The hardest part of being a creative person is the constant self doubt that you live in. The last few weeks have been incredibly hard for me regarding self doubt because I wrote what I consider my best book yet, Buried, and after that I felt hollow and wondered if I had it in me to write another book.
Everyone goes through this. This impostor syndrome.
The important thing is to not make any rash decisions during this time. I nearly did and looking back today, I would feel terrible if I had gone through with my idea that I shouldn't be an author anymore because I love writing stories more than anything in the world.
So if you're doubting yourself, or waiting for a sign, this is it. Get your butt in that chair and carry on writing, painting or singing because you CAN do it!
Have you Pre-Ordered Bullseye yet?
Imagine just sitting on a park bench, or walking down a street, or just sitting on your balcony enjoying a cup of coffee and suddenly you're dead. Shot in the head by a serial killer who likes his deadly aim, and collects pieces of your skin as a prize. Marking you as his Bullseye.
Get your copy now!
For those of you looking for other reads while waiting for my next release you can check out these amazing books:
The Ghost Sensitive
Sometimes a gift feels like a curse.
Night terrors have stalked Nicole Haugen since she was a child. Transferring to a prestigious university in Savannah, Georgia, sounded like a fresh start, but the city is haunted by its past and its spirits are restless.
Molly Thompson is skeptical of her roommate Nicole’s wild ghost stories. When a paranormal investigation society draws the two young women into a dangerous world filled with tragedy, shadowy figures, and whispers in the dark, their friendship threatens to unravel, along with their sanity.
From crumbling estates to abandoned asylums, their research into the supernatural blurs the line between real and imagined. As Nicole’s power to communicate grows, the dead arrive with a warning—an unseen evil is watching them, waiting to claim its next victim.
If you enjoy books by Darcy Coates, Wendy Wang, or the character-driven horror of The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson, you will love The Ghost Sensitive.
Long Paradise
An ancient mystery has returned.
Everyone wants to survive.
Everyone wants answers.
***
The Outer Layer is an enigma to its residents. Representatives from countless races and civilisations wander the many territories, hoping to unlock the secrets and progress further into its depths.
*** A
n anomaly has been detected in space by an artefact from an extinct civilisation. Ciqalo, a machine intelligence from the Wanderer civilisation, is tasked with leading the investigation in the hope of weaponizing it for a galactic war. Beatrict and Gerstial are leaders of the Alexis-Meld – a prominent Roranian collective. They control their commercial interests from the idyllic homeworld of Lillea, and expect rule of the meld to be passed to their heirs, Beatrict II, Gerstial II and Philsima. Unfortunately for them, life is never so simple. Tolren, playmate of Gerstial II, becomes a hunted fugitive, and finds himself thrust into an adventure aboard a structure in space that defies all understanding, alongside Seremend, a fellow Roranian. While the relationship between them intensifies, they race to comprehend the complexities of their new home and why they have been chosen.
What is the purpose of it all?
Blessed by Fire
The detectives of the secretive Special Investigations Department work tirelessly. They are the first and only line protecting mankind from the supernatural, and the supernatural from mankind. Detective Constables Jess Holden and Mark Curren head to the small Welsh town of Pontypridd. Their task, to investigate a haunted house, and exorcise it if needed. Something else sinister lurks in that town, nestled between picturesque valleys. It whispers in Claire’s mind. It knows her secrets, her dark twisted desires. It can help her fulfil them, to complete her horrifying wish. All she needs to do, is let it in. Caught between two supernatural foes, Mark and Jess turn to help from the unlikeliest places. Can the detectives trust their allies? Can they stop growing threat before it threatens reality itself? A compulsive thrilling horror novel, Blessed by Fire is a terrifying debut. This preview contains the first two chapters.
RE: Camelot The Complete Edition
Seventeen-year-old Arthur Godwin-Dragos finds himself much unlike his childhood heroes who fought for the grace and honor of Camelot. Banished to a bleak boarding school in England, Arthur cannot help but retreat into the fantasy of his mother’s old tales. Longing for his own destiny to assuage his loneliness and despair, Arthur withers in exile in wait for something more. In the stillness, however, the hands of fate begin to turn. Across the universe, far out of reach of time or space, the planet Avalon grows dim. The ancient sorceress Merlin awakes from a fevered dream--as prophecy calls out through the darkness. Sealed and forgotten, Morgana la Fey stirs in the dark, biding her time to strike against Merlin and Avalon. Once again must the legend of King Arthur awaken, and with the power of the mighty Excalibur, beat back the insufferable darkness once and for all.
