Showing posts with label paranormal romance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label paranormal romance. Show all posts

KMATK just hit a turning point and I’m not okay 👀

 

Hey Besties!

It’s story central on Inkitt for me this week!

First, two new chapters of Kiss Me After The Kill have been added. 

After hearing Azrael’s truth, Lucia makes some important decisions about her own future…👀

➡️You can read chapter 12 & 13 here: https://www.inkitt.com/stories/1685437

I also added my space romantasy, The Starbound Lovers collection to Inkitt. The novella Starlight and Stolen Secrets is fully complete with all chapters added. It can be found here: https://www.inkitt.com/stories/1719899

And the novel, The Starlight Prince will have daily updates for the next month. You can read it here: https://www.inkitt.com/stories/1719916

As always, if you want the next chapter the moment it drops, all you have to do is join the KMATK update list and step inside Azrael’s Inner Sanctum — where you’ll get:

🩸 Weekly chapter links (so you never miss an update)

🖤 Sneak peeks of what’s coming next

✨ Early news (including the Amazon release once the serial is complete)

Join Azrael’s Inner Sanctum here: https://2e2f8d.share-eu1.hsforms.com/2q6pua8QzTFeB1bLU-gSbRA

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

I’ll be back in a week with another KMATK update.

T.T.F.N

Clare

The April I Started Finding My Way Back

 


April has been a month of finding my way back—focusing on health, rebuilding energy, and getting things moving again.

I’ve continued posting Kiss Me After the Kill, celebrated new releases of The Starlight Prince and Starlight and Stolen Secrets, and started planning future romantasy projects.

 Read them here: https://www.inkitt.com/ClareDugmore

I also celebrated 16 years of marriage, enjoyed special family time, and may have found a new hobby in loom knitting.

Sometimes progress looks quiet—but it still counts.

Want More?

Read the full April update here:
👉 https://claredugmore.com/blog/the-april-i-started-finding-my-way-back

Bitten by the Muse: How a Flash Fic Prompt Sparked a Vampire Romance 🦇✨

September brought a few surprises — some expected, some not — but the biggest was this:

I accidentally started writing a vampire romantasy novel.

It all began during the Write Here, Write Now “Rekindle Your Writing Spark!” challenge. One of the prompts — “You know what to do” — led me to write a flash fiction piece starring a morally grey vampire and the woman he just turned. It was dark, sensual, and a little violent... and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since.

Somehow, this prompt collided with my ongoing obsession with Atsushi Sakurai (🖤) and my long-standing love for Anne Rice, and suddenly my brain was screaming:

“Why haven’t you written vampires before?!”

Even my husband was surprised.

At first, I envisioned it as a supernatural thriller with romantic undertones — a sort of “Dexter but with vampire lovers” vibe. But the more I developed the idea, the more I realised this story needed to be a romantasy — romance first, with rich gothic lore and emotionally devastating immortals (you know the kind 💅).

So, I made a decision:
No serialisation. No half-measures.
I’m treating this project — tentatively titled Kiss Me After the Kill — as my next full-length novel.

It’s still early days, but I’m feeling inspired and oddly at peace. Maybe it’s because I’m finally writing what feels most me — fantasy romance, infused with sensual darkness and personal catharsis. And yes, plenty of blood.

I also gave my website a spooky-season makeover (the banner even matches my hair!), and I’m planning to release my spicy snow-elf short, A Winter’s Kiss, in December — more on that soon.

If you want the full scoop — including the flash fic that started it all, how I’m adapting my writing process for my ADHD brain, and a peek behind the scenes of my current projects — the full post is now live on my main blog!

👉 Read the full post here
("Bitten by the Muse: How a Flash Fic Prompt Sparked a Vampire Romance" — includes exclusive writing updates, creative musings, and all the fanged vibes.)

Make sure you’re subscribed to my newsletter too — the next issue is going out soon with:

💌 An exclusive preview of Kiss Me After the Kill
🖥️ Digital goodies (wallpapers, quotes, trackers)
🩸 And more gothic romantasy chaos!

'Til next time, stay creative — and a little bit unhinged.

T.T.F.N. (Too Theatrical for Normalcy)



Cover Reveal: Love Without Rules, S Lucas

Happy cover reveal day to author S Lucas, and their cover for 'forbidden romance' short story collection Love Without Rules, which is available for pre-order now, ahead of its release on June 24, 2025.

About:

Love isn’t always safe or easy—but it’s always worth the risk.

Love Without Rules is a collection of short stories. They explore romance in all its raw, unexpected, and forbidden forms—from the shadows of a monster stalking its prey to the passion between two individuals who discover their relationship is more than they thought, to the quiet tenderness of two men falling hard when they least expect it.
 
