Ever since Daniel Grimm can remember, people have whispered that death follows him everywhere. Some even call him The Grimm Reaper. But after the harrowing tragedy that shattered his family, all Daniel wants is peace. Then on the ten-year anniversary of the Grimms’ tragedy, Dr. Miguel Mortiz–Daniel’s estranged godfather–reappears in his life after a long absence. Miguel is one of the few people alive who can bear Daniel’s grief. After all, no one understands pain better than a healer.
Under the cloak of charisma and familial warmth, Miguel seems to have a shadow. Aunt Cass even urges Daniel to stay away from him. But against all warnings, he peels back the layers of grief and mystery until he discovers the dark, unthinkable secret about his godfather. Not only does this unlock the truth about the Grimms’ untimely demise; it changes everything Daniel knows about life, death, fantasy, and reality. He may get everything he ever wanted. But there’s a cost to holding the key, and some secrets should probably stay in the graveyard.
Welcome to the tale of Danny Grimm! Long after I finished his story, this dude and his godfather are still haunting me. They really latched onto my brain, as did Aunt Cass and everyone Daniel crosses paths with in this story.
I’ve been asked for comp titles, and I’ve dreaded this question a little bit. XD I’ll be curious to see what the readers say! For now, just know that it IS a retelling from Grimm’s Fairy Tales, that I watched a lot of Modern Family while writing this, and that I also listened to a lot of sad, dark music. So imagine a sitcom with like, Guillermo Del Toro vibes? Maybe that’s a step in the right direction…
Today I’m so proud to present the front cover, designed with care by the talented Molly Phipps!
The name of the game is Candles. I keep staring at this one and the way the wax melts around the design–almost seems to sculpt the rest of it. That’s important. 🙂
Godfather Death, M.D. is now available for preorder wherever you find your ebooks: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, you name it. It will also be available in paperback and hardcover (a first for me)! This will make it a volume worthy of adding to Miguel’s mysterious library! Amazon is giving me a bit of grief setting up the hardcover, so if that’s the format you’re interested in, I recommend going through Barnes and Noble online for this one. At least for now. 🙂
Finally, if you want to read it before anyone else, and for FREE, please consider signing up for an ARC on Booksprout. If you’re unfamiliar with ARCs, this stands for Advanced Readers Copies, meaning Booksprout sends you a free eBook in exchange for an honest review! Reviews in the first few days of release can really help a book find an audience, and all it costs is the time it will take you to read!
Oh, and you can also add it to your Goodreads list!
This will launch on January 9, 2024!
Let me know what you think! I’ve been dying to hear the reactions to this one!
As I work on GODFATHER DEATH, M.D., I’ve been looking to the media to fill the creative well. There was a time when this project seemed so daunting to me–not because of the subject matter, but because I wondered if we’ve told too many stories about Death. At one point I thought, we’ve had the same skeletal, hooded, scythe-swinging Grim Reaper since the 14th century. It’s that trap we all fall into as writers: “Hasn’t this been done a million times before?”
Well, here’s the thing: There’s nothing brand new under the sun, and if you’re ever worried about telling a story that’s already been told, you need to remember that it’s never been told by YOU before. So, to kick off what will probably be an ongoing list, I’ve honed in on FIVE different depictions of Death in the media… a few movies, a comic book, and a novel! Let’s dive in:
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL (2003)
Man, what wouldn’t I give to watch this movie for the first time again?
I associate the first movie with a deep sense of nostalgia. When it hit theaters, I was 12 going on 13. It was summer, and I was free. I was excited to start middle school. I think I saw the movie twice–once with my mom, and a second time with my father. It was the ultimate popcorn flick, and it later became one of my first DVDs as the VHS transitioned out of favor. A few years later, Kingdom Hearts II would also feature this movie as one of the worlds you could play in, complete with music and a sweet-ass Keyblade! 😀
My fascination with this movie is threefold: Orlando Bloom’s handsomeness, the swashbuckling action, and the plight of the damned. I still remember the iconic line and how they featured it in the trailer:
“You’d best start believing in ghost stories, Miss Turner. You’re in one!”