No Way Out
You can check in, but you can't check out... at least not alive. Shortly after his arrival in a small Texas town, Detective Jack Nelson meets a stranger who claims that they've been friends for over a month. A waitress in the diner across the street from his motel recognizes Jack and tells him he's been eating at her restaurant for two months. When Jack discovers undeniable evidence that most of his memories are false, he begins to suspect that he's a subject of a mind-control experiment conducted by a secret organization. What he doesn't realize is that the motel he's staying at is owned by a powerful evil entity thriving on death and human suffering.
He also doesn't know that everyone who left this place ended up committing suicide.
SPELLBOUND, a suspense thriller --------------------------------
DAYS OF VENGEANCE, a suspense thriller
First, he murdered his wife.
Then he lost his memory.
Now he has to remember where he buried the body or his in-laws will kill him.
"Dear Frank, I know you killed your wife, and I can prove it..."
After receiving this note, Frank Fowler, a man suffering from amnesia, begins to suspect he may have murdered his wife Kelly, who vanished three days before he lost his memory. The bad news is Kelly's family has the same suspicions and will stop at nothing to make him remember what he has done to their beloved sister and where he buried her body.
Frank's search for answers becomes a fight for survival after he recalls that his wife's relatives are a clique of ruthless serial kidnappers serving a mysterious one-legged man. His chances are slim: one of the in-laws is a cop and another is a multimillionaire.
However, the question still remains: Why did he kill his wife?
Frank's options are limited: he either finds his wife's body or dies. In his race against time Frank has all the clues to the puzzle, he just needs to remember them before it's too late.
The Blood Stone: Curse of the Drakku Book One
He slays dragons for a living. Now he’s on a mission to wipe them from existence.
Lailoken longs to slit the throat of the beasts who abducted his wife. And with the winged monsters raining havoc on the northern lands, the vengeful dragonslayer’s bloody skills have never been in higher demand. Finally granted the chance to rescue his long-lost love in exchange for a dangerous, magical gem, he sharpens his sword for the quest of his life.
Venturing deep into enemy territory to collect the dragon-killing artifact for his fanatical leader, Lailoken prays that he’ll have one more chance to hold his beautiful bride. But as his single-minded hunt for revenge reveals a darker truth, he fears he may be fighting on the side of evil.
Will Lailoken reunite with his love and slay dragonkind, or has he unwittingly triggered the realm’s destruction?
The Blood Stone is the first book in the fast-paced Curse of the Drakku fantasy series. If you like intriguing magic, powerful dragons, and honorable heroes, then you’ll love Jason J. Nugent’s epic adventure.
I don't have much news for August as a whole other than it's the best month in the world because it's my sisters birthday month. For those of you who don't know my sister is my best friend, soul mate and Mom all rolled up into one awesome human being. To celebrate her birthday I will be giving away an eCopy of The Butcher Books Box Set. You must have a kindle address to enter. All you have to do is visit www.facebook.com/groups/sianslittlenightmares on the 29th August and wish Jackie the happiest of birthdays. You get a bonus entry if you include a picture and two bonus entries if you include a gif :)
Set a reminder so you don't forget! I'll be checking it out.
Soon to be available for Pre-Order is Belladonna! A Mermaid horror story with fishy twist! I decided to share the first chapter of Belladonna here with you. It's unedited so please bear this in mind while you're reading it!
Chapter One
The Knowle family had been fishermen for as far back as the lineage could be traced, which was to Old Man Kristoff Knowle in the eighteen hundreds. They had always been fishermen, it was their bread and butter, and little had changed in that way over the centuries passed since Kristoff first stepped onto a boat in a last and desperate attempt to feed his family.
Presently, Patrick Knowle was the owner of Knowles Enterprises and, although he was the CEO of the company, he liked to get his hands dirty and get involved in the fishing himself. His family believed in leading by example.
A single man in his late thirties, Patrick had loved fishing with his Paw-Paw and his father as a child, and nothing had changed. Even on his weekends off he took out his yacht and went fishing, cooking whatever he caught for dinner that day.
He had a beautiful home on the ocean, and the only reason he had it was to entertain guests, or he would simply live on his boat, the way many of his family members had at some point or another in their history.