Each story is filled with heat, and offers moments of escape that defy all the rules. Whether it's a demonic creature that longs for more than just fear, a love that crosses family boundaries, or the spark of something real between two people when they least expect it—these stories dare to ask the question...
What if love isn't supposed to follow the rules?
 

Universal Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/lovewithoutrules

The Sugar Broom Café, a Guest Post by K. M Jenkins

 

Welcome to the Sugar Bloom Café, at the town square of Hunter Falls. You will find all kinds of magical delights to enjoy, from magic cupcakes, mood swing cookies, and healing remedies in a coffee blend. Oh, and don’t forget the broomstick spoons that make all drinks fancy.

This café is run by Kara Witmore a recent addition to Hunter Falls. She just finished becoming a journeyman apprentice as a witch. Her mother helps her settle into the little shop but she doesn’t get a genuine welcome until the son of the Alpha comes walking in her door. Little does she know that her mother has kept a big secret from her entire life. And this Alpha wolf is about to blow the roof off the shop with one word growled with sexy smoothness — “mine.”

Stryker—Cade Westcott’s wolf has his eyes set on a sexy witch that has a tendency to cause mischief and clumsy mistakes. He just has to get his human on board. Witches and shifters don’t mix but could there be something lurking in Kara’s past that could explain why Stryker is bound determined to call Kara his mate.

Find out by reading along with K.M. Jenkins as she writes Witches & Wolves book 1 in The Hunter Falls Collection. She releases a chapter every two weeks to subscribers on her Book VIP List. If you want to join, please fill out this form here and she will get you added to the specific segment on her newsletter. (Click Here) You can also join her monthly newsletter with updates and insights into her life as she writes. (Click Here)

What special treats do you think get served at The Sugar Broom Café? I believe a lot of treats are mixed with love a sprinkle of luck and a dip of sugar.


Promos and Cover Reveals for September 13, 2024




Greetings Readers!

I'm here with a trio of book promos from Book Funnel, and three cover reveals from members of the WH, WN Community. Read on for all the tantalizing details...

RELEASE BLITZ: Leo Blessed (A Dawn of the Zodiacs Novel) by S Lucas

Happy Release Day Sam Lucas and her steamy, fated mates paranormal romance, ðŸ’«Leo Blessed (A Dawn of the Zodiacs Novel)💫


Get it Now: https://books2read.com/leoblessed  

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/198626454-leo-blessed

💫 Why choose

💫 Paranormal Romance

💫 Bad guy turns good

💫 Steamy

💫 Fated Mates


BLURB

The constellations blessed the world with magic, but it’s running out. The Council of Supernaturals are blaming the twelve Zodiacs and doing everything they can to hunt them down. Now the race is on for the Zodiacs to find their relics, their men and complete the ceremony hoping they can heal the rift before it consumes the entire universe. 

Edana Fenix hasn't had an easy life. At first, she thought her parent's paranoia was because of her extraordinary powers, but it turns out they were hiding something far bigger from her. 

On the run from the Council of Supernaturals after her parents were taken, and having visions of a mysterious woman surrounded by fire. Edana soon discovers a secret that could put her life in mortal danger.

​​​​​​​When she finds the four men who were always fated to cross her path, her real journey begins. Evading capture from Council Enforcers while hunting for mysterious relics linked to the Leo Zodiac, Edana wonders if she's bitten off more than she can chew.

Will she be able to stop the world from imploding around her or will the Council put an end to her mission to save the universe and the men that she loves?


*Leo Blessed is a novel in the multi-author shared world, Dawn of the Zodiacs. Be sure to read all twelve books.*

A Quick ReamStories Update For You

 


WINGS, WITCHES AND WONDER. A weekly, serial paranormal romance web fiction on Ream Stories. Chapters 1-3 are now FREE to all tiers. Chapters 4-8 are available to subscribers of the Apprentice tier and above. https://reamstories.com/claredugmore/public

Over the coming weeks, I will be tweaking the subscription tiers on Ream Stories, as I prepare to re-publish ALL IT TAKES, and transition to a paranormal/contemporary hybrid author.

I will also be going "wide" with my serials, meaning they will be available on other web fiction sites like Wattpad etc.

The advantage of subscribing on Ream Stories will be that I will be updating more frequently for paid tiers, so if you find a story of mine you love, you'll be able to read it more quickly by subscribing. Plus it will support me, and I'll be offering other perks, like discounted paperbacks.

In fact, I'd LOVE to hear your thoughts on perks in the comments. What types of things would you like me to offer that would encourage you to become a subscriber?

That's all for now, as I'm off to beta-read Kyra Lennon's forthcoming Christmas release! Who's as excited as me for this new story?

