Book Blitz & Excerpt: The Books of Very Bad Thing + Giveaway


The Books of Very Bad Things: Vol. 1

by Jae El Foster

Fairy Tales, Fantasy, Horror

Date Published: Dec. 1, 2020

Publisher: DCL Publications

Journey into a land of fairy tales like none you’ve ever experienced before with this baker’s dozen of original and often horrific fanciful treats! Madame Howell, the world’s greatest witch, will lead you through some of the most unique journeys into the Enchanted Forest, through great castles and villages, and even into uncanny realms of newly imagined dangers in her ‘Book of Very Bad Things.’ Featuring many elements from classical fairy tales while paying homage to the imaginations of the Brothers Grimm, this deliciously sinister volume delivers its own unique versions of true love and the all important ‘happily ever after.’ Within, you’ll discover dark changelings, wicked queens, houses of snakes, disobedient children, the world’s tiniest people, vicious goblins and dwarfs, a baker with a taste for blood, and so much more. Settle back and fall under the wicked spell of this dastardly and mesmerizing journey into the darkest realms of fairy tales and folklore.

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Madame Howell's book of very bad things

Excerpts

 

From the story ‘The Woman with Wings’

Once upon a summer afternoon, a brother and sister went frolicking in the woods, in search of berries and wildflowers. Their parents were long dead, and so it was up to them to scavenge for their food every day. They enjoyed making games of it, like chasing one another through the winding forest paths or even pelting each other with berries that were rotten on the stems.

It was raining on this particular afternoon, and the siblings became wet and muddy as they played and hunted their food and foliage.

Sister,” the brother called in warning as she glided swiftly across the slick mud, “ye shouldn’t run so fast near there! That hill be steep!”

Bah!” she squealed, giggled, and spun around in a circle. “It’s lovely to slip and slide! Join me!” She squealed again and spun once more. Then, she lost her footing and tumbled backward. Brother watched as she fell off the ledge, tumbling down the hill.

Sister!” he shouted and then slipped and slid his way to her in a hurried but cautious manner. “Sister, are ye alright?”

Brother looked over the ledge, staring down as he watched his sister roll to the foot of the hill. He began after her but came to a pause as a winged creature swooped down from the sky and gathered Sister into its grip. In the blink of an eye, the creature swooped upward again with Sister in tow.

Sister!” he cried out again and watched as the creature carried his sister to the great forbidden mountain, which was a good day’s trek away by foot.

Distraught, the brother contemplated how to save his twin sister. He knew he would have to venture to the forbidden mountain and climb its dangerous terrain. Once he found his sister, he would also find the creature that had taken her. Surely, a battle would ensue. Before going after his sister, he had to be well prepared.

From the story ‘Jacob and the People Tree’

Today, for the first time, he decided to bypass that lovely and relaxing stone. He wasn’t by any means tired or ready to relax or nap. He felt energized and chipper, and he was surrounded by his woodland friends… his only friends, but friends who welcomed him into their domain with seemingly open arms.

Oiko, doiko, ba dunk dunk dunk,” he sang cheerfully to himself as he strolled down the path – a path that grew narrower the further he walked. “Watch out for the stinky skunk!” It was a silly song he sang – one he’d made up long ago on a walk such as this, where he’d encountered a skunk that fortunately hadn’t stunk.

As the path grew narrower and the forest thicker, everything became darker – shrouded in shadows. Several of the flowers and plants nearby glowed when shadowed, and they helped to make the scenery more mystical and brighter. Never before had he seen such glowing plants as these. They were remarkable and glowed softly in a vast array of color. He knelt down to one such flower and sniffed it, wondering if it smelled as marvelous as it looked. It was, indeed, the sweetest scent he’d inhaled in perhaps forever.

He stood and sighed. It felt like he’d found a sort of nirvana – a land of beauty and wonder. It was so magical that he yearned to bring a part of its splendor home with him. Crouching down once more, he leaned to the flower he’d sniffed and started to pluck it.

I wouldn’t do that if I were ye,” he heard a voice say. It startled him, and Jacob unhanded the flower and stood upright.

Turning around, he looked for the voice’s source but saw no one. Deciding it had been nothing more than his imagination playing some tomfoolery on him, he shrugged it off and turned back to the flower.

Ye should never pick anything from here,” the voice spoke again, and once more, Jacob turned around to see its speaker.

Again, there was nobody.

Perhaps I am going mad,” he contemplated aloud and then chuckled. “Ah well… being so lonely can do that to a man, I imagine.”

Mad!” another voice noted, mimicking what Jacob had said. Whilst the first voice had sounded male, this one sounded like the voice of an old woman. “Ye will know mad if ye pick one flower from this path!”

