Haunted Objects and Haunted Houses: New novel Imprint was inspired by both

One way that a writer gets ideas for things to write is to ask the question, “What if?” Sometimes that question will be asked because of something the writer overheard or something that they witnessed happening – or NOT happening. (This is why writers like to people watch; we get ideas for things to write just from observing what may or may not be happening with people!) Sometimes, the writer is inspired by something they read. They’ll read something and a light clicks on over their heads and they think, “That could be a book.” Or, they’ll read about something and start to go, “Hmm. What if?”

That’s exactly what happened for me shortly after the release of a book I co-wrote with Martha Jette. Totally Scared: The Complete Book on Haunted Houses came about after I started writing a series of articles about haunted houses for the The Shadowlands newsletter, and one chapter in that book discusses haunted objects. It was Martha’s idea to include this in the book and I enjoyed writing about the haunted mirror at the Myrtles Plantation for that chapter. But after the book was published and I was rereading that chapter, I was struck by an idea. I started to wonder, What if a haunted object is inside of a haunted house? My guess was, That would take the hauntings in the house up a notch!

I didn’t know it at the time, but my curiosity about this planted the seeds of a story in to that writing workshop in my brain. The novelist in me saw a story there – though I didn’t know what kind of story it was just yet. The story actually came to me over the course of several months, in bits and pieces here and there. The same was true of the characters. Like, I would have a scene for the story pop into my head and I’d wonder, Who are these people? Why are they saying these things or doing these things? What does that tell me about them?

It took a long time, but eventually, the whole story came to me in the end. I figured everything out and knew exactly what kind of story this was I had growing in my brain all along.

So when National Novel Writing Month came around in 2008, I sat down and started writing this story. I didn’t stop working on it until the whole story was complete. I didn’t end up typing a 50,000-word masterpiece for NaNoWriMo, however, but it was done. The story was complete – and that made me one very satisfied writer.

Now, 9 years later, this book has finally been published. What started out as a story I titled “The Haunted Carpet” is now published in book form as “Imprint.”

But it took a while before that manuscript got whipped into shape for publication!

At first, I wasn’t sure if I should try sending it out for publication, because I thought it would get a lot of criticism. “Why did you set it in Eugene?” might be one response I got. (I set all of my novels in places where I have lived – though the first novel, November’s Child (which later became Shadow of Samhain, was set in Washington as a fluke because, at that time, I didn’t have a system for where I set my stories and I just closed my eyes and pointed at a map to decide on where to set that one). Another criticism I thought the book might get was, “Oh, geez! ANOTHER haunted house story!” Or, “Another ghost story!” (Well, why not?) Or maybe people would think it was too predictable or boring or just lame.

But then I decided not to worry about the criticism the book might receive. I had written another novel, gosh darn it! It deserved a fighting chance! Let some publisher decide whether or not this manuscript gets to be a book!

But before I could send the book out, I had work to do. I had to revise the manuscript first. Then I had to do some fact-checking. One of the characters in this story is in the business of flipping houses and selling them, so I had to ask someone I knew about certain technicalities about that. Also, at the time, one of my cousins was working as a real estate agent, so I had to ask her for info, too. A paranormal investigation group checks out the haunted house in the story, so I contacted someone I’d interviewed for another book who is a paranormal investigator and ran things by her for this book, too. And since I couldn’t figure out something on the website for the local newspaper, I had to contact someone there who could help me out. (My character ends up doing that exact same thing in the story. Ha!)

Then, once that was done, I took the manuscript through more rounds of revisions, edits, and more revisions. I changed the names of the twins because I didn’t think I should name them “Frannie and Annie” (thanks to my friends for sharing their thoughts on the new names!), and the ending was changed, as well. I also had to do research on some other things.

Oh, and I got rid of the Prologue. I was told by a beta reader that it was probably better to keep it out.

