seymour
Freshman Witch
https://www.amazon.com/Supernatural-Academy-Freshman-Ingrid-Seymour-ebook/dp/B07QK2HX8M
Ignite the Shadows
https://www.amazon.com/Ignite-Shadows-Ingrid-Seymour-ebook/dp/B08682B91G

David R. Bernstein
Influence
https://www.amazon.com/Influence-Book-David-R-Bernstein-ebook/dp/B01JQZ8YWU/
Reckless
https://www.amazon.com/Reckless-Book-One-Terran-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B07J279QW3

Jenette Penner
Reckless
https://www.amazon.com/Reckless-Book-One-Terran-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B07J279QW3
Broken Wand Academy
https://www.amazon.com/Broken-Wand-Academy-Episode-Curse-ebook/dp/B07T1RZ9FM

G.K. DeRosa
Demon on a Dime
https://www.amazon.com/Darkblood-Prison-Demon-Supernatural-Squad-ebook/dp/B089SF8DH4/
Hitched: The Bachelorette
https://www.amazon.com/Hitched-Bachelorette-G-K-DeRosa-ebook/dp/B07PR7CQ2K

Wendi Wilson
The Orphan
https://www.amazon.com/Oberon-Academy-Book-One-Orphan-ebook/dp/B07NWQSR23
The Vision
https://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Lake-Vampire-Society-Vision-ebook/dp/B08CBNQSJ1

Alicia Rades
The Coven’s Secret
https://www.amazon.com/Covens-Secret-Paranormal-Academy-Witchcraft-ebook/dp/B07XHMGH4J
The Fire Prophecy
https://www.amazon.com/Fire-Prophecy-Academy-Magical-Creatures-ebook/dp/B07JBBM12Q/

Marisa Claire
Winter Sacrifice
https://www.amazon.com/Winter-Sacrifice-Rise-Veiled-World-ebook/dp/B082QPWW92/
Broken Wand Academy
https://www.amazon.com/Broken-Wand-Academy-Episode-Curse-ebook/dp/B07T1RZ9FM

D.S. Murphy
Shearwater
https://www.amazon.com/Shearwater-Mermaid-Romance-D-S-Murphy-ebook/dp/B01N45RZCQ/
A Taste of Vampire
https://www.amazon.com/TASTE-Vampire-Magic-Kingdom-Blood-ebook/dp/B07DD8XK37

Megan Montero
Midnight Mage
https://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Mage-Night-Realm-Marked-ebook/dp/B0846JSW73/
Wicked Lies
https://www.amazon.com/Wicked-Lies-Royals-Warlock-Court-ebook/dp/B082Y6HS5M

Heather Hildenbrand
Dirty Blood
https://www.amazon.com/Dirty-Blood-Book-ebook/dp/B004V08RS2
Kiss of Death
https://www.amazon.com/Kiss-Death-Supernatural-Security-Force-ebook/dp/B07YZSKHNG

A.L Knorr
Fire Cracker
https://www.amazon.com/Firecracker-Young-Fantasy-Arcturus-Academy-ebook/dp/B08F6WT77B
Fire Trap
https://www.amazon.com/Fire-Trap-Fantasy-Arcturus-Academy-ebook/dp/B08FXRS74N

J.N. Colon
Crimes of Fire
https://www.amazon.com/Crimes-Fire-Wayward-Paranormal-Prison-ebook/dp/B08BJ9PX65/
Eternal Bond and Brimstone
https://www.amazon.com/Eternal-Bond-Brimstone-Legacy-Sins-ebook/dp/B07TP94V5V

Jennifer Snyder
Chosen
https://www.amazon.com/Chosen-Gem-Creek-Bears-Book-ebook/dp/B083M86X2Z
Of Witch's Blood
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01G7ORMVC/

Releasing August 21st! Shadow Lake Vampire Society

8/14/2020

Twilight Fans, this book is for you.

I am so excited to announce that a new series is coming to you in less than a week! Shadow Lake Vampire Society takes the best of paranormal romance, action, adventure, and VAMPIRES! I cannot wait for you to read this book. To give you a taste of what is coming, I present the first chapter. See below.

Chapter One

“Get inside and don’t come out until I call you.”
I huddled in the narrow crawl space under the cabin’s wooden floor, flinching at the screech of rusty hinges as my father swung the hatch closed. My lungs seemed to go into overdrive as I gasped for air. Though not airtight, the small, dark confines of my hidey-hole tricked my brain into thinking there wasn’t enough oxygen.
My harsh breaths echoed around me as my heart beat a staccato rhythm inside my chest. The scuffing sound of furniture being moved sounded above me, and in a panic, my hands pushed at the trapdoor. It didn’t budge. Not even a centimeter.
I was trapped, and I didn’t even know why. Why did Dad suddenly freak out in the middle of dinner and shove me under the floor? His terror had been palpable, spiking my own fear enough to make me blindly obedient as I squeezed into the coffin-like space without questioning his demand or his sanity.
He knew I hated small spaces.
I gasped for air, despite my lungs filling with each breath. I knew I was hyperventilating, but I couldn’t stop the desperate panting. My whole body shook with terror, and I knew I couldn’t take it anymore. I needed to get out. Immediately.
I opened my mouth to scream at Dad, to beg him to let me out. But whatever I might have yelled died in my throat as I heard the front door crash in, banging against the floor. I slapped a hand over my mouth in an attempt to quiet my harsh breathing.
“Go away!”
My dad’s voice was laced with fear and revulsion, making the order sound more like a desperate plea. There was a scuffling sound accompanied by a guttural growl, and my breath froze in my throat.
What the hell was that? my mind shrieked, repeating the phrase over and over as the scuffling grew into a heavy thrashing.
Hot tears poured down my cheeks as my father screamed in agony. I pushed at the wooden trapdoor again, this time putting everything I had into it. It still didn’t move. No! I had to get out. I had to help him!
Suddenly the noises stopped, a heavy silence falling over the cabin. Fear paralyzed me, my frozen blood clogging in my veins as I struggled to breathe. My ears pricked, listening for…anything.
The scrub of wood against wood as Dad moved the furniture off the trapdoor. The squeak of hinges. His sigh of relief at the sight of me, unharmed. His voice, telling me everything was going to be okay.
But none of those came.
I waited for an eternity, then for another one after that. But silence reigned supreme. I sucked in a breath, ready to call out to him when a dull thud echoed above me. I snapped my jaw shut, and I held my breath.
Footsteps, slow and steady, thumped toward the front of the cabin. The sounds grew fainter as they moved over the downed door and out onto the porch before disappearing altogether. Still, I didn’t breathe.
I waited.
I waited for the scrub of wood against wood, the screech of hinges. The sigh of relief.
I waited for Dad to open that damned door and let me out of the hell he’d put me in. For fresh air and open spaces. For warm arms and tight embraces. For the world to be made right and start turning on its axis once more.
My lungs screamed for oxygen and yet, I still refused to give in and breathe. Dad was going to pop open that door any minute. He’d laugh and tell me it was just a wild dog or a bear cub. He’d tell me he’d overreacted when he’d squished me under the floor and ordered me to be silent. We’d go home to Mom, then laugh and laugh as we retold the story, embellishing it with funny voices and wild hand gestures.
As my lips tried to curve up into some insane version of a smile, something dripped onto the apple of my cheek. I reached up to wipe it with a fingertip. It was warm and wet. Another drop landed, and as I wiped it away, it was replaced by another. Then another and another, until a steady stream of drops pattered against my skin.
I tried to scoot my head away from the stream. But the space was too small, my movements in vain. The thick, warm liquid ran down my cheek before streaming onto my neck.
I sucked in a harsh breath, my need to breathe overcoming my fear of missing any telltale sounds from above. A scent of bitter copper filled my nose, and I forced myself to stop breathing it in as panic sparked in my nerves.
I needed oxygen, but I needed to not smell that scent again. I needed to pretend everything was fine, and it wasn’t what I knew it was dripping from the floorboards above to coat my skin.
I needed to wake up from the nightmare. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up.
“Piper.”
My body recoiled in my chair, my back pressing into the cushions as Dr. Whitley’s voice cut through the memory and brought me back to the present. My eyes danced around the room, my breath steadying as I inventoried the space like she taught me to.
Two navy blue chairs. Two wooden end tables. One glass coffee table between them. One desk. Three bookshelves. Six potted plants near two large windows.
By the time my gaze returned to my therapist, my breathing had reverted to normal, and I’d managed to fully untangle myself from the memory. I swallowed thickly against the knot in my throat, then took a moment to clear it before speaking.
“Where were we?” I croaked out.
“You lost consciousness.”
“Right,” I said. “When I woke up, there were footsteps and voices above me. I tried to scream, but my voice was too weak, so I banged on the trapdoor, begging to be released in the loudest whisper I could manage. Then there was light, and I was blinded. Hands grabbed at me, and I fought them off even though I knew I needed help.”
I fell silent, the memories threatening to suck me back under. Men and women in blue uniforms and dark suits. Yellow tape. Cameras and tiny orange cones with numbers on them. Copper-colored stains on the floor and a sheet-enshrouded gurney wheeling through a gaping hole where the front door used to be.
“You were trapped there for two days,” Dr. Whitley said, rescuing me from the memory before I got sucked into its vortex again.
I shook my head, saying “I don’t remember it. I was unconscious the whole time.”
This was the point in the session where we usually left the past and discussed the present. She’d ask me how school was, and I’d reply it was fine. She’d ask me about my home life with Mom. Also fine. Any extracurricular activities? No, but it was fine.
I relaxed back into my seat and took a deep breath. I’d made it through the hellish part and would now be rewarded with the easy questions. My muscles loosened as the tension drained out of me, only to lock back up as Dr. Whitley asked me a question she never had before.
“What do you think killed your father, Piper?”
“Wh-what?” I stuttered. “What are you doing?”
She gave me a sympathetic smile before her expression turned determined.
“It’s been a year, and we’ve never addressed this. In fifty sessions, I’ve let you decide how far we go, and we’ve only talked about the details. The facts. We need to dig deeper if I’m ever going to be able to help you.”
“A bear. A bear killed my father.”
That was the answer we’d been given after the official investigation. The broken-down door. The gashes and bruises on my father’s body. The bite marks on his neck.
Only a bear could have knocked that door down. Only an animal could’ve left a human in that mangled condition.
“It was a bear,” I repeated.
“Do you really believe that?” she asked, her head cocked slightly to the right as she searched my gaze for the truth.
“I do,” I answered.
But it was a lie.
I wanted to believe it. I wanted to accept the fact that in some strange and terrible twist of fate, a mad bear crashed into our vacation rental cabin and took my father from me on the fourth day of our week-long father-daughter getaway. That it was an act of nature. A cruel accident.
But I remembered the fear in my father’s eyes when he stuffed me under the floor. He knew something was coming, and that it was too late and too dangerous to run. A rampant, enraged bear would’ve take us by surprise, killing us both. Instead, I was here and Dad was gone, and I had to live with that pain and guilt for the rest of my life.
“It was a bear,” I muttered again, my unfocused eyes dropping to the floor.
They told me it was a bear, and I’d screamed at the police, and the nurses, and doctors, and everyone else within earshot that they were wrong. They were lying. They were covering something up.
I yelled at my mom when she tried to calm me. I pushed her away from my hospital bed, screaming and scratching and thrashing from side to side. A buff orderly pulled her back before inserting a syringe into the plastic tubing that led to my I.V.
As my movements calmed and my brain grew sluggish, I tried to yell some more. But the words came out garbled and indecipherable.
I tried to tell them about the footsteps. I tried to tell them it couldn’t be a bear, or any other animal because those feet were wearing boots. I could still hear the thump-thump-thump of them as they crossed the floorboards above me.
It wasn’t a bear. Or a mountain lion, or any other animal.
I didn’t care what logistics said. I didn’t give a shit that science proved a human couldn’t have done what had been done to my dad. No amount of authenticated tests or lab reports were going to convince otherwise.
No in-depth therapy sessions were going to make me see the light and accept the fact that I’d been mistaken. I knew what I heard.
And bears don’t wear boots.