Death features in the movie by showing us what would happen if he/she/they took a holiday. The crew on the Black Pearl can’t die, and I love how this movie explores that. They turn into skeletons in the moonlight… food doesn’t taste as pleasurable as it should… and then there’s the look on Captain Barbossa’s face before he’s allowed to take his “final” rest, when he tells Jack Sparrow, “I feel… cold…” (When I first watched the second movie, I remember gasping and cheering when Barbossa returned at the end. Today, I find that cheap. The first movie was perfect and should’ve been allowed to stand alone! *end rant*)
I associate pirates with reckless bravery–cannons blazing and swords swinging because they have no fear of Death. But this movie suggests that maybe there is something to fear in immortality… in Death abandoning the damned. A fascinating concept.
2. FINAL DESTINATION(2000)
Gather round, children. There was a time when I was cool. Or at least, I liked horror movies. No amount of blood could scare me away. I’d sneak into the R-rated ones with my friends, and we’d LAUGH in the face of horror. Muahaha.
I don’t have the same stomach anymore, and it’s rare for me to sit through a movie/show that’s deliberately intended to disturb the viewer. I do enjoy “elevated horror” if the conditions are right. If it’s, like, Jordan Peele making some deep commentary on society, and it’s 9AM and I have the rest of the daylight hours to scrub my mind, let’s do it! (Oh and I like SCREAM, because it’s basically just Scooby-Doo for grown-ups. You can’t change my mind. Others have tried.)
Final Destination, though… absolutely disgusting. Traumatic, even. I struggle with roller coasters, freeways, and elevators to some extent because of those movies. The concept, though, is brilliant: survivors of massive freak accidents band together to cheat death, only to find that it’s determined to hunt them down. I wish I had thought of that!
In these movies (at least the first three… I stopped being cool sometime before the 4th came out) they almost always refer to Death as some sentient being, almost like a god. But if it’s an actual force or sentient being, he’s never shown. All you see are the freak accidents (in vivid, disgusting detail) and the slightest whisper of something supernatural–a gust of wind or a shadow of a hook. But it ALWAYS has a sort of personality to it. It’s petty, vengeful, and calculated. The idea that it all follows a predictable design is a little bit terrifying.
3. THE SANDMAN by Neil Gaiman (1989-1996)
Now for something a little less awful: a comic book! (But let’s be real, this one gets a little bit gross as well.)
Oddly, though, the most beautiful and meditative scenes in Neil Gaiman’s comic series are the ones where Death is heavily featured. In this one, Death is actually personified, and she’s a cool goth chick. I think I remember reading an interview where Gaiman mentioned she was inspired by a woman he met at a diner…
Death is one of a handful of siblings, each personifying a different concept: Dream, Destiny, Delirium, Desire, Destruction, and Despair. To be fair, Death does have some heartbreaking scenes, but I would argue that out of all the Endless, she’s one of the most rational and level-headed. She’s not necessarily spooky. She doesn’t have any sort of Grim Reaper aura. She’s warm, compassionate, and pensive. I thought this was an interesting way to personify her…
(Then, there’s the character who refuses to die, and he checks in with Dream every century. Dream expects him to give up after he loses everyone he loves, but the guy just keeps on going. I love that guy.)
4. THEY BOTH DIE AT THE END by Adam Silvera
This book is almost like Final Destination lite… a YA novel that made me sob.
In this one, an app developer has figured out an algorithm that can predict the exact day you’re going to die. That morning, you get a phone call that tells you it’s your “death day.” The book follows two characters who received the call, then decide to spend their last day together.
Death isn’t personified in this one, but it’s heavily explored on every page. If today were going to be your last day, would you want to know? Can you do anything about it? How will you spend it and cherish your last meals, conversations, and everyday moments?
And no, it does not pull any punches at the end. But it IS very beautifully done. The prequel, THE FIRST TO DIE AT THE END, is equally wonderful and heartbreaking.
5. CLICK (2006)
I think about this movie ALL the time, and now that I’m looking it up, WHY does it have a 36% on Rotten Tomatoes?! This movie was great! Sean Astin is in it! Kate Beckinsale is in it! Even The Cranberries are in it!
It’s been a little while and it merits a rewatch soon, but it’s a true favorite for me. Maybe it’s nostalgia again, because I vividly remember NOT watching this one in the theater. My mom bought it for me on DVD before any of us had every seen it, and a bunch of us crowded around a small TV in her room and ate snacks while we watched it. I’m fairly certain it was also Christmas. 😀
I had been expecting to laugh my ass off. To be fair, that happened, but I had no idea I was also going to cry hysterically. That’s not supposed to happen in Adam Sandler movies. They’re supposed to be stupid and good for a mindless day.
