Hey Everyone! I’m sooo excited to have finally pulled the trigger on getting Devil’s Descent I: purgatory out in print. Doesn’t it look so pretty? *sighs happily* I gotta show you my pics:

DD I VS. VBF

Okay, so even though I’ve been self-published since 2004, this is the first print project I did completely solo. I’m still fond of the special edition cover for Vicious Bliss: fallen (middle one) especially because it was my first cover attempt. (I will soon pull VBF from the current POD company and redo it under my own banner. Expect that later this year.)

DD I and Julian

I love seeing Julian’s face. (I have to admit I kissed his lips a few times. Strange, me? No way! ) Unlike the ebook cover, I added some distressed layers over his face and some blood for the print. I’m thinking I might add a bit more grit to it but I’m not too sure.

 DD I Back Cover

I like how grungy and distressed the back cover colors came out. You can see the much more of the blood on this side versus the front.

DD I Title Page

You can’t have a dark vampire romance without blood, right?

DD I Chapter Headings

I’m very pleased with how this turned out. Yummylicious graphics and easy to read font. Yay!

DD I and Mr. Vash #1

Mr. Vash had to check Julian out.

DD I and Mr. Vash #2

Mr. Vash approves!

I’m going to tweak a few things and do one more final read through to make sure everything is as it’s supposed to be. Once that’s done, DD I goes live! I’ll let you all know when that is ASAP.

Hey Everyone!

I’m sharing another sneak peek because Krissy asked so nicely. Hopefully this will tide you over until I can get elbows-deep into Julian and Lily’s dreadful romance. Again, this is a rough-draft so please excuse any unnecessary messiness.

EXCERPT

“I can’t help but want to bite you, Lily,” Julian drawled while nuzzling her neck. “You’re so shameless in your desires.”

“And you’re such a flirt. If I didn’t hate you so much I’d be enchanted.”

Julian brushed his mouth against hers. “I say you’re enchanted anyways.”

“Over-confident ass.”

“With good reason.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really.” He smiled and smoothed her hair back. “I can’t wait until I break you completely. It would please me so much to see you in pieces, darling.”

The mood melted, bringing dark, dangerous things into play. “You don’t scare me.” Lily’s eyes made her a terrible liar.

“Really?” His smile slid into a cruel smirk. Seeing the ugly truth tattooed into her haunted stare, Julian promised, “I’ll make it a priority to see I do.”

“I’m sure you’ll try. Now what about you?” Lily’s recklessness kicked in to save her from herself. She traced the curve of his mouth with her tongue. Once. Twice.

“What about me?” Julian’s hands settled on her hips and squeezed.

“Aren’t you going to change your clothes?”

“Whatever for?”

“Don’t you want to keep your suit clean? Otherwise, my mama will think you were rolling around in the mud just for fun.” Lily flicked his nose once for emphasis. “You would just have to take it because you’d never tell her the truth.”

“And what would that truth be?”

“That I kicked your ass.”

“One—it would never happen. Two—if it did I wouldn’t have to tell your mother a blessed thing. She knows you a bit more than you give her credit for, darling. Besides, my suit will be just fine. I only need to take off the jacket and tie to take care of you.” Julian pulled away but not before leaving Lily an ephemeral taste. His stare challenged hers as he removed both items and laid them down on the ground carefully.

Lily needed audaciousness to make her words create a lurid divide between them. She slipped off her shoes and lifted the hem of her dress. “It’s a good thing you’re wearing a black shirt.”

“Really? Let me guess…so your bloodstains won’t show?” Julian strolled back to Lily. His hand snaked beneath her gown and unsnapped her garters with appalling ease.

“Ha! You’re so amusing.” Lily obeyed the pressure of his fingers and placed her foot on his thigh. She shivered as he rolled down one stocking before repeating the sensuous process. Baiting Julian suddenly became much harder. “My blood’s not going to get spilled tonight. Too bad the same can’t be said for you, Douglas.”

“I’ve already warned you about my name, Lily. Need I remind you again?”

