Bitter Ashes
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- Parts 1
"We laughed together, covered in blood and surrounded by corpses, and I knew my life would never be the same again."
In the middle of the night, Madeline is snatched from her life of chosen solitude into a world where she might actually belong. Due to her empathy and other "gifts", Madeline is a danger to humans, and finds solace with others like her, despite the fact that they're also her kidnappers. Still, she knows she should escape, but something about dark, but oddly comforting Alaric has her debating her choices, and questioning her moral fiber.
An occult romance with a dark fantasy twist, the first installment in this serialized, paranormal urban fantasy saga leads the reader into a bloody mystery filled with intrigue, war, love, and betrayal.
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Illara had trained all her life for this moment. She had been chosen - from all eligible women throughout the three kingdoms - to be presented to the dragon. Her noble sacrifice would ensure the safety of her lands for a full year. She glowed with pride at the thought. And any moment now the massive dragon would come soaring over the mountains, his massive strength and awesome power - What was this? Along a rocky pass, moving with the persistence of a love-struck cow, was something metallic. Something shiny. Her heart thundered with panic as the object drew closer and resolved into a shape. For she knew it could ruin everything. It could cause the destruction of all she held dear. It was a knight. * * * Half of all proceeds of the Dragon novelettes benefit battered women's shelters. While this first book is non-explicit, due to the strong sexual content and adult situations in future books, this romantic suspense series is recommended for readers aged 17+. The series is structured for readers to read along as I write them to offer feedback and suggestions on the complex storyline. If you're the style of reader who would prefer to wait until the entire series is finished before you tackle it, that is fine! Simply wait until the series is complete and I'll offer the boxed set. I do that with all of my books. The reason I publish as I write is that I don't write full time and it can sometimes take months for me to finish up a storyline. There are readers who don't want to wait - who would rather read along as I go and stay engaged in the process. That way they can provide feedback and suggestions on the storyline. Whichever way works well for you, I provide an option. I'd love to hear from you at my website at OpheliaSikes.com.
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