Many eligible women came to these parties hoping to ‘net’ Patrick into marrying them. Some were elegant ladies from rich families who wanted to make a good match, while others were rough and tumble fishing girls who shared his passion and wanted someone they could be happy with. None caught Patrick’s eye. He wasn’t lonely, not in the slightest; he just preferred his own company and didn’t want anyone infringing on his freedom. He liked being able to do what he liked, when he liked it, without having to answer to someone for something, or be responsible for another person. Even as CEO he didn’t consider himself ‘responsible’ for the employees and often told them, if they worked hard and did well, they would always have a job, it was that simple.
With the company catering to Patrick’s every whim, he left the more administrative duties to his younger sister who seemed to have a knack for it. Penelope had always been business-minded, not really caring for fishing other than knowing it brought in the money. She lived near Patrick, in an even fancier house. In fact, she bought Patrick his place to begin with, and she furnished and decorated it, and made sure it was stocked with food. She did everything for Patrick and all he had to do was fish, which was how he liked it.
The only occasions he would sacrifice time out from fishing was to visit his nephews, Horus and Jude. Sometimes he took them fishing with him. It was tradition in the family to pass down the fishing legacy and Patrick was very traditional. He wasn’t planning on having children of his own - God, he was too selfish to do that - so he had to ensure his nephews at least appreciated the love for fishing their family had.
His brother-in-law was a big shot lawyer in the city and he barely knew how to cast a line, therefore Patrick couldn’t leave it to him to teach the boys anything. If it were up to Kyle, he would have both boys become lawyers or doctors or something along those lines, but Patrick needed a male heir to take over the company, so he made it his prerogative to educate the boys better than that.
Horus wasn’t great at fishing, but loved his uncle and always looked forward to the outings. Jude took fishing seriously and kept a little notebook of the fish he caught, how much they weighed and how long they were. Both boys loved to gut the fish, as only boys could, really, and knew how to descale, debone and cook the catch.
Patrick took pride in knowing he was passing on this tradition and, with his nephews by his side, he never longed for children of his own.
_____
It was a bright sunny Saturday morning when Patrick decided to try his luck on his yacht. He felt today would be a good day for fishing, and he was seldom wrong. He showered and got dressed and took a stroll to the dock. He didn’t need to bring anything because his small yacht had everything stocked and ready for him to leave at a moment’s notice.
Casting off, he guided the vessel through the small marina he was in and headed to open waters. He didn’t have to go far, just far enough to forget about life for a while. He dropped anchor and set about getting his gear ready, popping open a can of beer and setting it beside his chair at the back of his yacht. He cast his line and sat down, enjoying the peace and quiet that the ocean had to offer him. Nothing could break this amazing peace, except a tug at his line, and that was a most welcome break.
He spent hours simply sitting there, playing with his line, waiting for something to take a bite, all the while letting his mind wander aimlessly.
Around noon his line tautened and he quickly grabbed it, yanking it back hard to hook the fish, before reeling it in. It was a strong one, but Patrick gently guided the rod this way and that, knowing when to reel and when to give slack, before he saw the fish rising to the surface.
Securing his rod in its holster in front of his chair so the fish couldn’t pull it into the water, Patrick quickly got his net and scooped the fish out of the ocean and onto the deck.
It flopped and flipped, desperate for air that only water could provide. It was a big blue-fin tuna, weighing at least fifty pounds and quite long. Patrick smiled brightly, careful not to let its fins cut him. He picked up his harpoon and speared it through the head; after a few moments and a few more stabs, the fish stopped moving.
Patrick was about to prepare to cast again when his phone went off and he checked it. It was a reminder for a party at his sister’s house that evening, a party he had to attend because it was for work. He sighed, glancing back at the open ocean longingly. He could easily just sail off and never look back if he didn’t have the company to worry about.
He went to the helm, hoisting anchor so he could sail back to civilisation, the bane of his existence. He would need time to prepare for a party, physically and mentally. He would have to be gracious, and nice, and polite, and engage in conversation. Hopefully he could steal away and talk fishing with his nephews for a while; that would at least make the party a little interesting.
_____
“You’re late,” Penelope hissed as she opened the door for him.
“Well, hello to you, too,” Patrick said, shrugging out of his jacket and hanging it up on a hook in the wall.
