Thursday, December 18, 2025

INTERVIEW WITH SZ ESTAVILLO (The Serpent's Order- from The Serpent Series

 



Today we're welcoming SZ Estavillo to the page.

Supernatural Central Short and Quick Interview

  1. Tell me a little bit about your main character of this book.

The Serpent’s Order actually follows two main characters told through dual points of view: Detective Anaya Nazario and Von Schlange. They exist on opposite ends of the law, yet both are driven toward the same goal—just through very different means.

Detective Anaya Nazario is a recovering alcoholic, a workaholic, and someone who carries the weight of every case she touches. She’s relentless, deeply principled, and committed to catching the worst of the worst. Her strength comes from her vulnerability—she’s flawed, human, and fighting to stay on the right side of her own demons while she pursues justice.

Von Schlange, on the other hand, is a vigilante who once operated as a serial killer targeting men who escaped justice. Over time, she’s been folded into an elite off-the-books federal black ops unit and now works as an assassin. She’s not in a physical prison, but she’s imprisoned in a different way—bound by her agreement with the government and by her own inability to stop killing. Violence has become both her skillset and her sentence.

The tension between these two women—one sworn to uphold the law, the other built to break it—forms the backbone of the story. Despite their opposing methods, they’re more alike than either of them would ever admit, which makes their intersecting arcs both volatile and compelling.

2. Do you believe in the paranormal, and if so, do you have an experience you can share?

Yes, I do believe in the paranormal. In fact, when I first wrote The Serpent’s Bridge, one of the original POV characters was a psychic. I loved writing her—her voice felt believable, grounded, and added a layer of mystery that really resonated with me.

But ultimately, I realized that blending a detective thriller with a paranormal element could muddy the genre for readers. Thriller readers expect a certain level of realism, and adding psychic abilities—no matter how authentically they were portrayed—created a bit of a genre mismatch. So, I made the difficult decision to remove that element.

Even so, I truly enjoyed writing that character, and I absolutely believe there are things in this world we can’t explain. I like to think there are mysteries, energies, and experiences that sit just beyond our understanding, and exploring that—whether in fiction or in real life—is something that still fascinates me.

3. What titles are you working on now that you can tell us about?

The Serpent’s Order (book 4) book is part of an ongoing series. The next installment is titled The Serpent of Flesh and Fire. It continues Von Schlange’s arc as a lethal assassin working in the shadows — but this time, the story also explores her deepening connection with a fellow assassin who becomes her love interest. When the two are separated and he disappears under dangerous circumstances, Von is forced to track him down before it’s too late.

Like the previous books, this one is told through three POVs: Detective Anaya Nazario, Xander Holt, and Von Schlange. Their storylines intersect as they hunt a drug dealer responsible for a new, deadly strain of tranq dope hitting the streets. The book raises the stakes emotionally and operationally, pushing all three characters into darker, more vulnerable territory.



The Serpent’s Order
The Serpent Series
Book 4
SZ Estavillo

Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Oliver-Heber
Date of Publication: February 10, 2026
ASIN: B0FX5TFVLP
Number of pages: 314
Word Count: 90, 219
Cover Artist: Oliver-Heber

Tagline: An assassin bound by obedience. A detective marked for death. A cartel war with no survivors.

Book Description:

Von Schlange thought she’d escaped her past. Now Black Nova owns her—an elite, off-the-books task force where obedience is survival and failure means death. As their newest assassin, she’s unleashed on targets tied to Jaxon Ryker, a drug lord buried deep in the Alaskan wilds.

Her partner, Xander Holt, a former Navy SEAL with ice in his veins, lives by the same brutal code: no attachments, no lines crossed. But as missions turn bloody, the fragile boundary between partner and lover begins to blur—and desire becomes its own kind of danger.

Across the country, Detective Anaya Nazario faces a nightmare of her own. A synthetic “zombie drug,” deadlier than fentanyl and immune to Narcan, is ripping through Los Angeles. Her investigation exposes a network of dirty cops shielding Ryker’s empire—and puts a target squarely on her back.

Two women on opposite fronts. One war against corruption and cartel power. And a single truth—every betrayal leaves a body behind.