And, actually, here is the original Prologue! It is unedited and unrevised so please excuse the crappy writing:

Prologue

        Michele King examined the crowd sitting in their chairs. Mutters among attendees flooded through the university auditorium, cascading over the crowd packing the room. She glanced over university students searching for a seat, taking note of the older attendees who sought refuge on the floor.

It’s no secret people are interested in paranormal subjects; the impressive sales of her book only proved as much. But never before did she think giving a talk on haunted objects would draw such a crowd. Everyone gave a fuss over haunted houses, but very little about haunted objects.

        She smiled, the very first line of her speech coming to mind.

        She cleared her throat and looked out at the crowd. “We hear so much about haunted houses these days. Stories of people enduring nightmares in their homes. Web sites on the Internet devoted to such topics. But the truth is, haunted objects can be just as important and just as scary as a haunted house.”

        She looked over the audience, hoping to see some interested looks from the attendants. So much for the popularity of the paranormal; everyone looked bored. A young girl, most likely a college student, blankly stared up at her from her seat. An older man sat reading a book that wasn’t her book. Another attendee, an elderly woman, only sat with her cell phone against her ear, nodding her head.

        Michele pushed her glasses up on her nose and forced a smile. She folded her hands together and started walking around on the temporary stage set up for the occasion.

        “We know that houses can be haunted because of the energy left within them from negative life experiences. Someone suffering from chronic depression. Physical abuse. Suicides. They all leave an imprint within the space it is happening, and, just as likely, they will leave an imprint on the objects around them. A necklace worn by a woman who commits suicide is likely to cause its next wearer to have bad luck. A key chain of the keys used for a car that was in an accident could have bad mojo.” She shrugged, standing to look out at the crowd. “Even a young woman’s doll.” She held up her finger. “Case in point.”

        She walked back to the podium and picked up the switch for the overhead projector. She pushed on the switch and a picture of a doll appeared on the screen behind the stage. “This is Julie, a doll that belonged to Diana Redburn of Pensacola, Florida. Diana’s mother gave her the doll for her sixteenth birthday. It was a cherished gift and Diana kept it with her everywhere she lived.” She licked her lips, remembering this part of her book. “Unfortunately, Diana died in a ski accident three years later. Her mother was sorely grieved and kept the doll with her.”

        She turned around to look at the crowd again. “The thing about this doll is that it talks.”

        The crowd chuckled.

        Michele smiled, nodding. “Yes. A talking doll. You pull a string and she says ‘I love you, Mommy.’ And it was after Diana’s death that, from time to time, her mother heard it say those same words. ‘I love you, Mommy.’”

        Murmurs erupted in the audience. Some of the younger attendees sat up, paying closer attention.

        Michele held up a hand. “Scout’s honor! The doll talked. It said those same words it always said, but this time, without anyone pulling on the string.”

        She turned around and clicked on the switch again. This time, a photo of a painting appeared. “This is a painting a woman named Elizabeth bought,” she continued. “It’s a reproduction of Flowers in a Vase in a Stone Niche, by Johann Adalbert Angermayer. Lovely painting, really, and Elizabeth thought so, too. Thought it would be perfect for her bedroom wall.”

        Michele clicked the switch again. A picture of the bedroom the painting hung in appeared, with a pool of blood on the floor beneath it. “Unfortunately, this is what happened only days after she hung the painting in her room.” She clicked the switch as she continued. “Here it is in the living room, with the same result. And here again in the bathroom. More blood on Elizabeth’s good carpet.”

        The murmuring in the audience grew stronger. She turned to see people talking and shifting around in their seats.

        She shrugged. “Elizabeth would have tried hanging it in the den to see if she got the same result, but apparently ran out of good carpet cleaner to make the stain go away.”

        Some people in the audience chuckled.

        “Still, it only went away when she removed the painting,” Michele continued. “She took the painting back, but she asked about its previous owner. Apparently, a man was killed while standing in front of the painting. Shot right through the heart.” She sighed, shaking her head. “And this is only a sample of the kinds of haunted objects out there. My book has plenty more. The point is, sometimes, when things happen, bad things, they will leave something behind. Chances are good that something will be on a coat worn by someone who was murdered or even in a music box that starts playing at the same exact time its previous owner died. Sometimes, the haunted objects are innocent, causing no trouble for anyone at all. Sometimes, they can be creepy, such as for Diana’s mother and the doll. Or they can wreck havoc in someone’s life. Inciting panic. Causing terror.”