Cool fingers curled over the tender flesh of her inner thigh. She chose her taunts deliberately. “Douglas.Douglas.Douglas.”

“Bad bitch.”

The smell of blood decayed the air. Lily waited for the animal to step through the pretty, human wrapper.

Hey Everyone!

I’ve been restructuring my 2011 Writing Goals and with that came the belated realization that I’m no good at series hopping. (I should already know this by now.) I’ve been meaning to work on my Vicious Bliss series but find Devil’s Descent to be quite bossy.

Soooo, I’ve decided to just focus on Devil’s Descent for my Claudia work. (I’m going to be focused on the My Love… novella prequel and short novel as Charlotte.)

Cool right?

Almost. See, before I can write word one of a story I have to have a cover for it. Weird, I know. What else is new? I’ve spent the past week stuck on the Devil’s Descent III cover when it finally hit me Thursday. I was using the wrong image and wrong theme! Once I figured that out, the design block had melted.

I designed all the four outstanding covers as well as redid DDII and tweaked DDI. (Now all I need to do is write them. *excited squeal*)

Without further ado, here they are:

DEVIL’S DESCENT I: purgatory

DEVIL’S DESCENT II: impure

DEVIL’S DESCENT III: divided

DEVIL’S DESCENT IV: filthy

DEVIL’S DESCENT V: bitter

DEVIL’S DESCENT VI: damnation

Hey Angst Junkies!

Just wanted to put the word out that I will begin edits on Devil’s Descent II: impure within the next week. I’ve given myself a couple of months to let the story percolate, sit on my mind, breathe…pretty much do its thing.

Next, I’m going to flesh out spots, add new things, clarify others, and give it another chapter and/or epilogue.

I expect this to take me through to the end of the year. With crossed fingers and lots of great timing, I’d like to release it at the beginning of 2011.

I just wanted you all to know so that why you’re not left wondering, “Hey! It’s been forever since the last update! Come on!”

Posting an itty, bitty post here. I was watching “The Last Mistress” and saw Julian Douglas (from Devil’s Descent) almost exactly as I imagined him! I had to share. Hopefully, these images will be a drooling aid when you read Devil’s Descent and not a, “Damnit! Claudia I imagined him entirely different and now you messed it up!”

Fu’ad Aït Aattou is his name. He’s gorgeous. Simply gorgeous. The masculinity of a man and beauty of a woman–all in one. Just like Julian!

What do you think?

Did you know Devil’s Descent I: purgatory is out on Amazon? Show your love and buy it now!

“She is undoubtedly incarnation of the word defined.”

Rachel inhaled deeply before calling his name. “Lord Douglas?”

“Yes, Mrs. Walker?”

“I mean what I said. I will do my best to keep from interfering with you two as long as Lily isn’t forced into anything she doesn’t want to do.”

“I understand.”

“All I ask is that you keep her from getting pregnant.”

Julian was far beyond the ability to blush. He had spent many a conversation with forthright mothers in his time before Ian. He also didn’t doubt this was the source of Lily’s bluntness.

“I will not impregnate your daughter, Mrs. Walker. You have my word.”

“Good. I would hate for her to go the way of her grandmother and father.”

“Oh?” Julian had the good manners not to press but was indeed curious to hear the details. Lily never shared much with Ian in regards to her family.

“Dahlia wasn’t supposed to get pregnant by Stephan’s father. Nephilim debated on whether to put her and her unborn child to death.”

“Lily’s grandfather is very powerful to have kept that from happening.”

“He is.”

“May I ask who her grandfather is?”

“Anteros.”

Julian cocked his head in faint surprise. “Indeed.”

“Yes. Perhaps then you can understand Lily’s…” Rachel glanced at her sleeping daughter, as if she expected to see the correct word floating above her head.”

“Vehemence?”

“Yes. Vehemence. Perhaps you can understand Lily’s vehemence over why she lost you. Of course, not you as you are now but as you were. Righteous anger at love’s rejection is ingrained in her blood.”

“I can see that now. I consider myself most lucky Anteros cannot strike me down—especially in how I conducted myself with Lily recently.”

