Her Sweetest Downfall is available for FREE on Amazon Kindle. See comments for link!
The first full length book in this series, THE FOREVER GIRL, has been optioned for Film! Get a sneak peak into this world for free :)
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Ophelia's been successful at hiding her true identity, until the mark of the serpent appears on her neck--a death sentence, should it be seen by anyone in her town. Hiding the mark might save her from falling victim to the witch hunts of her era, but the scorching sensation it carries can't be ignored.
When the mysterious Ethan is sent to collect her for a life of something more, she learns concealing the mark is the least of her worries. She's destined to don a new mask--to join a dark, supernatural world and protect the future of people she may never meet.
What she doesn't know--what she learns too late--is that her initiation won't be complete until she kills the man she loves.
Set in an alternate Regency England, "Her Sweetest Downfall" is a standalone novella in the "Forever Girl" series, written as a gift to fans of the Forever Girl series.
HER SWEETEST DOWNFALL will appeal to lovers of paranormal romance, fantasy, and vampire fiction.
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Chapter One
Great Paxton, 1808
Ophelia knew two things for certain: First, the mark where her neck met her shoulder was not there yesterday, and second, if Lady Karina caught sight of it, she would hand her over to the church.
Initially, the marking seemed to be nothing more than a dark outline of a circle. But as Ophelia leaned closer to the mirror, her hand balanced gently against the frame, she realized the mark formed an ouroboros—a serpent eating its own tail.
Her heart sunk to her stomach. The town would make no exception of her; she would suffer the same fate as Alice Russel, declared a witch and murdered in a fury of violent outcry. No matter that no one could possibly know what such a marking meant—that it came from nowhere was enough to declare it evil.
The brass doorknob rattled, and she startled.
“Ophelia!” came the edge of Lady Karina’s voice. “Open this door.”
“One moment, please, Miss.”
She quickly started buttoning the front of her copper gown, but Lady Karina continued rattling the door.
“I’m coming in,” she said.
The tinker of keys echoed through the thin wooden door, and Ophelia’s fingers stumbled with the buttons on her collar, her heart racing faster with each passing moment.
The key slid into the lock, then the knob turned. She finished the final buttons of her gown and spun toward the door, pulling the two muslin flaps of her apron over her shoulders and starting to pin them together behind her neck.
Lady Karina stepped into the room, an envelope clutched in her hand. “You are never to lock your door,” she said, her irritation visible in the tremble of her long blonde curls. Her gaze trailed down to Ophelia’s neck. “Your collar is a mess and your buttons are one off. We can’t have that, can we?”
Ophelia tried to steady her hands enough to smooth the collar of her apron. “No, Miss.”
Lady Karina let out a crisp sigh and impatiently tapped the envelope against her arm. “Well? Are you going to straighten up? Surely you don’t expect me to do it for you.”