Explosive, unrelenting, and razor-sharp, The Serpent’s Order propels the Serpent Series into its most dangerous chapter yet—where justice is a myth, and survival comes at a price paid in blood.

Book Trailer:

https://www.tiktok.com/@szestavillo.author/video/7573464953785535774

 

 

Excerpt:

 

Darkness pressed against her eyes. The air carried no warmth, only a damp cold that burrowed into her marrow. The metallic taste on her tongue sharpened. Air scraped colder against her throat. Every nerve screamed awake as the chemical fog bled out of her veins. It was easy to fend off the hazy pull of delirium when it felt like she was sitting in an ice box. Frigid salty air wrapped her in an arctic grip, numbing her body. The sound of the seas never betrayed its location, offering no clues as to her whereabouts until the blackout hood was lifted.

Her surroundings winked awake, blurring slowly into focus. Faint traces of soot and aged timber amplified the cabin’s solitude. As her vision sharpened, the first thing she saw was the rugged glaciers looming beyond the drafty windows. Snow consumed the landscape, a frozen expanse as thick as packed sugar, burying the world beneath at least twenty inches of wintery silence. At a distance, she could hear how the ocean roiled, a wild, restless beast, while the bitter subzero terrain stretched in stark harmony with the gray horizon.

Groggy, her eyes roamed in search of Zeus, panic setting in, forcing her heart to quicken until she spotted him across the room in a dark corner. Her head felt like a thousand-pound weight pressed down on her skull, each pulse of pain a hammer striking her temples. She found herself passed out on a lounger that looked to be a decade old—at least her kidnappers, or rather, her new boss—had the courtesy to leave her somewhere relatively comfortable. At the sound of her steps, Zeus lifted his head, tail thumping against the rickety wooden floorboards, though not quite making it to his feet.

It looked like she wasn’t the only one trying to shake herself out of the cocktail she’d been injected with, as Zeus tried to drag himself up. She knelt beside him and massaged his legs, trying to coax circulation back into his limbs. After a few minutes, Zeus soldiered to his feet, the kneading doing the trick. Von exhaled, tension ebbing at the reassuring presence of her loyal companion. She ambled back to the kitchen, taking in her surroundings while Zeus kept time with her steps. A thin film of dust coated the kitchen counters and cupboards, telling her that time had been the lonely cabin’s sole friend for a long while.

She rooted around, discovering there were enough dishes for one person, and the fridge had been stocked with salads and fruit. At least her mysterious employer had the decency to respect her food preferences. They even left a bowl of dried dog food and water for Zeus. How thoughtful. She smirked at their attention to detail as she headed to the bedroom—and then she saw it.

Sitting dead center on the bed, the phone was waiting for her.

Sleek, black, and unbranded—just a smooth slab of technology with no markings or logos, nothing to indicate who made it. While it appeared to be just another typical high-end smartphone, Von knew better. This wasn’t an ordinary device. It was a leash. She picked it up. Lighter than she expected. No buttons, no ports, no removable SIM card. Completely sealed. The kind of hardware designed to be untouchable, tamper-proof. Not to be trusted. The screen stayed dark for a ten-count before flickering to life, awakened by a simple touch. The interface was equal parts minimalist and sterile.

Nothing personal. No apps. No browser. Just a lone notification, already there.

“Welcome to Black Nova.”

She flipped it in her hand, examining it. There wasn’t even a password prompt, fingerprint, or facial recognition scan. Von wasn’t logging in. She was already in—immediate access like it knew her. Then she remembered where she’d seen one before: Jefferson Pierce. Former Marine-turned-hacker, an asset for the FBI. Asset. The word twisted in her stomach, acidic and biting. She recalled the words—“federal asset”—before her world went black. Right before they took her.

“Silent Circle—” Jefferson had called it.

“A what?” She recalled how her brows had knitted together, confused over the unfamiliar phone. “Never heard of it.”

“Military-grade. Locked down tight. End-to-end encrypted calls and messages.”

“Sounds a bit paranoid,” Von had said.

“For what I do—I gotta be. Safest, most private phone out on the market.