“Yes, you are very lucky.”

“Thank you for taking me in your confidence, Mrs. Walker.”

“You’re welcome.”

Julian bowed low. “If you don’t mind, I will be taking my leave of you both.”

“Of course. Let me show you to the door.”

“Please don’t inconvenience yourself. I can see myself out.”

“Very well. Good night, Lord Douglas.”

“Good night, Mrs. Walker.”

“Oh, Lord Douglas?”

“I take it you have Lily’s dress?”

“Yes.”

“Please return it back as quickly as you can. It belonged to Lily’s grandmother and it’s one of her favorites.”

“Consider it done.” Julian bowed again. He walked out of the room and quickly made his way outside. Once settled in his car, Julian’s busy mind sifted through the night’s events. He wondered if he had misstepped in regards to courting Lily.

No. I didn’t. I need to be close to her again. It’s the only way to take what’s mine—her life.

Julian regarded the seat next to him. Lily’s scent lay heavy over the leather. He had to admit it was pleasing. He also had to admit much of the night was very pleasing.

I ended up fucking you, Lily. I fucked you over. We’ll see just how much farther I can do this before I send you to the bottom of that lake.

He smiled.

_____________________________

Did you know Devil’s Descent I: purgatory is out on Amazon? Show your love and buy it now!

Julian Douglas exists solely for the night he finds his human pet Lily.

Lily Walker exists solely for the night she finds peace from the nightmare that is Julian Douglas.

Julian finds Lily.

Lily suffers Julian.

In the end, who finds freedom? The master who is a slave to his pet? Or the pet who never wanted to run away from her master?

WARNING: If you like your romance sweet, your vampires gentle, and your heroines flawless—this isn’t for you. This is a dark, unconventional love story meant for readers who prefer morally ambiguous tales. There is explicit content within and is not suitable for minors.

I’m very happy to announce the release of the first book in my psychotic vampire love saga “Devil’s Descent I: purgatory” in Amazon Kindle format. Keeping in vein with all my work, it is dark, angst-filled, morally ambiguous, and meant to be read with an open mind.

EXCERPT

Lily was almost to the bathroom when the potent smell of smoke and obsession slid in like a serpent.

She froze as every instinct screamed a dire warning. Numbness spread through her body, rooting her to the floor. Afraid to be right, terrified to be wrong, Lily turned around slowly.

He was here. Standing inside her home, looking so darkly beautiful, he was here.

Julian studied her shock and smelled her fear. He smiled and sauntered over to his found pet. Stopping when only mere inches separated them, he whispered, “Hello, darling. Thank you for your rushed welcome. Manners aside, it truly saved us both a lot of time. Time, I’m sure you’ll agree would much be better served in other ways.”

He trailed his hand over her jaw. Julian looked into her eyes and smiled wider.

“Know this—I adore you, my darling, darling girl.”

Before she could utter a reply, Julian closed his hand and gripped her chin. He ignored Lily’s hiss of pain with a cruel smirk.

“I adore you to death.”

BOOK INFO

• Devil’s Descent I: purgatory
• Word Count: 46,133
• Categories: Occult & Supernatural, Erotica, Adult, Paranormal, Gothic
• DRM-Free
• International Readers Can Buy via Amazon Kindle & Amazon Kindle PC
• PDF version coming soon!

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$4.99 Kindle Edition delivered via Amazon.

Did you know you don’t need a Kindle to read Kindle titles? You can read them right on your PC! Visit Amazon for more details.

She sliced him a wicked smile. “Better white trash than what you are.”

“Put the brick down, Lily.”

“Oh, I have every intention of doing so.”

“I’m sure,” he drawled. “Is this our foreplay, darling?”

“We left that a long time ago.”

“Really. Hmm…so I take it we’re ready to go to the next step then?”

“What do you think?”

Julian eyed her lacy black bra with matching panties, garters, and torn stockings. “I think you look like a delicious mess. I think your mind is even more of a mess. In other words, I think you’re insane, Lily, and I look forward to seeing what kind of a lover that will make you. Will I be able to trust you in my bed or will I have to chain you to make sure you don’t try to stake me?”

