The world dulled when you decided the fate of my future. Our son speaks of you as a superhero, and I grapple with the idea I wasn’t good enough to keep you here, safe—with us. I spend my days working to support our son, and my nights turn into one endless string of reckless decisions because reality provides no comfort. The truth of the situation buried deep down, since you’re gone, and I stand drowning in my own grief.
Reece
Along the shore, there’s a lady whose torment captured me the first time her aura caught my eye. Her beauty holds steady behind the mask she wears every morning. Something about her piques my interest as the days go by, and I know deep inside my mission beckons to uncover her secret and bring her back among the living. Written in her body language, speaks a familiar road I traveled. A road of sorrow nobody deserves stranded alone in its strangled web.
Liam recalls the life of his best friend while desperately trying to make sense of the hopelessness he finds himself in after his friend, Byron, takes his own life.
*This novella was originally released in the Letting Hope Enter Anthology. A foreword and afterword have been added for the re-release as a prequel to Along the Shore.*
Liam recalls the life of his best friend while desperately trying to make sense of the hopelessness he finds himself in after his friend, Byron, takes his own life.
The world dulled when you decided the fate of my future. Our son speaks of you as a
superhero, and I grapple with the idea I wasn’t good enough to keep you here, safe—with us. I spend my days working to support our son, and my nights turn into one endless string of reckless decisions because reality provides no comfort. The truth of the situation buried deep down, since you’re gone, and I stand drowning in my own grief.
Reece
Along the shore, there’s a lady whose torment captured me the first time her aura caught my eye. Her beauty holds steady behind the mask she wears every morning. Something about her piques my interest as the days go by, and I know deep inside my mission beckons to uncover her secret and bring her back among the living. Written in her body language, speaks a familiar road I traveled. A road of sorrow nobody deserves stranded alone in its strangled web.
I’ve planned well, studied hard, and dreamed of my future. It keeps me alive, ignoring the things from my painful past. The thing about life is that it can throw a curveball into your path that you can’t anticipate, and plan accordingly.
But life’s cruel. It offers both good and bad, and no time for the right reaction.
My junior year of college should be one of the best but my chance run-in with a loner freshman that harbors deep secrets soon pulls me into her mysterious world. Unfortunately, her omissions of truth find me in a dangerous place.
Then, I meet Blake Angel. He is one of those curveballs of life…easy on the eyes, and everytime we touch, sparks fly. But I can’t. I won’t. I have a game plan, a play-by-play for my future.
Before I realize it, everything has changed. The hidden secrets and lies only confuse me more. Worse, I may not be able to save myself, Samantha Sawyer, from those that now hunt me—and I have no idea why.
The Playbook: Book Two in The Diamond Series
Cover reveal: November 26, 2018
Release Date: December 11, 2018
Blurb:
Things aren’t always what they seem…
Some claim college is four years of trivial experiences, and a means to an end. I believed it when I structured my days in an endless set of routines. Then, I befriended Adriana. She brought with her baggage which would change my perception forever.
I also met Blake Angel.
What started out with some innocent flirting, wedged me, Sam Sawyer, under his wing for protection. Criminals stalk our every move, like a long game of cat and mouse. His playbook—well, ours—starts to unravel in front of us. He rules the world as coach, mentor, protector, and possibly my future. Over the course of time, my protector turns into my lover. Blake vows to save me and turn the world upside down to get what he wants. But this mess owns us, and somehow, we need to solve this puzzle of betrayal smothering us.
If not, we may lose this game and our happily ever after.
Letting Hope Enter: A Charity Set
Featuring: Multiple authors whose only goal is to help support Suicide Awareness and Prevention
Charity: All royalties will be donated to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
Cover Designer: Skye MacKinnon
#PreOrder for only #99c!
RETIRED April 30, 2019, but In the Surf will reappear on its own this summer 2019!
Recently the news has started reporting the near epidemic issue of mental health illness and the rise in suicide rates. It’s a problem which could be handled and controlled so much more effectively if there wasn’t a stigma associated with both suicidal thoughts and mental health problems.
They’re both treated like dirty secrets.
This is a subject which has touched everyone in some way. Some have been affected directly; maybe they thought about it, or possibly even tried to end everything because they thought there was no other way. Others are diagnosed with various illnesses: bipolar, depression, anxiety…None of these should be a cause for shame. These can’t be controlled. People should feel comfortable talking about it and seeking help, instead of feeling like they need to hide it…
…and to know hope is always there, it just needs to be allowed to enter.
**Inside these pages are stories of despair, tragedy and pain, but also filled with hope and love and a way to see the light outside of the darkness.**
I’ve planned well, studied hard, and dreamed of my future. It keeps me alive, ignoring the things from my painful past. The thing about life is that it can throw a curveball into your path that you can’t anticipate, and plan accordingly.
But life’s cruel. It offers both good and bad, and no time for the right reaction.
My junior year of college should be one of the best but my chance run-in with a loner freshman that harbors deep secrets soon pulls me into her mysterious world. Unfortunately, her omissions of truth find me in a dangerous place.
