The Sweetest Downfall

Twisted Fables - $5.49

This collection of revamped fairytales is certain to entice and excite your senses. From Cinderella to Red Riding Hood, Twisted Fables takes you on a journey through the many fairytale worlds with a sensual twist. 

These twelve stories are penned by both seasoned scribes and new authors; the anthology provides readers with the perfect opportunity to explore offerings from their favorite storytellers as well as find a new favorite or two. 

Containing M/M and F/F stories from authors Angora Shade, Samantha Kate, Angelique Voisen, Jamie Lowe, Shira Glassman, Lynn Townsend, Asta Idonea, Kay C Sulli, T Strange, Sheri Velarde, and Nicole Wilkinson, Twisted Fables is sure to have something for the fantasy lover.

Twisted Fables will soon be available on Amazon in print. That link coming soon!

A Royal Pursuit $2.49

It’s time for The Reverence, and this year’s challenge is for those brave or foolish enough to enter. It’s a chance, however. For fortune and fame. For something else. For one of Cel'li’s boons.

Layla knows it’s her golden opportunity. Tired of keeping her relationship with Princess Serena to the shadows, this is a chance worth taking. With such a prize, no one can deny their bond. It’s the best hope she has for the future. Even if it means risking everything.

They never speak of marriage, of the laws that stand against them.

Serena, however, knows Layla is the one. The moment it settles in her heart, she starts to dig through old texts. She looks for loopholes. Opportunities.

There has to be a way.

She takes meetings with the brightest minds in Aldagar. She asks every man and woman who claims to be an expert in law or tradition.

They all come to a sobering consensus: nothing can be done under the current laws.

It is the "current" which captures her attention.

Laws can be changed. It requires effort and dedication. Fortunately, Serena has both. Right now, she and Layla still have time.

They've yet to speak of marriage, but if and when they do, Serena wants to be able to have that option. She wants to take Layla into her arms, smile, and whisper 'yes.'

Or even be the one who drops down to one knee. Because Layla is worth it.

She's the one.
 

~Layla likes to snuggle, but Serena hates excess heat. They may start the night cuddling, but eventually, Layla rolls into a blanket burrito, and Serena sprawls out on top of what’s left of the covers.

~Layla is the more sexually experienced of the two, with both male and female lovers in the past, but Serena is an eager study. She has only had female partners.

~Serena says ‘I love you’ first, a quiet confession during a tender moment. It’s several months later when Layla blurts it out in return, over a public lunch, and during an unfortunate, if not hilarious, lull in the dull roar of surrounding conversation.

~They have spent at least one nigh in every inn, bed and breakfast, or hostel in Aldagar. Some they have frequented enough that they have a favorite room.

~In the Spring, the peak of flower season, Layla snores. She also sneezes like a horse.

~Layla enjoys watching Serena apply her make up for official functions, but rejects wearing any herself. She doesn’t have the patience and refuses to let Serena’s handmaidens help her.

~Serena is a messy crier. It’s a good thing she doesn’t do so often, because her face turns splotchy, tears go everywhere, and her nose runs.

Layla is definitely the impulse buyer of the two. She knows how to manage her money, but she keeps what she calls “impulse coin” for the things here and there that catch her eye. Especially if shiny or new.
 

who draws in the dust on their cars

Serena. Bath fog in the mirrors. Frost on the windows. Dust on the desktop. She often idly draws designs with her fingertips while lost in thought.
 

who starts the snowball fights

Layla. Always Layla. She loves a good challenge, she loves to have fun, and even though Serena’s aim is better than hers, she can’t make a decent snowball, so they are evenly matched.
 

who throws away the directions to things

Layla. She thinks they can figure it out on their own. Just wing it. Serena prefers to have something to fall back on just in case, or you know, do it right the first time.
 

who puts up holiday décor

Both of them. Serena has a keen eye for interior design, another something she was raised to know, but Layla gets really excited for holidays and has set times when the decorations must go out to get them in the spirit.
 

who is more likely to forget to bathe

Layla. It’s less likely that she forgot to bathe, as it is she gets to the end of the day, realizes she hasn’t bathed yet, and is too tired to go through the effort of doing so and saves it for the next day. Or the day after that.
 

who gets more obsessed about things

I wouldn’t say obsessed is the right word, but once Serena gets focused on something important, there’s little that can deter or distract her.

who sings in the shower more often

Serena hums, but Layla sings, sometimes in tune, sometimes not. If they’re bathing together, and have the time, they might indulge in a duet or two.

who cries when someone dies in a movie

Definitely Layla. She tries to hide it, but she reacts first, thinks later. Serena’s been trained to keep her emotions in check, so she might feel like crying, but she’s good at putting on that stone face.

who wears the ugly holiday garb

Layla. She loves to find the ugliest thing she can possibly locate and wear it with pride. Especially if it’s comfortable. Plus, it makes Serena laugh.

who pays for the meals

They take turns, especially at first. Layla insisted upon it. Once they get married, though, the pull from a joint pot and pay together. And Serena is always a big tipper.