PRE-ORDER FOR ONLY 99 CENTS

Rebel Fae Releases May 19th!

5/6/2020

The Sequel you've been waiting for is here.

It's coming, the sequel to the best seller, Outcast Fae. Tally and Vaughn are back with even more adventures in this spine tingling paranormal adventure romance! And, to pique your interest, here is the first chapter.

PRE-ORDER TODAY.

CHAPTER 1
This place had honed me like a knife.
I was sharp and tense as I moved down the food line, gripping my hard plastic tray in both hands, my eyes roving around, keeping track of every unsavory inmate. There were many of them, males and females with edges much sharper than mine. One look at them and you knew you’d best stay away.
Today, every type of Supernatural wore a different-colored prison jumpsuit. This was new. Just two days ago, everyone had worn the same baggy beige shirt and pants. Now, vampires wore red, shifters blue, witches and warlocks green, and fae bright orange.
I hated it. Urine color would have been better than this hideous shade. Besides, they were hard for me to put on. Wings! Did no one think of that?
The dining hall was an expansive area with a host of tables, accompanying benches, a low ceiling, and walls painted a drab gray. The food line was in the rear of the room and moved at a steady pace. This was the only place where males and females could mingle, though we still had to eat at separate tables. Guards stood around the periphery, glaring with ill-intent, to make sure everyone stayed in line.
I took another step forward. Arryn was in front of me, standing on her tiptoes, trying to see what was for lunch. Every day, she still hoped there might be something different to eat, but it was always the same: runny mashed potatoes, mystery meat in brown gravy, mushy peas from a can, a square of red gelatin, and a buttered bread roll—the only halfway decent item.
When we got there, Arryn—an orphan, ten-year-old fae girl who I loved like a sister and got stuck here with me when our attempt to flee went horribly wrong a few weeks ago—handed her compartmentalized tray to the server.
The little fae sighed in disappointment. “It’s the same again.”
I nodded, without looking in her direction. My gaze still scanned for potential threats. “Yes, melthelel.”
When I glanced left, I noticed my cousin, Sinasre, entering the dining hall. He took stock of the room the same as me. His orange jumpsuit nearly matched his hair color. It wasn’t a flattering look. As soon as he spotted me, his expression grew tight and full of meaning, which made me realize he’d been looking for me. It appeared he had something to tell me.
My heart sped up? Did he have news? An escape plan? It was all I thought about, a way to get out of here. I tried to figure out how I could approach him since I couldn’t mix with the males. The guards at the edges of the room were always watching.
“Ow!” Arryn exclaimed.
My head whipped around to see what was wrong. A young man dressed in blue, one of the shifters, was standing next to her, a hand gripping her skinny arm. He leaned forward and hissed something in her ear, then snatched the bread roll from her tray.
“Hey!” I snapped. “Give it back.”
“Give what back?” He pulled a face and looked me up and down as if I’d gone crazy. He began walking away.
“I said give it back, you asshole.” I had learned to curse in English since it was much more effective here.
“Keep the line moving,” the server called from behind the heated food pans.
I ignored him, even if he was an inmate the guards trusted and would sound the alarm. They might put me in solitary for this, but the thing was… I couldn’t allow the inmates to bully Arryn. They had to understand that if they messed with her, they had to contend with me. A furious and determined fae bitch.
“I won’t repeat myself,” I snarled, gripping my tray in one hand and giving myself enough room to swing. “You give her food back or I’ll split your head open.”
The shifter snarled in turn, crouching slightly. He showed no intention of doing what I’d asked and looked ridiculous in his ready stance with a tray of food in front of him. He couldn’t shift since the prison blocked that power, but he could still fight me, tall and broad as he was.
“It’s fine, Tally,” Arryn said in her small voice. “I don’t even like the rolls.”
It was a lie. I always gave her my roll because she loved them so much. She needed all the calories she could get. She was waif-thin, never fully recovered from The Bane’s toxic attack on our land. No one would steal her food if I could help it.
The shifter huffed and gave us a look that seemed to say you two are pathetic. Well, he had another thing coming. This fae kept her word.
“Dammit, no fighting,” the server called as he set down his ladle and began removing the apron he wore over his front. He gestured toward the guards that stood in the periphery of the dining hall.
Acting before they reached us, I swung my tray upward and hit the bottom of the shifter’s plate. His food jumped up, gravy and mashed potatoes flying into the air and landing on his face. He cursed, hands wiping at his eyes as he tried to clean the sloppy mess.
Taking advantage of his disorientation, I grabbed my tray with both hands and slammed its edge against his head. He stumbled sideways, slipped in a puddle of gravy, and fell face first.
A group of blue-clad shifters rose from a nearby table and headed menacingly in my direction. Each type of Supernatural stuck together to defend their own. Too bad there were only three of us fae, one of them a helpless child. A few of the shifters formed a line, blocking the guards that were attempting to come in and break up the fight. It seemed they wanted a piece of me before they locked down us. Well, let them come and try.
My wings whirred behind me as I crouched, tray in hand. I could fly up and stay out of their reach, but I had to teach them a lesson. No one messed with us. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Sinasre rushing toward me. In Faerie, my cousin had always had my back, and I always had his. Here, it wasn’t any different.
Another shifter with shoulders as wide as a door pushed everyone aside.
The guards had almost reached us, but as more inmates stood and gathered to watch the fight, getting in the way, it seemed I would have enough time to split someone else’s head open.
This next opponent was large and heavy, his movements sluggish compared to mine. When he lunged, I jumped out of his path and brought the tray down on his head as he lunged by. There was a horrible crack as the tray split in two, and the man thudded to the floor.
Holding two pieces of my cracked tray, I growled and dared someone else to come forward. No one did. It seemed, without their shifting powers, they were all talk and no action.
Sinasre pulled a few spectators out of the way until he reached the center of the circle where I stood, two inmates at my feet. He gave me a nod of approval. I was nodding back when someone tackled me from the side.
I crashed to the floor, crushing one of my wings against a bench leg. Pain shot down its sensitive nerve endings. I arched my back, hissing through clenched teeth.