She recognized it now. Its black matte finish and elegant, no-nonsense style. But it wasn’t hers—it was theirs. A direct line to the people who had dragged her into this. Her permission not needed. Her choices, her next movements, her next breath would be dictated, assigned. The second she thought this, the phone rang. She stared at it, letting it ring three times before quietly answering.

“You’re awake. Good. Commander Lucian Cain here, in case your memory needs a little reminder,” a calm, authoritative voice began. “Let’s see if we didn’t make a mistake bringing you into the fold.”

“Where the hell am I?”

“Kodiak Island.”

“Fucking Alaska?”

“Impressed you know your geography—most people don’t know where Kodiak Island is,” Cain said. “Before we officially begin, you must complete our test.”

“And if I fail?”

“Don’t think failure’s in your DNA,” he said, then switched to German, “Schlangenfrau.”

She hadn’t intended to assume the title of the Serpent Woman, not before the brutal attack that dragged her to the edge of death. Her guts shredded, body mutilated and left infertile, stripped of the capacity to bear life. A monstrous snake-like crimson keloid scar now etched its path along her abdomen, sewn back up like an object in a sterile lab—efficiently reconstructed like a modern Frankenstein experiment, an uncanny patchwork that left her hollow.

Von Schlange—Schlangenfrau—the Serpent Woman had become her signature.

 

About the Author:

As a BIPOC thriller author, she previously parted amicably with her agent and, three months later, secured an eight-book deal with Oliver-Heber Books—now boasting 24,000 downloads in its first year and a BookRaid bestseller ranking in the thriller category. The Serpent Woman (Book 2) reached #1 on Amazon and topped all three of its categories. Her background spans literary agencies and TV studios, where she contributed to greenlit screenplays that became Lifetime movies. She holds a Master’s in Television, Radio, and Film, has taught author branding workshops (L.A. Writer’s Conference, North Texas RWA), and maintains a 100K+ social media following.










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Wednesday, December 17, 2025

THE CHRISTMAS KNOCKOUT by Wren Valentino

 



The Christmas Knockout
Wren Valentino

Genre: M/M Romance
Publisher: Blue Dasher Press 
Date of Publication: 12/5/2025
ASIN: B0G5B8G3H1
Word Count: 5K

Cover Artist: James at GoOnWrite.com

Tagline: When a lonely reporter meets a legendary fighter, Christmas delivers its sweetest knockout.

Book Description: 

A steamy, romantic Christmas Eve encounter between a lonely reporter and a charming boxing champion. When journalist Grayson Lane meets newly out boxing star Sergio Cavallo, their interview quickly turns into an unexpected escape from a stuffy gala and a night filled with honesty, heat, and holiday vulnerability. In Grayson’s tiny apartment, sparks fly and two lonely men discover a connection neither saw coming.

Excerpt:

Dressed as formally as his casual wardrobe allowed, Grayson arrived sans tie at the staff entrance of a local banquet hall. It was only a few blocks away from the three-story building where the newspaper had occupied for nearly a hundred years, and a short walk from his one-bedroom apartment he shared with a fluffy cat named Duke. The streets were wet from a rumbling rainstorm that had decided to take a short break, much to Grayson’s luck. Sparkling Christmas lights shimmered in puddles, covering the cobblestoned alley with a palette of cozy holiday hues. The banquet hall was similar in neo-Gothic architecture as the old newspaper building. Locals swore the place was haunted just by the sight of it. Secretly, Grayson hoped it was.

He rang the entrance bell and waited, shifting his weight from foot to foot. When there was no response, he rang again. Finally, the old door creaked open, revealing a scruffy man in a tuxedo, sporting large, black-framed glasses. The man eyed Grayson for an explanation for this intrusion.

“I’m Grayson Lane,” he said. When that didn’t get him invited inside, he continued. “I’m here to interview Sergio Cavallo.”

“You’re a reporter?” the man rumbled in a gravelly voice. For a moment, Grayson half-expected to see the swirl of cigarette smoke in the air as if he’d somehow stumbled into a classic film noir.

Sir, are you related to Humphrey Bogart by any chance?

“Yes, I am,” Grayson explained, shivering.

The man glanced him over and said, “You look like a delivery boy.”