Who said that?” Jacob asked, looking all around. Still, he saw no one. For a moment, he considered he was hearing the voices of ghosts, but if a ghost was going to speak, surely it would have shown itself. “Where are ye?”

Everything was quiet again as he sought for the mysterious voices. He looked all around and even down low, but he could find nobody. When he was about to give up in his search and leave this place behind, he heard giggling from above.

From the story ‘The Baker’s Dozen’

He lifted her into his arms and carried her up the road to the bakery. Once they were inside, he sat her on a stool and grabbed some cloths from the back. With one of the cloths, he cleaned the blood from the wound. The other, he tied around her leg, putting pressure on the cut and stopping the bleeding.

Oh, Mister Baker, I do not know how to thank thee,” she said to him as he stepped away to throw the bloody rag into a pile with other dirty rags. “I cannot imagine anyone else showing me such kindness.”

He noticed he’d gotten some of her blood on his fingers as he’d cleaned the wound. He stared at his fingers for a moment and then rubbed the blood between them. Coyly, he sniffed them. The blood had a unique scent to it – one that he’d never really thought of before. Curiously, he licked a bit from a finger and tasted it. It was surprisingly sweet and delicious.

I do not know what I would have done had ye not come around,” the young woman continued from the front room. “Everything felt so dire! Ye be a saving grace for certain!”

Think nothing of it,” he said slowly and almost too lowly for her to hear as he looked at the remaining blood on his fingers. Swiftly, he licked the rest away. “Ye may need to have that sewn up.”

It will be fine,” she replied as he stepped back into the room. “I have come to accept some things.” She smiled. Her words were curious, but he thought she was lovely, even if she did have a few additional cuts and scabs on her face and hands. Her blood was immaculate though… delicious.

Nourishment first,” he told her and took a piece of pound cake from his counter top and handed it to her. “Eat this. Ye must be hungry.”

How gracious!” the peasant exclaimed and accepted the pound cake. A moan slipped from her lips as she ate it.

Also from the counter, the baker took his bread knife. While the woman was distracted with her treat, he came around behind her and pulled her hair back. The knife sliced through her neck before she had a chance to make a sound. When she did try to scream, it was low and gargled.

From the story ‘A Heart Unfrozen’

At the moment, the Queen sat upon her ‘traveling throne’ on the platform that stood as a political stage in the center of the village square. Two young lovebirds stood before her, each with a guard positioned behind them. They were guilty of kissing behind the castle and had been caught by Mathavious, Queen Estella’s most entrusted guard.

I see no use in debating this matter,” the Queen said to the charged. “Ye shall lose yer heads. Guards!” She looked toward the uniformed men standing behind prisoners. “Take them to the chopping blocks!”

The executioner’s chopping blocks sat several meters away from where the Queen was currently perched on the platform. Nearly everyone in the village was present for the event, as it was mandatory for many who were in attendance. The platform itself had been built in such a way that no matter how an execution was performed, it could in some way be seen by anyone and everyone, from presumably any angle.

As expected, the accused protested their sentencing, but Queen Estella had heard it all before. Every sob story – every excuse plausible. None were forgivable, as she had made blatantly clear over the years. Her rules were not to be broken, and those who did were subject to punishment.

The young man and his young female lover were forced down onto the chopping blocks, and one by one, the royal executioner silenced their pleas as he chopped off their heads.

Down to the audience, the heads rolled. For a moment, they stared up at the spectators and blinked repeatedly until their brains finally died. Then, their expressions went still – frozen in time.

Would anyone else care to lose their head today?” Queen Estella asked in a loud and enthusiastic tone as she stood tall and prominently. “I would like enjoy my midday tea as quickly as possible, so please… do speak now if ye have done anything blatantly unforgiving. I will not be so kind and yer deaths will not be so swift if I find out someone is withholding their guilt.”

 

About the Author


When the muses speak, Jae El Foster writes, and he has been doing so for nearly twenty years, tackling some of the most intriguing genres out there. Delivering fresh, incomparable tales of horror, science fiction, and romance – sweet or spicy – he pens with seasoned skill the tales that his muses deliver to him. His bestselling works include the paranormal romance ‘Restless,’ the gothic horror tale ‘Where the Demon Is,’ and the gay holiday romance ‘Only at Christmas.’ Follow him on Instagram @jaeelbooks and ‘like’ him on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/authorjaeelfoster.

Contact Links

Website

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Blog

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Instagram: @jaeelbooks

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Book Blitz & Excerpt: Little Hood and Her Wolf + Giveaway

Little Hood and Her Wolf
Janie Marie
(The Big Bad Wolf Trilogy, #2)
Publication date: December 8th 2020
Genres: Coming of Age, Fairy Tales, Young Adult

Kylie knew Logan Grimm came with a price. She just had no idea that the price was being told what to do by the most dangerous residents of Blackwoods.