The shifter reared up, a fist drawn backward. He had a shaved head and a tattoo below his left eye. I barely registered this before he delivered a hook to the left side of my face, sending an explosion of white light across my vision.
Another punch, this time on my right side. Blood filled my mouth as pain throbbed from two places.
Behind my attacker, I could hear Sinasre snarling, presumably fighting others to get to me. Arryn’s sobs also reached my addled brain. She was frantically calling my name, but the commotion had thankfully pushed out of the circle.
Off to the side, there was a loud snarl, followed by a heavy thud. Blinking, I focused long enough to see my attacker turn his head and glanced back over his shoulder. This was my chance.
Taking advantage of the disturbance, I bucked my legs and set him off balance. As he tried to right himself, I reared up and slammed my elbow against his cheekbone with a crack. Pain shot up to my shoulder, but gritting my teeth, I watched with satisfaction as the shifter collapsed to the floor, holding his face.
I struggled to my feet, swaying from side to side, and spitting blood. There seemed to be three of everything.
It took my eyes a moment to focus, but the first thing I noticed was Vaughn, in his guard’s uniform, crouched on top of a table, his sharp green eyes scanning the mess. When he spotted me, he let out a loud snarl like the one we’d heard just a second ago and leaped off the table, landing right in the middle of the circle, his heavy boots thudding against the floor.
Slowly, he rose to his full height, his gaze locked with mine. “Everyone stop,” he growled in a commanding voice that sent a shiver up my spine.
Seeing him always made my chest tighten, and my pulse beat faster. During our time on the island, he’d made my heart race for a different reason. Now, the sight of him made me sick. Yes, he betrayed me to protect his cousin, but that didn’t justify his actions. He’d tricked me, acted like he cared about me, and then trapped Arryn and me here while the rest of our group escaped.
I hated him. I hated having to be anywhere near him.
Several of the shifters who were fighting Sinasre retreated, looking like dogs with their tails between their legs. A few others continue to fight, indifferent to Vaughn’s order, which meant they weren’t werewolves but other types of shifters that didn’t need to heel to a powerful alpha—at least not one of a different species.
Vaughn grabbed a blue-clad male by the back of his neck, hauled him away from Sinasre, and slammed him to the floor. “Everyone stop, I said. Or else…”
The hanging threat did the trick. The fighting stopped. The shifters retreated. The three I had fought lay on the floor, groaning and holding their heads. The other guards closed in.
I smirked. I’d done as I’d promised, more actually. I’d split three heads open instead of one.
“Back to your cells.” Vaughn waved at the other guards, who started ushering people out of the dining hall. Since when had he become their leader?
The witches and warlocks moaned that they hadn’t been able to finish their meals, but still, they complied and filed down between the empty tables. We’d seen a few times what happened when you defied the guards. Once, a warlock had to stand in a corner for two days with no food or water. Eventually, he passed out, and they’d dragged his body away to who knew where? Another time, they beat a mouthy witch until she lay bloody on the ground.
Vaughn turned and marched in my direction, his features sharp and mean. He grabbed me by the shoulders and pushed me until I hit the wall. I blinked, still trying to clear my vision. At least there were only two Vaughns, not three. I was getting better.
“You caused this.” He pointed an accusing finger straight at my nose.
“They were bullying Arryn, and I won’t allow that.” Anger, raw and potent, filled my chest.
He rolled his eyes. “All for one fucking piece of bread?”
What? He’d been watching? I hadn’t even seen him when we arrived. “Today, it’s a bread roll. Tomorrow, if I don’t do anything, it’s her entire lunch.”
“You’re going to ruin this for yourself,” he hissed.
Ruin this for me? He made it sound like I was on some sort of vacation. My anger flared hotter. He had no idea what it was like to be an inmate in this place. How dare he lecture me about how to behave?
He lowered his voice, speaking this next part just for me. “Don’t you want to get out of here? Go with the recruits instead?”
So that’s what he was referring to… going outside the dome, back to the island to play babysitter to the fresh batch of New Starts’ campers who had arrived earlier today. I didn’t like to leave Arryn or play by Adaline Habermann’s rules, but I didn’t have much choice. Adaline had promised to keep Arryn safe and eventually let her go if I cooperated. Whatever the case, Vaughn needed to keep his distance.
“Take your filthy hands off me,” I spat.
His jaw clenched, and his mouth twitched. “We’ll have to work together once we’re out there.”
“Like we worked together before? Because it went so well for Arryn and me.”
“You know I had—”
I pushed against his heavy arms, interrupting him. “Take your filthy hands off me,” I repeated between clenched teeth. “I have nothing to discuss with you.”
He threw his hands up and backed away.
Arryn ran to my side and wrapped her skinny arms around my waist. “Tally, are you all right?”
“I’m fine, melthelel,” I answered, doing my best to leave the anger out of my voice. “What about you?”
“I’m all right. It’s you who got hit.” She glanced up at my head. I could feel warm, sticky blood running down my chin, but I would deal with that later.
I ruffled her hair. “Oh, it’s nothing. I’m tough. You know that.”
My words were light and careless, but my eyes were still shooting daggers at Vaughn. Given a chance, I would split his head open, too. He deserved nothing less. He was the very reason we were here.
“Back to your cells.” Vaughn pointed toward the exit where the last inmates were vacating the room.
“With pleasure,” I shot back, putting as much venom as I could in the two words.
We had just cleared the door when, evading a guard, Sinasre pulled away from his group and snatched my hand.
His eyes locked with mine with such intensity that my heart skipped a beat. “They got her,” he said. “They got my mother.”
I stopped in my tracks as his words fell over me like icy water.
“Talking to the females is forbidden,” the guard Sinasre had evaded barked. Roughly, he pulled my cousin away, then pushed him down the hall.
Sinasre held my gaze long enough for me to see the accusation in his eyes.
The Habermann’s had captured the Queen of the Seelie Court, and it was my fault.

Win a Kindle PaperWhite to Celebrate Outcast Fae Release!

3/3/2020

It's here! I'm so excited for you to meet Tally and Vaughn and take a wild adventure on an rehabilitation island where nothing is what it seems. Plus, an enemies to lovers romance that will have you begging for more.

To celebrate, we have a giveaway for you. Win a Kindle Paperwhite and one signed paperback. Make sure to go now and enter to win.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Outcast Fae, Chapter one

2/4/2020

Coming March 3rd!