“Thanks,” he muttered. “May I see Sergio now?”

With what looked like reluctance, the man with salt and pepper wavy hair nodded and pushed the door open wider. It creaked again and Grayson couldn’t help but wonder if the spooky sound was a warning.

Once inside, Grayson was led down a series of dimly lit corridors, all with walls adorned with framed paintings of the Scottish founders of the city and, apparently, the ones responsible for the building they were moving through.

            Finally, they stopped. The man in the tuxedo knocked on a door before entering. He looked back and said to Grayson, “Come. Mr. Cavallo is waiting for you.”

            Pausing for a moment in the hallway, Grayson drew in a steadying breath, reflecting over the hours of research he’d conducted to prepare for this assignment. Exhaling, he opened the door and entered the room. Glancing around, Grayson determined he was standing in the center of a private lounge that was trying hard to be swanky but really looked like the set of an adult film, complete with dimmed lighting in not-so-subtle shades of hot pink, electric blue, and amber. The furniture was leather, and the carpet looked thick and soft.

Positioned as if he were sitting on a throne was Sergio Cavallo, looking rather distinguished in a fashionable blazer, slacks, and crisp white shirt with the top two buttons undone to reveal olive-tinged bare skin. The dark-haired Italian boxer looked like the undefeated boxing champ that he was, The King of The Ring as many commentators appropriately referred to him. No wonder many had fallen under his spell.

            What Grayson wasn’t expecting was how flushed he felt when Sergio looked into his eyes and with a delicious and very inviting smile said, “Well…hello. You’re not what I was expecting.”

            Trying to ignore the butterflies fluttering inside of him, Grayson held Sergio’s stare and responded confidently, “And neither are you. I’m Grayson Lane.”

            The boxer leaned forward. His dark brown eyes held an expression of tenderness, despite his savage reputation of being a beast of a boxer. His facial hair was a few shades lighter than the almost jet-black hair on his head and looked like a modern version of a Van Dyke. “I’m curious,” said Sergio. Grayson felt the man’s eyes wash over his body as if he were drinking water from his pores. “Grayson, am I somehow a disappointment?”

            Grayson spied an empty chair directly across from Sergio. Not waiting to be asked to sit, he took a seat, sinking into the soft leather. The comfort of the chair soothed his nerves, grounding him in the moment. “Not at all,” he said. “It’s not every day I get to interview a champion.”

            Seeming satisfied with Grayson’s answer, Sergio grinned. “I like you,” he noted.

            “Give it time,” Grayson countered with a playful tone to match the smile on his face.

            “I’m ready when you are,” Sergio said, his words dripping with hot innuendo. “For the interview, I mean.”

 

About the Author:

Wren Valentino is a multifaceted storyteller—an actor, author, entrepreneur, film producer, critic, and instructor—whose work spans stage, screen, and page. A bestselling novelist with twenty-one books across romance, thriller, young adult, and horror, he has built a reputation for crafting emotionally rich, genre-spanning narratives.

An accomplished playwright, Wren has written more than seventy stage plays produced in twelve countries and three languages. His success extends to the screen as well, with eight original screenplays and seven stage plays adapted into films. As a film producer, he has contributed to the creation of over one hundred independent movies, and as an actor, he has appeared in more than forty films.

Wren earned his Bachelor of Arts in Communications and English from Oglethorpe University, graduating with honors. He holds a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Queens University of Charlotte and completed the Professional Program in Screenwriting at UCLA.

A dedicated member of the writing community, Wren belongs to Contemporary Romance Writers, the International Screenwriters’ Association, Rainbow Romance Writers, and the Romance Writers of America, which recognized his service with a Volunteer Service Award.








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Tuesday, November 25, 2025

INTERVIEW WITH PEREGRINUS HIERUSALEMIS (THE PRINCESS OF THE WRAITHS)

 



  1. Supernatural Central Short and Quick Interview


Written by Peregrinus Hierusalemsis, author of The Princess of the Wraiths


  1. Tell me a little bit about your main character of this book.

My book is a memoir, so I am the main character of the story. I lived in Mexico while I was a child and teenager. Then I lived for some time in the United Kingdom and in Sweden, where I studied university. I studied Biology at university. I have been interested in philosophy due to 2 spiritual teachers that I had. Both were my classmates, and they are the same age as me. 