Adam Sandler is a workaholic who gets frustrated by life and too many remote control devices. So he buys a “universal remote” from some guy named Morty (Christopher Walken!) Things escalate quickly as he “remote controls his universe,” changing the tint, doing a picture-in-picture, and fast forwarding through meetings he doesn’t want to listen to.
But, like, what the hell? He forwards to his dad’s death? Then to the night when he’s about to die in front of The Cranberries? (When I explain it, it DOES sound like a 36% Rotten Tomatoes movie. But I swear it’s amazing.) And all along, the guy who sold him the remote was… THE ANGEL OF DEATH?!
I did not see that coming, ever. Death is a goofy, eccentric inventor who sells remote controls at Bed, Bath, and Beyond? And this remote control teaches Adam Sandler a lesson about life? IT’S SO DEEP. WATCH IT, Y’ALL.
In Conclusion:
There are some pretty fascinating depictions of Death in the media. Even when Death isn’t portrayed in a human form, there are all kinds of interesting ways creators have signed it a personality. These are just five of them, and Death isn’t even kind of the same in any two. So, will we ever run out of ideas to tell original stories about The End and what comes after? I really don’t think so. In fact, I can’t wait to explore more of them and add to this list!
What if Death wears a mortal body and walks among us?
What if Death is your college professor, the cute barista at your local cafe’, or even a family doctor?
What if Death is your godfather? Would you resent him for everything you’ve lost?
I’m so excited that my serial project, GODFATHER DEATH, M.D. is now a thing in the world! It makes me a little bit nervous because it’s not yet a finished product, or a medium I’ve tried before, but it feels like the right move. It’s organic this way. There’s a a bit of wiggle room to have a conversation with the readers. Ironically, it’s more alive this way. It’s also a bit like a strange TV show… part drama, part sitcom, part quest… and I promise all will be resolved in the end. I have created my map to the ending!
People whisper that death follows Daniel Grimm everywhere. They even call him The Grimm Reaper. Then on the ten-year anniversary of the tragedy that shattered Daniel’s family, Dr. Miguel Mortiz–his estranged godfather–reappears. Miguel is one of the few people alive who can understand Daniel’s grief. After all, no one grasps pain better than a healer. So why does Aunt Cass warn him to stay away from Miguel? He longs to understand, but some secrets are probably better off left in the graveyard.
You can read the first three episodes for free, and then the following episodes will become unlockable every Monday through Kindle Vella’s token system. You can even claim 200 tokens for free if it’s your first Vella story! 200 will buy you roughly 8 chapters, and pretty much the rest of Act I. (Of course, I’m not pulling any punches–I’ll be trying to hook you so you’ll come back for Act II!) The cool thing is that this format makes the story even more accessible to new audiences. When it’s all done, I’ll wait a bit, take it down, and bind it into a paperback. (Maybe even a hardcover, too? Idk… I’m pretty darn proud of this one!) Like I said, you can get the weekly streaming experience, or the binge-it-in-a-day-and-put-it-on-your-shelf experience!
There are a couple of things you can do that will really help me out:
Give each chapter a “thumbs up.” This is part of how royalties, “favorites,” and visibility play out on Vella!
Hit the “Follow This Story” button.
Share the link with someone who might enjoy this!
Reminder: Read with care. Death can be a touchy subject, and this is purely my way of exploring grief, loss, and mortality in a way that feels healthy and meaningful for me. With that said, my beliefs and experiences are my own, and I do not attempt to speak for everyone.I can hope, however, that it might bring someone some solidarity, or maybe even comfort. Danny Grimm, Aunt Cass, Miguel, and The Grimms have shared a LOT with me in the last 7 months, and they continue to do so!
Gather ’round, friends. It’s June. It’s hot out. Come enjoy the A.C. for a minute, and let’s catch up.
If you know me in my “real life,” outside the pages and the cons and the social media posts, you know what summer means to me. It’s a happy, meaningful, transformative time, and it’s a very busy time! Last year, summer had a rocky start when I went to table at Phoenix Fan Fusion and came back with a positive COVID test. I missed a week of training my staff, leaving them scrambling to execute “Plan B”. I fell deeply behind on a massive to-do list, personally and professionally. Writing didn’t happen at all. The brain fog, the guilt, and the fatigue gnawed at me all summer long while I tried to facilitate a perfect summer in every way.