CHAPTER 1

   My eyes shot open as a figure pressed a hand over my mouth and whispered, “Don’t scream.”
It was a male, an intruder.
   Flooded with fear and confusion, I opened my mouth to scream, unable or unwilling to comply, but the hand mashed down, slamming my lips together and bearing down on me with such force that I knew my attacker had to be huge, at least twice my size and weight.
Rage surged inside me like a wild tiger climbing to the surface. No matter what they wanted, I wouldn’t roll over and let them do it. No matter who they were, they would regret the moment they stepped into my room.
   I swung my arms and kicked my legs, fighting with all my strength. I reached for the knife tucked under my pillow, but before I could grab it, someone jumped on me and a second set of hands gripped my wrists, pinning them to my sides. My wings at my back felt crushed.
“A wild one,” the second voice said. It was female, though gruff. The weight of her felt less than the male’s but just as determined.
“We deserve a bonus for all this trouble,” she grumbled.
   “Just help me get her in the van,” the male voice said to his partner. Then he turned and spoke to me. “Please don’t fight us. You’re just making it harder for everyone.”
   Harder for everyone? Who were these people? Unseelie fae? Who else would wish me ill? King Oberon and his followers were my sworn enemies, but other than that, I’d never harmed anyone.
   My body seized as I thought of the children, all asleep in their beds in the other rooms. Were they being attacked, too? I had to get away. I had to make sure they were fine. It was my job to protect them.
   “Just use the magic already,” the female voice said. Her gruff voice sounded annoyed. She pinched my wrists, her fingers digging in cruelly.
   Magic? They couldn’t be Unseelie fae, then. They had little if any magic. They ruled by force and sheer brutality. If these people had magic that meant they were a witch and a warlock. But what could they want with me? With a fae?
   “We’re not supposed to use the magic. Not here,” the warlock grumbled. The Supernatural Academy where I was living at the moment had many wards. He seemed reluctant to trigger them, scared even.
Taking advantage of their distraction, I ripped one of my hands from the witch’s grip and swung wildly. My fist struck hard. A crunch sounded, followed by a groan.
   “Oh, geez!” the man exclaimed, his voice thick, “I think she broke my nose.”
   “Enough,” his partner shouted. “We do this my way.”
   The room crackled to life as a bolt of purple energy surged from her fingertips. In the flash of light, I was able to take a good look at the female’s face. She was definitely human with short blond hair, angry eyes, and hard lines etching her features. Then her magic struck me, and my body went rigid. I knew the immobilizing spell when it hit me, a paralysis where no muscle in my body could respond to my desperate commands.
I tried my arms, my legs, my wings—nothing moved.
   I floated off the bed, carried away by more magic.
   No. This could not happen! The children.
   Let me go, my brain screamed. Put me down! Yet, no words escaped my lips. I couldn’t do a thing as they floated me out of my bedroom, down the hallway toward the open front door.
   Stupid. How could I not have planned for this? Oberon must’ve sent wizard mercenaries.
   As I floated down the hallway, my eyes were glued to the ceiling, but, on the periphery, I could tell the other doors were closed. I had to hope that meant the children—my wards, my friends, my family—were safe in their beds and these intruders only wanted me. That or they’d come for me last, and the children were already gone. I could barely stand the thought of someone harming them. They’d already been through enough, losing their homeland and parents, being refugees in this cruel world, surrounded and hated by the same creatures responsible for the destruction of our realm.
   We’d been borrowing this cottage for a few months now, waiting for the children to heal and regain their strength. We’d begun healing. Arryn had even started sleeping on top of her bed instead of under it, a big step for her. She was so attached to me I worried about what finding me gone would do to her.
   Moonlight flooded the little clearing around our house. I couldn’t scan the surroundings, but only the wind stirred. There was no one nearby to save me from my captors. Instead, a van was parked on the gravel path beside the garden, its silhouette pale in the moonlight as they floated me closer.
   Creaking hinges sounded as someone opened the back doors. Then I was angling toward them. As my body turned, I finally got a good look at my attackers.
The woman was older and hardened—wrinkles lined her face, especially around her mouth as it frowned at me. She wore cargo pants, boots, and a tactical vest that suggested what I had come to associate, in my short time in this realm, with a human military background. The male was large with huge, bulging muscles and brown skin. His black hair was cropped short and his goatee was neatly trimmed. His attire was more casual—jeans, a long-sleeve T-shirt, and a pocketed vest. Where she looked pissed, he just looked… sorry, despite the streak of blood sliding from his nose.
“Careful with her,” he said as the ’ciallachadh witch floated me into the van.
The moonlight dimmed as my body floated into the van. I landed on the carpeted floor and the doors slammed shut. Only then could I move.
Sitting up, I scrambled to the door and yanked on the handle, but it was locked.
“There’s no use. You won’t get out.”
Whirling toward the voice, I saw I wasn’t alone.
A teen male sat against the far wall, his arms resting on his knees. Under the weak light that shone inside our space, I took in his symmetrical human features, light brown hair, chestnut-colored skin, and muscular physique. He was tall and broad, the kind of man that starred in TV commercials on those programs the children were always watching. He had to be eighteen or nineteen and privileged, judging from the expensive watch onat his wrist.
Was he an ally or a foe? His icy glare made me think it was the latter.
I didn’t have time to make up my mind. My attackers were walking away. In a panic, I tried the door again, then banged on the back windows, the only two in this section of the van.
“Hey!” I shouted. “Help.”
“Like I said, there’s no use,” he said, his tone full of annoyance. “No one can hear you. This whole van is totally sealed by magic, though, I heard your kind doesn’t have any, so what would you know?” He glanced behind my back at my wings, his mouth twisted.
Your kind? He’d said it like a curse, like he wasn’t keen on sharing a van with a fae. So he was one of those. I’d met my share of haters during my short time in this godsforsaken realm.
Doors shut. The van’s engine started, a low rumbling that sent my heart hammering even harder. Where would they take me? Nothing in the empty van indicated where we were going or why. And just because they hadn’t harmed me yet, didn’t mean they weren’t going to.
I banged on the window desperately, but the human was right, the vehicle was sealed. No one could hear me.
The van lurched. I fought to keep my balance, watching my derelict, little home get smaller and smaller. I pressed a hand to the glass.
Gods, the children. I’d been taking care of them since we arrived here, since our land was destroyed.
“Are you crying?” the human asked, his green eyes narrowing.
I swiped at my cheeks, getting rid of all traces before facing him. “Who are these people? Why did they take us?”
He ground his teeth, making his jaw work back and forth. “They’re trash, that’s what they are. They’ll be sorry.”
“Do you know who they are?”
“The extraction team. They’ve been sent by those who will teach us a lesson.”
“Teach us a lesson? What does that mean?”
His only answer was a frown as if he didn’t want to waste words on the likes of me.
I was being kidnapped to be taught a lesson? That made no sense. What lesson was I meant to learn? I’d already been educated on genocide, the murder of my people, and the destruction of my homeland.
“What’s your name?” I asked.
His eyes darted back to me, tracing me up and down as if taking in my measure for the first time. Finally, he answered. “Vaughn. And yours?”
“Tallyndra,” I said.
He shrugged, clamming up, unwilling to talk.
A fae hater, for sure.
After our world had been poisoned by The Bane, a madman bent on revenge, my people had come here as refugees. We didn’t want to be here anymore than the humans wanted us here, but we had nowhere else to go. Still, many called us a blight on society. They blamed crime on us and called us savages.
I’d avoided the bulk of this, living in isolation in a home provided by a group of humans who didn’t hate us, but I’d heard the stories and seen the hate on TV. There were those that thought we were vile. That still wanted us dead, the way The Bane had.
Maybe Vaughn was one of those.
Either way, if that was true, he could e fhèin himself.
We rode in silence, watching my home disappear. We followed several highways, civilization disappearing more and more the longer we drove. Vaughn dozed, lying curled up on the floor, but I stayed awake, watching each turn we took, each town we passed. If there was any way out, I would find it.
I must have dozed off because when we came to a stop, I jumped up in a panic and crawled to the van’s back windows.
We were deep in the trees now, though they looked very different from the ones we’d left behind. The trees near our cottage had been tall and bushy. These were frond-like and tropical. How long had I been out?
Where were we?
As I peered through the van’s tinted windows, both the male and female captors walked into view. They stepped to the side, talking with two other humans in similar attire. Were they handing us over? If I was going to make a move, it had to be now.
The male walked toward the van, leaving his partner back with the others.
I dropped limply on the van floor, closing my eyes and slowing my breathing. I didn’t move when his footsteps reached the doors and I heard a click and the squeak of hinges.
I held my breath, waiting for him to get close enough to strike.
“Watch out!” Vaughn shouted. “She’s going to attack you.”
I lurched up, but it was too late. The van doors slammed before I could even lift my head. I whirled, staring at Vaughn, anger rolling off me in waves.
“Why?” was all I could muster between my clenched teeth.
His eyes shone like hard emeralds as he stared me down. “If I’m stuck here, fae bitch, you sure as hell should be, too.”

Win an Amazon Gift Card. Plus, Freshman Witch is only 99 cents for a limited time only.

11/15/2019

The Supernatural Academy series is now complete!

To celebrate, Katie French and Ingrid Seymour, have set the first book in the series on sale.
Freshman Witch is only $0.99!
Witches, shifters, vampires, and all kinds of supernaturals will keep you turning the pages past your bedtime!
Not to mention the non-stop action and enemies-to-lovers romance.

Help us get the word out and win a $30 Amazon Gift Card.
The more you share, the more chances of winning.

This giveaway lasts for only 5 days, so Enter Now!
International

CHECK OUT THE COMPLETE SUPERNATURAL ACADEMY SERIES!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

By entering you agree to receive offers from the sponsoring authors. You may unsubscribe at any time.

Sneak Peek of Senior Witch, Spring Semester

11/5/2019

The Ending to this series is going to wow you.

I can't believe it's almost over. In two weeks, book five of the Supernatural Academy will be out. It's the final book, the one to finish what we've started. It has been hard to say goodbye to Charlie and Rowan, Disha and Bridget, but I think you're going to love this book and the exciting conclusion.

Read on for a sneak peek of Chapter One.