        She turned to click the switch again. A picture of a woman wearing a brooch appeared.

        “This is Sally Meadows. That necklace you see her wearing was passed down to her from her great-great-grandmother. Unfortunately, Grandma was wearing it at the time she was murdered. Strangled to death by her husband. Every time Sally wore it, she felt pressure around her neck and had trouble breathing.” She looked at the audience. “At first, she thought it was her imagination, but as the feeling continued, Sally started to think that maybe it had something to do with the necklace she wore. Meanwhile, she had nightmares of being strangled to death, of being murdered. The more she wore this brooch, the worse the nightmares got. Finally, Sally got rid of the necklace, but she died that same day of accidental strangulation.”

        Murmuring sounds returned among the audience. When they quieted down, Michele turned and pushed on the switch again. “And now we come to this little dandy. A music box that played by itself. The owner thought nothing of it until he started hearing voices and seeing a little girl walking around in his home. Next thing we know, the man hears the music playing while up on a high ladder. He turns around to see the ghostly little girl behind him in the room. It startles him so much, he loses his footing and falls, breaking his neck.”

        She started walking around on the stage. “It was only recently that Time magazine did an article about haunted objects. They covered all the usual bases – describing incidents in which a haunted object caused some disaster or another – and touched on the history of haunted objects causing natural disasters. At the same time, the author of the article had a tone of skepticism and pretty much ended up discrediting the idea that any object, any item, could indeed possess enough negative energy to be haunted. Or a reason for bad luck.” She shrugged. “Unfortunately, we’ve a long way to go before it is accepted as a legitimate reason behind a haunting.”

        She turned to look at them. “Skeptics like to use a whole host of excuses to explain things away. Imagination. Mental problems. Reflections from somewhere else or even bad lighting! There’s no room in their closed-up minds for the possibility that anything at all could be haunted, or even posses the bad energy associated with a haunted object. They want to explain away everything to think they are in a safe world that can be controlled and understood. But this will never change the fact that events that cannot be explained still happened. A painting that causes a pool of blood to appear on the floor. A brooch necklace that causes the wearer to feel as though she is being strangled. Coincidence?” She shrugged. “You be the judge.”

        The crowd stood from their chairs and started clapping. Michele smiled at them and held out her hands. She blew kisses and nodded at the people giving her a standing ovation.

        “Thank you,” she said. “Thank you so much.” She smiled and nodded at the crowd as they continued clapping. Then she called out, “If you have any questions at all, you’ll find my book and business cards on the table in the foyer. Please, feel free to visit my group’s web site. You’ll find more stories and photos of haunted objects.”

        A teenaged boy stood from his seat and followed his friends out of the auditorium. He walked past the large white sign advertising the event. “Author Michele King Discusses Haunted Objects” it read. Included on this sign was her photo, as well as the cover photo of her book.

        One of the friends nodded at the boy. “Hey, Danny, let’s get something to eat,” he said.

        Danny shrugged. “Nah, I can’t. Gotta get back home. We’re leaving tomorrow for Eugene.”

        “Man, we’re gonna miss ya,” his friend said, clapping his hand on Danny’s shoulder as he shook his head.

        “Shoulda had a going-away party instead of going to some spook talk,” his other friend teased.

        Danny laughed. “Tell me about it! My last night in Portland, and this what I pick to do!” He shook his head, looking back at the sign. “Big fat waste of time.”

Haunted objects may not get as much attention as haunted houses, despite the success of movies such as Annabelle and the 1980 film, The Changeling. But I was inspired by the thought of combining a haunted object with a haunted house and felt compelled to write a story about what might happen to a family living in such a home. Imprint was the result of that idea and I am very pleased that my 2008 NaNoWriMo story is now a 2017 novel. The book is currently available in electronic form but the print will come out in the near future.