And I finally learned what I should’ve learned a long time ago: perfect is simply not going to happen. This was a difficult place for me to get to as an “Achiever”/Type-A personality, and I’m not going to pretend I’ve fully let go of perfectionism. But my outlook right now has been kind of liberating. “If I pour 150% into X, I will drain myself. X might fail anyway, and then there will not be enough of myself to show up and revise it. But if I pour 100% into me, X will be as awesome as it can be, and I’ll be a stronger and healthier leader when I do need to revise it.” This is just an epiphany that I wanted to share with you. 🙂
I did make a few sacrifices at the start of this summer, including Fan Fusion. I can’t pretend it didn’t make my heart sore, but it was a great opportunity to practice pouring 100% into my wellness when I couldn’t be everywhere at once. So here are some of the things I’m thinking about this summer:
I’m beginning to release Godfather Death, M.D. on Kindle Vella. This is my first serial, and because it’s not even 100% finished yet, I really have to lean into this “it won’t be perfect” thing. The comfort I take is that it’s still malleable while it’s a serial, and it’s a story that I love deeply. It’s challenged my emotions more than once by now… I cried in a Barnes and Noble writing a particular scene. I cried again writing a graveyard scene, and then I cried again editing both those scenes. Rest assured that every reaction was cathartic and healing. I hope they’ll resonate in beautiful ways whenever you get there. And I thank my friend Avon Van Hassel for her beta reads and work on the Vella cover! (Also shout-out to Silva Curry, who is editing this thing piece by piece and putting the icing on top.)
I made a summer reading list! I know very well that I won’t get through the whole thing, and “getting through it” isn’t the goal. Enjoying it is the goal. I have a growing stack of unread comic books from Heroes and Villains, including a few volumes of Saga, and Superman: Son of Kal-El (who is an LGBTQ+ icon, making it a perfect Pride Month read!) I’m following V.E. Schwab’s read-along of her Darker Shade of Magic series, and I’m excited to continue learning from her prose, her world-building, and her insights. I’m finding that these books are even better the second time around. If I manage to finish re-reading those, I can’t wait to dive into In The Lives of Puppets and Tress of the Emerald Sea. Sometimes on a long day, it’s comforting just to have a book in the backpack or next to the bed, ready to portal me into a new world for just a few minutes.
I also have a watch list… Around this time of year, it’s tradition for me to rewatch 500 Days of Summer, and I think I’ll gather a few other movies worth another go… I am also shamelessly enjoying Perfect Match right now. After watching Love is Blind and The Circle, seeing these reality stars come together is like watching a petty, low-stakes MCU, and I’m fascinated.
OH! I wanted to show you these stickers:
This has been a fun representation of the characters in my head: A badass pirate, a dashing adventurer, a gay pumpkin prince, and Death himself, M.D. I didn’t print very many of these to start, but I will start giving one to anyone who orders a book from me directly, and I will bring them to events as well. I hope my characters can “stick” with you the way they always stick with me!
Ok: Life calls. I’m wishing you all a wonderful Pride Month, and I hope you’ll join me later in June for the Vella launch of Godfather Death, M.D. I can’t wait for y’all to meet Danny Grimm, his coffee shop auntie, and his mysterious godfather!
What are you reading, watching, or doing for your wellness this summer?
“Think of it as an adventure. If you see me freak out, then you have permission to freak out. But I’m Diego Rosas, and I promised your mom I’d take care of you. I don’t freak out.”
– Diego Rosas, approximately 10 minutes before the dragon incident…
Thank Lady Fortune! Roses in the Dragon’s Den is now available on audiobook, and you can find it on Audible and Amazontoday!
I knew within the first minute of his sample that Danny Pardo was the one true voice of the Rosas family. If he looks or sounds familiar at all, he has lent voice and acting talents to projects such as:
Prison Break
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
24
The Call of Duty video games
and now, Roses in the Dragon’s Den!
The most important thing was to find somebody who could bring the Rosas family to life. When I listened to his recording, there were times when I forgot I had written the words because Danny filled them with brand new life: all the heart, humor, and thrills you could ask for in a listening experience. I hope you’ll agree.
Pick it up today and share with a reader in your life!
