The First Chapter…

Good day to you!

This is brand new to me—marketing myself as a product is not something I ever though I would have to do, and yet here we are!

As an author I am not just selling books; I am selling ideas, experiences, emotions, and relationships through my storytelling.

While not every story will resonate with every person—in fact, I expect a LOT of people to turn their nose up at what I produce—there will be someone out there who feels as inspired by one of my books as I have by others.

I would like to feature some of those inspirational works here!

The following is a list of novels that have inspired & motivated me to KEEP WRITING, even when I lost faith in myself.

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Midnight Predator by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

"Though she was once a happy teenager with a wonderful family and a full life, Turquoise Draka is now a hunter, committed to no higher purpose than making money and staying alive. In a deadly world of vampires, shape-shifters, and powerful mercenaries, she’ll track any prey if the price is right. Her current assignment: to assassinate Jeshikah, one of the cruelest vampires in history. Her employer: an unknown contact who wants the job done fast. Her major obstacle: she’ll have to mask her strength and enter Midnight, a fabled Vampire realm, as a human slave. Vulnerable and defenseless, she faces her greatest challenge ever."

Midnight Predator lives rent free in my mind alongside Smile Empty Soul, whose album Shapeshifter has become the unofficial soundtrack for this book.

From this novel I learned that happy endings aren't always "They got together at the end." Sometimes all they needed to learn from one another was how strong they could be despite the odds.

The characterization in this novel was my first introduction to deep development, where they are conflicted about their goals & morals, and things can and will change you--fundamentally.

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Cottonwood by R. Lee Smith

"They never meant to come to Earth. They were never allowed to leave...

Welcome to Cottonwood."

Cottonwood was a recent read for me, and while I maintain it is a little advanced than my young-adult mind might have been able to handle, this would have landed quite nicely among some of my favorite reads had I discovered it in the early 2000's.

One of my all-time favorite movies was District 9, and while that movie is told from the point of view of a white man with questionable morals--this book was written before the District 9 movie released. The themes, the ideas, and the plot are quite similar. While this detail was what initially piqued my interest, I can assure you that when I turned that last page I had a whole different perspective of the entire premise of both works.

This takes the District 9 concept and presents it from a perspective of total empathy, from the POV of a female social worker looking to make a difference in a world where Aliens and Humans are struggling to co-exist. With her moral compass guiding her, she discovers the living conditions of the alien refugees are anything but hospitable.

Doing the best she can with the little support she has, she manages to earn the respect--and admiration--of several resident aliens, all of whom work together to help the MFC make the difference she came here to make.

This book goes beyond the escape of the "bugs" and takes you all the way to a resolution that will leave you feeling as if the universe might really be paying attention.

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The Unmaking of Them by H.A. Watson

"Artemis Sanchez has plans: thrive in her dream job in London and care for her young cousin and the aunt who raised them. But her carefully-constructed life is threatened when she gets in the way of Sevan, a magical being bent on expanding their hive mind.

Ignorant of the magical world beyond her own, she is caught in the creature’s thrall and nearly consumed––when a monster of shadow and darkness comes to her aid.

He is a horror crafted from nightmares; he is the thing children fear in the dark. His name is Verick, and as Artemis learns of a centuries-long struggle between these creatures, their lives become more and more entangled.

But when Verick is struck by a curse that renders him comatose, Artemis is unable to leave the safety of his shielded home and becomes cut off from the outside world. To wake Verick and ensure the safety of her loved ones, she will have to teach herself magic.

Yet as she uncovers more about Verick––and as Sevan grows in power––she begins to wonder, not if you can love a monster, but if you should."

This one is particularly special to me. I devoured this voraciously, as if it were the elixir of life. I was smitten with Verick, a proper gentleman, and his charge Artemis, who was just minding her damn business!

This is one of two novels that featured Onyx-skinned, other-worldly creatures which inspired my debut novel. There was something about the intangible aspect of being made of darkness that appealed to me--probably because at the time I was recovering from my own battle with the darkness within me.

In this book I learned that it's the choices we make that shape who we are--and through that I learned I can be happy by choosing to be that way every day. I choose to be good to those around me, because you never know who might rise to power and try to take your mind!

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Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

"The dream chooses the dreamer, not the other way around--and Lazlo Strange, war orphan and junior librarian, has always feared his dream chose poorly. Since he was just five years old, he's been obsessed with the mythic lost city of Weep, but it would take someone bolder than he to cross half the world in search of it. Then a stunning opportunity presents itself, in the form of a hero called the Godslayer and a band of legendary warriors, and he has to seize his chance or lose his dream forever.

What happened in Weep two hundred years ago to cut it off from the rest of the world? And who is the blue-skinned goddess who appears in Lazlo's dreams?

The answers await in Weep."

This is another recent read for me, and one that stuck with me through a lot. This one had everything in it for me: Ethereal creatures, mystery, books, books and more books!

I really can't even begin to describe what this one means to me, but it is something I suggest to everyone who likes a little bit of fantasy, mystery, and scifi all rolled into one.

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Sing Me To Sleep by R.M. Virtues

" Penelope has lost so much in six months.

Her father, her sense of security, her ability — and willingness— to sleep. Her family is most concerned about the latter at the moment, and when her sister Jenna leaves her alone in their shared home for the first time since The Incident, Penelope finally accepts some help. The only problem? There are side effects. Well, one: sleep paralysis. And the demon who came for her fear. Fear is the only thing that matters to the demons of the Somni Dae, and as long as they deliver it back to Hell, they are free to do as they please. Except enter the waking world of course, but Acheron never minded that. He has everything he needs right here, and in thousands of years, he has never wanted for anything. Until he stumbles across Penelope's dreamscape. Now is not the time to grow attached to a wandering soul, not with Heaven and Hell preparing to wage war. Nor is it the time to grow attached to your sleep paralysis demon, not when getting out of bed is already so hard. But Penelope is finally sleeping, and after Acheron wipes out the last of her fear, they both realize they're stronger together. And they're going to need all the strength they can get."

This book is a wild ride if you're into psychological romance.

Acheron absolutely 100% helped inspire the idea behind Tayce, my MMC in The Mortal and the Shadow. A demon creature with skin like obsidian that eats your fear? Come on. This started my whole dive into the rabbit-hole about sleep paralysis demons being anything other than a Hat-Man staring in the corner and ogling you while you lay there, incapacitated (boring).

It also helped me understand the dynamic between two characters, using their shared intimacy as a way to heal.

Every day I check for the next installment to this series, and I recommend everyone give this one a try.

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Thank you for joining me!

I hope that even if I couldn't convince you to read one of my books, at least perhaps you found one of your next great reads from my suggestions.

If you would like to join me for future releases, updates and events, please register.

Happy Reading!

Tiff