In my book I write about my life, about how I was trained by my spiritual teachers, about the difficulties I faced, and about how I faced scary enemies. Among the scary antagonists is the title character, the “Princess of the Wraiths,” who used hypnosis to produce night terrors.


  1. Do you believe in the paranormal and if so, do you have an experience you can share?

Carl Gustav Jung was once interviewed by a journalist from “The Listener” (October 29, 1959). When the journalist asked the question “Do you believe in God?” he answered “I do not believe. I know.” I think I would say something similar regarding the paranormal. I do not believe in the paranormal due to personal choice. I have witnessed events that are said to be paranormal by society. I do not say that they are totally opposite to physicalism or materialism. Who knows, maybe one day they can be explained by science. However, they are currently labeled paranormal. In old times people thought lightning was paranormal. According to ancient Roman writer Lucretius in “De Rerum Natura” people thought the Gods produced lightning. Now we know that lightning is the result of a flux of electrons due to differences in electric potential between the clouds and the Earth’s surface when there is a storm. So even if I believe in the stuff that people label paranormal, I do not necessarily think such phenomena do not have a scientific explanation. We of course cannot explain everything. Maybe one day we will be able to explain them with physicalist theories. 

Once I was very ill. I was in Athens, Greece. Then during the early morning, while I was sleeping, I woke up due to the light that was produced by a shining man. This person entered the room without opening the door. I was extremely afraid. This being visited my bedroom many times during the early morning. The next day I did not have a respiratory illness. I was cured by this angel.

   

  1. What titles are you working on now that you can tell us about?

I am writing a taxonomic revision of the microlepidoptera moths from Mexico. I work with the systematics of the Lepidoptera. This knowledge is useful for ecological studies. Alpha taxonomy allows us to have a shared language regarding organisms so they can be investigated from the points of view of ethology, biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics, biodiversity studies, or biotechnology.


The Princess of the Wraiths
Peregrinus Hierusalemsis

Genre: YA Memoir
Publisher: Books to Hook Publishing, LLC.
Date of Publication: 21st of June 2025
ISBN: 979-8-89283-269-4

Word Count: 262,705 
Cover Artist: Katarzyna Burzmińska 

Book Description:

Biologist-turned-author Peregrinus Hierusalemsis presents “The Princess of the Wraiths: an herbal, bestiary, human zoo, and memoir,” a captivating book that intertwines science, spirituality, and personal growth. This memoir offers a profound look at the intersections of love, knowledge, and resilience, all while reflecting on the author's rich experiences. 

Peregrinus describes the cultural experiences that he lived while growing up in Mexico between the years 1984 and 2002. He also discusses his later life in the United Kingdom and Sweden. During this time, the 2000s culture is explored.

At its core, the book conveys a powerful message: knowledge and wisdom are the ultimate tools for living a successful life. Through deeply personal anecdotes, Peregrinus touches on universal themes such as the influence of global events on individual lives, overcoming fears, seeking spiritual teachers, and navigating love and relationships. Richly illustrated with 94 handmade natural history and people-focused illustrations, this memoir provides not only an intellectual feast but also a visual delight. 

Key highlights include childhood fears of ghosts, mystical experiences, navigating young adult relationships, and insights into the biodiversity of our natural world. Peregrinus also sheds light on his experience avoiding toxic relationships, a lesson that inspired the title, “The Princess of the Wraiths.” The Princess of the Wraiths is a woman who is able to produce nightmares using hypnosis. Defeating her was Peregrinus’s greatest challenge. Through this work, readers will uncover how science and spirituality can coexist to offer a broader understanding of reality. 

This unique memoir is available for free online, making it an accessible and enriching read for anyone interested in exploring the depths of science, spirituality, and personal evolution.