“Hurry up,” Penelope quipped, taking his arm and leading him into the entertainment room. “Look who has made an appearance,” she announced, and everyone cheered, many coming forward to greet Patrick and shake his hand.
Penelope let go of his arm and went off to do who-knows-what, leaving Patrick to mingle. Instantly talk turned to work and stock market shares and how poorly everyone seemed to be doing, except Patrick.
“Always a good run of luck, your family has had,” a rather drunk older man was saying. “From the first time your ancestor stepped onto a fishing boat to now your family has ruled the seas.”
“Like Triton or Neptune,” his elderly companion added excitedly, gazing up a Patrick.
Patrick gave a pained smile and nodded. “Indeed, we have been fortunate, but it’s all through hard work.”
“Sheer dumb luck,” the drunkard continued. “You’re lucky there’s always a demand for fish. You basically have your business handed to you on a silver platter.”
“Only if I have caught it myself,” Patrick joked, and everyone, including the drunkard, roared with laughter.
Patrick continued to talk to several people and quickly grew bored, wishing he was still out on the ocean. He had a tuna to gut when he got home; that was something to look forward to.
He spotted his nephews talking quietly in the corner of the room and excused himself to go speak to them.
“Uncle Patrick!” they cried joyously, launching at him with arms wide to hug him.
Patrick put his arms around his nephews and said, “You won’t believe what I caught today.”
“What?” Jude asked immediately.
“A blue fin tuna about this big.” Patrick let them go and held his hands apart to show them how big it had been.
They immediately gushed over his catch and asked him for details, which he happily provided.
“Boys,” Penelope said, “stop hogging your Uncle Patrick. He has guests to attend to.”
Patrick winked at them and said, “We’ll talk more later.”
He let Penelope guide him back to the boring guests still discussing business and the stock markets, things Patrick had absolutely zero interest in.
Eventually it all got too much and he excused himself again, this time heading to the balcony for a smoke. He leaned against the railing, looking out over the bay, and lit a menthol cigarette, taking a deep drag. As he exhaled, he looked down at the rocks below and wondered if he would die if he leapt over the balcony now.
Probably, he thought, since his head would be crushed. He would at the very least be in a lot of pain, if not crippled. He chuckled to himself about his absurd thoughts and took another deep drag of his cigarette, enjoying the warm smoke filling his lungs as the cold wind brushed against him from the water. It smelt of salt and fish and heaven, and Patrick got lost for a moment in the wonder and peace of it.
The sliding door opened and a beautiful young woman stepped onto the balcony to join him, fumbling around in her purse for her lighter, an unlit cigarette between her fingers.
“Here,” Patrick said gruffly, mildly irritated that his peace had been interrupted. He flicked his lighter on and held it out.
“Oh, thank you,” the young woman said, leaning in to light her cigarette, taking a drag as she leaned back, and then exhaled a cloud of smoke.
“So you’re Patrick,” she said. “I’m Eleanor.” She switched her cigarette to her other hand so she could hold out her right hand to shake his.
“Well, you know who I am,” Patrick commented. “It’s a pleasure,” he added in case she was someone important.
“You can drop the act,” Eleanor commented, moving to lean against the railing. “I can see you want to be here about as much as I do.”
“Which is not at all?” Patrick chuckled, taking a drag of his cigarette.
“My father forces me to go to these …” She paused, inhaling her drag of her cigarette and exhaling as she said, “… events.”
“My sister forces me; you’d think we were children.”
“Poor us,” Eleanor responded, watching him. “However would we live if they didn’t command our every move?”
“We wouldn’t,” Patrick confirmed with a nod. “We’d be hopelessly lost, probably left for dead somewhere.”
“Or having wild adventures no one ever dreamed of.”
“I’m not the adventurous type,” Patrick admitted, “but give me a boat, a fishing rod and the open sea, and I’m pretty much happy doing that.”
“So you really are all about fishing?” Eleanor asked, but it sounded rhetoric, so Patrick neither confirmed nor denied it. “What shall we do to pass the time?” Eleanor asked after Patrick snubbed out his cigarette.
“I should probably go back inside,” he confessed, “but I’m not entirely keen to do that.”
“Tell me about your fishing,” Eleanor said.
Patrick watched her for a moment and then moved away, collecting two chairs from the other side of the balcony and bringing them to where Eleanor stood.
“You may want to sit; according to my sister, once I start talking about fishing, I do not stop.”