She should run and survive, but Logan’s sweet words and even sweeter kisses keep her where she is.

Right where the Big Bad Wolf lies in wait.

Goodreads / Amazon

Little Hood and Her wolf

EXCERPT:

Kylie blinked a few times and stared ahead. Janie was sitting across from her and Logan, and Ryder was pouring Dr Pepper into her glass. He opened a few prescription bottles, and Janie held her hand out without saying anything, waiting for him to pour a pill from each bottle. When she swallowed the last pill, she gagged a little before receiving a kiss to her forehead.

God, she really is crazy.

Logan squeezed Kylie’s leg under the table because she was staring with her mouth open.

“Have you never seen someone take medication before?” Ryder asked, his harsh tone biting at her skin.

“Babe,” said Janie the same time Logan called out, “Ryder.”

Kylie swallowed and looked at Janie, who only smiled at her. It wasn’t the smile she’d given her yesterday though. It was forced.

“She needs to stop staring at you like you’re a fucking science experiment,” Ryder said, his voice louder as Janie cooed to him.

“She’s just curious,” Janie said, but even then, she didn’t sound the same. She sounded like a small child. Ryder didn’t seem to like that.

“Curious my ass.” He glared at Kylie.

“Enough.” Logan kept his eyes trained on Ryder.

“I’m sorry,” Kylie whispered, her heart racing under Ryder’s stare. He might not be the killer, but he was willing to be.

Janie put her hand over Ryder’s as she replied, “I take medicine to help with my PTSD and other stuff. Ryder helps me remember to take them because I don’t like to. Swallowing pills bothers me now.” Janie finally smiled, but it was all for Ryder.

“It’s none of her business.” Ryder’s voice was so loud it hurt to listen to him speak.

Gawain spoke up, putting authority into his order. “Boys, you both need to relax, or we’re sending Kylie home and taking Janie away till this mess blows over.”

“It’s fine,” said Janie when Ryder let out an angry noise at the threat being issued. Janie kissed Ryder’s cheek and whispered in his ear until he turned to peck her lips. He started eating. “He just doesn’t like people staring,” Janie said when Kylie still couldn’t look away, “or judging me.”

“I wasn’t judging,” Kylie said quickly, her voice a hushed whisper while she covered Logan’s shaking hand.

“Yeah.” Janie smiled, but it was clear she didn’t believe her. “Everything’s fine, right, babe?”

Ryder grunted and stuffed more food in his mouth.

Janie returned her focus to Kylie, her eyes flashing with fire. “Sleep well?”

Kylie tensed. “I slept fine, thanks.”

Those vibrant hazel eyes stayed on her for a moment longer before shifting to Logan. He was still glaring at Ryder, which might’ve been why Janie’s tone darkened. “Logan, put yourself in his shoes. You wouldn’t like someone staring at Kylie over any of her personal issues either. You know why it bothers him, and you know why he’s really mad.”

Logan fumed as he glared between the couple but said nothing.

Janie’s eyes narrowed. “And don’t forget you’ve reacted worse when something was said to her. This is the same.”

“It’s not the same,” Logan said between clenched teeth. “She didn’t say shit about you!”

Ryder slammed his hand down on the table and stood, glaring at Logan. “No, you just opened your fucking mouth and spilled every one of her secrets.”

Logan stood up, his eyes dangerous. Kylie grabbed his hand as Janie wrapped her arms around Ryder to keep him from lunging over the table.

“I had no choice,” Logan yelled back.

“Bullshit.” Ryder carefully peeled Janie off him and nudged her over to Gawain before stepping around the table. “We made one rule, Grimm. And that was to keep our mouths shut. I warned you not to say anything. Everyone warned you.”

“Stop.” Janie tried to break free from Gawain, but she was held tightly against her brother as Logan and Ryder stood toe to toe. “Babe, please let me handle this.”

Ryder ignored her and smirked at Logan. “You’ve been good on your word this whole time—but Blondie sucks your dick, and suddenly you’re confessing like a church girl who touched herself for the first time.”

Logan swung before the gasp finished leaving her lips. He hit Ryder right in the jaw, and it was total chaos from there.

-Little Hood and Her Wolf, The Big Bad Wolf Trilogy #2

–See Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf, book 1 in the series here.