CHAPTER 1
FALL SEMESTER
MID-NOVEMBER

Chaos reigned under the clear, blue sky.
As I stood outside the Academy’s infirmary, wails of pain cut right through me. People ran around desperately, not knowing what to do, while others stood at a distance, crying as they watched the chaos unfold and grow bigger and bigger by the second.
I was among the latter group, frozen in the middle of it all, my hand on my forehead as my eyes roved around, trying to understand what was happening.
People—fae to be specific—were strewn around the Academy lawn like fallen leaves, some crumpled and still, others twisting in pain. Some bled, but most were covered in a black tar-like substance, like birds caught in an oil spill.
Fedorov and the dean were transporting them here from the fae realm as quickly as they could, using the portal at the Enlightment Fountain to travel back and forth. As the professor and dean appeared and disappeared, the number of injured fae grew.
My mind reeled, trying to understand what Ponomarenko had done. He had attacked the fae realm, had destroyed it. That was what Disha and Bridget had said, what everyone was saying. And the proof was here right in front of my eyes.
All these fae, injured. Dying. Some of them already dead.
So many of them.
At least a hundred, like the nymph that despite the gooey substance smeared on her green skin, still looked lovely, though broken like a porcelain doll left out in the mud. Like the virely-looking Fae Warriors who lay twisting in agony on the ground.
Why? What was this blackness that coated their bodies? And what could I do to help?
I glanced around once more, trying to break out of my stupor.
Five minutes ago when we’d arrived from our dorm, Disha and Bridget had jumped right into action. Disha was teleporting in and out of the infirmary, taking the victims to Nurse Taishi. Bridget was helping, too, levitating the injured into the building, then running back out. She didn’t know how to teleport yet, but that wasn’t stopping her.
Per Nurse Taishi’s instructions, they were prioritizing the ones who were in the worst shape and wearing surgical masks and latex gloves to avoid contact with the black substance.
My friends rushed around, haggard and disheveled, but busy, helping, while all I could do was stare at my useless stump and my other traitorous hand that, while whole, created no magic despite still having one of the Aradia Cuffs. I couldn’t help like Disha and Bridget. I was as useless as the freshmen who stood off to the side.
I shook my head, refusing to get mired in a pity party. People were suffering.
Come on, Charlie. Do something. Help!
My eyes scanned all the fallen bodies, trying to find someone I could aid, someone who still could be healed. It felt wrong to think this way. They all should be saved, but there weren't enough of us, and most students couldn’t really do anything.
Though maybe some could…
I faced the ogling students who lingered at the edges of the chaos. Some of them were upperclassmen. They knew healing spells. I ran towards the infirmary stairs where Nurse Taishi had left a box of gloves and masks, then addressed the crowd.
“Hey, seniors and juniors, any who know healing spells… come help!” I gestured toward the wounded with my good hand.
They hesitated, looking at each other, unsure.
“C’mon!” I urged.
A tall guy in a rumpled T-shirt and basketball shorts stepped forward. He raised his hand as if he were in class, looking afraid and doubtful. Just moments ago, he’d probably been hanging out in the common area, flirting with girls.
“It’s okay. Come here. What’s your name?” I asked.
“David,” he said from under a mop of brown hair.
“I can’t do any magic.” I held the stump of my right hand up. “I can’t help, but you can. Here…”
Tucking the box of supplies under my left arm, I directed David toward someone who was lying on the ground, a young fae boy dressed in an outfit that seem to be made out of leaves. His long, blond hair, matted with black tar, was spread over the grass. A green tattoo in the shape of vines went from his temple down his jaw and neck and snaked under his shirt. He was twisting, screaming, his arms wrapped around his chest.
I knelt next to him and encouraged David to do the same.
“Here, take this.” I offered him gloves and a mask. He slipped them on, his hands shaking. I put on a mask, but couldn’t manage the glove one-handed.
“Do a healing spell, a general one,” I said. “We don’t know what’s wrong with him, but it can’t hurt.”
Hesitantly, David pressed gloved hands to the little boy’s chest. The fae squirmed and weakly tried to fight David off.
David closed his eyes and chanted a basic healing spell under his breath. The boy twisted harder, screaming in agony. David hesitated as if he would stop.
“Don't,” I said. “Keep going.”
He did, his face etched with worry and fear. After a long minute, the boy stopped squirming,his face relaxing as he exhaled.
David’s shoulders slumped in relief. A small smile started to spread over his lips, but then the little boy started coughing violently, his back arching, his hands jerking to his throat.
“Oh, God,” David said. “Oh God, what did I do?”
The little boy kept coughing, then, at last, gave a violent bark and stopped. Collapsing in on himself, the boy exhaled through his half-open mouth. Something black spilled past his lips and clouded the air like a puff of hot breath steaming into the cold. It rose up, reaching, spreading.
Oh, God. What was that thing?
David and I jumped to our feet and took a step back as the blackness dissipated. Instinctively, I pressed my hand to the surgical mask that covered my mouth and nose. David did the same. After the dark, pollen-like dust cleared, the little boy went still. He breathed laboriously but seemed better.
I stared at Davidand gave him a single nod of approval. The other students watched in astonishment. I addressed them again.
“C’mon, any who can heal, help these people. They’re dying. They need us.”
A few more of the older students stepped forward and cautiously approached some of the fallen fae after getting their protective gear.
Maybe I couldn't do magic, but I had helped. I was helping. I could still be useful.
Disha popped back into existence several yards away from me. Her hair was wild and her clothes were smeared with black. Eyes darting all around, she searched for someone else to take inside the infirmary.
I ran up to her. “How can I help?”
She shook her head as if she couldn’t think of anything and kept searching for someone else to teleport. She was about to step aside when there was another pop and Dean Macintosh and Professor Fedorov materialized out of nowhere. They each had two injured fae with them. Weaving their hands, they gently deposited them on the ground.
Their clothes were covered in tar. There was something around their bodies, some sort of shimmering spell that protected them from from whatever that black stuff was.
“Everyone, to me,” the dean boomed, gesturing to the students. With a flick of her wrist she sent a spell out among the crowd. Magic tingled on my skin as the same shimmering protection covered me from head to toe. I discarded the surgical mask.
“The black substance in very poisonous,” she said, running a hand through her salt and pepper hair. “Everyone needs a magical mask.” She turned to Fedorov. “Make sure they all get them.”
He nodded and sprinted out toward another cluster of students.
Lynssa turned tired eyes on the scene around us. “There are too many of them,” she said, her frustration palpable.
I could tell she wished to be able to bring all of them back in one fell swoop, but traveling through portals was hard. Not everyone could do it. If only I still had both cuffs.
“We need more people,” she said, knowing full-well there weren’t many others who could lend a hand. Every teacher was occupied in the infirmary and the older students were now helping out here. And still, that wasn’t enough. We couldn’t save them all. They were dying. Some lay on the ground, motionless and I suspected the worst had happened.
My hatred for Ponomarenko redoubled. I hadn’t thought that would be possible, but there it was.
“Disha,” Lynssa said. “You know how to teleport, correct?”
“Yes, Dean,” Disha answered.
“Then come with me.” She extended a hand towards Disha, who took it and nodded to indicate she was ready. There was a pop, and they were gone.
The hole in my chest—the one that had been gnawing at me since Ponomarenko stole my hand and, with it, my ability to do magic—grew bigger.
I was useless. Totally useless.
One of the fae Lynssa had just brought back started to moan. I glanced down and frowned. Her face was terribly familiar. Dropping to my knees, I pushed two-toned white and violet hair out of her face.
It was Phraan’s daughter. Kiana’s niece. The girl I’d met when I’d traveled to the fae realm on Nyquist’s bidding several months ago. So much had happened since then. Nyquist was dead. Ponomarenko’s power had doubled. I’d lost my hand.
“Tallyndra,” I said, as her big, violet eyes deliriously darted back and forth, lost in whatever had happened back in her realm. Her tall, athletic body jerked. Her smooth, white arms were wrapped around her chest, the way the little boy’s had been.
I turned and searched for David. He was stepping away from someone he’d just helped as blackness poured out of their mouth.
“David, here!” I called.
He ran toward us without hesitation and knelt to the other side of Tallyndra. Wasting no time, he placed his hands on her chest, more confidently this time. He had healed a few people by now and knew that his spell would help.
He muttered the incantation. Magic flowed into Tallyndra. She jerked more violently, thrashing like a trapped snake. It wasn't easy to watch but knowing that we were helping made it a little easier.
The coughing started, wracking her as if she would expel her lungs. The black stuff came out, wisping into the air like poisoned dandelion seeds.
David and I moved back and warily watched the stuff dissipate. Tallyndra went still, her violet eyes staring straight at the blue sky. She breathed through her mouth, her chest rising and falling visibly.
Then she screamed and bucked, kicking with her left foot, speaking words I couldn't understand.
“What is it? What’s wrong?” I asked.
She glanced up and frowned as if noticing me for the first time, vague recognition crossing her features.
“Take it off, take it off!” she urged, shaking her foot again.
“There’s something on her boot. It’s... moving,” David said, pointing and grimacing.
I leaned closer and saw, too. There was something black at the tip of Tallyndra’s boot, something that made a squelching sound and moved like oozing black lava.
What the hell?
“Take it off!” Tallyndra demanded.
I swiveled positions and started clumsily unbuckling the straps or her tall boot. Realizing my one-handed struggle, David undid most of them, then, careful not to touch the stuff despite our protective spell from the dean, we jerked the boot off and threw it as far away as we could.
We stared at Tallyndra’s big toe. It was stained black, as if it had been dipped in ink, except the ink seem to be spreading toward the rest of her foot. The horror of what was happening stole over me.
It was some sort of awful infection.
And worse, it was alive.
She screamed, scrambling back on the grass as if there was a way to escape the stuff.
“David, help her,” I said. “Do the spell.”
He grabbed Tallyndra’s ankle and issued the healing spell. We waited for it to do something, to expel the blackness the way it had done before, but it didn't do anything. It just kept spreading.
“It's not working,” he said. “I don't know what else to do.”
Tallyndra screamed again, pounding her fists against the ground.
“You need to calm down, Tallyndra.” I shook her, trying hard to retain my own calm. Her eyes focused on me. “You need to come with me. Stand up!”
Gaining some presence of mind, she clenched her teeth. Her features hardened as she reined in her desperation.
David and I helped her to her feet, and with her arm draped over my shoulder, she and I hobbled into the infirmary.
Inside, the chaos was dialed up even further. The wails and violent coughs were twice as loud within the confinement of the walls. I searched for Nurse Taishi and spotted him next to a bed. The other teachers ran between patients, issuing healing spells that didn’t seem to be quite enough.
Spotting a chair, I hurried Tallyndra toward it and helped her sit.
“Stay here.”
I ran toward Taishi. His head was drooping, his eyes downcast. The person on the bed was dead, blackness all the way up to his neck, and still crawling up his jaw. His eyes were black pits of spilled oil. I clenched my teeth to hold back the bile that rose up my throat and tore my eyes away from the gruesome sight.
“There’s someone else you can help,” I said, putting a hand on Taishi’s shoulder.
He glanced back at me, an expression of defeat stamped on his features.
“Please,” I said. “She’s the fae queen’s niece.”
Shaking himself, Taishi came with me and approached Tallyndra.
“It's her foot,” I said.
Taishi nodded, squatted in front of Tallyndra, and wrapped his hands around her ankle, the way David had done.
His healing spell came quickly. It coursed through to Tallyndra in an instant. She stiffened and clenched her teeth, moaning in the back of her throat.
Then she went still as the blackness started oozing out of her skin. As the poison rose, Nurse Taishi weaved his hands in a spell that engulfed the spent pollen-like substance, then consumed it in a blast of cleansing fire.
Tallyndra and I both blinked at her toe, it wasn’t black anymore.
“Thank you,” she said, eyes wide.
But her amazement only lasted for a second, because she jumped to her feet, head sweaveling all around. “How can I help?”
But without knowing the spells Nurse Taishi knew or being able to weave them, there was little we could do. Even he couldn’t fix everyone.
“Find all of those whose eyes are clear,” he whispered to us. “Those are the only ones we can save.”