What’s interesting is that we actually received a free piano from a friend this year. The piano in my novel is also haunted. It’s kinda funny that we got a piano the same year my novel with a haunted piano in it is published! But at least our piano is not haunted – at least, I don’t think it is! I hope not. There’s enough paranormal activity that’s been going on in my house, thank you. I’ve even been told there is a portal here! Hm, maybe that’s another idea for a novel to write someday.

Many thanks to the following people for their time and assistance to help me make my latest novel, Imprint, into the book that it is today. Thank you to all of my friends and family who sounded off their thoughts about things for this book; thanks also to LK Hunsaker, Kathy Gereau, Tamara Bates and John Heasly for specific kinds of info and for feedback; thank you to Denise Bartlett and Charlotte Holley at Gypsy Shadow Publishing; and, finally, thank you to everyone for their support for this book.

Here is the book’s blurb:

A house never forgets. And for Maureen Boyd, neither does a vengeful ghost lurking within what she hopes to be a dream home for her new husband and children. After her son’s house-flipping company loses out on a deal, Maureen’s husband buys the house, and Maureen hopes that living closer to her son will help salvage their distant relationship. But living in a haunted house brings up dark family secrets her husband would rather keep buried, plus opening an old wound that Maureen’s long-distant relative could never forgive. 

And here are the buy links:

Smashwords

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

My essay collection on deaf parenting, Parenting Pauses: Life as a Deaf Parent, has been published!

This month, something happened that I had been waiting for and hoping would happen for years: My deaf parenting book, Parenting Pauses: Life as a Deaf Parent, was finally published! At long last, the book I spent years working on and more years trying to get published has NOW been published! Sometimes I can only look at the cover and think, Wow, it’s really a book!

It’s definitely been a long journey with this one. I tend to say that with so many of my books. Some took years to perfect and some took years to find a home. But I hung in there and it finally happened.

I started writing this book while still a writer for the newspaper SIGNews. This book actually started off as a blog on my web site and I got some emails from readers who enjoyed reading my posts. The feedback made me think that I could take those blog posts to the next level and transform them into a book. At this time, I’d already had essays on being a deaf parent published elsewhere – in Mothering Magazine, in the DPPi Journal and even in an issue of SIGNews. But I really didn’t have a steady stream of essays on deaf parenting going out. I was focused on freelance writing and SIGNews at the time. So I decided to do a book of essays on deaf parenting. After all, I am a deaf parent! That pretty much made it easier for me to write about it.

I often say “I have so many stories to tell.” This is true of my experiences as a deaf parent. You’ll get to read them in this book.

There are two reasons why this book took so long to get published. As an author, I must admit I am a perfectionist when it comes to the books I write. The book HAS to be perfect. I’ll rewrite chapters or even a whole book several times before I think it’s ready to go. I get feedback through several readers, revise more where needed, and try to get even MORE feedback. A manuscript can go through several drafts, several readers and several rounds of edits before it can be ready to submit. And even then, it goes through more edits and revisions after acceptance.
 
Another thing that delayed publication was finding a home for this book. That was not easy. A lot of publishers, even those specializing in deaf products, only wanted books by famous people – even when it came to a book on deaf parenting. I’m not Marlee Matlin or Dr. I. King Jordan, so that made it a little difficult for me to get this book to certain publishers who wanted any and all books on a deaf topic. With no luck there, I considered self-publishing the book. My friend in London suggested I send it to her publisher, but they were closed to submissions. I kept them in mind, but months passed and nothing happened. Then I “met” John Lee Clark through HARO (Help A Reporter Out) and I interviewed him for one of my WIPs. Just so happened to turn out that John was deaf, too (well, deaf and blind), and he told me about this company he was reading manuscripts for called Clerc Scar. I sent him my book and he liked it and I was told they wanted to publish it. Several months later, I got an email saying Clerc Scar was shutting down, so it was back to finding a publisher again.