Then, I meet Blake Angel. He is one of those curveballs of life…easy on the eyes, and every time we touch, sparks fly. But I can’t. I won’t. I have a game plan, a play-by-play for my future.
Before I realize it, everything has changed. The hidden secrets and lies only confuse me more. Worse, I may not be able to save myself, Samantha Sawyer, from those that now hunt me—and I have no idea why.
Cover Design: Mr. @ Maggie Jane Schuler
Editing: Underline this Editing, Librium Artis Editorial, Spell Bound
I’ve been asked, along with 13 other fabulous authors, to write a short fiction piece that will be part of an anthology releasing in time for Halloween!
These will be a tasty morsel of tales born out of the treasures bred through the constraints of the 7 deadly sins and 7 divine virtues. Each sin and virtue is created and told through a variety of genres: romance, paranormal, horror and more.
The Nerdy Novelist’s luck of the draw was temperance…this little tale is not your regular spiel penned by the moderate Maggie Jane. Oh, my fingers have been busy and this work of art has been smoldering around my cauldron for many nights. It is a test of my craft, but I’m betting it will entice many of you to venture into the dark side of this virtue.
A Sorcerer’s Road to Temperance (WIP)
Her self-restraint is tested when a handsome newcomer opens a night club on the outskirts of her small-minded town. His establishments spellbind the patrons and create a magical intoxicating experience. She’s always maintained self-control but as he turns up the heat her inner strength is in peril. She has a choice, either tame the heathens or succumb to their wicked ways.
Excerpt:
“She took one long perusal of his athletic body and knew this was going to be a dangerous game. One she’d been looking forward to embarking upon.”
I’ve edited through my NaNoWriMo work today. I figured after a month of talking and posting writing goals, I may as well share another snippet of it! Granted this is raw, unedited work, but none the less here you go:
Adrenaline pulsed hard through my veins. Each moment that past, my blood boiled even hotter. As Officer Asshat droned on lecturing me about how women should be treated; I kept my temper in check, for her. Nothing pissed me off more than the unjustifiable accusation of being a womanizing bastard. I might be a tried and true dickhead at times, but disrespect a woman or abuse her, never going to happen. My eyes stared down the overweight sheriff, never once providing him with any reasons for an arrest, but simply letting him know he did not hold the upper hand here. Especially when he made presumptions leading him down the wrong path. Occasionally my watchful eyes search over Asshats shoulder beyond the parked squad car in hopes of catching a glimpse of Jenna.
Cocking my head from side to side, I began critiquing my new body. I dismissed the noises rattling around softly behind me. An uncomfortable feeling soon brought me back to the here and now. I immediately begin glancing around shifting my focus higher in the mirror. My eyes widening, as they meet with those of the afternoon shift janitor. He’s fumbling around, gathering his supplies nervously exiting the small shower stall with his small cart of cleaning goods. Swiftly pulling my towel back together, my face a fine shade of tomato red, the recollection of seeing the little yellow caution signs at the entrance to the locker room, it registers in my baby brain that he’s been here the whole time.
The locker room was empty because the signs say cleaning crew. This little oversight mortifies me. The young man watched me explore myself from top to bottom. He observed me as I guided my hands across my breasts and down my stomach. I trailed them over my hips and down my ass. I’m almost positive a nice little handy in his enclosure just happened. I’m embarrassed, feeling like I’m part of the walk of shame gang. Without a second thought, I immediately decide upon foregoing the shower today. I squeeze my towel tighter. My mind now madly flooded with irrational thoughts, I hustle back into the locker area for proper clothing and a clean escape from this new hell and humiliation.
Resurrection is my WIP for NaNoWriMo. Jenna and Chase are shaping up nicely. I figured a little teaser pleaser for a Sunday morning might be nice.
***disclosure: This is pre-editor perusal, proceed with extreme caution.***
Synopsis
Her life was a true fairy tale. She’d always set her goals high: the hot man, the power career, the great kids. She had it all. When the defining moment and diagnosis came through, she felt her world swirl around the edges of the black hole of despair. Could she recover, and even more so, did she want to?
He married his happily-ever-after. She made him smile, laugh, and believe life really was a dream come true. He worked hard, played hard, and doted hard on his family. And when his world crumbled, he found it hard to carry on. Now he’s in recovery mode. Will he be able to push past the pain and misery, or is this the end?
Excerpt
Somewhere within the stark reality of the moment, Doctor Trihn cursed that dirty word, and the raw truth of the diagnosis. My logical brain understood my job. My job as a wife. My duty. The responsibility clearly defined in our vows, spoke in our vows, expressed in front of God and everyone we loved. The declarations binding us together for eternity. I vowed to Marshall my undying support through sickness and health, until death do us part. Apparently my words appeared superficial at this moment, unheeded and meaningless. I stood still, paralyzed, the one held and supported by the man just handed his death sentence. Me, the weak link in our never-ending circle of commitment.