 

Saturday Snippet from chapter eight of serial paranormal-romance web-fiction WINGS, WITCHES AND WONDER, which will go live on ReamStories this coming Friday. https://reamstories.com/claredugmore/public

Wings, Witches and Wonder Chapter Five is Live, and NaNoWriMo Progress

Chapter five of my serial, paranormal-romance, web-fiction WINGS, WITCHES AND WONDER is now live, and available to all Ream Stories subscribers of Apprentice Tier and above. You can find my Ream Stories profile here:

https://reamstories.com/claredugmore/public

My progress on NaNoWriMo is going well, and I'm perfectly on target. Not only that, but I discussed the story with my hubby (who is my number one sounding board and editor) and I figured out the conflict and ending. I then made a brief chapter plan, and promprtly went off the rails during a writing sprint last night! But that's NaNo for you! lol

I'm taking today off to spend some time with my mom, but I'll be back at it tomorrow, continuing to write Wings, Witches and Wonder, and of course, I'll have chapter six for you next Friday!

Until then, stay safe and read on!

T.T.F.N



NaNo-a-go-go

 

Today is the first day of NaNoWriMo, and I'll be using the event to finish Wings, Witches and Wonder.

I've gotten off to a good start, with 1760 words added to the story.

I'm currently trying to iron out some plot points. I'm a bit of a plantster when it comes to writing. I can't just write by the seat of my pants, but a too-rigid outline stifles me. Right now, I know my ending, I'm just trying to figure out the conflict and how I get to the planned ending.

I also edited and scheduled chapter five on Ream Stories ahead of its release on Friday. Here's a quick teaser for you all.

I'll be back tomorrow with another NaNoWriMo update, and maybe another sneaky peak at chapter five! ;)

Until then, stay safe and write on!

T.T.F.N



Wings Witches and Wonder Chapter Four Preview, and NaNoWriMo

Hey all,

I have a little sneak peek of chapter four of WINGS, WITCHES AND WONDER for you all ahead of its release on Friday.

-- I wanted to get dressed and rush to Chanctonbury Ring there and then, but I knew my duties to the Ancile and my promise to Janine came first. Plus, after the way Janine’s father had reacted the previous day, I’d never forgive myself if he did something to prevent his daughter from getting the help she wanted, and I wasn’t there to stop him.

Soon, I whispered on the wind, hoping that the alabaster man heard my promise.

I headed through to the ensuite bathroom to shower, and then after getting dressed, I made my way downstairs to the hotel restaurant for breakfast.

By nine a.m., I’d already had a large fried breakfast with sausage and bacon, as well as a stack of blueberry pancakes drenched in butter and syrup, and consumed four cups of tea. Using my abilities always made me hungry, but I was jittery too. 

On edge.

I wanted to go straight to the Goddard house and check if Janine was okay, but I knew showing up early might only antagonize her father.

So, instead, I did the only sensible thing I could do. I called Joseph. --

We're getting closer to Maddie actually going to Chanctonbury Ring, but first, one last visit to Janine.

If you want to read Wings, Witches and Wonder, chapter-by-chapter each week, you can do so on ReamStories for just $5 a month. The money will support me as a writer, and enable me to produce things like paperbacks.

Head over to ReamStories for full details of the tiers and perks I offer.

I'm taking a small writing break for the rest of the month, both so that I can focus a little more time on my proofreading course, but also because I have decided to devote ALL of November to completing Wings, Witches and Wonder by taking part in NaNoWriMo.

For those who don't know NaNoWriMo is a yearly event (with two camps in the summer) where writers come together, either online or in-person to write 50k in one month. Some do this by writing about 1500 words a day, others do bigger chunks to fit in with their lives/free time. But the basic aim is to use the month to get into a writing habit, make writing your focus and by writing 50k you get a jump start on a story.

Usually, participants write the beginning of their stories in NaNoWriMo, but I'm rebelling a little by already having 45k written. My aim is to add an extra 50k to what I already have, which will bring Wings, Witches and Wonder to ~95k and complete the story.

With the story complete, I can focus on editing the weekly chapters, getting the whole book ready for publication on Amazon etc. and working on book two of the Ancile Series.

If you're interested in following my progress, my NaNoWriMo profile can be found here. And if you're a fellow writer taking part, I'd love to add you as a buddy so we can cheer each other on.

That's all for now, but I'll be back on Friday with chapter four!

Until then, stay safe and read on.



Wings, Witches and Wonder Chapter Three is Now Live on Ream Stories

One thing I love to explore in supernatural stories is how humans react to paranormal beings. That's touched on in chapter three of my ParanormalRomance serial WebFiction WINGS, WITCHES AND WONDER, which is now live on ReamStories https://reamstories.com/claredugmore/public

Wings, Witches and Wonder Chapter Two AND The First Episode of the Write Here, Write Now Podcast

 


A little later than planned, but chapter two of Wings, Witches and Wonder is now on ReamStories. https://reamstories.com/claredugmore/public



Wings, Witches and Wonder isn't the only thing I've been working on. Today the first episode of the Write Here, Write Now Podcast went love, and I discussed writing villains with Karen Sanders and Paula Grabow.