At this point, I’d had books published by Gypsy Shadow Publishing. This independent publisher has been AMAZING to work with and I get along real well with Denise Bartlett and Charlotte Holley. They’re great!  (Denise also edits the poetry books that I self-publish and Charlotte designs the covers.) I have been very happy with GSP so, when this book was once again up for grabs, I asked Denise if she wanted to see it. She said yes and, shortly after I sent it to her, GSP offered me a contract for the book. I was overjoyed!

And now this book is at long last published. It is REALLY published! I am just so thrilled. And I am grateful to everyone who has helped make this happen, especially to Denise and Charlotte for taking this book and working with me to make it an essay collection I can be proud of.

Of course, my experiences as a deaf parent don’t end there. As it happens, I originally planned to only write about my experiences with one child, and even then up until she was 5 years old. Then I had a second child and there were more stories to tell. (And some things have changed, too. For example, in the book, I talk about how hard it was to get my son Jesse to use sign language. Most of the time, we had to lipread him. These days, however, he fingerspells practically everything he says to his deaf parents.) In the event I have more stories to tell, they’ll go up on my Palms to Pines blog. For now, there is this book, and I am so grateful I have these memories to share with my children from their younger years for a very long time. Here’s to many more!

You can purchase an electronic copy of Parenting Pauses: Life as a Deaf Parent through online retailers as well as from Gypsy Shadow Publishing here and you can get the print here.

Books published in 2013

Today is the last day for the year 2013. Aside from book stuff, I had two gigs this year: PR and editing. The PR gig was my dream job: I worked for a publishing company. I got that gig near the end of last year and I'm so grateful I had a chance to work in that position. It's true when they say that being a PR rep is a 24/7 kind of job! You really can't turn that stuff off. There were times I was emailing clients late at night and struggling to keep my eyes open. I don't regret resigning from that job and I am grateful for that experience. 

The editing gig, unfortunately, is not exactly a well-paying one, but I'm happy that at least it brings in SOMETHING and have enjoyed working in this capacity. At the end of last year, I was ready to say goodbye to editing forever. I only took this gig because the client insisted he only wanted ME to edit his book. I am glad, too, because I have enjoyed the work. So I am not saying goodbye forever to editing!

A decision does NOT have to be set in stone.

Now, as far as the books are concerned, this year was a good one. This year I wanted to do one poetry book, one nonfiction book, one children's book and a novel. And, thankfully, that happened. Hooray! But I also had an extra “fiction book” come out this year, which was a nice slice of awesome!

The first book to come out this year was my first attempt in self-publishing, Hunter’s Upcycling Adventures. I managed to get this one out in time for Earth Day. Woot-woot! My daughter, Jennifer Wilson, illustrated this book. You can read more about this children’s book here.

Next came the poetry book my daughter and I collaborated on, Satyrs Are Cool: Poems of Mythological Creatures. Last year, Jen and I collabed on our first poetry book together, and this time ‘round it was her turn to put a theme for our next book. A fan of Greek mythology, she wanted to do a book on mythological creatures. She also illustrated it. Read more about Satyrs here.

The next book to come out was the first two books in The GHOST Group series, The Ghosts of Sarah Travers and The Crying Valentine. This one was released as an ebook only but we have plans to combine editions for a print book every so often. I was thrilled this book came out. This series was a long time in the making! I was also happy it got a good review. Check it out here.

My poetry book for this year was the autobiographical collection, Touched by Fire. I felt it was important to do a poetry book about being a burn survivor, but there are also poems in there about being deaf. It was edited by Denise Bartlett and the cover was designed by Charlotte Holley – both very talented ladies in their field! Read more about this book here. 

And, yes, my novel came out this year. HOORAY!! I was so thrilled to finally see the release of my dark fantasy novel, Shadow of Samhain. It was quite some time for me to write the book, get it edited, rewrite it and everything else involved before it finally came out. I am so grateful to everyone who helped make this book possible, including Denise and Charlotte at Gypsy Shadow Publishing! THANK YOU! Read more here.

