In 1967, California secedes from the United States. In 1988, as life in the Independent California Republic becomes unbearable, a water-police recruit and a lovelorn ex-revolutionary search for freedom. Art credit: http://rant-eater.tumblr.com/

Heiress by day, thief by night, Nix Seddiki expects to become a blood mage, like all her ancestors before her. When she discovers her talent lies in necromancy- forbidden to all but royalty- she is equally baffled and delighted. When her secret is discovered, the king offers an ultimatum. Use her skills to steal priceless and powerful relics on his behalf, or hang for treason. Together with the court executioner and a beautiful illusionist, Nix must discover what the king is planning, and if he can be stopped.

❝ THE LAW AIN'T NEVER BEEN A FRIEND OF MINE. ❞ in the year 1864, twenty-four-year-old american outlaw jesse jordan gets caught and hanged, but his story doesn't end there. he ends up in hell, but he manages to slip through the devil's fingers. he snags a completely new body along with one of hell's treasures - an intricately carved, delicate golden ring that stops any supernatural creature from locating him with ease. but hell doesn't let its sinners go so easily. a demon is sent to get him, to catch him and return him to hell where he will face eternal torment. to make it as hard for them as possible, jordan hides himself away in the smallest, most out of the way town in america he could possibly find - graymore, california. There, he meets his ex-boyfriend casey hawkes and lives in graymore for a while in relative peace - until things begin to happen. animals are found dead, drained of their blood and organs. houses are found burned down in the mornings, but no one remembers smelling any smoke. a little girl disappears. jordan must find out the reason graymore has gone from a charming, sleepy village to a place that positively reeks of terror, the damned, and something much, much worse. he may be the only one that can save the inhabitants of this little town, quite possibly at the cost of his own soul, but damn him - jesse jordan has never been a good man.