Sneak Peek of Senior Witch, Fall SEmester

9/4/2019

I'm so excited for you to read this book.

You know how sometimes a series just gets better and better? Well, I'm really hoping you feel that way about book 4 of the Supernatural Academy Series. Ingrid and I have worked our butts off for this series and it shows. And the ending... Wow. It is something. I hope you aren't mad at me. It was hard to write.

Anyway, here's a sneak peek. The book comes out in a week but make sure to pre-order it so you have it right away.

CHAPTER 1
SPRING SEMESTER
MID-MARCH

   I stared at the dead body as everyone else stared at me. It laid on the grass, broken and pale.
   “I’m going to ask you this again,” a beefy Magical Law Enforcement guard growled, glaring at me as if he wanted nothing more than to rip my head off. “Did you have anything to do with the attack tonight?”
   My head swiveled from side to side, taking it all in. The night was still dark, but dawn was beginning to turn the horizon gray. It had to be after five AM, yet everyone was out of bed. Students stood on the lawn, shivering and holding themselves and each other. The Academy buildings appeared as sharp black outlines against the morphing sky. The crowd was silent, a mass of terrified faces glancing between the line of officers and me.
Disha stood at my side, clutching my arm like a lifeline. Her face was also twisted with fear. She hadn’t been at the battle. She didn’t know I had been there and had watched that teacher’s death. Her name was Professor Hernandez and she had been alive earlier this evening, fighting an unwinnable battle. Now her lifeless body lay on the lawn like a piece of trash. She’d been a senior-level magical herbs teacher and now she was dead.
I knew who killed her, and he was standing beside the line of mean-looking officers.
Regent Nyquist.
Or, rather, Dean Nyquist, head of our university and vile murderer.
The old dean stepped forward, holding a hand out as if to bring calm to the situation. I stared at his arthritic hand, remembering how he had placed it on Professor Hernandez’s chest as she stayed frozen in time. Nyquist had absorbed Anama’s Looper power--or whatever it was he did with the poor people he kept in his magical dreamscape prison. Then, glowing red with the stolen skill, he’d used it to kill one teacher and maim another. I’d heard the other victim was in the infirmary in critical condition.
We might have two dead teachers by the time this night was through, but that wasn’t the worst of it.
The worst was Nyquist was going to get away with it.
Anyone who opposed him—Lynssa McIntosh, Yuri Fedorov, the subversives—had magicked themselves to Turkey. I took solace in knowing they were safe, unlike me, who now stood ten feet from a madman.
“Well?” the Magical Law Enforcement asked.
“I… I had nothing to do with any of this,” I lied.
“Then where were you?” he demanded. “Why didn’t you come out when we raised the alarm? What did you do?”
“I didn’t do anything,” I said, doing my best to fill my voice with outrage as I held the guard’s gaze.
Nyquist peered at me now with soft, wavering eyes as the wind tugged thin strands of hair across his bald spot.
“Charlie, it’s alright,” he said. “Nothing is going to happen to you. Just, please, tell these men the truth. I’ll do everything I can to help you if you’ve done something…” He trailed off, his voice catching. His concern was a show for the crowd around us. Only I knew the truth.
If he sprouted fake tears, I might lose it.
I glanced from him to the line of men who stood ready to take me down at the slightest provocation. Magical Law Enforcement--or M.L.E. for short--did not play around. They were rough and quick to blame. If I got on the wrong side of those steroid-swollen arms, I’d be in trouble.
“I’m telling the truth. I don’t know anything about what you’re saying. Disha just woke me up. I’ve been having trouble sleeping lately… with exams coming up. I gave myself a sleeping potion.” I shrugged one shoulder, trying to look convincing.
Disha jumped in. “It’s true. She was sound asleep when I got to her room. I knocked a bunch before she answered and when she did, she was super groggy. I swear.” She held her trembling hand up in the proximity of a Girl Scout salute.
The M.L.E. officer narrowed his eyes. “Check her for remnants of a sleeping potion.” He nodded at one of his colleagues. A man who looked like a poorly dressed Silvester Stallone advanced on me then grabbed my arm. I stiffened, hating the feeling of his touch on my bicep as he ran his free hand over my body, only inches from my skin. Dressed in a light tank top and shorts, I felt exposed as everyone watched him scan me. Magic streamed from his fingers and zapped my chest in short pulses as he used some sort of incantation to discern whether or not I was telling the truth.
“Is that really necessary?” Bridget stepped through the crowd. Although she was wearing a frilly, pink Victorian-era nightgown, her posture let me know she was about ten seconds away from trying to fight off a dozen officers by herself.
   I opened my mouth to answer, but the officer scanning my chest answered first. “She’s telling the truth. There’s sleeping potion in her bloodstream.”
   Lynssa McIntosh was clever. Even though I was royally pissed at her for faking her own death and not telling me about it, I had to hand it to her. Having me swig the smallest amount of sleeping potion before I left Turkey had worked swimmingly.
   Or so I thought.
   “It could still be a lie,” the head Magical Law Enforcement officer said. “From what I hear, she’s a known liar who consorts with criminals. Let’s take her to the station for further tests.” He advanced on me, cold hatred in his eyes. He was the same guard from the night Bonnie and Rowan had arrived on campus and tripped the alarm. The same guard who seemed to have it out for me. I wondered what he’d heard. Either way, it wasn’t looking good.
   I took a step back, glancing from side to side at escape routes. Twelve men, with magic tingling at their fingertips, blocked my path. And worse, the regents and teachers who had fought with Nyquist stood around the edges. No one would let me out of here unless it was in a body bag.
   “That’s not needed, Sergeant Fetzner. I can vouch for Charlie. She’s telling the truth.” Nyquist smiled at me, his grandfatherly act in full swing. He had been at the battle and knew I wasn’t there. At least, that’s what he thought since Fedorov had cleverly disguised me.
   I smiled back, hating every second of it. Being Lynssa’s spy was going to be harder than I thought.
   Now that he had everyone’s attention, Nyquist positioned himself in the center of the crowd. Waving his hands, he commanded a dirt mound to rise beneath him until he was six feet above us. Witch lights began to glow around him as he pressed two fingers to his throat to activate the voice projection spell.
   “Everyone gather ‘round, please. I need to address the crowd.”
When he was sure he had everyone’s attention, he continued. “I know that many of you are frightened. What happened tonight was… horrendous. Terrible. It was the realization of our worst fears.”
   You’ve got that right, you sadistic prick.
   He went on with conviction. “Tonight, one of our own has died,” he turned sad eyes on Professor Hernandez as an M.L.E. officer put a sheet over her body, “and another has been gravely injured. I blame myself. I should have seen this coming.
“For too long, we have allowed a group of renegades to roam free, terrorizing our precious school and turning this place of learning into a war zone. That ends tonight. Tomorrow, I will give law enforcement carte blanche to track down the people responsible for tonight’s atrocities. Fear not, they will be brought to justice.”
   A whoop went up from the crowd and several students and teachers applauded. Cruise Knightley did a fist bump with one of his braindead, stoner sidekicks. Did they have any idea what they were cheering for? Idiots. Lambs to the slaughter.
   Nyquist continued. “Along with this subversive group and some faculty members turned traitors, fae warriors also attacked. Our brave men and women fought them off, but I am afraid peace between us and the fairy folk is over.”
   I bit the inside of my cheek. Nyquist had abducted Anama and put Sinasre in a magically induced coma. The fae warriors had arrived solely to rescue their people, yet he made it sound like they’d attacked unprovoked. Just another lie in an avalanche of them. I felt like I was drowning in deceit.
“This school’s main goal is to keep you, students, safe and we have failed. Previous administrations have not only allowed unlawful acts to occur, but they have also colluded with the very people who sought to destroy us. I hate to tell you this, but Counselor McIntosh, Dean Bonnie Underwood, Nurse Taishi, Professor Fedorov, and others fought alongside criminals, murderers, and thieves to take us down.”
The crowd gasped. Murmurs arose as students stared around with shock on their faces. Quickly, I realized that I too should be shocked rather than enraged. Covering my face with my hands, I curled into Disha, grabbed her arm and whispered into her ear. “Look surprised. Don’t let them see you’re upset.”
She stiffened, but I could see she got it. Her large, tear-filled eyes stared around like she’d never suspected Nyquist. Like we’d never realized he was using Loopers to twist time and the portals to his own agenda. She gulped, pushing messy black hair back from her face, and shook her head. It was convincing. An Academy-Award-winning performance.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t say the same for Bridget.
“That’s bullshit,” my red-headed friend shouted, stepping forward and craning her neck to stare up at Dean Nyquist on his perch. “Those teachers are the best, most honorable people here. If they fought you, then maybe it’s you who’s the criminal!”
Bridget, no.
Anger darkening her features, she jabbed a finger in Nyquist’s direction. She looked as if she might zap him, and it appeared the M.L.E. officers thought so, too, because one of them raced toward her, blurring with a speed spell. Her head snapped to the right as the buzz-cut-wearing man appeared behind her, but she was too late to defend herself. In seconds, she was on the ground, her hands magically pinned behind her back.
“Get off me! Let me go.” Her nightgown bunched as her body whipped back and forth.
Holding her steady by sitting on her legs, the officer put a magicked hand on her back. Bridget stiffened, then jerked as if he’d hit her with a Taser spell.
Oh, no, Bridget! What do I do? I couldn’t rush to her aid without jeopardizing my entire mission and all the people I was supposed to help, but I couldn’t just stand there and watch my friend be roughed up!
Her eyes rolled back in her head as her body seized. I wanted to run, to blast that bastard off her back and make him regret this, but I’d be breaking the promise I swore to the group in Turkey just before I left.
Whatever you do, Lynssa McIntosh had said, don’t let them know you’re with us.
Trapped, I watched the horrible scene unfold with a sob stuck in my throat.
Disha started forward, but I grabbed her hand and held her back as the officer and Bridget both wavered, then disappeared with a pop.
“Where are they taking her?” Disha shouted, unable to help herself.
Dean Nyquist searched the crowd until he spotted Disha and me. “Oh, don’t worry, my dear. I’m sure they are just making sure your friend doesn’t have any connections to the evil people trying to destroy us. As long as she’s innocent, she’ll be back in no time.” He gave her a warm smile. Fake. So fake.
Disha bit her lip but held back, focusing instead on squeezing the hell out of my hand.
Nyquist turned back to his captive audience. “I’m so sorry that happened, students. I’m sorry all of this happened. We will make this right, I promise you. For now, please know that you are safe. The M.L.E. is here. They will protect us. More officers will come later. And we will conduct exams as soon as possible, starting tomorrow, and send all of you home after that. But never fear. Our precious Academy will be back to its previous glory before the next semester starts.”
At this, he clapped his hands together and sparks whizzed into the air. The Academy’s crest—a shield sporting a lion, a key, a book, and a chalice, all circled by the words “Magicae Vincere Tenebras”—appeared in the air. The school fight song began playing, swelling around us.
Apparently, it was infectious or magicked to produce good feelings because several of the students started singing with it. Soon, they were marching back to their dorms, singing at the top of their lungs and putting arms around each other as if nothing had ever happened.
My eyes turned to the dead teacher under the sheet and then to Nyquist.
He watched the procession of students with satisfaction on his ancient features. He had won.
For now.
As if he felt me watching, he turned to me, locking eyes. His warm fatherliness had left his features and now he appeared just as he had on the battlefield—vile, power-hungry, and arrogant.
His eyebrows folded down as he continued to lock eyes with me. His expression seemed to say, I know what you did and you’re going to pay.
The question was, did he really? And could I make him pay first?