Lily’s impudent courage faltered. Her cheeks bloomed with dangerous wonder. “I’m not crazy. You are.”

“Maybe I am. I wonder what that will mean for our courtship.”

Her hand loosened. The brick fell to the ground in a clatter of gravel. She had no words.

“I’m so glad you chose not to send that into my windshield.”

“My dress.”

“What?”

“I just wanted my dress back.”

One brow arched at the small, baby voice. “Whatever for, darling?”

“You can’t have it.”

“I don’t want it.”

“I know you don’t.” Her eyes unfocused. “I couldn’t chance you doing something to that dress just because you’re mad at me.”

“I wouldn’t have done anything unsavory to that dress, Lily. And I’m not mad at you.”

“Yes, you are. You’re always mad at me. That’s okay. I’m always mad at me too.” Lily’s legs crumpled and she fell to the ground in a heap.

Julian whistled a jaunty tune as he slowly made his way over to the unconscious girl. He nudged her with his shoe. “Out for the count, hmm?” Julian picked Lily up. Cradling her in his arms, he pressed a kiss to her forehead. “You are a mess, Lily. Eventually, I will have to clean you up. Until then…”

Julian entered the Walker home. He walked up the stairs, remembering exactly where Lily’s room was. Once he slipped her shoes off, Julian put Lily to bed as tenderly as a parent, even making sure to tuck the comforter beneath her chin.

“What happened?”

Julian smoothed Lily’s hair off her brow before facing Rachel. “The Spirit forced her into sleep.”

Silence weighted the air. Lily’s mother re-crossed her arms. “It’s already started, hasn’t it?”

The vampire had no taste for games with worried mothers. He answered her directly. “Yes. The Spirit’s trying to hold onto Lily as long as she can. Lily will probably be sleeping more than she’s awake.”

“How long?”

Julian observed her worried expression. He analyzed just how much detail he could share before Rachel’s composure crashed. “How long Lily will be sleeping at a time?”

“No. How much longer before…before…the Spirit has to let her go?”

Julian held his right hand in left, palms down and posture utterly respectful. “Six weeks.”

“Six?” The air slammed out of her. “Are you sure?”

“Not completely.”

“How sure?”

“Ninety-nine percent.”

Rachel’s head bobbed as if on a lazy current. “You just know this because?”

“Because it’s one of my bloodline’s…” Julian paused, eating the word “talent” only to replace it with, “…abilities. I can predict it with near-perfect accuracy.”

“And the one percent?”

“Fate will always have her way.”

“Mmm. Maybe Fate will take her one percent this time.”

“Maybe.” His smile sought to soothe the doubting sting his answer caused.

“I’m not blind you know.”

“Pardon?”

“The way you look at her. It’s how Stephan looked at me.”

Julian wondered at to answer her without the benefit of lies when she surprised him.

“You both looked liked you’d rather kill us than feel what you were feeling.”

“Ah. I’m transparent then.”

Rachel’s grin reminded him of her daughter’s. “Just a bit.”

He thought the question but it flew away before he could cage it. “Why did you agree to letting me court Lily?”

“Could I have stopped you? Or her?”

Julian tipped his head. “No, I can’t say that you could.”

“I believe in Fate, Lord Douglas. Sometimes it’s all that’s kept me from breaking to pieces. There’s a reason why you haven’t left yet. I’m willing to bet this farm Lily’s a big part of that.”

Agitation made him lift his chin in defiance. “My reasons are many.”

“I’m sure they are.”

Julian studied the armoire crouched against the wall like a woodland guardian. “You’re wise beyond your years, Mrs. Walker.”

“Pain has a way of transforming one.”

“That it does.” His voice gentled like the sweetest sigh. “So does vengeance.”

Rachel came into the room. “Lily never meant you harm.”

“Madam, I am afraid to inform you don’t know your daughter as well as you think. Just minutes ago I had to ponder whether she was going to throw a brick into my car or against my head.”