Author Bio:

Janie Marie is a native Texan and resides in her hometown north of Austin, Texas, where she devotes her time to family, pets, and her writing.
Much of her life experiences–good and a lot of bad–are where she has chosen to draw inspiration from to create her characters and stories. It’s important to her to create the kind of characters she needs or needed at one point in time because she wanted to create something only the saddest souls would recognize as brave and strong.
Be ready for raw, emotional tales, as Janie never holds back. With her darkest thoughts she found light is still possible, that the sad girl can sometimes glow the brightest. Because she is beauty surrounded by darkness.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook Page / Facebook Group / Twitter / Instagram / Newsletter / Bookbub

 

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Book Blitz & Sneak Peeks: Fairytale Christmas + Giveaway

Fairytale Christmas
Published by: Enchanted Quill Press
Publication date: November 1st 2020
Genres: Adult, Fairy Tales, Holiday, Romance

Fairylights, mistletoe and cozy nights by the fire…

Delve into this spellbinding Fairytale Christmas set full of enchanting romance, festive fun and more excitement than anything you’d find in your Christmas stocking.

Come on a sleigh ride through worlds of wonder and wrap yourself up in these brand new fairytale retellings, written by Amazon best selling and award winning authors in this magical limited edition collection.

Sixteen incredible authors, fifteen brand new retellings, Prince Charming, fairytale balls and a partridge in a pear tree. All wrapped up and ready to read.

One click now for your Christmas happily ever after…

Goodreads / Amazon

INSTA_Fairytale

SNEAK PEEKS:

Forest of Frost: Sugared Plums and Poisoned Apples by Vivienne Hart: 

The princess would pay for this.

Queen Icilyn stormed from her room and down four stories of carved stone steps, deep into the castle’s ancient cellars. Snatching the key ring she wore around her waist, she fished out a skeleton key and let herself into a secret room. With a snap, torches on the wall flared to life, illuminating her witch’s workroom.

She threw open a wooden chest and pulled forth tools: several vials, an athame, a cauldron. At her whispered hiss, the banked fire in the hearth roared awake and Icilyn threw her cauldron over it, ready to work her craft.

It took hours to perfectly boil and distill each ingredient, to slice just enough of this and pinch just enough of that, to carefully score her palm and dribble only three drops of blood into the mix. But when she was done, glossy liquid rested in her cauldron, colorless and cold. With caution, she poured it into a vial and closed up her workshop. The last item she needed was upstairs, in her throne room.

As soon as she had her final ingredient, she prepared to set out.

Skilled in the art of the glamour, Icilyn transformed herself into a timeless beauty with hair as red as blood and eyes as green as envy. She couldn’t chance Snow spotting and recognizing her, after all.

She ordered her stableman to saddle her mount, and with her prize in a bag at her hip, Icilyn galloped into the Forest of Frost, the iron tang of revenge hot in her throat.

Snooze or Lose by Jude Cocaigne:

“Musty? Where are you, you stupid kitty? Musty! Come home, please!”

Susan wrapped herself tighter in her wooly shawl. Winter was getting particularly cold much sooner than usual. Flurries of frost twirled in the garden and played with the naked branches of the cherry tree.

As she was about to give up and head back inside, a muffled growl followed by a sharp yelp caught her attention.

“Who’s there? Musty, is that you?”

“It is,” said a male voice Susan recognized to be Dax’s. “Gosh, your cat is ferocious!”

He appeared from the dark street and walked towards her, Musty begrudgingly balled into his arms.

“Dax? What are you doing here?” He was at her place; he knew where she lived, and he was there. The coolest guy of school, at her place.

“You’re turning blue,” he said.

“Uh?”

“You’re cold, Snooze. And although blue would suit you, I like the color of your skin as it is. Come on in.”

Dax took her by the shoulder and escorted her inside. He sat her in the living-room and busied himself with the fire while she crashed back down to earth.

“Dax! What are you doing here? How do you know where I live? Why are you here? What’s happening?” Then it hit her. “Dax! The fire!”

“Yes? It’ll do you good fast.”

“But… you’re ice… fire thaws ice…”

“That’s about right, but I’m still of flesh and bone. I won’t melt, you know! But I might sweat.” He laughed and took off his light grey jumper to reveal a light white shirt that hugged his body so tight, Susan could see the blue hue underneath. She averted her eyes, her cheeks suddenly burning.

“Soooo Dax… What brings you here exactly?” She played with her hands and hair in an attempt at keeping her calm. She wasn’t fooling anyone, though.

Dax’s countenance changed as he sat next to her on the couch. “I’m not gonna beat around the bush, Snooze. Ze World is in danger, and you might be the key to saving it.”

Shrinking Cin by Erin Lee writing as EL George

Blurb: Fairytales are a lie.

And happy endings? Bullsh*t.

Cindy knew it the day her father married her stepmother, forced her to change schools, move across the country and to share classes with her evil stepsisters.

She still knows it.

No prince charming will ever come to rescue her. Now, with a secret, all she can count on is the social worker who steps into her messed up home. But Leena Johnson is no fairy godmother either.

What will it take for Cin to save herself?

Shrinking Cin is based on actual, real life events – where happy endings are never sealed with a prince’s kiss.

 

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