Excerpt:

 

Regarding death, my grandmother Lorenza used to tell me an anecdote that happened to her while she was a kid. She was an orphan, so she went to live with her grandmother, who became her primary caregiver. My great-great-grandmother lived in Los Ranchos de San José, a village close to Villa Guerrero, State of Mexico. In her house, there was a black cherry tree (Prunus serotina). One night, a great horned owl (Bubo virginianus) perched on a branch of the tree and started to vocalize. My great-great-grandmother thought that such an event was an omen. She claimed that meant that she would soon die. Thus, she told Lorenza to do whatever she could to scare the owl. My grandmother Lorenza was unable to scare the owl. The owl vocalized in the same place for several nights, and my great-great-grandmother died less than a month after the owl started hooting. After the burial, Ismaela arrived to tell her niece Lorenza that she should leave the house to go to live with her, as Lorenza was still a kid. When both were leaving the house, Lorenza claimed that she did not want to leave the building, as she was able to listen to the ghostly voice of my dead great-great-grandmother who was calling her inside…

According to the Graeco-Roman Olympian religion, Ascalaphus was an angel of the Hades God. Hades is the dwelling place of the souls of the dead. The task of Ascalaphus was to snatch the souls of dying people to Hades. Ascalaphus was transformed into an owl by Persephone the Kore, the queen of Hell. Since then, owl Ascalaphus has visited dying people before they finally died. That is why Pliny the Elder stated in his “Natural History” that the Eurasian eagle-owl (Bubo bubo) was an extremely bad omen. Spanish bishop St. Isidore of Seville transferred this superstition to Christian Catholicism in his book “Etymologiae.”


About the Author:

Peregrinus Hierusalemsis is a biologist, writer, and seeker whose life has woven together science, philosophy, and spirituality. A graduate of the University of Edinburgh (2010) with a degree in biology, he has published scientific papers on biodiversity and worked in plant sciences, entomology, and molecular biology since 2009. His professional passion lies in systematics, the classification of living things, while his personal explorations reach into philosophy, metaphysics, and the world’s ancient spiritual traditions.

From early encounters with eastern philosophy in childhood karate lessons in Mexico, to late-night debates on western philosophy with friends, to the guidance of a spiritual teacher during his A-level years in the UK, Peregrinus has always sought to understand life’s hidden patterns. These experiences, alongside his scientific training, shape his unique voice which can be described as a bridge between the empirical and the mystical.

His debut work, The Princess of the Wraiths: an herbal, bestiary, human zoo, and memoir, invites readers into a journey that blends memoir with natural history, spiritual reflection, and philosophical inquiry.




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Thursday, November 13, 2025

COVER REVEAL: SELECTING THE WRONG LOVE (E. Masson and Julie G. Henry)

 




Selecting The Wrong Love 
The LoveWade Tale Series 
Book One
E. Masson and Julie G. Henry

Genre: Romance 
Publisher: Author E. Masson , LLC
Pre-Order: 02-20-2026
ASIN: B0FWX8GBLP
Cover Artist: Marina

Tagline: Three men. One future. A choice that will change everything.

Book Description:

Love can turn your life upside down. 

Sometimes more than once…

Just ask Amber…..

Amber thought she knew exactly what she wanted. 

She was wrong.

Medical school. Career. Success. Everything mapped out perfectly until three men walked into her life and turned her world upside down.

James crashed into her on campus and never really left. Sweet, steady, completely devoted. He became the friend she couldn't live without, even though his eyes promised so much more. But Amber had bigger plans than falling for a business major student.

Then Levi appeared like a gift from the universe. Gorgeous, brilliant, medical school's golden boy. When he chose her out of everyone else, Amber felt invincible. This was it. This was her perfect match.

One positive pregnancy test later, and Amber's carefully constructed future crumbled. Medical school could wait. Dreams could be rebuilt later. She married her prince and prepared for happily ever after.

What she got instead was a nightmare in designer clothes.

Years of trying to save a marriage that was doomed from the start left Amber broken and questioning everything. While she was busy playing the perfect wife, the perfect man had been waiting in the wings. Still single. Still hopeful. Still completely in love with the woman who'd shattered his heart.

But some chances expire. And Amber's running out of time to claim the love she was too blind to see.

Will she wake up before it's too late? 

Get your copy at Amazon and start reading to find out.  