Their shared laughter echoed softly. “She is a spitfire that’s for sure.”

Lily collapsed to a few inches of skin. His tongue rasped over and over again, tasting the hard bit of flesh with a vulgar smile. She hissed and moaned his name. Lily thrashed, half-mad from Julian’s vampire blood and Julian himself.

He pulled his shirt up over her head, leaving Lily exposed to his dead stare.

“Are you going to eat me now, Julian?”

“Not yet. You’re not my food.”

“Then what am I?” Lily’s legs shook with periodic regularity.

“My trophy. My whore. My cunt. My halo.”

Her stomach roiled in delirious disgust. “I’m your angel now?”

“No. My noose.” Julian’s finger slid down her side. He watched the muscles coil and quiver helplessly. “Pull down your panties, Lily. Let me see my pussy.”

Her neck splotched in embarrassment. “No. I don’t want to do that. Not yet.”

“No?” Julian cocked his head. The fringe of his hair dipped low over his brow. His gold stare promised punishment. “We’re past these push and pull games, Lily. I want to see your pussy and I want you show her to me. Do it.”

Lily resisted the urge to look away. She ignored the confused lust birthed at Julian’s vicious command. “I said no.”

“Isn’t this what you always wanted, Lily?” Julian sidled closer. He breathed in her ear. “I know you hated the kind, considerate lover Ian promised to be. I’m giving you what you want.”

Lily’s temper flared nastily. “Typically girls like a bit of seduction before being assaulted with cussing and orders. Hell, Julian! I thought you were some notch to put on my belt. Guess I was wrong. I can get better from—”

Julian’s hand rested on her mound. “Finish that sentence and I’ll strangle you.” He tasted the corner of her mouth. His tongue teased it, withdrawing when she sighed in plaintive need. “Don’t tell me how to seduce you, Lily. I already know what you need.”

Her arms arched up as he cupped her harder. Lily couldn’t help but feel that this was wrong. Where was the love and kindness? Respect? Affection? Something better than being treated like…

Like a whore.

“Do you talk to Nicole like this?”

Julian’s fingers crept to the bottom of her underwear. “Of course not. She’s not dirty like you.”

Lily exploded. Her fist slammed against his ear. Julian stumbled for a few feet. Too enraged to wonder if her strength was a result of a vampire high or the Spirit, Lily yanked his shirt off. She threw it at him with a curse. “You bastard! Fuck you, Julian! Fuck you—you fucking piece of shit! I hate you—do you hear me? I fucking hate you, you fucking cock sucking, skeleton humping, dog-banging piece of vampire SHIT!”

Lily spit at him before running the half-mile back her house and his car. She didn’t give a damn what Julian thought of her. He wasn’t even worth the time to say his stupid name.

The Jaguar appeared. Lily’s limbs throbbed with adrenaline. She doubted he left it open. Lily spied the brick edging. She picked one up and weighed it in her hand.

“Could you be any more white trash, brat?”

She writhed in terrible bliss. Lily crashed into Julian’s marvelously blue stare. Lighter than the crystallized sky, it ate into her with ice teeth. Lily fixated on everything and nothing. Julian’s lips were moving. Tiny, elegant movements orchestrated to obliterate all of her.

I don’t want to think. Shut-up! Shut your filthy mouth, Julian! Stop talking. Stop talking. Stop talking.

“I will not.” His fingers bit into her jaw, pressing the skin over her teeth until her mouth hung open. “I think you should, my dearest little girl, before you embarrass us both.”

Lily didn’t realize she had been chanting her thoughts out loud, over and over again. Alone in her mind, alone in her conviction, she had become a broken record. Seeking to find that which had never really existed; searching for that someone who had existed only in her head.

Something hot, sticky, and foreign slinked inside the protected parts of her memories. It wrapped around the pretty box scored with Ian’s name and likeness. Dark, dirty, and obscene it soiled all those precious vignettes bearing the likeness of the demon vampire holding her aloft.

The pictures in Lily’s mind singed. Never the same. Always damaged. Always incomplete. A falsity to being an honest representation of the past.