If you'd like to listen to the episode, it can be found at the following places:

Spotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/podcastwhwn/episodes/Views-on-Villains-e2a3fi3?fbclid=IwAR2HNumMPBVBkZNKqMSwlfMkPRKpAsoI6KhKD3BN6VqvbEGHOoAqh69nThk

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/write-here-write-now-podcast/id1711987407

Youtbe: https://youtu.be/B0wYzHElx6Q?si=qEAgAZNDFIqQTuSn

Please note, the Youtube version is a little longer and unedited, as we wanted to provide a video version, with captions, for those who might have difficulty just listening.


Saturday Snippet

To celebrate the fact I added the sub-tiers and perks to ReamStories, here's a Saturday Snippet from my WIP PNR WINGS, WITCHES AND WONDER. Coming to ReamStories this October! https://reamstories.com/claredugmore/public



COVER REVEAL -- Wings, Witches and Wonder

I'm excited to reveal the cover for my paranormal romance WINGS, WITCHES AND WONDER, coming to Ream Stories this October!

https://reamstories.com/claredugmore/public

He came to me in my dreams. Whispering my name.

Madelyne.

The man made of alabaster.

Ever since her magical abilities manifested at thirteen, Madelyne Grant has been dreaming of the alabaster man, and hearing his voice called out to her.

Now a fully-fledged member of the supernatural Order of the Ancile, Madelyne uses her biokinetic abilities to help others, while in secret she searches for the man from her dreams.

When her dreams lead Madelyne to the allegedly haunted Chanctonbury Ring on the British south-eastern coast, she finds a hidden barrow buried underground.

And there in a chamber leading off from the barrow’s many labyrinthine tunnels she finds the alabaster man of her dreams.

Using an ancient grimoire, Madelyne combines her biokinetic abilities with blood magic, to awaken the alabaster man; who reveals himself as Kalas, the last of an ancient race of supernatural, humanoid beings called the Kralian.

Having dreamed of Kalas for almost half her life, Madelyne is drawn to his ethereal beauty and impressive physical form, and soon sparks are flying as the two unite.

But everything Madelyne thought she knew is soon called into question when Kalas reveals it was an early form of The Order of the Ancile who wiped out the Kralian and that a witch with abilities very much like her own imprisoned him in stone.

Now Madelyne is torn between the only place that’s ever really felt like home, and the only man she’s ever loved.

Plans and Musings


I thought a follow-up to my last update was required, so here it is.

I started ADHD coaching, and it's going great. My coach is so insightful, and I'm trying to make changes already. I know I've got a way to go, but I feel like I'm making positive steps.

I also heard back from the referral for an assessment, and I'm now in their system, so I imagine I'll be hearing back again in February-March. It's a long wait, but it is what it is.

I'm still waiting on a few other things to help support people with their mental health so they can get back to work, so we will see how that goes.

Overall though, I am feeling SO much better. I feel like a dark cloud has been lifted from over me, and now I see the future stretching out before me.

So, what does that mean both for my literary career and writing?

Well, I'm starting a proofreading course today, with the aim of launching a proofreading business in the new year.

I've done a little proofreading before and loved it. I feel like it will be a good use of my skills, and also fit in with my interests. 

I've decided to go the self-employed route (rather than applying to publishers etc.) because I want control. One thing I realized is that part of why ghostwriting wasn't working for me anymore was because I didn't have enough control. 

Hopefully with some changes to my routine and mentality, and skills learned in coaching, I can build a successful business while maintaining a better work-life balance, and not end up burned out.

Writing-wise, I'm working on a paranormal romance that I'm really enjoying. I have a vague plan for how the rest of the story goes, so I'm writing happily and seeing where the story takes me.

The story is actually set in the Ancile universe, and that's been making me think a lot about Liches, Legends, and Love. I very much want to finish the story, but I'm wondering if I should work on re-writing it so that it's a paranormal romance, rather than a contemporary fantasy with romantic elements so that it's more in line with my current WIP.

Another question I keep coming back to is what will I do with the story(ies) once they're finished. I'm *trying* to live in the moment, and just enjoy writing, but my mind inevitably goes to "what comes next?"

I LOVE serial web fiction, but it seems not everyone else does, as Liches only had one regular reader. Part of me wondered if it was genre-related, but I was posting to genre-specific sites, like Royal Road, so who knows.

I'm tempted to give serials one last try on Inkett and Ream, but I'd LOVE some feedback.

Who here reads online web fiction? If so, what draws you to a story?

Has anyone published a successful online web fiction? If so, what tips and tricks do you have for me?

That's all I have for today, and lunchtime is almost over, so it's time for me to get into work mode.

I'd love to hear if you've got any news you'd like to share with me.

Until next time.

Stay safe, and keep writing.