“I like a passionate person,” Eleanor said, taking a seat on the chair, watching as he sat opposite her.
“So …” Patrick began, launching into the different kinds of fishing he liked to do, where he liked to fish and what he did with the fish he caught.
From there Eleanor asked about his family history and he told her how far back fishing went in the family and why it was such an important tradition.
Patrick was enthusiastic as he spoke because this was something he loved to talk about. Eleanor was so easy to talk to that he found he didn’t want to stop talking. She was engaging and asked all the right questions. She didn’t pretend to find him funny, or make stupid comments that irritated him. Hell, he even thought she was okay to look at as far as women went.
They were interrupted by the sound of the balcony door opening and his sister sweeping out. “Patrick. Eleanor. Here you two are. What on earth are you doing out here in the cold?”
“Discussing work,” Eleanor said without missing a beat. “I find your brother fascinating, Penelope.”
Patrick gave her a small smile and Penelope looked between them with raised eyebrows.
“You are, however, right; it is getting quite chilly outside. Patrick, please excuse me for just a moment while I go get my coat and we can continue our conversation.”
Patrick nodded and stood up as she did, ever the well brought up gentleman. He waited until she disappeared before he turned his attention to his sister.
“I’m surprised,” Penelope said, “but pleased. She’s a good match.”
“Why does your mind automatically go there, Penny,” he asked, “when you know perfectly well I have no interest in that department.”
“In continuing our blood line? Our heritage? Our family name?” Penelope shot at him.
“What is this? The Dark Ages? It’s got nothing to do with family names, and all to do with stocks and bonds and you’re well aware of that,” Patrick snapped.
“And in our family, it’s about the name,” Penelope snapped back. “As you well know, in the will and the company documents, the company passes to a male heir.”
“Good thing you had boys then,” Patrick pointed out.
Penelope shook her head. “You know what, there is no point with you.”
She went inside without another word and Patrick was glad she left. He found his packet of cigarettes and lit another one, inhaling deeply. He had gone from exuberantly talking about fishing to being extremely grumpy because of his sister and her insane expectations. He was who he was; she needed to accept that now.
He returned to the railing and leaned his arms on it, looking out at the reflection of lights on the water and listening to the gentle laps of the waves below. He looked down at the rocks, again imagining falling, when he saw it.
It was like a reflection of light, but it was moving in the water. Like something floating; no, it was definitely something swimming just beneath the surface and, whatever it was, iridescently shining as it moved. It was attached to something pale … was that a person? It was moving so quickly he could not tell. It attained the rocks and two hands reached out above the surface. It was definitely a person. Had someone fallen in the water?
Patrick leaned over the railing to get a better look and what he saw made his mouth nearly drop to the floor. A girl, in the freezing water, attempted to pull herself out. The waves were too strong, though, and kept drawing her back.
He needed to help her.
“I’ll get help!” he yelled, and she quickly looked up at him.
She must have lost her grip on the rocks because she plummeted into the water once more with a gasp of surprise.
Patrick ran into the party area and yelled, “Quickly, someone help! There’s someone in the water.”
He didn’t wait for an answer as he rushed through the guests, passed his sister and brother-in-law, Eleanor and his nephews, and out of the house. He knew the path well and it didn’t take him long to navigate down towards where the rocks started.
He leaned over as far as he could to see, but there was no one. He kicked his shoes off and dived into the water, his body screaming from the sudden shock of the icy water enveloping him. He swam towards where he had seen her, where he thought he had seen her, but couldn’t see anything in the darkness. He heard shouts above him and looked up, noticing people leaning over the balcony and watching him.
“Can you see a girl?” he called.
“No!” various voices yelled back to him.
A strong wave hit him in the back and he slammed into the rocks.
Everything went black
_____
I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. Watch out for the Pre-Order going up this week! Don't forget to pre-order your copy! All Pre-Orders are a special price only until the day of release, at which time I change them to full price.
In closing I'm going to share two amazing promos with you guys! Check out the amazing titles available and grab some for yourself!
Have an amazing August and happy woman's day for the 9th of August (and Happy birthday Jax for the 29th)
Don't forget to lock your doors!
Sian B. Claven
All Genre Giveaway - Check it out here -> https://storyoriginapp.com/to/7tJF3nh
Recesses of the Mind Giveaways. Check it out here -> https://storyoriginapp.com/to/vYed7D6
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