About the Author:

Hello lovely readers! Welcome to my corner of the literary world, where fiction comes alive in all its glory! I am E. Masson, a captivating romance author with my pen dipped in dreams and a heart full of romance, I set my readers on the path of unforgettable journeys through the depths of the human heart. From whirlwind romances to slow-burning love stories, each page of my books are infused with warmth and emotion, leaving readers yearning for more.

I have a talent for creating characters you'll adore while feeling like old friends and settings that transport you to new worlds. I am here to sweep you off your feet with every word. So, get ready to rediscover the joy of falling in love with my enchanting romance novels. Welcome to the adventure!







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Friday, October 3, 2025

THE DEAD OF NIGHT FUND RAISER, HANEY HOUSE, MAPLE RIDGE B.C.

 With less than a handful of tickets left for this event, we're happy to announce CORNERSTONE SUPERNATURAL has raised over $3000.00 for this historical museum.



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INTERVIEW with FLOY OWENS (Shades of Night)

 



Hello and welcome to our quick chat with Floy Owens. Welcome, Floy!

  1. Tell me a little bit about your main character of this book.

Violet Cartwright is exactly the kind of woman who makes people uncomfortable and curious at once. She is brilliant at reading a room, patient in ways that look like boredom, and precise to the point of cruelty when the situation demands it. On the surface, she keeps a composed life; underneath, she is a strategist who catalogues harm and converts it into action. She is not simply a victim or a villain. She is someone who learned the language of survival and uses it as a tool, a mirror, and sometimes a weapon. The most dangerous thing about Violet is how ordinary she appears while everything inside her is quietly working.


2. Do you believe in the paranormal and if so, do you have an experience you can share?

I do believe in the paranormal. I am a practicing witch, and that perspective naturally shapes my worldview and my writing. For me, the unseen is real and meaningful, but I keep the details private and let that sense of mystery speak through my stories.

3. What titles are you working on now that you can tell us about?

I am drafting a fast-paced thriller series about a former teenage killer turned FBI profiler, and I am finishing up a dark romance series under another pen name. I have a third novel in the drafting phase that is a psychological romance. 



Shades of Night
Floy Owens 

Genre: Thriller
Date of Publication: 8/24/25
ISBN: 979-8262133963 
ASIN: B0FNN9D558
Number of pages: 222 
Word Count: 48,726 words
Cover Artist: Bryan Lauer 

Tagline: A Dark Psychological Serial Killer Thriller with Shocking Twists, Dark Secrets, and a Fearless Female Lead 

Book Description: 

When a successful bookstore owner is abducted by a meticulous serial killer, she finds herself in a sterile cage designed for torture. 

But as the captor attempts to break his victim, the roles of predator and prey begin to blur. 

In a deadly psychological game where survival means becoming the greater monster, she must confront her own dark history to not only escape, but to take everything from the man who trapped her.

Amazon

Excerpt:

The room is dim, shadows casting sinister shapes as Violet hangs suspended from the ceiling beam. The air is sharp, metallic. Her upper back is pierced by two thick, curved steel hooks, twisting cruelly into her flesh, skin stretched unnaturally taut. The thick rope threaded through the hooks connects her to the beam. Blood seeps in thin rivulets down her sides, creating jagged streaks that pool at her underwear’s waistband, before dropping to the cold concrete below.

Her legs are submerged in a steel basin, the stool beneath it unsteady. The water, tainted with rust and streaks of her blood, ripples faintly. Her arms dangle, hands still bound together. Her head tilts slightly forward, chin resting against her chest. She forces each breath to remain slow, even.

Erik crouches beside a car battery, his clean, collared flannel shirt tucked into dark jeans, sleeves rolled to the elbows. He tightens the clamps on the terminals, sparks leaping at the contact.

“You know, I’ve read every page of your life.” He lifts the jumper cables, taps them together, causing a spark to ignite. “Medical files, police reports, case manager notes. Every sad word.” He shakes his head, disgust feigned, setting the cables aside momentarily. “When you have money, nothing’s off limits, it’s sick really.” He moves to the basin, adjusting it beneath her feet. “I know exactly where you’ve been, what was done to you, who did it.” Leaning in, his voice drops, almost intimate. “Nothing about you is hidden from me.”