Synopsis:
Twelve year old siblings Karina and Charlie Rosas aren’t looking forward to vacationing with their estranged uncle. But when the Fernweh Express derails and tosses them into a wild, unrecognizable land, they trust he’ll know what to do. After all, Diego Rosas wrote the book on survival in deserts and arctic tundras. There’s nothing he can’t handle . . . until a colossal, fire-breathing dragon snatches him up and carries him away, leaving the siblings to embark on an impossible rescue mission.
With the natural elements working against them, the Rosas family adventures through the curse-infested, uncharted world in order to solve the mystery of what doomed their travels. When they meet up with a dwarf and a pirate queen who offer aid, Karina and Charlie must decide whether they can trust anyone willing to voyage into a dragon’s den. But if the siblings ever want to return home, they must trust and lean on each other, and above all, hope Uncle Diego is still alive.
It’s monsoon season in Tucson, and while it hasn’t been a very active one, I decided there was no better time to tell the story of my favorite Storm, with a capital S.
If you’ve read ROSES by now, maybe you can see how it works as a sort of rabbit hole for the ORDER OF THE BELL series. And the funny thing is, I found a million other branches I wanted to follow in ROSES itself, and the Florindale universe just keeps getting bigger. So last year for NaNoWriMo, I decided to follow one of those branches, and that’s how I wrote NIRAYA STORM AND THE CRYSTAL COMPASS.
Finishing the story was one thing–deciding what to do with it was another. I wrestled with ideas for a long time, but ultimately, I’ve made the decision that instead of releasing this on Kindle or paperback right now, it’s going to have its first home on Wattpad this week.
Niraya as a character is not one for extravagant bells and whistles. She’s a little more raw. If she could produce her own book, she’d probably write it in a simple leather book and hand it over with nothing on the cover. She deserves more than that, but to go through the level of production that I used for ROSES and THE CARVER wouldn’t feel quite right. Plus, in full transparency, it gets expensive. It may be a very long time before I’m ready to start conversations with the editor, formatter, and cover artists I want to work with again, especially because I want to continue going to cons and seeing you all at festivals!
I really love this story. I didn’t want to make Niraya wait until I could afford a fancy production. By then, I may have another story or two that I can’t wait to share with you all, and that’ll be another year or two that the story will have to sit unread. And ultimately, my dream has never been to make money off these stories–only to share them with you and hope they provide some sort of escape and entertainment when you need it. If it gains some demand on Wattpad for a tangible paperback, I may take it further, but in the meantime, I simply want to make it available to you as it is.
It’s raw. It’s not perfect. It may even be a little wild. But that’s always been Niraya Storm to her core, even when she was having her first adventure on the high seas…
When you’re ready, you’ll be able to start the story HERE this week! If you love it, leave comments on it. Niraya will want to know she was able to hold your attention. 🙂
Happy Sunday! I hope this weekend and the month of May have been excellent to you. As for me, I’m hard at work preparing for summer events! First up is Phoenix Fan Fusion (what I will always refer to as Phoenix Comic Con) from May 23-26th in the Phoenix Convention Center. The League of Fantasy Authors (which includes some of my bestest author buddies Jenna Elizabeth Johnson and Katie Salidas) will be returning to booth #696 to sell books and merch, and new this year, we’re hosting a fun game of Cosplay Bingo!
All you need to play is the card we’ll give you, something you can use to take pictures, and a good eye to spot those Disney villains, Game of Thrones characters, and favorite Avengers. Score a blackout and win a prize!
You can also find me at Arizona StoryFest in Mesa on June 1st, where I’ll be doing a live reading of ROSES IN THE DRAGON’S DEN on the author stage. Thanks to KJZZ radio for the invitation!
After Mesa, I’ll be taking a short break from events to focus on my non-authorly job for the summer, but I won’t be idle! NIRAYA STORM is in beta, and truthfully, I’m waiting for some ideas to slow-cook right now, so I’m using my pockets of free time to soak up some craft knowledge. Currently a book called Screenwriting Tricks for Authors by Alexandra Sokoloff is keeping me busy, and I invite you to work through it with me!
Sokoloff encourages writers to build a “Master List” of at least ten books/movies that influence our work, and then there are exercises that involve rewatching/rereading and analyzing the bones of these story. I love a good excuse to watch my favorite movies again and call it work! I may even share some of my findings and Master List with you all on this website somewhere. For example, one really cool trick I’ve learned is to pay greater attention to what happens at the 15 and 30 minute marks when we watch movies, which should be turning points that can teach us a lot about plot and pace.