Teaser Tuesday: Sneak Peek of Disha: A Supernatural Academy Novella

6/25/2019

Happy Tuesday! Today, I have the first chapter of Disha, A Supernatural Academy Novella. I can't wait until you read this novella, set between book 2 and book 3. It should be enough to tide you over until book 3 releases on July 16th. Until then, enjoy Disha!

Disha: A Supernatural Academy Story

Chapter 1

   I’d been to many parties, both magical and regular, but the rager that my parents were throwing had to be one of the craziest parties I’d ever seen.
   Their annual anniversary bash was the must-attend magical gathering in New England. My parents’ parties were always epic, but this year they’d taken things to the nth degree. I’d heard from Mama that the theme was “Circus” which seemed pretty pedestrian. Last year, they did Moulin Rouge. Everyone dressed in burlesque attire and things got so wild I had to excuse myself at eight PM when Regent Basak—who was seventy-years-old, mind you—lost her sequined top and decided to continue dancing topless.
No amount of mental scrubbing could help me unsee that. So much jiggling.
   Witches and wizards were weird.
   I’d just landed in LaGuardia two hours ago, gathered my carry-on since my parents had transported the rest of my luggage home, and found the driver hired to take me home. I’d just finished my sophomore year at the Supernatural Academy. Boy, was that a doozy. I was pretty much emotionally scarred for life and it would’ve been nice to see some family when I exited the airplane.
Of course, no one could be bothered to come meet me at the airport. They were too busy getting ready for their party to stop everything and pick their only daughter up like some Regular.
   No, they had a party to throw. Daughter be damned.
   But, whatever. The ride to their place in New Jersey was uneventful. New York hadn’t changed. Being back home always felt a bit like landing on another planet. The campus in Georgia was quiet and picturesque, not to mention that I was completely surrounded by other witches and wizards that made me forget what the world of Regulars was like.
How mundane and boring life seemed when you could magic your way out of troubles.
I glanced at my phone, wishing I could call Charlie. I already missed the hell out of that girl. Hell, I even missed Bridget, though it would be lovely to get a solid night’s sleep for once.
And Rowan? Who the hell knew where he was? Off with that bitch Ava Marie. Or was it Ana? It didn’t matter. What mattered was his father was dead and Rowan was ending up on the wrong side of things. I worried about him most of all.
   When the driver pulled up to our property, things were already in full swing. Past the line of stately hedges, the gate was thrown open. The long, tree-lined driveway was crowded with cars, motorbikes and a few other vehicles, including one double-decker bus and a motorcycle with a sidecar. Music thumped from the house which glowed with incandescent light. Craning my neck, I could see the big red and white circus tent propped up in the backyard.
   “Wow,” the driver said, turning back to glance at me. “Some party. Can I drive you up?”
   “No, no,” I answered right away, pulling some bills out of my pocketbook. “I can walk from here.”
   “Are you sure, miss?” His eyes lingered on the spotlights shooting into the night sky.
   I could tell he wanted in, to see what kind of millionaires were hanging out at a party this impressive, but I absolutely could not let that happen. Who knew what kind of debauchery and magical self-indulgence was taking place?
   And memory spells were so involved.
   I stuffed the tip money in the driver’s hand, opened my door and pulled my travel luggage with me. “Thanks for the ride!”
   I ran through the open gates and hit the button on the control panel to close them after me. As they swung shut, the driver gave one more curious glance at the party before pulling out.
   I blew out my breath, my bangs fluttering. One crisis averted for the day.
Then I whirled around and faced the party.
   My heels clicked on the cobblestone driveway as I walked toward the house. Mama hated the apartment in the city and had convinced Baba she needed this property in the country. Coming from India, they were used to crowds and noise, but Mama wanted away from it all. So, two years ago they had purchased the monstrosity that sat in front of me. The mansion was worth approximately 20 million U.S. dollars. It had seven bathrooms, eight bedrooms, a movie theater and bowling alley, few of which Mama ever used.
It also boasted a pool and a tennis court in the back, plus a massive yard all ringed by trees or a high fence, another must-have for Supernaturals living among Regulars. I wondered what their rich neighbors thought of these yearly parties for which they received no invitation.
Tonight, the party was outside. Since the weather in late April was pretty touch-and-go, they must’ve woven some pretty elaborate weather spells because the air became warm, almost balmy, the closer I got to the house. Soon, I was shucking off my jacket tucking it under my arm.
Along with the cars beside the drive, a giant saddled toad squatted on the lawn, looking sleepy and unamused. There was also a skeletal horse and a bovine-looking creature made of sticks that Death, himself, would gladly ride.
Good thing I didn’t let that driver in or he might have shit a brick.
“Disha!”
A figure strode out the front doors and made a beeline for me. It didn’t take me long to recognize Viraj, my sixteen-year-old brother, the only one nice enough to greet me.
“What up, little brother?” I said, pulling him into a one-armed hug.
“‘Sup. How was the flight? I can’t believe they made you fly commercial. Did you have to go through security?” Viraj pulled back, offering to take my bag.
“Yes,” I said, annoyed, as I let him take my bag. “I’m beat. But it’s party time.” I danced a bit, fake partying while rolling my eyes.
“Tell me, V. What’s the deal with this thing, anyway? Is there some prize for throwing the most ridiculous event? Because if so, they would win.”
Viraj rolled his eyes along with me. “Wait ‘til you see the backyard. Come on.”
We walked up the stone steps and into the foyer, Viraj tucking my bag in a hall closet before leading me through to the kitchen. Mama’s half-million-dollar kitchen remodel looked great, but they’d hired catering which had set up outside. Viraj and I wasted no time exiting out the patio doors and into the fray.
The party was over the top. The big top. The circus tent was massive, red and white, and flapped gently in the breeze. Lights draped down the sides and illuminated a wild scene—witches dancing, zoo animals milling about, and someone high up on a trapeze swinging back and forth without a net. There were tame lions on big round platforms, baboons in funny outfits (which appeared to be drinking champagne) and at least one elephant that I could see.
As I watched, a Capuchin monkey climbed up a warlock’s cape, stole his baked brie appetizer, and scampered up a tent pole. There was a shout and a spray of blue sparks that sent the monkey shrieking away. A few people laughed while a few admonished the man for sparking a poor monkey’s bottom.
There were witches and warlocks in the pool in various states of undress. Four were occupied in a chicken fight, women on top of the men’s shoulders as they wrestled and laughed, while another couple canoodled in the corner.
They were drunk and disorderly. Wild and crazy. Did I mention most of these people were already getting their AARP discount cards? I mean, get a room.