Violet’s lips curl in a half-smile, eyes sharp despite the pain. “Then you must know how all this will end.”

Erik holds her gaze for a beat, then lowers both jumper cables into the basin. Violet’s body seizes violently, legs kicking, sending ripples through the bloody water. The jolt rips through her, every nerve set on fire. Her jaw snaps shut, teeth grinding. There’s a rush of static in her ears, then nothing but blinding white. She bites her tongue to keep from crying out. In the haze, she thinks she hears Erik counting under his breath. Her back arches against the hooks, fresh blood weeping from the wounds. The water bubbles and hisses as the current surges.

As smoke fills the Cage and the pain recedes, Violet’s awareness drifts. For Erik, each session in the Cage is a key, unlocking a different memory he has constructed from her files. He pictures another house, another set of wounds, another day when everything was already broken.

He sees it as clearly as the files he read. She would have been younger then, thinner, eyes already trained on disaster. He pictures her entering a silent house, feeling the weight of what waits inside. It is not guesswork anymore. The details are always the same.

 

***

 

Twenty-One Years Ago

 

The house door creaks open. Violet steps inside, fifteen and all sharp angles, her backpack slipping from one shoulder. She doesn’t bother fixing it. The air inside is heavy with stillness, as if the house knew what it held and decided to stop breathing.

She does not call out. The house would not answer.

Dust drapes the furniture like snow. The living room is quiet, dark in places it never used to be. A coffee mug lies on its side beside the couch, cracked and forgotten. The blinds are crooked. No breeze. No motion.

Nothing waits to greet her.

Fifteen years old. She walks into a nightmare.

She steps further in, sneakers whispering across the worn floorboards. Her eyes scan the room like she’s been here before and expects what’s coming. Maybe she does. Girls like Violet don’t walk through life with surprises. They walk through patterns.

In the center of the room, her mother hangs.

The ceiling fan turns slowly, each rotation jerking her body just enough to keep the sound going.

Creak.

Creak.

Her legs are stiff, toes pointed downward. A bruise rings her throat, buried beneath the cord. Her dress has slipped from one shoulder. Her mouth is open.

The smell is subtle: sweet rot, sour perfume.

Her mother, tangled in her own mess.

Violet doesn’t cry. She doesn’t cover her mouth or run. She just watches the sway of the body. The way the fan keeps spinning, mechanical and obedient. Then, without a word, she walks past it. No glance back.

The kitchen has its own secrets.

Her father slouches in a chair by the table, neck limp, jaw slack. A bullet hole marks the center of his forehead like a forgotten dot on a test paper. The blood beneath him has dried into maroon shadows, seeping into the wood grain.

The table is chaos. A burned spoon. A twisted tourniquet. A cheap yellow lighter.

He never cleaned up. Never thought she’d come home early.

Her mother finally snapped. Maybe she couldn’t take the guilt anymore.

Violet crouches beside the body. She looks at his hands, still dirty beneath the nails. At the way one boot stayed on while the other sits overturned by the fridge. At the stubble that never grew evenly.

She doesn’t touch him.

Maybe Daddy spent too much money on junk.

She rises again.

Moves down the hall, light as breath, like she doesn’t want to wake whatever still lives in the walls. At the end of the hallway, she lowers herself to the floor. Her back presses against the floral wallpaper, now peeling. Knees drawn tight. Arms locked around them.

She doesn’t shake.

She doesn’t blink.

Or maybe she realized her main source of income was drying up.

The older the girl got, the less she was worth. Mommy shot Daddy dead, then strung herself up.

The house is still now, except for the soft tick of a clock and the distant, endless turn of the fan.

Violet breathes evenly. Her face is blank. Not numb. Blank. Numbness implies a feeling that once existed.

This is not grief. It is recognition.

A girl walks into a house and finds herself orphaned. And somewhere inside her, she knew it was coming.

Some part of her always knew.

 

 

 


About the Author:

Floy Owens writes stories about survival, obsession, and the ways people change when pushed past their limits. The debut novel, Shades of Night, is a dark psychological thriller that dives into the mind of both captor and captive. When not writing, Owens is usually plotting the next story, fueled by strong tea and a curiosity about what makes people tick.





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