Just looking at two of the movies on my Master List:
Stardust (2007)
15 minute mark: The King of Stormhold throws a necklace into the sky and declares that the first of his sons to recover it will be his successor to the throne. The necklace knocks a star out of the sky. In another part of the world, Tristan Thorne watches the star fall and makes a promise to go find it in exchange for Victoria Forester’s hand in marriage. (I love this whole scene so much that I keep coming back to it in the Neil Gaiman book for other craft exercises.)
30 minute mark: Tristan Thorne crosses the Wall and finds the star. Surprise! The star is a woman, which definitely complicates his plans to bring it back to Victoria.
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)
15 minute mark: After a few minutes at each other’s throats, the four teenagers in detention get sucked into a video game and become their adult avatars.
30 minute mark: an NPC explains that the group needs to return the jewel they’re holding to the top of the mountain, but there’s a bad guy after it too… oh, and his gang is right behind you. 🙂
If you’re a writer, I’m curious what stories you’d put on your Master List, or even on mine! Most of mine tend to be family-friendly adventures with fantasy elements, ever-shifting settings and an emphasis on travel/multiple worlds, and ensemble casts. If only there was enough time to read and watch them all… 🙂
Happy Saturday! Every day is a little closer to the release of ROSES IN THE DRAGON’S DEN, and I’m so excited by the little gems of feedback that are popping up here and there on social media. One reviewer wrote to me that it inspired her to go watch the La Llorona movie that just came out . . . oh man. First, let me promise you all that ROSES is not a horror story meant to give you nightmares. La Llorona is. Whenever you get to the book, you’ll understand exactly why this reviewer wanted to go watch the movie! (Full disclosure: I don’t know this person, but I’m confident she must be braver than me. I don’t have the heart to watch La Llorona in theaters…)
Oh, how the crazy crying ghost story used to scare the pants off me as a kid. Especially when it was storming outside, and the wind was strong enough to pull open the screen door when I was at my grandmother’s house…
But if you’re up for a story within a story, I have the first excerpt for you from ROSES today. If you’ve read The Carver, you just might recognize the storyteller. If you haven’t, don’t worry! You’ll learn all about the man before you’re done reading…
The dwarf paced back and forth, tugging his beard in alternating motions like cow udders. While he got over his fit, I checked out his home. This guy seemed like the least likely person to put wanted posters around the city for a dragon’s death. Reptilian figurines lined his shelves, golden eggs the size of my head sat in silver bowls, and paintings of winged beasts clung to every inch of the wall. And yet, here stood a man who was blubbering like he had a phobia. When he finally stopped pacing, he poured three goblets of wine without asking. I wondered if it was juice at first, but the smell stung my nostrils, and I vowed not to touch it.
Zid gulped his wine, wiped his lips, and then slammed his goblet down in front of him. “I’ll have you know that I used to be a dragon trainer. I’ve bred and raised a few. I fed them and exercised them and advocated for their rights. See that one on the wall right there?” He pointed to a painting of a dragon that oddly seemed to be smiling. “My Draco. I loved him dearly, so much that I had to move him into Grimm’s Hollow with a friend. He was too big and too free for my little yard.”
A tear sparkled like a marble in Zid’s eye.
Karina offered a smile. “I can imagine you’re very passionate about dragons.”
“Was,” Zid said. “Until Verdoro.”
I gripped the sides of my chair, ready for some kind of story. We needed a thunderclap and a theater spotlight to properly set the mood.
Zid cleared his throat dramatically, rising on his toes to make himself look taller. “Verdoro first plagued Florindale Square some time ago. You can imagine my excitement when I first saw those scales. He was a dream. Most people ran in fear, but I wanted to talk to him. They can understand us, you know. They know our tones, our intentions, and our body language. But when he burned down Midas’s Pub without provocation, I knew there was something . . . off about him. Dragons do not descend on civilization to burn or consume unprovoked. They’re actually quite gentle. Leave them be—respect them—and they shall never hurt a soul.”
Based on that statement alone, I knew Zid would’ve become fast friends with Tio. Coffee shop buddies. I tried to picture them broing out, and I almost laughed. The trouble was I didn’t agree with Zid’s statement at all, and Karina clearly didn’t either.
“My uncle did nothing to the dragon,” she said. “It came out of nowhere and took him away with no good reason.”