Ten minutes of this and I was going to be hiding in my room with headphones on catching up on seasons of The Bachelor.
“Beti!”
Mama drew me into an embrace before I could even turn around. I whirled and hugged her back, admiring her feminine ringmaster suit, as she spoke uninterrupted sentences into my ears.
“The flight was good, eh? Great. Your cousin is here. Make sure to say hello and please don’t touch the blue cauldron, it is not for children. Also, Uncle would like to speak to you about a job opportunity. When did you get so skinny?”
She gave me a quick appraising look before patting my cheek, then catching someone else’s eye. “Marques, over here. Try the brie!”
Before I could say a word, Mama disappeared into the crowd of cavorters. Baba waved to me across the pool and went back to his conversation with a very tall warlock in sparkly blue robes.
I glanced to Viraj, my only co-conspirator, and we shared a knowing look. Mama was in her element. She would be busy all night, tomorrow, and possibly the next day with guests, networking and impressing all the “right” people.
So, it was about time for me to slip upstairs.
I gave Viraj’s hand a squeeze and turned to go inside, but he stopped me.
“Hey, before you go. There’s someone I want you to meet.”
Now, he sounded like Mama. But, my baby brother normally hated these things as much as I did. If he was keeping me from my bed and a hot TV date, it had to be important. I raised an eyebrow at him.
He held out his hands in a soothing gesture. “I know. These parties are awful, but there’s a dude I want you to meet. He’s cool. Really cool. I met him on one of my online games and started chatting—”
“Let me guess,” I interrupted. “He has an amazing opportunity for you. All you need is three thousand dollars. Orrr, he’s the hottest guy. You’ve never met him in person, but you’re sure you’re in love. And there’s no way he’s some fifty-something, live-in-his-mama’s-basement loser. Viraj, come on.”
“He isn’t gay,” Viraj said in a way that sounded like he wanted to add “unfortunately.”
I raised my eyebrow even further.
“He’s just… cool. Come on. It’ll take two seconds.” He pulled me through the crowd.
We wove through partygoers, passing a table with trays of flaming hors d’ oeuvres and some sort of Regular’s magic show where a clown was attempting to pull brightly colored scarves out of his mouth. Everyone was getting a kick out of his sleight-of-hand, laughing at his antics and really yucking it up at how Regulars performed “magic.”
I wanted to watch his disappearing rabbit trick, but Viraj dragged me away.
   He managed to lead us through the crowd and down a path to a back garden where the noise and showmanship were less overwhelming. Mama’s flowers were not in bloom yet, but the trees had started to bud. Their angled branches gave us cover and protection from the lights and sound of the party. Here, the chatter and music were faint and a trickle from the stone waterfall soothed my nerves.
Ahead, beside the gravel path, a man sat on the stone bench. He was talking on a cell phone but quickly ended the call as we approached.
“Hey, Drew,” my brother said, giving him a wave. “This is my sister. The one I’ve been telling you about.”
I conjured a witch light and floated it up between us so I could get a better look.
Drew glanced up at me with giant brown eyes. He was tall, dark and handsome, exactly the type my brother would fall for, and if I was honest, exactly the type I would fall for as well. Over six-foot tall, he was trim and muscular with short, wavy black hair and dark eyebrows. Judging from his features and skin tone, he might be Indian American like my family or perhaps Bangladeshi or Pakistani. Either way, Mama would be pleased.
God, he was handsome. And was I already sweating? I needed to pull it together!
But, I was getting ahead of myself. Judging from his expensive cell phone, watch and suit, he was rich and knew it. Growing up in this neighborhood, I’d had enough of spoiled rich boys and their attitudes. They always thought they deserved something just for breathing. No, my type was much more socio-economically typical.
I extended a stiff hand, adopting an expression that I hope conveyed no interest in him. “Drew, is it? How do you know Viraj?”
My tone was distrusting and sharp. Viraj stared at me like I was embarrassing him, but Drew didn’t seem to miss a beat.
“Hi, Disha. Nice to meet you. Viraj has told me a lot about you. And, to answer your question, I met Viraj online, but it’s not as weird and creepy as it seems.” He gave a casual laugh.
I didn’t.
“Disha,” Viraj whispered, elbowing me.
I stood my ground. “What is a grown man doing befriending a boy on a video game? And who invited you to this party?”
“I did,” Viraj hissed.
Drew gave a disarming smile. “Hey, I get it. It’s weird. Maybe I should go.”
He started to walk back toward the party, giving me a calm smile and nodding to Viraj. I felt satisfied, great at being a protective big sister, but then Viraj grabbed my arm.
“You idiot,” he said. “Drew is practically royalty. I had him come here, one because he’s cool and two because he’s perfect for you. And you’re blowing it!” He hissed the last line, giving my elbow a shake.
I was about to remind him that I could still get him in a Full Nelson, heels or not, but then his words registered in my brain.
“Royalty?”
“Yes! His father is head of the High Council. As in, head of all magic. Internationally.” He made bug-eyes at me.
Wow. The High Council of Magic oversaw everything. Drew was basically magical royalty. A prince of sorts. But, what did I care about that? I rolled my eyes at Viraj.
“You must believe I’m pretty shallow if that’s all you think I care about.”
“Besides all that, he’s a cool dude. Like, hella nice. Like, save-the-orphans, help-an- old-lady-across-the-street nice.”
I glanced across the garden path. Drew was on his cell phone again, keeping a polite distance to avoid eavesdropping on our conversation. So what if he was handsome and nice? That didn’t mean he was my type.
“Disha, I’m trying to save you. Mama has a list.”
“A list?” I asked, my heart starting to pound.
“Yes, a list of guys she’s going to introduce you to this summer. I’ve seen it. None of them are under twenty-five and none of them are like Drew. One is an IRS agent.”
Oh God, I’d forgotten that Mama was sure I needed a serious boyfriend, one that she would approve of. If Viraj was right, she would spend all summer parading guys through our house, trying desperately to get me to go on dates with them. And Mama’s choice in guys was notoriously terrible. They were all boring and stuffy and predictable. She’d make me miserable if I couldn’t find a way to fend her off.
I stared at Drew’s shadow.
“Go talk to him,” Viraj begged.
“Fine.” I doused my witch light and gave Viraj a pointed look which he probably couldn’t see since it had grown dark. Whatever. If Drew was terrible, I could take it out on my brother later by unplugging his gaming PC during a campaign or something.
I walked over to where Drew was standing and took a deep breath. I waited for him to quickly end his call before I extended my hand again.
“Hi,” I said. “I’m sorry if I was rude. My brother says you’re cool. Let’s start over.”
“No problem, Disha. I dig the big sister vibe.”
He put his strong hand in mine as his eyes lock onto me. In the moonlight, a giant smile spread across his devastatingly handsome face. Rich, hot as hell, and not picked out by my mother.
God, I was in trouble.

Coming this Friday! Stay tuned for more info!