And the last book of 2013 was … the nonfiction book! Thanks to my co-author, Martha Jette, for all of her hard work in getting Terror In the Night edited and released! I am very excited about this book and grateful to Martha for taking me on board for it! Read about this book here.

So it seems that I managed to get one of everything published this year. Yay! That is 6 books I had published this year! Not bad. I am so grateful for these accomplishments and to all of the people involved who helped to make it happen.

Next year will be different. It seems there will be “two of everything” in 2014, except there won't be a novel next year. More on that coming soon.

Here’s to a busy 2014!

Interview with author C.A. Szarek

It is my pleasure to host a guest on my blog today, fellow Gypsy Shadow Publishing author C.A. Szarek. Gypsy Shadow published her fantasy romance novel, Sword's Call, Book One in the King's Riders series. I have known her ever since she joined the GSP family and I have noticed she is one of the most prolific writers around! Please welcome her on my blog and check out her books.

Interview with author C.A. Szarek

How long have you been a writer?

I have always been a writer. Poetry when I was very young, and then short stories, that started morphing into novels when I was about 14. It’s just a part of me. I couldn’t imagine not writing.
 
What was your biggest obstacle in getting your book published and how did you overcome it?

Probably dealing with the rejections. I got so many “No’s” way before I got a “yes.” I just persevered. I knew I wanted to be published, so I had to keep trying, keep submitting. It’s a matter of getting the book in front of the right editor, right publisher. I found that with GSP.
 
How did you end up getting your newest book published?

Well, my newest title is a romantic suspense entitled Collision Force (Crossing Forces Book One) It is published by Total-E-Bound Publishing. My friend, Maggie Nash is with them and told me to submit. I was lucky enough to be accepted.
 
How did you get the idea for your book?

I have always been into fantasy. Always. It is and always will be my first love as an author. So I always have a story of a world I made up floating around in my head. Sword’s Call actually came to me in a dream. I dreamt of the heroine, Cera and her white wolf. The rest sort of fell into place.
 
What is the most important lesson you have learned as an author?

That you never stop learning and growing. The more you write, the better you get.
 
What genres do you write in? If more than one, how do you balance them?

I write a little of everything: Fantasy, Paranormal, Romantic Suspense, Contemporary, and the occasional YA.

I’ve always been into fantasy. Grew up reading the greats, Anne McCaffrey is my fave, and the genre will always be close to my heart.

That being said, I always wanted to be a cop and have been in to “Police stuff.” I never did becoming a police officer, but I have a Law Enforcement background, and I actually work in a court.

I adore paranormal because it’s a mix of both, sorta. *grin*

And YA, well, I work with kids, and sometimes a good story they can read will pop into my head.

Maybe someday day I will be published in all the genres I write.

What are some of your other books we might want to check out?

Collision Force (Crossing Forces Book One) is a romantic suspense story about a kicksass female cop and a hot FBI agent. They’re a lot of fun, because they don’t like each other much when they meet. Here’s the book’s blurb:

Bad boy, married to his job FBI agent Cole Lucas always gets his man. So when the unthinkable happens and one gets away, Cole grits his teeth and hunts human trafficker Carlo Maldonado all the way to Antioch, Texas, where he collides with Detective Andi MacLaren.

Cole doesn’t do small towns and doesn’t get involved with women he works with, but Andi tempts him in ways he doesn’t want to acknowledge.

Two murders, her partner shot and leading the investigation on her own, the last thing Andi needs is a cocky FBI agent who sees her as no more than a tagalong.

Widow and single mother Andi is used to being on her own. When Cole gets stuck without a place to stay, crashing on her couch puts them in dangerous territory.

Attraction and passion bring Andi to a place she’d left behind when her husband died. Her three-year-old son quickly wiggles his way into Cole’s heart, and he starts contemplating things—family, love—that he’d never planned for himself.

Can being forced to work together make them stronger or will their differences jeopardise their case and their hearts?