“That’s because this one’s different,” Zid said. “As if Hades itself spat him out. He cannot be reasoned with or tamed. Believe me, I was the only one foolish enough to keep trying. I considered that he might be a shifter—a human who’s dabbled in dark arts to assume another form at will.”
Karina and I exchanged wide-eyed glances. Real life shifters? Like Dracula and his bat form? Or the blue lady from the X-Men comics? Neither of them was very nice.
Zid must’ve sensed my discomfort because he waved a hand and said, “But I have doubts. Humans have different auras that don’t go away when they turn. You can sense it. Go figure, we finally settle into a period of peace, free of curses and evil queens, and now we have Verdoro returning at random intervals to terrorize Florindale. Sometimes he engulfs buildings. The Woodlands are dying. Sometimes he batters a living being and leaves them there to suffer, as if he enjoys the sport of torturing people.”
My stomach churned. What was the monster doing to my tio?
“I should say there are few who have ventured out to hunt him. None have returned, and not a soul wishes to attempt the journey anymore, even with the rather generous reward on Verdoro’s head. It feels as though we are destined to settle into our fear, to keep one eye fixed on the clouds until the monster finally plummets from them. Unfortunately, the life of such a beast spans ages we do not care to wait for.”
Rina and I grew up with some messed up legends. Mom liked to scare us with La Llorona, the crying ghost woman that took bad kids away. But never an actual dragon.
Karina put on that famous Rosas concentration stare, like she was taking an X-ray of Zid. “What do you think is the lifespan of somebody who’s been taken by the dragon?”
Zid frowned, deep lines appearing on his forehead. “I’m sorry, younglings.” He refilled his goblet and then drained it again. “Nobody’s ever come back.”
There’s still time to download an ARC of ROSES if you’re interested in getting it for free! Most of them have been claimed already, but there are about 8 left last I checked. As for the eBook, it’s on preorder for $2.99 where digital books are sold! Try Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Kobo, Apple . . . they’re everywhere, and they’ll hit your ereader on April 30th!
Happy Friday to you all! So, this post really can’t be about the words today. What I’m about to reveal can only be shown to you, and that’s the cover for ROSES IN THE DRAGON’S DEN! *trips* *drops cover*
I’m just . . . I’m absolutely . . . I can’t describe it. It’s everything I ever dreamed it would be. Special thank you to the designer, Amalia Chitulescu, one of the most incredibly talented artists I know. It was important to me that this cover show off a pair of young, strong, determined LATINX heroes, and I think that Amalia just did that beautifully. Look at Rina and Charlie squaring off against that beast up there! And, they look incredibly close to how the characters were imagined for the trading card set:
The preorders for this book will be live soon, but in the meantime, if you’re interested in an ARC opportunity to read this before it even hits release day, you can sign up here! I believe this is a book for you if:
You’ve ever wanted to see new places
You enjoy character-driven stories with family themes and a spirit of adventure
You like Oreos (and who doesn’t?)
You secretly wish you could sail with pirates
You’re a fan of Percy Jackson or other stories told in goofy first-person POVs
You want more Latinx heroes in your books
You’re fascinated by dragons (and who isn’t?)
You’ve watched Man Vs. Wild and wondered what Bear would do if he encountered a dragon. (Okay. Maybe that’s only me?)
Lastly, I ask that if you like this cover, share the preorder widely and add it on Goodreads. I have big dreams for this story… but it’s gonna take a team effort to make sure people know about it! What do you say? Are you with me?
I’ll cut right to the fun stuff: You’ve already seen the first two covers for the new and improved Carver Trilogy, and all week long I’ve been itching to release the third and final cover! I’m just going to drop it right here for ya:
Here we have a glimpse of Neverland, pirate ships, a dragon, some of the towers from Avoria’s Citadel, and perhaps my favorite element of this cover: We finally have a look at Enzo himself!
The books themselves are in formatting, and once that step is complete, I’ll be working to hard to get these live and ready for your hands. I have a feeling they’re going to look pretty awesome in person, especially when you put them all together!
This week to celebrate the release of all three covers, I’m giving away a $5 Amazon credit to one random winner. Entry is simple:
Comment on this blog post and tell me what your favorite fairy tale retelling is, or any fairy tale/myth that you would like to see retold in the future! Or, just tell me what you think of these covers!!