Serena. Layla’s too practical when it comes to strays, but Serena has a very big heart and still thinks she can save the world and everything in it.

who leaves the bathroom door open

If using the facilities, neither of them, at least not at first. If bathing, Layla. She hopes to entice Serena to join her.

who tells the ‘dad jokes’

Layla. She loves puns and bad jokes and silly things. Stuff that makes Serena laugh and give her a fond look.  

who wants kids more

Neither of them. Serena is hoping she can foist off the idea of heirs onto her brother, while Layla has enough nieces and nephews that she thinks she’s set for life.

who travels more

Layla. She’s at least been out of the city a few times thanks to being a member of the militia and Nolan’s Guard. Serena hopes to get out of the city soon. She wants to make diplomatic trips to both Aldagar and Ivaline to maintain friendly relations with their neighbors.

Serena is one pretty package from top to bottom. Everything about her is gorgeous.

Even so, Layla has her favorites. Like Serena’s thick thighs. Her wide hips. Her olive skin. Her glossy black hair so long it falls to her waist like dark water. It’s as soft as silk and always smells of sweet oils from a distant land.

Layla likes to embrace Serena from behind, pressing her nose to Serena’s hair. She inhales deeply, enjoying the scent. Serena’s hair is so soft it tickles Layla’s cheeks.

“Do you mind?” Layla asks as she rubs Serena’s corset-covered belly.

Serena laughs and pats her hand. “No, my sweet. Indulge away.”

She hands Layla a brush and works her way free long enough to sit at her vanity. This puts her hair in easy reach for Layla to play with.

She isn’t skilled at the intricate knots and braids like Serena’s handmaidens. But this isn’t about style.

It’s about Layla getting to run her fingers through Serena’s hair.

Layla has a temper.

Where Serena is more likely to pull on a mask and hide her feelings until later, Layla is the type to react immediately. Sometimes with a sharp retort. Other times with a raised fist.

Big things come in small packages, or so they say, and given Layla’s explosive moments, Serena believes it.

There are some things Layla can brush off with no trouble. She does have her sore spots, but sometimes, Serena can bring her back with a soft word.

Other times, Serena doesn’t bother. She feels as insulted as Layla does and she has to admit, she enjoys watching Layla teach imbeciles a lesson.

Layla’s small, but she’s fierce. Insulting her abilities, for whatever reason, is quick to incite a challenge.

Layla taking down opponents twice her size gives Serena a quiet thrill. The fierce look in her brown eyes makes Serena tremble. She has to resist the urge to drag Layla into the nearest alley and pin her against a wall.

Yes, Layla has a temper. She also has restraint when she needs it. So it’s a good thing Serena helps balance her out.

So one of the themes in A Royal Pursuit is that Layla is taking part in a tournament, Cel'li’s Challenge as a matter of fact, in hopes to win Cel'li’s Boon, rather than the prize coin. Cel'li’s Boon is an open-ended opportunity to make a request for something that you couldn’t get otherwise, though it’s more often used to make a statement of love.

In Aldagar, they have a celebration every year and a tournament/challenge to go with it. They have five deities that they cycle through to honor.

1. Cel'li, the warrior god. His challenge is a physical tournament, doesn’t have to be swords but no magic can be involved.

2. Melali, the god of knowledge. His challenge is sort of like a brain bowl. Participants have to be able to answer a variety of questions from a variety of origins including literature, science, math, and history.

3. Larian, goddess of cunning, or the trickster goddess. She is honored by a footrace that is more like a relay race.

4. Ilith, goddess of magic, who is honored by a fighting tournament, but only for wizards/sorcerers, whether Innate or Adept.

5. Arith, goddess of science and younger sister of Ilith, who is honored by an alchemy challenge.

Twisted Fables is now available for Pre-Order if you want to go ahead and get the Anthology ahead of time!

I’m very excited to finally be getting back out into the publishing world and I hope you’ll support the other writers in this fascinating Anthology.

My short story is a f/f fantasy called A Royal Pursuit.

It’s time for The Reverence, and this year’s challenge is for those brave or foolish enough to enter. It’s a chance, however. For fortune and fame. For something else. For one of Cel'li’s boons.

Layla knows it’s her golden opportunity. Tired of keeping her relationship with Princess Serena to the shadows, this is a chance worth taking. With such a prize, no one can deny their bond. It’s the best hope she has for the future. Even if it means risking everything.

Even better!

Not only can you buy the entire anthology digitally and in print (from Amazon), but you’ll also be able to buy A Royal Pursuit individually after the release date.

Seven more days to go! \o/

For the people of Aldagar, who live in proximity to Elvie and Meransia, their rules of ascension are considered quite lax.

Same-sex marriages are not frowned upon and are treated as normal, even for the nobility or royalty. The Ruling Two can be m/m, m/f, or f/f. The Ruling Two don’t even have to be the married couple, so long as one of the Ruling Two are genetic heirs to the throne.

Take, for instance, Serena’s grandparents, her father’s parents. While they were husband and wife, they were not King and Queen. They were King and wife, with a secondary member of his support staff serving as the balance to his Ruling Two, (King and Dame, or King and Sir, in this instance, King and Sir). The Ruling Two do not have to be romantically linked.

Therefore, if Serena and Layla were to be wed, Serena would have the option to either nominate Layla as her Queen and the second half of her Ruling Two, or Layla (who honestly has no interest in learning how to rule a nation), could politely demur, allowing Serena to choose a more suitable candidate to rule beside her.

It is not the fact that they are a lesbian couple that prevents Serena and Layla from being together with ease, but that Layla is not only a commoner, she’s an Unlearned commoner (which is different from an uneducated commoner). Royalty don’t often marry for love, but for practicality, and Layla’s skills are impractical to assisting and supporting Serena in her future rule.