That’s what being next to Julian Douglas did to a person like Lily.

He dirtied her with his peculiar brand of truth. It couldn’t be refuted…only denied. Denied until she screamed herself hoarse. Denied until she spewed blood. Denied until she believed it too.

Lily thought this all in the span of a stuttered breath. She shook her head like a demented thing, seeking to throw his restraint off. Julian followed her, always following, always pressing, always opening, always…always…always.

“Tell me what you want, Lily. Tell me.”

Short, hard bursts of sound gouged through the madness infesting her. It screwed into Lily, deflating her rebellion. Her borrowed power ebbed, dying an uneventful demise. It disappeared. No trace of superhuman abilities, only a body racked with severe chills and the type of sweat accompanied by high fevers.

“I’ll keep feeding you drops of my blood if you don’t give me what I want. I’ll break your legs to keep you from running…your arms just because. Do you think they’ll heal straight?”

Lily’s molars cut the inside of her cheeks. The blood tasted foul, a cheap, disgusting substitution of his. Her head jerked forward and back. Her jaw ached from the pressure of his fingertips. Her tongue flopped, making speech nothing more than a clumsy effort to appear human.

“Tell me, you little bitch! Tell me!” Julian pushed her head back. An insidious urge to snap her neck leapt upon him. Lily’s face paled into a small stone circlet. Perhaps she saw the beast pressing him to kill her and be done with it all. Her black gaze reached out. It sucked him in and smothered him like tar.

Julian shuddered from disgust. Being this close to Lily, scenting her, tasting the tiny particles of sweat covering her skin, taking her into his body as surely as he flowed into hers, made him forget. It made him forget the humiliation he suffered at her hands, at hands such as hers.

So great is my rage, so great is this insidious need to push her away even as I drag her back by her ridiculous hair.

Her coloring was too much. Black hair, black eyes, dusky skin promising swarthiness if exposed too long in the sun…all of it too much.

Julian longed for the peace his eyes found when in the presence of pale hair, eyes, and skin. A long, lithe, willowy frame fit his arms so tenderly, promising companionship without confusion. Lily’s body, small as it was, rioted with curves. It muddled it his body, this juxtaposition of tiny stature and a woman’s lushness.

Pinpricks of color bloomed beneath his fingers. Julian’s insides coiled. Lily’s blood, her wretched, impure, disgusting concoction of instinct and impunity dragged him closer. His mouth touched her chin. He closed his eyes, head moving slightly as if hearing the symphony of life and death play between them.

“Lily, you are filthy creature. If I caged you up, locked you far away from prying eyes, how long would it take to turn you into an animal? A week? A day? How long, Lily? Should we try? No? That’s too bad. I am going to lock you up, you know. I’m going to lock you up in cage right in front of the whole world.”

Lily bent her head until it rested against his. She whined. Inevitability had already chained her to him long ago.

“Tell me, Lily. Call me by name.” Julian slid his hand away. Lily’s mouth hung open obscenely. He pulled back to look at her. Limp, sweaty hair, glazed eyes, and puffing breath all created a tableau of sexual satiation.

A lie, like so many of the ones between them. A beautiful one though.

Lily’s entire body fixated on Julian’s lips. She wanted to taste and ravish him. The wish that she could have a penis, if only for an hour, just to fuck him senseless shocked her.

Only a little.

She never would have birthed this deviant thought for Ian. However, Julian made her hard, wicked, and immoral.

He wanted her to call him by name. As if he could draw her closer by making her pronounce those gliding syllables. Stupid man. Julian already had her in his net.

Lily open and shut her mouth, imagining herself as his fish. His dinner to cut open, consume, and take into him. It sickened even as it made her press closer. Her tongue slipped out and tasted the corner of his exquisite mouth.

“Julian.”

He rushed forward and slammed her against a tree. Lily’s sharp cry hushed into a trembling moan. Julian’s mouth, his precious, gorgeous, hurtful, sharp, terrible mouth attached itself over her virgin nipple.