What else do you do besides write books?

I am a busy girl. I work two jobs, as the Juvenile Case Manager for two municipal courts, and I also work at a Shelter for teens. I also love to read and scrapbook when I’m not writing.
 
It’s common knowledge that writers are also readers. What kind of books do you like to read?

Truthfully, anything that peaks my interest. I read a lot of romance, all subgenres. YA, it doesn’t matter who it’s intended for. If it looks good, I’ll read it.

Do you read books in the same genre you are currently writing in? Why or why not?

Absolutely I love to read the genres I write. It’s nice to see how others do it, but I also just LOVE the genres I love. I do read and love genres I don’t write as well, I am a big big big fan of Scottish Highlander Historical Romances and I couldn’t write one to save my life.
 
What can we expect to see from you next?

Well, I have a few upcoming releases I am excited about!

Love’s Call (King’s Riders Book Two) will be out in the fall of 2013 and Chance Collision (Crossing Forces Book Two) will release Jan 31, 2014!

I also have a FREE short story called Cole in Her Stocking that is about the couple from Collision Force. It will be in the November Total-E-Bound Newsletter as well as a free download on their site. I am reallllllly excited about it, because I just adore Andi and Cole.


Love’s Call:

Senior King’s Rider Ansley Fraser has been in love with Leargan Tegran for turns, but he’s never noticed her. When she sets out for Greenwald to deliver a message to the duke, she has no idea its contents contain an order that will change her life. Instead, she is focused on visiting dear friends.
  
Leargan, captain of the Greenwald personal guard, is an honorable knight, so when the king commands him to wed Ansley, he intends to follow orders, even as he knows nothing of the girl.

Ansley ignores her instinct to question Leargan’s sudden interest in her. She wants to fall into his arms—and his bed—even as Ali, her wolf bondmate, growls her reticence.


Her extended visit allows Leargan time to win her affection, but when he falls for Ansley, it takes him by surprise. Will she be willing to give herself to him if she learns their marriage has been commanded by the king? What will it take to convince her he’s not simply following orders? 


Chance Collision:

Vowing to protect her had nothing to do with feelings.

Detective Pete Crane catches a new shooting case and considers it business-as-usual. But when the lead witness is the Chief of Police’s fiery assistant, he never anticipated she’d challenge him—personally and professionally. Especially while under his protection.

Little do they know, the shooting she and her grandmother witnessed was anything but random.

Thrown together, their attraction sizzles, even though she’s squarely in the no-fly zone. She makes him break every rule in his little black book.

Nikki Harper has been attracted to Pete since they met two years ago. Witnessing a brutal shooting throws her into a stigma that’s always been her greatest fear: a victim. She has no choice but to accept his protective custody and let him help save her and her beloved grandmother.

Can Pete protect his witness and solve the case, while fighting the intense heat with Nikki?

What is your advice to a writer trying to get a book published?

Never. Ever. Give up. If you want it, go for it. Fight for it.

For generations, the Ryhans, ruling family of the Province of Greenwald have been keepers of a sword rumored to possess enough magic to defeat kings. Lord Varthan, a former archduke and betrayer of the king, covets the sword and invades Greenwald.

Lady Ceralda Ryhan, daughter of the murdered duke, gains the sword and flees, trusting only her white wolf, Trikser—magically bonded to her. Cera needs nothing more to aid in her fight.

Jorrin Aldern, half elfin and half human, left his home in the mountains of Aramour to find his human father who disappeared twenty turns before, but finds Cera with Varthan and his shades on her tail instead. His dual heritage and empathic magic will tempt Cera in ways she never thought she’d desire. But can he convince her trust and love can pave the path to redemption or will the epic battle end in tragedy and evil conquer them all?



Grab your copy of Sword's Call here. 


ABOUT C.A. SZAREK: C.A. is originally from Ohio, but got to Texas as soon as she could. She is married and has a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice. She works with kids when she’s not writing. She’s always wanted to be a writer and is overjoyed to share her stories with the world.

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